>>1097660
Sudden realization. The Censors will want to stop the soul devourers, won't they? That would be a higher priority than retrieving their runaway. If we can somehow tell them about this crisis without letting them have immediate access to Pierre, they might call off the search in favor of squashing the devourer threat. Would the Censors be able to stop your brother on their own? Or... would you be able to work alongside them?

>>1097667

Honestly, there is absolutely something to be said for pitting the Censors against the Circle on this point. I don't know if we'll be able to pull that off now, but it can at least be a long-term point of consideration.

For now, you need a plan. If there's anything you can rely on Serah for, it's navigate social situations. Tell her what your concerns and expectations are for how your people will act, and ask her to decide for the group how you'll engage with them.

Ask for Serah's expertise and planning. Now that you're all on the same page you can get her opinion on how to proceed. An outside perspective never hurts.

>>1097660
Bravely done rae.

>>1097670
Agreed.
Fresh perspectives.
New vantage points to view the situation from.
Give that beautiful bird tanaris a scritch while you listen to their takes
Its good for both of you and he deserves it.
then you can decide a path with a calmer mind.

>>1097667
Corruption has consumed the Censor Church. They won't just 'do their jobs'. They could ignore the soul devourers entirely to continue pursuing the low-hanging fruit... or even worse, successfully capture the soul devourers and breed them to conduct human soul experiments.

Your objective should be to inflict conflict, as much as possible, between the elven extremists and the corrupt priests. Give the task of monster slaying to beings you can trust to do actual slaying.

Help getting everyone out of here, fast.

Raelynn 2025/01/13(Mon)08:00 No. 1102267 ID: 43bfa4
File 173675520823.png - (49.14KB , 600x550 , LF8 13.png )

“I don’t know how to protect you,” I say, voice hoarse. “My clan… they hate outsiders. Especially humans. They know we’re here, in this shelter, with a dragon- there was no way their sentries could have missed Kayk at full size, moving at that speed, even in this storm. We can’t leave now, with the Censors overhead. My clan will see that I’ve led you here- and drawn two Censor war parties on top of that. They’ll be out in force, and my brother… he’ll use this to build up his own standing by showing how we- they- need to bring every elf together against you, the Censors, a dragon…

I’m supposed to duel my brother to fix everything, according to Mom, even though… I was exiled, and… shamed, and… now I’ve brought so much trouble back with me. The second we step out of this shelter, either the Censors or my clan will be on us with drawn steel. And if we stay in the shelter, the Clan’s druids will summon miasma and call up the tree roots to incapacitate all of us. Serah, I… I don’t’ know what to do. I need your guidance. Please.”

Serah puts a hand to her chin.

“Why do you think your people would be so quick to assume you’ve betrayed them?” Serah says.

Ailín’s voice echoes in my mind.

What will you do, Ráichéalín? Share our secrets with outsiders? Lead them to our beds, as a traitor to your kin?

“I… I have,” I whisper. “I shared things I should never have. Our ways, our secrets, our plans. Serah, the things humans did to us… we swore never to trust you again.”

“Does your clan have magic that lets them hear and see us now, in this shelter?” she asks. “Perhaps Pierre’s anti-magic can block it, perhaps not.”

“No. The tree roots are only enchanted to let them know if the shelter’s in use or not, and the sector watchman will know if it’s scheduled to be in use by our people. Which it isn’t.”

“So since your clan can’t hear us… they can’t be one hundred percent sure you’ve decided to trust me, can they?”

“No,” I say. “I suppose not.”

A slow, sly smirk spreads across Serah’s features.

“Based on what you told me… your brother won’t be here today. He’ll want to build his reputation by squaring off against the Censors, at least until they retreat,” Serah says. “We have a dragon, and facing down against one is certainly a bold move. But we aren’t going anywhere until the Censors leave, and he knows it.

No, your brother will be using this opportunity to test you. To test if you’ve decided to let me in on your clan’s workings, and how much you trust me. He’ll do it by sending a lieutenant out, probably. Someone you know, who has an emotional connection to you, so they have a reason to not kill you by ‘accident.’ Then, your brother will ask how we as a party react to your clan’s tactics, and he will see if we take countermeasures against them. If we show signs of being prepared, you’ve clearly informed us how to fight back, and he has proof you’ve broken the code of silence. If we aren’t prepared, the ambush won’t go well for us, and your brother gets to capture or kill us as he sees fit. No matter what happens, he gets what he wants.”

“Fuck!” Landi groans. “We lose no matter what! I’m totally going back in a lantern, aren’t I?”

“Most likely,” Serah says. “Don’t lose hope, though. If we allow ourselves to be captured, and thereby convince Rae’s clan that she’s kept the code of silence, we keep Rae’s risk to a minimum, and they won’t know we’re working so closely together.”

“We can plan around their plan!” Landi gasps. “It’s like chess!”

“Exactly,” Serah smiles. “Rae, you said your clan will knock us out with miasma and bind us with roots inside the shelter. What if we leave the shelter immediately after the Censors depart, hopefully quickly enough that they don’t spring the trap?”

“Then my clan would know we have a way of seeing outside the shelter, and would assume we know they are outside waiting. They would resort to lethal force immediately because they would assume that the element of surprise would be lost.”

“So we should let Taranis out right now, before your scouts have a chance to arrive. Then we stay here a so long that it appears like we are waiting out the Censors, as if we are scared. That will lead to the miasma. Is it strong enough to knock out a dragon in lizardfolk form?”

“I… don’t think so. Probably not. It’s not lethal for humans, and my clan is immune. They’ll expect the hardier members of the party to be awake, but bound by the roots. They’ll bet that Kayk will be able to break free, and they’ll have all their efforts outside to bind her with more powerful spells that have line-of-sight, then try to mind control her once she’s fully bound, or failing that, knock her out. They won’t let her transform into her full size.”

“I have an idea,” Serah says. “They’ll notice I’m an alchemist. It wouldn’t be unusual for me to have basic countermeasures to miasma, either via potions or some mutagen they don’t know about. If you help me, I can prepare something for the party to take that’ll help us weather it. If I pretend to be struggling against the miasma, and the rest of the party acts as if they’ve fallen unconscious (except for Kayk), then I can put on a show of ineffectually fighting back and protecting Kayk, ‘affected’ by the gas as I am. That way they’ll be lulled into a false sense of security. A plan that goes too well isn’t very realistic, is it?”

“What about me?” I ask, confused. “What should I do? Should I attack you as you fight, as proof I’m still loyal to my clan?”

“I mean this in the best of ways, Rae,” Serah says, “But you would make a truly awful double agent if you did that. It would be incredibly transparent that you would be trying to get into the Clan’s good graces.”

“Very suspicious,” Landi says. Taranis nods in agreement.

“What’s more realistic is if you simply pretend to be affected by the gas, and let things play out. You would only ‘wake up’ when the fighting is done. That way you don’t have to commit to choosing a side, or risk being burned by a dragon.”

“But… you’d really be… out there with just Kayk,” I say.

“Yes,” Serah says. “Only Kayk and I can realistically resist the miasma, and you need to play the part of the conflicted-but-loyal exile. “I will tell Dotti and Pierre to act as if they are unconscious. It’ll be safest for them that way. Especially Dotti.”

“Serah… they’ll respect the fight you put up, but… they’ll... Serah, they’ll take your weapons, your armor… they won’t treat you like humans would, Serah! You don’t have to fight. Just pretend to be knocked out, and… and I’ll protect you and Kayk.”

That’s a lie, sort of. I’ve already realized I should be protecting Pierre and Serah first and foremost.

“This is my responsibility,” Serah says.

If I agree to this plan, Serah will be at risk of injury and will be treated as a warrior-prisoner, not a Lady. She will not enjoy it at all, no matter what she claims.

Do I agree to Serah’s plan? It’s well-thought-out, but it puts her at risk and I can’t do anything until the fighting is over.

1. Yes
2. No

Yes, go with Serah's plan

>>1102267
1

I think Serah’s plan is the only effective answer here. It’s okay and perfectly normal to be afraid, cuz this plan does involve a lot of danger. That being said, the best play here is to put your faith into Serah, and trust she can handle herself (alongside Kayk.) Serah is strong. Serah is resilient. Serah is clever. You’ve seen her exhibit these traits before, looking back. You’ve already trusted her with all this information and that’s a HUGE step! It’s amazing! From here, the next step is to trust that Serah can help you, if you’ll let her. You’re doing great, Rae Rae!

We're missing one thing. So what are we doing for a cover story since the elves will make inquiries? Gotta make sure our stories line up.

I still think plan: sneak out the back tunnels is better.

1) She's drawn up something that could outwit your brother, that's the best you've got.

>>1102272
1

1/2 Raelynn 2025/02/01(Sat)04:34 No. 1103134 ID: 833743
File 173838444625.png - (198.35KB , 1130x892 , LF8 14.png )

I don’t like sending Serah and Kayk out to face my Circle alone, but they won’t really be fighting. At least, that’s the theory. I know them better than that, though… they’ll want to test Serah’s mettle. She could be really hurt, and she won’t be able to rely on Landi’s summons during that brief moment, or else my Circle would know we had time to plan ahead.

Serah’s plan isn’t safe, but no option is. It also gives me total freedom to operate by not letting my Circle know I’ve betrayed their confidence.

I…

I don’t want to think too much about that. I have to focus on what comes next. Keep moving forward, Rae. That’s how you’ll reach the end.

“I’ll go along with your plan, Serah,” I say, giving Taranis a stroke on the head for reassurance. “Don’t do anything rash… please.”

“That’s my job!” Landi chirps. “Hey, what if I buff everyone up beforehand? Give Dotti some magic armor so she doesn’t have to worry too much about being arrow’d? Think of how surprised everyone would be to see a heavy-duty magical-armor fox!”

“Can you actually Godmother a set of armor onto Dotti?” Serah asks, her eyebrow cocking.

“Well, no. That’s more of a Godmothering 301 class, you know? But I can still give her some magic force-shields that are kind of the same thing, right?”

“I… think my Circle would treat a fox spirit more cautiously if Dotti was in her anthropomorphic form,” I say. “We all know to kill a feral fox spirit on sight, but we’ve never encountered one stuck halfway between human and fox. One of my more spiritually-inclined Circle brethren would be very interested in her. Maybe I can ensure Dotti is treated well. Maybe.”

“Very good,” Serah says. “It will be difficult enough telling Dotti that we’re likely going to fight soul devourers similar to those that hurt Petra. We’ll want to keep her calm when she wakes up from the miasma, if at all possible.”

2/2 Raelynn 2025/02/01(Sat)04:39 No. 1103137 ID: 833743
File 173838477749.png - (19.24KB , 600x500 , LF8 15.png )

“Hey, this plan, Serah,” Landi interjects. “What happens after, you know, we get captured?”

“Raelynn will know what to do,” Serah says. “Past that point, there’s almost no ability to plan.”

“That’s not super reassuring,” Landi whines.

Serah looks like she’s about to ask me something, and I know what the question is.

Do you want us to put you in a position to duel your brother?

I don’t know. I… I’ll know if it’s the right thing to do once I see him again.

Maybe he’s not gone. Not yet.

“Planning too much might actually hamper our ability to improvise,” Serah says. “Taranis, I understand that you can communicate mentally over a certain distance. Can you expand that spell to include us?”

Taranis nods. Odin’s pleased with his work, apparently, and is willing to let the team be honorary tweet-ers.

“It’s limited to mental images and a few quick sentences,” I say. “And there’s a chance that if we communicate too much, one of my Circle mates who’s a diviner could sense Odin’s influence. It would be very small, but it would be there.”

“Then we should plan for emergencies,” Serah says. “Think of a signal that Taranis could give to Kayk to order her to transform into her full form, regardless of the risk. We’ll need that ability.”

“And me!” Landi says. “I can summon Big Sodium if things get real hairy. If I get the signal, I’ll do it, no matter how risky. I trust you, Rae.”

Those are good ideas for Kayk and Landi… I should think of an ultimate last-resort command I can give to Dotti, Pierre and Serah.

Choose one ultimate last-resort command for each remaining member of the Party. They will do it, regardless of the risk to them at the time.

Dotti: Unleash Abomination-Slayer stance, take as many of those soul-eating freaks with you.
Pierre: Push your power past its limits, disrupt like there's no tomorrow. Don't stop till you pass out.
Serah: Drink all the potions.

Considering Dotti is the most vulnerable among us I think her panic button needs to be for her to cause a distraction, something that won't get her killed but might pull heat off of everyone else.
Pierre, assuming he's not near Dotti, could try sucking magic out of any enemy casters. They won't know he can do it, so he should be able to get away with it. If this coincides with Dotti's illusion they might blame it on the illusion. Assuming they don't have anyone who can see through illusions... Actually, I wonder. Can Dotti create an illusion of something that could cause Pierre's antimagic effect? That way them acting in tandem would create a convincing threat.
Serah... uh, she'll be captured and stripped of her gear so she won't have any potions. I don't know what she could do, except maybe feign an illness? Maybe if Dotti creates an illusion of a monster, it could attack Serah, and she could play along?

>>1103162
What if she illusioned a soul devourer? That might cover for his draining.

As for Serah, if she could hide a potion or mutagen on her person. But even if it wouldn't be found in a search, what one potion would even make a difference?

Serah could full well have a mutagen up her sleeve, but even if she can, I’d like to propose a second emergency protocol for her. We need an “I have zero clue what to do next or have otherwise been rendered helpless, you’re in charge until further notice, Serah” button. Odds are we won’t even use this, but we’re preparing for worst case scenarios here. There may be a moment where Serah will have to take over for us in leading this mission, and if that happens, the transfer of power needs to be expedient. The emergency options for the others seem pretty well ideated upon, so I’ll leave those be for now.

Alright, here's the best I've got:

Pierre: If the last resort has come up, then the party has failed to keep you safe, and you are better off without us. Take the first chance that you can to run away.

Serah: Invoke whatever power house Kensington may hold, and make as many checks as your family can cash. Put whatever it takes onto the negotiation table if it means you get to breathe another day.

Dotti: Create an opening for Pierre to escape. Make the biggest spectacle you can with your powers, and demand the attention of every single elf in this forest.

>>1103544
Have dotties distraction purely illusory in nature as forest fires could go badly for all
All else sounds good.

Maybe include the tag in command option for serah as mentioned above.

Raelynn 2025/03/30(Sun)17:31 No. 1105585 ID: 802951
File 174335590194.png - (44.71KB , 300x300 , LF8 16.png )

Dotti’s emergency command will be shock and awe. I want her causing as much chaos as she can, confusing what spells are real and what’s not. I fully expect her to throw out real spells at any Airceacháin, but against my Circle she can distract and delay. They don’t have anything like my eye to see through illusions so easily, so it will slow them down. They never considered fighting a fox spirit when they exiled me, did they? Too bad.

Serah and I agree that Pierre should try to flee if he’s too close to Dotti to use his anti-magic. He won’t be able to escape my Circle’s trackers, but the goal isn’t to escape; it’s to get him out of the line of fire. I’d rather not worry about him catching a stray arrow or spell, and this would be his (presumably) first live-fire combat. He won’t be thinking straight. No one does in that situation.

As for Serah… I know she won’t like it, but she has to beg for her life if she’s truly in danger. My people’s history with humans, combined with her being a noble… they’ll get far more satisfaction out of degrading her than they will killing her. It’s sick but true, and it’ll keep her alive. She just has to act as pathetic as possible, which… I’m not sure if she can do. Hopefully it doesn’t come to that.

Once our planning is finished, Dotti is beginning to wake up from her nap. She stretches, happy as can be in her giant fox den.

That changes when Serah describes the current situation to her, Pierre and Kayk. It’s even worse when Serah describes the plan to her, and gives the details of exactly what my brother is trying to summon.

“I’ll kill him,” Dotti snarls. “I’ll kill him, and everyone who tries to bring them back. I’ll burn them all, and the soul-eaters too if they summon any. Petra’s kits will NEVER be hurt while I’m here. NEVER.”

“Dotti, I’m… not defenseless against these things. The Church was a lot of things, but… they knew more than most about the Horrors. Also, um, I’m not a kit.”

“Yes you are.”

“Did I disagree with you? I apologize. Yes, I am Petra’s kit. Of course I am.”

Kayk is very nervous about her role in the plan. She’s not a warrior, and the plan calls for her putting on a good show of trying to transform when she bursts out of the bunker once it’s filled with Miasma. Serah gives her a good reassurance about more panic being good. Something about authentic.

Taranis sends me a signal. My people are coming, and…

They sent Ailín to bring me in.

Of course my brother would send my first boyfriend to bring me in. Of course he would, just like he sent Ailín to tell me to fuck off last time. Damn it…

No, don’t think about him. Think about your team. The people you’re protecting.

This is the last chance I have to speak with Serah, Landi, Dotti, Kayk and Pierre before we’re split up. I might not see some of them for a while, maybe not even until I issue a challenge to my brother and they’re dragged in to witness it.

Suggest any last words.

"This is going to suck, but please bear with it. I'm counting on all of you."

Okay gang, let's split up!

It’s been so long since I’ve been with trustworthy people I can depend on. I thank you all, let’s do this.

Tell Dotti she needs to hide her anger for now. If we are to fight, it needs to be a surprise, because we can't win a head-on battle.

"I've spent a long time pretending to be better than everyone else. It was wrong. They were wrong, and they're going to destroy so much just to prove themselves right. It's time to bring them to justice."

"I couldn't ask for a better team. We can do this. We will do this!"

"Just in case anything happens i want you all to know that i shall always regard you as... people... i met."

Then give it a couple of seconds for them to read the expression on your face.
They'll know what they realy mean to you
...and the joke may break the tension.
Humour.
Great for morale.

Also, confess to Serah

1/2 Raelynn 2025/12/28(Sun)23:06 No. 1119448 ID: 28931d
File 176696321548.png - (109.17KB , 401x210 , LF8 17.png )

The dim glow of the fungi in the tree bunker slowly fades. I squeeze my forearm. It’s happening.

Landi, Serah, Dotti, Kayk, Pierre… I hope I see you again soon.

“They’re here,” I tell them. “Before we… split up, ah… I…”

Landi alights on my shoulder, filling me with warmth. She waits for me to finish, silently.

“Thank you for… for trusting me. For letting me trust you, too,” I say. “I… I don ‘t know how I can repay you. Maybe I can’t. But… please, bear with me for just a little longer. We can do this t-together.”

The last word sticks in my throat. I don’t want any of them to get hurt, not just because I feel responsible for them, but because I care about them.

It hurts to think on how long it’s been since I could say that.

The acrid burn of miasma fills my nose. I’ve been immune since I was a child, and Serah’s improvised antidote will help the rest of the party resist its effects. Part of me hopes it isn’t as effective as it could be, in order to let my Circle go easy on them. Hopefully Dotti doesn’t let her instincts overpower her need to play-act.

The tree’s roots groan to life, wrapping around all the unauthorized intruders in the bunker- myself included. I resist as I was trained- straining my muscles so the roots harden around me, then when then tighten like ropes, I slacken my joints to allow me enough room to begin to work on freeing myself. Not all of us are strong enough to break out like a mutagen-enhanced Lady or a dragon, small enough to escape like a fairy, or limber enough like a fox to slip free. It takes a minute, but I get loose enough before my Seer’s eye detects movement on the other side of the bunker door. I worry about Serah, and Dotti, and-

>>1093136 And I remember that Pierre is the one who will need the most protecting, not them. I have to focus on him.

I wrench my head sideways to see how Pierre is handling the vines. He’s… already free, somehow? Maybe I underestimated him, or-

Or maybe the trap didn’t sense him at all because of his anti-magic.

Ice-cold realization hits me. If my Circle figures out that Pierre didn’t trip the defenses, if they see that he’s not lying bound in some roots, or if one of them counts the number of broken traps, they might find out that a supposedly normal human in a very normal robe, is somehow connected to the Censor war party circling over the forest that’s no doubt drawing my brother’s attention at this very moment.

“Landi!” I hiss toward the glowing orb in the few seconds we have left. “Move some broken roots near Pierre! Put them in his robe, make it look like he struggled!”

Landi bobs in acknowledgement just as the bunker door opens. Kayk lets out a high roar of challenge, forcing her way through two of my Circle’s warriors, who aren’t armed except for a few bolas, which I recognize as the base for a net. Serah charges behind, swinging her war hammer, and immediately takes three plague-burst rounds to her helm, followed by a fullisade of debilitating spells. Her armor shimmers with heat, dissolving the nauseating agents, but more follow. Even as she swings her hammer, she gags, overcome with unfamiliar poisons foreign to her alchemy. She retches, and the scent of bile fills the air.

For all that, it’s nothing compared to the focus they give Kayk. Ten, twenty, I lose count after thirty Circle warriors peppering her with slowing arrows and weighted arrowheads, netting, and restricting spells, the chanting of druidic magic rising over her roaring, refusing to give her the clarity of mind, or the space, to transform into her full size.

Around me, I hear shuffling boots, a curse in my native tongue, a furious fox bark. The crack of wood hitting skull. More curses. The sound of heavy breathing. The sound of a tiny cage latching shut. More retching.

Kayk’s enraged roars dull to groaning. The druidic chants continue, lulling, calming even my nerves, until a boot kicks me hard in the gut.

2/2 Raelynn 2025/12/28(Sun)23:09 No. 1119449 ID: 28931d
File 176696335112.png - (487.39KB , 900x544 , LF8 18.png )

“Get up.” A vaguely familiar voice, from years ago. He knows I’m faking. I only barely recognize him as a Circle member I sparred with.

I take a shuddering breath and get my bearings.

Dotti is unconscious. Pierre’s wrists are manaced in iron, quaking, eyes wide. Landi is caged in a cold iron box. Outside, Serah is unhelmeted, her face a mess of vomit and dripping blood from a gash above her eye. Four swords are at her throat.

Kayk is in her humanoid form still, bound tight in netting and vines, eyes glazed, one of my Circle members still chanting, soothing for now, but slowly building in tempo. I recognize the one leading them, not chanting, just watching. She’s the one I was worried about, the one eager to have a dragon under her thrall. Her name is Máire, and her smile is hungry.

Above it all, Ailín watches. His gaze locks with mine from atop the nearby hill.

“Speak for them,” my old sparring partner says. I finally remember his name. Fergal. A brave warrior- and one with a hatred for humans as strong as any among my Circle. He won’t trust me, not after I’ve spent so long among them.

“Speak. You mean… give their surrender,” I say, using the human word with emphasis, so my party can hear.

Fergal responds with a backhand so brutal it splits my lip. I feel a rush of fury through my mental bond. Not mine. Taranis’s.

“They do not need to understand,” he says, spitting on the ground next to Pierre, who gasps, horrified. “This is for us. Not them.”

Through the pain, I understand. Ailín won’t lower himself to negotiate surrender with Serah, or Pierre, both humans. Fairies and spirits are untrustworthy. The spell on Kayk can’t be let up, not now at least, or else she would fight.

That leaves just the damaged goods. Me.

Who do I offer our surrender to?

1. Ailín. My first boyfriend, the heartless one who delivered my brother’s message, and is a horrible person. I do not want to give him the honor of accepting our surrender.

2. Fergal. He’s a brute and will too-eagerly use the honor of accepting a human’s surrender. I have a bad feeling about what might happen to Serah and Pierre if he’s given the honor.

3. Máire. Giving her the honor would boost her ego even further, and wouldn’t do anything to lessen the spell on Kayk since she isn’t chanting. Giving her the honor would embolden her even further to toy with Kayk’s mind.

Fergal. If we laid out all of the options to the party, I get the feeling Serah would advocate for letting her take the brunt of the pain here. We can't saddle Rae with more mental hangups, given everything she's already going to be going through, so Ailyn is out. Kayk isn't a warrior, but being a dragon will already put a spotlight on her that she may not be ready to endure. She won't have the fortitude to stand up to Máire if we embolden her.

Serah is a tough girl. She can endure some pain, and she will find an angle to minimize as much of it as she can. And you're sure she'll watch over Pierre as best she can too.

Ailín. Who cares about feeling shame about giving him the honor at this point. The other two options are going to really harm at least one or more of your friends. Plus as they say, pride cometh before the fall. Let him enjoy that little bit of pride for now.

Maire. If she does something to Kayk and you manipulate Maire into boasting about it in public, Mai will join the fray. That might be what you need, and you wouldn't need to sneak messages yourself.

1) Ah, but you aren't giving him an honor are you. You're using him to further your own ends, without him even knowing. Let him have his petty victory, in the end you'll have the last laugh.

>>1119455
Oooh! Yeah, good point! Also, negotiating with ex boyfriend might assist in moving things along. If he starts to get cocky, you can just play the “I don’t wish to speak with you any longer than I HAVE to” card. Ailín might just get even more annoying in response, but the others would probably get annoyed with HIM for being annoying, leading to one of them potentially interfering.

>>1119451
>>1119455
this. lose the battle, but win the war.

>>1119455
Agreed.
Let him presume your humiliation in surrendering to him specifically.
Play into it.
It wont be hard to make it look and feel real as it probably will be horrible to surrender to HIM of all of them...
But... that will hide the motivation.
He will presume you seek favorable terms due to past relationship.
The truth is, he is a strategic choice.
A known terrain in a battlefield of subterfuge.
You know him and his ways.
He remained in the circle and has experienced little change.
Predictable.
You, he will presume to know, but his knowing is based on the you that was, not who you have become.
She, he is not ready for.

Your ex isn’t special. They’re all horrible people.

Fergal. Accepting a human’s surrender without deigning to speak to her is an empty boast.

Raelynn 2026/01/05(Mon)03:22 No. 1119675 ID: 28931d
File 176758333999.png - (13.75KB , 584x500 , LF8 19.png )

“Ailín.”

“Ráichéalín.”

I want to curse him. For his callousness. For his heartlessness. For leaving me. For abandoning me. For not understanding me.

Instead, I offer our surrender. On behalf of our party, I untie my sheathed short sword, Samhain, and hold it to him, pommel-first. He accepts it with a small sigh- not what I expected at all. He checks the blade, pulling it from the sheath for a moment, then immediately hands it back to me.

“I accept your surrender, but not your blade,” Ailín says. “I will not part you from your birthright.”

He’s letting me keep the most dangerous weapon I own? I glance quickly to the side. None of the Circle question it. My brow furrows.

The blade. My brother wants to complete the set. He’s… given instructions not to part me from it. He wants it done cleanly.

Does he want me dead, too?

“Where is Ciarán?” I ask, throat dry.

“Your brother is commanding the Circle’s defense against the Censors,” Ailín says. “Seven celestial griffons, carrying Censors armed for battle against a Terrorscale whelp. Once he has fended them off, by right their quarry becomes his. What has your band done to draw out such a force willing to risk the retribution of Mai Terrorscale, should things go poorly?”

“Those humans claim authority that is not their own, and they will lie when asked their motives,” I say truthfully. “They hunt Lady Serah Kensington for reasons they will never tell you or me. Would you like me to guess what they are?”

“No,” Ailín says with a small smirk. “We will seek our answers from the Lady and her entourage. They will tell us differently from what the Church declared to your brother, and the truth will be hidden in what none of them tell us. Perhaps it has to do with your fox spirit, some fae magick, or sacred knowledge of the Church.”

“Since when has my brother cared about any of those?” I cross my arms. "He always wanted to take my place as future Warseer, but the enchantments… only a few have the temperament, and to adapt… it takes take time and training.”

“Such a shame that not all who walk the path of a Seer can reach the end,” Ailín says, and I feel a heat burn in my scars. “But some of us are meant for better things.”

I want to snap at him, scream, rage, but…

He didn’t mean it as an insult. I can read him, even after all this time. Better things… he didn’t mean it about my brother, did he?

“Perhaps,” Ailín says softly, “You could tell me about some of the things you saw outside the forest. Before your brother returns.”

The implication being that I won’t be able to tell him anything after that.

He extends his hand.

I’m scared. For a brief moment, I want to open up to him. Remember what we once had. Will he listen? Will he understand?

Do I take his hand?

Fuck no

Your ex is psychotic. He's calm because he doesn't know how the world works. He's loyal because he has no idea or understanding of how volatile and destructive your brother is to a world he doesn't realize exists.

You want to hurt him? Find a way to make him learn how the world really works. The rest will play itself out in his head.

That's what he's expecting isn't it. If you play along, keep his guard down...
I mean he hurt you, you won't give him that chance again. Just use him until you can be rid of him again.

You might use this opportunity to seed the idea that your companions could be useful to the elves. Something that might keep them from getting too hurt.

>>1119680
This. nothing more sneaky than a little bit of manipulation.

Yes, *use* him to your own ends. You definitely WON’T accidentally genuinely connect with him in the process, leading to you having someone on the inside you can rely on. That would be really good if it happened, but you’re the cool and tough Rae Rae! You’re definitely manipulating him and nothing else will happen! I think it’s a *lie* to say the world is 100% sucky and miserable and scary outside of the woods, but it’ll still put some fear into him if you bring up the duality of that. Life on the outside can be warm, but it can also be cold.

Let him see your indecision as you stand. It may convince him of the efficacy of this line of questioning. While some of it may originate in genuine curiosity, make no mistake. It is information gathering.
Keep what you share vague.
Tell him out there things are worse in some ways and better in others that are hard to articulate. That there is joy to be foundbeven if some times it is an elusive quarry. That being surrounded by such differences is a challenge, but one that can strengthen your sense of who you are. But mainly that it is so BIG out there. A horizon that goes on forever, not to the treeline.

Raelynn 2026/03/01(Sun)23:44 No. 1122785 ID: 188e95
File 177240866389.png - (6.53KB , 460x404 , LF8 20.png )

His outstretched hand lingers. Once, I saw comfort in that.

I hesitate.

He knew me. My dreams. Who I used to be.

Who I used to be…

Who am I now?

I’ve hurt. I’ve cried.

I’ve… grown.

I take his hand. It’s warm.

I’m thrust back, years ago. When we were both so full of pride and hope and fearlessness. When our problems were so small, our ambitions so large, our future so bright only our passion could outshine it. I see the sparkle in his eyes, and I wonder what he sees in mine.

Everything he’s done, I want to believe, is out of some sense of kindness. Keeping my mother’s death from me. Pushing me away from this land. Sending me further from my birthright. To another place, another people, another life.

“Ailín…”

Our fingers intertwine.

“There is so much out there,” I say, voice trembling. “An endless horizon of possibility. Thousands upon thousands of lives stacked atop each other, building a bridge to infinity.”

“It’s madness, isn’t it?” he asks. His fingers tighten. “Any one of them could set it alight. The fragility…”

“It is,” I say, and I tighten back. “But they… they don’t. They go on. Not a one starts the blaze. And together, with all their efforts, they cross the gap to a place where even a dragon can be a simple baker. Isn’t that something?”

I started out trying to manipulate him, but now… I remember what we had, and where we are now, and my eye is wet. I blink the tear away.

“Rái,” he says. He cups my cheek and I want to hit him, and I knew this was why I couldn’t surrender to him and I’m going to be weak in front of him and I don’t want that, I’m the fierce Rae-Rae.

But I’m not, am I? I’m the same girl who adopted a scarred stormcrow, who looks out for her friends, who found a new family.

I can be soft. It’s okay to let myself feel. Not like before.

I don’t cry.

But I do let Ailín touch my scar.

“You care for them,” he says, sighing.

Silence.

“They are soft,” he says.

I say nothing.

He lets my hand go. The wind picks up.

“…Which of them needs you the most?”

Who do I ask Ailín to take me to?

1. Landi
2. Serah
3. Dotti
4. Kayk
5. Pierre

Serah. Dotti will need you eventually, as she's a curiosity, but they won't waste any time mistreating the human noble.

Serah.

I know Serah. She has grown considerably. And one thing I know about her is that she can deal with stress really well now. She can also defend herself if needed.

1. I think out of everyone, Landi needs Rae. She is the least mature, unpredictable. But most importantly, probably thinks all of this is her fault (lucky panties and all that).

I don’t think Rae Rae wants to comfort Landi. But I think she should comfort Landi. It would do her some good to comfort Landi. Alternatively, Dotti is a cute fox girl and I want to see more of her. But that’s like, a passive effect of Dotti existing, so, grain of salt.

1) Landi most vulnerable (actually its Pierre but we can't let on that he's important)

Landi

Landi needs you most at the moment

Stay silent.
He's lived in a bog made of lies. An autocracy built on hollow nuances and twisted virtues.
If he doesn't wear many faces, he's the designated suicide bomber. You can't trust where he's going.

>>1122835
Àgreed.
This stinks of a lesson hes planning on teaching.

But we may not be allowed to stay silent so if that is the case... we should pick the one capable of withstanding any cruelty he may be planning.

never trust a pretty boy. him calling them soft does not scream good intentions... 2.

Landi

Raelynn 2026/05/03(Sun)04:56 No. 1126155 ID: 89e385
File 177778420360.png - (135.55KB , 1163x477 , LF8 21.png )

This is a test. Every instinct I have screams it at me. Even so, I can’t help my friends if I don’t step into it.

“The fairy,” I say.

“Good,” Ailín nods. “I told Fergal to disarm her. You can confirm that we emptied her dimensional storage of the most important items.

Fergal. The brute.

My heart sinks.

Ailín walks me to the spot, far from the bunker, where Fergal has disarmed Landi.

She’s whimpering. Muttering under her breath, softly, eyes unfocused, sweating and shivering.

“Vivi… it hurts so much,” she grits her teeth. “How did you stand it? Vivi, please, I need you… Vivi…”

Bile rises in my throat.

I know that, given enough time and healing potions, they can recover, but I remember the time we fought the Spirit of Bloodshed and Landi didn’t take well to the potions. If her mental state is too scarred, for too long, even those might not help.

“Fairies are troublesome,” Ailín says. “Full of tricks, contracts, spells. Even more dangerous if they are Summoners, and so difficult to keep them from making a quick escape no matter their skills. Fortunately, clipping their wings every so often will make escape impossibly painful.”

“Should have let me cut them off entirely,” Fergal growls.

“Do you ask to cut the legs off every captive?” Ailín asks. “No? Then please, stick to tradition and what is proven effective.”

I hate this. I hate it all. I hate that Landi’s being tortured all because of this stupid plan and it’s all my fault. Doubts fill my mind. If this is what they’re doing to Landi, then what are the others being put through? Worse?

I don’t know, and it terrifies me.

Pragmatism and preparation can only excuse so much. That your captors don't have more creative methods of subduing a non-human target after decades of duty shows exactly what your brother has been filling them up with: combat manuals and a directive to sacrifice themselves for their dear leader.

If they are cruel inside, then there is little left to do but nyx this plan and subdue your captors. But this reeks of a dictatorship. Your brother has seen the monsters that the worst of humanity devolved into... he has become one. He will likely embrace those monsters while murdering humans and elves alike.

You want revenge? Sever the head and watch the worms squirm underneath a rotting body. But keep your rage in check for now. The beings in front of you have been hollowed out. Hatred towards them only matters when they become people again.

She put her trust in you, so you have to see this through.

The guilt you're feeling is mislaid, it rightfully belongs to them who hurt your friends so callously. keep it inside, when the time is right you repay them for these sins.

But you have to stay strong until then. Ask to see the items he mentioned.

So your ex-boyfriend doesn't trust fey, that's not an excuse to torture them. Giving any prisoner to Fergal is a mark against his character. Ask him to- please... find a new jailer. Just give her to Pierre's jailer, not Serah's as she was her familiar. One powerless fairy is hardly more taxing to watch over than a human.

Been awhile, and I'm thinking about Landi's Djinn partners right now. Do they realize that Landi has Djinns on her side? Hopefully they didn't get that information out of her, but perhaps we made it here in time before they started questioning her and only disarmed her.

One thing I wanna do is ask the status on her standings with them and see if they can help in your upcoming battle with your brother, especially how her standing with salt is considering some issues she had.

But before we can ask Landi, there are two things we'll need to do.
First we will have to be alone with her even if you have to confirm she's been disarmed to do it like Ailín wants us to. It should be fine if we check as long as we have those Djinn kept a secret.

Once we are alone, second step is to try to give Landi from therapy to get her mental state better before she can help us.

Tell them you have a more foolproof solution. A contract. Landi can sign a contract stating she cannot attempt to leave until her prison door is opened and she is released (or something to that effect, which would allow her to escape if a prison break succeeds).

Or, maybe something that's easier to sneak by the guards... a contract stating she cannot use her wings at all while she is in camp. That way, they won't have to clip them, and it won't make a prison break any easier.

Raelynn.
Let the anger you feel sharpen your will.
Focus yourself.
>>1126159
Yes.
He knows contracts exist and weird fae rules. Lets use that.
State that she can only open her storage to her party members and never with outsiders nearby.
Bound on a contract level to prevent theft.
To get them to Back away and let you talk quietly.

Raelynn 2026/05/31(Sun)22:11 No. 1127400 ID: 89e385
File 178026546574.png - (7.64KB , 500x476 , LF8 22.png )

Landi’s pain is so intense that I can feel it myself. Why did I even agree to this plan, if I knew it was going to put my friends through such suffering?

I can feel myself being drawn back to my first battles, when I had such hope of being a Seer for the Circle. It hurt then, too. The battle was too intense- I could feel the agony then, as I can now from Landi, all around me, overwhelming me. I wasn’t meant to be a warrior like my mother and father. Like my brother, too.

I’m just me.

A surge of warmth flows through my mind, from head to toe filling me with a firm, resolute confidence. Taranis. His faith in me. My friends’ trust, conveyed through him.

My Circle thought of connection like this as a weakness. But here, now, it’s something I need.

Landi needs it, too.

“Did you separate the alchemist’s bombs from the rest of the implements? Weapons, potions, elixirs?” I ask Fergal. I look over the emptied inventory. There are items missing, but I don’t tell Fergal that. Perhaps Landi is better at hiding things in her dimensional pockets than Fergal is at searching them. “You have emptied her inventory, but it is hard to see if any of it is about to explode.”

Fergal frowns. “That’s what those containers are? Bombs?”

Ailín groans.

“Separate them. Carefully,” I instruct them. “This fairy is the human warrior’s beast of burden, and her supporting enchanter. Assume that that pile is highly dangerous and explosive. The human warrior and this fairy are contracted.”

“Do you know the terms?” Ailín asks.

“I do not,” I say honestly, remembering the time my mind fizzled trying to read Dotti’s contract. “But I do know that they are inviolable. If you form one yourself with her, she would be bound to follow its terms. Including that she not try to escape.”

“Bah!” Fergal scoffs. “A fairy would bend its words to their own benefit. I trust no such paper.”

“Trusting a fairy contract to accomplish your own goals, instead of the fairy’s, is foolish,” Ailín nods in agreement. “If you can convince her to not attempt any escape, that would save her from further harm.”

That excuse is all I need. I bend down to Landi and hold out my hand.

“Serah’s Fairy,” I say softly.

She keeps shivering. I’m worried- if she breaks down and summons Salt with what little mana she has in a desperate effort to stop her pain, it could be disastrous.

I take a small risk. I know fairy names have power for them, even nicknames, but this is something I can’t hold back if I want to reach her. “Landi.”

She looks up at me.

“Vivi? No… Rae?”

I hold out my hand. “I’m here, Landi. I promise I’ll look out for you, if you promise me you’ll stay strong.”

“Serah, too,” Landi says. “And Dotti. And Kayk, and Pierre. Don’t let them hurt like this. F-fucking promise me.”

“I promise I’ll make sure they don’t… hurt as much as you do,” I say.

Landi lets out a deep, long sigh and stops shivering.

I look up to Ailín, pointedly ignoring Fergal. “Give her a sip of healing potion so she doesn’t freeze to death. Fairy dust and wings keep them warm.”

Ailín points to Fergal, who rolls his eyes but pulls out a stopper to measure out a drop or two. For a moment, I want to tell him to give more, but then I realize something. I’ve actually managed to convince Ailín- and Fergal through him- to follow my directions.

That is something I can work on. They’re not overly suspicious of me. They’re not binding my hands or doubting my advice.

Serah’s plan worked. I have some freedom of movement, and some credibility. If I am informing the Circle about a serious threat- like Serah’s bombs, for example- then I can probably get Ailín to take me to another party member without arousing suspicion.

Or I could go directly to my brother and see what’s become of him. Seeing him fight the Censor war party might give me more insight as to how he is leading the Circle.

Or… I could simply talk with Ailín. His interest in the outside world could be a ruse… or it could be genuine. He has hurt me in the past- but we shared moments before where he understood me better than anyone else. His own twisted affection might be useful, if I can trust myself to trust him again.

Rae has freedom of movement. Choose one path.

1. Suggest a dangerous party member to the Circle, so Rae can visit them. Spends time, and does not help Rae’s bonds with any of the Circle.

2. Ask to be taken to Rae’s brother. Will give her insight as to his mental state and leadership style. Will also shorten the time the rest of the Party is kept in interrogation.

3. Spend time with Ailín and/or Fergal, and tell them about the outside world. Taranis can visit one of the Party members while Rae does this and report their status, as he doesn’t need to focus on her safety at the same time.

2. Help them all at once by shortening their stay in elfin hospitality.
And keep those fingernails sharp for when your brother's eyes are in reach.

2) have to see what we're up against

2) Get the reactions from the top first, and you can learn what kind of environment the grunts are stuck in. You'll also spread their attention away from your party if the boss needs extra bodyguards to keep him from you.

3. Maybe that little bit of time with them to talk to them about the outside world and what you went through would be enough to spark something, maybe support Rae against her brother, and maybe even bring the circle to a newer better direction over one of domination. Of course we might not be able to convince everyone in the circle, but getting as much as we can might make the difference.

2, No point in dragging out the party's suffering and making Rae suffer by seeing them in pain. Let's get straight to the point.

As much as i want to suggest going straight to brother, to stop the pain.
It may be that this is worth considering.
>>1127411
We have some indication there is more flexibility of thought among the group than we hoped.

However, seeing brother fight and how he leads is important too. If its a limited opportunity, that could be more important.

1) Go see Kayk. The threat is that she’s a dragon, obviously.

Ugh.

2) Time for the painful family gathering.
We can should also talk to Ailin and Fergal about how they and the Circle have fared these past few years, and how Ciarán has led them.

Raelynn 2026/09/20(Sun)05:06 No. 1132156 ID: 8d91b3
File 178988077670.png - (66.33KB , 675x675 , LF8 23.png )

We walk until the clouds thicken around the Censor war parties. I hear snaps and crackles of magic and wood under tension. My Circle’s treants had bending the enchanted (some would say cursed) hard-shelled nuts, flinging the explosives high and fast into the air where they burst into thousands of bits of shrapnel. If Apricot had been flying through this…

No. She’s not here. She won’t have to fight my people if I have anything to say about it.

There were seven summoned celestial griffons that converged here, each carrying about three or four Censors. I get a few glimpses through the treeline and can only count that five griffons remain. Those that came too close to our lands have learned the hard way that the Circle’s reach is long.

Ailín leads me to the hilltop where the defense is being led by my brother. He stands surrounded by squad leaders awaiting orders, each commanding a reserve of rangers. I finally get a clear view of him, and…

This is my little brother Cici?

He’s grown taller. Harsher. Leadership has ground away at his features, building muscle and lean angles where any softness might have lay. Before I was exiled, I was taller, but now he has grown just a little above me.

I am forty-three years old. Ciarán is three years younger than me. The elves of old would barely see us as capable of making our own decisions, let alone guiding our people, but here we are.

The squad leaders are relaying information about how the Censors have used slow-fall spells to land safely on the ground after their griffons were shot down. I hear a deep voice, so unfamiliar, commanding to hunt down the survivors and bring them to our camp. My little brother, so eager to prove himself, is gone. In his place is a man whose course is written in the lines across his face.

He turns to see me, recognition bright in his eyes, but I don’t recognize him.

“At last,” he sighs, and his smile is anything but warm. “Ráichéalín, it has been so, so long. My elder sister, safe and sound.” He gestures to the Circle around him and they obediently part, giving Ailín and me a clear path. Ailín guides me to him, then knees once he is just outside blades’ reach.

I tense. He is armed, as am I. The familiarity we once shared, of siblings with the same hopes and dreams, is gone. He steps in. His arms are wide, spread far above Imbolc’s grip. He comes closer, and… and…

Raelynn 2026/09/20(Sun)05:06 No. 1132157 ID: 8d91b3
File 178988079952.png - (24.97KB , 525x425 , LF8 24.png )

He embraces me.

“I’ve been so worried for you,” he says, truth poisoning his words.

How dare he?!

I blink rapidly, forcing tears from my eyes, frustration and fear and anger boiling within me, freezing my arms, tension in my entire body.

My mental link with Taranis fills with concern, and I instinctively push him away. No, my mind rebels. Keep watching. I need your eyes. Please.

I realize I’m shaking as he holds me.

“You’ve returned, sister,” he says, too loud. A performance. “Safe from the outsiders at last. Alone for so long, away from your people, I can’t imagine how difficult it must have been. But at last, at long last…

You’re home.”

A small clamor amongst the Circle. Is it true? I’m welcome here? Even after all my failings?

He whispers in my ear as the possibilities flutter in the air, before crashing to the ground.

“Mother’s spirit ordered you to kill me, didn’t it?”

1. She did
2. It did

That's an oddly specific question to be asking us. What made him think we spoke to mother's spirit? There could be multiple reasons why we could have come here, and he specifically gravitated towards that. Careful, he might have already gotten information from their interrogation with Serah or Landi. Keep in mind what we shared with Landi and Serah in future conversation.


2. Anyway, if we want to keep his guard down and think we're on his side, the best way is to pretend we are like-minded and call mother's spirit an "it"

Don't play his game.

Tell him to ask you that again, louder. So everyone can hear.

2) if thats the phrasing he's using then go with that.

STAB HIM. NOW.

No mercy for souldrinkers or their minions. You can apologize after you're dead - but if you tarry, you might cease to exist. Same for him, I guess.

phrasing is important. 2. it did, but i didnt

She did- n't have to.

>>1132165
Yeah.
Mirror.
If shes an it to him, refer to her as it.

Raelynn 2026/09/26(Sat)17:48 No. 1132368 ID: 8d91b3
File 179044491655.png - (17.49KB , 600x600 , LF8 25.png )

There’s not a doubt in my mind that I did speak with our mother’s spirit. Ciarán choosing to seek out the soul-devourers- the Airceacháin- must have changed how he sees the remains of who lies beyond the veil. If I want to connect with my brother and see inside his mind, I’ll need to mirror it, if only for a short while.

“It did,” I say softly.

“It remembered Mother’s threats. Shades are so stubborn…” Ciarán steps back and smiles. “And now, we are both free to make our own decisions. You haven’t stabbed me yet, despite what it told you about my plans. I appreciate that.”

“Free?”

“Yes,” my brother says, “Free. Free from Mother’s insistence that we continue fighting her way. Following her plans. If you had been free to choose your own fate, Rae, would you have chosen to be a warrior? It was her decision to make you a Warseer, not yours.”

I don’t say anything. I don’t need to.

“The Circle sent you away. I didn’t fight it then.” Ciarán says. “And if I had the chance to relive that moment… I would still stay silent. I would tell you, as you were exiled, that I would be happy you had the chance to be far from the fighting. Now you have returned, and given us great gifts we would never have received otherwise. I thank you.”

He means my friends. Kayk. Dotti. Serah. He doesn’t know about Pierre, but if he remains here for long…

“There is not a doubt in my mind that now, the Circle Uí Liatháin can put a stop to our people’s fighting,” he says, and his voice turns harsh. “Sister, we are elves. We can live for hundreds of years, but we have spent generations fighting and dying over petty squabbles. Don’t you see? With Mother’s death, without her bloody, senseless traditions, I can finally force the other Clans to fall in line.

A dragon, sister. We have a dragon,” he says, excitement bubbling into his voice. “A fox spirit. A human noble, with her knowledge and connections. Add to it the weapon no other Clan would use, the one only we can control… the Airceacháin.”

I can’t let that go. It’s too monstrous; the devourers are abominations that my parents would beat us if we said their names.

“That weapon I won’t name,” I say, “Will turn the world against us, including the fox spirit you are so excited about. Do you really think a fox would be willing to stay near them, much less fight along side them?”

“No,” my brother says, and his smile spreads. “That’s why I need your help. You understand how to keep a fox spirit in one place. You have been to the Terrorscale lair. You have ingratiated yourself to the human.”

Oh, no…

“Mother was a bitch,” my brother says, “But she was right about you. You are the one to see our future. You can bring us victory. Ráichéalín, there is no one but you who can keep the reins on these outsiders. Because if you can, then I do not even need to use our weapon of last resort.

“Tell me, sister. Tell me you’ll help end generations of fighting. Tell me! Tell me you’ll give us back our lives!”

1. Lie
2. Tell the truth

White lie. He wants to end generations of fightings, and I’m sure we do too, but his way is evil.

Tell him you will help end the generations of fighting, but don’t tell him it will be in your own way.

You do want peace after all, and ending generations of fighting in your way and not his is working towards that same goal

2. Despite everything, he's your brother. You owe him more than a knife in the back. He's been honest with you about his intentions, so return the favor.

Your brother's actions created a spirit of vengeance that almost got members of your party killed some time ago. In capturing your companions, Rae was forced to weigh who she could let suffer, knowing that pain was inevitable for at least some of them. You were forced to confront your brother after only checking in with Landi, knowing that her torment would be dragged out if you didn't act sooner.

It is not inconceivable to you that your friends would fight this war for you if you asked, but it is a request you would never make of them. The Circle has brought nothing but pain to your party, and they deserve better than to fight for a guy who treats them as weapons above all else.

He never even asked you about them. He went on about how useful they could be, but he never asked who these people are to you, or how you feel about their treatment.

He wants freedom for the elves and de-sapience for everyone else. He's playing to your ego by claiming you're still a farseer.

But you were never a farseer. All you can see is the people all around you. He doesn't see them at all, only pieces on a game board. Souls are a currency to him, and he'll never realize his giving away his own to a devourer until it's too late.

Put him down. Elvenkind must learn to live through gentrification, and they'll learn on their own terms, not his demands. They've got the time.

Don't speak. Stab.

He's so close. Yes you have seen the future, the end to fighting, the end to useless traditions and past grudges. Its out there, out in the world. Your people only have to seek it.

And you can still have revenge on those that tried to destroy your people, as the best revenge is to live well.

So you can in honesty say the answer to his question is yes

The truth.

the thing about opening your heart and intentions to someone is that there is an expectation of sympathy and understanding. your brother is not a person that sees anything outside of his own ego and ambition. if the whole truth was told, this plan would fall apart wouldn't it? you can't tell the truth without making your own feelings obvious

yes, you'll put an end to all this. don't say more, he'll already fill in the blanks

>>1132385
The phrasing here
Its not a lie, its the truth.
Even if its not the truth he thinks hes hearing.

Raelynn 2026/10/04(Sun)22:44 No. 1132608 ID: 8d91b3
File 179115384019.png - (57.70KB , 974x527 , LF8 26.png )

In memory of our youth, I owe him the truth. To the man he has become, I owe him nothing more.

“I will help end the fighting,” I reply instantly. “You are my brother. Our paths split, and… for the better. Your way will not make peace. I met these outsiders you want me to control, and their hearts will be closed to you as long as you treat the soul-devourers like a key to victory. You say you can control them? That makes you a devourer in their eyes, too.”

“I have heard these words before,” Ciarán says. “My Circle sees the Airceacháin as a necessary evil. Once we have secured our power and ended these wars, they will no longer be needed. The mere threat of unleashing them on a human city will keep our people safe for the generations we need to return to glory, before the humans tore us down from our high perch. Now that we are upon the ground, lofty ideals are beyond our reach. Now we have only blood and dirt. The humans saw the truth of war when they fought us then, and I see it clearly now.”

“Even if you can control them,” I say, “The fox spirit and the human noble you just captured, they despise the devourers. The dragon you want to enslave? Her mother threatened to kill the fox spirit for far less than what you’re proposing to do. Brother, your way of ending this war without more bloodshed is. Not. Possible.”

“Nothing is impossible,” he says. “My successes have proven this. Now, the only thing standing between me and total victory… is you. These outsiders will not be permitted to leave. I cannot let such an opportunity escape. Do you intend to challenge me, sister, to a duel to the death, as Mother wished? Or can you make your own decisions?”

“To the death?” I keep my face neutral, but my stomach churns. “I could challenge you for leadership. Or challenge your methods and prove myself stronger, you weaker. End this by forbidding summoning the devourers.”

“You are not even a warrior any longer. Why would I agree to risk my position? Risk our people’s greatest weapon? You would need to offer something in return. What could possibly be more valuable than a human noble, a fox spirit, and a dragon on our side? Anything lesser would doom us to a future of more pointless fighting and death.”

I grit my teeth. If he wants me to offer up my party’s services to him, it wouldn’t work. I could, in theory, offer my friends a binding fairy contract to assist my people in the war and end it with all their power, including by fighting… and for Kayk, perhaps her sister, Tanwen, could take over those duties. Somehow, perhaps even Mai herself could step in and assume the contract, since she is famous for offering her services in war… but here, my brother has done so much already to risk her wrath, who knows how that could play out?

Ciarán takes a breath to say more, but is interrupted by a scout approaching.

“Ceann Cath,” she says, saluting. “The two griffons’ worth of Censors have been successfully isolated from the main group. They are being harried toward our main camp and are cut off from their aerial support.”

“Well done,” says my brother. “Encircle them and capture them when they are in the correct position. We have no need to take casualties from any of their surprises. Be cautious.”

“Yes, Ceann Cath.”

Taranis? I quietly reach out through our mental link, divinely protected from my people’s senses.

I feel an affirmation back.

Follow the downed Censors. Await my instructions. They might be useful if things go badly for me here.

“So,” my brother says, turning back to me. “What will it be, sister? I do not want to kill you, but if you challenge me… I will not lie, my life would be far easier if I had both our family’s blades, and no longer had an elder sister at risk of being captured by my enemies, or turning against me. But would you really throw your life away for these outsiders?”

Do I accept the duel?
1. Yes, to the death. Killing him would disrupt my Circle’s cohesion and remove the person insisting on using the devourers as a weapon.

2. Yes, to submission, with forced conditions on the loser. Far, far more complicated than killing him… but perhaps I can bring him back from the brink, somehow. If I win, I can make my case to the whole Circle watching. And he would still be alive, with the knowledge and drive to summon the devourers. Maybe I can offer him, and the Circle, something better than this insane plan of my Brother’s.

3. Other.


Do I tell Taranis to contact the Censors?
A. Yes. I can use Taranis to contact the Censors and my own party’s contingencies to create enough chaos to break my friends out, and escape.
B. No. I could later, but if I did enlist their help, I would be doing exactly what I was raised not to do: side with my people’s enemies and lead them to our dens. I would be the worst kind of traitor.

>>1132608
Let me tell you a secret, Rae. Humanity has damned itself across many worlds because they held a world-ending power. Because even those who could control that power could not control the way its mere existence enticed the young and ambitious into greater schemes.
"Proximity to power is more corrupting than power itself."

Even if he could resist the temptation to continue using the soul-devourers for control, and even if he had the rituals destroyed outright... it would be too late. He'd awaken greed in the hearts of meta-humanity. They would know that the world would bow to whoever re-summoned the monsters. Some would do anything to ensure no-one could ever step on them again. Some would sacrifice everything to step on everyone else.

But these humans have no idea. They are relatively innocent. That makes them worth fighting for.

1) And it makes him worth killing.

1) ...When your ancestors forged the sacred pacts, did they ever conceive of a king who would sell his kingdom's souls to demons? @#$% him and @#$% your old kingdom. They're so small compared to what they plan to destroy.

To the death. Contact the censors. Even this is not stooping to his level of summoning the devourers.

1
and
B because even after your brother dies, the circle will need a new leader, you, and you can lead them to be better people. having them see you as a traitor will just have them continuing to cause trouble for everyone. This insures that they won't follow someone even worse than him

1B. there should be a balance in what you've been taught and what you believe in. fighting for your own beliefs, your own values, what you personally respect in your people and your history will never be easy. if you cannot stomach the person you'll become by making a certain choice, then fight like hell so the one you do want to choose succeeds.

>>1132608
Im saying 2. B
Not because i particularly think he should live, but i worry about how raelynn will cope afterwards

Killing him is the only way to eliminate the threat of the devourers, whether he summons them, or someone else who can pry the knowledge from him. As for the Censors, I think we should save them as a last ditch response. Our initial plan didn’t involve contacting them, and until it relies on that, it’s a better play tactically to not betray your people, for diplomacy reasons already stated.