>>46167945
I like the look of Samson.

>>46167945
Neat

Glad to see you're up and running.

>>46167945
So who's excited for all the war and death!?

>>46168191
I'm ALWAYS excited for death!

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You are, for this span of time, Rene. Now, to recap your situation...

Your adoptive father, Director Waldrick, is to lead a fleet of ships from the Southern Archipelago to capture the independent port city-state of Holmstead. You, your sister Veiz, and consequently your butler-bodyguard, Cicero, are all to shadow this operation from aboard his vessel.

"We need to run a small errand on the Isle of Wyrm," Waldrick explains to you and Veiz briefly on his boat. "There is a... matter that I need to oversee as Director that, if not more than mere rumor, could spell ruin for the invasion from land."

The Isle of Wyrm, as it is called, is a small island on the Northwestern end of the archipelago, as well as one of very few locations in Teege known to hold significant deposits of a substance known as Wyrmite. Deadly to Wyverns, dragons, and manaketes of all kind, and known for its beautiful azure appearance, it is... naturally quite the hot commodity to be mined, and its uses in both weapon-forging and item-enchanting are self-explanatory, not even getting into those who just think it looks pretty.

"It will not delay our advance very long at all," he assures you both, "to look into rumors of smugglers planning to move large supplies of Wyrmite into Holmstead and Noba."

>A. No comment
>B. Why is this so important to stop
>C. How did we find this out
>D. Write-in response

>>46168262
>>C. How did we find this out

>>46168262
>C. How did we find this out

>>46168262
C. How did we find this out

>>46168262
>C. How did we find this out

>>46168313
>>46168318
>>46168364
>>46168365
"How did we catch wind of this rumor?" You ask.

"That would be Hera's doing," your father explains. "She has a good deal of skill blending in with unsavory crowds."

"Why's that?" You ask.

"Haven't we been over this?" Veiz responds quite rudely.

"Veiz," Waldrick sternly says in return, before turning to you. "Right... It was before you were adopted. See, before we conquered the Southern Archipelago, she spent her life staring death in the face in the blood sports of the arena. Gerxel law outlaws such barbarism, but Hera has always claimed to feel a connection to the unkinder side of the world regardless."

"So she just... Sort of heard it?"

Your father nods. "A mere rumor, but if there is even a semblance of credibility to it, I must reiterate a third time that we cannot dare ignore this to press onward."

"So we might end up busting smugglers before we've even come close to beginning the invasion?" Veiz says, now sounding excited and quickly rebounding from her earlier reprimanding. "Papa, is your job always so exciting?!"

"Hardly..." A solemn expression filling your father's aged features, he says, "now... If this is true, I will tell you both something now that I was waiting to say until we came close to Holmstead. You are shadowing this operation, but I will not have it on my conscious that my daughters were wounded because I wanted to grant them perspective on what my position means. Do nothing reckless, and do not challenge or confront anyone alone. Defend yourselves if you must, but do not play the hero."

"You mean we can't do anything?!" Veiz exclaims. Flitting between emotions this quickly... You wonder if you were this fickle at her age.

>A. Of course.
>B. Sounds like a waste of your training
>C. What if we stick together?
>D. You didn't respond
>E. Suggest that Veiz isn't quite prepared for this
>F. Write-in response

>>46168737
>>C. What if we stick together?

>>46168737
>A. Of course.

>>46168737
>C. What if we stick together?

>>46168737
>>A. Of course.

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>>46168811
>>46168856
>>46168826
>>46168976
"What if I swore that Veiz and I wouldn't let one another out of our sights?" You ask.

"Then I would still tell you not to do anything that gets one of you put in the grave. Lives will be lost in the near future, and I will not have either of you beating me to this point." And then a pause. "And... I was going to ask you to remain close to one another regardless. Cicero's expertise will need to be employed in our investigation, so he will be unable to act as your bodyguard while we are on the Isle of Wyrm."

"Understandable," you say, not really all that sure just what these extra skills of Cicero's are just yet. You still haven't learned just what he did to get sponsored for this special training, after all! Anyway, you tell your father, quite plainly, "and we will be certain to avoid trouble."

Veiz, in that unpleasant teenager sort of way, huffs and looks to the side, but nonetheless says, "I'll obey..."

So, with that settled, the two of you are dismissed to do as you please for the remainder of the ride to the isle.

>A. Speak to someone (specify who, topic preferred)
>B. Skip ahead

>>46169277
>>A. Speak to someone (specify who, topic preferred)
Veiz, what actually is going to happen there and if we'd see real combat.

>>46169277
This >>46169329 is good.

>>46169329
Supporting

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>>46169329
Veiz initially goes off on her own, looking out over the side of the ship towards passing islands.

"What're you up to?" You ask, hoping to ease into a conversation.

"Just watching the scenery. Do you have anything other than small talk for me, sister?"

"Don't like small talk?"

"I'm not opposed, but I would rather not at the moment if you have no real point to make."

"Fine, fine, I'll cut to the chase... What do you think it's gonna be like? This is basically the first... REAL thing we've done for the Empire."

"The smuggling errand or the invasion?"

"Either or. Think we'll end up needing to fight anyway?"

"It would be a waste were we not to," Veiz says. "I would never forgive Hera for hyping this up if we were to accomplish nothing of note during it..."

"Yeah... Still, though, this is history in the making right here. After Noba and Holmstead falls, there'll be nothing left in Teege that's not part of our empire..."

Feeling smart, Veiz corrects you, "except for the Tordo mountains. We've yet to go anywhere that far North."

>A. Maybe after that
>B. Who cares about a bunch of ice dragons
>C. What would we WANT the North for
>D. They'll fall eventually
>E. Thank her for the correction
>F. Write-in response

>>46169690
>>C. What would we WANT the North for

>>46169690
>>D. They'll fall eventually
>>E. Thank her for the correction

>>46169690
>A. Maybe after that

>>46169690
>C. What would we WANT the North for
Friggin' pendant

>>46169690
>E. Thank her for the correction
but
>C. What would we WANT the North for

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>>46169755
>>46169734
>>46169842
"Yeah, you're right. Thanks for reminding me." You give Veiz her moment of feeling accomplished before rebutting. "But... There's really not that much worth taking in the North. The Ice Dragons don't care to bother anybody South of their range, and even if we have plenty of Wyrmite, what do they have? Snow? I think there's Giant Spiders in the border range between Noba and Tordo..."

"Gh... D-don't even make me think about that. I say we conquer the entire country just to stamp them all out. A full-on war with the spiders."

"Eheh... A noble cause," you concede jokingly.

Veiz, examining her fingers, begins, "I might actually reward myself with some Wyrmite when we're on the Isle... I could use a new bracelet..."

You converse more about less pressing things for the remainder of the trip, managing to spend the entirety of the time without detecting a hint of pettiness or envy from her.

"Come, Cicero, Hera. First... The mines," Waldrick says to the two mentioned as you all disembark. The island is bustling, and a metallic, smoky scent fills the air at all times.

"Come on, Rene, we won't be here long!" Veiz exclaims as she speeds off of your father's vessel. "I have Wyrmite to adorn myself in!"

>A. Wouldn't weapons be a better investment
>B. Humor her, follow her
>C. Whoops, lost track of her literally immediately
>D. Write-in response

>>46170160
>B. Humor her, follow her

>>46170160
>>B. Humor her, follow her
Can't let daddy down.

>>46170160
>B. Humor her, follow her

>>46170160
>>B. Humor her, follow her

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>>46170227
>>46170256
>>46170364
>>46170395
Rolling your eyes, you accompany her to a varied number of jewelers, nearly all of which she grows unsatisfied with.

"No, no... It needs to be perfect for me. It must look impressive..." At that particular place, she made a motion of drawing an imaginary bow. "...gallantly telling a target that even if they know exactly who and where I am, they will not avoid my shot."

"That's a bit counter-intuitive..." The clerk at that particular shop said, which was enough to get her to storm out.

"Sorry about her," you tell the poor woman before hurrying after Veiz...

...right in time for her to quite literally bump into a guy. Stumbling back and caught by you, Veiz groans. "Would you not watch where you're..."

Wearing dark glasses, a salmon-colored parasol waving ever over his head from his left hand, a tall young man in a red coat turns out to have been who Veiz, quite literally, ran into. His face, while clean, has exceptionally sharp features, and the piercingness of the platinum blond's gaze is felt even through his spectacles. Veiz is... Speechless, but the man simply replies, "you ran into me. Be lucky my parasol wasn't ruined."

"Er..." She gulps a bit, standing up on her own and fixing her hair idly. Internally, you groan, already seeing where this is going. "S-sorry about that, sir... A person of my status really ought to be more courteous, I know..." Veiz giggles nervously.

"...status." He responds, still clearly unamused, but curious, twirling his parasol idly in his left hand as he awaits her response. While Veiz is busy being a dumb teenager, you yourself make a point of quickly surveying this fellow. Besides what you immediately noticed, you take note of the very particular curvature and design of a sword strapped to his side... A Killing Edge, you're certain.

>A. Answer for Veiz (truthfully)
>B. Let her speak
>C. Pull her away
>D. Lie (specify lie)
>E. Write-in response

>>46170550
>>B. Let her speak
But nudge her if she starts saying anything but we came here looking for wyrmite accessories.

>>46170550
>C. Pull her away

>>46170550
>>B. Let her speak

>>46170550
>B. Let her speak

>>46170638
>>46170600
>>46170676
While you get an... Odd vibe from this guy, you decide to keep letting Veiz be in the lead, albeit giving her a slight nudge while your eyes drill into the back of her head, as though warning her not to say TOO much.

She doesn't seem to notice. "Well, I'm... My name's Veiz, and I'm the daughter of Director Waldrick... I promise, sir, I'm usually far more polite, and I think we got off on the wrong foot, and perhaps I could be graced with your name..?" More nervous giggling.

"...Alfred." You're not sure your sister noticed it, but you could have sworn that he tensed up slightly at the mention of your father. "You're not gonna have me executed for not kissing your ass, are you?"

"Wh-why, I would never! I'm... I do try to be a very nice girl, most of the time..." Why is this stranger allowed to be rude to her more than you are? "And... You're a swordsman, aren't you?"

"No."

"No... what?" You ask, finally speaking up in response to Alfred's response.

"I see where this is going. Getting all friendly when she notices my Killing Edge... What are you going to do, conscript me?"

"No, no, you peg me all wrong... I just wish to give a formal apology for my misconduct. If there's any way I might make up for being so rude to a swordsman of what I'm certain is a high caliber..."

"...you're going to follow me whether I want you to or not, aren't you?"

Veiz giggles nervously again. Alfred groans, turning around and still idly twirling his parasol. "...Do as you will."

"Yes..." Veiz whispers to herself, before turning around and frowning. "I'm certain I won't be able to convince you to give me privacy now, so just... Talk me up, and for all that is good do not embarrass me."

>A. Of course
>B. No promises
>C. Stop bothering that poor man
>D. Write-in response

>>46170924
>>C. Stop bothering that poor man

>>46170924
>A. Of course

>>46170924
>B. No promises

>>46170924
>D. He seems to enjoy his privacy. Maybe you'll be able to talk to him later.

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>>46171045
>>46171084
"Er, Veiz, I... hate to rain on your parade, but I don't think Alfred really appreciates your company. Perhaps you ought to just... leave him be, talk to him another time?"

"Grh... We won't be here for awhile after this, and I might never see him again!"

"You saw him for under a minute."

"You wouldn't understand!" While the two of you were bickering, Alfred vanished without a second thought. Veiz, upon realizing this, gives you a nasty look.

"Hey, uh... Now we can get back to accessorizing?"

"I'm mad at you," she huffs.

"I know," you respond slightly indifferently. This isn't the first time, and you're sure it won't be the last.

A few more failed store visits, and you find yourselves simply loitering in the harbor.

"Nothing that suits my beauty," Veiz says, looking out into the town as you stare to the sea at her side, leaning against a post as you watch ships come and go. "Wyrmite is such a fine substance, and yet..." She blinks.

"Yet..?"

"Never mind that now." Pointing behind you, she quickly responds, "we have trouble."

True to Veiz' word, you turn around and spy a quintet of hostile-looking folks approach you and her.

"We may've overheard that the Director was on a bit of a family trip!" One of them says with a scowl.

>A. Veiz and her big mouth
>B. What of it?
>C. What's that have to do with you
>D. No words, just attack one of them
>E. Write-in response
>F. Do/say nothing

>>46171431
>>A. Veiz and her big mouth

>>46171431
>C. What's that have to do with you

>>46171431
>A. Veiz and her big mouth
>B. What of it?

>>46171536
This! >>46171431

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>>46171536
>>46171480
"Veiz, why did you need to boast about that?"

"How was I supposed to know these thugs would be listening?"

She... has a point. You certainly didn't notice anyone looking anyone like these folks running around while you were out shopping. "Fair enough... What's your point, though?"

"Well... If your old man's stopping here, milady," he affects a very posh dialect for that single derisive three-syllable word, "he's gotta be hot on our tails... But the man's a damned pushover. Rough up his daughters a bit, hold onto you two, he's bound to just let us go so you don't get your blue-an'-white heads turned to chum!"

"Grh... You brutes sorely underestimate us, then!" Veiz readies a Bright Bow (it's an... odd beast of a weapon, calling upon the magic of its user and striking foes not unlike a Light Magic tome). "Try to take us, then! You'll be shot down before you can take another step!"

Well... You suppose this counts as defending yourselves. Like, there is absolutely no way in hell that ISN'T what this is.

Yourself, you keep your choices in weaponry practical. A plain ol' Steel Lance and Steel Bow. You're perfectly willing to use different types, but can't really go wrong with the aforementioned, so they're what you keep yourself equipped with.

>A. Follow Veiz' lead, draw your bow
>B. Have your lance ready in case they should close the distance
>C. Ready your lance and rush 'em!
>D. Keep trying to use words..? (specify word choice)
>E. Do nothing
>F. Write-in response!

>>46171842
>>B. Have your lance ready in case they should close the distance

>>46171842
>>B. Have your lance ready in case they should close the distance

>>46171842
>B. Have your lance ready in case they should close the distance

>>46171842
>>B. Have your lance ready in case they should close the distance

>>46171893
>>46171928
>>46171979
>>46171991
Twirling your Steel Lance impressively, you distract the presumed smugglers for several moments (You honestly feel a bit proud! You practiced lance-twirling like this quite awhile!), with them only snapping out of it with the fight light arrow to pierce one of their chests.

"A-augh!" are the ever-eloquent last words of the poor sap.

Veiz stares slack-jawed at her work for a moment. "I just... D-did he..." She shakes her head. "No, no, I was expecting this moment to come sometime... Told myself I would be prepared!"

While she was able to steel herself after that, it was far too late to stop the approach of an ever-nearing pirate.

Thankfully, you have a sharp pointed object and a distracted target.

"Hrk-!" Before the axe-wielder can even ponder the weapon triangle's legitimacy, he finds himself stabbed through the side and left to drop and bleed out.

"Grh..." Veiz cringes at the sight, prompting her to miss the third target to-be.

"Never seen someone die?" You ask, slightly concernedly.

"I'll be fine, just keep them from cutting our heads off for a moment..." Veiz blinks, "wait, you have?"

>A. Don't respond
>B. It's a long story
>C. No, but now's no time to freak out!
>D. Write-in response

And...

>E. Switch to your bow
>F. Keep where you are with the lance
>G. Rush 'em with your lance
>H. Write-in response

>>46172087
>A. Don't respond
>F. Keep where you are with the lance

>>46172087
>A. Don't respond
>F. Keep where you are with the lance
Alfred, pls.

>>46172087
>C. No, but now's no time to freak out!
>F. Keep where you are with the lance

>>46172087
>C
>E

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>>46172179
>>46172188
You don't respond to Veiz, holding your ground as though daring the thugs to approach. To be quite honest, that was the first life you'd ever taken, even with all of your training, but to see you freaking out about it... Hell, to lose your cool, or even feel a moment's remorse for these villains... All of that would not only hurt Veiz' chances of regaining her cool, but create openings for a quite nasty fate for the both of you.

One of the three remaining pirates raises up a hand axe, only to be shot down just as quickly by Veiz.

"Urgh... Y-you two are gonna pay for this!" One of the two remaining calls out. "We'll be back with the rest of our boys, and..."

The two men find themselves slashed across their midsections in a flash as Alfred emerges from behind several boxes. No sooner than you and the dying men falling notice him with his blade drawn, he's sheathing it again, turning to face them. "Attempting to hold these women hostage... Despicable." Turning back around, he studies his parasol. "And bloodstains are such a pain to get out of this thing..."

>character limit, continued next post

>>46172523
"Alfred..." Veiz says in a slightly amorous tone, a bit too busy being impressed at the display of heroism to remember that you both easily could have killed or captured the men.

"How long were you there?" You ask, feeling it more important than repeating his name.

"...I know you two had this covered, but men like these disgust me."

That... Really doesn't answer your question. Twirling his now-bloody parasol, he starts off back into the town in a pleasant stroll. You notice your father and Hera crossing paths with him in the distance, at which point he jerks his thumb back towards the two of you and they come running (it's almost funny, seeing Waldrick bolting in that heavy armor of his).

"Veiz, Rene!" His 'scary' tone of voice fills the air for a moment. "What is the meaning of this?"

"You can relax, sir," Hera says, pointing her massive axe towards the pile of corpses on the ground. "No one left alive to intimidate."

Immediately, Waldrick changes his tune to a concerned, relieved one. "N-neither of you are hurt, correct?!"

>A. Of course not!
>B. Veiz did most of the work
>C. Do they know Alfred?
>D. Try to follow the myrmidon
>E. Write-in response

>>46172523
Thank you, Alfred the Edgelord.
Sincerely.

>>46172546
>A. Of course not!
>C. Do they know Alfred?

>>46172546
>A. Of course not!

>>46172546
>A. Of course not!
>C. Do they know Alfred?

>>46172561
>>46172571
>>46172585
"Would your daughters let common smugglers hurt them?" You respond. "Even if that man hadn't of interfered, we had the upper hand."

"...do not get overconfident in your abilities. You did well, but this is no celebratory matter."

"Where's Cicero?" Veiz asks, beating you to the punch.

"Said he smelled a lead on the smugglers, so we split up around the mines."

"We saw that man... Alfred, he seemed to be addressing you two just before you ran up. Is he an agent of the Empire?"

"Not that I ever heard of," Hera responds. "Just a passerby who said some untrustworthy types were talking about taking 'the Director's daughters' hostage."

"I... M-might have let that fact slip in a busy place," Veiz admits with embarrassment.

"In the future, keep your lips tighter," Wardrick chastises. "When we are investigating something as serious as a Wyrmite smuggler, speaking too freely can undermine the entire operation."

"I... Understand, papa," Veiz says. "This entire stop has been... enlightening for me."

>A. Wait around for Cicero's return/report
>B. Go looking for Alfred
>C. Say/ask something (specify)
>D. Write-in response

>>46172717
>>B. Go looking for Alfred

>>46172717
>A. Wait around for Cicero's return/report

>>46172717
>B. Go looking for Alfred

>>46172717
>>A. Wait around for Cicero's return/report

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>46172785
>>46172819
>>46172754
>>46172805
Rollin'.

>>46172869
"Father," you ask, "may Veiz and I go searching for Alfred? I'm sure she would like to say her thanks for his time..."

Veiz gives a small smile at your question, and looks slightly pleadingly towards your father.

Eyes closed a moment in thought, he responds as they pop open again, "I suppose it is no issue. Do not take too long to find him, though. Cicero will undoubtedly be back with vital information on the smugglers soon, since we have confirmed their existence and operating on this very isle."

A short bout of asking around leads you two in circles, discovering that Alfred himself has gotten onto a small ship, set to depart soon.

Veiz ends up nearly ripping your arm off in her excitement to catch him before he leaves, but in the end the ship has just set sail as the two of you reach it.

"Urgh... Th-this is your fault for being so roundabout!" Veiz says. "Why, I should just..."

Patting her shoulder, you point to the side of the boat. Standing, leaning by its edge, parasol hanging over his shoulder, is the unmistakable Alfred. He looks you and Veiz' way awhile, and she holds up her hands before looking away, madly flustered.

"R-Rene, he..." She starts madly waving towards him. "We'll meet again, Alfred! Mark my words on that!" She says her farewells embarrassingly loud like this until the ship vanishes over the horizon.

"W-wait..." A familiar voice rings out from behind you. Turning around, you see Cicero's bearded face once more. "This... Alfred that you were shouting to, on the boat that just departed. Did he happen to... Carry around a parasol and Killing Edge?"

>A. He's gotta be kidding
>B. Yeah
>C. What about it
>D. Write-in response
>E. Be silent

>>46173011
>B. Yeah

>>46173011
>>A. He's gotta be kidding
>B. Yeah

>>46173011
Ahh crap he's the smuggler isn't he?

>>46173011
>B
Why did he leave us? ;_;

>>46173029
>>46173031
>>46173066
"Er... Yeah, but that's awfully specific to... Oh no."

Veiz seems to immediately catch onto what this means. "Wait... You mean that."

"Oh dear!" Cicero grasps his head in his hands in an overly dramatic fashion. "All of that effort, to waste! To waste!"

"N-no, this... Can't make sense. You must be misled if you're implying what I think..." Veiz says.

"A man of that description, by that name, by all the information I could scrounge up, is a key member of the Wyrmite-smuggling crew."

"B-but... No, that makes no sense! Why would he kill his own crewmen, save our lives when they were trying to aid in his ease of escape?"

"I dunno, maybe he just... Genuinely thought taking hostages was a step too far?" You offer, attempting to reassure your sister.

"It's a possibility... But it's also possible he was merely silencing them in a manner that would appear heroic," Cicero speculates, before crying out again. "Oh, but what do his motivations matter?! This means I've failed to stop the most dangerous heist in recent history! Oh, Director Waldrick will not be pleased... O-oh, I know! I'll make his favorite tea to break the news! Would you girls like some once it's ready?"

To your father and Hera's credit, their reprimand of Cicero's failure was far lighter than the death sentence he seemed to be overreacting by imagining. This will certainly factor into his salary assessment, though.
>To be continued next thread
Well, that was a plot point. This very well might make the wyvern-led front of an impending invasion look a little easier on the side Rene's not on.

Thanks for playing. Update twitter's @qmgrandflocto, you can ask stuff at https://ask.fm/qmgrandflocto, or just ask it in-thread while I'm around to chat.

>>46173224
Thanks for running

>>46173224
Goodnight, Octoling.

>>46173247
Always a pleasure.
>>46173254
Night, anon!

>>46173260
Is Viez really infatuated with Arthur?
Seems like a sort of puppy love thing.
Bad boys her type, then?

>>46173322
You mean Alfred.

And yeah, she has those exact tastes. Possibly out of how... Not like her upbringing the idea is.

>>46173376
>You mean Alfred.
Dammit, me and names.
>Possibly out of how... Not like her upbringing the idea is.
She didn't enjoy her upbringing, or is it a matter of novelty.

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>>46173492
She is quite satisfied with how she was brought up, is grateful for it and all, but... People are often drawn to what they lack.

So I guess "infatuated with the novelty" is a good way to describe it, yeah.

That being said, now I can't get the mental image of her with pic related out of my head

>>46173624
Heh.
My brother always tells me, "If you don't class him as a Hero, you're a pinko commie who hates America."

>>46173658
He's already a hero in our hearts, so I always say "why deny the truth?"