>>5428660>>5428684>>5428771>>5428810>>5428886"I'm not sure the Kushan would be on our side so easily, we have fought against their past leader."
"We don't need to convince them all of our cause. Merely planting an idea with an influential figure on their side could be advantageous. Aside from that, I wish to establish contact with a Kushan member who won't kill me for merely taking a glance at me. I beg of you, Lord Vlad. I have been waiting for this moment for a long time, perhaps I can finally come to terms with my own ancestry by doing good to their... my people."
Knowing how much it could mean to him and being in a similar journey yourself, you are not one to crush people's dreams.
"Very well, I suppose compromises are to be made in war, it has to end in some other way other than complete annihilation. It’s come to my attention that the Kushan forces may have some particularly potent sorcerers among their ranks. I would ask you to see if you can convince them, more than any else, to join IIos. The older ones especially, given how much experience they’re likely to have. You should have seen the last one I encountered…"
"Certainly so. A man like Daiba would be great to have on our cause, though I'm not sure he would be easily convincible, given the weapon he created..."
"Are you sure you're going to be safe in Wyndham amidst the fight? I'm not sure what that Man-Made Behelit is capable of."
"Being so far away from us, I doubt I could enter his lair and destroy it without losing my life... My apologies, Lord Vlad. I am too cowardly motivated to live to see our faction prosper."
"No, it's alright. It's best for you not to kill yourself either way." You ponder on what else you could speak to him about.
"Is... Is Cindy still alive?"
"Her life presence is very weak and fragile, but so long as her vial isn't emptied, she will find forces to meet with Bernard once more."
"Good. One last thing, do you know anything about sea monsters?"
"I have never been to the sea myself, neither have most Kushan, barring soldiers and casters. Though we are aware of a Varuna that lies deep inside the casket of the corals. It is said never to stray far away from oceanic routes laid out by the connections of earth-sea, or else you would awaken the unknown creatures of the ocean."
"The creature I met did not seem from our world. it managed to seal a whole island off into the astral."
"It is feasible, perhaps not by conventional magic, but by spreading their beliefs."
"Huh?"
"Do you remember your encounter at the forest? The witch could hide herself from public view thanks to the astral roots of her trees. It is possible to replicate that magic in the wall of the collective unconsciousness. Make a small group of humans believe and venerate an entity, and said entity will be given power, even if it did not have any."
