Myth: A New Age CYOA

[Karwelas]

6. The Pyrite Empress: Your attempts to persuade Nanshe to put an end to the longstanding dwarven/ghôlish war have yielded a few small fruits. She is willing to consider manipulating her own people to prevent another war but she wants proof that the original conflict between her people and the dwarves was the result of a third party's interference. She also wants you to teach her the Eternal Bloom ritual to keep her young and able to control her people for as long as is needed. If she does go through with her side of the bargain then she will be betraying her people's trust and desires, if she is ever caught then she will be killed and buried and so will her entire clan from the oldest to the youngest pup. If she is going to do this she will want a commitment from you to aid her in any way possible and provide her with information and material support if needed. Naturally if you are caught working in such a close manner with a ghôl by your enemies or the dwarves in general you will be stripped of all titles and you will be killed, painfully, along with all those you know that have been similarly compromised.

To pull this off you will need to engage in a campaign of manipulation and misdirection that will likely span centuries and will require agents on both sides dedicated to preventing future wars and you may need to form some sort of syndicate or cryptocracy spanning the south to see it to completion. It is not something to be undertaken lightly but you might be able to build a better future and spare two peoples from a pointless cycle of endless conflict.

D) Postpone the decision until the conflict in the south is resolved.



7. Lilli: She may still be alive and Nanshe says she was last seen as a slave amongst the Yellow Tusks. You could try to pursue this lead in a number of ways. As most of the options are not mutually exclusive all options that receive a majority vote will be selected. If you do not want to make any deals then select C:


B)(? I think this option should be in A, but who knows.) Get Morpheus to help: He can peer into the dreams of mortals and might be able to track Lilli down to a specific location now that he knows what he is looking for (the most popular variant will be chosen should this option get selected):

iv. Tell Nanshe that giving Albrecht back his daughter is a good gesture to persuade House Albrecht (the ruling house of the dwarves) to de-escalate the dwarf-ghol war. Naturally, you would also try to persuade Albrecht on this front. Also open up the possibility of a greater heal ritual for Enki later when matters to the south have been settled.

 

[Absinthe]

Here is the power ranking, by the way. Alric is above the Faceless in power, and quite possibly more cunning, too.

I believe the power ranking you have puts the Faceless Man and Alric on the same level, except I think Faceless is more cunning. Frankly, I think it is far more likely that Faceless would drive out Alric than that Mazzarin would do it. Especially since we know Faceless was in Muirthemne (hiring our own crew).

The Emperor knows better than anyone that you can't just bring someone from the dead, and the Eberhardt was publicly hanged.

You just established to what lengths Alric would go to maintain the Brannons' support. It seems he is more than open to persuasion by the Brannons.

The faction has support among the 'plebeans' who simply don't know a spider demon from a person and believe that magic and miracles can do anything. What would Brannons gain from supporting Eberhardts as they are now? What is the point? It was cool when they had the backing of 75% of the bankers and noble houses, but now? They are a lost political cause.

You're trying to make it look like the Eberhardts are a lost cause when the exact problem is that they have been gaining power and traction. With the support of the empire, this would be a huge fucking problem.

 

[Jester]

Ok have to get through some posts probably tomorrow still...

Wow critical hit on persuade roll. We nailed that shiet.

"The scroll is in Temple Ghôlish because that is the language needed to understand it. If she tried to translate it into Dwarven some of the meaning would not carry over properly and it would become unperdictable/unstable. If you would like you can return with her to her city in the southeast and she will take the time to teach you Temple Ghôlish or she could give you one of her priests and have him/her teach you. You would need to promise to protect the priest though and send him/her back safely should you no longer need the help.

I can provide either option or both as a vote should you wish."
Cant we just schedule meting in dreaming? And i believe that discussing all matters related ghols alliance should be limited to dreaming and mby talking mice.

Now some comments on rest.
If we wish to make some illuminati thing i believe we have one strong candidate in Mayer. Lilli might be receptive depending on how she will be realised and how was treated. Albreht perhaps? Unlikely. Depending on pragmatism and resolving issue with Lilly.

rolling...

.
..
...

Well... fuck...

I love such epic turns. Makes thing more interesting for all GM included. Plot thickens.

 

[Fangshi]

Cant we just schedule meting in dreaming? And i believe that discussing all matters related ghols alliance should be limited to dreaming and mby talking mice.

Sure, you would need to convince Morpheus that it is worth his time to connect you for the lessons though.

Give him some reason to want to do it and give Nanshe a reason to go through with it and meeting in the Dreaming to learn her language(s) should be doable.

 

[Absinthe]

How hard was the roll anyway and am I correct in guessing that it's not long until Derryth has another increase in charisma between this, Thais lessons, and song magic? It's going to be pretty funny when Derryth comes back to Muirthemne with like 6-7 cha and makes everyone wonder what the hell happened to her.

Incidentally, when is Thais going to have an increase to Charisma? What would it even take for her charisma to increase? I guess the song magic is taking things to a new level but it's hard to conceive of any challenges at Thais's degree of charisma. So far her background was prostitution and she's been involved in a lot of politicking and tense negotiations now (which I believe are new experiences, for what it's worth).

 

[Fangshi]

How hard was the roll anyway and am I correct in guessing that it's not long until Derryth has another increase in charisma between this, Thais lessons, and song magic?

The roll was difficult for Derryth (it would have been impossible with your starting stats and skills) but you just managed it. It was not the most difficult roll Derryth has had but it was probably still in the top twenty.

It is likely that as long as Derryth continues to exercise her CHA it will continue to rise though the rate at which it will increase the CHA stat will likely slow somewhat once she starts to really close the gap between herself and her better half.

For the moment Thaïs is acting as Derryth's instructor in all things CHA related. With her 6 WIS you are not getting as big of a bonus as you could be but her 9 CHA does still have a large effect on Derryth and is probably the single most important factor (only really rivaled by the ladies' shared memories). So, as long as the two of them remain together and on good terms you will benefit from her influence and a steady stream of CHA points.

Incidentally, when is Thais going to have another increase to Charisma? Her background was prostitution and she's been involved in a lot of politicking and tense negotiations (which I believe are new experiences to her) now. What would it take for her charisma to increase?

Well, every point put into a stat marks a significant improvement for the individual in question. I believe somewhere back at the beginning of the CYOA I listed what the numbers vaguely translated to and noted that each increase was something like an order of magnitude above the one before it. So it actually requires fewer CHA points to go from a 2 CHA (terrible) all the way to 6 CHA (slightly above average) than it would to go from a 9 CHA (once in a generation talent) to a 10 CHA (Fallen Lord/God tier talent).

She is still picking up points at a steady pace but it will take a lot for her to tick over into a natural ten just like it will take a fair bit for Derryth to raise her INT or WIS to a nine without the proper mentors.

For example, I would say that as things stand, and given the company Taide keeps, she is more likely to match Derry's other stats (STR increase to 4, CON increase to 6, WIS increase to 8) than she is to hit a CHA 10 on her own.

To reach a ten in a stat without outside help would usually take a lifetime of work in fields related to the stat in question. If she does well at politics/seduction/etc for several decades then she might eventually find her way to a CHA 10 naturally but it will take more than a year or a couple months of effort.


Current Tally:

Spoiler

Grimgravy:
1)C ii, iii, v
2)B
3)A>Gi
4)B
5)Bii
6)D
7)Aiv

Baltika9:
1)A
2)A
3)A
4)A
5)x
6)x
7)x

Absinthe:
1)A
2)B
3)A>F
4)B
5)Bii
6)D
7)Aiv

Nevill:
1)A
2)x
3)Gi
4)B
5)Bii
6)D
7)Aiii

Kz3r0:
1)A
2)B
3)A
4)B
5)Bii
6)B
7)Aiv

Jester:
1)A
2)B
3)A
4)B
5)B
6)x
7)x

Karwelas:
1)A
2)B
3)G
4)B
5)Bii
6)D
7)B, Aiv

archaen:
1)A
2)A
3)Gi
4)B
5)Bii
6)x
7)x

Azira:
1)C iii, iv, v
2)B
3)F>Gi
4)B
5)Bii
6)x
7)x

asxestos
1)A
2)B
3)Gi
4)B
5)Bii
6)x
7)x

1. The Reward: A - Metal/Musical Magic
8 votes A
2 votes C: (2 votes Ciii, 2 votes Cv, 1 vote Cii, 1 vote Civ)

2. Whispering Campaign: B - No
7 votes B
2 votes A
1 vote undecided

3.Alric: Tied between A and Gi
5 votes A
4 votes G: (3 votes Gi, 1 vote G general)
1 vote F

Post Flop:
5 votes A
5 votes G: 4 votes Gi, 1 vote G general)

4. Mazzarin: B - Don't call Mazzarin
9 votes B
1 vote A

5. Spoils of War: Bii - Claim the possessions of the vermillion, green and amber mages but not their Watcher stones.
9 votes B (8 votes Bii, 1 vote B general)
1 vote undeclared

6. The Pyrite Empress/Grand Conspiracy for Peace! : D - Postpone committing to anything until you are done in the south.
3 votes D
1 vote B
7 votes undeclared

7. Lilli: Aiv - Tell Nanshe that giving Albrecht back his daughter is a good gesture to persuade House Albrecht (the ruling house of the dwarves) to de-escalate the dwarf-ghol war. Also try to persuade Albrecht on this front and open up the possibility of a greater heal ritual for Enki later when matters to the south have been settled.
4/5 votes for A: (3 votes Aiv, 1 vote Aiii)
1/5 votes for B: (1 vote B general)
5 votes undeclared

 

[archaen]

6.D
7.Aiv

 

[Baltika9]

6D
7A

 

[Nevill]

You're trying to make it look like the Eberhardts are a lost cause when the exact problem is that they have been gaining power and traction. With the support of the empire, this would be a huge fucking problem.

My point is that 'old' and 'new' Eberhardts are different movements, with different kinds of people backing them.

If we wish to make some illuminati thing i believe we have one strong candidate in Mayer. Lilli might be receptive depending on how she will be realised and how was treated. Albreht perhaps? Unlikely. Depending on pragmatism and resolving issue with Lilly.

Mayer is still a dwarf, and he still hates ghols. We should tread carefully here. There either should be a lot of money involved, or he should be roped in through Morpheus.

I am pretty sure that Lilli was treated as you would expect a dwarf to be treated in a gholish community. That is, like an Auschwitz victim. I don't quite hold much hope for her understanding of our cause. In fact, I am in favor of just erasing the last 15 years from her memory depending on how bad things are. I don't want to spread the message of hate. :SJW:

I am very uneasy about the choice to involve Albrecht. I guess if we resolve the situation with Lilli and get him to swear on the grave of his ancestors that he will do whatever we ask of him... it might just be possible. But otherwise I would settle for manipulating him into doing something without telling him the exact reasons why it is that way.

I keep thinking that should we be open about it with the wrong people, we'll soon find one or the other secret service in our office.

 

[Absinthe]

I want to avoid starting our own Illuminati, really. Albrecht is a pragmatic dwarf so if Nanshe does this, we might be able to get the royal house to agree to de-escalate racial tensions of their own accord. That would be best.

My point is that 'old' and 'new' Eberhardts are different movements, with different kinds of people backing them.

And my point is that we are one of the few people who see it that way. The Brannons would most likely consider them to be the same allies as before, even if they are going about things in a different way now. They certainly would not accept our word on it. And given the frameup the Eberhardts received, they'd probably be dismissive of these accusations in general.

This is why I prefer 3A. Because I suspect the empire will resume its support of the Eberhardts. And as Fangshi said, the empire's policy towards the dwarves is mainly determined by the Brannons.

Mayer is still a dwarf, and he still hates ghols. We should tread carefully here. There either should be a lot of money involved, or he should be roped in through Morpheus.

Or we could restore his wife's mind, once we figure out how.

 

[Azira]

6D
7Aiv

 

[Nevill]

For example, I would say that as things stand, and given the company Taide keeps, she is more likely to match Derry's other stats (STR increase to 4, CON increase to 6, WIS increase to 8) than she is to hit a CHA 10 on her own.

Actrually, I am interested in what would it take for Thais to raise her WIS stat.

I was surprised it was her STR and CON that were affected - we aren't doing a lot of physical work, though it may be due to the fact that we are constantly exhausting ourselves. On the other hand, Taide has had a hand in a lot of our crazier plans, which I think is what corresponds to the INT/WIS stats. Given the shared memories, our general similarities, and our common activities, I thought this would be the stats we'll be exercising most.

 

[Fangshi]

Actrually, I am interested in what would it take for Thais to raise her WIS stat.

I was surprised it was her STR and CON that were affected - we aren't doing a lot of physical work, though it may be due to the fact that we are constantly exhausting ourselves. On the other hand, Taide has had a hand in a lot of our crazier plans, which I think is what corresponds to the INT/WIS stats. Given the shared memories, our general similarities, and our common activities, I thought this would be the stats we'll be exercising most.

She does not usually help you create your plans though. Generally speaking she uses her CHA (and sometimes INT) to help them succeed but the plans themselves come from Derryth (with input from Berty, Ceannard, your Albrecht captains and every now and then Lyssa).

It is also much easier to gain a point in STR when your STR is 2 than it is to up WIS from 6 to 7 (same goes for CON). She needs to do less to have an effect for those stats and even though you do have reasonably long periods of downtime your lives are far more active than hers was before she met you.

WIS is actually the stat she has used least and it has grown slower than all of her physical stats. The only other stats that are growing slower for her are INT and CHA as they are already quite a bit above average.

Now that she has the puzzle box though (and Derryth's nightly coaching) she will likely receive a steady stream of WIS points in much the same way as Derryth receives CHA points from her.



I will finally have time to finish off the interlude tonight, when I post it I will close the votes.

Current Tally:

Spoiler

Grimgravy:
1)C ii, iii, v
2)B
3)A>Gi
4)B
5)Bii
6)D
7)Aiv

Baltika9:
1)A
2)A
3)A
4)A
5)x
6)D
7)A

Absinthe:
1)A
2)B
3)A>F
4)B
5)Bii
6)D
7)Aiv

Nevill:
1)A
2)x
3)Gi
4)B
5)Bii
6)D
7)Aiii

Kz3r0:
1)A
2)B
3)A
4)B
5)Bii
6)B
7)Aiv

Jester:
1)A
2)B
3)A
4)B
5)B
6)x
7)x

Karwelas:
1)A
2)B
3)G
4)B
5)Bii
6)D
7)B, Aiv

archaen:
1)A
2)A
3)Gi
4)B
5)Bii
6)D
7)Aiv

Azira:
1)C iii, iv, v
2)B
3)F>Gi
4)B
5)Bii
6)D
7)Aiv

asxestos
1)A
2)B
3)Gi
4)B
5)Bii
6)x
7)x

1. The Reward: A - Metal/Musical Magic
8 votes A
2 votes C: (2 votes Ciii, 2 votes Cv, 1 vote Cii, 1 vote Civ)

2. Whispering Campaign: B - No
7 votes B
2 votes A
1 vote undecided

3.Alric: Tied between A and Gi
5 votes A
4 votes G: (3 votes Gi, 1 vote G general)
1 vote F

Post Flop:
5 votes A
5 votes G: 4 votes Gi, 1 vote G general)

4. Mazzarin: B - Don't call Mazzarin
9 votes B
1 vote A

5. Spoils of War: Bii - Claim the possessions of the vermillion, green and amber mages but not their Watcher stones.
9 votes B (8 votes Bii, 1 vote B general)
1 vote undeclared

6. The Pyrite Empress/Grand Conspiracy for Peace! : D - Postpone committing to anything until you are done in the south.
7 votes D
1 vote B
2 votes undeclared

7. Lilli: Aiv - Tell Nanshe that giving Albrecht back his daughter is a good gesture to persuade House Albrecht (the ruling house of the dwarves) to de-escalate the dwarf-ghol war. Also try to persuade Albrecht on this front and open up the possibility of a greater heal ritual for Enki later when matters to the south have been settled.
8/8 votes for A: (6 votes Aiv, 1 vote Aiii, 1 vote A general)
1/8 votes for B: (1 vote B general)
2 votes undeclared

 

[Nevill]

So, about this letter I keep talking about.

I think I have the first draft ready:

Letter to the [S]Turkish Sultan[/S] God-Emprah

Your Majesty,

We are the appointed Heroes of the Dwarven Kingdom, Derryth ó Foghladh and Thais of Scales. Please excuse us if you find our writing too bold, as we have more experience on the battlefield than we do in the court. You have probably heard of us, either from reports by your agents in the Kingdom, or from the stories told by Mr. Damh Brannon. From what we hear, these stories paint us as vicious criminals, demon worshippers, followers of the Dark Gods, and agents of the Dark.

We would like to assure you that we are not.

Our latest escapades in the Kingdom have left many wondering about our possible motives and any hidden agendas we might have had. The truth is, as always, is both simpler and more complex than the wildest speculations.

We owe our lives to the House of Albrecht. There is nothing more to it.

We have unknowingly become involved in the political conflict the very next day after we entered the city of Myrgard, fresh from our run-in with an army of undead. One of the Eberhardts' divisions was running an illegal operation at the time. Being of an adventurous sort who always poke their noses where they do not belong, we have landed right in the middle of it and have put a stop to what we thought was an act by a ring of criminals. We have had no idea who the Eberhardts were by then, and even less of an idea that the operation was run by them.

It is then when they took a notice of us. Displeased with our meddling in their underground affairs, they sought to punish us. A pair of no-name mages with no connections in the city seemed like an easy target. They would have succeeded, too, were it not for Albrecht's people who have found us in a nick of time. After learning from the King that the criminals and our would-be murderers were also the biggest detractors to the Crown who threatened to depose and kill the very person who saved us, there was only one path we could take.

We have infiltrated the Eberhardts compound and procured enough evidence about their activities to have them hanged. It didn't help their cause that their ranks were also infiltrated by the agents of the Dark Gods. A right spin put on these facts have ensured their swift demise alongside with their allies.

It will have to be said: we do not regret our actions. Albrecht has always shown himself a competent and a benevolent ruler, and a staunch defender of the Light as well. There is no shame in helping him retain the throne. Nor do we think that a revolution and the ensuing civil war are a good idea when the Watcher's forces are ravaging the countryside and the Spider Goddess waits only for an opening to usurp more power for her dark goals. We have stood with Albrecht in all things and against everything that would harm the Kingdom, and we will continue to do so.

If there is one thing we regret, though, it is seeing the relationships between the Empire and the Kingdom sour as a result of this mess.

We are aware that Mr. Brannon did not act out of malice in his support of the Eberhardt movement, and that he had the intention to make the Kingdom more resilient to the threat of being overtaken by the followers of the Dark and thus ensure the safety of Cath Bruig's borders. Now, we may be more soldiers than politicians, and may be not qualified to judge what measures are deemed appropriate for such a task, but it is our opinion that trying to murder a long-standing ally who have supported war efforts against the Dark twice in the last 60 years, at a time when his country is being invaded by the undead, IS NOT HOW YOU DO IT.

One just does not stab their old friend in the back in the hopes that the new one will be better.

Albrecht was furious after the Embassy was closed in response to the trial of the Eberhardts, as it was seen as a gesture that Cath Bruig disapproves of the failure of the plot to dethrone the King. For a ruler that have stood with the Empire in its darkest hour it must have felt like a betrayal. Words have been said that should have better been left unspoken, and the situation deteriorated to the unfortunate state we are seeing today.

Even worse is the fact that everyone is too busy justifying their outrage at the events to see the bigger picture. The estrangement of our respective countries benefits no one but our common enemies.

We are greatly distressed to see that a disagreement over the kind of policies our countries should pursue to be better allies against the Dark have resulted in such a disaster that runs contrary to the goals of every party involved. I am sure that nobody wants for the current developments to continue, least of all us. Cath Bruid and the Kingdom have watched each other's back for millennia, and rest assured that we would like nothing more than to keep it that way.

We feel that it is our responsibility, as of the ones who have involuntarily caused this cooling of relations, to make an attempt at mending them.

As Your Majesty may be aware of, the Kingdom is currently not in its best shape. We've lost contact with the south, and there are reports of various groups laying siege to the old capital of Stoneheim:

- The Watcher's forces, having suffered a great number of casualties lately, including the loss of the Fallen Lord's Great Temple in the north, are desperate to take a hold in the Kingdom.
- The Eberhardt rebellion was subverted through the agents of the Spider Goddess. They claim they have resurrected the Eberhardt, while in reality their leader is a spider demon. They seek to make use of the reputation the movement had to redirect support by people who are unsure of Albrecht to their Dark Goddess.
- The ghol clans, deciding that the Kingdom has worse things to worry about, have launched their own invasion.
- Finally, there are rumors of the resurrection of the Great Mage Mazzarin who have decided to have a rematch with his nemesis. While these rumors are hard to verify, the scouts tell of the demonic hordes laying waste to the land while fighting the undead - which is something that is hard to explain otherwise.

I wish that Your Majesty understand this: there is no better ally for the Empire than Albrecht. Regardless of what one may think of him, all the other forces vying for the control of the Dwarven Kingdom are objectively worse.

No one want the Watcher to win and turn the Kingdom into the land of the dead from which he would strike at Cath Bruig.

The Eberhardt rebellion is now run by the Spider Cult, whose Dark Goddess has no love for Your Majesty. The Kingdom will never be trustworthy while it is ruled by her puppets.

We do not think Your Majesty would want to have his Empire border with the lands of the ghols directly either, having seen how easily they are converted to the cause of the Fallen Lords.

And while we have no idea of the goals the Great Mage pursues, I do not think they fully coincide with those of Your Majesty.

And should Albrecht manage to prevail and overcome his adversaries alone, what then? The dwarves have a long memory and take debts more seriously than anyone. All they would remember that when Cath Bruig was struck by the Soulblighter, they came to their aid, but when merely a year later the Watcher assaulted their lands, no help was forthcoming from their neighbour. Why bother with maintaining an amiable relationship with an unfaithful 'ally' when they have just proven they can stand strong on their own? We fear that the chance of repairing the ties between our countries would truly be lost then.

We ask that Your Majesty see this as an opportunity to lend a hand to their friend in need, and help us leave this unfortunate business behind.

That is not to say that there are no other benefits that might make it worthwhile for Cath Bruig to interfere.

We have mentioned the return of the Watcher several times now. After Your Majesty have trapped him in stone and the warriors of the Legion hacked him to pieces, many have thought they have seen the last of him. Sadly, this was not meant to be. For the last 60 year the archmage have amassed a truly staggering amount of horrors under his command, and have incorporated in his ranks the forces that were left after the Soulblighter's defeat. He seeks to return from oblivion back into the world of the living.

He may be close to his goal.

We have encountered one of his servants, a nearly indestructible female necromancer that seem to be pregnant with a child. This child seems to raise extreme concerns among the forces of the Spider Goddess who spares no expense to try and kill it, and the Watcher's forces who throw away armies in trying to protect it at all costs. We do not know this for certain, but we are led to believe that the archmage may seek to reincarnate himself through the child.

We would like to do anything in our power to prevent this.

The Watcher has already lost most of his armies to our skirmishes. His strongest - and perhaps the only - remaining army is the one in the south. It is our belief that a decisive strike could put an end to the Fallen Lord once and for all and free the lands of man of the scourge that have lasted for untold thousands of years.

We have got our hands on an artefact that is said to be able to kill Gods. Seeing how some of the mages can attain power similar to that of the Dark Gods, we suspect that it might also kill archmages. Using it is currently beyond our capabilities, but if we could think of anyone who may be trusted with such power, that would be Your Majesty.

Should you choose to respond, please write back to King Albrecht.


Finally, we know that Mr. Brannon rarely leaves Your Majesty's side. We would like to take a chance to address him personally.

We have heard Mr. Damh Brannon say that words mean little to him, and actions mean everything.

If it was not for Colin's and Eagle's help, we may have perished that day. We recognize that. We can not return Colin to you, but what we can do is bring justice to his murderer.

We would like to inform you that of Nov. 15th the Watcher's general who have organized the assault on the Royal Palace of Myrgard and the one ultimately responsible for Colin's death no longer walks the land. Having cheated death by Eagle's blade and two subsequent deaths by our hands at Fort Blackrock, he was finally cornered by our forces and have been permanently disposed of.

Colin have arrived in the Kingdom to seek out the killer of his brother, not to protect it, but he was able to put his personal goals and grievances aside and do the right thing in the face of the greater threat, even though it cost him his life. We believe that we can honor his decision and his sacrifice by doing the same.

We are not the enemies of the Empire, and we do not wish to be yours, if we can avoid it.

Citizens of the Cath Bruig Empire and
Heroes of the Dwarven Kingdom,
Derryth ó Foghladh and Thais of Scales.​

It is not final (if anyone objects to certain parts of it), and is mostly modular. Here are the topics it contains:
- Explanation of our part in the whole Eberhardt business in the Kingdom, with the more sensitive parts omitted.
- Explanation of our position on the matter and our desire to reconcile the two powers.
- Explanation of what the Kingdom is currently facing in the south and why is it bad for Cath Bruig
- Allusions to the fact that whether anyone likes Albrecht and monarchy or not, they are the best remaining option for the alliance.
- (I seriously struggled with the temptation to say that if anyone likes the Republic that much, let them start with their own house )
- Mention of the possibility of the Watcher's resurrection.
- Mention of the spearhead as a permanent solution to the Watcher problem.
- Finally, there is a portion of the letter I dedicated to Damh Brannon as an attempt to appeal to his better side using what the man himself thinks is important. It might smooth our differences, or it might blow up in our faces, no way to be sure but to try.

Anyone wants to comment on it?

It's not like I don't see the difficulties and problems this decision might pose, but my logic is pretty simple. An ally in the south > no ally in the south. I'd rather risk facing a potential problem than outright die.

 

[Jester]

6 D
7 B>A iv

 

[Grimgravy]

I'm not sold on the idea of the letter, but I'm sure you should change the part about "self proclaimed heroes." I'm pretty sure the king or his people did the proclaiming.

 

[Nevill]

Done.

This title is so cheesy, I did not want to call myself that withot making it known that we are aware of the fact.

 

[Absinthe]

Here is my problem with the letter

He [Alric] is smart enough to realize that even if he was inclined to side with the dwarves it would still mean war. The Brannons hold a lot of power, to remove the clan would require either a string of perfectly executed assassinations or a civil war.

He might not like it but if he were to view the situation pragmatically it would be less destructive to exterminate the dwarves and keep the Brannons as firm supporters than to fight that civil war to support Albrecht's claims.

So here are the potentials from getting Alric wrapped up in this mess.

1. Alric is directly our enemy because the Brannons are convinced we are agents of the dark and want our heads.
2. Alric and the Branonns will deal with us more diplomatically while continuing to support the Eberhardts.
3. Alric commandeers our forces.

Despite your insistence that he would make a great ally, he would certainly come with the Brannons, and there are enough ways for him to wind up working against us. I'm not keen on adding these problems to our list. And then there are other potential problems like:

1. Alric investigates your letter and finds our crew. Sneaking to the Heron (elite) Guard compound to quietly drop off a letter without getting caught is not a foolproof plan.
2. Deceiving our allies like Gareth. For a circle with a no secrets policy, we are accumulating too many secrets.

All things told, I recommend 3A.

 

[archaen]

I'll flop 3.A to break the tie. I think Alric won't be able to do much to help before the major conflict in the South is resolved one way or another. If it goes badly then we have Albrecht write the damn letter himself and we walk the damn thing into his court ourselves.

 

[Nevill]

Sneaking to the Heron (elite) Guard compound to quietly drop off a letter without getting caught is not a foolproof plan.

I would be grateful if you didn't use a demonstrably false statement as an argument. Repeating it several times does not make it any more true.

I think Alric won't be able to do much to help before the major conflict in the South is resolved one way or another.

The whole point of asking for help is to get it before it goes bad. Kind of like we summoned Arrows, Blackrock mercenaries and the Royal Army before we knew what kind of army we will be dealing with at Blackrock. Calling for the Arrows after the fact would have put us in a worse spot.

We can have the message delivered to Madrigal in 2 to 3 days with my method. If Alric comes in person to deal with the Watcher, that alone may be a great help, as a single archmage in flesh would tilt the scales in our favor greatly.

If he just sends a token regiment of Heron guards, that would still be one more regiment than we would otherwise have.

If it all goes bad, we may not be alive, considering our tendency to be on the frontlines.

If it goes badly then we have Albrecht write the damn letter himself and we walk the damn thing into his court ourselves.

To the court of Madrigal?

Implying we will leave the Kingdom while it is on fire? No way, no how.

 

[Absinthe]

I would be grateful if you didn't use a demonstratably false statement as an argument. Repeating it several times does not mnake it any more true.

"Demonstrably false" is a little disingenuous, Nevill. I have given rationales for why I think this, and you have provided hypothetical scenarios for how it might be accomplished without giving away our organization, without even being able to prove that the assumptions of your scenario would hold true in the first place. I am willing to acknowledge that the letter can be successfully delivered anonymously, but I dispute that this is a certainty as you pretend. I find that there is nevertheless a risk of discovery which is nevertheless a concern. To "demonstrate" that this concern is false, you would have to do ("demonstrate") the plan and then evaluate it in hindsight, which is pretty fucking useless when we are trying to evaluate its odds before doing it.

The whole point of asking for help is to get it before it goes bad. Kind of like we summoned Arrows, Blackrock mercenaries and the Royal Army before we knew what kind of army we will be dealing with at Blackrock. Calling for the Arrows after the fact would have put us in a worse spot.

This time we are already coming with an army of mercenaries, including the Seekers for magical firepower. And we are meeting up with a larger army being sent to reinforce the lords' armies already in the region. We also have our Blackrock mercenaries in Stoneheim.

We can have the message delivered to Madrigal in 2 to 3 days with my method. If Alric comes in person to deal with the Watcher, that alone may be a great help, as a single archmage in flesh would tilt the scales in our favor greatly.

If he just sends a token regiment of Heron guards, that would still be one more regiment that we would otherwise have.

And if he sends the Brannons, who have a vested interest in the Eberhardts and doings of the dwarven kingdom, we might get fucked because they would probably side with the Eberhardts and now we have to consider warring with the empire.

 

[Fangshi]

May as well close it up now that the tie is resolved.

The winning options are:

1. You will take musical magic as your reward.

2. You will hold of on the whispering campaign.

3. You will not involve Alric at the moment.

4. You won't call Mazzarin.

5. You will claim the possessions of the vermillion, green and amber mages but not their Watcher stones.

6. You will postpone committing to anything with Nanshe until you are done in the south.

7. And you will tell Nanshe that giving Albrecht back his daughter is a good gesture to persuade House Albrecht to de-escalate the dwarf-ghol war. You will also try to persuade Albrecht on this front and open up the possibility of a greater heal ritual for Enki later when matters to the south have been settled.

I will also post that spellcasting summary to the first page as requested, if anyone else would like something pinned to the first page let me know and I will take a look at it.

Also, I suppose I can post the Interlude now. A few minor spoilers in this one just given the nature of the characters involved but nothing that is not (or will not soon become) common knowledge.

The actual update will be out sometime before the new year. maybe forty eight hours or so, we will have to see.

 

[Fangshi]

Interlude 7: The Great Mage

He has ruled this land for untold millennia.

He built it himself from curdled envy collected by hand from the dark green waters of spite and bile. Here he planted his flag and raised the first temple to his own glory, sculpting it from the caustic loam and mud of his swampy domain with his eight strong arms. In time he drew others to his cause: cast offs, criminals, jilted lovers, tortured souls, dejected politicians, and peculiar failures.

They filled his court with dark words and sorrowful music.

They envied the great, the beautiful, the skilful and in the dank shadows and murky pools of his domain they plotted the downfall of all creation.

Such great plans they weaved as they suckled on each other's sores, such fine fantasies they built for themselves in self imposed ignorance and contempt of the outside world, oh, and what magnificent lies they whispered in each other's ears...

You are magnificent...

You are wanted...

It is not your fault...

You need not change...

You need not try...

For that was his secret, the secret of his realm, they would come to him with their envy, with their lust for the place and possessions of others and he would promise them the world if they would simply sit at his table, if they would simply let the swamp waters rise and submerge them in the mud and the muck of their misery.

Oh, and he knew each and every one of them would take his offer. Each and every one of them would plunge themselves headlong into the murky misery of his realm for but the merest chance at plucking away the good fortune of others.

He had no intention of helping them of course. No, that was not the purpose of the place. He merely sold them a dream and stole all they had: their energy, what little was left, their vision, a dim as it was, and their possessions.

Every now and then they would bring him a bauble or minor artefact of little practical import and he treasures each and every one of them for when he has gathered enough power, enough pure, distilled envy he would rise from this swamp and seize the home of another.

He will grab his foe in his eight muscular arms, he will fix his twelve steely eyes upon his target and he will open his triple jaw to consume his 'better'.

Someday, he will rule it all, he smirks and shifts upon his filthy throne.

Someday, but not today. Today he will-

"What's this," he mummers as the slightest ripple of consciousness teases its way into his mind, "Another guest, or guests?"

He focuses in on these intruders, "Friends, perhaps?"

They must be, for who else would come to his swamp? None of those he takes would be missed and he has been careful to always pay his tribute on time... Yes, they must be more pilgrims come to ask him for a boon and a place at his table.

He licks his tripled lips in anticipation.

He can hear them on the steps, he can feel their hands upon the rusted metal of his temple doors.

Any second now they will enter, two mortals... humans. The best sort of slaves.

He strikes a welcoming pose and begins his speech, it always impresses mortals a little if he begins before they enter his chamber, "Welcome supplicants to my domain! Welcome to the endless swamps of the Horned One! Welcome and be merry fo-"

The doors of his temple blow clean off their hinges, the left door slams into the wall behind him as the right door shears off the heads of six of his courtiers.

The Horned One wobbles unsteadily to his sixteen clubbed feet, "How dare yo-"

A spear of light hits him in his fourth hip. It punctures clear through his leathery flesh and pinions his side to his throne. The searing magic of the spell cooks the mud of his perch, baking it into brick.

He roars at the pair of figures that step into his temple, "Kill them!"

His newt-guard and toad mages charge the pair. Corroded and corrosive blades bared and spells of acid and disease sweeping before them.

One of the pair of robed figures, clearly a mage, steps forward and begins to cast.

Horns sound from the heavens.

The room explodes in ribbons of wild mauve and turquoise fire as a great bronze 'M' forms in the center of the chamber. The light that pours forth from it burns his eyes and the last thing the Horned One sees before he goes blind is his legion of followers blasted to grey ash and his soggy brown temple cooked into bleached brick.

--------------------------------

No one rules now in the sorrowful swamp.

Not that there is much swamp left to rule anyway.

Perhaps one of those little demons scurrying about will manage to club their fellows to death with a chunk of rock and seize this land, or perhaps some foreign power will take it for their own. Either way, the fate of this place is not his concern.

Really it can hardly be said to be a loss, the entire plane was nothing but mud, swamp and insects, it is much nicer as a salt plain. It makes the return trip easier too.

Mazzarin and the boy-

Oh what is his name again?

Edwyn... Elfyn... Emlyn... No, that's not it!

"Boy!" the Great Mage stops abruptly.

His young companion snaps his head up from the book he has been skimming, "Yes Master?"

The ancient archmage glances over his shoulder at the youth, "What is you name again!"

"Emrys, Master," the young mage replies with all the humility he can muster, "The same as it was the last time you asked."

"Emrys, Emrys," the old mage mutters to himself ignoring his apprentice's remark as he resumes his brisk pace. His magnificently gaudy staff strikes out quickly before him at any beasts too slow to escape his advance.

"Boy!" he calls once more without breaking stride, "How many is that now?"

"Twenty two, Master," Emrys answers absentmindedly without raising his gaze from his copy of Aodán's first volume of The Elemental Flame.

Mazzarin has decreed that he must master it within twelve months or suffer 'for his stupidity'. The Great Mage has refused to elaborate. Whether that means that Mazzarin has not worked out what the forfeit will actually be yet, or he merely wishes for Emrys' mind to conjure up the worst horrors imaginable is difficult to say. Either way the boy has no intention of failing in his studies, this is what he wanted all along, a chance to learn magic from the very best. Well, now he has the opportunity and he best make use of it.

"Twenty two!" Mazzarin repeats with glee, "Magnificent! At this rate we will have recovered all of my artefacts within a year!"

Emrys nods along dutifully. As the boy attempts to puzzle out the exact hand movements necessary to control Aodán's Fiery Retort a strange question pops into his mind, "Master?"

"Yes boy," the archmage replies coolly.

"Was it necessary to kill everyone at the temple?" while Mazzarin had assured him at the time that such an act was necessary the boy is no fool, Mazzarin could have easily overpowered them and recovered his artefact.

The Great Mage comes to a full stop, "They were demons. They were tempting and consuming the souls of mortals and some of those mortals were humans and dwarves, children of the Light even if they had fallen far. On top of all that they were thieves, they stole from their victims and in doing so they stole from me."

"Yes Master b-" Emrys' voice fails him as Mazzarin once more mutes his ability to speak. It is a spell Emrys has been subjected to far too often.

"Boy," the archmage begins calmly, taking on the fatherly tone of an elder explaining to a child how the world really works, "You will learn in time that there are but two things you can trust in, in this life. The first is the Light which holds back the Dark and gives meaning and structure to the world. The second is your own strength, the strength of your spells, the strength of your hands if you really must insist on such base methods of combat, and most of all the strength of your will. Those that walk in the Light, those that are civilized and polite can be dealt with in a civilized and polite manner. For example, did we not politely ask the Order of Carlina for my spyglass? And did they not politely return it?"

Well, Emrys must admit that, that is true. Those knights were polite, reasonable, and ready to return his Master's artefact, or at least they were after they found out who they were dealing with...

Mazzarin pushes on, unconcerned about his apprentice's silence, "Yes they did. They did so for even though they are not enlightened as we are and are ultimately incapable of grasping at anything far beyond their own short and insignificant lives they are still men, servants of the Light, and they know for a certainty that by helping us they will help all those that fight the Dark! However, not everyone is gifted with that level of belief. There are many who choose to forsake the Light for the temptations of the Dark and there are also a great many for which the entire notion of the Light is alien. When dealing with those individuals there can only be a single code and that is force, to correct and to punish. Do you understand?"

Emrys points at his mouth.

"Oh, yes, of course," the Great Mage snaps his fingers and returns the gift of speech to the boy.

"Yes Master," the boy nods, "But how do you know that all demons will behave that way? Is it always a given that demons will be so alien to the Light?"

"It is," the Archmage asserts as he pushes on once more, "It is a certainty. All they respect is power."

Emrys has not spent that long with his master but the Great Mage is not all that difficult to read either, he is clearly getting annoyed but the boy pushes on. His curiosity has been peaked, "But Master, if you do not make the attempt how can you know for a certainty that all demons are evil."

He does not turn his head, "Boy, I know."

"How?" Emrys continues to press.

The archmages snaps on his pupil, "Because they stole from me!"

"Like the Order of the Carlina," the boy asks innocently.

The archmage lets out a low growl of frustration and stops to take a moment to compose himself, "Very well then, some things must be learnt from experience. Boy, when next we have to bargain with demons I will say and do nothing unless you ask for my help. You will have to negotiate for the release of my artefact and if you fail I may well leave you to them. How does that sound?"

Terrifying is the first word that springs to Emrys' mind, but also exciting. To negotiate with demons, there is so much he could learn! "Thank you Master!" the boy replies with genuine joy, "I will not disappoint you!"

The archmage emits a second low growl, "What is our next target? Maybe you will get your wish quite soon."

Emrys tucks his tome away and pulls a scrap of paper from his pocket, he unfolds it and scans the list, "It is... Hmm, not demonic but mortal."

Mazzarin gestures for the boy to hurry up, "Well?"

"The list says," Emrys frowns, "Twenty Three, my thimble, Madrigal, Royal Treasury."

The old mage grins diabolically, "Well then boy, ready to pay a visit to your Emperor?"

----------------------------------------

Alric I, Emperor of the Cath Bruig, King of the Province, Protector of Tandem and the Free North, First among the Avatara, and quite possibly the most important man in the world; he sits on the royal throne in the capital of the old Province, Madrigal. Around him mages and courtiers mingle. He eyes them carefully, his thoughts and feelings hidden behind a mask, carefully constructed through years of rule.

Some urge that he flee, he has no intention of doing so.

Some urge that he fight, that would be suicidal.

The Brannon, as always, has some sort of trick up his sleeve. He simply waits for Alric to ask but the King has no intention of doing that either. He may need the Brannons to govern the lords but he does not need them for this.

He has a plan.

Admittedly recent events have caught the old Emperor a little off guard. The deterioration of the dwarven Kingdom, the rise of this 'King' in the Northlands, the attack at the palace in Muirthemne, none of this he expected but this last surprise eclipsed all that came before it.

Mazzarin once more wanders the lands and that changes everything.

He can feel the Great Mage now and a casual glance at his guards confirm that fact. Each of his Heron Guards are on edge, as minor mages each can feel the presence of Mazzarin within the city, any minute now-

"He's here!" one of the Heron Guard shout from the doorway, "Mazzarin! He is here!"

The call sends a wave of panic through his court, just as anticipated. The old Emperor has spent most of the last month ensuring that his people would fear the Great Mage, it will make the rest of his plan easier. In fact his biggest concern for the last three weeks was that Mazzarin would arrive too quickly, before he could prepare everything that would be necessary.

He gestures to his guards to have the room cleared of all non essential personnel. Mazzarin has always loved a crowd, even in the old stories, and Alric has no intention of giving him one.

The courtiers and most of the mages gladly flee, even the Brannon only makes the thinnest of protests before he allows himself to be escorted out.

The room is empty well before the Great Mage appears. Only the Emperor and three others remain, his wife Órfhlaith, his advisor Celg, and his general Mauriac. His Empress stays out of love and duty; his advisor, and court wizard, stays out of necessity and professional pride; and old Mauriac stays out of sheer stubbornness. The man that faced down Balor over sixty years ago has no intention of fleeing now.

The great doors burst open, melting off their hinges, a tangerine light pouring in from the antechamber beyond, "Alric!"

"Brillant, one more thing in this city to fix," mutters old Mauriac, "That will be the third pair of doors in three years."

The Emperor does his best not to grin. Celg smiles from ear to ear.

Mazzarin levitates in through the hole he has created. He is dressed in white silk from the south and cloth of gold, crimson red velvet pokes out from around his wrists and neck. In his hand is a staff of ivory with a single ruby fitted loosely in its top. It spins as he glides into the center of the chamber. Alric casts a critical eye over the archmage, he looks far too young to be the real Mazzarin though looks can be deceiving. What he is certain of though is the archmage's power. The energy pouring off of Mazzarin as he floats lazily in the air is more than enough to convince the Emperor.

This is Mazzarin and behind him is a youth, clad in simple hides and leather. Clutched in his hand is a tome in red and black though he is quick to slip it back into his pack as he moves to stand beside the Great Mage.

Mazzarin scans the room and snorts, "Small court you have King Alric."

The Emperor leans back in his throne, "I apologize that there is not a sufficiently large audience to justify your entrance but there is much that must be done to restore the Empire and far too few hands to do it."

Mazzarin snorts, "Well, then I shall demand as little of your time as possible. I wish for you to return my artefact to me."

The Emperor bows slightly, "How can I refuse the request of the greatest mage of this age or any other, but if I may ask, which artefact do you wish returned? What is it and what does it look like?"

"My thimble," the Great Mage answers without hesitation, "It would be difficult to mistake for any other, it is solid bronze with a large golden 'M' emblazed on the back."

Once more the Emperor has to suppress a smile as he gestures for Celg to retrieve Mazzarin's artefact.

The Court Wizard bows and retreats from the room. He makes a grand production of marshalling as many Guards as he can to track down the relic in question. It will take them precisely five minutes to do so. Alric knows this because it too is part of the plan.

It took two weeks to sort through his entire collection of artefacts in Madrigal for suitable bait but the moment he saw it, gaudy bronze and gold, he knew. He knew he had exactly what Mazzarin wanted and once he knew that the Great Mage would seek him out all he had to do was wait.

With Celg away the Emperor begins the next stage of his plan, "This court has heard of your deeds Mazzarin, First of the Avatara, and it is our pleasure to do whatever is necessary to aid you in your efforts. Efforts that no doubt have the best interests of all at their heart."

Mazzarin shifts cautiously in the air, "Yes, I suppose so. It is merely my duty to-"

The Emperor rises, raising a hand to stop the archmage, he smiles warmly, "Yes, none doubt for a second that you have all of our best interests in mind when you race across our land seizing back what is rightfully yours but still we are compelled to wonder."

"About?" the Great Mage cautiously answers, floating toward the throne.

"About whether this is the best way for you to spend your time?" Alric continues as he advances on the Archmage, "As you have seen the lands of men are not what they once were, the wars that have rebuilt this Empire have also drained the land of resources and the people of their strength. In times like these heroes, true, selfless, bold and wise heroes, are what the people most need and we are at a loss to think of a man more heroic than the Great Mazzarin."

Mazzarin merely nods for the Emperor to continue.

"You are Mazzarin, First of the Avatara and the greatest hero the Light has ever known. We would return to you all that is rightfully yours," the Emperor turns as Calg returns with four Heron Guards close behind.

Each carries a single purple cushion and upon each rest a single object.

"We would return to you your artefact," he gestures for the first cushion and plucks the thimble from it. Casually he extends his hand and presents the artefact to Mazzarin.

The Archmage takes it is silence.

"But, we would also return to you your office," Alric calls for the second cushion upon which rests the red mantle of the Avatara.

He extends the robe to Mazzarin with both hands.

Silently the Great Mage drops from the air and to his feet. Alric drapes the robe across his shoulders.

"We would return to you your authority," Alric calls for the third cushion upon which rests a silver circlet. The symbol of office for the Court Wizard of the Empire. Alric takes up the circlet but Mazzarin does not lower his head. Casually the Emperor passes the crown to Calg.

Mazzarin mutters to himself, carefully considering the proposal.

"Finally, we would grant you the power needed to help us restore the world and solidify the supremacy of the Light," Alric calls for the final cushion topped with a single jade box. He takes it in hand and opens it to reveal a set of Imperial seals before passing it off to Calg, "We would make you governor of the East and defender of the Empire, able to rule in our name and root out the Darkness."

The Great Mage shakes his head, "It is not my desire or my place to govern. I will take my artefact for it is mine and I will accept the robe of the Avatara for it too is by rights mine but the rest you may keep."

He turns on his heels and takes three great strides toward the shattered doors.

Alric also turns, to Calg, and begins to speak, his words clearly intended for Mazzarin to hear, "A shame but fully understandable. Calg, I will need a full report on our assets in Muirthemne, we will simply have to find another way to deal with the Faceless..."

Mazzarin stops short and turns his head slightly, "What was that?"

Alric grins, "The Faceless, we have reason to believe that he is active in Muirthemne again after all of this time. He is but one of many threats that face the Empire but we shall preserver as we always have..."

Mazzarin grumbles, something that the Emperor can not quite make out, "Very well, I will accept your offer and the positions of Court Wizard and of Governor of the East for as long as the Fallen Lords remain a threat but once they are dealt with I will resign the posts. Is that acceptable my... Emperor?"

Alric bows subtly, "Certainly, the aid of the great Mazzarin, even if only for a short while, will always be appreciated by this court. When you reach Muirthemne seek out the Brannons they will help you in all matters."

Calg steps forward to hand the seals and circlet to his successor but Mazzarin merely gestures to his apprentice, "Let the boy carry them."

Calg drops them in Emrys' arms without a further thought and before Alric can say another word great horns sound and the room fills with the noise of thunder. Mazzarin explodes into violet light and when the sound and fury fade the Great Mage and his apprentice are gone.

Alric can feel them leaving the palace and slipping into the city beyond, headed east.

"I am still not sure that this is a wise course of action," Órfhlaith asserts, shattering the silence left by the abrupt departure of the Great Mage, "Can he be safely controlled?"

Alric smiles softly at his Empress, "No."

Calg laughs, "But he can still be managed, one just has to be careful."

"And what if he burns down half the east?" Mauriac asks, unimpressed at the spindly advisor, "He is dangerous."

"The Brannons will keep an eye on him, "Calg responds dismissively, "Which would you rather have, a mage like Mazzarin free to do what he wishes or focused on the annihilation of our enemies in a place where he can be observed and dealt with."

Mauriac shakes his head slowly and sighs in resignation, "Well, I suppose this is superior to letting him run wild."

"Exactly," Calg adds with a grin, "And if he does get out of hand perhaps he will deem it necessary to purge a few dozen Brannons, er-" the mage catches himself a second too late, "My apologies my Empress..."

Órfhlaith waves him off, "My brothers can take care of themselves, they always have," she turns back to her husband and takes his hand, "So he can not be controlled but can he be trusted?"

Alric smirks, "He is a mage dear."

Calg cackles, "So that's a resounding no!"

The aged general scoffs, "Can't be controlled, can't be trusted, why are we even using him again?"

Cryptically Calg replies, "Doubt abounds in chaos, there are too many pieces on the board."

The Emperor stares through the shattered remnants of his throne room doors, and at the crowd of courtiers gathered beyond. The Brannon nods at him from the head of the crowd, quietly Alric adds, "And Mazzarin is good at simplifying things."

 

[Nevill]

Oh what is his name again?

Edwyn... Elfyn... Emlyn... No, that's not it!

For a second there my heart skipped a beat.

Spoiler

So it was Faceless that have orchestrated the attack on the Palace in Muirthemne. Funny that even though Gareth helped her with something, he did not recognize the fact.

And Alric has a cunning plan, as usual. To employ Mazzarin is quite an achievement.

Well... things certainly are getting more and more interesting. It would be nice to stay alive for long enough to see all the plots to their completion.

 

[Baltika9]

Yes, I´m very concerned with how Faceless is trying to pit us against the Empire.