From The Sands

>Yena would travel with Benofik for a week to see if there was anything the fellow half-blood was trying to hide.
>If he was trustworthy she would send him to her mother and father, and he could request the aide of scholars to free him.
>All she asked in return for this was that he would try to work against the tearing of the curtain.
>If he could not be freed by today's scholars, she would see his freedom int he future, and until then they could write to each other.
>After all, while he could not use his hands to write, he could still speak and have another do that for him.
>And through that method Yena would send a letter Benofik had dictated to her, with him when she sent the statue home.

Records of eyewitness accounts indicated that Yena and her entourage travelled with the statue. The princess made use of Benofik, incorporating him in an improvised show where Viola the Tyrant Tower Beast would juggle the statue. Benofik was apprehensive at first, but Viola proved more than capable of performing the act with precision. This act managed to make some money, along with Yena’s singing, Hessel’s combat training and Reyq giving lessons on how to read.

(20 gold acquired)

After a week had passed, Yena paid 3 gold to send Benofik back to her homeland. He would be studied by Ngugi scholars, and they would also use him as a basis for future methods of capturing demons.

Meanwhile, back in Ngugi-Mahru, Queen Sajar was planning a coup in The Old Country, Malkin. Several Tower Beasts had been smuggled in, and were ordered to destroy supplies and govenrment-controlled buildings to weaken the enemy’s defenses in case of a revolt. They were supervised by spies already hiding in the Ngugi ghettos.

At this time, the recently-crowned King of Malkin, Haulod III, was still adjusting to his new duties and was convinced that the Tower Beasts were smuggled in by Gavon, a neighboring nation. Ngugi-Mahru was not a suspect, except by a few Malkin spies.

Queen Sajar’s objective, of course, was to destroy the Futurite mining operations. Their continued use was weakening the boundary between our world and the demons’, and after weeks of planning and meetings with her advisors, she concluded that sabotaging Futurite would already be an act of war. The most peaceful resolution then, would be to replace the head of state, as the Malkin military had a history for obeying whoever was on the throne, regardless of how they came into power (though this was not a guarantee).

Haulod III was showing signs that he disliked being king. He could be convinced to abdicate, or fake his own death to escape for a less stressful life. Killing him would have been a last resort.

The coup attempt would commence soon. The Queen had the means to replace the king of the Old Country with someone more easily controlled. Who, according to Queen Sajar’s plans, would succeed King Haulod III?

- Prince Nag’manar: Haulod III’s brother. Very young, only 12 years old. He was very easily manipulated. Unfortunately, this could go both ways as other nations would try to exploit him.

- Princess Haswida: Haulod III’s sister. A competent leader who was already looking for a way to ascend to the throne. However, she was also a known bigot who had been applauding policies that made the Ngugi people living in Malkin miserable. The most recent policy resulted in price hikes of sales of ‘luxury items’ for those of Ngugi ethnicity. Among those ‘luxury’ items: silk, paper, ink, books. Still, she was willing to give up the Futurite mines in exchange for the throne.

- Duke Kilbada: A cousin to the royal family, but still a plausible candidate, Duke Kilbada was a scholar who was studying the anatomy, psychology and culture of demon-kind. Known for very long rants and thirst for wine, but had great knowledge regarding demons which Ngugi-Mahru could use.

- Prince Dogan: Haulod III’s older brother, long thought missing. He was supposed to be the next king, but left in search of a fabled sword that would grant its user the power of flight. He never found it, but he settled in Downok after marrying one of the natives. He grew homesick and showed interest in becoming Malkin’s ruler, as he was meant to be. An eccentric man with a taste for myth and legend, but a great diplomat.

- Princess Minkit: King Haulod III’s aunt. She was in charge of the Malkin’s scientific research, and devoted to the development of a new kind of power source: Batteries. While electricity was still unknown to most of the world, she was already planning to make the world’s first lightbulb. However, there were rumors abound that she was involved in abducting the poor for her experiments, which according to Ngugi-Mahru spies, were all true: She was trying to find ways to turn body parts into fuel for batteries.

>_

*NGUGI-MAHRU WORLD STATUS*

Global Reputation: High Standing, Steady Tourism, Growing Trade
Average Life Expectancy: 73 years
Wealth: Very Wealthy (ranked 2nd in world)
Military: Powerful, Respected
Science: Advanced, Respected
Allies: Madagar, Yeshiko, The Old Country (Malkin)
Wars: None (Secret War in preparation)

Miscellaneous Note: The Old Country was busy investigating rumors of abductions and strange Tower Beasts vandalizing various government properties, which included arson.

*YENA’S STATUS *
Princess Yena’s Personal Money - 420 gold, 1 silver, 8 copper

Skill:
Cosmic Crafter - Can Craft Otherworldly Objects into items

Retinue:
Hessel - Bodyguard (Guardian Shield: Arrows and other solid projectiles cannot harm her)
Reyq - Scholar

Cosmic Artifacts:
Levitation Orb - Can levitate up to 4 inches. Worth 40 gold.
Reflector Talisman - Reflects ALL magic, even beneficial ones. Worth 1000 gold.

Viola - Pet Tyrant Tower Beast
(Tyrant information)

SpoilerShow

Tyrant
Element: Wind
Intelligence: Raven-level
Diet: Meat

Resembling a scorpion with tentacles, the Tyrant lives in the 1111th floor of the Shadowless Tower, an area that can be best described as a rainforest full of spirals.

It only lays eggs when certain it is not being watched, even by other Tyrants. The creature's name comes from its ability to coerce other creatures into finding food for it.

Tyrants have very well-developed vocal cords, which they use for communicating with other species. Though their tentacles are actually very weak, they are laced with chemicals that can make other beasts receptive to commands. Their level of control is so strong, they can even convince other Tower Beasts to feed their own young to the Tyrant.

Tamed Tyrants have confirmed the theory that the creatures can consciously alter the chemical formulae of their venom, and can even turn it into effective medicine. They are commonly found serving at pharmacies all over the world. Unsurprisingly, the Ngugi-Mahru government also uses Tyrants as interrogation tools.

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Shadowless Tower exploration progress: 23%

World Map: https://i.imgur.com/V6xZODN.jpg

TOWER BEAST TREATISE