Ari, your frailest and least troublesome Testament, had wound up kidnapped. Or perhaps spirited away would be a better term? While that on its own would have been enough to stir you into action, the context around its occurrence only made matters more confusing.

You had, admittedly, been one to indulge in drinking for relaxation before. That did not, however, explain nearly a month's worth of drunken escapades. Nor did it help that upon further research, it seemed as if the 'drink of choice' was less an alcohol as it was some form of potion concocted to gradually purge the imbiber of their residual mana - An action which had much the same side effects that one would attribute to a hangover. Regardless of whether it was or wasn't alcoholic in nature, the end result was effectively the same... And you were left to draw blanks on the pieces of the puzzle left before you.

It seemed clear to you now that the entire month's antics had been purposefully facilitated... And that's where your understanding regretfully stopped. From reports, you had gathered that the ones supplying the Faedka had likely been wooden golems - The same as the ones you had encountered before leaving for Caylen's, the same as the two which had followed you, and the one which had rather obediently become a walking stick. The same ones you remember crawling from the river and begging you to return, even as they fell apart before your eyes.

What in Shade's name were they? Why kidnap Ari? What did they gain by sabotaging your entire household for a month? How were they related to the Fae which supposedly made their home beyond that river border? Did they have something to do with the way the entire forest had seemingly come alive to pursue you? And why-

"-Is the road closed?"
"The estate beyond this point has been restricted, by order of Irue Valen."

Raid snickers from somewhere just out of sight, your eyes closing in a strained effort to keep your frustration from leaking out. "That's the Mayor, right?" You finally grit out a response, receiving a nod of confirmation. "And what, exactly, is the Mayor doing restricting access to their house when Carona is in this state?"

You jerked your thumb back to the still ruined town, its heavily degraded walls singing with the sounds of reconstruction. The town you were the Mayor of.

Because you are fucking Irue Valen, and not being recognized as such is beginning to mark higher on your shit list than you ever thought it would.

"They've moved into Carona to be more accessible to the civilians in the mean time." The guard explained, hints of relief showing through his fatigue. "Brought their own knights into town as well, to help take the load off us while we get back on our feet. If you've got business with the Mayor, I can point you towards where they've set up? Or you could just find one of their knights in town and get directions."

>Enter town
>Push through to your house
>Relay an order to Kara
>Other? (write-in)

Previous Threads:
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=Valen+Quest (1-43)
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Valen%20Quest (44+)

Where things are said: https://twitter.com/Riz_QM
Where things are asked: http://ask.fm/RizQM

Assorted Supplemental:
Current Abilities - http://pastebin.com/PchcdWpw
A List of Forgotten Things - http://pastebin.com/kPEscJ3h
Irue's Memoires - http://pastebin.com/sWnicrK7

Write-ups:
Kara's Day Out - http://pastebin.com/8ZbiSKLs
Adventures with Asche - http://pastebin.com/RNviCBJu
The Reclaimed Doll - http://pastebin.com/n6miP1qT
In Your Shadow - http://pastebin.com/EfeeHFAE

Misc notes:I'll probably be spending some time this thread trying to update memoires and such. If you've any specific questions, drop them here.

>>449805
>>Enter town
let's go talk to the 'mayor'

>>449879
Writing!
So quiet tonight.

It wasn't worth pressing the point, you decided with a sigh. The guard is mercifully amiable in giving you directions towards locating the 'Mayor' in town, leaving you to wander through the gates of Carona once more as you make your way into its recovering streets with Asche and Raid in tow. You remembered these streets only vaguely, passing familiar lots of brick and wood that you felt you had once used to navigate, but couldn't quite put a name to.

People passed you by as they carried about their business, and part of you stayed relatively on guard as you waited for someone to make some measure of fuss over Raid - However, much like your time on the road, it seemed like no one was too interested in paying him any mind. The combination of merely hiding his demihuman features, and his own outwardly childish appearance, were more than enough of a shield to keep any undue attention off of him - A fact you were quietly thankful for, given the last few times you had been found with a demihuman in Carona.

Perhaps the most deciding factor in you and your crew moving along unnoticed was simply that no one had the time to pay you any mind. This was a different town than the one you had first picked a fight in - Far different from the one you had infiltrated not long ago. After the calamity that was the out of control Jinn apparition, the people of Carona all seemed to busy working to try and reclaim what they had lost to bother concerning themselves with what strangers on the street were doing.

The scenery began to look more familiar as you followed the guard's directions, each step taking you further and further into parts of the town which had already undergone visible levels of reconstruction. It was with a difficult feeling that your winding path finally brought you to the steps of a pub you would be hard pressed to forgot... And one which almost seemed a bastion in the chaos, as it looked to have been reconstructed with a far 'grander' design in mind than you recall it serving.

You half expected to be greeted by a bubbly brunette waitress when you stepped inside, but the warm and lived in atmosphere had all but entirely been replaced with sets of desks and tables from which papers could be seen strewn across, stamped, or sealed for delivery.

You paused uncertainly at the threshold, scarcely noting the faces of a few of your knights scurrying about inside as they moved to hand in reports or deliver sealed missives.

"If you've got business with us then I can-" You're pulled out of your brief reverie as one of your knights approached, their words coming to a halt as they got a second look at you and- "Oh, Ser Valen!" - Saluted you! Someone actually recognized you! "Guess you're curious about how we ended up out here?"

You had a lot of questions, actually.

"You'll have to talk to Miss Lamandra about the details of why we're out here, but if you have any other questions I can try to help."

>Where is Rinnier?
>What happened to the pub?
>How is Carona coming along?
>Other? (write-in)

>>450153
>Where is Rinnier?
>What happened to the pub?
>What's going on at the manor and who looks after it?

We'll ask Rinnier about Carona.

>>450163
Also hi Riz.

>>450154
>>What happened to the pub?
>Where is Rinnier?
Rinnier should have better info, no offense to the knight.

>>450163
>>450173
Rinnier!

>>450163
>>450173
Pub!

>>450163
But what about my house?

Writing.

>>450170
Hiya!

"What happened to the pub?" The first words that tumbled out of your mouth were met with a blank look as the knight found himself caught without an answer for a question he clearly hadn't been expecting. It took him several moments before finally pulling himself together under your patient watch, "The building that used to be here before Miss Lamandra set up the command center?" You nod, "As you may have guessed, it was mostly demolished. It suffered a great deal of damage during the apparition's rampage, and only its foundations remained salvageable by the time the wreckage had been cleared."

You felt a nauseating knot roil in your stomach, as you dipped your head in understanding. "So Rinnier reclaimed it for her purposes, then."

"It was donated, actually." The knight corrected brightly, "The previous owner of it survived the apparition. Rather than have it rebuilt, the man put it up for community use since it seemed it could be pulled back together pretty quick for its size." You blink at that, having never actually met Jill's father during your brief time working here. "Let's see... On record, it says he felt that people would need a place to sleep before they needed a bar again." The knight glanced up from the ledger they had been carrying, "He's not the only one who decided to donate to the reconstruction effort either, there've been a lot of long standing members of the community who threw in with the Shrine and Miss Lamandra's efforts to get Carona back on its feet."

"This place doesn't look like anyone's sleeping in it."

"Not anymore." The knight agreed, "For the first month or so, this was one of the first structures salvaged from the wreckage. Since then we've made progress in reclaiming other districts and getting shelters set up for people, so when Miss Lamandra ordered us into town, we repurposed it into a central command center to better help divide our efforts and receive complaints or reports."

"And you all abandoned my house... Why?" This was the actual crux of the matter, and the reason you were in here in the first place. "When I tried to go back home, I was told it was a restricted area by order of myself."

"Ah..." The knight audibly paused at that, looking through the ledger in consternation before shaking his head. "You'll... Probably have to ask Miss Lamandra about that. She said you put her in charge when you left, so when she gave the order - we walked."

You cross your arms expectantly. "Then where can I find her at?"

"She's probably in the back." You followed the knight's finger, "As far as the schedule goes, it looks like she finished her meeting with the Shrine a few hours ago, so if nothing else came up then she's probably working through paperwork back there."

...Sounds like she had been keeping herself busy. You nod in thanks and let him return to his work as you make your way back into the building, thoughts turning towards the man who had once owned this place and how he had faired in the aftermath... How his children had faired. Where were Jill and her brother now? The last you had seen of them was-

"You're back!" Rinnier very nearly skipped to her feet as you finally wandered into the room she had been using. "Thank the Mana you got back so quickly, did you find anything out?"

"...Somethings." You reply cautiously, taking a step back from Rinnier's unexpectedly boisterous greeting. "Mind telling me why I was told I couldn't go home, under orders from myself?"

"I sign everything in your name." Rinnier sighed heavily, waving off that explanation as if it wasn't important. "We had to abandon your estate, though. Didn't you get my message?" You stared at her in blank incomprehension. "...You didn't. Alright." She ran her fingers back through her hair tiredly, "Not long after left, those wooden golems came back... In force."

"They attacked?"

"No... Not quite. One of the knights alerted everyone in the estate when he happened to look out the window during his patrol and saw one staring in from the yard. That's... All they did, apparently." She shook her head, and for a moment you noticed the way that stress had begun to wear on her. Lack of sleep lending her hand a tremor, with barely noticeable lines beginning to form. "There were more of them. By the time everyone had woken up and organized, the entire house was surrounded, and they just stood outside and stared until morning."

"...What happened to the knights who were on guard outside?"

"We don't know." She admitted, "Never found them. We don't even know when they all showed up outside, or what they were doing. It was a blessing they didn't try to come inside... But Luna only knows why."

>Ask if she's slept
>Relay what you found
>Ask about her meetings with the Shrine
>Contact Dullem
>Other? (Write-in)

>>450453
>>Ask if she's slept
>>Relay what you found
>Ask about her meetings with the Shrine

>>450453
>>Ask if she's slept
>>Relay what you found
>Ask about her meetings with the Shrine
We can talk to Dullem after we've finished with Rinnier

>>450453
>Ask if she's slept
>Relay what you found
>Ask about her meetings with the Shrine
>Contact Dullem
>Ask if that trader we sent her way reached her and whether he told something interesting
>Ask about Jill
>Ask about the general state of affairs in Carona

>>450453
>>450520
also this:
>Ask if that trader we sent her way reached her

>>450483
>>450520
>>450521
Sleeping alright?

>>450483
>>450520
>>450521
All these things we found

>>450483
>>450520
>>450521
Shrine meetings!

>>450521
Dullem.

>>450521
>>450538
Trader!

>>450521
Jill

>>450521
How is Carona going?

Writing!

>>450600
I hope we didn't break Riz with all these questions.

"I heard you had a meeting with the Shrine?" having heard what happened with the wood golems, you can't exactly fault Rinnier for having moved everyone into town. You doubted just moving that far would be enough to entirely solve the problem, but it certainly bought some time to think... And in the meantime, she certainly seemed to have been making the most of your absence.

"Another one, yes." She sighed, searching the paper covered table after a moment's dreary pause. "They've been assisting in the reconstruction effort, and we've been working to divide up our efforts... If the Shrine had been this friendly back in Teranford, maybe we-" She drifted off, growing silent in consternation before simply shaking her head as if to ward away the thoughts. "-Nevermind. One of the Luna Adepts there has been kind enough to offer their aid, along with several other of the Mana divisions..." She leafed through the papers in front of her, blinking dryly to focus her eyes. "...The attendants of Gnome have been at work since the first day helping move the wreckage. It seems they lost one of their own in the tornado, and took the recovery effort personally."

Your frown deepened, remembering the less pleasant interactions you'd had with the late Roderick. You remembered receiving the report of his death not long after the event, and it still left you... uncomfortable. He died with questions of loyalty shaded across his name, but the actions he took in his final moments were beyond reproach.

On his deathbed, you would admit - if only to yourself - that perhaps he had been a good man.

But also he was an asshole.

"Naturally the Wisp Adepts have been out in full force tending to the wounded, and... I don't suppose I should be surprised that even the Shade Adepts have been pitching in." Rinnier offered a wane smile, "You would be interested to know that the representative of Shade himself put together an 'elite unit' of his Adepts to handle the more troublesome problems in the area... Like that Oakenbear that you authorized him to hunt. We received a report from them a while ago regarding some issues at a crypt, though..." Despite yourself, your lips curved back into a fond smile at the man's name. You had gotten along with Marchovic almost from the moment you met the man. "Jinn's Adepts have been helping to air out the town and keep the weather fair during the reconstruction..." Rinnier turned a page thoughtfully, "Seems like they took the disaster the hardest, what with it having been a result of a Jinn apparition in the first place..."

You... Only vaguely remember their representative; A man named Hraes, who seemed the incarnation of carefree. You nodded along regardless, urging Rinnier to continue. "I told you about the assistance being rendered by the Luna adepts... Honestly we wouldn't have made this much progress without them - Or her, rather. A young lady named Mim has been..." Rinnier paused as she took a moment to try and find the proper words, "Scarily efficient at finding favours and resources squirrelled away."

"Finally there's the Salamander Adepts..." She stopped there, and after a moment simply put her papers down. "They have offered their aid, personally even, but... I would rather you meet with them."

"..." You could almost feel the reluctant resignation that flowed through your fiery haired Testament as she admitted her reservations. "I'll make a note of it." You agree, eliciting an uncharacteristically meek nod from her. "You didn't mention the Undine, though?"

"They've been active nearby, to be sure." Rinnier agreed, "But it has nothing to do with the reconstruction effort. It seems someone tipped them off about something important recently, so they've had their hands full with whatever that is."

Ah... So even with the town in shambles like it was, they were still dedicating everything to the Ice Queen's Atelier.

"The Luna Adept I've been working with," Rinnier started again, "Passed along an interesting offer - I thought it was better for you to see it, rather than handle it on my own." You took the proffered envelope from your Testament, making a note to look it over later. "All things considered, Carona is well on its way to recovering. We were fortunate that the Shrine has been this generous with their aid..."

"And you've been handling all of the paperwork." You added, looking across the room with no small sense of awe. "I don't think I could have done half of what you've managed."

"Well... We're partners." She mumbled in a small voice, clearing her throat as if to hide her admission as her posture straightened, "And I owe you for sending that merchant our way, anyway. We had nearly turned him away on principle when he showed up, until he mentioned your name."

"You just believed him?" You started to laugh-

"No one else actually knows who you are, so it had to have been you."

-You stopped laughing, and met Rinnier's smirk with a scowl of your own. "We bought one of his trees out thanks. Luckily he had already left before those wooden golems decided to show up..." She shook her head, "I think we left it there when we evacuated though. I hope it's still alive when we get back."

"So if you're here, what's Dullem been up to?"

"Your Knight Captain is more of a doer than a thinker." Rinnier finally sat back down, "While I've been handling the talks and organizations, Dullem got his knights together and started putting them to work. You and I both know their origins, they're practically a small village on their own... Aaand-" She drawled out her continuance with a pleased note, "They've been putting those skills to work in reconstructing Carona. You'll be pleased to hear that I caught Dullem starting to throw his weight around as Knight Captain in order to organize the township into squads headed up by his knights."

That... That didn't sound like Dullem at all. He'd always seemed reluctant to even acknowledge his position.

"I was surprised as well." Rinnier shrugged, "But it's been a load off for me to be able to pass down instructions to him and have him distribute them. Seems like he's picked up more management skills than he'd like to admit from leading those brigands about for so long."

"Then... Have you heard from Jill?"

"...Who?" Rinnier responded blankly. "Should I have heard of someone named Jill?"

"..." Right, Jill hadn't actually been with you when you saved Rinnier. You shook your head, "She was the daughter of the man who used to own this place, when it was a pub. She helped me find you and Asche."

"Ah... No, I'm sorry. We should be able to find the man who used to own the place though, if you're really interested."

"Maybe later." You shake your head, "My priority right now is still getting Ari back, and..." You stop for a moment, "...How long has it been since you slept?"

"I'm sorry...?" Rinnier rubbed her forehead tiredly, "Not long, I've just... Had a long day."

She's lying. Given what she had been doing, you wouldn't blame her for being exhausted - Just looking at all this work was overwhelming to you - But this seemed more than simple fatigue. Either way, she obviously didn't want to talk about it.

>Press anyway
>Leave it alone, continue talking about your plans for Ari.

>>450844
>>Press anyway

>>450844
>Press anyway
We don't need our Testament to go delirious. We could handle the Fire adepts and the Luna Adept proposition while she's sleeping.

Also, we've brought Asche. I'm sure she's some kind of managerial superweapon.

>>450852
>>450853
Pressing anyway!

Writing.

"When was the last time you had a good night's rest?" You pressed anyway, watching as Rinnier glanced away under interrogation and simply fell silent. You held that silence for a full minute, before her tensed shoulders finally slumped alongside a heavy sigh.

"I haven't been sleeping well since we moved to Carona." She admittedly quietly, glancing behind you pointedly as her lips drew down. You looked back in short-lived confusion before nodding to Asche and stepping aside so your m/aid could close the door on her way out. "It wasn't one of your knights that saw the wood golems outside." She continued quietly after the room had fallen back into silence, "...I was walking back to my room when it happened. It was just... Standing there." she ran her hands across her face with a shudder, "At night, they look just like you. This one just stood there... Face pressed against the window. It didn't move, it wasn't breathing... It just stood there and watched me. Smiling."

She pressed her eyes shut before continuing, "We never found the knights who had been standing guard outside... And I... Had just come back inside from talking to them." She swallowed thickly, locks of crimson hair falling out of place as her unsteady breathing very slowly was brought back under control. "I can't... I mean I haven't...Been able to sleep since."

You looked around the room as she spoke, frowning as you realized that the room she had chosen was one on the interior of the building - Specifically, one that had no windows at all. There was a distinctly uncomfortable looking cot that had been pitched along one of the walls, but it looked ill used.

If anything, you get the suspicion that any sleep your Testament had gotten had been in the same chair that she was currently sitting in.

"...Guilt?"

"I still see it." She corrected quietly. "It hasn't followed us here... I don't think it has, anyway. But.. At night - And when I'm tired... I see it."

You don't know what you had been expecting, but this wasn't something you could just fix. Thinking back, though...

"That's why you jumped up when I walked in?" She nodded tiredly, tresses of red hair shaking in response before she finally brushed them back behind her ear once more. "That explains it. I doubted you were actually that happy to see me back."

Your joke fell flat in the face of the withering stare you received for your efforts; One which positively seethed with the unspoken indignity of being forced to deal with ill timed humour when she was actually telling you any of this. You held your hands up, surrendering a wordless apology to the flame haired Testament as she just let her eyes drop in exhausted resignation.

>?

>>450969
>Have you thought about turning to the Shrine? A Luna adept could probably remove this memory, or a Shade Adept could suppress the negative emotions it causes.

>Also, just so you know, I have Kara with me, who can break those golems in twain with a single spit.

>>450975
What this anon said.

>>450975
Writing!

Also this will probably be the last update for tonight. I'll pick it back up off and on through sunday, and do another solid session (hopefully) this monday.

It's finally happened, I've reached decu levels of update speed. How mortifying.

>>450982
It's already Sunday for me...

"I could lend you Kara." In your attempts to think of something comforting to say, you inadvertently that out. It was only once the statement had rolled off your tongue did you realize how odd of a statement it was, and the strange look you got in response told you exactly how baffled Rinnier was in regards to it. "I know you've never really trusted her, but I've seen her break an oakenbear in half with just her hands; She could probably snap one of the wood golems like a twig."

It took a moment, but Rinnier did eventually smile despite herself. "I don't think having a demihuman around will help me feel any more comfortable trying to sleep." She rejected the half-cocked offer resolutely, but at the very least her mood seemed to have lightened marginally. "It's just stress." She sighed, "Like being afraid of the dark as a child, all over again."

"...You were afraid of the dark as a child?"

Her jaw snapped shut abruptly, crimson eyes narrowing dangerously at you once more.

"As I was saying." She continued forcefully, "It is simply stress. Nothing to be concerned over."

"If it were just that, you wouldn't be taking it so roughly." You stood your ground however, bluntly stepping past her attempts to dismiss the problem. "Have you considering talking to one of the Shrine about it?"

"This is not a wound for a Wisp Adept, Irue."

"But it may be one for Shade." You press your point despite her dismissive eye rolling, "Shade isn't just about seeking thrills and getting into trouble, Rinnier. Its Adepts pursue emotional stability. Mental peace. If you need someone to help you work through this, they can probably help you."

"I do not need more people burdened with my problems." She hissed back, "I didn't even want you to get involved!"

"For not wanting me involved, you certainly didn't try very hard to keep it a secret." You observed flatly, receiving a resentful glare for your efforts.

"You were going to be a nuisance until I told you." She lowered her eyes to the table as she began to slowly create some semblance of order out of its chaotically strewn papers. "...Don't make me regret this."

You cross your arms and lean back against the door frustratedly. You had made progress in your relationship with Rinnier, but it was too soon for you to forget just how prickly she could be when it came to her personal life. If she was reluctant to tell you, there's no little chance in all of Shade's embrace that she would actually talk to a complete stranger... Even if they could help her.

Which left... "What about Salamander?" Her hand slowed, enough to know that you had her attention still. "You don't have to tell anyone else about it, but meditation could help you, still."

"I am not on the best terms with Salamander right now." She muttered, an aimless resentment laden heavy along her tongue. "I doubt it would provide any peace of mind to me right now."

"What about Luna, then? They specialize in information and knowledge, surely they could just suppress-"

"I will be fine, Irue." She raised her voice to interrupt you, finally deigning to raise her head and meet your stare. Your tongue curled as you saw the walls marshalled tall once more behind her eyes. "I appreciate your concern, but I can take care of myself."

This conversation was over.

Regardless of what you said now, the brief moment of vulnerability you had been afforded had already passed. Your teeth grit together, unwillingly being forced to realize that there was nothing else for you to do.... And even more unwilling to let her have the last word.

"I'm assigning Asche to you."

"I said I'm-"

"It has nothing to do with that." You snap back, "Every desk in this place has been covered in papers and envelopes. If you're not going to accept help for that then you will accept help for this." You motioned broadly towards the piles of paper still waiting to be addressed in front of her. "Just tell her what you need done, she'll handle it."

You stared at each other stubbornly, digging in both of your heels with over the matter. It was the last, roundabout method to actually offer her help that you could think of, even if it did nothing to actually address the issue itself.

"Fine." And so it was that your most troublesome Testament was the first to relent. "This business is ultimately your responsibility anyway, it is entirely your prerogative as to who is assigned to handle it."

Words welled up in the back of your throat; Ones that never found their way past clenched teeth and were eventually swallowed back down, leaving only a bitter aftertaste - and a burning trail down into your gut - to mark they had ever been there.

You tucked away the Luna Adept's proposal as you left the room, frustration and a myriad of strained thoughts vying for front seat in your mind as you left.

>Contact Dullem
>Look over the Luna Adept's proposal
>Meet with the Salamander Adepts
>Other? (write-in)

I'll check out the votes when I wake up and work a bit on the thread off and on sunday!

>>451015
>Look over the Luna Adept's proposal
Let's decide what to do once we have all the info.

>>451015
>>Look over the Luna Adept's proposal

>>451015
>>451015
>Other? (write-in)
I can't remember if we ever had those chests of gold dug out, so if we haven't, grab Kara and her pack, maybe a Gnome adept or two if possible and make a beeline for the tunnels where we left the mayor to die.

See if we can get someone to start storing something soft below our teleport spot too, we'd be able to save a lot of time if it didn't cripple us every time we used it.

>>451015
>>Look over the Luna Adept's proposal

You try to put your conversation with Rinnier behind you, pulling out the Luna Adept's proposal as you start to think about what to do next. Your primary focus was still on Ari, and every minute you spent here was another that she was being held captive... But you also couldn't ignore the state Rinnier had fallen into, nor the responsibilities that she had been shouldering for you. At the very least, you could handle some of them yourself before you set a course for the Fae Forest once more - Starting with the handwritten letter you were currently pulling free from its envelope.

...The handwriting was amazing. You had to reread the first few lines a couple times before you actually saw words instead of art.

'Dear Ser Valen,

The Shrine's representatives of formally concluded their meeting in regards to the state of Carona and our position in its reconstruction.
As you well know, the Shrine is first and foremost a sanctuary of neutrality; Our aim is to provide succour to the citizens first and foremost.
It is because of this that- Priat left the room, so I'm going to skip the rest of the obligatory faction posing.'

...How much does Mim actually get away with?

A new story is on everyone's lips since you left! The old Mayor caught by Clara Valen herself! Backed into a corner and suspected of treason, he unleashed his last resort in an effort to take Carona with him!

Exciting, right? There are a few fudged details, but such things are between the protagonist and Luna, you know?

I feel like our mutual friend would have wanted our full support in helping the people recover, and it just so happens that several of our dominions feel terrible about not being able to stop that nasty old mayor's tricks. Terrible enough that they might be willing to do a little more for a dear friend, even!'

You blink down at the paper, doing a double-take as you read through the relatively short list presented before you. What it lacked in quantity, it more than made up for in sheer quality.

>The reconstruction of Carona is underway, but it will still take some time. You have a chance now, as the acting Mayor, to help rebuild the town in a manner that you find most efficient.

'Between you and me, the most important thing everyone's got wrong with this silly story?
They're talking about an ending, when it's only just begun.'

You fold the paper back down and take a deep breath as you feel the claws of a certain precocious Luna Adept begin to hook themselves into your skin. She was hardly the careless child she made herself out to be, and you remember well how shrewd of an individual she had been. How much of that capricious nature came from being an Adept of Luna...? Regardless, what she offered was something you weren't sure you felt comfortable accepting.

Nothing came free, but would you get another chance for something like this?

Two of the dominions of the local Shrine are willing to take their efforts a step further than strictly necessary.
You may choose one, lest you make undue demands on their good will.

The Adepts of Jinn would make clear the depths of their apology for failing to protect Carona.
>Coerces a friendly breeze, which carries the whispers of chatty sprites along its current. They speak of the land, and those who move about it.

The Dominion of Gnome would honour the sacrifice of their late peer's dedication.
>Hastens the reconstruction of the walls around Carona, infusing them with Gnome's embrace to create walls of steadfast stone.

Mim's generosity undoubtedly comes at a price. You're more than capable of reconstructing Carona on your own.
>Rejects the Shrine's offers, maintaining neutrality for the days to come.

>>453673
>Rejects the Shrine's offers, maintaining neutrality for the days to come.

> "At night, they look just like you. This one just stood there... Face pressed against the window. It didn't move, it wasn't breathing... It just stood there and watched me. Smiling."

Irue should smile more. She should also practice holding her breath/ taking low shallow breaths. Espescially when talking to Rinnier.

>>453673
Reconstructing the walls doesn't look all that useful in a peaceful country in the lands of the most influential family in the country. Unless a full-on civil war comes.

A full-on civil war is coming soon, right?

Nevertheless, sprite intel seems more useful. But I'm hesitating to indebt Irue to Mim. Because let's not forget it's Luna adepts who are stirring trouble through Maran.
So, I'm not voting for now, waiting for possible discussion.

>>453673
>>Coerces a friendly breeze, which carries the whispers of chatty sprites along its current. They speak of the land, and those who move about it.

>>453713
Do you want to owe them favors that they can hold over our heads, or do you want them to owe us favors we can hold over their head?

>>453897
The second option, of course.

Hm.

Ok, I vote for
>Rejects the Shrine's offers, maintaining neutrality for the days to come.

It doesn't seem like we can call in the favors later because of the line:
>Nothing came free, but would you get another chance for something like this?
I'd like to know what the price is before picking an option, but I'm leaning towards
>Coerces a friendly breeze, which carries the whispers of chatty sprites along its current. They speak of the land, and those who move about it.

I'll be resuming the thread in about two hours or so, if anyone is lurking here! Make sure to get your final thoughts or votes in.

As a somewhat last second response to things:

>>456283
Is correct in that these are favors Mim feels capable of talking people into. Passing them up now does not bank them, they are gone. Similarly..

>>453897
Remaining neutral does not make them owe you favours.

On the contrary, since it's something Irue noticed, Mim was excitedly talking about the 'story' that people were telling about what went on that day before the Jinn apparition struck and your aunt arrived. I'd pay slightly closer attention to what she said.

There are a few fudged details, but such things are between the protagonist and Luna, you know?

Anyway, see you guys in a few hours.

>>453673
>>Rejects the Shrine's offers, maintaining neutrality for the days to come.
let's try to keep ourselves in the black.

>>453695
>>453920
>>456421
Rejection! We are an island!

>>456283
>>453861
Sprite intel!

The decision is made!
Writing.

An offer like this wasn't likely to come around again, but the more you wrestled with the possibility of finding yourself indebted to Mim... The offer was looking less and less appealing to you. Of the two options, you almost felt it was worth it to curry favour with the ambient Jinn mana; Your experiences with A Spider's Web having impressed upon you the importance of having a reliable and superior sense of awareness and forewarning.

That said, the only real enemies you had right now were effectively trees. If they decided to get up and come to Carona, you'd know that well ahead of time anyway - And that's not to mention how pointless you felt it was to focus on reconstructing the walls around the town. Memories of casually crawling over Caylen's fortifications on the back of one of the wooden golems were still quite fresh to you.... At most it would be useful against less strange oppositions, but considering your position so deep within the heart of your family's land, it would take nothing short of an all out civil war to even begin to entertain the idea of Carona coming under siege.

Well... That, or East Heaven opening its borders for the first time in almost two decades and deciding to declare war. That was a patently absurd notion though, bordering on fretful paranoia.

You quickly jot down a reply to Mim containing your disinterest in asking more of the Shrine than they should be inclined to provide, sealing it into an empty envelope that you hoped no one would miss, and turn your thoughts back towards the small list of things you recall Rinnier having mentioned.

"I didn't actually think you did any work."

Turning down the Shrine's offer for additional reconstruction assistance was one thing, but it didn't mean efforts would simply continue apace. You needed to handle the resources that were being funnelled into it, and take this chance to... to...

"...I don't really care what you get up to with my sister, but I'm not interested."

You continue to stare at Raid as he tries (and fails) to elicit a reaction from you. You knew where a decent cache of liquid resources were buried, but it would probably take a little doing to excavate it all. A few days for a normal team, but for a team of demihumans... Setting Kara aside as an obvious outlier, the physical abilities of a demihuman typically outstripped the average human by a fair margin. While their nature as natural born sociopaths left much to be desired for their reputation, you'd be hard pressed to find more able workers.

"I need you to get Kara to dig up some things for me." You start thoughtfully, relaying to Raid the details of 'what' and 'where' that he would need to explain to her.

After that, though...

>Report to Dullem to get your pack working to help reconstruct Carona
>Set up a parameter around Carona, and keep watch
>Go investigate my estate, see what's happened there
>Come back to me.
>Other? (Write-in)

>>456920
>>Report to Dullem to get your pack working to help reconstruct Carona

>>456920
>Report to Dullem to get your pack working to help reconstruct Carona

>>456920
>>Go investigate my estate, see what's happened there
Rinnier seems to have the reconstruction well in hand; we still need to make some headway on the Fey

>>456932
>>456938
Demihuman integration!

>>456957
Recon!

Writing.

"When you're done, find Dullem." Thinking back, you could probably trace back this entire disaster to that time when Roderick had made a huge fuss over you bringing Kara into the Shrine. The reputation of demihumans had been pretty damning to you in your early days... And while you can't exactly say it was unwarranted, given what you know now, you are also in an unexpectedly convenient position to change that. "Tell him I want your pack distributed to his squads to help the reconstruction effort."

"Some of us will get found out." Raid hesitated to leave, looking up at you as he felt the need to explain something to a child. "There's no chance for that many demihumans to be able to work covertly among humans without being discovered."

"You're not working covertly. You're going there as demihumans to work as demihumans." You grin at him easily, ignoring his persisting reluctance as you shuffle him out of the room. You weren't under any delusions that it was going to be an easy process, but you weren't going to tolerate people making a scene every time you were caught under the light of day with one of your Testaments. Even if you needed to go far enough to establish some kind of badge or license for demihumans you've personally approved of, if you were going to be the mayor of Carona then it was going to accept your Testament - And subsequently, her pack.

...You would definitely find a way for Kara to be able to walk around the market on her own. It would take time, but everything had to start somewhere.

With resource acquisition comfortably under way, and orders relayed to Kara to alleviate the threat of idle hands, that left... Meeting with the Salamander dominion in the Shrine. They had evidently been interested in personally offering their assistance in some manner - A fact which was notably absent from Mim's proposition. From what interactions you had seen so far though, it seemed as if the Salamander representative was something akin to Mim's bane when it came to doing mischievous things.

Thinking of the Salamander representative however, you also recall that your personal experiences with him helping also resulted in an awe inspiring level of nothing getting done. This did not particularly fill you with high expectations, but it would be rude to turn down the requests out of hand, and so that is where you were going to go.

The Shrine itself stood as tall as ever, an unblemished monument amongst the relative wreckage of Carona. Its doors were pried open to the masses, and you found yourself navigating your way through a small throng of citizens as you ascended the stairs once more. All of the walking you had been doing of late almost made the days when you had collapsed after scaling these steps seem a lifetime away, and when you had finally crested the top landing, it was as if the building itself had opened its arms wide to greet your arrival.

With its two massive doors thrown open in this time of crisis, you stared past the coming and going crowd of people to see the grand tree which stretched up from the center of the Shrine. Great branches stretched out across the ceiling, casting a comforting shade across the interior as a gentle breeze rustled through its leaves and brought breaths of fresh air to its visitors. Each of the seven dominions stood ready and open, with murmurs of silent conversation and attempts at meditation filling the air with a sense of sanctity.

Perhaps as expected, Gnome's dominion was hard at work in consoling the people who had lost much to the rogue Jinn apparition. Between the pillar-like presence of their attendants, and the soothing nature of Wisp, it was no wonder that those two parts of the Shrine were some of the most desired in the eyes of those seeking succour. Undine's dominion was relatively empty, with much of its membership having likely focused upon the securing of the Ice Queen's Atelier, and its halls were left to the patient hands of the few Undine attendants who had chosen to stay behind.

You felt your muscles relaxing as you moved through the Shrine's doorway. Having studied Mana almost single mindedly for so long, the Shrine was perhaps the closest place you could find to a communion with those of like minds. Be it Luna, Salamander, Undine, Jinn, or even Gnome, you knew the importance of their presence intimately... Which was why you found yourself frowning as you passed Jinn's dominion - Only empty halls and regretful attendants occupying its space. You spotted Hraes situated at one of the larger altars towards the back, noting the way his windblown hair fluttered in an unseen breeze - A sign of both his meditation, and likely the cause of the gentle breeze which had been doing its best to keep the Shrine's interior cooled.

"After the Banshee, many of Carona's people haven't been able to find it in their hearts to approach Jinn." Priat's voice broke into your musings, the man offered a silent explanation by way of greeting as he approached. "Good will is a fickle thing; It is often one forgets what good has been brought to them, in the wake of a loss. I don't think you came to listen to a sermon though, have you?"

"I'm actually here to discuss your offers of assistance." You smile lightly, "Sorry to have kept you waiting."

"It isn't a problem. With the state of the town, I suspect you and your aids have been kept busy." He shrugged, "Though It seems to have not stopped your correspondence and meetings with Luna's dominion and representative. In truth, I was beginning to suspect I was being avoided."

>What kind of assistance were you thinking of?
>Making an offer like this personally seems strange.
>I'm not interested in asking any more from the Shrine than it's already given.
>Other? (write-in)

>>457086
>>What kind of assistance were you thinking of?

>>457086
>I'm not interested in asking any more from the Shrine than it's already given.
But just in case
>What kind of assistance were you thinking of?

>>457097
>>457107
We're interested!

>>457107
But we're also not interested.

....Tsundere negotiations begin?
Writing.

"In all honesty, I would prefer to not ask any more of the Shrine than it would normally provide." You rejected Mim's proposition for much the same reason, and even though it's not coming from an Adept of Luna, the feeling of not wanting to be unduely indebted to the Shrine remained. "However... Given that this was a personal request, I am curious to know what exactly you had in mind."

"In that case, perhaps we can still come to an arrangement." Priat's motioned towards the doors of the Shrine with a satisfied smile, only resuming the conversation once the two of you had exited the building. "The fact of the matter is that my offer was a personal one. I had volunteered my services towards uncovering the Mayor's plot not long before the Banshee was unleashed... To be quite honest-" He looked at you, and then his eyes raised beyond yours - A line of sight which you turned to follow onto the slowly recovering wreckage of Carona. "-I feel as if I failed in that regard. It is a feeling I am becoming uncomfortably familiar with."

You barely caught the tail end of his admission, and it was with the ease of long practice that you kept your expressions clear as he continued.

"I was surprised at the capabilities of the ones fighting to prevent all of this, and as I did before, I allowed myself to shirk my own responsibilities simply because I felt the matter handled... Yet this is what became of it."

He sighed, tilting his head back to allow a gust of wind to rustle his hair. "It may interest you to know that my position as representative of Salamander here is an honorary one." He turned back to focus his attention on you once more, "There were holes to be filled, and I was unexpectedly qualified to fill one of them."

"It is rare that an Adept of Salamander is considered of worth outside of conflict. I thought myself fortunate, to have been welcomed into the Shrine after finding my way north, that I might turn over a new leaf tending a gentler flame. While I gladly took up the position back then, recent events have served to remind me that one's past cannot simply be discarded... Thus, I am considering a formal abdication of position."

This was... Not what you expected to be called here to discuss. Even if his intentions were genuine, the implications of a representative of the Shrine leaving so soon after what happened would be a difficult thing to stomach for the remaining populace.

"So the offer for assistance was a cover to arrange a meeting for this?" He had been talking for some time, but you had yet to actually hear of any manner of assistance. If anything, it seemed like he was just being overly dramatic about his farewells.

"Not quite." He smiled apologetically, "A precocious child told me a story recently, about a travelling merchant making a profit off a peculiar trade. To be blunt, I intend to do what I should have done years ago, and begin searching for refugees from my homeland. I haven't the slightest why you seem to have an interest in my people, but given that we seem to have similar goals then I would venture you may be interested in sharing whatever information we may come across."

>Agree
>Disagree
>Question (What?)
>Other? (write-in)

>>457276
>>Agree

>>457276
>Agree

>>457279
>>457281
Sure, why not!

Writing.

>>457291
Argh, I was late to vote again

"I wasn't expecting this kind of offer." You admit, "I wouldn't be averse to sharing information, if it meant having someone helping look into things further abroad."

"You're not even curious as to why I'm doing this?" he looked you over curiously, but you only shrugged in response.

"You said it was for your people, so I can only assume your motives are well intentioned."

"I see. Ha. Haha, yes, I suppose so." Priat's searching stare melted away as he laughed. "It is rude of me to question my good fortune. Don't mistake me, I am thankful you agreed to help; Having someone with the Valen name back my efforts will no doubt prove invaluable."

You smiled outwardly as Priat's mood lightened, but somehow felt like something important had passed you by. Thoughts of what it could have been swirled together with your anticipations for how the town would react upon learning the representative of Salamander had left, your mind slowly churning itself into a pool of aimless turmoil that had no forthcoming answer.

Although, a traitorous part of your mind reminded you that Priat's help had been worthless once before. You found it difficult to actually place any kind of expectation in him again, given how disappointing he had turned out last time - A recurring character trait of his, if the man was to be believed.

The two of you shook hands and parted ways, returning to your individual responsibilities as the evening began to close. While it seemed that the Salamander representative had made his decision, it would be a few days still before his abdication was complete... And after that, you're not sure when you would actually hear from him again.

As little as you had come to expect from Priat personally, it didn't change the fact that he had welcomed you from the moment you walked through the Shrine doors - More than that, he even welcomed Kara. Even in the face of the commotion you had caused, he didn't hesitate to listen to offer advice... And when you had come back to Carona seeking help from the Shrine, Priat was the first to volunteer himself to your cause. Thinking back, while you had a roughly positive relationship with most of the Shrine's representatives, he was the only one you might have actually considered a friend.

You pause halfway down the stairs, craning your neck back towards the imposing shadow of the Shrine you left not long ago, and let the cool evening air tug at your hair. Its apologetic caress reminded you of Jinn's empty halls, and with the news of Priat's decision beginning to sink in, your lips twist as if unsure what shape they should take.

For once, the sight of the Shrine did little to comfort you.

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http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=Valen+Quest

And we are archived.

I'll lurk the thread for a bit to try and answer some questions if I can.

To those who did not make it to the end, we will never forget your sacrifice.

>>457361
When is Rinnier going to realize that she needs Jesu- I mean, Shade in her life?

But seriously, we still have those documents right? The ones about Rinnier's people? Or were they left at our house?

>>457378
>Rinnier needs Shade in her life
If you mean emotional stability, then not any time soon. As far as she's concerned, she's perfectly stable.

If you mean the Mana, then also not any time soon. She has a (commonly held) bias against Shade and its followers as being thrillseekers and people with little regard for consequences. To be fair, this is also a typically accurate description of many people favoured by Shade - But as you've seen, it is hardly the only side to that coin.

>We still have Teranford slave documents, right?
Rinnier has them currently, yes. They were likely the second thing she grabbed before leaving for Carona.

>>457387
>To be fair, this is also a typically accurate description of many people favoured by Shade
Sigh, extremists ruin everything. Well it's a good thing we respect her decisions and wont pester her to join our dominion... SYKE!

>>457387
So, is there any way we can convince Print to speak with Rinnier about his new quest? If only to reassure her that things ARE getting done and that work is being made towards investigating what happened/where her people went. And not as a Priest of Salamander but just as a fellow countryman.

>>457361
Thanks for running

>>457704
Reading back, I realized I wasn't quite explicit enough. Rinnier actually has caught sight of Priat while in Carona, and vice-versa - Her insistence on putting off meeting with him (and eventually hoisting it off on you) wasn't simply because she was busy.

I won't say it's impossible to convince her to talk to him, but you probably won't like what it takes to do it.

Priat's sudden change of heart isn't entirely motivated by nationalistic concern, either.

>>459633
So can we go back to Priat and talk to him about Rinnier then, or has the moment passed?

>>460249
It has passed.

I remember the players having questions/suspicions about Priat from back when they realized that the Wisp Adept recognized him as someone of note, and given Rinnier's reticence to meet with him, I figured you guys would jump at the chance to ask him about things - Or perhaps tell him something, once you realized where he was from.

Imagine my (and Priat's) surprise when we simply agreed.

Given that all of our business with the Shrine has been concluded this thread, and there was no attempt to dissuade him from leaving, I doubt you'll have another encounter with him before his abdication is finalized and he sets off.

>>460260
That last vote would have opened the chance to ask him about things? Dang, I would have voted differently. Also, it's been a long time since that came up; I certainly didn't remember it.

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>>460397
>Last vote would have opened the chance to ask him about things?
I... Uh. Yeah. You could have asked him anything you wanted to, really.

Should I chalk this one up to everyone being sleepy?

You're also always free to ask anyone just about anything you want via the Other option. It's there for you all to slide in as much of your own thoughts as you'd like

>>460413
Wow, I must have been tired; I didn't even see that option.

>>457357
>>460413
>Should I chalk this one up to everyone being sleepy?
Well it would be to our benefit so it's not like we're going to say no, it's up to you I suppose.

That said, if I had awake to catch the session I wouldn't have remembered about the wisp adept recognising him or picked up whatever is between him and Rinnier but I definitely would have had a few basic questions and voted to drag him back to Rinnier's office to pool our knowledge.

I wish you didn't run on a vampire schedule.

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>>460444
>I wish you didn't run on a vampire schedule.

I'll try to run tomorrow around 5-6pm EST, depending on how bad the sun is!

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>>460464
>Midweek Valen Quest
You're too good to us Riz.

You're waifu a shit

>>460464
Damn, this means I won't be able to catch it.

>>460464
Shit time, shit.

>>460464
I'll be here! I have a broken leg and aught else to do so . . .

did riz died