Intro Log: October

[faileas]

Intro Log: October

I. ARRIVAL Out of nowhere, a glint of light catches your eye; your heart thunders in your ears as your body moves on its own, your mind consumed with inspecting the source. Your reflection stares back at you, just as curious from the surface - a mirror, a pool of water, your most trusted sword, something fleeting that your mind can barely remember - then ripples at your touch. A moment later, you feel a tug, and you find yourself stumbling into a dark, musty room. Behind you, a mirror stands ornately decorated with reminders of home wrought in brass and wood: the faces of people you know, and symbols important to you; all things that send a pang through your chest with the desire to return to them. Touching the mirror's surface does nothing but leave the stain of your fingerprints. When you turn to survey the room, you find there are hundreds of other mirrors. None of them are as decorated as yours - they're plain and dusty, speckled with age. Then you realize a second thing: You're not alone. Distantly, the ringing bell of a clocktower can be heard. But no matter its distance, the time is clear to make out: it chimes three times, stark, resonating like a pulse of something in this mirrored hall that you and many others have found yourselves in. For those familiar with magic, they might feel the power of the witching hour upon them, though it will feel different from what they're used to - in fact, everything does. You're certainly not the only ones here, however. On the first floor, with the doors wide open behind them in the foyer, is a small group headed by two individuals. As people begin to arrive, to come from the higher floor, they're waiting - and they're waiting for you, and your questions. Explore the rest of the mirrored halls you've now found yourselves in, or proceed to the foyer? Leaving the Looking-Glass House makes it obvious that the clock striking three was for 3 AM - the night sky is faintly cloudy, but the stars are dim in the face of two moons, even so close to the new moon as it is. The Looking-Glass House is rather nondescript two-story cottage made of grey brick, sitting at the edge of The Coven's courtyard; stones which glow as you step on them mark the path to and from the two buildings. While fairly small and plain on the outside, the inside has been enchanted to be the size of a large library, with hundreds upon hundreds of mirrors hanging, standing, and resting inside its walls. Some are broken, some are cracked, and some seem completely uninjured - but all of them are just as plain as the cottage itself, showing age in the silver beneath their glass and in the greening of their metals... Well, all except a character's personal mirror; to characters, one mirror - the one they came through - will be decorated lavishly with metal-and-wood-wrought reminders of home, and the surface will be as clear as a brand-new mirror.

II. THE WELCOME PARTY Whether you've decided to find a way out of the building you've arrived in, or decided to explore the rest of the Looking-Glass House - and perhaps finding a few familiar faces among the crowd - you feel a pull towards the foyer of the first floor. It's like a firm suggestion, as if to take you by the hand and draw you to where it begins, and the source of it becomes quite apparent upon finding one's way to the front room: a tall, comfortably-dressed older woman and her even taller wolfish companion, along with those which feel to resemble yourselves in a world-traversing sense: Mirrorbound, they're called. "There's always a right lot of you coming in, aren't there." The woman sets her hands on her hips, with her Bonded casting a glance at those looking confused - newly arrived - and those who may have followed them in to talk to the newest addition of their mirrorbound bunch. "About time for introductions though- this here's Mhairi Ainsley, ambassador to the Parliament and my Bonded, and I'm Nerissa Bell, Head Witch of the Coven - but you can just call me Miss Nessie, you can," she adds, winking. "The lot of you must be as tired and confused as the last batch - hullo to those who've joined us, too! - so just a moment, dearests, I'll set all you right up—" With nothing more than a wave of her hand, rows of seats are summoned; despite their wooden nature, they're all sturdy and comfortable, filling the foyer and spreading out a ways into the lawn behind them, making room for all of the new arrivals as well as the previous batch. After all, they'll find this just as interesting. The Witches and Monsters that accompanied Nessie and Mhairi move to make room, and some disperse into the building itself to see if there's anyone who needs tending to. Mhairi steps forward as the chairs materialize. "Please, those who are able, join us for a moment. There are many questions that I'm sure you have - we will do our utmost best to answer them, and you may take any that we can't as a promise to find some sort of solution or answer." NOTE: If you wish to interact with Nessie and Mhairi, please comment here. You have the option of handwaving the IC interaction to OOCly ask what questions your character might have for them, for us to summarize an answer for, or you can request an IC thread. Simply specify in your comment's subject and we'll respond accordingly. For those that'd like a more player-based interaction, Aefenglom has its own Welcome Wagon under the same header! These are players who've volunteered for the role, and those that didn't sign up may assist as well if they'd feel their character would -- have fun, and make friends. Additionally, those with notable injuries or sickness will be attended to ASAP by Coven-based witches, and should anyone be curious about what they are - if they have magic potential, or if they swing a different way - then this can be done during this and the general hour or so the new arrivals are within the Coven's grounds. There are ongoing classes on magic, monsters, and Bonding as well, though they take place more during the day than at night - feel free to have your characters attend them at any time!

III. THE HAVEN After an hour or two of general chaos, questions that the natives attempt to help with, and injuries tended to for those who arrive in poor condition, it's time to make a trek to where you'll be staying while Nessie and Mhairi continue to search for a solution to the situation. As you're leaving with a few Bonded for guides, peculiar-looking devices - watches, the native Witches explain, compliments of Parliament - are passed around to all the new arrivals; they're given a quick rundown on their functions and bid to test them out when they can. They can even do it as they make their way out of the Coven's courtyard and to the Haven. Formerly part of the Aristocratic District, The Haven is just as well-kept and brightly-lit as the district it hails from. The houses err on the tall and ornamental-side, large enough to fit several families (or, according to the upper class, their one family, several dozen servants, and guests), especially closest to the Aristocratic District. They become a little more modest and smaller as one gets away from the realm of high society and nearer to the Residential District proper. Newcomers are shuffled here and invited to find somewhere to live - the Coven is currently handling expenses for the houses themselves in a program implemented by the Parliament, though if your character wishes to have anything extra - like maids, chefs, and so on - they'll have to pay for them themselves with their own earned money. Much of the landscape and fixtures are the same as in the Aristocratic Districts, though it lacks formal emergency services due to its roots as part of a district that already did. Much of the housing already has furnishing due to the speed at which homeowners were relocated; they were given enough time to collect their valuables, but standard furniture such as kitchenware, couches, beds, etc. were left behind for those moving in. Other houses appear the same, but the dust on the floors suggest these houses were left before the new arrivals even showed up - a reminder that the Cwyld can strike just about anyone, regardless of standing. Another portion of this district has been opened up to the new arrivals: the barracks, the row of buildings pressed against the very edge of the Bright Wall. As the city's military force no longer has the same presence it previously did, the barracks have gone into disuse, and a cleanup effort has been in place since before the new arrivals came through the Looking-Glass House. For those who desire something a little less opulent, the barracks might just be the answer. The barracks can also be used for business, for a welcome center, a communal space, for anything that the residents of the Haven see fit to use it for - so long as the legality isn't questionable, on the surface. To help with filling up the larger houses - and even some of the smaller ones, and the shared rooms in the barracks - the Witches put together a little roommate finding service, on a smaller scale from the grand opening of the Haven. For those who aren't entirely sure who they want to shack up with, they have a small survey for them to fill out and post on the board they've magicked up in the center of The Haven. The board also very helpfully reads aloud each form for everyone to hear in a cheerful, monotone voice. It isn't able to be shut up, nor is it easy to ignore, being imbued with a kind of amplification magic. It reads simply the information you've offered up yourself, or that someone might have written up for you, should that be their idea of fun.

IV. Samuin There's an odd sense of relief in the air, newly arrived may notice, and it's common talk to hear about the return of those from another city; Dorchacht, they gossip, must've been terrible for their dear Speaker, who'd felt to them more weathered than she'd been previously, not to mention to all the Mirrorbound that went with her. Right shame, it was, how they acted over on the west coast, those Dorchachtians. It'll be common talk for a while yet, with increasingly worse rumors spread about that city to the far northwest, but not all of them can be true... right? While the black market moves back beneath the city, weaker than they were coming up, the goblin market remains in their places in broad daylight, happy to parse their wares to newcomers and oldbies alike -- with Samuin coming up, there's all sorts of things necessary to have on one's person, they say, absolutely key to keep bad spirits at bay! They say the boundaries are weaker this time of year, after all, wouldn't want your new year to be cursed right off the bat! Though Samuin's still the month away (it's at the end of the month, anyone'd tell you), the people are eager to gather their parchment, write away their worries, and start Geardagas's year off right. a. Aristocratic District With Samuin bringing in the new year on Geardagas, the Coven is eager to be rid of old, outdated things and bringing in the new -- this means they're offering spots for magitech demonstrations, extracurricular class presentations to be added to the potential roster, and even recipes to be used. Not just in the cooking sense either; they're excited to see alchemical results as well, and won't shy from innovative, even unconventional uses of different schools of magic, runes, and botany. Witches have brought their own game to the front, putting on spectacular shows with how conjured blankets can offer the placebo of warmth for a time, new techs that enhance readability in the dark (and they shine like the stars! floating crystals in a lamp!), so on and so forth. Won't you join them? While the Coven is in higher spirits with their Speaker returned lately, Parliament seems to be taken a breather as well, and while their eyes have set on the city once more they seem a little more lenient with what constitutes as a performance -- at least during Samuin proper, though the building itself, for those who visit, is certainly less tense than it was previous. There's tight-lips as far as Dorchacht's concerned, for those who ask, so there won't be any information to be found about that here, but there's plenty of talk of "scum" found in their own city that have had judgement passed on them and found them guilty of immeasurable crimes, and also of finding the root of their operations so they won't end up having something akin to Dorchacht beneath their streets. The rich people who live still in the district, with their overly extra houses and colorful personalities, throw exuberant parties all across the month -- there's to be a grand fireworks display at the end of Samuin, but they're taking liberties as they do every year to put on their own, seeking Witches to entertain however they can and, surprisingly, offering the same to Monsters; they still look down on the lower born, there's nothing that can stop that or their stuffy attitudes in general, but it seems the city's in a bright mood thanks to one of the most important holidays of their year. b. Residential District Preparations for Samuin are well underway for both sides of the Residential District, separated by the River Temese. Octeuril is a month for celebrating the end of the year, and for remembering and honoring those who are no longer living. On both sides, humans and Monsters both are hard at work cleaning their homes and businesses, and getting rid of things they no longer need - porch sales pop up all through the month outside of homes, selling off whatever folks have decided to part with: a lot of antiques, hand-made items, old clothes, things that are worn but could possibly be useful to someone else after a good spit-shine or fixing up. On the Eastern side, some artisans or hobbyists are even selling brand new pieces - this is a time for weavers and textile artists especially to shine, selling elaborate and cozy woolen blankets, to cuddle under as you watch the fireworks shows at the end of the month, or fancy clothes and costumes they've made. A few have even laid simple enchantments on their wares, resulting in tapestries that tell a story as the little thread figures move about, or dresses that shimmer like the night sky. On the Western side, the porch sales are simpler and full of more practical items, and don't seem as celebratory of the wares, but they make up for it by holding small bonfires outside at night, taking turns telling ghost stories and old legends, or tales of ancestors long past. If you have a story to share, true or made up, most circles will welcome you, offering you a hot drink and a piece of heavy, fruit-laden spice cake in return. (Get the piece with the coin in it, and you're guaranteed good luck, they say!) One tradition they both share is the airing of grievances and making amends with one another, to start the coming new year off on a good foot. The bridge over the River Temese that separates the Eastern and Western sides of the District is decorated with hanging lanterns and paper flowers, and here is where humans and Monsters, rich and poor, come together to get it all out and forgive. Mostly these are heated discussions that end in hand-shakes and smiles, but occasionally a scuffle breaks out; it's fine, they're getting it out of their systems. c. Shopping District The Goblin Market is bustling with activity, lately, just a little more out in the open than they were before. The selection of vendors seem... maybe just a little less shady. Some are eager to whisper gossip about the change, telling curious Mirrorbound that oh, it's too dangerous lately to sell items that aren't above the board, so to speak. Why, some of those sellers, the ones with living wares, they've taken a huge hit to their coinpurses from merchandise disappearing! Seems fair and just, doesn't it? Would you like to look at some of their own fine products? All ethically sourced, of course, this shed Faun antler was purchased fair and square from a willing Monster! 'Ethically sourced' is a big trend this month for Goblin Market sellers, with similar phrases scrawled across stall signs and banners to indicate that their ingredients were sourced fairly, given freely. They carry a wide variety of Monster parts for re-sale, though most of it are parts that could have been obtained without harming the Monster, and Witch's blood, donated, they'll say. Potions and charms to temporarily mimic a Bond, talismans that supposedly keep a Monster from going feral, they offer all kinds of specialty items, though still none of it is sanctioned by the Coven. With Samuin coming up at the end of the month, the wares laid across tables become more colorful, and more... interesting. Talismans made of dyed Harpy feathers and papery shed Naga skin promise to ward off ill-intent going into the new year, and several vendors are hawking samples of a potion that, they claim, will allow you to speak to dead loved ones. To Mirrorbound, they may claim these magical concoctions will let them speak to loved ones beyond the glass - but these claims are patently false, and the potions have a wide array of side-effects, including hallucinations, paranoia, skin or hair changing colors, or a burning fever that only abates when the afflicted cuddles up to someone close. Luckily, these symptoms will wear off in just a few hours. You're liable to start a fight if you ask for your money back, though. d. Harbor District The Harbor District is lively this time of year. Besides the Samuin traditions the entirety of Aefenglom enjoy, the sailors have their own. During the day, many of them set up tables wherever they can find the space to help each other make bright, painted lanterns to hang on the sides of their ships, to ward off evil spirits and welcome the good spirits. If you have some time to spare, they'll say, you're welcome to paint a lantern to hang outside your door! Then, every evening, the parties start at dusk and last clear until dawn, often spilling out of the bars and taverns into the streets. Drunk revelers play shabby instruments and sing folk songs and sea shanties, and they lead each other in exuberant dances under hanging lanterns. If asked, any seaman will tell you that you have to get it all out of your system before the new year begins! One last hurrah of drunken fun! (Several of them will swear they're going to cut back their drinking and be more serious - they've been saying the same thing every Octeuril for years.) Even the children in the orphanges around the factories get in on the fun, in their own way, making paper masks of fanciful creatures, and going door to door, or even just from street to street, to ask for trinkets, money and food so that they can have a good Samuin at the end of the year. But if you don't give them anything, well. They consider a kick in the shins to be proper retribution. Children can be so mischievous. Despite having less than most, the people of the Harbor District and the sailors are quick to welcome new faces into their parties, happy to include any Mirrorbound, and the Monster refugees from Dorchacht, sharing drinks and conversation. "It's nuts, what's happening up there," the sailors say, eager to share the latest gossip from their trade routes. "It's not much in or out of Dorchacht right now, is it? After chaos broke out and all. Their Resistance seems to be holding strong, and good for them, aye! Maybe we'll see things improve up there yet!" They'll toast to good luck for the Resistance, and good luck for the refugees, and good luck for the Mirrorbound alike.

Welcome to the intro log! While mingling on the log itself is highly encouraged, feel free to make your own logs; take the prompts offered and go wild, go crazy, go stupid, have fun. The network system is free to use once characters have their watches as well; information on that can be found at the bottom of the Setting page, while any extra questions about it can be found in the FAQ index. Quests can be picked up now as well! While new characters will have to get settled in, you can go ahead and put your name on some by replying to the October's Quest Pickup thread on the Quest Board. Finally, if your character is getting into any Shenanigans, let the mods know and if you have any questions about the log, ask them here!

Comments

Harbor Wildcard

[unyieldingmarch]

[Edelgard enjoyed the smell of salt air, as it reminded her of the port in Enbarr, so that was where she had chosen to head for her revelry. With Aymr stowed at her new house, and a simple silver-edged hatchet belted at her waist in case some wastrel thought her easy prey, she strolled the streets along the waterfront, nibbling casually on some local sweet biscuit as she made her way through the crowds.

Eventually she turns a corner, pausing as she sees a familiar face. It's not a man she thought much of, but he is someone from Fodlan, at the least. Her boots crunch heavily on the salt-stained cobbles as she decides to approach, her gaze as intense as ever.]

Lorenz Hellman Gloucester. I thought that I saw you when we arrived. I see that I was not mistaken.

[She does not immediately go for her weapon, which is probably a good sign, though her voice is devoid of joy...carefully kept neutral.]

[bergamotrose]

[Likewise, Lorenz had spotted Edelgard earlier that day and had found himself unsurprised. Hubert von Vestra was around, after all; where ever he was, it was almost certain that Edelgard was close by.

Lorenz nodded coolly in greeting at her approach, ever polite and well mannered regardless of circumstance.]

Indeed you are not. It's good to see you in good spirits, with so the strangeness of this realm.

[unyieldingmarch]

[They have that much going for the both of them, at least.]

I do not know about 'good spirits' but you are correct on the strangeness.

[There's a pause, her hand coming up to stroke thoughtfully at her cheek.]

You do not seem as youthful as Marianne. Tell me, Lorenz, what is it you remember last before that strange dream?

[bergamotrose]

Ah, so you've seen Marianne.

[That was... Troubling. He had hoped to keep her safe from the painful happenings of their realm fur the moment.]

You'll find that I am indeed not from the same moment as she. It's been five years since I've seen her so disheveled...

[unyieldingmarch]

It's obvious that she is from our past. I've told her nothing, I do not know if I should, with time itself seeming disjointed here.

[She has done nothing but offer Marianne kind words.]

But what moment are you from? That was my question.

[bergamotrose]

... You've my thanks for that. As much as I would like to explain things, I truly have no idea where to begin.

[He sighed. Nothing was as simple as it seemed.]

Forgive me, I didn't mean to be crass; I merely hope for our time here to not be marked by conflict.

For myself, your judgement is correct. We've only just recently found the Professor at the ruins of the Monastery. We've started to rebuild... 'We' being those of us from the Alliance, lead by Claude.

[unyieldingmarch]

I have no intention of fighting you, or her, or anyone unless Caspar, Hubert, or myself are attacked.

[She sighs, shaking her head, wondering if he truly was as flighty as his somewhat foppish appearance seemed to say.]

I am attempting to piece together the parts of a puzzle, where Time, Space, and the very rules of reality seem to be warping. Gathering and framing the pieces of when they fit together is the first part. And...as you say it, the Professor is with you?

Yet, I am from the end of it all. When she and I slew the Immaculate One...

[bergamotrose]

[He heaved a sigh. It was a relief to see that, for the moment, they could hold as truce]

I merely wish for the same, Your Highness. Were Claude heren I'm certain he would be a dozen steps ahead of us already. I admit, I do not fully understand all of this, however...

Yes, the Professor is with us, but he's quite obviously a man no matter how delicate he may look.

[unyieldingmarch]

A man. No...

[Edelgard shakes her head again, exhaling through her nose.]

Yet another piece of this strange puzzle. Your version of history differs from my own, then. The Professor was a woman, Byleth, who joined with me in my removal of Rhea's influence. It seems that this place is possessed of some...unusual...powers.

[bergamotrose]

Powers more unusual than stripping us of our own and transfiguring our bodies into... something else.

[He tucked a strand of hair behind his ear, lingering for a moment as his fingers brushed against the nacent antlers that were starting to form upon his crown. Some changes happened sooner than others, it seemed-- and a part of him dreaded seeing the outcome.]

...Speaking candidly, [He breathed, musing.] I honestly do not know the full reasoning behind your actions over the last several years, but if my recollections of you from the Officer's Academy are true, then surely it must have been good. The full extent of Lady Rhea's reach is unknown at my time, but Claude has long been suspect of her as well. Again, surely there must be a good reason.

You don't have to relay any details if you don't wish to. It's enough to know that we don't need to worry about waking to find each other's blades at our throats while we're here.

[unyieldingmarch]

Rhea...Claude suspected her as well...no wonder.

[Edelgard runs a hand along her cheek, thoughtful, pensive. Should she say? Well...he was clearly not from her version of the world, so what harm could it truly do?]

I have no trouble relaying you my goal. Simply, my actions were motivated by the simple, driving need to undo the corruption and stagnation wrought by a thousand years of rule by an oppressive church and a rotting aristocracy.

My aim was to remove the suppressing hand of the Immaculate One, Rhea, who had long masqueraded as a human to maintain control and order over Fodlan. To reform our society so that merit, not being born with a crest, determine's one's future. Tragedies like the death of Miklan Gautier, for example. I have done so, and have no regrets, though the path to the end was a bloody one.

[Drawing herself up straighter, Edelgard looks him squarely.]

You have nothing to fear from me, or Hubert. I have no desire to harm you, and I have no ill-will towards you. Caspar is as he always was, at the Academy. I cannot speak for him as I would Hubert, though he would challenge you to a fight in the open if he truly had any cause to.

[bergamotrose]

Should Caspar challenge me to a fight, I would simply forfeit. There's nothing to be gained from such things until we get a handle on our circumstances.

[Not that he expected Caspar to want to fight him. While they were barely acquainted, there had never been much reason for either of them to interact before this juncture.

But Lorenz listened, taking in the explanation Edelgard offered with an analytical ear. He wasn't going to judge her for any of what she relayed either-- for he had witnessed such issues even within the Alliance.]

...Anything that survives a thousand years is likely to be in need of a change, [he admitted.] And I do understand what you say about the aristocracy of Fodlan. Too many nobles are self-serving, and use their clout and influence to benefit only themselves and not the people who live upon the lands they govern. It's a distasteful state of affairs.

I have wanted to do something to change this problem, but the steps you've taken are well beyond anything I had imagined. Disposing of unsavory elements is one thing; rewriting the entire fabric of our culture is another.

The church... it has long been something I saw as part of the role we play in this life. Plenty of people devoutly believe in the Goddess, while for many others-- myself included-- church attendance was always another responsibility. Something to be done, but not questioned. Claude saw the deeper issues, surely, but somehow I doubt even he saw what you're describing.

Honestly... I had no idea such a thing was even possible.

[unyieldingmarch]

I know he did not. We spoke, after I conquered Dierdru. He entrusted the Alliance to me, ceding all of it's territory to the Empire, before he left Fodlan to head for Almyra with my well wishes.

[She truly had no wish to kill him. Or Dimitri, though that was something that just had to happen, given his madness.]

There are darker secrets held by the Church, though I suppose you should know that Rhea is not who she seems. She is Seiros, and a dragon known as The Immaculate One. The church was built to revere her, and to keep our human society stagnant. I doubt that Claude had access to all of that information...and I do not know what his ultimate aim was.

[bergamotrose]

Y-you mean the founder of the church!?

[Lorenz blurted the words out inelegantly, his surprise overriding his well bred manners momentarily. There were a great many details he hadn't realized in the words Edelgard had said, from the fact that Claude was willing to cede leadership of the Alliance to the Empire in a different version of reality to the notion that Archbishop Rhea was a dragon.

He took a breath. It was a lot to take in.]

...I beg pardon, [he said, collecting himself.] That's a great deal of information you've been carrying. It must have been difficult.

Did you not think to speak to anyone about what you suspected? We could have avoided at least some of the bloodshed if that was even an option for you.

[Even if she had spoken to Claude-- the young man who appeared out of the ether to claim his birthright to the Reigan name, the young man who may have deeper connections to Almyra than anyone suspected, the self proclaimed 'outsider', perhaps a different resolution could have been found.

He didn't know, however. All he knew for certain was that bloodshed was a terrible business to be in.]

[unyieldingmarch]

Ah. Right you...wouldn't know, would you.

[She lifts her shoulder in a half-hearted shrug, but internally she's a touch amused to have caused Lorenz to lose his cool like that.]

I only knew that the church was corrupt and false, propping up a crumbling nobility when I started. There were...personal reasons...I will not divulge behind this revelation, but suffice to say I lost my faith in the Goddess when I was very, very young.

[Lorenz will not find this out from her, no matter how much he prods.]

When I attacked the monastery and Rhea transformed...she surprised me. That was new information. But it was not until the end, when she took to the field herself, that I realized who she was.

As for why I did not speak to...say...Claude? How could I trust him? Or Dimitri, for that matter. If word of my ambitions leaked beyond a circle I knew would not betray me, do you truly think that Rhea would have stood for it? Or the nobility?

[She shakes her head, sadly, but without regret.]

Recall what happened to Lord Lonato and the Western Church. Recall too, if you will, how willing Rhea is to slay any who so much as murmur of heresy. And put yourself in my position. Only Hubert knew of my plans, I did not even tell the Professor until they were already set into motion.

[bergamotrose]

[Even if he were inclined to ask, Lorenz wouldn't dare prod at Edelgard for details that she clearly didn't wish to divulge. Whatever they were, they were her business alone; needling out details from the heart of someone who had closed them off with lock and key was neither worth the effort nor the rift it would cause between them.

Some things were best left alone.]

...I suppose it truly is as they say, [Lorenz intoned quietly, after mulling over the details that Edelgard had shared over in his thoughts.] 'Three may keep a secret, if two are dead.' Your own Hubert may be the exception to that adage-- of his loyalty, there is no doubt.

That-- and it would be a bold lie if I said that I wasn't disturbed by how militant and intolerant the Archbishop had revealed herself to be in those weeks and months before you made your move.

[unyieldingmarch]

Others thought the same. I know that I was not alone in being disturbed by her treatment of the families of our classmates. Or of the lengths she went through to ensure the eradication of dissent.

[She had pitied Ashe and Sylvain, and been glad of their support when they sided with her. It had been...important...to her to garner the support of those she could from their school. Necessary? No, but important all the same.]

And know that bloodshed is not something I relish. It was simply the most expedient and least costly way to move our society forward. A short, surprise war now instead of decades of protracted rebellion.

[bergamotrose]

....Decades which would not only ruin the entire economic and political structure of Fodlan, but also scar countless lives across multiple generations.

[Brows furrowed as he spoke, understanding settling uncomfortably into his awareness. While he hadn't directly pitied Ashe or Sylvain for their traumas, he had seen them both as good and ultimately kind people who didn't deserve what they had been given. He was glad when the Professor had stepped in to aid both of their families alongside the Golden Deer, but by the same token it almost felt like it was too little, too late.

Lorenz wanted to be able to offer more.]

Your words are undeniable on every point, your Highness. If given the opportunity, I can see why anyone would drop everything to follow your leadership into a painful war. It still isn't finished in my memory-- but, you said that you succeeded?

[unyieldingmarch]

Precisely.

[To his musing and working it out. She feels that Lorenz, at least, might understand what she was doing. Strange and egotistical as he was, he had a good heart.]

I did succeed. The Immaculate One is dead, and Fhirdiad was burned by her hand. Dimitri is...regrettably also dead. For the time being, I am the ruler of all of Fodlan, though I fully intend to step down as soon as I am able. Once my reforms are in place.

I have no desire for personal power, merely the power to cull the taint from our world.

[bergamotrose]

[It was only a Noble's duty to work for the betterment of society, using their resources to support and protect the ordinary citizens while forging a better tomorrow. There was no doubt in his mind that Edlegard had kept her honor, now that he had the opportunity to speak with her. Her sentiments expressed nothing less.]

It is regrettable about the Prince, but it sounds like you did what was necessary. Given the rumors I have heard about him even in my time, odds are high that he would meet a similar fate even if it isn't by your hand.

...I also admit, I do find myself relieved now that we've spoken. When I first realized you were here, I worried about the possibility of further conflict in this realm despite the fact that the ties that bind us in Fodlan aren't present. Now that I see your intentions weren't conquest, but revolution... that paints a very different portrait of what happened in the last five years.

[unyieldingmarch]

Which is likely as Rhea and the Church wanted the people of Fodlan to believe. I, admittedly, would rather have died and been made the villain than not to attempt what I did so their opinions mattered little...but it would have been a pleasant surprise if more of our classmates took the time to listen to my words.

[She looks him in the eye, focusing on it.]

Though I am glad to know that you understand my reasons. I definitely do not want us to be in conflict, because there is nothing to be gained. And no reason for us not to work together, to return to our respective versions of history.

I feel the same of Marianne, though in my recollection, she joined with me. Even if she had not, I would spare her what knowledge I can, for the sake of her gentle heart.

[bergamotrose]

That is quite the interesting turn. In my recollection she-- nor anyone else-- left Claude's side. This does make me wonder where the pin is that changes details and bindes our histories together...

[He met her gaze unflinching, standing only as himself and not as a Noble of the Liecester Alliance.]

Knowing what I do of Marianne, it may be best to let her approach on her own. Not necessarily hide the darker details, but also not discuss it as we are now... at least, not until she is ready. Her heart is quite gentle, as you say-- and I worry for what this place will do to her.

Our working together will certainly make things easier for her, and anyone else who may join us in the future. Your own Bernadetta might similarly be a difficult case, should she arrive.

[unyieldingmarch]

That is hard to say.

[She has a few theories, but none she likes.]

And yes, if others do arrive, we should treat them the same. Bernadetta especially. The arrival will doubtless shock her into a catatonic state.

[Though, that...she pauses...]

...Dimitri, and perhaps Dedue, might pose a serious problem. If this place can pull from beyond death, then those two may arrive, and when last I saw them they were quite mad. Dimitri seemed to have finally succumbed to his latent bloodlust. Dedue...transformed himself into a Demonic Beast, hoping to halt my advance.

I believe you should be aware, as I doubt whatever tenuous sanity the possess will hold once they see Hubert and myself.

[bergamotrose]

[Lorenz nodded, finding himself wholly unsurprised by this revelation.]

Dimitri's situation is as I expected it to be. He made quite the refined picture, but his demeanor crumbled as your plans unfolded. Last I heard of him he was imprisoned by his own Kingdom-- a sorry state of affairs.

Dedue I know less about, but his loyalty has always been unquestionable. They must have both made fearsome opponents in battle...

[unyieldingmarch]

They were. And they took the field with Seiros herself.

[Edelgard takes no pride in this, her words as flat and dull as she can make them.]

It was as fierce a battle as I've ever seen. But the Church and the Kingdom's armies were not working together effectively. Rain stymied them, and my force drove them back.

I am...admittedly somewhat surprised to find you so receptive of my ideas, Lorenz.