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Chapter 7: Forest Stroll

Opening

letter
Your Highness,
I have tracked down the traitor to the Crescent. While a discreet intervention has failed, it is only a matter of time.
I must extend my stay, Ellerie cannot be allowed time to plan her wicked schemes. I will bring her to justice.
-Your loyal servant,
Maurice
pomelo
Lindy, over there!
lindros
Where?
pomelo
You're as blind as a bat. That's your master, in that big house!
(An archsage runs into the village's largest house.)
elder
There's more villagers trapped in their homes! You're an Archsage, is there nothing more you can do?
ulach
I must stay here to prepare the portal. They will have to make their own way.
elder
Then the rest is up to the gods.
ulach
Faith ought to be placed in the hands of men rather than gods.
(Ulach casts a flashy spell, then warps away.)
lindros
That's Master alright. Only he puts so much flashiness in his spellwork.
ellerie
Isn't that normal for Archsages?
lindros
Showing your lack of magical education once again.
ellerie
Why did I open my mouth?
lindros
A lights show like that is not part of any portal spell.
No, it's all dramatic flair.
ellerie
Great. Fantastic, even. But that's a portal he's made in that house, you say?
lindros
Straight to Enan, judging from the wasted magic I feel all the way up further east.
ellerie
Then let's go for it! The Saltsworn would never expect us to go into their home.
pomelo
That's good in theory, but... Everyone in Enan could just kill us?
ellerie
With a force like that out hunting for us, how many would they have left at Enan?
Besides, we don't even know if they've sent word home to hunt all of us down.
lindros
You're gambling our lives on two unsubstantiated assumptions.
We know neither the extent of their forces nor if Enan knows we're here.
ellerie
If you want us to stay in the wilds and die in the Green Tide, try to convince me.
lindros
I agree with your course of action. I just want to point out how flawed your logic is.
ellerie
Thanks. You're really going to waste time on that?
pomelo
Captain, Lin, there's still civilians trapped in the houses. If we're heading through, we might as well give them a hand!
ellerie
We'd also be cleaning up the Green Tide for the benefit of our foes.
pomelo
Captain.
ellerie
I'm not saying we shouldn't save who we can.
I'm just saying this is what the Saltsworn should be doing!
This is their damn job! The bastards.
lindros
Now who's wasting time complaining?
pomelo
You two are terrible. Let's just get moving.
(A girl appears and casts a light spell that obliterates a monster.)

If Old Bob's son was spoken to

acielle
Begone, filthy beasts!
young bob
I thought I was done for. Do you need any help?
acielle
You can barely lift that sword of yours. Have no fear, I will handle it from here.
young bob
There's a lot of them; I hear more coming from the trees!
Can we break through?
acielle
A divine champion isn't going to fall to these small time creatures.
What kind of a tale would that be?
young bob
One chosen by the Goddess herself? I didn't think they still existed.
acielle
In the flesh, ready to blast some monsters.
young bob
So you must be a very powerful magic user.
acielle
(smiles) This my first time ever casting magic.
But the goddess is with me, everything will turn out just fine.
young bob
We're doomed.

If not

acielle
Feel the wrath of a divine champion!
offscreen
Acielle, run for the town hall! What are you doing?
acielle
(smiles) I'm a bit busy saving the day, Elder!
offscreen
Have you lost your mind? Run!
acielle
A chosen one of the goddess won't fall here!
I'll be finished with these monsters in no time!
krynia
I've recovered enough from the last outbreak.
I must join this battle!
oriana
The last battle you fought was what made this outbreak so much worse!
krynia
We don't know that for sure!
It could be that my hourglass is just naturally running dry.
oriana
The Workshop is so close, Krynia! Once we reach it, it'll all be-
krynia
I'm not six anymore. No one knows what's there. Not you, not Grandfather!
oriana
But there's a very good chance!
krynia
For my whole life, all I've done is put my family in danger for a chance at living!
This is finally the moment where even my meager aid can be appreciated, where I can finally be more than a burden!
Are you going to let me die knowing I've done nothing of value my whole life?
oriana
You're worth the world to me. You don't have to prove anything!
krynia
To you, Mother. But not to myself.
oriana
You're absolutely convinced that your death is inevitable.
krynia
Mother, please, don't take this away from me.
I may be too sickly to learn the complexities of a blade, but with this sharp stick? Just point and push.
oriana
What parent can be happy that their child insists on entering the battlefield?
Fine, Krynia. Just please, stay close.
narrator
Each house will contain a green unit.
Green units will begin with escape AI, but their AI can be changed with talk.
Rescuing dropping or shoving the unit onto the escape tile will also count.
acielle
(smiles) Fear not citizens! These oversized drakes shall not breach your walls,
not after I use my god-given powers to smite them from existence!

New Guide Entries

The Faithful

The Faithful blame Elis's murder of a god for instigating the centuries of strife, and hope for the return of the gods. While they are labelled as a single group, their customs are deeply divided by which gods they worship.

Many groups of the Faithful would make the journey to the Crescent to escape hostility from the growing influence of the Sect of Elis.

Turn 4 (if west house not visited)

West House

man
Okay, I've got all my good wine! I can do this! Making a run for it!

Turn 5 (if northwest house not visited)

Northwest House

young woman
Goddess save me! Faith be my shield! I have to go!

Turn 5 (if central house not visited)

Central House

girl
Momma isn't coming back, is she? It's up to me! I'll make it out!

Turn 6

ellerie
Look at that. No hordes of angry wights, spiders, or mercenaries at our rear.
I could get used to this.
(The Green Tide expands.)

Conversations

Ellerie & Acielle

ellerie
So what's this whole chosen one deal? Haven't the gods been dead for centuries?
acielle
Lies propagated by the unfaithful! The Goddess came to me in my sleep.
From a young age I knew of my destiny.
ellerie
What did she say? Some ominous prophecy?
acielle
I couldn't make out what she said to me. But I'm sure finding out will be half the journey.
ellerie
And that's it? I was expecting a bit more than just a vague dream.
Any other life-changing event?
acielle
Nope.
The Goddess works in mysterious ways.
ellerie
I figured a heroic tale should come with something more. Maybe an ancient evil, or some global catastrophe.
acielle
They're not off the table yet. This is the Crescent after all.
Maybe this invasion is the turning point where an ancient evil is unleashed and a global catastrophe begins.
ellerie
I sure hope that statement is completely wrong. I've already had a miserable week.
acielle
Well, if you get an indication of such, you know who to find.
No heroic tale spends the entire time facing your run-of-the-mill beasts.
(Acielle leaves.)
ellerie
Maybe I should warn her about Tower, but I'd doubt he'd even believe her.

Iosaf & Vermillion

Default

vermillion
This is ridiculous. No one acknowledges my presence or my deeds.
iosaf
Shut up. This clucking is driving me mad.
vermillion
I'll cluck all I want, you bumbling oaf!
iosaf
Me, bumbling? I'm the most nimble fella around.
vermillion
Oh great, the only person that understands me is a stupid cyclops.
iosaf
I'm sorry, look at how large my brain is, then look at yourself.
You can barely fit a walnut in there.
vermillion
Of course size is the only thing that matters to you.
I'm one-fiftieth your size, yet with fifty times the achievement.
iosaf
I may be second-best, but you sure ain't first.
vermillion
Your lone eye must be for decoration, because you're not seeing much!
(Ellerie and Tower watch the exchange from afar.)
ellerie
What is going on over there? Is it talking to a chicken?
tower
It's already going mad. It'll snap any day now.

If Vermillion defeated Iosaf

iosaf
I don't understand. How could I lose to you?
I'm big and you're small.
vermillion
For the last time, I defeated you because of my superior speed and natural intellect.
iosaf
But I'm also really fast and highly intelligent. Why am I not the best?
Why did I lose? I want a rematch.
vermillion
I cannot cultivate my inner power from defeating the defeated. Know your place.
(Vermillion leaves.)
iosaf
I don't understand. Cultivate? How do I get this power?
(Ellerie and Tower watch the exchange from afar.)
ellerie
What is going on over there? Is it talking to a chicken?
tower
It's already going mad. It'll snap any day now.

Locations

West House

man
But my gold, my wine! At least give me time to grab some of the better stuff.

Northwest House

young woman
I pray to the Goddess every day. What did I do to deserve this?

Central House

girl
Momma, this isn't funny anymore! You said you'd be back for me!

Ending

ellerie
That's about all I have in me. Let's get to this Enan place.

If all civilians saved

elder
The Goddess is with us on this blessed day! All who were trapped made it through.
ellerie
I'd like to think it was us rather than the Goddess, but it was no easy feat.
elder
It must be the Goddess that guided you to us in this hour of need.
I will reward you in kind.
ellerie
I'm happy to do more in the name of the Goddess if it nets us supplies.
(Ellerie receives Quality Liquor and a Skullsmash staff.)

If 1 or 2 civilians saved

elder
Is this everyone who has come through?
ellerie
That is all.
elder
I see. Thank you for your efforts.
(Ellerie receives Quality Liquor if she save 2 civilians, or Common Tools if she only saved one.)

If no civilians saved

elder
Are you all that came through?
ellerie
I'm sorry.
elder
Such is the nature of this cruel land. They are happier with the Goddess now.

If Old Bob's son is present

young bob
You again! Don't think I'll forgive you because of some petty deeds.
ellerie
What a tragedy. I will never recover.
young bob
One day, your luck will run out. And you'll be sorry.
(He leaves.)
ellerie
I'd be more concerned if it was coming out of someone that could lift a sword.
The idiot didn't even take it with him. Hmph, I think I deserve some compensation.
(Ellerie receives a Cutlass.)

If Acielle survived

elder
What in the name of- Were you shooting light out of your hands?
acielle
I told you all that the Goddess wasn't just a dream. You all called me delusional!
elder
She hasn't been seen since the cataclysm, and to choose you of all people?
acielle
The Goddess works in mysterious ways.
elder
But... Why some magical rolling log of all things?
Our goddess isn't a patron of trees, dead or alive!
acielle
This is not just some log, Elder!
This is THE log that I've been daydreaming on for years!
It's all, uh, symbolic, I think. Not sure what, but I'm pretty sure.
elder
Symbolic of your head being in the clouds?
acielle
See you in a decade, Elder. I have an adventure to begin!
(Acielle leaves.)
elder
Acielle, a chosen one? Is the world going crazy? Am I going crazy?

lindros
Master! What are you doing here?
ulach
Field research on the Green Tide. It almost sounds like you're not happy to see me.
lindros
Of course not. I mean yes- er, no.
ulach
We are not at Oakhall.
I cannot test you on the application of plane shifting out of the blue.
lindros
Fantastic.
ulach
That is not what someone who studied applications of plane shifting would say.
Adventuring business is not an excuse to slack off on life-long learning.
lindros
Master, please.
ulach
That's about enough. So how's your field research coming along?
Certainly more exciting than hitting the books.
lindros
I've learnt much more than expected. I witnessed the monsters operating under the command of living trees,
a monster capable of speech and reason and allegedly, humans who can transform into ferocious creatures.
I thought I searched the limits of Oakhall's records, yet there is so much that they don't contain.
ulach
Fascinating. You must fill me in on the details later.
lindros
My initial hypotheses have been scrapped.
I am hoping the Workshop contains what I need to fill in the gaps. Will you join us?
ulach
Alas, the Green Tide calls.
Stay safe out there, my boy.
Oakhall won't allow me another apprentice if a sixth goes missing.
lindros
I don't intend to be the sixth.
(Some time later, Ellerie has gathered the crew for a meeting at Enan's inn.)
ellerie
...and I thank you all for joining the Seahawk on this difficult journey.
Unfortunately, it's difficult being a crew of a ship that no longer exists,
and thus, our union comes to an end.
I wish you all the best of luck on your future endeavours.
(Ellerie leaves.)
pomelo
Someone else was as beat up about the Seahawk getting blown up as I am.
Lindy, what's the plan now?
lindros
I don't know. I assumed we were still going to the Workshop. Mince,
did you know anything about this?
mince
I got nothing. It's not like she ran important decisions by me.
It'd be Tower and Oriana.
pomelo
They must have it hard, with Krynia's condition and all.
mince
(frowns) It doesn't feel right to abandon them. We've been through a lot together.
(Tower and Oriana converse amongst themselves.)
tower
Well, damn.
oriana
It's not a surprise when everything up to now has been a series of misfortunes.
That trouble with the Sect, then Krynia...
tower
Regardless, now we're down our source of funding. And a crew.
oriana
Krynia is not getting any better. Oh by Elis, do we risk it all?
tower
We have no other options. If it has to be just us, it will be just us.
oriana
We'll figure something out. We have to.

If Reiker, Raylin, and Gecko are alive

gecko
We're disbanding? Where do I go from here?
I can't go home.
raylin
You could always just come with us.
reiker
I've always wanted to upgrade to the terrible trio.
gecko
You'd have me? I fear I'd only slow you down.
reiker
(smiles) Nonsense! You're Galeforce Gecko, wielder of the dreaded frying pan!
raylin
(smiles) Scourge of the western coast.
reiker
Breaker of skulls, reaver of souls!
raylin
We should ask if you'd have us.
gecko
(smiles) No need to tease me. I'd love to join you. Where would we go?
reiker
We haven't thought of that just yet.
raylin
I'm certain between the three of our brilliant minds, we can form a plan.

Character Descriptions

Acielle
A self-proclaimed “ally of justice” on a journey to find herself. I'm very happy to take advantage of that.

Justice
A force of nature imbued with madness. It is not known what tree it once was.

Wood Lord
A conduit for the invasion forces determined to exterminate humanity.

Free Fiend
Monstrous beings who've claimed these lands since the fall of the old civilisation.

Tomb Terror
Incredibly unhappy to be robbed, and even more so for being woken up.

Coastal Citizen
An average citizen trying to make a living on the Crescent. A rather poor choice.

Mythic Merc
An amateur band of sellswords whose only objective is to live up to their lofty name.

Loot
Just gonna yoink this while no one's looking. Or smash it.