Part 26: 18.A: Further Aid

: Rukey, Ti’zo, and Sir Gilman got the usual amount of Inspiration for not participating in the Rite. Mae, meanwhile…





: Once more, the perks currently available to us are the first-level perk Heightened Reflex (this perk removes the start-up time for Mae’s jump and dash); the second-level perk Sudden Grasp (after a salute, Mae leaps towards the Orb is nobody is holding it)… and our first third-level perk Dark Vigor (while holding the Orb, Mae has infinite stamina).

: I’ve been working towards Dark Vigor from the start, and, come on, look at what it gives me! Mae is our third-fastest runner and our best jumper (maybe second-best, now that Gilman has Ores’ Scales); her having this perk would make her damn-near impossible to catch. This isn’t even a question.

: What is the question, though, is which perk I choose last for her. She has room for just one more, and it’ll be either Sudden Grasp or Heightened Reflex. I’m leaning heavily towards Heightened Reflex, to make Mae even more offensive, and I’m not a huge fan of saluting, but… it depends on how overpowered Sudden Grasp is. If it’s powerful enough, Mae might actually be invincible.



: And, of course, Pamitha gets a handful of Enlightenment herself, but not enough to gain a new level. She’s about halfway after this Rite.



: I had a good feeling this would happen!

: At least someone got out of here.

: You succeeded in liberating Hedwyn, who returned to the Commonwealth in glory.

: We did what we could. With each Liberation Rite, we strive to advance our Plan. A brighter future awaits at the end of our path… for now, we must persevere.

: Speaking of which… Reader? I take it you have seen the stars… or, I should say, the lack thereof.

: You have, or did. Once more, the sky is all abyssal darkness, following the Liberation Rite. No stars illuminate themselves to guide you further on your path.

: Then, let us go, once more, to Moonlight Alcove. I’ve an errand I must run, besides, once we arrive. Best we recover now, and make our way southward at first light.



: In the time between writing this update and the previous one, the thread’s been somewhat divided on our decision to anoint Hedwyn. On the one hand, he’s quite possibly the most deserving of all of the Nightwings to regain their freedom, and getting him back to the Commonwealth will reunite him with Jodariel. But on the other, he was one of our best players, strong (but not specializing) in every position and scenario. Hedwyn himself was extremely conflicted with his liberation: he had made a promise that we would all go free together, and he didn’t know how to accept us choosing to send him up.

: What I’m trying to say is, if we’re this conflicted about Hedwyn gaining his freedom, then I can’t imagine what the Nightwings themselves are going through.



: Before I ask Volfred what he’s thinking about, I just want to mention that, although he mentioned that he assigned a number to each member of the Nightwings on how much they would impact the success of the Plan, that number doesn’t show up in either the planner or in the character bios. If I had to guess, this was deliberate, in order to excuse why the probability of success increases with each successful liberation, while also not giving the player a reason to be particularly biased for one character over another.

: That said. How ya doin’, Fred?



: He looks up and smiles as you approach.

: Hello, my boy. Excellent work back there. Thank you for your perseverance.

: After all that shit talk, it would have been rather embarrassing if Manley won, after all.

: Though… I was just reflecting on how very fortunate I’ve been in all of this. Not just me, but, really, all of us who had a chance to stand with Hedwyn here. Ours is, admittedly, a somewhat desperate Plan. It was vital to me, should the Nightwings rise again, that it be under proper care and guidance.

: I was just thinking how well Hedwyn served in that capacity. Whatever is to be the outcome of all this, no doubt his presence shall be missed.

: Depending on who you ask, we’re already pretty hurt about it.

: My agents and I, we were unsure of him, at first. A common boy like that. Completely unacquainted with the Rites. But… in the end, I felt that he was worth a shot… someone like him. Sincere, determined. With loyal friends, and desperate to get home. Those qualities spoke volumes.

: Then, he falls silent for a time.



: That reminds me. All we know about Fikani is a mugshot, and her only major discernable features were that she had unusually-coloured hair; a tattoo underneath her eye; and pointy ears. Assuming we’ve met every race in Pyre and there are no Wizard Basketball Elves anywhere, she was probably a Harp.

: Given that Hedwyn called himself a ‘Deserter,’ my guess is that he wasn’t particularly discreet with his relationship with Fikani, and the Commonwealth definitely seems like the kind of place where you can’t just love whoever you want, so, I’d imagine him hooking up with a bird-lady is the primary reason why he was down here. That’s just speculation, though.

: You and Volfred speak little more of Hedwyn for now. You are left wondering what shall become of him in the Commonwealth.



: We’ll save reading the Book for some other time; we’ve already done our share of reading here at the Fall of Soliam, and, now that the Liberation Rite has concluded, I think we can all take a break from the Rites for now. Let’s just get some sleep.




Gfy

: You once again find yourself amid the quiet nooks of Moonlight Alcove. Here you can await the time until the stars deign to shine for you again.



: Time to pack in for another little bit….

: We have returned to a place of respite. Please make yourselves comfortable, such as you can. We are at the mercy of the stars, but I expect they shall shine bright again, in time.

: As for me, I shall return by then, for there is something I must do.

: There, from atop the sacred mountain, you gaze down into the abyss that is the Downside. You wonder when the stars shall align themselves once more.



The Plan of which you are all a part is set in motion. The Commonwealth, a nation that stood almost for a thousand years, is in turmoil.

If your companions return there through the Liberation Rites, what sort of place shall they be coming back to?

Many moons pass.



: Soon, everyone is assembled, and Volfred regards the group.



: Look around your companions. What do you see in them?

: He lets the question hang a moment in the air.

: I’ll tell you what I see in all of you…. In all of us.

: …I see in all of us a living vision of the Eight Scribes themselves. Each one among them hailing from the different tribes which later formed our Commonwealth.

: My observation does not come from pompousness, I think. Rather, I believe the Scribes themselves desired, or shall I say desire, such a course. Together, they created all this ceremony of which we’re now a part.

: The exiles liberated through their Rites went on to found the Commonwealth, based on their values and their teachings. Thus, an instrumental aspect of our Plan is to embody the spirit, and the culture, from which the Commonwealth arose so many centuries ago.

: That way, when we are all united on the other side in solidarity, the people all shall see that we reflect the values they yet cherish in their hearts, not merely our own.

: … So are you gonna get to the point, or–

: Anyway! We are still missing one key representative, on behalf of Molten Milithe. And… I happen to know a certain bog-dweller who I think shall fit the part most splendidly, indeed.

: He motions for someone to approach…


: Music: Snake Soul

: It is my pleasure to introduce to you a dear old friend of mine, whom I believe you’ve met. Welcome to the Nightwings, Bertrude.

: The bog-dweller called Big Bertrude utters something guttural by way of greeting.

: We are to understand that ye require further aid from us.

: Yes, dear Bertrude. The time has come.

: Bertrude here is far and away the most accomplished alchemist whom I have ever met. You soon will find that she knows much about the Rites, as well.

: Bertrude looks you and your fellow exiles, each in turn.



: Uh… well, whatever it is you do to me, there’s a such thing as personal space, Bertrude.

: Everyone is silent as Bertrude searches their expressions.

: Then, tremble, small ones. And hold well thy tongues.

: Lest we remove them.

: She takes her leave without another word.

: Off to a good start.



: Everyone disperses. It seems now that the ranks of the Nightwings are complete.

: I’m… almost certain we have a position still unoccupied.



: Now, then, my boy… perhaps you noticed that the stars are bright once more up there behind those stubborn rains. Meaning, it is time that we got back to business.

: Indeed, once more, several stars shine bright within the cold and storming sky.

: That’s not how meteorology works at all!







: It’s time for a new cycle to begin. And, if you check the ledger, it turns out that Bertrude is more than just a mystic and more than just an apothecary: she can actually determine through the stars how many Rites remain until our next Liberation Rite. We have three games of Sportsball to play until we have the honour of selecting another of our own to head into the stars.

: The Chastity, as they’ve lost the previous Liberation Rite, are rocked straight to the bottom of the list and will not have the opportunity to advance up the ranks at all for now. Which, in turn, means that Ignarius and the Tempers are free of the ‘no-double-dipping’ clause, and they are free to climb as much as they can – provided they win.

: To that end, who do you say we should compete against next? Do we go against Ignarius and the Tempers, ranked eighth, at the Hulk of Ores? Do we go against Sir Deluge and the Pyrehearts, ranked fifth, at the Pit of Milithe? Or do we go against Udmildhe and the Withdrawn, ranked second, at the Cairn of Ha’ub?

: Lemme know in the next twenty-four hours, and we’ll head on our way!