>>5682752Eventually, the work is done, your armour completed. Each of you is first given a grey-white undershirt and breaches—over which each of you is fitted with some form of armour—though, in the Novice’s case, much light. There is armour, horned and crowned helms fit for true Lords and Ladies—maybe even a King and his Queens. Chitinous chestplates and pauldrons, moulded for musculature and adorned with beaten copper adorn your shoulders and shoulders, while banded mail protects your bellies—our own made with the bands spaced further apart, and your chest-armour looser-fit, to allow for <Dragonshape> transformations. Each of you is given ghoul-leather gloves, specially-treated to make them soft and died burgundy in mushroom-wine, and each of you given a cowl—like a Paladin knight, or a Serpent Priest.
“Ah!” Ekaterine gasps when she sees herself in a basin of wine-water, flinching at first and then staring in fascination. “I look like, like some sort of… Evil queen!”
“A Queen of Darknessss,” you assure her. “Beautiful and terrible to the wicked and decadent, but not evil.”
“B-beautiful…” she murmurs, running fingers over her armour and twirling a little.
“Pathetic,” the Novice scoffs at her behaviour, even as she cranes her neck and quirks her thigh to take in her own robes, cowl, and slim chest-piece with secreted vanity.
You regard yourself as well, not preening but silently appreciating the work of the elves—and yourself. This is YOUR design, after all! You brandish your khopesh, hold it aloft, and imagine directing a tidal-wave of warriors with such a gesture—to take this world and make it yours, ALL of yours!
It will be good to return home, and to survey your kingdom once more.
You send Olu the Archer for the deceased kobold’s mortal remains, and say your farewells. Olu and Jaz linger longer upon that last note than the rest of you, of course, and you allow it—you leave with two loves of your life, while he leaves his behind yet again…
Is there anything you wish to do before you depart?
>Take one more night in a tent with only your two wives—and attempt to seduce them>Leave Oluwadamilare here as a… Liaison, of sorts… So he might stay with Jazkarmel for a longer stay>Get your khopesh appraised by Jazkarmel—you’re curious what it does>Send a message to your ambassador in Wevenore—the Elf-Specialist [what instructions will you convey?]>Speak to Jaz about something else [what?]>No, hurry back to Bloodrise—you’ve tarried long enough 