While Lyeim tries to calm Riga down in the other room, the rest of the group is let into the house by Asra. Bolse has a bit of a headache from the sudden influx of guests, but he's thankful you, Asra, and Lyeim saved him from Riga. That being said, he's only really annoyed for the sake of not wanting too much excitement for the other Lloyd's sake.

From what you all can tell, he has no memory of why he wound up where he did, or even who he is. Just that he was... Running away from someone exceptionally strong.

Irene, meanwhile, gets reaccustomed to Esmer's vacation home, looking for an opportunity to send word of where she is, what she's doing, to someone. Esmer, meanwhile, gives her no such chance.

"You're on probation," Esmer says to her apologetically, petting her old, spry cat. "It'... Not really up to me, and in fact I talked them into letting you have another chance to begin with!" Taking on a menacingly friendly tone, she adds, "so it's both of us on the line if anything went wrong..."

Princess Shea's own small band, meanwhile, is sailing Southward on the Intelligent System, Leigh, Yancy, and Yulea headed straight to the same island. Jolie speaks to them, Colleen, and Rema about assorted purposeless things to pass the time.

Soon enough, however, they all hit port, bidding the half-wolf sisters and the rest of that crew farewell. Immediately, the gang gets to asking around about where they might find Irene...

>A. Continue being Lloyd
>B. Be Irene
>C. Be someone in Leigh's/Shea's group
20-minute decision time.

>>44779284
Vote time renewed.

>>44779284
>C. Be someone in Leigh's/Shea's group
Unless you have a particular preference for who we play as due to guaranteed deaths again.

>>44779730
I was gonna end up having you guys take over as someone from that group or Irene sometime in the next two or three threads if you picked Lloyd. Not often I force a POV change, but I figured "Irene and the people who implicitly distrust her meeting on opposing sides" seems a bit much to let happen offscreen.

>>44779894
To clarify. This thread would've just directly continued as normal, but later on the choice would only be between those other options.

>>44779730
Shea's personal funds dip into making sure everyone is well-equipped for what could be a big fight, apparently after confirming the Wulf Company had been sighted in the region of Esmer's vacation home.

In the process, quite a few characters achieve a promotion, speaking classwise.

>A. Be Leigh
>B. Be Yancy
>C. Be Yulea
>D. Be Jolie
>E. Be Shea
>F. Be someone else (specify)

>>44780124
Also, er, meant to mention. Leigh's already Hero class, Jolie just promoted to Halberdier, Shea's already Wyvern Lord, and Yancy and Yulea are torn between promotion options: Yancy Trickster and Valkyrie, Yulea Paladin and Great Knight.

>>44780124
>A. Be Leigh

>>44780185
You are now Leigh, helping Yancy and Yulea puzzle this out.

"I mean, my father became a Paladin..." Yulea says, "but then again, I'm not him at all... I'm really not the gallant knight in mossy armor type, you know?"

"Y'know what," Yancy says in the meantime, looking at a Fire Tome and her Guiding Ring. "What the hell? We need someone to start studying magic!"

"That's... Very responsible of you!" Jolie, nearby, says as she takes some practice swings with a shiny new lance.

"Ah," Cargia says, chuckling and clutching a walking stick, "seeing your enthusiasm towards growing stronger makes me wish it was still in my own cards..."

"Hey," Yulea says, "you're not out completely! You're recovering pretty fast, in fact!"

Cargia nods. "Aye, but not fast enough! To duel with the figures of the Wulf Company would be a dream come true for my warrior's spirit... But I suppose joking with Welles is a delight of its own."

You've just been checking out your Miracle Sword this entire time, making sure it's still in good condition in case a situation calls for dying. You'd hate for dying to actually kill you.

>A. Contribute to the conversation (specify)
>B. Head outside
>C. Skip ahead
>D. Write-in action

>>44780474
>B. Head outside

>>44780534
You take a moment to find a nice spot of beach to gather your thoughts, escape the socialization happening around you but not to you.

You pass by Shea and Yvette talking about something on the way out, probably none of your business, but the point is you're alone with your thoughts for a moment.

You think about Lloyd, Irene, all of them... Wonder if Ansi's doing alright, too.

Behind you, a deep voice says, "not gonna say hi?"

Immediately, you turn around and swing your blade at the voice in question, only to notice Eyven (you think that was Welles' brother's name) easily swerving out of the way. It's... Probably a teleportation trick, but his nonchalant look sells it. "Ehey, watch where you're pointing that thing. You could really get hurt!"

>A. What's he want
>B. Don't threaten you
>C. Attack him again
>D. Write-in response
>E. ...

>>44780805
Vote time renewed.

>>44780805
>B. Don't threaten you
>A. What's he want

>>44781139
"D-don't threaten me!" You say, raising up your sword again.

"Whoa, whoa," he says, unmoving, "I was just sayin' that swinging that around could be dangerous."

You groan. "Look, what do you want?"

"Well, I was just in the area anyway... Lookin' after someone, ya know? Figured I'd take a chance to pass on another message."

"That... being?" You sheathe your sword.

"Well, uh..." He rotates in place. "Dunno who's listening for whose sake out here, so I'm gonna be annoyingly vague here... Everything isn't as it seems, no matter what someone might try to tell you in the future."

"Wait... Listening? What are you-"

"Just make sure the message passes, alright?" He walks into the water and disappears. Guy's certainly fond of his exits...

>A. Call something in case he's still near (specify)
>B. Relay the message to Shea
>C. Keep the message to yourself
>D. Speculate on what he could mean (write-in idea)
>E. Write-in action

>>44781339
>B. Relay the message to Shea

>>44781454
You head back to the building, back to where Shea and Yvette's conversation has ended.

"That's a... Real letdown," Shea says to Yvette in response to whatever news was told to her. "A lot of Marrius' Group's information could be compromised, or otherwise called into question, if this is true..."

"If... What's true?" You ask.

Yvette, matter-of-factly, answers, "Irene, leader of Marrius' Group, has been sighted with Esmer in the area."

>A. Just say what Eyven said to say
>B. So you were right about her!
>C. Could she have been captured..?
>D. On second thought, skip the message
>E. Write-in response

>>44781633
>A. Just say what Eyven said to say
>C. Could she have been captured..?

>>44781685
"I dunno, maybe they took her or something... I mean, Eyven actually spoke to me privately earlier."

"Really?" Shea says. "What did he say?"

"He was... Really vague, but he said to pass it along that. 'Everything isn't as it seems,' pretty much."

Yvette shuts her eyes in thought. "I see, so that's how it is..."

"Yvette?" Shea asks, turning towards her.

"If she's not an outright hostage, then it's entirely possible that she's been coerced into rejoining them. If the latter's the case, she might even be made to fight us..."

"So it's more hopeful to assume she's simply been kidnapped," Shea says, "a rare sentence."

"And if she were," Yvette says, "as I said earlier, she wouldn't be roaming the town freely as she is."

>A. Still a traitor in your eyes
>B. What could be so important
>C. What do we do if she fights
>D. Write-in response
>E. Be silent

>>44781900
>B. What could be so important
>C. What do we do if she fights

>>44782187
"What could be so important?" You ask skeptically. "I mean, I haven't been all too caught-up on what Marrius' Group is doing, but..."

"That is for her to know and us to find out," Shea responds.

"So... What do we do if we have to fight her?" You ask.

"Ideally, we take her and Esmer alive," Yvette answers, "but if they're in possession of Witch Pendants, they could very easily escape if defeat becomes imminent."

"So destroy the pendant," you summarize. "Cut off a bunch of their mobility."

Shea nods.

>A. Say something further (write-in)
>B. Talk to someone else (specify)
>C. Skip ahead

>>44782358
>A. So, do you think we can pull this off?

>>44782457
"So can we pull this off?" You ask.

"Capture Esmer?" Shea asks. "I think so, but it'll take some cleverness on all our ends."

From there, things skip ahead a bit, everyone getting ready, Yancy and Yulea promoting to Valkyrie and Great Knight, so on, so forth.

"Best of luck to all of you!" Welles says. "If you need anything, I'm right here on this island!"

"Likewise," Cargia says.

Yvette mounts her horse, looking quite gallant, while Yancy practices slinging a fire tome around.

"Alright," Shea says, flying into view on her wyvern, "It... Looks like the Wulf Company has about a dozen members posted at Esmer's home. They don't seem to know we're here yet, and now is the time to take advantage of their lack of knowledge."

That being said, people are still trying to figure how to do this.

>A. Try to sneak towards Esmer's vacation home
>B. Charge the front gates
>C. Write-in idea
>D. Be silent

>>44782923
>A. Try to sneak towards Esmer's vacation home

>>44783076
"Well, uh... Let's try to sneak towards the house."

Shea nods. "That's... Probably for the best." Dismounting, she pets her wyvern. "Probably gonna need to get rid of the mounts on the approach, then..."

Yancy and Yulea, too, dismount their horses.

Sadly, you don't particularly have anyone especially skilled in sneaking in your party, so your entrance isn't especially stealthy... Several doors are mysteriously unlocked, though, mercenaries in just the wrong place at the right time to stop you before you're already well into the building...

The six of you find yourself in a wide-open room, seemingly-empty room, at which point the mercenaries outside stop following you, simply shutting the door. A spiraling set of stairs leads both up and down stairs.

At the risk of sounding cliche, Jolie remarks, "it's quiet... Too quiet."

>A. Wait around this room
>B. Head upstairs
>C. Head for the basement
>D. Try to leave the house
>E. Write-in

>>44783456
>B. Head upstairs

>>44783587
Drawing your sword, you concernedly start up the stairs.

"L-look out..!" Jolie calls, noticing something, and moments later, you fall down the stairs.

Gripping your head, you lay on the floor in a daze. "Wh-what hit me..?"

You feel and hear a rumbling sound, and notice everyone holding weapons and standing over you. "H-hey! What are you-"

You look down, noticing a cat, laying on you, purring, a claw stuck under your armor.

This thing's draining you.

>A. Attack!
>B. Tell everyone to attack!
>C. Try and scare it off!
>D. Hold still
>E. Write-in response

>>44783704
Vote time renewed.

>>44783704
>A. Attack!
>B. Tell everyone to attack!
>C. Try and scare it off!

File: Prayer_Sword_(Artwork).png (166 KB, 402x984)

166 KB PNG

>>44784123
"Agh! Kill it! Kill it!" You and everyone else swing your weapons at the Wampyr cat, which startles it enough to bail.

This would horribly murder you were it not for your Miracle Sword, but thankfully you survive and Yancy immediately heals you up.

"Are you alright?!" Yulea asks, pulling you off the ground.

"Fine," you answer, "just got a rowdy rodent to kill!"

"Cats aren't rodents, actually!" A woman responds from upstairs, stepping down to reveal herself as cradling the cat... And the same green-haired woman who you spotted with Riga awhile back.

Behind her is Irene, giving you all an apologetic look.

>A. Say something (specify)
>B. Attack! (specify who)
>C. Shout at Irene for siding with her
>D. Ask Irene if she's alright
>E. Write-in response

>>44784280
Vote time renewed.

>>44784280
>D. Ask Irene if she's alright

>>44784691
"I-Irene! Are you alright?!"

"Leigh..." Irene smiles sadly. "I'm not hurt, if that's what you're asking."

"Why are you doing this, Irene?!" Yancy asks angrily.

Petting her cat, Esmer answers for her protege, "she's making up for her company's past mistakes!"

"So it's to protect Marrius' Group?" Yulea asks perceptively.

Irene looks down, frowning.

"Did I hear you say you wanted to kill my cat?" Esmer asks, frowning and glaring.

>A. Yes
>B. ...no
>C. Attack!
>D. Write-in response

>>44785123
Vote time renewed.

>>44785123
>B. ...no

>>44785495
"Er... No."

"What were you all hoping to accomplish coming to my vacation home?" Esmer asks, shaking her head. "Capture me? Then what?"

The Wulf Company mercs from outside all head in, one fearfully looking at Esmer's cat and asking, "uh, hey, is he alright?"

"Gerald?" Esmer smiles, hugging the cat. "Yeah, he's fed for now. He should be perfectly content while you all do your work~."

Aaand the twelve of them advance. Esmer puts her cat down and finds a tome, and Irene just... Continues looking apologetic before saying, "I don't think you can win this..."

>A. Attack someone! (specify)
>B. Stay put
>C. Give up
>D. Write-in response
>E. Say something (specify)

>>44785797
>B. Stay put

My laptop is being a freezy shit. Pardon all the delays.

I literally have the fucking post done and have for like ten minutes, too.

>>44785861
None of you move, clutching your weapons pensively.

"What do you think, Yvette?" Shea asks.

Yvette's old fists shake, her barely holding onto her sword. "We... could possibly defeat them or escape, but I doubt all of us would survive."

Shea sighs. "Then it's not worth it, not with such a small number as it is. Everyone, lay down your-"

From outside, Welles' voice booms, "Esmer, formerly of the Wulf Company! Submit to questioning willingly or I shall have to give you... A very stern talking-to!"

Esmer groans, taking her cat and walking outside with two of the mercenaries.

Shea, smiling suddenly (did they plan this somehow?), mutters, "this certainly evens the odds a bit..." Before she, Jolie, and Yvette cease dropping their weapons and hurry at the nearest Wulf Company members.

Soon enough, you, Yancy, and Yulea join in, and only two or three of them are able to escape to the outside of the house they're supposed to be guarding.

Apologetically once more, Irene hurries after them, saying to you briefly, "have to keep up images..."

Now it's the seven of you (though you doubt Welles will fight much) vs Esmer, her cat, five guards, and kinda-sorta-not really Irene.

>To be continued next thread
Genuinely sorry this one wasn't as "big" as I was hoping/planning. Things ended up going a lot slower because of freeze-ups/real-life distractions. Ideally, MOST of the thread would've been the fight that we're now needing to dedicate to a later gaiden.

Was briefly considering just letting the thread end on the note of Shea's group being defeated and captured, but I felt like that was a bit harsh.

Thanks for playing anyway, though. As always, update twitter and ask.fm are qmgrandflocto, and I'll be around in-thread to chat for awhile.

>>44786307
Thanks for running.

>>44786324
Always a pleasure, despite certain issues.