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>>1104408
Helen lays her spear across her lap, her statuesque face solemn. "You wish to know my skills?"

"I guess I'd like to know who you are as a person," you reply, thoughtfully. "...In the brief time I encountered your brother, he projected his personality rather forcefully. He was, I think, an easy man to get to know, by design on his part."

"Yes," Helen murmurs, though in her deep, rumbling voice you hesitate to use that word to describe it. "Herostratus was always the more outgoing of the two of us, the more concerned with leaving an active and lasting legacy. When we separated, he promised that the final hours of our people would not be defined by a passive acceptance of death. He had...a complex relationship, with the choice our people made for themselves. Herostratus always maintained that he would have done the same, but he despised the idea that we should simply roll over and die."

"You said that you separated," Nathan says quietly. "What were you doing?"

"When my brother went out into the world to bring the wisdom of the Jotnar to the smaller races, I stayed to record our final stories," Helen explains. "Memoirs, histories, and biographies of the last of the giants. We have not always been easy to find. I have written the tale of each, copied and preserved carefully. Perhaps, one day, we will all be forgotten, but I have done as I can to prevent this. My brother's was to be my last."

You cough, more to interrupt your compatriots before they can say anything than to get anyone's attention. "So at a bet you're a talented scribe," you offer.

"Indeed. I have also turned my hand at times to construction and carpentry, to war, to medicine, poetry, and sculpture. I can hunt, fish, and survive in the wilds, and possess some small talent in necromantic divination, learned against the eventuality that I arrive too late to record the story of a properly living giant."

"...That sounds like a good reason," you agree, uncomfortably.

"One might also find me in the lifelong habit of not being a fool," Helen warns, gently. "Say what it is you are trying to say."

Hoo boy.

> "Helen, you cannot record your brother's story."
> Make burying the Lush's story her wergild; do not explain why
> Try to explain it gently
> Explain bluntly

AND

> Determine a wergild now (what?)
> Wait

>>1104454
>> Make burying the Lush's story her wergild; do not explain why
>Burying the story

>>1104454
>Explain bluntly
For all the good he has done early in life, his is a legacy of desperation, violence, murder, torture, and violation. Even though he got manipulated like a weak minded fool, his actions were his own.

> Explain bluntly

Well, this is awkward... so straight out with it.

> Wait

Let's first hear her thoughts on this.
Knowing what we know now about her skills... hm. Maybe it'd be sensible to get her to link up with our favourite Lamiabrarian so they can get the story of the Dungeon penned out together. That way they can cover more ground and angles.

>>1104454
> Explain bluntly
> Wait

We've already made plans to bury the Lush, but given his sister's stated interest in preserving the legacy of the giants... Well.

>>1104454
> Explain it gently.
Gotta remember that Herostratus was her (big?) brother, and she never saw the monster he became. Hiding it from her, or commanding her not to record his actions, isn't going to do any good for her or us.

> Wait.
We can give it some time. Maybe though, we can introduce Helen to Scribbles? The cute lamia author can help spread the tales and histories of the giants, and ensure that the crimes of one fallen son is not all they are remembered for.

>>1104454
>> Try to explain it gently

>> Wait

>>1104454
>> Explain bluntly
I'm afraid that tell it to her gently, she'll more insistent about getting his story.Telling it blunt should get some of the pain he caused through.
>Wait

Having her go with Scribbles means she'd be traveling the Dungeon, going through the same areas the Lush caused all that pain. Whatever she does should be on the surface.

>>1104454
>> Explain bluntly
>Burying the story

>>1104838
Having Scribbles and Helen spend some time together does seem like a good idea though, Scribbles is very skilled socially and can help Helen spread the giants tales.

Called, writing.

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>>1104454
You shift a bit on the tree branch. "There's no easy way to put this, so I'm going to just come out and say it," you tell her. "Herostratus was guilty of crimes I hesitate to describe to you. During his tenure in the Dungeon he was responsible for countless acts of murder, torture, and..." you sigh. "Rape, among other things, and he encouraged this behavior in his soldiers. For somewhere near ten years. His chief and most frequent victim was an angel of the Death Choir."

The butt of Helen's spear cracks against a tree; her tightening grip moved the massive weapon, and she looks down at it in vague surprise before slowly and pointedly removing her hands from its haft.

"He didn't do this for no reason," you tell Helen, keeping your eyes on hers. "He did it because he believed it would make his name eternal. Herostratus was jaded and let down by his attempts to be remembered, by what he saw as the ingratitude of the world. He thought fear would give him what joy could not."

"He was obsessed," Amy says quietly. "Even while he was dying he...he was /begging/," she admits, uncomfortably. "Begging to be remembered. He was so angry at Lora - the angel - just for, for /existing/, you know? I think he really did hate her."

"We've done what we can so far to ensure that he won't get what he wanted," you admit. "To bury his deeds and ensure that he is forgotten. We recorded his name among the dead of the Cornucopia, listing him as one of the many casualties of the Lush. Maybe, in time, history will forget that they were ever the same."

"Why?" Helen demands, her voice low.

"I won't sit by and watch history enshrine a monster. Everyone down there has lost family, friends, their way of life, to Herostratus and his confederates. Good people, living good lives, whose stories will never be told," you answer, in a hard tone. "I will burn in Hell before I accept that it's right to set his legacy down while theirs is left to rot."

The giantess looks away, staring into the depths of the forest. "He is to die forgotten, then? Unmourned and unloved for anything else he's done?"

"Riley," Amy says suddenly. Your wife hops down from her branch and wings off, towards Glen and, presumably, its supply of books from the Athenaeum.

> Agree with Helen; record the worthy deeds of Herostratus
> Disagree; bury him
> Write-in?

We're gonna skip the wergild thing for now. I'd continue this update but I have Real Life shit to do and then I gotta hit work until like 8 PM.

>>1105277
>> Disagree; bury him

>>1105277
>While waiting for Amy and Reiley, talk about what and how to record about Herostratus and Lush.

>>1105277
> Disagree; bury him
We've already had this argument; he stays dead and forgotten.

Is Amy going to look for records of his deeds?

>>1105567
He didn't care HOW he was remembered, so mush as that he WAS remembered. He'd be happy to get any recognition.

>>1105277
>> Disagree; bury him

>>1105277
>>1105567
Deleted vote because SO MUCH DOUBT.

>>1105579
I don't know what to vote anymore when it comes to the Lush. his deeds before the dungeon were fine, but then he got in contact with Dick and he became a hateful, greedy cunt. It feels like if we bury everything, someone will still have him written down somewhere and his deeds will come to light eventually. I'd be happy if he was forgotten, with Lora also completely fine, but I just can't see that happening and I don't know how to make it happen.
I just don't know.

I do think we should have Riley here to talk to Helen.

>>1105277
>> Write-in?
> Record his good deeds under a different name. Let history believe that Helen had two brothers: one who was good, and is remembered, and one who was evil, and is justly forgotten.

>>1105277
Supporting this; >>1105567
> Tell Helen about Richard and Riley.

Hrm... on one hand the Lush done fucked up, and it'd seem rather disingenuous to only mention his good deeds. Not to mention disrespectful to his victims.

On the other hand it'd also feel schizophrenic if we were to say that Herostratus was a great dude and that the Lush sucked. No connection between the two giants, we swear.

So... that leaves the "leave him forgotten as a victim of the lush" option. Unless you wanna go wild and give ALL of his victims the full history record in an act of fair play.

Hm, there's a thought for wergild.

> Write-in?
> Write about ALL the Lush's victims' lifes and deeds. Which happens to include Herostratus.

>>1105277
>Write-in?
>Introduce Riley to Helen.

>>1105824
I like this idea a lot. record the victims, remember /them/.

>>1105824
As I understand, those stories were lost because he killed them. They are untellable because they were killed without writing them down.

>>1106058
Helen can get their stories even if they're dead.

>>1105749
This runs the risk of an enterprising historian figuring it out and making a huge deal about it.

>>1105567
>>1105277
Gonna second this,
>You cant record anything about him permanently, due to the risk of him being remembered, but if you can keep the knowledge to yourself, then you can grieve on your own time. After the debt has been paid. Just...be careful walking around the dungeon.

>>1105579
Why not just let her learn about what he did in its entirety, and she cant tell or write down anything about it. Unless she needs to tell their parents and they consent to never telling a soul or other being about it again. That way the parents and sister can grieve in their waning years, and he will be forgotten. Because knowledge that is so forcibly removed tends to leak, somewhere, somehow. So if we give it to someone that wont last...well, then he will be properly forgotten.

>>1105824
This is also an option. A lengthy one, and probably not a good idea to send her down there to record so soon, as they might try to linch her ass on sight. But it could be option for her to do later. That place needs to cool down for now though.

>>1106467
All in due time, yes.

>>1105277
>We recorded his name among the dead of the Cornucopia, listing him as one of the many casualties of the Lush.
>Maybe we could expand on this
Basically do a "Vader killed your father" type deal let his early history be recorded and have his story end with him being 'killed' by the Lush.

>Tell her about Riley and Richard

I actually had an idea about this- could she help us research Richard and the rest of the chainholders? She seems like the best person to be able to ferret out information that's been hidden or erased

>>1106186

...More than any *other* method of obfuscating his name/deeds?

Urgh. Called, gonna tally. Might need to secondary-vote this given all the neat discussion and writeins but I gotta eat some damn food here. Thank you for your patience.

Or my internet can die the death. Still, it seems fairly clear that we've got two options here.

> Insist on burying all of Herostratus's deeds
> Have Riley help Helen record him as a separate figure from the Lush

I'll call and write in the morning if my internet is working. Please vote between those two options. Recording the story of his victims is locked in; it's too good an idea to pass up.

>>1109328
>> Insist on burying all of Herostratus's deeds
He wanted whatever recognition he could get, even if only partial. And, according to him, his previous deeds /were/ recorded, they were just eventually forgotten or buried.

>>1109328
> Have Riley help Helen record him as a separate figure from the Lush.
We have to be better than petty spite, and as awful as his crimes in the Dungeon were, he was a good man before that. Let his sister mourn the man he was, rather than the monster he became.

>>1109328
> Insist on burying all of Herostratus's deeds

>>1109328
>> Insist on burying all of Herostratus's deeds

>>1109328
>> Insist on burying all of Herostratus's deeds

>>1109369
>"I will burn in Hell before I accept that it's right to set his legacy down while theirs is left to rot."
Petty? No, this fair play: He took their stories, we take his. We've had this argument before: We don't tell his story to prevent others from following in his footsteps. Even separating out good and bad runs the risk of some sharp historian down the line putting it together.

>>1105277
>> Write-in?
'names changed to protect the innocent'
The worthy and good stuff should not be attached to the name that he ruined. If she wants to publish it - pick a different name before Herostratus took a nosedive into insanity.

>>1109443
> We don't tell his story to prevent others from following in his footsteps.
The problem there is that people will, inevitably, make their own choices. We can only inspire them to do better.

Maybe we should let Lora and Helen have final say instead?

>>1109453
And we can also not incentivise doing bad things. If someone wants to be remembered, but don't much care how, and discover the Lush' story, they'll have found proof of a way to be remembered.

>>1109328
> Have Riley help Helen record him as a separate figure from the Lush.

I don't think we can /completely/ bury the Lush. But we can definitely limit what was said to 'he was a hedonistic and evil asshole and got what was coming to him', rather than 'he pushed excess, pain, torture, misery, and sin to unheard of heights in order to create an immortal memory of a monster'.

And Herostratus did things before he became the Lush. A good historian could probably track that to the Dungeon. Creating a path for the Lush and another for Herostratus works well enough in my opinion.

His final wish was to be remembered, and that's literally what his sister came here to do. Create a record of him. He wants to be remembered, fine. But we'll make it so what gets remembered aren't the terrible things Dick twisted him into, but the proud giant he used to be.

One last bit then I'll ease up.

>"I sought my immortality in the smiles of the Firstborn, but their gratitude grew as cold as my hope and I was forgotten," the giant - murmurs isn't a word you want to use for a voice this loud, but murmurs. "I sought it in monuments and great works, but statues crumble and buildings fail. I recorded my life and wisdom for others to read, but who cares for the thoughts of the jotun?
The Lush has, in fact, already had his good deeds recorded. Anything positive he would have done before souring has already been written. We could, I suppose, try and scrape what fragments we could find of his old life, but it would only be a consolidation. And it would still risk being traced back here, to the Dungeon. And it would still be giving him what he wanted, at the cost of all those lives he ruined.

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A place to belong.

>>1109520

The big thing I want to break down, is that there's a difference between wanting to conceal the Lush's desires (immortality through terror) and wanting to let the person he used to be end up remembered.

There's just too much pain, misery, and suffering to bury what the Lush did. Lots of people were touched by the Lush, and there's no way we can delete him from history. But we can conceal his selfish desires and the Drink.

We're already working to create separate lines of history here, since we're letting the record show that Herostratus the Giant died on that battlefield. Let historians connect the two, so long as they do not connect the secrets of the Drink and the fact that the Lush perpetuated his crimes for the sake of being remembered for his crimes.

Add to that, I think that this is more for Helen than him. She wants to record his legacy. It's who she is and what she does, like being La Croix is to Bri.

>>1105277
>>1109544
Also remind her that Lorain will have to live with what her brother did to her for all Eternity. All. Eternity.

If she thinks he deserves anything we can go into more detail, like the first time we met Lora while she was coughing up his seed. From her lungs. Because she can't asphyxiate.

Where was she on her selfish quest while WE had to deal with this bullshit.

Know what?I changed her mind. She gets nothing of his deeds but can write the stories of the people he hurt. But she can only use the name The Lush. That's what he decided to be known as.

Dude made his choice.

>>1109559
>Here, let me rub it in your nose how much of a monster your brother became

How about no.

The Lush was shit. She probably got a hint of why from that letter.

Setting the wergild as a memorial to his victims works, but I think might immortalize the monster a bit.

Add to that, it's asking someone who looks suspiciously like the Lush to talk to people who were all abused and hurt by his reign seems... counter-productive to just easing the monster into the past to be forgotten.

>>1109328
>Have Riley help Helen record him as a separate figure from the Lush

>>1109555
My counter would be that those things aren't so easy to separate. He made no secret of his desires; If the connection is made, everything connects. You have to keep the bigger picture in mind: we're protecting those that that come after us from the monsters this knowledge and thirst for recognition could spawn.

>>1109328
>> Have Riley help Helen record him as a separate figure from the Lush

>>1109328
Couldn't we simply ask Helen if she has a better idea on how to do this? If for nothing else but the potential for another option?

>>1109570
We only rub her nose in it if she gets botch about the wereguild. She's the one who wants to make up for what he did. If she thinks it's too expensive she can walk away and record him anyways.

But we won't be a part of it.

It's probably wrong that part of me would enjoy having her need to face the broken people he left behind and only get what of the story she can from their on eels that hate him enough to overcome their fear of her.

>>1110281

>"Yeah, your brother was incredibly terrible to these people, and I will make you record in minutiae how much evil shit he got up to, by having you talk to his victims. Victims who may still be slightly obsessed with revenge and try to kill you."

I don't mind the idea of creating a memorial, but having Helen, who's only real sin is just not knowing what her brother got up to after he left, forced to look at her brother at his most monstrous and risk life and limb?

That's the part that doesn't sit right with me.

She /knows/ he fucked up. She'll find out how much he fucked up all on her own when her curiosity makes her seek out answers.

Until then, we can have her do more helpful things.

>>1109328
>> Have Riley help Helen record him as a separate figure from the Lush

>>1110220
This is a good idea and i

>Support

>>1109328
>> Insist on burying all of Herostratus's deeds

>>1110324
Yeah we shouldn't blame the sister for the deeds of her brother.

>>1109328
>> Have Riley help Helen record him as a separate figure from the Lush

The most likely way for the Lush to be remembered in exactly the ways we don't want is to try to bury him entirely. Too many people know about what happened; the information would get out.

But if we don't try to bury, but merely misdirect, it becomes much, much harder to connect them. Even if someone figures out the connection, it's much less likely that that information would be widely disseminated, because everyone already knows what happened, it's just a detail that's been left out.

I'm up. Will call and write in a bit.

> Have Riley help Helen record him as a separate figure from the Lush

> Have Riley help Helen record him as a separate figure from the Lush

Hrm... yeah, let's go with that. I'm ambivalent about it, but it makes just a little bit more longterm sense than the alternative. Less chances for it to go horribly wrong, too.

>>1110324
Nah I was saying if she wants to write about him she'll have to do it on her own, and those are the only people left behind.

Called, writing.

Richard does have the habit of warping people into nearly unrecognizable caricatures of themselves

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>>1105277
Helen watches your wife fly off with a curiosity that manages to penetrate her sorrow and shame. "I hadn't thought she could actually fly," the giantess confesses.

"You have to have met some very interesting people to see wraithsteel wings bolted to someone's body and think, 'that's clearly aesthetic'," you muse.

"...Yes," Helen admits. "Who is Riley? Surely she does not mean my brother's retainer."

"She does," River confirms from her branch. Whisper dangles from her boots with an oddly content expression. "Riley the General, they called him. How'd you know?"

"Herostratus would write, some times," Helen admits. "It is good to hear that Riley survived. My brother was quite fond of him."

You adjust your hat and reach your decision. "Helen, I am going to lay out a plan of action to you. I'd like you to listen to it, because this is probably the best you're going to get, when it comes to your brother's memory."

The giantess rests her arms across the haft of her weapon. "I am listening."

"Amy is likely bringing Riley here now, not because I asked her to but because I know my wife and she has almost no impulse control," you explain. "He can help you fill in your brother's deeds and assist in telling the story of his life before the Dungeon. Record him as a separate figure; make it out that this man has nothing to do with what happened down there."

"...You wish to avoid the appearance of fame through atrocity," she says slowly, nodding. "You are asking me to lie to history."

"I am," you agree, softly. "But I am also asking you to preserve the legacy of good deeds your people will leave behind. I don't want to set an example for the twisted or the desperate to follow, Helen. Do you?"

There is a long, thoughtful silence, before Helen finally shakes her head. "I do not," she agrees, at last. "I will discuss this with Riley and present a plan of action. Your peoples will, after all, be the ones to remember mine."

"I'll help in any way I can," you agree.

"What of the wergild?"

"I tell you what," you inform her, using your coat to float down towards the ground on whirring wings. "If I come up alive after this is all over, I'll let you know. Otherwise, if you don't see me in a year and a day, ask Duchess Henrietta about it."

"As you wish, Brianna."

* * * *

It's high noon when the vampire hunter arrives.

Helen has settled into making herself useful around Glen, both out of a desire not to be rude and because everyone has to eat at some point. You've halted your training for a meal at the Unlucky Bastard when the door opens and the man you know must be James la Croix steps in and removes his broad-brimmed hat. The man looks to be nearly thirty, in a long, well-used coat over a suit of mail. Thick gauntlets protect his wrists, while a gorget covers his neck.

The array of weapons, stakes, and tools at his belt is impressive.

>>1111263
Beware the old man in a profession where men die young.

>>1111263
"If I were a betting man, the only other dark-skinned person in the room would be my cousin," he greets, to the array of Glen natives and Roosters who are definitely not casually edging towards their weapons. "May I sit, Brianna?"

"Please, do," you invite. "You're James, yes? This is Nathan la Croix, my husband, Amy la Croix, our wife, and River la Croix, sister by adoption."

"Charmed," James greets politely. He heads to the bar, unbuckles his belt, and sets it across the wood. "If you might keep this for me?" he asks. The barkeep nods, with a smile, and the atmosphere in the room immediately relaxes.

River gets him a chair, a little nervously, which he accepts with a tired groan.

<She seems nervous> Fetch comments.

<It's her first time meeting someone of the family who isn't either me or dead> you point out.

James strips his gauntlets and removes his gorget, setting both on the table. A mass of scars mars one side of his neck, a token of a hard lesson learned well. "We heard of the tragedy that befell our cousins in the Blind Marsh," he tells you, solemnly. "You have our deepest sympathies, cousin. If we'd known someone had survived..."

"I didn't advertise," you tell him. "But I appreciate it. I could have gone to the family if I'd been of a mind."

"I hadn't heard that the Marshlanders had adopted an elf," he admits, giving River a curious look. "Or did you marry in?"

River's face turns bright red, and she looks down at the table. "I...was sentenced to adoption, by, ah, by the la Croix of the Lichyard's shrine. For crimes against the dead."

James's gaze shifts /slowly/ to you.

"She's done an amazing job so far," you answer, to the unspoken question. "So..."

> Any stories from the road?
> Let's get down to business
> How fares the Hardhome la Croix?
> Write-in?

>>1111284
>How fares the Hardhome la Croix?
And were back to votes I feel comfortable with!

>>1111284
>How fares the Hardhome la Croix?
I know that those of us in the Blind Marshes didn't keep in constant contact, but I still care about our family.

>>1111284
>> Let's get down to business
TO DEFEAT THE HUNS

>>1111284
>> How fares the Hardhome la Croix?

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>>1111284
> How fares the Hardhome la Croix?
They sound like a hardy bunch.

I gotta hit work. Sorry for the long write period. I've been struggling with block lately and I'm trying not to compromise the quality of the writing in favor of just forcing it out.

All future reference, I won't have a day off until, like, Saturday. If I'm not called in, anyway.

>>1111284
>> How fares the Hardhome la Croix?
This is our first IC chance to talk to a family member outside of the Dungeon, isn't it? Let's make the most of it.

>>1111284
>> How fares the Hardhome la Croix?

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>>1111284
> How fares the Hardhome la Croix?
Gotta be amiable. This is family after all.

>>1111293
I think the Hardhome's were the staunch traditionalists of the family? I'd have to go back and double-check.

>>1111298
Pic related.

> Walking home from work
> Sidewalks are absolute shit
> Boot treads more full of snow than a prostitute fucked by Frosty
> Slip, realize I'm going down
> Aim at a nice soft snowdrift
> It's actually a hard cruel boulder

It's gonna be a bit before I call and write

>>1112698
Ahhhhhh, yeah. Get some ice on that.

>>1112698
Fuck dude, need to do some sigil burning. You need yourself some protection.

>>1112886
It is either a sign of deeply poor life choices or my incredible exhaustion that my first thought here was, 'The City of Doors is fictional, how the fuck can I burn it?' so now I have to ask what you meant.

>>1112894
Thelema magic stuff. Visualization stuff.

>>1111284
>> How fares the Hardhome la Croix?

>>1112951
You are aware that my capacity for faith is approximately equal to that of a footstool in a thrift store, yes? Like. That is not a thing that's gonna be happening in my life, even if I had the time, energy, or any idea of what specifically it is.

I'm not gonna be able to update tonight. Votes remain open; discussion is more than welcome.

>>1111284
I assume those neck scars are bite marks; I'm impressed he's survived that much damage to his neck. You'd think if a vampire got their fangs in the neck of a vampire hunter, they'd suck them dry. And if you try to rip those fangs out, you'd risk tearing your neck open and bleeding out.

Surely he's got stories about how he hasn't died due to repeated neck punctures yet. Well, he's probably got loads of stories anyway.

>>1112973
I would say that you would probably be a GOO warlock Vox.

Called, writing.

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>>1111284
"So, how's your branch of the family been doing?" you ask. The barmaid returns with the meal you've ordered; James asks for an ale, 'and something to chew on.' She flashes the old hunter a smile and heads back for the bar.

"We fare well," he tells you, with a small grin. "The family has always fared well, in Hardhome. We arrived after the Liquid Gates fell and were welcomed with, if not open arms, at least non-hostile silence. The mountains are a prime hunting ground for vampires, and our services have been appreciated in that regard. Of late, some people have been calling to rebuild the Gates."

You snort. "That sounds stupid."

"It is," James agrees, with a shrug. "But what can you do? Thank you, miss," he says to the barmaid, when she comes back with his drink and a plate of jerky. He takes a long pull before settling in to chew the dried meat. "The family is against it primarily because of how famous the story of its defeat was. Defending Hardhome is fine and well, but we'd prefer something that has a chance of working."

"I hear you," you agree. "It's nice to hear that you've been accepted. The journey here was okay?"

"I did stop to observe a land dispute get resolved," James muses. "Three landed knights. The one, Sir Willowsdale, was an older man whose family had been so against alchemy and alchemists in the past that his crest was still a cauldron hanging from a tree. The other two, Sirs Cath and Brookside, shared the opposite side of the dispute, having worked out between themselves an acceptable compromise that unfortunately the third did not feel the same about."

Nathan and Amy, recognizing the unmistakable cadence of a man telling a story, lean in to listen.

"Now," James continues, setting his jerky down and gesturing while he wets his throat with a sip of ale, "the three knights were men of honor with no interest in waging war over this dispute, and so they settled to resolve it via duel. They meet on neutral ground, pitch their tents and prepare the battlefield, which is about the time I arrive to observe the whole affair and learn about it. The three share in each other's hospitality that night and, I am sad to say, get rather drunk in the process. The next day, when the time comes for the duel, all three are still sleeping it off - so their squires decide to fight in place of their masters."

"Oh no," River mutters, eyes on James.

The vampire hunter gestures over the table. "Hours they're at this, the squire of Sir Willowsdale holding his ground admirably, neither winning nor losing even though the battle is two on one. Finally the clamor of battle, and their retainers, manage to wake the old knights up, and they go out to halt the battle before one squire or another up and dies. Sobered by the experience, they sit down to negotiate terms peaceably and find a new compromise to the pleasure of all three sides."

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>>1113810
"Now," your cousin continues, "Sir Brookside complains that they could have done this in the first place, and that they have learned nothing from this entire sorry affair. Sir Cath tells him, not true, we have learned something. We learned that the squire of the High Pot and Noose is equal to the squires of the other two sides."

You, Nathan, and River push your chairs back from the table with audible groans ("/Motherfucker/," River swears, unable to keep the grin off of her face) while Amy blinks in confusion.

"I don't get it? Guys? Guys what'd he say?"

Under the table, Sir Fetch clucks in laughter.

> Openly state your intention to accept Henrietta's offer; you are not asking James, you are informing the family
> Ask James's opinion on Henrietta's offer; argue for the spread of la Croix style necromancy and the legitimization of the discipline
> Just ask if James knows why he's been called here

>>1113810
Anyone else think this resembles the situation we have with the Lush? If only a little.

>>1113819
Took me longer to get than necessary, but good pun

Also,
> Ask James's opinion on Henrietta's offer; argue for the spread of la Croix style necromancy and the legitimization of the discipline

>>1113819
>Ask James's opinion on Henrietta's offer; argue for the spread of la Croix style necromancy and the legitimization of the discipline.

I don't get the pun.

>>1113833
High Pot and Noose= hypotenuse

>>1113848
A fucking math joke!

>>1113819
>> Just ask if James knows why he's been called here

>>1113854
And now you know why the thread title says what it says.

You know what time it is; I gotta hit work. Votes remain open. There may be a bit of awkwardness in the next couple of weeks revolving around my search for a new job and the transition between the current one and the next, if the next manifests.

Questions, comments, discussion, feedback, and criticisms remain welcome and appreciated.

Thank you all for reading and participating!

>>1113904
Love ya, you bony bastard!

>>1113904
Good luck out there, master skeleton.

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>>1113819

>>1113819
>> Ask James's opinion on Henrietta's offer; argue for the spread of la Croix style necromancy and the legitimization of the discipline

>>1113819
> Ask James's opinion on Henrietta's offer; argue for the spread of la Croix style necromancy and the legitimization of the discipline.
We've made a pretty solid impact on both Glen and Duchess Henrietta, and having both of their backing counts for something. We should tell him about the ball as well, since it went well enough that we made friends with several influential figures and apparently have an open-ended offer from Wrackholm to come get rich playing Ghostbusters.

Also, you are such a fucking nerd Vox. I love you, and don't ever change.

>>1113819
Whyyyyyyyyyy.

I'm home. Will call and write after dinner.

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>>1115528
Votes remain open, I'm too wiped for this shit ATM.

>>1113819
> Openly state your intention to accept Henrietta's offer; you are not asking James, you are informing the family.

> Clarify that this doesn't mean you intend to go on with it without the guidance and support of the family unless they intend on forcing you to. The more voices the better, and the less likelihood of zombie armies.

>>1113819
>>Ask James's opinion on Henrietta's offer; argue for the spread of la Croix style necromancy and the legitimization of the discipline.

Did we call them for any other reason?

...well played. Kick that guy out and throw the machete after him.

But before that...

> Ask James's opinion on Henrietta's offer; argue for the spread of la Croix style necromancy and the legitimization of the discipline.

Seems reasonable, even if this isn't exactly his expertise, being a vampire hunter.

...maybe that could be a thing at the school too.

> Bonus Write-in: hint at the possibility of Adjacent Disciplines being taught there as well.

Okay, now called, writing. Thank you for your patience.

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>>1113819
"I'll explain later," you promise Amy, ruffling her hair - your wife chirps in surprise and then shoots you a glare without any real venom in it. Everyone scoots their chairs back in while James, smiling wryly, returns to his jerky.

"I have to ask," River admits, "you just traveled this whole way and then asked for travel food?"

"I like to travel," James answers simply, after swallowing his bite and before taking another.

"Well, if you're up for business at the moment, I'd like to get down to it," you offer. When James nods, you show him your ring, with River following suit. "The Duchess of Starfall has chosen to make limited legal provision for necromancy," you explain. "Specifically, she's legalized my sister and I to practice within her territory and to advise her on issues of fellow practitioners and the dead."

"Intriguing," James agrees. You take your hand back. "But I did not need to come all of this way for that news."

"You didn't," you agree. "...Her Grace wishes to found an academy of magic within the Dungeon. She has asked me to teach necromancy there, in the hopes of providing those services to Starfall and to Greenwall in general for longer than my life and death. The unofficial hope is to drag necromancy out of the darkness and address some of the problems at the root of my discipline."

There is a long, pointed silence from your cousin. River does a good job of keeping a straight face but Whisper gives her nervousness away when she stands up, protectively, near her master.

"You are considering accepting her offer," James says at last. "I suppose I should be grateful that you thought to consider the family at all."

"It's not like that," you snap, defensively. "Don't you even take that tack with me, I'm proud of my name and my heritage, same as you! But, fuck, maybe it's time things /changed/? Do /you/ like watching ghosts dragged under with iron nets and re-killed over and over until they just give up and go away? Or having to put down yet another hurt soul who might've been a better person if they didn't up and learn necromancy from some asshole who taught them it was okay to take their shit out on innocent people?"

"And you think you will be the first to study this formally that does not end in books bound with human skin?" James asks, sharply. You wince. "Do you have a plan for ethically teaching a /class/ this?"

"No," you admit.

"Supplies and logistics?"

"...Also no."

"I am filled with enthusiasm," the vampire hunter drawls. "You could rightly argue that this project is for a future time, that you have time in which to consider these issues, but I would argue that the weight of history has considered them at length and found them /wanting/."

"What if it hasn't? The Harrow practiced necromancy openly for hundreds of years without...well, okay, not /without/..."

"My point precisely," James says flatly.

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>>1116739
"Lay off of her," River speaks up, her voice low and hard. "I don't know where you get off implying that my sister is stupid or some kind of rank apprentice firing off from the hip but I don't really like your tone, cousin."

James shifts his gaze to River. "Unless I miss my guess, you /are/ a rank apprentice firing off from the hip. I would suggest you remain out of this debate, cousin. You are not helping."

"It's alright, River," you murmur, sitting up straighter. "What if the family helped? I have at least one potential solution for the logistics on hand."

James raises an eyebrow. In answer you set Sir Fetch on the table.

"Corpse is a corpse," you answer, with a shrug.

"...Some in the family might find that undignified," James says slowly.

"I will thank you to retract your unkind remark, sirrah," Fetch replies, drawing himself up to his full height.

"Retracted," your cousin grants. He gives you a long, inquisitive look. "Brianna, why didn't you seek the family out after what happened to your home?"

> ...I'd failed you. Our graves, our sacred places, our community, it was just...it was all gone. And I couldn't even bury it properly.
> I don't know. I think maybe I was trying to pretend it hadn't happened, in a way.
> I just...tend to be alone when I'm feeling bad. And I was feeling bad for a very long time.
> Write-in?

>>1116757
> ...I'd failed you. Our graves, our sacred places, our community, it was just...it was all gone. And I couldn't even bury it properly. I was in a dark place and if I had any of the family whispering in my ear, I might have done what Robert did.

>>1116757
>> I just...tend to be alone when I'm feeling bad, which we are trying to fix. And I was feeling bad for a very long time, about failing you. Our graves, our sacred places, our community, it was just...it was all gone. And I couldn't even bury it properly.

>>1116757
>...I'd failed you. Our graves, our sacred places, our community, it was just...it was all gone. And I couldn't even bury it properly.
>Write-in?
>I... recently found out why it happened, /who/ made it happen. If I had known back then, your trip here would possibly be to put me out of everyone's misery.

>>1116815
>this

>>1116757
adding
>>I... recently found out why it happened, /who/ made it happen. If I had known back then, your trip here would possibly be to put me out of everyone's misery.
to >>1116792

>>1116757
Pretty much these; >>1116791 >>1116815

Also, I certainly understand James reservations. In order to understand and learn about death, you have to witness it first hand. Getting it from a book, even one written by someone with the proper respect for the departed, does not teach you compassion or restraint.

>>1116757
>...I'd failed you. Our graves, our sacred places, our community, it was just...it was all gone. And I couldn't even bury it properly.

Called, tallying, writing. Final update before work.

>>1116757
>Write-in?
At first I was just trying to come to terms with the fact that yes this really had happened then I was on the road for a bit and then I got embroiled in all this bullshit in the dungeon.

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>>1116757
You let out a long breath and look down at the table. "...Because I failed," you say, at last. "Everything was just...gone. All of it, gone. Our community, our graves, our sacred places, all of it just gone. I couldn't even find all the bodies to do my job right. I was...I was in a pretty dark place, for a long time, and if I'd had any of the family whispering in my ear I might have gone and done what Robert up and did."

"I think you overestimate your abilities," James says, kindly.

"No she doesn't," comes the chorus from both of your spouses, your sister, Fetch, and Whisper.

The old vampire hunter leans back with an appraising eye.

"I recently learned why it happened, and who made it happen," you continue, in a low voice. "If I'd known then, you wouldn't be coming out here to talk to me. You'd be here to put me out of the world's misery. Like Aunt Carol."

James reaches his hand across the table, and you take it, gratefully. He squeezes gently. "What did you do with that information?" he asks.

"I saw to it that justice will be done. Starfall and the Rose Cult will bring the responsible to trial, and I will see justice done upon them," you answer. "I have something more important that needs doing here. I wish I didn't. But I do."

"You were Madeline's student, yes?" James asks. "She had a good reputation, in the family. A solid head on her shoulders, a strong tradition of respect for the dead. Are you River's instructor?"

"No," you answer, shaking your head.

River clears her throat. "My master was Robert la Croix," she says, firmly. "In accordance with family tradition, I became a journeyman when I banished him back to his rest in the Lichyard. I...still have much to learn."

"...Robert la Croix," James says. "Brianna, I believe I am going to make arrangements for a place to sleep in Glen. I believe I will need some time, while I am here. Cousin River, walk with me?"

River gives you a questioning look.

> Nod
> Shake your head

AND

> Peace Talks
> A Day Off
> Still Not Dating

>>1117345
>Nod
>Mention it's impolitic to kill each other over disagreements, but a shouting match is okay.

>A Day Off
I am curious who this concerns.

>>1117345
>Supporting >>1117367

>>1117345
> Nod

> Peace Talks

>>1117345
this>>1117367

>>1117345
>> Nod
It's not really our place to decide who she can and can't talk to, apprentice or not. He's been nothing but reasonable, and makes good points. I'm afraid we might have been a little optimistic about the whole school thing.
> A Day Off

>>1117345
This >>1117367

Also, finally caught back up!

>>1117603
Welcome back! How was the trip back to the live thread?

>>1117741
Exciting! The last live thread I was on was after we defeated the diviner, and you were asking about how people felt about it. Though I must say, I noticed you were a tad bit easier to kill off characters. I about had a heart attack when you almost killed off River.

>>1117825
You know what, this is why I usually don't post with my phone. I was supposed to be "eager" not "easier"

>>1117832
Not eager, precisely. The stakes are rising.

Y'all have not seen me eager for blood yet. I try not to be that kind of GM/Qm because when I do I tend to go excessively hard on it.

>>1117345
>> Nod
> Still Not Dating

>>1117345
>> Nod
>AND
>> Still Not Dating

>>1117345
>> Nod
>> Still Not Dating

>>1117345
> Nod
> A Day Off

Called, writing.

>>1117886
So we haven't seen your final form yet? Scary, but also exciting.

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>>1117345
You are River la Croix, and for some reason your distant (/really/ distant) cousin wants to talk to you personally. Brianna gives you a subtle nod, so you flick your eyes back to James. "Sure."

The old hunter gives a nod to the bartender before he sets down a silver coin and heads for the door, leaving most of his weapons. A coat like that will have more, but given that you have Whisper and Sleep you can't exactly complain about that. Besides, you don't feel exactly threatened.

"I'll show you the town," you offer. "We can see if anyone is taking lodgers. The Unlucky bastard is rather full, given the circumstances."

"Good plan," James agrees. You and he remain quiet at first, while he takes in the village and its current circumstances. /Tenses/ is not quite the right word for his reaction to the harpies at first, but there is a certain professional readiness until it becomes clear that this either is or has become business as usual. "I gather that Robert was assigned as your teacher, rather than chosen by you," James says at last. There is a distant quality to his tone.

"By the dead who judged me, yes," you agree. "I am uncertain if he volunteered or if his tutelage was part of my punishment. It...could have been both. Robert was not a gentle master."

"I imagine not," James replies, with a frown. "...The dead do not often have the best interests of the living at heart. I am placed in an awkward position. The family buried his lore deep. He was interred in the Lichyard in the hopes that his like would never rise again - and now he has a student. Someone with whom he could have shared his secrets."

"And you have to kill me?" you hazard, your ears flat against your skull.

"Do I?" James asks, meeting your eyes. "I somehow doubt it. You seem well enough, if a little excitable. Though maybe that's just the family's habits talking."

"The defensive failure to give a fuck," you muse. James barks out a short laugh.

"Yes," he agrees. "That. No, what has me curious is why the dead, knowing full well what was decided - what, indeed, some of them were specifically buried there to prevent - chose him to teach you. Brianna asked for the advice of the family in this situation, and now she gets to deal with it. What were you, before you became a la Croix?"

> A mercenary
> A murderess
> An idiot
> A kid, really
> Write-in?

>>1119350
>> A mercenary

>>1119350
> An idiot
Blunt honesty with a touch of self deprecation seems to be working well enough, so let's keep on rolling with that.

>>1119350
>> A mercenary

> A mercenary

Let's start here and then work our way down the list.

That family, man...

>>1119350
> A mercenary
> Write-in
>"And a much too young, by elf standards, girl who saw a glamorous life outside the forest and decided to run off with it... I have done a lot of regretful thing in my life, and just recently it has been coming around to a better place. It hasn't been easy, but I wouldn't be alive without Bri and Robberts teachings."

>>1119350

This is a tough one.

Let's go with factual.

> A mercenary

>>1119350
>a little girl who lost her way.

>>1119350
> A Dumb Fucking Kid™
> A mercenary.

>>1119350
>> An idiot
>> A kid, really

>>1119350
>> A mercenary
But with a tone that implies there's more to it than that.

>>1119633
This.

>>1119350

Backing >>1119440

> A mercenary
> Write-in
>"And a much too young, by elf standards, girl who saw a glamorous life outside the forest and decided to run off with it... I have done a lot of regretful thing in my life, and just recently it has been coming around to a better place. It hasn't been easy, but I wouldn't be alive without Bri and Robert's teachings."

>>1119350
>> A mercenary

Called, writing. Short-ish shift tonight; I'll be gone from 5 to about 10 or so.

>>1120660
Sweet. The whole graveyard shall rejoice.

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>>1119350
You shrug. Whisper, down on the ground at your feet, gives a meaningful nod at James.

<Don't> you advise.

<You got it> your familiar agrees amicably.

"I was a mercenary," you tell him, after a moment. "A man-at-arms, basically. Business in the remnants of the Empire was good, for a certain definition of 'good' that excludes anything actually good or wholesome. I...I signed on too young." You force your ears away from where they flatten against your head. "Much too young. I lied about my age to go on a grand adventure full of glamour and heroism and...ended up doing a lot of things I wish I hadn't done. A lot of things I regret doing. I'm just recently coming around to a better place in my life, and I have Bri and Robert to thank for that."

James rips off a chunk of jerky with his teeth and chews it thoughtfully. "You know what he did?"

"I am aware," you agree. "He seemed to regret it, in death. For more than just the fact that he's imprisoned in a tiny grave in the Dungeon with the Rose Cult parked on top of him. But most of what he accomplished could have been done by a general of a living army, if they had the skill. If their troops had the courage."

"Mm. I surmise he passed along his demon lore, though ironically the family is much less worried about that."

"He did. I, ah." You blush, your ears rebelling to go right back against your hair. "I keep losing my summoned assistants," you admit. "Though admittedly the last one chose that herself. She went down fighting a giant sea serpent so we could get away."

"She volunteered?" James asks, intrigued. When you nod he offers you a piece of the jerky he hasn't bit from yet, which you accept with a shrug. They make good jerky here. "Robert is my direct ancestor," he says, at last. "It is not a fact that we talk about much. What little we can find of those days suggests that he was not a terribly great father. I am going to make a suggestion to you, and I would like you to think about it before you say anything. There is...not a need to answer in haste, or from reflexive emotion."

"I'm listening," you say, warily.

"Do not claim yourself as Robert's student. Doctor any evidence you have that suggests you learned from Robert la Croix. As far as the family needs to be concerned, he stayed in his grave where he belongs."

> Agree
> Refuse

>>1120803
> What would be my alternative explanation, then?

>>1120803
>I would need another ancestor with knowledge of demonology and was buried in the Lichyard as through his knowlege I have created something never before seen.

>>1120803
> There is...not a need to answer in haste, or from reflexive emotion."

In that case

> "I'll consider it."

>>1120803
>> Refuse
"He showed remorse in death, and was a valuable teacher. The most I can promise is that I won't bring up his name unprompted."

>>1120895
>>1120803
I'll second this, we had a lot of family members from the Age of Assholes, that did horrible shit, Robert got to be one of the few that made up for it in death, at least a little bit. But I don't see why we would bring him up in random conversation without being explicitly asked being an issue.

>>1120803
> Gently refuse.
> "Time and Death change all things, James. As a La Croix, you should know that better than anyone."
> "Robert might have been a bastard sometimes..but he definitely was not the man he was."
> Show James Sleep.
> "If it wasn't for Robert, I would never have been able to discover the joy of creation, nor have found love in an unexpected place."

Might be a bit too much, but this is basically how I see it going. Otherwise, this >>1120895 works as well.

>>1120803
>>1120886
this.

>>1120803
> "I'll consider it."

As mentioned earlier, I am now at work. Questions, comments, discussion, feedback, and criticisms are welcome and appreciated.

It's an odd feel. These last few months I kept telling myself that if I just kept writing, it'd be over soon. Now it /is/ almost over and I kinda don't want it to be.

>>1121060
Weird, innit.

>>1120803
> Refuse
The La Croix are allll about taking horrible history and bad shit and taking it and making it their own, and a real, needed thing.
Whatever Robert was, River isn't, and she'll be the one to prove it.

>>1121060
I love this quest, but you can totally tell that you were doing that. It feels like you have been rushing this along, starting I think at the battle with the lush. got a great deal of time, working up to lush, and the battle that we get kinda isn't as big, in my mind, as hyped up to be. I also thought that we would spend more time with or battling the pallbearer, and the massive sea serpent. But if you don't want this to end so quickly, just take it slow. I would love to see you flesh out the last three chain holder's more, this might be an opportunity to do so.

>>1121264
No, then I'll just be back where I was. I'm proceeding with the plan to shorten events.

Okay it is 5:30 AM and I have had roughly half a gallon of brandy. There is a 9001% chance I am not updating tonight. I will attempt to update while I am regretting my hangover in the morning.

Questions, comments, discussion, feedback, and criticisms remain welcome and appreciated.

Thank you all for reading and participating!

>>1121795
Back where you where? I must admit, in trying to catch up, I basically skipped every post that wasn't the story, so if you have already explained this, I am afraid I missed it.

Or is it that real life has left you too exhausted to continue the way you used to?

>>1122975
The quest came pretty close to being dropped, but it held on like a corpse with rigor mortis.

> "I'll consider it."

By which I mean "No, that ain't how we roll.", but like he said: There's no haste. Maybe there'll be good arguments for it.

>>1122975
This more or less >>1122993

There are times in my life when I've had good ideas. "Drink literally half a gallon of apple brandy" was not one of them. I'll try to update after work.

Aight, sorry for the radio silence there. My day and then my night got kinda hectic. Current battle plan is to catch a decent night's sleep tonight and then start a new thread tomorrow.

Aight, called. Gonna tally and write the new thread; thank you for your patience.

AT LAST kill me

>>1128677
>>1128677
>>1128677
>>1128677

>>1129260
But you're already dead?

Maybe you should call an exorcist instead.