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With their tragically brief time in the company of Sir Denim concluded, Dyrus and the rest of Lady Hauteclere's revolutionaries get used to the fact that the VERY different Chief Paisley is their ally for the time being. The very same morning that Denim's duel ended in his death, everyone was heading Northeast, into desert Gerxel territory. "We had thought it wise that we avoid slighting the desert region," Hauteclere explains to no avail, "and that Director Cato might even abstain from aiding the rest of the Empire if left ignored..."

"To hell with that!" Paisley calls in response. "Sure, it'd be nice and sweet if the mages just get along with all us rebels and raiders and decent folk trying to take back what's ours, but that Cato's a snake who won't stop biting my people! We'll draw her out to fight us, put her head on a pike before you're outta this desert!"

While Dyrus and pals hope he's not speaking literally, Rene and her little group continue their adventures in Garou valley. They haven't heard from the nomad Rene spared the life of since he ran off, but then again nobody but Rene has reason to believe he's alive, and even if they did they had no reason to care. Our Imperial protagonist focuses quite plainly on the hunt for the nomad chief Tien, none the wiser to the events just West of the Wolfskin region, but nonetheless wary of them.

Samson, meanwhile, multitasks between getting up to snuff with the sword (he has the guiding ring to thank for his being able to learn so quickly...), figuring out how to ration the prison's limited supplies of food, water, and healing items, keeping up with his songwriting and novel-penning, maintaining a newly-made-official relationship (he's partially folded that in with the sword training, since Millicent's more quick and cautious fighting style suits his weaker frame quite well), and planning for his prisoner army to competently challenge their two rival factions.

>A. Be Samson
>B. Be Dyrus
>C. Be Rene

>>47174720
>C. Be Rene

>>47174720
>C. Be Rene

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>>47174807
You are now Rene. After an uneventful day of riding around the valley in search of clues, interrogating a few less violent parties of nomads traveling through the area and getting nowhere, you, Saye, Veiz, Director Chiffon, and assistant-Director Cashmere sit around a campfire (the others have all retired early for the night).

"...so then," Chiffon says, in the middle of some tale, "Tense flipped a damned table over and said he 'wouldn't negotiate with subhumans.' Set a bit of a precedent for trying to talk to these guys about our issues, so... It's been hard to do anything BUT fight on sight."

"Do nomads think they get under our fur when they say things like that?" Saye says, amusedly. "We're the ones with stomachs of steel and the power to turn into awesome wolves!"

"Not to mention..." Cashmere yawns and stretches, laying all over Chiffon rather affectionately, "the ones in charge of this neck of the... Valley..."

"Speaking of the transforming thing, though," Saye says, tilting her head, "would a half-garou be able to transform? Quarter?"

"Kinda question's that?" Chiffon asks, teasingly. "An 'I have this friend of a friend who isn't me at all' thing?"

"No way!" Saye declares. "I-I wouldn't break protocol like that!"

Stepping in to deter the topic away from Saye's obvious thinking about her and Baker's future right before those who might be better not hearing about it, Veiz interrupts, "it's just an interesting hypothetical! Mixes of Vautou or Wolfskin or Manaketes and humans... They're virtually nonexistent, right? There... could be untapped potential in..."

"You're talking like that mentor of yours, Veiz," Chiffon says, frowning. "He says a lotta things in the name of magic-science that aren't particularly... Acceptable. 'The benefits of this,' 'the progress this experiment could bring...' Just doesn't sit right with me, you know?"

>A. What the Director says goes
>B. Discussing this is pointless
>C. Don't get distracted
>D. ...
>E. Write-in

>>47175081
>A. What the Director says goes
>C. Don't get distracted

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>>47175167
"If it's what the Director says," you say before Veiz can get in her own response, "it's entirely in his power to refuse these things."

"It's the criminalization of union between Wolfskin and others that I'm objecting to, moreso than the impediment of progress," Veiz rebuts. "Would removing barriers not ease tensions between you and the nomads?"

Chiffon shrugs. "It's a... Very tricky time for sweeping changes, and I haven't been regional Director very long. While I don't have anything against the idea, letting it slide could... come off as appeasement attempts for the nomads and only make the region look weaker when we're already in the middle of a nasty rebellion."

"So..." Veiz cuts through his words to their point, "you're afraid to rock the boat too hard."

"What a bold way to speak to a Wolfskin Director," Chiffon says. "Calling me a coward to my face..."

"We're getting distracted from the point here," you say. "You see, the reason Saye asked about that is-"

While Saye glares daggers at you, Cashmere suddenly (a bit too conveniently...) starts snoring VERY loudly.

"Eh... Hate to interrupt this important discussion about one of my subordinates' habits, but I should really get Cashmere here to a tent. Let's put all our hours of thinking away in dreamland towards tracking down Tien!"

Chiffon carries Cashmere off, and moments after they vanish into a luxurious tent, Saye snarls. "Rene, what the hell?! You almost got me and Baker into serious trouble... And for what reason!"

>A. Rules are rules
>B. You weren't thinking
>C. Why explain yourself to a dog
>D. Apologize
>E. Write-in response
>F. ...

>>47175403
>B. You weren't thinking
>D. Apologize

>>47175403
>D. Apologize

>>47175403
>B. You weren't thinking
>D. Apologize

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>>47175490
"Sorry about that, I wasn't thinking..." You say, sighing. "It's just... Following the rules of the Empire comes naturally to me."

"You're just lucky Chiffon and Cashmere wanted an excuse not to learn about something they shouldn't," Saye says, huffing. "It was stupid of me to ask a question like that anyway. Baker and I won't be able to settle down for awhile anyway..."

"Was the previous regional director more fervent about the things Chiffon only enforces blasely?" Veiz asks.

"Director Braid? Definitely. Chief Tien killed him, so... A lot of Wolfskin are even less fond of nomads than you'd think on top of all that. If Chiffon tried to change too much too fast, there'd be an uproar," Saye explains.
"How... Fickle, these politics are," Veiz says. "He's only appeasing his own people's tempers and raising tensions by maintaining these policies..."

"That's not for us to say, Veiz," you reprimand. "Would you like it were Saye to have criticized father's policies like that?"

Veiz is... Oddly silent, you assume in reflection of what was said.

"Look, just... I know we need to have the greater good in mind on the battlefield," Saye says, "but let your conscience win out off of it, alright?"

You don't answer that, instead heading out to be the first shift of the campsite's night watch. Accompanying you for the early part of the evening...

>A. Just your horse and your weapons
>B. Specify a person

>>47175677
B.Veiz

>>47175677
>B. Veiz

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>>47175773
You and Veiz are on the first shift of the night watch, conversation sadly thin as she remains distant.

Eventually, for the second time, you question her on this. "Sister, have I done something to offend you?"

"What? No, of course not," Veiz answers. "I've simply... Had a lot on my mind."

"That's what you said before, but now... You seemed as though you had something to say when I mentioned father's time as regional Director."

"Observant as ever..." Veiz says, sighing. "When I visited Fort Dalshin with Methodius, I... witnessed things that shook my infallible image of Director Waldrick's Coastal region."

"Wait... What're you saying?" You ask, surprised.

"On that prison island was a sublevel dedicated to pitting prisoners against Methodius' undead creations. I had the displeasure of witnessing a woman and her son fight to survive against a pair of deadlords, having to see her suffer and die and still be turned anyway... And the overseer of the prison tried to kill me and Methodius for reporting it."

"..." You listen to the story intently, expression not giving away your thoughts on it.

"And... As soon as Director Hera learned that places like this existed, she and I agreed that it was no better than the fighting pits and arenas she and that very overseer were forced to endure in youth. Since then it's just been... Haunting me to think that father knew of such a thing."

>A. It's really not the same
>B. That is pretty heavy...
>C. Stop being so naive
>D. She just came at a bad time
>E. Why didn't she inform you sooner?
>F. He couldn't have known its severity...
>G. Write-in response

>>47176051
>B. That is pretty heavy...
>F. He couldn't have known its severity...

>>47176051
>B. That is pretty heavy...
>F. He couldn't have known its severity...

>>47176131
"That's... That does sound awful," you say.

Veiz responds with silence, glancing away.

After several minutes' worth of silence, you finally speak up, "he... Couldn't have known of the severity of Fort Dalshin's situation. That's not the man who liberated the islands from slavers and blood sport."

"You're... Probably right," Veiz says, "but... Even Methodius failed to see how it was wrong until he saw how it affected me. Gods, I hope that young man is well... Fort Dalshin is filled to the brim with violent sorts, and he had a gentle air to him even when he tried to fight and be strong..."

"That... Wouldn't be one of the Holmstead rebels that I've heard about, would it?" You ask.

"I didn't ask," Veiz quickly responds, "anyway, what matters he seemed like a man who was merely following the example of those with wills stronger than his, not cut out to fight or bear witness to the horrors of warfare."

"He must have done something wrong to be in Fort Dalshin," you object. "While what he saw happen to his mother was... Unfortunate, would he have slept any more soundly had she simply been killed out of his glimpse? Unlike him, we had to live in complete ignorance of our father's death for a very long time."

"I suppose you..." Veiz quiets herself, looking off in the distance.

"What is it?" You ask, glancing where her eyes seem fixed so suddenly.

"That light in the distance... Someone has a fire going somewhat close to us."

>A. Ignore it. What's strange about that?
>B. You'll scope it out, she can let the others know where you went
>C. She can check, you'll tell everyone where she went
>D. Both of you scope it out
>E. Write-in response

>>47176396
>B. You'll scope it out, she can let the others know where you went

>>47176396
>B. You'll scope it out, she can let the others know where you went

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>>47176513
"I'll check it out," you say. "You tell the others where I've gone."

Veiz nods and heads back towards camp, and you ride Lyka out to see what's up.

The campfire is quiet, freshly started, and in front of it, legs folded, eyes shut, sits an older man, a human nomad, with black braided locks and a bandanna covering his mouth.

You ride towards him cautiously, noting the unique-looking bow in his lap, but before you can come any closer or say a word, he raises a hand up, and you feel as though you ought to come no closer. A horse rests nearby a small tent just a bit away from the tent.

The moment is tense, with you not even really feeling up to breaking the silence in demand of an explanation, when suddenly he draws a bow, and you hear loud, grotesque snarling from your right, seeing a Wolfskin leap at the man from behind.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLG2XmF0cec

Before you can react, sprawled out to your right is a deceased Wolfskin, reverting to a garou you thankfully don't recognize at all. The man swerves out of the way of the one that leaped at him from behind, causing her to land in the fire and recoil in pain... Directly into the man's sword.

"You've arrived at a bad time, stranger," the man says, calmly, as he pulls the other felled wolf off of his campfire. "A sect of flesh-eaters has been pursuing me for days, and there are certainly more lying in wait. I'd suggest getting out of here before they start to crave yours as well."

>A. How can he prove his pursuers intents?
>B. Then he should join up with your camp
>C. What a coincidence: you're investigating that
>D. Who is he?
>E. Just listen to him. This man can take care of himself
>F. Write-in response

>>47176819
>C. What a coincidence: you're investigating that
>D. Who is he?

>>47176819
>C. What a coincidence: you're investigating that
>D. Who is he?

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>>47176929
"That's quite the coincidence," you say, "since I'm trying to investigate this sect on behalf of the Empire."

"...never mind on asking you to leave, then," he says. "Your mere presence in this valley has painted a target on your back. Stay by me, investigator, and I will keep you safe."

"Wait... Who are you, anyway?" You ask.

"That is not important," he responds, "unless my answer would make you more willing to abandon me and be devoured."

Alright, so much for getting this nomad's name out. He's probably some sort of criminal, if he's hiding half his face and refusing to give his name, but that's just all the more reason to buy time until everyone else is on the scene.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dCWYoYq3oY

Five more emerge from the shadows, transforming and howling. The presumable leader of the bunch, a grin on his beastly face, tiredly says, "another investigator, eh? We give humans in your field of expertise very special treatment, but they keep sending more..."

The apparent leader rushes forward with terrifying speed and ferocity, only recoiling after you and the stranger have both put some five arrows into him, the other four leaping at him together at more "normal" wolfskin speeds (so not as fast as Saye, though their leader outsped her by a longshot before you wounded him, almost rivaling Cashmere).

>A. Shoot for the four attacking the man
>B. Keep up the fire on their leader
>C. Fall back and DEFINITELY tell the others about this
>D. See if you can't keep one alive (not guaranteed to succeed, suggestions might help odds or hamper them further)
>E. Write-in response
>F. Just observe

>>47177194
>A. Shoot for the four attacking the man

>>47177194
>A. Shoot for the four attacking the man

>>47177194
>A. Shoot for the four attacking the man

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>>47177249
You pull your bow back and fire, pull your bow back and fire, pull your bow back and fire, pull your bow back and fire. Your brave bow serves its purpose quite well, each of the wolves struck not fatally, but quite cripplingly, which is more than enough for them to be finished off by the stranger and his Killing Edge.

The last of the attackers, the wounded leader, starts to rush towards the man, but grows tired, presumably as his wounds take their tole, reverting and falling onto his hands and knees before the stranger for a swift execution.

"...are you hurt at all?" The man asks.

"No," you say, shaking your head. "You were up-close and personal with them, though. What about you?"

"I might have been had you not interfered, investigator... Thank you."

"It's just my job," you say. "No thanks are required."

"Humble, too... Don't die, alright?"

"I... wasn't planning on it," you respond.

"...are those friends of yours?" He asks, noting a group of people approaching from the direction of your own campsite. They're led by the familiar sight of Marduk's wyvern. Upon seeing you nod, he wakes his horse. "Right, then... Do not stay alone for long, especially around Wolfskin. If you weren't marked for death by this sect already, you surely are now."

>A. Will do
>B. Please wait!
>C. Try to stop him!
>D. Write-in response
>E. ...

>>47177557
>B. Please wait!

>>47177557
>B. Please wait!

>>47177557
>B. Please wait!
>>47177591
You can go there, Anon.

>>47177628
"Please wait!" You say.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUI4J1L-BtE

Your request is ignored, and the man, with only a moderately-sized bag out of his belongings, is quick to mount his horse and ride off. After seeing how he carried himself in battle, even you're too intimidated to give immediate chase, especially when, for all you know, he's just some random person with an absurd amount of capability.

"Rene!" Cicero, riding along with Marduk, is the first to approach, followed immediately after by Veiz on foot, and then the rest of your group. "What has... What has gone on here?"

"A lone traveler was assailed by man-eating wolfskin," you explain as everyone eyes the wolfskin corpses. "They even went so far as to threaten me, but he managed to kill them all."

"Some nomad did that?!" Saye asks, slightly bewildered. "Do you even know who he was?"

"He covered his face," you say, "and refused to give a name. Honestly, he might have been an outlaw of some kind, but I can confirm what the wolves who chased him said if-"

"Enough about that," Chiffon says, looking the corpses over. "All of these folks transformed, right?"

"Yes," you say.

"And... You didn't see this man take anything off them?"

"No, Director Chiffon."

"What're you..." Cashmere yawns, "implyin'?"

"This Wolfssegner doesn't have a beaststone," Chiffon says, "and he's got an awful lot of arrows in him..."

"Wh-what on earth?!" Veiz asks, sounding the most shocked by whatever the implication is.

>A. What's the significance?
>B. Could that mean... (insert theory here)
>C. ...
>D. Write-in response

>>47177841
>B. Could that mean he's also been fused with a beaststone?

>>47177864
Supporting.
Also, based mods.

>>47177841
>B. Could that mean he's also been fused with a beaststone?

(Right... In the future, let's institute a rigid "do not engage" policy. Even I get sucked in sometimes, so...)
>>47177864
"Could... He have been fused with a beaststone?" You ask.

"Impossible..." Cashmere says, yawning, "I mean Methodius said he wouldn't, right? You said that guy's fast, so maybe he took it when you weren't looking..."

"My eyes never left him," you retort. "This man must've been fused..."

"Then Methodius has some serious shit to answer to," Chiffon says, looking outright appalled. "If these guys confronted any humans weaker than this mystery man, they would most certainly have been messily devoured by now."

"That's a nice thought," Marduk remarks, scratching his stubbly chin. "And furthermore, we might have two conspiracies wrapped up in one now..."

"Er... Wh-what are the odds that anyone besides Methodius would know how to fuse people with beaststones?" Veiz asks.

"That's for him to tell us," Chiffon answers. "I'm gonna send word up to the Ger region that Methodius needs to answer for something."

>A. Speak to someone in the meantime
>B. Skip to whenever he arrives

>>47178056
>A. Speak with Cicero

>>47178056
>A. Speak to someone in the meantime
Saye

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>47178085
>>47178089

>>47178089
The next day, you find yourself spending time with the wolfskin you nearly jeopardized the job of the other day, who fiddles with and examines her beaststone as you cook a pair of hare over a fire for lunch (she's acquired a taste for non-raw meats since spending so much time outside of Garou Valley, but she still likes it very plain and very bloody).

"...you know, I considered signing on for that fuse-with-a-beaststone experiment," she says.

"Hm?" You ask, looking up from your culinary travesty of well-doneness.

"Cashmere talked me out of it. See, I get queasy easily and don't have the best sense of my limits, and we didn't know what the tests would result in at the time, so... She ended up being the only one onboard."

"It looks like she made the right call," you say, removing one of the beasts from the flame and tossing it to her. She catches it in her mouth kinda cutely.

"Yrh, shr drhd," Saye says, ripping a chunk of it out and swallowing it before downing the rest in seconds. "Ah... Anyway, yeah, with how tired and reckless she gets in battle nowadays... I'd be an absolute mess."

"Your entanglements with a Central wyvern rider are already practically an open secret," you say. "A careless you would've been caught in days."

"Shut up," she says, only sort of defensive. "Don't think I forgot about yesterday."

"And I apologized, took you hunting in the hopes of making it up... Er, is it working?"

"...I'll think about that," she says, patting her stomach. "I mean, that was a bit overdone..."

"I'm hardly a solid judge," you say, observing your more seasoned beast as it thoroughly cooks.

"...even other humans think it's weird how much you cook things."

"It started after I got sick over some undercooked pork at the academy, and I suppose I just... Realized I like it better well-done. Plus, it's more about augmenting the meat's flavor with seasonings and..."

"What flavor?" Saye asks.

>A. pls no bully
>B. You like it!
>C. ...
>D. Write-in response

>>47178362
>A. pls no bully

>>47178362
>A. pls no bully

>>47178362
>A. pls no bully
Put on your cutest face.

>>47178434
"...please don't bully me," you say, putting on as cute a face as you can muster (Cicero says it's adorable), tuning up the sadness in your eyes.

Your display is so over-the-top that Saye just laughs. "Veiz always said you could be funny, Rene, but... B-but I didn't believe her until now!"

"You laugh now," you say, "but a few years ago at the orphanage, the sad and cute was the clutch on more than a few fundraisers..."

"Y-you tried using a tactic that worked when you were. What, two?"

"Nine," you say, huffing. "At least... I think so. All they could tell was that I was a few months old when I was left there, so for simplicity's sake they've just called the day I was discovered my birthday."

"Can't imagine what that's like," Saye says. "I have a huge family myself, lots of aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, cousins... Er, pardon my ruining the fun mood, but do you ever think about your birth family?"

>A. You stopped a long time ago
>B. Only passingly, spitefully
>C. You're curious, but not overly so
>D. Some family they must've been
>E. Write-in response
>F. ...

>>47178634
>C. You're curious, but not overly so
>E. It doesn't matter. I have my family right here.
Though, I wish Father...

>>47178634
>C. You're curious, but not overly so
>E. It doesn't matter. I have my family right here.

>>47178734
"I admit that it's had me curious at times," you say, "what circumstances could drive a mother to abandon her infant like that..."

"It is pretty baffling... I mean, Baker says that when Director Belinda's daughter ran away, she wouldn't speak to anyone that wasn't a wyvern for months."

"Director Belinda had a family?" You ask.

Not answering your question, Saye continues, "also says that the very next year, when she became Director, had the highest execution rate in Central's history."

"...anyway," you say, not wanting to hear much more of this story, "I'm... Not TOO concerned with my birth family anyway. I have family of my own, and..." You shake your head, wishing your father were here.

The conversation sort of peters out after things took a turn towards familial issues, despite Saye's best efforts to humorously regale you with anecdotes about her siblings and cousins, and you eat your rubbery hunk of hare quietly.

As for when Methodius eventually arrives to speak with Chiffon...

>A. You heard about what went down afterwards from Veiz
>B. You were present for the chat

>>47178910
>A. You heard about what went down afterwards from Veiz

>>47178910
>A. You heard about what went down afterwards from Veiz

>>47178910
>A. You heard about what went down afterwards from Veiz

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>>47179015
Chiffon preferred that the entire affair be kept private, so only he, his retainers, Methodius, and his pupil (your sister) were present for it.

Saye was extremely down after the meeting, and soon after that Marduk grew blue as well. Naturally, coupled with the mystery already on everyone's minds, you HAD to ask Veiz for details. Like a good little sister, she was happy to oblige.

"Methodius claims to have no knowledge of other stonemorphs," she says, "but also says that he tries to keep his experiments a secret from anyone besides his most trusted of students, so..."

"So Director Cato is a suspect?" You ask.

"Or he's lying," Veiz plainly says. "I... honestly would no longer put it past him."

"Right... And how did that upset Saye so much?"

"That's not what set her and then Marduk off," Veiz answers. "The... Party of various Imperial forces, led by Baker, were easily cut down by the rebels."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0duv2_1Mdg

"Oh my..."

"On top of that," Veiz says, "apparently Assistant-director Denim of the Desert region vanished after leaving to confront the rebels as they passed through Vautou territory. He's either dead or he's betrayed the Empire."

>character limit, continued next post

>>47179195
"So our situation only gets more dire," you say. "With the rebellion's current numbers, they can certainly cut through the Vautou with ease, so if Director Cato fails to stop them..."

Veiz nods. "They'll be taking Garou Valley next."

"And... The coastline?"

"Methodius hasn't returned there yet since the incident on Fort Dalshin," Veiz says. "Though... Actually, that reminds me. He wished to ask you something."

Veiz leads you to a tent where the old necromancer sits. "Ah, Rene! Wish we could stop meeting under these grim circumstances..."

"Veiz told me you wished to talk to me?" You say.

"Ah, yes, well... When I last visited the desert regions, I encountered a half-parched young mage being attacked by Vautou. Even with his scatterbrained demeanor, he was able to strike them all down with Thunder magic before I could open my tomes. After I got him out of the sun and introduced myself, he expressed a desire to repay my kindness. He's currently resting in the Tower of Longevity, but if you would like the aid of a thunder mage in need of guidance I could have him here in an instant."

"And if we don't want him?" Veiz asks.

"Then I'll bring him with me when I go to check on the Archipelago..."

>A. You'll take him! [recruit a level 20 thunder mage]
>B. It's fine, really... [if there's any takers in the Southern Islands...]

Should we take him?

>>47179213
>A. You'll take him! [recruit a level 20 thunder mage]

>>47179254
I can't really think of a significant reason not to, unless we really want him to maybe be a recruitable for Samson, but even that seems wildly unlikely given the mage's supposed gratitude towards Methodius. Our only offensive magic user right now is Veiz, and she uses a different magic category entirely.

>>47179213
>A. You'll take him! [recruit a level 20 thunder mage]

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>>47179367
"We'd be happy to magesit for you," you remark.

"Excellent!" Methodius says. "I'll just be a moment..."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHfz6zIVVFw

A moment later, Methodius returns with a short (Veiz is taller than him, but he still beats you in height... Your birth family must be REALLY short), green-haired fellow in yellow robes. Sticking out from under the robes, you can sort of make out the shape of unexpectedly heavy armor.

"Hal here!" He says, "former student of Holmstead academy, currently a freelancer of sorts... I get lost easy, but my friends always used to say 'at least you're good at magic.'"

"Holmstead..?" You cock an eyebrow, looking to Methodius. "Can we be certain he'll be loyal?"

"Relax, relax," Hal says, raising his hands. "I mean... Holmstead's the Empire now, right? So it's not betraying my homeland to work with you guys..." He nods, shutting his eyes and grinning like an idiot. "In fact, a late college buddy of mine always talked about how important it is to be willing to fight for your motherland so... Workin' for the Empire is super patriotic, right? Gonna make ol' Rallyman proud..." His eyes open again, and he tilts his head to one side with a quizzical expression. "I was kinda hoping I could tag along with M-man to Coastal so I'd be closer to home, but... This is fine."

"He... Is good with a thunder tome, right, Methodius? You wouldn't lie about that, right?" Veiz finally stammers out, at a loss for words at this newcomer's simplemindedness.

"Of course," Methodius says. "I would not kid about magical potential, Veiz."

"Well, then..." Back to business as usual, Veiz stares Hal down, a competitive fire in your eye. "Whatever education in the magical arts you've built up, Hal of Holmstead, know now what a hopeless endeavor it would be to surpass me."

"I mean, I'll need to class up first!" Hal responds.

>To be continued next thread
Thanks for playing, as always. Update twitter/ask.fm are qmgrandflocto

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>>47179526
Thank you for running, Octo. Fun as always.

>>47179549
Always a pleasure.

Without spoiling too much of my unused plans, though, not recruiting Hal here would have resulted in him eventually being able to join up with team Holmstead 776. He's not very bright, so I already had a way Samson in particular could sway him in mind.

>>47179526
Thanks for running.

Any updates on support ranks for Rene?

>>47179586
She's at a minimum of C with every one of her party members besides Alfred and newcomer Hal, with the two people at A or above probably being obvious. Marduk's the only one at B-rank.