First bonus!

As a bonus to you, I finished the comment box for this week by adding a comment for EVERYONE. Yes, everyone. Happy readings!

It's a Double Digit Eulogy!

As always, these eulogies are done from the perspective of Harold.

For Octavia
"Octavia, Octavia, ye of little and much faith
It was that Faith that sustained you, that faith that you your power, your wisdom, your might
It was that faith that led to your death
It was your faith that led to your Zebra crying out in the shadows alone
Its bellow echoing on the castle walls
Pounding the walls.  

There was always a way out for you
But you chose not that path.
There was always a way for peace
But you chose you not that path.
There was always a path to fire
And it was that path you took.

Let her death be a grave reminder once more
Of a lesson passed down from generation to generation
Never be too zealous for a cause
For it always leads to madness

But let our memories know this as well:
if you must go into the abyss of madness
Take friends with you.
For otherwise, ye shall be Octavia.
Ye of little and much faith"

Dedicated to Daisy.

For Felicia
"Felicia, oh Felicia, as Pearl's death was, you were such a tragic tale
Your silver eyes of rare beauty shall never again stare at your Royce
Your angelic wings shall never be seen by the lowly world again

Your spear, like that of the old dynasties, always seem so sure and pure
But its heart was as black as ash, its soul dirtied by the soil of the land

In a different time and place, your majestic grace, even if it was mad like a charging Holly Boy, would have been acknowledged, your followers bowing as if you were the last of the great Sindar gods
In a different world, you would be written of as though you had saved the world, as if you were the reincarnation of the greatest Wisemail of all

But you were bound by this one
You should have flown ever so high, so high that the angels themselves would be scared of you
But the pull of this world was too great

This violent world demanded the chaos embodied by Yuber
And your dragon simply was not powerful enough to soar above it all

In the end, you simply could not escape this world's gravity
And for that, dear Felicia, you became only the latest tale of woe"

Dedicated to Royce.

Most updates!

Hi all! I've posted most of the updates. Stars of destiny, detective investigation, war teams, NPC partners, Liberation ledger, Liberty Castle, Old books, mini games, bath scripts, ramza's rumors, the list of towns, and the Geography of Camaro have all been updated. I still need to do the comment box, and i will do that either tonight or tomorrow morning. Wait for it! ;)

Conversation 4: Daisy and Dexter/Damien/Jonah

Green: Daisy

GM: Black

Damien/Dexter/Jonah

Daisy strolled into June's gambling parlor, where she was not an unfamiliar face. Her favorite was the dice-rolling game that had won them June's allegiance, though she was always up for trying out the hot new game of the week. 

The berserker quickly scoped out the place. She didn't know all the soldiers in here today, but she recognized Dexter, Jonah and Damien at a table off to one side. Daisy couldn't see what they were playing yet, but she called out to them anyway. "Mind if I join you guys?" she said, pulling up another chair.

"Sure, the more the merrier!" Damien yells, patting you on the back. "We could always do with the company of a beautiful woman." He says, and gives you a look over.

"D-Damien!" Dexter stutters. "You're going to get hurt acting like that."

"Oh relax," Damien says. "We're all here for a good time, so let's enjoy ourselves, eh?"

"It's okay, Dexter, I've got the bear thing under control... Mostly," Daisy said calmly. She yawned widely, showing off a full set of deadly bear teeth that took several seconds to revert back to her own.

"So what's the game?"

Jonah nods at the cards. "Poker."

"You ah, know how to play?" Dexter asks.

Damien laughs. "I'm sure Daisy here has played many a game, likely of the strip variety," he says, giving your shoulder a slap. "Am I right?"

Daisy spread her arms, showing off her leathers. "Sure, but a girl runs out of armor so fast, you know? I've found a way around it, though. You know how some people collect monster claws? I've found that the market for body parts is a lot wider than you'd think," she said cheerfully, giving no indication as to whether or not she was joking.

Dexter's mouth drops, and Jonah just shakes his head. Damien, unsurprisingly, laughs.

"All right then!" Damien yells. "Deal the lovely lady in, so I can show her how it's done!"

The game starts off with a win in Damien's favor.

"See that? I told you I'm the best!" he laughs.

Dexter sighs. "I have no luck at this game."

"Come on, Dexter. It's about nerve as much as luck, so buck up a little, huh?" Daisy said lightly, watching Damien with a slight smile. "That's something your buddy's got no trouble with. Your deal."

((I’ll say you can notice on the second hand, having figured out the trick; Jonah is essentially counting the cards with his 'eagle eye' and tipping Damien off, so one of them will always win, and they split the profits after. You can notice the slight signals Jonah sends, and can call them on it.))

"You've got guts, little lady, but hey, I'll be happy to take your potch!" Damien says, chuckling.

"Nerves, eh? I guess that's why I lose so much..." Dexter says. "Ok, I'll give it my best this time!"

"That's the spirit, Dexter. But there is such a thing as having too much, though," Daisy said, leaning forward over the table. "For example, there's quite a difference between having a cool poker face and just straight-up subscribing to the June school of gambling. Isn't that right, boys?"

Daisy grinned at the cheaters and spread her hands flat on the table so they couldn't miss the wicked claws sprouting from her fingertips. "But I know I don't have to tell a couple of experts what a bad idea it is to play that way with someone who could rip them apart without drawing her sword, do I?"

Damien laughs. "Well I'll be damned. Only Pearl has ever been able to call me on that one."

Dexter looks confused. "Huh? What does Pearl have to do with gambling?"

Jonah just chuckles, and Damien looks at him, then nods his head.

Daisy settled back into her chair, thoroughly enjoying her new control over the bear. "Well if that's all behind us, let's just have some fun, hmm?

"Speaking of Pearl, though..." Daisy added thoughtfully. "Well, I hope she'll be happy with all this when we finally get her back. Looks like we're making good progress, but I don't know how her philosophies and Kuarjav's really line up, either."

"Well, Dr. Kalas is doing a good job, I suppose, but I really do miss Pearl," Dexter says.

"What he said," Damien grumbles. "When I get my hands on the bastard who kidnapped her, I'm going to tear him limb from limb!"

Jonah nods. "Agreed." Jonah says. A moment of silence follows that, and you can see them all turn their thoughts to Pearl.

"I think," Jonah says at last. "Kuarjav is a bit more cynical than Pearl. Pearl was always so optimistic, so full of life. Kuarjav tries hard, but he's seen so much, that his weariness is apparent. he's not as...charismatic."

"That's a nice way of putting it," Damien grunts.

"Well, he may not be as lively, but he's saved my life enough times," Daisy said as she dealt the next hand. "Kuarjav's a good guy, but anyone would have some damage after being locked up for thirty years. Who knows, maybe he tried to escape a bunch of times when he was younger, and had the urge to take initiative beaten out of him. I trust him, though -- I just hope he believes as strongly in what we're fighting for as Pearl does."

"You and me both," Damien grunts. "He's nice enough, don't get me wrong, it's just he doesn't seem to have the same spark."

"True enough, I suppose," Dexter said. "His plans are solid though, and he's a good thinker like Pearl."

"But there's more than just plans. He needs to act more like a leader, if you ask me," Jonah says, quietly.

"I don't know-- there's more to leadership than being able to bellow over a crowd," Daisy shrugged. "And we do have Harold to make sure our voices are heard out there. Not that I know much about playing leader anyway. I'm actually doing my best to avoid it, if I can help it."

"You and me both," Damien grunts. "I just want to bash things with my sword, and they have to go and make me a squad captain. I mean, do I look like the leader type to you?"

"W-well...,"Dexter stutters.

"Not even a little," Jonah says.

"Thank you," Damien nods.

Daisy laughed. "You think that's bad? I've got a whole village trying to make me their chief just because I seem to fit some old prophecy. That's no reason to entrust someone with that much power. And heck, for all I know the tyrant I kicked out of town before me got the same spiel twenty years ago. If these people know what's good for them, they'll figure out a way to govern themselves without a ruler. No one should want me in charge of anything," she chuckled.

"Really?" Jonah says, giving you a look.

"That's not true," Dexter says. "You have charisma in spades, Daisy, and you know a lot about battle. You make an excellent field commander, and I'm sure you'd do fine in other roles too if you so wanted."

Daisy snorted. "Thanks, but I'm not looking for a pep talk, guys. I'm just like Damien; I know what I'm good at and which jobs I probably shouldn't be doing. If I can help protect the Beast Village, sure, I'm all over that. Sometimes I feel really connected to that place. Just don't ask me to sit on a throne somewhere; I had a cousin once who did that, and things didn't end too well for him."

"What, you mean you're royalty, for like, real?" Damien asks.

"Oh yes, the St. Anicets are cousins to the Blights of Highland. Your cousin was... Luca, yes?" Dexter says, knowingly.

Daisy rolled her eyes. "Yeah, my dear cousin and I weren't exactly close, seeing as how he died before I was born, but there's no shortage of stories. I'd say he murdered enough people to satisfy our whole family tree, except I find it hard to believe he could be an isolated case. Then again, his sister seemed fine, so maybe he got all the crazy for his generation. I hope the rest of my relatives aren't quite so horrible, if they're still out there somewhere. But even if they are, my dad is all the family anyone really needs anyway," she shrugged. 

"Well, I always say you choose your family. Like how I chose these guys and Pearl." Damien says, slapping Dexter on the back.

"Too true," Jonah says nodding solemnly.

"Still, one's biological family is important too," Dexter adds. "I mean, I'm sure you've had some good experiences with your father, even if your cousin was, um, touched."

"Touched?" Damien laughs. "Dude was batshit crazy from what I hear."

"Oh yeah, me and my dad have had a great time. I just wish I'd been there to help him kill my cousin back in the day! Anyway, they're both family to me in a way, but Luca Blight and all those crazy nobles are on my mom's side, not dad's. He doesn't have any family left but me. I hear mom was real sweet, but if what I've heard of the rest of her family is any indication... Well, it probably didn't help my dad warm up to her family if they knew he helped kill their most illustrious cousin, hmm?" she said wryly.

Jonah smirks. "Nothing like a little mass murder to get in the way of a family reunion, eh?"

"That's....that's one way if putting it," Dexter adds.

Daisy leaned back unconcernedly. "Well, maybe it's for the best that most of them are gone or scattered. Like you said, you choose your family, and I'd pick April and Phoebe as sisters any day over finding some blood relatives I've never met. And then there's Royce, the crazy little brother I never expected, and all the others... I've never lacked people to talk to," she chuckled.

"That's for sure. This place sure is a lot busier than our old hideout," Damien says. "And we didn't have card tables. So how about I raise this bet here..."

((The card game goes on for say, an hour, and you make 500 potch for your own personal use. Nothing fancy, but I don't see the guys betting big bucks on a friendly game.))

Harold's Misadventure: Zexen

This Post will detail a potentially Canon (or non-Canon!) event in the mysterious history of Harold.  Expert Diplomat, Spy, Duelist and Lover, Harold is truly the greatest since Chevalier De Eon!  Actually ignore the last part of that statement...and now a story of Harold!

The most boring part of being a spy was the most boring part for any bureaucrat - paperwork.  Specifically, copying paperwork.  Spies were just one of many government officials doing their job, which was of course to better their nation in the ways they were trained to do.  Nation building is not a zero-sum game...unless you are a spy.  Then you had to do whatever it took to improve your nation's chances.  And that meant copying documents.

The library in the main Senate building was fitting for the merchant country - the Camaro Wood came from an endangered species, the books all in ornate gold and silver binding and covers, the curtains a fine silk from the Island Nations, and Kanakan Whiskey slightly hidden behind the plant pot.  The painting of Lady Chris, Commander of the Zexen Knights, made her seem to almost glow on her white horse.  Harold always thought Chris as a bit too...distant for a leader for her standing.  In the few dealings Harold had had with her, she'd never shown her personality, just an icy demeanor.  As Harold copied the History of the Firebringer War Vol 2 into a book, he sat with his back towards the silver-haired Ice Queen.

The terms of the peace treaty between Zexen and Harmonia were never really known, as the details were kept private.  As Harold wrote the last detail from the second book, he knew this information would help Klaus figure out how to best handle negotiations.  Harold and Klaus had been working to strengthen ties with Tinto for the illustrious Dunan Republic, and Tinto had difficulties working with the Grasslands and Zexen, despite the President's dislike of such cooperation.  She was getting old, though... her time would soon pass.

Just as Harold was finishing the last touches, the library door opened.  An older man with greyish blonde hair in the shape of a fishbowl, a sizable club in his right hand, glared menacingly at Harold.  Harold closed the two books casually, recognizing the man as the main adviser of Zexen, a man with close ties to Camaro, the man named Salome.

"Oh hello, Monsieur Salome!" Harold said in his typical absurd Diplomat voice.  He always love putting on a show.  So easy to manipulate others that way.  So easy to get close. "These books are all quite fascinating, you know, in particular the--"

"Oh, shut it, Harold," Salome stated in his grave voice. "Was this why you were really sent here?  Does the trade deal mean nothing to you and your cousin?"  The trade deal....Harold had forgotten about it.  Being a diplomat was fun...but being a spy could be consuming to one's soul.  He knew his future was being a Diplomat... he simply knew too many people.  One day he would have to retire from being a spy, help build his country again.  But for now...

"Dear Salome, you Zexens are so straightforward; you're all so efficient, even if you pretend to be nobles," Harold murmured confidently as he rose, unsheathing his Rapier, a rapier given to him by the Mayor of the Warrior's Village after Harold told the longest story ever told in the history of the town (a quaint 28 hours).  "Businessmen and knights who abide by such values can never be really the noblemen the people so deserve.  Why do you think Harmonia cares so little about you?"

"Harold," Salome coolly replied, "put down your rapier, let's talk about this." He was not going to let Harold get a good reading on him.  It was only the two of them...a perfect duel situation.  "No need to make this an event we both regret."

Harold studied his opponent.  Old, but wise.  His club was positioned towards himself; Salome was not planning on attacking first.  A Quick Attack would be followed by two more powerful attacks.  After that, if Salome was still awake, he would call the guards, and the nearby window would call Harold's name.  Harold put the copied book into a nearby bag, placing it on his back in a casual matter.  "Yes...perhaps you are right, Salome...we all do need to work together."

"But you don't believe that, Harold." Harold gave the Knight with a quizzical look, as Salome continued, "You only think of the country in your head, and how it can be used for the downfall of Harmonia.  You make friends all around, not because your people would be helped, but because it helps your goal.  You have never lived through a true war, Harold, only skirmishes.  You don't understand what your ambitions will cause."

"And what, good sir, gives you that idea?" Harold said as he removed his garish hat and stuffed it into his bag, his eyes staring, his hands clenching, sweat forming. "What gives you that idea?"

"The way you talk, you move, you listen. The way you treat people, the way you acquire information.  You do it all for a cause, a passion you truly have, but it's for your own cause.  Your stupid diplomat voice also aided my conclusion.  And the fact that you haven't denied this yet."  Salome paused for a moment as he straightened his back.  Harold eyes burned with a vicious rage.

"I'm sure you've convinced yourself it's for your cousin, but it's really for yourself Harold, for your pride.  But you can still stop yourself from this path.  It's not too late" The footsteps from the loud armored guards could be heard from the carpeted stairs of the manor.  The window it was then.

Harold looked at Salome for a few seconds... and then he turned on his normal act: "Well monsieur, I'm afraid I must be off for now, ta-ta!"
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"A day later, I was wanted by the whole country of Zexen!  First time that has happened!  Yeah, it was very non-wunderbar.  A couple of days after that, I ran into a fellow spy, gave him the book to give to Klaus, and that fellow, that very cagey fellow, gave me this mission to go check up on Harmonia.  Very good timing I must say!" Harold stated in his mixture of a badly done Island Nation Noble impression and a Falenean Drunk.  "And now you know why I don't like that Zexen!"

"Ok, I get that... but all I asked was, do you want another cup of Zexen Wine?" Bandit Bill asked in the most frustrated of tones, having listened to this rambling for an hour.

"But of course! Why didn't you say so earlier!  You silly little bandits!" Harold laughed for a while as Bill grumbled to himself.

But Harold knew the day was coming.  He was going to run into Zexen again.  And he was going to have to answer for himself.  He thought about Lord Kuarjav, Daisy, Skya, even Royce and his adventure.....and he wondered if he had changed at all.  Or if he still was the same kid on that dark, dark night...

Session 27 Recap: Cooking Battle Crazy

We started with a mantor race against Maximus, who wasted no time in making his mark on Liberty Castle. Each of us jumped on one of the giant flying bugs and a tight race ensued. No one but Maximus was accustomed to racing these insects, so we had some miscommunications and false starts before the end. Daisy eked out a victory with Harold a close second, and Royce right behind. As a prize, Harold and Royce got some potch and items, and Daisy got to keep her mantor! (This gives her the ability to be a flyer unit instead of cavalry in war battles, and in normal battles she gains an extra +50 HP! We should race again soon!) Her yellow mantor has since been named Tomin, and she is still figuring out how to care for him effectively.

The next morning, we were woken by the castle proximity alarm and ran outside to find a flight of dragons landing on the lawn. Futch and Milia took the lead and pledged their dragon knights to our cause. As a special treat, the dragons carried with them the hero of the Toran republic, Tir McDohl, and his servant Gremio (think Gourry from Slayers in appearance, with a Kenshin scar on his cheek). Milia and her dragon Thrash joined us as two more stars of destiny, but Futch came out of friendship to Royce.

Caesar put our new allies right to work causing avalanches and dropping rocks on the Camaro troops at Orden castle, the last barrier between us and the land that Yuber had chosen to support. It wasn’t the most honorable tactic, but as our spokesman says, “War is at its best barbarism.” – William Tecumseh Sherman. At Orden, we found Camaro general Janell and her all-human troops standing as a last line of defense, and together we were able to bring them down without too much trouble. Janell had been opposed to the use of demons and her queen’s new policies, but she was loyal to her country and only took us defensive positions. She refused to join us at first, but when we informed her of Yuber’s crimes against the people of Harmonia and all the innocent civilians he had turned into demons, Janell saw that she had to offer us her help if we were fighting such a criminal. General Janell became the first person in Camaro to join our cause.

Back at Liberty Castle, we wandered into the kitchen for a snack and found Hai Yo being challenged to a double-battle against his old comrades Antonio and Lester.

Xavier is a wise old elf who likes his Chinese food!

April grew up like her dad Flik, and loves the same stuff he does! Isn’t that sweet?

This sexy star of Witchport used to be a Harmonian Priest General! It’s Faye!

The vampire Sierra doesn’t drink blood, but she seems to favor red sauce all the same!

Appetizer: Eggrolls (eggrolls+no spice): Sciath, Hai Yo: 10,10,10,10

Main Course: Meat lasagna (lasagna+salt): Royce, Daisy: 8888

Dessert: Hot Fudge Sundae (ice cream+chocolate sauce): Kuarjav, Harold: 9999

Total: 108

Challengers: Antonio’s Breadsticks 9999, Lester’s Ramen 3334, Fruit Fondue 2223

Total: 59

We got Recipe #37 “Breadsticks” and Recipe #17 “Ramen”, and the chefs parted on relatively good terms.

The pans were still hot when traveling cooks Mia and Nafra issued a challenge! The little ladies had heard of his reputation and wanted to test their skills against the famous Hai Yo.

This um, woman, loves to drink….blood? Does she even eat food? Um, it’s Natasha!

This ‘joker’ doesn’t take his food lightly! It’s Joker!

For one so small, she loves to eat something called French food! It’s Aila!

Leader of the Dragon’s Den and Royce’s Boss, it’s the politically correct Milia!

Appetizer: Nutella Crepe (sandwich+chocolate sauce): Harold, Hai Yo: 9,10,10,10

Main Course: Creamy Gratin (gratin+sugar): Royce, Kuarjav: 7899

Dessert: Lemon Meringue Pie (pie+salt): Sciath, Daisy: 7899

Total: 105

Muffins 8888, Full Course Special 8888, Cookies 4444

Total: 80

Mia gave us Recipe #14 “Cookies”, and Nafra handed over Recipe #3 “Muffins”, leaving us with a whole lot more sweets to choose from.

With troops from Camaro starting to pour in, Liberty Castle was upgraded to Level 4. The biggest changes are the new dragon stables on the lawn and the changes to the top floor, where every member of the Unity Rune Warriors now has a private room of his or her own design. Most have kept their personal spaces private so far, but Royce was quick to tell everyone that his room was now big enough to house Vasuki the dragon as well, and Daisy likes to keep her mantor Tomin in the corner too.

At Daisy’s insistence, we traveled back to Octavia’s cave to check up on her, only to find her ill and unresponsive. We had little choice but to take her and her zebra back to Liberty Castle and leave her in Roy’s care in the medical ward. Though Daisy still doesn’t like her, she couldn’t find it in her heart to leave an old woman to die.

Ramza’s rumors sent us first to Caleria, where we found a crowd gathered around a dancing girl. We waited until her dance had finished before approaching her, and when we explained how other non-combatants like singers and artists had joined us, Amber the dancer eagerly signed up. Later, in Adosi, we happened upon Fred and Rico of the Maximillian Knights on their way to Liberty Castle. We were able to save them the trouble and introduced them to Kuarjav, who accepted their aid on behalf of his army.

The Unity Rune Warriors took their first trip back to Crystal Valley since Pearl’s death to see the city being slowly rebuilt, refugees returning to their homes to try and pick up the pieces. Daisy immediately started asking if anyone knew of the Saint-Anicets, and one old man told her that he knew of a couple named Saint-Anicet who lived alone in a fancy house, having lost their two children some time before. Outside the house he indicated, we met a man who identified himself as Pesmerga and said he could sense Yuber’s power inside the house. He went inside with us when there was no answer at the door, and an elderly couple asked us why we had entered their home. Daisy introduced herself as Rose’s daughter; they couple reacted with anger and shifted into awful half-demon forms that they said had been granted to them by Yuber. We subdued but did not kill them, and Daisy decided to lock them up in one of our castle dungeons until they were willing to talk to her. Pesmerga joined our army when we explained that Yuber was a great enemy of ours who we had faced many times and were sure to again, and he agreed to stand guard over the Saint-Anicets until Yuber appeared again. Daisy still does not know exactly who the Saint-Anicet couple are to her, not even their names, but Viktor said that they might be Rose’s parents (thus Daisy’s grandparents), though he couldn’t be certain as long as they refused to speak. Viktor had run into Daisy’s grandparents once or twice during his courtship of Rose, but they had been less than supportive of the affair.

Needing a break, the team went to find Amber’s new dance show to relax. Royce and Daisy won 5000 potch each for their dancing skills (tips?), and then we went to the kitchen one final time. Alas, a quiet dinner was not to be, for the chef Wakai had returned once more to challenge Hai Yo. This time, Wakai was assisted by Ryoko, the sister of two chefs who had killed themselves after a defeat against Hai Yo (in Suikoden II).

The architect of your home and mine, it’s Reynaldo! He loves his pasta with red sauce!

Bryce is the bodyguard and food tester of Hikusaak. He’s learned to love the same foods as Hikusaak!

The head of security here at Liberty Castle, it’s Cassie! She loves the food of her homeland, Rokkaku!

Geddoe here is a hero among heroes! He’s traveled far and wide to find his favorite food is Chinese!

Appetizer: Spaghetti with Meatballs (spaghetti+salt): Sciath, Hai Yo: 10,999

Main Course: Japanese Curry (curry+sugar): Daisy, Harold: 10,10,10,10

Dessert: Bacon Chocolate Ice Cream Sundae (bacon+chocolate sauce): Royce, Kuarjav: 8888

Total: 109

Wakai makes calamari 6676, Wakai tempura don 10,10,10,10, cake 3333

Total: 77

Ryoko stormed off, furious, but this time Wakai accepted our offer to become Hai Yo’s apprentice (and a star of destiny). We gained Recipe #8 “Cake” and Recipe #10 “Tempura”.

Recruited: Milia, Thrash, Janell, Amber, Fred, Rico, Pesmerga, Wakai

(non-star recruits: Futch, Bright, McDohl, Gremio,

Investigations: Pesmerga, Janell, Milia, Thrash, Bazeroth

The Fastest updates yet!

Hey all!

ALL pages have been updated, thanks to a sleepless night on my part lol. This includes Stars of destiny, Liberation Ledger, Liberty Castle, NPC teams, War teams, Ramza's rumors, mini games, detective investigations, comment box, and the addition of the Geography of Camaro!

I have added NO play scripts yet, but if anyone emails me one or two, I will fill them out for you!