>>42463424

He sniffs slightly and wipes his eye. “Two-hundred and sixty thousand.” He replies, succinctly.

About eighty-thousand under the number The Usurper will hold after the main army of Impel returns.

You adjust the hood of your cloak more soundly over your head. “As Queen Aya’s cousin, if I deposed her from the throne, will her army still follow me?”

“There might be slight contention, but since you have the proper blood for it, most will follow you.” He leans forward. “However, if you were to soundly prove that your flame is more potent more than hers, then no one will challenge you.”

A proper end to the duel the two of had so long ago, and then the means to defeat The Empress.

“Very good.” You smirk. “This is very good news that you’ve brought me.”

Grievermillion bows once again. “Thank you, Sophia. The twenty-thousand we have now are ready to move whenever you are, and I am always at your service.”

That seal still in place over Kyraen’Asils eliminates the option of moving that many troops there at this time. You now have the means to infiltrate Kyraen’Asils with at the most a few others, so gathering more information about how to sneak in unnoticed would benefit you.

Or you can try to devise a method to break the seal, and have Grievermillion more properly train the troops in the meantime. Breaking the seal will force Aya to deploy her troops, leaving her capital more exposed.

>Have Grievermillion investigate a way to sneak past the Kyraen’Asils army.

>Have Grievermillion begin extensive training of your troops.

>Write in.

>>42463456
>Have Grievermillion investigate a way to sneak past the Kyraen’Asils army.

>>42463456
>>Have Grievermillion begin extensive training of your troops.

>>42463456
>Have Grievermillion investigate a way to sneak past the Kyraen'Asils army.

Hello and welcome back, everyone!

>>42463541
>>42463624
Sneaking mission.

>Writing~

We just need to sneak in and Ursurp aya. Then make her a general or some shit.

>>42463644

While it’s more risky to infiltrate a realm while an entire army is still stationed there, having them close on hand when you take over will make organizing them much easier.

You signal to Izu that it’s about time to return back to the palace.

You briefly poke you head out to see if the street behind you is clear. “Keep all of the troops out of sight for now.” You turn back to Grievermillion. “As for you, find a way for a person to reach the throne of Kyraen’Asils unseen.”

Grievermillion looks confused. “It might be difficult since the realm is still sealed off from us.”

You raise a finger at him. “They can only seal off so much. Proceed there from one of the outer realms, but not the badlands.” You begin to head back.

“Understood.” He bows once again. “Until we meet again.”

The two of you leave in opposite directions, and you hurry back to the palace, unseen.

Izu comes out of hiding as you approach the palace walls. “Can I be a general in your army?” He asks with wide and eager eyes.

You giggle at the thought the small boy in heavy armor with thousands at his back. “Will you bravely lead the men at the front lines?”

“Of course!” He responds confidently and marches next to you.

Now that you’re safely back inside the palace, the guards won’t think much of you walking around, so you lessen your stealth, but as you make your way into the main hall, an annoying sight comes into view.

[1/2]

>>42464228

Virgil leans against one of the large pillars with crossed arms. His heavy gaze shows that he’s lost in thought, at least until you walk by.

He laughs weakly. “Zarn is dead.”

It was only a matter of time given the extent of his injuries, but you’re surprised that he managed to hold on this long.

“My condolences.” You respond, more for the loss of a competent leader than anything else. You continue to walk past him.

“I thought that you might’ve liked to visit him before he passed…” He calls out suddenly.

You stop to wait until he gets to what he really wants to say.

“So I came by your room, and found that you weren’t there.” His eyes carefully look over your armor and cloak. “Might I be so bold to ask where you’ve been?”

Unfortunate timing for Zarn to have passed during the time you were gone, but even if he has any suspicions then he has no evidence to ground them in.

>”You were bold enough to ask, but too bold to expect an answer."

>Walk away without giving him an answer.

>Write in.

>>42464246
>”You were bold enough to ask, but too bold to expect an answer."

>>42464246
I had a necromancy lesson with Justinia, afterwards I walked around to clear my head from any ...unpleasantness. Besides my visiting Zarn would not have helped or changed anything, so why would I?

>>42464246
>”You were bold enough to ask, but too bold to expect an answer."
Wow, i finally were able to join an active thread despite my timezone differences!

>>42464246
>"You were bold enough to ask, but too bold to expect an answer."

>>42464262
>>42464301
I'm glad to have you here, anon!

>>42464326

Mind your business.

>Writing~

So we need to start training our flame like now.

>>42464246
We've been idle for days, and he's wondering why we left our room?

>>42464380
You might be surprised how soon you'll have a chance.

>>42464384
It's quite late at night.

>>42464391

You smile slightly. “You were bold enough to ask, but too bold to expect an answer.” You turn away to head back to your room.

“But!...” He calls out.

You shrug without even looking at him. “My visiting Zarn wouldn’t have helped or changed anything anyway.”

Your footsteps echo throughout the main hall as you calmly leave without another word.

~

After a long and welcome bath, you return to your quarters.

“Ugh.” You sigh as you finally prepare for sleep. “Snakes everywhere, so you have to watch your step.”

“I read that snakes usually like to hide during the night.” Izu calls out, already lying down on your bed.

Well if that’s the case, then that discounts Virgil who made his suspicions quite clear to you. You’ve already written him off as being overly emotional because of Zarn’s death. Anyway, you need to stay focused now more than ever as more and more pieces of your plan fall into place.

You diligently hang up the pieces of your armor on its stand and begin to head to bed, just as a thought crosses your mind.

A large amount of knowledge was gained today in varying fields, so you know that you’re owed something that you've yet to receive.

Impatiently you head toward where you left your cloak and slip it onto your skin once again.

“Knowledge… Your will, your control.” The cloak utters in your mind.

“What?!” An alarmed voice of the little girl also calls out.

“Quiet down.” You firmly scold her.

Izu’s light laughing voice also joins the fray in your thoughts.

[1/2]

>>42464987

You turn angrily toward him but only see a mound hiding underneath the covers.

“Two choices.” The cloak’s emits those words suddenly, instantly bringing your attention back to it.

It’s been quite some time since you’ve been able to choose two areas to increase your knowledge in, and you wonder if it ever might happen again.

Regardless, with the assignment you’ve been tasked to tomorrow, the upcoming attack into The Maw, your plans of challenging Aya, and your ultimate goal of being rid of The Empress, your choices need careful consideration.

What two fields will you increase your knowledge in?

>Delving.

>Pyromancy.

>Sealing.

>Mental Domination.

>Write in.

(Extra details are always welcome.)

>>42465016
>>Pyromancy.
Specifically the strength of my flame
>Delving.
How to better utilize, manipulate, sustain and link that pocket dimension I can create by delving.

>>42465016
>>42465062
Seconding.

>>42465062
>>42465095

Our flames and our first study.

>Writing~

>>42465210
damnit, give me more time, I'm still thinking!

>>42465220
If you get something pertinent to delving or pyromancy in quick I *might* just put in too.

>>42465247
Hmm, maybe the flexibillity of the flames? like how much it can move after it left our hand. Would be usefull for both almost causing a homing effect or other things.

>>42465275
We'll see...

>>42465220
>>42465016
>>Pyromancy.
Resistance to redirection, maybe a way to "seal" the flame itself from being redirected? Sealing its ability to turn or something.


>>Sealing.
Strength and deploy speed. Don't forget that we lost straight up against the Usurper, and that the ritual is an unsealing one.

>>42465210

With your long-term goals in mind you finally make your choices and direct your thoughts to them.

Suddenly it feels like you’re swept off your feet by a sudden explosion. You know it’s only in your mind, but that certainly doesn’t keep the immense heat from feeling very real. The force is unrelenting, and you can barely open your eyes to see explosion after explosion occurring all around you, their great energy igniting the air itself into a chaining torrent of blue fury.

The amount of raw energy is overwhelming, but you recognize the flame to be yours, if you can control it.

This is your birthright, this isn’t something that was borrowed or given to you, but this is yours and it will be under your control.

It will move as you say to move.

The chaotic chain of explosions suddenly begin to follow your command and proceed exactly where you direct them, like an extension of yourself, and like an extension of yourself it holds your own will and be very difficult to redirect it.

Your skin is tender as your finally master control of your flame, but you’re given no time to rest as you suddenly feel yourself falling into nothingness, as if you were delving.

You panic slightly, but regain your composure quickly. You will not be trapped in here, you are the warden not the prisoner.

Familiar objects fade into view, and then disappear as you will them. You go through so many things before you’re inspired to create a window of sorts back to the palace. You watch as inside your quarters, your body bleeds profusely and Izu does his best to nurse you through this ordeal.

Precious seconds pass as you continue to watch and you realize that you’ve held this bridge dimension for much longer than you have before, but it’s time to return before permanent damage occurs.

[1/?]

>>42466041

Your attempts to open your eyes are stopped by the warm blood pooling over them, but you manage to force them open just as you lose consciousness to see a visibly affected patch of space over your head. In the distorted air you see the window that you created for only a fraction of a second before it ceases to exist in this plane.

~

>”It looks just like you, Sophia. They really did a good job.” A warm voice says as something is gently placed in your hands.

The small doll carved in your likeness appears hazily in your field of view. Its clothes and hair practically gleam with how pristine it is.

>”Take care of it, Sophia. Always show how much you love something by taking good care of it.” The voice brings you into a tight hug.

Footsteps from the hall and then a very deliberate knock on the door.

>”I’ll be right back. Just play in the meantime.”

>”They’ve broken past the exterior guard. They’ll likely be at the gates in a few days.” A man’s voice whispers in the distance.

~

[2/3]

>>42466087

You rise suddenly from your bed. You have slight trouble breathing since your air passages are caked with dried blood, so you rise and clean them out.

A huge bloodstain on the ground shows just where you collapsed when using the cloak, and a pile of stained rags next to it shows just how much Izu had to clean you up.

It’s early morning and the boy still sleeps quietly on the bed, looking like he had a rough night.

You fix your hair and change into new clothing, as a knock comes from the door, surprising you slightly.

“Yes?” You respond much more hoarsely than you expected.

“I apologize to wake you so early.” Ali’s voice calls out from beyond the door. “But I’m to return to my assignment sooner than I had expected, so I had hoped to catch you before I left to discuss a few things.”

One last chance to talk about your course of action before the two of you are separated once again, you turn to look back to your room and the disorderly state it’s in.

>Let her in to speak anyway.

>Find somewhere else in the palace to talk.

>Write in.

>>42466127
>Let her in to speak anyway.
Just like, move a rug over the big bloodstain and rags

>>42466127
>>Let her in to speak anyway.
Make sure she can't obtain any of blood though.

>>42466127
>Let her in to speak anyway.
Put a rug over it.

>>42466127
>Let her in to speak anyway.
We need to apologize for Vicki and maybe tell her about the 20,000. Not like we can take them with us.

>>42466239
Oh god that's right
"Sorry I shoved your apprentice in a wardrobe, but she was the one who stayed in there for hours."

>>42466189
>>42466196
>>42466197
>>42466239

Quickly cleaning up for company.

>Writing~

>>42466274

The mess left over from the night before will likely bring up a number of unpleasant questions, so you quickly collect the stained rags and throw them into the wardrobe. You through a few of your covers on the floor at random and to cover the blood stain, leaving Izu colder than he likes to be.

You open the door to allow Ali inside and she doesn’t seem the least bit bothered by the disorderliness.

She does, however, smile slightly at the sight of Izu sprawled out on the bed. “Right where I left him.”

Her comment reminds you of your little chat that you had with Vicki the day before. “I am sorry for how I treated your apprentice.” You pull a strand of hair out of your face. “The circumstances called for it, I had not intended to bully her or anything like that.”

“Vicki’s tougher than she appears, not smarter, but certainly tougher. A few sweets and she’s already forgotten all about it.” Ali responds with a slight laugh, but then shakes her head and then turns to you. “I’m being watched.” She says, gravely.

“By whom?” You instantly demand.

“I don’t know.” She responds angrily, and stops to think for a moment. “Vicki was missing all last night and she turned up unconscious this morning in front of my room.” She’s almost whispering now. “She’s perfectly fine, but she doesn’t remember anything after leaving this room. Do you know anything about it?” She asks earnestly.

[1/2]

>>42466933

“I didn’t see anything happen after she left.” You quickly respond.

Ali crosses her arms and sighs. “I’m sure there’s someone in one of the councils who’s more than they say, but I’ve yet to find a lead, which is annoying unusual.” She continues bitterly. “Now I’m going to be thoroughly separated from where the information might be, and every passing day puts me more at a disadvantage.”

Her being put at a disadvantage puts part of your effort at a disadvantage as well.

“Whoever they might be, they might target you as well. So keep your eyes open and it should help me out as well.” She looks back to the door and then back to you. “If these actions are coming from the top, then we will have to act immediately. Do you think it’s possible that The Empress might be the source of all of this?”

There have been a few suspicious things that have occurred to even you shortly after you begun working for The Empress, but you’ve yet to concretely tie anything back to her. How much can you tell Ali that would actually help her and you?

>"I can't say for certain."

>"I don't think she's responsible."

>"She might be behind this."

>Write in.

>>42466976
>"I don't think she's responsible."
If she wanted she could just kill us. One of the other council members is likely behind this.

>>42466976
>Tell Ali that a curse was placed on your armor.

>>42466976
>>"I don't think she's responsible."
Virgil Maybe. If The Usurper wanted us dead she'd do it.

>>42466976
>"I don't think she's responsible."
There have also been other things happening.

>>42467009
>>42467019
>>42467025
>>42467057
Not her, but someone else.

>Writing~

>>42467129

You shake your head. “I don’t think she’s the one responsible.” You continue. “If she wanted us dead, she could’ve done it a long time ago, and no one would’ve blinked an eye.”

“Then you suspect someone else on the council?” Ali presses.

“I have reason to suspect Virgil, given how interested he seems in my business.” You lean forward. “But there was something far too insidious that happened to me for it to be someone so direct.”

Ali furrows her brow and then turns to look at Izu.

You shake your head. “Not him. He was the one who found the curse on my armor actually.” You look toward your armor.

You give her a quick summary of the effects that curse had on you and how you removed it.

“Wait!” She exclaims and then rushes to your armor. She carefully examines the plating, the joints, and the interior padding before stopping at the back. “This is it!”

She turns back to you with serious eyes. “The Empress had asked me to gather this flexible fabric for her. She said that she had given all the other material to Philomena to craft something, but she needed to attend to this piece personally.”

So it wasn’t The Empress who had made your armor, but had simply modified the back to accommodate for your wings when you were still keeping them secret.

[1/2]

>>42467733

“But how would she have learned how to place a curse on anything at all?” You quickly ask.

Ali smiles widely. “That’s not my field of expertise, but I will find out.” She grabs your shoulder. “If Philomena is responsible for what happened to Vicki, then she will certainly paid back extra.”

No, if she’s responsible for that curse, then you will see to matter of payback, personally. There are some new abilities that you need a test subject for anyway.

“What reason would she have to do all of this?” You follow up.

“Beyond her modest nature, she hides something.” Ali sighs. “I’m not sure what, but it has everything to do with why she’s allowed to be on the council.”

If only she knew the half of it.

She steps back from you. “But now I know where to put Vicki to work, and the instant I find something out I’ll have her report back to you.” She breathes a heavy sigh of relief. “We’ll have to keep our guard up, but our plan can continue. In the meantime, if there’s anything I can help you with, let me know.”

The two of you head toward the door.

There might be a few things you can ask her to look into, but maybe you should keep it light to not impede her investigation into the curse.

>”Focus on the curse, Ali. Good luck.”

>Write in.

>>42467771
>”Focus on the curse, Ali. Good luck.”
>I know some of what her magic can do. Hunger is all of it, and all of it is hunger.

>>42467771
>Write in.
Try and look into Virgil a bit too, make sure he isn't coming after either of us.

>>42467771
>>42467896 (You)
Oh yeah also tell her about Philomena's monster form.

>>42467895
>>42467896
>>42467917
A little work, and one last note about our friend.

>Writing!

>>42467997

There are some other concerns you’d rather have addressed while you have the chance.

You turn to her before unsealing the room. “Focus mostly on the curse, but keep Virgil in your sights as well, if justto make sure he isn’t coming after us as well.” You sigh lightly. “Be careful when investigating Philomena.”

You let her know about Philomena’s true form and just what it’s capable of. “She has an insatiable need to feed, likely to fuel her abilities somehow.”

“Her hunger has always been at the center of her personality, and it will be her downfall, even if she’s not responsible for this curse.” She nods toward the door, signaling that she’s ready to leave.

You unseal the room.

“I’ll be gone for about as long as I was t last time, but this trip should be the end of my work there. So for now, keep an eye out for Vicki, please.” She smiles slightly.

You’re certain that Vicki does her utmost to avoid you when not specifically told to, so that might be a difficult task.

You nod. “I’ll do my best.”

With that, Ali leaves your quarters, heading back to human realm to continue her strenuous spying.

~

[1/2]

>>42468562

You slip on the last piece of your armor as Izu watches, silently brooding. He hasn’t said anything, but you can sense he’s quite concerned for the assignment you have ahead of today. Your final briefing with The Empress will be at the base of that annoying tower in less than an hour.

“If you have something on your mind…” You adjust one of your gauntlets.

“I really don’t like any of this.” He crosses his arms and pouts.

You slump down on the bed next to him. “Do actually have a reason?”

He crosses his arms more tightly, unspeaking, but he does communicate with you through your mind. “I can’t hear your voice when you use that little girl’s power. It sure to be worse when you go deal with that thing down there.”

Meaning that communicating with these beings interferes with Izu’s link in your mind. Interesting to know.

“I know you have to do it.” He throws himself back on the bed. “But I still don’t like it.”

You poke the boy in the side as he fights to keep from smiling. “I’ll come back. I’m not going to die at the bottom of tower with only a group of freaks to keep me company.”

He smiles at your words and the two of you sit in silence for a few minutes before its time for you to leave.

You stand. As much as you’d like to take Izu with you, this is going to a completely foreign experience, and The Empress strongly suggested that he stay to be spared from the process of leashing the thing.

But there’s someone else you’ve been wondering about. You’re not sure if the little girl in your mind is connected to the being you’re going to leash, and whether she is or not, you’re conflicted in between leaving her bound in your mind, or having her stay in the room.

>Keep the girl bound in your mind.

>Leave the girl here with Izu.

>Write in.

>>42468596
>Leave the girl here with Izu.
She can't leave the room or make too much noise, but she can play with the doll. Izu is in charge.

>>42468596
>Write in.
Ask the girl if she has any relation to this thing

>Leave the girl here with Izu.

>>42468596
>Leave the girl here with Izu.
"If she starts flipping out, then contain her in your barriers."

>>42468623
>>42468629
>>42468652

Something to keep Izu busy during the whole thing.

>Writing~

>>42468712

You force the girl to take her physical form and after a few moments she plops down next to Izu on the bed.

You turn toward the girl. “Do you have any relation to the being that resides at the bottom of this palace?”

She shakes her head meekly. “I don’t think so. A long time ago I used to be able to hear it sleep, but not anymore.” She watches her legs as she kicks them in the air. “It isn’t me, I’m not it.” She looks toward the large wardrobe.

So they aren’t connected directly. Regardless, you should leave Izu with some instructions in case something does happen.

“You’re in charge, so let her play to keep her quiet.” You point directly at her, but still talk to Izu. “If she becomes uncontrollable when I’m gone, contain her in your barriers, and if necessary, eliminate her."

They both solemnly absorb your words in silence, and watch as you leave the room, headed toward the base of that forgotten tower.

~

You and The Empress proceed back into bizarrely crafted stone path and toward the underground settlement.

“The being that we’ll be leashing today is a very old one indeed.” She marches with eyes focused on the path ahead of her. “It and many others like it were belched into existence unnoticing and uncaring of the chaos and pandemonium they spread.” Her eyes narrow. “They should be dead. All of them. But they were kept around because of the power they birthed into the world.”

[1/??]

>>42469402

You turn to her. “Do you mean to say that they are source of the power we hold today?”

“Exactly.” She responds almost immediately. “But they did not gift it to us willingly. Let me assure you of that.”

The two of you proceed even further past the decrepit huts of the subterranean dwellers, who are nowhere to be seen.

The Empress continues. “We’ll be taking a very useless body with us to bind the things consciousness into, which will be your duty. I will be making sure that its physical body doesn’t turn us both into a fine paste.”

“Any advice?” You ask, thinking about the task ahead of you.

She sighs pensively. “It doesn’t exist like us, so it can’t be reasoned with using any emotions we’re familiar with. It’s more of a force than it is a creature, but it can still affect your mind in very profound and horrifyingly permanent ways. “She stops and her piercing blue eyes look directly into your own. “But no matter how much it warps itself and your thoughts, there will always be a sign to where it’s rooted in your mind, and that’s where you’ll be able to bind it.”

[2/3]

File: Ip'suran.jpg (177 KB, 900x900)

177 KB JPG

>>42469423

The two of you continue down the path until reach the end. The silence in this place is so heavy you can hear the blood pulse through your head.

A massive sealed metal portal lay before you, with energy surging throughout its body. Surrounding it lie several pits filled the mashed corpses of the thousands of sacrifices, creating a putrid and visible air.

With no further words, The Empress begins to channel her own energy into the metal seal, until a column of light rises to the roof of the cavern, and reshapes itself into an immense ritual circle.

The entire ground shakes as the metal mouth begins to open, and the pits of organic matter pour and slosh into its unseen depths.

Once the portal fully opens, The Empress gives one last nod toward you. She hands you a limbless, eyeless, noseless, and earless pale body of what was perhaps once a human child, before jumping into the pit, with you floating behind her.

You don’t see her, but you hear as the both of you crash into the thousands of mashed sacrifices, but you hardly have any time to adjust to sudden and oppressive darkness and hold onto the body before a singularly immense creature fills the entirety of your field of view.

Its several eyes stare deeply inside you as you feel like your body and mind are falling into a great pit of gravity centered around the thing.

~

>>42469463
Okay, that's where I'm going to end it for tonight. Phew, that last update was a doozy.

I want to thank everyone that played today, and as always if you have any questions or comments please feel free to post them in the thread and I will do my best to respond to them.

If not, then I wish you a good day/night, and hope to see you again next time!

>(Twitter)
https://twitter.com/QM_Auri

>>42469488
thx 4 runin budi gud thred

that thing looks like a horror beyond comprehension

>>42469514
You're very welcome! And I'm glad you think so.

>>42469488
Thanks for running. How many of these guys are there?

>>42469488
Thanks for running! How many are there and is each one keyed to a different power?

>>42469557
You're very welcome! If you're talking about the pit you're in, then there's just the one. But there are many others sealed, exactly how many you'll end up dealing with isn't certain.

>>42469562
You're also very welcome! They're not necessarily keyed into a single power, as they can have more than one, and there can be overlap in between which powers these beings hold. But for the most part, they are very different from each other.

>>42469612
The area sealed off by the Ancillary Manta their home. or where most of them are?

>>42469628
That is a very good question! But unfortunately, one that I can't answer at this point, I'm sorry.

>>42469650
So theoretically, is what we have in our head a baby one of that?

>>42469694
Not really so much of a baby one as a fragment that has been modified to make it easier to control.

>>42469730
Does each one of the interlocking circles contain one of those things? If one could be sealed in and contained the person using it would get full use of one's power?

>>42469771
For now we'll say that a one to one ratio isn't too far away from the truth. That's a mighty, mighty big if, but yes, if one were to successfully bind it within their own mind, then they'd be in control of its power.

>>42469824
Auri I have a hypothesis. Magic was originally just delving to beyond where the Manta was. which is why it had such a reputation for danger. Eventually either by over use or accident several of those things were dragged into our world. Where upon several mages created through delving three massive delve realms to contain them and to create a grand seal. The realms were layered in such a way as to interlock so to reinforce each other. This had the unfortunate side effect of dragging many people into the realms too to capture the entities. The people were warped and gift by the limited contact and chose to remain in the realms so as not to be shunned by humanity. The largest pop concentration being over the seals of the 3 beasts. Since that was where most of the people ended up and the main triple seal over the tear would be a bad place to live.

Earth losing many of it's occultist, population and former glory still has yet to truly recover, even after all this time.


Close?

>>42469918
There are many aspects of this hypothesis that are quite close to the truth, but incorrect in the smaller details. Others aren't so close. So I'll remind you of a few things that have been mentioned in the quest before to perhaps set you closer to the truth.

>Magic was originally just delving to beyond where the Manta was.
The Manta's origins, while not directly stated, have been heavily implied before, look into any mentions about it.

>Eventually either by over use or accident several of those things were dragged into our world.
Remember the exact verb that The Empress used to explain how those beings appeared.

>The realms were layered in such a way as to interlock so to reinforce each other.
I like this very much...

>Earth losing many of it's occultist, population and former glory still has yet to truly recover, even after all this time.
The fate of what happened to most of the inhabitants of the human realm has been heavily implied, even by Sophia, to be a result of The Usurper's plans. Look into the delve into The Maw for more details.

Overall, I'm very impressed with your hypothesis, and I'm glad that you took the time to think so heavily about my quest. Thank you!

>>42470057
>Manta's origins, while not directly stated, have been heavily implied before, look into any mentions about it.
I assumed she was made as an additional reinforcement/gatekeeper to keep the tear for getting opened by someone careless or arrogant. Like the Usurper.

>Remember the exact verb that The Empress used to explain how those beings appeared.
Belched? Sounds like they were forcibly expelled.

>The fate of what happened to most of the inhabitants of the human realm has been heavily implied, even by Sophia, to be a result of The Usurper's plans. Look into the delve into The Maw for more details.
Yeah, I was assuming she just set back a world recovering to the beginning.

>>42470057
>>42470105
Anyways I was just thinking. Thanks for running Auri. You make very good quests.

>>42470115
You're very welcome! Your interest and praise mean very, very much to me, really.

With that, I'll be heading out for the night. Until next time!