Neena 2012/01/17(Tue)03:00 No. 380375 ID: a9ba96
File 132679801413.jpg - (94.69KB , 780x653 , 093a3d54.jpg )

We... won? So... I helped kill a Lich...Mark would be so jealous. He used to brag about kicking goblins into stuff, and I just helped take down a Lich...

I could... really use a blanket...

>"And with Torment gone, his dark magics no longer control this lair. The spell which held your spirits here when you were slain has been lifted - though Torment's taint disturbed your passing and left you disembodied spirits, you three may now find rest."

>"Ah, generations of my Elven brethren await... the spirits of the forest call to me. Farewell, Supremicus. And thank you."
>"Uh, yeah. Find rest. Right."
>"Not sure what waiting on the other side, but it's probably a hell of a lot better than sticking around here. See you on the other side, muscle wizard."

Cadium and the human ghost fade away...

Neena 2012/01/17(Tue)03:03 No. 380377 ID: a9ba96
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>"So, wizard."
>"Hmm?"
>"So now that the Lich is dead, I can, Uh..."
>"Pass on, fallen warrior."
>"Yeah. What if I decided to like... not do that?"
>"What? I don't understand, you don't want to find rest?"
>"Well, I mean, I guess my life got cut short, but I don't think this ghost thing is really all that bad. Why waste that too?"
>"Oh no, you can't do that! The only reason why you didn't pass on naturally when you were struck down was due to the dark magics of Torment! Ghosts are created due to a disturbance in the natural cycle of life and death!"
>"Yes, I get that, but as long as I've ended up as an unnatural life and death cycle disturbance thing, I don't see why I shouldn't take advantage of that. I can already name like, ten things I can try out now that I'm dead."
>"So you don't wish to pass on!? you'd rather stay here?"
>"Whoa, who said anything about staying here? The Lich's magic wasn't just what made me a ghost, it's also what kept me stuck here, right? That's broken now, so doesn't that mean I can go pretty much wherever I want?"
>"Well, technically, but I would strongly advise against th--"

Neena 2012/01/17(Tue)03:04 No. 380378 ID: a9ba96
File 132679827156.jpg - (73.29KB , 615x493 , 8ecc1062.jpg )

>"Alright, cool! See you around, wizard!"

...

>"...Oh."
Swiftarrow grumbles.
>"See, this is why I just use a bow. You don't accidentally make ghosts when you teach people how to use a bow."

Neena 2012/01/17(Tue)03:06 No. 380379 ID: a9ba96
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So this... You said this is gonna feel better in a bit, right? That's... nice to know.

Wait...Did you just say something about Mary and Mark? I... you guys did mention Mark back when I first got you... and you knew about...

...I almost forgot to ask you guys... how... how do you guys know about...

>"Miss Neena? Is everything okay? Your sword's glow, is it supposed to get tha..."

Neena 2012/01/17(Tue)03:06 No. 380380 ID: a9ba96
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...

Neena 2012/01/17(Tue)03:07 No. 380381 ID: a9ba96
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"Hnngh...nnh..."

>"Ah... Neena! Neena, You're back! Excellent! The ritual... took longer than I thought, and I was beginning to fear that I had made a terrible mistake. I think Archmage Harkven will be here soon, so we need to get this mess in order. You can tell me what you've learned as we clean this room..."

...We're back...

We're back.

We actually made it! I feel cold, and my whole body's shaking, and it hurts to breathe, but Gods be damned we actually made it!

>>380381

Tell him a lich touched you inappropriately.

>>380381
And you're still clothed! Double-success!

>>380379
We were actually helping Mark flee from assassins after blowing up a train and then fighting some bandits when we were pulled here to help.
Don't worry though, he should have a clear path to the nearest city and he'll be safe there until we can return. It'll only be a slight delay in our quest to stop the impending end of the world.
Your secret is safe; he didn't even tell us!

Oh, and the important information you found out isn't that there's a hidden entrance to Suppy's lair, but that the inner circle was turning people into horrible monsters for the purpose of learning magic too horrible to contemplate.
Soo... Lets just tell him the secret you found is that the Lich was under the command of the Inner Circle.
Also, that you need medical attention.

I think you should just take a breather and rest for now. Actually, maybe tell him that Torment used his lich death touch on you, or something. It might be worse than ya think or a curse or something.

Definitely need to get medical attention, rest for a bit and maybe give us a nice polish.

i'd ask for medical attention first. the Litch did something to you and he seemed to think it would be lethal whether or not the fight went his way.

>>380381
Request medical attention.

Annnnd we are back in the orb. I have got to admit, we need to take stabby weapon mediums more often. I want to see if we can make a elder dragon commit suicide through our bickering.

Anyways Varn. We have some tasty info, but we are going to need a bit of respect and understanding here and likely a few questions answered as well.

Not a matter of trust, but what we saw and what came about due to this brand of ancient power was not pretty and we REALLY want to make sure this stuff is not going to be used in the wrong hands.

So, first question; You told us to retrieve the knowledge but we never got a clear answer of why. Sometimes the stuff that is lost is lost for a reason.

>>380422
>>380422
>I want to see if we can make a elder dragon commit suicide through our bickering.
I'm more interested in the fact that we are an unblockable sonic weapon, as soon as we make contact.
Imagine blasting "Sanic" straight into the psyche of a living being!

I think we should tell Varnaticus about the Inner Circle's involvement before the archmage gets here. Varnaticus is considerably less likely to have a vested interest in the matter, and would know if the archmage was around at that time.

Neena 2012/01/17(Tue)19:23 No. 380492 ID: a9ba96
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"Varn, that Lich put his hand on my shoulder back in the memory and did... something. I don't know what Varn, but I feel really, really cold."
>"...Oh, my... Stay there, Neena."

Varnavictus jumps from his chair and helps Neena off the ground.

>"Listen, Neena. I'm no expert on the dark magic of Liches, but contact with the Lich may have filled your system with necromantic dark energy. You don't look like you've suffered any permanent damage to your body on the outside... but I can't be sure if that's the same internally until I get a closer look."
"Hey, listen, that Lich..."
>"Neena, find somewhere to lie down for now. Don't worry yourself with relaying what's transpired within Those Beyond, I'll talk directly with them."
"But Varn, you said you needed help cleaning up for Master Harkven."
>"I... I'll manage that too. I should be able to get both done before he arrives."

Varn's always been a nice guy... I don't know what to think about this Inner Circle stuff, and I've never really understood the Guild too much altogether, but I really think he's someone you can trust.

>We know mark, Your secret's safe
Well, it's not really a secret... Unless he's still trying to keep it secret, but I'll be willing to explain it to you when we have more time. Still... I didn't expect Mark to have anything to do with this.

Next time you see him, make sure he's watching out for himself. Give him my regards.

Tell him times may be changing, but I'm still doing what I think's right.

"For what it's worth, Varn... Besides the Lich thing, that was actually pretty cool."
>"Hah, I knew we picked well for this mission... but I'll take it from here, Neena.
>si dronilnr spical wer vers
>Nomenes Putole
>de wer cayosin, ekess irsa sia ricin tenamalo."

The light fades from the blade...

Varnavictus 2012/01/17(Tue)19:24 No. 380493 ID: a9ba96
File 132685707882.jpg - (103.35KB , 876x763 , fdbe961a.jpg )

Varnavictus returns to his seat

>"Varn? Is something bothering you?"
"No, Neena. I'm not sure how much longer we'll be able to hold Those Beyond's presence now that the ritual has been completed. I need to record the lost knowledge quickly. Now... please, lie down. You need rest."

Those Beyond, Those Beyond, I grant my mind unto you, so you may speak and unto me your many tongues be heard...

Speak. Tell me...

Everything.

Wait, EVERYTHING? Are you sure? Everything is quite a lot of things to say...

..Okay. You want everything? Ya get everything.

Started simple enough. Met with Samom, traveled into the well, solved a few puzzles, killed some skeletons in free fall. Normal stuff.

Then we met two people of importance. An elf wizard named Canium who was Torment's friend when he was but a man named Arkeel, and Supremicus Supreme, the person who taught Arkeel the dark arts. Originally, Mr Supreme was learning all about them with the backing of the guild, but when he got too strong, they exiled him.

However, after some time, they contacted Arkeel. He wanted to bring back his girlfriend whom died tragically, and the INNER CIRCLE of the mage's guild told him that if he sought out Mr. Supreme, he would be able to end his torment. Possibly bring back his girlfriend. He became Mr Supreme's apprentice along with Canium and learned the magic... and in doing so was twisted into Torment who believed that true Art, Art that can last forever is Death and that life was suffering. A guy who only wanted to be with his girlfriend and missed her deeply was turned into a threat of great scale because of what the inner circle told him.

Anyways, Neena managed to beat Mr Supreme in the oldest game, got her to torment, stabbed us in his chest in which we then caused him to emotionally break down while Samson, who also had voices finished him off with Supreme.

After that, Surpreme left the well, sealed himself off from the world and vowed to never teach the dark art again. He told us where his haven is... but before that, we want answers. Mainly from you.

Knowing what we just told you, and knowing that these lost arts are some of the darkest possible and the FACT that the inner circle of the mage's guild had a hand in this entire situation, if we told you that location... what would you do. No lies, no half truths, just what would you do?

>>380496
this all sounds good.

Alright, I'll give you the exact words. I do not want room for error here.
[relay verbatim the content of these posts: >>373881 >>380337 ]

Now, I don't like this Inner Circle. Those mages are long dead by now, right? We don't have to worry about them being evil and fucking us over, right? RIGHT?

>>380506
[nix the location of SUPREMICUS' hideout]

>>380493
Tell me, how much of this did you already know?
Are you part of the Inner Circle?
Why are you seeking this information?

Also? Future cooperation would be significantly easier if you assisted the mission you ripped us from.
If you can, for example, see to it that Eline and her friend Mary are assigned to Lin's squad then we could make up for lost time. We are terrible at keeping secrets so you know I must be honest when I say our mission involves preventing a mass-extinction level event, which should be important enough to warrant you granting this minor aid.

>>380493

Oh yeah, the free-fall skeleton killing thing happened because Neena's blouse was loose enough for a skeleton to get a good grip on. How the hell does a skeleton even hold anything? They've got no flesh on their fingers.

Anyway, next time you do this make her wear something fitted to her. Loose and baggy is cute, but it's a liability in a melee.

Neena 2012/01/18(Wed)19:25 No. 380811 ID: a9ba96
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...Interesting.

"Wait a moment, Neena. Im sorry, It's very important that you lie down as soon as this is done, but I actually do need you to do one last thing for me."

I can tell you that I was honestly unaware of the... nature of the the information you uncovered. Given the almost too coincidental relevance to our order, I do... slightly question if my higher ups were as unaware of its contents as I was, but I can guarantee you that I was only informed that the information gained from these lost memories was vital to aiding us in combating the looming threat of invasion.

Though, while I was not expecting information so closely related to the Guild, I can't say I find the contents entirely shocking. The Guild of Mages is a very old order, dating back to the human race's first steps taken in Ution. We've undergone many changes in structure, leadership, strength, and purpose over those years, though our central goal has always been furthering the understanding of magic. That said, I would be lying if I didn't say that certain unorthodox measures haven't been taken by the Guild's leadership in the past.

Of course, the events you've witnessed happened a long time ago. The events of the Drow-Elf war and the life of Samon the Barbarian have been romanticized to the point that, in many cases, you would be led to believe they occurred thousands of years ago. "Generations upon generations since past", as tales pertaining to the events often say. I'll admit to being guilty of it as well, as I believe in my fervor to relay Samon's tales to you, I used the term "eons" earlier... and while it can feel like that sometimes, looking at the changes it brought, sometimes it's easy to forget that the Drow-Elf War, the "Great War," the "War That Shattered the Plane," the "Gods' Great Dance"... it occurred slightly over three hundred years ago. The Greater Dwarven Republic may like telling their people that its been going strong for over one thousand years, bhere are Elves squatting in the forests to the north whose great-grandparents fought in it.

Still, three hundred years is a very long time. Maybe not to you, at least to humans like me.

Varnavictus 2012/01/18(Wed)19:27 No. 380812 ID: a9ba96
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>"Varn, what are you doing?"
"Si majak sia ricin ekess relgr-
Nomenes Putole
eckess nomeno aulkhor!"

...And a lot changes when you give it over three hundred years to do so; borders, allegiances, motivations... the Guild of Mages at the end of the Hundred Year Seige was under great pressure, both from nobility who expected them to find ways to stop the Orc invasions while their public grew increasingly skeptical of magic, and from a desire to understand match the magical potential of the Elves to the north, who were just as unwilling to allow humans to observe their communities and cultures then as they are now.

The inner circle... at the time, and given the circumstances, I understand why they would turn to dark magics. But things are different. The Inner circle from then are long gone, replaced by the Inner Circle of today. I feel that... should they be given access to something like the dark rituals of lichdom, their judgement can be trusted tin its handling. Do I understand completely how they plan to use this knowledge? No, outside of them believing it can stop the impending threat to Ution. Can I be completely sure they can be trusted not to abuse it? No, I am not among their ranks. But I believe that whatever you find within these memories, the Guild of today can be trusted with it more than the Guild of yesteryear.

Should you inform me of whatever information you are withholding, I will be honest. I feel obliged to report any information I learn during this project to the Archmages. Though I'm not familiar with a "Mary" or a "Lin," I assume they are related in some way with the Guild's affairs, as you brought them up alongside Eline... Now, Eline is outside my control, but if you comply I will see if I can negotiate something with Master Harkven about the other girl, should he know more of what you're referring to.

But... while I value the spreading and understanding of information above all else in this world, that is only under the pretense that the information be put to good use. I truly trust the Inner Circle to do what's best, but your judgement has aided many men in doing many great things, and that is why, as much as it pains me, I will respect your judgement on this...

Neena 2012/01/18(Wed)19:30 No. 380814 ID: a9ba96
File 132694381081.jpg - (44.09KB , 538x768 , 8194133e.jpg )

>"Neena. Take this skull. Those Beyond are about to make a vital decision regarding the information they have learned. You need to tell me only what they agree you are to tell me, understand?"

"Uh... alright..."

Oh Uh, hey again. Not sure why you couldn't say it while talking to Varn, but I guess there's something you need me to say? I'm not gonna question you or Varn on this one, you have a much better handle of this stuff than I do.

Supremicus swore never to teach anyone the ritual, assuming things went similarly in that revisited memory as they did in reality. I believe now that the Guild is searching for Supremicus either for simply his martial might, or his access to OTHER dark magic and the defenses against it.

Considering we had two other memories to choose from and that they cannot possibly relate to the dark ritual as well, I assume that the guild is looking for sources of great power lost to time, regardless of their nature.

I believe they are not after the dark ritual. I think they're just after Supremicus because he's fucking awesome.

Let's tell Varn where he is.

..Neena, listen very carefully. We know very important information. Information that can help a lot of people, or damn just as many. You saw what the secrets Torment learned did to him. You saw it corrupt what was a sad man into a murderer, but you also saw Supremicus Supreme. A wizard of such power, no one could stop him.

Before we left, you remember what Supremicus said right? His haven, how to get to it, and his willingness to help? I want you to head there. Not anyone else. Only you should enter and see for yourself. When you are there, I want you to read whatever he has left behind and if his spirit is there, talk to him.

He said he would help, and we need it. However, I want you to be the final call when it comes to it. You've got a good head and heart and only want to help... so if your head and heart tell you that you should destroy the knowledge, use the knowledge, or share the knowledge, then so be it. We may be voices that helped heroes, but you are the ones who make it happen.

In the end, I want you to go find Supremicus' haven and see with your own eye if this is what can help the world.

Neena 2012/01/18(Wed)19:54 No. 380821 ID: a9ba96
File 132694528189.jpg - (44.33KB , 476x765 , 6cc2ecbc.jpg )

>>380817

Alone? I...

We're in the Spire of Eternity. We're really far south in Lower Ution right now, and Dancer's glen is deep in Elven territory in Upper Ution.

That's basically a journey from one end of the continent to the other, and then there are certain complications with getting into Elven territory these days, and I also have an obligation of sorts to stay here and help the mages in the Spire.

I'm really sorry, but its not something I'd be able to do.

what about getting mark to do it? we can just add that to the quests he is doing.

Maybe we should just collect the other memories we were supposed to look into before making a decision on whether or not to release the information. The nature of the lost knowledge in the other two scenarios should give us a better indication of what the motivation of the current Inner Circle is.

...oh, or we could just have you deliver us to the Inner Circle, and we can talk to them directly.

I agree that maybe we should get the rest of the secret knowledge before making any decisions. Depending on what it is, and whether there's more suspicious coincidences or not, we might be better able to tell what's going on.

Though, honestly? I am tempted to just say the inner circle should be told. Supremicus swore to never teach dark magic again, so I doubt he's going to be willing to tell anyone, much less the wizards, of the knowledge of the ritual of lichdom. It is possible, however, that he'd be willing to offer aid in dealing with the coming threat as an independent party.

>>380821
Don't worry about people asking you to go places; we often get ahead of ourselves and focus on what's immediately available instead of other resources.
He wants us to decide what he, and by extension his master, will learn of our trip.

Tell him these facts:
Supremicus trained a student in dark arts.
Tragedy urged Supremicus's student into lichdom.
Supremicus swore to never teach dark arts again.
Supremicus sealed himself inside his lair to keep those who would misuse his knowledge away.
There is no known way for the dead who pass on to return.

Don't tell them there's a hidden entrance, let alone where it is. We'll investigate that on our own and get back to you.

Neena 2012/01/19(Thu)17:49 No. 381034 ID: a9ba96
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Well, if that's what you guys think, and Varn's okay with you not telling him things, I guess it's okay to wait until we know more about the secrets in these memories before they go to the inner circle.

"Those Beyond want me to tell you that in the memory we met a powerful wizard named Supremicus. He was responsible for teaching Torment necromancy, and tragedy provoked that student to peruse lichdom. After that, Supremicus sealed himself away, swearing never to teach the dark arts again."
There is a short silence.
>"...And that is all?"
"Yes."
>"Hah, alright. You've done well today, Neena. Now please, you must lie down. I'll inspect your injuries after Master Harkven leaves."

Well, see you guys soon. I mean, we do still have two of these memories to tackle later. If you could get Mark to check this stuff out, that would actually be pretty cool.

Like I said, send him my regards, Kay?

Varnavictus 2012/01/19(Thu)17:52 No. 381037 ID: a9ba96
File 132702436661.jpg - (90.28KB , 755x768 , fefd833b.jpg )

Hmm... so you don't trust the Inner Circle. Or do you not trust me? Understandable either way. I believe you simply need more time to understand us. To build trust. And that's fine. According to the Archmages, we've plenty of time before the situation is truly urgent.

Overall, this project was still a success. I'm very happy with the results. According to Archmage Harkven, the guild has been trying to perform the ritual to summon you and access your memories for forty years. Now that I know that it can be done and how to do it, I very much anticipate working with you again in the future.

Now, I need to clean up the room a bit for Archmage Harkven's arrival. This may be my personal study, but I am his apprentice, and the tidiness of my room reflects upon him as a mentor...

Varnavictus 2012/01/19(Thu)17:53 No. 381038 ID: a9ba96
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The creaking of a door can be heard

Agh, too late...

"Master Harkven!"

Varnavictus 2012/01/19(Thu)17:56 No. 381039 ID: a9ba96
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>"Harkven couldn't make it."
"Ah, Archmage Gwethana, what are you doing here? Where is Master Harkven?"
>"King Victor called an emergency meeting of his advisors, and Harkven had to attend, so he sent me to check on you. Remember when I was telling you about the worker protests down at the capital?"
"What of them?"
>"Apparently, someone just blew up a train a few miles from the city."
"...Oh. Well, how go your negotiations, Madame?"
>"We managed to get the damn elf pardoned and handed over to us, that's all that matters. He sat there smirking the whole damned time, too. He knew it was coming. The bastard, and after two years of exposing my daughter to the dark arts? Testing her potential for some sort of experiment of his? I'd splatter him against a wall if we didn't need to figure out what he knows about the eyes. They didn't give me the chance to talk with him before the trial, but I know the Sons found the eye with them."
"It all pays off in the end, Fayne. This realm will be a lot safer for her once it's over."
>"Yes, I suppose so... What progress have you made? The orb is glowing."
"I'm afraid... I'm afraid that's all the progress I've made. No voices, no memories... nothing beyond a glow."

Varnavictus 2012/01/19(Thu)17:57 No. 381041 ID: a9ba96
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>"Well, keep at it. The way things are going in Egias and En'Ler, we may need some failsafes to fall back on. I'll check in with the other apprentices' projects, but then I have to go. I need to be half a continent away within the next ten minutes for the High Knight's conference."

...Oh, what's the point in only giving the Inner Circle part of this lost knowledge, anyway? No reason to start leading them on a wild goose chase in the middle of such an intricate operation for information they only know half of. This might as well wait until I either have all of the information, or I am certain that you have no intention of giving all of it to me.

We have much more work to do in the coming days, and I'm sure they can wait just a bit longer.

~Dungeon Crawler Tales One, Those Beyond: End~ Varnavictus 2012/01/19(Thu)18:00 No. 381042 ID: a9ba96
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After all, I told you before;

The Guild of Mages wouldn't be where it is today if it didn't know how to always stay one step ahead.

god you look creepy with your hood up.

Yyyyup he's evil, or gonna be evil

wizards love their face obscuring hoods.

... 2012/01/19(Thu)20:34 No. 381081 ID: a9ba96
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...

Dungeon Crawler Tales One: Epilouge Lin 2012/01/19(Thu)20:36 No. 381082 ID: a9ba96
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Alright, so we've got The High Knight, Commander Landyas of the Holy Spear, Grand Inquisitor Andrés...Archmage Gwethana, I guess Namskul managed to weasel his way into this, and... not sure what Amwaith is doing here...

>"Ah, Lin! There you are! We're just about to get started."

Lin 2012/01/19(Thu)20:39 No. 381089 ID: a9ba96
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I know I wanted to talk to the High Knight, but I was hoping for a private meeting or something. Considering the players at this conference, and the fact that the High Knight decided to hold it in the middle of the woods half a mile away from the camp, I'm starting to get the feeling that I just got myself invited to some sort of really shady political meeting.

The voices picked one hell of a time to stop chatting...

>>381089

Lin! Our favorite! Hello!

We were ~summoned~ on an Adventure with a capital A back in time to fight an Asshole (also capital A) who was doing bad things. Except we didn't really go back in time, we'd already done it, we were just re-remembering.

Anyway, hello!

Rejoice, mortal, for THOSE BEYOND have deigned to grant you an audience in your hour of need!

Ask them about what happened when you touched the High Knight's shoulder!

Hi! So apparently we're some kind of ancient advice spirits that people can actually summon!
We gave a lich an existential crisis, it was fun.

>>381096
Well it was only a memory of a lich.

>>381103
OR WAS IT?!

>>381089
Shady political meeting? Oh boy!
So, what's happened since we were kidnapped? Voicenapped?

we got some relevant info for you. the mage guild are interested in the elf not because of his magical knowledge, but because he knows something about the eye pendants that are being used to scout our your country for invasion.

Lin 2012/01/20(Fri)19:25 No. 381293 ID: a9ba96
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Well, there you are. Right on cue. I guess you've been keeping yourself busy, too.

After we wrapped up the judgement the High Knight gave a speech about faith and justice and I got a notice from one of the Inquisition's men during the festivities afterwards to meet the High Knight for a conference out in the forest.

I was admittedly a bit hesitant to head off into the woods at the Inquisition's request after what happened with the ritual, even if I was technically doing nothing wrong. Not sure if I would have preferred an inquisition ambush squad looking to make an example of me, or whatever this is.

Speaking of the trial, I'll definitely need to try figuring out what happened when I touched the High Knight's shoulder. But for now, we're probably safest learning what the conference is for. These are some really powerful people, so we shouldn't get ahead of ourselves.

Lin takes a seat on a log.
>"So, what's going on out here?"

Lin 2012/01/20(Fri)19:30 No. 381299 ID: a9ba96
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I've never liked dealing too much with the people in power. I respect most of them, but I just... don't like dealing with them.

When I deal with people, I don't like having to play it their way, but that's the only safe way to play it. I know that may sound weird coming from someone whose sworn to follow the laws of the paladin, but there's a bit of a difference in dedicating yourself to a moral code and doing whatever you can to play it safe for the higher ups. These aren't bandits or Orcs. You have options when you deal with people on equal footing as you, but authority requires you to act act you're expected to act. If you slip up, if they see though you, If they decide you're a problem...

...If you want to get anywhere in life, you're usually better off kneeling when the captain expects you to kneel. There's plenty of room to better yourself outside that... but you know what they say about "the nail that sticks up," you know?

Grand Inquisitor Andrés clears his throat.
>"Miss Shylton, This conference was called to discuss some very important matters in the Outlands between those closely involved in them. Archmage Gwethana believes that might include you as well."

...I don't like the sound of that. I don't like this at all.

Lin 2012/01/20(Fri)19:33 No. 381303 ID: a9ba96
File 132711683102.jpg - (129.95KB , 479x678 , 736f4511.jpg )

>"Lin, was it? You were responsible for bringing my daughter back safely. I couldn't thank you enough for that."
"Well um, Thank you, Milady."
>"Now, when you told me that the necklace you found with Eline would have to be held as contraband - you have that with you, yes?"
"...Yes, Milady. I was going to present it to the High Knight when I got a a chance to meet him in private."
>"Good. Now, when you told me it would have to be held as contraband at the request of the camp demonologist, I thought little of it initially. You were responsible for retrieval of this necklace, but I figured that there was no way you could have known much about it's... significance. I figured that you were just repeating what Docor Namskul had told you... until I got a chance to talk with the doctor, and he informed how he had deduced the dangers of the pendant."
"..."
>"Something about a glowing, talking orb full of voices that you had given him to inspect explaining it to him? Does that sound about right, my dear?"

Oh shit...

>"Before we get this discussion underway, you... and they, for all intents and purposes, probably have a lot of questions. Provided that you do the same for us, we will answer them to the best of our abilities. The eyes, whatever you've been told they do... if you have anything on your mind, ask now."

>>381303
Hmm. This is probably a good chance to find out if we can trust the Inner Circle.

"What are you looking for in the memories of Those Beyond?" is a question I would like answered. If she asks how we know, tell her that we decided to start talking to Varn after she left.

Alternatively you could just ask for general information about the Inner Circle and its policies.

Ask what information and theories they have on the eyes, make sure we're all on the same page.

>>381306
Not really sure this is wise. What happens when she goes back to ask Varn about it? She might uncover the deception.

>>381311
agreed.

we should ask more about current events. such as why touching the high knight caused lin to syphon off some of his detect lies power.

>>381303
"First, we have our first changeling paladin.
Second, Warpath is building his forces up for an invasion.
Third, Those Beyond ask that you assign Mary and Eline to the command of either myself or Mark - something about negotiations for you calling for their aid."

>>381340
You should not bring up Ath that bluntly. You should instead say there is something on your mind first, ask if the High Knight remembers Ath, and then ask to confirm that he was definitely a paladin. When they ask why you are asking that, say then you should say that he is a changeling who successfully swore the Oath.

Hey, I thought we decided not to tell the High Knight about Ath at all?

>>381303
Make a reminder first that the demonologist is an absolute quack and a fraud. A piss-poor one, at that. It's understandable to have someone around who can make the grunts feel safer, but beyond that and you are simply asking for slaughter, or worse.

hey if she knows we are here, could you ask her to put her hood down? its a small thing but we find that those who hide there faces are rarely trustworthy.

>>381659
We might not want to start this conversation with unkind statements about the High Knight's friend, who is also part of the conversation.

Lin 2012/01/23(Mon)17:09 No. 381755 ID: a9ba96
File 132736738157.jpg - (208.02KB , 765x753 , 08ce502a.jpg )

"Alright... Uh, well, what happened back at the judgement ritual when I touched the High Knight's shoulder?"
>"Oh yeah, sorry about that, babe."
Andrés quickly cuts in.
>"As a paladin, you have a rare blessing, that being your holy aura. Your divine protection from dark magics and disease. Now, the goddess understood, even in the first days of her son's order,always we would always be a proud few that stood against the overwhelmingly vast numbers of scum and degenerates of the realm. To help even these odds, the Goddess made the strength of this aura grow more powerful not only through dedication to her cause, but also by being near the aura of other Paladins. Such ingenious foresight proved invaluable to us today, when our numbers continue to dwindle, but we still stand mighty when we stand by each other."
"yes Grand Inquisitor Andrés sir, but how does that effect what happened at the ritual?"
>"While your aura naturally responds to that of other Paladins, you are still relatively new to our order, and as such your holy aura is not quite as strong as someone whose dedicated their entire life to the cause - and even then, the auras of most veteran paladins never reach the point where they can detect lies, or sense dark intent, or rapidly recover from injuries. For that, you must be truly close to the goddess, like the High Knight is. When you touched his shoulder, your holy aura attempted to grow to match his, and it quite simply wasn't strong enough to do so. Any dizziness or other effects that caused should have subsided by now, yes?"

Well, nobody's glowing blue anymore, so...

"Yes, sir Grand Inquisitor."

Gwethana looks over to Lin.
>"Of course, I'm sure there are much bigger questions to ask, yes?"
"Yes, milady... but uh, they say they don't trust people who hide their face."
>"Ha! Please understand that the hoods worn by members of the guild of mages are part of our order's traditions. It's representative of our willingness to give up our personal goals and desires in order to become tools though which humanity may better understand, unitize, and perfect the studies of magic, and use the arcane arts to improve mankind's..."

Lin 2012/01/23(Mon)17:18 No. 381760 ID: a9ba96
File 132736790535.jpg - (93.61KB , 868x767 , a763ae21.jpg )

>"...Oh, why not? We've nothing to hide here. No secrets between us. If they wish to see my face, I'll gladly grant them that. But surely that's not all they wish to know."
"No, milady. What do you know about... these eyes?"
>"The eye pendant is a scrying tool. It's a semi-organic, self aware, magically constructed eye built to be disguised as a necklace charm or a brooch. It moves on its own, fixates on things it finds to be of interest, and feeds what it sees back to its creator. However, It's built to avoid magical detection, so its range of making this interaction is limited - if it's not within a certain range of a person's head, it stops working. Other charms meant to interact mentally with their user will also disrupt it."
"And... How do you know so much about these things?"
>"We made them. They're used to monitor mages who travel outside the spire for advising, gathering supplies, scouting Elven territories... we've lost a few scouts over the years in Upper Ution, but we've always severed the connection back to the Spire so they couldn't be traced by Elven mages. Someone has apparently dug up a few and altered them to feed information all the way back to Turgeth. According to Eline, that someone may very well be Furor Eternity. Now, you have the eye you found with my daughter, yes?"
"...Yes, milady."
>"Good. While it's likely that your other pendant is keeping it from listening in on us, I'm going to request that you place it on the log next to you, just to be safe. We cannot continue this conversation until that is done."

Lin 2012/01/23(Mon)17:19 No. 381761 ID: a9ba96
File 132736794310.jpg - (37.67KB , 469x518 , f74160ac.jpg )

Lin puts the eye down next to her. It glares at Lady Gwethana, and freezes in place, motionless, as Lin lets go.
>"Very good."
"So, you know about the eyes, what about... Warpath?"
>"Of course we're aware of him. Rest assured that he is of no concern to us."
"What?! We're talking about some ancient evil overlord with an undead army? How is that of little concern to you?"
>"Because, dear. He's picked a fight far out of his league."
"What is that even supposed to mean?"

Lin 2012/01/23(Mon)17:20 No. 381762 ID: a9ba96
File 132736800611.jpg - (65.65KB , 263x647 , d08898fa.jpg )

Mr Amwaith laughs and raises a pistol in the air.
>"It means we have the stupid fuck outmanned, outmatched, and most importantly, outgunned. By his own admission, this guy apparently hasn't actually led an army in a few thousand years. The guy expects the clashing of steel against armor, arrows in the sky, valiant charges, and he may get that from the Elves. But the second his crew of bones in armored suits try to move some serious muscle in the humans' direction?
>I'll tell you this. I wanna see the look on his face when his entire front line gets mowed down in seconds by two hundred riflemen firing from a hundred yards away. You've heard the stories about how the Elves reacted when the humans started killing each other with muskets instead of bowmen back during the Grey Queen's War, right?"
"I think I heard Faer mention that once before..."
>"Eh, you didn't strike me as much of a history buff. Maybe you don't know much about wars from a hundred years back, I couldn't blame you, but you gotta remember that whole Gryphon Skull thing last year in Egias."
"...Yeah, That I do remember..."
>"Then you've probably heard the rumors about this baby. let me tell you now - all true. This here's a Flintlock, based on Dwarven design. Its's how you spell "crowd control" down in the GDR, and it Singlehandedly turned the tides in good King Victor's favor in the last few months of that mess. Victor's had these things mass produced for military usage over the last year, but a handful of them have ended up in the outlands. You just gotta know the right people. Walking dead or not, when you hit a skull with this, it ain't pretty. So If that dirty son of a bitch with the horn helmet is gonna poke his head out of that hole over in Orc country, he's gonna get the honors of taking part in history's first war against a proper army armed with these babies. Aim. Squeeze. Boom. Dead."

Lin 2012/01/23(Mon)17:20 No. 381763 ID: a9ba96
File 132736804775.jpg - (91.39KB , 884x768 , 66ba4b84.jpg )

"But.. if you're really trying to tell me that Warpath isn't a problem... what's this all about?"
Gwethana smiles.
>"It's political, mostly. The governments of Farway and The United Lands of Egias are both very much aware of Warpath's threat, and have been taking the steps to prepare as the Guild of Mages has advised them. Once his forces are taken out by Egias' miliatary, it all becomes a matter of moving in and shutting him down before he can retaliate - However, while we have confidence in our ability to best Warpath in combat, we fear for the integrity of the Outlands in the aftermath of the battles."
"...How does the Outlands factor into this?"
>"We have an... idea of how he plans to invade, and we have a way of limiting his methods of attack. However, since the Outlands lie between Egias and Farway, and the Maiden's Pass at the northernmost tip of the Outlands is one of the most easily accessible and fortifiable routes from lower Ution into Elven territory, it's likely that Egias, Farway, or both will be moving forces into the outlands for defense purposes once the conflict begins. Now, the Outlands have always been a disputed territory between the two, but it's ultimately a sparsely populated mountainous and forested region, so both sides are mostly content on saying that the borders are generally "somewhere in the hills," and leaving it at that. They both have farmers peppered about the area, and while there's undoubtedly some money to be found in owning the territory, neither side needs it enough to spark a war by moving troops into it and demanding taxes from the people in it - which would ultimately include the other nation's handful of farmers."
"Yeah, okay, but what does this have to do with the invasion?!"
>"On top of being a minor source of income for Egias and Farway, the Outlands are also home to countless independent settlements, filled with people who sought to live outside the boundaries of the "great human nations" and leave the troubles they faced there behind. A desire which the Sons of De Justus have sworn to uphold, and a desire which may be lost if one side uses this as an excuse to move in here during Warpath's invasion, and choose not to leave after all is said and done. The observation of the Outlands have always been a point of interest to the Guild, and neither I nor the High Knight wish to see this land consumed by the nations to the west or east. The Guild only has so much pull as advisors for the nobles in Egias and Farway, so we have been working to find a proper political bargaining chip for the Sons of De Justus in case either side ultimately chooses to try encroaching on the Outlands in the aftermath of the war."
"How does Amwaith fit into this?"
>"We've agreed to assist his company in acquiring the late Madame Da'Mounde's resources should he provide whatever assistance his mercenaries can give us."
"And... how does "those beyond" factor into this?"
>"Ahh, and that was what this meeting was all about. Before I explain, however, are you sure there is nothing else you need to ask?"

I... I don't even... Egias, Farway, the Guild, the Sons... they all know about this? But...

ask her if she sure its the exact kind that the guild uses? and ask her to make sure it hasn't been modified please. the guy on the other end seemed way to competent to use a covert method of reconnaissance that the target being scouted knows about.

I wanna know what they're planning on doing when warpath inevitably gets a gun and starts manufacturing his own

>>381765
DON'T MENTION THIS. These people are all obviously incredibly overconfident. Also, I'm pretty sure they're all evil.

Also, they want to make a landgrab when Warpath attacks. They'll let him shatter the Outlands defenses, then move in "reconstruction" forces, and take over without firing a shot. But don't tell them you know this, they'll totally murder you.

>>381765
indeed. why would none of the eyes he is using inform him of guns? what if his legion has some already?

>>381763
"We have far more experience with both firearms and the undead than you could imagine, and you're ludicrously overconfident.
First you assume that destroying the skull would destroy a unit, but that's not always the case. Depending on the style of the mage who created it the seat of power could be in the spine, in a hand, in a rib, in a unit's weapon, in a different location on each unit, or not tied to the unit at all. Until you send in a scout force to capture a few units for research you're better off trying to destroy the pelvis so each unit is certainly crippled.
Second you forget that firearms are most effective because they cause serious trauma to living tissue. As undead are notably lacking in living tissue this poses a problem.
Third? If that's a smoothbore flintlock it would be generous to give you even odds to hit a living person at 30 paces, and reloading after each shot takes a skilled marksman about 10 seconds. If it's got decent rifling then it might be able to hit a person at 100 paces, but since these aren't people you'd have to hit a moving object the size of a melon. Not happening. A good rifled musket has about five times the effective range, but three hundred marksmen versus a thousand skeletons? Smart money would be on the skeletons. That money gets even smarter when you start accounting for misfires, fouling, and how bulletproof steel armor is against musketballs.

The tortoise is coming, my little hares.
We can help you fix this, but you're going to have to hand Eline and Mary over to us since we're very busy and have other things we need to get done.
Also, Lin recruited a new paladin. He's a changeling."

>>381791
Let's not go blabbing on about things that aren't quite confirmed. We don't remember enough about how undead work to say for sure if the magics involved are that flexible. Still, you bring up some valid points to speak on- would these firearms be accurate and effective against undead? And how do we know they don't have guns or know about guns? Do we have any counter-espionage going on?

As for Ath, well... Lin, do you think it's safe to bring up that subject now? Would it cause a schism due to those who are involved here?

>>381783
I think we have a decent idea about the evilness of the people involved here. Remember, the High Knight trusts these people, and he is a BADASS PALADIN/bard who knows when people are lying. And probably can tell if people are evil just by looking at them.

These people aren't evil. We can trust them. Gwethana has oddly sized pupils but I doubt that really has anything to do with anything.

>>381783
What do you mean 'land grab'? The Mages don't seem the type to go for land ownership, and Sons of De Juste are already the main authority in the area.

>>381791
This one makes a lot of assumptions I don't think we should talk about right away.
However, I think we should ask whether they have actually tried rifles against, you know, animated skeletons, which have far fewer organs to puncture than living creatures.

have they tested the effectiveness of guns on the undead? depending on how the local magic works undead might take really specific types of damage to kill, so finding and shooting some before hand as a test might be a good idea.

About with questions like 'have you tested the guns on them', you can probably avoid the chance of annoying the inquisition by relaying that these are our questions rather than yours.

>>381794
What, exactly, have I assumed?
Besides assuming they haven't actually fought and researched Warpath's undead yet - which they've already implied themselves - I've made no assumptions.

Remember how the Lich animated catgirl's headless corpse?

>>381791
Seven. You're talking too much again.

>>381862
Assumptions like what sort of guns they have (unless they mentioned that somewhere and I forgot).
Also, we should try to limit our smugness, as we don't want it interfering with them listening to us. We should point out the flaws in their plan, but explicitly saying they are foolish makes the situation with them more delicate.

Guns are nice, but the reload time is gunna be a real bitch when facing down enemies literally incapable of feeling fear.

Still, I look forward to seeing how that works out.

Preventing a land grab will certainly be a problem, as it would be in their interest for a greater power to militarily protect the locals, but who's? Well, even 3rd party freelancers need payment, and if we end up needed to collect taxes to finance this mess, it starts looking like the Outlands are trying to declare independence and become a nation proper.

>>381910
Err... They literally just said they were using flintlocks, and the basic principles behind how a flintlock works dictate most of the design.

>>381763
"Milady Archmage, Warpath is leading an army of the Undead, which are infamous for their lack of fear or pain. Surely not every shot by our forces will be a pre-ordained head-shot, unless you have found some way to enchant the shot itself? In either case, the dead happen to outnumber the living several times over: do you really believe that our stockpile of guns and ammunition will suffice?"

Also, Star Fortresses are perfect for this scenario. We have a few years, and they have a few mages.

Lin 2012/01/26(Thu)21:14 No. 382517 ID: a9ba96
File 132764125099.jpg - (179.59KB , 754x633 , 6e200293.jpg )

I feel uneasy.

"...Those Beyond is wondering how effective the use of firearms would be against the undead."
>"Not quite as effective as they would be against a living being, but certainly enough to do the job. Damage to the body forces an undead to burn a large amount of the dark magic it stores to remain animated... and Egias' new armaments are very effective at damaging a body. A reanimated skeleton may lack the right major organs to hit, but the force of a bullet crashing into bone in the right places will still put one down just as well as a well placed arrow or sword swing would, then more so."

What these guys are proposing is hard to imagine. The militaries have been using firearms in small numbers for years now, small groups of musketeers to support their cavalry and infantry... But those guns were expensive, inaccurate, they were good for cover fire so you could move your men in during a siege, provided they didn't explode in your hands, or a bowman didn't put an arrow through your neck in the minute it took to reload ... they're nothing compared to what I've heard about these things.

I've seen battles. Ive seen a lot of them, but the thought of entire hordes being stopped dead in their charge, torn to shreds in a storm of sound and lights... if these things can do half the things they say they can do, they tread a fine line between awe inspiring and horrifying.

I say the first thing that comes to mind, trying to force my thoughts to something else.

"The new recruit who tried to interrupt the judgement today is a changeling."
Probably not the best idea.

Lin 2012/01/26(Thu)21:15 No. 382518 ID: a9ba96
File 132764134585.jpg - (151.91KB , 600x669 , 428a23a8.jpg )

The High Knight practically falls backwards off the log, his usual, charming smirk fading into a look of complete shock and confusion."
>"I'm sorry babe, what was that?"
"My run-in with Zebble Creed last night. He was discussing the terms of a contract he had struck with a changeling named Ath before I drove him off. I had found the necklace containing Those Beyond shortly before that, and they had asked me to show mercy to him. They didn't understand when I tried to explain to them that such creatures were beyond mercy in the eyes of the goddess, so I had him try to swear the oath to show them. It worked."
>"...I'm sorry babe, WHAT was that?"

Namskul chuckles nervously
>"Oh, ehm... yes. I knew there was something important I had forgotten to tell you earlier..."

The High Knight and his companions are left speechless, doing nothing more than exchange glances, trying to formulate a proper response. Fayne spends a moment deep in thought before breaking the silence.
>"...Interesting."

Lin 2012/01/26(Thu)21:18 No. 382519 ID: a9ba96
File 132764149135.jpg - (160.47KB , 719x768 , 49910373.jpg )

Grand Inquisitor Andrés promptly explodes into a flurry of deep breaths and gasps before choking out a reply.
>"Interesting? Interesting!? Madame Gwethana, need I remind you that we are discussing creatures who enjoy the taste of infants! They eat babies and the goddess sees fit to allow one in our order, after years of keeping the Outlands safe from their kind?"
>"Think of it as a blessing from your goddess. They say the gods still perform miracles from time to time. He is a changeling, yes? Feyblooded. His presence may aid us in some way."
>"That abomination!? Aid us?"
>"Lin? You wish to know how Those Beyond factors into all of this? Very simple. At the end of the Great War, the surviving Drow were driven deep underground - cast into The Silence. The Silence, thousands of miles wide and hundreds of miles deep, is a dungeon spanning beneath the continents; an ancient prison forged by the gnomes tens of thousands of years ago, before the human race had made it's first step. It was a prison for keeping dark, horrific forces trapped underground so life could grow above, and it is where whatever Drow may survive today dwell for eternity."

>"However, driving the Drow underground forced the Elves to open new entrances to The Silence, new pits to cast their foes deep within, and though those pits have long since been covered over by monuments and temples, they have never been truly sealed. There is too big a risk for Warpath in attacking Ution by sea - we believe that Warpath intends to march his armies through The Silence into Ution. We've spent the past few months pinning down the entrances to the Silence created in Ution - while we likely don't have enough time or resources to cut them all off in time, sealing key entrances once Warpath begins to march his legions will allow us to force his invasion into territories that would give us the upper hand."

Lin 2012/01/26(Thu)21:20 No. 382520 ID: a9ba96
File 132764161845.jpg - (50.52KB , 430x517 , 013612cb.jpg )

>While a heavy amount of dwarven black powder will allow us to swiftly cut off many of these points... others, due to their location deep in Elven territory, may be a much more delicate matter. To avoid incident with the Elves we can't simply amass troops and send them into the area, so we have been collaborating with Egias to gather small adventuring teams to send to these locations instead. However, we have been holding off sending these teams until we have found some way to channel Those Beyond - the adventuring teams will need to traverse areas occupied by the dangerous Fey of upper Ution... and perhaps even their kings, the Fair Folk. An understanding of Feyspeak would be vital for these traversals, but not even the feyblooded can comprehend their tongue - the only ones capable of hearing the fey is Those Beyond. We have looked into other uses for them as well should we face difficulties, but this is the main reason why we seek their voices.

>You do not need to become involved in our affairs in Upper Ution. You were dragged into this by circumstance, and if you want to stay out of this we will understand. I will not ask if you will help us... But I need to know now, will they?"

If theres a chance for elf on elf action, I'm in!

sure. keeping bloodthirsty armies away from population centers via application of high explosives is always good clean fun.

>>382520
BLOW UP STUFF?! YES PLEASE!

And Lin, Ath repeatedly denied that his kind eats babies. I assumed you saying that was just uneducated superstition or prejudice on your part. What is the Inquisitor doing spewing that sort of talk? Shouldn't he know better? Or has that sort of thing actually been verified as having happened before? More than once?

How much information does the Order actually HAVE on changelings, aside from that when they mix with humans it makes monsters, and the Goddess ordered them killed on sight?

>>382519
The Inquisitor is flailing dangerously close to blasphemy. You need to punt him away from that precipice.
"Inquisitor, I ask that you consider your response to this news very carefully; Ath is a paladin, and has therefore received the blessing of the goddess. Are you sure you wish to claim that the goddess has granted her blessing to a babyeater? Or would you rather trust that the goddess found a good soul somewhere unexpected?

Beyond that, I'm not aware of any verified cases of changelings eating babies. Many times where a child went missing or was slain by an animal and a changeling was assumed, cases ones where we actually found a changeling which was responsible?
We have a commitment to truth, justice, and the will of our goddess. If our goddess has decided that being an abomination is a forgivable sin then do we not have a duty to ensure we spread no harmful myths?"

"Those Beyond feel your stated goal is noble and are willing to help, but don't seem to trust the guild or its methods. They also have expressed concerns about 'sentient rights' and annoyance over being considered a 'thing' to be used.
They insist that if they decide to help you they must have control over who is or is not on their team.
They seem to be willing to help improve your firearms to be more accurate, reliable, and effective."

>>382544
This, but without the middle part.

Lin 2012/01/27(Fri)20:29 No. 382760 ID: a9ba96
File 132772497168.jpg - (52.11KB , 496x536 , f7cb9cd7.jpg )

"They're in."

If anyone knows their place in the Goddess' plan, it's Andrés. Something like this is going to be shocking for him, but I have faith that he can find his own answers, and so can the others...

...You know, I never planned on becoming a paladin, but I like to think it finally helped me find the guidance and the direction in my life that I went to the Outlands to find. It's something very important to me, and... I don't like having to question It. It's why what happened with Ath got me so angry. It's why I don't like dealing with authority; a paladin is expected to uphold the law, and a paladin is expected to be good, and sometimewhat really worry about what would happen if the two came into conflict with each other, if somewhere down the line I was somewhere and got and order that... It took me some time, but found a real, worthy calling in the Goddess' oath. I don't want to have to second guess it now.

But at the end of the day, it's still a code worth living by. It's about being just, honest, faithful protectors. It's about helping people. And being forced to think about the code, and why I live by it, over the past few days... well, I realized what's most important about it to me.
Helping people.

"...They're in, and so am I."

Lin 2012/01/27(Fri)20:35 No. 382761 ID: a9ba96
File 132772532104.jpg - (163.34KB , 719x717 , 4527a4ee.jpg )

>"Lin, you're doing a very good thing... and so are they."
"They... want to be sure you're not just using them as a tool. They want a say in who gets sent north."
>"That can be arranged very easily... Can you show me the Orb?"

...I'm still not sure what the hell you are, where you came from, or how you ended up in some goblin's bag of jewels...

But I'm sure glad I picked you up.

>"I'm not sure if you... or even they, fully understand how vital their aid will soon come to be."

... 2012/01/27(Fri)20:36 No. 382762 ID: a9ba96
File 132772541526.jpg - (17.55KB , 908x683 , 6f4fa07c.jpg )

>"Those Beyond, Those Beyond, I grant my mind unto you, so you may speak and unto me your many tongues be heard..."