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Waiting on the bane of recent times to resurface is something, sure, but it doesn't mean the rest of your life stays on hold. The world keeps turning over the next few months, you hearing the odd update from Wes or Shea, typically amounting to "hey, we might have a possible lead on her" and "nope, sorry, nothing" or "she's slipped through our fingers once again." In the meantime, you continue doing mercenary work wherever that may take you. Civil war has recently broken out in Odo, the young nation just west of Heim, so most mercenaries have their eyes there.

One morning, you're at that Anna's magic shop (Irene acquired a Hammerne staff from her, by the way. She's beenresearching the Witch's Pendant and your Rescue staff since then, but you understand). While there, you find yourself... Intrigued by a staff you do not recognize.

"What's that thing?" You ask Anna.

She frowns and places her finger on her lip in thought. "To be fully honest, I really have no clue. Some hungry-looking person walked in here last week, and... Honestly, I'm not all that sure why I bought it for so much. I don't even remember anything about them except how desperate they looked! Sure, they looked sad, but if I bought random staves for 14,000 gold from every needy-looking soul who walked in here with some weird staff, I'd be out of business!"

"Uh... How much is it to sell?" You ask the obviously-upset-with-her-carelessness Anna, expecting some sort of markup.

"Honestly, I just want to move this thing so I can sleep at night, so I'll sell it for the same I bought it for." Sounding defeated, she adds, "I know, it's... A lot, though. Sorry for even bringing it up..."

You'd say you've got 35,000 gold saved up at the moment.

>A. Get it and hold onto it
>B. Get it and turn it over to Mage General Yancy
>C. Get it and turn it over to Irene
>D. Don't get it, but see if General Yancy can check it out
>E. Try to haggle the price down
>F. Write-in response

>>45328492
Vote time renewed.

>>45328492
>E. Try to haggle the price down

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>>45328909
"Yeah, 13,000 is a bit much for something I know nothing about.. This could be a weirdly-colored branch a vagrant found, and to spend more than I've ever paid for a single item here on it..." You figure she's desperate enough that she'll bite, even if this could be important.

"But..." She sighs. "This'll make me a laughingstock, but... I can't keep this reminder here. 9,000 gold."

She seems really reluctant, but even still that's rather pricey for something you know absolutely nothing about.

She, meanwhile, is clearly in a position where she really wants to be rid of the damn thing. You and your fellow group members have never known this particular vendor to be the type for crocodile tears or cons, either, so you're reasonably certain this isn't a ruse.

Why would SHE buy something she knows so little about, though?

>A. Take it and keep it
>B. Take it and present it to the mage general
>C. Take it and present it to Irene
>D. Leave and tell General Yancy about it
>E. Try to get an even better price
>F. Write-in response/say something (specify)
>G. Refuse to get it

>>45329106
>A. Take it and keep it
Or at least play around with it until we know what it is.

>>45329137
"That's... More reasonable. I still feel bad spending that much, but I've come to trust your service." You part with 9,000 gold in exchange for the mossy-looking staff, leaving you with 26,000.

"Thank you for your patronage..." Anna says as you leave. You swear you hear her mumble something unkind as you walk out, but you give that one to her. You see why she'd be displeased with how that sale turned out, even though you would've done it the same given the chance to repeat the circumstances.

As you look at the item in question, you wonder about its owner. Who would sell such a thing? Why didn't Anna seem to remember anything about them, and what could possibly have driven her to buy it?

At the, uh, very least... This is out of the hands of anyone who could misuse it, if this is something sinister. And if it's something useless, you can feel good about giving Anna SOME of her money back on getting tricked into getting it. Yeah, you're totally in the right here.

You keep the staff with your things for the time being, returning briefly to your quarters planning up an inventory of Nosferatu, Carreau, Berserk, Mend, and whatever the hell this is.

You find yourself wondering how you'll go about testing its effects, since this thing could genuinely be a dangerous item, but as you step out into the entrance area, you spot Irene speaking to a mysterious-looking fellow in a billowing cloak and a pointed, feathered cap.

Something about this guy just screams two things: "sketchy" and "deep-pocketed." So you figure you've found yourselves a possibly-major client.

>A. Let Irene handle him. Think of ways to test out your new toy
>B. Approach Irene and the stranger
>C. Just stand there like an ass
>D. Write-in action

>>45329439
>B. Approach Irene and the stranger

>>45329439
>>C. Just stand there like an ass

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>>45329674
>>45329701
You just sort of approach and stand around, awkwardly awaiting a point where you can enter the conversation.

"It is an honor to meet such... Important mercenaries, yes" the man says. "Your efforts in the downfall of that conspiracy are very much talked about, yes! Queens, officials, fellow respected sellswords, grandsons of beloved politicians, yes..."

"Are you... Hoping to join us, sir?" Irene asks, her tone indicating her wish that he would just get to the point.

"Ah, no, no!" He shakes his head. "See, I am Zlatan, a representative of the Groznyi... And the Order of Odo! My employers, they offer... Mutually exclusive jobs, yes."

"You're awfully up-front about being a double agent..." Irene comments.

"Yes, yes! See, it is because both have bigger allies wishing to win this civil war fast, yes! In fact, I have letters from both in question, yes! Asked to hand-deliver on their behalves, yes!" Zlatan produces two letters, handing them both to Irene, the pass-off lingering a bit longer than Irene appears entirely comfortable with.

"Gist, however, is this," Zlatan continues as Irene reads, "my employers have each had you recommended for your exemplary feats, yes!"

>A. Say something (specify)
>B. Ask what they say
>C. Let Irene handle this
>D. Keep standing there silently
>E. Write-in response

>>45329943
>B. Ask what they say

>>45330051
After a moment given to Irene for the purpose of reading, you ask, "well, what do they say?"

She starts off holding one up with a seal you recognize from the duchy of Malva. "This one from Duchess Victoria says that... 'This bandit's uprising is a disruption of trade, travel, and safety that has claimed the lives of Noban civilians. To make matters worse, Empress Kia of Dain has chosen now of all times to suddenly take on a militaristic standpoint, supporting this... Groznyi Group, undoubtedly with intent to reclaim this now-independent land. Given the nature of the Empress' cousin's disappearance, this... strikes me as suspicious.' So, she wants us to support the Order of Odo..."

"And I take it the other is..." You start.

Irene nods, holding up a letter bearing a seal with Dain's own treasured lance. "A letter from the empress of Dain herself, Kia. 'Dain has worked hard these past several decades to establish itself as a beacon of justice, to undo my grandfather's work. To this end, we have secured an alliance with this Groznyi Group, in the hopes of putting an end to the abuses of the Order of Odo. It has come to my attention that one of your number, Marrius' Group, is responsible for turning this group towards more noble goals by ridding it of its corrupt former leader," Irene side-eyes you. That WAS you and Colleen. "...but all is not well. Duchess Victoria has convinced the forces of Noba to lend aid to...' You get the point, I suppose. Both of these letters get very heavily into logistics, and both suspect that this war will be... Very long and drawn out if not turned in someone's favor quickly."

>character limit, continued next post

>>45330341
Zlatan nods. "And as a down payment for your services, both of my employers ended up offering a similar sum... 26,000 up-front to this company from both sides, followed by the promised riches of those letters, yes! Though, eh, you only get one of the latter, obviously. Because the other will be defeated and quite displeased with this fact! But then, a few gold coins will be the least of their concerns, yes?"

Naturally, all of that 26,000 wouldn't go into your pockets, but that much up front is still more than many jobs pay out in general. And you've been tasked to help win an entire war between your seedy bandit acquaintances and an order you know nothing about.

>A. Urge Irene to accept an offer (specification strongly recommended, but not necessarily required)
>B. Urge Irene to decline these offers
>C. Write-in response
>D. Say something (specify)

>>45330364
>>D. Say something (specify)
What you think, girl?

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>>45330443
"Er... I'm not especially well-versed in politics," you admit, "and I know it's not your particular area of expertise either, but... You'd know better than me which of these is the wiser choice to back."

Irene nods. "Er... Where are you staying, Mr. Zlatan? Could you possibly give us some time to think this over, if you're not particularly biased either way?"

Zlatan nods again. "Of course, of course, yes! See, I am very biased towards being standing when the dust clears, yes. And I have been assured that, if your group is there, you will win, yes. So I am biased towards what you will choose!" Noticing he failed to answer her question, he quickly adds, "It's a place called the Broiled Tyrfing, just a ways East of this place."

"Right... Return in a few hours, would you? We can't particularly take a civil war-turned-proxy war between two major nations lightly like some..."

After Zlatan obliges, Irene turns towards you. "Honestly, I'm not all too confident that the Groznyi have any idea how to run a country, even if I have heard... Unpleasant things about the very finicky laws of the Order of Odo. In some parts of the nation, they heavily neglect their people, while others are kept under strict rule of the social class that Order members are borne of... That being said, I feel like that's eclipsed in importance by the implications of Noba and Dain's roles in this war. I... Think you might know what I refer to."

>A. Give her an answer (specify)
>B. ...she lost you
>C. How is that less important?
>D. Is now a good time to bring up the staff?
>E. Be silent
>F. Write-in response

>>45330730
>>C. How is that less important?

>>45330761
"Wait... How is a civil war right to our West less important than who's helping who?" You ask, sounding slightly offended.

"When someone who might hold the key to even further senseless destruction could be involved," Irene responds, "things become more important than that."

"You... Honestly think that Paula has something to do with this?"

"With Noba or Dain's involvement, it's entirely possible. And... While I'm inclined to say that she's with family, manipulating young Kia to aid the rebellion, I must admit that, with her access to mind control abilities, it's not at all impossible that it's Duchess Victoria or someone else in Noba who's been compromised. Of course, this is... All conjecture as it is, based purely on the fact that two rulers with a history of bad blood are suspicious of one another's motivations."

So in other words... This is an unpleasant situation, and any of your choices could hold unforeseen consequences and risks.

>A. You don't feel qualified to provide input
>B. Suggest Irene back the Order+Victoria
>C. Suggest Irene back the Groznyi+Kia
>D. Suggest Marrius' Group stay away from this
>E. Write-in response

And after however you respond, you might as well make a decision about whether to discuss something else yet.

>F. Mention the staff
>G. Don't mention the staff

>>45330957
>>B. Suggest Irene back the Order+Victoria

>>45330957
>B. Suggest Irene back the Order+Victoria
>F. Mention the staff

>>45330980
>>45331000
"Well, uh... In all honesty, I think it's best for us to back the Order on this one. If I may suggest based on what little I know."

Irene nods. "That's... What I would have done as well. I know we have a. History with the Groznyi Group, but that makes what they've become no less reckless. I suppose I should send for Zlatan once we've informed the rest of the company... Urgh, that man rubs me the wrong way..."

You change the subject, briefly. "Er... Irene. This odd staff was found at our usual vendor's, and she didn't seem to have a clue what it does, anything about the person who sold it to her, or why she was willing to spend so much for it. I... Figured you would want to know about it."

"So it's... A complete unknown even what its nature is?" Irene asks. "And Annas aren't ones to be conned easily... I would take the utmost care, if you intend to test that on anyone. Have Yancy, or Ansi, or someone else who can heal present with a restore staff in case it's something harmful or dangerous..."

"Of course, of course," you respond. "We need to practice the utmost safety if we're about to go to war..."

Ansi has nothing better to do, so he's willing to wave around a damned Restore staff if things go sour, but you still need someone to test it on...

"This is a dangerous idea from square one," he says. "I'm kicking your ass if someone gets killed because of this."

>A. On second thought, now's a bad time for this
>B. Yourself
>C. Ansi
>D. Find some random passerby
>E. Perhaps your new client is interested in advancing magiscience?
>F. Specify another Marrius' Group member

>>45331435
>>B. Yourself

>>45331690
"Er... Ansi," you say seriously, "this is... My investment, so if anyone's getting hurt over it, it's me."

Ansi nods. "The one person I won't call you a fucking dick for using as a test subject... Hand over the gross-ass staff."

You nod. "You've, uh... Got the Restore staff prepared if this goes south, right?"

Ansi nods, waving it indicatively and holding out his empty hand so to ask for the staff.

After a moment, you oblige him, taking a deep breath in the silence of Irene's magical lab.

"Alright, dude," Ansi says, clutching both tight. "If you want out of whatever the hell this is, here's your last chance. If you're gonna chicken out, though, like fuck you're using it on someone else without a good reason."

>A. You're ready
>B. Chicken out
>C. Write-in response?

>>45331863
>A. You're ready

>>45331890
"...no sense putting it off," you respond, gulping a bit.

"Don't say I didn't think this was a bad idea," Ansi responds before waving the mystery staff around.

The last thing you hear before hitting the floor is, "oh, fuck..."

You don't think you were passed out for all that long, but Ansi is currently shaking you as you wake. "Dude, you hit the dirt there! You're all cold and shit now... Fucking swore you were dead for a minute."

You shake your head. "Er... No, I'm fine... Chilly, yeah, but fine. I actually feel quite lively!" As though to demonstrate, you hope out of your colleague's arms... And end up grabbing onto the ceiling with your hands. "...whoa. I'm nimbler than I recall..."

Ansi backs away a bit, rubbing his chin in thought... Before grabbing a light tome off a nearby table and firing it off close to your hands.

"O-ow! Owww!" You cry out in pain, hitting the dirt and clutching your nonexistent wrist-nubs, pale skin falling to the floor around you in pieces. Almost... Instinctively, still wincing in pain, you reach your hands around to these pieces of flesh, feeling a moderate but ultimately insignificant amount of your essence expended as your separated bits of flesh return to you, hands as good as new in an instant.

"Lloyd..." Backing away still, Ansi holds an arm out to his side, stopping a concerned Leigh and Yulea from coming any further. "How the fuck did you get this?"

Without even hesitating, you answer with the full story of that morning.

"Shit... Fucking shit... That doesn't even... How bad with money can that blue-haired piece of human garbage be?!"

"Lloyd," Leigh says, shoving Ansi out of the way effortlessly with her muscles and approaching, "what's Ansi swearing about this time? What's going on?"

>A. Write-in response
>B. You have no idea
>C. Be silent

>>45332116
>You have no idea

>>45332116
>A. I may have purchased the Staff of the Wampyr from Anna and used myself as a test subject to find out what it does unknowingly.

>>45332159
>>45332178
"I... I have no idea..." You stay still in place as Leigh pulls you into a hug. "Wait... The... Staff of Wampyr. Does anyone know what it actually looks like?"

"Never got a description out of Esmer," Ansi says. "Figure the only one who knows sold it for some shitty reason."

"That... That makes sense, I suppose? She... Paula had to sell it for one reason or another... Probably used mind control to sell it for a high price with minimal questions asked... Leave the vendor forgetting what she looked like... And I didn't want to test it on anyone besides myself when we didn't know what I'd bought..."

"So you're... A Wampyr now?" Leigh asks.

"And all that comes with it, it looks like..." Ansi groans. "Gonna be really annoying figuring out how not to make you do things."

"Great... Just great." Leigh hugs you tighter, though you're honestly nervous about the prospect of returning the gesture until you know how to work with this sudden change in lifestyle.

"Uh..." Yulea asks, "is there anything I can do to help?"

"No," Ansi plainly responds, causing her to nod concernedly and leave.

Either way, you... Have a few hours before you leave for Odo, still. And in the meantime, quite a few things you need to figure out about how to be a damned Wampyr.

Can you still use magic? Does your own magic harm you? Are you going to need to eventually resort to drinking people to stay functioning?

>A. Immediately seek out Irene
>B. Immediately seek out General Yancy
>C. You need some rest...
>D. Immediately get to figuring out
>E. Write-in response

>>45332324
>>A. Immediately seek out Irene

>>45332324
>A. Immediately seek out Irene

>>45332331
>>45332335
Irene hears you and Ansi out, eyes widening and letting out the odd surprised sound at this turn of events.

"Th-that all... Being said..." She finally says after several moments, taking a breath, "Paula... Has never had to live on her own for very long in her life. It's actually quite believable that she would... End up needing to sell one of her valuable staves to survive once whatever personal funds she had dried up. I wish I'd have known what that was before I suggested you tested it at all, though... Gods, Lloyd, you have my condolences."

"Er... Could I borrow a flux tome for a moment?" You ask, being obliged by Irene before aiming it at nothing in particular.

Using it physically pains you, but the weak spell fails to rip you apart, and it seems no less powerful than it once was. That being said, between the essence used up in casting and healing these minor wounds... And, perhaps most concerningly, "my essence isn't returning on its own."

"Even a turned Spirit Charmer won't be able to keep this up forever..." Irene says. "If you wish to keep using magic, surviving wounds, eventually you'll need to use a Wampyr's better-known powers... If you have a problem with that, I suggest you stay in Elza and avoid excitement until we can track down Paula. I doubt even she would sell the Staff of Katri..."

Leigh interrupts. "Wait, so it's just... Either Lloyd waits around and does nothing or has no choice but to drink other people? That's..."

>A. You'll be fine
>B. You can live with needing to do that
>C. Yeah, you'll just stay here
>D. Write-in response

>>45332608
>>B. You can live with needing to do that

>>45332608
>A. You'll be fine

>>45332720
>>45332768
"You know what? I can live with that, I think."

"Lloyd..!" Leigh looks a bit... Taken aback at first, but purses her lips before closing her eyes and nodding in understanding. "Just... Please don't go overboard."

"Don't worry," you assure her, recalling Vill's fate, "I've seen what happens when Wampyr go overboard. I'll be fine."

Irene notes Leigh's expression. "I don't think any of us are in love with the idea, Leigh. But... We're about to go someplace where there's going to be a lot of fighting anyway, so..."

"This another whole group effort?" You ask.

"It's a war, so... Naturally. Paula needing to sell her staff makes me question if she has any involvement in this after all, though... I mean, if she does, this certainly means that she's not currently staying with whoever she's influencing. In itself understandable enough with the search underway, but..."

"We're overthinking the Paula angle. The angle we need to be thinking is the 'get paid to do our job' angle right now."

Irene nods. "We can figure this out more when we get to Odo. But... As for this Wampyr staff. It's your property now, Lloyd, so what do we do with it?"

>A. We hold onto it
>B. We bring it to General Yancy
>C. We leave it here
>D. We destroy it
>E. Write-in response

>>45332866
>>A. We hold onto it

>>45332894
"I, uh... Think there's no safer place for it than right with us."

Irene looks uncertain, but doesn't object. Leigh is mostly just concerned, while Ansi hasn't stopped being tense and intimidating since before you were transformed.

"Urgh, this... Hood makes it better," you say as you and the rest of the group heads out later that day (Irene briefly considered using the Witch's Pendant, but you've literally heard nothing about what happens when a Wampyr is warped using it, and all agree that you would rather not find out), "but this damned sun is still killing me."

"It's not killing you."

"Shut up, Ansi." You retort.

Zlatan, leading the group, turns to you all and says, "ah, so we are all ready now, yes?" He peers over all of you, hands folded together and fake smile on his face. "Now, I understand that you are especially thought friendly with the Groznyi, yes?"

"That's... Why they were one of our possible clients," Leigh responds.

"Precisely so!" Zlatan replies, shooting the lot of you faux-friendly looks. "So to this I say... Why not spend the night in Disler Outpost with me, a humble agent of these noble rebels? This place houses some of the deadliest forces in the rebels, yes... The Parthia, this group of Marksmen has called themselves! This very same elite unit that struck down Boss Nail and began their new era in that very fort, yes! So naturally... We blindside them. This way, no every single one of us being pelted later in first battle, yes?"

"Of course, Groznyi rebels aren't the only ones that'll be present... Dain soldiers will undoubtedly be stationed there as well..."

"Now, now, I know I am a small fry, yes," Zlatan says, "but... I will make it worth your while if I am not dead by the end of this war, yes!"

>To be continued next thread
Wasn't actually expecting you to go for the "test it on yourself" option, to be honest.

Thanks for playing as always. Twitter/ask.fm are qmgrandflocto, and I'll be in-thread to chat for awhile.

>>45333126
So now we are Ansi's thrall. This can only end well.

>>45333387
He'll try not to be a dick about it.

>>45333126
Thanks for running.

>>45333526
Always a pleasure.

This arc was conceived with the intent of being a challenge to Lloyd's very ample character development. He's undoubtedly come a really long way since the first threads, so we wondered what throwing him into a very difficult situation would do after 40-odd threads of, pretty much, fighting unambiguous bad guys with varying shades of not-entirely-black. Having him literally damaged by his own magic makes things unexpectedly more tricky, too. Sure that'll be fun to factor in.