Reforge

You already lost some of the vizier's respect, probably best not to lose the remainder. Don't voice the idea yet.
Do voice that Cyan only seems to have/use two major tricks: flying, and summoning bedrock.

You decide to hold off on sharing your suspicions for now. You need to be certain if you're going to make such an outlandish claim. Besides, you'd rather not further jeopardize your standing here. Your stomach churns just thinking about it and that makes you all the more resentful. What's happening? This isn't how it's supposed to work. They're your vizier, they're yours. But they dare to- to even form an- an opinion, like they get to decide whether to respect you-

But you keep your external composure.

You finish recapping your journey, making sure to describe Cyan and her capacities in as great detail as you can. Then you move on to the heart of the matter- their goals. You tell the vizier that they intend to kill the gods and remake the world in the image of theirs.


There are a few seconds of silence.
Vizier: Oh.
Vizier: Well.
Vizier: They... can't? Do that?
Vizier: They won't be... able to?
Vizier: I mean, they can't.
Donnella: Well yeah obviously not. I have no idea of the particulars of their plans but we can safely expect them to fail utterly.
Donnella: Who knows what damage they'll do in the process of trying and failing, though.
Donnella: It's strange. Cyan didn't give out specifics about anything, but she seemed to think, for some reason, that I in particular could help them somehow.




Vizier: Mmmmmm.... not sure what that could mean...
Vizier: This whole business is decidedly odd. We know far too little of this spirit... and then there is the matter of these 'Cursed Ones' seemingly... stowed away with it...
Vizier: Regardless, we need to act now to control this situation.
Vizier: If that is all that you have to share, shall we move on to the matter of our response?

It was there for a fraction of a second. But when you said that, you swear you saw a flicker of emotion cross the vizier's face.

Absolute terror.

What the hell was that about? Will you let it slide for now, or press them on it?

You settle back and center yourself. As much as it pains you, you just let the moment pass without comment. You don’t want to launch vague accusations over something so small and easy to deny. You need to look into this before confronting them. If they’re hiding something from you… you mean, who’s ever heard of a treacherous vizier??? The very idea is disturbing.

Vizier: Obviously we’ll want to contact the Order of the Crystal Sea for this matter.
Vizier: The debts other houses owe you… mmm… now seems the time to call them in. As a first order of business, however-

Vizier: Oh! Forgive me.


Vizier: This had better be of utmost importance. I told you not to interrupt while I...
Vizier: What?



Vizier: That meddling-! What business does the Four Corners have here? Of all the times… how long ago did they arrive? I… nnnng… I ought to finish up here first, can you


Of course. Of course!
Four Corners! This must be their doing!
The boxes in your room, the paper with their logo- everything that happened- the book- your father-
And now they’re here. What, are you supposed to buy that it’s coincidence?


This city is yours. They’re utterly at your mercy. You can have them detained right now and pull your answers from their minds. Order their arrest, finish up here, and deal with them at your leisure. No! Maybe you want to go and confront them in person, this second.
Vizier: Firstborn?
Or… no. You can’t be hasty. Should you just wait and see what they do, wait for them to tip their hand? But who knows what they could get up to if you don’t deal with them immediately…

You're sick of standing by and being... in the dark, and feeling meek. You have to do something! But what?

SpoilerShow

Ask why he was hiding a burger in his suit, that seems rather moronic.

I'm glad you brought this back, I suddenly got busy.

Didn't dad say that it was his book? And if they're in your city, are they sending their best? Clearly you must stalk them down yourself and find the sabotage they have seeded in your city.

Ask why he was hiding a burger in his suit, that seems rather moronic.

You mean, that’s a pretty standard two-way communicator setup. They’re like, a thing Aeon Co makes. Well, other people also make them too but these ones include a few key magical innovations that set them apart from competitor products. You guess they do look kind of like tiny burgers from the right angle though, huh

wait shit you’re losing your momentum from standing up all dramatically

Didn't dad say that it was his book?

That’s… you think he actually did indicate that he already knew about the book at some point which… does seem to poke a hole in your theory…

And if they're in your city, are they sending their best? Clearly you must stalk them down yourself and find the sabotage they have seeded in your city.

…but it doesn’t matter! So maybe Four Corners didn’t plant the book, or at least didn’t do so recently. They’re here now and obviously up to something. And you’re going to go confront them about it this instant.

Vizier: Firstborn?


Vizier: Wha- where are you going?

Do you even slow down for this interruption?

No you didn't

I'm investigating. I trust that you can secure the city as well as possible on your own.

Honestly don't believe she would stop easily, but bad relations with your vizier is the kind of thing that loses countries.

No you didn't

I'm investigating. I trust that you can secure the city as well as possible on your own.

Honestly don't believe she would stop easily, but bad relations with your vizier is the kind of thing that loses countries.

Donnella: I’m looking into something.
Donnella: I trust you to secure the city on your own.




Vizier: I absolutely cannot deal with this today.
Vizier: You realize that’s the person in charge now?
Vizier: And that at the time of these absurd malefactors suddenly having a fortress directly adjacent to us.
Vizier: I have utterly reached my limit for bullshit, and it's not even noon.


Vizier: Not to mention… mmmmm… if these “Cursed Ones” know about…
The vizier sighs heavily.
Vizier: Well.


Vizier: Let’s go see how this day gets even worse.

>Yellow is always fun!

>Let's go to the city in the mountains!

>Mountain!

>Let's go to the city in the mountains!

Presently,

a meeting.


Bemuntdanath: You would not believe.


Bemuntdanath: How many- ech- adventurers could pour out of this canyon.


Ihonperlyekal: Mhmmm! Very shocking, would've thought they'd just immediately accept you as their sovereign.
Ihonperlyekal: Maybe give a heads up next time before deciding to fight a city while already exhausted, though? I was in the middle of something when you decided to get half of your body burned off.
Bemuntdanath: Don't be ridiculous. This was unavoidable.
Ihonperlyekal: Sure. Speaking of making this not be a pattern anymore- how're M's new works holding up for you?
Bemuntdanath: Oh yes, Mvoroldcerard has performed admirably as always. Even though she complained about the tight production schedule...
Bemuntdanath: That reminds me, when might Cinaatshyyer arrive? I need a fortress for these guards to occupy.
Ihonperlyekal: fuck this.
Ihonperlyekal: Oh, I dunno. After all, she’s so busy with so many very, very important projects. I know! Imagine. Having important things to do.
Bemuntdanath: Watch your tone.
Ihonperlyekal: More important than helping someone complaining that their fortress is blown up because, you know, he blew it up?
Bemuntdanath: YOU DARE-! I-!


Ihonperlyekal: Uh huh. Anyway, as fascinating as staying in this dump is? I’m kind of busy, you know, ushering in a new universe. Have fun playing warlord, dickbag.


Bemuntdanath: That-! I-! Ngh!


Bemuntdanath: ARGH!
Bemuntdanath: *huff* *huff*
Bemuntdanath: That's... she... she doesn't know. Idiot.
Bemuntdanath: That's just fine. It's only me. She can laugh. Thinks I'm doing this out of vanity... pah.


Bemuntdanath: I know what's buried in these mountains.


It's hard to breathe.
Your head hurts.
It's dark.

This sucks.

You are now Eve Newton.
What do you do?

SpoilerShow

Trying out a little bit of a different style for this part? I mean really all that changed is finally moving fully away from the stick-limbs, but I guess lmk if this works better or nah.

Wait! Make that, your everything hurts. You feel like one big bruise with maybe like a balloon for a head and the balloon is full of smoke. And scorpions.

Okay, trying to get your bearings. You're in a tunnel, you think, there are smooth earthen walls and ceiling around you. You dug yourself out of, you don't know, some rubble that you were pinned under? And you were going to keep moving forward, but something stopped you. It sounds a little silly maybe, but you swear it feels like there's a drop in front of you, a sensation of openness that's making you nervous about going further forward. You mean, it's not just a vague feeling, though!


You cough for like the hundredth time. It's so damn dusty in here you can hardly breathe.
What were you thinking about again? Right, valid reasons to be spooked about walking forward more. There's also-


That. Sounds pretty echoey out there. You'd bet that this tunnel opens up into some bigger space soon.

You don't like the idea of stumbling around in the dark, maybe smacking into stuff, falling down a cave or something. And you could just make some fire and take a peek. But you've already used a bunch of magic today. You might need it more later, and if you use more than you can handle now and crash, that would be... bad.

You mean, you could probably get by just feeling it out. Probably? Ehhhhhhhhhhh

Will you try to get a look at the path ahead? Or feel it out as you go?

Sprint forward as fast as you can and bash whatever obstacles out of your way with wild abandon

Sprint forward as fast as you can and bash whatever obstacles out of your way with wild abandon

You take off running with the wildest abandon you can muster, ready to smash aside anything in your path! This turns out to be pointless, because there’s not a single thing in your way, not even more floor.


You fall head over heels into whatever the echoey space is. But not for long-


Because something smashes into your chest.


Then some more somethings break your fall the rest of the way down.


You can't believe this. Betrayed again by your beloved wild abandon, abandoning you when you need it most.

You are now lying in some… mud? Sure.


You start to stand up to deal with being hurt and in the dark but more hurt and lower down. Then you think maybe you can scratch that dark part, because you can see a faint green light.

Wait, shit, is that the skull? You recognize that glow you think. You know, you’d been using that thing’s weirdness quite a bit earlier. Now that it’s an option to just pretend you never saw it, though, you find yourself not so eager to take it back. You're no expert in 'things mere mortals were not meant to tamper in' but you think it qualifies and frankly you'd been avoiding thinking hard about it. It was pretty freaky and way more existential than you prefer to be, which is none amount existential! You think using it broke some, uh, abstractions?

The skull might be useful simply as a spooky lantern, but is dealing with the weirdness worth it?

Dealing with the weirdness is worth it and we must continue walking, climbing and jumping towards the light or any possible path that may lead us out of this sticky situation

Dealing with the weirdness is worth it and we must continue walking, climbing and jumping towards the light or any possible path that may lead us out of this sticky situation

You just sort of walk the couple of feet over to it. The situation remains sticky. You plunge a hand down into the patch of mud and yank the skull out with an unpleasant onomatopoeia.


Oh wow that's bright! Not helping your headache over here.


And it's still doing this apparently! How can ambiguously existent music be so loud and piercing!?

Isn't there anything you can do to shut this thing up?

Bash the skull on the wall until it shatters and devour the pieces to absorb its mysterious properties

Cover its eyes and ears.

Cover its eyes and ears.

Bash the skull on the wall until it shatters and devour the pieces to absorb its mysterious properties

You find some hard surface and bash away!




WOAH SHIT


There's a big spike of... uh... yeah... coming out of the cracks. You sure about eating this?

SpoilerShow

Happy thanksgiving if you do that thing! This'll probably be the last update for a while (finals!).

How else are you supposed to absorb the mysterious powers?
Otoh, the music is gone, it's probably safe to use as a light now. Another option: use your cloak to hold it up without touching it.

There are starving children somewhere that would kill for such a delicious cranium, check your privilege and eat it you spoiled little flower

How else are you supposed to absorb the mysterious powers?

There are starving children somewhere that would kill for such a delicious cranium, check your privilege and eat it you spoiled little flower

Ugh. You feel terrible…er. Terribler.
You hear things start to slip into the mud around you. The pipe that got speared full of this stuff is kind of, softly splitting apart. You’d hope this wouldn’t cause unforeseen consequences but you think that’s already happening.

Otoh, the music is gone, it's probably safe to use as a light now. Another option: use your cloak to hold it up without touching it.

You guess that makes them not unfoooOKAY THINGS’RE FALLING TIME TO BOOK IT


Thankfully, with the skull in hand, you are easily able to find a weird wonky tunnel leading out of wherever you are.


Alright, now this just makes no sense. Where IS here?
There is the sound of footsteps, a soft thud, a gasp, and-


???: YOUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!
Hey it’s that guy! Fuck!

What do you do?

Throw the skull at him and then pelt him with rocks until he dies and if that fails run away

Throw the skull at him and then pelt him with rocks until he dies and if that fails run away

???: WHA- AAUGH!!!




???: Why the what the fuck did you do that for!? You hit me in the face!!!
???: Yeah the face you fucking burned off half of earlier? My personal face???
???: Where do YOU get off throwing a-
???: Is
???: Is that a human skull
???: Wha- b-


???: JUST WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURSELF!?