There's a bright flash (GREAT way to start having glasses again) as Paula, still looking injured, lurches towards you and Wes, raising the Staff of Katri in her one remaining hand. "If... This is where my story ends, I'll leave the epilogue... To you..." She says as she collapses.

There's a... Moment of confused silence between the five of you still standing.

Ellen and Zoe shoot each other questioning looks.

Leigh clutches her Miracle Sword's hilt, as though expecting something more.

The moment is tense, until your own voice, through a much more confident and assertive filter at your side, speaks out as its source swipes your Mend staff and approaches Paula's form. "Come on, your highness," he says, "you're a grown woman and a respected Advocate. Don't be so dramatic over a stabbing," Wes says, not hesitating to heal her and help her up... Albeit pulling away her Wampyr staff and Fist of the Managarm tome before she gets any more bright violent ideas.

"I'm... Not dead..?" Paula says, definitely sounding a bit shocked.

Chuckling and patting her shoulder affectionately, Wes lifts his neck up, showing off his neck-scar. "Hey, I've had worse and made it out, right?"

>A. Keep watching this
>B. Say something (specify)
>C. Write-in action

>>45747527
Vote time renewed.

>>45747527
>A. Keep watching this
Goddammit.

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>>45747771
You can't help but worry as you observe, not sure what you can do for the moment.

"Now," Wes says, "since you're alive and still have that ancestral staff of yours, why don't you put it to good use? Fix the mistake this ugly thing caused," he says as he gestures towards you with the hand holding the Wampyr staff.

Paula blinks. "Wait, are you telling me to..."

"Heal my counterpart's condition, yes," he says. "If you're here, it's more convenient than bringing it all the way to wherever your nearest Neir-blooded relative is."

Paula, looking a bit confused, does as Wes orders, approaching you and waving the Staff of Katri again. With a similar flash to mere moments ago, you find your skin regaining pigment, essence coursing through you at an increased rate once more, and most tellingly, you find yourself feeling a bit peckish. "I'm, uh... Normal."

"Anyway, Paula..." Wes says, still pacing, "even if you'd managed to get a mind-control spell placed on me... What makes you think I couldn't have subverted every order you gave? Irene did it, and she certainly doesn't have the resistance of a spirit charmer."

Paula stammers, "it was... Just a theory..."

"Just a theory!" Wes repeats, "one which your entire endgame depended on." He shakes his head, removing his glasses a moment to clean them off. "That being said, I'd like to thank you. See, these past few months have given me... A lot of clarity on what it means to live. I had... Been driven mad, my mind stagnated after centuries of dedicating myself to necromancy and the Gerxel Emp- Whoa!" He barely dodges out of the way of a sword beam from Ellen, the tips of his taller three left-hand fingers not being spared from her strike as he stumbles back.

>character limit, continued next post
sorry for holdup, internet fucked out

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>>45748181
"You basically just admitted to having your memories back," she says with a glare, raising her weapon again, "that's all I needed to know!"

Her next swing, however, is blocked by Leigh and her Miracle Sword, straining greatly as she repels a direct blow from Ellen.

"Grh... What are you doing?!" Ellen barks at her. "Don't you know who you're defending?!"

"He's... Just explained himself!" Leigh rebuts, their clash ending as she steps back, keeping between Ellen and Wes as Zoe shoots you an uncertain look. "I'm not going to defend what he did all those centuries, but... I won't just let you kill him when we have no reason to believe he's still the same!"

>A. Agree with Ellen
>B. Agree with Leigh
>C. Write-in response/action/dialogue
>D. Do not have a stance on this

>>45748201
>B. Agree with Leigh

>>45748201
>B. Agree with Leigh

>>45748216
>>45748242
"Leigh's right," you say in turn, accepting back your Mend staff wordlessly as you heal Wes' most recent wound. "He's... had a new perspective on things after so many lifetimes wasted."

"Are you... Kidding? You knew this guy for a day before now! You're going to throw the world into risk because of his lies?" She tightens her grip on her sword, looking ready to fight her way to Leigh.

"Zoe, please..." Wes says, still in that unreadable tone of his, "if anyone here can talk sense into Ellen..."

"Zoe," Ellen responds, "Princess Shea knew it could come to this. She asked me to be prepared to do anything to keep his memories from plaguing Teege again."

"I..." Zoe looks between everyone uncertainly, noticing a very important someone trying to run away in the distraction. "Wait, Paula's getting away! Ellen, what do I-?"

"Go after her, Zoe. We need to end this, here and now, and part of that is not letting Paula slip away again." She shuts her eyes. "Soon, we'll be able to head back to Neir, mission accomplished..."

Zoe nods, turning around to start after Paula. "Don't worry, I'm faster than her!"

>A. Try to stop Zoe from leaving
>B. Focus on Ellen. She might attack at any moment
>C. Accompany Zoe in chasing down Paula
>D. Write-in response
>E. Continue standing actionlessly

>>45748512
>B. Focus on Ellen. She might attack at any moment
Just need to talk the hyperviolent, paranoid swordswoman out of killing someone that could theoretically pose a danger to the entire continent.

Hoo boy.

>>45748512
>B. Focus on Ellen. She might attack at any moment

>>45748809
>>45748845
"Alright, Ellen... Just... Please be calm," you say as Zoe chases after Paula, the pair disappearing down the stairs. "I know this is difficult, but... even you've seen great personal changes, have you not?"

"I've been... Chasing this guy since before I returned to this world. I have specific orders from the royal family I serve to end his life." Ellen pants, giving the three of you quite nasty looks.

"Is she... Not going to listen to reason?" Wes asks, sighing. "This is the face of a woman who'll gladly cut both of you down right here and now to get to me."

"I don't want to hurt you two, after you personally saved me from Paula's control... Control I wouldn't have been under if she wasn't looking for this guy right here!"

"I... feel like I should be retreating right now," Wes says, walking over towards the doors to a balcony.

Ellen rushes after him, but is again blocked by Leigh, not hesitating to swing at her to get past. Leigh, again, perseveres, but you can hear the straining in her voice as her Miracle Sword withstands the Azure Dragon Blade.

"Lloyd..." She says, uncertainly, "what do we do now?"

>A. Tell Leigh to fight back
>B. Tell Leigh to hold her ground while you try to keep her healed
>C. Attack Ellen
>D. Say something (specify)
>E. Write-in response

>>45749046
>B. Tell Leigh to hold her ground while you try to keep her healed

>>45749046
>B. Tell Leigh to hold her ground while you try to keep her healed
Is she seriously blaming Wes for Paula's stupid plot?

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>>45749094
>>45749168
"Just... You're doing great, Leigh, I promise! Keep being a wall, and I'll keep you healed."

She nods, and you, true to your word, raise your Mend staff and prepare yourself to expend it quite liberally.

You feel as though you and Leigh might have a shot at beating Ellen in a straight fight together, but you would absolutely prefer not to be responsible for her death.

"Are you seriously blaming Wes for Paula's deranged antics?" You ask as you keep Leigh healed up after another blow pushes her back slightly, literal skid marks forming on the ground where her boots stand.

"Why do you think she's so fucked up?!" Ellen responds. "Why do you think that the Dain Empire's plans 25 years ago were so ridiculous?! The diverging point for Wes' realm and our own was... Somewhere around me and my friend's deaths, respectively. By that point, the advisor was absolutely conditioning Paula, filling her head with dangerous ideas, stroking Emperor Elias' ego to suit his own ends... And hell, this is someone who was active during the time of the Gerxel Empire! There is absolutely a ton of things that he's done to this world that... That his counterpart had done to us in their lifetime!" With a particularly hard swing, she breaks Leigh's defenses, dealing what you thankfully only know was a fatal blow due to the saving glow of her Miracle Sword making it NOT fatal.

Regardless, though, Leigh is downed, and you frantically hurry to heal her again. Ellen stands over you two as you do so. "Now, quit interrupting me."

>A. Interrupt her very hard. With magic weapons
>B. Move aside with Leigh
>C. Stay put, but don't really stop her from going around either
>D. Write-in response

>>45749401
>C. Stay put, but don't really stop her from going around either

>>45749401
>C. Stay put, but don't really stop her from going around either
If we attack, she'll just paste us.

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>>45749488
>>45749620
You don't move, but thankfully Ellen isn't going to take that as a challenge.

"...I'm sorry about that," she says quickly as she goes around you two, approaching the balcony you saw Wes walking towards. "Wait a minute..." She says, looking down into an empty courtyard, "this is a balcony. How did he get down from here without..."

"You're mistaken, Lady Ellen!" You hear your voice say from outside and above, helping Leigh up and walking behind Ellen. Some distance away, Wes sits atop a Dracozombie, wiping blood off of his glasses. Between him and Ellen, from above and below almost instantaneously, flaps in about six more Dracozombies, all surrounding the balcony Ellen stands on. "I didn't get down from there at all!"

"Grh..." Ellen raises her sword and immediately cuts one, two of the Dracozombies down... Which end up replaced moments later.

"Sorry to ditch you two, but it was all to stop you from being murdered for my sake... Looks like it worked out, in fact! Oh, uh... I'd step away from the balcony, by the way."

Ellen doesn't listen, merely continuing to attempting to keep cutting down the rapidly-respawning Dracozombies.

>A. Shout at Ellen to get back
>B. Magically strike Ellen over the ledge
>C. Write-in response
>D. Get further away from the balcony than you already are

>>45749668
Renewed.

>>45749668
>A. Shout at Ellen to get back
Really do not want Ellen to get killed. Aside from resulting in horrible feels both in and out of character, it would pretty much destroy any chance of getting the world to not try and kill Wes.

Also important, is Wes telling us to get back from the balcony, Ellen or both?

>>45749668
>A. Shout at Ellen to get back
>D. Get further away from the balcony than you already are

>>45749949
Anyone who can hear the suggestion.

>>45749949
>>45749970
"Ellen, get back!" You exclaim. "You won't get to him before you get killed!"

"Ngh..." Ellen grunts, barely leaping out of the way of the ever-respawning Dracozombies as they fire off a six-way blast of Deadly Breath.

"Hnn..." Ellen clutches her chest, barely having avoided that strike, before not even hesitating to rush towards the stairs.

Leigh looks over to you. "She never quits, does she?"

"By the sound of things..." you say, shaking your head. "Some conundrum we've found ourselves in, huh?"

"Yeah..." Leigh looks hesitant for a moment as the two of you start to walk after Ellen. "We did the right thing just now, right?"

>A. No sense wondering now
>B. You did
>C. You're beginning to wonder
>D. Write-in response
>E. Be silent

>>45750233
>B. You did
It wouldn't have been right to just let him get cut down like that, without even giving him a chance. I just hope that the things I said to him really did stick...

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>>45750424
"Would've been wrong not to give him a chance," you say, nodding. "We did the right thing... I just hope Wes keeps doing the same."

Leigh nods, and the two of you meet up with the rest of Marrius' Group + Ellen, Zoe, and Paula down on the second floor.

"The fuck is this about letting him get away?!" Ansi immediately calls out to you, rushing over to you and Leigh, accompanied by a thoughtful-looking Irene. "Do you have any idea what shit you've just wrought?!"

"Ansi, please calm down," Irene responds. "We... Still have no reason to believe that Wes harbors any of his former ill intent. I mean, he made Paula restore Lloyd's humanity after saving her life..."

"Guy made a point of trying to kill Ellen after he'd made his getaway," Ansi argues back. "Don't even think it'd constitute self-defense at this point."

Paula, in the background, calls out in the voice you associate with her "Limin" persona, "well, actually, it could be argued under Odo law that..."

"I don't give a shit!" Ansi shouts back.

Irene shakes her head as Ansi gets into a shouting match with the restrained Paula. "Do you happen to remember which direction Wes took off in?"

"He... looked like he was flying East a ways, but I'm not sure if that means anything."

"I mean... The Hall of Odo is DIRECTLY East from this very building..." Irene hurries towards the nearest exit to the ex-embassy. "I think this warrants barging in on the treaty meetings uninvited."

>A. Follow her
>B. Ask what she means
>C. Stick around. Let her do whatever
>D. Write-in response

>>45750691
>A. Follow her
>B. Ask what she means, precisely
I hope it means "he's going to feed Zlatan to a dragon."

And six dracozombies is really more of a distraction and mild discouragement for Ellen.

>>45750691
>A. Follow her
>B. Ask what she means

>>45750738
>>45750794
"So, uh... What do you mean, exactly?" You ask.

"I don't know what this means," she responds. "Hopefully, it's just a coincidence but... If he means to start trouble at the treaty's signing, it's our duty as clients of a representative of the Order of Odo to prevent it."

"But... Zlatan is awful, really," you respond.

"He's our client, Lloyd. While I agree with your sentiments, deliberately endangering his homeland with negligence would reflect horribly upon Marrius' Group."

"Right..." You sigh and accompany Irene, followed by Ansi, Leigh, and Une within moments.

That Gerfried guard guy stands outside the former embassy. "Ah, greetings, Marrius' Group! I'm happy to report that the civil war has officially reached its conclusion. I'm told Councillor Zlatan and Duchess Victoria were absolutely inspiring in their words."

"Right... Have you seen any Dracozombies flying past here?" Irene asks.

"I had, and was even ready to summon the guards to alert them of Paula's escape attempts, but then he landed!" Gerfried chuckles, patting your shoulder. "Funny story, it was the counterpart you were arrested over who dismounted..."

"You're in an awfully good mood," Une notes, "dead thing up your ass come back to life and crawl out?"

"No, just... Glad this is over. Hopefully now Odo can prosper."

>A. Ask what Wes was doing
>B. Ask more about Odo's future
>C. "Councillor" Zlatan?
>D. Write-in response

>>45750948
>A. Ask what Wes was doing
>B. Ask more about Odo's future
>C. "Councillor" Zlatan?

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>>45750985
"So, uh... What's in store for Odo under... Wait, Councillor?"

"Yeah... Named as a successor by one of the deceased council members. First order of business is going to be better-minding the outskirts of this nation. Might have to thin our numbers a bit in central to accomplish this, but if it prevents another uprising..."

"With... all due respect," Irene says, "I think we should discuss this some other time."

"Right, right... What was my counterpart doing?" You ask.

"Ah, well... He claimed he was a guest accompanying Duchess Victoria-stuff we already knew-said he would like to speak to Zlatan."

Gerfried has a couple other guards direct you to a somewhat private meeting room, which Zlatan apparently asked that Wes' business be discussed in.

You find him sitting alone and looking tense, albeit completely unharmed. "Just the bespectacled face I didn't want to see again, yes..." He nods at the guards who led you there. "Give us more privacy, yes? These are my mercenaries, after all, and discussing finances' finer details is a private matter!"

The guards accept Zlatan's request and lets the five of you have your privacy with your client.

"I suppose cat is out of bag, yes?" He sighs. "Grill me all you like. Room is soundproof, yes."

>A. Write-in question(s)
>B. Let Irene and/or Ansi handle it
>C. Leave

>>45751205
>B. Let Irene and/or Ansi handle it

>>45751205
>B. Let Irene and/or Ansi handle it

>>45751278
"I won't waste time, then, if we both know why we're here..." Irene says, staring him down. "You received a visit from Wes, correct? What was his business?"

"It was..." He looks up. "Apparently, Paula's silly silly plan for him succeeded, and he came to report as much, yes. He also said that... 'Paula's arrangement with you is over. She will report your doings and then be long out of the country if you do not comply,' to make a pretty long conversation short."

"Comply with what?" Leigh asks.

"I had planned from the start to betray her before she accomplished anything," Zlatan admits, "but instead, her new dog has me turn over my Witch's Pendant and swear never to speak of where Limin disappears to, yes."

"Did he... Say where she was going?" Irene asks.

"The Wes boy... Said that a more beneficial arrangement was awaiting with the North Empress, yes. Warped away on that note after dropping this book in my lap," he waves the Fist of the Managarm tome. "I don't read this magic shit. Any takers?"

"Called," you say, swiping away the quite powerful spellbook and flipping through it.

"Anyway, there's something Wes neglected to mention," Une says.

"And that is?"

"Two things actually. First off..." She slams her hand on the table, "Paula was captured by agents of Neir without ever having a real conversation with the New Wes. She'll probably be brought there, never to bother you again."

"Then I gave up a witch pendant for nothing?!" Zlatan responds.

"No, no, see, my second thing is... That he failed to mention that I have no reason to follow similar agreements."

"Wait... Are YOU blackmailing me?"

"You want me as your bodyguard, remember?" Une says, turning towards you four. "Sorry, Irene, but I think I might need to resign. This job Zlatan offered me the other day is looking very lucrative..."

"Er... what?" Irene asks.

"Leave them to negotiate," Ansi responds. "It's a long story and we gotta haul ass NOW."

>A. Do so
>B. Stay and watch
>C. Write-in?

>>45751514
>A. Do so

>>45751550
"Right... Good luck in the future, Une," you say with a grin. "Be so kind as to make sure Zlatan remembers to send Marrius' Group our dues?"

"You got it," she responds, kicking her feet up on the table as Zlatan tips his hat over his face and makes a pathetic noise.

The remaining four of you depart, speaking outside.

"So Wes is possibly in Gravern," Ansi says. "Most likely warped there with that pendant."

"I'm... Still wondering why he would need to be so cloak-and-dagger," Irene adds. "It's... Not enough to reasonably say he's up to no good after all, but it's... Suspect."

"How so?" Leigh asks. "I mean, it's really unlikely Ellen and Zoe would let him leave the city with all three of them alive..."

"No, no," Ansi says, "it's pretty fuckin' sketch. See, he could've just hung around us, or kept flying, or hell, even walked away while they were focused on keeping Paula outta trouble."

"So... Did we screw up or not?" Leigh asks.

"You fucked up, but you fucked up doing the right thing, so... It's even?" Ansi asks.

"So... what do we do now?" Irene asks. "Our Witch Pendant is all the way back in Elza Oasis, so... We might be stuck with the slow path if we wish to see what Wes' intents are."

>A. What about her very own teleporting studies
>B. Then we go get it
>C. Then we travel North the slow way
>D. Write-in response

>>45751763
>A. What about her very own teleporting studies
May as well ask about the possibility, though I expect it to be untenable for some reason or another if she didn't already mention it.

>>45751763
>A. What about her very own teleporting studies

>>45751857
>>45751974
"I mean... You're not considering the possibility of putting your studies to the test?"

Irene's eyes widen as she shakes her head. "It's... Too risky. I've still yet to perform a real field test since that accident with Yone..."

"But you've been working on it all this time!" You say back. "Longer than I've known you, you've been working on this... Irene, it's been for this exact sort of situation, hasn't it?"

"I... I don't know..."

"And you laughed it off when it happened with Yone, right?" Leigh asks. "No harm no foul, right?"

"But I've... Never tested on more than myself, either... And to be honest, back then, I was terrified. It was all I could do to stop Yone from killing us both to try to keep him calm."

"Regardless... You're our leader, Irene. Leigh and I certainly think you're up to the task, and since Ansi hasn't called me a fucking idiot yet, I think he's not opposed to trying."

Ansi gives a very slight nod, tipping his hat a bit and "hmph"ing.

"I..." She nods. "You're right. There's no time like the present!" She thinks a moment. "If Lloyd lends some of his Essence for the process, I think that the most I could warp at once like this without risking fatal side-effects even in a complete success is... Seven people, including the four of us. Do any of you have any nominations?"

>A. Suggest someone(s)
>B. You've got nothing
>C. Specifically suggest using [1/2/3] less than that

>>45752016
>B. You've got nothing

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>>45752138
You shrug. "I guess we ask around when we get back to the ex-embassy? I don't wanna drag people into this without their say..."

"Right... At the very least, we should also have the rest of the Group ready to provide backup on the slow path..." Irene notes, as the four of you report back to the ex-embassy.

"What did I tell you?" Ellen says upon being informed. "What. Did. I. Tell you?" After that, she has a longish conversation with Zoe and Duchess Victoria that, long story short, ends in her having Paula returned to home with a few Noban soldiers.

"He is... Returning to Dain?" Asra says in what might have been the first time in months you've heard her say or do shit worth noting. "If Wes has ill intent, I will not hesitate to send him to the grave..."

"Grh... Duchess Victoria!" Riga says, "permission to lead this investigation into Wes' whereabouts!"

"Granted. I would entrust nobody more with the tying-up of these last loose ends. Do be careful in Dain, though, Captain Riga..." Victoria warns. "They may not be pleased to see you."

"Dain is a place my family has fought to protect..." Riga responds, "it's hardly my home in heart, but it was only through their efforts and sacrifices that it started to be a place worth protecting."

Asra blinks loudly, and Ellen looks a bit awkward as they share a glance.

"Alright..." Irene says, "and with the rest of the company conveniently informed... anything left to do before I send us North?"

>A. Nothing!
>B. Write-in response

>>45752376
Renewed.

>>45752376
>A. Nothing!

>>45752376
>A. Nothing!

>>45752765
>>45752774
"Nothing here," you're the last to say.

"Right, then... No sense in wasting any further time."

"Ending things off in Gravern again..." Ellen says, ponderously. "It feels like old times."

Asra nods. "And... Again, there is possibility of a confrontation with. The advisor and the head of the empire."

"So what?" Riga says. "The circumstances are totally different from whatever you two are babbling about."

Irene cuts off the conversation by warping you straight to Gravern Keep... Namely, a courtyard housing a very impressive rose garden, in the center of which stands a statue of an armored man, engraved, "DEDICATED TO PRINCE LARS," with two dates etched in.

"It... It worked," Irene says with a smile. "No one's missing any limbs or combined, right?" After giving everyone a quick once-over, she sighs in relief... And then blinks. "What are you all looking worried about?"

You point... Directly behind her, noting an average-framed person in ethereal, flickering, magical-looking armor wielding a lance, straining to stand before jolting up.

"Empress, that was just... Uncalled for. You knowing Lars' armor spell was a surprise, but it's no way to greet someone politely asking for his job back."

Irene clears her throat upon noticing.

"Huh?" Wes looks over, as does the armored woman. "It's fine, Empress, stand down. These are friends."

The woman-empress Kia, apparently-complies, magical armor fading to reveal a woman in an eloquent red suit, red, curly locks drooping down to neck level. "Right... Pardon my lack of manners, but can I ask just what the hell you're all doing in my courtyard?"

"Right, right... I think everyone could stand to explain themselves," Irene answers.

>To be continued next thread
I... really wasn't sure where to cut this thread off, but this seemed like the best bet.

Thanks for playing. As always, update twitter is qmgrandflocto, and I'll be around in-thread to chat for awhile.

>>45753015
Thanks for running.

>>45753021
Always a pleasure.

Man, though, twice in a row, an overall similar setup for endgame. Need to make a note to make Prequel Quest's extremely different whenever we get to that point.