Conversation 2: Daisy and Sasari (and Bandit Bill)

Green: Daisy

GM: Black

Daisy will try to talk to Sasari sometime when he's not in the war room. She's not shy, but she figures the other leaders won't be very interested in their conversation. If he's always in the war room, she'll just ask to speak with him, either at the bar or somewhere more private, she doesn't care.

You can find him one night at the bar, having a drink. He seems lost in his thoughts, hardly touching the drink. You doubt he even knows he's one of the last at the bar.

"One for me, please," Daisy said as she sat down next to him, not looking to see if it was Rosalita or Bandit Bill manning the bar (Bill, maybe?).

"Hey, Sasari," she said in a friendly tone. "Something eating you, besides the war stuff? You look a little down or something."

Sasari says nothing at first, just nodding. "I suppose I am down. There have been so many lives lost in war after war after war. I've buried so many lately. I'm just...weary of all this fighting. I'm tired of burying my friends."

Bill brings you a drink, and starts running you a tab, as would be normal for you.

"Thanks, Bandit Bill," Daisy said, and took a swig.

She nodded at Sasari. "I think I know what you mean. Sometimes my daddy and Flik say stuff like that... Not often, though. I think they know that they were fighting for important reasons, especially in Dunan. Do you have regrets?"

Sasari chuckles. "Don't we all have regrets? I would think that is part of the human condition, to wonder about the paths not chosen. I've spent nearly 40 years dedicated to preserving an empire that no longer exists. Were my efforts in vain? I've commanded troops in many a war, and ordered so many to their deaths. The cost of lives lost trying to save this empire.... what meaning do they hold now? Were they just drops of water in a bucket without a bottom, spilled at once? If Harmonia is truly finished, then what did they all die for? It just seems so stupid. The empire is gone, and nothing can bring back those who died for it. And now this. Regardless of who is the victor in the coming battles, the empire will change names, change leaders, maybe even change politics.... but those who died will still be dead. And even more will die for this new country, first to form it, then to defend that country's name. How can humans be so stupid to continue fighting wars for something so pitiful as a country's name, or some royal family? Is killing each other all we are good for? Some cycle of never ending war and death, death and war? I...I just am tired of it. All of it...."

He stops, looking to the point of tears, and drinks from his beer.

"I don't know if the people who fought for you back then volunteered or were drafted or what, but they were probably glad to be fighting for their country, right? Even if it changes names or politics or whatever, it's still their land that they want to improve and protect. You said before that you wouldn't fight for Harmonia anymore, but for the people in it. I don't see much difference... That's something I don't have much experience in, I guess," she shrugged.

"But if the formula you've been following bothers you so much, why not really change it up? My dad and Flik and Humphrey have always been the traveling types, just fighting for the causes where they could help the most people. That's what my life has been, too. Why just stay with one political country anyway? I was born in Highland, which is just part of Dunan now and could end up as something different if that rebellion succeeds somehow, so who cares what country you're from?"

Daisy took a long drink and looked back at the former priest general. "That's what I think, anyway. Just fight for what you love or believe in, like your soldiers did, and don't have any regrets. I know I'm no big speechwriter, but there you go." She looked suddenly wary. "You're not gonna bring down the castle, are you? I heard that Reynaldo had to rebuild the whole palace last time you got really upset."

Sasari blinks, and then laughs. "No, I won't bring down the castle, no worries. I'm sorry if I'm a downer. A good friend of mine passed in the last battle, and I was just thinking he would be here telling not to drink so much if he were still alive." Sasari looks at his drink, and pushed it away.

"I'll fight for the people as I was born with the power to do so, and I will protect those who can't defend themselves. It's just at times, I wish I hadn't been born with this power, to just be one of those normal people. To plant a small field and watch it grow, spending day after day without a care in the world, without staining my hands red with blood. I want to see a world at Peace. It just feels like a pipe dream, slipping through my fingers with each war. Sometimes, I fear Luc was right in the end."

"I just heard about Luc from Leknaat," Daisy said sadly, gazing into her drink. "It's really too bad. I always heard so much about him and wanted to meet him, and then I'm told that he died years ago. She said he was trying to destroy his True Rune. You really think that would be a good idea? I think they can do all sorts of good things as well as bad; he should have just given up his rune if it made him so miserable. It's probably because he tried to kill it that the rune got so angry and Serena ended up losing her leg."

She shook her head. "No helping all that, I guess... It'll just be up to me to find the guy who has the rune now and get back at him for Serena. Anyway, who did you lose in the battle? Was it one of the other priest generals?"

Sasari looks a bit stunned at the information you just gave him. "My friend, Dios. He's been my assistant for over a decade now, but he was killed in the fighting with the demons. He was the closest thing I ever had to a friend, and he's gone now." Sasari says.

"As for Luc, you knew of him, eh? I didn't think Luc and his plan was common knowledge, though it's no surprise Leknaat knew. From what I understand, Luc's rune became intwined with his soul, meaning if he 'gave it up' it would have killed him. The rune's visions drove him made so he couldn't live with it or without it. He chose to try to 'save the world' by destroying his rune, ignoring the damage such a thing would do so. It's a sad story, don't you think?"

"But who is this serena, and how doer her losing a leg have anything to do with the wind rune?"

Daisy explained what Serena had told her about her friend finding the rune, the accident that cost her her leg, and his disappearance. "I promised to find him for her so she can get some answers. it's obvious this history is still hurting her bad, and I'm gonna put a stop to it," she said in a voice that brokered no argument. "Oh yeah, Serena's the appraiser. She has a shop here in the castle."

"And yeah, I heard stories about Luc growing up. My dad, Viktor, and Flik and Humphrey fought alongside him a couple of times, even way back in Toran. I like meeting people from dad's stories... But then, you've shown up in his stories too." Daisy rested her chin on hand, leaning on the counter, and said, "I'm sorry about your friend. If you ever want someone to talk to, or someone to fight with, I'll be your friend too, okay?"

Sasari chuckles. "You are quite the character.... Daisy, was it? Maybe it's the beer talking, but from you approaching me and offering to be a 'friend' one could easily interpret you as trying to flirt with me, you realize. And since I'm likely twice your age, it would make for quite a different story for your father to tell," he says smiling.

"If you think I'm flirting, you clearly haven't met April yet," Daisy chuckled, downing the last of her beer. "I just like getting to know people, especially the ones who've ended up in my-- in the castle. I guess..." Daisy leaned back. "I keep thinking of all this as my fight. Dad's fought so many battles, in so many castles... Even though he's here too, I can't help thinking that this is my turn to do something important."

Daisy shot Sasari a quick grin. "You're a good sort. If you wanted to take this as flirting, I wouldn't say otherwise. But we don't have to get ahead of ourselves, my friend. And my dad hasn't had a say in my relationships since the last time he tried to leave me behind somewhere 'safe', and that's when I was... eight, maybe?" she shook her head, pitying the entire institution of fatherhood.

Sasari looks at you a moment, then laughs. "I didn't expect that. You surprise me, Daisy. Not many people can do that. The Church of Harmonia has raised me to be a soldier since I was a child. How to fight, how to use magic, how to anticipate the moves of those around me... it's become second nature for me to be one step ahead of people. But you, I can't guess your movements. I thought for sure you'd throw a drink at me," he says, chuckling.

He shakes his head, and says. "Well, why not? I've never had free time working for a government that doesn't exist, and I've never dated to follow codes of a church that no longer stands. I've lost enough time pleasing others. You interest me, Daisy. I admit not knowing the first thing about courting a lady, but would you care to join me for a date some time? Maybe we can do something important together."

Daisy smiled. "You said it. Why not? I'm sure we can think of something. We could go see a show at Lydia's new stage, or do a cooking battle... or if all else fails, maybe I'll see you on the battlefield next time we head out," she said with a wink. "It's a date."

She looked over at the bartender then and grinned. "What about you, Bandit Bill? When are you gonna get yourself a girl, eh? I'm sure you've seen how Bernadette has been giving you the eye."

Sasari chuckles. "A date on the battlefield, eh? My military strategists would roll over in their graves," he says, smiling. "No matter what we do, I'm sure it be something unforgettable. I will look forward to it, my lady," he says, raising a glass to you.

Bandit bill is caught bringing you a drink, and stops. "Me? Bernadette was looking at me? She....she's pretty, but I never would have thought a high class lady would be seen with someone like me. We'd be quite the pair, huh?" he says, laughing it off, clearly embarrassed.

"Aww, don't short-change yourself, B. I know she's lonely; you should chat her up next time, give it a try," Daisy said encouragingly, taking the beer he'd brought her. "Just don't come on too strong, and treat her like a lady."

She turned back to Sasari then, raising her glass. "To surprises on the battlefield. You ain't seen nothin yet," she chuckled. Daisy will happily chat with Sasari for as long as he wishes that night, though she's decided to keep the bear thing to herself for now. :)

Bill laughs. " I don't know, Daisy. She seems like a high maintenance noble, and I'm a no class janitor. What could we possibly have in common?"

"Listen, B, it doesn't matter what your title is, especially in the new Harmonia we're fighting for. I really don't think Bernadette is shallow enough to care about that kind of thing. So don't be blinded by her fancy pants, and make a move," Daisy winked.

Sasari will have another drink with you, and then excuse himself. "Until tomorrow Daisy. I look forward to it." He says. He pays his tab, and leaves with a wave.

Bill laughs. "I guess it can't hurt, eh? Still, what's your interest? Wait, did she put you up to this?" he asks, surprised.

Daisy will wave to Sasari and put a few potch down for her own tab. "Don't be silly. Someone like Bernadette would probably hate to have someone butting in to her relationships. I just hate seeing her so down all the time, that's all. She lost someone dear to her right before she joined our army -- not that you should ever bring that up," Daisy added hastily. "If there's any chemistry going on between you two, I don't think you should let it slip away. And if I'm wrong, no harm done, right?" she shrugged, standing up. "'Night, B."

Bill laughs. "Well, I guess it can't hurt, eh? Night Daisy."

Session 9 Recap: An Exploration Explosion

Time for our first recruitment drive! We had lots of towns to visit for the first time and lots of faces to see. We visited the town of Prymount first, where our only discoveries were a Tomato Seed and Recipe #31 “Nachos”. A stop by Lorin Castle won us a Potato Seed and Recipe #24 “Omelet”, but also a barkeeper named Rosalita who was looking to open up her own place. The dangerously placed town of Delon contained only Recipe #5 “Clams” and some Whiskey, our first item for Rosalita. The town of West Hollow had Recipe #39 “Eggroll”; we also met a farmer named Zelda who seemed inclined to join us, but still needs to finish up some chores before she can join (i.e. need castle level 2).

In the kobold village of Highcrest, we discovered that Monty the trader has no interest in joining yet. We had no incentive for him, so we decided to leave him be for the time being. Also, the mayor/elder kobold may be missing; this bears more investigating in the future.

Coldwall Castle was a colorful stop, and not just because of Recipe #20 “Lasagna”. Harold made the acquaintance of another fancypants Narcissist, Roxie, who we found harassing some uniformed Harmonian soldiers about their lack of fashion sense and color. Harold hammed it up with the flamboyantly dressed woman and impressed upon her our need for a fashionista in our drab new castle. She seemed intrigued, but insisted that she can’t be tied down to one place while the whole world still needs her fashion advice and ran off. I wonder how many times we’ll meet her before she gives in?

The small town of Marid appeared to be in very poor shape. A small child sold us a duck for a high price, thanks to Harold’s soft-heartedness. We were also awarded Recipe #26 “Pie”. One of the villagers told us her daughter June is missing, and Harold remembered the name from one of his investigations. Nathan helped a girl named June escape from prison about two years ago, but all we know is that she may have gone north from there and was originally imprisoned for pickpocketing. We will be keeping an eye out for this young woman.

Our return to the Crystal Valley was brief but very entertaining. We found Ramza the drunk beggar exactly where he was sitting the first time, drinking away his troubles on the street. It didn’t take much for Daisy to persuade him to join us (free room and board tends to do that), but he still wouldn’t tell us what he used to do for a living or how he ended up where he was. Daisy assured him that he would find something useful to do around the castle soon enough. We were about to leave when we noticed a gathering near the Academy, where a woman named Lilly was regaling the crowd with a story of how she stabbed Yuber in the face. The lady adventurer and her bodyguards Reed and Samus agreed to join our effort because Lilly and Harold were old friends from their grassland days (apparently that was one crazy party). Plus, when she found out that Viktor’s daughter Daisy was involved, Lilly guessed that something big and exciting was probably going down.

With all possible exploration completed for the moment, we finally made our way back to the Sindar ruins to name our new castle. After some debate, we flipped from Unity Castle and Liberation Army and settled on Liberty Castle and the Union Army, because we “would make this war as severe as possible, and show no symptoms of tiring till [Harmonia] begs for mercy.” – William Tecumseh Sherman

After handing over the whiskey to barkeeper Rosalita and confirming that our prized healing fountain was still in place, we decided to pursue the plot and flew to Lindermill. Everyone in the factory town was talking about the disappearance of little Sam, the young son of Katherine and Luther. We learned that he had been missing for several days now, and neither the worried parents nor the one-eyed detective Xander had found any trace of where he had gone. Royce did some scouting and found tracks leading from the child’s window to the largest factory in town, which had been barred to us before. The goon guarding the door was most uncooperative, but he ran inside screaming and kindly left the door open for us when Royce threatened to feed him to his dragon. There was plenty of treasure to find and few guards, just the way I like it. We claimed a Mega Med x3, Rum, Medicine x6, Bandana, Old Book Vol. 7 “Intro to Trading” by J. Collins, and a Mega Med x3 before running into the bandit from the front door again, who was trying to steal some treasure for himself in the commotion. We started to kill him, but Daisy took pity on the single bandit and convinced him to surrender to us before he got himself killed. And that’s how Bandit Bill joined our team, not one to be held back by the absence of a face. He explained that “Bandit Bill’s boss is Bandit Bob” and that their group had kidnapped young Sam for ransom money, but the kid kept getting away from them.

With Bandit Bill in tow, we fought some bandits and collected more treasure:a Thunder God Hat (+1 MAG, +1 Lightning)(Sciath) and a Sticky Fingers accessory (used by bandits/thieves only, increases all talents by +1 grade). In the final room, we found about a dozen bandits and Bandit Leader Bob trying to capture little Sam again. One massacre later, we took Sam and the rest of the bandit treasure as our prize (Meg Medicine x3, Trickster Rune, Phoenix Plans #2, Bandit Tunic (+1 Steal skill)).

Katherine and Luther were more than happy to assist the war effort when we returned Sam to them and explained who we were, so the two of them are now recruited. Recipe #30 “Picnic Lunch” and the Play Script “William Tell” were discovered. Finally, we tracked down Xander the detective and paid 2000 potch to hire his services and recruit him to the team, in spite of his irritation that we had solved Sam’s case before he did. We will now be paying him 1000 potch per week (session) to get five extra investigations on top of what Harold gets to do, which will make gathering information on our stars that much easier.

Before ending the session, we spotted a deserted building with the name Renaldo’s Architecture posted and made a note to come back. And Harold begged a lady named Amelia to design our castle bathhouse, which we will hilariously pursue next Wednesday. You better get ready!