Roll 267 - 14
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(TorrentHKU)
John Freemaneth [ - ] = -
>

"Hmm. A bit surprised it's even still functional.
Is the leader of your forces here? I'd like to talk to them about the near future."

???: "Our chief is one of the warriors that went underground and became trapped. Right now our defenses are being run by a handful of captains that are working together, so we do not presently have only a single wolf in command."

After the guard finishes speaking, you see Blizzard and Lucida walk into view. Following behind them is a woman that looks exactly like Tara, except with longer hair and paler skin. She's completely naked, but her body is featureless, looking more like a doll than a human.

The trio stop a few feet away from you, Blizzard at the front.

Blizzard: "We are here. Are we going to get those reinforcements, or return to Vranhal first?"

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(Roast Veg)
Paradox Mist [ - ] = -
>

Levitating more water out from the river, you let it flow and spin around you in a ring, hovering waist-high above the ground. Releasing control as it's still movnig, the water splashes outwards around in a spray of large dropplets.

This magic stuff is easy!

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(Nighthawk)
Kyros Deiimor [ - ] = -
>

You follow John into the city and listen as he speaks to one of the lupus guards.

John: "Is the leader of your forces here? I'd like to talk to them about the near future."

???: "Our chief is one of the warriors that went underground and became trapped. Right now our defenses are being run by a handful of captains that are working together, so we do not presently have only a single wolf in command."

After the guard finishes speaking, you see Blizzard and Lucida walk into view. Following behind them is a woman with long, black hair, bright green eyes, and deathly pale skin. She's completely naked, but her body is featureless, looking more like a doll than a human.

The trio stop a few feet away from John, Blizzard at the front.

Blizzard: "We are here. Are we going to get those reinforcements, or return to Vranhal first?"

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Roll 267 - 15
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(TorrentHKU)
John Freemaneth [ - ] = -
>

"I'd like to stay and help them, but Atra takes priority right now.
Guardsman, when you manage to unblock the sewers, tell your Chief a force is gathering in Vranhal to strike at Ultima soon. We'd be extremely grateful to have you all on our side."

The guard gives you a firm nod and walks off.

"Atra, how are you?"

She looks at you with depressed eyes, but stays silent. Blizzard slowly, almost unnoticeable shakes his head, as if saying "no."

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Roll 267 - 17
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(TorrentHKU)
John Freemaneth [ - ] = -
>

"Hm. Kyros. What say you to staying here and helping Venari out, actually? Lucidaucupe, Blizzard, Atra, Naomi, Darla, and I can head back to Vranhal to get Atra repaired, and we can probably avoid the lupus better as a small agile group that way."

One of the chirop, the one in the black and white robe who's name you think was... Koa? speaks up.

Koa: "Yeah, I think we can help out a bit here."

Your new party, consisting of LucidAucupe, Blizzard, Atra, and Darla, start heading back to Vranhal.

Aye aye... Blizzard is hard enough for me to talk to... now Atra too? Why can't they be nice and friendly like you.

Naomi: Blizzard is friendly... Well, maybe not friendly, but he's not mean. He's just serious. I think we should let Atra be for some time, it probably felt like dying a second time for her.

You notice that while LucidAucupe and Atra are at the rear of the group, Darla is doing her best to stay at the front of the group, well away from Atra.

Blizzard: "Hey."

You turn around and see Blizzard nod his head towards LucidAucupe.

Blizzard: "What is Aucupe? I asked her, but she doesn't know herself."

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Roll 267 - 18
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(TorrentHKU)
John Freemaneth [ - ] = -
>

"Aucupe? Well... I don't really know either. She was tagging along with Mist when I met up with him, she looked different then, smaller and regular feathers. Got those after a rumble with a corrupted in a basement. What she actually is, your guess is as good as mine. Mist might know.
She's good at magic, good enough to use Lucida well. Though... I'm a bit worried about her right now. Back at Vranhal, Lucida... Lucida took over her I think, when he heard about Elly. They haven't been quite the same since. More tense. Did you talk much with Lucida?"

Blizzard: "Not any more than Aucupe. This Lucida is also different from the one I used to know, a different person inside. Well, I suppose that's a good thing, since we both tried to kill each other, but still worrying."



Yeah, that... that's a good idea. I just... aagh, I hate it when the best course of action is to leave alone. Makes me feel more like a problem than a solution.

You feel yourself being embraced in warmth, and the presence of Naomi strengthens.

Naomi: If you beat yourself up for not being able to help, you'll just hurt yourself.

There's a sound of a woman's laughter in your head, and you feel a small rush of amusement.

Naomi: I think you'd get along with Blizzard, always trying to help everyone. Or maybe you'll fight over which of you is doing the helping.

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Roll 267 - 19
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(TorrentHKU)
John Freemaneth [ - ] = -
>

Dammit Naomi, now I have to be bitter mortal enemies with him and clash upon every occasion until a greater evil than either of us alone comes along and we have to begrudgingly team up to stop it.

You hear more laughing, and turn your attention back to Blizzard.

"Yeah, when I first met him back at Ultima's prison he couldn't remember anything, though he sort of had memories intact. It was a bit of a mess.
Wait.
He wanted to kill you?"

Blizzard: "She wanted to kill me, yes. Many of the enchantments used to create magic weapons before the War of Blades were tampered with, which allowed the weapons to store a conscious and form an avatar.
Caelum's Master Smith saw that as a nuisance and wanted her Disaster weapons obliterated, since all of them were afflicted. The Chaos weapons were deemed too valuable to be destroyed, so I guess someone found a way to clear the conscious from the weapon, but not the enchantment itself."

Your party is almost to Vranhal, looks like you have time for a little more chatter before you get there.

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Roll 267 - 20
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(TorrentHKU)
John Freemaneth [ - ] = -
>

"She? Lucida was definitely a guy when I talked to him.
...Why would that be so bad as to merit destruction?"

Blizzards: "The weapons couldn't be controlled by their master. If it were a regular weapon, you'd just take the weapon and give it to someone else, but you can't do that if the user is inside the weapon.
So many resources poured into a tool that can slay nations. To find out that it is completely out of your control, it would be easy to fear it and hate it.

It probably doesn't help if the conscious of the person it copied was hell-bent on bringing down the entire organization that you belonged to."

By now, you've arrived at Vranhal's southern gate. A guard on the wall waves to you, and the gate slowly raises.

You feel a telepathic message being broadcast in your direction -

???: I got the message from a chirop fellow not too long ago. Tara is on the main road between the west gate and town, Vattii is with her as well.

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Roll 267 - 21
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(TorrentHKU)
John Freemaneth [ - ] = -
>

Thanks, we'll be right there.

"Mm, it does change things when the consciousnesses aren't friendly to you."

You walk up to the front of the party, beside Darla.

"You all good up here Girly?"

Darla: "Yeah, I'm fine."

You're not really sure how fine she really is, being covered in wounds and probably lacking a good sleep.

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Roll 267 - 22
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(TorrentHKU)
John Freemaneth [ - ] = -
>

"Alright. Stay by me when we get there. We'll find a place to sit you down and rest and talk once we get Atra situated."

Darla: "Okay."

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