Board 8 > Labyrinth of Ishiene, Topic 3 [CYOA/Forum Game] [ITD8]

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FunnyBusiness posted...

Name: Jesse Erensworth
Race: Human
Relevance: Kent Erensworth's older brother and the current head of his family. The Erensworth family are famous for having explored and drawn maps for most of the known world. Having studied his father's notes and drawings and assisting his father in many explorations, he is no amateur.
Purpose: To lead and guide members of the council through the lands they will campaign in.
Scope: While he is a natural in finding new pathways and exploring, he isn't completely useless in combat either. Having also been trained close combat techniques with the longsword he has equipped and his hands to fight against hostiles they would inevitably encounter, he is no master by far but he isn't a novice either.

Jesse has an enchanted ring on that increases his overall strength, that he found on his last expedition.
---

I'm gonna need an alternate first name for Jesse, since there's already a very important character named Jessie in the story.

on that note I can probably begin writing later today!
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Sir Reginald von Bartlesby, duke of the lands of Marietta : A representative who was summoned from one of the larger holds in the Esland realm.

Martin Spade : The representative of the Spade Family. Another Esland rep.

X Erensworth : Waiting on a replacement name for this guy but I do have a pretty good idea of what I will use him for in the story.

Ser Rutherford Hayes : A Frantish Knight who was sometimes known as "Beastmaster." Rumors of his death have been somewhat exaggerated.

Daven Blackwater : A member of the Blackwater Clan who bases their activities out of some of the dwarvish ruins in the Tundra. Despite being pretty secretive and isolationist they did choose to send a representative. However, this is because Daven has ties to a certain person here...

Rainn : A representative of Undercity, who was not sent a summons. However, they found out about it through other means. Rainn himself was probably not particularly stoked to go but he was elected. Seeing the big city should be fun, at least. Might be worth hearing what the Queen has to say.

Sen, Knight of Northern Rock : This guy is honestly pretty clueless and isn't really sure why he was sent. More on this later. Good at punching things!
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still waiting on pk2k, lefty, JeffRaze, possibly others?
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Alright, hmm. How about Kennedy?
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Name: Aster Crawford
Race: Human
Relevance: A magical scientist from High Point. Specializes in the magic of conversion, primarily of non-physical things. Fascinated by the dark faeries apparent conversion of love to raw power, Aster hopes to find a more palatable conversion that will allow humanity to fight against the darkness on equal terms.
Purpose: To identify unusual magic or technological discoveries, and assess their value to the group.
Scope: His conversion magic is particularly useful for warding off enemy magical or spiritual attacks, and gives him a lot of versatility in producing whatever effect the group needs. However, his offensive magics are rudimentary at best.
---

Will read up at some point later but given how things have played out and limiting to esland side Y would be most appropriate
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Pirateking2000 posted...

Will read up at some point later but given how things have played out and limiting to esland side Y would be most appropriate

I like the idea of Sea-Quartz getting a representative at the council.
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[3:27 PM] lefty: I feel like one of Remulel/Y should be there
[3:27 PM] lefty: since they've actually been to the portal
[3:28 PM] lefty: Y makes the most sense since he's from Sea Quartz
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Name: Macina Mocol
Race: Human
Relevance: A member of a distinguished house of Esland most noted for their honey-colored hair.
Purpose: As a house with such a long history, it would simply be inappropriate to not send a representative when Queen Lana is calling for such an important council.
Scope: Practitioner of the somewhat deteriorated martial arts school of Lofty, which is definitely what it was called at its founding. Why would you think otherwise?
---

[The Council of Esland]

The Porter's Gate was built of arched stone of a reddish tan tint.
It was wide enough for two wagons to fit through at once.
Right now there were more than ten lined up trying to go either way.
And foot traffic was pushing through on both sides.
Rainn hesitated.
He looked up at the tower on the opposite end of the Great Wall.
This was the heart of Esland.
When you say "I'm going to Esland" you mean the country Esland,
Or, you mean here. The capital city of Esland.
Where the royal family lives and there's a palace and all that jazz.
The city of Esland at the ruling hub of the country of Esland.
Or something like that.
It was impressive. Not like anything he had seen before.
And he stopped at Frantz on the way here too.
Who wouldn't?
The trek over the mountain had been a hassle.
No one in Northern Rock had been very hospitable toward him.
They were all too busy focused on their own survival.
There were freaking lizards in the forests south of the mountain.
Someone should really go and clean those things up.
Maybe he'd tell the Queen that.
Imagine her face when he showed up all the way here from Undercity just to complain about their reptile problem?

Heh.

But, nah, that wasn't the reason Rainn had come here.

He took out a snack bar made of hardened grain and honey.
Rainn sat down on the back of one of the wagons and munched on it.
He supposed that pushing his way through an annoying ass crowd was one way to get into the city.
But honestly he wasn't used to this big city life and these big city folk.
Pushing through a crowd wasn't something he was socially conditioned for yet.
And he liked his personal space.
Better to sit down here and have a relaxing-

"Hey, you! Get the hell off my cart!" someone shouted from up ahead.

"... Hm." Rainn took another bite from his granola bar.
Then he leaned off the back of the wagon and took a glance toward the front.
"Oh. Sorry." Rainn tried to give a friendly smile. "I was just resting my legs."

"I didn't ask why you were sitting," the driver shouted back at him.
"I told you to move! Get off! And don't touch any of my stuff!"

Rainn let out a sigh and got to his feet again.
Guess pushing his way through was the only way to get in.
Or, he wondered, maybe he should just take a nap out here till it got dark and traffic died down?
Heh.
Nah, that wasn't an option. He had important stuff to do.
It was going to be a shoving match, then.
"Welcome to the big city," Rainn grumbled to himself.

Rainn was holding his coin purse in his hand by the time he got to the other side.
He could have sworn he felt someone grabbing for it.
Paranoia got the best of him and he didn't feel comfortable just leaving it hanging there.
He had heard the term 'cutpurse' before after all. He wasn't just some country bumpkin.
Far from it.
Undercity might be in the middle of the freaking Tundra but it was a city... after a fashion.
Definitely, though, it was nothing like this.
He craned his neck and looked up at the tall buildings and wondered what they were.
Probably great research halls or factories where they produced mountains of gold.
Actually, no.
As he quickly found out they were just apartment buildings for common folk.
One lady was even hanging her underwear on a clothesline out the window to dry.
Rainn had definitely never seen a woman hang her underwear outside where anyone could see them.
---

Blushing, he looked at his feet and hurried on across the through way and toward the market square.
If Rainn had known the market was going to be twice as crowded as the gate he would have gone around it.
But, it was hard to say he regretted it either.
There were people here crowding both sides of the streets.
Shops lining every single alleyway and carts outside of shops.
And peddlers carrying goods or removing them from hidden stashes in their coats.
Wands, rings, crystals, food, tools, weapons, clothes, anything he could think of was here.
He didn't need to go and find the tailor to have clothes made.
Rather, if he needed clothes, he could find them here in the same place as anything else.
And he had a wider selection than any he had ever known in Undercity.

His mouth hanging open, Rainn held onto his purse tightly once more.
This time it was more about the self control of not allowing himself to spend any.

Rainn stopped for a moment to check his directions again.
He could actually SEE the palace from here.
It was freaking huge.
But that didn't mean he had any idea how to actually get there.
"Gods above and below!" Rainn exclaimed.
After affirming his course, he started heading up Maple Street.
However, his gaze turned back and he ended up looking to the market again even as he departed it.
In addition to the wares for sale there were other...
Well, needless to say, woman in the Tundra didn't look that good.
Maybe it was because there was more variety here.
Or the class of women in the big city was just higher overall?
It could have been their greater access the makeup, hygiene, or their sense of fashion.
Whatever it was, definitely-

THUMP.

Rainn bumped into something hard and metal.
"Cute..." he muttered, while rubbing his cheek.

Slowly, his gaze turned back the other way.
He still had a stupid smile on his face and a distant look in his eyes.
However, he snapped to attention as he saw the person he had bumped into.

It was a tall, angry looking man wearing black armor.
"Who the hell are you callin' cute?!" the man said to him.
The armored man grabbed Rainn by the collar of his shirt and nearly lifted him off the ground.

"Ah... um... no...." Rainn protested weakly. "You see..."

"Jeez." The man put Rainn down. "Just watch where you're going."
He turned the other way and walked off.

Rainn wiped himself down before proceeding forward.
However, after a few minutes, he realized that he had been following this guy for a while.
He wondered if-

CLANG.

The man's armor rattled as he came to a very annoyed sounding stop.
He spun around. "Why are you followin' me?!"

Rainn didn't know what to say to that.
He raised his hand and pointed forward.
"I'm..." he looked at his directions again.
They were crumpled up in his hand. "... going this way."

"Well take the long way to wherever," the man told him.
"I'm gettin' sick of you already."

"I don't know another route," Rainn replied.

"You're tryin' to piss me off, aren't you?" the tall man retorted.

Rainn shook his head. "I'm not from around here."
He held up his directions.
"These are the directions I have. It's the only way I know how to go."
"And I really have to get where I'm going. It's important."
---

The man CLANGED over to Rainn and took the paper.
"Let me see this," he demanded. He took the sheet and uncrumpled it.
His eyes scanned the pages for a few moments.
They had some information about Rainn's quest,
As well as specific directions on how to get where he was going.
The man, after reading them, looked at Rainn. "You're goin' to the Palace?"

Rainn nodded.

"What's your name?" the man asked.

"Rainn," Rainn said.

"I'm Sen," the other man told him. "Did the Queen summon you?"

"Weellll...." Rainn averted his eyes. "Not in such a specific way."

Sen took the paper and handed it back to him.
They stood there staring at each other for a few moments.
Then, finally, Sen snapped. "Well? Let's go."

"Oh." Rainn jumped. "Okay."

The two began to walk together.
Rainn got the impression that Sen must have been going to the palace as well.

After a while of silence, Sen finally continued talking.
"The girls here are cute, aren't they?"

"... Y... Yeah...." Rainn replied.

"It's different in Northern Rock," Sen explained. "I'm guessin' you're not from around here either."

"Undercity," Rainn told him. "Tundra."

"Did you stop on Frantz on your way here?" Sen asked him.

Rainn nodded. "Mhm. They told me not to stop but I was tired."

"Yeah, we got a bit of a lizard problem round Northern Rock," Sen half apologized.
For some reason his tone was steadily growing more easy over time. "Hope they didn't bug ya too much."

"Oh... It's..." Rainn didn't know what to say.

Sen fiddled with his gauntlets as he continued to walk.
"Did you catch any of the stage shows in Frantz while you were there?"

"Well," Rainn looked off to the side, glancing in some windows as they passed.
"The stage shows were like fifteen silvers. I didn't..."

"Jeez," Sen shook his head. "They used to be cheaper."
"Still, it might be worth it. Maybe go on your way back?"

"Mm." Rainn didn't say anything. He heard about the Frantish stage shows.
But, honestly, he wasn't sure he understood it.
They paid money to watch people stand on stage and recite lines from a story?
A book was a hundred times cheaper.
And if he wanted to hear someone tell a story, well..
There were plenty of inns where a drunk old man would buy his round and tell him a story or two for free.
Why would he ever pay that much money to go see something like that?

"The Frantish girls are cute too," Sen told him. "But you gotta be careful."
"Everything in Frantz is all about politics. The people there're all weird."
"Manipulative, I guess, is the word. Never say what they're really thinkin'."

Sen continued to lecture him on various things as they walked to the palace together.
Apparently the Knight from Northern Rock wasn't really sure why he had been sent here either.
However, his the commander of his garrison heard that the Queen was looking for experienced knights.
Well, all of their most experienced knights were busy with some other situation.
So they decided to send Sen instead. It was probably fine.
Sen was pretty much great at kicking ass.
If she needed anyone to kick ass then she'd definitely be happy that they decided to send Sen.
Although, if she needed someone to make plans or give advice...
Well, in that case, she might be a bit disappointed at Sen showing up.

"What about you?" Sen asked as they arrived at the Gate.
"You said you weren't really summoned, right?"
---

Rainn shuffled nervously as the guards checked their papers.
Surprisingly, they were both let in without any questions.
They went along talking and barely even stopped to acknowledge the soldiers.
"Well, Undercity wasn't sent an official summons."
"But we heard the Queen was looking for members to form a council."
"Figured we should be on it, I guess."

"You guess?" Sen raised an eyebrow. "It wasn't your idea, then?"

Rainn shook his head.
"The elders decided on it. They also chose to send me."
"Honestly I'd rather be at home in my lab."
Although he said it out loud he wasn't sure if he believed it.
Rainn had gone on quite a journey and seen lots of amazing things.
Sure it felt good to complain and say he'd rather still be at home.
But, honestly, given the choice, would he do it all again? Probably.

A man named Martin Spade came to meet with them in the Reception Hall.
Martin led them to different dorms where they could unload their supplies.
However, Martin also made it clear that they wouldn't be delaying for long.
It seemed both Rainn and Sen had been the last to arrive.
And today was the scheduled day of the meeting.
Heck, since Rainn wasn't even summoned, it was more like everyone was just waiting on Sen.

"Early birds all got the worm, huh?" Sen asked as he dropped his bags in his room.
"Well, I'll be right along, then. Why don't you show this kid where to put his stuff?"

Rainn went with Martin, but Martin wasn't nearly as chatty as Sen was.
It was odd. Especially considering how inflamed Sen had seemed at first.
He very quickly opened up and became friendly once given the excuse.
Sen seemed like... probably... the kind of person with strong emotions.
For that reason he could get annoyed quickly but also was very quick to cheer up.

Martin, on the opposite end, seemed like a very cold person.
He mostly stared ahead while walking, and led Rainn around the palace.
He didn't have the patience to wait whenever the Undercity patron stopped to admire the scenery.
Then again, for Martin, maybe this kind of castle wasn't so special.
And if Martin ever went to Undercity he'd admire the dwarven architecture there.
It was definitely a 'grass is always greener' type of situation.

Well, probably anyway.

After unpacking his things, Rainn was brought to one of the ready rooms.
This had been set up as a makeshift location for the Council to meet on short notice.
Even in the Palace, finding a spacious room which was comfortable was not always an easy task.
They needed to accommodate over a dozen people and each person had to be able to actually hear each other.
It wasn't like they could just use a dining hall or a presentation room.
Research rooms were too small.
Bedchambers were too personal.

In the end, though, there were rooms like this that had been used for military matters.
Briefing and debriefing, mostly.
And, in a sense, this was a military and political strategic meeting anyway.
So it seemed fitting.

"Ahoy there," A man in fancy garb rose from his seat. "Lord Bartlesby, at your service."
"But you can call me Reggie." Reggie glanced at Martin. "Is this the guy?"

"Does he look like a Knight of Northern Rock?" Martin asked bluntly.

Reggie chuckled. "Ah, another surprise visitor."

Martin just rolled his eyes and went to take his seat.
---

Rainn glanced around the room for a moment and wondered if he really belonged at this table.
There were people here so famous that even he could instantly recognize them.
Liona Brezwicz, the Sworn Sword of the Queen of Esland.
Jessie Lawlier, probably one of the greatest heroes of the living age.
Especially notable for killing the Glass Heart Witch who had plagued the Tundra years ago.
Though Rainn was young enough that he hadn't really lived under the rule of that Witch anyway.
Still, everyone knew the freaking story and it was an awesome one.
He'd gone to bed many nights after hearing his ma or pa tell him that story.
Lawlier was a freaking badass. He saw there was an empty seat next to her, too.
Then he started sweating profusely and decided to take the nearest seat instead.
Best to stay among his own kind. The other urchins who just wandered in here by accident.

Rainn looked to his right and immediately saw a creepy guy staring deeply into his eyes.
"Ah!" Rainn let out a quiet bark.
However, in this kind of atmosphere, it really cut through the silence.
Everyone turned to look at him for a moment.
And he felt like a darn fool.

Thankfully, however, a familiar sound came from behind to break the tension.
CLANG. Sen entered the room just in time to rescue him from the social embarrassment.
Although his armor wasn't really all that shiny. At least he was a Knight.

"Then you must be Ser Sen," Reggie remarked, with a cool appraisal of the other man.
"Yes, a Knight of Northern Rock sure makes a strong impression."
"What a dashing suit of armor... I'm Reggie, by the way. Er, Lord Bartlesby."

"..." Sen didn't say anything for a moment.
Then, Rainn noticed, the tall man looked somewhat embarrassed.
"... Thanks. About the armor, I mean. Yeah. I'm Sen."

Rainn glanced around the room.
He wondered when the Queen was going to arrive.
Honestly, if one thing was going to make this trip worth it...
Being able to see the Queen of Esland would be fantastic.
He imagined she must probably be beautiful.
That was, like, a rule of Royalty.

Lady Brezwicz stood from her seat and regarded the room with a cool stare.
Amazingly, she did not have to gesture or make a sound.
Everyone fell silent as all eyes fell upon her.
"Thank you for your polite nature. It appears we have succeeded in gathering some truly noble allies."
Liona smiled at him and Rainn felt his heart sink into his shoes.
"Why don't we each introduce ourselves, then?"
"Before we proceed I find it best if everyone is on speaking terms."
Liona inclined her head slightly. She wore a humble expression as she spoke next.
"For those who may not know, I am Liona Brezwicz. The Sworn Sword of Queen Lana."

Rainn looked around the room again. But where was the Queen...?

To Liona's left, Reginald Bartelsby was seated.
Reggie introduced himself very enthusiastically for the fifteenth time today.
He even joked about how he had already greeted each person once before.

The next was a researcher from High Point.
He introduced himself as Aster Crawford.
Apparently he had come here representing the School of Magical Arts.

Heck, Rainn didn't even know such a school existed.

Dalamar was seated next to Aster. He was a Goblin who had worked closely with Queen Lana.
Apparently he knew the Iron Knight very well, which made him a surprisingly important figure.
Being a scholar as well, it was no surprise he had drawn Aster to him.
---

And to his left was Y, a strange man who claimed to have come through some kind of.... Portal.
Rainn had heard about them finding some kind of Gate during the recent expedition.
But he didn't think he'd see a person from another world so soon.

After that was a man named Rutherford, a Knight of Frantz.
He stood up to introduce himself and gave a very formal impression to the room.

"Say, Ser Rutherford," Sen asked suddenly, not reading the mood in the room.
Since he had a question, he simply cut in. "Didn't they used to call you Beastmaster?"
"You know, like them guys out in the West of Arland...?"

Reggie scratched his nose. "Oh, yes. I'd heard about that too. I was wondering, but-"

Rutherford smiled. He answered them in a wise and measured tone.
"I've never thought of myself as anyone's master."
"But I have made very good friends with some... creatures that weren't Human."

The creepy looking man to Rainn's right reached out his hand.
He touched Rutherford on the arm and guided the other man to his seat.
Then, the creepy guy simply curled his fingers together.
"I'm Blackwater," he said simply.

Rainn felt a chill run down his spine.
He knew of the Blackwater Clan. Necromancers, the whole lot of em.
Then, he realized, everyone was looking at him.
Rainn's eyes grew wide and he jumped to his seat.
His chair shrieked loudly as it almost fell over.
It was followed by the sound of Sen chuckling.
Then Rainn looked around the room once more.
"Name is Rainn. I'm from Undercity. We... we weren't summoned but-"

"Queen Lana was hoping that anyone who heard the message would come,"
Liona replied to him, kindly. In a way she was cutting him off, but, he didn't feel insulted.
Rather, it felt more like he was being rescued from the awkwardness of trying to put together a complete sentence.
"We weren't able to send a messenger to every single holding across the continent."
"But we are glad that you could come, Rainn."

Sen pounded on the table. "Darn right."
"You gotta be here to represent your people's."

Everyone stared at Sen for a moment.
Then they looked to the person who had seated to Rainn's left.

"I'm Kennedy Erensworth," he told them. "My father worked with Aldus, who used to work for the King."
"Lana asked me here to give some advice on geography and other matters."
"Figured I'd stick around and see things through." He gave the room a nod.

After Kennedy sat down, a very pretty young woman named Macina rose.
She took a moment to flatten out her skirt and take a proper posture.
It made Rainn feel stupid, how calm and collected they all seemed.
And him nearly falling out of his chair like some bumpkin.
He was thinking so deeply about it that he barely heard anything Macina said.

By the time he snapped back to attention, Sen had already introduced himself and was pointing his thumb at the next guy.

"Martin Spade," Martin said bluntly. "You all know who I am."
---

There was a very odd Mismatched Palette Girl sitting beside Martin.
Honestly, Rainn had no idea how he hadn't noticed her before.
But the reality was that there was some kind of mystical quality about her.
She definitely stood out.
The moment he consciously laid eyes on her he knew she was freaking weird and unique.
Maybe even just as much as that Y guy sitting on the other side.
"I'm Sunday. I came here to make Friends," Sunday told them all.
For some reason, Rainn got a creepy feeling.
It was the same as with Blackwater.
But different somehow.
She wasn't scary because she worked with Death Magic or anything like that.
She was just scary because she was different.
The fear of the unknown.

Beside the Palette Girl was none other than Jessie Lawlier, who basically needed no introduction.
Still, she gave a very humble one. She rose to her feet and leaned on the table unsteadily.
Rainn heard that she had hurt her leg badly during one of the recent wars,
But he didn't know the whole story.
Consider she had very apparent troubles with her balance he supposed the rumors must be true.
Jessie told them that even though she wasn't from around here, she considered Esland her home.
She was just as invested in this world as any of the rest of them.
And, somehow, Rainn found himself believing it.
Heck, he'd probably believe just about anything she said.
Meeting the Jessie Lawlier in person was like...
Heck, it was like meeting the Elf Queen or the Prince of Trumpets from any other fairy tale.
Or maybe it was something like meeting a Queen?

The girl seated in between Jessie Lawlier and Liona Brezwicz did not have much presence.
She was slumped down in her chair with one heel up on the seat, and her other leg hanging down.
Her hat was half worn on her head, and messy hair tumbled out from beneath.
Her eyes, the color of burned ivory, seemed to soak in and absorb everything around her.
But she wasn't reflecting any of it.
She was pale skinned and somewhat frail, but had an odd and distant strength to her.
Like maybe she was capable of more than you'd guess at a first glance.
Then, as Rainn saw her face, he remembered another story he had heard long ago.

The Tale of the Disfigured Daughter.

Her cheeks, forehead, and nose were an odd flush.
It was as if she had been standing out in the cold, only she hadn't.
Noticing it like that it made the same flush on the tips of her ears stand out.
But, most striking of all, were the red markings that decorated these same regions of her skin.
The King of Esland was rumored to have been impotent,
But finally one of his Queen's who he had locked in a tower bore him a child.
A daughter. One who had been marked by scars and didn't appear in court very much.

But if the King had died not too long ago, then-...

"I'm Lana Lake," the girl replied in a soft voice. "Thank you all for coming."

CLANG.

That would be Sen, doing something embarrassing.

[A New Story Begins]

1. Who should serve as the next POV Character?
A. Continue with Rainn.
B. Aster Crawford, the Scholar from High Point
C. Macina Mocol, a Honey-Haired Maiden
D. Someone Else (WRITE-IN)

(Seriously if you want just write anyone else in. I don't even have a strong idea yet since I was planning to have the introduction just be one part but it's getting too long already and will require two parts.)
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D. Blackwater
---

I vote C.
---

C
---

D. Sunday
---

Lana


---

Reg posted...

D. Sunday

---

Eddv posted...

D. Blackwater

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a fun little esland map for my geography Fools


---

C for now

just feels the most fitting to me atm
---

People don't want A Mismatched POV Girl smh
---

btw are you guys fine with this amount of set up or are you like ready to get back into the action?

because honestly I love writing this kind of stuff and developing the characters but I always have this anxiety that people are going to get bored if I don't send them back into the more dramatic situations like battles and such
---

I'm fine with setup. Worldbuilding is fun
---

D.Blackwater.

Also, yeah im fine with this, honestly this is usually my favorite part of the story.
---

Yeah, this is probably my favorite part tbh.
---

what they said
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voting for C
---

[Questions]

Macina Mocol was a girl who had always had a lot of questions in her life.
"Macina," her father had said. "You can be a warrior or you can be a lady."
"You can't be both. You understand that, right?"

"... Why not?" Macina had asked him.

To this day she continued to live that same philosophy.
A flower could grow on the battlefield, and it could still grow thorns.
Whether she was right or wrong she wanted to live her own way.
And, ultimately, if someone told her something she wanted to know why it had to be that way.
If they couldn't give her a good reason then she'd never listen to them.

This will be important later.
So remember it.

Sen, the Knight of Northern Rock, was seated to her left.
At the declaration of Lana Lake, the Queen of Esland, that idiot oaf had just...

CLANG!

"W-Wait? She's the Queen? Seriously?! HER?!"
That's what his eyes seemed to be saying.
And Macina could see those words on his tongue.
She had always had the ability to read people's speech.
And before that idiot oaf could release those incredibly rude words into the world around him.
Before those words could touch the ears of the Queen,
Macina had to act.

CLANG!

Macina elbowed him as hard as she possibly could.

"Oof!" was the only sound that escaped Sen's lips, as he toppled back into his chair.
As his ass thumped into the seat, his gaze shifted to the girl sitting to the right of him.
However, what he found was not what he expected.

Sen put on his best intimidating stare and was ready to glare daggers at the person who had just hit him.
And he expected, in return, to find a cool stare.
Probably, Sen picture in his mind, a scene like this:
So I'm super pissed off because this girl just elbowed me.
I turn to glare at her. She's trying to stare me down like she isn't intimidated.
But then she sees the manly fire burning in my eyes and she lets out a yelp.

Instead, what he saw... was this...

Sen turned toward the offender, his eyes howling with pain.
And Macina-

...--wasn't even looking at him!

She was patting down her skirt as she adjusted her seating carefully.
As if she had not just done that. As if she was just trying to get comfortable.
"Had she only--? Bumped into my by accident, maybe?"
Those are the thoughts he was having now. She could read him still.

Macina had to smile internally to herself.
As that idiot oaf was surely confused beyond belief,
His animal brain could not comprehend what had just happened.
Sen's mouth slowly closed and, with an angry glare, he slumped into his chair wordlessly.

The Queen continued.
"Life in Esland is easy now. Easier than it has ever been in our lifetimes."
"I think everyone here can agree with me when I say that," Lana continued.
"But I do not claim to take credit for this. No... it's by coincidence... that I managed to reign during such times."

Liona glanced sideways at the Queen, and looked as if she wanted to say something.

Instead, Lana caught her breath and continued. "Well, anyway,"
"I would say I'm more the type of ruler who has a different design."
"Maybe... this doesn't sound so nice to say it out loud, but... this is just the way it is."

Macina didn't say anything, but she could tell what the others were thinking.
Lana Lake was not that great at public speaking. She definitely wasn't a Beautiful Royalty type.
She didn't appear to be strong. And she certainly wasn't bold.
Half of them were probably wondering why they ever wasted their time coming here.
---

Just to listen to the ramblings of a weak and absentminded young Queen?

"I think I'm the kind of ruler who will probably make things worse," Lana said at last.
There was an odd determination to those words. "Because of my foolish ambitions."

It was Rutherford who spoke up first.
Beastmaster was what Sen had called him, but Macina knew him by another name.
"Gentle Knight" was what he had been called during the war.
Reportedly he had been the type to always treat prisoners kindly.
Additionally, whenever he occupied an enemy city or stronghold,
He was known for letting the people there wander freely and continue their daily lives.
Perhaps, though, this kind of "Gentle Knight" was the reason why things had mended so quickly.
After the Disputed Kingdom found peace with Frantz only ten years ago.
One would expect there to be more animosity that still lingered.
But, honestly, maybe it was guys like Rutherford who had always made a strong impression during the war.

"My Queen," Rutherford said, "I think it all depends on where your ambitions lay."
"There are some things I would certainly fight for. Even if it made my life worse."
"I'd probably like to try it. And others... well... some things are difficult to inspire me."

"I feel the same way," Lana told him with an awkward, close-mouthed smile.
Macina had been trying not to pay attention but it was hard not to notice.
When Lana spoke you could see that some of her teeth were crooked,
and she had what looked like a few extras as well.
Getting a clear glance was difficult and it would be rude to stare, especially at the Queen.
However, when Lana smiled, she always smiled with her mouth closed.
The Queen continued. "I'm not afraid of facing hard times if it means making the world a better place."
"But I don't want to go forward alone. I want to know that I have the support of the people."

Reggie nodded enthusiastically and looked to Lana.
"All of the people of Esland, from the Tundra down to High Point in the South."
"I see you've brought them from all over the Realm, my Queen."

"Well, what is your ambition then?" Martin Spade asked, flatly.
"It seems there are some here who know of it already."
"The rest of us are merely waiting for your-..." Martin's words trailed off.
He realized he was getting to be a bit too blunt, especially when speaking to a Queen.
His eyes drifted to Liona Brezwicz and his mouth closed on its own.

Macina found herself studying those at the table as well.
Who here would know of it already?
Liona for certain, and likely Dalamar as well.
It was interesting that Martin himself had been kept out of the loop.
But based on his prior comments he clearly didn't know.
Macina looked to the man on her right, Kennedy Erensworth.
Earlier he said that Lana had called him here to have a meeting, but he had stayed after.
That meant that he likely knew details of whatever she was planning.

"If we are invaded by the Fairies, what do you think will happen?" Lana asked the room.
---

"We'll defend our lands," Sen was the first to reply.
Reggie thumped the table. "Damn right. This kid knows what it's all about."
"I'd fight as well," Martin added, simply.
Macina found herself looking at the people from the Tundra.
"I doubt they'd bother me. Why should I do anything about it?"
That was the expression that Rainn seemed to be showing, but he was keeping silent.
Of course that kind of meek idiot would never think beyond his own self.
Macina had to speak up in order to prevent those without courage from fleeing.
"All of us here would fight to defend our homes," she said. "I don't doubt the courage of this council."
She didn't believe that but she said it anyway.
It was important to preserve the mood at the table.

Lana smiled a crooked, close-mouthed smile at her.
"Yes, I think so too. The people of Esland are really amazing."
Lana, definitely, believed what she was saying.
She actually saw the best in people. All of them, even the ones gathered here.
"But I got to thinking something. There might be something even better than defending our lands."
"Our chance to do something... something.... amazing. To make our mark on history."

Macina felt a weird tingling sensation in her arms. Just what was that?

"Instead of waiting around for the enemy, why don't we go after them first?"
Lana Lake was thinking. Those were the words that were trapped inside her.
Only... no. She had actually said them out loud. Such a meek girl actually said such ridiculous words.
"Like never before in history. Not only to stop the invaders, but go where they are and soundly destroy them."

"You want to... go..." it was Blackwater who uttered his first words since the council began.
He had an incredibly pretentious look on his face, as if he wanted to call her stupid.
"--Ahem. Forgive me, My Queen, but, surely you don't mean-"

"Why not?" Macina Mocol asked.
Oh. That was the feeling she had felt.
The building of curiosity inside of her.
Something that wasn't quite as familiar as it had once been.
Because no one had ever proposed something ridiculous in front of her.
Not in a long while anyway.
And to hear someone say that 'surely Lana didn't mean it.'
And 'surely it would be impossible to win such a victory.'
Macina only caught herself wondering the same thing she had always wondered.
Why not? Why couldn't they do it? Why couldn't they win? Why couldn't they at least try?
Her hands went to her legs and she felt her fingers curl.
They were shaking with anticipation now.
She had a big, toothy smile that she was wearing and her eyes were wide.
"My Queen, I think this sounds like a fascinating idea."

"Thank you, Lady Mocol," Lana replied. "But I would still like to hear from the others."
She took a moment to catch her breath again. "Even those who disagree with me."

"My brother died on Catharsis," Blackwater felt the need to remind the room.
"He was caught unawares on a foolish quest, and perished from prime ignorance."
"Such a death is sad but forgivable. He could not have known the Fairies would invade."
Blackwater shook his head. "This kind of endeavor seems unforgivable, by contrast."
"We know where the enemy is and we know they are dangerous. Why go there just to die?"

Kennedy Erensworth leaned on the table and looked at the other man, giving him a deep stare.
"My brother died there as well." He crossed his arms and locked his hands on his elbows.
At that moment, Erensworth looked pretty intense. "That's exactly the reason I want to go back."
---

Macina could read his thoughts at that moment.
Even if she didn't have her particular gift, she saw it in his eyes.
"I want to pay them back for killing my brother," is what Erensworth left unsaid.
And Blackwater responded with a silent; "Me too, but it's all hopeless."
Macina made a mental note of those thoughts and kept silent.

Reggie squirmed in his chair. "The folks in Marietta are enjoying peaceful times right now."
"The war in Northern Rock ended only ten years ago," he went on.
"I don't think they'd like to be dragged into fighting again, but...."
"Perhaps, for a noble cause..." Reginald sounded uncertain.
To the extent that even his thoughts seemed in turmoil and Macina couldn't read him.
Even Reggie didn't know exactly what he wanted to do yet.

"You want to go to Catharsis, by ship, I assume?" Martin asked.
The Spade had jumped right past the participation vote and was already planning logistics.

"This is one possible avenue of attack," Liona Brezwicz told him.
For some reason it felt like she was deflecting from the true answer to the question.
"But it sounds as if you are interested in waging such a campaign, Martin?"

Martin sat up straight in his chair. "My talents are best utilized in war."
"If you're offering me an enemy to fight, I find it hard to refuse."

Macina knew from personal experience that Martin was not just saying that to sound cool.
The guy probably did not have much interest in anything else.
To put it bluntly, if it happened away from the theater of war, Martin probably did not care.
That made him a valuable and dangerous general.
However, in times like this, he was probably a bland and unfulfilled guy.

Rutherford, following up on his earlier remark, had this to say:
"That is the kind of ambition I could see myself fighting for."

For some reason, Blackwater, who was seated beside him, gave him an odd look.

Lana nodded at each in turn. The mood seemed generally enthusiastic, Blackwater exempted.
But there were some who had not spoken their minds yet.
"And what of High Point? Northern Rock?" Lana looked to Rainn. "The Undercity?"

Rainn scratched his nose.
"I think if they knew such important decisions were being made, they would not have sent me."
That is exactly what he was thinking. Macina read his mind.
But, he said something else. Something a bit more delicate.
"I'm not against the idea, but I think I'd like to contact the Elders in Undercity."
"Um, what I mean is," he began to stumble over his words like before.
"D-Don't postpone your little discussion just on my account."
"Cause, you know, what I think probably doesn't matter too much."

Sen laughed to himself and leaned over the table so he could get a better look at Rainn.
"Come on, man, they sent you here as a representative. You should be more bold."

"Is that what you plan to do?" Liona asked Sen.

"Sure, why not?" Sen smiled a stupid smile. He put his hands on the table.
"Heck, I think this sounds like a great idea. People in Arland are strugglin' too."
"If we go and cause hell for those Fairies it might give relief to them guys in the West."

"Well, historically, the Arlanders have not been our allies," Reggie reminded him.
"Still, I really like your spirit, kid. This is the true mettle of a Knight of Northern Rock, then, isn't it?"
---

Macina sighed as politely as she could and tried to pretend that Sen didn't exist.
It really annoyed her that he had used her 'why not' catchphrase, as well.
Even though he was probably too dumb to have done it on purpose.

"I wouldn't do this for Arland," Macina cut in, bluntly, killing the mood.
"But I would gladly fight on your behalf, My Queen."

The scholar who had come here from High Point was the only one who hadn't really given his opinion yet.
It could be assumed that the others here must have spoken to Lana in private before.
It made sense, because most of them were her friends who stayed in or near the palace at most times.
Aster Crawford put a finger in his mouth and began chewing on it absentmindedly.
He leaned back in his chair and even put his foot up on the table.
It seemed he was aware that others were staring at him, waiting for him to speak.
But it also was apparent that he wasn't going to talk until he had formulated all of his thoughts.

Macina tried to read his face but it was too complicated.
Trying to predict a man who had this much intelligence was like trying to do calculus in her head.
Macina subdued her instinct to throw something at him.
After all, she was still a Lady. She had chosen that path as well.
"Mr. Crawford," Macina said in a sweet voice. "Your thoughts?"

"Mm mm mm..." He had an odd, hollow, quiet laugh that he kept to himself.
His eyes held a far off and distant expression. Was he thinking? Or fantasizing about something?
"Everyone in this room, can you all do me a favor then? My answer will depend on it."

The people here looked at each other.
No one said anything.

"At once, without discussing it. If you have an opinion, I want to hear them."
Aster's chair THUMPED as he let it fall and he sat up straight.
Then he looked each of them in the eye one by one.
"Remember this. I'll know if you're lying."
"But don't worry about speaking over each other."
"I'll record every single reply." He tapped his head. "My mind is capable of that."

"So, tell me, between everyone in this Council of Esland."
Aster took a deep breath. He closed his eyes.
It was as if he was really mentally preparing to absorb all of their answers at once.
Then, his eyes snapped open.

"Who here thinks it is possible to capture a Fairy alive?!"

The replies came as such:

"Heck, I dunno."
"..."

"Sounds dangerous."
"..Hm."
"I have no thought on it."
"By the Gods!"
"Aster, you-"
"No."
"Perhaps."
"Why should we?"
"It should be possible."
And Macina's own "Why not?"

Overwhelmingly, they seemed to think it was possible.
Aster slowly looked to the Queen. "With that reply it sounds as if you do not approve?"

"In war there are always prisoners," Lana replied tactfully.

"And if I request that we capture a Fairy so that I may-"

"I will not let you perform experiments on a prisoner," Lana cut him off.
She could be fierce when she needed to, that Queen.
---

Aster let out a sigh and slumped into his chair.
"Well, perhaps seeing them will be enough."
He shrugged. "I think I'd still be curious to participate."
He muttered something quietly, and Macina found herself reading his words.
He made himself easy to read at that time.
"Even if Lana wouldn't let him do what he wanted."
Something like that.

"In the interest of moving things along," Lana said, looking to Blackwater. "I'd like to hear your final thoughts."

Blackwater did not squirm, even beneath her burned ivory eyes.
Even under the gaze of royalty. "I do not know where my heart lay, yet."
"But I think I'd like to stay a while and listen to what you have to say."

Lana gave him a slight nod. It seemed she approved of this kind of thinking.
Even though Blackwater thought her ambition was hopeless, he still wanted to hear it.
That's because he still held out some hope that it might be possible.
His view might be defeatist but he hadn't completely shut himself off to the idea of a better future.
Macina, reading all of this from Lana, found herself smiling as well.
She liked the Queen.

"Earlier," Martin cut in, "you mentioned one avenue of attack."
"Are you saying we plan to fight a war on multiple fronts?"

"Even with both our armies that wouldn't be a smart idea," Sen replied.

"I agree," Martin agreed. "But, maybe-"

"No, Martin," Liona told him. "Our plan is to discuss different potential theaters of war."
"And decide among ourselves where to best allocate our resources."

Martin frowned. "Yes, something along those lines is more tactically sound."

Macina found herself thinking the same thing but she didn't voice her agreement.

"Then perhaps we should start with the strangest notion," Lana told them.
She almost seemed like she wanted to laugh at herself in that moment.
"Um, this is my friend Y. He comes from a land called Sea-Quartz. Y, would you?"

And finally the gray man who had been sitting at the table stood up.
He was very anxious and uncertain, but also very easy to read.
His body was not like one that Macina might expect to see.
No, wherever Sea-Quartz was, it was not from around here.

"I come from a world that was conquered by the Fairies long ago," Y told them.
"Recently a portal between Sea-Quartz and this place, um, Purgatory, was discovered."
"I know... I know you guys don't have much reason to care about me or whatever, but..."
"With that portal still being there I thought maybe... Well, Dalamar and I were thinking."
"It might be a good idea to send a force into Sea-Quartz and recapture it."

"Your proposal is to recapture a world that has already been conquered by the Fairies?"
It was Blackwater who voiced his concerns here, and he had the same look on his face as earlier.

"It is but one possible avenue of attack," Liona curtly told him.

"It's easy to have all the answers when you use the same one for each question," Blackwater observed.
His tone was clearly sarcastic.
Disrespecting the Sworn Sword of the Queen was probably not-
---

"Now, Blackwater." Rutherford turned and smiled at the man sitting beside him.
But his hand went to the other man's shoulder. There was a brief moment of extreme tension.
Between those two, for sure, Macina felt it. She wasn't sure if anyone else did.
Rutherford's tone was insanely polite, but Macina could read him. His tone did not match him.
"That's not any way to speak to a Lady, is it?"

"..." Blackwater didn't say anything. He removed the other man's hand.

"Fine, I'll say it," Sen piped in. "What do we get outta invading Sea-Quartz?"

"As long as that portal remains open, it could pose a threat in the future," Liona reminded him.
That was for Blackwater and all those gathered here as well.
"The portal is in Ishiene's Labyrinth, which is located near to Frantz."
"It should be of great concern to all those gathered here."

Martin looked to Sen, who was seated beside him.
"This is a great front of battle, to begin with. The portal provides a natural chokepoint."
"Think of it this way," he quickly drew the outline of a map on the table with his finger.
However, by the time he finished, Erensworth had already taken out a map to share with him.
"My thanks," Martin said. He'd continue, using the real map for reference. "Say we invade Catharsis from Haven."
"The Fairy forces, in retaliation, could land their forces anywhere on the western coast."
"Really, ultimately, they would be able to choose where to strike us in return."
"We'd end up fighting a battle on many fronts."

"Now, compare that to, say, fighting a war in that doorway right there,"
Martin pointed to the door. "As long as we post forces at the door, they will hold that position."
"Everything that we do can logistically operate outward from this point."
"As long as we hold the door, we have our foothold of invasion."
"And we can focus all of our resources on protecting this base without worrying about being attacked at other landing points."

"That-" Liona stared at him for a few moments. "Is a really good point, Martin."

Martin seemed to brighten up once the idea of battle was being discussed. "My thanks, Lady Brezwicz."

"This is why a Council is valuable to me," Lana told them.
She was more cheerful now as well. It took all of her focus to stop herself from smiling.
Her hand even went to her mouth, covering it to hide her teeth.
"Each person here has a unique perspective and can tell me things I wouldn't know on my own."

Erensworth leaned over to the map and moved it more toward the center of the table.
"However, I had some thoughts of my own." He pointed to the island region between Esland and Arland.
"Catharsis. The place where Fairies have staged their invasion into the Realm Gate that leads to Hell."
"They're already fighting a difficult battle here against the Demons."
"I say we hit them from behind, recapture Catharsis, and-"

"You want us to fight for the sake of Demons?" Sen asked him.

"Well, they would make powerful allies," Erensworth told him.
"Besides, the days of Demonic Occupation are long since gone."

Y looked between the two men as if he had no idea what they were talking about.
"I've only met one Demon since coming to this world," Y told him. "He seemed like a nice fellow."
---

Sen let out a sigh. "I mean... it's not the worst possible plan."

"It's a more tactically difficult position," Martin chimed in. "But I think it yields greater rewards."
"We don't have an easy way to contact the Demonic forces ahead of time, but,"
"I can't imagine a scenario in which they'd be ungrateful if we recapture the Gate."

"Not to be a bother, but," Rainn meekly interjected, "Isn't a Naval Invasion a problem?"
"We don't hear about much in Undercity, but, everyone knows. You know."
"About how, um, Blue Wing destroyed the Arland Fleet?"
"How exactly could we hope to win by sending ships against her...?"

Macina looked at Liona Brezwicz and then at Rainn. He didn't know?

"I have defeated the Fairies in Naval Combat," Liona Brezwicz said simply.

Rainn looked like he wanted to hear more about that.
And, really, who wouldn't?
If Macina didn't already know the story she'd certainly be interested to hear more.
Even knowing it she felt like she wanted to hear it again.

Martin, however, had already thought of something else.
"But, really, that just brings to mind another-"

"You're thinking of Arland, yes," Liona told him. "We have considered that as well."

Erensworth spun the map around and planted his finger on the southern cape of Arland.
"The Silver City, here, was the first to be captured by the Fairies."
"Right now they are struggling in the Untamed Lands of Western Arland."
"I doubt they're defending the Silver City with much gusto."

Aster Crawford sat forward in his seat, suddenly interested in what was going on.
Macina made a mental note of that.

"It'd be a more difficult battle," Rutherford pitched in.
"But I think we can better predict how Arland will respond than Demons."
"And it might be possible to contact them ahead of time."

"If we mean to mount an invasion by sea we should go from Haven," Martin remarked.
"It might be a good idea to start hiring mercenaries now, as well," he added.

"Mercenaries?" Macina couldn't help but give him an annoyed, sideways look.
"We have plenty of Knights and Crown Soldiers at our disposal, Spade."
"Must we really rely on Mercenaries for such an important task?"

"Are you too noble to fight alongside hired swords?" Martin asked her seriously.
"I assure you their arrows are just as effective at dropping foes."

Macina, rubbing her palms, tried to put her own personal feelings and reservations aside.
When she was younger her father had hired some mercenaries to help protect their lands.
But those men had simply taken the gold and left without fulfilling their end of the deal.
When tracked down later they claimed they had been out patrolling the region,
But it was obvious they had simply taken the payment and vanished.
Macina couldn't put those kinds of reservations aside.
"I would rather not rely on someone who is unreliable by nature."

"So you'd hire a man to repair the roof of your stable,"
Martin inquired, "but you wouldn't hire a man to hold a spear for you?"
"Why not? What is the difference?"

Sen, who was seated beside Macina, looked at her.
"Sellswords aren't really all that bad, you know. If we're gonna fight we'll need more men."
"Even more than Northern Rock and the houses gathered here can offer."
---

Macina, however, was starting to get even more annoyed.
For one thing she didn't even know that she could trust this bastard from Northern Rock.
After all, the war had only ended ten years ago.
Lana herself had still been alive and an adult while people were still killing each other over it.
And it should be noted that the Northern Rock dissenters had supported a Spade-Corridon dynasty.
Was it just a coincidence that the Spade and the Knight of Northern Rock had sat next to each other?
Or that they seemed to be ganging up on her now?
Maybe Macina was just a southern girl who didn't know much, but,
When Spades and men from Northern Rock started agreeing with each other so boldly, she-

"That expedition into Ishiene's Labyrinth, recently," Rutherford spoke up, out of nowhere.
The Gentle Knight seemed to be reminiscing on something, even though he hadn't been there.
"We sent some of our Frantish Knights. Good men. Talented, too. Trained by the Iron Knight himself."
"None of them came back, though. The only guy who made it out was a Sellsword we had hired."

"This is true," Y added. "I was there."
"I heard that your Frantish Knights fought bravely, but..."

"I hear it was a terrible place," Rutherford said. He shook his head in disgust.
"We're lucky anyone made it out alive, really. Anyway, my point is..."
"Sometimes you need more than just Knights to succeed."
"Sometimes you have to bring every single card you have to the table,"
"And hope that by the end you can make a full hand."

Macina felt herself cooling down.
She fluffed her skirt and shifted her position again.
She smiled at Rutherford.
"I agree, Ser. We should make use of every advantage we have."

"Ahem." Aster had to be the one to speak up at that moment.
That weird guy was probably going to say something else unusual, wasn't he?

"If we're talking about Arland liberation, there's something you may want to know."
Aster looked at Lana Lake, and he looked her right in her eyes.
That's because he was about to say something that sounded insane.
And he didn't want her to think that he might be lying.
She had to be looking into his eyes and know that he was telling the truth.
And for Macina, who could read him, she read this intention.
Therefore, she continued to watch him as well.
She would be able to tell if he was lying. It was important for her to watch.

"The Silver Prince of Arland... is actually in High Point right now."

[Chapter End]

2. Which Invasion Plan would you pursue?
A. Liberation of Sea-Quartz. [Ground Force]
B. Recapture the Hell Gate on Catharsis. [Naval]
C. Reclaim the Silver City of Arland. [Naval]
---

SEA-QUARTZ
+ No need to use a Naval Force
+ Most tactically sound position to mount an invasion from
+ Most Fairy forces have likely abandoned the place by now
+ Secure the Portal just in case
- Not much to gain by capturing a dead, empty world
- Probably not likely to secure many allies this way
- Forces might feel like they are fighting for nothing

CATHARSIS
+ Capture the Hell Gate and free up the Demonic Forces
+ Those who suffered losses on Catharsis will feel inspired by this option
+ Demons are incredibly strong Allies
- Demons are not that reliable, and you can't contact them ahead of time
- Requires a Naval Invasion
- You'll probably have to fight against Unstoppable Blue Wing

SILVER CITY
+ Reclaim the Silver City and free up Arland Forces
+ People will probably feel happy about fighting to support human allies
+ Silver Prince can be negotiated with ahead of time
- Arland has been at war for ten years and their strength may already be depleted
- Requires a Naval Invasion
- Sending your ships across the Ganthian Sea is a bigger strain
---

Sen would be in favor of Sea-Quartz, because fuck boats

In spite of that, I vote for C. Reclaim the Silver City of Arland
---

A

Let the death of Joe, and of Joe's ancestors, not be in vain!
---

C. seems tactical for a long run, Bluewing is super intimidating and Joe was one of the last resistance members so yeah.
---

B. Catharsis seems like it could give the biggest gains but with the highest risk involved as well, but hey this gives a possible opportunity to see Pearl and the other demons Short sacrificed himself for.
---

Sea Quartz : I

Catharsis : I

Silver City : II

---

Way I see it atm

A. Is "safer" but doesn't really have as much yield unless you go into hypothetical stuff (making a portal from there to Arland, finding some useful stuff there, or just as a big FU to DAAARKNESS multiversal war now!). Realistically I feel biggest thing we can get from this is The Doctor's lab with all those Megaman esque guys (which may or may not have already been gotten to already). Neat but doesn't have much of "BIG HISTORY IMPACT" that was talked about (well I mean it kinda does given the nature of it but I guess I mean more with Purgatory in particular) [there's also a bunch of other potential shenanigans that could be involved]

B. While this is the one I have the most personal investment and interest in (Hope Bros, Demons we saved this game, etc) I feel going for Catharsis is premature (as it is basically Fairy Home Base). Bluewing REKT Arland's fleet which was way stronger than Eslands. Yeah Esland's commander (Liona) is smarter but I don't think that'll be enough against Bluewing who will just smash shit anyway. I just feel you'd need both Arland power, Esland smarts, and a fuck ton of other neat stuff mixed in to have a better shot. On top of this the ANGELS are still a thing so even if they were freed up there's still that to worry about so they may not be as freed up as we think if we were somehow successful.

C. This one feels the most appropriate in terms of "impact" story and strategy. Esland sending aid to Arland when there has been so much animosity between them for so many years. There are also some allies there / Lighthouse so it kind of feels more fitting to me for some of the Esland fleet to head there story wise. One of my bigger concerns this route is Fairies catching wind of it and Bluewing coming anyway with the longer trip getting in the way but I dunno.

There are also potential reservations people may have with Sunday in the mix wherever she really stands
---

C. Reclaim the Silver City of Arland.

Aster's been a lot of fun so far
---