The leader of a mercenary crew lounges abovedecks on a boat headed for a place he once called home, in the hopes that he might be able to do so again soon. It's been a rough many years, but this... This is what it was all for. Sometimes he's questioned whether or not his father is really to be trusted, but he's always banished the thoughts that they weren't equally fast.

Miles closes his eyes and looks into the sky, catching a whiff of the open sea, as he recalls the actions of him and his friends on the Archipelago.

Most if not all of these memories will be able to be dwelled upon in his trip home, but what comes to mind first?

>A. That woman, that bard, who was with his old rival... How did she come to be here? (be Lyra)
>B. The Vautou, surprisingly enough, gave their supports to the seas, and Captain Arvo saw fit to prevent that. (be Asra)
>C. Dain's support made its presence known, led by none other than their supposed heiress, Alexia. (be Miles by default, others in the group can be requested)
>D. None of this! What's Ellen still up to? (put this off a thread)

(for reference, Corneria and Miles' group is listed in the summary pastebin)
20 minute decision time.

>>42911509
>D. None of this! What's Ellen still up to? (put this off a thread)

>>42911509
>B. The Vautou, surprisingly enough, gave their supports to the seas, and Captain Arvo saw fit to prevent that. (be Asra)
Asra is fun

>>42911564
Is that a suggestion?

>>42911563
Would you be too steamed if I just broke the tiebreaker in favor of the Ulir plot? There's stuff coming up really soon that Miles and co. need to have reached their destination soon, so I'm worried that I'd need to completely offscreen the rest of this plot soon.

>>42911880
>B. The Vautou, surprisingly enough, gave their supports to the seas, and Captain Arvo saw fit to prevent that. (be Asra)

Does this help?

>>42912002
>>42911567
You stand in a dark corner as Mage General Corneria and Miles speak to Arvo in the presence of an older man, blond hair giving out to silver. You're in an office of some sort on the centralmost island.

"So a buncha rats with wings bowin' to some zombie made BY our enemy are to be our allies? Pfeh," Arvo "do ya have that little faith in my men, Mage General?"

"It's not a manner of 'faith,' Captain Arvo. You've found out that a certain percentage of your own fleet is conspiring against you, and the extra numbers are necessary to-"

"Y'say this after comin' to Mr. Dory here with SEVEN people under you. Why not come with 'em in the first place?"

The old man speaks finally. "Arvo has some point here... What reason have we to trust this 'Simia's' support?"

>A. Call them, in as polite terms as you can manage, fucking idiots
>B. Remain silent and in your corner
>C. Say something else (specify)

>>42912118
>B. Remain silent and in your corner
I'm not sure what calling them idiots would really do, Unless you mean to also vouch for Simia.

>>42912304
You continue standing around, blankly giving Arvo an icy expression, as Corneria speaks next.

"The forces of Dain have attacked the Vautou with intent of capturing Simia in the past, but those who remain under Simia's control of the Vautou are all very much loyal to her and her strength."

Arvo inquired as to how "some zombie" was even able to reach such a position, learning offhandedly that she killed their previous leader in a duel.

"Mr. Dory," as everyone refers to Ernest Dory, sends everyone besides his trusted pirate enforcer out of the room to discuss something. Naturally, you just hid slightly better.

"Our sphere of influence..." the old man says to the berserker, "were we to get in good with the Vautou, would be... Even more fantastic."

"What're you suggesting?"

"Simply that you escort these 'Vautou' to our fine archipelago, learn a bit about their culture from that leader of theirs..."

You understand enough about cloak-and-dagger go-abouts that this can't be good.

Perhaps reading the mood of things when called back in and explained-to, Miles suggests you go along for this escort, no doubt recalling your sentiments about Arvo.

>A. Speak to him afterwards
>B. Skip to the boat

>>42912597
>B. Skip to the boat
Try to ease down on the hostile staring too, we wouldnt want people to suspect us

>>42912668
Asra just sort of does that. Nobody thinks anything of it.

>>42912711
aight

>>42912668
You quietly boarded the boat, bid some farewells of no particular note. Miles told you at some point offscreen that Arvo is, under no circumstances, able to do something he very much suspects he plans to try.

As you stand around, getting some fresh air, the good captain approaches you.

"Why're you so distant? 'f your friends didn't vouch for you always being this way, I'd think you had a problem with me."

>A. You do.
>B. Be silent
>C. Why would you think that?
>D. Write-in action/dialogue

>>42912906
>C. Why would you think that?

>>42912906
>C. Why would you think that?

>>42912991
"Why would you think that."

"Well," Arvo explains, standing a bit closer, "like I said, you're very... Cold, least on the outside. Damn shame, too, since you're sorta pretty even then. Regardless, though, I feel like you've been shootin' me looks. Guess that must just be my imagination, though."

You have no idea if he's suspicious of you or just still disgusting.

>A. You are
>B. He's imagining it
>C. Be silent
>D. Write-in
>E. Kill him on the spot (this is currently a terrible idea)

>>42913137
>>D. Write-in
This is a trap. Run for it!

>>42913137
>I always seem cold to everyone. Don't take it personally.

>>42913335
Second

>>42913201
>>42913246
>>42913335
>>42913387
"Yes, you're just imagining it. I'm like this towards everyone, so it is nothing personal."

"So straightforward, too. Reminds me of this duchess wh-" You make yourself scarce without another word. "Not much for conversation, are ya? Alright, then."

You spend a few days at sea actively avoiding everyone, bar a few uncomfortable conversations you're trapped in with Captain Arvo. They reinforce your desire to kill him, but through them you are able to learn that he has a Swordslayer.

"Big guy with an axe, huh? You remind me of somebody." Simia addresses Arvo with her mask lowered, tilting her head side to side.

Two Vautou nearby spring into action as the captain draws his axe, but Simia lifts up a hand to stop them from rushing to her aid. Arvo says, "y'know, I dabble in plundering and pillaging myself, an' so I'm told a duel is customary dealings for... What was it, again?"

"No need to play dumb, me hearty," Simia says in an exaggeration of his accent, "the last guy like you I met got me real mad."

Simia draws her Wo Dao. "Technically, this is supposed to be done in our headquarters, but who really has the time for that?" She pauses a moment. "Your crew won't refuse to work with us when you die, will they?"

Arvo yells at his crew to ensure that, no, that will not be the case, before a combination of pirates, birdmen, ordinary terrorized citizens, and Asra (that's you!) observe.

>A. Intervene immediately
>B. Watch awhile, gauge if she needs help
>C. Go do something else

>>42913579
>B. Watch awhile, gauge if she needs help
Strike him when he's weakened and distracted

>>42913579
>B. Watch awhile, gauge if she needs help

>>42913655
>>42913769
"Hah," Simia says, dodging Arvo's first strike, "thinking you can just grab a Swordslayer and call it a day."

She deals a critical strike to Arvo in retaliation, but he dodges what would have been the coup de grace. She leaps back, tries again, and has her strike blocked by the bleeding-out captain's axe. He pushes back, and she barely swerves by a strike that would've split her in half.

You find a particularly crowded section of... Crowd, where one of Arvo's pirates are standing annoyingly in front of the sight of the fight, fiddling with a dagger in his hands.

You don't even need to do anything to stand out to cause him to trip and fall, loudly grunting in pain as his own tool cuts him.

You slip away as Arvo jerks his head towards the commotion, probably assuming some treachery was afoot.

"Er, I'm alright, captain... Just had a bit of a-Holy shit, captain, look out!"

Arvo winds up being a bit busy having his dominant hand cut off by the Deadlord.

"Urgh... Sh-shit... Shit..! The battle's yours, the battle's yours!"

"Sorry, cap, not how this works."

You honestly have no idea if Simia would have lost without your involvement, but at least she defended her position of leadership.

Immediately afterwards, she killed that pirate who "accidentally fell," blaming him for making what would've been a great fight "too easy."

To their credit, at least, the rest of Arvo's crew takes the request he was certain they wouldn't need to make good on to heart, and escorted the Vautou as promised.

Word of Arvo's death, having occurred on the shore, naturally was the first Ulir-related news to be heard on the mainland. A silver-haired archer silently thanks the gods.

You only informed your fellow Great Miles of the truth as you took the ride home.

>A. Continue with Asra's section a little more before deciding
>B. Jump into Lyra's (chronologically-first) section
>C. Jump into the chronologically-last section (with anyone in the B-plot team)

>>42914193
>A. Continue with Asra's section a little more before deciding

>>42914193
>B. Jump into Lyra's (chronologically-first) section

>>42914193
>A. Continue with Asra's section a little more before deciding
B after this one

>>42914227
>>42914267
You take a seat by Miles, following your leader's example of sitting and idly looking up.

He eventually notices (or just acknowledges you), simply saying, "have you figured anything out for your future? When we get to Noba, I mean."

>A. You don't know
>B. What you've been doing is still all you know
>C. You think you'll keep up mercenary work
>D. You have some idea (write-in)
>E. Be silent

>>42914342
>A. You don't know
>Maybe you'll need a bodyguard?

>>42914383
>A. You don't know
>B. What you've been doing is still all you know
>>42914383
>removing Asra from play
Pls no.

That aside does she really have any actual reason to do that? Miles can take care of himself.

>>42914383
Seconding

>>42914440
Well, in-character, she's sort of extremely devoted to Miles and Devon for reasons that were described in her last playable section.

>>42914440
>Wanting to act OOC
Get the fuck out.

>>42914383
>>42914441
"I... Don't know. I could act as a bodyguard for you or Devon."

"Hmm..." Miles contemplates before nodding. "I... Know she would probably be upset to hear me say it, but I do still worry about her very often."

"That is normal."

"I know, I know, but even before that... Asra, she was worried I would be too distracted by
her and kept from telling me she was pregnant. Tell me, am I... Overzealous, when it comes to Devon's safety?"

At some point in the several weaks you were on the archipelago, the exact nature of Devon's "condition" became much harder to actually hide.

>A. Maybe a little
>B. Well it did drive Laurina off
>C. It's perfectly understandable
>D. Not at all
>E. Write-in

>>42914604
*several weeks, not weaks

How'd that one get past my vigilant fingers?

>>42914604
>A. Maybe a little

>>42914604
>A. Maybe a little
>C. It's perfectly understandable

>>42914673
>>42914682
"...perhaps you can, but it is understandable. I would be the same way if I were leader, certainly."

Miles nods. "Still, though, you as a bodyguard... I could definitely see it." You both sit quietly awhile before Miles speaks up about a different subject. "That woman guiding the Freeblades, was she... Familiar at all to you? I swear I saw her somewhere..."

Weeks ago, a lone boat sits out at sea, its crew having been tortured and left to die as an example for enemies of Arvo.

"Hey, hey, wait... Tell 'em to stop the boat, that ship looks like..."

The speaker of these words is you, which is to say Lyra, which is to say someone born to the name "Brynne."

You consider Captain Nalon, one of the underlings of Captain Arvo, a dear friend, and she helped you escape this shithole in the first place, so when a letter arrived asking you to help sneak some Noban mercenaries to the Westernmost island to support Durvan, you felt as though you owed it to her.

"That ship looks like what?" The leader of the mercenary company you're helping, a foul-mouthed fellow with a headband and ridiculous haircut, asks you.

>A. It's Nalon's ship
>B. Isn't it strange that something is just out at sea like that
>C. Write-in?

>>42914940
>A. It's Nalon's ship

>>42915056
"That's Captain Nalon's ship... Hell, did something happen? Why is it just sitting in the middle of the water like that?"

"One way to find out. I'm gonna be pissed if this is some kinda ambush, though."

As you board the ship, you find it necessary to emphasize to a very skittish man with a staff and healing skills that he come along with you, slinking below the decks alongside him, the company's leader, and a similarly unpleasant archer.

The ship is quiet. Most of the rooms are empty, but there is blood trailing in a few spots.

"Le's check out the brig," the archer says in an odd accent that he swears is from these islands (you would know. It isn't. It isn't from anywhere. He just does it to mess with people), "you, Brynne, check out the rest of the ship."

You clutch a vulnerary as the three mentioned react with horror to whoever they find in there, however they find them.

>A. Look for the captain's quarters
>B. Check out the kitchen/galley
>C. Wander the ship until you find something
>D. Follow one of the many blood trails
>E. This is too much for you. You're outta here

>>42915242
>A. Look for the captain's quarters

>>42915242
>A. Look for the captain's quarters

>>42915341
>>42915350
"Nalon!" You hurry over to the Captain's Quarters, figuring that's where she would be if not already in that same brig.

When you enter the office/private quarters, Nalon is seated behind her desk,which has been thrown to the ground and broken. Her bare arms of which are both immensely cut up. Her longcoat is torn and tattered on the ground, and as you approach, her appearance just gets worse and worse.

Spelt in blood on the wall opposite where she was sitting is a short message: "TO ALL YOU TRAITOS." Below that, in what appears to be more standard blue paint, "*TRAITORS" corrects the typo.

You don't want to even recall the finer details of your friend's condition, but they will haunt you for a very long time, made only worse by that archer fellow coming in and saying, "looks like she died just 'bout... Few minutes before we boarded, it had to've been. I mean a couple of her own crew're still alive..."

"Shit, that's rough..." The leader of the group (everyone calls him Ed, you think?) continues tactlessly, "how long'd you know her?"

>A. You are unable to answer
>B. Briefly, but significantly (read: met shortly before you sought refuge at all)
>C. Few years before leaving
>D. Most of your respective lives
>E. Write-in

>>42915633
>B. Briefly, but significantly (read: met shortly before you sought refuge at all)

>>42915778
"Not long, but... I was only able to get outta this hellhole thanks to her. Thought I owed it to an old friend, you know?"

"Well, that just sucks. Anyway, c'mon, let's get going," Ed says. Rather callous sort, he is. Hasn't changed much from what Byron described him as back when he and Biff were in the Freeblades briefly.

Maybe if he'd have had a chance to go on some grand, continent-spanning adventure in between capturing Victoria and what he's doing now, but nope. Just shit mercenary jobs. Then two of his closest friends and co-founders settled down together in Elza Oasis.

You mostly found that out when your fellow islander among his ranks pointed it out to you after you got into a spat with him.

Anyway, the islander-archer guy asks, in his rough sort of way, "hey, you gonna be alright? I mean, we can take it from here if you're not."

>A. No. You owe a friend a solid
>B. You're going to see this through
>C. Yeah, he's probably right (this creates several plot holes, but I'd be able to work it out)
>D. Write-in?

And...

>E. Keep up with Lyra a little while longer
>F. Take on the final and longest vignette

>>42915936
>A. No. You owe a friend a solid
>E. Keep up with Lyra a little while longer

>>42916061
"No, I owe a friend, you see."

"A friend who's dead now," Ed says.

"Yes. I am aware of that."

You try and fail to get your mind off of what you all saw, though it's made a bit harder by speaking to one of the few survivors of her crew.

"Gh-gh... That... That Arvo bastard... I'll cut him to f-fucking... Fucking pieces!" Uncertainly, someone who was once an eldest sister (Maple, you think her name is?) says, still barely able to walk on her own.

>A. Calm down.
>B. Don't talk to her
>C. Encourage her
>D. Try discussing something else
>E. Write-in?

>>42916177
>A. Calm down.
>See if your staff friend can heal her.

>>42916275
He did and that's why she's alive at all. She's just still in a bit of a fucked up state because healing has weird and hard to describe rules.

>>42916275
"Calm down, Maple, you... You can't fight like this."

"And fuck you for pointing that out to me!" The very expletive-happy pirate girl tries to slug you in the face, but grows winded before even connecting.

You play her a harp tune, reinvigorating her.

In due time, this mercenary group, and the few survivors of Nalon's crew, would find themselves face-to-face with the Great Miles and the party of the Mage General, supporting the likes of Alexia and Durvan in one grand battle.

But this isn't exactly from their perspective.

>A. Be Miles (Sage)
>B. Be Devon (Bishop)
>C. Be Bryce (Bard)
>D. Be Michalis (Fire Dragon)
>E. Be Yancy (Shaman/Dark Mage)
>F. Be Maria (also Bishop)
>G. Again, be Asra

>>42916382
>D. Be Michalis (Fire Dragon)

>>42916446
In the middle of a vacated city street on the Westernmost Island, you stand around idly in disguise beside the rest of the company.

The boss is in a petty-ass shouting match with someone he apparently knew on the opposite side.

"Oh, man, daddy never loved you so you found some random kid to project onto? Real noble."

"Edgar, I see your insults have gotten even less clever since half the brains of your operation smartened up and left you."

"Well, sorry I can't just throw money at some book to get all the work done in battle, moneybags."

"So now you're insulting me because you can rarely ever find clients? Is that why you're here suckling on Dain's little rebellion?"

You look up towards Devon through your shaggy wig. She says, "they'll wear themselves out... I don't even think they've realized they're on opposite sides right now. They really bring out the worst in each other."

>A. Interrupt as a dragon
>B. Sit back and watch them awhile longer
>C. Go somewhere else
>D. Write-in?

>>42916605
>B. Sit back and watch them awhile longer

>>42916776
You watch awhile longer as the respected leader of a mercenary crew gets into an increasingly-petty argument at the behest of an old rival, though a woman's voice unfamiliar to you ultimately exclaims, "what the hell is going on over here?"

An older woman with red, curly hair tied back rides in on a very impressive-looking horse, a shitload of weapons on her person.

"Well, princess, I didn't realize we'd be working with THIS asshole!"

"...you aren't."

"Er, what?"

"They're... The Dory Family, they..."

"Ed" grumbles, "well why the Hell didn't you say so?!" He draws his sword, glaring intensely at Miles. "C'mon, daddy's boy. You wanna see your precious palace again? Well, too bad!"

"Edgar, don't do anything-" The mercenary rushes forward, ignoring Alexia's(?) warning, takes a single unsuccessful swing at Miles, then promptly gets blasted back by a fireball to the face courtesy of Miles.

"I didn't LIKE doing that, you know," Miles says.

"I'm sure. I wish we weren't meeting again on terms like this. I do appreciate your work saving my niece."

She produces a Levin Sword and stares Miles down atop her steed, the rest of that Ed fellow's mercenaries quickly coming towards the five of you.

>A. Transform now
>B. Fly away now
>C. Write-in now
>D. Do nothing now

>>42916933
>A. Transform now

File: FireDragonGBAIcon.gif (3 KB, 101x100)

3 KB GIF

>>42916989
You waste no time in turning into a dragon, setting some pirate girl on fire along with most of Ed, then being so kind as to stamp out the flames (and the people that are caught on them).

Another large fellow with an axe (neatly-cut hair, light clothing, dark complexion) approaches you in particular after taking out a couple of Arvo-aligned pirates in quick succession. "A Fire Dragon, here? Now? Hrg... All of you, steer clear of this dragon! Leave him to me!"

"Sir Durvan," Alexia says, dodging and missing Miles a few times, "these people need you here. You can't get yourself killed."

"Says the princess on the frontlines."

"Touche... Be careful, that's all I ask."

"I don't plan on perishing here. Laurina would be awfully disappointed if she finally returned home and was unable to visit."

He runs towards you, readying his axe. You've got a lot of size to you, probably won't be hard to hit from where you're standing.

>A. Fly up
>B. Blast him with fire
>C. Swipe at him
>D. Revert and force him to swipe at air
>E. Write-in

>>42917200
>B. Blast him with fire

>>42917290
Actually change this to >A. Fly up
Don't want to fatally wound Laurina's dad right away. There might be a chance of talking him out of this somehow.

>>42917290
You breathe in, ready to douse this guy in flames, only to find a horrible pain in one of your hind legs. You turn and see that Alexia woman, holding a hammer right near the newly fucked-up leg. Miles reels in pain on the ground behind her, being held up by Bryce and healed by Devon, looking slightly singed.

"Durvan~," she says just as about he's about to bring an axe to your neck, "didn't I warn you to be more careful? A second later and this young man would have burned you to a crisp!"

"Then why are you stopping me from finishing him off?"

"I know he's probably older than he looks, as a manakete, but... I have a soft spot for children."

>A. Revert
>B. Attack
>C. Lie there, a dragon

>>42917381
Shit, didn't see this until I was posting. Sorry.

At least Alexia was paying attention.

>>42917400
>A. Revert
Well a 300 year old is a child by manakete terms...

>>42917516
Right, right, this isn't the Ice Authority you're dealing with.

Normal people feel sympathy when a child is in pain, even if it's several times older than them.

In human form, you cringe and clutch your legs.

"Hrng..." Durvan scowls, "you think you can earn my sympathy like that? Were it up to me, you would be struck down all the easier after what you just-"

"Durvan, be calm. These are... Friends of your daughter's."

"...come again?"

Miles nods. "For awhile, your daughter Laurina, she was a respected member of our company."

"And... Where is she now, then? I haven't seen her once this entire-"

"She couldn't bear to return home if it meant working against you, so she respectfully departed from our company. Last I'd heard, she was doing well."

Durvan closes his eyes for a moment, contemplatively, before someone arrives to inform him that a boatful of Vautou has just pulled ashore someplace near. "I'll leave this crew in your hands, Alexia," Durvan says before starting off, "I trust you to do what is best."

Alexia nods, having a terrified-looking fellow approach you and wave a staff. Your leg's not that much less broken (that'll take slightly more healing magic over a bit of a longer amount of time), but at least the effects of having taken a warhammer to it won't kill you. "Miles," Alexia inquires, "why would you bring your company to such a dangerous place?"

"We were hired by Mage General Corneria. She has been... A very good client for us."

"Is that all? She could have had any number of other escorts had you refused."

"We needed to pass through to avoid Dain!" Devon says, "we were going to retire in Noba after this, so please..."

Alexia strokes her chin thoughtfully, ultimately offering something to the lot of you: lay down your collective weapons, come with her willingly, and she could personally guarantee you all safe passage to Noba when this is over.

>A. Encourage offer
>B. Discourage offer
>C. Be silent
>D. Where's Asra
>E. Write-in

>>42917791
>C. Be silent
>D. Where's Asra

>>42917824
You don't say anything to support or discourage Alexia's offer, instead noticing Miles look around the area. It prompts you to silently wonder where Asra's vanished to this time.

"Uh, Miles, not dyin' might be in our best interests here," Bryce says very, very helpfully.

Miles nods. "I... This was to be our last ever mission, and I won't fall into the cliche of letting you all die during that. We're hurt, overpowered by one woman on an island full of her allies... I think the four of us have no other choice than to comply."

Alexia smiles genuinely. "Excellent!" Carefully, making sure not to upset your leg, she lifts you up onto her horse with her. "Don't transform, alright? I fancy myself and Vyland here strong and all, but neither of us could hold up a dragon." She laughs sweetly. It reminds you of your sister. "Miles, you good to walk? Good, great, now, right this way!"

>A. Don't transform
>B. Transform

And...

>C. Say something (specify)
>D. Say nothing

>>42917916
>A. Don't transform
>C. Say something (to Alexia)
So you're a princess? You know what they say about dragons and princesses...

(assuming Michalis doesn't know about Alexia.)

>>42918026
"So, you're... A princess, right?"

"Yes."

"Aren't there human stories about old dragons stealing young princesses or something? Must be sort of ironic."

She chuckles. "You're..."

"300. You?"

"You don't ask a lady that sort of thing~!"

She laughs at her own joke(?).

"Oh, before I forget!" She grabs away your Firestone. "Apologies if this is really valuable to you or something. 'Drop your weapons' and whatnot."

"I... Understand." You groan.

You all spend a short while interned on this island, occasionally hearing word about how Durvan's faction has turned things around. Usually it's Alexia or someone with her who comes to you. Pretty nice for basically being POWs, you suppose. You've heard that Dain usually treats people far worse, but technically this is Durvan's jurisdiction.

One day, Asra comes with Alexia, apparently having had her hands tied together and looking somewhat bruised up.

"You are... All unharmed?"

>A. Yeah
>B. What happened to you
>C. Been better, been worse
>D. Remain silent
>E. Write-in

>>42918187
>B. What happened to you
>C. Been better, been worse

>>42918339
"Been better, been worse..."

Before you can continue and say pretty much the same thing, Devon interrupts, "gods, Asra, what happened to you?"

"I was going to break you out. Instead, Durvan found me. I'm fine, though."

"I found her like this, had to explain to Durvan that she was with you. He gets a bit... Antsy, with potential assassins. Dealing with the Dories, it only makes sense."

And so Asra joined you all there.

The next day, another unfamiliar-to-you person visits. He's a tall, magical-looking sort with curly blue hair, and came in with Alexia.

"Er... Have you met my oldest son, Lars?"

Miles asks, "Wait... Weren't you supposedly in Cord? How did you get all the way here?!"

"That... Didn't exactly work out. I just finished talking over the details with mother, but... That was a bust, a busty Witch busted me out, Garrus is the King now and Paula is safe in a place that won't exploit her for necromancy."

>A. That's... Good?
>B. Why are you here
>C. Write-in dialogue
>D. Remain silent

>>42918467
>A. That's... Good?
>B. Why are you here

>>42918503
"That's... Good, right?"

Everyone nods.

"Alright, but another question. Why are YOU here?"

"I was worried about my mother. I would've arrived even sooner if a certain someone wasn't more concerned with making sure her CAT was alright."

A woman's voice from outside says back, "he's been lonely!"

"You said your niece was taking care of him!"

"Yeah, but that just means making sure he doesn't die! He missed me!" There are sounds of things being knocked over. "Gerald, no! Get back to mommy!"

Lars shoots everyone a "get a load of her" expression. "Anyway, with the late Arvo's fleet getting increasingly smaller, the mutineers actually outnumber him at this point, AND the Vautou had to return home to deal with a True Vautou takeover, if I read correctly." His mother nods. "So... It should be safe for you to go to Noba, since you apparently said that was your endgame in all of this."

>A. What about the Mage General
>B. That's good to hear
>C. How can we trust you
>D. Be silent

>>42918615
>A. What about the Mage General
>C. How can we trust you

>>42918644
"And what about the Mage General?"

"Word was she would send her diplomats after helping negotiate the terms of Ernest Dory and his family's surrender. They're a stubborn bunch, so it may take awhile, but there's no need for you to be there for that."

"And how can we trust YOU to get us there safely?"

"The same way you trusted my mother, I would assume. What would we have to gain from having the more powerful of Fathom's two leaders lose his son and his friends after he's chosen to take them in?"

True to Lars and Alexia's words, you and the remaining members of the Great Miles are able to be sent to Noba without much trouble from there. Devon comes clean about her pregnancy.

Awhile after Asra joined him on deck, the rest of you approached Miles as well.

"Here I was hoping this trip could end with us having significant enough grounds to turn Fathom against Dain... But apparently it's as good as Durvan's archipelago at this point."

>A. Maybe that's for the best for Ulir
>B. We gave it our all
>C. At least we're not dead
>D. We're horrible aren't we
>E. Write-in

>>42918806
>B. We gave it our all
>C. At least we're not dead

>>42918854
"Well," you say, perching by his and Devon's side, "we did all that we could, and none of us are dead, so... At least it worked out okay."

"I suppose so..." Miles pulls Devon slightly closer. "To think. Us, parents..."

Bryce quips. "Now you gotta make her an honest woman. And you're engaged, Miles!"

Fiance and Fiancee chuckle, Devon adding, "do you think Noba's going to be any different, when we get back there?"

"Hopefully somewhat... I mean, we've left Phia alone in Phile for so long now, at least that third of things should be better off."

"Hey, wait a second," Bryce says, "why couldn't that chick with the Witch Pendant bring us back home?"

"No one thought of it at the time," Asra says matter-of-factly, "and it may be hard to gauge where to warp to now that we're on the seas as we are."

"Hindsight," Miles says with good-natured resignation.

You feel as though Lars had more than his mother in mind when visiting Ulir, even if he genuinely cares about her.

>To be continued next thread
Well, I think the Great Miles are in a safe enough place to just drop out of the plot for awhile now, and the necessary events of Ulir happened (even if your side's loss was preventable).

Thanks for playing. As always, you can follow us on twitter or ask.fm, both qmgrandflocto, and I'll be around for requests and write-ups for a little while in-thread.

>>42919031
Thanks for running as always. I feel kinda bad letting the Great Miles fail but hopefully that wasn't a game-changing failure.

>>42919209
Well, Durvan's Ulir seems to be more in good with Lars' distinct faction than the actual Dain empire, so it all comes down to how they behave.

As an aside, Corneria spoke with her sister for the first time in awhile. Her suspicions were correct.

>>42919253
>As an aside, Corneria spoke with her sister for the first time in awhile. Her suspicions were correct.
Hey! Mom is alive, guys! Ayy....

>>42919359
Bad news, though, Corneria now very strongly suspects that, after their family sent for Dolores to be captured (which also, as we know, killed Ellen's dad, while Ellen only escaped a similar fate by being brought to Lambert's dad and not alluded to by either parent), they "convinced" her that everything she'd done was a mistake, that her late husband was outright horrible and she'd just repressed it. Then she became a prominently loyal figure in the Dory family's whole... Thing.

Even through all that, she apparently kept Ellen's existence a secret until Corneria brought it up to her, judging by the fact that pirates never stole Ellen from Tarvos Valley and raised her as an island mafioso.