Here There Be Dragons: Let's Play Ryuutama (Anime is Real Edition)

[Fefnir]

Last session had us go from shopping for outfits to bureaucracy, and of course fashion was the most important part of the trip.

Whoops All Cosplay

Inadvertently went with a sliding scale of femme --> butch outfits, but I guess that’ll happen.

Session 4 Journal

After saying goodbye to Caper and moving on with the ever-present Pash, we immediately ran into a swarm of bugs. If that wasn’t an omen, I don’t know what is. Thankfully, we were greeted by Rowan and her Grandma (actual title) Tone, and they provided ointment. We did our business, I fixed the compass, and we settled down for bed.

---

10th of Forta, 1107
We made it to Wagyu in almost no time at all. Upon arrival, we immediately hopped over to the clothing store to prepare for our stay in Flamewrought. Poor as I was, I probably wouldn’t have been able to buy what I did had Ryyan not talked the price down so much. I’ve not dressed so fancy before, but I think I chose some cute outfits. After that, we decided to take it easy and rest for the night.

11th of Forta, 1107
Traveling to the Flamewrought Vigil was, unfortunately, far more dangerous. Given the climate, we were all singed on the way, and the checkpoint was a hassle. The Flamewrought Vigil is a place that’s heavy on bureaucracy, and honestly I underestimated just what that meant. Thanks to Ryyan’s political influence, we at least managed to skip a few lines. That being said, I can’t use the kitchen without filling out some paperwork so I guess I couldn’t get over every hurdle. Archie, (I think he’s a junior worker around here? He’s certainly not a guard or a lawyer,) offered to get a start on that, which was nice of him.
Deneb and I went to visit Warden Trek. I expected more from him, but uh… no. His brother’s nice enough, but apparently Trek himself became frustrated with Fairies playing pranks on him when traveling to the region, and that’s why he hasn’t been the one to visit in years. Honestly? It was probably for the best. The man seems to be something of a letch, and the prison he runs is nothing short of disgusting. I don’t know why I was expecting something small and tidy, but I guess that’ll teach me to give the benefit of the doubt. Ark and his grandmother looked to be in bad shape, but they were holding on. They were acting like beasts in hopes of avoiding harsher punishments, and it seemed to work. We managed to convince the warden to allow them into our custody, since we’re traveling with a lord. Our own “punishment” supersedes theirs, so it looks like we may be in the clear for getting those two out.
After we finished our business in the prison, we met up with Ryyan and Koal, who were supposed to be having a meeting with the Duchess. Instead, it seems like they’ve all set up a dating event??? I blame Pash for this, but no matter what it looks like we’ll be doing more than diplomacy.

[heyboots]

Another letter to Gran

Dear Gran,

I went clothes shopping for the first time ever! I like my dress a lot but Ryyan said it wasn’t really appropriate for all the fancy stuff we’ll be doing soon. I googled “goth prom dress” found a really cute gown that was in all the colors I like!

The shopkeeper said I should get these really dumb pointy shoes that I couldn’t walk in, but I think my boots are fine (but I did get some shoe polish so they’d look super nice). I also got a little black dress, which I guess is good for pretty much every situation? I like it because it has a heart in it!

Everyone else got super cute clothes too. But they were expensive!!

We also went to a… prison and Gran it was just awful. I don’t ever want to go in a prison again, everyone was sad or miserable and all the prisoners looked like they were starving and abused. Everyone was like that dog we took from away that really bad hunter when I was a kid, the one we healed for a long time and even then always had that limp.

We found the Nimhish friends we met earlier and they were in such a sad state and they were pretending to be dumb animals so I had to do something! Alice and I managed to maybe get them released to us so we could get them away from that horrible place.

Gran I’ve seen a lot of new things since I left but this was the first thing that made me angry. Like, really really angry. I’m mad just thinking about it right now. I don’t like that people treat other people like this. It’s wrong and I hope I can do something about it, I want to use everything I learned from you to make things like this not happen.

Oh I didn’t mention before but we have a new dragon following us around, he’s blue and his name is Pash and I think he likes kissing a lot??? But not like him kissing, but like getting everyone else to kiss each other?? He’s super weird and I don’t really get it but I guess stories like that are something else the Seasonal Dragons like so… Gran have you ever kissed someone? Is that like a common thing people do? I don’t really know anything about that since it was only really ever us and the chickens in the forest, and chickens don’t have lips. No one who visited us ever offered to kiss me, anyway…

I only ask because apparently Ryyan’s aunt is trying to find a “suitor” for him and I guess she thinks the rest of us could be his suitor? I don’t really understand but Pash said kissing is involved… and a whole bunch of other things he rattled off when I asked him, things like trust and companionship and love and attraction and some other stuff. It was hard to follow and I don’t know what magnets have to do with it, but he said it’s pretty much the most important thing to him. I guess its a whole deal that’s like… more than just being friends? And like, I’ve only just made my first friends when I started this journey and I like them a lot so I guess its like that but different?

I’ll let you know if I figure it out. But anyway I guess we’re gonna be in some kind of contest to be Ryyan’s suitor and I’m gonna try my hardest because you’ve always told me anything worth doing is worth putting your whole heart into! I hope there’s like a magic contest, I will definitely win that!

Gran I hope you sorted out everything with the hut and I hope the chickens are OK. Alice looks like she wants to go to bed so I’m gonna put out the light and go to sleep now too.

Love,
Deneb

[Jenner]

https://twitter.com/NickWilde_txt/status/886345320736608256

Deneb, quit it.

[heyboots]

[Jenner]

Pash's Journal Entry (AKA Session 4 Summary)

Finally, some travelers! I’m so glad! It’s been such a long time since I’ve had travelers under my care and I was so lonely I’m excited to get started on the adventure! I have such plans in mind. It seems we already have a love triangle blooming! So exciting!

They had goods to sell so they headed off to the Nomad families in the East first. Along the way they were bit up terribly by insects. I couldn’t do much to help them . Alice managed to fix that Nimhish compass but Caper didn’t tell them the whole of its abilities… Should I? Feh, I’ll have to think on it because them knowing such things would distract from my plans. It wouldn’t lead to the kind of story I want to tell. Regardless, everyone seemed delighted with their magical items so Caper did a good job… I guess. Back to the recap: The Nomads were a nice enough people, but I think its a reflection of my magic, and of the nature of my travelers. My travelers are kindly and good natured and my magic augments and projects their innate qualities to others. Seeing and feeling the wholesomeness of my travelers, it would be difficult for many to be unkind to them. Grandfather Toan seemed nice and Rowan was definitely incredibly kind. No doubt their own innate goodness was influenced by my magic. With Koal’s help (and some coaching from Rowan) my travelers made a small profit, spent the night, and made it to the Border City of Wagyu.

Here’s where things get great because Ryyan had decided to get everyone fine outfits. I got to help them get make overs! It went exceptionally well! Though it was quite expensive, Koal got everyone a discount. It was worth the money they look amazing! I adore them.

From Wagyu it wasn’t far into the Flamewrought Duchy. Once they neared the Great Brushfire the embers that rained from the sky scorched them and injured them. This trip was not being kind to them, but there’s little I can do about it. I was anticipating the excessive bureaucracy of the Flamewrought to hold us up but the team worked together to not only get through the checkpoint but to get escorted directly to the Grand Duchess and the prison warden. I don’t know what happened in the dungeons because I had to work my magic on the Grand Duchess. But Alice and Deneb came back none to pleased with whatever went on down there. I hope they’re in good enough moods to participate in the upcoming event and festivities with all their hearts. I’ll speak to them to see how I can help them.

Things are starting soon, I need to conserve my energy. Talk to you soon Journal,
Pash.

Heyboots isn’t able to make it today after all but we’re still playing tonight and I’m gonna be recording the session so he can listen to it on his car ride or something (if that’s okay with you folks. Let me know in the call.) I’ll see you all at 8:30 PM EST.

[Jenner]

Pash's Journal (AKA Session 5 Summary)

The day started off with a bath in the baths where Baron Sedwick and his lover Julian discussed how this whole business was going to be messed up and worried about what manner of nonsense the ETE was going to get into with Koal.

Then the party started and just like I wanted, there was a lot of drama. What I didn’t want, however, were other dragons and they were here too! I didn’t realize it when I set off this event but when Cecile invited so many people she brought in four other overlapping stories!

Wyserias has a red dragon. My cousin Tear is traveling with a woman named Emerene. Some youngsters that got roped into this have a green dragon and Grand Inquisitor Vryn is still in cahoots with the black dragon, Shrike. All these competing stories and all these dragons each using their magic to try to influence things is causing all kinds of chaos! I wanted drama but not like this!

For the Great Dragons’ sake! Susan Crushbone showed up! That is how wild it got.

Koal got engaged and broken up with on the same day. There was some heated discussion about Grand Inquisitor Vryn’s daughter (who I think is Deneb) and Wyserias got shot!

There was also cooking competition, which Alice crushed (though I think Ryyan has a crush on her.) A dance competition where Deneb and Annabelle won. And so much diplomacy and intrigue going on in the background…in my romance story!! I’m certain it’s Shrike’s fault!

I don’t know what to do about all these conflicting and competing stories! I can’t let this story get away from me, I want each of my travelers to find love and to have an amazing story to tell! I won’t quit!!
–Pash

Potential Things to be Done:

-Private meetings with Wyserias of the ETE and Nesrin of the Sunset Sentinels.
-Four travelers with wanderlust are trapped in the Flamewrought Duchy because of bureaucracy.
-The Nimhish are still imprisoned.
-I’m probably forgetting things and will have to edit this.

Things Definitely Happening:

-A quiz show.
-A swimsuit competition. (And you don’t have swim suits)
-Probably more.

See you all Wednesday, July 26th at 8:30 PM EST!

[Breadmaster]

Ryyan's Journal - Session 5

From the journal of Ryyan Pendel, Third Heir to the Pendel Barony,
Tonight was an unmitigated disaster, in every sense of the word. I thought I was prepared for what awaited in the ballroom, but I couldn’t imagine what the night would bring.
I love my mother dearly, but I cannot fathom what she was thinking when she picked out suitors for me. I have spoken to her at length about my current lack of interest in romantic matters, but even so, she could have looked for somebody who was at least more interested than I! Half the people she introduced me to looked like they didn’t even want to be there! But that wasn’t the worst thing that happened, oh no, not even close.
Of course Wyserias was there. And while I must admit taking enjoyment in properly snubbing him in front of dear Aunt Cecile, there was something about him that set me on edge (more so than he usually would). It wasn’t until Pash told there were other dragons in the ballroom that I started to feel panic. Wyserias is under the influence of a red dragon, and from what Pash tells me, the stories they create are filled with war. It goes without saying that it was impossible for me to even pretend to enjoy the party, or the cooking competition (although, Alice’s dishes were excellent, and she outdid herself tonight). Even discovering the fact that Beatrice had been dating one of my traveling companions for months prior to our first journey, did little to phase me. It does seem odd, still: Beatrice is the type who would definitely brag about such things rather than keep them secret.
I really wish I could focus on romantic endeavors, if only to appease my Mother and keep my end of the bargain to Pash. But how could I possibly find love when the threat of war looms over us all? Shouldn’t I be trying to avoid conflicts? Trying to make the world safer, for everyone? Pash says that there are many forms of love, all of which he considers important to include in his stories.
What kind of love can stop a war before it even starts?

[Jenner]

What kind of love can stop a war before it even starts?

I messed up the map and drew a really awful rendition of the borders as they currently stand among the major players. Here it is:

I’ll probably put it in the 2nd post and reserve the first post for the world map (which I also keep changing as I/We add more factions)

[Fefnir]

Oh whoops, I never got around to posting last week’s journal. This was the session in which everybody fucked up, emotionally speaking.

Session 5 Journal

12th of Forta (Midnight), 1107
During the night, we were summoned by the Grand Inquisitor, Vryne. Deneb refused to wake up, as I later learned, due to a drugged cup of tea. Vyrne is the last obstacle between us and freeing the Nimhish, as she believes their rat-like behavior to be an act. She’d be willing to sign the paperwork, but she wants Deneb and/or her grandmother in return. Alas, as long as Deneb is asleep I am not making any deals with any scary gun-wielding ladies, even if she is very intimidating. Very, very intimidating. Thankfully, I was able to leave without anything horrible happening, so I’ve staved off some sort of horrible confrontation for at least one more day. Which means I can go pass out now, bye.

---

12th of Forta, 1107
Today went pretty well, despite my lack of sleep. During a brief hotspring episode, I got to meet Ryaan’s sisters, and they were nice. I agreed to be fake girlfriends with Beatrice, because much like Ryaan she’s been under constant pressure to marry. I guess a preference for adventuring runs through most of the family.
It didn’t take long for me to realize I was being watched at the party. Vryne, of course, took an interest, as did another party guest who I hadn’t met before. And given I still had Deneb, I decided to take a bit of a risky move. Koal seemed busy; during the party he ran up and requested the compass, then quickly returned to his table. Apparently his, uh, date, had some ups and downs that I’ll have to ask him about later.

Some of the guests, (though I couldn’t guess if they were invited before they invited themselves,) were a small group of fairies, headed by someone who may or may not be a/the Fairy King. In exchange for Deneb’s safety, he only wanted to know a bit about the Nimhish, (which, upon reflection, I’m surprised he hadn’t heard of. I distinctly remember a river that was in pretty close proximity to the encampment itself, so you’d think they would be a little familiar with it.) Either way though, he obliged, freeing me up a bit to enjoy the party.

The first competition was precisely my jam: the cooking competition! I started by making omelets, (special thanks to Beatrice for sneaking the good mushrooms and egg in. I’ve been dying to use those.) Second round I made burgers. Extremely good, mozzarella and bacon burgers. In the final round, though, I faced some difficult competition. This round we had to make ice cream, and my opponent had quite the fancy recipe prepared. Good as it was, though, my dad’s strategy of “simplistic but well made” was the way to go, and my mint chocolate ice cream (barely) won.

With Deneb safe and my competition won, I decided to speak with the very intimidating man glaring at me from the other side of the room. His name is Shrike, and he’s a Dragon like Caper and Pash. As a Black Dragon, he’s less interested in travels than the two of them. Speaking with Shrike was enlightening; he and Vyrne are still together, but it seems like he has an interest in other peoples’ stories, (read: ours,) as well. He also vagued about how stories help the dragons grow, and how there are many types of love Pash should be satisfied with. I’ll reflect on his words more when I’m not about three seconds away from faceplanting a pillow. That being said, we ended the conversation and, heroically, I managed to not wet myself.

It was about that point at which Deneb’s grandmother came in, Annabelle in tow. It seems the two had quite the argument, and Deneb’s Gran had a few words for Vryne as well. Beatrice kindly offered to kick the ass of anyone I needed, but we were interrupted by the second event: the dance competition. I was with Beatrice, Deneb had woken up and immediately found herself dancing with Annabelle, and both Ryaan and Koal were dancing with women I’m not familiar. Deneb won, but I think Ryaan and I should both get runner up awards for not making our partners cry directly afterwards.

Vyrne’s little argument had gotten heated by the time both Deneb and I had freed ourselves from the rest of the party. And by “heated,” I mean Deneb’s Gram was preparing to storm off when Vyrne pointed a gun at her. Reacting in the only way I could, I flopped straight into Vyrne just before she fired, and the bullet hit Wyserias instead. In response, Deneb and her Gram hexed Vyrne, so now she’s blind. I

---

checked on Wyserias, and oddly enough he didn’t seem to bleed. Personally I was so panicked I could have believed I just didn’t see it, but he wasn’t bothered by a bullet wound so something’s going on there. He only told us he wanted to speak with our group before he rushed off.

Before calling it a night, I asked Archie if there was anyone who would sign in Vyrne’s stead now that she’s blind. Unfortunately, though, it doesn’t seem there is. He offered to forge a signature, but such an action would definitely come down on him, and as angry as I am with him for drugging Deneb’s tea last night, I wouldn’t feel comfortable throwing him under the bus in exchange for the Nimhish. Maybe now that Vyrne is under a hex we can all come to an agreement without anybody suffering. Any more than they have.

[Jenner]

Thanks for the Journal. Oh, by the way, we’re all playing tonight right? No changes? I’m ready.

[Jenner]

What won the swimsuit competition?

You might be surprised!

https://media.boingboing.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/wolf-underwear.jpg

YEAH.

OH BY THE WAY:

• Red
• Black

Show results

Edit: I’m always so amped up after game! Here are some of my ideas for next session.

Exactly what kind of story are you feeding your dragon?

Red Dragon:

• Pendel, Arbor, and Decent get invaded by the ETE.
• The Party gathers allies and goes to Warswept to fight off the invaders.
• After repelling the invaders they must go save Pendel for it has fallen to the ETE.

Black Dragon:

• In Warswept, Koal can use the Compass and the Dousing Rod to discover the source of their repeated tragedies. It’s all coming from the same place.
• Grand Duchess Cecile gets assassinated, leaving her son, and Ryyan’s elder sister, to rule the Duchy and leaving Beatrice to be the heir. Beatrice abdicates to Ryyan.
• Deneb’s Demon-Mom???

Ultimately I’ll make it work and I don’t want to bias the vote in any way but I think going from Black to Red will flow smoother. However, it really is up to you.

[Breadmaster]

Ryyan's Journal - Session 6

We are at war with Etru.
After everything that has happened just today, it still feels unreal to even write that sentence. I tried so hard to find a way to avoid this. I half expected that by giving Pash the story he wanted, we could leave and not have to face Wyserias. I have failed.
In trying to remove the other dragons that were interfering in Pash’s story, I inadvertently found a match for my sister Beatrice. She looked so happy with Alice, but seeing her walk hand in hand with Emerene away from the quiz show made me doubt my actions. I haven’t even asked Alice how she feels about this. After all, they’ve been together for months now.
What’s worse is that I offended Annabelle to the point of being challenged to a duel when I named Deneb the winner of my quiz show. I did not expect her to attack me like that, nor did I expect Deneb to step in harm’s way. I failed to consider Annabelle’s feelings during this whole affair.
My proposal I asked Deneb to When I was ready to
She said no. I should have listened to her when she said that she wanted someone who had really thought about marriage before proposing. I could have waited until well after this whole ordeal in Flamewrought. But I was so afraid of meeting Wyserias, because I felt that there could be only one outcome. Proposing to someone during a war just seems… wrong. I just wanted to solidify our bond together, to protect her by bringing her into my family. Looking back at how she received Annabelle’s affections, I should have realized that she had no interest in relationships like that. I am such a fool.
I doubt Pash would agree, but I no longer really put any faith in his advice.
The meeting with Wyserias proved to be worse than I expected. Not only had he been influenced by a red dragon, but he had been possessed by a demon for decades! And after exposing him for the monster that he is, he struck Deneb and Annabelle took him out the window. They both disappeared over the cliff, but not before he declared war on my country.
I wanted to end this fiasco with Pash without hurting anyone. But I have doomed countless lives to the oncoming war. This is my responsibility, and so I will see it to the end.
Whatever the cost that may be.

[Jenner]

Shrike it is. Time to get to work! Gotta make maps and such. This post is gonna be edited because I wanna explain his benedictions and artefact. Gimme a few hours.

OK, so we’re gonna have Shrike’s introduction in character next session and then I’ll update the Ryuujin in the OP. Until then here’s what I’m thinking for Shrike. The pertinent information, as it were:

Shrike’s Artefact:

Shrike’s Benedictions:

Shrike has a final Benediction since I get 4 as a level 4 Ryuujin and I’m making my own called: Briar of the Liar’s Tongue which forces characters (NPCs and PCs) to tell the truth if Shrike beats their condition.

Let me know if you think this is too powerful!

My Promise to You:

1. I’ll not kill anyone arbitrarily.
2. I’m not a jerk.
3. Shrike rulz ok?

[Breadmaster]

##My Promise to You:

1. I’ll not kill anyone arbitrarily.
2. I’m not a jerk.
3. Shrike rulz ok?

Ryyan would question number three, but he also has met Pash, soooooo

[Fefnir]

Proud to be the second-least likely character to murder someone. Unless fantasy PETA is a thing, in which case: dang.

[Jenner]

Pash's Journal (Session 6 Summary)

13th of Forta, 1107: Koal had a long talk with Oh-Kae, Ryyan had a long talk with his mom, Deneb had a long talk with Annabelle. All these soulful conversations were great for my story even with all the conflicting stories at play. We resolved to get rid of as many dragons as we could.

14th of Forta, 1107: Well we did it. We managed to get rid of my cousin Tear and Sprig, the green dragon, by rigging the dating show and sneaking the adventuring party out respectively. Then they got swimsuits, which was lovely. The red dragon with Wyserias, his name is Cruor. Wyserias is not one of his travelers and Cruor answered my inquiries only with the insistence that he see my story so he might know what I’ll be feeding the seasonal dragon.

When it was Ryyan’s turn at the dating game he picked Deneb to win. I’m just as surprised as you! It’s great for my story. Baron Sedwick started hunting for armies and a new opportunistic red dragon made her appearance. During the swimsuit competition, Koal won with his magnificent wolf shorts.

At the end of the day, Ryyan proposed to Deneb, but Deneb said no. What drama! What heartbreak! This story is amazing!

Alice confronted Grand Inquisitor Vryn, with Ryyan’s assistance, and Vryn wanted only her wife saved and interaction with her daughter (who is Deneb.) The negotiations went poorly, leading to Vryn swearing to kill the Nimhish.

Grand Duchess Cecile largely ended the festivities but Ryyan called his meeting with Wyserias and brought Vryn and the Sunset Sentinels (Nesrin Suremar, her wife, and their guard Est) to the meeting. There he put Wyserias on trial and it was discovered he was possessed by a demon before he struck Deneb with dark energy and was charged by Annabelle. Both he and Annabelle fell out the window and into the sea.

I don’t know where to take my story here. A lot of drama and outside players factored in. But I feel my travelers have grown closer than ever. This will be a fine story the the seasonal dragon.

[Fefnir]

It’s Wednesday and for the second week in a row only one person did a journal. I’m all ready for tonight, in which I guess we’re gonna do a murder mystery or something. Shrike likes murder mysteries, right?

Session 6 Journal (13th and 14th of Forta)

13th of Forta, 1107
Okay, so today didn’t go well. At all. It started in the dead of night, and I was already dead tired. But we realized we didn’t have swimsuits, so Deneb and I went to town to buy some for all of us. Of course, Deneb did most of the work because everything looked like a pillow to me. We also helped some girl, (I missed her name. I think it was Lufia? Lucina? Luna…r Dragon Song? I was tired, I’m blameless,) and her party escape the treacherous confines of this event. They left to continue their adventure, and Pash had one fewer dragon to concern himself with.

Purchasing swimsuits went well, and upon our return Deneb did a sweet jump up to the balcony. We met the Red Dragon as well, and he revealed that he wasn’t with Wyserias. I’m glad he didn’t stick around; I beelined for bed.

At the very least I was able to sleep off most of yesterday’s stress, despite that midnight interruption. And honestly, the afternoon was nice enough. Beatrice took part in some dating quiz show, and did fantastically. So much so that, despite being a set up by Ryaan or something, she and the person, (a traveler like us,) actually got along pretty well. I can’t say I quite follow what the real and fake dates were throughout this entire competition, but Beatrice seemed really happy so I suppose everything worked out.

The second round went poorly. Deneb and I both took part in the game for funsies, and in this particular quiz Ryaan was the bachelor in question. Now, I think I did pretty well, even with the killjoy sitting next to me, but Deneb won overall. None of that was the bad part. The bad part was when, what now seems fairly predictable, Anabelle charged in, very angry that Ryaan and Deneb were leaving hand in hand. And even worse, her feelings were amplified by a Red Dragon. She attacked Ryaan, and it definitely seemed like she had the advantage. But Deneb came up with a good plan on the fly and aimed a spell at the Dragon. And thanks to my even-faster reflexes, I managed to pin her to the wall with a couple of expertly tossed spoons, (a feat which I absolutely need to tell my Mom about next time I mail her,) the spell hit its target. Without the influence of the Dragon, Anabelle was able to calm down. We left the room in relative disarray, and moved on to the swimsuit competition.

Okay, so I will admit that in my tired state I may not have thought my choice of swimsuit for Koal out all that well. Did it have a very real-looking wolf printed on it? Yes. Did it visibly induce fear in Koal when he laid eyes on it? It most certainly did. But did he dominate the swimsuit competition, leaving all of us peons in the dust? Oh buddy, you damn well better believe he did.

---

Okay so afterwards was the worst part of the day. I tried to talk some sense into Vyrne. And it seemed to be working. Like Anabelle, she doesn’t trust witches for some reason. But her wife, Deneb’s mother and the daughter of Gram, apparently turned into a beast. Given we’re on good terms with the Sunset Sentinels, I could have gone to see if there was truth to her words and if there was anything we could do. Then Ryaan came in, full of piss and vinegar for some reason, (if this is over the swimsuit competition I’m gonna throttle him,) and basically ruined the entire damn thing. I was this close to maybe getting Vyrne to release the Nimhish, and then Mr. Competitive comes along and ticks her off to the point where she’s threatening to execute them. Great. Good. Just what I wanted. If I can’t smooth things out, I’m going to have to stage a jailbreak. Cool.

14th of Forta, 1107
So today was worse. Ryaan had his meeting with Wyserias, as well as other delegates from around Theras. We got more insight into the situation of Vyrne’s wife, and it seemed like people were willing to help. Wyserias was a demon. That’s about when everything went south. Deneb was the one to point it out, no doubt her boredom led her to using that relic of hers. Wyserias attacked her, and the wound was pretty bad. Not fatal, but bad. Annabelle reacted promptly, and she knocked Wyserias out the window. She followed. Last time I checked it was fairly chaotic in that room. I had to duck out and do some writing. This day’s not even half over and it’s already felt like a week.

A Letter to Alice's mother, Katherine Northwoods

Dear Mom,
I dunno if I’m in the best place to write this. And I know I just sent a letter home, like, a week ago. The short of it is, we’re apparently going to war. At least, if the words of a man falling out a window are anything to go by. I was fine with my first journey, and even this one, but war’s something else entirely. And I don’t know if I have much of a place here. If the southwestern peninsula stays neutral, then literally the only reason I have to stay is because I have friends who will be involved.
I don’t know if I’m cut out for fighting, but maybe I inherited something of combat from you and Dad. Which is why I want to ask you if you have any advice. And if you can send any of your old weapons. I wish I had time to train with you, but I have no idea where I’m going to be in the near future. If you have anything to help, I’d really appreciate it.
Love,
Alice
P.S. I nailed a Dragon-bird to the wall with spoons. It was a really cool throw, you would have been proud.

[LoakaMossi]

Session 7 Journal

14th of Forta, 1107

A lot has happened, so I should probably start writing it down.

I should start with the good things: I am engaged to be married to Oh-Kae Li of Dacafe. I’ve only spoken to her a few times, but I hope we end up liking each other. Part of me says it’s a bad idea to get engaged to someone you’ve just met, but I think this is just how things are done.

Something else worth celebrating is the emancipation of the Nimhish. While I was busy speaking to my neighbors, a̶n̶d̶ b̶u̶t̶t̶i̶n̶g̶ h̶e̶a̶d̶s̶ w̶i̶t̶h̶ t̶h̶a̶t̶ P̶e̶n̶d̶e̶l̶ b̶r̶a̶t̶ Alice and Deneb were navigating the Flamewrought bureaucracy. The Nimhish are safe now, but we’re still going to take them home.

I’ve avoided writing it about it long enough. Pendel has blood on his hands.

During our confrontation with Wyserias, I attempted to shove him out of the castle and to his death. As soon as I took a step forward, Pendel grabbed my arm and told me to stop. Even though I listened to him, Wyserias still went through a window. And he took Annabel with him. In her honor, I’ll never strike down another boar. She bested me in life, and she shall continue to best me in death.

Shortly after this, our group changed hands yet again. We decided to follow Shrike, a black dragon. This proved to be a mistake; within ten minutes he murdered the Grand Duchess by using Archie. She was immediately succeeded by one of Pendel’s sisters, which is awfully convenient for him. While I no longer believe has plans for Oh-Kae, I still can’t trust him.

15th of Forta, 1107

This day kicked ass.

To start, we stopped by the Earldom of Decent. Apparently, it’s actually a democracy; Earldom is just a name to them. Decent had been taking in witch refugees who had been displaced by the ETE, and were running short on food. While this is obviously horrible, it was good news to me because Alice and I got to fight sharks and a zordfish. We were unstoppable! I’m not washing off the shark blood. I want people to know that I’ve been killing sharks.

And for the cherry on top, I got to show up Pendel when I got back!

Ark, who is a Guardian, not a “Nimhish,” revealed that my island is being ravaged by a corrupted dragon. My people have suspected that the dragons were responsible; knowing that it’s the fault of an anomalous dragon, rather than a dragon in complete control of its sense, is oddly comforting.

Shrike was not eager to accept this. In what I can only assume was a misguided attempt, Pendel tried to call him out for not caring about other dragons. I couldn’t stand this hypocrisy. My people have lived in horrible circumstances. As far as I know, the Sunset Sentinels were the only group that was willing to help.

After shouting about my hometown, the leaders of Decent decided to send aid to my island as well. In order to help them reach the island safely and avoid the ETE blockade, I loaned them our magic compass. There are now 2,000 soldiers en route to Calamity Isle. I know that they will keep my people safe.

A̶l̶t̶h̶o̶u̶g̶h̶,̶ t̶h̶i̶s̶ m̶a̶y̶ n̶o̶t̶ h̶a̶v̶e̶ b̶e̶e̶n̶ a̶ g̶o̶o̶d̶ i̶d̶e̶a̶.̶ T̶h̶e̶ B̶a̶r̶o̶n̶y̶ o̶f̶ P̶e̶n̶d̶e̶l̶ i̶s̶ u̶n̶d̶e̶r̶ i̶m̶m̶e̶d̶i̶a̶t̶e̶ t̶h̶r̶e̶a̶t̶.̶ D̶o̶n̶’̶t̶ t̶h̶e̶y̶ n̶e̶e̶d̶ p̶r̶o̶t̶e̶c̶t̶i̶o̶n̶ r̶i̶g̶h̶t̶ n̶o̶w̶?̶ M̶y̶ i̶s̶l̶a̶n̶d̶,̶ t̶o̶ m̶y̶ k̶n̶o̶w̶l̶e̶d̶g̶e̶ i̶s̶n̶’̶t̶ e̶v̶e̶n̶ u̶n̶d̶e̶r̶ a̶t̶t̶a̶c̶k̶.̶ H̶a̶v̶e̶ I̶ j̶u̶s̶t̶ a̶n̶t̶a̶g̶o̶n̶i̶z̶e̶d̶ t̶h̶e̶ E̶T̶E̶?̶

That is all for today.

16th of Forta, 1107

I hate this, I hate this, I hate this.

Right out of the gate, our “”“Glorious Leader”"" immediately took us through the most dangerous route he could have. I think Alice and Deneb managed, but I felt miserable.

When we tried to camp for the night, we were quickly attacked by Bog Dogs. I still hadn’t washed off the shark’s blood, a̶n̶d̶ I̶ t̶h̶i̶n̶k̶ t̶h̶a̶t̶ m̶i̶g̶h̶t̶ h̶a̶v̶e̶ a̶t̶t̶r̶a̶c̶t̶e̶d̶ t̶h̶e̶m̶ because I thought it might have preserved my fighting spirit. It didn’t.

Alice, Deneb, and I were all heavily assaulted by the dogs. Pendel, of course, wasn’t touched. He helped, I guess, through his magic; but when push came to shove, he made sure that all three of us were between him and the Bog Dogs.

I’m going to bed. I hope I dream of killing sharks.

17th of Forta, 1107

We arrived at the Guardian’s Great Hall. It somehow took the entire today. I’m still miserable.

18th of Forta, 1107

Some good news, finally. We quickly got an audience with Freya, the speaker of the Guardians. Apparently, they already had plans to ally with the Usagi Taguel. Getting them to come to the defense of the Barony of Pendel was not difficult at all. With that handled, we can turn our attention to our other main goal: rescuing Deneb’s mother.

…I don’t know what we’re going to do about that. Apparently, Deneb has a plan. It’s probably best to just leave her to that, then.

Additionally, I think I need to talk to Oh-Kae’s little brother. I knew he wasn’t happy about me, but I though he was only mad about my actions. After all, I did make his sister cry for several hours. But apparently, his anger runs deeper than that. As in, “send a letter to a place nobody knows exists to call me a fuckhead” angry. Hopefully, I can talk him down from this. I don’t want Oh-Kae’s family to hate me.

[Breadmaster]

Ryyan's Journal - Session 7

I have made a terrible mistake.

When we were offered the choice between going to war with the ETE immediately, or taking the time to find allies first, I thought choosing the latter would prevent unnecessary deaths.

Instead, not five minutes after that decision, when my aunt, the Grand Duchess, expressed hesitation as to breaking her alliance with the ETE, Shrike killed her.

I know that Archie was the one to wield the knife, but Shrike pulled the strings. He knew Katarina would succeed as Grand Duchess, and that Pendel would have a powerful ally in the Flamewrought Vigil. But to end her life so quickly, without even trying to debate the issue… I am certain we could have convinced her to change her mind!

Even as I write this, days later, I still am in shock. As we traveled south with the Nihmish (or Guardians, as they prefer), I could barely muster the effort to move my feet. Visiting the Earldom of Decent would have been a pleasant outing, had I any desire to take in the sights of such a unique culture. My companions were invaluable in assisting the Earldom with the needs of their refugees, and it was their efforts, not my own, that secured two legions of soldiers to secure Koal’s island.
The swamp we trudged through the next day was bleak and exhausting. We barely had our camp set up before we were attacked by two bog dogs. Again, I froze in the middle of combat, and had to force myself into motion, before we were overwhelmed. Once again, my companions demonstrated their skills in battle, while I simply stood back to support them. At least our arrival to the Nihmish Great Hall went well, and now Pendel will be a bit safer with their warriors bolstering our forces.

I feel the eyes of my companions on my back, and I sense their questioning of my actions. I am starting to think I was never fit to be their Leader. Is this Shrike’s doing? Is he trying to tear us apart, as much as Pash tried to force us together? Why do these dragons care so little about the harm they cause, the strife they sow?

I miss Caper. At the very least, she asked us if we liked the story she led us on.

[Jenner]

Shrike's Journal (Session 7)

Glorious is the blade that kills without needing wielded. Grand Duchess Cecile was always a coward who sent her little assassins out to do the ETE’s whims. Well… except Annabelle. Ah, Annabelle… the writing is shaky here I must not think too much on that. The writing hardens again, thick ink drawn in deep lines. At least she took that devil Wyserias with her. Which reminds me, Cecile, a glorious lapdog for Wyserias that kept my friend Vryn tangled in her leash, is no more. Katrina Pendel Oslam will no doubt be a better ally to her little brother than that wretch of a woman. Good job, Archie. Oh he looked quite shaken but humans are resilient and he’ll be just fine. Katrina sent off scouts to get an idea of the ETEs movements. No doubt Fritz will be carrying out Wyserias’ orders, especially if Cruor, that red dragon that was with Wyserias, has anything to say about it. But now, now is the time to undertake our deal. We must free Iris from the Great Bane which… which…

The writing is shaky again It can’t be a dragon… this cant be the fault of dragons. The ETE has been meddling with the travelers, corrupting the stories they feed to the seasonal dragons. That’s what the Guardian, Ark, says. But the constant brushfires in the Duchy, the clockwork travesties on the Isle of Calamity, the whirlpool that makes it so difficult for the Sunset Sentinels to send ships anywhere, and all the other issues? They can’t be the dragons fault. Even if Ark is right the dragons are just victims to the travelers who are victims to the ETE’s meddling. This, is all the ETE’s fault.

The ink strengthens again We went to the Earldom of Decent, a safe haven for witches, there we found over a dozen witches injured by fire and wind. Injured by Flamewrought Vigil or ETE? It matters not they were acting under the same hand until I handled it. They permit the monarchists to call them Earls here but they choose their leaders democratically. Maybe I’ll visit here during the next election cycle, find some travelers, and really stir things up. Or maybe these folks will actually be useful and able to create the ritual they talk of which will free Vryn’s wife Iris from the demons summoned by the Great Bane. They sent two legions of soldiers, the largest amount of help we’ve received yet, to the Isle of Calamity to assist with slowing down the advancement of ETE. But this will be a heavy toll on Decent’s forces (I know they only have about 30,000 soldiers, the ETE has at least 100,000, though how many they dispatch to Calamity is uncertain.)

We went to the Guardians, once called the Nimhish next and Pash fed the dragon under their care his awful tale. The dragon seemed amused by it, maybe it wasn’t so terrible after all. I think this is just proof that the Guardian’s theory is bullshit. No matter, the Speaker herself is leading an army of to Pendel lands and the Usagi-Taguel have promised to bolster their ranks. Who knows what their numbers will be but hopefully it will be enough.

On our way out we Deneb received a letter, her Grandmother will help with the ritual but needs some reagents which Deneb hasn’t told us yet. Koal got a letter too, it seems he has in-laws that dislike him and family that doesn’t quite understand whats going on with him. Perhaps its something I can muck with, though family drama is more Pash’s gatehouse. Truth is, these travelers are wholesome and largely good, they lack the temperament I usually prefer in a traveler. They lack the ruthless desire to get something done no matter the cost. But I’lll work with them, and I’ll remove every barrier I can to recover my original travelers and finish my original story, and this story as well. They mentioned Usagi-Taguel were being kidnapped? Perhaps that means we’ll find Eiji on the field of battle. Then its just the matter of locating my last original traveler… I can do this

But for now I need to look after my current travelers, I can’t lose another story to ETE meddling. Let’s gather the reagents, go to the Sunset Sentinels, get Iris (she’s Deneb’s other mom) and take her to Decent. Of course we’ll also need an appealing body to pull the demon out of Iris into… but I’m sure we’ll think of something. Hm hm hm.

Shrike’s Introduction is now up in the post where I introduce Ryuujin (I believe it’s post two?) for all to read, I haven’t done much preparing yet so I better get on that after I watch four episodes of Princess Tutu.