Part 22: 15.B: Loyalty - Part 2

: Of course, Your Highness! This knight accepts this challenge!


: Challenge Accepted – Gameplay



: WHAA—By the scales of the Underking Ores, what is that you have?!




: By the scales of the Underking… we got one of the Underking’s scales! It’s a funny joke, you see.

: This will really significantly boost Sir Gilman’s ‘ninja-strike’ capabilities. He’s already one of our best characters for leaping in and getting a snipe on the enemy’s Pyre; with this, he can do it from even further away, making him harder to intercept and allowing him to get into a wider position before he’s in striking distance. It doesn’t do much for his already-weak offense or defense, and it doesn’t improve his greatest strength, which is his agility, but as soon as he gets any momentum at all, he’ll be a real pain in the ass for any team we’ve got on the defense.



: Now that we’ve got that done, let’s spend some time with Rukey, our other speedster.

: At Rukey’s behest, you explore the leaves and branches of Cinderroot. However, the search proves fruitless, and you see little reason to keep at it.

: Um… I’m beginning to think there isn’t anything here after all, chum.

: You exchange some words of consolation as you head back to the blackwagon, where you should still have time to pursue your Vocations.



: Fuck that noise. I came here to scavenge, and I’m damn well gonna scavenge.





: Oh, wow, I wasn’t expecting an option like this. I was expecting the same options I was given last time I scavenged in Black Basin (volcanic side): either vendor trash or a heaping helping of Stardust. But this time, the game is offering me vendor trash and Enlightenment.

: On the one hand, I am always in the market for some extra cash, and if I really wanted some more Enlightenment, I would have chosen to tutor somebody with my Vocation. But, on the other hand… I have no idea how I can ‘scavenge’ for Enlightenment, like the game is suggesting is possible. I haven’t the faintest clue what would happen if I chose to go to Shorn Stumps.

: I’ll admit, I’m curious. Maybe it’ll be Enlightenment across my entire crew, rather than just a single player? Maybe it’ll be less, or more, Enlightenment for one person than tutoring would have given me? I couldn’t begin to guess – and that’s why I’m going to pick it.



: Interesting. This Wisdom Trace will grant the same amount of Enlightenment as a tutoring session, but I can sell it for an easy 50 Sol if I wanted, and I don’t have to choose right now who I want to give it to. If any of our players lags behind a bit, this will give them a big boost.

: This wasn’t what I was expecting at all, and I’ll admit it’s kind of underwhelming when it does the exact same thing as a tutoring session, but, hey, now I know. I wouldn’t call this diversion a waste.




: With us quickly running out of things to do and people to talk to in the blackwagon ( ), this journey towards our next Rite feels significantly shorter than the last two. We’ll see how long that pattern keeps up.



Gfy

: Some new pages, to coincide with the fact that we’re fresh out. No new conversations, and, as always, Ron has something new in his stock for us to check out. Good ol’ Ron.

: The Rites don’t take place until the night, so, let’s kill some time with yet more reading. We’ve really giving the Book of Rites a good thumb-through this update!


Gfy




: What’s new on the menu, Ron?



: He shows you several bottles of multi-colored liquids of some sort: Sun Serum, Star Serum, and Moon Serum.

: Ron, these are just different flavours of Corona with blank labels on them.

: Yeah, they, uhhh, they taste pretty good I guess, and besides, they can give you just the little lift you need, know what I mean? You get thirsty for ‘em, don’t even worry, I can get more soon!



: So, rather than some new trinkets or anything, Ron’s peddling some booze to go with his hard drugs. Like the Wisdom Trace, they’re one-time use ‘Talismans’ that can give us temporary buffs on whoever we use them on.

: In particular, the Moon Serum gives the drinker +4 Presence; the Star gives +4 Quickness; and the Sun gives +4 Hope. They retail for 38, 35, and 30 Sol respectively.

: They aren’t bad bonuses by any means, and hell, I wouldn’t mind stocking up on them every now and again, except that, with the cheapest one going for a whole 30 Sol, they are chokingly expensive. They are very much a luxury drink that I can only afford to pop open for special occasions – maybe for a Liberation Rite, or something.

: That said, I’m not just here to window shop. Last update, I said I wanted that Scoop of Stardust but I wanted a bit of float from the Burning Promise before I took the plunge. One maxed-out Rite later, and…



: That’s enough for me for now.

: Tell all your friends about us, because, I already told mine!



: Let’s go slap around some birds.

: The afternoon is just beginning to give way to nightfall as you and your companions finish making preparations for the coming Rite. Through all the ceremony, you realize Pamitha is nowhere to be found. The last anybody saw of her was shortly after the blackwagon came to rest here at the Glade of Lu.

: She returns just as you are beginning to plan a search for her.

: Sorry to have worried you, there, Reader darling. Just getting a little antsy, is all. Had to go and spread my wings a bit, and shake away the nerves.

: She is holding something back…



: <Damn you, Reader. Get out. Get out… GET OUT!>

: You’re awfully tense for someone with nothing to hide, Pamitha. Please don’t make me regret all those updates I spent changing my mind about you.

: …Anyhow! It looks as if the show’s about to start. I shall be in the field, with the others!

: As Pamitha departs, you see she is right, as the stars above begin to shine. You know she is about to face her sister, Tamitha, once again. You accept that it is a very private matter between them.