Dark day to be running this freind.

>>46950355
kek

GO HOME QUESTER

>>/qst/

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdzZYNSLzfA

So soon after Rene recovers from the passing of King August by her hand, she has to abruptly bid her adoptive father farewell and be sent out to Wolfskin valley. She copes... Well, she takes things like this stoically, for the most part, even if it hurts immensely. A good agent of the Empire knows not to let her emotions get the better of her, her fears or concerns. If she and Veiz keep excelling, this will all end well.

Dyrus, meanwhile, has his excitement for reuniting with his mother and sister sobered somewhat by a report as he and his grandfather's party draws nearer. So claim a pegasus knight scout, Lady Hauteclere's party has been assailed by a mixed group of Central and Desert-region soldiers, coupled with the odd Wolfskin or two and led by Marduk's substitute for assistant to Director Belinda.

Samson, near-simultaneously to the previous Rene thread, continues as he was earlier, passing the time, none the wiser that something is about to come up on Fort Dalshin...

>A. Be Dyrus
>B. Be Samson

>>46950355
>>46950420
Did I miss something? Sorry if I did.

>>46950420
It's a trial board, quests aren't illegal yet.

>>46950451
>A. Be Dyrus

>>46950478
There's a new board specifically for questing. Anticipate shitposting from antiquestfags.

>>46950478
They made a quest board.

Oh, about 2 hours after asking for feedback from the actual board full of questers. Its not a good time to run, idiots are going to go for every quest and spam useless crap.

I suggest you just carry on as normal and apply a filter. Something their incapable of.

>>46950451
>B. Be Samson
While it is good to see you, a quick note. A new quest board >>>/qst/ has been created and there is a chance for deletion and a definite forecast of shitposting.

>>46950528
To be fair, the only quest on /qst/ also got deleted.

>>46950492
Huh, good to know, anyway. I assume there's not a dedicated site like suptg ready for /qst/ yet.
>>46950528
Should I put it to a vote if we migrate this thread, then? Odds are that'd just be shitposted up too, though...

>>46950610
Honestly, it is probably better to keep it on this board despite the shitposting because this board has an archive and /qst/ is not well designed.

>>46950610
Don't bother.

Currently the mods are deleting propper quests over there anyway. It'll just be a waste of effort.

>>46950701
>>46950709
Yeah, you've got a point. I was leaning towards "screw it!" anyway.

>>46950492
>>46950528
Rolling!

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Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>46950755
Aha, forgot to actually... roll. This caught me a bit off-guard, I guess.

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>>46950492
You are now Dyrus, again, on the heels of some pretty urgent news. In the distance, you and the rest of your group can even make out wyvern riders doing battle with a small party of primarily knights and a few heavily-armored generals, leading whom is a familiarly blue-haired wyvern rider.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DG3G0A_FXNg

"That's your mother alright..." Darren remarks, observing from just South of the battle with the rest of the group. "She and your sister certainly haven't been idle since their business in the mountains, now, have they?"

"And here I was thinking we'd have a moment to rest..." Fortune remarks, slapping Felix on the back. "Felix here's about to cough up a lung!"

"I'll... Be fine," he says, breathing deeply. "The enemy is primarily focused on Lady Hauteclere's party, so we might still be able to blindside them if we act quickly."

"Wait..." Nia asks a scout. "You say that a man from Central named Baker is leading the assault?"

"Yes," the scout says. "A wyvern rider."

"Maybe... One of Marduk's closest friends fits that description!" Winona chimes in.

"Do you think we'll be able to get them to withdraw if Winona and I speak to them?" Nia asks, hope in her eyes.

"Out of the question," Belle says. "Say it fails to touch his heart, or his non-Central subordinates get to you beforehand. And remember that your sister was last seen abandoning her post..."

"H-hey! A friend of Marduk could never raise his lance against us!" Nia insists, turning towards you. "Back me up on this, won't you?"

Winona and your grandfather both shoot you hard-to-read expressions.

>A. It's worth a shot!
>B. You won't risk their lives on this off-chance
>C. You don't know!
>D. Write-in response

>>46951128
>B. You won't risk their lives on this off-chance
While they may like you personally, the empire is notoriously unkind to traitors.

>>46951128
>B. You won't risk their lives on this off-chance

>>46951128
>>B. You won't risk their lives on this off-chance

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>>46951287
"I'm sorry, Nia, Winona... It's just not a very good idea. Especially after you took arms against them in Darton, I doubt the Empire will be welcoming you back with open arms."

"But... Baker's not the entirety of the Empire, he's one man!" Nia objects.

"And the Empire has ways of subtly brainwashing even the most decent of folk," your grandfather says. "I like it no more than you do, but this Sir Baker is our enemy today. We cannot hope to sway every single good man to our side."

"But..."

"Nia," Winona says, shaking her head and resting a hand on her sister's shoulder. "Let's just get into formation."

"F-fine..." Nia grumbles, Winona granting you and Belle less than pleased looks as she and her wyvern squadron head off towards their mounts.

As for your actions in this battle. The cavalry, winged or stuck with a more groundbound horse, will be riding on ahead first. What you'll be doing is...

>A. You're riding ahead from the start with Belle
>B. Riding up with the wyvern riders
>C. Riding up with your red and green cavaliers
>D. Walking up the old-fashioned way!
>E. Write-in action

>>46951506
>A. You're riding ahead from the start with Belle

>>46951506
>B. Riding up with the wyvern riders

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>46951599
>>46951608

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>>46951599
While it's all the same at the end of the day who brings you to the frontlines, really, Belle still insisted that she be the one to do the job. As a bodyguard and all, it is in her job description to keep you safe.

Ahead of Winona's wyverns and flanked by Biff and Byron, Belle takes to the skies, Silver Sword at the ready.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3fI6e8Rvgc

"Thunder mages approaching!" Belle warns the wyverns behind her, gold-cloaked wizards shocking her thankfully-resistant horse as it approaches their bounds. Much less luckily, however, one of Winona's allies is struck down by another bolt before Byron can reach and cut them down.

"Th-those are Wolfskin!" A frightened wyvern rider declares, Biff and Winona independently hurrying towards a group of three that rushed to meet their opponents on the opposite side of things.

Up ahead, you and Belle can still clearly make out Baker and your mother doing battle atop their own Wyverns. The young Imperial commander seems far less skilled than Lady Hauteclere, though on the other hand he's backed by two more allies.

>A. Go for the commander!
>B. Take out the thunder mages!
>C. Face the Wolfskin!
>D. Leave the choice to Belle

>>46952192
>B. Take out the thunder mages!

>>46952192
>B. Take out the thunder mages!

>>46952192
>B. Take out the thunder mages!
Get aggressive revenge.

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>>46952450
"Alright, Belle, let's take out those mages!" You call out, preparing to leap off of her Pegasus to pull of some sort of sweet landing-roll type deal as she lowers herself, perhaps taking out a mage or two in the process.

You don't quite stick the landing, instead tackling the poor green-haired fellow you decided to strike first, both of you hitting the dirt.

"Wh-whoa, hey, what was that for?" He asks, slightly flighty-sounding.

"Prepare to fall to... Wait, are you wearing plate armor under that?!"

"Er, yeah... I travel around a lot, see, and... Wait, were you trying to kill me just now?"

"Were you not?!" You ask. "A-are you even with these Imperials?"

"Imperial? I just saw a bunch of thunder mages in a skirmish, thought I would lend a hand!" He says, standing and dusting himself off. "I thought this was some impressive show of unity between mages, wolves, and wyverns... Thank you for setting me straight, stranger! Now, if you'll excuse me, ol' Hal's probably WELL behind in my classes at Holmstead Academy..." With that, he grins and scurries off... East, in exactly the opposite direction of Holmstead.

By the time anyone takes notice of the retreating-the-wrong-way thunder mage, he's gotten far enough away that even the people who thought he was helping them can only blink in confusion.

Moments later, however, the rest of the (presumably ACTUALLY imperial, not just really dull) Thunder Mages are back to attacking your lot, Belle having switched to a Javelin to counter one as another targets you.

Readying your hand axe, you...

>A. Hit the one Belle is fighting!
>B. Hit the one attacking you!
>C. Chase down that weird guy! No way he was being honest!
>D. Write-in action!

Quests go on >>>/qst/

>>46952765
We've memed this meme before. I'm holding out until they outright become /tg/-illegal/a suptg-type site for /qst/ comes out//qst/ settles down a bit, assuming it doesn't die a premature death.

>>46952719
>B. Hit the one attacking you!
Belle is a pegasus knight. She must have high res.

>>46952765
It's still in trial.

>>46952719
>B. Hit the one attacking you!
Maybe we can chase him down after the life or death battle.

>>46952719
>B. Hit the one attacking you!

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>>46952856
You swiftly toss your humble Hand Axe at your opponent, the weakling clearly not being secretly heavily armored like that... Hol, he said his name was? Whatever, no sense concerning yourself with him. He's not in this fight, and you've got a family reunion coming up, so all you suppose you can do is hope he doesn't get dehydrated or something.

Belle, as expected, is more than capable of defeating her opponent and only being moderately worse for the wear of two violent strikes.

"Are you faring well?" A familiarly smooth woman's voice asks, Via and Felix, surprisingly enough (or not. Right, he's a mage and this is somewhat sandy terrain), being the first two of your allies' number to reach you. Unhesitatingly raising her Heal staff, you and Belle's rather mild wounds are healed in a pair of flashes. Just West of your lot are your main, nonmagical forces, engaging wolfskin and wyvern riders alongside the plethora of heavily-armored knights/generals. Every once in awhile, an Imperial rider is struck down by a blast of one or two bolts of thunder magic.

"Hmm," Felix says, analyzing the situation. "That looks like... Dime Thunder, if I'm not mistaken. Your sister is a mixed fighter who specifies in thunder magic, correct, Dyrus?"

You nod as Biff and Byron, having finished their respective and unaffiliated foes, ride off towards the larger masses together with all but the fallen wyvern rider and the sisters. Nia and Winona, meanwhile, hurry towards Baker and friends vs. Hauteclere.

>A. Join with the main forces+presumably your sister
>B. Hauteclere's situation is direr, even with more support. Let's help her!
>C. We should head further East in case of potential reinforcements
>D. Write-in action

>>46953159
>B. Hauteclere's situation is direr, even with more support. Let's help her!

>>46953159
>B. Hauteclere's situation is direr, even with more support. Let's help her!

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>>46953264
Back onto the back of Belle's beast, back behind her, you ride towards your mother, the magic-users doing their best to keep up. More Wyvern Riders have flocked to Baker's side since you last checked, albeit with one slain, so even with Winona and Nia backing her up, your mother is outnumbered 4:3.

You and Belle catch onto a conversation that Nia just sort of started shouting at Baker when they got close enough.

"Baker!" She calls out. "We don't want to hurt you!"

"H-hold a moment... Nia, is that you?! Shit..."

"You look as though you've seen a ghost, Baker" Winona adds on. "Tell us, is Marduk well?"

"Like hell he is. He thinks you two died in King Augustus' dungeons!"

"Well, I mean... This is a losing battle anyway, is it not?" Nia asks. "Withdraw your troops so you can report this! I don't want him to worry about us..."

"I'd... Really like to, honestly," he says, "but Director Belinda had a bit of a 'just-in-case' contingency for this. Said that odds were that if you DID ever turn up again, it would be as enemies of the Empire, and Marduk finding out about that would just break his heart, you know?"

For the first time in quite awhile, you hear your mother's voice. Resolutely, she says, "that sounds like the words of someone who suspected this would happen from the start. Is that why Sir Marduk has not been in Central since the Battle of Holmstead?"

"...no, no, just a reasonable assumption to make. Captured by the enemy and all... And I mean, you're literally fighting alongside them now," Baker says. "So yeah, orders are to stop you here."

You can practically FEEL Belle's blood boiling, as though something about this conversation fills her with an inordinate rage. "Sir Dyrus, please dismount so we can fight properly."

As you comply, your mother finally notices the two of you when Belle says this, smiling a moment before returning to her serious Baker-ward glare.

>A. Try to talk him down! (write-in dialogue)
>B. Time to fight, then
>C. Observe

>>46953694
>B. Time to fight, then

>>46953694
>B. Time to fight, then

>>46953820
"I guess this is happening, then!" You say, raising your Hero Axe. "Just remember that you're the one who refused to back down!"

"Backing down or running away under Director Belinda's command is career suicide," Baker says, "and a guy can't just let years of training amount to mooching off of a cute wolfskin, you know?"

Baker and his men thoroughly distracted from Hauteclere, she rushes in and cuts him down with a Silver Axe, topped off by a strike from Belle as Winona and Nia can only bring themselves to sit idly by (Last words before slipping out of consciousness: "I've made a grave mistake."). The reappearance of Felix and Via only makes the remaining three's defeat come ever quicker, though the last alive manages to get in a critical blow with his Killer Lance to Via before a blast of Light Magic courtesy of Felix can kill him off.

"G-grh..." Falling to the sand, you and Belle are quick to break the maid's fall, respectively saying her name and demanding she hang in there.

"We can't have another one, not after Gerard..."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87LDkNWVG8s

Brandishing a very ornate-looking staff and putting away her axe, your mother approaches from off of her wyvern. "Relax, son. Short of death itself..." Hauteclere twirls the staff in the air, pointing it dramatically towards Via. In a brilliant flash, her wounds close up and vanish, her weak breathing returns to normal. "No fresh wound is too great for the Staff of Katri." Shutting her eyes after a moment, she says, "my condolences about Gerard, though. Laurise won't be happy to hear the news..."

>A. Was the staff what the Ice Dragons gave her?
>B. You and Belle should still make sure Via's alright...
>C. Let's wrap this battle up, then!
>D. Write-in dialogue
>E. ...

>>46954324
>C. Let's wrap this battle up, then!

>>46954324
>C. Let's wrap this battle up, then!

>>46954324
>C. Let's wrap this battle up, then!

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>>46954682
Alright, then! You and the rest of you turn towards the remaining few soldiers of the combined roadblock as they fight off your sister and the various Central-based rebels.

"General Taniel and Laurise are commanding the main forces over there," Hauteclere says, returning to her wyvern and re-equipping her axe. "If we close them in here and now, the Empire's forces here will certainly be destroyed." Turning towards Nia and Winona, she quickly adds, "our encampment is just West of here. Bring Via into a tent if you don't plan on fighting Baker's remaining forces. She wouldn't do well dying of a heat stroke while unconscious."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNsLLPB3fjk

That remaining matter settled, the lot of you, minus the sisters, hurry towards the last of the Gerxel attackers, and the ensuing battle is as hectic as it is quick and onesided.

Even with that in mind, however, you have the "privilege" of bearing the full brunt of a Wolfskin's offensive power in the form of a nasty punch to the face, and you're not really able to think straight for several moments after that until the Staff of Katri fixes things up quickly. You even manage to recover quickly enough to steal a kill from your twin sister, a myrmidon who had somehow managed to get her alone.

"I didn't need you to intervene," she says, forcing herself to sound sour.

"I know~" You tease, before going in for a mutual hug hello.

"Word's traveled fast about you and grandpa's actions. Storming the coastline, killing pirates and an entire Coastal Director... Was this all overcompensating so Ice Dragons sounded dull in comparison?"

>A. Absolutely!
>B. Nope, you just lucked out
>C. Like that could be less interesting!
>D. Write-in response
>E. ...

>>46955077
>A. Absolutely!

>>46955077
>A. Absolutely!

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>>46955291
"Yeah, you got me! I had as much fun as possible just to laugh that you freezed your butt off to miss it!"

"Well," Laurise says, "there was plenty to like about Tordo too! You've already seen mom's new staff in action.... Er, one of us is gonna be able to use that someday, actually! The whole ritual thing the ice dragons did made it so that anyone descended from her can wield it!"

"Healing anything short of death, huh?" You ask. "We really lucked out on the dragon regalia thing, huh?"

"Not just that!" Laurise says. "It can dispel all but the widest of curses, weaken the strength and resolve of enemies, break hexes... And mom used it to hatch a Silver Wyvern!"

"A what now?"

"A Silver Wyvern," Laurise repeats. "A... Wyvern but silver, and they mature quickly and can live forever, but their eggs are almost never able to hatch without magical assistance... Apparently they taste good, too, but they're REALLY expensive and Khozen's a boy dragon."

"Khozen?"

"That's his name, yeah! He's only a few weeks old, still a hatchling, but he's already starting to learn to fly a bit!"

"And all the knights?" You ask.

"Oh, yeah, that's General Taniel's doing. He's pretty much THE resistance leader in all of the Central region, besides mother!"

>A. You'd like to meet him!
>B. Maybe we should check on Via...
>C. Mention the passing of Gerard
>D. You have so much catching up to do!
>E. Write-in response

>>46955512
>C. Mention the passing of Gerard
>B. Maybe we should check on Via...

>>46955512
>C. Mention the passing of Gerard
>B. Maybe we should check on Via...

>>46955587
"Also, uh... It's not all good news, Laurise. I should probably get that out of the way now."

"Hm?" She asks, finally leaving the hug. "What's happened?"

"You see, when we were fighting the Marlo Pirates, Gerard and I were tricked by their leader in disguise, and so he..."

"I... See," she says, sighing and shutting her eyes, officially in much less pleasant a mood. "At least it wasn't in vain, right?"

"Like we could let that bastard escape alive after he killed one of our own!" You say, almost offended at the doubt.

"R-right..." Burying her face in her hands, Laurise grumbles, "even seeing people fight and die so regularly, it... Never really hits you until it happens to someone you knew."

"I understand," you say. "I was starting to think this was the most fun thing ever before then, too!" You shuffle around in the sand a bit, before quickly adding on. "So, should we check on Via? She was hurt pretty badly, even if mother healed her up fine... Apparently they took her to your encampment?"

"Mhm," Laurise says. "Come on, I'll show you the way."

>character limit, continued next post

>>46955936
Upon entry to the medical tent, the younger wyvern sister immediately greets your sister with a hug. "Laurise!"

"Wh-whoa... Nia, is that you? You've almost reached an average height since we last met!"

"Hmph. You three are the giants," she says, pouting at you, Winona, and Laurise. You don't have the heart to tell her that you and your sister are actually slightly below an average height for people your ages.

"Get any better at flying, bookworm?" Winona asks, teasingly.

"It's... Not my forte," Laurise says with embarrassment as you actually approach Via's resting place, taking a seat nearby her.

"How's she been?" You ask, noting her eyes remaining peacefully closed, the soft sound of breathing through her nose, chest rising and falling with each breath...

And then, eyes popping right open, Via herself ruins the peacefulness of the moment, "quite well until you interrupted my nap."

Startled, you leap up in your chair a bit. "Don't... Scare me like that."

"It was merely a prank," she says. "I thought you were quite fond of lightening the mood."

>A. Still!
>B. Not the prank, the almost dying!
>C. It was pretty funny...
>D. Write-in response

>>46955968
>B. Not the prank, the almost dying!
>C. It was pretty funny...

>>46955968
>B. Not the prank, the almost dying!
>C. It was pretty funny...

>>46956057
"N-no, no, that was pretty funny," you say, taking in a deep breath before explaining what you meant. "I mean... If my mother hadn't been there with her new staff, you'd be dead right now! I was worried sick that something would happen, or..."

Your sentence is cut off by Via, quite plainly, sitting up in place. "...were you going to finish?" She asks, and you suppose a moment too late that it makes sense that she's in perfect condition with how the Staff of Katri... is. "No? Ah, Lady Laurise! Would you care for a glass of wyvern's milk? It's been quite an ordeal to keep it chilled since we left Darton, but I thought you and your brother might like to share a bottle once you reunited."

"I, uh... I'd like that, actually!" Laurise says. "It's still good, right?"

"Like I would serve you spoiled milk," Via says, sounding noticeably offended. The fact that it wasn't a complete lack of outward reaction tells you that she's not horrifically slighted, though, so...

"Back to old times already, huh?" Laurise asks. "Er... Don't throw any axes at me, though, alright?"

"No real ones!" You tease, sharing another laugh as Via shows herself away.

A few minutes later, and you and Laurise have finished downing your glasses of the stuff, enough being left for you to politely insist that Via sit with you and take the last of it.

Now, you've got a bit of time to kill before you next head out, so how to spend it.

>A. Introduce Laurise to the allies who've joined since she left
>B. Just sit like this for awhile
>C. Leave her be and talk to someone else (specify)
>D. Write-in action
>E. Just skip to planning

>>46956341
>B. Just sit like this for awhile
>A. Introduce Laurise to the allies who've joined since she left

>>46956341
>B. Just sit like this for awhile
>A. Introduce Laurise to the allies who've joined since she left

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>>46956596
For awhile, you, Laurise, and Via simply sit like this, before you burst out, "oh, wait!"

"Hm?" Laurise asks.

"I should introduce you to the others! Winona and Nia are far from the only people to join up with us, after all."

"Right... As our tactician, I should get to know them all!" She says.

You decide to get what you predict to be the shortest and least pleasant interaction out of the way first.

"So yer' this guy's twin, eh?" Doran asks. "You don't sing too, right?"

"You sing?" Laurise asks, amused. "Since when do you sing?"

"Since 'e helped cut through the Marlo," Doran says. "Did it just to piss 'em off at first, but now he keeps doin' it."

Up next, you cut that conversation off to show her to Biff and Byron.

"Does... Noba not have uniform armor?" She asks, commenting on their red and green colors.

"Due to our skillfulness and willingness to provide our own armor, Sir Jovan and King Augustus never took objection," Byron says.

"To force our red and green apart would destroy morale, certainly," Biff adds. "Why, could you imagine a noble army without knights of red and green riding along?"

Up next, Fortune and Felix.

"So you're the mind behind your mother's master plans," Fortune says, leaning down and ruffling Winona's hair. "My nephew needs all the extra friends his age he can get!" Backing away and patting Felix heartily on the shoulder, she laughs. "Go on, say hello, won't you? I've gotta size up this new big boss lady..."

And with that, Fortune scurries off, leaving Felix to shyly stand around and say nothing, perhaps feeling a bit put on the spot.

"Er... Hello," Laurise says, trying her best to sound friendly. "You're, uh, a tactician too, huh?"

"...yes," he says, barely audibly.

Well, this is awkward.

>A. Try to lighten the mood!
>B. Poke fun at Felix's demeanor
>C. Well, time to skip ahead, then!
>D. Write-in dialogue

>>46956858
>A. Try to lighten the mood!

>>46956858

>>46956858
>A. Try to lighten the mood!

>>46956940
"I swear she won't bite," you reassure Felix. "Laurise just likes to do magic and feel smarter than everyone else."

"I-it's not just a feeling when it's true!" She says in response, before stroking her hair. "Wow, that... Sounded really arrogant."

With a small smile, Felix says, "it's good to embrace your strengths... My aunt swings a devil sword around without fear because we're so lucky, for example."

"Can you really rely on luck alone?" Laurise asks.

"Aunt Fortune can," Felix says. "It's my job to handle everything... saner than mastering luck itself."

"It must give you an aneurysm to need to plan around taking 'things will just work out for us' for granted," Laurise sympathizes.

"Y-yeah... I always think up contingencies just in case, gods forbid, but we've never had to use them..."

From there, the duo begins to actively discuss this and that, quite intently, in fact, and you begin to wonder if you just set your sister up with someone. Eh, that's probably too much of a stretch, you figure.

>A. Cut ahead to planning
>B. Say something more first (write-in)

>>46957129
>A. Cut ahead to planning

>>46957129
>A. Cut ahead to planning

>>46957129
>A. Cut ahead to planning

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>>46957207
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehKCkJq--ac
You, your sister, your grandfather, Fortune, Felix, your mother, and a tall, dark, bald, and bulky lance general (soon introduced as the General Taniel you've heard about) all sit around in a meeting tent at your mother's campsite, pondering your next moves.

"Leave keeping Central in place to me, Lady Hauteclere!" Taniel boasts, curling his arm and clutching it. "Director Belinda's not gonna be able to help with anything with my men blocking her from hitting the deserts."

Your mother, idly petting a small, silver, scaled creature, a wyvern, before letting him flap off, nods. "I'll leave that to you, General Taniel."

"As for our next move... Of course, we're going to be crossing the desert to reach Wolfskin Valley," your grandfather says, "but no matter which route we take, there will undoubtedly be perils."

>character limit, continued next post

>>46957515
"The further North we travel," Felix explains, "the likelier we are to run into Director Cato or her subordinates. We could face them, and perhaps eventually capture the bountiful magical resources of the Tower of Longevity, but... It will not be easy."

Pointing out certain spots on a map, Fortune says, "yeah, or we could head South and wipe out the Vautou. They and their boss, Paisley, attack any human civilizations they can find, and even the Director wants to knock them down to size. Director Cato can only be assed to confront us if directly ordered to by the Emperor himself, since all she really cares about is that her region keeps running, so we might be able to avoid fighting any mages from the Desert region at all with some luck... So we'd be able to avoid fighting any mages from the Desert region, take out a possible threat to a post-Empire world, and perhaps secure an alliance with Cato."

"But who's to say the Vautou have to be our enemies?" Laurise says. "They fight because the Gerxel fight. We could ally with them against the Director..."

"That's easier said than done, Laurise," Hauteclere explains. "The Vautou, in general, loathe humanity. Any number of things might go wrong, even if they're willing to entertain a truce with us."

>A. You have no input
>B. Go North, leave the birds be. We're here to fight the Empire!
>C. Go South, Cato won't bug us. Her neutrality will be a godsend
>D. Try to side with the Vautou! It's well worth the risk!

>>46957559
>C. Go South, Cato won't bug us. Her neutrality will be a godsend

>>46957559
>C. Go South, Cato won't bug us. Her neutrality will be a godsend
>D. Try to side with the Vautou! It's well worth the risk!

>>46957559
>C. Go South, Cato won't bug us. Her neutrality will be a godsend

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>>46957615
"So traveling South sounds like our best bet..." You say. "It's less dangerous for us than facing Cato at all, and we might even be able to make peace with the Vautou!"

"And if that should go wrong," Darren adds on, "we could fight our way out far more easily."

"And if the Vautou demand Director Cato's head anyway?" Hauteclere asks.

"Then it would be hypocritical of us to ignore their pleas," Laurise says. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that, though with what I've heard of Chief Paisley... It could be an inevitability that siding with them means fighting Cato."

Regardless, it is decided that the Southern route be taken. Parting ways with General Taniel so soon after meeting him, the next morning is the start of an absolutely LOVELY trek through the desert.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqOYw76jaXE

Two days into the trip, you see that green-haired thunder mage from before, speaking to a robed Vautou and being handed an impressively-sized bag.

"Hey, thanks!" He says. "I got a bit turned around in that last skirmish, but if Holmstead's no more anyway, I guess I'll just head back to the Tower..."

"No problem, Hal. Good journeying to you... Er, that way is Northeast, not that way."

"Oh, thank you kindly!"

And so, in exactly the opposite direction that you and your companions are to be taking, that armored magic guy sets off again.

Noticing your party, the Vautou flies over, in particular approaching your mother.

"A vautou in mage's robes," she remarks. "Lord Denim, then?"

"Aye," he says. "And you would be... Lady Hauteclere?"

"So my reputation precedes me," she says. "Tell your Director that we have no quarrel with her. We are taking the Southern route so long as Cato agrees not to attack us."

"The Southern desert... You know that's where my kin rein, right?" He asks. "You'll not avoid bloodshed simply by avoiding humans in this desert."

>A. You're gonna form an alliance!
>B. What's it to him?
>C. Let your mother answer
>D. Write-in response

>>46957972
>C. Let your mother answer

>>46957972
>C. Let your mother answer

>>46958034
You remain silent, allowing your mother to sort this out. She is the leader here, after all!

"...it is ignorant to assume that it is impossible," she responds. "We might court the favor of Chief Paisley, and pass through the desert without once needing to swing our blades."

"And you sincerely believe that to be the wisest course of action?" He asks, raising an eyebrow. "The reputation Winged Raiders have is well-earned, you know."

"One earned by their retaliation against the Empire, against actions Director Cato was undoubtedly ordered to do."

"That is..." Denim is silent a moment, looking to the ground and floating up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRDYGR9Tfmk

Suddenly, his head jerks up, a good-natured grin on his face, "an excellent way to view things! I've grown tired of killing my own people over the whims of Director Cato. They swept me in with talk of sophistication and knowledge, but they don't mean to share it. They mean to slaughter anyone who stands against them. To think that I was convinced there was any nobility in such rhetoric... It's despicable. Now, I intend to set things right."

"Do you mean to join us?" Your mother asks.

"Aye," he says. "Though Director Paisley cannot be reasoned with, there exists a law in Vautou culture, that one who bests the chief in an honest duel will take their place. I never once spoke of this rule to Director Cato, and it pains me to know that I will need to slaughter one more of my own, but... Perhaps I could bring something almost akin to a peace to this desert if I do this."

"Even if we end up forced to fight Director Cato in the end anyway?" Your mother asks.

"I will avoid it if I can, but if not... all the better," Cato admits. "She will live to regret taking me under her nonexistent wing."

>To be continued next thread
And so Dyrus and two more of his family members were reunited, and even more allies were gained.

Thanks for playing. Update twitter/ask.fm are qmgrandflocto, I'll be around.

>>46958392
Thank you for running.

>>46958401
Always a pleasure.

Obviously, if the North route were taken or "let's try to side with the Vautou" wasn't picked, that entire exchange would've gone very differently, not to mention long-term consequences.

>>46958392
> Cato admits
I think we have been rused!

>>46958426
Whoop, typo. That should've said Denim.

>>46958392
Thanks for running.

>>46958457
Anytime.

Here's hoping this /qst/ stuff blows over.