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Post by Neo on May 15, 2016 15:11:07 GMT -6
I figured as much. Light Brands? Both Light Brands and Darkswords are Rank C swords, so Lucius could use either pretty soon. Most magic weapons are Rank C, with the exception of Levin Swords, which are D Rank swords, and the Flame Spear, which is a B Rank spear. |
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Post by GX1997 on May 15, 2016 16:10:23 GMT -6
A, going with the Light Brand because it must be useful to us soon if you thought enough of it to bring it up.
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Post by Neo on May 15, 2016 17:44:40 GMT -6
A1 is locked for the main vote, and choosing a Squire is locked for the custom. Now Anna will decide your fate weapon.
*Opens Random.org*
*Drum role*
Aaaaaaaaaand.... Light Brand it is. Yay, you guys get a Light Brand! Now Tank Bard can be a badass wandering Magic Knight mercenary. So basically Kratos from ToS.
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Post by Neo on May 20, 2016 17:55:44 GMT -6
Working on the update right now, might have it done before the STARS campaign starts, dunno. We'll see. In the meantime, here's your first Infobump, as requested.
The Theocracy of Elmine(Political): The unique and even odd political structure of the Elmine Theocracy has been a popular topic argued over by scholars for centuries. Not quite a monarchy, and not quite a typical theocracy, few scholars understand why Saint Elmine built her country in such a way. But one scholar, Cadmus Vernen of Daram, was quoted saying the following during a lengthy discussion on the topic in the year 1123 of the Current Era.
"The country of Elmine was designed by its founder so that no single person possessed absolute power. The Queen acts as the Head of State, while the Pope or Archduke acts as the Head of the Faith, and the two often share both responsibilities and duties, so much so that the country is effectively run by two people at once. In order to prevent either the Queen or Pope from holding too much power, in the event that either misuses it, the four Great Houses were formed, founded by Saint Elmine's most trusted Lieutenants. These noble houses make up the backbone of Elmine, and are pillars of the country's society; each holds considerable wealth and power, and are able, under law, to call for a Summit if either the Queen or Pope has overstepped their authority. As such, the heads of these houses, known as the Four Dukes, essentially form a Checks and Balance system. However, this system also breeds political infighting, but I'm afraid there is little that can be done about that."
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Post by Neo on May 25, 2016 10:35:26 GMT -6
Bump. I'll be updating soon, just lemme wake up first. Writing this next part was a little tricky for me, which is why it took a while.
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Post by Neo on May 25, 2016 16:54:00 GMT -6
Those terms are indeed quite generous... Considering the circumstances. The most powerful of the Great Houses forced to recompense the weakest, one of the most powerful nobles in the entire country forced to deal with someone her son's age... I imagine Duchess Marion is seething with anger behind that cold facade. The fact that she's willing to pay anything speaks volumes of the situation. It might be risky, but perhaps I should take advantage of the situation... If I make use of the additional request she's granted me and ask for a Transfer of Service for one of her retainers, claiming I'm leaving on a business trip to Daram and that Garth could use another hand around the manor while I'm away... This could work. Depending on how much personal loyalty the retainer I choose has, the Duchess would attempt to use them as either a spy or saboteur, and with Claire's help, I could use that to trap the Duchess... And if her former retainer holds no loyalty beyond duty, then I have another hand to help pagreementin and Ogrim in case Malik decides to do anything stupid. Both scenarios work in my favor.
Lucius inclines his head respectfully and gives a friendly smile. "Those terms are more than generous, your grace. As the representative for House Morningstar, I accept the terms laid out on behalf of my house and I formally forgive any and all transgressions against my house that lead to this agreement."
Her face as impassive and unchanging as stone, the Duchess nods and motions for one of her maids to come over. The maid- a young woman with icy blue hair and captivating violet eyes- walks over and gives a deep bow. "Yes, milady?"
"Fetch us a parchment and quill, will you dear?"
The Maid bows again and retreats back into the castle, returning a few minutes later with a long parchment, ink and quill, and a stamp bearing the official seal of House Gracewind. The Duchess quickly writes out the terms of the agreement, allows Lucius to look it over, and stamps the bottom. Lastly, Lucius signs the bottom, and the Duchess rolls the parchment up and hands it back to her maid. "Flora, be a dear and make a copy of this."
Flora bowed once more and made her way back into the castle, while Duchess Marion rose to her feet. "Lord Lucius, if you would follow me, I will show you to the armory and the vault while my secretary gathers your gold. Do you have an additional request to make?"
Lucius nods. "I do, in fact. I will be leaving shortly on an extended business trip to the Daram Republic, and as I'm sure you're well aware your grace, my house is sorely understaffed. My Chief Retainer will be handling matters of estate while I am away, and as such, he will be quite busy and will be unable to attend the more... Mundane matters of the house. I would like to request a formal Transfer of Service, if you find that acceptable."
The Duchess gives him an unreadable look, one not of disbelief or outrage as he had expected of her reaction, but more of surprise. "I... See. Such a request is well within the terms of our agreement. Very well. I will send for some of my finest retainers and you may choose between them. Now, if there is nothing else, I would like to conclude our business together as soon as possible. I am quite the busy person, and I have a meeting with the Archduke within the hour. I'm sure you understand."
Oh yes. Perfectly.
Lucius smiles. "Of course, Lady Marion. Lead the way."
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Post by Neo on May 25, 2016 20:53:42 GMT -6
The inside of the castle was every bit as impressive as the outside, if not more so. Dark red carpets lined the rich wood floors and all types of expensive artwork, from ornately crafted vases and marble sculptures to beautiful paintings adorned nearly every inch of the polished stone walls. There were more rooms than Lucius could keep track of, and all the endless, twisting hallways made the place feel like a maze. After a few minutes, Duchess Marion stopped at a particularly large iron door and dismissed the two guards standing in front of it. They both rendered a sharp salute and stepped aside, and the Duchess pushed the door open with surprising strength. It swung inward with an ear wrenching grinding sound, revealing a long rectangular room at least three times the size of Lucius's own dining hall. Rows and rows of different weapons lined both the right and left walls, stacked neatly on rack upon rack. There were a few shields and other armor pieces propped up against the back wall, several full suits of glistening metal plate armor displayed on mannequins, and two very large chests at the back filled with who knew what.
Stepping into the armory, Lucius immediately noted every type of weapon- lances, swords, spears, bows, axes- of nearly every variety. Iron, Steel, Silver, even expensive Brave weapons. But what truly caught his eye were the weapon racks towards the back of the room- the ones with glowing weapons of a clearly magical nature.
I knew the most powerful noble house in the country would have a vast stockpile of arms and armor, but I didn't think it would have the armory of a small nation...
While the Duchess stood in the doorway with her arms crossed, her beady eyes following him like a hawk follows its prey, Lucius walks to the back of the room to inspect the magic weapons. Spears and bows coursing with Wind Magic and Fire Magic, swords humming with Thunder Magic, and...
Lucius's eyes stopped on two particular swords. A longsword with a slender blade, as black as night, emanating a dark purple aura. Golden runes were engraved on the blade, emitting a faint golden glow that starkly contrasted the black metal and ominous aura. The pommel was shaped like a dragon's head, with a dark purple gemstone fitted in the dragon's maw, and the hilt was a flawless gray steel wrapped in dark brown leather. The sword was beautiful... But Dark Magic wasn't really his cup of tea. Nonetheless, Lucius tested the sword's balance and weighed it in his hands before carefully placing it back on the rack.
Next was a type of sword Lucius was very familiar with; a Light Brand. The same type of magical blade used by Claire, and most Holy Knights. However, this one seemed a bit different, more ornate than usual. The hilt was an unusual white steel, instead of normal steel, and wrapped in rich brown leather. The silver pommel was shaped like a cross, with a small emerald gemstone set in the middle, and the blade itself, while clearly made of the finest silver when viewed up close, shone with such a brilliant golden hue that the blade appeared to be made of solid gold if viewed from a distance.
"That's no ordinary Light Brand," Lady Marion said, walking up next to him.
For a split second, Lucius's own facade faltered and his eyes widened slightly. I didn't hear her approach at all... Not even a whisper. How...
"This particular sword was forged for the Knight Commandant himself, and enchanted with Aura- the most powerful form of Light Magic. If you wish to look over the Tomes I have collected, they're in those two chests behind you. However, I ask that you do not take too long. I still have a schedule to keep."
And with that, the Duchess walked right back over to the door without another word. A blade forged for Commandant Alexei... I wonder what you could be doing with such a blade... Your grace.
Lucius took the sword down, tested it for a few moments, then grabbed the silver and gold sheathe paired with it and gently slid the sword in. Afterwards, he joined the Duchess back in the doorway, and she arched a single eyebrow. "Is that your choice?"
Lucius inclined his head. "It is. You and I are both quite busy, and wasting our time by having you escort me to the vault when I'm most likely going to choose this anyway, would be a disservice to us both."
A hint of what could possibly be respect glinted in the corner of the Duchess's eyes, and she nodded. "Very well. In that case, let us return to the courtyard. It will be a few more minutes yet before the rest of your... Compensation is ready."
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Post by Neo on May 26, 2016 16:14:54 GMT -6
I'm far too upset and tired to write anymore tonight. But I refuse to let the universe kill this CYOA. So I'll just straight up give you the choices now so I can take my time trying to rewrite that post. Since I can't rewrite it now, I'll just straight up give you any subtext that was in the post that you might need to make your choice. Again, blame the universe. None of this is my fault.
Who do you want as your retainer?
A: Wallace Reinhardt, former Captain of the Holy Knights, and Claire's mentor and teacher. He and Claire seem to have a Father/Daughter relationship, and appear to be very close. Not particularly tall, but stout and muscular with dark gray hair and stormy gray eyes. Is said to be extremely knowledgeable and a tactical genius. Age 52. Starting Class: Knight
B: Kain Valus, young master of the bow and the heir of the once-prominent Valus Family. His family became a folktale of sort because they rose to the rank of nobility through success and hard work alone, at one point even controlling all of the trade between Elmine and Daram, before Elmine adopted a strictly isolationist policy. To the general public, all of the Valus Family were thought to have perished in a mysterious fire that reduced their home to cinders overnight. Lucius thinks his family's connections in Daram might still come in handy. Light brown hair worn in a traditional bun, dark green eyes, has a very unique bow that even impresses Lucius. It is implied to be heavily magical. Age 20. Starting Class: Archer
C: Alvis Von Elusifeel Sandarthi the Second, the young prodigy of magic and student of the arcane. Lucius calls him Sandy and implies he would be good to have as a Court Jester. He has a fondness for theatrics(Think Owain) but Lady Marion assures his knowledge and magical power is quite vast for his age. Curly sandy blond hair, dark amber eyes, pretty boy. Age 17. Starting Class: Fire Mage.
D: Griffith Caswell, a very tall and intimidating Fighter who's said to have the strength of a dozen men. He and Lucius are implied to share some sort of connection. According to Lady Marion, he was once the leader of a Mercenary Company, but it's implied there's a bit more to it than that. Is extremely knowledgeable about the different countries in Bastion and very well traveled. Is also very badass. Jet black hair, streaked with gray, worn in a short braid and a single piercing blue eye that seems to see right through you; his right eye is covered by a brown leather eye patch. Wears simple leather armor and wields two axes. Age 38. Starting Class: Fighter
E: Flora Nightingale, Lady Marion's personal maid. According to the Duchess, Flora is well versed in everything from penmanship, accounting, and paperwork to medicine, healing, and magic. She has light blue hair worn in a ponytail, striking purple eyes, and fair skin, and is quite beautiful, but it's implied Marion greatly overworks her and even mistreats her. It is also implied that she and Marion share some sort of personal connection. She currently wears a typical black and white maid's dress, but if she joins you, she'll change into a Cleric's robes. She has a golden locket that she wears around her neck. Age 18. Starting Class: Cleric
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Post by grayjack on May 26, 2016 17:27:17 GMT -6
E for potential waifu.
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Post by GX1997 on May 26, 2016 21:51:20 GMT -6
So many good choices, but... I'm going with B, because I want to have a really awesome character who is also and awesome archer. So yeah, violating that rule of thumb about being cautious of any character named Cain or some variation thereof, simply because I want this so badly.
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Post by Neo on May 26, 2016 22:46:55 GMT -6
So, I will give you guys a hint of sorts, in case it helps you choose. Each character comes with a very special perk unique to them. Wallace demoralizes the enemy if you're fighting Holy Knights, reducing all enemies' Rating by 5. If he's paired up with Claire, it's increased to 10. Because no Holy Knight wants to mess with them two. Remember, it only takes 5 Rating to double an enemy, so this can potentially be absolutely devastating. Kain comes equipped with a very, very, very special bow and if you're thinking of going after the special Gaiden Chapter unlocked through the Merchant's Guild in Daram, Kain will make your life much easier. You also get a passive discount(10%) on buying weapons at all shops in Daram. Alvis deals effective damage against other Mages when he's wielding any Fire tome. This includes all magical units, I.E units that can wield tomes; Mages, Sages, Dark Mages, Sorcerers, Bishops, etc. I don't think I need to elaborate on how powerful that skill is. When paired up with another character that has a C Rank or higher support with him, and Griffith is in the lead position, he has a chance to attack twice even if he has equal or lower rating than the enemy. If he's in the supporting position, the lead unit deals an extra 5 damage to Bandits and Axe users. Flora's unique skill is Savior, which basically grants the lead character the Miracle skill, if she's paired up with a character with C-A rank support and is in the supporting position. If she has a S Rank support with that character, she grants the Divine Intervention skill instead. This is the only way for you to get the Divine Intervention skill on a playable unit. This is a special enemy only skill, like Rightful God and Dragonskin, and only two enemies in the entire CYOA have it; the final boss and the postgame secret boss. So yeah. I'm not going to outright tell you guys what it does though, because I don't want to spoil it.  Edit: Oh right. I just realized I forgot to mention how the pair up mechanic works in this CYOA. It works just like it does in Fates, however the difference is enemies cannot dual strike when next to each other. There is an enemy only skill that allows an enemy unit to dual strike, but it is pretty rare. However, enemies will pair up more often. |
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Post by GX1997 on May 26, 2016 22:53:22 GMT -6
...You're really trying to make me reconsider my vote, aren't you?  |
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Post by Neo on May 26, 2016 23:01:14 GMT -6
...You're really trying to make me reconsider my vote, aren't you? Who, me? I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm actually really not, but I'll let you think I am just to mess with you. |
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Post by Neo on May 27, 2016 12:37:10 GMT -6
Bumpity bump. Gimme moar votes!
I would give you guys an Infobump, but I can't think of anything atm. Sooooowry.
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Post by The Big Cheese on May 27, 2016 21:53:22 GMT -6
Healer or ranged support... decisions, decisions...
Let's go with B. I already said I'm feeling lucky for the upcoming battle, and with that perk... we can be rich~!
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Post by Neo on May 27, 2016 22:16:05 GMT -6
Healer or ranged support... decisions, decisions... Let's go with B. I already said I'm feeling lucky for the upcoming battle, and with that perk... we can be rich~! Kain's perk doesn't make you rich, it just makes you spend slightly less money at armories in Daram. I'll leave the vote open until tomorrow. Cause I'm tired. |
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Post by The Big Cheese on May 27, 2016 22:40:22 GMT -6
Step 1: Buy discounted items in Daram Step 2: Travel to places where the market demand for said items is high Step 3: ? ? ? Step 4: PROFIT |
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Post by Neo on May 28, 2016 13:14:11 GMT -6
You know what. Ima be a good dragon and try not to be biased. Much. You guys voted for Mr badass Archer, you're gonna get Mr badass Archer. So if you saw what I posted before, don't worry about it.
B is locked, I'll update in a bit. Out doing errands now.
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Post by grayjack on May 28, 2016 17:07:08 GMT -6
Boo hiss no waifu
Oh well, I'm going to assume we'll get her later on somehow.
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Post by Neo on May 28, 2016 17:14:03 GMT -6
Boo hiss no waifuOh well, I'm going to assume we'll get her later on somehow. Nope. This was your only chance. Like I said, I'm going to try to stop being biased and be completely impartial. And that goes both ways. You won't be able to recruit her at all, but I'm not going to spoil why. I'll only say that at least one of you will feel like crap when you find out why. Ignoring the chance to save an abuse victim because you wanted more money. You awful people. |
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