You are Blair Weaver. Mercenary Captain. Dark Flier. Witch. Over the past five years, you’ve been busy making a name for yourself as the leader of the Blackwings, a renowned mercenary company that has seen victory across several fronts of the ongoing Fodlan Unification War. Recently, you and your company participated in the disastrous Battle of Gronder Field, which saw the Empire narrowly defeating the forces of the Faerghus Kingdom and Leicester Alliance.
Lysithea. Mercedes. Shelley. Roxanne. Those were just a few of the friends you’d lost in the doomed attempt to stop Empress Edelgard’s conquest. While you’d manage to do the impossible and defeat your once brother, Rex d’Rusalka, it was of no consequence to the battle’s outcome. The Faerghus Kingdom had effectively been dismantled, and the Alliance’s senior leader was now missing. The Adrestian Empire was now on the verge of ruling all Fodlan.
Now, you and the Blackwings have fled into deep Faerghus territory. The company is weakened, depleted and on the verge of collapse. You must regroup and plan your next move carefully.
>Blair Weaver >Level 42 Seraph Knight (0/100) HP: 61 (90%)
STR: 30 (40%)
MAG: 29 (50%)
DEX: 27 (45%)
SPD: 43 (65%)
LCK: 30 (30%)
DEF: 27 (50%)
RES: 23 (40%)
CHARM: 24 (45%)
>Personal Skill: Fiery Blood+ (+4 Damage and +3 Speed when HP is not at Max)
Transmute: Up to 5x during a battle, you can make a physical attack deal magic damage
+2 STR
+5 HP
>Offensive Skills: Stun: Allows its user to paralyze an enemy unit for one turn. (Activation Chance: Dex)
Lancefaire: (+5 DMG when attacking w/ Lance)
Black Tomefaire (+5 DMG w/ magic)
Darting Blow (+6 SPD when attacking)
>Defensive Skills Rally Spectrum+ (+5 to ally’s stats)
Swordbreaker (+20 Hit and Avoid when facing Sword users)
Alert Stance+ (+40 Avoid when not engaged)
>Proficiencies: Lance: A
Authority/Tactics: A
Reason: A
Flying: A
Axe: D
Sword: D-
Heavy Armor: D
>Spells: Forseti (S Rank, +20 DMG, 30% CRIT, Enemy attacks will miss you for 1 turn, 1 Use)
Fire (E Rank, +3 DMG, 10 Uses)
Thunder (D Rank, +5 DMG, +10% Crit, 5 Uses)
Aircalibur (C Rank, +3 DMG, 3x DMG against flyers, 5 Uses)
Fimbulvetr (B Rank, +12 DMG, +10% Crit, Area of Effect, 3 Uses)
Bolting (A Rank, (+12 DMG, 15% Crit, Long Range Siege Magic. 2 Uses, Range: 20)
>Inventory: Killer Lance+, Axereaver, Magic Staff, Blessed Lance, Strength Tonic >Gold: 7850g Archive:
https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Three+Houses Blackwings Company Info/Supports List:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ESxa3V-d3Mb27ZG97cbRoVMeD6HHEIySF9nJqqd48dc/edit?usp=sharing
TreeHouses QM
>>5690950 >Outside Conand Tower >10 Days After the Battle of Gronder Field “This sucks.” Scratch pipes up helpfully from her seat next to you. You find it hard to disagree. The cold of Faerghus was completely insufferable, and doubly so when you were practically starving. Even when the weather elsewhere in Fodlan was beginning to warm, the remote regions of Faerghus still found a way to be borderline unhospitable for those residing there. You currently sat before a half-frozen lake, fishing rod clutched between your thighs, shivering as you waited for something to bite.
>“You want to eat don’t you?” “Why is it that the captain of the company is doing this type of grunt work?”
Good question. In the chaos and disorder of trying to regroup the company during the aftermath of the battle, the Hellwings had left you a parting gift. They’d burned the undefended supply carriages belonging to the Faerghus Army, effectively destroying much of your company’s baggage and rations. Furthermore, while the Imperials were in no position to pursue the Blackwings, there were plenty of other actors who were. Armies belonging to both the Orthodox Church, as well as the Faerghus Dukedom, were eager to finish you off. In the last 10 days, you and the company had been forced to march day and night to evade your pursuers, with little opportunity to recuperate or replenish. Of the 200 mercenaries you’d began the year with, there were only roughly 40 left, many of whom still bore injuries from Gronder. Now was not the time to pull rank and sit on the side.
>“Because I’m halfway decent at fishing, and we need food.” “Is that so?” Scratch asks, bored. “Well then why am I here? I’ve never fished a damn day in my life.”
>“I can’t just have you sitting around doing nothing. Now’s as good a time as any to teach you some valuable life skills that don’t involve robbing other people.” “You say that like it’s a bad thing.” Scratch argues. “It ain’t uncommon for mercenaries to pick up banditry when things get slow. If you ask me, we should have helped ourselves to that village we passed by a few days back. Maybe it’s not too late? If we don’t, someone else will just rob them anyway.”
You recall that sad-looking hovel Scratch generously referred to as a village. Even before the battle at Gronder Field, Dimitri had neglected his duties to his people. He gathered what resources he could from the populace to aid his all-or-nothing attack on the Empire, and then left them to their own devices, undefended. As a result of his actions, the people have suffered greatly under the absence of real leadership. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that the Kingdom’s remaining land was in a state of utter anarchy. With whatever food that had been available having gone to the army, banditry had quickly become commonplace.
TreeHouses QM
>>5690952 Beyond just the cold, and the bandits and the occasional attack from Dukedom soldiers, the people of Faerghus also had another unique enemy that they were forced to contend with: Sreng Raiders. Little was known about the land north of Faerghus known as Sreng. From what you’d heard, it was an even harsher and crueler land, populated by barbarous raiders with razor-sharp fang teeth. Sreng and Faerghus had always been on unfriendly terms, and border skirmishes around Gautier were common. But with the Kingdom in it’s weakened state, raids from Sreng had become far more common, even as far down south as Conand. Once word spread of Dimitri’s death at Gronder, you expected things in Faerghus to descend even further into hell.
>“We aren’t bandits. And you aren’t one anymore either.” Scratch hardly seems convinced. “Did you hear what those villagers were blabbering about? All that ‘End of the World’ nonsense? You ask me, it sounds like they’ve already accepted their fate. Ain’t no harm in helping them get there a bit sooner so that we don’t starve.”
>“Enough.” You say, beginning to feel an oncoming headache. The Orthodox Church had made a practice of preaching that the end was near. The notion had been a laughable one back in Leicester, but here in deep Faerghus, you could see how it was an attractive idea. If you were a peasant stuck in Conand, beset by all manners of famine, villains, and beasts, what more did you have to look forward to? Making your peace with the Goddess and preparing for the end of the world seemed a much more reasonable alternative than pretending things would somehow get better. “Fine, you’re the boss.” Scratch says unconvincingly. “Seems a waste though.” She gestures with both arms towards Conand Tower, which stands imposingly nearby. “This would make a great hideout.”
>“It used to be one. It was known as the Tower of Black Winds. A bandit with a Hero’s Relic had made it his base.” “Sounds like a smart man. Whatever happened to him?”
A tug on your line wakes up your tired and cold muscles. You’ve finally managed to catch something. You stand up and begin working at reeling it in. The fish on the other end is tough. It’s undoubtedly a big one, and puts up a strong fight, refusing to relent to your pulls. You’re weakened both by the weather and fatigue, but you haven’t found a fish yet that’s been able to stand up-
Your thoughts are interrupted when Scratch suddenly grabs your hands from behind you. You sense the activation of the Crest of Indech as she aids your efforts in reeling the captured fish. It erupts from the lake in a large splash of water, the sudden force toppling you onto your back. The fish lands next to you with a soft thud, flopping limply. It’s an Airmid Pike. A decent size, though hardly enough to cover dinner for everyone.
TreeHouses QM
>>5690953 “Did you see that? I got it in one pull.” Scratch says proudly.
>You get back on your feet, staring down at the disappointing catch before you. “Using a Crest of the Four Saints to catch fish…it somehow seems almost disrespectful.” “Hey, I never asked for this thing, but I’m sure as hell going to use it. So, since we caught something, are we done here?”
>“It’s one fish…it’s hardly enough for everybody…” “But we’ve been out here for hours. And it’s freezing. Maybe that Ashe kid got lucky and caught some game hunting.”
Ashe and a few of the others had volunteered to go into the wilderness and hunt for that night’s meal. Your lover had proven to be a decent hunter, but he was no Boleslav, who had been capable of acquiring the company’s game single-handedly. To make matters worse, the forest surrounding Conand seemed to be scarce on edible wildlife. Ashe and the others would have their work cut out for them. Still, Scratch was right. You’d been at this all day, and only managed to catch one fish. There was no sense in staying out here and freezing to death in vain.
>“Fine. We’ll return to the others. Grab the fish.” “It’s still flopping around though.” Scratch grunts, trying to grasp onto the thing.
Scratch was direct and often to the point, but most importantly, she was the newest member of the company. As such, it was easy to speak to her without feeling the same sense of failure that you did with the others. Objectively, Gronder had been a failure, and one that came off the heels of a devastating battle back in Ordelia. Everyone was counting on you to get them to safety, but once that had been completed, there’d been some talk of some potentially leaving. At only 40 members, the Blackwings were a shadow of the former powerhouse they once were. And now that the Kingdom was gone and the Alliance likely considered you an enemy, jobs were going to be a lot more difficult to come by. It would be hard to justify keeping the company together with the Empire on the verge of victory. There were a myriad of problems you’d have to take care of when you got back to the tower. A flash of blue appears at the corner of your eye. The Crest of Indech.
“It stopped moving!” Scratch yells.
>A): Meet with Corrine and get a grasp on the company’s current situation. >B): Meet with Elizabeth and some of the injured mercenaries. >C): Meet with Ingrid. She’s hardly said a word since joining you. >D): Meet with Anemone. Supposedly she’s made great strides in researching Diogenes’ notes. Anonymous
>Corrine lived >Ashe lived Praise the Heavens, how would we go on without them?
>>5690955 >Meet with Elizabeth and some of the injured mercenaries. It would probably do good for morale if we showed ourselves directly meeting the wounded instead of keeping to our officers only. At least we caught a fish for them. If only potatoes existed in Three Houses, then Faerghus maybe wouldn't be this way.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5690955 >A): Meet with Corrine and get a grasp on the company’s current situation. Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5690955 >“Using a Crest of the Four Saints to catch fish…it somehow seems almost disrespectful.” if only you knew, blair, if only you knew
>>B): Meet with Elizabeth and some of the injured mercenaries. Not where the losses hit hardest, but we could hardly take those with us. These are reminders we have. Gotta be responsible, and be seen being responsible
Anonymous
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>>5690955 >>B): Meet with Elizabeth and some of the injured mercenaries. I'm glad our favs are alive but damn. We are in a very difficult position right now.
Anonymous
>Down to 40 from 150 >Lost 3 officers in the last battle >Lost 2 officers and 50 men in the battle before that Talk about precarious. That's Gronder Field, baby. I'm just glad our other captains made it out.
>>5690955 >B): Meet with Elizabeth and some of the injured mercenaries. The sooner they can get on their feet, the sooner they can help with other matters
or the sooner they can leave of their own accord, which is technically a plus as well but let's hope our presence reassures them. Who knows-- Elizabeth might tell us about what kind of stuff we'll need.
Anonymous
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>>5691097 >Lost 2 officers and 50 men in the battle before that Meant one officer. It was just Boleslav who died at Ordelia, iirc. Elizabeth procced Miracle and was fine.
Anonymous
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>>5690955 >C): Meet with Ingrid. She’s hardly said a word since joining you. She's probably taking this worse than anyone here.
I'm mostly voting for this because we lost a couple of our guys to save her damn it. Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5690955 >A): Meet with Corinne and get a grasp on the company's current situation. We need to know what we're working with, or nobody is living much longer at all.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5690955 >>A): Meet with Corrine and get a grasp on the company’s current situation But I’d like to do B as well, if we could.
This seems slightly more important.
Anonymous
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>>5690955 >B): Meet with Elizabeth and some of the injured mercenaries. Anonymous
Quoted By:
>40 members (?) >Barely any supplies or morale >Losing the war >No allies to rely on >Captains have to fish in a freezing lake to survive Can we really call our little band of travelers a mercenary company anymore? I don't think we'll be taking any jobs anytime soon.
>>5690955 >A): Meet with Corrine and get a grasp on the company’s current situation. Only one way to find out how bad things really are.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5690955 >B): Meet with Elizabeth and some of the injured mercenaries. You know, the comedy of Scratch using her crest to kill a damn fish is pretty good after the previous thread.
But on the upside of losing most of our men and a few commanders... We got Ingrid, that's a plus.
Anonymous
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>>5690955 >>A): Meet with Corrine and get a grasp on the company’s current situation. Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5690967 >>Corrine lived >>Ashe lived hallelujah! praise the lord!
>>5690955 B): Meet with Elizabeth and some of the injured mercenaries.
TreeHouses QM
Quoted By:
B wins. Writing
TreeHouses QM
>>5690955 Conand Tower was in surprisingly good condition. There was still a hole in the roof from Miklan’s transformation into a Demonic Beast. But the lower levels of the “Tower of Black Wind” were certainly still habitable and provided excellent shelter from the harsh wilderness and predators of Faerghus. Perhaps it was due to the local superstitions surrounding the place, but it was truly a miracle that no marauding bandits or raiders had laid their claim here. The storage room at the lower level is what now passes for the company’s infirmary. You enter to find about a dozen cots on the floor, each with a Blackwing sprawled atop. Elizabeth is where she always is, tending to the wounded.
“Blair.” Elizabeth turns her attention away from an injured scout to look up towards you. She looks tired, and even frailer than usual. She’d done a remarkable job of settling into the company, and had proven to be an invaluable healer, but she was still just a village cleric. She was never meant for this life and was far out of her depth of experience. “What are you doing here?”
>“I just came to see if I could help in any way. How is everyone doing?” Elizabeth sighs. “I’ve reached the limit of aid I can provide with my healing. They’ll make it, but they need plenty of rest before they’ll be ready to do anything strenuous.” She closes her eyes, leaning against her staff. “Please don’t tell me you expect any action soon.”
>“I’d prefer not to go starting any fights, but…” “But it’s not your choice to make.” Sebastian says. The knight is sitting up on his cot, having awoken from his slumber. He’d taken a beating back at Gronder, being one of the few survivors of the frontline battle with Edelgard. Both his head and torso were bandaged, covering nasty wounds he’d received in the fighting. You recall it taking the combined efforts of Theo, Scratch and Clay to drag the giant to safety. In the moments since then where he’d drift back into consciousness, his mood was darker than usual. “Hiding in this tower…we’re sitting ducks. It’s only a matter of time until the enemy finds us. The only question is who will it be? The Dukedom? Sreng Raiders? Or perhaps those pale beings. Whoever it is, we’ll be at a disadvantage.”
>“Don’t worry about hypotheticals. Conand Tower is defendable. If anyone comes knocking, I’ll send them packing myself. Just focus on regaining your strength and health.” Sebastian shakes his head. “I know how bad my wounds are. I won’t be fit for marching for quite some time, let alone battle. You’d be better off leaving me behind and escaping this place while you still can.”
“Hey! Don’t lump me in with him!” Mina shouts. The dancer had managed to tear something in her leg during the company’s retreat and was now lying on a cot opposite Sebastian. “Don’t leave me behind for those Sreng guys to find! I hear they do all sorts of disgusting things to-”
TreeHouses QM
>>5691923 >“No one is being left behind!” You shout, irritated. “Remove the thought from your heads. “We got into this together, and we’ll all get out together. I’ve yet to leave a man behind, and I refuse to start now.” Sebastian laughs bitterly, unconvinced by your words. “I made a vow to serve you, captain. I’ve done my duty to the best of my ability. Don’t stay tethered to this place for our sake if it means exposing yourself to those enemies who would love nothing more than to seize your head.”
>“You say all they need is bed rest?” You turn towards Elizabeth. “Surely their must be something else we can do to aid their recovery?” “If our supplies hadn’t been destroyed, I might have been able to do better.” Elizabeth admits tiredly. “But as it stands, we have no surplus of medicinal herbs or vulneraries. And in this wilderness, we’d be hard pressed to find any. There are limits to what healing magic can fix on its own. Unless those items turn up, we’ll just have to wait for their bodies to get better on their own.”
>“You’re from Faerghus. Is there any place nearby that you believe we can receive assistance from?” You ask Sebastian. “Not likely.” The knight says. “The locals have been completely picked clean. First by Dimitri and his army, then the raiders. The larger towns might be in better shape, but I doubt they’ll be willing to help us. We’re not officially with Faerghus after all. We’re just mercenaries. They’ll be looking to keep whatever they have left tightly to themselves. I doubt even our coffers would get them to let up.”
What a headache. Suddenly Scratch’s idea didn’t seem so ludicrous after all. How anyone managed to survive in Faerghus was a mystery. But you stood by what you said. Even if the Agarthans came knocking during your weakest hour, you wouldn’t abandon your comrades just to save your own skin. You’d never be able to live with yourself if you did.
>“I’ll keep it in mind. Rest assured that we won’t be going anywhere without you, so just focus on recovering. You’ve been taking blows for all of us for as long as I can remember. It’s about time that we returned the favor. That goes for you as well, Mina. Get better so that we can all see those dances you’re so proud of.” “Aye, Captain.” Sebastian says, unenthused. Mina simply lies back into her cot and groans.
Sebastian was right about one thing. While Conand Tower was a great place to hold up, you still ran the risk of being heavily outnumbered by enemy forces. You needed to come up with a plan to get the company back on its feet, and fast.
>A): Meet with Corrine and get a grasp on the company’s current situation. >B): Meet with Ingrid. She’s hardly said a word since joining you. >C): Meet with Anemone. Discuss her research and the Agarthans. Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5691925 >A): Meet with Corrine and get a grasp on the company’s current situation. how far is garreg mach
Anonymous
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Glad to see Sebastian made it. He was part of the vanguard, after all. On the plus side, if we do get attacked, we can just take whatever supplies the attackers had, but I'm sure the fight preceding that won't be easy.
>>5691925 >A): Meet with Corrine and get a grasp on the company’s current situation. We need to prioritize, and to do that, we need to know what's going on.
Anonymous
>Mina, Sebastian, Theo and Clay confirmed alive This leaves Yara, Caleb, Milly and Uriel as the only captains who's fate is unknown to us (as players, I figure Blair already knows who didn't make it out at this point). We didn't find Sylvain during our retreat neither, so it's becoming likelier he died at Gronder. But if he survived, Conand Tower is likely a place he'll stop by on the way home to Gautier territory, given his history with the place.
>>5691925 >A): Meet with Corrine and get a grasp on the company’s current situation. Anonymous
>>5691925 >A) Meet with Corrine and get a grasp on the company's current situation. We need to know what we're working with besides the injured.
>>5691938 >if he survived, Conand Tower is likely a place he'll stop by on the way to Gautier territory, given his history with the place Wouldn't he more likely avoid anything that reminded him of Miklan at a time like this? If we're going to find him, we're going to have to roll up to his house. That goes double if he's leading some last remnant of Kingdom/Blaiddyd loyalists or something.
Anonymous
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>>5691925 >A): Meet with Corrine and get a grasp on the company’s current situation. Anonymous
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>>5691954 Well, just like us he would know it to be free of bandits due to it's reputation and that it would be able to provide shelter on his trip back north. He can't just stop anywhere he likes, he was part of Dimitri's army when they went around pillaging villages after all.
Anonymous
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>>5691925 >B): Meet with Ingrid. She’s hardly said a word since joining you. I still think she's taking this worse than anyone here. It might be good to nip whatever is stewing inside her before it blossoms.
Anonymous
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>>5691925 >B): Meet with Ingrid. She’s hardly said a word since joining you. Anonymous
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>>5691925 >B): Meet with Ingrid. She’s hardly said a word since joining you. Anonymous
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>>5691925 >B): Meet with Ingrid. She’s hardly said a word since joining you. Anonymous
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>>5691925 >A): Meet with Corrine and get a grasp on the company’s current situation. Can't believe so many actually survived. We can only hope no outsiders stumble upon the fort.
Anonymous
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>>5691925 >B): Meet with Ingrid. She’s hardly said a word since joining you. We chose to side with the Kingdom in the first place for the Blue Lions, so might as well get the most mileage out of it. It'd be bad if she becomes dead weight or does something drastic like an hero.
>>5691938 The first three were confirmed to be alive by Ava. It should only be Uriel who's still unaccounted for.
Anonymous
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>>5691925 >>B): Meet with Ingrid. She’s hardly said a word since joining you. Anonymous
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>>5691925 >>A): Meet with Corrine and get a grasp on the company’s current situation. Anonymous
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>>5691925 >>B): Meet with Ingrid. She’s hardly said a word since joining you. I can't believe we're here and that we actually survived.
Anonymous
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>>5691925 >B): Meet with Ingrid. She’s hardly said a word since joining you. How many died for her?
Anonymous
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>>5691925 >B): Meet with Ingrid. She’s hardly said a word since joining you TreeHouses QM
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B wins. Writing
TreeHouses QM
>>5691925 You find Ingrid sitting alone on the top floor of Conand Tower. The hole Miklan had opened in the ceiling was still there, flooding the room with extreme cold. Ingrid had become a shade of the brave knight you once knew and even feared. With nowhere else to turn following the defeat of the Kingdom, you’d taken her in almost by force. She bore numerous wounds from the fight with Rex, and yet she had still insisted on being allowed to search for survivors right after the battle’s conclusion. It was those same wounds that caused her to finally pass out and allow the company to take her with them. When she’d awoken several miles from Gronder, the first thing she’d asked you was the state of her friends. Upon reporting the casualties you’d seen; something had broken inside her. A part of you was afraid she’d fly off the handle, either at you or perhaps even the Empire. Instead, all she’d done was sob softly into her hands. Somehow, that was even worse. She now resided here, far away from the rest of the company, in complete solitude. Any attempts by other members of the Blackwings to get her to open up had been met with failure.
>“How can you just sit up here?” You ask her, standing across from her and shivering. “This infernal cold is enough to drive me mad.” “Galatea is not too far from here.” Ingrid says. Her eyes are fixed on the opening in the ceiling, never meeting your own. “I’m used to this sort of weather. It does not bother me.”
>“Makes sense. Rusalka could be a cold place, but never like this. The people of Faerghus are certainly built tough.” No response. Ingrid seems uninclined to engage in small talk with you. Taking a look around the room, her armor is strewn about haphazardly. Luin, her priceless Hero’s Relic, lies on the floor carelessly several feet away. Ingrid herself looks disheveled. Beyond just the bags under her eyes, you can make out faint traces of blood still in her hair and under her fingernails. Had she really not cleaned herself in 10 days?
>“What will you do now? As you said, Galatea is not too far from here. Will you return home?” “I don’t know.”
>“If you haven’t gotten your fill of fighting, you’re welcome to stay with us. Once we recuperate, we plan to head south towards Garreg Mach. We’ll link up with the Professor and the Knights of Seiros. The battle at Gronder may have been lost, but there’s still fighting to be done. Both against the Empire, and the Agarthans.” Nothing. Ingrid simply acts as if you aren’t there. She pulls the thin fur that is blanketing her closer and continues staring out of the hole as if it were far more interesting than you.
>“I never got to thank you...if it weren’t for your help, Rex would have killed me up there.” “You’re the one that saved me.” She mutters softly.
>“…Would you have preferred that I didn’t?” TreeHouses QM
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>>5692653 “Yes.” She finally makes eye-contact with you, and you notice that her composure has noticeably darkened. “You made a mistake…coming to save me. I should have died there. Died in service to my King. I should have died just as Glenn did, all those years back. You came to my aid…and for what?” She laughs bitterly. Her fur drops, revealing the litany of scars covering her bare shoulders. “Dimitri is dead. The Kingdom is no more. What purpose is there left for me? Am I to live the rest of my life in shame? In hiding from the Empire’s assassins that will surely come looking for me? What sort of knight does that make me? I couldn’t vanquish my enemy without outside interference…I couldn’t save my King, nor my friends…I couldn’t even die right!”
>“And what would dying have accomplished? There was nothing either of us could have done to change the course of the battle. You know that.” “You don’t get it! There’s nothing left for me anymore. Everything and everyone I’ve ever held dear is dead. Gone, and soon to be forgotten. Even if I were to march down south and join the Knights of Seiros, what would be the point? Revenge? It won’t bring back what I’ve lost. Honor? I have none left. I traded it all in exchange for my survival. You made a mistake saving me, Blair. Even your company thinks so.” She slams her head back against the wall she was leaning on.
>“What are you saying?” “I’ve seen the way that girl looks at me. The Pegasus Knight with the colorful hair.”
>“Diana?” “She resents me. Resents the choice you made. You came to my aid, and as a result, a lot of your people died. Her friend and wing-sister died. All for a worthless stranger that couldn’t win even with a Hero’s Relic? I’m no good to anyone anymore. Even now, I’m causing you and your company problems just by living.”
You were unsure how to proceed. Ingrid was a broken mess, absorbed in self-pity and guilt. It was possible that she may never be the same person you knew before again.
>A): Remain gentle with Ingrid and try to prod her out of her depression. >B): Lose your temper with Ingrid. You don’t appreciate her saying you made a mistake. >C): There’s nothing you can do here. Not now, anyway. Leave her to her sorrow. >D): Write-in TreeHouses QM
>>5692653 “Yes.” She finally makes eye-contact with you, and you notice that her composure has noticeably darkened. “You made a mistake…coming to save me. I should have died there. Died in service to my King. I should have died just as Glenn did, all those years back. You came to my aid…and for what?” She laughs bitterly. Her fur drops, revealing the litany of scars covering her bare shoulders. “Dimitri is dead. The Kingdom is no more. What purpose is there left for me? Am I to live the rest of my life in shame? In hiding from the Empire’s assassins that will surely come looking for me? What sort of knight does that make me? I couldn’t vanquish my enemy without outside interference…I couldn’t save my King, nor my friends…I couldn’t even die right!”
>“And what would dying have accomplished? There was nothing either of us could have done to change the course of the battle. You know that.” “You don’t get it! There’s nothing left for me anymore. Everything and everyone I’ve ever held dear is dead. Gone, and soon to be forgotten. Even if I were to march down south and join the Knights of Seiros, what would be the point? Revenge? It won’t bring back what I’ve lost. Honor? I have none left. I traded it all in exchange for my survival. You made a mistake saving me, Blair. Even your company thinks so.” She slams her head back against the wall she was leaning on.
>“What are you saying?” “I’ve seen the way that girl looks at me. The Pegasus Knight with the colorful hair.”
>“Diana?” “She resents me. Resents the choice you made. You came to my aid, and as a result, a lot of your people died. Her friend and wing-sister died. All for a worthless stranger that couldn’t win even with a Hero’s Relic? I’m no good to anyone anymore. Even now, I’m causing you and your company problems just by living.”
You were unsure how to proceed. Ingrid was a broken mess, absorbed in self-pity and guilt. It was possible that she may never be the same person you knew before again.
>A): Remain gentle with Ingrid and try to prod her out of her depression. >B): Lose your temper with Ingrid. You don’t appreciate her saying you made a mistake. >C): There’s nothing you can do here. Not now, anyway. Leave her to her sorrow. >D): Write-in. Anonymous
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>>5692660 >A) Remain gentle with Ingrid and try to prod her out of her depression. Operation Free Hugs is go!
Anonymous
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>>5692660 >>B): Lose your temper with Ingrid. You don’t appreciate her saying you made a mistake. Anonymous
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Damn, it's a shame to see her in this state, but it's totally understandable.
>>5692660 >B): Lose your temper with Ingrid. You don’t appreciate her saying you made a mistake. I'm not a psychologist by any stretch of the imagination, but I don't think we should leave her alone to stew. Gentleness might work if we had more time, but... it seems like getting angry and showing emotion is probably the best way to get our feelings across.
We didn't make a mistake. We were able to save one more friend in the grinder that was Silver Snow Gronder Field, and Ingrid was that person. It was at a heavy cost, yes, but if Blair's presence was able to save even one life from that fate, it was worth it.
Anonymous
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>>5692660 >>>B): Lose your temper with Ingrid. You don’t appreciate her saying you made a mistake. Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:BAM4ugcs Wed 21 Jun 2023 05:52:30 No. 5692775 Report Quoted By:
>>5692660 >B): Lose your temper with Ingrid. You don’t appreciate her saying you made a mistake. >''You have no honor? Then you'll just let everyone's deaths be left unavenged? You'll just allow Dimitri's, Sylvain's and Felix's deaths be left like that? I know I wasn't that close to them but would any of them want you to become this shellshocked over their deaths? I don't think so, I think they'd want you to continue on and not praddle on about how it was a mistake for you to be left alive, so either gather up your wits or go join them if you're so certain I was mistaken!'' or something like that
Anonymous
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>>5692660 >>A): Remain gentle with Ingrid and try to prod her out of her depression. Anonymous
The pain and suffereing route, excellent.
>>5692660 >B): Lose your temper with Ingrid. You don’t appreciate her saying you made a mistake. >"Were you not a knight of Faerghus? Have you forsaken the reason that you lived for until now? Even without king or country a knight is still a knight! Ingrid Brandl Galatea, would you forsake them by indulging in this egocentrical act of self-pity? Even if you can't bring back what you've lost, even if what you fight for is gone... you'll have to keep on living! I've lost countless friends and companions at Gronder, yet here I am! Mercedes, Lysithea, Shelley... at Gronder I departed with more than I could ever imgine and left promises unfulfilled. Yet here I stand, Ingrid! Because I'm still alive, because of their sacrifices I must live on for their sake! So please... end this selfish charade, Ingrid." I'd imagine Blair would feel somewhat offended by her words, maybe even quite angry due to all the sacrifices made, but would more than understand Ingrid.
Anonymous
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>>5692660 >>B): Lose your temper with Ingrid. You don’t appreciate her saying you made a mistake Righteous fury will help her snap out of it. Also I want to see angry Blair.
Anonymous
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>>5692660 >B): Lose your temper with Ingrid. You don’t appreciate her saying you made a mistake. Anonymous
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>>5692660 >>A): Remain gentle with Ingrid and try to prod her out of her depression. Cheer up, you were supposed to die.
Anonymous
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>>5692660 >A): Remain gentle with Ingrid and try to prod her out of her depression. Anonymous
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>>5692660 >A): Remain gentle with Ingrid and try to prod her out of her depression. Anonymous
>>5692660 >B): Lose your temper with Ingrid. You don’t appreciate her saying you made a mistake. Coddling Ingrid or leaving her to stew in her survivors guilt are the wrong choices. We need to shock her out of this state, and Blair angry is probably the most shocking this quest can be since she's impossibly reasonable and pragmatic. I wouldn't count on myself to write any dialouge, but maybe end whatever rant we make with that she didn't lose all her friends at Gronder, since we're still here.
Anonymous
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>>5693010 >We need to shock her out of this state I get what you're trying to get at, but I feel like yelling at her when she's like this is just going to get us shanked.
Anonymous
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>>5692660 >B): Lose your temper with Ingrid. You don’t appreciate her saying you made a mistake. Anonymous
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>>5692660 >>A): Remain gentle with Ingrid and try to prod her out of her depression. Anonymous
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>>5692660 >>5692808 >>B): Lose your temper with Ingrid. You don’t appreciate her saying you made a mistake. >>"Were you not a knight of Faerghus? Have you forsaken the reason that you lived for until now? Even without king or country a knight is still a knight! Ingrid Brandl Galatea, would you forsake them by indulging in this egocentrical act of self-pity? Even if you can't bring back what you've lost, even if what you fight for is gone... you'll have to keep on living! I've lost countless friends and companions at Gronder, yet here I am! Mercedes, Lysithea, Shelley... at Gronder I departed with more than I could ever imgine and left promises unfulfilled. Yet here I stand, Ingrid! Because I'm still alive, because of their sacrifices I must live on for their sake! So please... end this selfish charade, Ingrid." this one's pretty good. no idea if it's gonna work, but I do think pointing out the similarities between the two of them is a good idea. blair abandoned her own country, honor, knighthood, and much more, and still finds reason to live on.
another possible tack would be to say 'yeah I did make a mistake, if you're going to be like this' but that's a pretty terrible way to go
TreeHouses QM
Quoted By:
B wins, writing.
TreeHouses QM
>>5692660 You were vexed. It’s true that saving Ingrid came at the cost of leaving your comrades to deal with the Hellwing’s Aces alone. Had you chosen differently, it’s very possible that Shelley, Nero, and countless others from your company would still be alive. So you damn sure didn’t appreciate Ingrid rubbing salt in that fresh wound by saying you’d made a mistake in rescuing her from Rex. You’ve been dealing with the repercussions of Gronder for days now, and the Blackwings might never be the same again. Losing your temper, you grab the collar of Ingrid’s shirt, lifting her up from where she’d been sitting. You slam her back against the wall and get in close, her face only a few inches away from yours. In the past, such a thing would be completely inconceivable to you. Both from a personal and practical standpoint, there was no way Ingrid would ever allow such a thing. And yet she doesn’t fight back. She merely stares back at you, her blue eyes practically begging you to put her out of her misery.
>“You don’t get to tell me I made a mistake.” You hiss. “I knew the risks when I came to fight alongside you, and I did it anyway. Do you think you’re the only one suffering? My wing-sister is dead. Over half my company was killed, and what’s left can hardly trust me. I killed my brother for you, just for him to tell me that my adopted father is one of the same enemies I’ve been hunting for five years. Tell me, should I wallow in self-pity like you?!” “Just leave…” Ingrid mutters. “There’s no point to any of this. That was Ashe I saw earlier, wasn’t it? You’ve been hiding him all this time, haven’t you? Run away with him and forget about all of this while you still can. While you’re still alive. I lost the only man I ever loved, Blair. Don’t waste your life fighting an unwinnable war when what’s important to you is right there. Spare yourself from that same pain.”
The pent-up frustration you’ve bottled up inside you this entire time threatens to boil over. You’ve been through hell time and time again, forced to abandon people and ideals that had once been dear to you. The battle at Gronder. Shelley’s death. Rex. The Count. Lysithea? Goddess, you had promised her and her family you’d help her, and now look what’d happened. You cock your fist back. You think about hitting Ingrid. Throttling her, smashing her against the wall over and over. Leaving her to rot and starve in this wretched tower you once almost died in. How many times have you almost died already? Bearing it all as best as you can, trying to maintain the picturesque image of a leader who held everything together. Why weren’t you allowed to break down like she was? Because the others would abandon you in a heartbeat if you did. They relied on you to be strong. Followed you because you brought them victory. Or at least you used to.
TreeHouses QM
>>5693392 You release your grip on Ingrid. She slumps back down to the floor wordlessly. No. It would be unfair to hit her. To hurt and take your frustrations out on her. She had her reasons for acting this way. You had your own. Now was not the time to lose your cool. Not when the others were counting on you to deliver them to safety.
>“Mistake or not, I saved your life. I won’t throw it away now. We’ll go to Garreg Mach as planned. Come if you like. Or don’t. But so long as you’re here, under my watch, you’ll be protected.” She doesn’t say a word. Ingrid merely continues sitting there, staring blankly at the floor. You’d done all that you could here. You leave Ingrid to herself.
“Boss!” One of your mercenaries calls out upon spotting your descent from the top floor. “Captain Ashe and the others have returned.”
>Please let them have brought back food. “Excellent. I’ll see them now.” You find Ashe, Caleb, and a few of the others huddled around a table, working at skinning whatever game they’d acquired. As your approach, your stomach rumbling, you find…
>“…What is this?” “Uhh…a couple of rabbits and a fox.” Ashe reports solemnly. “Oh, and some berries we found growing in a fern. They’re not poisonous. Or uhh…they shouldn’t be.”
“There was a deer but…it got away.” Caleb says sadly. “Never missed Boleslav more than I do now. That guy knew how to hunt. This forest is completely desolate. It’s as if something’s gone and scared all the animals away. It took us hours just to even find these meager things.
“How’d fishing go?” Ashe asks you, a tinge of hope noticeable in his voice.
Goddess. If this kept up, you’d be forced to eat Beathan soon.
>“Ashe, you’re a native to these parts. Is there anything we can do to somehow salvage more food?” “Short of stealing from the locals?” Ashe winces. “Not really. Caleb’s right. I’ve never seen a forest this…empty. Something’s got the local wildlife spooked. They’re nowhere to be seen. It’s as if they’ve already been hunted.”
“Don’t think I’m necessarily opposed to stealing at this point.” Caleb mutters. “If I have nothing to eat but watery broth again, I think I just might lose my mind. Goddess knows I’m not the only one grumbling.”
“I’d…rather we not go down that route.” Ashe says. “I’d like to think I’ve left that sort of thing behind me. There’s got to be something we can do.”
“Every village we’ve passed has wanted nothing to do with us.” Caleb counters. “It’s not just about keeping a tight hand on their supplies. The Dukedom is coming. And they’re afraid about what might happen if they’re found out to have given aid to the enemy.”
>A): You have no choice. You’ll need to pay a visit to one of the local villages and take food by force if necessary. >B): You aren’t a thief. Sit back for now. Surely there must be some other sort of alternative. Anonymous
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>>5693393 >>A): You have no choice. You’ll need to pay a visit to one of the local villages and take food by force if necessary. Ah great the depression and misery route.
Anonymous
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>>5693393 >B): You aren’t a thief. Sit back for now. Surely there must be some other sort of alternative. Well here's hoping that the other anons were right about psychology of shocking her out of it. But from her reaction I'm not that hopeful.
As fun as it would be to transform into a bunch of raiders, I don't think it would do us any favors if we want to join up with the church and the professor. Anonymous
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>>5693393 >B) You aren't a thief. Sit back for now. Surely there must be some other sort of alternative. We could always descend on the incoming Dukedom force, kill them, take THEIR rations, and give anything we don't eat and can't keep to the local villagers.
Anonymous
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>>5693393 >B): You aren’t a thief. Sit back for now. Surely there must be some other sort of alternative. Anonymous
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>>5693393 >A): You have no choice. You’ll need to pay a visit to one of the local villages and take food by force if necessary. Call it solidarity contributions if you must
Anonymous
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>>5693393 >B): You aren’t a thief. Sit back for now. Surely there must be some other sort of alternative. Keep in mind that while this may seem like a small decision, we'll have to face consequences for choosing to steal from already starving and war-exhausted peasants.
Anonymous
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>>5693393 >B): You aren’t a thief. Sit back for now. Surely there must be some other sort of alternative. Go hungry ourselves if need be so our men, and primarily the wounded, get fed.
Anonymous
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>>5693393 >A): You have no choice. You’ll need to pay a visit to one of the local villages and take food by force if necessary. No food, just cuddles and kisses with Ashe to keep self warm at night.
Anonymous
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>>5693393 >B): You aren’t a thief. Sit back for now. Surely there must be some other sort of alternative. No food, just cuddles and kisses with Ashe to keep self warm at night.
Somehow I copied the wrong prompt
Anonymous
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>>5693393 >>B): You aren’t a thief. Sit back for now. Surely there must be some other sort of alternative. Even disregarding the morality, you can’t squeeze blood from a stone- not unless we plan to eat the impoverished peasants.
Anonymous
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>>5693393 >>B): You aren’t a thief. Sit back for now. Surely there must be some other sort of alternative. Anonymous
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Two rabbits, a fox, a decent-sized fish, and some berries to feed 40-something people... We might've had better odds fleeing into Alliance territory, hah.
>>5693393 >B): You aren’t a thief. Sit back for now. Surely there must be some other sort of alternative. They might not like us enough to open their doors to us, but I'd rather not make an enemy of them entirely. We already lost our job prospects in the Empire, the Alliance, and the Dukedom, so losing prospects from the Kingdom Remnants means the Blackwings basically have no place to find work in in the future, except for maybe the Church of Seiros.
Besides, it's not like the people here have a lot of food anyway. We'll just have to find some other place
or some other group to acquire food from.
Anonymous
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>>5693393 >B): You aren’t a thief. Sit back for now. Surely there must be some other sort of alternative. Sitting around and hoping for the best isn't my preferred choice, but the talk about the animals is foreboding. Here's hoping it's just Dukedom soldiers we'll be dealing with and not the mole people.
Anonymous
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>>5693393 >>B): You aren’t a thief. Sit back for now. Surely there must be some other sort of alternative. Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:1+x28zQm Thu 22 Jun 2023 15:48:56 No. 5693795 Report Quoted By:
>>5693393 >B): You aren’t a thief. Sit back for now. Surely there must be some other sort of alternative. If we steal then any goodwill we have with the remnants of the Kingdom will be gone, and I'd not like for Blair's history book end with ''After the battle at Gronder she became a mere bandit and died of hypothermia a year later.''
Anonymous
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>>5693393 >A): You have no choice. You’ll need to pay a visit to one of the local villages and take food by force if necessary. Is it just me or do we have more players than usual? Misery loves company?
Anonymous
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>>5693393 >B): You aren’t a thief. Sit back for now. Surely there must be some other sort of alternative. TreeHouses QM
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>>5693393 >“Enough. I’ve already said it once. We aren’t thieves. We don’t go stealing from peasants just because we can. Once the others are in a decent enough shape to march through their injuries, we can leave this place behind and march down south.” Caleb groans. “I suppose we have enough enemies as is. No need to go making any more.” You’re treated to a squelching sound as he plants his carving knife into the flesh of one of the captured rabbits. His face says it all concerning his enthusiasm. “Say, what do you think pegasus tastes like?”
>“I’ll eat you before we eat Beathan.” “Fair enough.”
That night, the company “enjoys” a rather meager meal of water, vegetables, and the small game brought back by Ashe and the others. Milly, who has doubled as something close to the Blackwings’ cook, does her best to try and make things as appetizing as possible. Still, there’s a limit to what miracles she’s capable of performing with such scarce supply. As night begins drawing near, Milly distributes straws to most of the mercenaries present, including yourself. The ones who draw the shortest are to be those chosen for that night’s sentry duty. Conand Tower was defendable, but not if you were caught unaware. Despite Corrine’s protests, you entered the lot. You’d once read long ago at Garreg Mach that in times of hardship, commanders could limit a drop in their army’s morale by foregoing preferential treatment and “suffering” alongside them. That was why you went fishing for food, and that was why you were now entering the lottery for guard duty. So long as you weren’t picked, you wouldn’t have to worry about-
“Ahh…you got the short one, Blair. Bummer…” Milly hands you your straw with a frown.
Three other mercenaries, including Diana, are also chosen for that night’s guard duty. Dressing as warmly as you can muster, you try your best to mentally prepare yourself for several hours of what is sure to be a boring watch in the freezing cold.
Night falls, and you find yourself leaning back against one of the tower’s walls. A small, lit brazier is the only thing you and Diana have for warmth and light out here. Standing on opposite ends of it, you stare at Diana’s illuminated face, which in turn is staring down at the fire. Ingrid’s dark mood was one thing to deal with. She was a relative stranger to the company, after all, and it’s not as if she had ever been known for her bubbly personality. Diana was an entirely different matter. She’d always been considered the more “cheerful” member of the Blackwings. Though not the brightest, she’d always been a warm and friendly face. An orphan raised by Serena, your former pegasus instructor, the company was the closest thing she’d had to a family. She’d considered you and Shelley to be like her sisters. It only made sense she’d fallen into depression following the latter’s death.
TreeHouses QM
>>5693393 >“Enough. I’ve already said it once. We aren’t thieves. We don’t go stealing from peasants just because we can. Once the others are in a decent enough shape to march through their injuries, we can leave this place behind and march down south.” Caleb groans. “I suppose we have enough enemies as is. No need to go making any more.” You’re treated to a squelching sound as he plants his carving knife into the flesh of one of the captured rabbits. His face says it all concerning his enthusiasm. “Say, what do you think pegasus tastes like?”
>“I’ll eat you before we eat Beathan.” “Fair enough.”
That night, the company “enjoys” a rather meager meal of water, vegetables, and the small game brought back by Ashe and the others. Milly, who has doubled as something close to the Blackwings’ cook, does her best to try and make things as appetizing as possible. Still, there’s a limit to what miracles she’s capable of performing with such scarce supply. As night begins drawing near, Milly distributes straws to most of the mercenaries present, including yourself. The ones who draw the shortest are to be those chosen for that night’s sentry duty. Conand Tower was defendable, but not if you were caught unaware. Despite Corrine’s protests, you entered the lot. You’d once read long ago at Garreg Mach that in times of hardship, commanders could limit a drop in their army’s morale by foregoing preferential treatment and “suffering” alongside them. That was why you went fishing for food, and that was why you were now entering the lottery for guard duty. So long as you weren’t picked, you wouldn’t have to worry about-
“Ahh…you got the short one, Blair. Bummer…” Milly hands you your straw with a frown.
Three other mercenaries, including Diana, are also chosen for that night’s guard duty. Dressing as warmly as you can muster, you try your best to mentally prepare yourself for several hours of what is sure to be a boring watch in the freezing cold.
Night falls, and you find yourself leaning back against one of the tower’s walls. A small, lit brazier is the only thing you and Diana have for warmth and light out here. Standing on opposite ends of it, you stare at Diana’s illuminated face, which in turn is staring down at the fire. Ingrid’s dark mood was one thing to deal with. She was a relative stranger to the company, after all, and it’s not as if she had ever been known for her bubbly personality. Diana was an entirely different matter. She’d always been considered the more “cheerful” member of the Blackwings. Though not the brightest, she’d always been a warm and friendly face. An orphan raised by Serena, your former pegasus instructor, the company was the closest thing she’d had to a family. She’d considered you and Shelley to be like her sisters. It only made sense she’d fallen into depression following the latter’s death.
TreeHouses QM
>>5694132 >“How are you getting by?” You ask Diana. “I’m okay.” Diana barely whispers her answer.
>“If you aren’t up for this, go back inside. Rest up. I don’t mind taking the watch myself tonight.” “No, really. I’m okay. Everything’s fine.” Diana says. No one liked losing a comrade in war, but pegasus knights in particular tended to take those deaths the hardest. You trained day and night with your fellow sisters, taking to the skies and running drills until your steeds bled themselves dry. Learning how to perform the complex Triangle Attack hadn’t just been a battlefield asset. It also drew you incredibly close to both Diana and Shelley. It was easy for you to tell she was lying.
>“I’m sorry about Shelley. We haven’t had a chance to speak about her. I wish that things could have been different, and that she was still here with us. Goddess knows I could use some of bright ideas right now.” Diana does not say a word, continuing to stare down into the lit brazier. There seemed to be a theme today of pegasus knights choosing to ignore you rather than engage. Unlike Ingrid though, there was no conceivable way you could ever lose your temper with Diana. Pegasus sisters could feud or get into arguments, but they never hated each other. It was a complex sort of bond. One that made Kate’s words to you at Garreg Mach sting all the harder.
Though it feels like an eternity, several hours pass you by in silence. The usually chatty Diana never utters a peep. The sun will be rising in a few moments, and you’ll fortunately be able to get some much-needed rest.
“Did anyone tell you how she died?” Diana suddenly pipes up, startling you.
>“What?” “It was that wyvern rider. The strange one that could use magic. He was tearing us apart. I’d never seen a wyvern rider that could use magic before. He was fast too. It was all we could do to avoid his attacks, but he was taking us down one by one. He’d set his sights on me. I was a goner. But Shelley took the attack for me. She got in the way and tried to stop him, but by then it was too late. His wind magic tore her to shreds. I heard her scream, and there was so much blood. And then she just…fell from the sky.”
>“…Diana” She looks up from the brazier to face you, tears in her eyes. “If you were there…you could have beat that guy for sure…so why? Why did you choose that woman over us? We’re supposed to be sisters and look at how that lady’s repaid you.”
Diana’s question catches you off-guard. Before you can even comprehend an answer, something catches your eye. In the shadows merely a few feet away from you, you see movement. Something is drawing closer from behind Diana. Your spear is laying against the wall, away from your immediate reach.
>A): Pull Diana out of the way (SPD+LCK: 1-73 to succeed) >B): Attack the moving shape with your magic (MAG+DEX: 1-56 to succeed) >C): Scream and try to alert the others. Anonymous
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>>5694134 >A): Pull Diana out of the way (SPD+LCK: 1-73 to succeed) Anonymous
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>>5694134 >>B): Attack the moving shape with your magic (MAG+DEX: 1-56 to succeed) Anonymous
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>>5694134 >A): Pull Diana out of the way (SPD+LCK: 1-73 to succeed) Anonymous
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>>5694134 >A): Pull Diana out of the war (SPD+LCK. 1-73 to succeed) I don't know who or what is coming for our remaining pegasus sister, but we are having a MOMENT right now and we do NOT need her dying in the middle of it!
Anonymous
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>>5694134 >A): Pull Diana out of the way (SPD+LCK: 1-73 to succeed) Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5694134 >C): Scream and try to alert the others. What could it be?
Anonymous
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>>5694134 >B): Attack the moving shape with your magic (MAG+DEX: 1-56 to succeed) Maybe we'll be able to pull Diana out of the way, but we might take the full hit ourselves from whatever this is. I'd say risk it a little and take the coin flip.
Anonymous
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>>5694134 >A): Pull Diana out of the way (SPD+LCK: 1-73 to succeed) It's probably an assassin or scout, but the +20% chance to protect is better than the reward.
I hope it's the Sreng, myself. Anonymous
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>>5694134 >>A): Pull Diana out of the way (SPD+LCK: 1-73 to succeed) Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5694134 >B): Attack the moving shape with your magic (MAG+DEX: 1-56 to succeed) Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5694134 >A) Pull Diana out of the way Anonymous
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>>5694134 >A): Pull Diana out of the way (SPD+LCK: 1-73 to succeed Anonymous
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>>5694134 >A): Pull Diana out of the way (SPD+LCK: 1-73 to succeed) TreeHouses QM
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Rolled 33 (1d100) A Wins, Writing.
TreeHouses QM
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>>5694134 You reach over the brazier and grab onto Diana’s shoulder, yanking her towards you and nearly knocking the thing over. She’s startled and offers no resistance. She almost topples over you just as a sword comes swinging down right where she was standing. The blade finds no purchase, colliding with the ground instead of Diana’s skull. The figure is now close enough to be illuminated by the brazier, allowing you a good look at him. He’s a muscular man, with a face as hard as stone. His clothing is in somewhat rough condition but is still of higher quality than any run of the mill bandit would possess. The light of the fire reflects off his sword, shining partially in your eyes. The blade is exquisite, and you’re instantly able to tell it’s a weapon of master quality. If the assassin is surprised that he missed his mark, he does not show it. Instead, he lifts his blade up, and looks towards you.
“Wha-”? Diana says, unaware of what just happened. You quickly push her towards the front entrance of the tower, away from both you and the assassin.
>“We’re under attack! Alert the others!” The assassin moves to attack you. He comes in with a thrust, only to feint at the last second and attack with a swift downward strike. You still don’t have your spear in your hand, and magic would be too difficult in this situation. So, you parry the attack with the only weapon you have on hand. Kronya’s dagger collides with the masterwork sword in a flash of sparks. You’ve managed to successfully prevent your head from being split open, but quickly find that you’re being pushed back. This man isn’t just fast, but also strong. You thrust out a knee to try and open up space, but he quickly steps to the side. Escaping the clutch, you attack with a flurry of dagger blows, but each attack is deftly parried or avoided by your foe. Forced to use an unfamiliar weapon, you’re unable to land a blow on the experienced fighter, who appears to be a swordmaster. Either way, you succeed in grabbing his attention, allowing Diana to rush inside the tower and seek help from the others.
“A chol ceathrair, lig dom an ceann seo a ghlacadh mar mo bhean chéile.” In the middle of parrying your attacks, the man suddenly utters…something.
>“What the hell is that supposed to mean?!” You ask, frustrated with your inability to hit him. As you back up from your opponent, a sword suddenly thrusts towards the side of your head from behind. The blade stays there on your shoulder, only a few inches away from your throat, threatening decapitation. A second attacker has joined the scene, pinning you from behind. TreeHouses QM
>>5694134 You reach over the brazier and grab onto Diana’s shoulder, yanking her towards you and nearly knocking the thing over. She’s startled and offers no resistance. She almost topples over you just as a sword comes swinging down right where she was standing. The blade finds no purchase, colliding with the ground instead of Diana’s skull. The figure is now close enough to be illuminated by the brazier, allowing you a good look at him. He’s a muscular man, with a face as hard as stone. His clothing is in somewhat rough condition but is still of higher quality than any run of the mill bandit would possess. The light of the fire reflects off his sword, shining partially in your eyes. The blade is exquisite, and you’re instantly able to tell it’s a weapon of master quality. If the assassin is surprised that he missed his mark, he does not show it. Instead, he lifts his blade up, and looks towards you.
“Wha-”? Diana says, unaware of what just happened. You quickly push her towards the front entrance of the tower, away from both you and the assassin.
>“We’re under attack! Alert the others!” The assassin moves to attack you. He comes in with a thrust, only to feint at the last second and attack with a swift downward strike. You still don’t have your spear in your hand, and magic would be too difficult in this situation. So, you parry the attack with the only weapon you have on hand. Kronya’s dagger collides with the masterwork sword in a flash of sparks. You’ve managed to successfully prevent your head from being split open, but quickly find that you’re being pushed back. This man isn’t just fast, but also strong. You thrust out a knee to try and open up space, but he quickly steps to the side. Escaping the clutch, you attack with a flurry of dagger blows, but each attack is deftly parried or avoided by your foe. Forced to use an unfamiliar weapon, you’re unable to land a blow on the experienced fighter, who appears to be a swordmaster. Either way, you succeed in grabbing his attention, allowing Diana to rush inside the tower and seek help from the others.
“A chol ceathrair, lig dom an ceann seo a ghlacadh mar mo bhean chéile.” In the middle of parrying your attacks, the man suddenly utters…something.
>“What the hell is that supposed to mean?!” You ask, frustrated with your inability to hit him. As you back up from your opponent, a sword suddenly thrusts towards the side of your head from behind. The blade stays there on your shoulder, only a few inches away from your throat, threatening decapitation. A second attacker has joined the scene, pinning you from behind. TreeHouses QM
>>5695019 “Please pardon my cousin. He never took to the language of you southerners.” The second man says with a smirk. “He’s saying he wishes to take you as his wife. A high honor, for sure. The First Blade of Sreng is not easily impressed.”
>“Sreng…huh?” Of all the rotten luck. The rumor of Sreng raiders attacking Faerghus was true. You knew next to nothing of the remote nation north of Faerghus, but what you’d heard was not good. It was supposedly a barren wasteland, populated by a warlike, barbarous people. Sreng and the northern parts of Faerghus, particularly the lands of Gautier, where Sylvain was from, often engaged in border skirmishes. Most of those bouts saw Gautier coming out on top, effectively keeping the Sreng people away from Fodlan much in the same way the Almyrans were barred out by the Alliance. With the collapse of the Kingdom though, you suppose it’s no big surprise that these raiders would be emboldened to come knocking. “You’re no ordinary woman, that’s for sure.” The second man says. He speaks the common language of Fodlan with hardly any accent. You’d heard the Sreng people had their own tongue they used, likely whatever that gutterspeak you’d heard the first man utter was. How he could communicate with you with no issue was certainly a mystery. “Why don’t you drop that uhh…interesting looking dagger and we have ourselves a nice little chat. The way you southern folk love to do.”
>You comply, dropping Kronya’s dagger to the ground. It’s not as if the thing would serve you well in this situation anyway. You fought with a spear and magic for a reason. “Are you here to rob us?” “Well, that depends.” The second man says smirking. He seems to be enjoying himself quite nicely. “Who are you?”
The sun is beginning to rise, lighting the area surrounding the tower. As you look out, you can see figures emerging from the trees. There are dozens of them. Men and women, armed to the teeth. Sreng raiders surround the tower, ready to attack.
>A): We’re the Blackwings. A simple mercenary company looking for work. >B): We’re aligned with the Faerghus Kingdom, and there are more of us on the way here now. >C): We’re just simple travelers, passing through. >D): Write-in TreeHouses QM
Quoted By:
Just a heads up that circumstances will be taking me away for the next three days. Updates will likely resume on Tuesday!
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5695021 >>A): We’re the Blackwings. A simple mercenary company looking for work. We’re… not going to be able to overpower them. Not if this is a Warband lead by the ‘first blade’- or worse, the sort of leader who has the first blade in their *retinue*.
But perhaps they have a rival they’d like us to take out?
Anonymous
>>5695021 I'm torn between A and B. Both are on some level true, and going with A might get us hired for some viking shenanigans, but that could backfire if we get hired to help raid someplace and it turns out Sylvain is in charge of the defense there. Also, this First Blade dude wants us, and there's no way anyone here is going to vote to dump Ashe.
At the same time, B is a bluff. If they call us on it and hang around long enough for the Dukedom to show up, they'll quickly realize we have no friends. If they don't call us on it and we bail, we'll still have to deal with them later, and they'll be angry, but hopefully by then we'll be rolling with Team Byleth. If we're not, though, game over.
I'm not even considering C, the lie is way too obvious.
Anonymous
>“A chol ceathrair, lig dom an ceann seo a ghlacadh mar mo bhean chéile.” It's Irish, if my translator is correct. Supposedly meaning 'Cousin, let me take this one as my wife'. It's a little funny, but it's an eternal reminder that Blair is S-tier waifu material.
Unfortunately for everyone else, she's reserved for Ashe. >>5695021 >A): We’re the Blackwings. A simple mercenary company looking for work. Option B might get us robbed (and they're not going to buy it anyway). Option C is definitely something they're not going to believe in, and may lead us to Option A again, but it may also give us a chance to disengage...
Option A does however, open up negotiations. Plus, the Blackwings are still the greatest mercenary company in all of Fodlan, so maybe even the Sreng will have heard of us. If they offer us a job, we should probably refuse any jobs against the Kingdom Remnants, but if they want our help to take down Dukedom, Empire, or Orthodox Church forces... we might be able to help.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5695021 >A): We’re the Blackwings. A simple mercenary company looking for work. The thought of us just using Forseti again for a repeat of the first time we used it is kind of funny, but starting a fight against the raiders now probably won't end well considering how exhausted we and our men are.
If they're bloodthirsty, B might end up provoking them into attacking us instead of deterring them.
Anonymous
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>>5695021 >>B): We’re aligned with the Faerghus Kingdom, and there are more of us on the way here now. Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5695021 >A): We’re the Blackwings. A simple mercenary company looking for work. Anonymous
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>>5695021 >>A): We’re the Blackwings. A simple mercenary company looking for work. Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Sat 24 Jun 2023 08:47:58 No. 5695206 Report Quoted By:
>>5695021 >>A): We’re the Blackwings. A simple mercenary company looking for work. Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5695021 >B): We’re aligned with the Faerghus Kingdom, and there are more of us on the way here now. Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5695021 >A): We’re the Blackwings. A simple mercenary company looking for work. Anonymous
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>>5695021 >A): We’re the Blackwings. A simple mercenary company looking for work. The Faerghus Kingdom is no more. It would be unwise to tell the raiders that were in constant conflict with them that we served under the Faergus banner. Saying that we're travelers, they'll probably take that as a joke. I'm sure they don't want to lose men to mercenaries so..
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5695021 >A): We’re the Blackwings. A simple mercenary company looking for work. Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5695021 >>A): We’re the Blackwings. A simple mercenary company looking for work. Anonymous
Quoted By:
This'll be interesting. Beathan's name is Irish...
Anonymous
>>5695050 Are we the greatest anymore?
We still have the reputation and the leadership (mostly), but we’re down to a fifth of our original numbers.. rebuilding will take a very long time, if we can.
Anonymous
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>>5695819 Hm, good question. We're probably one of the few non-Empire mercenary bands who participated at the Battle of Gronder Field to even survive, but there are probably a lot of mercenary bands out there who could give us a run for our money in our current state.
If Leonie's still around, the Jeralt Mercenaries probably took back the top spot, but knowing that she was likely aligned with the Alliance, they're probably dead for good now.
Still. We've got the reputation, and the men that remain are among the most skilled in the entire land-- we can go toe-to-toe with special forces and probably come out on top. We're certainly not in a good state at the moment, but I'm sure we'll bounce back sooner or later.
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Sun 25 Jun 2023 12:14:51 No. 5695932 Report Quoted By:
This just in, The Blackwings have gone down the rankings of 'Fodlan's Mercenaries' from their previous number 1 spot to 48, a massive downgrade for the once great unit.
Anonymous
>>5695021 >A): We’re the Blackwings. A simple mercenary company looking for work. Blair is missing the shield she nabbed from the last thread from her inventory
>He’s saying he wishes to take you as his wife His death will be slow, how dare he try to take the place of Ashe
Anonymous
If we had to we could probably defend the tower pretty well against a much larger force.
Anonymous
>>5696217 Yep. Conand Tower is really defensible, and even with our numbers, we can probably hold out for a while. Attackers may still win, but the Blackwings will make them bleed for it-- maybe even to the point that we're not worth taking on.
Besides, it's not like we have any food or supplies. Just a lot of money that is apparently not really worth much in a desolate place like this. Anonymous
>>5696512 the problem with this is that Blair has a sword to her head. Forseti can take care of that for one round and then maybe we get a swooping aerial rescue, possibly, I guess. but the Blackwings really, really shouldn't be fighting right now.
Anonymous
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>>5696567 Yeah, at the moment, Blair's pretty vulnerable, but at least these guys just want to talk for now. If they start getting other ideas though... I only hope Forseti gives us enough time to get to our spear, because then we can probably hold out for a rescue if we can hold a chokepoint.
On that note, I do agree with you. We really shouldn't be getting into any unnecessary fights. We might be able to win against these guys, but I'm more interested in the opportunity they may present to us soon enough.
Anonymous
Catching up on the last thread, had to make this
Anonymous
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>>5695049 >>5695021 Screw it, going with A before TreeHouses gets back. It's going to win anyway and I realized I never actually voted.
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Tue 27 Jun 2023 21:42:48 No. 5697594 Report Quoted By:
>>5697553 Much appreciated Yara, ah, minty.
TreeHouses QM
I am back! A wins, writing.
>>5696020 You're right, she should have a Delphi Shield in her inventory, Good eye!
>>5697553 100% Duscan Kush
TreeHouses QM
>>5695021 This smooth-talker’s blade lies only a few inches away from your neck. Even if you were to try and use Forseti, he’d likely slash your throat before the spell even went off. It was an unfortunate circumstance to find yourself in, but it wasn’t completely hopeless. If he’d wanted you dead, you’d be a headless corpse by now. Despite everything you’d heard to the contrary up until now about Sreng, perhaps there was a chance that you could defuse the situation with your words.
>“My name is Blair, I’m the commander of the Blackwings. We’re mercenaries staying here in Conand Tower for the time being.” You tell the truth, figuring it to be far more convincing than any lie you could come up with at this point. “Blackwings…” The second man says with a click of the tongue. “Never heard of you. Though that’s not your fault, I suppose. Not much news travels up north into our lands. A long time ago, this tower used to be a garrison. The Kingdom kept a small number of troops deployed here. I thought you might be Faerghus soldiers, but up close it’s plain to see that isn’t the case. Still, that does beg the question of what it is you’re doing here exactly. Surely you don’t expect to find employment in this remote region. The people of Sreng have no need for sellswords. We’re more than capable fighters ourselves.”
>You hesitate, unsure how much to tell him. You settle on the truth, choosing to omit certain key details. “There was a great battle in the south, in a place known as Gronder. We were there fighting. After the battle was over, we marched north to afford ourselves some rest before the next fight.” The man chuckles softly, his sword never leaving its place by your neck. “Rest? In this place? I’d wager you’d have had a much more comfortable experience had you kept heading south. Though given that you’re here in Conand, that can only mean you were fighting for Faerghus. And you lost.” He clears his throat, his face becoming a bit more serious. “We fought through Gautier to get here. It was a trifle, really. An unmemorable battle hardly worth mentioning. I had expected to run into the Margrave there. He and I have a bit of history together, you see. But instead, we found the castle almost completely devoid of life. Those few garrison soldiers left informed us that the Margrave and his son had all gone south to fight the Empire at this Gronder. By any chance, did you happen to see them?”
>“…Yes. I do not know Margrave Gautier, but I knew his son Sylvain well.” “You knew him well?” He asks through narrowed eyes. “Interesting. Do you know if he survived?”
TreeHouses QM
>>5697755 >You shake your head. “I did not see his body but…as you said, the battle was a loss. Many of his fellow nobles he fought alongside, including the King, perished in the fighting. Sylvain had been in the front during the final charge against the Empire. I believe it very likely that he did not make it.” Something changes in the man’s face upon hearing your words. Though it is only there for a fleeting moment, you’re confident that news of Sylvain’s death has deeply affected him. The strong look of remorse vanishes as quickly as it appeared before he regains his composure.
“I see. That’s too bad.” He sheathes his sword, granting you an immeasurable sense of relief. As he does so, the Blackwings begin pouring out from the tower one by one.
“Blair?! Are you okay?!” Ashe yells, bow in hand and an arrow knocked. Though no one makes a move, the mercenaries all have their weapons unsheathed. Likewise, those from Sreng who had surrounded the tower have begun drawing closer, screaming and hollering in their strange language, and hammering their shields. Things threaten to escalate into violence once more.
“Tá cuid acu láidir. Ach is féidir linn a bhuachan.” The man whom you’d fought says to his ‘cousin’.
"Níl aon ghá. Níl aon argóint againn leo. Is fearr go sroichfimid lán-neart.” The second man responds. He turns towards you. “We’ll be taking our leave now. There’s no need for a fight here. Best of luck to you, mercenary commander.”
As the two men turn to leave, someone from the Sreng side of the crowd runs forward yelling.
“Prince Leif! What is the meaning of this?!” She yells. Curiously, she speaks the common language of Fodlan rather than the language of Sreng. She points a trembling finger towards you, genuine fear in her eyes.
“Maeve.” Leif says. “There simply mercenaries. We have much to do, they aren’t worth fighting.”
“No!” Maeve shouts, sounding almost as if she’s on the verge of tears. “The spirits cry out to me in anguish! This one is evil! A black soul we must eradicate!” She turns back towards the throng of Sreng raiders, shouting further. “Namhaid! Namhaid!”
The crowd responds to her provocations by raising their weapons and screaming murder. They begin drawing closer, weapons at the ready, only to stop in their tracks as the “First Sword” takes a step towards them, one hand on the pommel of his blade.
“Maeve.” Prince Leif says. There’s an edge to his voice, as if he’d lost any semblance of patience with this woman long ago. “You may be the Oracle here, but I am the head of this army. Justify what these spirits are claiming. Until then, no one here is fighting.”
TreeHouses QM
>>5697757 “The spirits speak clearly to me, my Prince! They say that this woman is in possession of a foul tome! One that holds forbidden secrets that corrupt the sanctity of life! Written in a dark language unreadable to all save those that share her dark disposition, she plans to use it to further the evil deeds of her master’s!” She turns back to the crowd, most of which are beside themselves with enthusiasm to fight. “Olc! Olc!”
Despite saying nothing, you can sense Leif’s immense frustration. A sentiment shared by that of his First Sword. He turns towards you with a dull look. “Any idea what she’s talking about?”
>A): I have no idea. There’s no such item within my possession. >B): She must be speaking of Diogenes’ tome. Maybe if you show it to them, that will get them to leave you alone. >C): Write-in Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5697674 Welcome back, Tree!
>>5697755 >Tá cuid acu láidir. Ach is féidir linn a bhuachan. "Some are strong. But we can win."
>Níl aon ghá. Níl aon argóint againn leo. Is fearr go sroichfimid lán-neart. "There is no need. We have no argument with them. We better arrive at full strength."
>"Namhaid! Namhaid!" "Enemy! Enemy!"
>"Olc! Olc!" "Bad! Bad!"
At least, that's what my translator says. Super cool. Personally, I find the inclusion of the Irish language to be quite immersive. Good stuff.
>>5697759 Hm. Tough one. On one hand, if we say nothing, and they believe it, they just leave us alone. But if we say nothing and they don't believe it, we've got a fight on our hands.
On the other hand, if we show them the tome, we may be able to convince this Leif that we're hunting the Agarthans, and they may be inclined to help us out (or at least, let us help them instead). That being said... their oracle will definitely want the tome destroyed. And of course, if we show it, and it happens to rouse the Sreng into fighting, then we've got a fight on our hands.
I think in the end, I'll choose...
>B): She must be speaking of Diogenes’ tome. Maybe if you show it to them, that will get them to leave you alone. It's a gamble, which either results in us gaining a potential ally, or escalating things into a fight, but... I think the risk is better than sticking with the status quo. This is just me banking on the Prince's 'reasonable' demeanor though-- if he learns that we're hunting these 'black souls', and wants more info on them, we're happy to provide and potentially gain a new ally against the Agarthans.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5697759 >B): She must be speaking of Diogenes’ tome. Maybe if you show it to them, that will get them to leave you alone. Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5697759 >>A): I have no idea. There’s no such item within my possession Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5697759 >B): She must be speaking of Diogenes’ tome. Maybe if you show it to them, that will get them to leave you alone. Either we show it to them ourselves, or we prepare to defend our secrets with the lives of our men. Leif may be frustrated, but I can see some of his men either acting on their own, or under his "cousin". Its seems these men trust their oracle, willing to take up arms the moment she points out is suspicious. I'd rather we not have to fight here.
Anonymous
>>5697759 >C) Say that we do have the tome, and we are making breakthroughs on reversing its effects, but do not show it just yet If we whip it out, we're gonna get jumped. First let's explain what we're doing with it.
Anonymous
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>>5697759 >>A): I have no idea. There’s no such item within my possession. Anonymous
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>>5697759 >>5697926 Supporting
A might be the safer choice, but things can still fall apart if Leif decides to humor Maeve and asks us to show our items to get her to shut up, or if she successfully riles up the rest of his men.
The prospect of Blair acting like a conspiracy nut and redpilling the Sreng raiders about the mole people is too good to pass up despite the risks, and trying to explain ourselves first sounds like a smarter idea than just pulling it out.
Anonymous
Anonymous
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>>5697759 >>C) Say that we do have the tome, and we are making breakthroughs on reversing its effects, but do not show it just yet Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Wed 28 Jun 2023 09:41:22 No. 5697984 Report Quoted By:
>>5697926 Agreed to this, better to just say the book is bad indeed but we are in no way of using it for our 'master' or anything like that.
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Wed 28 Jun 2023 09:42:50 No. 5697985 Report Also, Leif huh? That just a name you decided to use or are we seeing some bizarro version of Leif from the Thracia games? Or the third option of Leif being an ancient figure in this world and the dude is just named after him.
TreeHouses QM
>>5697985 He's an actual guy from Three Hopes lol.
https://fireemblem.fandom.com/wiki/Leif_(Three_Hopes) No clue why they went with that name. It's not like the actual Leif is obscure or anything.
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Wed 28 Jun 2023 16:02:37 No. 5698151 Report Quoted By:
>>5698100 Oh, well shit got me there
Anonymous
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So, I've caught up. This was absolutely horrible and I regret everything.
Anonymous
>>5697759 >>5697926 +1 on that, start force feeding them redpills. Alternatively bring out the elf woman to really give those guys some culture shock.
So what's the plan now? Go back to Faerghus, pray that Sylvain is alive and help him rebuild? Byleth can go fight the empire, for us it's time to scale back.
Anonymous
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>>5697759 >>5697926 Support.
Maybe that will give Leif enough of a hand to reign in his men
Anonymous
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>>5697759 >C) Say that we do have the tome, and we are making breakthroughs on reversing its effects, but do not show it just yet Anonymous
>that we are making breakthroughs in it's effects
Anonymous
>>5698240 say "we got it after killing an evil mage to help our friend who's been cursed by said evil mage, but now that friend is dead so might as well fucking burn it desu" instead
Anonymous
>>5698240 Yeah, mentioning that we're actively reading the contents of the book is a surefire way to end the conversation in bloodshed. Doesn't matter what we intend to say afterwards, the shaman will stop listening to us then and there. Better to just say we claimed it after defeating an evil mage and we're guarding it so it doesn't fall in to the hands of his companions.
Anonymous
>>5698100 Interesting. I suppose Sylvain is one of the few people Leif likes (or at least, respects) then, being a hostage and all. iirc, Sylvain may have advocated for bettering ties with the Sreng, but he was shut down by his father, who tried to do the same thing but was betrayed.
>>5698166 We're probably not going to stay here in Faerghus for long. Even if we bank on the off-chance that Sylvain or Dedue survived the fight, this place is going to be swarming with Orthodox Church and Dukedom soldiers sooner or later. Not much business here to do either, unless we want to throw our lot in with the Kingdom itself.
So instead, we're probably going to head to Garreg Mach. Our own personal goal has always been the war against the Agarthans, and that'll likely mean working with Byleth, the Church, and the Empire Rebels to mount an assault on Rusalka at some point.
Anonymous
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>>5698270 >So instead, we're probably going to head to Garreg Mach Yeah. I honestly liked how our route wasn't aligned with Byleth, felt like we're writing our own story. But sadly it's probably time to go to Blair's roots and become a background character once again.
Anonymous
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>>5698261 Unironically that would be better to say, but that's not what the write-in is saying.
>>5698264 That is also a much better way of putting it.
Anonymous
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>>5697759 >A): I have no idea. There’s no such item within my possession TreeHouses QM
Quoted By:
C wins. Writing
TreeHouses QM
>>5697759 The only thing in your possession that matches the description would be the tome you’d retrieved from Diogenes’ lab. The question though is how would she know about that? It was possible she really was a clairvoyant, perhaps much like Yara. Or was she an Agarthan? You didn’t have enough information to make an accurate call, and even if you did, you were still at a grave disadvantage. You decide on answering Leif’s question with another half-truth.
>“We do have the tome in question, and we are making breakthroughs on reversing its effects.” “EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!” Maeve’s piercing scream startles you. The Oracle has fallen to the snowy ground, rolling around and wailing as if she were a child throwing a tantrum. The entire scene looks incredibly silly to you, but unfortunately, the warriors of Sreng seem to be taking it quite seriously. Many of them join in alongside her, clutching their heads and screaming at the top of their lungs. Leif spares the woman a glance of disgust before turning to you and giving you a familiar look. It’s the same way Corrine stares at you when you shirk your duties and make more work for her.
>“What is going on?” “The spirits of Sreng are communing with her.” Leif says unconvincingly.
Maeve gets back to her feet, dress covered in mud, her face red and tear stricken. She points at you once more with that shaky finger. “You heard her! She possesses the evil object. You must order the men to attack now! Kill them all and then let us seize the tome before it can fall into the wrong hands once more!”
This was bad. Leif didn’t seem to want a fight, but his men certainly did. Egged on by this supposed Oracle, each one of them was fully prepared to charge and attack. In your current state, defending the tower and surviving would be nigh impossible.
“Do the spirits tell you that we will emerge victorious and seize this…tome?” Leif asks Maeve.
“Yes! I see these villains destroyed, scattered to the winds! Their possessions become our own, and we hold that dreaded book over our heads in exalted victory!”
“And that’s what you see?” Leif asks once more.
“Yes!” Maeve insists.
“Dúirt tú go bhfuil cuid acu láidir?” Leif asks his cousin, switching back to his native tongue.
“Tá.” He responds with confidence. “B’fhéidir láidir mar ár gcuid féin.”
Leif, looking thoughtful, leaves your side to approach the massing hordes of Sreng warriors. Each one waits with bated breath, hoping to hear the command that will send them screaming for your throats. You spare a glance back at the Blackwings, who have set up formation at the foot of the tower. If you make a run for it, it’s possible you could reach them before the First Sword struck you down. Possible, but extremely difficult. The man was fast, and you get the feeling he may have even held himself back. As all eyes fall on the prince, he extends his arms out to address the crowd, and shouts.
TreeHouses QM
>>5698553 “Deir an seer go mbeidh an bua againn! Dearbhaím Na Cúig Thriail!”
The crowd turns silent, weapons falling to the side. You can hear them whispering amongst each other with unsure looks. Suddenly, one by one, each begins shouting and rhythmically slamming their weapons against the ground. The mood has changed. They’re no longer hungry for blood, but rather appear to be excited for something.
“No!” Maeve shouts at Leif. “What are you doing?! There’s no need for this! We can destroy them right here!”
The prince shrugs. “You said that the spirits showed you a vision of us emerging triumphant, no? Then it should not matter whether that ends up the result of a battle, or the five trials. Besides, we haven’t done this in ages. The men’s morale should improve tenfold with a victory in the trials. I promise they’ll fight twice as hard against the southerners once they’ve seen proof of their Oracle’s divine powers.”
>“What’s going on now? I thought you said we had no reason to fight?” You ask Leif. “I’m afraid circumstances have unfortunately changed.” He says honestly. “But rejoice! Instead of being slaughtered wholesale, you’ll have a chance to prove yourselves in the Cúig Triail!”
>“And just what is that?!” Leif shrugs. “It’s an age-old method of solving disputes between feuding clans of Sreng warriors. To put it simply, it’s a series of five, one-on-one battles. Our five fighters will face off against five of your own. Whichever side wins three bouts first will be declared the victor.” He extends a hand towards Maeve, who has begun impotently clenching her fists and seething. She stares daggers not just at you, but at the Blackwings behind you. “Of course, our Oracle has already seen in her visions that we will win, so I should inform you that your fighters don’t stand a chance. But perhaps this will offer you a more sporting opportunity than a drawn-out battle?”
>“And if I refused?” “You’re more than welcome to.” Leif says. “There are 250 Sreng Screamers behind me. That’s just the vanguard. There are 750 additional warriors on their way. How many fighters do you have?” He asks with a wry smile.
>“What happens if we win?” “Well then, you’re free to do as you please. We’ll take our leave, and we’ll even share some of our bounty with you. I’m sure you’d enjoy that. Though if we win, I suppose that…tome of yours will be ours.” He shrugs, seemingly not caring about the book. “And any other possessions we deem worthy. You’ll also probably all be put to the sword, truthfully.”
>“Rather uneven terms, no?” “Beggars can’t be choosers. Decide now. I can’t hold them off forever.”
>A): Agree to the five trials. >B): Decline. You’ll fight them together. >C): Write-in. Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5698555 >A) Agree to the five trials I got us into this, I made this bed, I'm going to lie in it.
Anonymous
>>5698553 >"Dúirt tú go bhfuil cuid acu láidir?" "You said some of them are strong?"
>“Tá.” “B’fhéidir láidir mar ár gcuid féin.” “Yes.” "Maybe as strong as ours."
>“Deir an seer go mbeidh an bua againn! Dearbhaím Na Cúig Thriail!” The seer says we will win! I affirm The Five Trials!
Leif is pretty based. He could've killed us all, but decided to give us a chance, at least. Maeve on the other hand... our own fortune-teller is better.
>>5698555 Well. As far as chances go, I'll take this over an actual fight.
>A): Agree to the five trials. Let's see if we can get through this without casualties. I hope Sebastian's ready for fighting though-- he'd be great to wall any of their physical attackers.
Anonymous
Well that's unexpected. Telling a scared oracle that we've been studying the necronomicon, and that doesn't calm her down? How fucking absurd!
What's with shit write-ins getting so much support? First there was that close call with trying to 'feel out' the Blue Lions while we were at their camp, and now this.
>>5698555 >A): Agree to the five trials. Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5698588 It really is a plauge of people not being able to think past their nose, isn't it? I'm starting to think I'll need to cut sleep so I can be here once the updates drop to mitigate shit write ins at this point.
>>5698555 >A): Agree to the five trials. Lets just die I guess. We're probably going to lose at least two fighters here considering the state of our troops.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5698555 >A): Agree to the five trials. Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5698555 >A): Agree to the five trials. i will continue to support "shit" write-ins
Anonymous
>>5698588 This is still better than B would've gotten us, and no one came up with anything better in that time. At least we have a chance instead of getting shot right there and everyone else jumped by vikings.
Anonymous
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>>5698555 >>A): Agree to the five trials. Goddammit. Why can't we just lie?
Anonymous
>>5698639 We can and should've lied and say we had nothing of the sort.
Anonymous
>>5698651 Lying to oracles doesn't work, and it angers proud warrior folk.
Anonymous
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>>5698652 Oracles are fake
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5698555 >A): Agree to the five trials. How do they fight? Roster selection will be important.
Anonymous
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>>5698555 >A): Agree to the five trials. We fucked up.
Anonymous
>>5698555 >A): Agree to the five trials. >>5698639 I wouldn't be too surprised if we locked ourselves into a fight the moment we admitted to having the tome and what we said didn't really matter. Maeve was targetting us from the very start. There likely wasn't any chance of us being able to reason with her.
Playing dumb and hoping that Leif could reign his men in and leave before Maeve escalated things was probably the best choice to avoid a fight.
Though we still do have some dumb options left with the tome if anyone actually thinks it's a good idea to try and talk Maeve down.
Anonymous
>>5698811 Don't we practically have this Bo3 in the bag with our Agarthan attaché's and crest bearer(s)?
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5698827 We do have ourselves, Clay, and Scratch, so that's already 3 people who can fight and should be able to win. Only main concern would be if there's a twist on who's allowed to participate, but even if we don't get to choose the raiders would probably pick our strongest men anyway.
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Thu 29 Jun 2023 12:05:10 No. 5698879 Report Quoted By:
>>5698555 >A): Agree to the five trials. Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5698555 >>A): Agree to the five trials. Great. Just fucking great.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5698566 >Leif is pretty based It just seems to me he's annoyed with their fortune teller. Probably doesn't like that she undermines his authority
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5698555 >A): Agree to the five trials. TreeHouses QM
>>5698555 There wasn’t much to think about. You had a far better chance of escaping with your life in a series of five duels as opposed to trying to defend Conand Tower with your limited numbers. It was a thin lifeline, and one that could potentially lead to ruin, but you had no choice but to grasp it.
>“Very well. I accept your challenge.” You say. Leif smirks, hardly looking surprised. He’s aware that this “Cúig Triail” is the best hope you have of survival. “Wonderful. This is going to be a great time, really. The five trials are an honored pastime amongst the Sreng people. Any excitement they had for splitting you open has been swiftly replaced by their desire to represent the clan in honored battle. Now then, there are a few additional rules we should cover. You won’t have to select your five champions until the actual event commences. This should give you some time to decide who you wish to select to represent your mercenary company.”
>“When does this all begin?” Leif looks up towards the sun, then back to his assembled warriors, each of whom are still clamoring in excitement. “Give us a day. The rest of my warriors are on their way. It would be best if they see the results of the Cúig Triail as well. Besides, there’s much to do in the ways of preparation. Though it may not seem it, this is a big deal amongst our people. One cannot simply rush into it.”
>“Fine. Are these duels to the death?” “They can be.” Leif shrugs. “It’s completely up to the discretion of the duel’s winner. At times, they may look at their leader for a sign on whether to execute the defeated foe or not. But there is no rule that states the winners must finish off their opponent.”
You get the impression that the warriors of Sreng will hardly show you the courtesy of keeping any of your soldiers that they defeat alive.
>“Will you be fighting yourself?” Leif balks. “Certainly not! And you won’t either. In the Cúig Triail, it is tradition that the leaders of each clan refrain from joining in themselves. Given that those leaders are usually the strongest of their people, it’s a way of preserving the overall strength of the nation. Though you may not be of Sreng, you’ll be expected to follow those same rules.”
That certainly wasn’t comforting. Though you didn’t want to sound full of yourself, you were sure you were the strongest, if not amongst the strongest, of the Blackwings. You also had a desire to put yourself in harm’s way before asking the same of your band. Sitting on the sidelines and being forced to watch the events unfold just didn’t sit right with you.
TreeHouses QM
>>5699375 “Don’t look so glum.” Leif says, noticing your discomfort. “Rest assured it’s better this way. If I was fighting, it’d be a sure thing that whoever I came up against would perish.”
>“…Very humble. Is there anything else I should know?” Leif nods. “Yes, one more thing. It is customary for each side of the Cúig Triail to offer a hostage to each other. Think of it as a means to ensure that no strange business occurs between the feuding clans.”
>“What? You want us to send someone with you?” “Correct. Whoever you send over will, of course, be ineligible to compete in the Cúig Triail. Likewise, neither will our hostage. As such, it would be best if you chose carefully. The hostages will be treated with the utmost care and respect, of course. You have nothing to worry about in regard to their safety.”
>“Unless of course we lose.” “Well then don’t lose. Traditionally, the hostage sent over is someone of great importance and respect within the tribe. Don’t just send us a common footpad. Make sure it’s a good one. Maybe they’ll even learn a thing or two of Sreng culture while they’re enjoying our comforts.”
The hostage would be unable to compete in the Cúig Triail. That meant you’d have to send over someone you felt you wouldn’t have any need of during the duels. And someone of sufficient renown as well. There were a few candidates in mind, but you’d have to choose carefully. You didn’t want to pick someone that you may end up having need of.
>A): Mina might be suitable. You had no intention of entering your dancer into mortal combat. >B): Elizabeth was a safe option, though she might be better off staying with your injured soldiers. >C): Ingrid seemed…rather useless at the moment. >D): Someone else. (Who? Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5699376 We're so fucked. Maybe send Ashe in hopes that he won't get killed?
Anonymous
>>5699376 >A): Mina might be suitable. You had no intention of entering your dancer into mortal combat. Byleth save us
Anonymous
>>5699375 One interesting thing to note is that that sword design is Mercurius. Definitely a legendary weapon, even if it's not a Hero's Relic.
>>5699376 >A): Mina might be suitable. You had no intention of entering your dancer into mortal combat. I know she asked not to be left to Sreng, but hey, she's actually safer with them then she is with us, it seems.
We should probably think on a five-man-team. Hopefully we win the first three bouts, but we'll probably have to decide on a good selection. Scratch and Clay are definite picks. Sebastian too, if he's recovered enough to fight. Uriel and Theo, maybe?
Anonymous
>>5699376 >A): Mina might be suitable. You had no intention of entering your dancer into mortal combat. Unless we want to bank on them allowing her to dance during the trial, there's not much reason for her to stay with us.
>>5699435 Ideally, Anemone and Ingrid would also be willing to fight which would leave us with one actual pick that isn't obvious, but things probably won't go that smoothly. We do have a day to try to convince them, so we could hopefully get at least one of them on board.
Worst case scenario would be us only getting Scratch and Clay while Sebastian is still too injured to fight. I think Uriel and Theo would be good choices in that case, and either a mage or we could go with Ava if we need a mage killer since her personal skill is busted.
Anonymous
>>5699455 >Ideally, [...] Ingrid would also be willing to fight Ah yes, give her an opportunity to suicide by Sreng. God I hope Sylvain is alive, maybe he can set her straight again.
Overall it's all fucked beyond comprehension
I think Mina explicitly asked us not to give her to Shreng alive, like this guy
>>5699435 says, but fuck it, who cares, she won't be the first blackwing we disappointed
>>5699376 >>A): Mina might be suitable. You had no intention of entering your dancer into mortal combat. Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Fri 30 Jun 2023 12:20:12 No. 5699527 Report >>5699376 >A): Mina might be suitable. You had no intention of entering your dancer into mortal combat. Yeah she's important but not good in a 1v1 combat so she makes the most sense, only issue i see being that she might annoy the hell out of the Sreng
Anonymous
>>5699376 >>C): Ingrid seemed…rather useless at the moment. Anonymous
>>5699431 >>5699435 >>5699455 >>5699477 >>5699527 For the love of God, DO NOT SEND MINA AS THE HOSTAGE. Leif just told us to our face, that they're expecting someone of GREAT IMPORTANCE AND RESPECT to be the selected hostage. Mina is NOT THAT.
>Don’t just send us a common footpad >Don’t just send us a common footpad >Don’t just send us a common footpad >Don’t just send us a common footpad This is what we are doing if we're sending Mina. It'll be an insult to the Sreng. We're making a shit choice without thinking again.
The best choice out of the three provided would be Ingrid, as daughter of Count Galatea and wielder of the Lance of Luin her importance would be understood by the Sreng, if only by the presence of her Hero's Relic. Ingrid however is currently a catatonic sack of potatoes, so I will not argue that we send her as the hostage.
You can argue that sending Elizabeth fits the bill too. As our main healer she's likely to be well respected, liked among the whole company and neccessary for the smooth operation of our band of mercs, but sending our one caretaker away from our wounded at this time is as much of a mistake as sending Mina.
The logical choice is to offer ourselves as hostage. We're already not allowed to compete, so using ourselves as hostage will not have an impact on who can fight in the tournament, our importance is established because as the leader of this group we're negotiating directly with the Prince himself and we fought the First Blade to a standstill with a dagger so they know our strength too is to be respected. Some of the Blackwings might even fight with more determination if we put ourselves up as hostage
(read: Ashe) .
We can't fight, but we can keep anyone else away from the Sreng.
>>5699376 >D): Someone else - Ourselves Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5699376 >>D): Someone else - Ourselves Good argument.
TreeHouses QM
>>5699557 I should clarify that the "common footpad" comment was more so to prevent you from picking a generic, background Blackwing rather than someone who could theoretically provide useful assistance. Either one of those three options would satisfy Leif.
Given that you're the leader though and in charge of picking the five units that are going to compete, it probably isn't wise to nominate yourself.
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Fri 30 Jun 2023 14:23:48 No. 5699594 Report >>5699557 I mean Mina is still a valuable ally and it's not like she's a footsoldier, and I'd rather have our cleric keep healing our allies.
Also I doubt the QM would just add in a trap option like that here.
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Fri 30 Jun 2023 14:25:53 No. 5699595 Report Quoted By:
Also sending in Ingrid would just be a dick move, and putting ourselves as hostage is just stupid, sure they'll respect it but... We're kinda too important to make prisoner.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5699586 A wild night with the Sreng might be fun. Maybe.
Anonymous
>>5699557 But Mina is someone of great importance and respect? She's the company's dancer-- she's not like, a generic camp follower, she's a valuable battlefield asset that the Blackwings fought hard to acquire, and whose services have been critical in plenty of battlefronts. She's a little new, but I'm sure she satisfies the requirements.
Anonymous
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Yeah, dancers are rare kind of mages in FE, she's valuable enough
Anonymous
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>>5699376 >D) Someone else - Milly the Quartermaster We don't know if she is still alive but this is one way to check and she is important for all the Blackwings
Anonymous
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>>5699376 Nominally torn between A and C. We need Elizabeth healing our people. Keeping Mina safe is a high priority, but giving Ingrid a chance to suicide by Sreng is not so great. Mina doesn't want to be left with the Sreng. Ashe might seem like an okay write-in compromise, but he lost whatever standing he had in the Dukedom when he joined us, and lost his Kingdom standing when he joined the Dukedom. He was even a "common footpad" before he met Lonato. Plus, there's no way Blair is letting the Sreng hold her boytoy hostage.
Anonymous
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>>5699586 False alarm then, my paranoia was triggerd by wording that wasn't clear.
>>5699594 >>5699635 I still disagree with sending over Mina, or any woman that isn't ourselves really. They'd be walking into a raider army composed of mostly men, and while I trust Leif I don't trust his men. I'd rather send Theo or Caleb as the hostage, they would probably not get hassled too much. Yara too, being a Sage/Oracle just as Maeve would probably be a better choice then Mina.
Anonymous
>>5699376 >A): Mina might be suitable. You had no intention of entering your dancer into mortal combat. Anonymous
Quoted By:
Yeah, it seemed more like Leif just wanted named Blackwings and not the remaining generics we had. If we were to send a dude instead, we could send Caleb. We already have two other archers, so unless they surprise us with five fliers or something, having him not being a pick shouldn't be too bad.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5699376 >C): Ingrid seemed…rather useless at the moment. I genuenly don't see much hope for Ingrid at the moment. At best she's going to put up a ridiculously flawed fight, at worst she's going to let herself get killed.
Anonymous
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>>5699376 >D) Someone else - Caleb Anonymous
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>>5699376 >B): Elizabeth was a safe option, though she might be better off staying with your injured soldiers. Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5699376 >D): Someone else. (Who?) Yara. I did think about sending Ashe but Blair probably needs someone to pour out her true feelings and fears tonight.
Anonymous
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>>5699550 Changing to
>D): Someone else. (Who?) Yara. I did thought about sending Ashe but Blair probably needs someone to pour out her true feelings and fears tonight. Ingrid may indeed commit seppuku if we sent her out on her own.
Anonymous
>>5699376 >D): Someone else - Sebastian He's still not healthy enough to fight and hes one of our mightiest warriors which Sreng will respect. They might even help him recover a bit faster with their superior supplies/healers. He's also dutiful and brave enough to handle being hostage. Plus he won't be molested by any horny marauders. All the other options presented seem to have more risks involved.
Anonymous
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>>5700120 >>5699376 actually, I'm switching to this from this
>>5699477 >D): Someone else - Sebastian Anonymous
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>>5699375 >D): Someone else - Sebastian Anonymous
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>>5700120 You know what? I'll support it. You make a good point about the Sreng healers.
>>5699376 >D): Someone else. - Sebastian Anonymous
Anonymous
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Would it be okay to leave someone that badly wounded to them though?
TreeHouses QM
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Looks like the final tally has Sebastian at 5, Mina at 4. We'll go with that. Writing.
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Sat 01 Jul 2023 02:05:01 No. 5700200 Report Quoted By:
Blair:''Here's our hostage, an injured man.''
TreeHouses QM
>>5699376 You initially settle on Mina as your choice of hostage. As there’s no way you’d ever enter her in the Cúig Triail, it seems a no-brainer. But the more you see of those Sreng raiders, the less you like the idea. The majority of them are male, and each one seems hyper-fixated on slaughtering you and yours, or perhaps doing much worse. Mina being Mina, you’d feel uncomfortable leaving her to the whims of Leif’s men. Sebastian though is a much more suitable alternative. While ordinarily he’d be a huge asset in these trials, the man is still recovering from his wounds, and would be unlikely to compete. That being said, he was still a hulking behemoth of a man, and less likely to be subjected to the whims of the Sreng raiders than Mina would. He also shared the same desire as you did to put himself in danger before the others in the company. If this was the only way he could do so, you knew he’d welcome the opportunity.
>“Very well. I’ve settled on my hostage.” Leif nods. “Good, as have I. We’ll send them over to each other within the hour. In the meantime, I’d suggest you take refuge in your tower and prepare yourselves. We have much work to do out here after all, and you’ll likely want to make the most of your remaining time left.” Leif boasts about his chances of victory, and yet you get the feeling he doesn’t actually care. This man was a strange one. How did he know Sylvain? And just what were his intentions? He’d mentioned an upcoming battle with southerners. Was he referring to his plans to raid Faerghus? Or was there something else at play here? You’d love to get to the bottom of things fast, but for now, you had work to do. The two of you shake hands, and head to back to your respective armies.
“What the hell is going on?” Asks an exasperated Corrine upon your return, axe drawn and resting at her side.
You explain the situation to the assembled Blackwings. Already exhausted from the events of Gronder, no one is particularly happy to hear the news. By the end of your tale though, they seem to be in sullen agreement that these “trials” are a far better alternative than defending this worthless tower to the death.
“Commander.” Sebastian calls for you. The man is utterly enraged. At first you believe that he’s upset over your decision to choose him as hostage. You’re prepared to defend yourself when he reveals his thoughts. “That man…the one you said is the ‘First Blade of Sreng’. The sword he is carrying…I’m confident that weapon is Mercurius.”
>“Mercurius?” You’d never heard the name before. Sebastian nods. “It’s a sword of great renown, only a notch under the Hero’s Relics. It was forged during the original War of the Eagle and Lion. It’s a prized regalia that belonged to House Blaiddyd. Dimitri's house.” He clenches his teeth. “I saw it once during my time serving King Lambert. They called it the Shooting Star Sword. Why does he have it?”
TreeHouses QM
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>>5700212 >“I don’t know…but he’s strong. I verified that for myself.” Sebastian tightens his jaw. It’s plain to see that his fury is great, but in his current state, he is unable to do anything about it. “If you must choose someone to face that man, choose with caution. It is a powerful sword, and one that would require a powerful wielder to make full use of. If I were at full-health, I’d crush him myself. So, I must ask this of you instead. If we defeat him, please retrieve that blade. It is ill-suited in the hands of a barbarian.’
>You nod. “I will do what I can. Please watch your temper around those raiders, Sebastian. I would see that you return to us unharmed.” Sebastian salutes you, before hobbling over to be exchanged to the Sreng raiders as hostage. Though injured, he still cuts an impressive figure, standing taller than most of the northern fighters. In comparison, the hostage that Leif has sent over is…
“They’re sending…a child?” Corrine asks incredulously. “I thought you said it had to be someone important? Who the hell is this little shit supposed to be?” She seethes silently to you.
Indeed, the hostage Leif has sent over appears to be a child, perhaps only fourteen or fifteen years of age at best. He walks past the giant armored knight, who stares at him dumbfoundedly. The boy spares him a smile and a wave, before hopping over to you and Corrine.
“Are you Blair?” He asks, beaming proudly.
>“I am…” “I’m Ronan!” He shouts, seemingly unbothered by the present circumstances. “It’s really great to meet you!”
>“…Likewise. So…you’re the honored and respected representative of your clan?” Ronan nods vigorously and salutes. “I sure am, ma’am!”
“…And why is that?” Corrine asks.
“Well…I’m a pretty fast runner! I can count pretty high too. Oh! I also can speak your language really good! Prince Leif says I’m a natural!” He spares you a toothy grin.
“We gave up the head of our infantry…for this?” Corrine mutters.
“So, you old ladies are from the south, huh?” Ronan asks. “Hey! Blair! Do you think we can chat privately? I’ve never talked with anyone from the south before! There’s a whooooole lot I want to talk about! And I want to practice the Fodlan tongue with a native too! Can we talk? Please? Pleaaaaaaaase?”
>A): Chat with Ronan in private. >B): You have no time for this child. Begin making preparations for the Cúig Tria TreeHouses QM
Quoted By:
>>5700212 >“I don’t know…but he’s strong. I verified that for myself.” Sebastian tightens his jaw. It’s plain to see that his fury is great, but in his current state, he is unable to do anything about it. “If you must choose someone to face that man, choose with caution. It is a powerful sword, and one that would require a powerful wielder to make full use of. If I were at full-health, I’d crush him myself. So, I must ask this of you instead. If we defeat him, please retrieve that blade. It is ill-suited in the hands of a barbarian.’
>You nod. “I will do what I can. Please watch your temper around those raiders, Sebastian. I would see that you return to us unharmed.” Sebastian salutes you, before hobbling over to be exchanged to the Sreng raiders as hostage. Though injured, he still cuts an impressive figure, standing taller than most of the northern fighters. In comparison, the hostage that Leif has sent over is…
“They’re sending…a child?” Corrine asks incredulously. “I thought you said it had to be someone important? Who the hell is this little shit supposed to be?” She seethes silently to you.
Indeed, the hostage Leif has sent over appears to be a child, perhaps only fourteen or fifteen years of age at best. He walks past the giant armored knight, who stares at him dumbfoundedly. The boy spares him a smile and a wave, before hopping over to you and Corrine.
“Are you Blair?” He asks, beaming proudly.
>“I am…” “I’m Ronan!” He shouts, seemingly unbothered by the present circumstances. “It’s really great to meet you!”
>“…Likewise. So…you’re the honored and respected representative of your clan?” Ronan nods vigorously and salutes. “I sure am, ma’am!”
“…And why is that?” Corrine asks.
“Well…I’m a pretty fast runner! I can count pretty high too. Oh! I also can speak your language really good! Prince Leif says I’m a natural!” He spares you a toothy grin.
“We gave up the head of our infantry…for this?” Corrine mutters.
“So, you old ladies are from the south, huh?” Ronan asks. “Hey! Blair! Do you think we can chat privately? I’ve never talked with anyone from the south before! There’s a whooooole lot I want to talk about! And I want to practice the Fodlan tongue with a native too! Can we talk? Please? Pleaaaaaaaase?”
>A): Chat with Ronan in private. >B): You have no time for this child. Begin making preparations for the Cúig Triail. TreeHouses QM
>>5700212 >“I don’t know…but he’s strong. I verified that for myself.” Sebastian tightens his jaw. It’s plain to see that his fury is great, but in his current state, he is unable to do anything about it. “If you must choose someone to face that man, choose with caution. It is a powerful sword, and one that would require a powerful wielder to make full use of. If I were at full-health, I’d crush him myself. So, I must ask this of you instead. If we defeat him, please retrieve that blade. It is ill-suited in the hands of a barbarian.’
>You nod. “I will do what I can. Please watch your temper around those raiders, Sebastian. I would see that you return to us unharmed.” Sebastian salutes you, before hobbling over to be exchanged to the Sreng raiders as hostage. Though injured, he still cuts an impressive figure, standing taller than most of the northern fighters. In comparison, the hostage that Leif has sent over is…
“They’re sending…a child?” Corrine asks incredulously. “I thought you said it had to be someone important? Who the hell is this little shit supposed to be?” She seethes silently to you.
Indeed, the hostage Leif has sent over appears to be a child, perhaps only fourteen or fifteen years of age at best. He walks past the giant armored knight, who stares at him dumbfoundedly. The boy spares him a smile and a wave, before hopping over to you and Corrine.
“Are you Blair?” He asks, beaming proudly.
>“I am…” “I’m Ronan!” He shouts, seemingly unbothered by the present circumstances. “It’s really great to meet you!”
>“…Likewise. So…you’re the honored and respected representative of your clan?” Ronan nods vigorously and salutes. “I sure am, ma’am!”
“…And why is that?” Corrine asks.
“Well…I’m a pretty fast runner! I can count pretty high too. Oh! I also can speak your language really good! Prince Leif says I’m a natural!” He spares you a toothy grin.
“We gave up the head of our infantry…for this?” Corrine mutters.
“So, you old ladies are from the south, huh?” Ronan asks. “Hey! Blair! Do you think we can chat privately? I’ve never talked with anyone from the south before! There’s a whooooole lot I want to talk about! And I want to practice the Fodlan tongue with a native too! Can we talk? Please? Pleaaaaaaaase?”
>A): Chat with Ronan in private. >B): You have no time for this child. Begin making preparations for the Cúig Triail. Anonymous
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>>5700216 >>B): You have no time for this child. Begin making preparations for the Cúig Triail. AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH
At least Seb can't fight or we would've sent our best for nothing.
Anonymous
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>>5700216 >A): Chat with Ronan in private. Anonymous
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>>5700216 >>B): You have no time for this child. Begin making preparations for the Cúig Triail. Learning foreign languages and mathematics for childhood education in these types of settings suggests that the kid might be related to nobility or high military standing through a parent. But we have to win these trials to better feed and support our mercs first and foremost.
Anonymous
>>5700216 >A): Chat with Ronan in private There's no way they'd send some kid to us unless he's a big deal just by existing. If he's not a prince of Sreng, he's either something close to that or one of the raiders' own kids. Plus, we gotta treat our hostage well. If we screw up and Ronan gets all weepy, it's all our heads. Additional point, we get more L O R E this way.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5700216 >>A): Chat with Ronan in private. Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5700216 >A): Chat with Ronan in private He could provide insight into the Triail, Sreng customs, stats of the enemy army, etc. And like
>>5700276 said, we should at least treat him well as insurance. If we win him over, he could possibly advocate/plead mercy for us in case we lose. He might even defect, however unlikely
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5700216 >A): Chat with Ronan in private Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5700216 >A): Chat with Ronan in private. We're expected to treat the hostage well, so even if he is simply a clueless kid who wouldn't know anything useful like who we'd potentially fight against, it still wouldn't be smart to tell him to screw off. He knows our langauge at least, which should mean something unless that's just something all Sreng scouts are expected to know.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5700216 >B): You have no time for this child. Begin making preparations for the Cúig Triail. Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5700216 >>A): Chat with Ronan in private Either they're attempting to fool us by sending someone unimportant, or this kid is somewhat renowned. Better to find out.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5700216 >A): Chat with Ronan in private. They're either fucking with us, or this is the child of Prince Leif. The latter would make the most sense. Best treat him well.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5700216 >A): Chat with Ronan in private. Leif seems honorable enough, which means this kid is important and respected. It wouldn't surprise me if this was his kid, or the kid of someone important. We're obligated to at least treat him as best we can
or at least, pump as much info out of him as we can before the trials. Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5700216 >A): Chat with Ronan in private. If nothing else we can learn how they fight
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5700216 >A): Chat with Ronan in private Yeah fact that they are bothering to teach him the Southern Tounge makes him pretty likely to be related to someone important. And he likes to talk.
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Sat 01 Jul 2023 13:57:12 No. 5700513 Report >>5700216 Oh god they send us their boy scout mascot- wait
>So, you old ladies are from the south, huh? >Hey! Blair! Do you think we can chat privately? >And I want to practice the Fodlan tongue with a native too! I do not trust this child, but i understand why they send him to us, he seems pretty smart and his attitude is prolly good for the morale.
>B): You have no time for this child. Begin making preparations for the Cúig Triail. Anonymous
>>5700513 "that shota is a spy" is a funny reasoning, so I'll go with it
>>5700216 >B): You have no time for this child. Begin making preparations for the Cúig Triail. Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5700216 >A): Chat with Ronan in private. Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5700517 >is a funny reasoning An Agathan spy sent out to recover / steal the diary anyway?
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5700216 >B): You have no time for this child. Begin making preparations for the Cúig Triail. Don't think the shota is a spy but entertaining him would only be a waste of time.
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Sat 01 Jul 2023 16:21:43 No. 5700610 Report Quoted By:
Oh, I wasn't thinking he was a spy, I interpreted his lines as double entendre's
TreeHouses QM
Quoted By:
A wins. Writing
TreeHouses QM
>>5700216 Ronan was a mere child. To claim that he possessed the same value to an army as someone like Sebastian was ludicrous. Still, he spoke the common tongue of Fodlan with great ease, and he might have at least some insights into the inner workings of Sreng and its fighters. Surely there was a reason Leif would have sent him over. Perhaps if you humored Ronan, you might be able to dig out some valuable info on your new opponents. You didn’t exactly have much experience with children, but it seemed worth a try to speak with the boy in private.
>“Corrine, I’m going to spend a bit of time with Ronan here. Do you think you can start getting the others ready? Find those who are eager and confident in their ability to fight tomorrow and report back.” Corrine gives you that same look Leif gave you earlier but does not refuse your order. “So, you’re a babysitter now? Fine. I’ll take care of it.”
“Woohoo!” Ronan jumps for joy. He holds onto your hand. “Lead the way, miss!”
You shepherd Ronan back to the Tower of Black Winds, perhaps slightly embarrassed at how the scene must look to your mercenaries. It doesn’t take long for you to find an empty room for the two of you to take over. It’s a dreary and cold place, much like every other room in the tower. A small slit in the wall is the only thing that provides any sort of light.
>“Apologies for the accommodation. We uhh…lack certain amenities currently.” Ronan shakes his head vigorously. “No way! I think it’s cool! We don’t really have towers like this back in Sreng. I can’t wait to tell the others all about this. What’s the story behind this one? Did a maiden used to live here?”
>“…Probably not.” “Really? Prince Leif told me a story about a beautiful maiden that lived in Fodlan. There was a dragon that was guarding her, and a bunch of brave knights had to go and rescue her! But to do that, they had to go around the land collecting a bunch of these special rocks called Sacred Stones, and they fought all manner of beasts and bad guys that were-“
Ronan goes on for several minutes, rambling excitedly about various folklore tales and stories he’d learned from the prince.
>“So, Ronan.” The boy has tired himself out, forgetting to breathe in the midst of his excitement. It seems he’s well-versed in Fodlan’s lore and has a deep appreciation for it. Certainly, a rarity amongst his kind. “Why exactly was it that Leif chose you as his hostage? I was under the impression that hostages were supposed to be…uhh, important. Not saying that you aren’t, of course.” “Oh right! Sorry, I almost forgot. I get really excited when I get to talk about Fodlan.” The boy looks embarrassed. “I’m the prince’s sciúire. It’s kind of like what you would call a squire. I do all sorts of tasks and stuff for him, and in exchange he trains me and teaches me all kinds of cool things!”
>“…I see.” TreeHouses QM
>>5701435 “So, you guys are mercenaries, right? And you’re pretty strong?”
>“The strongest.” “Really?” Ronan opens his eyes wide. “That’s great! Because the prince wants to hire you!”
>“Huh? What are you talking about?” Ronan gets up from where he was sitting, looking left and right as if to ensure no one was eavesdropping, before coming in closer. “This is top secret, Blair!” He whispers. “The prince wants you to win the Cúig Triail tomorrow. He’s prepared to pay you a lot of loot if you do!”
>“I don’t understand.” Truly you didn’t. “Why would he want us to win? “That Oracle of yours seems to be convinced that we’re evil. And the rest of your army doesn’t seem to hold us in any high regard. What would the prince gain from us winning?” “Back home, they call Prince Leif the ‘Great Modernizer’. Did you know that when he was a boy, he was a hostage in a place called Gautier? He managed to escape though and come back to Sreng. When he did, he brought back with him all sorts of new ideas! He single-handedly changed the way that the people of Sreng did everything! From how we grew food, to building homes and even changing the way the military fought. The clans used to fight with each other a lot, but even that’s all stopped! He’s made a huge impact on Sreng, and after his father dies, everyone thinks he’s going to be a great King. He’s really the coolest!” You can practically see the stars in Ronan’s eyes as he talks about his lord.
>“That’s…good to know.” “Still though, he’s got a lot of work left to do. Sreng’s made a lot of progress thanks to him, but a lot of the people are still superstitious. The Oracle is a position of great importance in Sreng culture. Supposedly, they communicate with the spirits, who show them visions of the future. For hundreds of years, Sreng chieftains have used those visions to make a bunch of important decisions. But Prince Leif doesn’t believe in any of that stuff. He thinks the visions are fake, and that the Oracles are just pretending they see things so they can stay in power. The current Oracle, Maeve, is the worst. She and Leif get into all sorts of fights about what they’re supposed to do. The prince has a lot of great ideas, but he can’t do any of them because Maeve keeps blocking him. If the Prince tried to get rid of her, it would be too obvious it was him, and then everyone would start fighting again.” He pauses for a second. “For some reason, the Oracle reaaaaalllly doesn’t like you.”
>“I noticed.” TreeHouses QM
>>5701436 “But Maeve made a big mistake! She said that she saw a vision of Sreng winning the Cúig Triail and claiming that book of yours. If an Oracle pronounces a vision, and it doesn’t come true, then everyone believes that it means she’s lost the favor of the spirits. She’d been careful up until this point with her predictions, but for some reason she couldn’t help herself around you. So, that’s why the prince wants to hire you! If you win the Cúig Triail, then Maeve has to stop down, and he can finally have full control! And I’m here to help!”
You got the impression that Leif had a dislike of Maeve, but you had no idea that things ran this deep. He’d made a great show of backing up Maeve’s ‘vision’, claiming that it would be impossible for the Blackwings to emerge victorious. But if what Ronan was saying was true, it was likely just to later drive home the point that the Oracle had predicted wrong. He’d seized on Maeve’s hatred of you and your admittance of owning Diogenes’ Tome to place himself in a potentially favorable position. He was a cunning one, that much was true. Whether he wanted you to win or not, you’d have to be careful around him.
>“Very well. We’ll emerge victorious tomorrow. That was never in question for me. Now then, how is it that you can help?” “Ask me anything!” Ronan beams. “The prince gave me lots of good info before sending me off!”
>A): Tell me about the fighters Sreng will enter in the Cúig Triail >B): Tell me more about Maeve. Where did she come from and what is her influence? >C): Tell me what Sreng is doing out here. I heard Leif mention an upcoming battle with Southerners. Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5701437 >A) The other two can wait until after we win the fights
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5701437 Huh, we learnt more than I thought we would from the kid. There's something telling me that Leif sent his squire so he would spill his secrets to us in secret.
>A): Tell me about the fighters Sreng will enter in the Cúig Triail Let's focus on the short term. If we win we'll be able to ask Leif these questions ourself.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5701437 >A): Tell me about the fighters Sreng will enter in the Cúig Triail knowing how the individual match ups are assigned would potential also be critical, assuming the Leif isn't instructing people to sandbag for us.
Since we may well be limited in our selection and further who they have to face off against.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5701437 >A): Tell me about the fighters Sreng will enter in the Cúig Triail I think Leif does want us to win. But Ronan's claims of loot and favor could be a ploy. Or even non-negotiable, delaying us from reaching Garreg Mach. It all just seems a bit too good to be true.
Anonymous
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>>5701437 >A): Tell me about the fighters Sreng will enter in the Cúig Triail Anonymous
Huh. Leif's a cunning bastard, I'll give him that. I'm 100% sure he won't hold back with his selections though, especially not in front of his entire army. He going to try his hardest, and we need to win anyway to disprove Maeve's omens. Besides-- no point in hiring a mercenary company if you make it too easy for them.
All that being said, I will admit that I'm curious about the potential Sreng route, even if we are basically locked into Ashe now. >>5701437 >A): Tell me about the fighters Sreng will enter in the Cúig Triail Let's see their lineup and see if we can't make suitable counterpicks.
Anonymous
>>5701437 >A): Tell me about the fighters Sreng will enter in the Cúig Triail Choice should be obvious. We can hear Maeve's life story or learn about whatever they plan to do when we can ensure that we're surviving.
Only benefits from the other choices would be if they plan on fighting Agarthans or if Maeve might really be one herself, which would convince Anemone to fight if she still insists on not being involved in non-Agarthan affairs.
As funny as it would be if it turns out Blair's initial paranoid accusation about Maeve was correct, it'd be a complete waste of time if it turns out that the mole people aren't involved, and this situation is different from Gronder where red flags were everywhere, so Anemone might be more willing to help us with this fight anyways
Anonymous
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>>5701437 >A): Tell me about the fighters Sreng will enter in the Cúig Triail Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5701437 >A): Tell me about the fighters Sreng will enter in the Cúig Triail Well this is interesting. But I share the same feeling that this might be too good to be true.
That, or Sreng is a cunning bastard and allowed his squire to spill some secrets.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5701437 >>A): Tell me about the fighters Sreng will enter in the Cúig Triail There's going to be a curveball tomorrow somewhere for sure but if Leif's serious on getting rid of this oracle then he's 100% fed the kid some good info
Anonymous
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>>5701437 >B): Tell me more about Maeve. Where did she come from and what is her influence? Anonymous
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>>5701515 Thinking about it, Blair might be right about Maeve being an Agarthan lmao
She's been subverting Leif and rejecting his ideas to improve the country, and she has hates us. Classic Agarthan behavior.
More importantly
Maeve has repeatedly said that she'll keep the tome she's so scared of. Not once has she ever said that she'll try to destroy it. Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5701437 >A): Tell me about the fighters Sreng will enter in the Cúig Triail Would he know this?
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Mon 03 Jul 2023 01:42:25 No. 5701707 Report Quoted By:
>>5701437 >He’d seized on Maeve’s hatred of you and your admittance of owning Diogenes’ Tome to place himself in a potentially favorable position. Oh look at that, revealing we have the book was actually good.
>A): Tell me about the fighters Sreng will enter in the Cúig Triail Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5701437 >>C): Tell me what Sreng is doing out here. I heard Leif mention an upcoming battle with Southerners. Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5701437 >C): Tell me what Sreng is doing out here. I heard Leif mention an upcoming battle with Southerners. Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5701437 >B): Tell me more about Maeve. Where did she come from and what is her influence? I don't know. This feels to good to be true.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5701437 >>B): Tell me more about Maeve. Where did she come from and what is her influence? I feel like Maeve isn't going to play fair. Try to rig the order, like making us declare who we're sending out first, or something. Or just meddle more directly.
Anonymous
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>>5701437 >B): Tell me more about Maeve. Where did she come from and what is her influence? Anonymous
>>5701500 >All that being said, I will admit that I'm curious about the potential Sreng route, even if we are basically locked into Ashe now. SRENG'D
Anonymous
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>>5702081 I am a sucker for foreign princes, even if they are
not!Irish. TreeHouses QM
>>5701437 There were plenty of questions you wanted to ask Ronan. What was Sreng doing this far down south in such large numbers? What was this upcoming battle of theirs that they were readying themselves for? And just who or possibly what was Maeve? But for now, it was imperative that you focus on the Cúig Triail. Emerging victorious and escaping with your life took priority over sating your own curiosity.
>“Ronan, is there anything you can tell me about the fighters that Leif plans to enter tomorrow? I’ve never fought someone from Sreng, much less even encountered anyone from there before. It would be helpful to know what I can expect so that I can adjust our roster for tomorrow accordingly.” Ronan nods. “Of course! Not only did the prince share with me the fighters he’ll be calling upon, but he even let me know the order he plans to do so as well!”
>“That’s incredibly helpful!” “It is, but don’t get ahead of yourself thinking that will be all you need to win.” Ronan warns you. “To make this as convincing as possible, Ronan had to pick powerful warriors. None of them know anything about his plan, and each will be fighting to the utmost of their ability. Winning in the Cúig Triail is considered a great honor, so you can be sure they won’t hold anything back.”
>“I suppose it would be too easy if Leif did all the work for us. Very well, tell me what you know.” “The fighters on the Sreng side will be a Halberdier, a Berserker, a Druid, an Axe Warrior and a Swordmaster, in that order. You can rest assured that this particular swordmaster won’t be Cormac.”
>“Cormac?” “You’ve met him already. The First Blade of Sreng, our mightiest warrior. Leif needs to make this look interesting, but there’s no rule saying he needs to use Cormac tomorrow. I’d say that’s a lot of good news for you. Cormac is really strong! Maybe even stronger than the prince! The good thing is he’s also loyal to the prince too. We won’t have to worry about him.”
That was a relief. You weren’t sure if there was anyone in the company you’d want crossing blades with that man. Ronan goes into detail about each of the fighters on Sreng’s side. He tells you about their specialties, their personalities, and even the types of weapons and skills that they’re best known for. All the while, you jot these notes down in your head, silently going over who might be best suited for each fighter. While you hope that things won’t get to the point that you’ll have to fight a fourth or fifth battle, you’ll be ready if you must. You feel a little more at ease having received such valuable intel on your enemy, and you and Ronan speak over strategy until night falls.
TreeHouses QM
>>5702397 “And that’s that.” Ronan yawns, tired from all the day’s excitement. During your conversation with the boy, you couldn’t help but overhear all the noise from outside the tower. Those reinforcements that Leif had spoken about must have arrived. It sounds more like a party outside than a war camp. There’s been a routine loud-banging noise outside, though you have no idea what it could possibly be.
>“Thank you, Ronan. Should we win tomorrow, I’ll have to make it up to you. I’m a fan of fairy tales myself. I’m sure there’s plenty of books in my chest that might be of interest to you.” Even through his fatigue, the boy manages to look excited. “That’d be great! Thanks for hanging out with me Blair, you’re pretty cool. I really hope you guys don’t die tomorrow!”
>“Me too.” “Oh, one last thing.” He says, having seemingly forgotten an important detail. “You should know that it’s pretty common for both sides in a Cúig Triail to end up cheating during the tournament.”
>“What? Isn’t this whole thing all about honor or something?” “The people of Sreng only respect a victory, and what the Oracle foresees. They don’t care how they go about achieving it, so long as they do. In the past, there’s been all manner of schemes that clans have tried to pull over. Poisoned weapons are a popular method. I’ve seen stray arrows ‘accidentally’ hit competing fighters. Sometimes, clans have even tried messing with each other the night before the trials to ensure that one side was not ready. If one side is caught cheating during a bout, then they’ll be considered to have lost that round. You can rest assured that Maeve will be actively trying to ensure that Sreng wins tomorrow. So, you should either do the same, be ready to dismantle any scheme she tries to cook up, or just power through. Whatever you do though, just don’t get caught!”
>What a pain. “I’ll be sure to keep that in mind. Thank you, Ronan.” “You’re welcome.” He yawns, before stretching out on the floor and seemingly falling asleep.
Closing the door gently behind you, you think about your next steps from here.
>A): Meet with Anemone and discuss the possibility of Agarthan influence at work here. >B): Meet with Corrine and get an assessment on the Blackwings before tomorrow. >C): Meet with Milly and actively discuss the potential of cheating. Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5702399 My tenative vote is
>A): Meet with Anemone and discuss the possibility of Agarthan influence at work here. If Maeve IS an Agarthan, it's best we know now. I don't think we can hide our cheating well enough for C to be worth it, but B is tempting just for the extra prep info even if I feel A is better in the long term.
Anonymous
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>>5702399 >>B): Meet with Corrine and get an assessment on the Blackwings before tomorrow. since we didn't get a sitrep before, we gotta do it now. otherwise cheating should be our vote.
I really doubt we can count on anemone, she is possibly the worst ally we have
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5702399 >B): Meet with Corrine and get an assessment on the Blackwings before tomorrow. Here's hoping there isn't any Agarthan fuckery.
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Tue 04 Jul 2023 01:52:43 No. 5702488 Report Quoted By:
>>5702399 >B): Meet with Corrine and get an assessment on the Blackwings before tomorrow. Surviving this thing with minimal losses is currently important so while A is tempting i'll pick this.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5702399 >>B): Meet with Corrine and get an assessment on the Blackwings before tomorrow. Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5702399 >A): Meet with Anemone and discuss the possibility of Agarthan influence at work here. Anonymous
Quoted By:
Interesting. I don't think the lineup will change, but Maeve will definitely cheat in other ways. It wouldn't surprise me if Leif, Maeve, or even Cormac himself will end up endorsing subbing out for the Swordmaster at the end for Cormac though.
>>5702399 >B): Meet with Corrine and get an assessment on the Blackwings before tomorrow. I really want to do A, but we need to see the condition of our own fighters before we go in. I hope we have more time to talk to Anemone though-- we need to talk about Maeve, as well as check if our spear is ready.
Anonymous
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>>5702399 >B): Meet with Corrine and get an assessment on the Blackwings before tomorrow. Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5702399 >B): Meet with Corrine and get an assessment on the Blackwings before tomorrow Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5702399 >B): Meet with Corrine and get an assessment on the Blackwings before tomorrow. Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5702399 >>B): Meet with Corrine and get an assessment on the Blackwings before tomorrow. Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5702399 >C): Meet with Milly and actively discuss the potential of cheating. I can think of a few surprises we can prepare
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5702399 >B): Meet with Corrine and get an assessment on the Blackwings before tomorrow. Time to get everyone ready. Let's hope they're not half-starved.
TreeHouses QM
>>5702399 You decide to use your remaining time to meet with Corrine and get a status report on the rest of the company. While no one was exactly in the best shape, it was still imperative that you find those who would be willing and able to compete in tomorrow’s trials. Particularly so as you would be unable to enter yourself. You find your sister already sitting in your room. Much like everyone else in the company, she looks exhausted. Having to share the burden of leadership isn’t doing her any favors.
“Did you find out anything good?” She asks you. You notice a nearly empty wine bottle sitting on the floor next to her. How and where she’d managed to stash alcohol, you hadn’t the faintest clue. You share with her the information you’d heard from Ronan, giving her a quick rundown of Leif’s plan, the opponents and their expected order, and the possibility of Maeve cheating tomorrow.
“By the Goddess.” She groans. “I’m no stranger to people hating us. It comes with the territory, after all. But what the hell is her problem? She shouldn’t even know who we are.”
>“How are the others doing? Is there anyone we can or can’t rely on for tomorrow’s festivities?” “They’re all good to go. Elizabeth has gone above and beyond expectations in restoring at least all of our captain level fighters back to health. Hell, she even got Mina back on her feet. Not that she’ll be of much help here, but still. While she couldn’t do anything for Sebastian, at the very least we have options to choose from. They’re all pretty much willing to fight if selected, too. Given that it’s either this or being overrun by northern raiders and killed anyway, they don’t have many options.”
>“What of Ingrid? It would be a huge benefit if we could rely on her to fight for us. Anemone as well.” Corrine clicks her teeth in annoyance. “Doubtful. She won’t say a word to me. You’d think she’d be grateful after all the aid you provided her, but alas. She seems to prefer the idea of being violated and killed by Sreng versus fighting. As for Anemone, I don’t know. She was present outside during that whole commotion, but she quickly retreated to the tower’s dungeon along with her ‘assistant’ once it was all over. Too busy pouring over her ‘evil’ tome, no doubt.”
>“What’s the general mood like?” “Shitty. We’ve still got our tried-and-true who will follow you to the ends of Fodlan. Folks like Ashe, Milly and Uriel have full confidence in you and your leadership. Scratch doesn’t have anywhere better to be, and Clay seems to find the entire situation amusing.” She purses her lips for a moment before continuing. “Theo and Caleb seem to think you’ve gone mad. Ava and Damian also feel as if you’ve lost a bit of your edge. Damian in particular nearly shit himself when you told that Oracle that we had Diogenes’ tome.”
TreeHouses QM
>>5703457 >“Perhaps I could have worded it better…” “The rank and file are welcome to grumble and question the sanity of their commander. It’s a tradition of every army, and one that’s as old as time. What’s important is that they’ll be ready to fight tomorrow if called upon, and they are.”
>“What are your thoughts on everything?” “Things…could be better.” She takes a swig of her bottle. “These raiders managed to find us at a most inopportune time, as raiders typically tend to do. We’re hanging by a thin thread, but it’s also an opportunity. If you can navigate us out of this and lead us to victory in these stupid trials…it may just be enough to reverse our fortunes and morale. You’ll need to be extremely cautious around this Leif character. Assuming we can trust him, he’s been exceedingly generous with the information he fed to Ronan. But don’t forget what he is. That he’s made it to Conand with that large a host behind him implies he’s already gone raiding through Gautier, Itha and Fraldarius. They’ve likely been killing and pillaging the entire way, and it doesn’t seem as if he intends to stop here. He’s playing nice now because he needs us to rid him of Maeve, but keep your guard up, and don’t make any stupid emotional decisions. Ultimately, we’re here to fight Agarthans, not Sreng.”
>You take a seat next to your sworn sister, steal the bottle and take a swig for yourself. “Thank you, Corrine. That was…succinct.” She snorts. “I miss the days when I was the one fixing to fight, and you were the level-headed one advising caution.”
>“You do seem less bloodthirsty these days.” “And you can’t stop picking fights. We’ve rubbed off on each other in all sorts of interesting ways.”
It’s now late at night. Corrine has left your room, leaving you alone with your own thoughts. The Cúig Triail is tomorrow, and you’ll need your rest. But your mind continues to drift, distracting you.
>A): Say a prayer for your fighters tomorrow. (+2 LCK temporary to Blackwings) >B): Spend the night with Ashe (+4 DEX temporary to Blair) Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5703458 >A): Say a prayer for your fighters tomorrow. (+2 LCK temporary to Blackwings) Better to spread the buff out, I think.
Anonymous
>>5703458 >>B): Spend the night with Ashe (+4 DEX temporary to Blair) KISS BOY SNUGGLE BOY CUDDLE BOY
Anonymous
>>5703458 >A): Say a prayer for your fighters tomorrow. (+2 LCK temporary to Blackwings) We're gonna need all the luck we can get
Anonymous
>>5703458 >A): Say a prayer for your fighters tomorrow. On bleakest day, in blackest night,
As we do face this fearsome fight,
May the Goddess hold us tight,
And keep us in Her blessed light.
Anonymous
>>5703458 >B): Spend the night with Ashe (+4 DEX temporary to Blair) Anonymous
>>5703458 >B): Spend the night with Ashe (+4 DEX temporary to Blair) I WANT TO HEAR ASHE SCREAM
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5703458 >B): Spend the night with Ashe (+4 DEX temporary to Blair) Anonymous
>>5703458 >A): Say a prayer for your fighters tomorrow. (+2 LCK temporary to Blackwings) This might be the more reasonable choice.
Although... If we were to lose, and Leif were to claim us as spoils of war......... "Sorry Ashe, but I can't go back to you~ I belong to lord Leif now. "
That'd be too good a scenario, haaaaah....
Anonymous
>>5703458 >A): Say a prayer for your fighters tomorrow. (+2 LCK temporary to Blackwings) That's +2% chance to avoid a deadly crit for all our fighters, which isn't much, but I'll take it.
>>5703693 >Ashe NTR D R O P P E D.
I like Leif too, but man, I can't do my boy dirty like that, lmao Anonymous
>>5703458 >B): Spend the night with Ashe (+4 DEX temporary to Blair) 2 luck is minuscule compared to the comforts of a loved one
Anonymous
>>5703458 >A): Say a prayer for your fighters tomorrow. (+2 LCK temporary to Blackwings) Anonymous
>>5703458 >B): Spend the night with Ashe (+4 DEX temporary to Blair) Is QM alluding to us getting into a fight tomorrow? Maybe some cheating?
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5703799 Win or lose, Maeve isn't going to take this lying down.
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Wed 05 Jul 2023 10:32:12 No. 5703809 Report >>5703458 >B): Spend the night with Ashe (+4 DEX temporary to Blair) I almost wrote how as much as I'd like this option we do need to help our crew... But it's only 2 luck and fuck it.
Anonymous
>>5703458 >B): Spend the night with Ashe (+4 DEX temporary to Blair) Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5703458 >A): Say a prayer for your fighters tomorrow. (+2 LCK temporary to Blackwings) Anonymous
>>5703458 >A): Say a prayer for your fighters tomorrow. (+2 LCK temporary to Blackwings) >being horny for Ashe over praying for our company to not die in the Sreng blood tournament Coomers leave.
Anonymous
>>5703458 >B): Spend the night with Ashe (+4 DEX temporary to Blair) To be fair, it has been a while
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5703458 >A): Say a prayer for your fighters tomorrow. (+2 LCK temporary to Blackwings) Anonymous
>>5703458 >B): Spend the night with Ashe (+4 DEX temporary to Blair) Anonymous
>>5703834 >>5703960 Hello horny samefag, you might want to turn your phone's wifi off before you try again.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5703964 It was an honest mistake anon
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5703458 >>B): Spend the night with Ashe (+4 DEX temporary to Blair) Anonymous
>>5703458 >>A): Say a prayer for your fighters tomorrow. (+2 LCK temporary to Blackwings) Anonymous
>>5703458 >>A): Say a prayer for your fighters tomorrow. (+2 LCK temporary to Blackwings) Anonymous
>>5703458 >A): Say a prayer for your fighters tomorrow. (+2 LCK temporary to Blackwings) sorry ashefags
Anonymous
>>5703458 >B): Spend the night with Ashe (+4 DEX temporary to Blair) Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5703458 >B): Spend the night with Ashe (+4 DEX temporary to Blair) TreeHouses QM
Quoted By:
Discounting the same friend, looks like A wins. Writing.
TreeHouses QM
If I discount the unusual number of 1PBIDs and the same friend, we're left with a tie. Next vote wins or someone is free to change their mind and vote for the opposite side.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5703458 >B): Spend the night with Ashe (+4 DEX temporary to Blair) I just want Blair to have a blissful night
TreeHouses QM
Quoted By:
>>5704227 Next vote by a non 1PBID to clarify
Anonymous
Anonymous
>>5704255 If I post again do I count as a real boy
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5704259 Well that's not up for me to decide
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5704227 Do both but get half of the bonuses?
TreeHouses QM
>>5704255 We'll go with this. It's ultimately not that important a decision in the grand scheme of things. Thanks anon. Writing.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5704305 >Having sex with Ashe is not important I couldn't disagree harder
Anonymous
>>5703693 Blair would make for shitty spoils of war as far as FE characters go. Not like marianne tier depressing, but still upleasant. Would probably rant about snake people controlling all the banks to the rest of the harem non stop
Anonymous
TreeHouses QM
>>5703458 You think about perhaps offering a quick prayer to the Goddess, beseeching her to watch over your men in tomorrow’s fights. If recent events were anything to go by though, she doesn’t seem to hold the Blackwings in any particularly high regard. Instead, you decide to sate more carnal pleasures. After all, if tonight was to be the last night you were alive, at the very least you could try to enjoy yourself. You find Ashe and bring him back to your room under the cover of darkness. The Sreng raiders were still camping outside the tower, laughing, boasting, and keeping up that awful banging sound. Despite all the racket though, you’re able to drown out the noise as you lay down with your lover and embrace each other.
>(+4 DEX temporary to Blair) The next morning, you and the Blackwings exit Conand Tower and come across a sight that nearly makes your heart stop. It turns out Prince Leif wasn’t lying about backup arriving. There were far more raiders here today than yesterday, and their tents were encircling the tower. As for all that noise you’d heard yesterday, you quickly discover what the source was. Several feet in front of the tower was what looked to be a makeshift arena, constructed from the surrounding forest’s wood. The Sreng raiders had managed to build a raised wooden platform, cordoned off by fencing to keep bystanders out. At each end of the arena were what looked to be stands for onlookers, complete with benches. While one side was empty, the other was already full of raiders, each of them jeering and booing the Blackwings as they began pouring out of the tower. It was almost laughable how much they outnumbered you. You were certainly not the hometown favorite.
“Blair! I hope Ronan hasn’t been causing you any trouble.” Leif calls upon spotting you, arms open wide. On his right side is Sebastian, who looks completely unenthused to be here. On his left is Maeve, who silently stares at you with seething indignation. “We’ve been trying to treat your man here to some warm Sreng hospitality, but so far, he’s refused to eat or drink with us at all. Bit of a wet blanket, this one.”
“Commander.” Sebastian salutes you. “I look forward to celebrating our victory today.”
>“So, we’re in agreement?” You address the prince, flanked by both Ronan and Corrine. “If we win, you’ll leave us alone?” “But you won’t win!” Maeve interjects. “You and your band of cutthroats will meet your end here!”
“Aye, that’s the idea, Blair.” Leif says, ignoring Maeve with a roll of his eyes. “Have your first fighter ready to go in three minutes. They’ll both meet in the ring, dueling until one falls in battle. To the death or otherwise.”
>“Fine by me, I’m ready to start whenever you are.” TreeHouses QM
>>5704450 “Now that’s enthusiasm. Take your seat on the other side of the arena and we’ll get ready to begin. Best of luck to you, mercenaries. You’ll need it.” Leif smirks, leaving to take his seat on the Sreng side of the arena.
On your way back to the Blackwings side, Ronan tugs at your cape and whispers in your ear. “By the way, I forgot to mention this last night. Prince Leif would reaaaallly appreciate it if your fighters don’t kill any of the Sreng ones. It would really go a long way into currying favor with him and the others.”
>“But I’m sure they’ll have no qualms about killing us, right?” Ronan can only grimace in response.
You take your seat in the stands, along with the others. A tap on your right shoulder pulls your attention away from the ring. Anemone is sitting right behind you, with Eulalia at her side, who politely waves at you.
“In case it wasn’t obvious to you already, I can confirm that she is in fact an Agarthan.” Anemone says flatly.
>“You’re sure of that?” “I can see her true form as clearly as day. And she can see mine. Go on, take a look.” Anemone points towards the opposing stands, where Maeve is sitting next to the prince. Sure enough, the Oracle’s gaze is centered entirely on the two of you. Her face is twisted in a mixture of hatred and perhaps even fear. “We noticed each other yesterday, too. I’d wager this is all because she knows exactly who we are. The only thing is, I don’t believe she was expecting to run into us. I’d say she’s up to something, and our sudden appearance is more than a minor inconvenience for her.”
>“We can rid ourselves of her if we win these trials. Now that we know she’s Agarthan, will you fight if I ask you to?” Anemone shrugs. “I’d prefer to keep an eye on her, but if you need me to, I can leave the monitoring to Eulalia.”
“Enough chatting you two!” Corrine hisses. “Blair, hurry up and pick our first fighter. We’re running out of time.”
Ronan had already told you the first fighter you’d be facing. He was a Halberdier by the name of Flynn. He was renowned amongst the Sreng horde as a warrior who would somehow manage to fight harder the more damage he’d taken. Supposedly, when an arrow had taken his eye in battle, he’d pulled the missile out, ate the organ, and then charged back into the fight, killing his assailant. He sounded nice.
>Flynn >Level 38 Halberdier HP: 60
STR: 32
DEX: 24
SPD: 30
LCK: 15
DEF: 27
RES: 10
Weapon: Weapon: Spear (+12 DMG, Ranged Weapon)
Skills: Defiant Strength (+8 STR when HP Under 25%)
>Choose a Blackwing to fight Flynn. Anonymous
>>5704451 Would an axe fighter have spear breaker?
TreeHouses QM
>>5704451 The unit with the highest speed will attack first in the arena. As a reminder, you need +5 more speed than the opponent to double attack.
>>5704453 No weapon triangle in Fodlan, so nope!
Anonymous
>>5704451 Theo seems nice, since he's up by 5 speed, so he will double attack
I don't know how damage is calculated though
>>5704455 Three, how does Ashe's dagger works with double attack? Will he attack 4 times?
TreeHouses QM
Quoted By:
>>5704459 Damage is calculated by STR + Weapon DMG + Skills - Enemy DEF or RES + Skills when applicable.
Daggers would quad attack if Ashe out speeds a foe, yep.
TreeHouses QM
>>5704459 Damage is calculated by STR or MAG + Weapon DMG + Skills - Enemy DEF or RES + Skills when applicable.
Daggers would quad attack if Ashe out speeds a foe, yep.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5704464 >Daggers would quad attack if Ashe out speeds a foe, yep. holy mother of shanking
anyway, my calculations for Theo are
he hits first twice, both times for (40+12) - 27 = 25 damage, so 50 damage which puts Flynn at 10 hp left
Flynn retaliates for (32+8+12)-21=31, Theo is at 31
Then it's Flynn's turn, he hits for 31 again and fucking kills Theo. So yeah, I take down my nomination, Theo loses if his crit or ability doesn't proc.
Are my calculations correct?
Anonymous
>>5704455 Can Mina dance? Would it count as cheating?
Anonymous
Fuck, Ashe also loses. He can do 56(!!!!) damage on his first turn, holy shit, but Flynn still lives and kills him with retaliation + attack. God damn it. I'll keep looking
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5704479 Perhaps the damage needs to be maximized on the second turn.
TreeHouses QM
Quoted By:
>>5704477 Dancing (And Blair's Rally Spectrum!) would count as cheating*
*Either character would have to pass a SPD+LCK check to get away without being noticed and auto-forfeiting the round. That would mean rolling a number between the combination of their individual SPD+LCK.
>>5704479 That is the order, yep!
Anonymous
>>5704464 Does "attack twice" work on retaliations? Will Scratch hit back twice?
TreeHouses QM
>>5704479 >>5704477 Dancing (And Blair's Rally Spectrum!) would count as cheating*
*Either character would have to pass a SPD+LCK check to get away without being noticed and auto-forfeiting the round. That would mean rolling a number that falls within the combination of their individual SPD+LCK.
>>5704479 That is the order, yep!
>>5704483 She would, yep. Her Crest can activate on each individual attack as well.
As for dodging, I should also clarify that for the purposes of this quest, a character's percent chance to dodge is their Speed, minus the attacking foe's Dexterity.
Anonymous
>>5704483 Flynn hits Scratch for (44-29) twice = 30
Scratch is at 35 hp
Scratch retaliates for 16 + 21 = 37
Flynn is at 23 hp
Scratch hits for 21 + 21 =42
Flynn is paste
Ok, so scratch passes even without a single crest activation(!!!) No shit, she's a bio-engineered super soldier.
But should we really play that card so early?
Anonymous
>>5704451 >>Choose a Blackwing to fight Flynn. >Clay or Scratch, they both win 100% (ok, scratch has 29 DEX vs Flynn's 30 SPD, so there's a 1% chance he dodges, but come on) Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5704490 >a Halberdier, a Berserker, a Druid, an Axe Warrior and a Swordmaster Which one would be the most difficult to deal with then?
Anonymous
>a Halberdier, a Berserker, a Druid, an Axe Warrior and a Swordmaster, in that order
Anonymous
>>5704502 I'm hoping druid is a mage with less than 33 speed, so Ashe can shank(x4) him
Also, are we gonna cheat in this round? Or just let Scratch power through?
Anonymous
So Maeve is Agarthan, which means nothing we could've said about the book would've made her back off, but telling the truth probably saved us from immediate battle with the Sreng.
>>5704451 >Choose a Blackwing to fight Flynn >Scratch >>5704490 >But should we really play that card so early? Absolutely, this is best of three. Scratch wins unless shenanigans happen and it's not like she'll have a better matchup with that low speed and defensive stats. Clay is more versatile because he too attacks twice but also heals on each hit, while also having higher speed and defense which makes him surprisingly tanky against non-magic attacks. Best use of Clay is to play him against someone with 32-35 speed so he goes second to min-max the healing from the Runesword.
I mentioned shenanigans earlier, Maeve is likely going to try and pull some sneaky shit to get our crew killed. We have to watch her close to catch any sort of magic interference with the duel.
>>5704504 Cheating is gay and should be avoided if we can. Worth pointing out is that Mina, due to being a dancer, has an 84% chance to succeed at cheating if we need to really really stop someone from dying, but picking the right fighter for each fight should hopefully be enough.
Anonymous
>>5704451 >Scratch >>5704507 While we should not start cheating first, if we caught Maeve or others cheating we have every right to retaliate in turn.
Anonymous
>>5704332 Blair ranks pretty low if she were a harem member, as her only plus is her beauty. Mina, Elizabeth, or even Depression Ingrid would be better in that regard. As a wife or retainer though? She's pretty invaluable, being one of the few people who know of the Agarthans, in addition to being one of the deadliest fighters on the continent
even if it does seem like we run into someone equal or stronger than us with every session. Not that it matters though. We'll come out on top so long as we can avoid the enemy cheating events. It's what comes after that I'm worried about.
>>5704485 I wanted to ask-- if Mina's Dancing and Blair's Rally Spectrum counts as cheating, does Yara's Premonition also count as cheating?
Also, when dealing with people who attack four times, in the event that they double, they attack twice, and then get a retaliation, and then attack twice again, and then the enemy moves? If an enemy engages first, does the retaliation come out with four attacks, before sliding over to the player turn?
In addition... it seems Anemone's willing to help, but what does her stat spread look like? Is it the same as the one in the Ordelia thread, or has she leveled up at all? What about Ingrid? Or is she totally unwilling or otherwise unable to fight?
Lastly, I presume we can't field the same fighter more than once? Say if Scratch wins here, can we use her again once Elizabeth heals her up, or?
>>5704451 >Scratch The anon's calculations seems solid enough. There's definitely going to be cheating afoot, and while I'd rather not cheat ourselves, we definitely need to watch the others.
Anonymous
So I was right about Maeve. I wonder what she'll do to try to kill us after we win all of this. She's been pretending to be a schizo and faking seizures for years only to have all her efforts rendered pointless in the span of two days. I doubt that she's going to patiently bide her time for revenge, especially since the end result of this is going to leave her humiliated and with her reputation and authority in shambles.
>>5704451 >Choose a Blackwing to fight Flynn. >Scratch Based on Ronan's reaction, the Sreng fighters aren't going to spare anyone who loses, so we need to win this in three fights to avoid anyone dying.
We don't have his stats yet, but we'll probably want someone that can tank hits against the Berserker. Our remaining phys tank is a hostage, so that leaves Clay. Scratch has nice HP, but average DEF with low SPD and obviously no Runesword.
>>5704485 Since Flynn has a Spear, would he be safe from counterattacks from some of our guys if he goes first?
By my calculations, Scratch should still win even if she can't counterattack on the first hit, but there will be a lot more risks involved and things can fall apart quickly depending on how Maeve tries to cheat. Still going to leave Scratch as my choice though.
>>5704546 Anemone was added to the spreadsheet in the OP. Looks like she gained a level and a point in both MAG and SPD compared to her stats in Ordelia.
>Anemone >Lv. 43 Dark Flier HP: 72/72 HP
STR: 27
MAG: 41
DEX: 30
SPD: 48
LUK: 5
DEF: 20
RES: 39
Personal Skill: Hide (Less likely to be attacked by enemies if others are present)
Weapon: Crescent Scythe++ (+15 DMG, 15% Crit)
Anonymous
>>5704451 >>Scratch Seems legit.
Anonymous
>>5704576 Good catch. Let's see here...
>HP 72 Tanky. More HP than Blair. She actually equals Sebastian in this regard, which is crazy. Granted, she *is* four levels higher than him (though only one level higher than Blair).
>STR 27 / MAG 41 It seems she's a lot more magically-inclined than Blair-- she beats out both of our most magically-inclined mages. Her physical attack isn't quite as good, but the Crescent Scythe mostly makes up for it.
>DEX 30 / SPD 48 Fairly above-average Dex, but more importantly... she's fast. Fastest person in the company, even more so than Blair (though Blair can just about catch up with Darting Blow).
>LUK 5 That's some Knoll-tier Luck. Keep her away from swordmasters, assassins, and other crit-heavy classes.
>DEF 20 / RES 39 That's more defense than our dedicated mages, but she's certainly not going to be tanking physical attackers anytime soon. Her Resistance stat is incredible though. The only one who has more Res than her is Yara, a dedicated mage.
Overall... she's a powerful mage that's surprisingly bulky, and has some versatility as a physical attacker if needed. Hide actually means she can't make the most of her defensive stats in a teamfight, but it does mean that no matter what, she'll probably be the last one alive on the battlefield, which makes sense. It's no wonder that she's basically the Blair equivalent.
Anonymous
>>5704584 I don’t want to put Yara on the field.
8 Defence means she might get assassinated.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5704594 I'm inclined to agree with you. I was thinking of fielding her against the Druid, but honestly, Ashe or Uriel should be enough for that one. Hopefully, she can use Premonition while still on the sidelines.
Anonymous
>>5704576 Actually, my calculations were wrong. If Flynn is out of range at the start, he should be able to get three hits in and kill Scratch before she can kill him unless her crest procs.
Flynn first chucks spears out of range, so Scratch can't counterattack. Scratch is left with 35 HP.
Scratch runs up and initiates. Flynn normally survives with enough HP that his skill doesn't proc. He counterattacks so now Scratch has 5 HP remaining.
Then Flynn initiates and kills Scratch.
Unless she defeats him in one round, she'd actually die to Flynn. But this is entirely dependent on whether or not they start far away enough that Flynn is safe from counterattacks at the beginning.
>>5704584 Yeah, Anemone's probably the best bet against the Druid, but if needed, she has enough bulk with her HP that she can probably deal with most of the other fights.
Anonymous
>>5704610 That's actually a good point. Tree, do fighters start in melee distance? Or do Archers / Mages / Characters with Ranged Attacks get an opportunity to let loose a volley first, provided they outspeed the opponent?
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5704451 >Choose a Blackwing to fight Flynn. >Scratch The calculations are solid but we should always be prepared for cheating and make some allowances based on that. And I would try to use every skill we can get away with. Only winning matters here, not fairness.
Anonymous
>>5704610 What if we sent in Ava? She would initiate hitting 12 dmg twice (24 total) and receive 31 dmg counterattack. Flynn initiates, Ava uses Sky High to dodge and counters for another 12×2 (48 total). Ava initiates and hits for 12 (60 total) and down goes Flynn. Assuming there's no cheating, this seems to work out, unless I'm missing something.
Anonymous
>>5704633 Not bad. As another question for Tree... can archers use their bows in melee? And also, can Ava use Sky High dismounted?
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5704649 To append this... do fighters with mounts (i.e. cavalry, fliers, etc) start the fight with, or without their mount?
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Thu 06 Jul 2023 13:33:50 No. 5704708 Report Gotta say, it's fun reading you all calculate and consider options here, really puts us in the mindset of Blair where she has to decide the best choice here, I'm supporting in using Ava here for her Skill... Only if she can use her pegasus and bow in combat, otherwise I'd vote for Scratch, to make a good first showing and secure our first victory, we gotta go big with every match, can't save strong dudes later.
TreeHouses QM
>>5704546 Good question, Premonition would not count as cheating.
>Also, when dealing with people who attack four times, in the event that they double, they attack twice, and then get a retaliation, and then attack twice again, and then the enemy moves? If an enemy engages first, does the retaliation come out with four attacks, before sliding over to the player turn? You can't quad in retaliation, only double.
>Lastly, I presume we can't field the same fighter more than once? Say if Scratch wins here, can we use her again once Elizabeth heals her up, or? You can't field the same fighter twice, no.
>>5704584 Nice write-up. Agarthans generally are going to have higher stat-lines than humans.
>>5704610 >>5704617 Both fighters start enough paces away from each other where fighters with ranged weapons can attack from range and avoid counters if attacking a unit with no ranged option. So yes, Archers / Mages / Characters with Ranged Attacks can get a volley out first if they outspeed.
>>5704649 They can use their bow in melee here, yeah. Ava can also fight mounted, so she'll have Sky High.
Anonymous
>>5704729 Oh shit.
>>5704583 >>5704451 Changing my vote to
> Ava Anonymous
>>5704732 NO, Flynn's spear is a ranged weapon, he kills Ava even with her damage nullification
TreeHouses QM
>>5704735 Ava would move first and initiate for 24 damage. She would survive the counter hit.
Flynn moves next, she nullifies damage and counters with another 24 thanks to her bow.
Then Ava would initiate for 12 and finish him off before he could counter. She wouldn't need to attack a second time.
Anon's math is correct!
Anonymous
>>5704739 wait, you counter twice if you outspeed by 5?
doesn't matter for this fight, Ava still seems to win, but still
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5704451 >>5704496 >Switching to Ava time for core blackwings to shine
TreeHouses QM
Quoted By:
>>5704741 You can counter twice if you outspeed by 5, yeah. You just can't quad if applicable.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5704515 Switching to Ava. Hoping there are no tricks though.
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Thu 06 Jul 2023 15:09:06 No. 5704780 Report Quoted By:
>>5704451 >Choose a Blackwing to fight Flynn. >Ava Anonymous
>>5704729 Thanks for all the info! It's nice to keep informed.
Oh, I should probably ask... if we're caught cheating, we forfeit the round entirely, yes? Does that mean we can blatantly cheat (if ineffectually) to force a forfeit and save the lives of our fighter in exchange for a loss (in that round)?
>>5704739 That sounds about right. iirc, if both parties have ranged weapons, then retaliations occur. Thanks for confirming!
>>5704451 >>5704546 Swapping my vote from Scratch to...
>Ava Anonymous
>>5704451 >Choose a Blackwing to fight Flynn. >Ava >>5704784 Ronan says cheating is to be expected. I don't think there will be forfeits.
Anonymous
>>5704784 >>5704816 see
>>5702399 >If one side is caught cheating during a bout, then they’ll be considered to have lost that round. Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5704823 Thanks for correction. So we should not get caught..... or we keep an eye out and catch them doing it.
Anonymous
>>5704708 >really puts us in the mindset of Blair where she has to decide the best choice here Corrine: “Blair, hurry up and pick our first fighter. We’re running out of time.”
Blair: "Sure, let me pull out my spreadsheet"
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5704816 >>5704823 Ah yep. But I mean... we're considered to have 'lost' the round if found cheating. Does that mean guaranteed death, or is it like "you've been found cheating, so we're going to call this our win, get your fighter out of here"?
Just trying to see if we've got potential insurance policies.
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Thu 06 Jul 2023 17:28:17 No. 5704892 Report Quoted By:
>>5704880 I like to think Blair had everyone do competitions to determine everyone's stat, like who ran the fastest, who lifted most... Who took more punches from Sebastian before getting knocked over.
TreeHouses QM
So far it's
Ava: 6
Scratch: 2
>>5704823 If one side is cheating, then that side will forfeit and the match will be over. I didn't think of that being used as a way to pull out Blackwings that looked as though they were about to lose, thus saving them from death. It's certainly an inventive idea though and one that I suppose could in theory work. Provided they lived long enough for you to employ the option.
Anonymous
>>5704451 >>5704507 Switching my choice to
>Damian But we'd probably be fine with Ava being our fighter. Scratch only survives three rounds of Flynn attacking if we cheat and use Rally on her.
Damian can actually one round Flynn if he uses anything stronger than Fire.
I think how it works is that Damian attack first, then Flynn counterattacks, and then Damian ends it with the second attack. Damian has enough Def and HP to take a single hit from Flynn.
But if Damian just doubles before Flynn retaliates, Damian wouldn't get damaged at all.
This should be the calculation assuming Damian just uses Arcfire and Flynn does get a hit in:
Damian initiates and deals (35+12-10) = 37 to Flynn. Flynn has 23 HP remaining which is still too high for his skill.
Flynn counterattacks and deals (44-11) = 33 to Damian. Damian has 5 HP left.
Then Damian takes out Flynn.
Only main issue if how Maeve will cheat. Things would go south if she's creative and targets Flynn to activate his skill.
Flynn also has a 2% chance to dodge, but our Luck is worse than Anemone's if Damian misses.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5704961 My bad. Meant to quote my post at
>>5704576 Anonymous
>>5704961 >Scratch only survives three rounds of Flynn attacking if we cheat and use Rally on her does she? I'm pretty sure she wins just fine, I counted it here
>>5704490 Anonymous
>>5704969 Spear is ranged so she couldn't retaliate assuming Flynn keeps his distance, and why wouldn't he?
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5705002 Ah fuck, you're right. I did those calculations before we got the info about the 1 tile distance between the fighters
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5704451 >Choose a Blackwing to fight Flynn I don't really understand the numbers here, but I'm going with Ava since the people who do understand the numbers are saying that's the safe bet.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5704451 >Ava Hail the spreadsheet
Anonymous
Quoted By:
surely nothing untoward can happen to disrupt our carefully calculated plans
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5704451 The literal moment I saw calculations I told myself I'd be back in 24 hours. Here I am. I kneel to people who can do basic math.
>Ava Anonymous
There is room for error with Ava, isn't there?
Anonymous
Anonymous
I’d like to give Ava our shield, just in case.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5704947 Good to know, thanks. I don't think we'd be able to pull out any Blackwings who would die from like, crit or retaliations, but maybe we can interrupt them as turns shift over to the other side, like in other Arena settings.
Actually, now that I think about it... can we just hold our hand up and declare we're forfeiting the fight, in that case? Or are rounds in the Cúig Triail fought until one side loses (or until exposed for cheating)? If so, then cheating openly certainly seems like a way to save fighters, if a bit strange.
>>5705301 Yep. Let's lend her our Delphi Shield. It's not going to be much help in this fight, but protection against arrows and wind magic is nice.
Though that being said, unless said attack only deals 4 or less damage, it's not going to count for much. TreeHouses QM
>>5704451 If Ronan’s info was to be believed, Flynn was a deadly spear fighter that was not afraid to assault his foe from afar with well-aimed javelins. There would be few in the company that would reliably be able to survive multiple attacks from him. While there were certainly some obvious options to go with, you knew that the duels would only progressively get harder from here. Ultimately, you make up your mind and settle on your fighter, perhaps much to the surprise of your comrades.
>“Ava. You’re up first.” “Ava?!” Corrine exclaims wide-eyed. “Why? Shouldn’t you throw that bandit woman in first? Or even Anemone?”
>“Ava. Are you up for it?” Ava looks up towards you from her seat. Whether she has objections or not, she does not voice them. Instead, she merely nods, and unstraps the bow hanging from her back. Her pegasus is led into the arena, with her following alongside it. The Blackwings offer up a cheer for the knight, but the noise from the Sreng crowd dwarfs them as they root for their own fighter. Flynn is led into the arena, spear drawn and ready for battle. As both fighters take their position, all eyes turn upon Prince Leif, who stands at attention and begins addressing the crowd. At his side is a young girl that appears to be about Ronan’s age. Leif begins speaking in the tongue of Sreng. Shortly after he starts, the young girl begins seemingly translating his speech for the Blackwings.
“Warriors of Sreng! We are here today to witness honored battle! These mercenaries have been chosen to defend themselves in the hollowed Five Trials of our Ancestors!” She cries. She takes a pause for Leif to continue. The Sreng side roars in thunderous applause. Once the noise dies down, the girl translates just what got them into such an uproar. “Victory has been foreseen by the Oracle, so victory is what we shall have!”
“Not if we have anything to say about it…” Corrine mutters under her breath next to you.
“The first warrior to meet the enemy in combat is none other than One-Eyed Flynn!” The girl shouts over the Sreng crowd’s cheers. “Hero of the Frozen Wastes, and renowned Spear of Sreng!” Flynn basks in the crowd’s embrace, pumping his spear into the air and spitting in front of Ava. “His opponent is…” The crowd begins laughing at some sort of joke Leif tells. The girl continues. “Some sort of serving wench. Perhaps a baker, or a seamstress.”
If Ava is offended, she does not show it. She’s mounted her Pegasus, and stares down Flynn with complete apathy.
“Caith síos do airm, fraochÚn.” Flynn says towards Ava. He makes a rude gesture. “Ná dramhaíola mo chuid ama.”
“Enough.” Ava sneers. “That savage tongue of yours nauseates me.”
“Fighters!” The girl begins speaking again, translating Leif’s speech. “On my mark, you may begin your duel!” Silence overtakes the arena. You hold your breath and pray this was the right decision.
“Begin!”
TreeHouses QM
>>5705391 >Ava: 27 STR + 12 (Silver Bow) = 39 – 27 DEF = 12 DMG >Flynn: 48/60 HP The Sreng crowd was welcome to underestimate Ava at their own peril, but there was no doubt she was amongst the fastest fighters the Blackwings possessed. In the blink of an eye, she’s already fired two arrows that hit their mark. One missile buries itself within a gap in Flynn’s armor, just underneath his right shoulder plate. Flynn screams in pain, seemingly not expecting to have taken the first blow from a fighter he deemed himself superior to. Twisting his side forward, he opts to fight Ava at range rather than charging in and opening himself to further attacks. He grasps his spear tight, before launching the javelin towards Ava.
>Flynn: 32 STR + 12 (Spear) = 44 – 13 DEF = 31 DMG >Roll: 20 (1-17 to Miss) Hit! >Ava: 5/36 HP The projectile sails forward and hits Ava, squarely in the chest, sending her tumbling from her mount onto the ground below. The blow is brutal, and you can hear several bones in Ava’s body break as she collides with the ground below. The crowd roars in applause for Flynn, who has regained his confidence. He begins moving in for the kill, only to be surprised as Ava manages to sit up and deftly fire another arrow. This missile finds purchase in his left thigh, piercing his armor and embedding itself.
>Ava: 27 STR + 12 (Silver Bow) = 39 – 27 DEF = 12 DMG >Flynn: 36/60 HP Flynn screams again in pain as he once again takes another unexpected blow. Ava has grasped onto her pegasus’ stirrups’ using it for support to allow herself back on her feet. She seeks to remount her steed, but Flynn doesn’t look as if he’s going to let her. Plucking the arrow out of his thigh, he roars and lifts another javelin towards the sky, playing things up for the crowd. The missile sails directly for the injured pegasus knight, seeking to seal her doom. Even injured though, Ava is a quick and competent fighter. Defying expectation, she jumps onto the back of her pegasus. The steed manages to deftly ascend out of the way and avoid the fatal blow. The spear sails into the Blackwings stands, where it is grabbed out of the sky by Scratch.
>Ava: Sky High (Damage Negated) “Cad?!” Flynn shouts in disbelief. He looks up towards his opponent. Ava is standing on the back of her pegasus, which has once again taken flight in the sky. She knocks one arrow and sends it flying. The missile pierces Flynn’s right arm, causing him to drop his spear and clutch the wounded appendage. Seemingly taking her time, she methodically knocks another arrow, and launches it. The second missile pierces Flynn’s left arm this time. He screams in pain as both of his limbs flop uselessly to the ground.
>Ava: 27 STR + 12 (Silver Bow) = 39 – 27 DEF = 12x2 DMG >Flynn: 12/60 HP TreeHouses QM
>>5705392 “A baker, huh?” Ava scoffs under her breath. Her last arrow is knocked and beside her face, one eye closed as she lines her target. “If only.” Ava’s final arrow finds purchase in Flynn’s one remaining eye.”
Flynn: 0/60 HP
The Halberdier lets out a blood-curdling cry of agony that manages to drown out the screams and applause of the Sreng crowd. One by one, they freeze, silently staring down at their convulsing champion. Despite their overconfidence, the duel lasted only a few moments before he’d been bested by the Blackwing. You find yourself at the edge of your seat, waiting for the damn thing to be called. Maeve appears to be completely distraught, tearing at her hair and silently gibbering something. Leif on the other hand, hardly looks moved.
“Maraigh é!” A voice from the crowd shouts. Others begin joining in, turning the phrase into a chant. Some even begin booing loudly, throwing trash and empty bottles into the ring. Noticeably, their anger seems to be directed more towards Flynn than Ava. The Halberdier is badly injured, but still alive. What unfortunate luck, you think, to lose both eyes in the same manner. His countrymen shower and pelt him with projectiles, while he clutches feebly at Ava’s arrow.
“The Blackwings have won their first trial!” The girl shouts, following Leif, who stoically announces the results to his people. The booing and jeering continues though, with the same chants of ‘Maraigh é!’ prevailing.
“Maraigh é means ‘Kill him’.” Ronan translates for you. “Remember what I said.”
Ava looks back towards you, still in the air. She shrugs and awaits your orders.
>A): Kill Flynn (Receive Spear and Bonus Level-Up for Ava) >B): Spare Flynn. Anonymous
>>5705393 >A): Kill Flynn (Receive Spear and Bonus Level-Up for Ava) It might be a kindness. He's both blinded and completely fallen from grace. Plus isn't Ava the one who's worried we've lost our edge?
Anonymous
>>5705393 >A): Kill Flynn (Receive Spear and Bonus Level-Up for Ava) Put him out of his misery.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5705393 >A): Kill Flynn (Receive Spear and Bonus Level-Up for Ava) Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5705393 >B): Spare Flynn. I'd rather not be on Leif's shitlist. He might end up having ulterior motives beyond getting rid of Maeve, but he still threw us a lifeline to get out of this mess. Going against want he wants is going to burn bridges.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5705393 >B): Spare Flynn. As much as we want to, we should stick to Leif's plan, even if we can't give Ava satisfaction. I was half expecting her pegasus to have been poisoned.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5705393 >>5705403 Changing my vote to
>Spare Flynn Rohan said a lot of shit but I've finally managed to get to the part where he's like pls don't kill the Sreng fighters. If we're gunning to put Lief on the throne might as well curry some favor.
If Blackwings protest then have Blair say that death is a kindness and too much of an escape - let him live blinded and beaten. Cruel mercy and all that
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>“Caith síos do airm, fraochÚn.” Flynn says towards Ava. He makes a rude gesture. “Ná dramhaíola mo chuid ama.” “Throw down your arms, whore.” "Don't waste my time."
>“Cad?!” "What?!"
>“Maraigh é" Doesn't need explaining, but it does indeed mean "Kill him!"
>“A baker, huh?” “If only.” >Blinding One-Eyed Flynn's other eye. Brutal. I forgot Ava is kind of a badass. Experienced mercenary with a dead family kind of does that.
>>5705393 >B): Spare Flynn. The level-up for Ava is nice, but we don't really need a Spear, since we've got magic. Plus, if we can walk away from this without Leif deciding to kill us, all the better.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5705393 >A): Kill Flynn (Receive Spear and Bonus Level-Up for Ava) Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5705393 >B): Spare Flynn He doesn't deserve it, but we have no idea how the other fights are going to go and if we end up losing one showing mercy now might see it reciprocated.
At the very least, I don't think it's smart of us to take the first life in this little contest. If we lose a fight and they do kill one of our party members, all bets are off.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5705393 >B): Spare Flynn. Ava!
Ava!
Ava!
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5705393 >B): Spare Flynn. Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5705393 >>B): Spare Flynn. a level is something, to be sure, but he's been humiliated and blinded and his own people hate him, and we've been 'asked' (ordered, really) by someone who holds us in their power not to kill him. the thought did cross my mind to kill the first fighter, as a statement not to take us lightly, but I think winning with a frail fighter who the Sreng clearly didn't respect makes that clear enough, and being taken lightly can be a benefit.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
also, ava's sad little 'if only' tugged my heartstrings. truly, if only the world were kinder...
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5705407 >>5705393 >B): Spare Flynn. Yea I'm switching too. If the Sreng crowd wants him dead, they can kill him themselves. Show our remaining opponents there are fates worse then death
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Fri 07 Jul 2023 09:25:27 No. 5705461 Report >>5705391 Yo holdup, that's the villager girl from Fates right? Nice.
>>5705393 Ava did amazing and that finisher was sick... Sucks for Flynn though, I think we should kill him because from the looks of things the Sreng won't treat him kindly for losing and being fully blind, might need to tell the rest of our fighters to not fully cripple their opponents... But I wonder how Scratch would fare in that.
>A): Kill Flynn (Receive Spear and Bonus Level-Up for Ava) I know Leif said he doesn't want us to kill but... I mean it's kinda too late for Flynn you know? Unless Leif is like bros with Flynn... Which I can see.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5705461 Believe in the plan anon.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5705393 >B): Spare Flynn. Sorry Ava, but trust the plan
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5705393 >A): Kill Flynn (Receive Spear and Bonus Level-Up for Ava) Anonymous
>>5705393 >A): Kill Flynn (Receive Spear and Bonus Level-Up for Ava A blind warrior is worthless. His people want him dead, too, and we get a Spear out of it. We'll just have to make sure that we don't cripple their men too hard next time so Leif doesnt get TOO mad.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5705393 >“A baker, huh?” >“If only.” God damn it Ava, stop making me sad
How strong healing magic is? Can it bring his vision back?
if not, then
>A): Kill Flynn Fuck around and find out
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5705393 >B): Spare Flynn. That free level though...
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5705393 >B) Spare Flynn Let us put our faith in the Goddess, and in the plan. Even a blind man can have a part in this world.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5705677 to add on to this, it'll be a good show for the raiders. It'll teach them to not take us for granted or for pansies, and might even get some of them to respect us. It may also discourage cheating, seeing as we're not above killing their people.
Just killing the first one sends a good, strong message!
Anonymous
Quoted By:
Yeah, pleasing Leif isn't the only concern, we must have the respect of his raiders too. I say kill the guy.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5705393 >A): Kill Flynn (Receive Spear and Bonus Level-Up for Ava) TreeHouses QM
Quoted By:
B wins, writing.
TreeHouses QM
>>5705393 The information that Leif fed to Ronan turned out to be accurate. Everything about Flynn, from the weapon he chose, to his peculiar skillset and fighting style, was correct. It was perhaps safe to say that the rest of the info that Leif passed on was accurate as well. That would include the tidbit he’d mentioned about sparing the Sreng fighters that lost. Flynn was in bad shape, and perhaps may never fight again. Even in a duel like this, there were still real-world consequences to be felt. Still, if Leif didn’t want you to kill his fighters, then you saw no reason to go against his wishes. Even if Flynn was to be a deadweight from here on out, it was Leif’s problem to deal with, not yours. You make eye-contact with Ava and shake your head, signifying to spare the losing Sreng fighter. Ava merely shrugs her shoulders, and rides her pegasus to the ground, where she exits the arena.
“Atta girl, Ava! You kicked that guy’s ass!” Theo shouts in excitement. The Blackwings give their pegasus captain a round of applause, cheering over the boos that emanate from the Sreng crowd. As Ava takes her seat, Elizabeth rushes to her side, eager to tend to the fighter’s injuries.
“That was well-played.” Anemone says behind you. “Ava performed admirably. Though I suspect that now that ‘Maeve’ has suffered a loss, she’ll begin to play a more active role in these duels.”
>“You think so?” Anemone nods. “I believe she was worried that you or I would interfere in any of her attempts to cheat. By now, she’s realized who we are, and that we know exactly who she is. She might have been hoping to coast by on the strength of the Sreng fighters. But now that they’ve suffered their first defeat, she’s realizing the trouble she’s in. Should she be ousted out of her position of power, it will be a huge setback to whatever Shambhala’s plans are. She can’t afford to lose another round now. Even if there’s a chance she may be caught, she’ll risk it to ensure her side comes out victorious.”
Before you can respond, someone jumps into the arena. A tall and muscular man, covered in scars, has entered the fray. He lands in front of the injured Halberdier and swings his weapon in a downward strike. An explosion of dust, blood, and limbs flashes before your eyes as Flynn is obliterated by the newcomer’s arrival.
“Is é seal Manus troid!” The newcomer announces, puffing his chest. In his hands is a wicked looking, impossibly huge axe. The weapon is ebon-colored, and you sense a foreboding aura coming from it. “Maróidh mé! Déanfaidh mé éigniú! Beidh mé ag troid!” The Sreng crowd erupts once more in thunderous cheers.
“Ugh!” Corrine winces, reacting to the scene before her. “He just killed his own man as if he were swatting a fly! What manner of beast is this? And what sort of foul weapon is that?”
TreeHouses QM
>>5706214 This must be Manus. He fits the description that Ronan gave you at least. He was the second fighter Leif planned to enter in the trials. He was a Berserker of unrivaled strength. According to Ronan, one day, Manus found an axe on the battlefield. It was a weapon of tremendous power, capable of leveling a house in a single swing. The weapon was strong, but it was also cursed. For some reason, the axe had the power to reflect its owner’s attacks back upon him. That wasn’t all though. The weapon exuded a dreadful aura. It could reflect not just its owner’s attacks, but the attacks of those who it came into combat with. The people of Sreng interpreted this to mean that either Manus or his opponent was in favor with the spirits. You’d never heard of such a weapon existing before. Frankly, it all sounded rather stupid to you. What worth was a weapon that would attack its owner?
>Manus >Level 39 Berserker HP: 70
STR: 38
DEX: 15
SPD: 36
LCK: 0
DEF: 20
RES: 5
Weapon: Devil Axe (+18 DMG, 30%-LCK chance to reflect damage to its wielder.)
Skills: Devil’s Luck (Opponent has 30%-LCK chance to reflect their own damage).
Crit Boost (15% Chance to Crit)
>Choose a Blackwing to fight Manus. >Cheat? (Blair, Mina, or both?) Anonymous
>>5706217 >Opponent has 30%-LCK chance to reflect their own damage Opponent's LCK or this guy's LCK?
Anonymous
>>5706217 >Choose a Blackwing to fight Manus With that Devil Axe and Devil's Luck aimed at us, we need a tank. Sebastian would be nice for this if he wasn't injured and a hostage, but between his DEF and his Runesword healing, I think Clay is the safest play here even if he might get doubled, but I'm not an FE expert.
Anonymous
>>5706230 >he might get doubled He does. Double attack happens when speed is up by 5. Clay has 31 speed
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5706232 That complicates things, but I still can't think of anyone else with as good a chance.
TreeHouses QM
TreeHouses QM
>>5706229 Devil's Axe is Manus' Luck.
Devil's Luck is Blackwing's Luck
Anonymous
>>5706217 Does Bravery also apply when defending?
Clay had more than 30 Luck. If his passive lets him double on the defence, he’s a sure bet, bar cheating.
Plus…
This man might just get crit into oblivion. 0 Luck!!!
TreeHouses QM
>>5706238 Bravery does apply during defense, yep.
Anonymous
>>5706217 Ashe hits with a bow for 46-20=26
Manus is at 44, no retaliation
Manus hits for 56-19=37
Ashe is at 12(?) (he has 49/44 hp listed)
Ashe retaliates with daggers for (41-20)x2=42
Manus is at 2 hp and kills Ashe with his next attack
FUCK, boy is 2hp off.
>>5706237 GOD FUCKING DAMN IT. Ashe's luck would have completely nullify his personal skill too
Now I'm upset. Can't we like give boy drugs for +2 damage?
Anonymous
>>5706242 Someone for godess' sake loan Ashe a better bow.
Anonymous
>>5706217 > Clay Thanks boss
He literally cannot hit harder than Clay can leech health off him.
Anonymous
>>5706243 >better bow Unless Team Byleth shows up right after this and gives us The Inexhaustible or the Talthum Bow, I'm not sure that's happening any time soon.
Anonymous
>>5706242 Ashe could counter with his bow, like Ava
But save him for the Druid
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5706246 eh, my malding is mostly rhetorical. I just have a perverse desire to see Boy shank someone.
Gonna count for clay now, the man is walking nuke anyway
>>5706247 >Ashe could counter with his bow That's less damage
Anonymous
>>5706241 Got a couple questions:
If both fighter's speed are equal who goes first?
Does the Runesword target Def or Res?
Anonymous
>>5706249 Yes, Res
Check sheet
Anonymous
Manus hits twice for 56-31=50
Anonymous
Quoted By:
Three, if we cheat and get caught, can we put the same fighter up again? I'm doing risk management here
Anonymous
>>5706255 Clay also heals after every swing
Anonymous
>>5706251 >>5706255 Yeah, sounds like Clay is the best option against him and shouldn't be a trap option unlike with Scratch and the first guy. But now we'd really need to worry about things not going as planned because of Maeve.
Though I don't think there's anyone else that's a better option since everyone else relies on rolls to survive and win.
But looking at this calculation
>>5706255 I think it should be that Manus attacks first and deals (56-31) =25 on first hit, so Clay gets left with 30 HP.
Clay then counterattacks and deals (43-5)*2 = 76 and kills Manus before he even gets his double in.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5706264 Manus attacks twice, he's up by 5 speed
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5706262 Irrelevant here, combat ends in 1 round. Manus' opening double attack leaves Clay at 5 hp, which is a really thin margin of error. With any cheating involved he might just one shot Clay and that will be it
Anonymous
Wait, do people counter between attacks? If yes, then Clay just wins lmao
Anonymous
>>5706269 Yeah, that's how Ava's fight worked. She initiated and attacked Flynn once, and then he counterattacked. Then she finally landed her second hit in.
Manus has to tank Clay's hit first before he can get his follow-up attack in, but Clay's skill should make his attacks work like brave weapons so he strikes consecutively in this case and straight up kills Manus on the counterattack.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5706269 He heals faster than Manus hurts him
We saw how the Runesword works earlier, when fighting the Wyvern Lord
It really is just OP
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5706272 Oh lol, nevermind then, Clay rolls him
>>5706217 >Clay >Cheat? NO. Anonymous
>>5706217 >Clay time Pray to Sothis he avoids the crit
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5706217 >Clay >Cheat (Mina) Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5706217 > No cheating Adding a second part to my vote here.
>>5706244 Anonymous
>>5706217 >Choose a Blackwing to fight Manus. Clay
>Cheat? (Blair, Mina, or both?) No
The only ones who have 30+ Luck and can fight would be Clay, Ashe, and Milly. Clay should be safe on paper and we won't really know how Maeve will interfere. Milly needs to dodgetank to win. As for Ashe:
>>5706242 He actually deals 31 damage to Manus with bows because of his skill.
If we wanted to go with a meme option, he'd be able to kill Manus immediately if we go with a Rally+Mina's Might since he does 41 damage per hit and would now double thanks to the Rally.
Anonymous
>>5706308 He would only need Rally for one shot? Rally is already +5 STR and +5 SPD? Or Rally only adds to one stat?
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5706308 >>5706242 I somehow missed Ashe's skill
That means Boy isn't off by 2 and also wins against Manus in a fair fight
Anonymous
>>5706320 Oh, that's right. With just a Rally, he'd deal 36*2=72 which does still kill Manus.
Clay would be safer and could still likely deal with whatever Maeve throws at him, but picking Ashe and Rallying him would be a viable option. I don't think even Maeve would see it coming for Manus to immediately drop dead at the start.
Anonymous
>>5706328 >I don't think even Maeve would see it coming for Manus to immediately drop dead at the start. Maaan, that would be sick
>Ashe gets thumbs up from Blair(Rally) >Obliterates the 70 hp berserker from existance The only problem is: Rally is 73% chance to work and 27% to lose us the round. So yeah, Clay, being OP as he is, is safer.
Shame though. I want to put boy in.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
Given his atrocious luck stat, extreme damage and sub par defence, I’m surprised Manus if this far with that axe….
Anonymous
Quoted By:
Oh, Clay's a hero, he could definitely keep that axe for himself and use it to be a monster with his luck stat... We'd better increase our support with him. I feel like he'll become really invaluable.
Anonymous
>>5706217 >Choose a Blackwing to fight Manus. Clay
>Cheat? (Blair, Mina, or both?) No
>>5706332 The problem with sending boy is that if he dies Blair's going to be mentally broken like Ingrid
Anonymous
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5706217 If the others are right, then there would be no reason for us to cheat at all. With that atrociously low RES stat... I've got a horrible feeling that he's either drunk some sort of RES increasing potion, or he's going to be healed in-between Clay's attacks. But oh well, Clay, you were the one asking to join our ranks.
>Choose a Blackwing to fight Manus. Clay
>Cheat? (Blair, Mina, or both?) No
Anonymous
>>5706217 >Choose a Blackwing to fight Manus. >Clay >Cheat? (Blair, Mina, or both?) >No We just have to hope for no crit and that the cheating doesn't throw things too far out of whack. but honestly assuming things go 'as expected' Manus is more likely to kill himself than kill Clay, and Clay's weapon targeting resistance means that he shouldn't fight the Druid, which means if we plan on a clean sweep (we do) this is the best time to use him
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Sat 08 Jul 2023 10:56:23 No. 5706423 Report Quoted By:
>>5706217 >Choose a Blackwing to fight Manus. >Clay >Don't cheat Let's save cheating for when we're in a pinch
>>5706242 Did Ashe also get the +2 Dex afterglow?
Anonymous
>“Is é seal Manus troid!” “It's Manus turn to fight!”
>“Maróidh mé! Déanfaidh mé éigniú! Beidh mé ag troid!” "I will kill! I will rape! I will fight!"
And so the legendary Devil Axe appears. A shame we can't kill this one, but let's be honest, with 0 Luck, his axe will probably kill him first.
>>5706217 >Choose a Blackwing to fight Manus. Clay
>Cheat? (Blair, Mina, or both?) Mina
If it's a SPD+LCK check to cheat, then... Mina's actually got a 19+25+15+25=84% chance to succeed, which is pretty good. Blair, on the other hand, has 43+30=73% to succeed, which is still pretty good. Assuming no outside interference, this is a sweep, but I *am* assuming Maeve will pull something here, and I'm worried that if we don't commit something now, it might be Clay's life on the line.
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Sat 08 Jul 2023 12:15:17 No. 5706443 Report Quoted By:
>>5706433 Don't let Manus rape my anus, Clays is fine
Anonymous
Quoted By:
Instead of cheating, could we prepare to intervene if the ""Oracle"" does?
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5706373 >mentally broken like Ingrid I honestly regret that you guys saved her instead of our wingsister
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5706217 >Choose a Blackwing to fight Manus. Clay
>Cheat? (Blair, Mina, or both?) Mina
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5706395 >>5706217 >Choose a Blackwing to fight Manus. >Clay >Cheat? (Blair, Mina, or both?) >Mina actually yeah if we're participating in this cultural exchange then we should do so fully
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5706217 >Choose a Blackwing to fight Manus. Clay
>Cheat? (Blair, Mina, or both?) Mina
Purely because I think Maeve is gonna pull something and I do not like that 15% crit chance at all
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5706217 >Choose a Blackwing to fight Manus. Clay
>Cheat? (Blair, Mina, or both?) Mina
Anonymous
TreeHouses QM
Quoted By:
Clay and No Cheating wins. Writing!
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Sat 08 Jul 2023 23:28:06 No. 5706863 Report Clay:''Heh, we don't need cheating when I'm in a fight, watch me dance Bla-''>Gets critted
Anonymous
>>5706863 Is crit double damage?
I think he still lives and then regens back to safety
Also there's a 30% chance that Manus kills himself. THAT would be funny
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5706866 Three times the damage.
TreeHouses QM
>>5706217 >“Clay, you’re up.” “Me?” Clay pales uncharacteristically. “Didn’t you hear what he just said?”
>“You understand their language?” You ask, eyebrow raised. Clay sighs as if he’d just been discovered stealing. He hops down from the stands and begins making his way into the arena. Manus seemed a particularly strange fighter. Despite the quirks in his style, he still possessed monstrous strength. Much like Flynn before him, there were few that would withstand his consecutive attacks. But Clay’s Runesword had the ability to trivialize any damage he might receive. Having just fought against a Runesword wielder yourself, you knew just how troublesome that blade could be. And that wasn’t his only trump card either. You’d had a sneaking suspicion for some time now that Clay possessed a Crest. While he hadn’t been eager to show it so far, he might find himself pushed to the brink in a fight such as this.
“Bean eile? leadránach.” Manus says, picking his nose. He manages to flick the contents towards Clay’s direction.
“Tá an arm sin mallaithe. Ba chóir duit é a chaitheamh amach.” Clay responds in perfect Sreng.
Manus’ eyes widen. The berserker is clearly taken aback, and he isn’t the only one. By the Goddess, Clay was an infuriating one. How many secrets was he hiding?
“Suimiúil!” Manus laughs, raising his peculiar looking Axe towards the sky. “An bhfuil tú ag troid chomh maith agus a labhraíonn tú?”
The Sreng crowd has once again resumed their cheering and applause, having already forgotten the disappointment Flynn brought them. This time, they shower Manus with praise. Maeve peers forward in her seat, as if seeking to observe the fight more closely. One hand of hers leans forward on the railing, while the other appears to be grasping onto something in her robe. Whatever it is though, you’re unable to make out. Leif begins addressing the crowd, and his female aide resumes translating his speech for the Blackwings.
“The Second Trial will now begin! Representing the people of Sreng is Devil Manus! Born with the luck of the devil himself, Manus has crushed any fool that would dare oppose him with one swing of his mighty axe! He shall lead the people of Sreng to victory, so sayeth the Oracle!” Leif makes sure to gesture towards Maeve for all to see.
“His opponent!” The girl continues, pausing only for Leif to get ahead. “Is a stranger that speaks the language of our people! Wielding a sword of foul runic power, he seeks to test his luck against the devil himself!”
“These people love putting on a show don’t they…” Corrine mutters under her breath.
>“Better to rile up the crowd for when Leif starts calling for Maeve’s head.” You whisper back. “Fighters!” The girl shouts. “On my mark, you may begin your duel!” Everyone quiets down once more, all eyes on the prince as they await what they came for.
“Begin!”
TreeHouses QM
>>5706927 >Hit (26) >Crit (55, Miss) >Devil Axe (28) Backfire >Manus: 38 STR + 18 = 56 – 31 DEF = 25 DMG >Manus: 45/70 HP Manus wastes no time. As soon as he’s given the signal to fight, he seizes forward. Even though he wields that huge axe, he is able to move with a surprising amount of agility. Clay is immediately caught by surprise as the towering berserker lands in front of him and raises his weapon. You nearly jump out of your chair; afraid you’d just condemned the mercenary to death. The axe falls forward to cleave Clay’s head in two, but something peculiar happens. As soon as that strange axe touches the first strand of Clay’s hair, a large wound appears on Manus’ shoulder, gushing blood.
“Ahh. I guess the spirits are in a bad mood today.” Ronan says, as if this were a completely normal occurrence.
“Gah!” Manus falls back, clutching his wound. For the briefest of moments, Clay looks completely bewildered. You worry that his confusion may cause him to miss out on the opportunity to counterattack, but he fortunately pushes forward.
>Clay: 35 STR + 8 (Runesword) = 43 – 5 RES = 38DMG x2 (Bravery) >Manus: 0/70 HP Clay attacks with an x-shaped slash that lands on Manus’s abdomen. The berserker cries out in pain, takes a few steps backward, and falls flat on the floor, defeated. The fight has seemingly ended.
“Huh?” Corrine exclaims.
“That was…” Anemone begins.
Eulalia claps politely.
“Perhaps we were worried for nothing…” Ashe mutters.
To say that the Sreng crowd was disappointed would be an understatement. They were positively furious at what had just transpired. Many jump up and down on their seats, screaming obscenities at the fighters below. The match was over before they’d even blinked. Once again, they proceed to throw trash into the arena. Discarded foot parts and bottles rain down from the stands. Clay takes the opportunity to bask in the hate, holding his arms out as if welcoming the crowd.
“Thank you!” Clay laughs, spinning around. He ducks, narrowly avoids a jug, and addresses the hecklers. “Mo chaired!”
Leif looks as if he is about to call the match for Clay. As he’s doing so though, your eyes lock on Maeve. As the ring continues to be flooded with trash, Maeve pulls whatever item she’d been holding onto in her robe and tosses it into the arena with surprising strength. The object, what looks to be a bottle of some sort, sails forward and shatters on Manus’ face. Some sort of liquid splashes out, and the next thing you realize, Manus has jumped back up to his feet, letting out a primal roar that silences the rowdy crowd.
TreeHouses QM
>>5706929 “Caith rud amháin eile agus maróidh mé thú!” He screams, deafening all that hear him. Clay is startled and jumps back. He isn’t the only one either. The crowd has been effectively cowed into submission, ceasing their antics.
“He’s back up?! How?!” Corrine yells.
>“Maeve! She threw something at him during the commotion! But what?” Manus was standing as if completely unbothered by his wounds. Worst yet, you sensed that he was somehow stronger than when he’d first entered the ring. “He’s berserking.” Ronan says. “Sreng Berserkers will sometimes imbibe a concoction that temporarily allows them to fight harder and stronger at the cost of their mind. Perhaps one of the bottles thrown into the arena was one such concoction.”
“But isn’t that cheating?! Can’t they be disqualified!” Corrine presses.
Ronan winces. “You may have a hard time proving that right now. The crowd is totally worked up…and I don’t believe Manus is going to sit by quietly while you debate.” He points towards the ring. Sure enough, Manus had lifted his Axe. His pupils were gone, and he was frothing at the mouth, moving in for the attack.
>Manus >Level 39 Berserker HP: 110/110
STR: 42
DEX: 10
SPD: 40
LCK: 0
DEF: 10
RES: 5
Weapon: Devil Axe (+18 DMG, 30%-LCK chance to reflect damage to its wielder.)
Skills: Devil’s Luck (Opponent has 30%-LCK chance to reflect their own damage).
Crit Boost (25% Chance to Crit)
>A) Cheat and use Rally Spectrum? (73% Chance to Succeed) >B): Cheat and use Mina’s Dance? (Which Dance?) (84% Chance to Succeed) >C): Don’t cheat. Have faith that Clay can win regardless. TreeHouses QM
This wasn't in the spreadsheet, but just as a tidbit. The Runesword is also a ranged weapon. If Clay initiates attack, he'll do it at range, safe from counterattack.
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Sun 09 Jul 2023 00:50:19 No. 5706938 Report >>5706933 Cool
So I want to pick Mina's dance but which one would be most beneficial? The sleep berserk one would be funny but I doubt it'll work.
Dances: Mina’s Might (2/2) (+5 STR to nearby allies),
Mina’s Edge (2/2) (+20% Crit to nearby allies)
Mina’s Swiftness (2/2) (+20 Avoid to nearby allies)
Mina’s Grace (2/2) (Causes an enemy to fall asleep. 20% Super Berserk instead)
TreeHouses QM
>>5706938 It will work, though maybe not necessarily as advertised.
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Sun 09 Jul 2023 00:53:51 No. 5706943 Report Quoted By:
>>5706940 ...Would Manus go Ultra Berserk? Or would he just have a heart attack?
Anonymous
>>5706938 Clay dies if Manus hits both times without triggering Devil's Luck again. RNG'ing the Sleep Dance is scary, and Mina can only give clay a 41% chance of survival by boosting his evasion by 20% (31+20-10 from enemy DEX). We need to Rally Spectrum, it's the safest way to ensure we don't lose the match and Clay.
>>5704729 >Good question, Premonition would not count as cheating. Would we be able to use Premonition on ourselves to increase the chance of landing Rally Spectrum on Clay?
Anonymous
>>5706940 I forget, are crits x2 or x3 damage?
Anonymous
>Devil axe instantly backfires my sides
>>5706933 >The Runesword is also a ranged weapon Clay could probably solo some armies alone, jesus
So, I did a little counting and with rally Clay wins soundly(unless crit, crit kills him instantly)
I'd say we go Yara's premonition + Rally Spectrum.
But I'm so tempted to see what Mina's sleep dance would do to him
TreeHouses QM
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5707002 Is there any way to negate crits besides praying to sothis?
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5706976 With
>>5707002 in mind I support the premonition + rally plan
Anonymous
What affects crit chance?
Anonymous
>Eulalia claps politely. Cute.
So this is the calculation if nobody interferes and we ignore any rolls:
Manus will deal 42+18-31=29 damage to Clay per hit and he'll double Clay.
Clay still does 38 damage per hit. He strikes twice, so it's 76 damage total if both hits land.
Manus initiates. Clay gets hit and has 26 HP remaining.
Clay counterattacks and strikes twice. Manus has 34 HP remaining. Clay also fully recovers his HP.
Manus connects with his follow-up attack and Clay has 26 HP remaining again.
Then Clay initiates and finishes off Manus.
The increased 25% crit chance is worrying.
Manus also has 4% to dodge while Clay has 21%.
If we Rally Clay, Manus can't dodge anymore and he also no longer doubles Clay. As long as Manus' only attack isn't a crit, Clay wins. The damage dealt/reduced with the Rally shouldn't matter because it's not going to actually change how the fight goes. Though I guess a Devil Axe backfire would result in Manus immediately losing to the counterattack again, which would be funny.
>>5706931 >A) Cheat and use Rally Spectrum? (73% Chance to Succeed) Also going to choose to use Yara's premonition for this.
Anonymous
>>5706931 >“Bean eile? leadránach.” “Another woman? boring.”
>“Tá an arm sin mallaithe. Ba chóir duit é a chaitheamh amach.” “That weapon is cursed. You should throw it out.”
>“Suimiúil!” “An bhfuil tú ag troid chomh maith agus a labhraíonn tú?” “Interesting!” "Do you fight as well as you talk?"
Hah. Clay knowing the language doesn't surprise me, honestly. Travelers that are probably dragons in disguise truly are something.
>“Mo chaired!” "My beloved!" (this might be a translator issue, but it's probably just Clay calling the Sreng a lovely crowd)
>“Caith rud amháin eile agus maróidh mé thú!” "Throw one more thing and I'll kill you!"
>>5707061 iirc, Crit Chance is (Weapon or Spell Crit) + ((DEX + LCK) / 2 ).
Manus has 0 Luck, and his Devil Axe gives him no Crit Bonuses. So that's 10 DEX + 0 LCK = 15 / 2 = 5% (I believe it's round down for most calculations?) Add his 22% Crit Boost on top of it, and it's 30% to Crit.
However, Crit Avoid is equal to LCK. Then it's Crit Chance - Crit Avoid. Clay has a Luck of 33, so there's no danger of crit on his end (and in fact, he's more likely to crit Manus)
>>5706931 >A) Cheat and use Rally Spectrum? (73% Chance to Succeed) So that's how enemy cheating works. I thought they'd do stat manipulations like we're doing, but I can see how that'd feel unfair.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5706931 >>A) Cheat and use Rally Spectrum? (73% Chance to Succeed) Anonymous
>>5707131 Away from the computer atm, but I should probably append this with the fact that this is 3H crit calculation, and it may work differently here. Also, I meant 25% crit chance from crit boost.
Clay's chance to crit, on the other hand, is 36 DEX + 33 LUK = 69 / 2 = 34.5 = 34%. This is, of course, not counting any hidden Crest bonuses he might have.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5707178 >>5707131 >10 DEX + 0 LCK = 15 / 2 = 5% Goddamn, that's what I get for rushing out an equation before rushing out the door myself. I was looking at his Stage 1 stats, but then corrected it to Stage 2. Naturally 10 DEX + 0 LCK = 10, and not 15.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5706931 >A) Cheat and use Rally Spectrum? (73% Chance to Succeed) For that extra luck and to stop Manus' doubling.
But despite Manus' crit boost I don't think Clay actually has a chance of being critted? Even with the 25% crit boost Manus' crit rate is 30 (25 + (10/2)) where's Clay's base crit avoid is 33 based on his luck so it's a -3% chance.
...I actually believe that Devil's Luck doesn't have a chance if activating either. 30%-opponent's luck = -3% kek
Also Tree if we use Blair here can we use her for other matches? Or are we stuck with just Mina?
Anonymous
I read it as Manus just having a flat 25% crit chance and that stats won't affect it. But if his crit chance against Clay really is 0, then we wouldn't even need to cheat in the first place unless we're scared of Maeve being able to pull off something else during the fight.
From this
>>5707089 Clay outheals Manus' damage with a single hit. Our luck would be terrible if Clay misses when he has a 96% chance to hit and he strikes twice. He'd be more likely to lose from us getting caught cheating than dying if he's not in any danger of getting killed by a crit.
Anonymous
>>5707343 Good eye. Thanks for keeping the math straight.
Tree, does his Crit Boost skill give him +25% to crit, or does it set his Crit Chance to 25% straight up, regardless of situation?
Is Critical Chance [Crit Chance from Equipment, Combat Arts, Battalions, and Abilities] + [Dex + Luck / 2] against Crit Avoid [Luck] + [Avoid Bonuses from Combat Arts? But as Combat ARts and Battalions don't exist, it's...
Critical Chance [Crit Chance from Equipment and Abilities] + [(Dex + Luck) / 2] against Crit Avoid [Luck]?
Also, does cheating with Blair or Mina mean they can't cheat in future rounds?
Either way...
>>5706931 >>5707131 >C): Don’t cheat. Have faith that Clay can win regardless. He's still got his Crest in his back pocket, and he doesn't even need to use it, so he's probably fine.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5706931 >C): Don’t cheat. Have faith that Clay can win regardless. Anonymous
>>5707377 If it's a flat 25% chance then we need to stop Manus' from doubling at whatever cost desu.
Also how on earth is a sneaky rally going to work there?
>Blair: Clay >Clay: ? >Blair: good luck *thumbs up* >Clay: ????????????? At least with Mina's dancing with could pass it off as her cheering or wobbling from excitement or something. Also good thing we didn't hostage Mina or we would have absolutely been shooting ourselves in the foot.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5707396 Agreed. If it's a flat 25%, we need to cheat to negate a second attack. If it's just +25% to normal crit rate though, then he doesn't even reach high enough to get 1%-- Clay's too lucky.
Don't skimp on your Goddess Icons, kids.
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Sun 09 Jul 2023 12:22:54 No. 5707434 Report Quoted By:
Just realized this guy has luck worse then Arthur, like, at level 20 Arthur would have like, a single point in Luck while this guys almost 40 yet has non.
TreeHouses QM
>>5707343 >>5707377 Crit Boost is a flat boost to crit, regardless of the normal calculations in play,
>>5707377 >Critical Chance [Crit Chance from Equipment and Abilities] + [(Dex + Luck) / 2] against Crit Avoid [Luck]? It's just LUCK in this quest, /2. You wouldn't add your DEX.
>Also, does cheating with Blair or Mina mean they can't cheat in future rounds? Nope. You can cheat as many times as you want.
Anonymous
>>5707453 Aha, thanks! And Crit Avoid was just LUCK, then? Or LUCK / 2?
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5706931 >C): Don't cheat. Have faith that Clay can win regardless. I don't think we'd get away with cheating right now, we don't have the same smokescreen Maeve does. Ronan's a smart kid.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5706931 >>B): Cheat and use Mina’s Dance? (Which Dance?) (84% Chance to Succeed) Mina's Edge
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5706931 >C): Don’t cheat. Have faith that Clay can win regardless. I beleive in Clay's main character syndrome.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5706931 In case my vote didn't go through
>Use Yara's premonition >>A) Cheat and use Rally Spectrum Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5706931 >A) Cheat and use Rally Spectrum? (73% Chance to Succeed) >Use Premonition TreeHouses QM
Rolled 94 (1d100) >A) Cheat and use Rally Spectrum? (73% Chance to Succeed)>Use Premonition (+20% Success Chance)
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5707675 You gotta be fucking kidding me
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5707675 cool. I guess we lose then. wooo
TreeHouses QM
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Sun 09 Jul 2023 19:14:13 No. 5707682 Report Quoted By:
>>5707675 I think Clays dead
Anonymous
I quit on this bullshit. See you all next thread.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5707675 Sothis fucking bullshit
Anonymous
Quoted By:
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5707675 i have no hope and yet still I feel pain
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5707675 ...Manus really does have the devil's own luck.
Here's hoping a loss means that Clay can leave the ring alive and isn't expected to stand there and die.
Anonymous
Anonymous
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5707689 With this luck there won't be a next thread
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5707675 That's XCOM, baby. World's getting its revenge on us for killing Rex with that Stun last time. Hopefully Clay doesn't die.
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Sun 09 Jul 2023 20:00:33 No. 5707743 Report Quoted By:
I mean... This will only mean Clay dies, not like one cheat will mean we lose the whole thing... but this will make us be even, and cheating will be a lil harder i bet.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5707675 Claaaaaay, show us your main character powers now Claaaaaay.
TreeHouses QM
>>5706931 “You should act fast.” Yara says, suddenly appearing next to you. “The spirits are telling me something grave is about to occur.”
Manus had received a noticeable power boost from whatever it was that Maeve had done. You could leave it up to Clay to fight back and find a way to prevail, but something in Yara’s tone had put you on edge. Was your life to be plagued by these stupid vague predictions forever? Fine, if Maeve was going to cheat and get away with it, you’d fight fire with fire. With the cover of the crowd, Manus’ screaming, and a little bit of nuance, you might just be able to help Clay with a ‘Rally’, giving him the edge he’d need to come out on top. Hiding behind the much larger Theo, you begin mouthing the incantations necessary to infuse the Hero with additional power. While it should be a simple task, you haven’t done this in quite some time. Perhaps it was the timing or your nerves, but what should have been a simple, subtle buff to Clay’s already formidable skills takes the form of both you and him being enveloped in a massive, eye-catching blue aura. One did not need any sort of background in magic to notice that something was amiss.
>Clay: +5 to all Stats “They’re cheating! They’re cheating!” Maeve shouts, jumping up and down and pointing a finger at you.
“GRAAAAAAAAH!” Manus charges forward and swings his axe in another savage two-handed downward strike.
>Hit Roll: 74 >Crit Roll: 47 (Miss) >Devil Axe: 11 (Backfire) >Manus: 42 STR + 18 (Devil Axe) = 60 – 36 DEF = 24 DMG >Manus: 86/110 But the same thing happens again. This time, the savage wound appears on Manus’ left shoulder, causing him to drop his axe on the ground and roar in pain.
“An chéad uair eile!” Clay shouts as he performs another cross-x slash on Manus’ abdomen. The hulking Berserker staggers back with a huge spray of blood. He wobbles over as if trying to maintain his balance, only to fall as Clay sheathes his Runesword. “Ná roghnaigh arm chomh dúr!”
>Manus: 0/110 HP “They cheated!” Maeve whines, screaming at the top of her lungs and addressing the Sreng crowd. “Magia! Magia!” She shouts, pointing towards you and Clay. “DISQUALIFICATION!”
“You cheated first!” Corrine shouts back. She grabs Ronan by the collar. “Translate this for me! Tell her that I’m going to drive my axe right through her head if she doesn’t shut up!”
The Sreng crowd erupts into a chorus of boos, hurling obscenities your way. Unlike when Ava won though, this appears to be far more venomous. All of Leif’s attempts to calm the crowd and speak over them fall on deaf ears. It isn’t until Cormac, the First Blade, unsheathes his sword and plants it in the ground in front of him, that the crowd finally silences. Having reclaimed the stage, Leif clears his throat and begins speaking. He looks grossly uncomfortable, which you can only assume spells doom for you. His aide follows shortly after.
TreeHouses QM
>>5707755 “The mercenary fighter was…magically enhanced during his duel. That much is plain to see.” She translates. “As such, we are left with no choice but to disqualify him. The winner of the second round is Manus!” She points down towards the Berserker, who is currently laying on his back and bleeding out. He look’s a stone’s throw away from death.”
“This is bullshit!” Corrine screams. “You cheated first!” She points towards Maeve. “You threw…something at that Berserker that made him rage!”
“Who? Me?” Maeve feigns ignorance. “How dare you! The Oracle is an impartial judge of the Cúig Triail! If I ‘threw’ something as you so claim, then produce evidence! Surely the bottle would still be present in the arena, no?”
You look down in the ring, which resembles a bloody trash heap more than an actual arena. Covered in garbage from the Sreng crowd, it would be impossible to find the remnants of the bottle that Maeve threw, which were further crushed underfoot by Manus during his berserker rage.
“Why am I even talking to you, you underground-dwelling snake monster FREAK! I’ll g-“ Corrine is pulled down back to her seat by Theo before she can shout further obscenities at the Agarthan’s way.
“Hmm.” Yara pontificates, taking a drag of her pipe. “I wonder if these were the unforeseen circumstances I saw.”
>“You aren’t helping.” You grit your teeth as the shaman slinks back into the shadow. A woman suddenly teleports into the arena. While somewhat older, she’s still quite the beauty, in a savage sort of way. Her dark hair obscures half her face as she wades through the trash to stand before Manus’ unconscious form. With a wave of her staff, the Berserker is teleported out of the arena, back into the stands.
“To win even when he loses. That man truly does have the devil’s luck.” She says in perfect common tongue. “That’s a shame for you though, vampire. Better luck lest next time.”
Clay sighs. “You would have been interesting. And…perhaps less humiliating.” He exits the arena to take his seat in the stands.
This woman was Morag, the Druid. Amongst the Sreng fighters, she was the most mysterious, dwelling alone in a remote cave in the northern mountains. Rumor had it that she was hundreds of years old but retained her beauty by draining the life essence of her victims. She was also the only one in Sreng capable of using Warp magic. But what good could that provide her here?
>Choose a Blackwing to duel Morag. >Morag >Level 40 Dark Sage HP: 48/48
MAG: 40
DEX: 24
SPD: 26
LCK: 28
DEF: 19
RES: 38
Weapon: Nosferatu (+8 DMG, Drains HP)
Skills: Warp (Teleport user or target…somewhere. SPD+RES chance to resist)
Anonymous
>"An chéad uair eile!" “Ná roghnaigh arm chomh dúr!” "The next time!" "Don't choose such a stupid weapon!"
Clay's always 10/10. Shame about that bad luck though, it seems we would've won if we decided not to cheat, but let's not dwell on that.
>>5707477 Wanted to follow up on this, just in case, Tree!
>>5707757 Morag's high MAG and RES stats means we're probably not going to win if we send another mage to duel her with (regular) magic, especially since she heals on every hit. There is one notable exception, though.
If we send Ashe with Silver Daggers+, (35 STR + 6 DMG) against Morag's 19 DEF, that's 22 damage in one attack. He attacks twice, dealing 44 damage, then Morag retaliates with (40 MAG + 8 DMG) against Ashe's 25 RES, for 23 damage. If it works like the Runesword did in the previous thread, she heals back that full amount (23 HP), and then Ashe attacks twice again, beating her.
Alternatively, we send Uriel, who initiates with his Blessed Lance+, (35 STR + 10 DMG) against Morag's 19 DEF, for 26 damage... except then Slayer triggers because she's a Dark Mage, turning it into Effective Damage, for a whopping 78 damage. He kills her in one hit.
Yara is the surprise pick here. As she's faster, Morag attacks for (40 MAG + 8 DMG) against Yara's whopping 41 RES, dealing a total of 7 damage. Yara then retaliates with Luna, (40 MAG + 0 DMG), ignoring enemy RES for 40 damage. She then takes her turn, attacks again with Luna, and wins. Of course, the problem here is that Yara only has 3 Uses, so if she doesn't win in 3 casts, she'll need to switch to Dark Spikes, (40 MAG + 13 DMG) against enemy RES of 38, for 15 damage each.
(Anons are free to check my math here, not sure if I'm missing something)
I'm sure there are other combinations that make Morag pretty easy prey, but... Of course, the unknown element here is Morag's personal skill, Warp. It may potentially trigger at any time, but if she targets our guys, Ashe has a 62% chance of resisting, Uriel has a 55% chance, and Yara has a 63% chance. Morag will probably use this (potentially on herself?) to get free hits on our guys, and escape from danger whenever she leaves herself open to a kill.
We also know that Maeve's still going to be able to cheat to stack the deck further in her favor, so we'll need to be careful. With all that said, though, I think we should still send...
>Uriel As a Holy Knight, he's got the mobility to keep up with her teleportation. He's also got one-shot capability (and can even double if he has to!), which pretty much negates the strength of her Nosferatu. He's got Light Magic in case he needs to retaliate at range, and he's got Healing Magic in the worst case scenario. His odds are the worst of the three in regards to avoiding her Personal skill though.
Anonymous
>>5707757 The two I'm leaning towards are Ashe and Uriel. Ashe can quad Morag with his knives and one-round her. Uriel has Slayer which should be effective against druids since they are dark mages. Tree, what's the damage formula for weapon effectiveness? If it's triple damage, Uriel OHKO's Morag.
The only thing that can throw all this off is her Warp. Can she Warp our fighters too or just herself and teammates?
Anonymous
>>5707757 Another day of Clay just being Clay, Blair just living a Clay world.
>>5707806 Though Anon raises an interesting point with Yara... the Luna spell being the mage-killer that it is and her massive RES stat, I'm still inclined towards Uriel for now.
>>5707812 We'll find a better matchup for Ashe.
>Uriel Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5707757 >Choose a Blackwing to duel Morag >Ashe Yep, that our shanking target. Ashe deals 22 damage 4 times in his opening move and kills her. Unless bullshit happens, but as we all can se, there's no reason to plan for bullshit
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5707868 >We'll find a better matchup for Ashe Hah! No. His perfect victim is a squishy mage, and there's only one mage in the lineup. Next up are axe warrior and swordmaster btw
TreeHouses QM
>>5707806 Crit Avoid is just LUCK, yep!
>>5707812 She can Warp herself as well as her targets. I should note though that she can't retaliate with Warp. Only initiate with it.
TreeHouses QM
>>5707812 Effective Damage is 3x
Anonymous
>>5707905 Would Morag be able to use Warp on a target to take them out of the arena and instantly win the fight? Or can it only be used to move herself/her target away?
TreeHouses QM
>>5707915 That certainly could be one application for it! Provided she didn't botch her target roll, of course.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5707757 >>5707919 Welp, time for Uriel to shine.
>Choose a Blackwing to duel Morag. >Uriel He initiates and one-shots with Slayer. It's up in the air on how Maeve interferes, but for now Uriel needs 3 Nosferatus to be taken down.
Ashe can one-round her if he initates with his daggers, but he also takes a hit and would lose if he takes 2 Nosferatus.
We also have Anemone who can just spam Luna but I'd rather keep her as an option for our next fight.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5707757 >>Uriel This is a very obvious job for Uriel. She's a dark mage and he's the dark mage exterminator.
Anonymous
Anonymous
Anonymous
Anonymous
>>5707757 >Uriel Kinda worried worried she's going to cheese the fight with her skill though
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5707757 >>Choose a Blackwing to duel Morag. >>Uriel Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5708001 Tree said Morag can't retaliate with Warp
>>5707905 Uriel initiates first and doubles Morag with triple damage Blessed Lance, only one strike being necessary for victory. Cheating is the only way for Morag to not be obliterated instantly. Even with cheating, Uriel can heal 5 hp per turn plus use Mend if his health gets too low. He's got a lot of tools to handle this fight and any shenanigans Maeve vomits forth
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5707757 >Choose a Blackwing to duel Morag I'm going to trust the math and +1 Uriel. Also, I warned you we wouldn't get away with cheating. Clay had that in the bag, and now we have to fight at least one more match than we wanted to. This is the Goddess' judgement upon us, of that I am sure.
Anonymous
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5707757 >Choose a Blackwing to duel Morag. Ashe. Trust our boytoy.
Anonymous
TreeHouses QM
>>5707757 Dark mages were a tricky lot to deal with. Their versatility allowed them no shortage of advantages against a variety of foes. But there was one person in the Blackwings who specialized in fighting their ilk. For whatever reason, Uriel the Holy Knight possessed the ability to cut through their spells as though they were mere parlor tricks. There was no one better than the veteran Knight of Seiros to deal with Morag. Hopefully his experience would also give him an edge against any sort of tricks Maeve might try to pull as well.
>“Uriel. Will you fight?” Uriel stands at attention and salutes you. “If my Commander wishes it so, then it shall be done.”
You nod and watch as he moves forward to enter the arena. You weren’t sure why he placed so much faith in you. You thought he might have returned to the Knights of Seiros the last time you were at Garreg Mach. After all, he’d had a hand in training a number of them, including your own mentor, Leonardo. But for some reason, he chose to stay by your side and continue to fight with the Blackwings. Something you were eternally grateful for right now.
“Who’s this?” Morag drawls. With her short-cut dressed and exposed bosom, the woman is all lust. Those in the Sreng crowd are hardly able to contain themselves as they cheer her on. Hell, you even notice a few Blackwings giving her some choice leers. “I was hoping to face off against a young, strapping mercenary lad. But instead, they send me an old codger. Shouldn’t you be bouncing a grandchild off your lap rather than stepping into the ring with me?”
Uriel ignores the woman, drawing his spear and examining it closely. Uriel’s Blessed Lance, while similar to your own, was of higher quality. Supposedly it had been crafted for him on behalf of the Archbishop herself, and its blessing had remained intact to this day.
“Don’t you talk?” Morag taunts him further. “When’s the last time an elder such as yourself was this close to a beauty like me? Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten what it feels like? That primal lust that drives all men wild?”
Uriel offers her a polite smile. “A strange thing to say to one younger than yourself, no?”
Morag’s eyes widen ever so slightly in surprise. “Ahh. So, you’re sharper than you appear.”
“Not quite. The darkness that permeates from you hangs in the air like a foul stench. You’ve absorbed the life essence of many to maintain that form, haven’t you?” Uriel crinkles his nose in disgust. “The people of Sreng are truly in dire need of the Goddess’ mercy. Is this the fate that is to befall all those who turn away from her divine light in favor of false deities and dark spirits? Thank you, Sothis, for reminding me what I fight for.”
“And now you won’t stop blathering.” Morag frowns. “Very well. I’ll drain whatever wretched life remains inside those weary bones of yours until there’s nothing but dust!”
TreeHouses QM
>>5708914 “Trial Three!” The aide shouts. “Morag of the Woods versus the elderly mercenary! Begin!”
>Uriel: 35 STR + 10 (Blessed Lance+) = 45 – 19 = 26x3 (Eff. DMG) = 78 DMG >Morag: 0/48 The match starts upon Leif and his aide’s declaration. Before you can blink though, Morag slumps to her knees. Uriel’s Blessed Lance has been lodged through her chest and out her back. The mage was not afforded a single second to do anything before she was gored hrough.
“I dislike hurting women.” Uriel says, wiping his hands of the mage’s blood. “Even ones as detestable as yourself. But circumstances being what they are, I cannot allow this ‘oracle’ of yours an opportunity to cheat once more. You’ve stolen enough life essence that you’ll survive, though I imagine with a wound as grievous as that one, you’ll be returning to your true form soon.”
Morag tries to retort but is only able to spit up a gout of blood in response. With trembling hands, she lifts her Warp staff up towards Uriel. Even were she not wounded though; she’d be far too slow for the Holy Knight. He snatches the item from her hands, and then smashes it upon her head, snapping it in two. The mage falls backward, unconscious. Uriel retrieves his spear from her body, swatting the blood away, and walks towards the exit.
“There’s nothing wrong with aging gracefully.” He mutters.
Leif was hoping you’d win, but perhaps he didn’t expect you to make it look this easy. Even with his one victory, three of his fighters had now been soundly defeated in combat. The Sreng crowd no longer displayed any anger or displeasure. Instead, they were beginning to look unsure of themselves. The fighters chosen for the Cúig Triail were supposed to represent some of their very best, How was it that mere sellswords were defeating them in such sound fashion? He suddenly looks unsure of himself. As for Maeve, her face is buried in her hands. It was as Uriel said. He’d defeated Morag so soundly and swiftly, that she hadn’t even had an opportunity to meddle.
Regaining his composure, Leif addresses the murmuring crowd, and his aide soon follows. “Victory in the third trial goes to Blackwings!”
“Look at that bitch’s face!” Corrine laughs. “One more and we win!”
TreeHouses QM
Quoted By:
>>5708915 Yes, things were looking up after the last duel’s debacle. Though you couldn’t win in a sweep, you still had two more opportunities to emerge victorious ahead of you. But the final two fighters were sure to be among the best Sreng had to offer. The next one up was Shaw, the Axe Warrior. Shaw was known for his insatiable appetite. Rumor had it that he feasted upon the remains of an old wizard, granting him a strange immunity against magic. While there was certainly no proof of this, he was undoubtedly a very large and strong man. And according to Ronan, an uncharacteristically nice one too, by the standards of Sreng men.
>Shaw >Level 41 Axe Warrior HP: 67/67
STR: 40
DEX: 12
SPD: 17
LCK: 25
DEF: 28
RES: 20
Weapon: Great Axe (+20 DMG, -15% Chance to Miss)
Skills: Tomebreaker (50% chance to dodge magic attacks)
TreeHouses QM
>>5708915 Yes, things were looking up after the last duel’s debacle. Though you couldn’t win in a sweep, you still had two more opportunities to emerge victorious ahead of you. But the final two fighters were sure to be among the best Sreng had to offer. The next one up was Shaw, the Axe Warrior. Shaw was known for his insatiable appetite. Rumor had it that he feasted upon the remains of an old wizard, granting him a strange immunity against magic. While there was certainly no proof of this, he was undoubtedly a very large and strong man. And according to Ronan, an uncharacteristically nice one too, by the standards of Sreng men.
>Shaw >Level 41 Axe Warrior HP: 67/67
STR: 40
DEX: 12
SPD: 17
LCK: 25
DEF: 28
RES: 20
Weapon: Great Axe (+20 DMG, -15% Chance to Miss)
Skills: Tomebreaker (50% chance to dodge magic attacks)
>Choose a Blackwing to duel Shaw Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Tue 11 Jul 2023 03:25:19 No. 5708929 Report >>5708918 If only Boleslaw was alive, we'd have had a battle of the girthiest bulks.
All right gang, we'll need a fucker who has high dodge, because this guy might hit hard and take hits well, his aim sucks, also i think a decent portion of our guys should double him.
Anonymous
Ashe has two preemptive chances to critical hit him into oblivion, and about a 40% chance to dodge.
Anonymous
>>5708929 >his aim sucks his axe has +15 aim
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Tue 11 Jul 2023 03:29:14 No. 5708933 Report Quoted By:
>>5708931 Oh wait I read that wrong, I saw a minus and my head just went ''lower accuracy, got it.''
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5708931 ….whoops
Damn that’s an OP axe, then
I’m pretty sure that’s a typo…
TreeHouses QM
>>5708930 No that is a typo, whoops! His Axe gives him an extra 15% chance to miss.
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Tue 11 Jul 2023 03:33:45 No. 5708938 Report Quoted By:
>>5708937 Oh whew, also I'm asking just to be sure, Corrine's bolt axe would count as a magic attack towards Shaw's Tomebreaker right?
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5708930 >That’s… a pretty big risk well, fatty here is described as "uncharacteristically nice", so this round might not be to the death?
I'm cheking Anemone's chances right now, and it doesn't seem bad
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Tue 11 Jul 2023 03:39:05 No. 5708944 Report Hm, I think Sebastian might be good here, sure he's gonna get doubled but he has 49 Def and 72 HP, so 60 - 49 = 11 x 2 = 22, while Sebastian has 43 Str and his silver blade gives him +20 dmg, so that'd be 63 - 28 = 34.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
We could have won the trial with Uriel's 1 hit KO............
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Tue 11 Jul 2023 03:40:53 No. 5708947 Report Quoted By:
>>5708915 Also yeah Uriel was amazing, old man took her down in a snap.
Anonymous
By Sothis calm down Uriel. What a madlad.
Anonymous
>>5708944 Sebastian is 1) still wounded and 2) chilling in shreng camp because he's a hostage
Anonymous
>>5708944 That’s our hostage.
Doesn’t work.
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Tue 11 Jul 2023 03:42:52 No. 5708953 Report Quoted By:
Wait i fucking forgot he's the hostage... Well Scratch you're up
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5708952 >>5708951 Oh yeah I forgot he was the hostage, fuck. Disregard the second part of
>>5708949 , I think Scratch is our best pick here.
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Tue 11 Jul 2023 03:44:50 No. 5708956 Report Quoted By:
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5708918 Ashe hits for 51-28=24 (25% chance to crit and win instantly)
Shaw is at 43
No retaliation because ranged
Ashe hits again for 24 (25% chance to crit and win instantly)
Shaw is at 19
Shaw hits for 60-19=41 (40% chance to miss)
Ashe is at 3(lmao)
Ashe retaliates for 24 and kills Shaw
Yeah, I'll bet Ashe's ass for absolutely no reason, let's go.
>Choose a Blackwing to duel Shaw >Ashe scratch might be a better choice, but missing that 95 has made me deranged. at least boy can't be critted(I think?)
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5708918 Ashe hits for 51-28=23 (25% chance to crit and win instantly)
Shaw is at 44
No retaliation because ranged
Ashe hits again for 23 (25% chance to crit and win instantly)
Shaw is at 21
Shaw hits for 60-19=41 (40% chance to miss)
Ashe is at 3(lmao)
Ashe retaliates for 23 and kills Shaw
Yeah, I'll bet Ashe's ass for absolutely no reason, let's go.
>Choose a Blackwing to duel Shaw >Ashe scratch might be a better choice, but missing that 95 has made me deranged. at least boy can't be critted(I think?)
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>"There's nothing wrong with aging gracefully." Based Uriel. What an absolute Chad. Didn't even give Maeve an opportunity. It seems if we initiate OHKO an enemy, they won't be able to react, which makes sense.
>>5708918 Holy fuck, look at the size of this lad. If he's only half as based as Boleslav, then he's a good guy, I'm sure (though I'm certain we can expect no mercy regardless). Also, that personal skill is annoying as all hell.
If we send Scratch, then she initiates and attacks for (38 STR + 5 DMG) against Shaw's 28 DEF for 15 damage. She attacks twice, and her future hits activate Tormentor for 5 extra damage, for 35 damage. He retaliates with (40 STR + 20 DMG) against Scratch's 29 DEF for 31 damage. She then continues the assault, for 40 more damage. A one-round go, though we can expect more cheating.
If we send Caleb, then he initiates, attacking once (32 STR + 11 DMG) against Shaw's 28 DEF for 15 damage. Since Shaw has no ranged weapon to retaliate with, Caleb just attacks twice for 30 damage. Shaw then takes his turn attacking with (40 STR + 20 DMG) against Caleb's 18 DEF for 42 damage. Caleb then attacks twice more for 30 damage on his retaliation, and then takes another turn, dealing 30 damage for a 3-round kill. However, if we cheat with either Blair's Rally Spectrum or Mina's Might, he can 2-round him instead. Of course, if Caleb crits ([25+(26/2)=38]-25=13%), or triggers his Personal Skill (10%), the fight goes much smoother. And of course, if both occur, he one-shots Shaw much like Uriel with Morag, but that's only a 0.013% chance of occurring.
If we send Ashe, then he initiates with his Killer Bow+ (35 STR + 11 DMG + 5 Bow Prowess) against Shaw's 28 DEF for 23 damage. Twice, since Shaw has no ranged weapon to retaliate with, for 46 damage. Shaw takes his turn, (40 STR + 20 DMG) against Ashe's 19 DEF for 41 damage (surviving on 3 HP unless he dodges!). Ashe then retaliates for 46 more damage (can't quad on retaliations, so it's better to use the bow), killing him in two rounds. He does have a better chance of scoring a critical hit though, at ([25+(37/2)=43]-25=18.5 = 18%), and doing so at any point will result in OHKO. Cheating with Mina's Edge raises that to a 38% chance, but I dunno if we want to try that.
Nobody can be crit, as Shaw's 12% Crit Rate does not beat anyone's Luck (except for Anemone, lmao). One thing to note is that Scratch has a (25 SPD against Shaw's 12 DEX + 15 Great Axe Penalty) 28% chance of dodging Shaw's attacks. has a (35 SPD against Shaw's 12 DEX + 15 Great Axe Penalty) 38% chance to dodge. Ashe has a (37 SPD against Shaw's 12 DEX + 15 Great Axe Penalty) 40% (!) chance to dodge.
With all that in mind...
>>5708914 >Scratch She one-rounds him, can't be crit, and has a 28% dodge chance, which is decent.
Anonymous
Anonymous
Quoted By:
Based Uriel the thotslayer.
>>5708918 >Choose a Blackwing to duel Shaw >Scratch Anonymous
>>5708918 >Scratch At least that let us save face after Clay Claying around last match. Don't like the 3 HP buffer with Ashe especially since Maeve knows this is her last chance and will go all out with the cheating.
Anonymous
>>5709064 >Maeve knows this is her last chance and will go all out with the cheating Honestly I feel like we should cheat first
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5708918 Uriel. Holy shit. What a man.
>Scratch Anonymous
>>5708918 >>Scratch Someone who can do math, what are Anemone's odds for this match?
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5709086 Not great. She has 51% dodge chance, but only hits for 14 with her scythe. Mage's noodle arms, please understand.
So Anemone hits for 14, Shaw retaliates for 40, anemone gets her second attack in, also 14.
Shaw is at 39, Anemone is at 32 (unless she dodges)
Then Shaw hits her for 40, she's dead(unless she dodges).
Anonymous
>>5709086 Let's see here...
If she uses Luna (41 MAG + 0, Ignore Res), and Tomebreaker doesn't trigger on any of her attacks, then she 1-rounds him without retaliation (as she's attacking from range). She'd have to win two coin tosses though.
If she uses her Crescent Scythe++ instead, that's (27 STR + 15 DMG) for 42 damage. Shaw retaliates with (40 STR + 20 DMG) against Scratch's 20 DEF for 40 damage. Anemone then follows up with another 42 damage for the win, also 1-rounding him.
Ironically, despite her Crescent Scythe++, she has such an abysmal LUK stat that she has no chance of critting Shaw.
One notable thing is that Shaw has a 12% Crit Rate, which normally wouldn't count for much, but would actually OHKO Anemone because of her abysmal LUK stat. Granted, it's only a 7% chance but we *did* just miss a 93% chance, so I'd really rather not tempt fate to see if the pendulum swings the other way.
To contrast, however, Anemone actually has a (48 SPD - Shaw's 12 DEX + 15 Great Axe Penalty) 51% chance of dodging Shaw's attacks. It would seem that while he's got coinflip odds to negate magic, she's got better-than-coinflip odds to dodge attacks, heh.
Overall, she's actually a very solid pick for this (though notably, the only one who is at risk of death by crit), but I'm afraid Maeve will pull out all the stops to try and get Anemone killed if she knows she can manage it. Granted, as she's only got one more attempt to win the trial, she's probably going to do that anyway, so... eh?
Anonymous
>>5709096 >>5709086 Whoops, forgot to take Shaw's defense into account. Her damage may be 42, but Shaw's defense is 28. That's 14 damage per hit. She'd kill him in 5 hits, but she'd need to dodge at least twice. Not really the best matchup here, unless we're willing to gamble on hitting those Lunas.
Anonymous
>>5709096 Unless scythe ignores DEF completely, you got it very wrong
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5709099 Correction (again), she can afford to take at least one hit, but the second will kill her. And of course, if it's a crit, there's no saving her. Really wouldn't recommend.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5709100 Yep. I realized I was forgetting to subtract DEF because I was thinking too much on Luna ignoring RES. Apologies.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5708918 >Scratch Though it would be fun to see Ashe pull a Shaw Shank Redemption
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5708918 >Scratch Time for our genetically engineered supersoldier
Anonymous
>>5709078 We should not cheat first, or at all. Do you not remember what happened last time?
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5708918 >choose a Blackwing to duel Shaw I'm going to trust the math and go with Scratch, since she appears to be the most reliable option. Still upset that this wasn't a clean sweep, but I'm not gonna yell at anyone or anything.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5708918 >Choose a Blackwing to duel Shaw Scratch
Great performance by Uriel too
Anonymous
Anonymous
>>5709324 we lost a 95% roll? How is it an argument against cheating? If anything it's an argument for more cheating because it's all rng bullshit anyway
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5709693 It's probably more of a "don't cheat if we have things in the bag already", which makes sense. That being said, Scratch isn't going to cleanly win against Shaw quite like Clay against Manus, so I think cheating is 100% on the table here.
To be honest, part of me is curious to see how the Sreng would react if we beat all five of their fighters, and then have their only victories be acquired by default from disqualification. That oughta hurt their rep, though I certainly don't want to cut things that close. TreeHouses QM
>>5708918 Shaw was strong, but he wasn’t very fast or accurate. Meanwhile, Scratch was durable, packed a punch, and boasted the raw power of the Crest of Indech. And though she was still relatively fresh when it came to utilizing that Crest, it should still be enough to give her the edge over the behemoth. You settle on her as your pick for the fourth trial.
>“Scratch. You’re up.” “Finally.” She says, getting up from her seat and stretching her limbs. “I could use a good workout.”
Shaw makes his presence known. He was exactly as Ronan had described him. A towering, rotund figure with a large two-handed axe strapped to his back. In his hands was what looked like the roasted leg of a turkey, already half-eaten. Various bits of meat and grease were dripping onto his chest. He gazed across at Scratch, mouth full and wide-eyed. You got the impression he was more bothered to be here than anything. Perhaps he was hoping Sreng would have won before his presence would have been required.
“Master Shaw! Please wait!” Maeve calls out, sounding more like a damsel in distress than an Agarthan saboteur. She runs up to the warrior’s side, teary-eyed.
“Mhm?” Shaw looks down at the girl as he thoroughly chews a piece of meat.
“I-I just wanted to wish you good luck! I have something for you, consider it a gift!” She properly bows before Shaw, before grabbing on to him for support and climbing. She fiddles around with his face, placing something on it, and then climbs off. When Shaw turns around, you notice he’s now wearing glasses.
“Huh? Are those…glasses?” Corrine asks, puzzled. “How does Sreng even have those?”
Glasses weren’t too uncommon in Fodlan. You recall Ignatz had a pair that he always wore. Still, they were usually reserved for families of means that could afford the expense. They also still required an experienced goldsmith to craft. A rarity in the savage wastes of Sreng, to your understanding.
>“After Uriel’s display, has she taken to cheating before the fights actually start?” You turn to Anemone. “Can you make anything out? Is there anything strange about them?” The Agarthan shrugs. “I don’t know. They just look like glasses to me…”
>Agarthan (?) Glasses. >+20 Dex, grants True Hit >True Hit: DEX based chance to hit w/ 100% accuracy and deal 1.5 DMG Shaw grunts in approval, and enters the arena, facing off against Scratch. He takes one final bite of his meal, tossing the bone behind his shoulder, and wiping his fingers on his chest piece.
“How do I look?” Shaw asks Scratch in rough common, pointing one greasy finger towards the glasses Maeve had placed on his face. He does appear to be friendlier than the other Sreng fighters.
“Fat.” Scratch replies.
Shaw pouts, looking sad.
“The Fourth Trial!” The translator says, following Leif’s own speech. “Shaw the Mountain versus the surly-looking mercenary! Begin!”
TreeHouses QM
>>5709911 >Scratch: 38 STR + 5 (SG+) = 43 – 28 = 15x2 = 30 DMG >Crest of Indech: 26, 20 (Miss, Hit: 15 DMG) >Shaw: 22/67 “AHHHHH!” The bandit leaps forward with a war cry. Closing the distance between her and her opponent, she swiftly plants one gauntleted fist into the larger fighter’s gut. Shaw is caught by surprise and forced to take a few steps back but manages to hold his ground. He grabs her right arm and tosses it aside, only to be caught with a left hook directly in the face. He spits out blood and begins to lose his balance, but Scratch isn’t done with him yet. She pulses strongly with the Crest of Indech, unleashing a flurry of blows barely visible to the naked eye upon the Axe Warrior’s body.
“AHHHHHH!” The piercing screaming this time comes from the Sreng stands. Maeve, who had been watching the fight intensely, now looks visibly shaken upon seeing the Crest of Indech appear before her. You recall the Agarthans back in Ordelia having the same reaction upon seeing Scratch’s Crest. So, they really did despise the Four Saints that much?
Shaw holds strong through Scratch’s relentless pummeling. Readjusting the eyewear given to him by Maeve, he raises his Axe high, and strikes.
>22 (True Hit activates) >Shaw: 40 STR + 20 (Great Axe) = 60 – 29 DEF = 31 x1.5 (True Hit) = 47 DMG >Scratch: 18/65 HP An explosion of dust follows Shaw’s attack as his great weapon collides with Scratch. She attempts to stop the blade with her gauntleted hands, only to be flattened onto the floor, painfully. Lying spreadeagle on her back, the wind has been completely knocked out of her. Capitalizing on his momentum, Shaw holds her down with one hand, raising his axe to deliver the final blow. Even hurt and in an unfavorable position though, she still has enough speed and strength left in her to fight. She grips onto Shaw’s arm that holds her down tightly.
“Fuck you!” The foul-mouthed bandit screams hoarsely, twisting the appendage. Shaw lets out a scream as he is forced to loosen his grip, allowing Scratch time to jump back to her feet. As he stumbles back, Scratch once more goes on the offensive. This time, she hardly needs the Crest of Indech to finish him off.
>Scratch: 38 STR + 5 (SG+) = 43 – 28 = 15 + 5 (Tormentor) = 20x2 = 40 DMG >Shaw: 0/67 HP Her first fist lands squarely on Shaw’s nose, shattering his brand-new eyewear into pieces. Blinded, he drops his weapon to hold his bruised face, only for Scratch to grab him by the back of the head and slam him face first into the ground. Her final attack does the job, as Shaw is rendered unconscious by the blow, going limp.
“Sorry…about your glasses.” Scratch pants, her arms moving to her broken ribs. “But if you ask me, you look better this way.”
TreeHouses QM
>>5709914 “YES!” Corrine jumps up for joy as the Blackwings break into a raucous cheer. “Three wins! That’s game! Suck on that, wench!”
The Sreng crowd has once more been stunned into silence. But instead of directing their anger and frustration onto any of the fighters or the Blackwing stands, they instead all shift their heads towards one culprit in question. The eyes of countless raiders fall upon Maeve, who has gone ghostly pale where she sits, eyes staring a thousand yards away. Leif, employing the best acting skills that he can, addresses the crowd. You notice him speaking for a while before his aide finally catches on and begins translating. Her eyes, much like those of the raider, were fixed entirely upon Maeve.
“The uhh...mercenaries win the fourth trial. The victors of this Cúig Triail are the Blackwings. Let all who have…bore their eyes upon this outcome engrave the truth of it into their hearts.”
One by one, the Sreng raiders call for blood. So, this is what happened when an Oracle predicted wrong. Where the raiders had been pelting the ring with trash and projectiles earlier, they now direct their blows towards Maeve. The ‘Oracle’ can only cover her head and scream as she is pelted by various flying objects. All the while, Leif continues addressing the crowd, speaking to them at length with fiery passion in his voice. The translator has noticeably stopped translating for your benefit, joining in on the attack upon Maeve.
>“What’s going on?” You ask Ronan. “The Oracle’s prediction did not come true.” Ronan says. “The prince is now denouncing her, claiming that she has lost the favor of the spirits. She’d predicted a Sreng victory, and instead they saw clearly for themselves that they were defeated. They aren’t happy…”
>“So what happens to an Oracle that loses favor?” “She is stripped of her position.” Ronan says. “And…in instances such as this, usually killed. Violently.”
Corrine spits. “It’s nice to see other people killing Agarthans for a change.”
TreeHouses QM
>>5709916 “Blair.” Anemone says. “We should stop them. Maeve is a Talon. If we take her as a hostage, it could provide us with invaluable information. Beyond just telling us what the Sreng army is doing down here, she could provide great knowledge on just what Shambhala is up to, including their overall plan, and the identity of the remaining Seven Sages.”
>“What?! How the hell am I supposed to stop that?” You motion towards the angry Sreng crowd. “It’s clear that Maeve abused her position to try and destroy us. Tell them that her punishment should fall on us. We should have the right to exact vengeance upon her.”
“Would that work?” You ask Ronan.
The boy shrugs. “It could. In previous instances of the Cúig Triail, the alleged perpetrator of the conflict in question has occasionally been handed over to the victors for them to do with as they please. If you make a convincing enough case, Prince Leif may just hand her over. He wants to wash his hands of her, after all. He might now care how It happens.”
>A): Convince Leif to hand over Maeve to the Blackwings for punishment. (LCK + CHARM x1.5: 81% Success Chance) >B): Wash your hands of the ‘Oracle’ and leave her to be torn apart by the raiders. Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5709919 >B): Wash your hands of the ‘Oracle’ and leave her to be torn apart by the raiders. I am a simple man. I want Maeve to die, so I will vote for Maeve to die.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5709919 >A) Convince Leif to hand over Maeve to the Blackwings for punishment. LET'S GOOOOOO
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5709919 >B): Wash your hands of the ‘Oracle’ and leave her to be torn apart by the raiders. Anonymous
Quoted By:
Attagirl Scratch, that was significantly less cheating fuckery than I expected from Maeve. I know Leif wanted to lose so he could get rid of Maeve but I have to wonder if he isn't a bit embarrassed at just how hard all of his champions got bodied.
>>5709919 >A) Convince Leif to hand over Maeve to the Blackwings for punishment. Yeah it's inviting some trouble if we lose but not only did the Blackwings win, they won convincingly AND if Rowan was right satisfied Leif's desire for none of the champions to be killed. That's got to be worth something if negotiations go sour, right?
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5709919 >A): Convince Leif to hand over Maeve to the Blackwings for punishment Insist that we at very least be on hand.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5709919 >A) Convince Leif to hand over Maeve to the Blackwings for punishment. Sounds like a plan. He’s already paying us, too!
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5709919 >A): Convince Leif to hand over Maeve to the Blackwings for punishment. (LCK + CHARM x1.5: 81% Success Chance) Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5709919 >A): Convince Leif to hand over Maeve to the Blackwings for punishment. (LCK + CHARM x1.5: 81% Success Chance) Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Wed 12 Jul 2023 03:32:57 No. 5710022 Report >>5709911 “How do I look?” Shaw asks Scratch in rough common, pointing one greasy finger towards the glasses Maeve had placed on his face.
“Fat.” Scratch replies.
Shaw pouts, looking sad.
Aw
>>5709919 >A): Convince Leif to hand over Maeve to the Blackwings for punishment. (LCK + CHARM x1.5: 81% Success Chance) TreeHouses QM
>>5710022 She doesn't have "Tormentor" as a skill for nothing.
Anonymous
>>5709919 >A): Convince Leif to hand over Maeve to the Blackwings for punishment. (LCK + CHARM x1.5: 81% Success Chance) That cheating scare didn't amount to much did it? We could've won every bout without underhanded means.
Anonymous
>Agarthan (?) Glasses. >+20 Dex, grants True Hit >True Hit: DEX based chance to hit w/ 100% accuracy and deal 1.5 DMG Holy shit. We need to get a pair of glasses for ourselves, goddamn. The 100% accuracy bonus doesn't do much for us, but that's a tasty x1.5 DMG multiplier after damage calc.
>“How do I look?” >“Fat.” Oof.
>>5710030 “Sorry…about your glasses.” Scratch pants, her arms moving to her broken ribs. “But if you ask me, you look better this way.”
Not sure if she means he looks better without his glasses, or if she means he looks better with a broken nose, collapsed on the floor. Either way, I think it fits Scratch.
>>5710059 I think we're underestimating how powerful those glasses are. If we sent Caleb, Ashe, or Anemone to fight instead, their dodges would've counted for nothing, and they would've been flattened in the first round. Looks like saving Scratch for this fight was the right play.
Otherwise, I'm pretty satisfied to have won without cheating (or rather, in spite of failing to cheat). Even when we're down to forty men, our mercenaries are still best of the best.
>>5709919 >A): Convince Leif to hand over Maeve to the Blackwings for punishment. (LCK + CHARM x1.5: 81% Success Chance) We styled on them, spared all of the fighters we could, and acquiesced to this entire tournament on Leif's behalf, I'm sure he'll throw us a bone, and if he doesn't then there's probably little harm in trying.
Anonymous
>>5710059 >+20 stat boost gear with a powerful special ability. >Not really amounting to much. Anonymous
>>5709919 >A): Convince Leif to hand over Maeve to the Blackwings for punishment. (LCK + CHARM x1.5: 81% Success Chance) >>5710091 Blair with glasses could be an interesting look
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5709919 Mission Complete
>A): Convince Leif to hand over Maeve to the Blackwings for punishment. (LCK + CHARM x1.5: 81% Success Chance) Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Wed 12 Jul 2023 06:22:33 No. 5710140 Report Quoted By:
>>5710091 >Not sure if she means he looks better without his glasses, or if she means he looks better with a broken nose, collapsed on the floor. Either way, I think it fits Scratch. She likes her men beaten and bloodied on the floor, she was a former bandit after all so she'd be a kinky ass bitch.
Anonymous
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>>5709919 >A): Convince Leif to hand over Maeve to the Blackwings for punishment. (LCK + CHARM x1.5: 81% Success Chance) Not too fussed about Clay, we won and without losing any of our Blackwings to boot
Anonymous
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>“How do I look?” >“Fat.” Scratch replies. kek
Was neat for our men to have their time in the spotlight. Uriel being based and immediately one-shotting Morag was probably the best one.
>>5709919 >A): Convince Leif to hand over Maeve to the Blackwings for punishment. (LCK + CHARM x1.5: 81% Success Chance) Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5709919 >>A): Convince Leif to hand over Maeve to the Blackwings for punishment. (LCK + CHARM x1.5: 81% Success Chance) Watch us roll 82.
Scratch's pretty mean. I wouldn't want to get into a catfight with her.
Anonymous
>>5710112 Behold, five minutes in
Paint.net .
...it's not a bad look for her desu. There's not a lot people in Fire Emblem games with glasses, though for obvious reasons. Anonymous
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>>5710099 We have several crest holders. That's pretty much a cheat itself.
Anonymous
>>5709914 >>Scratch: 38 STR + 5 (SG+) = 43 – 28 = 15x2 = 30 DMG so Tormentor doesn't activate until the second proper attack? it's 15x2 not 15 and 20?
Crest activation also seemed to do only 15
Anonymous
>>5709919 The trial went much much better than I'd anticipated. I was expecting some bloodshed on our side and maybe a Blackwing or two dying.
>A): Convince Leif to hand over Maeve to the Blackwings for punishment. Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5709919 >>B): Wash your hands of the ‘Oracle’ and leave her to be torn apart by the raiders. Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5709919 >A): Convince Leif to hand over Maeve to the Blackwings for punishment. (LCK + CHARM x1.5: 81% Success Chance) TreeHouses QM
>>5710202 Correct!
The first pair of Gauntlet attacks count as one, so Tormentor won't activate until after. Likewise, any Crest activations that pop out during that first round of attacks wouldn't trigger Tormentor.
>>5710165 kek looking good. Although they WERE actually "enhanced" glasses which would explain the massive buff. You'd never find another pair that did that.
Anonymous
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>>5709919 >B): Wash your hands of the ‘Oracle’ and leave her to be torn apart by the raiders. I have a feeling Maeve will find a way o slip out of our hands or otherwise get away with it, or we'll fail the dice roll because fuck us.
Anonymous
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>>5709919 >>B): Wash your hands of the ‘Oracle’ and leave her to be torn apart by the raiders. The only good snake is a dead snake
Anonymous
>>5710354 I figured that was the case, lmao. Otherwise, Ignatz would probably be one of the strongest characters by virtue of eyewear alone, heh.
Still, as a glasses man, I approve of any Bespectacled Blairs (and other cast members) in the future. >>5710206 Same desu. I was hoping for the best, but I was prepared for at least one or two casualties. The fact that we made it out without any losses is a huge win that will definitely reverse our recent fortunes.
On an unrelated note... Two characters thus far who have been using Life-Draining Magic (Runeswords, Nosferatu, etc) have explicitly stated that they've been able to keep youth and beauty by regularly stealing lifeforce and vitality from their opponents.
Which makes me wonder... Is Clay *actually* a dragon/snake/mole? Or is he just an especially long-lived human traveler from his continuous use of the Runesword? It's certainly interesting to speculate.
Anonymous
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>>5709919 >B): Wash your hands of the ‘Oracle’ and leave her to be torn apart by the raiders. Phoneposter
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>>5709919 >A): Convince Leif to hand over Maeve to the Blackwings for punishment. (LCK + CHARM x1.5: 81% Success Chance) Nothing to lose by doing this.
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Wed 12 Jul 2023 23:28:47 No. 5710726 Report Quoted By:
>>5710422 Clay:''Wait you thought I was a dragon? Hah, Nah my sword is just desperately keeping me alive after 500 years.''
TreeHouses QM
Rolled 87 (1d100) >A): Convince Leif to hand over Maeve to the Blackwings for punishment. (LCK + CHARM x1.5: 81% Success Chance)
Anonymous
>>5710768 Missing a 93% and then an 81%, huh? That's a 0.0133% chance. I'm not even mad, that's just statistically improbable. Still, we got our lads through this without deaths, so I'll take it.
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Thu 13 Jul 2023 01:13:42 No. 5710781 Report Quoted By:
>>5710768 Oh come on... Well her dying won't be the worst, but maybe we could ask Leif for her old stuff? Worth a thought
Anonymous
TreeHouses QM
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>>5710780 Peak Fire Emblem gameplay.
Anonymous
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>>5710780 Lucky in the trials, unlucky in the rolls. So it goes, sometimes you don't get the dice.
Anonymous
TreeHouses QM
>>5709919 Anemone made a good point. It was likely that Maeve possessed crucial information that could be useful in dealing with Shambhala going forward. You figure it worth a try to approach Leif and ask him if he’d hand over the disgraced oracle to you. You make your way to the Sreng stands, only to find that they’ve grown even more restless and agitated. A sea of raiders has descended upon Maeve, taking her prisoner as she futilely attempts to struggle back. You call out to Leif, hoping to grab his attention so that you can make your case. However, the prince is too engrossed in riling up the crowd to notice you. Your words fail to reach him over the chaos, and the next thing you know, Maeve is pulled to the center of the arena by a pair of large men and forced to her knees.
“Damn you to hell, Witch!” Maeve cries. Tears stream down her face like rivers. “Enjoy your victory while you can, you still can’t stop what’s coming!”
What’s coming? You’re never able to ask Maeve what she means by that, as Cormac steps into the ring. The First Blade stares down at the woman and places a single hand on his blade. In a quick flash, he draws Mercurius and decapitates Maeve, sending her head rolling across the floor. The raiders watching erupt into a loud cheer. Enemy or not, something about the scene nauseates you. If Leif was hoping to civilize these savages, he certainly still had his work cut out for him.
“So much for that…” Corrine mutters, taking a place next to you. “What do you think she meant?”
Who knows? Picking through Agarthan minds eluded you. What was important now was that Leif upheld his end of the bargain. You’d won the trials, and you were now entitled to your rewards. That included not just being left alone by the raiders, but also the supplies and bounty that he’d promised you. The prince approaches you with wide-open arms, as if the two of you were great friends that had been reunited.
“Blair!” He exclaims. “That was an excellent showing! I knew you were strong the first time I saw you, but I had no idea the men under your command were that good! Consider me impressed.” He clears his throat, and then addresses the Sreng crowd loudly in their language. He goes on for a few seconds more before they all turn their attention towards you. Unlike every other time this has happened though, they now shower you with applause.
“Prince Leif has declared you the winner of the Cúig Triail.” Ronan pipes up, having suddenly appeared next to you. “He’s saying that the people of Sreng are to treat the Blackwings with both respect and honor.”
“The boy speaks the truth.” Leif says, patting his squire on the back. “And as is customary after every Cúig Triail, we’ll be feasting tonight. With you as the guest of honor, of course. It’s the Sreng way of showing that despite the bloodshed, there are no hard feelings left between both parties. At least, I hope there aren’t?”
TreeHouses QM
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>>5710884 >“It was Maeve’s fault this all happened, I bare no ill will towards you or your people. And I believe after all we’ve been through; my men would enjoy the chance to let off some steam. Leif breathes a sigh of relief. “Perfect, then it’s settled. Have one of your officers tell Ronan in detail about the supplies that you’ll require to leave this place. We’ll have some men deliver everything to the tower, as was discussed. Tonight, we feast. And then tomorrow, we’ll be departing Faerghus and heading south.
>“Heading south? That’s right, from the impression I received yesterday, it sounded as if you were all marching off to some sort of battle.” “Aye, that’s right.” Leif claps you on the shoulder. “It’s a long story, but we’ve been roped up into joining a battle that’s supposed to take place in a week. You’re more than welcome to tag along if you’d like. I’d happily employ your services once more. After the showing your mercenaries had in the Cúig Triail, you’d certainly be an invaluable addition to our army.”
>“Just what sort of battle is this?” >“We’ll be attacking Garreg Mach.” Leif says. “We’re to link up with forces from the Orthodox Church and attack together. The leader of the Faerghus Dukedom asked for our aid and promised no shortage of reward for our success. Supposedly, we’ll be finding the monastery at an inopportune moment. It should be an easy payday for warriors of your caliber.” He offers you a sincere smile. “You’re under no obligation to accept, of course. I understand you must still be tired after that battle at Gronder. Not to mention that of course the monastery is considered a holy site for your people. Still, if the southerners we encounter there are half as tough as you, I’d certainly appreciate the help!” He laughs, perhaps even a bit nervously. Your blood runs cold. Attacking Garreg Mach?! Was that what Maeve had meant? And just what did he mean by finding the monastery at an inopportune moment? Even in victory, things still somehow managed to get worse and worse. What the hell was going on? Leif looks at you expectantly.
>A): Agree to help Leif attack Garreg Mach >B): Decline Leif’s offer >C): Tell him you must consult with your officers and get back to him later. >D): Press him for more information on his deal with the Dukedom. >E): Write-in TreeHouses QM
>>5710884 >“It was Maeve’s fault this all happened, I bare no ill will towards you or your people. And I believe after all we’ve been through; my men would enjoy the chance to let off some steam. Leif breathes a sigh of relief. “Perfect, then it’s settled. Have one of your officers tell Ronan in detail about the supplies that you’ll require to leave this place. We’ll have some men deliver everything to the tower, as was discussed. Tonight, we feast. And then tomorrow, we’ll be departing Faerghus and heading south.
>“Heading south? That’s right, from the impression I received yesterday, it sounded as if you were all marching off to some sort of battle.” “Aye, that’s right.” Leif claps you on the shoulder. “It’s a long story, but we’ve been roped up into joining a battle that’s supposed to take place in a week. You’re more than welcome to tag along if you’d like. I’d happily employ your services once more. After the showing your mercenaries had in the Cúig Triail, you’d certainly be an invaluable addition to our army.”
>“Just what sort of battle is this?” “We’ll be attacking Garreg Mach.” Leif says. “We’re to link up with forces from the Orthodox Church and attack together. The leader of the Faerghus Dukedom asked for our aid and promised no shortage of reward for our success. Supposedly, we’ll be finding the monastery at an inopportune moment. It should be an easy payday for warriors of your caliber.” He offers you a sincere smile. “You’re under no obligation to accept, of course. I understand you must still be tired after that battle at Gronder. Not to mention that of course the monastery is considered a holy site for your people. Still, if the southerners we encounter there are half as tough as you, I’d certainly appreciate the help!” He laughs, perhaps even a bit nervously.
Your blood runs cold. Attacking Garreg Mach?! Was that what Maeve had meant? And just what did he mean by finding the monastery at an inopportune moment? Even in victory, things still somehow managed to get worse and worse. What the hell was going on? Leif looks at you expectantly.
>A): Agree to help Leif attack Garreg Mach >B): Decline Leif’s offer >C): Tell him you must consult with your officers and get back to him later. >D): Press him for more information on his deal with the Dukedom. >E): Write-in Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Thu 13 Jul 2023 04:08:49 No. 5710899 Report Quoted By:
>>5710890 >>C): Tell him you must consult with your officers and get back to him later. I suggest a plan but it is a ballsy ass high risk plan but a plan nontheless, we agree to join with him but before the battle would actually begin and the Sreng would actually harm anyone we backstab them at the right time.
Thoughts? I know you all will go ''Dude that's dumb and dangerous.'' But It's what popped into my head, of course we need to discuss it with our men first.
Anonymous
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>>5710890 >D): Press him for more information on his deal with the Dukedom. We need to figure out who the hell hired them, because who "the leader of the Faerghus Dukedom" is can vary greatly depending on who you ask.
Anonymous
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>>5710890 >B): Decline Leif’s offer Anonymous
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> fighting Byleth
Anonymous
Well, shit. Now I really wish Maeve survived. It'd be easier to pry it out of her than to ask Leif for this, but we don't have much choice.
>>5710890 >D): Press him for more information on his deal with the Dukedom. While I am quite a fan of the Sreng, we certainly can't help Leif attack Garreg Mach-- to do so would be to make enemies of our last remaining allies, the Knights of Seiros, and would probably cause all of our men lose faith in us. Ashe and Sebastian certainly wouldn't support siding with the Dukedom, and even Uriel would hesitate if we asked him to tilt his lance towards the Church. Everyone else would probably think we're crazy, even *if* the Empire, the Orthodox Church, the Dukedom, and the Sreng are starting to look like much better employers. After all, we're still a traitor to the Empire, a marked woman to the Orthodox Church, and an enemy to the Dukedom.
If my hunch is right... Byleth, (most of) the Knights of Seiros, and the remaining Empire Rebels are probably moving on Enbarr at this point? Leaving only a token force at Garreg Mach. I certainly don't want to rush over to assist the Church of Seiros and put our men at danger, but I also want to at least give them a heads-up, and for that, we need more info.
>capcha >KYYABS Truly.
Anonymous
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>>5710890 >>D): Press him for more information on his deal with the Dukedom. Rest in piss slithery bitch
Anonymous
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>>5710890 Outta the fucking frying pan...
>D): Press him for more information on his deal with the Dukedom. Depending on his answer I wonder if it might be possible to convince Leif to flip sides and join up with the Knights with us instead? If I'm remembering my Sreng lore correctly their ultimate aim is to establish farther south where they'd get access to warm(er) water ports and more fertile lands, and with the Kingdom leadership essentially annihilated who's to stop the church from promising them some future land in Fodlan in exchange for helping take down the empire?
Anonymous
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>>5710890 >D): Press him for more information on his deal with the Dukedom. I have a feeling that we might be able to get him to back off if we make it seem like he's gonna be walking into a fight with/picking a fight with Byleth, especially with our strong showing in the trials (yeah Leif, we're tough, but Byleth is the ~Ashen Demon~ and we're too pleb to even get the chance join up with her band) but first we need to know exactly what the fuck their employers have told them, especially since I think
>>5710927 is bang on the money with their prediction that everyone may be marching on Enbarr.
>Flubbing dice rolls Is this the third roll in a row we're missed? Convincing Ingrid to divert, trying to cheat and now this? Bruh we gotta ask Anemone and Yara to check us for curses.
Anonymous
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>>5710890 >D): Press him for more information on his deal with the Dukedom. The Knights of Seiros are the only relevant faction in Fodlan remaining that doesn't want us dead and would be able to fight against the Agarthans. I doubt that ignoring this and hoping that things resolve themselves would turn out well.
Anonymous
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>>5710890 >D): Press him for more information on his deal with the Dukedom. It has to be a land offer
Anonymous
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>>5710884 Well fuck.
>>5710890 Well FUCK.
>C): Tell him you must consult with your officers and get back to him later But of course Leif is our enemy. Being the reformer that he is, I can't wait until we kill him and thus sending Sreng back into the teibal age.
Anonymous
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>>5710890 >D): Press him for more information on his deal with the Dukedom. Anonymous
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Tempted to redpill him on snakes and Dukedom.
Anonymous
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>>5710890 >C): Tell him you must consult with your officers and get back to him later >he wants to attack Byleth lmao, this is hilarious. Also very bad, but kind of funny.
Anonymous
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>>5710890 >C): Tell him you must consult with your officers and get back to him later. Anonymous
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>>5710890 >D): Press him for more information on his deal with the Dukedom. Anonymous
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>>5710890 >D) Press him for more information on his deal with the Dukedom. You can't hide from us, Cleobulus.
Anonymous
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>>5710890 >C): Tell him you must consult with your officers and get back to him later. Fighting Byleth is not ideal.
Anonymous
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>>5710890 >D): Press him for more information on his deal with the Dukedom. So without a fight that DEX bonus was wasted wasn't it? Unless we suddenly get jumped again.
Anonymous
So we're operating on assumption that Byleth has plot armor and is completely unbeatable?
Anonymous
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>>5710890 >D): Press him for more information on his deal with the Dukedom. >E): Redpill him on the fact that Dukedom is probably run by snakes Anonymous
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>>5711708 That and the fact we'd be potentially losing a large chunk of our mercenaries if we fight the Church. And we'd be aiding and Agarthan plot by fighting them (since it seems that's what Maeve was planning), even if indirectly.
Anonymous
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>>5711708 That and if we attack the church we will have literally alienated every faction in Fodlan that could possibly employ us. Plus I think a large number of our captains would walk - Damien, Uriel and maybe Sebastian, probably Clay too?
Honestly it looks like the Slithers plan is to use the Sreng as fodder to whittle down the church forces, then swoop in with their own forces to kill any surviving Sreng once the battle is concluded. That way they'll be getting rid of two thorns in their side (church and Sreng) and get good rep for putting those nasty invaders who dare desecrate the church to the sword. They're never gonna made good on whatever they promised Leif, maybe Blair can make him see that.
TreeHouses QM
>>5710890 What sort of deal would see Leif leading his men so far from home to assault Garreg Mach? Ordinarily, you’d have full confidence that the Knights of Seiros would be able to repel such an outrageous attack, even if the Orthodox Church were involved. But Leif’s comment about finding them at an “inopportune moment” filled you with a sense of dread. You had to get to the bottom of this, and to do that you needed more information.
>“Those ‘southerners’ as you call them are indeed a dangerous foe. I’m surprised to hear that you’d venture that far south just to pick a fight with the Knights of Seiros. What could be worth all that?” “The future.” Leif replies. “Ronan has no doubt filled you in on the current situation in Sreng. I’ve worked tirelessly over the last decade to bring our people into the modern age. To dispel as many of the tired old superstitions as I could. It’s been tough, and I’ve faced no shortage of opposition from people like Maeve who were intent to keep Sreng stuck in the past. But it’s not enough. We still lack so many basic resources that are abundant here in Fodlan. Farmable land to grow food, herbs required for medicines, ore that could help restructure our entire way of life. If I wish to pull my people out of obscurity, I will require all these things. The Dukedom’s leader, Cornelia Arnim, has promised to provide us with all this and more. And all we have to do is…well, the same thing Sreng did to receive its grim reputation amongst your kind. Raid, pillage and destroy our enemy.”
>“You made a deal with Cornelia?” Cornelia Arnim had for some time now been on the top of your list of Agarthan suspects. Her sudden rise to power and personality shift was far too familiar. It was the way that those snakes usually operated. While you had no direct proof, you’d dealt with their kind long enough to be surprised if she were truly human. “Aye.” Leif says. “About a year ago, she personally paid my father and I a visit. Perhaps the first time anyone from Faerghus had gone to Sreng on a ‘diplomatic’ mission. She wanted to set us against the Kingdom remnants, promising to grant us the territory we’d lost during our past wars with Faerghus. She…certainly makes an impression.” Leif struggles to choose his words carefully. “I hardly trusted her myself at first, but Maeve claimed to have seen it in her ‘visions’. She said that if we followed this woman, we would regain our lost land. Thanks to our beloved oracle, we had no choice but to accept her deal. A deal that saw us rampaging throughout the northern territories. We even raided the King’s ancestral castle if you can believe it. That would be where my cousin Cormac pilfered that fancy blade of his.”
>“But Maeve is dead and discredited. If you didn’t want to do this in the first place, why not just turn back now?” TreeHouses QM
>>5712184 Leif grimaces and shakes his head. “While I never believed in Maeve’s visions, I do believe we can reclaim our lost land. Besides, it’s far too late to turn back now. Not after what you told me. The Kingdom was defeated at Gronder Field? Seems to me there is no more Kingdom. All that’s left is the Dukedom and Cornelia. The wind is blowing, and it looks as though this war of yours will soon be over. The Empire, and by extension the Dukedom, will emerge victorious. If I must be dragged into this asinine conflict, better to be on the side of the victor, no? If Cornelia sees that we played a part in dismantling both the Kingdom and Garreg Mach, then that should be enough to see our former lands restored.”
>“You mentioned finding the monastery at an inopportune moment. The leader of the Knights of Seiros is a fearsome woman. She’s now known as the ‘Sword of Seiros’…but before that she had another name. ‘Ashen Demon’. Where she goes, victory has a strange habit of following. I don’t mean to overstep but…” “I’ve heard the stories, but I don’t buy them. To me, a mercenary playing at being Archbishop just shows me how dire their situation has become. Besides, she’ll be absent by the time we get there. Cornelia’s man on the inside has informed her that the Knights plan to march on the Empire, on a place known as Fort Merceus. It’s said to be an impregnable imperial citadel. She’ll be hard-pressed to capture it quickly and with few enough casualties, if at all. Only a token defense will be left behind at the monastery. Combined with the Orthodox, we’ll run them down and loot the place blind. Even if she is as good as they say, she’ll find herself between a rock and a hard place.”
The Knights of Seiros were going on the attack?! Is this why they refused to take part in Gronder Field? Had the situation progressed that much since you’d last seen them? Seteth would only approve of such a plan if he was absolutely sure there was a good chance they would emerge victorious. It was as Leif said after all, Fort Merceus was the pride of the Empire’s defense.
TreeHouses QM
>>5712185 “You look unsure.” Leif observes. By now, the Sreng raiders have begun celebrating, having seemingly already forgotten about the defeat they’d suffered. “As I said, I’m not forcing you into working with us. If anything, I’d consider this an opportunity for your company to receive more valuable loot. Another well-deserved reward for the job well done. But I understand that this could be seen as sacrilegious amongst your people. Be that as it may, I hope that we can still enjoy the festivities tonight. I owe you greatly for ridding me of that woman, after all. Now that she’s out of the way, authority rests squarely on me again. And the next Oracle that we pick will be sure to be someone less prone to going rogue. Now, enough of this talk. We have a feast to get ready for! I’ll see you tonight!” He claps you on the shoulder affectionately, and then takes his leave. Ronan stays behind to assist you with any other needs you may have.
>A): Consult with your trusted Blackwings and ponder potential next steps. >B): Speak with Ronan and gather his thoughts on the matter. Perhaps the prince’s squire might know something that can be beneficial. Anonymous
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>>5712188 >A): Consult with your trusted Blackwings and ponder potential next steps. Any big decisions should probably involve them.
Anonymous
>>5712188 >A): Consult with your trusted Blackwings and ponder potential next steps. Anonymous
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>>5712188 >A): Consult with your trusted Blackwings and ponder potential next steps. Oh, we're in it deep now. We need to put some heads together and figure out where we go from here. Notably, the Resistance Army is marching on Fort Merceus. That means we're already at Chapter 17. Edelgard has at most two months left to live (I don't remember in Chapter 19 happens in the same month as Chapter 18 or if the Siege of Enbarr takes a month) unless something we did seriously screwed up the plot. This isn't information Blair or the Blackwings would have, and it shouldn't affect our choices too much right now if at all, but it does mean that no matter what we do, we're going to have to deal with the fallout of that pretty soon. We might also have to deal with literal fallout, since Merceus is about to get nuked. This would be a really good time to still have the Alliance on our side, but we made our bed long ago.
Side note, RIP yet another one of our B-Supports.
Anonymous
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>>5712188 >>B): Speak with Ronan and gather his thoughts on the matter. Perhaps the prince’s squire might know something that can be beneficial. Anonymous
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>>5712188 >B): Speak with Ronan and gather his thoughts on the matter. Perhaps the prince’s squire might know something that can be beneficial. If we must will we'll have to send Sreng back to the stone age. No hard feelings, Leif?
Anonymous
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>>5712188 >A): Consult with your trusted Blackwings and ponder potential next steps. Anonymous
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>>5712188 >B): Speak with Ronan and gather his thoughts on the matter. Perhaps the prince’s squire might know something that can be beneficial. We should really try to convince Leif to back out of this.
Anonymous
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>>5712188 >B): Speak with Ronan and gather his thoughts on the matter. Perhaps the prince’s squire might know something that can be beneficial. I really want to set the Sreng straight, as they're probably going to get absolutely wrecked by Byleth or the Dukedom. If we can change their path, we might get a powerful new ally who doesn't work with the Agarthans.
But if we don't... we can expect them to return to their old ways after Leif's death. A damn shame, but it is what it is.
Anonymous
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>>5712188 >B): Speak with Ronan and gather his thoughts on the matter. Perhaps the prince’s squire might know something that can be beneficial. At this point it feels like we really only have two options: convince Leif to flip sides, or book it south and try to link up with the Knights, maybe even send an advanced messenger by air to try to catch them on route to Merceus and warn them. The former is preferable but if Ronan doesn't have any ideas on how to convince Leif then it's time to bounce and fast.
Definitely cannot afford to join the Sreng in their attack on the Monastery. The Knights are the one remaining power the Blackwings haven't completely alienated and as others have pointed out we'd probably lose a decent chunk of fighting strength from defectors if we tried.
Anonymous
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>>5712188 >B): Speak with Ronan and gather his thoughts on the matter. Perhaps the prince’s squire might know something that can be beneficial. Anonymous
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>>5712188 >B): Speak with Ronan and gather his thoughts on the matter. Perhaps the prince’s squire might know something that can be beneficial. This would have been much easier if Maeve was alive.
If Ronan doesn't have anything we can use to convince Leif to fight against the Dukedom, sabotaging them is probably the next best option. Siding with Sreng, who's being hired by the Dukedom which is aligned with the Empire, is going to piss off a bunch of our men. Sebastian is already pissed off at Cormac for taking Mercurius. It's going to get worse when he finds out what the Sreng raiders are here in Fodlan for.
Anonymous
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>>5712188 >A): Consult with your trusted Blackwings and ponder potential next steps. Anonymous
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>>5712188 >>A): Consult with your trusted Blackwings and ponder potential next steps. Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Sat 15 Jul 2023 14:36:51 No. 5712594 Report Quoted By:
>>5712188 >A): Consult with your trusted Blackwings and ponder potential next steps. Anonymous
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>>5712188 >B): Speak with Ronan and gather his thoughts on the matter. Perhaps the prince’s squire might know something that can be beneficial Wish we could do both
Anonymous
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>>5712188 >A): Consult with your trusted Blackwings and ponder potential next steps. Anonymous
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>>5712188 >A): Consult with your trusted Blackwings and ponder potential next steps. Anonymous
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>>5712188 >B): Speak with Ronan and gather his thoughts on the matter. Perhaps the prince’s squire might know something that can be beneficial. TreeHouses QM
Tie between A and B, next vote wins or someone can change their mind.
Anonymous
TreeHouses QM
TreeHouses QM
>>5712188 You watch Leif saunter off, a fresh new pep in his step. As far as he was concerned, things couldn’t get any better. He’d ridden himself of a rival power and was now set to lead Sreng to greatness. And all he had remaining to do was destroy the one place left in Fodlan that you could reliably turn to for sanctuary. To say that you lacked the same enthusiasm for this feast that those around you had was an understatement. Ronan, having been privy to your conversation the entire time, has remained by your side. He was quiet while the adults spoke, though now that his master has left, he chimes in and pulls you out of your thoughts.
“You did it, Blair. You won the Cúig Triail!” He frowns as he studies your face. The discomfort you currently feel is obvious to him. “But you don’t look happy. What’s the matter?”
Ronan had been an invaluable source of support. It was thanks to his aid that you were able to prepare so well for each individual fight in the trials. But that information had been fed to him by Leif. Would he still help you now that you’d done your job? There was now a possibility that you might find yourself on a path opposite that of his prince. You’d have to act cautiously around the boy if you were to get him to spill any information that might help divert the coming attack.
>“Did you know the prince planned to attack Garreg Mach?” You ask him. Ronan nods. “I did. Should I have mentioned that earlier? I didn’t think it was that important...especially with the Cúig Triail to get ready for. Why? Should I have?”
You place a hand on the boy’s back and lead him towards the Tower of Black Winds. Leif had ordered him to stay with the Blackwings and get a bearing on the supplies you’d require. No one should think it strange that you were now shepherding him back to base.
>“Have you ever heard of Garreg Mach?” You ask him. Ronan had demonstrated previously that he’d had a fascination for the culture of Fodlan. This was likely something instilled in him by Leif, who’d shared with him tales of his days serving as a hostage to Gautier. Perhaps you could use that to your advantage. “I hear it’s a really nice place. It’s the seat of power for the Church of Seiros, and one of the most historical sites in all Fodlan. I can’t wait to see it for myself!” Enthusiasm drips off every word the boy utters.”
>“I’m rather fond of it too. When I was about your age, I studied there. It’s where I learned how to fight. It’s almost like a second home for me.” “You studied at the Officer’s Academy?” Ronan exclaims, wide-eyed. “The prince once told me only the best of the best got to go there. That’s really cool, Blair!”
The two of you enter through the gates of the tower, away from the prying ears of anyone from Sreng.
TreeHouses QM
>>5713161 >“I am who I am because of that place. And a lot of my friends are still there. So, it’s hard to be excited right now. If Prince Leif attacks the monastery, it’s sure to fall. Thousands of years of Fodlan’s culture and history will be wiped out. A lot of good people will die needlessly. And knowledge that had been safeguarded for generations will be destroyed in the ensuing blaze. I fear that the destruction of the monastery will send the people of Fodlan into a dark age. One that they will never recover from.” “Oh…I see…” Ronan mutters under his breath. You continue the offensive.
>“It’s great that you’ll get to see Garreg Mach, truly. I just wish I could have shown you it in full. The buildings, the library with countless tales waiting to be unraveled, the Goddess Tower, reaching towards the sky. Even to have had a chance to sample the food served in the mess hall…you’d have loved it. But at least you’ll get to see its fall. There’s some value in being present for that, no?” Ronan remains silent as you make your way to the basement of the tower, where what little remained of the Blackwings’ supplies had been kept. Only when the two of you are alone, does he begin speaking again.
“Do you remember how I asked you to spare the lives of the Sreng fighters?” The boy says softly.
>“I do.” He hesitates before continuing. “Prince Leif values the lives of his people above all else. He wants what’s best for them and loathes the idea of sacrificing their lives needlessly. Even though he wanted you to win the Cúig Triail…I could see the torment in his face as his champions were defeated one by one.” His lips tremble slightly. He seems to be aware that what he’s doing could be tantamount to treason. You worry for a second that he might change his mind but are relieved when he continues. “Even with that woman’s promises…the prince would never attack Garreg Mach if he thought the loss of life on our side would be too great. He’s only doing it because she’s assured him that it will be an easy fight. But…if you somehow changed his mind…if you made him believe that it was a lost cause…then there’s a good chance he might just turn around and go home.”
>“How could I do that? Please, Ronan. If there’s anything at all you can share with me… the monastery is too important to lose.” “At the feast tonight…you can try to convince him with your words. You’ve seen more of the war down south than any of us have. Perhaps you can spin a tale that makes him second guess getting involved in this fight. Something from your own experiences might do it. The prince views you and your company strongly after the performance you’d pulled in the trials. It’s possible you can still convince him to back off. Otherwise…”
>“Otherwise?” TreeHouses QM
>>5713162 “Leif believes the fight will be an easy one. He has faith in his men…but more importantly he has faith in Cormac, the First Blade. If you can’t convince him with your words…then you must defeat Cormac in combat. Seeing the greatest of all his champions defeated before the battle even begins will shake him greatly.”
>“The First Blade…how strong is he exactly?” You’d traded jabs with him just yesterday when he’d almost killed Diana. You escaped unscathed, but so did he. You were positive he was holding back, as if he were seeking to gauge your strength rather than go all out. “Cormac is a descendant of Zoltan, the legendary swordsmith of Sreng. He is the wielder of Astra, a legendary technique that only the greatest of all swordmen can master. The blade that he took from Blaiddyd is said to be made of starmetal. And…most importantly, he’s never known defeat in a duel. Not once. If you have to fight him…it should be as a last resort.”
>“I’ll keep it in mind. Thank you, Ronan. I owe you a great debt. Should I manage to divert the prince’s course…I meant what I said. One day, when this war is over, I’d be happy to show you around my home.” Ronan nods. There are tears in his eyes, and you can tell he feels great guilt at what he’d just done. He turns away from you and begins to attend to the job Leif gave him, taking note of the company’s supplies.
>A): Consult with your trusted Blackwings and ponder potential alternatives. >B): Prepare for tonight’s feast, and the possibility of dueling Cormac. Anonymous
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>>5713164 >A): Consult with your trusted Blackwings and ponder potential alternatives. In whatever we do next the dice will fuck us, I can feel it.
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Sun 16 Jul 2023 00:01:33 No. 5713212 Report Quoted By:
>>5713164 I like how Blair did some mind games with the child for her own advantage.
>A): Consult with your trusted Blackwings and ponder potential alternatives. I'm gonna say we don't fight, because uh... Astra? Yeah if that triggers we're fucked, plus he's really strong plus plus he has Mercurius, it'd be a gamble lil too big for us.
Anonymous
Anonymous
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>>5713164 >A): Consult with your trusted Blackwings and ponder potential alternatives. They need to know what's going on.
Anonymous
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>>5713164 >A): Consult with your trusted Blackwings and ponder potential alternatives. Anonymous
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>>5713164 >A): Consult with your trusted Blackwings and ponder potential alternatives Anonymous
>>5713164 >A): Consult with your trusted Blackwings and ponder potential alternatives. Thanks Ronan. Sorry for manipulating you, but we need the Sreng to back off. It's for your own good.
>>5713217 Legendary sword art / 'occult skill' learnable by certain characters in the franchise. All of those characters tend happen to be powerful swordmasters. There might also be some mysticism attached to it, but...
Essentially, if it triggers, it allows the Swordmaster to attack five times consecutively. In the later games, it was nerfed so that each strike did half damage, and in 3H in particular, it was nerfed to 30% of original damage. One recurring thing about it, however, was that crits and other skill activations could trigger on each strike.
So... if he goes first (and as a Swordmaster, he probably will), he could proc Astra immediately, and trounce us pretty soundly. Of course, we've got Swordbreaker and Alert Stance+, which gives us an edge, but by how much? We might have a chance if it rolls over to our turn, though.
Anonymous
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>>5713164 >>B): Prepare for tonight’s feast, and the possibility of dueling Cormac Anonymous
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>But at least you’ll get to see its fall. There’s some value in being present for that, no? That was brutal.
>>5713164 >A): Consult with your trusted Blackwings and ponder potential alternatives. There's not much we can say to convince Leif with words. The best angle would be redpilling him on the Agarthans and convincing him that Cornelia is going to just backstab him once his use is up, but the problem is that Blair doesn't have any proof about her being one. We'd also need Maeve's corpse to easily prove that the mole people are real, and who knows what the Sreng raiders have done with it.
Anonymous
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>>5713164 >A): Consult with your trusted Blackwings and ponder potential alternatives. Anonymous
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>>5713164 >A): Consult with your trusted Blackwings and ponder potential alternatives. Anonymous
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>>5713164 >A): Consult with your trusted Blackwings and ponder potential alternatives. Anonymous
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>>5713164 >>A): Consult with your trusted Blackwings and ponder potential alternatives. Should've bought the CHA book
Anonymous
>>5713489 Damn….
That’s…. Scary,
Anonymous
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>>5713164 >A): Consult with your trusted Blackwings and ponder potential alternatives. Ah so this is where the +4 Dex for Blair comes in. That gives her roughly a 30% chance of proccing stun, right?
RIP us burning the Yara roll early. We going super shounen showdown with the sword of the morning or whoever, I can feel it in my bones.
But before that we might as well see what we can do to try to DIPLOMACY our way out of this one, though it's gonna be a big ask considering Maeve is giving us one final fuck you from the grave. Anemone, help. Clay, get your mother on conference call this is her back yard that's about to be razed here.
Anonymous
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>>5713164 >A): Consult with your trusted Blackwings and ponder potential alternatives. Oh man we are in for a tough fight either way
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Sun 16 Jul 2023 14:15:35 No. 5713886 Report >>5713489 It is a thing of beauty watching your unit trigger astra and get multiple crits and trigger other skills, just absolutely annihilate an opponent, ah Ryoma and your Raijin
Anonymous
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I hope we've got our spear ready, too. Eulalia does damn fine work, and I want to see if the spear really does end up being Gungnir.
I wonder if Cormac is recruitable if we beat him in a duel... >>5713756 It really is. If he's got Sol, he can heal a surprising amount, and if he's got Luna, then he'll cut through our defenses easy. Most interestingly, in some games, if he has a Brave Weapon, then he can strike up to ten times in a single attack, iirc (though that may only be form 776). I suppose in the end, we should just be glad he doesn't have Aether on top of that.
>>5713886 Truly. Hopefully, Cormac doesn't have too many individual skill activations (and especially not a Crest).
Anonymous
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>>5713886 Not so fun when we're on the receiving side
Anonymous
>>5713886 Oof looks like it's gg GM if we don't manage to talk Leif down. Unless anons pull a Rex vote and decide to chuck Blair in there to (maybe) die kek.
Assuming he doesn't nuke us with an astra proc first turn, think we can use Forseti to guarantee us one turn where we don't have to fear astra? Doubt we can use it to tank through an astra but hey I can dream.
Then if he out speeds us to trigger sword breaker and alert stance+ on the turns where he initiates there might be some wiggle room for Blair not to be turned into salami. But we just have to pray for a lucky stun or crit.
Speaking of crit, did Tree confirm that crit chance is only based on luck and not dex? If that's the case then we fucked up big time not grabbing the brave lance for Blair.
Anonymous
I do want to ask a question to Tree about Forseti as well. When it says "Enemy attacks will miss you for 1 turn", does that mean Blair is immune on the turn she uses Forseti, or does that mean once Blair uses Forseti, she's immune until the start of her next turn?
For example, if someone outsped Blair and initiates, and she chooses to retaliate with Forseti, does that cause the attack to miss? Or does it only cause future attacks that turn to miss?
Once the enemy phase is over, and she then attacks with say, her Killer Lance, is she then safe from retaliations that turn (on account of it being the same turn she used Forseti on)?
What if she outspeeds an enemy? She'll use it to get a couple of free hits in, presumably. But assuming the enemy survives to their turn(or if there are other enemies in the area), will she be safe during the enemy phase? Or will Forseti have worn off by then?
>>5713931 He did in fact mention that crit chance was Luck/2 while crit avoid was Luck, which means for the most part, it's actually pretty hard to land a crit unless you've got a Killer Weapon or some other crit booster.
Or unless your target has some Anemone or Manus levels of luck, of course.
Anonymous
>>5713955 Yeah, I just remember that when everyone whipped out the calculators for the killer vs brave choice we were all using Dex+luck for the crit chance calculations.
Personally if the vote was run anew then I'd chose brave over killer so Blair can quad but it's water under the bridge at this point.
Anonymous
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>>5713970 Same. It sure is nice to crit, but four attacks are pretty consistent when you're as fast as Blair. If it's any consolation though, I'm fully expecting Eulalia to be done with our personal spear sooner rather than later. iirc, she said she was almost done with it just before the Battle of Gronder Field, so I hope it's a good one.
Anonymous
>>5713955 I wonder if Leif will even care that we won if we use Forseti. It's an incredibly powerful spell and not to mention rare. By beating his most powerful warrior we seek to show him that they will suffer many casualties if they fight Garreg Mach, not that this one random Mercenary user with an overpowered spell can beat them.
Anonymous
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>>5714050 A reasonable concern, desu. I know the Almyrans certainly didn't approve of us using magic in our duel against Jaswant. Granted, it's that very use of magic that made it so that we walked away from that encounter with Beathan still alive, so that's fine.
If it does end up that we need to win without Forseti, I'd say we should only really consider fighting if it's a duel to submission, rather than to death
though that was always going to be the case anyway-- I'm sure Leif would shit himself if we killed Cormac by going all-out . If we can survive turn one, we can probably land a Stun or Crit and hopefully cinch things.
Though now I wonder if we can possibly get a Crest implanted before the duel begins. That'd certainly even the odds. Anonymous
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>>5714050 Tbh beating him with foreseti will show him that he can't expect to only go up against only traditional weapon users if he goes ahead. He's trying to sack the heartland of the nations religion, which boasts a library containing hundreds of years worth of knowledge. It's not unreasonable to expect in times of war some people would find time to dust that knowledge off and grind up on all the weirdo spells.
TreeHouses QM
>>5713955 >When it says "Enemy attacks will miss you for 1 turn", does that mean Blair is immune on the turn she uses Forseti, or does that mean once Blair uses Forseti, she's immune until the start of her next turn? She's immune on the turn she uses Forseti. She won't take any damage from an enemy's retaliation attack. That protection wears off once it's the enemy's turn.
Anonymous
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>>5713164 >A): Consult with your trusted Blackwings and ponder potential alternatives. TreeHouses QM
>>5713164 Leaving Ronan to his duties, you make your way to the top floor of the Tower of Black Winds. There, you find several of your trusted advisors waiting for you. Anemone, Ashe, Corrine and Sebastian turn to face you as you arrive. Alongside them is Ingrid, who has seemingly not budged since the last time you’d seen her. She still sits against a broken piece of debris, huddled in her fur, staring into the fire before her. You fill them in on the current situation, informing them of the impending attack on Garreg Mach, as well as the information that Ronan had shared with you.
“Unbelievable!” Corrine groans, as she buries her head in her hands. She kicks a rock next to Ingrid, who hardly so much as flinches. “Why does this keep happening to us?”
“It’s certainly less than ideal.” Anemone remarks. “While it’s good that we’re at least on decent terms with Sreng, we’ll need Garreg Mach in the long-term. I’ve never laid eyes on this ‘Cornelia Armin’ woman, but if what you say is true, it’s likely that she was the one Maeve was receiving her orders from. If she were still alive, we’d have been able to dig out plenty of information from her. Alas, these raiders have earned their reputation for a reason. They quickly changed tune and turned on her the minute it became convenient to blame her for their losses.”
>“Ronan still believes that we can divert Prince Leif’s course and get him to back off on attacking Garreg Mach. Personally, I’d at least rather not HELP them destroy the monastery.” “Never did I think I’d see the day I’d prefer to settle a dispute with words over violence, but alas, here we are.” Corrine sighs. “Ronan knows Leif better than you do, and you know the state of the war better than they. Let him know how battered and bruised the Empire was after Gronder. Spin up a tale about how the Professor is unbeatable. Hell, you’d hardly be lying. From all her recent victories, she seems to have the Goddess herself on her side. Make it convincing enough, and you may just be able to scare the bastard off for good. After all, if he thinks we’re a nasty bunch, then he would find the Professor downright terrifying.”
Uriel shakes his head. “While it would be great to avoid any further fight, I get the feeling conflict is the language these raiders speak best. Look at the so-called ‘Sreng Champions’ we fought in the arena. Most of them were beside themselves as the prospect of bleeding us dry. Though it pains me to say, the best option we have may just be to forego diplomacy altogether, and challenge this ‘First Blade of Sreng’ to a duel. He may be a strong opponent, but you are a capable champion yourself, who has faced down no shortage of powerful foes and lived to tell of it. I believe you can overcome some up jumped raider.”
TreeHouses QM
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>>5714199 “Personally, I don’t love either idea.” Ashe says. “If diplomacy goes south, we may end up making things worse for ourselves. And I don’t want to see you locked in a cage with someone who’s supposedly never lost a duel. Not for the Church of Seiros, least of all.” The words ring off Ashe’s tongue with venom. It seems he still held a deep-seated grudge against the Church. A grudge that had hardly subsided during his time working with you. “Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think we should help Leif either. Siding with the Orthodox Church and the Dukedom is a bad idea. I just think we should accept the aid from Sreng that we earned, and then get out of this place and start planning our next move against the Agarthans.”
“This ‘feast’ that we’re supposed to enjoy tonight…” Anemone begins. “How much of this bounty came from the people of Faerghus? People that Leif and his men raided and pillaged? I’m not getting sentimental here, but it’s important to remember this man’s character. They’ve spent the last year torturing the people of Faerghus, likely manipulated by one of the Seven Sages. How trustworthy would you consider him to be? If we’re to deal with them at Garreg Mach, perhaps it might be better to rid ourselves of their leader here and now.”
>“What are you suggesting?” “You’re the guest of honor are you not?” She replies. “You’ll be sitting right next to him tonight overseeing the feast. I can cook up a fatal dose of poison that will be sure to end his life. Not immediately of course, for that would be too suspicious. But he’d certainly drop dead in the next day or two. These raiders depend on him as their leader. According to Ronan, there’s never been anyone like him. His death might be just enough to stop them in their tracks. The shock of it alone would likely be enough to cause them to miss the battle completely. All I’d need you to do is get a single drop of the concoction in his drink tonight, and that would be the end of it.”
While none of your advisors could seem to agree on the best course of action, they all make compelling points. There were multiple ways you could go about dealing with this mess. Each one had its benefits, as well as potential consequences you’d have to face.
“Why even bother?” Ingrid mutters. Everyone’s attention turns towards her. “Struggling so hard, and for what? Let it go, Blair.”
>A): Stick with Ronan and Corrine’s plan. Try to dissuade Leif with your words. >B): Uriel has the right. Forego diplomacy and challenge Cormac to a duel. >C): Ashe makes a good point. This doesn’t have to be our problem. Avoid it all. >D): If you killed Leif, the Sreng army would likely collapse. Let Anemone craft poison for you. TreeHouses QM
>>5714199 “Personally, I don’t love either idea.” Ashe says. “If diplomacy goes south, we may end up making things worse for ourselves. And I don’t want to see you locked in a cage with someone who’s supposedly never lost a duel. Not for the Church of Seiros, least of all.” The words ring off Ashe’s tongue with venom. It seems he still held a deep-seated grudge against the Church. A grudge that had hardly subsided during his time working with you. “Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think we should help Leif either. Siding with the Orthodox Church and the Dukedom is a bad idea. I just think we should accept the aid from Sreng that we earned, and then get out of this place and start planning our next move against the Agarthans.”
“This ‘feast’ that we’re supposed to enjoy tonight…” Anemone begins. “How much of this bounty came from the people of Faerghus? People that Leif and his men raided and pillaged? I’m not getting sentimental here, but it’s important to remember this man’s character. They’ve spent the last year torturing the people of Faerghus, likely manipulated by one of the Seven Sages. How trustworthy would you consider him to be? If we’re to deal with them at Garreg Mach, perhaps it might be better to rid ourselves of their leader here and now.”
>“What are you suggesting?” “You’re the guest of honor are you not?” She replies. “You’ll be sitting right next to him tonight overseeing the feast. I can cook up a fatal dose of poison that will be sure to end his life. Not immediately of course, for that would be too suspicious. But he’d certainly drop dead in the next day or two. These raiders depend on him as their leader. According to Ronan, there’s never been anyone like him. His death might be just enough to stop them in their tracks. The shock of it alone would likely be enough to cause them to miss the battle completely. All I’d need you to do is get a single drop of the concoction in his drink tonight, and that would be the end of it.”
While none of your advisors could seem to agree on the best course of action, they all make compelling points. There were multiple ways you could go about dealing with this mess. Each one had its benefits, as well as potential consequences you’d have to face.
“Why even bother?” Ingrid mutters. Everyone’s attention turns towards her. “Struggling so hard, and for what? Let it go, Blair.”
>A): Stick with Ronan and Corrine’s plan. Try to dissuade Leif with your words. >B): Uriel has the right. Forego diplomacy and challenge Cormac to a duel. >C): Ashe makes a good point. This doesn’t have to be our problem. Avoid it all. >D): If you killed Leif, the Sreng army would likely collapse. Let Anemone craft poison for you. >E): Write-in TreeHouses QM
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>>5714199 >There, you find several of your trusted advisors waiting for you. Anemone, Ashe, Corrine and Sebastian Sebastian should be Uriel, sorry!
Anonymous
>>5714202 >B): Uriel has the right. Forego diplomacy and challenge Cormac to a duel. Honestly I think Ashe and Anemone's options are an automatic no go. Ashe because we are going to get skinned alive if Byleth of the new world order figures out with left the church out to dry, and Anemone because it feels really OOC for Blair?
Also feel like the talk no jutsu route is going to be a hell of a lot harder considering we don't have Maeve. Plus we don't have Yara to bolster our roll (everyone say thank you Clay).
I also feel that, even if we dissuaded Leif with our words, him backing off that way would cause him to lose a hell of a lot of standing with Sreng (and maybe his throne all together), which would be a shame since it sounds like he's a step in the right direction for them long term. If we beat this champion in a duel then at least we're giving him a graceful out, letting him use us as a scapegoat instead of making it look like he's lost his nerve.
I just really want out shounen duel with everything on the line okay. Give me hype or give Blair death Anonymous
>>5714202 >B): Uriel has the right. Forego diplomacy and challenge Cormac to a duel. Ingrid. Please.
Anonymous
>>5714202 I'm torn between B (for reasons stated by
>>5714211 ) and a write-in of "convince Ingrid to challenge Cormac to a duel." Ingrid, after all, is one of the last living nobles of Faerghus proper (RIP Sylvain, not sure when we learned for sure that he bit it but he's crossed out on the sheet). It might make more sense for her to duel him as a representative of the Kingdom - and all that's left of it?
Of course, that might not make any sense at all, but still. Also, it does run the risk of losing Ingrid, and if she dies, we can't get her to be our wing-sister later. Even so, it MIGHT be worth the risk?
Anonymous
>>5714202 >D): If you killed Leif, the Sreng army would likely collapse. Let Anemone craft poison for you. In the end, the Sreng are still an invading force that is raiding people that are already ravaged by war, and going by everything said so far, they are very much into the whole rape and pillage thing. Fuck em.
Anonymous
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>>5714202 >A): Stick with Ronan and Corrine’s plan. Try to dissuade Leif with your words. Main reason I'm not going with D is because if the (arguably more reasonable) leader of the raiders dies, the raiders will just go back to raiding and pillaging.
Hell, they might even
eventually get stronger if they don't go down to Garreg Mach.
Anonymous
>>5714202 I would say
>A): Stick with Ronan and Corrine’s plan. Try to dissuade Leif with your words. Followed by
>B): Uriel has the right. Forego diplomacy and challenge Cormac to a duel. We must not only convince Leif, but his entire army not attack GM. While Leif can be seated by reason, his men are bloodthirsty and barbarous. Fear wing dissuade them. Instead, we must provide them a new target to attack. Perhaps we can try the Agarthan-pill. Regardless, the dice are not with us on charisma checks so I'm not expecting diplomacy to work. In that case, we must be ready for Astra boy. C) is a terrible choice and D) is incredibly risky if we get caught. Plus Leif has been a bro to us even if it is self-serving. If we can steer Sreng away from GM, Leif may end up a close ally in the future.
Anonymous
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>>5714202 >B): Uriel has the right. Forego diplomacy and challenge Cormac to a duel. High risk, but high reward. Blair does have a swordbreaker advantage over Cormac. And I do agree that it's definitely looking like Leif isn't going to be convinced unless he gets a practical demonstration of what he's walking into.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5714244 If we poison Leif, they'll never STOP being that invading force. It might be a thousand years before they get another reformer with his kind of clout and drive.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5714202 >>5714279 Supporting
At the very least, we still would need to talk to Leif first and give our reasons for the duel. We can't just randomly challenge Cormac to a duel, beat him up, and then leave with no explanation. Trying to frame it as us doubting that they could win and then challenging Cormac to one sounds like the best way to do it. Telling them the truth that we could never join them in the attack on the monastary because we're enemies to their employer is a bad idea.
Poisoning Leif and then leaving the Orthodox Church to deal with the out of control raiders a couple days later is appealing, but we're absolutely dead if we're caught trying to poison him.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
I think the fighters in the trial all got a level up. Hurrah!
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5714202 >A): Stick with Ronan and Corrine’s plan. Try to dissuade Leif with your words. Ashe, why you no brain.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5714151 Noted, thanks. Forseti is still really strong, but it's certainly not the "fly into an enemy formation to dodge tank everything" skill then, heh.
>>5714202 >B): Uriel has the right. Forego diplomacy and challenge Cormac to a duel. I do still want to at least try and talk them down, but knowing that Maeve isn't around any more, it's looking like diplomacy is going to be a lot harder. Plus, as anons have pointed out, winning the duel gives Leif an out, rather than making him look like a coward. Imagine heading south to war, only to have all your champions be soundly trounced by the first mercenary company you come across-- that ought to make the Sreng think twice about attacking the south.
Ignoring the threat altogether greatly weakens the Church, especially if we let the Sreng run rampant in the south, so that's right out. And poisoning Leif solves the problem, sure, but I 100% know that the Sreng will be gunning for our heads afterward, even if their army collapses. Cormac or even Ronan might leave on a revenge quest, and we all know how those turn out.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
I wish there was a way to hire them to maraud through the Dukedoms instead… specifically, to try and take out Cornelia.
Anonymous
If we lose the duel are we going to have to follow them?
Anonymous
>>5714222 >>5714224 Nah in the state she's in I can easily see Ingrid pulling a suicide by Sreng if we send her out there. Maybe if we'd managed to snap her out of her funk we might have had a chance.
Now I'm going to pour one out over Sylvain - I find it darkly ironic that Blair went in trying desperately to save some of her dear school friends but only ended the one she was least close to. Life's funny like that.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5714490 You do have a point. I guess I'll +1
>>5714279 Anonymous
>>5714467 Probably not. We'd likely have to leave in disgrace, but you can't force warriors of our caliber to fight for a cause they don't want to, such that it is. If they tried, we'd just leave them when the battle begins, so them folding us into their army is a bad idea.
It is possible that Leif or Cormac may demand something else on a win, though I can't really say for certain as to what that might be.
inb4 marriage request Anonymous
>>5714202 >D): If you killed Leif, the Sreng army would likely collapse. Let Anemone craft poison for you. 100% success chance. Only downside is that the Sreng would remain savage. But that's not our problem.
Anonymous
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>>5714518 That is our problem if they decide to stick with Leif's original plan. Just because their leader died that doesn't mean they won't respect his parting wish.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5714202 >>A): Stick with Ronan and Corrine’s plan. Try to dissuade Leif with your words. Anonymous
Anonymous
>>5714493 >inb4 marriage request The harem princess route. Goddess help us.
Anonymous
>>5714202 >A): Stick with Ronan and Corrine’s plan. Try to dissuade Leif with your words. Things we can mention about Byleth to dissuade him from attacking Garreg Mach:
- She wields the Sword of the Creator, which is to Hero's Relics what Mercurius is to normal weapons.
- She fought and defeated a Demonic Beast here in Conand Tower
- She fought past the Honor Guard of the Western Church Patriarch Santiago while outnumbered and ended the Western Church Schism
- More dead Demonic Beasts at her hand in the Sealed Forest
- Once again leading a vastly outnumbered force of Knights to victory against the Dukedom in the Valley of Torment (< This is important. Leif believes the war to be almost over with the Dukedom on the winning side, so informing him of the defeat at Aillell could shake his belief in their strength. Doubly so since one of the only notable warriors attached to the Dukedom, Gwendal, died there.)
Things we can mention about Maeve and her benefactors that could help dissuade him:
- Tell him about the Agarthans and how they manipulate and use Humans as pawns, mention their ability to shapeshift to aid in infiltration and manipulation (Kronya > Monica, Solon > Tomas)
- Tell him we suspect Maeve was one of them (and by extension Cornelia too since Maeve urged them to march south after she came to visit), which would explain her interest in the Tome of Diogenes
- Tell him how Kronya killed and experimented on Xavier and Martha at Garreg Mach
- Tell him about Echeverria transforming enslaved humans into Demonic Beasts
- Tell him about what Diogenes were doing in Ordelia, his corpse warriors and mass inducing insanity in the population
- Tell him we believe his people aren't being lead to the future, but will be sacrificed at the walls of Garreg Mach to ensure the Agarthans get what they want, by simply dying as cannon fodder, being used as sacrifices to create demonic beasts or frenzied to the point where they tear each other apart after the battle is finished
Most of this is anecdotal, but I'm hoping that us not killing any of his warriors combined with his previous suspicion of Maeve and Cornelia will at least have him consider turning around after hearing us out, especially if he begins to think his people are just being sent to their deaths.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5714591 Truly. Of course, it is contingent on Leif acquiescing on Cormac's original request during our first engagement, but since that'll only be a possibility if we lose, I don't think we have anything to worry about.
>>5714619 Good accounts, anon. Personally, I think the diplomatic route is worth trying-- I'm just a little worried that Maeve dying will mean we can't redpill Leif as much as we'd like. If we can diplomance and fall back on dueling as a last resort though, I'd be happy to support.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5714619 Supporting. Changing my vote to:
>A): Stick with Ronan and Corrine’s plan. Try to dissuade Leif with your words. Maybe we could find evidence, claws or markings of Miklan in the halls of Conand tower?
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5714202 >>A): Stick with Ronan and Corrine’s plan. Try to dissuade Leif with your words. Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Mon 17 Jul 2023 14:28:43 No. 5714661 Report Quoted By:
>>5714202 Okay, I like Corrine's idea, if we could somehow convince these people that attacking the Empire instead would bring more glory and get them on our side that could really help up in the coming battles, against both the empire and the argathans, but I doubt just our words will suffice so we may need to fight this Astra guy.
>B): Uriel has the right. Forego diplomacy and challenge Cormac to a duel. Also, the poison is a good last resort I will say, tricky and assholish but if no other option works we do what we gotta do.
Anonymous
>>5714202 >E): Agree with Ingrid Anonymous
Anonymous
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5714202 >A): Stick with Ronan and Corrine’s plan. Try to dissuade Leif with your words. Challenging him to a duel can be used as a last resort.
TreeHouses QM
>>5714202 Corrine had the right of it. If there were even a slight possibility that you could end this without resorting to further violence, then you saw no reason not to try. Ignoring Ingrid, you thank your advisors for their time and head off to prepare for tonight’s festivities. After several hours, you exit the tower and are greeted by a mouthwatering banquet, seemingly appearing from nowhere. You certainly had to give it to Leif’s men. While they may have been bloodthirsty raiders, they’d proven that they could work fast when needed. In just a few short hours, they’d managed to set out several tables all around the Tower of Black Winds. Several large braziers and torches had been lit, helping to ease the cold night. The smell of freshly roasted meats wafted through your nostrils. It was an odor you hadn’t smelled in weeks. While the cooking itself looked nothing special, it was a fresh and welcome change of pace to the food the Blackwings were stuck with while on the run from Gronder. Stomach rumbling, you are led to a large bench that lies in the middle of the Sreng camp. Two lavish seats are centered by the middle of the table, reserved for Leif and you, his guest of honor.
The prince, having already taken his place, stands to greet you warmly. At his side is Cormac, who merely nods in your direction politely.
“There she is!” Leif calls out warmly, an ornate cup sloshing in his hand. “I hope you’re hungry. I must admit that, win or lose, we’d planned on having a feast tonight anyway. But I find that food tastes far better when shared with new friends.”
You take the hand the prince offers you, politely taking a seat next to him. A lifetime ago, when you were just a little girl in Rusalka, you’d attended no shortage of feasts alongside Rex and the Count. While this was certainly a much different and rowdier affair, the rules certainly couldn’t be that different. You daintily sip at the glass before you, careful not to indulge too much, lest you forget the important work you came here to do. The wine that pours down your throat is one you’re familiar with. It’s a taste the people in the southern regions of Faerghus seem to enjoy. The bottle was likely stolen.
>“Thank you for your hospitality, Prince Leif. The last few weeks have been challenging for our company. A reprieve such as this is exactly what the men needed.” From what you could see, the Blackwings did seem to be enjoying themselves. Though most of the Sreng did not speak their language, it seemed that it wasn’t prohibiting them from mingling. In fact, many of the raiders seemed to be fawning over your men, particularly those that fought in the trials earlier today. The alcohol was certainly not hurting things. TreeHouses QM
>>5715145 “Nonsense, I’m the one that is in your debt. To think I’d find someone out in these remote woods who could rid me of that witch once and for all. And that she would be a friend of Sylvain’s no less!” The prince’s smile falters ever so slightly. He tilts his cup over, allowing some of the drink to fall to the ground, soaking in the snow. “Would that he were here to enjoy the night with us.”
>“Were you and Sylvain close?” You ask, emulating the same gesture as the prince. In the chaos of everything, you’d hardly had the chance to mourn. “Hardly.” Leif scoffs. “We’d butt heads from time to time, but it was nothing more than childish rivalry. The Gautier family treated me well. Far better than a hostage could expect to be treated. The Margrave demanded discipline, but it was thanks to his stern hand that I was able to learn as much as I did. Children in Sreng, even those of noble blood, are hardly afforded such a quality education. I always thought it odd that the Margrave would go to such lengths for the son of his sworn enemy. Though I suppose in hindsight he’d had few options. Sylvain was always a lazy slacker. And as for his older brother, Miklan, he was a troublemaker the Margrave wanted nothing to do with. I’d heard he died in some fight a few years back. It’s a shame. He wasn’t all that bad, once you got to know him.”
>“I remember Miklan well. I was there the day he died.” “What?” Leif asks, puzzled. He stares at you with disbelief. “How do you mean?”
>“Miklan rebelled against his family. He stole the Lance of Ruin and became a bandit. He’d made his last stand right here, at the Tower of Black Winds. He even almost killed me if you can believe it. Stabbed me right through the chest. I thought I could take him on, but he proved much stronger than I. It was the first time I’d ever come close to dying, and I still have the scars to prove it.” TreeHouses QM
>>5715147 Leif remains silent, taking in the gravity of what you just said. It appears he’s beginning to see you in a different light than before. “That does sound like him. He was always obsessed with that rotten weapon. He blamed it for most of his problems. Said if he’d had a Crest, things would be different. I believe that’s why he and I got along so well. I obviously have no Crest of my own, so he felt more comfortable around I than his brother or the Margrave and didn’t subject me to the same tortures. And while he could be a difficult man, it’s undeniable that he was still a talented warrior despite his lack of Crest. It’s a shame how much importance you southerners place on those things. A talented man like him was cast to the side, and for what? House Gautier will soon become a distant memory. They may have been the enemy of Sreng, but it is a fate I take no pleasure in.” He pours more of his drink to the ground, as if doing it this time for Miklan, before sipping once more. “So, how did his life end? You said that he’d defeated you. So, who killed him? Was it his brother?”
>You shake your head. “No. It was Byleth Eisner. The Sword of Seiros. Though at that time, she was the Ashen Demon, as well as our Professor.” Another pause. Hearing the name of a potential future foe, as well as more information about your past, has caused some unease to shadow Leif’s face. “This woman that everyone is so afraid of…she was your professor?”
>“She was. Taught me everything I know.” “Is that so? Well then, I ask you to tell me truthfully. Is she someone I should be afraid of?”
The conversation had shifted in a way that was beneficial to your plan. Now was your chance to scare Leif off. The question was how to do so.
>A): You should be terrified. There’s something unnatural about her. >B): You should be afraid. Her track record of victory speaks for itself. >C): Only if you were to make an enemy of her. If you were her ally though, you may find it beneficial. >D): Write-in Anonymous
>>5715148 >>C): Only if you were to make an enemy of her. If you were her ally though, you may find it beneficial. Anonymous
>>5715148 >>5715148 >“You mentioned finding the monastery at an inopportune moment. The leader of the Knights of Seiros is a fearsome woman. She’s now known as the ‘Sword of Seiros’…but before that she had another name. ‘Ashen Demon’. Where she goes, victory has a strange habit of following. I don’t mean to overstep but…” >"I’ve heard the stories, but I don’t buy them. To me, a mercenary playing at being Archbishop just shows me how dire their situation has become. So we know from this earlier convo that victories alone won't budge him. And he's more rational than superstitious (what with his reaction to Maeve and his general disregard for Crests) so I don't think emphasising how unatural Byleth is the way to go.
And we know that Leif is going on this whole crusader mainly to try to get his people a better lot in life, so going to go with.
>C): Only if you were to make an enemy of her. If you were her ally though, you may find it beneficial. Byleth brings infinite boons to those she considers her allies.
Here we can put that the empire was primed to give a death blow to the church before she stepped in with a only a handful of her students and turned their tides around entirely. Her expertise is what helped Blair and Corrine form the Blackwings in the first place, otherwise they would have probably died to the demonic beast when fleeing GM if they were just normal NPCs
Plus, if Byleth is successful in her campaign and the empire does fall, then the church will be the major superpower of Foldan.
The Kingdom has been crushed at Gronder and so has the anti-imperial part of the Alliance, and Claude has probably fucked off back to Almyra. Knowing that, does Leif really want to risk pissing off someone that could potentially be a figurehead of the new world order depending on how the cards fall? Someone who was willing and able to go against the empire at the height of their strength in order to protect her beloved church? If he truely wants a foothold in Fodlan then it would be more beneficial for him to curry her favor in the hopes she'll champion for him later, especially since the empire is certainly not going to hear out filthy savages. (Because Cornelia is just using them as meat shields - why would she come to them now when the war is winding down, rather than when the empire is at full strength and joining hand with Sreng will allow them to steamroll?)
Anonymous
>>5715148 >C): Only if you were to make an enemy of her. If you were her ally though, you may find it beneficial. Anonymous
>>5715148 I second this
>>5715168 >C): Only if you were to make an enemy of her. If you were her ally though, you may find it beneficial. Anonymous
Glad to see Blair and Leif celebrating in Sylvain's memory-- I doubt anyone else is still alive to do so in his stead.
Here's hoping that because his body was never found, he's still out there, like Claude or Dedue. >>5715148 >C): Only if you were to make an enemy of her. If you were her ally though, you may find it beneficial. Fighting her is bad, getting on her good side is good. Who knows, maybe the new archbishop will award the Sreng with land when the war's over. Certainly better than Cornelia.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5715148 >A): You should be terrified. There’s something unnatural about her. Anonymous
>>5715148 >C): Only if you were to make an enemy of her. If you were her ally though, you may find it beneficial. Sounds like a plan.
Anonymous
>>5715148 >C): Only if you were to make an enemy of her. If you were her ally though, you may find it beneficial. We somehow need to trust in a woman he has never seen in his life. Keep in mind that the dukedom and the empire are still on the verge of victory here.
Anonymous
>>5715148 >C): Only if you were to make an enemy of her. If you were her ally though, you may find it beneficial. Anonymous
>>5715148 >C): Only if you were to make an enemy of her. If you were her ally though, you may find it beneficial. Anonymous
>>5715148 >B): You should be afraid. Her track record of victory speaks for itself. Option C is too on the nose. Leif doesn't think the Empire or the Dukedom weak, he believes they'll come out on top in the end. That is why he's reluctantly marched south and C is us going "you should totally join Byleth instead of the Dukedom wink wink nudge nudge", but she hold little territory, commands a smaller force than the Empire and the Dukedom and can't promise Leif anything the Dukedom can't.
It is as Leif said, she's a sellsword acting as Archbishop. She can offer Leif the World for him to swap side, but to Leif there is no guarantee that a small band of Knights could fullfill that promise. The only horse for him to back is the Dukedom, because they are the most likely that can uphold their bargain with him - to give his people land and opportunity. He's already made that stance clear multiple times, we're unlikely to sway him by waving a carrot in front of his face. The only way we can make him change his mind is to make it clear that his people would suffer more fighting against Byleth as opposed to doing literally anything else.
>>5715167 >>5715168 >>5715194 >>5715225 >>5715229 >>5715284 >>5715303 >>5715325 >>5715346 Please consider changing your votes so we don't immediately tank this negotiation. Opening with C is going to have to conversation shut down immediately as Leif will take anything we say after this as an attempt to get him to swap sides and disregard it all.
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Tue 18 Jul 2023 15:15:56 No. 5715382 Report >>5715377 I mean, saying she's scary and should be avoided is also just us attempting to get him to not attack, I think we should go with C because that is what we want and it's better to be blunt with him about these things
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5715377 Fair enough. You've convinced me.
>>5715229 >>5715168 Swapping my vote to...
>B): You should be afraid. Her track record of victory speaks for itself. If he comes to the conclusion that it's better to avoid or support her on his own, then all the better.
Anonymous
>>5715382 >saying she's scary and should be avoided is also just us attempting to get him to not attack There is a difference between trying to dissaude him and actively trying to recruit him. He has already made it clear at least twice - Me and my men will fight for the Dukedom because they are the most likely that can make good on their deal.
>I think we should go with C because that is what we want and it's better to be blunt with him about these things Which will turn this conversation away from Byleth and her accomplishments, which could make Leif doubt his chances in this war, to us trying to recruit him which he will most likely stonewall because we have nothing, I repeat, nothing that could sway his stance. We have no grand armies to show we can match the Dukedom/Empire, we hold no land we could trade to him for allegiance, hell we don't even know anything at all about the actual state of the Knights of Seiros after the battle of Myrddin Bridge. Leif could be right, Byleth could be leading a suicide attack that on Fort Merceus that rivals Dimitri's at Gronder right now and we wouldn't know it. How do you expect us to be able to sway Leif when, once again, we have fucking nothing?
For fucks sake, we spoke to Ronan before the feast and he said one thing that was CRYSTAL CLEAR: LEIF CARES CHIEFLY ABOUT HIS PEOPLE'S WELLBEING. That is how we get to Leif, by making it seem like a death sentence to attack the Knights of Seiros. Because, once again, we have NOTHING, no bargaining chip we could play that is better than what the Dukedom has. Which means the only way we get him to not attack Garreg Mach is if he begins to doubt the strength of the Dukedom, and begins overestimating the strength of Byleth and the Knights of Seiros.
This conversation has to be about Byleth. About her strength as a warrior, her capability as a leader and the power of the Knights she leads into battle. Not about how he should swap sides because it would be totally awesome if he did.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5715394 your concerns are correct, but it's too late into the vote
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5715148 >>5715325 Changing my vote to:
>B): You should be afraid. Her track record of victory speaks for itself. >>5715377 Yeah, that's fair.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5715167 Fine, changing to
>A): You should be terrified. There’s something unnatural about her. Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5715168 >>5715148 Changing to
>>B): You should be afraid. Her track record of victory speaks for itself. >>5715394 Sure fine.
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Tue 18 Jul 2023 16:08:17 No. 5715407 Report >>5715394 Yeah but the C option is us trying to make him go to Byleths side, not just join our gang so it's not really diverging the conversation away from her, and yeah i know we don't have pretty much anything to convince him with and he cares about his people's well being, but his options are to either attack the monastery and suffer Byleths wrath and lose a bunch of men and die, join byleth and lose a bunch of men in the coming battle but come out victorious in the end and gain some land out of it
retreat back to home and be safe but gain nothing or the fourth option to attack the monastery, not get counterattacked by Byleth and then get backstabbed by the Dukedom when they have no more need for them.
The best options are to either retreat or join Byleth, now retreating sounds the best it has no risk but these people are barbarians and raiders, they'll think their king is a pussy if one little warning causes them to run away from potential spoils of war and battles, so the best choice is to give them even grander battles on the side of the best chance against the true enemy without getting backstabbed in the progress, and before you say we don't have much to show for it we can just walk to the monastery, talk with Byleth once she returns and she herself can show them her worth, also they can just fuck off back to home anytime they want abandoning us when things start looking bad.
plus this guy showed us we do have a bunch of stuff to talk about how good Byleth is
>>5714619 also chill
Anonymous
>>5715407 >they'll think their king is a pussy if one little warning causes them to run away from potential spoils of war and battles They marched south primarily because Maeve's vision of retaking their land from Faerghus. Maeve is now dead, after she had another vision of Total Sreng Victory in the trials which turned out to be wrong. If a false Oracle leading his people south to their deaths isn't an excellent way for Leif to spin this to his superstitious warriors as the reason for the retreat, nothing is.
>linking me to my own post about flaunting Byleth's might to make Leif doubt his alliance with the Dukedome and instead go home to save his people lmao
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5715377 You're right, partially. Leif could see through our ploy since we were Byleth's student, obviously being biased towards her. While that is definitively true he is the one with power here, his hundreds of soldiers could slaughter us at any moment if we showed insubordination to him. If he saw through us, he wouldn't let us go, as we would simply join Garreg's forces which would lead to the death of many of his men.
Why would we risk the lives of all of the Blackwings if we weren't definitively sure of Byleth's accomplishments? That they would benefit much more from joining her forces?
Leif doesn't see us as the kind of idiot to get all the Blackwings executed during this feast because we lean towards Byleth's side.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5715412 Forgot to say that leif also said:
>“I hardly trusted her (Cornelia) myself at first, but Maeve claimed to have seen it in her ‘visions’. She said that if we followed this woman, we would regain our lost land. All the more reason for Leif not to trust Cornelia. While he is not supersticious, he surely saw how ardently Maeve was vouching for her, similarly to how she acted around us.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5715148 >>B): You should be afraid. Her track record of victory speaks for itself >>5715377 Alright
>>5715284 Swapping vote.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5715148 >>B): You should be afraid. Her track record of victory speaks for itself. Anonymous
>>5715148 >B): You should be afraid. Her track record of victory speaks for itself. If this doesn't work I'm gonna blame you anon
Anonymous
>>5715489 I will commit seppuku and not vote for the rest of the thread and the next one if this is the wrong choice.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5715501 >lose duel >become wife >gets ass kicked by Byleth >???? >reunite with claude Anonymous
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5715148 People who are a lot better at this than I am have already made the argument, so I'm voting:
>B): You should be afraid. Her track record of victory speaks for itself. Anonymous
Looks like B wins. Next update will be tomorrow night.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5716028 Take your time, Tree! Though it seems you've dropped your trip.
TreeHouses QM
>>5715148 This was the opportunity you’d been waiting for. A chance to divert Leif from attacking Garreg Mach was in front of you. From what you knew about him; both from your own experience, as well as what Ronan had told you, Leif did not believe in superstitions. As such, you did not think it would be prudent to speak about the potential supernatural elements surrounding the Professor. Likewise, you thought it too early to delve into the potential benefits Leif could enjoy were he to choose to ally with her. Instead, you choose to stick to the facts as you know them. How the Professor had single-handedly revitalized the Knights of Seiros and become the biggest thorn in the Empire’s side.
>“You should be afraid. Her track record of victory speaks for itself.” “Oh?” Leif exclaims, eyebrows raised. “Do tell.”
“The Knights of Seiros were on the verge of collapse up until she’d reappeared on the scene. She recaptured Garreg Mach, having repelled the Empire’s attempt to overrun the monastery. Shortly thereafter, she defeated the Faerghus Dukedom at Ailiel, the Valley of Torment. It was a battle I was present for. She felled Gwendal, the Gray Lion, with great ease.”
“The Gray Lion.” Leif remarks. “I’ve heard the name. He was a champion of the old Kingdom. You’re saying he fell in battle against the Ashen Demon?”
>You nod. “He did. The Dukedom suffered heavy losses in that battle. After which, she successfully led the Knights of Seiros in capturing the Great Bridge of Myrddin. A victory which allowed the Leicester Alliance to disavow any potential partnership with the Empire. Make no mistake, I don’t tell you this as one of the Professor’s students. I tell you this as a friend. Her record is plain to see. Wherever she goes, victory seems to follow. And with each victory, more soldiers flock to the banner of the Church of Seiros. Already, her army has been bolstered by the addition of Imperial remnants, dissatisfied with the way the current Empress is running things.” Leif looks down into his drink, lost in thought. He remains silent for some time, before speaking once more. “Be that as it may…she would still need to capture Fort Merceus. That fort is to the Empire what Arianhrod is to Faerghus. It’s nigh impenetrable.”
TreeHouses QM
>>5716807 You nod. “I’m aware. I was born in the Empire. And you’re right, Fort Merceus is difficult to conquer. But were it to fall…then the Knights of Seiros would have a clear marching route to Enbarr, the Imperial capital. If Fort Merceus falls…then the war is as good as over. Enbarr will be the final chess piece waiting to fall before the Empire totally collapses. I was there at Gronder Field. The Knights of Seiros did not partake in that battle, likely to retain their strength. Meanwhile, the Empire was bloody and battered, and barely lucky to come out with a victory. I promise you; they are not in as good a position as you might have been led to believe.”
Leif groans heavily. “What choice do I have, Blair? The people of Fodlan distrust Sreng, and for good reason. I can’t take back all the damage my kinsmen have caused this land throughout the years. We’ve earned our reputation, and for good reason. Cornelia was the only person to reach out and offer us a deal. A possibility for us to gain something outside of trivial loot from raiding your lands. Trade, wealth, food…these all things that my people require to delve into the future. If I can provide these things by partnering myself with that witch, then what choice do I have?”
>A): Byleth can promise you all that and more >B): Cornelia is not someone to be trusted. >C): Cornelia, as well as Maeve, are likely not even human. >D): Write-in Anonymous
Quoted By:
Looks like anon made the right call. If Maeve was still around, we could've used the info we gained from interrogating her to leverage that against Leif's natural distrust of the supernatural... but since she's dead, we'll just have to play on the fact that he doesn't seem to trust Cornelia either.
>>5716808 >B): Cornelia is not someone to be trusted. I'm tempted to go with A, but I'm also worried that it's too early to push for a Sreng-Church alliance. On the other hand, he *did* ask for other, alternative choices, which might make it feasible.
With all that said, I think B might be the best option here? Granted, we don't have much info on Cornelia other than the fact that her rise to power was abrupt and sudden, and caused a massive upheaval in the Faerghus Kingdom, fracturing it into two factions? If she's capable of that, she wouldn't hesitate to throw the Sreng to the wolves if it benefited her... which might be a compelling argument all on its own.
Anonymous
>>5716808 >D): Cornelia recognizes all of that, which is why she's using it to make your people her disposable pawns. Don't let her. Maybe a bit too close to what Blair would say in option B, but I think this is the angle she needs to emphasize with Leif. He's right: Sreng has no friends in Fodland and a desperate need for southern resources. Their political realities aren't exactly a secret, and Cornelia would be aware of everything Leif's just laid out. All the major factions in Fodlan are currently reeling besides the knights, and the slithers/empire need fresh bodies to throw into the grinder. So she turns to the Sreng, who the nearly annihilated Kingdom can no longer hope to repel and who could be easily baited with promises of southern land. If the Sreng lose, which I'm sure Cornelia expects, then it at least bloodies the knights a bit without her having to get her hands dirty. And if by some miracle they pull off a victory, she could easily reneg on the deal and swoop in to kill/enslave what remains of the bloodied Sreng host. Either way, all Leif would accomplish is spending his own people's blood for the sole benefit of the Dukedom.
C would be fun to try but I doubt Blair would be able to slitherpill Leif without hard proof.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5716808 >B): Cornelia is not someone to be trusted. Yeah we can't back A up with anything. And we don't have any concrete evidence in the Slithers for C to be viable.
The only option we have is to discredit Cordelia. The timing of this alliance is suspicious, considering the Empire is on its last legs. And like hell the empire has enough strength to take on the heavily fortified GM on their own.
I still think that Cordelia would be sitting very pretty indeed if she sat back and let Sreng to do all the heavy lifting and then, say, swooped in with her forces to kill the filthy raiders who dared strike at the heart of the nations religion? The Sreng forces are powerful in their own right, they could do some seriously damage if they tried to launch an attack after the Empire has played their entire hand against the church. If this is her play not only does she remove two thorns in her side, but also gets a huge reputation boost among the citizenry. She might even sway some OG church of serios supports to her side, considering that she can easily claim that Byleth left GM high and dry during its hour of need. Doubt Leif knows much about exactly how much the church is split.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5716808 >>C): Cornelia, as well as Maeve, are likely not even human Anonymous
>>5716808 >B): Cornelia is not someone to be trusted. We just don't have any evidence to back up A or C. Leif is a savvy political mind, so we must convince him with political logic. As others have written, Cornelia is nakedly using Sreng as cannon-fodder. Perhaps Leif is too desperate to see or accept that. We must take care in how we lay this out.
My only reservation with option B is Leif's next move. He still needs a target for his restless mercs. Do we sic him on the Dukedom? Win him over to our cause? The first option makes him look indecisive and imprudent while the other paints him as a malleable pushover. Saving face for Leif is critical to both his and the Blackwings survival. It seems fairly certain he trusts us. His men are the real issue. They seem impressed with our strength, but I don't know of that's enough to convince them of the GM folly. I'm afraid we might need to duel Cormac for the army to give up.
We could also ask what they did with Maeve's body to see if we can scrape together since kind of evidence for the Slither-pill, but that might be too far-fetched. Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5716877 We may be able to swing it as 'help us repel Cordelia's forces from GM'. He says himself that the people distrust the Sreng so we could say think of it as a show of goodwill, the first step in a new direction. Plus it will score it major brownie points with Byleth+the church in any future negotiations.
Anonymous
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>>5716808 >B): Cornelia is not someone to be trusted. Good work to the anon who got it right
Anonymous
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>>5716808 Leif is a realist who only cares about the good of his people. Asking him to blindly beleive in Byleth is somehting he can't simply accept and swallowing the Agarthanpill won't be an easy task. If he even trusts us enough to swallow it, he might think that aiding them would be long-term beneficial to his people.
Supporting
>>5716823 Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5716808 >>5716823 +1
We know and have heard enough about "Cornelia" that we could easily argue with this.
Anonymous
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>>5716808 >>5716823 Supporting. We must exploit Leif's caution for the survival of his people.
Anonymous
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>>5716808 >D): Cornelia recognizes all of that, which is why she's using it to make your people her disposable pawns. Don't let her. Anonymous
Anonymous
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>>5716808 >>5716823 Supporting
It's still too early to tell him to join Byleth since he's not going to have any reason to trust that she'd be willing to work with him and unless Maeve's corpse is available, he's not going to believe that the mole people are real.
Anonymous
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>>5716808 >>5716823 My brain is fried but your argument sounds kinda good, so I'm +1-ing you. Hopefully we don't regret this.
TreeHouses QM
Quoted By:
D wins, writing.
TreeHouses QM
>>5716808 You’d gotten Leif to begin doubting himself. As far as you could tell, you were on the right path. Rather than oversharing about the Agarthans or making any promises that you might not be able to keep, you decide that the best course of action is to attack Cornelia’s dubious character.
>“Cornelia recognizes all of that, which is why she's using it to make your people her disposable pawns. Don't let her.” “You believe that she would go back on her word?” Leif asks. By now, the feast has livened up considerably. Out of the corner of your eye you see Theo locked in an arm-wrestling contest with Manus, while the others surround them and cheer. “The idea that we’re nothing more than a convenient ally for her has not been lost on me. But so what? Alliances between nations have been built for far worse reasons. And so long as we deliver her victory, what purpose does she have in denying us our reward and making another enemy for herself?”
>“Unless she doesn’t really believe you can win.” “What?” Leif growls. The sudden rise in tension alerts Cormac, who up to this point had been sitting there bored, unable to understand the conversation.
>“Think about it. Were this war as close to being as ‘decided’ as Cornelia has led you to believe, why would she employ your assistance? Does she really wish to mend the relationship between your people, or are her and the Empire simply in need of additional foot soldiers?” You shake your head. “You’re right in that I’ve never met her for myself. But there are few south of your lands that don’t know her character. She usurped power from her rightful king, stripping him of his lands and title. She’s already shown once that she has no problems exercising duplicitous behavior. Furthermore, with Dimitri dead, there is no one left in Faerghus to oppose her. This will soon be all HER land. Do you truly expect her to share even a fraction of it with you?” “Are you really going to sit there and tell me you wouldn’t do the same in my place?” Leif balks. “You’re good, don’t get me wrong, and I respect your ability. But you sellswords are all the same. You’d take the easy way out as well if it meant significant riches and glory for yourselves. Were I to listen to your counsel, where would that leave me? You’d have me dwell on the negatives, fixated entirely on a potential defeat that may very well never even manifest. All while an answer to all my problems stares me directly in the face!”
TreeHouses QM
>>5717251 >You shake your head. “If I took the ‘easy’ way out, I wouldn’t be here right now. I’d be down south still, fighting for the Adrestian Empire, my homeland. You’re right in that I lead only a simple mercenary company, whereas you lead a nation. I can’t tell you how to the best way to provide for your people. Nor do I have the authority to grant you any wide-spanning promises. But what I do know is the battlefield. My time at the academy, as well as these last five years, have sharpened my sense for it. And I’ve learned that in this war, if something seems too good to be true, it usually is.” The two of you sit there in silence for a few moments, before Leif poses a question to you. “You’ve still not answered my question. What would you have me do instead? After having brought all these warriors down south…you’d have me simply march them back north?” He laughs bitterly. “What answer is there?”
By now, Leif was beginning to look seriously unsure. Your line of prodding has worked at wearing down his resolve. But he wanted an answer to his question, and there was no way he’d accept another diversion.
>A): What’s stopping you from claiming the land you were promised right now? The Kingdom is gone, the Dukedom is in no position to stop you, and the Empire has no chance of marching this far north. >B): Your people respect you, and more importantly, you have the perfect scapegoat. Blame this debacle on Maeve while the iron is hot and return home. >C): The alternative is to march south and join the true winning side. The Knights of Seiros would gladly accept you, and you’d be on the way to mending Sreng’s reputation. (LCK+CHARM Roll: 54% success chance) >D): Write-in Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5717252 >>A): What’s stopping you from claiming the land you were promised right now? The Kingdom is gone, the Dukedom is in no position to stop you, and the Empire has no chance of marching this far north. I want them to join us but I'm not testing our luck
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Fri 21 Jul 2023 03:18:28 No. 5717324 Report Quoted By:
>>5717252 >A): What’s stopping you from claiming the land you were promised right now? The Kingdom is gone, the Dukedom is in no position to stop you, and the Empire has no chance of marching this far north. Hm, this option seems good, just harass and harm the Empire's allies instead of directly attacking the empire itself, helps us as well while not dooming the Sreng.
Anonymous
>>5717252 Tenatively voting for:
>A): What's stopping you from claiming the land you were promised right now? The Kingdom is gone, the Dukedom is in no position to stop you, and the Empire has no chance of marching this far north. Even if our snakey friends decide to drop a Javelin on Leif in response, they've wasted an entire nuke.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5717252 >A): What’s stopping you from claiming the land you were promised right now? The Kingdom is gone, the Dukedom is in no position to stop you, and the Empire has no chance of marching this far north. C is tempting, but I don't trust our rolls.
Anonymous
>>5717252 >C): The alternative is to march south and join the true winning side. The Knights of Seiros would gladly accept you, and you’d be on the way to mending Sreng’s reputation. (LCK+CHARM Roll: 54% success chance) You know what, I like to live dangerously?
Anonymous
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5717252 >C): The alternative is to march south and join the true winning side. The Knights of Seiros would gladly accept you, and you’d be on the way to mending Sreng’s reputation. (LCK+CHARM Roll: 54% success chance) Live and die by the dice
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5717252 >C): The alternative is to march south and join the true winning side. The Knights of Seiros would gladly accept you, and you’d be on the way to mending Sreng’s reputation. (LCK+CHARM Roll: 54% success chance) Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5717252 >A): What’s stopping you from claiming the land you were promised right now? The Kingdom is gone, the Dukedom is in no position to stop you, and the Empire has no chance of marching this far north. It's either this or try our luck with the roll since Leif clearly isn't going to be happy about the idea of leaving empty handed.
Anonymous
Good write-in, anon. Glad it worked out, especially after our streak of bad ones (even if this one is pretty similar to one of the options presented).
I'm tempted to go with A, since that's the safest option, but... it doesn't fix the Sreng's reputation. More importantly though, I don't know if Ashe, Sebastian, or Ingrid would approve of us advising Leif to just sic the Sreng on their homeland, even if there's basically nothing of it left.
So instead, I'm down to gamble a bit.
We've still got the duel in our back pocket anyway. >>5717252 >C): The alternative is to march south and join the true winning side. The Knights of Seiros would gladly accept you, and you’d be on the way to mending Sreng’s reputation. (LCK+CHARM Roll: 54% success chance) It is risky, I will admit, and I can honestly be persuaded to back other options instead, but... Having an army at our backs when we attack Shambhala and Rusalka would certainly be nice. Would certainly recuperate our losses.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5717252 >C): The alternative is to march south and join the true winning side. The Knights of Seiros would gladly accept you, and you’d be on the way to mending Sreng’s reputation. (LCK+CHARM Roll: 54% success chance) You know…..
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5717252 >C): The alternative is to march south and join the true winning side. The Knights of Seiros would gladly accept you, and you’d be on the way to mending Sreng’s reputation. (LCK+CHARM Roll: 54% success chance) pls pls have mercy on us, dice
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5717252 >A): What’s stopping you from claiming the land you were promised right now? Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5717252 >54% chance FUCK.
Well the dice have been awful to us for quite a while now so... it has to turn eventually right? A feels like a trap, we don't just need the Sreng to not attack the Monastery, we need them on our side. So fuck it, yolo:
>C): The alternative is to march south and join the true winning side. The Knights of Seiros would gladly accept you, and you’d be on the way to mending Sreng’s reputation. (LCK+CHARM Roll: 54% success chance) Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5717252 The moment of truth. The question before us is this: Deepen ties with Sreng or throw them away? A) can give us a nice wrench to throw in the Dukedom's engine while ensuring Sreng remains isolated and barbarous whereas C) could either give us a tremendously powerful new ally or a potentially fatal duel and reinforcements for our foes. I'm honestly torn. Ruthless or honorable. Honor has kept us alive throughout our time with Leif.
>C): The alternative is to march south and join the true winning side. The Knights of Seiros would gladly accept you, and you’d be on the way to mending Sreng’s reputation. (LCK+CHARM Roll: 54% success chance) Risk be damned.
Anonymous
>>5717330 Changing my vote to:
>C): The alternative is to march south and join the true winning side. The Knights of Seiros would gladly accept you, and you’d be on the way to mending Sreng’s reputation. (LCK+CHARM Roll: 54% success chance) Because
>>5717425 convinced me with the thing about Ashe, Sebastian, and Ingrid.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5717252 >A): What’s stopping you from claiming the land you were promised right now? The Kingdom is gone, the Dukedom is in no position to stop you, and the Empire has no chance of marching this far north. Anonymous
>>5717252 >>C): The alternative is to march south and join the true winning side. The Knights of Seiros would gladly accept you, and you’d be on the way to mending Sreng’s reputation. (LCK+CHARM Roll: 54% success chance) Anonymous
>>5717252 >B): Your people respect you, and more importantly, you have the perfect scapegoat. Blame this debacle on Maeve while the iron is hot and return home. It's funny how Blair spun Cornelia's recruitment of the Sreng as a one-sided deal that would lead to their deaths, and now afterwards Anon's immediately votes for the 50/50 where if we fail Leif will be outraged that we suggest trading one one-sided deal for another.
A is the wrong choice as people pointed out that directing the Sreng to pillage the lands where a good chunk of our company comes from is not the brightest idea. C is also the wrong choice because we're about to gamble the success away. Getting Leif to turn around is all we have to do, and then maybe when this whole ordeal is over whoever is left can work something out with him and his people.
Anonymous
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>>5717506 Just evoke the spirit of another mercenary and clutch the coin toss.
Or commit suicide on loss. Such is life
Anonymous
>>5717507 I'm tempted to change my vote again by your point, but nobody wants either Blair or Leif to walk away from this empty-handed. Not to mention that the postwar Church might not be as agreeable to his requests as we are unless he's got some goodwill with them.
Anonymous
>>5717513 Our only objective is to get the Sreng to not attack Garreg Mach, which happens if we convince him to turn around to save his people from dying in Cornelia's service. This is the cleanest path: Leif goes home, Garreg Mach remains unraided and we don't have to explain to Byleth why a bunch of barbarians are expecting her to grant them land in exchange for services she did not ask or demand of them.
But people are for some reason deadset on recruiting Leif. It's like they think we're playing as Byleth, making promises on behalf of Byleth that we hope she'll honor even though we're basically forcing a contract with the Sreng on the Knights (that they most likely do not want).
I don't recall a single ending in Three Houses where the people of Fodlan change their attitude towards Sreng, but this is a quest so who knows what might happen. Change your vote or not, it really doesn't matter at this stage. People want to flip the coin, even though you never flip a coin in XCOM or Fire Emblem without ensuring it's properly weighted to your side. 54% is not that. And even if we do win the coin toss, it will come back to haunt us when we meet with Byleth again.
Anonymous
Anons....... Can we not put our life, the fate of our company and our future on a coin toss roll?
Anonymous
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>>5717541 While the dopamine addiction is understandable I can hardly believe it too.
>>5717524 has the gist of it I feel.
Even if we win the coin toss, we lose.
Anonymous
>>5717524 well, If C doesn't win then A will. and A is dogshit
Anonymous
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>>5717524 We lost a 95 and an 80 DC, I'm honestly just putting all our future rolls in sothis' hands now.
Anonymous
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>>5717558 Please anon.......
Anonymous
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>>5717252 >>B): Your people respect you, and more importantly, you have the perfect scapegoat. Blame this debacle on Maeve while the iron is hot and return home. I can't take another roll
Anonymous
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>>5717524 You know what, screw it. You're right. It might not matter, but we can try.
>>5717513 >>5717475 >>5717252 Swapping to B thanks to good arguments. May the Goddess have mercy on me for my chronic treachery.
Anonymous
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>>5717252 >B): Your people respect you, and more importantly, you have the perfect scapegoat. Blame this debacle on Maeve while the iron is hot and return home. Anonymous
The main problem I have with B is that there's still the issue of what exactly Leif can do once he packs up and leaves. We've shaken his faith in Cornelia, but I'm not convinced that we've completely crushed it enough that he'd be willing to wallow in the barren wastelands of Sreng.
Anonymous
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>>5717692 Yeah, it's mostly why I'm not jumping at supporting B (though I admit I'll switch to C if there's a tie, despite me not really liking the roll and the fact we'll have to deal with the consequences in the future).
Anonymous
>>5717524 what are the consequences of giving byleth a fresh fighting force
Anonymous
>>5717733 What are the consequences for failing the 54% roll to convince Leif to not pillage Garreg Mach? I'd rather he just leave than take the coin flip. It's that simple. A and B are more likely to achieve this than the (almost) 50/50.
TreeHouses QM
Rolled 12 (1d100) >>5717743 >C): The alternative is to march south and join the true winning side. The Knights of Seiros would gladly accept you, and you’d be on the way to mending Sreng’s reputation. (LCK+CHARM Roll: 54% success chance) Needs to be between 1-54 to succeed.
Anonymous
Anonymous
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>>5718056 Oh, NOW gambling works out.
Anonymous
Anonymous
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>>5718056 The RNG gods have spoken. Our streak of bad luck is over.
Anonymous
Anonymous
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>>5718056 Great. Let's have a duel for fun now.
Anonymous
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>>5718056 PRAISE SOTHIS
PRAISE SOTHIS
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Sat 22 Jul 2023 07:55:11 No. 5718095 Report Quoted By:
>>5718056 I was a fool for not believeing in the gamble, I shall only vote gambles from here on out
Anonymous
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>>5718056 Ah so all the other bungled rolls were merely a test of our faith.
Anonymous
Anonymous
I wonder what kind of troops the Sreng can field
Anonymous
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>>5718056 I SHOULD HAVE NEVER LOST MY FAITH
Anonymous
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>>5718181 Yeah I'd imagine 0 mounted or aerial units, maybe a couple more dark magic users other than Maeve (since all other magic is tied to book learning which they don't have access to) and 99% infantry. It will be interesting to see what kind of healer's they're boasting.
Cornelia was probably hoping that throwing enough bodies at GM will weaken both sides enough that her troops could swoop in for an easy clean up.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5718056 Hah. Missing a 93%, and an 81% (1.33% chance), but then passing a 54% chance. That's 0.7182% (less than 1%!) odds, by my calculations. That truly is XCOM, baby.
Not that it matters much anyway. The dice can be as fickle as they like to make our lives harder, but it seems they caved in at the end.
Glad we get to see more Sreng in the game, though. AFAIK, they don't show up in Three Houses except for a few mentions, but do in Three Hopes, so this is one of the big deviations of this quest from game canon, and I'm excited to see how they will affect the greater plot. >>5718181 I imagine light and medium infantry with a few specialist mages, with a focus on ambushes? While not exactly what we need to win the war, a whole army of fresh troops appearing out of nowhere to support a side during a long and arduous war can really turn the tide.
Anonymous
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Still kind of sad we didn't go full mercenary and went to assault the garreg mach. Imagine giving that knight who trained Blair the Mercenary Stare™.
Yeah, we'd lost a couple people over it(Uriel and Sebastian) but I think we'd get new recruits from shreng anyway.
>>5718056 Actually, Three, speaking of new recruits. Can't we fish for people in Leif's army? Glory, gold and a good fight, what more those barbarians can ever yearn for?
We lost plenty of people as of late, gotta do some replenishing.
TreeHouses QM
>>5717252 >“I never said anything about going home.” You take a gulp of your wine, emptying the glass. You’d done a good job of getting Leif to doubt both Cornelia’s intentions, as well as her strength. Now came the tricky part. If you failed here, then any hope of ending things via negotiation would cease. “You brought these men all the way down here for a fight, so give it to them. Continue marching down south, towards Garreg Mach. And when you get there, you can overrun the forces of the Orthodox Church and the Dukedom. They’d never see it coming. Pincered between the monastery and a horde of Sreng raiders at their back, they wouldn’t stand a chance. It’d be a grand victory, no?” “You’d have me trade the uncertainty of working for Cornelia for the uncertainty of working for your mercenary Archbishop?” Leif remarks, stunned.
>“We’ve already established Cornelia is unlikely to share her spoils of war with you. After five years of vying to gain control of the Kingdom, she’s unlikely to give any of it away now. Faerghus just concluded a civil war, and its armies are depleted. Resources are scarce, and the nation itself is still heavily fragmented. Cornelia’s grip on power would be tenuous at best. Meanwhile, the Sreng forces are still relatively fresh. To give you land on top of that…” You shake your head. “In Faerghus’ current state, it would make little sense for her to empower a foreign neighboring nation. Particularly when that nation has a history of being historically hostile.” “Go on.” Leif grits his teeth.
>“Should you assist the Knights of Seiros though…well for starters, that hostile reputation you’ve garnered for yourself would disappear overnight. Garreg Mach is the holiest seat in all Fodlan. Despite Edelgard and the Patriarch’s attempts to rid themselves of the traditional Church of Seiros, many of the common people still turn towards the monastery as the center of their religion. That you would travel so far to defend it from annihilation would speak greatly to your character. And while I can’t promise you that Byleth Eisner would reward you with land for your contributions, the relationship between Sreng and Fodlan would be greatly mended. Sreng would no longer need to be a nation in isolation. Furthermore, you’d be dealing with a woman who has no experience, and thus no prejudices against the Sreng. Could you say the same for Cornelia?” “This all vies on the Knights of Seiros capturing Fort Merceus.” Leif says. “Should they lose, then what?”
>“Then you return to doing what your people have historically always done.” You shrug. “Take what you wish from the Dukedom by force. You’d be better off resorting back to your time-tested tactics rather than hoping for Cornelia to give you something she can’t afford to part with. Besides…the Knights won’t lose. You can count on that.” TreeHouses QM
>>5718298 Leif groans, sliding back into his chair and covering his weary face. “I see the appeal of having an ‘Oracle’. Someone that can tell you exactly what will happen…the correct course to take…and someone to blame when it all goes wrong. Would that I could only believe in such drivel.”
>“Perhaps when this Oracle tells you to do something, you should in fact do the opposite?” “Perhaps…” He stands up from the table, stretching his tired limbs. Though the feast has wound down considerably, there are still those amongst both sides who are drinking the night away. “You’ve given me a lot to think about. You know, Cormac here still thinks you’re marriage material. I must say I don’t hate the idea. With the two of you by my side, I’d have nothing to fear. What do you say? Should we arrange for the ceremony tomorrow?”
Face turning red, you rack your brain trying to come up with a polite way to decline the invitation but fail to come up with the proper words in time. Leif, meanwhile, suddenly breaks out laughing.
“I’m just joking. It was simply my turn to fluster you. I imagine you’d grow bored with him rather quickly. After all, he doesn’t speak a word of your language.” He ponders for a moment. “Or maybe that’s the secret to a happy marriage? Who knows?” He turns to leave.
>“What are you going to do?” You call after him. “Don’t know. Gonna sleep on it.” He offers you a parting wave, and then exits.
You’re left alone at the table with Cormac. By now, the swordmaster has grown so bored, he’s begun playing an odd knife game with his fingers. He deftly jabs the blade into the space between each digit with such speed that you can hardly follow along. Upon noticing you staring at him, he stops and offers a polite smile. Perhaps it was a good thing you didn’t duel this man. While you don’t know who would have won, you did know that you were not Rex d’Rusalka. Your brother would have loved nothing more than an opportunity to pit himself against the mightiest warrior of Sreng, but you did not share the feeling. This was a rare instance in your life where you were able to solve a problem without jamming your spear into it, and the thought left you feeling pleased with yourself. Bowing your head towards Cormac, you leave the table to return to the Blackwings.
>A): Join in on the dwindling festivities. >B): Seek out Diana. You had a conversation that required finishing. Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5718299 >>B): Seek out Diana. You had a conversation that required finishing. Can't leave our girl hanging.
Also it's gonna be Cormac vs Ashe for Blair's hand at some point down the line at this rate.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
All's well that ends well. Glad that Blair articulated the pros and cons of helping out Byleth better than us, heh.
And now, the true test.
>>5718299 >B): Seek out Diana. You had a conversation that required finishing. Anonymous
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>>5718299 >A): Join in on the dwindling festivities. Duel! Duel! Duel!
Anonymous
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>>5718299 God damn it, have to miss out on a party
>>B): Seek out Diana. You had a conversation that required finishing. "Yeah ok, getting Ingrid out was a mistake, let's just sell her to sreng"
Anonymous
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>>5718299 >B): Seek out Diana. You had a conversation that required finishing. Time for feels.
Anonymous
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>>5718299 >B): Seek out Diana. You had a conversation that required finishing. Anonymous
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Actually, wouldn't joining a party be an opportunity to recruit some shreng dudes into blackwings? They are impressed with us after all
Anonymous
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>>5718299 >A): Join in on the dwindling festivities. Another marriage offer? My oh my
Anonymous
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>>5718299 >B): Seek out Diana. You had a conversation that required finishing. Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5718299 >B): Seek out Diana. You had a conversation that required finishing. Anonymous
>>5718299 >B): Seek out Diana. You had a conversation that required finishing. Oh good, I was worried we weren't going to pick this thread back up after being so rudely interrupted.
Leif is having a hell of a day, huh? From his perspective these randos just bodied four of his best fighters, let him end his oracle problem in one fell swoop, and then sat down next to him and dismantled his entire grand plan with facts and logic.
Anonymous
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>>5718299 >B): Seek out Diana. You had a conversation that required finishing. Anonymous
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>>5718299 >B): Seek out Diana. You had a conversation that required finishing. Anonymous
>>5718459 Just another day of NPCs being bodied by the Main Character Aura (TM)
Blair out there being the very epitome of *blocks your path*
Anonymous
>>5718537 All this, and Blair's not even the main character of this world. That cryptid is off besieging Fort Merceus right now.
Leif can't catch a break, huh?
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Sun 23 Jul 2023 00:19:33 No. 5718625 Report Quoted By:
>>5718565 If Blair can doubt him this much, imagine how much meeting Byleth would.
Anonymous
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>>5718299 >A): Join in on the dwindling festivities. Anonymous
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>>5718299 >B): Seek out Diana. You had a conversation that required finishing. Anonymous
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>>5718299 >B): Seek out Diana. You had a conversation that required finishing. TreeHouses QM
>>5718299 While it was tempting to sit back and take a load off for once, you still had one thing left you needed to do. Though it felt like an eternity ago, it was only yesterday that you were having an intimate conversation with your last remaining wing-sister. A conversation that you thought was important to conclude. You find Diana sitting off by herself at the edge of a table. Some Sreng warriors have taken to trying to woo her, though the combination of the language barrier and her disinterest make the task impossible for them. The raiders clear out as they notice your approach, recognizing you as the Blackwing leader.
>“Can we talk for a minute?” You ask Diana. Failing to meet your eyes, she nods, and the two of you quietly make your way towards a quiet spot underneath the Tower of Black Winds. “You don’t have to do this.” She finally says after you’ve found your secluded place.
>“Do what?” “The question I asked you yesterday. You don’t need to answer it. It was wrong of me to bring it up. You’re the boss. You have a lot of…important decisions to make. You can’t think about everyone’s feelings all the time when you’ve got so much that you need to do.” She seems to be struggling to choose her words here, and they come out slower than you’re used to hearing from the energetic pegasus knight.
>“You had asked me why I chose Ingrid over coming to help you and Shelley.” “Stop.” Diana pleads. “I said you don’t have to answer that. I know that…if you could have somehow done both you would have. I know that woman is important. She’s a noble with a Crest and a fancy spear and everything. You had to make the choice that you made. But you still saved me yesterday when that man was about to cut me down. So…thank you. And I’m sorry for making a scene yesterday.” She bows her head. “I promise that I’ll keep fighting hard. Hard enough to do Shelley’s part as well.”
While you’d been dealing with no shortage of issues ever since Gronder, there was at least one benefit to all the recent madness. It kept your mind occupied enough to not have to think about the horrors that took place that day. Because you had to keep constantly moving forward and thinking several steps ahead, you had no time to second-guess the decisions you made, nor the revelations that Rex had shared with you about himself and the Count. In truth, you had no idea why you did what you did. You simply just acted in the time that was afforded to you and hoped for things to work out. Diana had a brave face, but it was clear to see she was hurting still.
>A): Reassure Diana, and do not answer her question. >B): Answer Diana’s question (Write-in) Anonymous
A full write-in prompt, huh? Won't put in my vote just yet, as we'll have to discuss on the best approach here, but here's what I'm thinking...
Anonymous
>>5719631 >A): Reassure Diana, and do not answer her question. I voted to save the Blackwings over Ingrid in the first place as I rather we prioritized our own men, and with how Ingrid is acting, she probably isn't going to get better anytime soon. But we can't admit that or show any weaknesses to Diana. Admittedly, she hasn't been doing us any favors to justify us continuing to defend her, so maybe we could admit that it was a mistake if we're willing to face the consequences with doing that. I'll still choose A for now and simply hope for the best with Diana unless someone can provide a better answer in the write-in.
Regardless of the reason, we did choose to save Ingrid over our own men. I don't think that there would be a way to sugarcoat it to make Diana happy.
Anonymous
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>>5719706 this anon has a point about not showing weakness to subordinates.
If not for that I'd answer "It was a mistake, I went to gronder to save my school friends (who also happen to be important nobles), but fucked it up royally, and now EVERYONE is dead"
Anonymous
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>>5719706 Diana is our wing-sister. If there's ANYONE we can be vulnerable with, it's her.
Anonymous
>>5719631 >>B): Answer Diana’s question (Write-in) >"Ingrid and I agreed to back each other in fighting Rex." And add more of what
>>5719656 said. Sure maybe it doesn't fully justify the decision, but it at least lets Diana understand why Blair did what she did.
And something else, would it of even been possible to defeat Rex without making the choices we did?
Anonymous
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>>5719788 >would it of even been possible to defeat Rex without making the choices we did I think three said "no" to that in his post gronder Q&A
Anonymous
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>>5719631 It seemed right thing to do at that time. Defeating Rex and ending the battle right there. Almost like destiny.
Anonymous
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>>5719706 Diana knows us very, very well. Training together as wing-sisters, and learning to perform the Triangle Attack together means you get to understand each other pretty deeply. And I know one thing's for sure: if we don't try and resolve this now, Diana will never bring it up ever again, and that would be a terrible thing to carry forever.
Regardless of our choice, it won't bring Shelley back. And anything we say certainly won't make Diana happy-- we both just lost a wing-sister, after all. That's like losing a sister and your left wing (in more ways than one) all at once. But to just sweep this under the rug now would reflect on us poorly, not just as a commander, but as a friend.
So we'll take the L here. It's only fair.
>>5719788 Tree didn't explicitly state it, I don't think, but it's easy enough to follow along. If we had fought for the Alliance, we wouldn't have had support from the Faerghus Pegasus Knights-- we would've likely had to fight Ingrid during the big clash in the center, too. And of course, it goes without saying that without her, we would've been killed on the first turn.
Anonymous
>>5719656 >>5719631 Right, gave it some more thought. While I can't 100% guarantee that this is something Blair would do, in my headcanon, this would make sense.
Apologies in advance for the wall of text, Tree. Feel free to take whatever's relevant and dump the rest. I certainly don't speak for Blair, even if I want to. Anons are, likewise, free to take bits and sections of these to make more concise statements.
>>5719631 >B): Answer Diana’s question (Write-in) >"I'll tell you the truth, Shelley. I made a promise to fight alongside her, and to ensure that we all made it out of Gronder Field together, but I don't think that explains the 'why' of it. I think... I was desperately clinging to one of the last memories I had of that old life I used to have, back when things were simpler-- back when all I had to worry about was training to become stronger, winning the battles I had for my House and Professor, and inviting the cute boy I knew to the ball..." >"But that life's gone now, and I understand that. I didn't back then; I figured I could be the force that brings the Kingdom and the Alliance together in victory against the Empire, and when that failed, I thought I could at least save some of my old friends. I suppose in trying to save everyone, I ended up losing many of the people I held closest to me." >"I won't make excuses. I let my emotions and naivete get the better of me, and made decisions that got our people killed... People who put their faith in me, looked up to my command, and entrusted me with victory... and now we're all paying the price for it. >"Now I won't ask for forgiveness. The blood on my hands doesn't just belong to my enemies, and I'll have a lot to answer for when the Goddess takes me. But don't hate Ingrid for this-- she sums it up better than I can: she thinks she should have died on that battlefield, and that I should have never have saved her. And maybe she was right. If I could turn back time, I'd have never led our company to that blasted hell. But what's done is done, and I can't turn back time, even if I wanted to. >"If you want to hate someone, hate me. I won't hold it against you if you choose to do so. But you know I don't make promises I know I can't keep. So I'll make a promise to you, too: I'll promise I'll keep fighting, for everyone's sake. In the name of all the friends we've lost, and for all the people that we still need to protect. For Shelley, Boleslav, Roxanne, and Nero... They'll live on in me, in us. It might not bring them back, but... it won't be for nothing." Anonymous
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>>5719815 I like this, I think I'll +1 it.
Anonymous
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>>5719631 B): Answer Diana’s question (Write-in)
>>5719815 +1
Anonymous
Anonymous
>>5719631 Too long, but better than anything I can come up with so supporting
>>5719815 Anonymous
>>5719815 good effort, but too long and too anime for my taste
>>5719631 >>B): Answer Diana’s question (Write-in) >"It seemed right thing to do at that time. Defeating Rex and ending the battle right there. Almost like destiny. That's probably my ego talking. I'm used to ending battles by myself at this point, but Gronder was just way bigger than me. Way bigger than blackwings too." >"I went to gronder in attempt to save at least some of my old friends. And then it all went to hell and pretty much all of them died. Ingrid wasn't even that close to me back in the academy, but she at that point she was the last one, and I clutched onto her." TLDR: Admit our judgement was compromised by the fact that Rex is our rival and Ingrid was our last surviving Blue Lion support. Then probably drink ourselves to sleep.
Anonymous
>>5720202 >>5720222 It's certainly longer than I would've hoped, and perhaps even a little heavy-handed in hindsight. I just wanted to make sure the sentiments of the thing get through, and I certainly don't want Tree to take my write-in word-for-word, especially considering it sounds more like a monologue than anything else.
Again, I won't hold it against QM if he'd prefer to disregard it entirely on favor of something that fits better-- I just wanted to get my thoughts in early, since I know how slow 'write-in only' questions can get sometimes.
Anonymous
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>>5719631 >A): Reassure Diana, and do not answer her question. Anonymous
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>>5719631 >B): Okay, but I at least need you to believe one thing: I didn't do what I did because I valued Ingrid's life more than yours, or Shelley's, or any of the other Blackwings. Nobility, crests, relic weapons be damned. I did what I did because I felt it was my responsibility to defeat Rex. That's all. Probably too late, but here's mine. Short, to the point, and hopefully somewhat reassuring of Diana that what happened wasn't because Blair weighs her life as less important than Ingrid's because of her status and gifts.
TreeHouses QM
>>5719815 >>5720386 Nice write-in, thanks anon. I normally wouldn't do a 'write-in only' option but I found myself taken away by life these last few days and figured I'd try outsourcing the choice just this once lol.
Next update momentarily.
TreeHouses QM
>>5719631 Despite her protests, you want to try and ease Diana’s mind. Throughout the years, she has been one of your closest and most loyal friends. It’s your responsibility to be honest to her, even if it means dwelling on those painful memories you’ve been burying away.
>"I'll tell you the truth. I made a promise to fight alongside Ingrid, and to ensure that we all made it out of Gronder Field together. I think... I was desperately clinging to one of the last memories I had of that old life I used to have, back when things were simpler-- back when all I had to worry about was training to become stronger, winning the battles I had for my House and Professor, and inviting the cute boy I knew to the ball..." Even in the dark, you can see the trace of a slight smile from Diana as she looks down towards her feet.
>"But that life's gone now, and I understand that. I didn't back then; I figured I could be the force that brought the Kingdom and the Alliance together in victory against the Empire, and when that failed, I thought I could at least save some of my old friends. I suppose that in trying to save everyone, I ended up losing many of the people I held closest to me. I let my emotions and naivete get the better of me and made decisions that got people killed... people who put their faith in me.” “Stop.” Diana whispers, tearfully. “It isn’t your fault, it’s that knight’s! I should have never snapped at you the way I did yesterday, Blair. I know that I let my emotions get away from me. It’s just that I miss her so much. We were sisters...and I know that’s no excuse for how I acted, but…I don’t want to lose anyone else. I don’t want us to have to keep on fighting anymore. I just want it all to be over.”
>“I miss her too, Diana. Not just Shelley, but all of them. Boleslav, Roxanne, Nero...everyone we’ve lost since the beginning. If you no longer wish to fight, I won’t hold it against you. I promise that I’ll fight enough for you, and for all of them. But don’t force yourself to keep going. Whatever you decide to do, you’ll always be my sister.” Diana wraps her arms around you, sobbing uncontrollably into your chest. The two of you remain that way for some time, with you comforting her as best as you can. When she finishes, she finally faces you. Her eyes are red and puffy, but she looks determined. As if she’d finally gotten what was bothering her out of her system.
“Thank you, Blair. I…want to keep on fighting too. For you and for everyone else. I won’t abandon you, not after we’ve come this far. And when it’s all done…maybe we can finally live a normal life?”
>“I’d like that.” You tussle her hair, keeping her close. “Just do me one favor. Don’t hate or blame Ingrid for any of this. She’s feeling just as bad as you are. In the blink of an eye, she’s lost everything she held dear. Please, be easy on her.” TreeHouses QM
>>5720827 Though Diana looks a bit embarrassed, she agrees with your sentiment. “I’m sorry. I…wasn’t myself. And it wasn’t her fault, either. I’ll help her out however I can, I promise.”
Taking Diana by the arm, the two of you retire into the Tower. You can faintly hear the sounds of the feast dying behind you. You think to yourself that perhaps there was a chance, small as it was, that things might just begin looking up.
The next morning finds you back on the top floor of the tower. You inform your advisors all about the conversation you had with Leif last night.
“Seems like it went well enough, no?” Corrine remarks. “He said he’d think about it, and you weren’t forced to have to duel that madman. That’s…certainly better progress than I expected.”
“It was for the best you did not advise he forfeit his march on Garreg Mach in favor of further raiding.” Uriel remarks. “The people of this land have suffered enough as is and would be helpless against Sreng. While I cannot speak to how the Seneschal and Byleth will react to a horde of raiders sitting at their doorstep, I know that they would loathe to return to a burned-out monastery even more. If Leif and his men can help avert such a possibility, then I believe there is a good chance they may be met warmly.”
Ashe answers a knock on the door, and after exchanging a few words with the person on the other side, he turns to you.
“Blair, it’s him. Leif wishes to speak further with you. He’s brought along Cormac, as well as Ronin. Shall I let them through?”
So, had he already come to a decision? Despite the chill in the air from the open ceiling, you noticed that you were beginning to sweat. Nodding towards Ashe, you watch as he disappears behind the door. Several moments later, he returns, alongside Leif and his entourage.
“Wow…so this is the place, huh?” Leif says, looking all around the ruins of the room. “You’re saying that Byleth woman killed Miklan here?” He points towards the hole in the roof. “What caused that?”
>“Miklan did. If a person without a Crest holds on to a Heroes Relic, they risk turning into a Demonic Beast. Miklan held out for a long time, but eventually, he succumbed to the Lance of Ruin’s power and transformed. It was then that he was killed.” “Poor bastard…” Leif scoffs. “To die in such a rotten way…and after coveting that damn thing for so long too. Oh well…” He shrugs, then turns back to you. “On to more important matters. As promised, I slept on our conversation last night.”
>“And?” “And I hardly got any rest.” He mutters. “It’s a big decision, you know? But ultimately…I believe you make a good point. I am…open to marching against Cornelia’s forces at Garreg Mach.”
TreeHouses QM
>>5720828 >You feel a rush of excitement, though do your best to remain calm. “You are?” “I am…under a few certain conditions.” He holds up a finger. “One, we’re entitled to any and all loot that we find off the enemy forces. Armies don’t run cheap after all. Whether she was going to pay out or not, we were depending on the loot we would receive from Cornelia. That has to be made up somewhere else. So, we’ll have first grab at anything we want from the enemy.”
>You nod. “What else?” “Two, I want an audience with Byleth myself. And I want you to advocate for us. You’re her student, are you not? Then you should have no problem getting her ear and pleading our case. The last thing I want is to bail you southerners out of your problem and then leave with nothing to show for it. If our people are to begin getting friendly with each other, then this is where it starts.”
>“I understand.” “And finally…once we do get said meeting with Byleth…I want you to ensure that there’s no ‘hard feelings’ between our people. While it’s true we’ve been doing Cornelia’s bidding, we’ve also done our fair share of pillaging and raiding as well. If we’re to be allies, I’d hope for…certain things to be left in the past.” He glances down at Mercurius, strapped to Cormac’s waist. “I don’t want any of my men facing any so called ‘justice’. Again, make sure that you advocate for Sreng. I realize the final decision is not yours, but if this all works out, you’ll probably have a lot of influence to push around. Promise me you’ll be our biggest fan. Give me your word on all of this, and we can leave today.”
>A): Agree to Leif’s terms. >B): Decline >C): Attempt to haggle (CHA/LCK Roll: What do you change?) Anonymous
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>>5720829 >A): Agree to Leif’s terms. Sounds good enough for me.
The only reason I don't want to haggle is because it's just tempting fate at this point. Anonymous
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>>5720829 >A): Agree to Leif's terms. Byleth is a reasonable person who will probably hear us out about the Sreng. Especially, perhaps, now that there is no Faerghus to speak of.
Anonymous
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>>5720829 >A): Agree to Leif’s terms. Anonymous
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>>5720829 >A): Agree to Leif’s terms. If we ever want to stop them from marauding on our own, we first have to stop treating them all as marauders.
Anonymous
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>>5720829 >A): Agree to Leif’s terms. Point out that there may be further concessions to be made, potentially account for artifacts that they (may) have taken, and that missionaries or other assorted compromises may be worth considering as a quid pro quo in order to reach an acceptable deal.
Its unlikely that the church would accept these terms without amendments, or at very least stipulations as it would appear one-sided or otherwise encourage reprisals of some sort outside proper channels. So going into things without additional ideas and solutions will likely fail, especially for any longer term stipulations.
Anonymous
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>>5720829 >A): Agree to Leif’s terms. No sense pushing our luck at this point, the fact that we've managed to get the Sreng on our side is miracle enough. If Byleth and Seteth want to try to come to better terms with Leif, that's their business once everybody links up.
Anonymous
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>>5720829 >A): Agree to Leif’s terms We can be his strongest advocate, but we are not the judge after all
Anonymous
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>>5720829 >A): Agree to Leif’s terms. Getting some share of the loot would be nice, but it's probably not worth trying our luck over.
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Wed 26 Jul 2023 09:03:39 No. 5721069 Report >>5720829 >>A): Agree to Leif’s terms. The only downside of this would be ignoring Srengs past ill deeds... But we can't focus on the past when the futures more important, i'm sure Sreng can make amends with the future kingdom and church once all of this is done another way.
Anonymous
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>>5721069 What if there isn’t a Kingdom in the future?
It sounds like the royal family has been destroyed..
But I suppose the people here will still be here, no matter what.
Anonymous
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>>5720829 >A): Agree to Leif’s terms. This one's a no-brainer. Risking another coin-flip over treasure is suicidal. Converting the Sreng to the Church's cause is already beyond belief. We've won this battle, time to move on to the next.
Anonymous
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>>5720829 >>C): Attempt to haggle Change the "biggest fan" part, to like the third biggest. Wouldn't want people to clearly see that Blair's judgement is compromised
Anonymous
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>>5720829 >C): Attempt to haggle Fuck it, try to get a little bit of loot and not having to excuse their war crimes.
Anonymous
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>>5720829 >A): Agree to Leif’s terms. It's a miracle that's he's offering them at all
Anonymous
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>>5720829 >A): Agree to Leif’s terms. Anonymous
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>A): Agree to Leif’s terms.
TreeHouses QM
>>5720829 If you had any reservation about Leif’s terms, you damn sure weren’t going to voice them now. Not after the uphill battle you’d fought just to get him to reconsider his position. As far as you were concerned, there was nothing too grave in his proposal. This could all be a problem to deal with another day.
>“Very well. You have my word. The lion’s share of the loot will be yours, and I promise to speak on your behalf to the Professor.” Leif, looking satisfied with himself, claps his hands enthusiastically. “Then it’s decided! I look forward to continuing to work alongside each other, Blair.”
“What of your men?” Uriel asks. “Are they truly fine with switching sides so suddenly?”
“To them, one southerner is as good as another.” Leif shrugs, gesturing towards Cormac. Unable to follow the conversation, the Swordmaster looks as if he is on another planet right now. “It matters not to them who they fight, so long as they fight. If anything, they’ll be more enthusiastic to crash into an attractive backline rather than sit for a siege. Isn’t that right, Ronan?” Leif addresses his squire.
The boy nods enthusiastically. “Definitely! I can’t wait to see the monastery!”
“Prince Leif.” Corrine says. “Of all of us here, you know the most about what the battle at Garreg Mach will look like. Is there anything you can share with us? Anything pertaining to the enemy’s commander, numbers, or tactics would be a great boon in helping us prepare for the upcoming fight.”
“Of course.” Leif says. “Keep in mind, I’ll only be relaying what I’ve been told. Every few weeks, a scout working for Cornelia would meet with myself and Maeve to keep us up to date on the situation. The last time I saw him was just a few days ago, before we met you here. He confirmed what I told you earlier. That Cornelia has a man on the inside in Garreg Mach, who informed her that Byleth Eisner and Seneschal Seteth would be absent from the monastery for their siege against Fort Merceus.”
“A man on the inside, eh?” Anemone muses. You get what she’s insinuating. This ‘mole’ is more than likely a snake, masquerading as someone close to the Knights’ leadership.
“Correct.” Leif continues. “As of now, there are only a few hundred soldiers of the church left to defend the monastery. Their commander is some veteran knight by the name of Leopold. A good fighter, but he’s no Byleth. The plan was for Cormac to take his head. If he fell, the Knights would surely crumble.”
Leopold! To think that your mentor would be the one left to deal with the defense of Garreg Mach. You prayed he could hold off the enemy long enough for you to arrive and come to his aid.
TreeHouses QM
>>5721692 “The besieging army will likely consist of approximately 2500 soldiers.” Leif says. “A combination of forces belonging to the Orthodox Church, and the Faerghus Dukedom.”
“Even with Sreng’s aid, we’ll be outnumbered.” Corrine says. “But still…if that’s all they could muster, then they’re in worse shape than I thought. I don’t believe these will be tested veterans we’ll be facing off against. Likely just whatever scraps both sides could muster. Who is leading them?”
“On the surface, it appears complicated. The so-called ‘Patriarch’ himself will be there.” Leif remarks dryly. “Bennett, the leader of the Orthodox Church, has taken to the battlefield to overrun the seat of his enemy and strike down the apostates! It all sounds very dramatic, but according to Cornelia’s man, he’s not the one in charge of the invasion. That would be his second-in-command, a priest by the name of Montgomery. He was the one we were ordered to report to upon our arrival, and its his orders we’re to follow.”
“If he’s aligned with the Orthodox Church, I believe we may know this ‘Montgomery’.” Anemone says. “It’s very likely it’s Odesse. He was the Sage that led those Orthodox soldiers to attack the village months ago.”
“Never heard of him.” Leif says. “Is he strong?”
>“Strong, and undoubtedly crafty. We’ll have to be on guard against him. It’s very likely he may also deploy Demonic Beasts in battle here.” “That’s certainly not good…” Leif mutters. “Well, in terms of our approach…we do have a few options. As far as Bennett and Montgomery know, Sreng is still marching down south to aid them. If we charge in and hit them from behind, they’d never see it coming. There’s also another alternative…one that might be a bit riskier, though all the more fun.”
>“Go on.” “We’ll act as if we’re still allied with them and request an audience, disguising you and a handful of your men as raiders. Once they appear before us, we spring our trap and attack. If we pull it off convincingly enough, we’ll decapitate the enemy’s leadership in one fell swoop.”
“We’d avoid a huge fight if we pulled it off.” Ashe says. “Who knows if we’d be afforded another opportunity to get so close to them?”
“That plan only works if we assume they haven’t already found out about Sreng’s betrayal.” Anemone suggests. “These are Sages we’re talking about. It’s very possible they already know we’re coming for them.”
>A): Attack the enemy forces from behind. >B): Use subterfuge to get close to the enemy commanders and eliminate them. >C): It’s too early to decide now, we’ll figure it out as we get closer. >D): Write-in Anonymous
If the Sreng army comes all this way for a fight, and then there’s no fight, assuming they get paid either way, would they be disappointed or pleased?
Anonymous
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>>5721728 I'll support these questions, though if I had to take an educated guess the subterfuge plan would involve the raiders fighting the routing orthodox forces
Anonymous
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>>5721694 >>A): Attack the enemy forces from behind. The other plan is too complicated, fragile, and risky. And positioning and quality make up for numbers any day. That was clear at Gronder
Anonymous
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>>5721694 >A): Attack the enemy forces from behind. if they can't mount the necessary pressure on the defenders, or have to split their forces to deal with Sreng the Siege will be less effective, and considering they are trying to get things done in short order. Time should be on our side.
Anonymous
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>>5721694 >B): Use subterfuge to get close to the enemy commanders and eliminate them. We are the Blackwings. We are the equivalent of elite Special Forces. We are up to the task.
Anonymous
>>5721694 >B): Use subterfuge to get close to the enemy commanders and eliminate them. It's going to be risky, but I don't agree with Anemone's reasoning at least. The Agarthans aren't omniscient, and right now they're desperate. Cornelia had to enlist Sreng's help and this does seem like a last ditch effort with what human forces they have left to stop the Church. We also know what's going to happen to Fort Merceus.
Agarthan arrogance is what got the ones we've faced against killed so far, and Odesse doesn't seem to be any different.
We could probably even butter him up and have Leif tell him that they killed off a small group of injured mercenaries holding up in a tower but lost Maeve in the struggle. That should help explain one of the obvious red flags that'll probably be asked.
Anonymous
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>>5721694 >A): Attack the enemy forces from behind. Anonymous
>>5721879 Honestly a part of me wants to suggest they present Blair, along with a handful of officers, as their "prisoners". That will definitely ensure all the leaders are in attendance seeing as she's an enemy of both the church and the state and they would love the morale boost announcing her capture will bring.
Sreng can claim that she killed Maeve after a pitched battle but they managed to subdue her - which would explain why Leif needs a very large group of guards at his back, because who knows what this wily witch could pull out of her sleeve next. Which will allow more than a 'handful' of our men to be present for the attack. ('captured' officers + our guys disguised as raiders + Leif's actual guard)
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Thu 27 Jul 2023 08:25:18 No. 5721897 Report Quoted By:
>>5721694 >B): Use subterfuge to get close to the enemy commanders and eliminate them. Anonymous
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>>5721895 That bait would make it easier for us to assassinate someone. One of the leaders would definitely approach us just to lord over us, and then we can just Forseti them.
Could also try to present ourselves as the new Oracle and then kill Odesse with Forseti during introductions.
Anonymous
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>>5721694 >B): Use subterfuge to get close to the enemy commanders and eliminate them. A big part of me really wants to see Blair in tribal outfits/disguise lol
Anonymous
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>>5721694 >B): Use subterfuge to get close to the enemy commanders and eliminate them. I have been convinced. Gather the warpaint!
Anonymous
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>>5721694 >C): It’s too early to decide now, we’ll figure it out as we get closer. Send scouts first to judge their capabilities and readiness before we decide.
Anonymous
>>5721692 >Their commander is some veteran knight by the name of Leopold NOOOOOO, we missed our chance to go full "nothing personal, teach" on Leopold. FUCK.
That's usually the best part of being a mercenary. Seing people seethe about your lack of loyalty and conviction. I guess Blair has covictions, they are just about snake genocide.
Can't wait for the new armored core game Anonymous
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>>5721694 >B): Use subterfuge to get close to the enemy commanders and eliminate them. It's a great gamble. Nothing risked, nothing gained as they say. If this goes well we'll see teh least bloodshed on our side.
Anonymous
On a side note, I commissioned art of younger Blair and Corrine. As I commissioned this through Skeb I couldn't be involved or talk to the artist. I can only hope some anons like it.
Anonymous
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>>5722033 YOOOO, this is sick. Those armor designs are post-timeskip, but whatever. It's still cool.
Anonymous
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>>5721694 >A): Attack the enemy forces from behind. If we fail the infiltration we'll be stuck in the enemy camp and left to face an Agarthan and their bodyguards, plus whatever trash mobs the army can muster.
Anonymous
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>>5721694 >B): Use subterfuge to get close to the enemy commanders and eliminate them. Time to cut the head off the snake. Everything is going exactly as keikaku.
TreeHouses QM
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>>5722033 Thank you so much that looks incredible! I think the artist did a great job, especially with the armor designs. Setting as my new wallpaper.
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra
Hubert ''DeathWing'' Vestra ID:F+z89ziy Thu 27 Jul 2023 16:08:57 No. 5722092 Report Quoted By:
>>5722033 Dude holy shit that's like official art quality, thanks for treating us
Anonymous
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>>5722033 Damn, Ashe gets to tap THAT every night
(because anons can't stop horny voting) ?
Anonymous
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>>5721694 >A): Attack the enemy forces from behind. >>5722033 Gaaaahhh that's so fucking good! Thank you anon.
Anonymous
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>>5721694 >B): Use subterfuge to get close to the enemy commanders and eliminate them. Anonymous
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>>5721694 >>A): Attack the enemy forces from behind. >>5722033 It looks like something out of a game loading screen. Great work to the artist and thank you anon for the commission.
Anonymous
>>5722033 woah crazy axe
i love it
Anonymous
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>>5721694 >B): Use subterfuge to get close to the enemy commanders and eliminate them. Might as well. Cut off the figurative and literal head of the snake, and we'll win.
>>5720821 Happy to help, Tree! I'm always wary of write-in only prompts because it scares a lot of voters away, so I figured I'd try and give it a shot. I'm just glad the scene went well!
In other news, I hope things have stabilized on your end. The recent storm has been causing my ID to change a lot, so I've been refraining from posting.
>>5722033 That's pretty damn good. If this is younger Blair, then I can see this happening in the five-year timeskip when they were still establishing the Blackwings. Kick-ass.
TreeHouses QM
B wins, writing.
>>5722411 It's the actual Bolt Axe concept art from Awakening! Blair's Killer Lance also uses the Awakening model. Not too sure on the specifics of how Skeb works, but homework was definitely done here. Seriously love the picture. I'm always so excited when I see OC.
>>5721982 Blair really does have that mercenary stare, despite being quite possibly the least money-motivated merc ever.
TreeHouses QM
>>5721694 >“Odesse already escaped through our clutches once before.” You recall your last encounter with the Sage outside the gates of Arcadia. He seemed to prefer skulking in the shadows to outright fighting. He had no problems with dispatching orders to his men and summoning waves of Demonic Beasts to overrun his foes. You were hardly even granted a look at him back then. If things turned south for the enemy forces, you wouldn’t put it past the Agarthan to turn tail once more. “He cares nothing about the lives of the soldiers working under him. If push comes to shove, I believe it’s likely he’ll try to run away again before we even get close. Let’s make sure he’s not afforded the opportunity.” “Get rid of the leader, and the rest will follow.” Leif says. “That’s what they’ll be trying to do to the Knights of Seiros, so that’s what we’ll do to them first. I don’t care how good this ‘Odesse’ is. My best men combined with yours will make quick work of him.” He slaps Cormac on the back, who simply nods in agreement. “We are ready to move as soon as this afternoon. Get your own affairs in order and we’ll be on our way.” The prince then departs, leading the rest of the Sreng delegation.
“No need to say anything.” Corrine drawls. “I’ll get the men ready. The sooner we leave this blasted place the better.”
Corrine, along with the rest of your advisors, exit the room. You’re now left alone, with one final problem left to deal with before you can call it a day. While Ingrid was present for the entire conversation between you and Leif, she’s hardly budged from where she’d been sitting the last few days.
“Those men are from Sreng?” Ingrid asks, once it’s just the two of you. “To think they speak our language. I suppose the tales of them being beastly brutes with fangs were exaggerated.”
>Perhaps not that exaggerated, you think to yourself as you remember what they did to Maeve. “You heard what he said then, right? We’re going to be leaving this place today. Heading towards Garreg Mach, for another fight. One that could either make or break the monastery.” “It never ends, does it?” Ingrid mutters. Luin was still lying on the other side of the room, discarded as if it were mere debris.
>“For what it’s worth…I believe we actually are nearing the end. The Professor has invaded the Empire and stands to topple their last line of defense before the capital. The weakest players on the board are throwing in one final desperate gamble to desecrate Garreg Mach. I’d say that we’ve both made it to the endgame. And that’s all despite the two of us never imagining we’d get here.” Ingrid says nothing, continuing to stare at the fading fire before her.
TreeHouses QM
>>5722481 >“It’s your choice what you do from here. You don’t have to come with us, you know. You can always go back to Galatea. But I’d prefer to hear what you decide to do before we leave. Regardless of how you feel, I didn’t save you just to strand you in this dilapidated tower to freeze to death.” “My choice?” Ingrid whispers. “It’s strange. I haven’t had to decide for myself in so long. Choice was never an option for me. I just simply…knew what I had to do. That’s why I followed Dimitri, even though I knew his sanity had left him long ago. He was still my King, and loyal knights do not stray from their lord. Even long ago, when it was arranged that I should marry into House Fraldarius…that was fine too.” Her voice fails her for a brief moment. “I did everything that was expected of me, both by my liege and by my family. It was all for the glory of our house, and the Faerghus Kingdom. But now the Kingdom is gone. Dimitri is dead, and House Galatea will soon cease to exist. For some reason though, I remain. And there’s no one left to follow. No one left to have expectations of me that I must strive to meet.” She looks up to meet your eyes. “I thought if I sat here, the answer of what to do would eventually come to me. But I find that I’m still lost.”
This is the most you’ve heard Ingrid talk in weeks. She’s finally begun to open up to you. Perhaps this was an opportunity to pull her away from her dark mood.
>A): If you’re looking for someone to follow, then follow me. Even if only for just a brief moment, until you decide where you really belong. >B): Return to your family in Galatea, Ingrid. You should be with them. >C): I can’t tell you what choice to make, Ingrid. Like it or not, your life now belongs to you alone. >D): Write-in Anonymous
>>5722482 Currently torn between A and C. On the one hand, it'd be pretty easy to recruit Ingrid at a vulnerable moment like this, especially so someone less scrupulous doesn't get their hooks in her. We fought and bled and lost people to save her, and we don't want that to be for nothing, right? At the same time, though, it feels in part like we'd be replacing Shelley, and there's the question of whether Ingrid still resents Ashe. Plus, if we just drag her along now, when she's finally lucid enough to make her own choices again, does that make us any better than the people she's let lead her by the nose before?
Anonymous
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>>5722482 >C): I can’t tell you what choice to make, Ingrid. Like it or not, your life now belongs to you alone. We let Diana choose where to go from here, so it's only fair Ingrid gets to pick too. Yes, choice can be frightening, but if Ingrid wants to move forward, she'll have to march on her own accord. If she wants to stay with us, then great. If she wants to go back to her family, or if she needs more time to think, then that's fine too. This is a new chapter of her life, after all.
>>5721982 >tfw Blair replaced Leonie Jeralt Mercenaries btfo.
Anonymous
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>>5722482 >D): Write-in >>Many things have been swept away, it is true. But that only means that we must continue to strive. That is my challenge to you, the woman who grew from the girl who challenged me on our first meeting. The woman who helped me kill my brother. Strive to keep up with our changing world. Strive to keep up with me. Following is all well and good but I'd kind of like to see her kip up some fire and stake, either as a member of the company or as someone reorganizing the protection and order of the former Kingdom. And the tone of this fits better with Blair's earlier anger I think. Get to living, Ingrid! Your heart beats!
>A): If you’re looking for someone to follow, then follow me. Even if only for just a brief moment, until you decide where you really belong. I'd take A as well, of the defaults.
>>5722496 I think A does still keep Blair more 'respectful of Ingrid's autonomy' than the obligations she was born with. Following a mercenary company, is, after all, a temporary arrangement, unlike family, nation, or oaths.
Anonymous
>>5722482 >D): I understand. Until now, you've lived a life solely in keeping with your obligations. I was the same, until that last fateful night when the Monastery was attacked, and I finally found the strength to do what I felt was right over what I felt was expected of me. I know you feel obliged to have died with your liege and country, but you're alive, and I know with your sense of justice you know the right thing to do isn't to senselessly follow them to their graves. Be it with the Blackwings, the Knights, the Alliance, whatever: help us end this evil the Empire and their snakes have unleashed on Fodlan. Not because you're obligated to: not to appease the dead or fulfill Dimitri's dream, but because it's the *right* thing to do. Sorry for the somewhat longwinded write in, but Ingrid's last remarks really made me realize the parallels she shares with Blair, and I wanted to make sure that got across.
Anonymous
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>>5722482 >>A): If you’re looking for someone to follow, then follow me. Even if only for just a brief moment, until you decide where you really belong. Anonymous
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>>5722482 >A): If you’re looking for someone to follow, then follow me. Even if only for just a brief moment, until you decide where you really belong. Anonymous
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>>5722482 >A): If you’re looking for someone to follow, then follow me. Even if only for just a brief moment, until you decide where you really belong. Anonymous
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>>5722482 >A): If you’re looking for someone to follow, then follow me. Even if only for just a brief moment, until you decide where you really belong. Don't like her striking out on her own like this, especially when there are Slithers that might want her crest and can shapeshift into the dead friends she didn't actually see the corpses of.
Just emphasis that can she leave whenever she wants
Anonymous
Anonymous
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>>5722482 >C): I can’t tell you what choice to make, Ingrid. Like it or not, your life now belongs to you alone. >>5722422 I gave sent the concept art of the two weapons the artist myself. The way Skeb works, you don't have a say on the end product, that's what I was fearful of.
Anonymous
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>>5722482 >A): If you’re looking for someone to follow, then follow me. Even if only for just a brief moment, until you decide where you really belong. Anonymous
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>>5722482 >>A): If you’re looking for someone to follow, then follow me. Even if only for just a brief moment, until you decide where you really belong. It's a dangerous world out there
TreeHouses QM
>>5722482 >“If you’re looking for someone to follow, then follow me. Even if only for just a brief moment, until you decide where you really belong.” Ingrid looks up at you. It’s hard to tell what she’s thinking, but she seems more mindful today than you’ve seen her in weeks.
>“You can tag along with the company…or you can fight with us if you’re up for it. You’d certainly be a welcome addition to the team. Regardless, I know that I would feel at ease with you close by. We’re friends, after all. Or at least I like to think that after everything we’ve been through.” “Blair…you’re right. We are friends.” She gets up from the floor and walks over to collect Luin. She examines the relic closely. “I believe you have the right of it. Out of all my comrades, I alone was spared at Gronder. I don’t know why that is. Perhaps it was for vengeance? To continue the fight against Edelgard and her minions, ensuring that one day they ultimately fall. Or perhaps it was to help rebuild whatever tattered remains of the Kingdom have been left? I don’t know. But whatever the reason, I believe I may find the answer if I stick with you. Our fates seem to be linked, even if only for a short while. So, if you plan to continue the fight against the Empire, then I’ll see this war through with you to the end.”
-
It does not take long for the Blackwings to ready themselves for the long march south. The addition of aid from Sreng has done wonders in lifting the overall spirits of the company. In addition, the heavy burden that was placed on Elizabeth as the company’s medic has been lifted somewhat. Sreng’s shamans prove to be adept in the healing arts and lend the cleric a much-needed hand in dealing with the injured. With their efforts, some of your more capable fighters such as Sebastian are able to make a full recovery. With the injured taken care of, you’re free to march at a much brisker pace than you did leaving Gronder. Getting to Garreg Mach with the Sreng host will still take several days though, and it’s entirely possible that the battle may have already started by the time you arrive. You just pray that Leopold and the soldiers under his command can hold out until then.
“Hey, Blair!” Ronan runs up to you with a bag, breaking you out of your inner musing. “We were going through Maeve’s stuff and found some pretty interesting things. Some people have already helped themselves, but I figured you might want something!”
>A): Spirit Dust (+2 MAG Perm)
>B): Energy Ring (+2 STR Perm) >C): Black Necklace (+4 CHARM Perm) Anonymous
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>>5723957 >B): Energy Ring (+2 STR Perm) Spirit Dust helps with our spells, but an Energy Ring helps with our spear attacks and our Transmuted spear attacks, covering both bases. The Black Necklace is tempting, considering we're doing more diplomacy soon, but I don't know if +4% (give or take a couple extra percents if we have a multiplier involved in the roll) to persuasion attempts is worth it over the extra damage we'll be needing to take on high HP bosses.
Anonymous
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>>5723957 >C): Black Necklace (+4 CHARM Perm) I can't resist.
Anonymous
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>>5723957 >C): Black Necklace (+4 CHARM Perm) >Recruit random noble Aw yeah now this is fire emblem.
There's going to be more DIPLOMACY rolls in our future especially since we've agreed to advocate for Leif. I kinda wanna do the best we can with this since personally I think this is our best way of honouring Sylvain's memory too?
Plus we have the confrontation with Kate and the Hellwings in the future and I know some anons wanted to talk her down too.
Honestly I feel that Blair's got pretty good damage all ready, especially since she doubles most things. If anything we should be prioritising DEX increases the most since that ups our stun proc chances, but of course that shitty snake does have any
Anonymous
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>>5723957 >C): Black Necklace (+4 CHARM Perm) Anonymous
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>>5723957 >C): Black Necklace (+4 CHARM Perm) I am convinced.
Anonymous
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>>5723957 >A): Spirit Dust (+2 MAG Perm) Anonymous
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>>5723957 >C): Black Necklace (+4 CHARM Perm) Anonymous
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>>5723957 >C): Black Necklace (+4 CHARM Perm) We will be doing a lot of convincing the next few threads.
Anonymous
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>>5723957 >A): Spirit Dust (+2 MAG Perm) Anonymous
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>>5723957 >C): Black Necklace (+4 CHARM Perm) TreeHouses QM
>>5723957 >Epilogue >Garreg Mach War Room “Our men have been accounted for, Sir Leopold.” Emil says. While the rookie knight would have loved nothing more than to accompany the Sword of Seiros to Fort Merceus, he was instead chosen to stay behind to assist Sir Leopold in overseeing the monastery’s defenses. At first, he’d cursed his misfortune. Guard duty was both boring and beneath him, he felt. He should be there with the other knights, plunging his blade into the heart of the Empire’s defenses. Things had changed though, and while Emil still cursed his misfortune, it was no longer due to the potential of boredom.
“And?” Sir Leopold asked. He was sitting behind the large table in the center of the room. Several papers and maps were scattered about messily, being poured over by numerous frantic aides.
“We’re sitting at around 500 soldiers in total.” Emil responds. “100 of those are Knights of Seiros, while the rest are a combination of church soldiers and local volunteers.”
“What’s our unit breakdown look like?” Leopold asks.
“We…have a large number of horses.” Emil responds. “Lady Byleth opted not to take much calvary with her, feeling it would not help much for her siege.” Of course, it would likely not help us either, Emil thought to himself. “We could likely field several mounted knights. Otherwise, many of the remaining soldiers left to us are infantry. Additionally, we have very, very few winged units.”
“Is there any way that we could bolster our numbers before the enemy’s arrival?” Leopold rests his chin on his fist. “Are there any mercenaries residing in the monastery currently?”
“A few dozen, sir.” Emil says. “They’ve banded under a man named Rodolfo. He claims they’d be willing to lend us a hand…though given the circumstances, their fee is somewhat exorbitant. And of course, we have no guarantee they won’t just turn tail the second things get bad.” Which they already were.
“Pay them whatever they want.” Leopold says with a flick of his hand. “Beggars can’t be choosers. Besides, we can find use for such-“
“Out of the way!” A voice from outside of the room interrupts Leopold’s train of thought. The doors burst open as a familiar face barges through. The eyes of the Knights of Seiros and their aides fall upon the panting man, who has forced his way through the guards standing on the outside.
TreeHouses QM
>>5724817 “Lord Leopold!” The man cries out. Emil recognizes him. Lord Ludwig. A veteran Knight of Seiros, albeit a recently turned craven one. Ludwig had always been someone held in high regard amongst the knights. He’d even been present in many of the decision-making councils alongside Lady Byleth and Lord Seteth. But when the monastery had received word of an impending attack from the Orthodox Church, Ludwig had seemingly made it his mission to second guess and undermine any possible defensive effort. But as a result of his recent conduct, Leopold had sent him away and given him the task of scouting out the enemy’s numbers. Emil had come to understand it as both a punishment, and an order for Ludwig not to show his face around command again. But suddenly, here he was.
“I have returned from my mission!” Ludwig shouts, taking a knee. The dozens of knights that had been hard at work have ceased their efforts to hear what he has to say. “The enemy’s army numbers…at over 3000 soldiers! At their current pace they will arrive at Garreg Mach in five days!”
The room suddenly erupts into chaos.
“Five days?! We can’t prepare the defenses in that amount of time!”
“We must send a messenger to Lady Byleth! She needs to turn the army around!”
“Damn the Patriarch!”
In an instant, everyone seemed to have forgotten what their job was. Emil could hardly blame them. With only a few notable exceptions, it wasn’t as if the soldiers that were left behind were amongst the Knights’ best. It was mostly those who were either too old, injured or green to effectively aid in the effort to take Fort Merceus. The last thing they’d have ever expected was to have to suddenly hold out against such overwhelming odds. The rabble continues to bicker amongst themselves until Leopold stands. The screeching of his chair against the floor ceases the several ongoing conversations, until suddenly all eyes are once more upon him.
“Lord Leopold!” Ludwig pleads. “We must…surrender the monastery! It is the only way! Ask Patriarch Bennett for mercy. He is your cousin; he will surely listen to your words! If we stay here and foolishly fight against this tide, it will result in every man, woman and child currently seeking refuge in the monastery to be slaughtered!”
Leopold says nothing. He walks along the length of the table, down the room and towards Lord Ludwig. All eyes in the room follow along, watching their commander’s every move.
“Ludwig.” Leopold says. “You and I have known each other for many years. Been in many battles together. I believe this suggestion of yours to be rather...unbecoming. But I will ask anyway, seeing as how I once held some measure of respect for you. Do you, truly and whole-heartedly, believe that the best thing we can do right now is surrender to Bennett?”
TreeHouses QM
>>5724821 Ludwig stands from his kneeling position to face Leopold and places one hand on his heart. “My lord…it was wrong for that woman to give you the burden of command without the adequate means to defend the monastery. What further proof do we need that we’ve been abandoned!? I know this is a difficult decision…but think of what will happen if we resist. Seek the road of peace while we still can and ask to speak to the Patriarch!”
“I see.” Leopold says. “Thank you for your counsel, Lord Ludwig.”
Everything happens so fast that even Emil, who was a strong knight in his own right, has trouble comprehending it. In a flash, Leopold draws his blade, and decapitates Ludwig right there in the war room, with just one quick slash. The knight’s body stands for a few more moments amongst the horrified screams of those present in the room before it drops to spill a torrent of blood across the cobble floor. Wiping his blade on Ludwig’s cloak, Leopold turns to face the room.
“Please don’t let this fool you.” Leopold announces, still brandishing his blade. “I am a man that welcomes the suggestions of his subordinates. But if any of your ideas resemble those of Ludwig’s here, it may be best for you to keep them to yourself.” He begins to walk around the room, inspecting the men present.
“Battles are not won on number alone!” He shouts. “Recent events should have taught you that much. Think back to how we repelled General Randolph and the Imperial army only a few months ago. Think back to our victory at the Great Bridge of Myrddin. Were we not outnumbered then? Were we not facing off against insurmountable odds and a superiorly armed foe? Did you somehow forget? We are the Knights of Seiros! The most elite fighting-force in all Fodlan! This is in our nature!”
The men begin to grow more confident upon hearing Leopolds words. Some shout out in agreement, while others draw their weapons and repledge their loyalty. The mood has completely changed from just a moment ago.
“Lady Byleth and Lord Seteth lead an army of the Goddess’ devout followers. Right now, they are banging on the doors of Fort Merceus, ready to tear the thing down. We must ensure they have a warm and welcome home to return to upon their victory.” Leopold plants his sword into the ground, and shouts. “So don’t let these heretics muck up our home! I, Leopold von Deltz, swear to slaughter all those who would defile Garreg Mach!”
Forgetting the bleeding corpse on the floor, the men, including Sir Emil, erupt into thunderous shouting and applause.
“Five days.” Emil thought to himself. There was plenty of work to be done.
TreeHouses QM
That wraps up this thread. Feels like we're finishing up a bit early, though in actuality I think this thread may have had the most updates so far.
This was a fun one! Unlucky RNG and lots of anon deliberation changes the course of things frequently. While you did miss out on a few things due to the unluckiness surrounding Maeve, overall Blair still came out positive. Happy to answer any questions anons may have provided they don't delve too deep into spoiler territory. Thread #18 will go up probably a few days after this one falls off the catalog.
Thread Archive:
https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Three+Houses Anonymous
>>5724827 Did we miss out on a duel? I'd would've loved to see that happen.
Anonymous
>>5724827 >things due to the unluckiness surrounding Maeve Yeah I'll bite, if it's not too spoilery what did the dice screw us out of regarding her.
Other questions
1. What would Ingrid have chosen if we gave her free reign to pick where she went?
2. Consequences of failing that Leif diplomacy roll?
3. What would the Sreng reaction be if we swept the tournament? Was Clay even in danger of dying to Manus?
4. Did we pick the best "comforting Ingrid Choice?
5. Would a similar plotline to this have happened if we went to the Alliance. I can kinda see it being adapted to the Almyrans
6. If we'd lied outright about having the slither book, what would the consequences have been?
7. Please drop Cormac stars I wanna see if Blair actually had a chance against him
Anonymous
>>5724827 What would Leif's reaction have been had we ignored Ronan and killed all of the champions we beat? Would he just have been less inclined to listen to Blair, or would he have turned hostile and wanted revenge?
I guess in a similar vein, how badly could we have screwed things with the Sreng? If we'd picked/rolled poorly and lost the trials, would Leif tried to have intervene or was it just game over?
TreeHouses QM
>>5724894 You did!
>>5724896 >Yeah I'll bite, if it's not too spoilery what did the dice screw us out of regarding her. Amongst other things, you would had some alternative options about how to deal with the coming fight at Garreg Mach, as well as the identity of several of the Sages
>Consequences of failing that Leif diplomacy roll? The main goal of Blair's conversation was to get Leif to turn around. Getting him to join forces with you would have been a bonus. Failing the roll would have gotten him to close diplomacy altogether and continue on the march, leaving you with no choice but to duel.
The way the conversation with Leif worked was that there were three pieces of dialogue, and three dialogue choices you could make. To get Leif to back down, you needed to make at least two of the right choices. One of the three choices would continue the conversation, while the other choice would outright close negotiation altogether.
Incidentally, you made a convincing argument here
>>5715377 The C) option here would have been a dud. It would have been coming off too strong too fast. A would have ended it altogether since Leif doesn't believe in any of this supernatural shit, even if it's true. Since we also got the right choice in the next round of dialogue, then you were able to now make several suggestions to Leif instead. Either getting him to back down in one of two ways, or risking it all to get him on your side.
>What would the Sreng reaction be if we swept the tournament? Was Clay even in danger of dying to Manus? Wouldn't be too different since they saw all their fighters get beaten soundly. Their win was a technicality and they know it. As for Clay, I don't think so. Pretty sure only really bad RNG would have done him in.
>Did we pick the best "comforting Ingrid Choice? In the beginning of the thread, there was really nothing you could say that would snap her out of it. In the second try, you did get her to join you. Whether that's the best choice to make remains to be seen.
>Would a similar plotline to this have happened if we went to the Alliance. I can kinda see it being adapted to the Almyrans Going to the Alliance would have had you dealing with House Gloucester, who'd held back a number of their forces from fighting in Gronder. This would include Lorenz. You'd have been dealing with them as they potentially try to renegotiate their way back into a position of power now that Claude was MIA.
>6. We'd lied outright about having the slither book, what would the consequences have been? Maeve knew exactly who you were and wasn't about to let you get away. She'd have been fucking with you regardless, and in more subtle and underhanded ways.
>Please drop Cormac stars I wanna see if Blair actually had a chance against him You're going to see them soon enough. You'll be fighting side-by-side at Garreg Mach. I'd say he's only a tad weaker than Rex. Astra would also proc based off his Speed. Hard, but not impossible.
TreeHouses QM
>>5724900 He'd have written you off as potential allies and would have continued to march on Garreg Mach regardless of anything you might have tried. You'd then have to either find another way to deal with them, or have to fight them in the next thread.
>I guess in a similar vein, how badly could we have screwed things with the Sreng? If we'd picked/rolled poorly and lost the trials, would Leif tried to have intervene or was it just game over? Anyone who would have lost would have died, with the exception of whoever may have lost to Shaw since he's so nice. Which makes it all the more worse that he got made fun of and thrashed by Scratch lol. There was a fifth Sreng gladiator as well who would have probably been a bit rough.
In general everyone did a great job in picking the right fighters for the situation. These were a bit challenging to come up with. On one hand I didn't want to make them too easy, so I included the possibility of Maeve cheating to keep everyone on edge. But given the nature of quests and how battles work, I had to be careful to not make anything too bullshit given the stakes. In some duels, there were multiple fighters who could win, while in some, there was likely only one.
Take Morag for example:
>>5707757 You had an idea that she was going to use that Warp somehow. There were several Blackwings that could beat her in a fight, but only Uriel would truly one-shot her. The idea here was that Maeve would "distract" whoever was attacking her, preventing them from doing a follow-up attack. Then the next turn, Maeve would use her Warp staff, and they'd have to pass two rolls or else be teleported out of the arena, into a loss. But because Uriel beats her in one shot, he didn't have to deal with it. Of course whoever got teleported out wouldn't have died, because again, I'm aware it's bullshit.
As for losing the trials, I'm not too inclined to say it would have been a game over. There's always a choice to make. Losing the trials would have probably been really ugly though.
TreeHouses QM
Quoted By:
>>5724933 Morag* would use her warp staff.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5724918 >Lorenz Well at least we avoided that mess kek.
Anonymous
>>5724822 >Leopold kills the guy who's probably a snake on account of being a coward Absolute Chad.
>Rodolfo returns That's a name I didn't expect to see again. Always glad to see recurring NPCs, heh.
>>5724827 Thanks for running! Great thread, and we got to see a lot of new stuff about a faction that was only mentioned in passing. I'm excited to see them integrated into the game in the future.
The other anons asked the bulk of my questions, but I've still got some of my own.
>What would've happened if we turned bandit? Would we have still run into the Sreng, or would the direction of the thread have changed? >What's with the lack of animals in the region? Did the Sreng hunt them all, or was it something else? >What would've happened if we sent the other people as hostages? Mina, Elizabeth, and Ingrid? Additionally, would we have been able to use Sebastian in that case, or would he still be too injured to fight? >I know we're going to see Cormac's stats next thread, but what would've happened during the duel? If we won, would Leif really have just gone home? And if we lost, would Cormac just kill us? >Who was the fifth champion of the Sreng? Can we see their stats for a theoretical fifth round, or is that spoilers? >What would've failure during the initial Sreng ambush have caused? Would Diana be dead? What would've happened if we decided to hit Cormac with magic instead? >What would've happened if we decided not to participate in the Trials? Would it just be a defend/escape mission? Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5724827 >That wraps up this thread. Feels like we're finishing up a bit early, though in actuality I think this thread may have had the most updates so far. We also had the most replies ever for a thread!
>>5724933 >There's always a choice to make. Losing the trials would have probably been really ugly though. Lol forced marriage time.
I don't have any questions of my own since it's been asked/answered.
Anonymous
>>5724918 >"Going to the Alliance would have had you dealing with House Gloucester, who'd held back a number of their forces from fighting in Gronder. This would include Lorenz. You'd have been dealing with them as they potentially try to renegotiate their way back into a position of power now that Claude was MIA." >We could've negotiated with House Gloucester to come to the aid of the Church rather than a bunch of flea-infested barbarians. We made the wrong choice when we fleed to the Kingdom.
TreeHouses QM
>>5724968 >>What would've happened if we turned bandit? Would we have still run into the Sreng, or would the direction of the thread have changed? You'd still run into Sreng, though there would have been a short event regarding the banditry that would later play into your reputation.
>What's with the lack of animals in the region? Did the Sreng hunt them all, or was it something else? Sreng hunted them all. They'd been on a joyride in Faerghus for ages by the time you showed up.
>What would've happened if we sent the other people as hostages? Mina, Elizabeth, and Ingrid? Additionally, would we have been able to use Sebastian in that case, or would he still be too injured to fight? They'd all be fine. Named characters were always acceptable as hostages, and since they'd be under Leif's protection (like Ronan was under yours), no one would do anything stupid. Sebastian was too injured to fight, though from an OOC perspective, it's mostly because he's completely broken gameplay wise and would have likely been a free win lol.
>I know we're going to see Cormac's stats next thread, but what would've happened during the duel? If we won, would Leif really have just gone home? And if we lost, would Cormac just kill us? Losing the trials as well as seeing his Champion be defeated would have crushed his morale and he'd have left. If you lost the duel, you'd likely be taken prisoner and been forced to accompany Sreng to Garreg Mach.
>Who was the fifth champion of the Sreng? Can we see their stats for a theoretical fifth round, or is that spoilers? You'll see him soon enough as well. His whole idea was that he was a Swordmaster that wanted to surpass Cormac and become the "First Blade". He'd have caught on to what Maeve was doing and threatened her that if she interfered in his duel, he'd kill her himself. This would have been public, and would have tipped you off that it would be a straight fight, with no cheating likely to occur.
>What would've failure during the initial Sreng ambush have caused? Would Diana be dead? What would've happened if we decided to hit Cormac with magic instead?
Not dead, but severely injured. Blasting Cormac with magic wouldn't have done much, but it would have revealed something about the way he fought, which could help you in a theoretical duel with him.
>What would've happened if we decided not to participate in the Trials? Would it just be a defend/escape mission? Yep. An extremely one-sided one that would likely result in many deaths and the end of the Blackwings as you knew them.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>5725358 >wanting to talk to Lorenz over the Sreng Man, the Sreng are cool though. Lorenz is a lot more... lame by comparison.
>>5725799 >We'd have still run into the Sreng, but there would have been an event about the banditry that plays into our reputation. Interesting. It's funny to think that despite all of the good we're doing, we're still one of the most feared and hated people on the continent, especially in certain regions.
>Sebastian is too broken to use in the duel Great Shield is one hell of a drug. Plus his stat array is pretty crazy.
>If we lost the duel, we would've been taken prisoner and forced to accompany the Sreng to Garreg Mach. Now that's a surprise. I expected Leif to just let us walk away in shame after a loss, but I suppose he might be smart enough to realize that bringing Blair to the Orthodox Church would have its benefits. Unless of course, it's Cormac who decides her fate, which makes sense in it's own right.
>The fifth champion would've just fought us with no cheating. Based. I'm excited to see both of the swordmaster stats next thread.
>Hitting Cormac with magic would've given us an insight into the way he fights. Now I kinda wish we had selected and passed that roll. Would've been interesting to do that and then go down the duel route.
>Not accepting the Trials would've resulted in a one-sided defense/escape mission that would've probably killed most of the company. Not at all surprised. Glad we went down the Trial Route, too. Made everything go smoother, and we even came out on top at the end.
I don't have any more questions on my end, but thanks again for the thread! It's always a shame when they come to an end, but I do love the Q&A sections as well.
