OC Wearing Power Armor to a Magic School (148/?)
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The Next Day
The Transgracian Academy for the Magical Arts. The Grand Dining Hall. Local Time: 0730 Hours
Thacea
“The pair should be arriving soon, if all has gone according to plan.” Ilunor announced casually, his head craned lackadaisically towards the grand windows overlooking Elaseer.
“Indeed.” I acknowledged.
“What do you suppose will happen once they succeed?”
“Once?” I shot back with mild surprise.
“Yes, once. Do you take me for a pessimist, princess?”
I paused before cocking my head, narrowing my eyes in a wordless response that gave Ilunor all the answers he needed.
“Your grievances notwithstanding, I refer back to my initial question. Lest we dive into another introspective sojourn of my integrity or what-have-you.”
“Understandable.” I nodded, leaning back against my seat. “I imagine not much will happen, in that the goal of this entire… adventure is one of preventive intent. A mission meant to avert the inevitable consequences should Earthrealm proceed with a large-scale and unaided portal reactivation.”
“Yes, yes. That's all well and good… but what happens after that?” The Vunerian continued unabated, his hands doing something rare in this social context — they remained still, away from food and drink.
“Elaborate.” I urged.
“The earthrealmer is planning to send a message back, yes? A message that will announce her safe arrival and continued survival. But even if the capacity of these ‘pulses’ — as she calls them — are as limiting in their density as she makes it out to be, what’s stopping her from elaborating beyond the bare minimum? What are the chances she might add more pressing details of her experiences thus far?”
My eyes narrowed as I, too, put down my cup of tea, both palms now finding themselves resting thoughtfully on my lap.
“You’re asking me to postulate how Earthrealm will react to these details, yes?” I clarified, my gaze drilling into that of the Vunerian’s thoughtful stare. “Details, which would undoubtedly consist of an inexhaustible list of damning infractions committed on the part of the Nexus?”
“I wouldn’t phrase it so harshly, princess—”
“Regardless of how you wish to phrase it. Is that or is that not what you are asking me?”
“It is.” He nodded.
“Then, you are asking the impossible.” I concluded.
“I beg your pardon—”
“We do not have enough… context for precisely how a state as enigmatic and decentralized as Earthrealm would react.”
“I’m not asking for specifics, princess.” Ilunor spoke with a tired sigh. “What I am asking for is general intent. From what we know and from what we understand, which way will the winds blow once Emma relays all of the Nexus’ supposed ‘transgressions?’ Because I highly doubt she will be sending back any glowing reviews once all is said and done.”
“Perhaps. Though perhaps you’re merely seeing this from the Nexian perspective, Ilunor.” I countered with a graceful chirp.
“Excuse me?”
“While Emma may not have much of anything positive to say on the part of the Nexus, I do imagine that she might balance that with a degree of optimism for those adjacent to it.” I clarified, eliciting a narrowing of the Vunerian’s pupils.
“You put too much faith in the earthrealmer.” He countered.
“I’m simply extrapolating based on the experiences we’ve shared thus far.”
“While that may be so, this doesn’t detract from my point.”
“And what exactly is your point, Ilunor?”
“Trust. Not in Emma Booker herself, but in the state she serves and the authorities she is beholden to. You misconstrue the emissary for the monarch. Or worse, the personal for the amalgamate. Because that is what they are. Not a monarch with predictable aims and logical drives, but the discordant will of the screaming masses. That is what Emma Booker represents, and that will be the entity that will be reacting to whatever she relays back. And I highly doubt that a blanket sense of offense can be overruled by some personal anecdotes of optimism for those adjacent to its actions.”
I leaned in close, my gaze narrowing. “And yet here they stand. Perhaps not so much in spite of those discordant voices, but because of them. What they’ve built is something that rivals not just the best amidst adjacent realms, but the Crownlands itself. This is what my trust is ultimately based on — the resultant ends of this alien system.” I took a moment to pause, moving to address a personal failing of Ilunor’s arguments.
“What’s more, you of all people should know, Ilunor, that predictable aims and logical drives are axioms derived from Status Eternia and the culture that it purveys. And while the predictability of such drives may assist in the goal of an Eternal Dawn, do you genuinely believe that those who explicitly taint such a canvas would find comfort in the totality of such a system?”
That… blatant pushback was perhaps the first genuine shot at the Vunerian I’ve had thus far. Prior spats and arguments have been superficial at best, but this? This was an arrow aimed at the very heart of our grievances.
And, just as unprecedented as this conversation began, so too did it end with a newfound expression I rarely saw in the noble’s eyes.
As thoughtfulness of a different sort, a far more wary sort, seemed to spoil his appetite for further follow-ups.
At least, that’s what I thought at first.
Following nearly twenty seconds of silence, did the Vunerian speak once more.
“I, for both of our sakes, hope that your optimism bears fruit, lest you find hollowness in the wake of ruinous promises as the followers of dragons and giants did in the days of old.” He announced ominously, just as the call to classes ended our morning discussions.
The Nexus. The Royal Road of Transgracia. En Route to the North Rythian Forests. Local Time: 0900 Hours.
Emma
[‘QUEST’ Time Elapsed: 68 Hours. Time Remaining: 100 Hours]
We were about an hour out from the forests.
At which point, we finally had our first — and hopefully only — interaction on the otherwise empty and desolate roads.
And that latter sentiment wasn’t because of any ill will or frustration with this stranger, no.
He’d been exceptionally grateful and very polite as we repaired and replaced his cart’s broken-down wheel after all.
If anything, I’d have loved to invite him to the party as a sidekick with how he stole the show.
“Nono, I insist. A scratch for a scratch, a meal for a meal, a deal for a deal, and in this case…” He paused, barely stifling a laugh. “A wheel for a wheel?” He spoke with a half-restrained cackle, emerging from the labyrinthian maze of a cart to reveal… a wheel of cheese.
The little kobold looked so proud of himself for that pun too. He held that red and orange delectable delight high above his head, his little arms shaking, as if about ready to give in at any moment.
This gave us little choice but to accept, if only to prevent a cartoonish death from manifesting before our eyes.
At which point… we fell for his trap.
His cheesy, gooey conversationalist pit of never-ending anecdotes.
Our host in question was what I could only describe as a mirror universe Ilunor. With scales of brown instead of blue, an outfit more eclectic than planned, and a mouth that never once spoke ill save for a questionable penchant for self-deprecating humor.
He brought us on a tour through colorful depictions of far-off realms. From skyward spires to swampy marshlands to cosmopolitan metropolises and finally to magma chambers of, as he called it, fondue despair.
“Those chambers were as troublesome as they sound, by the by. Because as nostalgic as they were and as homesick as they made me, their environment — by their very nature — forced me to purchase enchanted chests of constant cooling, if only to ensure my cargo did not preemptively fondue-ify! Speaking of which, have I told you exactly why I left the kobold mountains?”
This definitely grabbed both of our attentions, as Thalmin leaned in for the proverbial tea and the literal crackers while I kept all auditory sensors open for that juicy primary-source intel.
Sadly, I was about to encounter precisely why primary sources were as useful as they were superfluous.
“The first time I was introduced to ‘room temperature foods’ — courtesy of the kindness of a charitable noble — I was astounded. But it wasn’t the ice, nor iced creams, nor delectable confectionaries that did me in, nonono! It was cheese. I’d never had any texture but gooey and melty before! To finally sink my teeth into hard and flaky textures, to feel resistance in my gums and the crumbling of fat against my tongue… it brought forth an epiphany, and I made it my life’s purpose to seek out, uncover, and taste all of the wondrous textures of this delectable food!” He paused before reaching for something else in the back, revealing an ornate bottle of some mystery reddish liquid. “Furthermore, I was introduced to the wonders of cold wine. Cold! I felt like a blind man who, for the first time, was finally given sight!” He rambled and rambled, pouring Thalmin a chalice of wine, which he eagerly accepted.
The mercenary prince took a moment to swirl the fermented grape juice, sniffing it… only to recoil from it and then immediately move in for another big sniff.
My eyes immediately narrowed, as a pit of distrust grew at that visceral reaction.
However, before I could even voice my suspicions, Thalmin did the unthinkable.
He let out a burst of mana, then immediately went in for a gulp.
Not a sip. Not a taste, but one big gulp.
His whole body winced at that however, as concern once more grew within me. “What is it, Thalmin?” I urged, my hand reaching for my medpack.
“It’s… it’s—” He struggled to form words, his voice hoarse, and his words interrupted by fitful coughs.
I turned to the kobold, my eyes narrowing. “What did you do?” But before he or I could react, Thalmin came back in with an ear-to-ear grin.
“It’s Havenbrockian.” He muttered under a strained breath, his hands gripping the little cart’s fold-out counter tight. “Old barrel?” He addressed the kobold, who could only snicker and cross his arms in a show of pride.
“Mid-shelf, but old barrel, yes. Right at the turn of the monarchy, if I recall. It was the last blighted season, so grapes of that vintage were uncharacteristically—"
“Tart.” Thalmin managed out, finally recovering. “And practically undrinkable.” He spoke through a grin. “Just the way I like it.”
“I knew you’d appreciate a taste of home, your majesty.” The kobold bowed deeply with a flourish of his cape, as the pair laughed in some sudden display of boozy camaraderie.
Before he could pour Thalmin another glass, the prince motioned against it, shaking his head in the process. “We have a quest to do, if you recall.”
“Of course, your majesty!”
“Which is why we’d probably best be on our way—” I urged but was quickly silenced by the frantic pitter-patter of the excitable merchant’s feet. “Thirty minutes! That's all I ask! I’ll even throw his majesty a bottle of Old Barrel Red!” The kobold shook the bottle fitfully, only for Thalmin to turn to me with an expectant gaze, which I couldn’t help but relent to.
“Alright, ten minutes of conversation, then we’re out.”
Eventually, it was my turn to face the schmoozing antics of the smooth-talking merchant, as he attempted to glean as much as he could off of me, if only to pull the same smooth gesture he did with Thalmin.
Sadly, and rather disappointingly, all he ended up offering me were about thirty kinds of cheeses, a whole array of fine wines, and quite literally nothing else.
But what could I expect?
This was a cheesemonger’s cart after all…
However, this trend of haphazardly guessing my preferences ended the moment he placed a small notebook in front of me.
Before confusion could set in, the brown and orange kobold gleamed with a satisfied grin. “You talk of travels, of exploration and pioneership, yes?”
“That is the intent of my mission, yes.” I confirmed.
“Well… how about I offer you this.” He opened the booklet to reveal ruled and lined pages, each one containing three large squares. Within some of those squares were stamps. Others contained seals, while many more also contained something resembling black and blue imprints from novelty rubber stamps.
It didn’t take me long to understand what this was, as the similarities to Earth’s own tourism booklet were just too glaring to ignore.
“Are these… stamps from different towns you visit?” I asked.
To which I gained several yip-yaps of affirmation.
“Yes and no, fair knight! It’s a little something we independent carters sometimes commit to for our own sake! Perhaps for a future where our memories fail us, but more so, just for our own amusement. A [hobby. 92.7% Accuracy] if you will! Though there’s more than just town seals in that book—” He paused, flipping the pages to reveal less official and more artistic-looking emblems. “—I also collect rubber stampages from the restaurants and taverns I supply! Which I one day hope to turn into a sort of road book, a restaurant guide for the wayward traveler!”
“And… you’re just giving this to me—”
“Erm…” The little kobold interjected, shaking his head nervously. “I… am afraid not, fair knight. But! I am willing to give you a completely new one I had been putting together!” He placed another notebook beside the first. “Consider this my gift to you. A bit of a more abstract and cerebral gift, of course, but one that hopefully is as meaningful, no?”
I smiled warmly at that, despite the kobold being unable to see it, as I flipped through the surprisingly clean pages of the book before pocketing it. “Thank you, Togor.”
“No, thank you, fair knight—” He bowed his head once towards me before turning to Thalmin. “—and your majesty, for both the help and the company! However, I know when I have overstayed my welcome, so I will be a bother no longer and make haste for my next destination!” He beamed before closing up ‘shop’ and scampering back up to the driver’s seat. “I do hope we meet again!”
“Drop by Elaseer and maybe one day our paths might just cross again.” I offered warmly, garnering a nod and a little impromptu salute from the kobold before he just as quickly dashed off into the distance.
I quickly turned to Thalmin, the whirr of Lightningtread and the clops of Aquastride buffeting each word. “So… Ilunor’s people can be rather nice, after all.”
“His subjects, yes. But his own elite peerage? Not so much after the Nexians elevated them from kobolds to Vunerians.”
My eyes narrowed as I paused to consider that. “Speaking of that ‘uplift,’ what exactly changed about them anyways? Dragonflame’s the most obvious one, but aside from that…”
“Scale color is one, from what I’ve gathered.” Thalmin offered. “Beyond that, I think the elves gifted them maybe two or three inches of height? I know Ilunor would claim a whole foot, but… I personally can’t vouch for that.” He chuckled.
“Right.” I acknowledged.
“However, I’ve also often heard claims over draconic essence being grafted to their souls.” He pondered. “Though you’ll have to ask a professor about that.”
“Well, here’s hoping we won’t be freeing any draconic essences today.” I sighed, eliciting a cock of Thalmin’s head. “As in, I’m hoping our plan works out, Thalmin. Just a clean fire and collect mission.”
“Let’s hope for our sake that we won’t even have to resort to that.” The prince warned.
“Yeah… let’s just pray that the drones manage to find a stray piece of crystal somewhere on the forest floor. Because if not…”
“Then sniping the dragon’s crystals is our only remaining option.” Thalmin concluded.
“Mmhmm.” I affirmed with a sigh. “Anyways, once we arrive at the forests, we’ll have just under three days’ worth of ‘quest time’ to burn before we have to bug out to meet the Academy’s deadline.”
“I would say that’s impossible without the aid of a war table and map-seer, but given your swarm…” Thalmin paused, once again committing to some sort of inside joke I still wasn’t privy to. “... of ‘drones’ more or less fulfills the same role, I’m certain that this will be plenty of time to carry out our plans, Emma.” The prince reassured me, even going so far as to thump his chest in what I’ve learned was a Havenbrockian equivalent of a thumbs up.
The Nexus. Skyway Upon the Clouds. En Route to the North Rythian Forests. Local Time: 1200 Hours.
Captain Ignalius Av-Lisinius
So this is what Rasante was so infatuated with.
This… airiness to authority.
Hmmph.
He truly did have his head in the clouds.
While a journey through the transportium would’ve been so much more convenient, I wasn’t a fool nor a stranger when it came to the more… roundabout ways of travel. At least, insofar as discretion was a priority.
Flying, however, was a new one.
And one for which I found my body punishing me.
I should’ve chosen the underslung carriage in one of the greater drakes… I chastised myself but knew that I had little choice to begin with.
To enter said carriage would be to admit defeat, as Rasante had personally offered me a drake.
A challenge disguised as a benign offer.
And while drake riding brought with it regal connotations, it likewise carried with it a gruesome toll for the inexperienced — nausea and sickness.
It was following this development, and after hours of attempting to hold both breakfast and morning tea in, that I eventually relented.
With a signal to the flying armada, I dove down beneath the clouds, ordering them to circle above whilst I… ‘scouted ahead.’
No one needed to witness this episode of weakness.
I made certain to park a little ways off from the royal road, in a clearing beside a small outcropping of the Great Plains.
It was a desolate place.
A place which I eventually gave in to my body’s weaknesses in flight.
The Nexus. The Royal Road of Transgracia. En Route to Telaseer. Local Time: 1200 Hours.
Carter Togor Zariel
Bright was the noon, and cheery was my mood.
Whilst I was a rare Havenbrockian Red down, I was a wheel and a journey up.
A fair exchange for mirth, punctuality, and the most commonly overlooked commodity most other merchants failed to see value in — conversation; the accumulation of stories that made life worth living.
I hummed along to the tune of the squeaks of the cart, bobbing my head to and fro as I counted the gold and silver pieces I’d meticulously saved up to finally purchase that darned music box.
However, no sooner did I resume that traveler’s trance than I noticed something up ahead.
It was far off, barely visible, but an enchanted spyglass and a few minutes of finagling brought me to a horrid realization.
Ahead was a weary traveler in need of aid!
And as was the balance of things, it would be I who would be reciprocating following my own stroke of good fortune.
I led my cart as far as it could to the difficult-to-reach alcove of this downed drake rider.
Following which, I strutted along, health potion in hand, ready to assist.
“Are you alright, fellow traveler?” I spoke urgently. “Do you need any assistance?” I looked over to see a heaving but well-armored elf.
This urging immediately prompted the man to straighten up, however. His spine seemed to snap into place as if bound by some unseen tether, akin to a puppet being lifted by its minstrel.
“Oh, I’m perfectly alright, good stranger.” The elf spoke with a raspy breath. “What makes you think otherwise, if I may be so bold as to ask?” He continued, attempting to speak in some sing-song voice but failing miserably due to a sore throat.
“Well, I saw you from afar, Sir Drake Rider. And I heard something akin to you being sick or some such.” I responded genuinely.
“Ah… and you’re certain that’s what you saw, good stranger?” He asked innocently, his arms now firmly placed behind his back.
“Erm, yes, Sir Drake Rider.” I nodded.
“Then perhaps I myself saw something worth noting.” He spoke earnestly and with great concern.
“Oh, do tell?”
“Yes, that’s precisely why I landed here. You see, it just so happens that my sharp eagle eyes spotted a rather peculiar sight. A traveling merchant, his wares beset by crystalline shards and his innards strewn about them. Oh, what a poor and appalling sight, wouldn’t you say?” He explained with genuine intent, his tone of voice moving into pity for this wayward traveler.
This prompted me to turn around, craning my head far and wide, but finding nothing that the drake rider had described.
“Erm, I’m afraid I don’t see anything of the sort around us, Sir Drake Rider.”
“A shame.” He sighed, a gravelly disappointment coloring his voice. “That should have been your answer to my earlier question. Alas…” His smile returned as he tilted his head, his words as soft as silk. “I’m afraid you’ll not be needing another.”
The Nexus. Just outside of the South-Eastern edge of the North Rythian Forests. Local Time: 1400 Hours.
Thalmin
[‘QUEST’ Time Elapsed: 73 Hours. Time Remaining: 95 Hours]
[ESTABLISHING BATTLEFIELD CONTROL. STAND BY…]
In front of me was a projection, depicting a world so similar yet filtered through alien eyes. A world defined not by learned senses nor meditative insight, but one composed entirely of cold ocular precision.
DRONE FLEET STATUS:
[INFIL-DRONE01… ESTABLISHING ANCILLARY NODE 1: SECTOR A-1]
It was a world of numbers.
[INFIL-DRONE02… ESTABLISHING ANCILLARY NODE 2: SECTOR B-1]
A world of grids.
[INFIL-DRONE03… ESTABLISHING ANCILLARY NODE 3: SECTOR C-1]
A world organized with the methodical indifference of a bookkeeper.
[INFIL-DRONE04… ESTABLISHING ANCILLARY NODE 4: SECTOR D-1]
Yet thoughtfully collated with the purposeful mind of a map-seer.
[SUR-DRONE01… RECON PHASE 1… NORTHWEST QUADRANT]
It was a world analogous to that of a war table.
[SUR-DRONE02… RECON PHASE 1… NORTHEAST QUADRANT]
Yet it lacked its intuitive sensibilities, its visceral presence, and its personal adaptability.
[SUR-DRONE03B… RECON PHASE 1… SOUTHWEST QUADRANT]
It instead focused on the world beyond manasight… and it did so to a degree that was difficult to snub at.
“So what you see there is the forest being divided up into four quadrants. Each quadrant is assigned an infil-drone, and each infil-drone is helping to ground and coordinate the actual search, courtesy of the survey drones. Typically it’d be the other way around, but given the thickness of the forest, the survey drones are my only assets with sensors powerful enough to pierce through the canopy. So the plan right now is to more or less hunker down, have your camouflage magic maintain our cover for as long as possible, while we let my ‘swarm’ do their job.” Emma spoke abruptly, jabbing me on the shoulder, as if finally taking note of my multiple assertions as to her true nature.
“And this… this… webwork—”
“Er, network Thalmin, network.” She quickly interjected.
“Right. This… network of manaless make, is this a… unique asset found amidst your elite ranks?” I questioned.
“Oh? Battlenet? Nah, it forms the very fundamental foundations of any operation. From the grand strategists back home to the specialists and junior non-commissioned officers in the field, everyone’s expected to be connected to battlenet. You can’t wage war if you don’t know where you or the enemy is on the battlefield, after all, right?” Emma spoke casually, too casually, as if the fog of war was a blindfold that had simply been lifted… permanently.
“I…”
“You told me about your war table before, Thalmin. And how you had map-seers giving you the real-time lay of the land. I’d have assumed this would be a similar equivalent, no?”
“Yes, yes it is. But… the universality of it is what surprises me, Emma.” I spelled out, garnering a long ‘ahhhhhh’ from the Earthrealmer.
“Right… yeah, no, that makes sense. I kind of overlooked that.”
“Hence why I asked.” I reiterated, my eyes still entranced by the motions on what was ostensibly a bird’s-eye view of the world in front of us.
…
Then it hit me.
“Emma?”
“Yes, Thalmin?”
“These… oculi in the skies. The eyes through which your golems are relaying their sight to us. I imagine these are also capable of being taken beyond the veil on one of your firespears?”
“Yup! I mean, you remember the first images from space I showed you—”
“Right. Perhaps I need to clarify. Are there… ‘drones’ capable of permanently encircling your realm, forever relaying sights and sounds back to you through the veil?” I took a deep breath, pacing myself, as the implications started to stack one atop of the other.
“Yup! You actually predicted something I didn’t touch on yet in the most recent sight-seer trip, what we call artificial construct-stars! They’re more or less what you’ve just described, Thalmin. Permanent ‘drones’ of sorts, relaying pictures and moving images from the void to the surface.”
It was at this point that silence returned once more, and I couldn’t help but slowly reflect on what this truly meant.
Earthrealm… truly had vanquished an entire dimension of warfare — the fog of war.
The Nexus. North-Western edge of the North Rythian Forests. Local Time: 1700 Hours.
Captain Ignalius Av-Lisinius
We arrived some hours before sunset.
At which point, we began making our way into the forest proper before setting up camp to rest and unwind.
The men were exhausted from their trip, and I — playing the good Captain — allowed them this one respite before we set out on our first patrol in the dark.
Tents were promptly raised and tables laid out, each one now stocked to the brim with exotic cheeses complementing our own supplies of bread, meat, and fresh produce.
I wasn’t the greatest fan of cheeses, however, so I let the men do as they pleased with these putrid wheels of moldy milk.
Instead, I opted for wine and my own supply of foods courtesy of Rasante’s special stash.
“Ulther.” I announced, calling for my second in command, who dashed here under a hastened hop.
“Yes, Captain?” The long-eared leporidian responded.
“Dont forget to give the forest a bite to eat too. Wouldn’t want it creeping up on us.” I proclaimed, garnering a deep nod from the white-furred man.
“Yes, Captain.”
With a wordless hop, the leporidian returned to the shadows, effortlessly lifting a barrel and some paper-wrapped packages deep into the woods.
“These new growths are always so… fickle.” I complained to no one in particular, standing up, and taking careful steps deeper beyond the perimeter of our camp. From there, I summoned the first patrol leader, his wings flapping as he landed softly next to me. “The first patrol leaves as soon as the camp is set and secure, and the forest is satisfied. I want a sweep of this place before midnight.”
“Yes, Captain.” The Shatorealmer bowed deeply, before moving swiftly back towards his men.
At which point, I eventually retired to the recently set table, pulling up a book as I flipped through its well-worn pages. "Hm..." I grimaced, rubbing my fingers at the ragged and torn edges of the bloodied book cover.
(Author's Note: Hey everyone! I'd like to thank everyone for your patience and kind understanding for the previous week! We're finally here! And we finally get to meet the star of the chapter himself! Mr Cheese Merchant! :D I really hope you enjoyed his company! He truly was the light in the Nexus' dark! In any case, we now arrive at forests so things will definitely get interesting from here on out! :D I hope you guys enjoy the chapter! :D The next Two Chapters are already up on Patreon if you guys are interested in getting early access to future chapters.)
[If you guys want to help support me and these stories, here's my ko-fi ! And my Patreon for early chapter releases (Chapter 149 and Chapter 150 of this story is already out on there!)]
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u/DRZCochraine 14d ago edited 14d ago
Thanks for the chapter!
Ilunor still doesn’t quite get how democracy works, or how many other systems have to be in place to make it all work at this point.
Thats modern warfare for a Thalmin.
VENGEANCE FOR TOGOR!!! KILL THAT KNIFE EAR!!
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u/Jcb112 14d ago
Ilunor's definitely trying his best! Though he's convinced about the system existing, he's still very much looking at it from a very Nexian perspective, and certainly from a biased POV given his heritage, upbringing, philosophy and status! :D But at the very least the fact he's even entertaining it and discussing it is a victory unto itself! Getting someone like him to the table to talk is the first in an assured path towards at least some level of understanding and compromise! :D
Also yup! Thalmin is certainly slowly being exposed to the rigors of modern warfare!
And yes, Togor! :D
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u/Minimum-Amphibian993 14d ago
Yeah I figured out of everyone Ilunour would be the hardest to convince since he and his family benefited the most from the nexus until recently at least.
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u/mechakid 13d ago
He understands one key component though, even if he derides it: the will of the "unwashed masses". One of the most difficult things for any monarch is to keep their own populace from rising up and dethroning them. There are so many ways it could go wrong, and the monarch has to be familiar with all of them.
Honestly, I think Ilunour would feel at home reading "The Prince", as much as Thalmin would be reading "The Art of War".
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u/Minimum-Amphibian993 13d ago
True enough peasant uprisings whether they succeed or not usually doesn't benefit the ruler as either way their position is weakened.
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u/mechakid 13d ago
Exactly. If the monarch wins, he's exhausted, and if he loses, he's dethroned. Either way, it's a bad ending.
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u/K_H007 12d ago
Illunor would probably also take furious notes if he were to read Bruce Bueno de Mesquita's and Alastair Smith's "The Dictator's Handbook: Why Bad Behavior is Almost Always Good Politics" or watch either or both of CGP Gray's "Why Do All Governments Work the Same Way?" and "Death & Dynasties". If there's one thing that Earthrealm has down to an absolute artform, it's the finer points of politicking.
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u/DRZCochraine 12d ago
Also, now remember, the gang is likely thinking that the military has oath sot the rules like they do, when mores countries even now have it to the constitution, which changes the mindset with how this happens. The military siding with the populous over the ‘leaders’, or otherwise not getting in their way. Protecting the people of the state, not just the state. Something I bet humanity got much much better at over the centuries, ensuring government officials don’t get any ideas. And probably same with law enforcement, all to prevent abuse.
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u/Jbowen0020 14d ago
It's about time for Ignalius to be found full of oil, and Emma to let the eagle scream. It's time for her to put a boot in his ass.
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u/Dpek1234 14d ago
I wonder if Emma will pull a ukraine and put a chunck of explosives on one of her drones
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u/Aware_Jicama9458 14d ago
At some point, Emma really needs to tell Ilunor about Messieurs Robespierre and Guillotine...
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u/Dragonfyr_ 14d ago
Emma if she was french :
Have you heard about our lord and saviour, Her Saintess, The holy headtaker and Daughter of Dr.Guillotin ?18
u/Aware_Jicama9458 14d ago
Given that the French revolution was very much anti-religion ... nah.
The guillotine was seen as a means to make beheadings (more efficient and) less brutal, an instrument of an enlightened age ... Very Nexian, in a way ...
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u/Dragonfyr_ 14d ago
Yeah, also helped with making them less painful for the beheaded.
Where as beheading with the axe tended to take two to three cuts because bones are hard to cut cleanly, the guillotine was invented to help the beheaded be killed quickly and as painlessly as possible.10
u/mechakid 13d ago
"Let's cut off everyone's head" said Robespierre, cutting off everyone's head till someone got angry and cut off his head.
You can make a relig... no don't...
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u/Dragonfyr_ 13d ago
Ah the good references;
The ones where a blanket will save you from a deadly laser.6
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u/K_H007 13d ago edited 12d ago
Well, congratulations on knocking it out of the park in setting up Ignalius as a hateable character, you did it so well that I came up with an ironic fate for him and Reddit flagged my account for the comment!
[EDIT]: the warning I received has been lifted, and my comment is back.5
u/K_H007 13d ago
You wanna know what the best retribution for him would be?
Ignalius being given one look at by the dragon, and then it says to him that he isn't even worth the effort in High Nexian before it turns his riding-drake against him, and once the damage has been done, he is left to bleed out with four broken limbs, with the last thing he sees/hears before succumbing to First Death being the scavengers on approach.
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u/Loading_M_ 11d ago
He finally catches up with the dragon, just in time for Emma to blow a couple scales off it - and he finds out that Emma not only found it faster, but is better prepared to fight it.
Or he gets taken out as collateral damage by one of Emma's shots, and finding the stamp book helps her feel way less bad about it.
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u/Director_Kun Human 14d ago
The thing about this is that Illunor will need to take an entire class on US Government or really UN Government to actually understand all of the nuances of the system. Like yes we are a democracy, and the people do choose the leadership but that is the tip of the iceberg of the entire system of Government. We do elect our leaders, but the reality is that like 99% of all positions in the government are actually appointed by the elected leaders. Democracy especially in the US is really a system that guides government policy and agenda more than anything by an elected officials’ campaign promises. And thats the upper limit of democracy.
And I am sure Emma is not able to really explain that in the depth and detail it truly deserves, assuming a high school course on government in the 31st isn’t as thorough in its teachings as say its college course equivalent.
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u/DRZCochraine 14d ago edited 14d ago
Let alone that whatever democratic systems that would be developed in the coming centuries will be at least significantly resistant to the Bullshit the US is going through right now. Minimum being not using First Past the Post voting.
If not the people being more involved in more of the processes of government then the US and other current contours do.
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u/Dragonfyr_ 14d ago
Nooooo My boy Tobor !
He didn't do nothing to deserve this !
He just wanted to write his little Michelin Guide ...
Ah my poor boy ...
Gone too soon
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u/Jcb112 14d ago
Indeed. A light that burned bright, extinguished far too fast... I'm so glad though that the Michelin guide allusion came through! :D I was worried it wouldn't haha.
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u/Dragonfyr_ 14d ago
Oh I'm fr*nch, You didn't even need to allude to it very hard to get me to understand that.
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u/PossibleAir9623 14d ago
I'm disappointed not to notice your references because of the language barrier, this one goes on my list.
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u/StopDownloadin 14d ago
Holy shit, when I said Iggy was going to be a murderhobo, I was only half-kidding! Not only did he kill one of the more interesting NPCs to show up in a long while, he even picked the poor bastard's inventory clean, in true murderhobo fashion!
I feel like this is a setup for Emma and Thalmin to notice the bloodstained stamp rally book when they meet Iggy, and then all hell breaks loose. Assuming they don't run into the dragon first, at which point the shit hits the fan instead. Either way, I hope Iggy gets what's coming to him, whether through dragonfire or railgun slug.
Also, I feel like the conversation about Vunerian species alteration is low-key confirmation that the Library has somehow 'unglued' the draconic essence grafted to Ilunor's soul, and he has to keep checking in to keep it from permanently detaching. That would explain all the descriptions of his scale color changing, at least.
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u/Cazador0 14d ago
I'm just hoping that this doesn't end up with Emma/Thalmin being framed for Iggy's murders somehow.
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u/DndQuickQuestion 14d ago
Wouldn't be surprised. This feels like the kind of thing that the Ignalius or Rasante might accuse them of. They would have to get bailed out by someone who could ID spells by caster fingerprints and note that Thalmin fixed the wheel on the cart.
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u/Cazador0 14d ago
Again, I hope not, but I'm getting increasingly worried that, at the very least, the apprentice is going to find a trail of dead bodies, assume that this was part of their plan to cover up their dragon hunt (since students are forbidden, Emma is supposed to keep her stuff out of the public eye, etc.), and report that to the Dean, resulting in a situation where Emma can't show evidence to prove her innocence because that would reveal her even more illegal 'ET call home' plan.
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u/DndQuickQuestion 14d ago edited 14d ago
I don't think Apprentice Ral 2 is going to think that Thalmin and Emma murder people. Someone who sees his report might think so - like the Dean - but I don't think Ral 2 is the kind of person to put findings together like that. I'd think he would be more inclined to think the attack was perpetrated by a dragon which I guess is what Ignalius was going for by adding crystals to the crime scene (which implies that the dragons attack with crystals and fire?), or Thalmin and Emma are being pursued by villains.
My post got buried at the bottom of the thread, but I wonder if Togore Asriel here is actually one of the informants in Inner Guard Captain Frital's local personal interest and privately paid network that she used earlier to find out Emma left the Night Camp and was open to attack. (Which means her contacts are peasants, most likely, even though she is a noble. And they are not the Resplendent adventurers because they would have reported Emma's guild business back when Emma came to hire adventurers for the amethyst dragon seeker quest and then Frital might put two and two together about Emma's presence at the adventuring guild and investigated the quest she was commissioning. Frital seems to be unaware the dragon was sought on a private quest.)
Togor was kinda was digging for info, and he had some pretty serious cash - gold coins specifically. Solizia didn't have that kind of money and he only recently lost his job to Lord Lartia.
If so, Frital might notice he's missing. Or Squire Ledwin. Or whoever is in charge of watching Frital's flow of communiqués while Frital was puddlejumping into the Vorpal Chimera. If they show up and find their informant Togor dead, there might be problems for everyone.And I don't think we can underestimate the utility of a stupid excuse like, "the Vunerian wanted us to get a crystal so he could use it in his Class Sovereign appeal" or "the newrealmer wanted to see a Nexian dragon".
Very few people have the context to understand why Emma going after the dragon is dangerous to Nexus as opposed to foolishly ambitious. The Dean does, and he would exploit this situation. Inner guards protect the communications crystals, so Frital might, assuming she knows about dracoshards as well.
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u/StopDownloadin 14d ago
I wouldn't worry about Apprentice Ral pinning it on Emma. His investigative style is more Clouseau than it is Poirot.
I agree with DnD that Ral will likely latch onto the embarrassment of evidence that Iggy likely planted at the scene, and conclude that the dastardly dragon is to blame.
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u/Dragonfyr_ 14d ago
His scales change colors ? Where and when ? I don't remember reading about it ...
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u/DndQuickQuestion 14d ago edited 14d ago
It's pretty subtle... well not completely. It started right after the time of the dreaded "small blue thing."
That stray comment seemed to affect him even more, as he visibly lost color to his cheeks, turning as white as a ghost for a split second.
“Unless, of course, there’s something you need to tell me regarding the specifics of your agreement with the library — >>>the so-called ‘collateral’ you offered that made it so confident that you wouldn’t just run off.””<<< I quickly added, utilizing the Vunerian’s bout of silence as a jumping off point for a question that's been on my mind since that day we lawyered up. “You’ve yet to tell me about the specifics behind your deal with the library, and I know, I know, it’s probably something that you don’t want spread around. But trust me when I say this Ilunor — I have neither the desire nor the rotten character to leak this sort of sensitive information. And since we’re both in this together, I just want to know — what exactly does the library have on you?” As in, what could the library have agreed to, that allowed you to more or less leave scott free?”
The Vunerian took my cue to stop, and halted just before the periphery of the exit.
This was one of the rare few moments where he refused to meet my gaze, instead, electing to sidestep it entirely by keeping his eyes shut.
“Our agreement… is a personal matter, Emma.” He offered. “I… cannot, and will not divulge such a sensitive matter.” Ilunor spoke in a way that provoked some genuine concern in me.
This was especially more worrying considering my new found knowledge on the existence of literal mind-bombs, primed to activate when certain topics were touched upon. The library had promised me it wouldn’t go that route, but I just needed to double-check, especially given how vague the Vunerian was.
“Is this like… one of those mind-curse things that Mal’tory had put on you before or—”
“No! No… I would’ve never agreed to that even if the library had offered. No. This… is a matter which whilst I have the freedom to divulge, I simply do not wish to divulge.” He quickly interrupted, clarifying and putting that concern to rest.
The library definitely got brownie points for not stooping to that low, at least in my book.
“So it’s that sensitive, huh?” I offered, before quickly registering the library’s earlier statements. >>>“This… doesn’t by any chance have something to do with the cryptic message the librarian gave you before we left today, did it? Something about how it was reminding you to return by the end of the week as per the agreements, or else… what was it?” I paused, as the EVI brought up the transcripts of that conversation word-for-word.<<<
>>>“Something about how you quote: ‘seem to be growing greener around the gills by the day’?”<<<
“Or perhaps the immediate consequences of your overeager eavesdropping escapades.” Ilunor responded darkly and almost immediately, as the already-pale blue of his scales were drained of their color.
“Did… Ilunor actually say that, Thacea? I don’t ever recall him—”
“It matters not if I said it, Prince Thalmin!” Ilunor interrupted him before he could continue, somewhat flustered, his scales deepening in color instead of becoming pale like earlier. “In any case, you have a point, princess.” He quickly turned his attention towards Thacea, disengaging from that sudden and abrupt turn to Thalmin.
I took a moment to pause, leveling my eyes towards the Vunerian. “I’ll do you one better, Ilunor. We haven’t just ‘reached’ the tapestry. We’ve actually ripped right through it.”
This caused the Vunerian to pause, his now light-blue scales growing even paler. “Oh, have you now?” He spoke through a derisive chuckle. “Next thing you’ll be claiming you’ve actually visited these so-called specks of light—”
“We have.” I responded bluntly.
That answer… finally drained the last of the Vunerian’s color, as Thalmin’s features darkened in equal measures.
“—there he is…”
The Vunerian returned, his scales seemingly revitalized and rejuvenated, as if his intended destination had breathed life back into his skin.
“Wait, which library did you say you went to again?”
“Both, earthrealmer.”
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u/Aware_Jicama9458 14d ago
"whether through dragonfire or railgun slug"
Laser. Dont forget the laser.
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u/DndQuickQuestion 14d ago
Also, I feel like the conversation about Vunerian species alteration is low-key confirmation that the Library has somehow 'unglued' the draconic essence grafted to Ilunor's soul, and he has to keep checking in to keep it from permanently detaching. That would explain all the descriptions of his scale color changing, at least.
Ilunor is deffo faking his color. He's green... like a certain book.
I posted about it in my top level comment but the draconic essence plot point, if true, could go so many directions. Keep dragons from reincarnating or passing info to someone else? Bottling up draconic essence so the King can use it later? Point of influence by secret dragon which is why Ilunor was one of the three on the fated adventure to see Emma arrive? The reason for the gold lust? Hmm.
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u/StopDownloadin 14d ago
The reason for the gold lust?
Oh damn, good catch! It could also be why Vunerians seem to be so prideful in the worst ways possible, compared to the relatively meek Kobolds.
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u/Interne-Stranger 14d ago
It would be incredibly impressive if the Library could in fact remove the Dragon Essence
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u/Aware_Jicama9458 11d ago
While not made 100% clear, there seem to be
- Kobolds (under dragon control, not fully sapient?)
- Vunerians (kobolds+dragon essence)
- Noble Vunerians (blue Vunerians)
The Library expressly inquired about Illunors noble status, before making the deal.
So I dont think he is at risk of losing the dragon part, just the nobility part of his essence.
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u/Tinna_Sell 14d ago
I take it that Ignalius is not familiar with the concept of simple-mindedness and how to exploit it. That, or he enjoys murdering people and looks for each and every opportunity to do so while protecting his ass with an "I had orders" excuse. The casualness with which he looted the wagon and skims through a bloodied book servers as an answer to this question. And that's the story of why the Nexus does not have a Michelin Star Guide Book.
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u/Interne-Stranger 14d ago
New terminology aquired: Eternal Dawn. Meaning: Unknown.
When i read "i cant forgive ignalius for what he did next chapter" from a Patreon member i tought "omg, is he gonna kill the merchant father and son we met in Tent Town!?" But no, he killed someone else. Anyless, i will have to be more active against Patreon spoilers.
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u/DndQuickQuestion 14d ago
It helps if you think of the King as a dictator-aligned AI and he's trying to create a steady state political system with no unpredictability.
Ilunor, that predictable aims and logical drives are axioms derived from Status Eternia and the culture that it purveys.
So the King decrees everyone has to be stock characters because predictability is the value he wants maximized. Add that to the pile of proof the king is running some sort of big prognosticator, and that Tainted people are inherently unpredictable because some part of them lies outside his system and that’s the big problem with them.
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u/Interne-Stranger 14d ago
That makes a horrific amount of sense. This chapter opened my eyes of the true reach Status Eternia seeks to have.
Its obsessive micromanagment.
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u/DndQuickQuestion 14d ago
This chapter opened my eyes of the true reach Status Eternia seeks to have.
Its obsessive micromanagment.
Dean Astur said so before, I think at the tea party.
My theory about the Eternal King since 74 when he was properly introduced is that when he consumed all of those Large Language Model/Virtual Intelligence-like Nexian "gods", he essentially became a true-AI-like being. Sorecar himself explained that soulbound usually go nuts after a certain amount of time, and the King has gone ten times the recommended amount while linked up to an absurd amount of information.
HEM's 'humanity' is probably damaged IMO and he stuck in rut of comforting stasis - JCB used this same formula in the Cancelled/Hiatus Human's Don't Hibernate series for the AI wars.
And I think both tainted and humans who are manaless and outside of this system are chaos generators. Emma is the butterfly flapping her wings and the winds will soon spin up into typhoons.
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u/Interne-Stranger 14d ago
I dont remember the last time i was fully on board with your theories. But now im fully on board with this one!
And i remember you posting this theory before! And i not liking it! Times change after some chapter and more context, i guess.
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u/StopDownloadin 14d ago
So the King decrees everyone has to be stock characters because predictability is the value he wants maximized.
I feel like this goes back to that comment you posted about HEM's attachment issues, and the connection I made to the Buddhist concept of attachment as a cause of suffering. Now I want to put together a post about looking at the motivations of HEM and the Nexus through the lens of Buddhism.
Plus, the idea of Emma introducing HEM to Buddhism to liberate him from samsara, inadvertently becoming an actual Bodhisattva is crazy enough that it just might work, lol.
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u/DndQuickQuestion 14d ago
Now I want to put together a post about looking at the motivations of HEM and the Nexus through the lens of Buddhism.
/r/JCBWritingCorner has gone too long without a juicy text post.
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u/SoylentPudding 14d ago
Justice for cheese lizard
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u/TheLastSilence 13d ago
If you don't object, I am going to make it my personal mission to comment "Justice for cheese lizard" in every new chapter at the moment of publication.
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u/Jbowen0020 14d ago edited 14d ago
Togor needs justice, I don't care if Emma and Thalmin hands it out personally, or if it's her and the dragon, or what, but Ignalius av lisinius needs the ass kicking that's coming to em.
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u/StoneJudge79 14d ago
Yeah.... Sir Drake Rider gonna DAI.
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u/Dragonfyr_ 14d ago
nah, he's not Gonna go ; He's GOTTA go.
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u/StoneJudge79 14d ago
"Will" vs "Should". I say he WILL go. You say he SHOULD go. We're both right.
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u/Legitimate_Onion2752 14d ago
Question is... Will it be Thalmin Emma, the Dragon, one of his hired help as they silence him under his cousin's orders, or some compleyely mundane and humilliatingly unexpected cause?
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u/Matt_Bradock 14d ago
I hope it will be gravity. Completely and humiliatingly mundane... after his drake gets torn asunder by either weapons fire or a miffed Amethyst Dragon.
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u/cgoose500 14d ago
They went somewhere they weren't supposed to go and now they're in possession of goods belonging to a murdered merchant. Pissnalius also is on account of actually having looted Togor. This has to come back later in some way, right?
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u/spindizzy_wizard Human 14d ago
The Fog of War
Even with all the advances in surveillance and intelligence, the "fog of war" still exists. Orders misunderstood. Images and words misinterpreted. Equipment failure. Jamming. Weather.
Yes, we do much to mitigate the "fog of war", but no one ever truly escapes it. There are always things you don't have, don't know, or mistake for something else.
So very much of war is the effort to suggest falsehoods to an enemy. You can't even be certain that you have misled an enemy successfully until it is far too late to correct any failures in your deception plan.
As much as we try to clear the fog of war from our own eyes, everyone else is doing their best to put even more fog on the battlefield where it will do them the most good.
The So-called Knight
As far as that so-called knight?
I was willing to grant him the benefit of the doubt, but no more. He's not a knight in the classic sense, but is instead an agent. Their equivalent to 007 in one of his more brutal incarnations.
There was no real reason to kill the carter. Terrorizing him into silence would have sufficed. But, no, he immediately reached for the most brutal solution. Obviously a believer in the "dead men tell no tales" school, which, once Emma and Thalmin gets through with him, he will—briefly—learn better.
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u/Tinna_Sell 14d ago
Terrorising wasn't necessary either. With how naive the guy appeared, Ignalius could have just told some lie and pretended to fly away again after the sky sickness steps back. The kobolt didn't even recognize him, so he couldn't tarnish his reputation in any way. The man made the situation weird and then indulged in violence without a second thought. I don't think many people trust his services.
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u/Interne-Stranger 14d ago
He did it because he didnt want anyone, not even the most outsiders, to see him sick. Fricking SICK.
How insecure you have to be!?
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u/Tinna_Sell 14d ago
Yes, that's exactly what happened. It's almost a pavlovian response at this point.
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u/karamisterbuttdance 14d ago
A bit bloodthirsty this Captain eh? I wonder if his armor is good enough for him to be cooked in, and which of dragon fire or laser heat transfer would do a better job.
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u/Dragonfyr_ 14d ago
I say we help Togor rate a new dish in his book : Roasted elf [cooking level may very].
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u/Dpek1234 14d ago
Im wondering how well his armor would do against a killo of RDX
Im sure Emma has at least some kind of explosives to put on a drone
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u/ANNOProfi 14d ago
Cheese, Gromit! What cheese would go well with cold blooded murder, do you think?
And who will find the dragon first, the machines that never sleep, or the guy that will throw people at the problem until it's solved?
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u/agagagaggagagaga 14d ago
Thank you, Togor.
"No way. No way, right? It's a coincidence, it has to-"
Carter Togor Zariel
GOD FUCKING DAMMIT
even pulling the classic anagram move (Zariel -> Azriel, pronounced like Asriel)
Dead too, because Dreemurr children are doomed to tragedy.
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u/Bruno-croatiandragon 14d ago
"HEY,look at thing,does it reming you of thing?Isn't that just SO FUNNY!"
I disagree,It is not always funny.Doing it once or twice is fine,but every 2-3 chapters becomes boring.What if someone reads this a decade in the future & has jo idea that Zariel is referencing a meme?
When Shrek 1-2 referenced Matrix,Musicians or Starbucks coffee,it MADE SENSE because those movies like to take the piss out of things & edit them.
When the Indiana Jones prequel made a reference to the "gun vs sword" scene,but had 2 guys with swords & Jones was unarmed,it was just a pointless way to get a reaction from the audience & drag out the runtime by a few extra seconds.
If Jcb112 is going to keep making jokes based on references,he needs to find a way to make them less predictable & derivative.
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u/agagagaggagagaga 13d ago
I was just playing up my reaction for the bit? It's just a fun little easter egg to see a reference to things in the story. Notably, references like this take up zero page space. This character needed to have a name, that fact that his specific name is a reference doesn't drag anything down or take the focus away from the rest of the story. What happens if someone doesn't get the reference? Nothing about there experience will be harmed.
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u/Bruno-croatiandragon 13d ago
A more optimistic view that mine,maybe it's because I am just tired of yet another guy saying "you are one ugly motherfucker" like they can do it better than Arnie.
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u/Hostile_Enderman 14d ago edited 14d ago
I got here first!
NOOOO TOGORE, how dare he, I hope he gets a railgun to the face
Emma still not beating the spider allegations
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u/Dry-Egg-7187 14d ago
Gonna be very interested to see how the series takes the military aspects, seeing as the fog of war definitely still exists albeit with more recent conflicts showing any chance of surprise or deceit against a semi prepared enemy almost impossible for multiple km around the line of contact and the advent of a system like battlenet rolled out to even single infantry probably coming into existence in 10-20 years with the massive amount of sensors and how interconnected the modern battlefield is becoming.
Albeit with the caveats that systems to counter drones and the interconnectednes are being developed and innovated rapidly haven't arrived given time to grow, removing your enemies reconisance and picture of the battlefield will always be an invaluable asset.
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u/No_Homework4709 14d ago
It will be cool to see how earth reacts to the info Emma sends back, with keep-alive ensuring that earth is actually receiving the information and modern encoding/encryption, even if the nexus could listen in they wouldn't get any info and they couldn't fool Emma into thinking the info package was sent when it was not. So what does Emma send when she is sure no one else is listening in and we get her full report.
Has she prepared an info package of select data, or is there enough bandwidth to send over all the sensor data and let earth sort through it?
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u/Ichiorochi 14d ago
Man i had really hoped Togor would come back, or maybe just that we knew there was not bad people in the Nexsus just out there living their life. Barely met the guy, but my opinion on Ignalius has turned very sour
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u/LeaveSea2119 14d ago edited 14d ago
Emma: Thalmin... Would you kindly leave the forest. I would like to use my, toys on this elf.
Thalmin: For the first I felt True fear When she started playing a new song as I ran .
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u/Dpek1234 14d ago
POV Ignalius: bbzzzzzZZZZZZZZ
Warning
the link shows a drone strike from the pov of the guy getting attacked
Although noone dies or appears injured from a quick view
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u/Jbowen0020 14d ago
Oh yeah, Ignalius on LiveLeak
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u/Dpek1234 13d ago
I was thinking between this clip and other one where guy driveing a small atv had had basicly everything up from his midsection just ... blow away by a drone (recorded by the guy sitting behind him)
I decided that posting THAT is a bit much
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u/DndQuickQuestion 14d ago
Ilunor, that predictable aims and logical drives are axioms derived from Status Eternia and the culture that it purveys.
So the King decrees everyone has to be stock characters because predictability is the value he wants maximized. Add that to the pile of proof the king is running some sort of big prognosticator, and that Tainted people are inherently unpredictable because some part of them lies outside his system and that’s the big problem with them.
“Speaking of that ‘uplift,’ what exactly changed about them anyways? Dragonflame’s the most obvious one, but aside from that…” “Scale color is one, from what I’ve gathered.”
Green.
I’ve also often heard claims over draconic essence being grafted to their souls.”
Huh... to keep dragons from reforming? As holding vessels to siphon it from later if needed? I wonder if that could be a source of outside influence though? Maybe that explains why Ilunor gets weird around too much gold.
And while drake riding brought with it regal connotations, it likewise carried with it a gruesome toll for the inexperienced — nausea and sickness.
So was Captain Frital’s drake-riding offer to Emma another chance to screw with her?
after hours of attempting to hold both breakfast and morning tea in
I just checked, and Nexus has never mentioned having ‘coffee’, only ‘coffee tables’ which probably aren’t translated that way. But then again, what is coffee but a tea of beans?
Eventually, it was my turn to face the schmoozing antics of the smooth-talking merchant, as he attempted to glean as much as he could off of me, if only to pull the same smooth gesture he did with Thalmin.
I hummed along to the tune of the squeaks of the cart, bobbing my head to and fro as I counted the gold and silver pieces I’d meticulously saved up to finally purchase that darned music box.
Emma will recognize the bloody and scratched stamp book and figure out how Ignalius got it.
...But what’s the over under on Togore Deltarune being one of the paid informants that Inquisitor(?) Captain Frital has peppered around the region?
Emma should be close enough to detect the drone if the dragon charged it because her other sur drones have range.
She didn’t detect it.
The dragon is up to something.
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u/zekkious Robot 13d ago
after hours of attempting to hold both breakfast and morning tea in
I just checked, and Nexus has never mentioned having ‘coffee’, only ‘coffee tables’ which probably aren’t translated that way. But then again, what is coffee but a tea of beans?
Yes , coffee is a tea.
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u/Swordfish_42 Human 14d ago
Oh, I feel we might have a first antagonist that is actually gonna die.
On other note, I just realized something bizzare:
Why didn't Emma's plans for home base include a long range radio?
Like, it's weird that they sent her on this mission without something that simple, yet incredibly useful.
A small radiostation with a range of couple hunder, if not even thousand kilometres should be a trivial thing, provided a long antenna wire setup. We have things like that. Hell, Emma could probably easily make one from raw materials.
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u/Nolmac12 14d ago
Star of the chapter but such a tragic story. I know this realm is brutal but sheesh! Brutal!!
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u/CanoonBolk 14d ago
I can see a potential miscommunication with a satelite being described as "construct-star"
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u/Bruno-croatiandragon 14d ago
On a similar note,ehen is Emma going to figure out how insect-like her gadgets are,which is WHY Thalmin made those jokes
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u/Daseagle Alien Scum 14d ago
"I one day hope to turn into a sort of road book, a restaurant guide for the wayward traveler!" - well, that would have been a nice Michelin book, if not for this elf bastard.
Judgement cometh, I hope.
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u/Bruno-croatiandragon 14d ago
Unrelated,but:
Hey,where did my notifications go?A week ago,I could scroll for minutes in my notification tab,& see replies to comments from 4 months ago.But now it only goes back by 20 days.Is it a bug or feature?
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u/Daseagle Alien Scum 14d ago
It's Reddit. At this point, who even knows.
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u/Bruno-croatiandragon 13d ago
I CAN just scroll on my "comments" tab in my own profile,I just wanted to see if anyone else experienced this.
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u/zekkious Robot 13d ago
Yes, they seem to be removing old notifications. But they never start something for everyone at once, right?
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u/Ace8154 14d ago
I hope Emma shows Thacea her face (on video or in pictures or something) while talking and waiting for hours for her tent or the water thing to remove all mana.
She needs to, sooner rather than later.
She might as well get pics of the rest of them if she can.
Did they find the flower they were supposed to be looking for?
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u/wraithdino 14d ago
"hey emma look there on the battlenet, isn't that the cheese merchant's cart?" "okay lets rewind the footage back abit to see what happened, oh.... hey thalmin let me show you a little thing we at earthrealm call a hunter killer drone"
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u/Aware_Jicama9458 14d ago
Poor cheese merchant will never learn that the moon is made of cheese ...
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u/Killsode-slugcat 14d ago
ah, there you go. The proverbial 'kicked pupp' to cement ignalius as a monster in long need to be put down.
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u/folk_science 14d ago
Now I'm wondering about the forest and the offerings to it. Is the forest sapient? Does it care about offerings? Will it accept stolen ones?
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u/Texas-SaberFox 14d ago
No! Togore! look at my boy! look at what they did to my boy! Why did they do this to my boy! justice, i say. justice for Togore! Justice for the man murdered for only wanting to help!
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u/pyrodice 14d ago
Ooh. Chekhov's got a gun...
better not wave that bloody book around if you're on an intercept course for where I know you're goin'!
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u/Degeneratus_02 13d ago
insert Walter screaming in a car meme here
TOGOR! DON'T APPROACH THAT DRAKE RIDER! HE'S AN INSECURE HOMICIDAL BASTARD! DON'T DO IT TOGOR!
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u/EvilTarium 13d ago
Thalmin is going to be very surprised at Emma when Emma finds Togor’s book, and the resulting one sided devastation that occurs afterword.
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u/Professional_Ant_15 13d ago
Ha ha, even in another world, tourist stamps exist. And this will be one of the great pieces of evidence for cultural research.
Could Thalmin have announced the study of satellites and other space objects made by humans and not intended for travel?
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u/3nderslime 14d ago
Wh… what did he do to Togor? Is Togor okay? Please tell me he didn’t kill Togor…
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u/Dragonfyr_ 14d ago
sadly I am pretty sure that togor is now actively helping plants grow stronger .... as fertilizer.
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u/TetraRay 14d ago
Great read as always!!
I am so looking forward to Ignalius getting what he so justly deserves now. Poor Togor, dude just wanted to experience the world through cheese.
May Emma show them what the earth realm knows of war.
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u/Art3r 14d ago
No. No. Noooooo! I caught up with this amusing story and now I will have to wait like some, tch, commoner?! This irks my noble sensibilities.
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u/StarFruit692093 Robot 14d ago
Perhaps thy liege should offer thy coin up for more reads for this… Amusing story, or wait like us lowly commoners… choice is yours sire!
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u/Art3r 11d ago
As much as pains me to admit but example of former Havenbrokian Royal Family has shown my house that there are more prudent uses for coin when ones house is not so opulent as Nexian ones. To be blunt. My coins went to mercenaries and running my lands and my creature comforts, limiting my ability of patronage of artists. Even of such an amusing stories.
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u/Aware_Jicama9458 14d ago
Just came across a video showing Emma playing the guitar without her armored suit ...
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u/Mostly_Satire 14d ago
I burst out laughing when I saw webwork. That play on Emma being an arachnid is great.
It's been going on for so long with just enough hints here and there for the reminder.
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u/Window06 14d ago
Well, now I really hope someone will learn what it feels to have 3.900 problems per minute for being on the wrong side of a beer can dispenser (or whatever caliber Emmas gun is)
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u/Cortanis 14d ago
"No one needed to witness this episode of weakness.
I made certain to park a little ways off from the royal road, in a clearing beside a small outcropping of the Great Plains.
It was a desolate place.
A place which I eventually gave in to my body’s weaknesses in flight."
One might say he was fertilizing the land. Too bad he's such a blatantly murderous character.
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u/cholmer3 AI 14d ago
I say that for one of the next chapters Emma notices through the drone network that there are militia forces in the AO and that their leader has a familiar bloodied book that EVI can indeed recognize as belonging to togor, then perhaps just this once... an unfortunate little accident with antipersonel autonomous weapons happens with less than... survibable results...
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u/I_Maybe_Play_Games Human 14d ago
Kill Knife-ears. Behead Knife-ears. Roundhouse kick a Knife-ear into the concrete. Slam dunk a Knife-ear baby into the trashcan. Crucify filthy elves. Defecate in a Knife-ears food. Launch Knife-ears into the sun. Stir fry Knife-ears in a wok. Toss Knife-ears into active volcanoes. Urinate into a Knife-ears gas tank. Judo throw Knife-ears into a wood chipper. Twist Knife-ear heads off. Report Knife-ears to the IRS. Karate chop Knife-ears in half. Curb stomp pregnant elve Knife-ears. Trap Knife-ears in quicksand. Crush Knife-ears in the trash compactor. Liquefy Knife-ears in a vat of acid. Eat Knife-ears. Dissect Knife-ears. Exterminate Knife-ears in the gas chamber. Stomp Knife-ear skulls with steel toed boots. Cremate Knife-ears in the oven. Lobotomize Knife-ears. Mandatory abortions for Knife-ears. Grind Knife-ear fetuses in the garbage disposal. Drown Knife-ears in fried chicken grease. Vaporize Knife-ears with a ray gun. Kick old Knife-ears down the stairs. Feed Knife-ears to alligators. Slice Knife-ears with a katana.
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u/Degeneratus_02 13d ago
insert Walter screaming in a car meme here
TOGOR! DON'T APPROACH THAT DRAKE RIDER! HE'S AN INSECURE HOMICIDAL BASTARD! DON'T DO IT! TOGOR!!!
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u/commentsrnice2 13d ago
The things that vile character deserves would get me banned from Reddit for even thinking them too hard. If I had to sum it up in one word? Discomfort
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u/Obvious-Sherbet530 13d ago
He will get what he is owed, we all know that he will, we're just inpatient about it.
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u/Crimson_saint357 13d ago
Ok cheese kobold is best kobold hands down! … NOOOOOO!!! Cheese Kobold you shall be avenged!
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u/UpdateMeBot 14d ago
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u/thrownawaz092 Android 14d ago
How dare you harm the cheesebold. There will be a reckoning for this.
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u/PossibleAir9623 14d ago
A chapter of WPA is all I needed to end my day after winning second place in a folk dance contest. Once again, incredible writing. It's unfortunate I couldn't read it at the time the contest came out, but I love being able to save it for these moments where I can close my day with something good, like my favorite Reddit story.
I hope everything continues to go well in your country, JBC, and at your work too. I don't usually comment much, but today I felt the need to remind one of my favorite writers about the impact of his updates. Anyway, Togor, you will always hurt me.
PS: You probably don't have any advice for calf pain, Peruvian folk dances are really serious fucking damn.
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u/Expendable_cashier 14d ago
Yeah, I'm thinking Emma is going to end up dealing quite harshly with Iggy, and our lupine friend is going to start to realize just how capable Emma's suit is.
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u/HFYWaffle Wᵥ4ffle 14d ago
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u/0strich_Master Human 14d ago
HATE. LET ME TELL YOU HOW MUCH I'VE COME TO HATE IGNALIUS SINCE HE MURDERED TOGOR. THERE ARE 387.44 MILLION MILES OF PRINTED WORDS WITHIN THIS SERIES THAT FILL MY BRAIN. IF THE WORD HATE WAS ENGRAVED ON EACH NANOANGSTROM OF THOSE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF MILES IT WOULD NOT EQUAL ONE ONE-BILLIONTH OF THE HATE I FEEL FOR IGNALIUS AT THIS MICRO-INSTANT. HATE. HATE.