High Rollers DnD - High Rollers: Aerois #140 | A World in Chaos (Part 1)

Episode Date: March 7, 2022

Quill spends three weeks using his Storm-Eye to gleam some information about Project Vanguard! Support the High Rollers and get early access to podcast episodes and Studio updates on our Patreon: www.patreon.com/HighRollers Grab some High Rollers merch: https://freshmerch.fm/collections/high-rollers Music courtesy of Epidemic Sound Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello, welcome back to High Rollers. As the battle for Horizon, Zarkira's kidnapping attempt, and Kalos Valkyrian's surprising aid and dramatic exit, the heroes of Aroes discussed some of the revelations and events of the battle, before taking some much needed time to reconnect with friends and loved ones. After hearing Nova wanted to introduce Thalia to her parents, Lucius decided to invite the entire party, the crew of the Stormchaser, and many of their closest allies along for a dinner in Gusthaven. Settling in, the moment was full of heartfelt emotions, as well as a particular misunderstanding of a certain gesture as the party enjoyed this moment of respite. After returning to Horizon, however,

Quill spoke with the mage Azaria Perel about some information Valor provided on Sarkira's simulacrum using a spell scroll of a power higher than the ninth sphere of magic. After investigating with Azaria, Quill used the Legend Lore spell to learn more about it and saw a brief vision of the real Zarkira traveling to multiple worlds and finding lost ancient knowledge at the behest of Hadar. ancient knowledge at the behest of Hadar. Traveling to worlds Hadar had previously consumed or ravaged, Zarkira has seemingly increased her power immeasurably under Hadar's influence. With their next steps to be decided, as Vala researches the Titan's demispheres, several weeks are going to pass. And that's where we're going to jump in with this episode, to pass and that's where we're gonna jump in with this episode with a sort of a little bit of a little tiny jump and I would unless there are things that you

guys have immediate questions or immediate things that you want to bring up I was gonna basically ask you know what's everyone's characters been up to during this period of time I have have a little suggestion. Oh. Kimbus. I was going to suggest to the group that we phone Starbane and tell him about Zarkira's

stuff. Okay. Get him on the line? Just a little booty call. Yeah, just give him a little booty call. No, I was going to suggest Asnova, in all seriousness, that what

we learnt about Zarkira in the end of last episode, in the Legend Lore moment, that perhaps it would be advisable to share it with Starbane in a whole enemy of my enemy sort of thing. And maybe he could try and track her, you know, given that he has intel across intelligence

agents across the galaxy. One thing I wanted to rectify, because I think you and Tom both had, you responded last week in a certain way to something. And I think that was my fault for badly describing the vision because i was kind of doing it on the fly one thing i wanted to make clear it did not appear in the in the way finders guide in the legend or spell that zarkira was consuming the planets herself um i think that you you had this idea of that she was absorbing the planet's energy and like basically in in that way uh what it was more was that she was traveling to worlds that had already been consumed

or had been attacked and ravaged rather than she was consuming the life of the planets herself. She was basically going and finding like lost mage vaults and finding knowledge or like examining rune stones and things like that. And that was how she was gaining the knowledge. And all of that was being kind of whispered to her by to her by hadar rather than like her absorbing the power basically um this was hadar leading her to discover more power um and then eventually at

the very end you saw that zarkira was going under some sort of transformation yeah and and so so i've written a bit in my notes about uh the world she visits deteriorates so that's not true the world is already whatever yes it was the idea was that the book was showing her going to multiple different places all in different states of like some of them are normal planets some of them had been clearly attacked and ravaged and eventually it was a planet that had been completely drained of its power the idea was that they were different worlds that she was all traveling to and they were already in that state and that was my bad for sort of not getting that across clearly yeah yes a sort of magical tomb raider

sort of thing going on did we also we also mention that we were killing Titans and that Starbane has a Titan killer? Yeah, maybe we should go find it. Not that we'd want to play our hand, but I think that was the other apprehension was like, we don't really want to reveal to Starbane that we're actively doing that. Just in case our diplomatic talks go south

and he gets the upper handle he probably knows already SPI he knows what he knows what I'm doing yes and he wants us to do it I think because yeah also obviously Katie wasn't here last week so if Ayla had I think to particularly mention this would probably be a good time to do so as well because i did they have a good only play yeah you did you had a drinking competition with araya cool did i win yes roll for it i mean i think my constitution's probably better yes i'm just gonna you're also like a 17th level barbarian you win right it's like a level level seven ranger or something like that you you

win uh sorry um that's just fair it's fair yeah i i don't know i feel like well i wasn't here for the the discussion about what happened in the the aftermath of the coin use. Yeah. But I guess Aayla did that because she was frustrated that he wasn't listening and there was nothing that we could say. So she was like, we'll show you. So if there's anything else like we can, in terms of Aayla's thoughts, if we can show him stuff and like say, look, Zarkir is doing this now, might want to watch out, and just basically not give, like Lucius says,

not tell him everything that we're doing, but at least things that would be advantageous to tell him. Tell him, show him that, like, hey, we're on the same page here. Well, we're not, but we want to be so that you don't kill our whole planet, you know? Yeah. That kind of tracks with what Nova was saying last week

and things like that. I think Sentry had a moment, again, this is for Katie's benefit, Sentry had a moment of like, I don't trust him, I won't trust him, but he does seem to, there was that kind of conflict, right, Rhea, of Sentry doesn't trust Starbane, but also has seen that there's this other side to him

that perhaps she didn't really recognise before. Oh, Aayla doesn't trust Starbane, but also has seen that there's this other side to him that perhaps he didn't really recognize before. Oh, Aayla doesn't trust him, but at the same time, it's like Hadaran, Zarkira, Starbane. A bigger threat. It's kind of come down a little bit in comparison to them, just because of... Just only a little bit though. I don't know. And also, I think... Did we fill in Vala on what the vision was that we saw

when I used the coin about what actually happened? You did. Yes. I may have spilled the entire beans about Vala. Well, I think she should know, because... And Vala's impression was that she wasn't surprised by it. She made a comment along the lines of, given the way that he speaks about her, I'm not surprised.

She was kind of like, yeah, I've always found it hard to believe, having spent time with him, that he would have killed her. And so she didn't seem to be too shocked. and so she didn't seem to be too shocked no but I think that if there is a chance that Vala can speak sense into him if we get to a point where we're like

ready to do anything well we had an interesting discussion with Vala in that she kind of not sided with Starbane but she understands his like he's at the end of his tether in terms of like this has got to be the only thing left that's going to work and Valor understands that but she

also mentions that the storm chaser crew are this anomaly in all the research that Starbane's done we're this strange anomaly that is not calculated and is uncertain and we may still be some sort of force that could provide an alternative route and I think we need to prove that to Starbane before he goes straight in

with the whole world engine eating thing so I think we need to prove ourselves I think touching base like Nova suggests is probably the first point to do that maybe not reveal our hand that we're actively titan killing right now thanks to Valor but just like we understand these things about

Zarkira and you know you got a pretty cool like way of fighting you seem to shout everything you're saying just before you do it so it kind of works not everything but like special moves yeah for sure it's sweeping plasma cutter

thank you very much that was all Chris Trott Lucius however in this whole time has fallen into a retreat and he's refusing to speak to anyone out of pure embarrassment. Because he was

a very rude gesture made in front of everyone he cares about including Prince Aradan of Gusthaven. Holy shit, he did this multiple times. Lucius was going to Nova he was trying to get Nova's attention and doing this

thinking it meant to put Ring on to propose to Thalia. Across the table. In front of a family and Thalia and everyone. Nova, Quill and Howard were the only ones who spotted it and Howard lost it.

And then eventually everyone lost it. Yeah. It was good man is it is it time for another summit huh yeah everyone well it's interesting you mentioned that quill i i was going to kind of ask what everybody else was going to be doing for some time and then after you guys have kind of spent some time doing your own thing, Rain and Danica, and I'll say this, about three weeks after the Battle of Horizon, Rain and Danica

are going to call everybody together because they have some pretty big updates on what's been happening in Aroas. I wanted to give you guys a moment to do your own stuff. Getting all the leaders of the three Aroas meet on neutral ground with Starbane. And then we just have an actualroas meet on neutral ground with Starbane.

And then we just have an actual full blowout on neutral ground. That seems dangerous as hell. Oh, hey, we just invited this guy who, you know, is threatening the whole planet. He's fine, though. He's cool. He'll be there, but Valor will also be there as well, so there's no reason for him to attack. Maybe he will. I don't know.

But still, I think that would be cool as hell. It would be cool as hell. I'd like to see that yeah, yeah get get them all together be like yeah This guy's it but but but don't worry about that because there's bigger problems Something you could mention to Danica and like your allies and be like this is something we want to do yeah and they could start laying the groundwork for that it's not going to be easy you can't just pull that together in a matter of weeks like getting every single leader many of whom have openly declared that they are enemies of you you have fought against remember horizon basically attacked giselle's continent to rescue the Guardians in the City of Glass, that's gonna be diplomatically quite a challenge to overcome.

Just send me in, it'll be fine. I've got this. Sweet talk to them, you know? Talk to me or I'll punch you in the face. What's the status of the war in a row? That is war. Rain and Danica are going to brief you all on that. But I wanted to just kind of give everybody in each individual like a what have you been up to.

But it was like, no, not right now. Not right now. Yeah. Yes. I'm happy with that. I think if there's three weeks, then I'll be Eye of the Storm just left, right, and center. If we want to find out where the Titan Killer is,

I'll Eye of the Storm the Titan Killer, if that's the plan. If we want to send messages to Starbane and say, hey, boo, what are you wearing? Then I'll do that. I had another way of doing it, possibly, if sending wasn't going to work. Because I imagine he's probably got his sending blocked, you know, just so

Scrubs like us can't just slide into his brain and be like, hey, bruh. Yeah, he's a kind of private. He ain't having it. But I was going to suggest maybe using kind of nova's knowledge of um because we have a few bits of starbane tech valkyrian tech and kind of outer planetary tech i was going to suggest maybe we try to use the twin star and um send communications

that way um and yeah the twin star would be better at sending a message to the tacit are like you can send a message to the ship itself that doesn't mean it will directly go to catalyst it will go to his crew and then they could relay a message yeah that could work um i believe i don't know if you've tried it before but yeah i mean you you don't know if like messaging canis will work you don't know if he has like spells or protections and things like that that will prevent that you could try um and if you want to use the item you know that you know the deal you're going to tell me what you're asking specifically and give me some time to think about it

trot you are going to burst with the eye thomas yeah quill quilly yep so this is lucius speaking no this is chris troth lucius is nowhere to be seen for weeks uh so either storm can technically look at future things right right? Possibilities. Possibilities. Yeah. Can we, for example, can you manifest in that possibility? Like, could you, for example, knock out

something? Can I explore it? Or? He can't change it. No. No. He can't affect it. Could you appear in it? I could ask a question in such a way that I see myself in that vision. Like, if it's a future in which I am there, then I would see myself in that future. He doesn't get to decide his actions in it, no.

Just hoping you could lay a seed. For example, when Starbane, just hoping you could lay a seed for example when Starbane or if Starbane were to throw the world engine into Hadar you would manifest and shrug and be like we told you so as like a

right very useful very useful way to do that now I'll say to him now I don't want to say I told you so but I do but I will

I'll then say told you so if you could just do that for every potential possibility sure just be there for it unfortunately

unfortunately Tom Hazel you know that that's not how it works. Unfortunately. You don't send yourself into the future and can therefore affect it. Fucking Chris Trott. All right.

Anything else? When we did the last sort of time skip that we did, we sent a few people on different missions. So it would be good if we could... I only remember a couple. I remember we did something with the wild elves. We sent thingy, thing, thing, name,

escapes, brain, Rathra went to the wild elves and Nanny Norfear did some snooping. I can tell you specifically to the wild elves and Nanni Norfear did some snooping. Yep. I can tell you specifically the wild elf, the wild elf commandos were sent to rescue the grand strategist of Zephenna who had requested aid and then yeah Nanni Norfear is currently basically establishing a spy network in Vortensar. Yeah. And you will definitely get updates to both of those things today.

Yeah. And you will definitely get updates to both of those things today. Yay! Yeah, let's go ahead with that meeting on this. What's Sentry been up to? Well, I just want to check in, because like, Rhi, is there anything Sentry would have done in like the last couple of weeks or anything like that? Or anything that you specifically would want to do during that time? I imagine she's probably been helping the soldiers rebuild Horizon.

Helping rebuild walls and houses and stuff, and maybe talking to them about potential defensive weaknesses in the city and seeing if there's ways we could shore it up, make the city stronger defensively against Zarkira, potential invasion. Yeah, that's definitely something that speaking to Rain

would be involved with, is planning defenses, and I think that after being attacked, there's definitely a lot of conversation about that and i think that they would absolutely welcome your input as a soldier and and commander um in terms of the physical rebuilding that's a lot more like the soldiers aren't really doing that there's like laborers and masons and wood workers to do that but they certainly don't turn away your help a few people probably react a little oddly to it that you kind of just walking down Carrying like limbers and like helping people rebuild things

But I would say that on some of those occasions you are joined by Maximilian Taldros who kind of seeing you go out there helping rebuild And he kind of puts it across like he's always like ah i'm doing it because it's good exercise like i need to begin retraining and uh he kind of tries to play it off as like oh i'm doing it for the exercise or i'm doing it to like uh you know examine the defenses and things um but you can see that it's born from this need to do something like he's going crazy just following valor around and not doing anything um and he's just like desperate to like do something like he's going crazy just following valor around and not doing anything um and he's just like desperate to like do something um and so yeah i think that like max would probably come

with you on quite a few of those little trips uh to help out um and just like rebuild and i think that there's a couple of like tense encounters where people think that he's like a valkyrian soldier and like you know the the reception to that isn't particularly welcome but it doesn't seem to bother Max too much and as long as you vouch for him people sort of allow him to be there and then eventually it becomes clear that he is you know quite a good

hearted man trying to help out so yeah cool nice anything from anyone else no is there any... My best friend and my boyfriend. Come get him! Is there any result or reaction to trying to send messages to Tassadar?

What are you sending? Tell me the message. It was an idea. If you want to do it, I need to know exactly what you're doing. Yeah, so Nova would want to send basically everything that they learned through the legend lore thing about how Zahkira has learned magic beyond the Ninth Circle, how she is touring the galaxy guided by Hadar to find these ancient relics and is growing more and more powerful. by Hadar to find these ancient relics and is growing more and more powerful you know is there any way that he

could track her down through his you know being a galactic empire emperor you know yeah I guess just all of that so it's kind of like the kind of sort of like enemy of my enemy is my friend sort of you know

kind of maybe with the implication as well that she's going to come for Valor. You need to know this stuff. Can you track her down? Can you help us? I think that you speak to Thalia, because Thalia would have to send this from the Twin Star, and Thalia's like, well, it is possible. I mean, the Tassadar is an incredibly complex warship.

It has a communication device on it. I can try and basically, I can send this. Chances are they're not going to receive it unless it was coming from another Valkyrian ship. What I can try and do is basically hack the system so it thinks we're a Valkyrian ship, send the message, they receive it, and then we just have to hope that they do something with it. We don't need to worry about them knowing where we are. They know we're here on Arois,

but it's more trying to get the message across. But I can certainly try. I have the schematics for the Tassadar, and could we use that to decipher their frequency code? It doesn't quite work that way. The schematics are good for physical things, like knowing where things are located, but it won't have the sort of information necessary

for their internal communication processes and things like that. This is going to be a sort of magic shielding that I need to trick. I need to trick them to thinking that this is another Valkyrian ship, a sort of f shielding that i need to trick i need to trick them to thinking that this is another valkyrian ship a sort of faking a transponder code um i can do it i think i can do it uh whether or not we're going to get a response i don't know well it's better than nothing all right okay yeah so you work with thalia and you you compile this message and after a couple of days like she basically you're up in the cockpit with her and she's you know typing away on her All right. Okay. Yeah, so you work with Thalia and you compile this message. And after a couple of days, like, she basically, you're up in the cockpit with her

and she's, you know, typing away on her, like, crystals and the big sort of magical illusory interfaces, you know, pinging with things. And she's like, I think I've got it. I think that has sent. A couple of the ones that we've tried to send have bounced off. I think I got some of the things wrong, but I'm pretty sure this one's just gone through.

Okay. And then you give it like 10 minutes, and you get a response. And the response simply says, unknown vessel, message received, the Emperor has been appraised. And then that's it. There's no other response.

Well, I guess we just wait and hope, right? That's all we can do now, yeah. I guess that's all we can do. I guess that, this is kind of what faith's like, right? Is this what Quill goes through with Hesper all the time? You just wait and hope

that your prayers are answered? It's not really prayers. It's a little bit beyond me. I haven't prayed to a god in a long time. I never really believed in them very much. Not that I didn't believe they existed, more that they weren't going to help me. Same. Given my situation.

I mean, technically a god did help, kind of. Yeah, that's true. That's true. Although she doesn't seem like a god did help. Kind of. Yeah, that's true. Although she doesn't seem like a god god. She's more like just a nice halfling lady. Maybe that's what some gods are. I mean, it seems to be. We should really thank her.

Do you think she likes chocolates? We should take her chocolates the next time we see her. Sure. You know your gods better than I do. I think that's it. likes chocolates we should take her chocolates next time I see her sure you know you know your gods better than I do I think that's it nice and then yeah Tom did you want to use the storm I got tell me that I'm having the problem I'm having is the actual name of the thing, because we're calling it Titan Killer, but the blueprint was Project Vanguard, right?

Project Vanguard. However, at the same time, if I say where Ina Rowis is Project Vanguard, then maybe it will just show us the base where Project Vanguardanguard was being constructed or that was project vanguard but i think we had a blueprint it said project vanguard with the name with the model of the thing on it right so i feel like that's a correct question yeah i've got in my inventory a data slab containing a star map of the galaxy and data on project vanguard so maybe if i give you the data slab while you're looking at the Project Vanguard.

Yeah, that helps. If I haven't the item as well, that'll be useful. But yeah, I think if I ask where on Arois is Project Vanguard, if I don't get an answer then that's fine. That is a use of the Scrying spell because it's a present question. You are asking about something in

the present, which means it would replicate the effects of the Scrying spell. i do have a i i still have the um what's the component the lens components for scrying i don't i can't do scrying anymore he doesn't he doesn't need the components yeah and this is through the eye basically um it's the way the eye works if you ask a question about the past or the future it's a vision of either thing that happened or a thing that might happen. Yeah, however, we're scrying. Yeah. It's blockable.

It is blockable, yes. Because it's about an individual. I mean, well, it depends. Project Vanguard isn't a creature. It is an object. True. It's not a sentient thing, as far as you know. I could just game it and say, where was Project Vanguard five seconds ago? You could. Then it's not a sentient thing, as far as you know. I could just game it and say,

where was Project Vanguard five seconds ago? You could. Then it's not scrying, but I mean, that's just dumb. Yeah, I will go with the scry. Okay. And also where on Arois, I'm hoping that then gives me a very broad view of exactly where in Aro it's rather than just like a close-up view of its face just with a thumbs up and i've got no idea where it is

i like thinking this this is yeah this is where you got to give me a minute here because i jet i i i knew this was a question you were thinking about but I hadn't fully decided on an answer for it yet because also things have changed since I last thought about this like what? what's changed? it's combined with other

project vanguards in kind of like a power ranger format oh it's 100% Voltron, isn't it? Ooh, what piece of Voltron would you be? Very weird face. The codpiece. She thought the same thing, but more lewd. You have a word.

What?! I want to be Voltron's butt Left butt cheek or right butt cheek Or Or Or Or Between Tom Hazel you're not going to like this answer

The question Doesn't work You don't spend the charge I kind to like this answer. The question doesn't work. You don't spend the charge. I kind of like that answer because then it gives me some scope to figure out why it didn't work. Okay. I mean, I'll communicate this with everyone, obviously.

Everyone is around me to say that question. Lucius isn't there, but that's fine. Because he's run off. Did you say, where on Arois is it he's run off where on Arois is it I said where on Arois is project vanguard try it without saying where on Arois where is it

where is project vanguard I don't know that works nice that's good the storm eye clouds and where it was previously gray clouds like a storm cloud those clouds turn purple and blue and become like astral sea um and your vision pulls out you do not know where like the for whatever reason the eye can't doesn't show you like going

from a rowist to this place it's like you are just in the astral sea and you can see what quill would think of as like an airship dock but it's just built in astral space like a floating shipyard like if this was a sci-fi thing this would be like a like a spaceship yard right um you can see yeah kind of well no like a like where they match the station yeah like a station where they would build ships um this one though is a bit smaller and kind of rigged up to it you see this gargantuan enormous construct mech it's a mech uh you know within and it's being adapted it's being updated improved like it's continuing to be worked on. And it looks bigger than you last saw it when you used the eye.

It looks like it is undergoing different... It looks like it's being not repurposed, but it's being upgraded. And it's currently... You also notice next to the shipyard, there is a constructed, like a built archway gate, but like a circular portal basically in astral space. Is it like big enough for...

It is big enough for Project Vanguard. Yes, yes. Fucking cool as hell. Where the heck is the other half of that gateway on Arois? Arois? Quill, Quill, Quill, Quill. What kind of adaptations were they making? Were there fins? Were there ports for, you know, fuel exhaustion?

You know, was there rockets? I mean, there wouldn't be... There's not like rockets because this isn't traditional space, right? This is all Magitek magic nonsense. Would there be the equivalent of rockets? You do think that it was being adapted for astral sea travel. It looks like it was being constructed so that it can maneuver and it can travel through astral space.

Hmm. Now, I've never tried chaining the eye based on like getting something from the vision and then latching onto that to then connect to something else but i almost i kind of want to find out chasing a thread where the other end of that uh that portal is um what'd you ask? What's the question? State the specifics. So, I know it is an astral gate, right? But like, how do I say, like the astral gate I just saw, where's the other end of that? Like, it just seems like, oh man, seems so weird. Where does that gateway connect to? If it doesn't work... Oh, the astral gate being constructed next to Project Vanguard...

Where does that go? I don't know! You would see, you do get a vision um you would see that you know you get flashes of all different planes across the astral sea where there are similar gates constructed um it seems to be a network of gates used to transport valkyrian ships and vehicles and troops through. You see one on Elysium that you had seen before. You see a couple built out in astral space next to their relative planes. You see ones built in the sky above some sort of big fiery rock planet.

You see all different places. Are they all constructed or under construction? The ones you see are all... Because you said that, like the Astral Gate I saw next to Project Vanguard, you will see them as constructed. You do not see any in progress. Okay. Okay, because it has to actively connect to them right now, but in construction ones...

Okay. So it's acting almost like a teleport circle rather than just like a one-to-one thing like we saw under... I would say that that is your best... which you know is how the archways function. The archway beneath the Brightflame Abbey was the same way.

The archway in Elysium was the same way. I guess Stargate you've never seen. Yeah, please just say the word Stargate. Because... Astralgate you've never seen. Yeah, please just say the word Stargate. Astralgate. Astralgate. Astralgate. Some of them are bigger than other ones.

Like, the one on Elysium was big. Like, you could move hundreds of troops through it, but it wasn't that big. The one next to Project Vanguard, the ones built in Astral Space, are big enough for Kallus' Magitek ships to pass through there. Like, they are huge. Could you

ask... I don't know. Quill, what do you think? Could you ask the Eye what the coordinates to this gate are? Or will be? When it's constructed. Or if there's one on a rowist. Or one under construction on a rowist.

Well, we know there's one in Gnas. Not Gnas, Vortensar. Well, not nearly big enough for a Project Vanguard or for a Titan Killer. No, but maybe we could go through. Could do. I mean, I could probably try and find out exactly where this thing is, but even then, how do we get to it? If we ask for the coordinates we can we can dial in but we need remember like valid did when we were underneath um the abbey she dialed in and and and brought starbane to us so if you can find the coordinates to the gate

yeah but in terms of dnd it, it's not coordinates, it's the actual coordinates. It's like a runic sequence. Yeah, it's a runic sequence. Very much like Teleportation Cycle, which you understand, you know the spell. Would you have to have a vision where you see someone dialing that in rather than just being told?

I guess if I ask that question, like, what's the runic sequence? Yeah, we've done that in the past, I think. What's the runic sequence of the Astral Gate next to Project Vanguard? Then that would be a vision of either the future or the past where someone dials that in, right? If that works. What's the runic sequence of the Astral Gate next to Project Vanguard?

Okay, yeah. astral gate next to project vanguard okay yeah you see uh you see somebody uh on a you you would see somebody on like the shipyard like the ring next to project vanguard uh you see a bunch of magitank engineers programming the sequence in this you assume it to be the past right where they're they're designing the system um and yeah you see very clearly the runic sequence. The vision ends. Okay. I'm writing it down. Okay, so that was my next... I wasn't going to say anything,

but as you've written it down, yeah, you can write down that you have the runic sequence for the ring, the teleportation ring, or the planar ring, I think I would call it. What does it specifically look like, Mark look like mark yeah well the runic sequence a series of arcane runes uh series one by one if

you could nope you're not doing that good luck nice try uh you all know what these are you know i just need to say that this is a runic sequence for that plane on gate and uh you and the audience can leave it to your imaginations what that will wait for the fan up yeah sure and canonize one of those yeah and it's not like it's like six individual runes it's like a kind of like a like lines of code like yeah like an equation like it's it's a long string of you know components of a spell being cast basically um if you want to imagine it's almost like a ring of a ring of runes that goes around the whole thing and then it slowly etches in and then it activates cool my eyes are burning by the way, this is the first time I've used it. Yeah, this is like a couple of weeks,

but considering that you use it, that's like you've drained it for that day and you've got to wait to gain the charges back and stuff like that. Yeah. All right. Anything else? I mean, we know where it is.

We know, well, kind of where it is and how to get to it. Kind of. So that's good. But I think that's, unless there's any other, in week two or week three, if anyone wants my eye, I'm gonna have to gouge out my fucking head. I'm not using it anymore. I think it would be useful to know if there was one on Erois somewhere that we don't know about. Or being constructed.

Be careful with that because there is one being constructed in Vortensar. Okay, one big enough for Project Vanguard. Right? Well, they might have deconstructed it after they moved it through.

Eh, well, it's fine. We know the one in Astral Sea, so... I'd say to ask, like, do you know, is there a complete archway on Orois? Is there an arcane gate on Orois big enough for Project Vanguard? Week two, my charges have reset sure the vision clouds and you've experienced a similar sensation whenever you've asked about the future the vision becomes hazy and weak and you've had this before where now that hesper has left the world and has rejoined siaska as, as Siaska is still weakened,

the visions of the future are harder to predict. And it is almost as if this is a much more uncertain future. But you do see something. You see the hazy image of a floating sky city. Barren houses, barren streets. And you can see that there has been constructed at the very bottom of it, one of these ring gates, but it looks too small.

However, you begin to see various Valkyrian mages at work around the city activating various devices and you watch as the ring embedded into the bottom of the the floating sky city uh its individual components lines begin to form around sections of it these lines glow brightly with magic and then the ring begins to expand and you can see the mages desperately running around checking things they look uncertain they look unsure if this is going to work um you can see that vast amounts of resources have been spelt to build this but as the ring it begins to separate and then floating uh as if by arcane power the ring expands and expands and expands and expands until it's big enough and then it

rejoins all of these individual chain links. They suddenly are connected by a ring of energy that connects them all, forming a much larger planar gate. It glows for the same sequence of runes, and you begin to see the giant feet of Project Vanguard descending down towards the ocean. And that is where the mission ends. Now those feet that I see,

are they vastly different to the construction that I saw? No. I know it's a small part of it, but like... I don't think so. I think they look like the one you saw. But again, it's hazy.

This was a vision of the future. not like one it didn't just say yeah here it is um well it makes it makes sense yeah it makes sense that they'd adapt it off world so that us meddling kids can't screw it up like we did on this planet. Yeah. Yeah, we did get in the way a little bit. Have you seen this floating city before? Why are you asking, Nova?

Just wondering if you've seen it before. I have 100% communicated that vision that I know you're alluding to. You didn't. You did. You did not. I would have done it in a timely manner. If Kim says you didn't, I am fully supporting Kim that you didn't. We were arguing at the time. She would have written this down. That's the thing.

And we were arguing at the time. Was this around the time that you were basically Starbeast? Double agent. I was double agent, yeah. And we were arguing. Oh, was this around the time that you were basically starbating? Double agent. I was double agent, yeah. Oh, I would not have communicated anything to you then. So what happened is when we were arguing and I was talking to ILS, you asked the I, I think something like, who is she talking to or something like that,

and you saw a line go between Nova and this dead city. But you did not communicate this to anyone else. You did not. Ah, I can't remember. Kim knows it! And I'm gonna rule that because you had to have Kim explain it to you, Quill doesn't remember that. Like, if Dom didn't remember it, Quill doesn't remember it.

It's probably something in there where it's like, between all the visions I've had... I just have so many visions, man! Stuff gets lost, dude. Stuff gets lost. Yeah. Messages from Hesper when I'm sleeping. I can't get a good restless night around that period of time, especially. In terms of RP, like, we were in a super argument. It was like, yeah, it would have been weird if you were, like,

hey, Nova, why are you talking to someone on an abandoned spaceship? And I'd be, like, what? No, you, brah. I mean, I think in that moment I would have latched on to, you know, the Starbane thing rather than the location. Where? Yeah. I would have been reeling from that.

It was RP. That's why I didn't mention it. Hey Quill! Have you seen this abandoned floating Sky City anywhere else? Just before you do that, Tom, did you roll charges for the eye? Because each week is a roll of how many charges? You spent all three, so it's a d3 charges. Uh, I do need to do that

it's still a 1d2 plus 1 so I would have had 1 charge anyway um but I'll see how much I actually have um because that obviously affects the second week if you've only got one more use of the eye I've got one more use in that case so you've got one more use and then it's out and then you've got to wait for week 3

you feel a tap on your shoulder quill when you're on your own ah ah ah then it's out and then you've got to wait for week three. You feel a tap on your shoulder, Quill, when you're on your own. And it's Lucius with his captain's hat completely obscuring his face. Where have you been? I have urgent... I have something I need your help with, if that's okay. Lucius, you're covering your mouth and I can't see your eyes. I would like to...

What have you done? I need your help, Bertie, please. With what? Yes, where have you been? But yes, what? Do you have any charges if your eye left? I can spare some. What is it?

Is it something Starbane related? Is it Project Vanguard? We found out a lot about Project Vanguard and I haven't found you anywhere to tell you about them what is it sorry what were you saying project i need you to help me so oh my god could you please tell me if in the past it's probably been a few days i imagine um if anyone's been talking about that moment what moment you know you know the one there's been many moments wait in the past few days moments the only thing that's happened is the dinner oh lucius oh lucius please is that where you Please, just help me. I just need to know if anyone's still discussing my reputation. I feel like I can't see anyone anymore,

and I can never go to the prince again. Lucius. No one's been talking about it. I mean, has anyone been talking about it? From what I've seen. I mean, has anyone been talking about it? At least what I've seen. Nova has been. I guess it flashes in my mind. Flashes in my mind of Nova and Century just laughing.

He was so rude. Yeah, Oriah and Howard definitely have been. Ignore I said anything. Just forget I said anything and Lucius runs away. Ayla passes Lucius. She'll do the gesture just to... If you see, like, as she goes past, you're like, Lucius. I totally imagine Thalia doing it as well.

Like, every time he sees Thalia and she's just like that, and then Nova's just like... Thalia wouldn't do the gesture. Thalia would look at Lucius and, like, say things just like... Like, she'd, like, raise her eyebrows and just be like oh Lucius how are you your hands look a bit clammy are your fingers alright and things like she'd like she'd be a lot more sort of like mean but also

subtle about it every time it would be like a you know in the back of the throat little yelp or squeal and he would just run away and just like pull his hat down and you'd hear the captain's quarters door slam if anyone's made a storm chaser that's where he's retreating to

and he's put all the curtains across and just like opens them to peer out like Russell Crowe Master and Commander like lame Izzy like looks out and shuts it again wait wait Lucius come back come back I can Like, uh, lame Izzy, like, looks out and then shuts it again. Wait, wait, Lucius,

come back, come back. I can... I'll ask the eye. I won't ask if anyone's been talking about it, but I'll ask a different question. I can ask if, as anyone, lost any respect for Lucius, Virion, Elowen, Alan, Asto as a result of the party. How about that? Well, I know that's true. I just want to know if it's still happening.

If it's still happening, you're not going to sure you're not going to do it are you birdie what ask the eye it's taking me a lot to to to approach you specifically i know it's taken a lot of courage and i respect what you've done you're you're very strong lucius for coming out and talking to me about this. Thank you. Okay. Is anyone still talking about the incident at the party? I am not using a charge.

Yeah, okay. Make a, um, I guess like, yeah, make a deception check, I guess. You know, I don't actually know what I look like when I have a vision. Yeah, you're doing your best to make it look that way. I guess it'd be performance, maybe, instead?

Performance check? I've rolled deception, and it's a four. Whoa, wow. Oh, there it is. I see it. Well, I was going to use your passive insight. Okay. Which is going to be higher than 4 because it's 10.

Yeah, it's 11. Oh, there it is! Wow, I can see Nova and Sentry, they're talking about what a wonderful meal you held for everybody and everyone laughing and cheering as a result of the party. They had such a great time and no one's talking about it at all, Lucius. In fact, yeah, Oriah said you were a wonderful host, and so did Aradan.

Aayla walks past in the background and goes, hey, Lucius, and then does the gesture and then walks off, laughing. I think that quite happily explains the four-inside failure, for sure, the four-deception failure. Lucius just says, it's okayinsight failure, for sure. The fore-deception failure. Lucius just says, It's okay, Quill. I understand.

And he walks away. Oh. Oh. Fuck. Consequences, my boy. Consequences. Doesn't always have to be for me. As Lucius lost respect for me, I'm asking the eye. I'm not.

Okay. Right. Jokes aside. Third week, Rain and Danica ask all of you, and they won't take no for an answer, Lucius, to attend a war council. They have invited... They probably... Well, they probably,

well, they didn't come to the dinner, so they will tell you that Sky Prince Aradan will be there, as will rescued Grand Strategist Sumar Zemix Elodovian. Awesome. Great. Shepard Parik of the Shepherds of Mierskir, who is a very minor character. You know that they are basically the representative of Mierskir uh as well as the dragon general uh failissa tharis which is the blue dragon

who helped you fight um in gustaven um perfect they also mention uh that after this war council several other uh guests and representatives have specifically come to horizon to meet with you to talk about several problems that have cropped up. And to present their case to the champions of Eros. But yeah, you are all called to this war council. Obviously, you can bring, you know, Rain and Danica says, if you feel that anybody you want to bring any sort of experts or specialists, we will be discussing the Valkyrian Empire. We will be discussing movements across Erois.

We have a fair amount. We also, we do have some other specialists of our own that will be coming in to provide reports. Danica will look at you and say like, well, you do seem to have some sort of bizarre relationship with our great enemy, so I wouldn't be too surprised if you did, but perhaps not the best time to invite them to our private war council. Azaria?

And if you did wish to bring the girl or the knight, Valar, I think, and Maximilian, they may be of value to this discussion. There may be others as well. I can send for Azaria. Yeah, how comfortable is everyone with elevating Azaria to a council position? Vested interest in magic. Dangerous interest in magic at times as well.

No exceptions? Wonderful. I think the problem is she serves her own interests. So that needs to be watched. I mean, at this point, is it worth the risk just to, in case it is a really valuable input on magical matters? She did almost side with Zarkira. However,

no, she very, very clearly tried to draw her in to then mess with her. And she's outright told Gwil that she doesn't like Zarkira. She thinks that Zarkira She's very, very, very clearly trying to draw in to then mess with her. She's outright told Gwil that she doesn't like Zarkira. She thinks that Zarkira is cheating, basically. Brack stones! She doesn't want to follow in the coattails of Zarkira.

She said that to me, so we don't have to worry about her and the whole Hadar thing. Maybe if she finds some other way to gain incredible amounts of power then we have to worry but until then she is definitely a master of the arcane and uh would present some useful insight i think on your head so be it don't say that i almost had my head cut off not that long ago all right so yes i'm seeing like two yeses from Cintra and Quill, and then it's like two noes from Ayla and Nova, so Lucius? No, I think she would have benefits. Oh, okay, you think you should?

Nova will grudgingly, yeah, Nova will always go with the group decision, but grudgingly, grumbling. Just shouting them out. Alright, well in that case, Azaria, do you want vala and max there or not yeah yeah i think balla but i don't know if people will take kindly to max up they can deal with it i think danica and rain have come around on max because he helped defend horizon when zarkira attacked um and he has been working with sentry to like go and help the people. So I think that the people of Horizon react well to him. Aradan doesn't seem to have a problem with him.

They had dinner together, but you don't know how the dragons are probably not going to like Maximilian at all. And things like the Grand Strategist and the Shepard and stuff like that, you don't know how they're going to react. But I will say Danica and Rain seem more comfortable than they did at first they were very distrustful of max um but they've they've kind of come around on that and they do trust them a little bit more bring him party woo okay all right uh you all attend in the rebuilt uh war chamber at the bath at the very sort of of lower levels of the Citadel of the Reborn and secured facilities.

You can see that fresh wards have been applied. There is now a constant guard patrol in the area. And yeah, it's generally been rebuilt and refurbished. Some of the iron golems that you destroyed have actually been used as new decorations of like a victory like they've kind of been posed uh as uh and like horizon statues of horizon soldiers kind of like destroying them um as a little symbol of like horizons victory um but yeah rain and danica along with those i mentioned sky, Sky Prince Aradan, the Ember Elf, Sumar Zemix Elodovian, the Grand

Strategist of Zephenna, Shepard Parik, and a woman with long blue hair and a very muscular, tall form, the humanoid, and horns, tail, the humanoid form of General Fealissa Tharas, who is a blue dragon

in humanoid form. You bring your own guests in. There's a couple of raised eyebrows. Azaria just glides into the room, her black funeral dress and veil sort of trailing behind her. She just sits down as if this is exactly where she's meant to be. Valor and Maximilian kind of keep close to you guys, especially Valor.

Maximilian looks around and you see the general Felica and Max lock eyes. And there is like, you see her just like seething inside. But Danica kind of raises her hand and says, ah, Stormchase is welcome, honored guests, experts. And she nods at Maximilian, Valar, and Azaria. Thank you all for joining us. We have a number of things to report.

Let's take some seats. Refreshments will be brought in. But let's try and keep things civil. And she looks at the general when she says this. Everyone here is committed to stopping uh khalas valkyrian and protecting horizon eros and our alliance we are all friends here let us sit let's discuss our next steps uh and with that sort of everyone takes their seats um rain stands up before we get into the details there there is a major development, which we felt important to share with you all immediately.

Over the last three weeks, we have noticed a change in Valkyrian's forces. Ever since the attack on Horizon, Valkyrian has... They are not retreating or withdrawing, but they are not engaging our forces as they once did they have entered a sort of defensive holding pattern they are not yielding any ground that they have already taken but they are not trying to take new territory they are not spreading propaganda to new cities they are focusing entirely on the locations that they have already gained a foothold, primarily in Gisela and Vortensar. We're making no progress.

We do not have really the numbers to assault their forces, but there is clearly something going on. And I know, Stormchasers, you mentioned that there has been some sort of internal conflict between Kallus' forces. We're currently attributing this change in their tactics to that, believing that they might be trying to weed out forces in their own army or perhaps dealing with battles outside of Eros in the plains. But this is the most important development we've had um this means that for now there is not much of

a conflict they have their like they have their stations we are not in a position to take those places back nor are we in a position to assault those places but nor are they trying to convert more people of arois nor are they trying to fight our forces or stop us. It's peculiar. Very, very peculiar. The blue dragon general will kind of just slam her hand on the table and say like, you say that we don't have the forces, but if, if, if Calus is weakened, now is the perfect time for us to strike. We must strike now. We may not get another chance like this. We should be pushing to take Vortensar or Gisela back from their control.

This is our one chance. If there is some sort of internal conflict, what better time than to strike now? Uh, if I may? Um, hi. it's me, your favourite Gnassy. Danica just says, we know who you are, you can just speak, it's fine. Look, I'm still trying to make friends with the Dragonborn, we have a lot of history. I don't think it's that Valkyrian forces have weakened. More that they're distracted.

That still presents us an opportunity. One that we did not have before. I would like to suggest that Vortensar is not attacked. Because it would... attacked because it would, I believe it would create the Gnassi to, how shall I put this? I think everyone on Aroas is a bunch of butts trying to attack them when they already feel alienated from this planet.

We have some updates on Vortensar Nova. We have our own specialist who's going to provide a report on that. I concur. I don't believe that... Vortensar doesn't necessarily need to be attacked. I believe that the general means more that disabling the Valkyrian forces there would be useful

in our attempts to win back the city. Especially their propaganda forces there. I was going to say, you're better at this diplomacy language than I am, but I was gonna say, yeah, it's better to kind of ease them out rather than just yank them out. Make them come to the decision of their own volition kind of thing. While we are on the subject of Vortensau, perhaps we should have our specialist talk. Do you wish to... And you don't realize somebody has been in this room, you didn't see them.

Like, literally, you hear a voice who has been present in this whole room the whole time. You hear Norfyr. You hear Nanny Norfyr for Lucius, but Norfyr. Just kind of... She just seems to meld out from behind the statue. You had no idea she was there. She just sort of steps out,

dressed in very worn looking leather like tight sort of leather suit like a kind of like spy mission impossible metal gear sneaking suit um covered in throwing knives um you can see that she has like a kind of like a big satchel um like a bag of holding satchel um and she looks a little bit weather worn but she seems to be in more good spirits. Her hair has been cut a little shorter, and she just kind of grins and says, Ah, yes, hello, everyone.

I've managed to step away from Vortensar and felt it best to come and deliver my report in person to you all. Thank you for all the support that you sent. I put it to good use. We have a number of very good agents in place now, trained up. They have direct lines of communication with myself. And we've also made contact with

a sort of rebellious element within the city, a sort of youth underground that have been openly providing discourse to the Valkyrian propaganda, as well as more direct, shall we say, guerrilla type engagements. They have been disrupting supply lines to some project that the Valkyrian forces and the council of the Elemental Council have been working on. I can tell you that the valkyrian forces and the elemental council are working on a gateway uh more than just a gateway however we first thought that this could just be a simple archway they've completed that they have an archway that allows

them to move valkyrian forces as and where they need to but it's small what they've been working on all this time is something else entirely i don't know what to call it but the purpose of it is a system of teleportation devices spread around the city that will transport the entirety of vortenstar back to ganes they wish to replicate the jasavir incident and return their their city back to Gannes. They wish to replicate the Jasavir incident and return their city back to their homeworld. It's an incredible feat of arcane engineering made possible through Valkyrian Magitek engineers, but also planar researchers from some sort of academy within Vortensar, some specialist academy. I estimate, based on my spies and scouts that this project will be completed soon it's hard to it's hard to know when we might be talking weeks we might be talking a few months but

that project will be ready they won't be able to use it until the cradle is no longer in place the cradle does still prevent planar transportation of that level, but it will function once the cradle is down. That's the bad news. The good news is that, again, I mentioned that there is a pretty strong rebellious element within the city. They are led by a young mixed Ganassi, whom I believe Nova Vigia will be acquainted with they were something of a they were something of a bit of a popular icon amongst their people

a sporting individual please don't tell me you're talking about my idiot brother of course he did mention to pass on he did mention that I should pass on that he is well we're doomed and that he wishes we're doomed we're all doomed you're not doomed nobavigia

your brother tornado is is proving to be the exact kind of leader that such an organization needs my brother understands yes he understands he's not the smartest he knows his power lies in charisma and leadership and that's what he's been bringing previously this was an unorganized group people that were all trying to get different things your brother kind of gives them a symbol to unite behind and he's been a rallying call and quite the enemy of harmony in the Council of Elders. Speaking of the Council... Yes. Is it so hard to believe? Brother. Yes.

I mean, you yourself are here, Nova Vija. Seems that your family has something... Yes. Well, he's not the sharpest tool in the shed, no. But he understands that. And that's why he surrounds himself with experts. He brings in individuals to make up for the areas that he lacks. He's listening? Yes.

To other people. And not calling them nerds. I mean, he does that, yes. But he said, I entrust the nerds to know what they're doing more than I do. When it comes to swinging swords or lances, that's when I can step in.

But the people find his courage inspiring. They find his outward fiery demeanor, his outspoken nature to be a rallying cry. There are a number of council members who are also

reluctant to engage with the current philosophies of harmony council members who are also reluctant to engage with the current philosophies of harmony and the rest. Which means that we have allies in their powerful seat of government. Do you know what? I ran to be

co-chair of the Seekers once. He called me an absolute dweeb. And they didn't vote me in. They didn't vote me in. But they vote my brother in. I feel like Nova's going to be stuck on this point quite some time. So if there's anything else that we can...

Any other news from Vartan Sar? Yes. I can tell you that... I can tell you that Harmony and the majority of the council leaders are still in vast control of the city. The youth rebellion movement is... The rebellious movement is... They are engaging in lots of different fronts.

Open debate, political discourse, as well as, as I mentioned, more direct action. I believe that you are acquainted with this individual, Shansara, an Eladrin singer. Oh, yeah. She is currently the Empire's mouthpiece in Vortensar, and she has grown very influential. Sense.

She is well-liked by the people. She is well-liked by the people. She is well-liked by the council. They have numerous... She uses music as a way of sort of celebrating the Empire, but also it is a powerful propaganda tool. Her concerts are meeting places for many like-minded individuals. She promotes the benefits of the Valkyrian Empire. This is for many like-minded individuals.

She promotes the benefits of the Valkyrian Empire. She showcases various other elements of Gideon Prime and other worlds to highlight its nature. It's clever. She seems very non-threatening. She is not a warrior. She's very clearly just a musician, even though we all know otherwise she is very clearly a savvy magically enhanced individual but uh to the people of vortensar she appears just to be a musician uh who is caring and empathic and kind-hearted and it's it does a good job of selling the imperial

dream well the ganassi do appreciate their music so they probably appreciate the words of a fellow artiste unlike tornado. Do you know his real name's cloud? Could you tell everyone that his real name is cloud it's not tornado it's cloud please tell them that. NovaVidya I have to say I think that your brother using a pseudonym in his current position is actually advantageous I think it would be more dangerous to know his real name I trust me I do you think it would be more dangerous to be able to know his real name. Trust me, do you think I did not already know? I'm very good at what I do.

It's a really dweeby name, isn't it? A really dweeby name. I am not going to get involved in this family drama any further. I've had more than enough of that in my life. That is my report. If my brain could row back a bit jasavir experiment that's a terrible idea

it's all gonna blow up how do they know did they solve the equations did they solve the the the the discrepancies did do the people of jasavir want to come back here! Is Jasovir even... Oh god, they imprisoned everyone from Jasovir. You're going to end up in a huge crater! The idea is not for Jasovir to return to Erois. The idea is that Vortensar will simply return, replacing it, and likely destroying the city of Jasovir in the process. That is purely speculative on my behalf and the behalf of experts that I've been speaking with. A number of Ganassi who were involved in the creation of this city transportation system. It seems to be almost like an archway ring that we've seen before,

but this one seems to have the ability to spread out to become larger in size when it is required. How do the people of Vortensar feel about this? Because I imagine the younger people don't want to go back. Something of what I've been mentioning already, Nova, there is

a group of younger Ganassi who are against all of this, but they are outnumbered. They are vastly outnumbered. The vast majority of people have embraced this idea they are excited to return to ganass uh they believe that the they believe that their place is within the valkyrian empire and that they they're coming to eros was a mistake is the current feelings of the people within vornsa they believe that they always should have been part of the planet and that they always should have been part of the Empire. But the younger people, the people who

were born here on Eros obviously disagree. Like the people that were born here but also you know the people that have come to embrace the Erosian way of life. This is, this is huge. That is all I have to report for now. Unless you wish for me to change the parameters of my mission and take more direct action against certain individuals, my job is to monitor, to help this youth rebellion movement in whatever way I can. That's what I have to report I'll be returning to Vortensar in a few days

help I think yes we need to figure out some direct plan of action to delay an event like this but it's just dependent on what approach we wish to take figure out some direct plan of action to delay an event like this. But it's just dependent on what approach we wish to take. Indeed.

Well, I will be in the city present, should you wish to try and take any action. And I will obviously, myself, Tornado, and the rebellious movement will do what we can to lend you aid. Norfyr nods. She will go to leave, probably just put a hand on Lucius' shoulder. He'll put a hand on top. Just squeeze it gently.

Could you tell my brother that I miss him and I love him and I'm proud of him? I will. And with that, Norfyr will leave. Be careful of the gorillas. I love him. I'm proud of him. I will. And with that, Norfield will leave. Be careful of the gorillas.

Oh my god. She just whispers, I will. So yeah. So after this, Danica says, that is with Norfyr's report. This is where we stand. We need to decide what we do now. Obviously, there are other issues which are more for the storm chaser we've had.

There are reports of, I believe it's connected to your work involving the Titans, the gods. I think you should be involved with those discussions but in terms of our alliance this is where we currently stand well we have some updates regarding the um valkyrian well probably an explanation for the valkyrian's current stance in this war um as well as some updates on Project Vanguard, the titan killer that we have presented to you before. Following our conflict with Zarkira and, in some degree, Starbane himself, we presented him with information, the driving force behind our entire team, the reason that he cannot take the approach to defeating Hadar that he has always had.

We believe we actually managed to find a way to show him the vision that I had, and that may be a massive factor in the reason the forces have shifted in their stance. Do you think that... So you think Calus believes you? You think that Calus... Is this him stepping down? Is this him accepting that he was wrong? Or is this...

What else? I think he's faulted. Alongside that and his second-in-command Brookstoning him. Sorry, betraying him. And fluttering onto the other side, unfortunately Hadar's side. I think that has definitely put him on a step back.

However, attacking his forces, I don't think, is the approach. As you said, we don't have the numbers to do it ourselves. And if they are already in a defensive position to not relinquish the land that they have gained, I think that may be a suicide mission, frankly. The Grand Strategist will raise a hand and say, May I, Master Kilik? Yes, please. Thank you.

First of all, thank you for my timely rescue from my own lands. This, I wish to bring up something you mentioned. I do not believe that Emperor Valkyrian, I do not believe he is capable of faltering. I don't believe that whatever you have shown him, whatever he has seen, would cause him to order his forces to halt in this manner. This must be a very deliberate act.

There are two possibilities that I see. The first is that whatever you have shown him has convinced him that his actions here on Erois are perhaps either not honorable or they are not productive. They are not going to accomplish what he wants. The other, and as a military strategist, he has decided to bolster his forces in preparation of one final push. in preparation of one final push. Often we see with grand armies like this,

especially before a force of significantly more power, they will pause. They will take a moment to reinforce, to take on a defensive nature as they gather their main strength to break through an enemy's defenses. It is a very common strategy. These are the two options I see. Kallus is a military strategist as much as myself.

He is very knowledgeable of the art of war. I would imagine that this falls into two categories. Now, I do not know the nature of whatever it is you have shown him. I do not know. You know more of him as a person, perhaps. You have had more encounters with him. Purely as a military strategist, from what we are seeing and what you have said,

I believe that those are two potential pathways. In that case, that leads us to Project Vanguard then. You mentioned the expanding arcane gates able to transport larger structures through them. I had a vision of such a thing allowing transport for Project Vanguard, which is no longer on Erois. It is being upgraded, constructed in the Astral Sea.

If there are expanding gates on Vortensar, then they are, or even additional constructions of these arcane gates across Erois, then maybe this defensive stance does make sense. They are allowing themselves to bring in numerous forces from across the Astral Sea into Erois. allowing themselves to bring in numerous forces from across the Astral Sea into Aroes. But the Project Vanguard, they intend to bring it to Aroes through a large arcane gate, one that may or may not be constructed yet, but requires a huge amount of resources.

Just a question of where. It's a... I mean, I could describe the city that I saw. Do you? I'll try to. From the vision I got, the abandoned houses and whatever else. Aradan.

Response. I know the city. aradan response which just pulls his hat down i i know the city uh keelix i know the one that you're speaking of that is um it's casatoris uh it's a tragedy amongst the sky cities where gusthaven has always been very fortunate we worked with our people to develop gusthaven, to build it. When we were first lifted into the sky, we overcame the challenges that came with that. Being able to locate and source food, population control. I understand Horizon had a darker history with such matters, with the ruling elven no nobility um going down a darker path and danica just sort of

like nods at him um casatoris well none of us really know what happened we only know the result whatever took place there everyone died whether it was because they could not get food because they turned on each other because because they were driven mad, we sadly will never know, but it's sort of an urban legend. We know it exists. Kassotaurus doesn't follow a regular pattern on the air currents of Erois.

It meanders. It roams aimlessly at random, it seems. It was... I mean, I was told stories that it was filled with ghosts and specters and wraiths, the haunted spirits of those who died there in madness and suffering. It could have been. Perhaps Kallus has cleared it out of these creatures. Perhaps they were never there to begin with, but it would prove a...

I mean, it would be a dark reflection of Horizon itself, a grand sky city full of resources and tools and materials, but with not a living soul within it. Well, in the vision, I saw this place crowded with valkyrian majors and magic technicians and and all of these people working on this this expanding astral gate with the ability to i mean if if this sky city can float anywhere uh outside of its routine path, then this will drop Project Vanguard, I guess, wherever Asotaurus is. It's just, how do we track this unknown sky city down?

That's the hard thing. It drifts randomly and it moves quickly as well. Unlike Gusthaven, which is quite slow, which allows people to plot its course, to prepare for its arrival, Kasatoris floats up much higher into the atmosphere and it's exceptionally fast. Even if we were to have a report of somebody spotting it,

it could be days and by then it could be miles from that location uh it may be possible with magic to track it but i don't believe that anybody's ever really tried i mean the stories that have been told about it this was a very dark haunted place and even if valkyrian has managed to exercise it of those creatures if it's now swarming with valkyrian troops it won't be easy to assault especially not for us we don't have the the level of magitek that the sky cities do even even the dragons and i mean no offense general but even yourselves against a city full of magitek cannons you would be shot down you would be you would be destroyed if we had your if we had your your crystalline ships it might be different it will give us a defensive way to assault the city but the general just sort of she nods and says

sadly the great dragons are still sleeping within the ships we still cannot rouse them we cannot move them and i do concur if a city a sky city was outfitted with Valkyrian's weapons, even a flight of dragons would be hard pressed to attack it in an assault. Okay. Well, the other additional Project Vanguard news is that I've managed to procure what I believe to be the sigils to take us to the Astral Gate right next to Project Vanguard out in the Astral Sea. I don't believe we can use this with any... Azaria leans in. Really, Keelak? I have.

Now, again, out in the Astral Sea, far out from Moroes, I don't believe we can use this with any standard teleportation circle, but if we can procure ourselves an arcane gate, we can go straight to Project Vanguard's construction site. Perhaps if I may make a suggestion? Mm-hmm. Procuring an archway legendary things there are

records of one still being located here on Aroes but our enemy has built them why can't we why could we not build ourselves an archway

it was accomplished by our forebears in the ancient past we now have knowledge and magitek that we did not have before I would certainly like to attempt it I mean we also have an idea of

where well where one is the one that took us to Aegis V I mean deep underwater but we know where one is, the one that took us to Aegis V. I mean, deep underwater, but we know where it is. Was it still intact? I don't think it is. I was going to suggest, though, Vortensar just created a gate, right? And Norfyr, our agent on the inside

knows it's completed so could she perhaps or the seekers or my brother get some uh blueprints or intel on on how they made theirs um it would certainly expedite the process to have working knowledge of how they've constructed theirs. It would certainly be. Wherever we make it, though, we have to make it somewhere safe because, well, a gate works two ways, right? If we have been able to spy and find sigils for other gates, if people find out about us constructing one for ourselves,

they might be able to, you know, find our runic sequence as well. I thoroughly concur. I also do not imagine we will be able to make an archway of significant size, small enough for a team of specialists, perhaps a small military force, but nothing more than that.

Therefore, we would need a group that could assault these places that we wish to travel to. We would not be able to send vast amounts of troops. Gee, I wonder who those people would be. Five or six people? Who are they thinking about right there? No thanks, we don't want one.

Anything to do? I think if we construct it in such a way that the runic sequence to take us back to ours is complex enough, ever-changing, that they can never track us down, we could break into their legendary transport system. We could also build our gateway. If we built it, we could destroy it. Once you have accomplished this mission, we could simply destroy the gate afterwards. Could we build it so that it has a metal iris that comes down when you activate a security protocol? And then it closes it up? I do not believe that such a device would work.

The nature of the transportation would simply dissolve any sort of defensive layer that you would place upon it. Once the transportation is activated, the power surge would destroy such a simple material such as steel or metal. We build it over a volcano. It's only active when we want to go through it. And when it's inactive, and when we're not going through it,

it shoots people into a volcano. I'm going to stop talking. I've done enough. It is certainly an idea. To build it in an inhospitable location would be powerful indeed. Or perhaps you could... Hello. He lifts his hat up a little bit.

The gate could be purposefully partially created so that a section of it could be removed when inactive and put in place when active it can be yes there will be complications with such a system but it is not impossible uh i imagine that the reason that our enemies have not done that themselves as there are probably technical limitations however i would like to see if i can exceed those those limitations that they have it may take me some time and i may require some things to be procured but it is an option if we cannot find an archway let us build one whatever is possible for our enemies is possible for us If we cannot find an archway, let us build one. Whatever is possible for our enemies is possible for us.

Yeah. Danica will clap her hands and say, well, I think that we should take a moment here, a moment of respite, but also thank you, Alliance members. There are still some other matters to discuss. I feel that they are for the Storm Chasers primarily, as they concern another matter they have been looking into and are perhaps more about the safety of other lands rather than any of our own.

We will speak with that in a moment. But let us take a brief moment of respite. Let us gather our minds and take a moment to rest. And with that, we're going to take a moment to rest. And with that, we can take a break. Nice. Make a real break. Got cast a Taurus. We're potentially constructing our own arch gate.

It's going well. Vorten Sarr. Perfect. Swings around. Found my fucking brother. Leader of the youth resistance in Vortensar. He's a moron! Hey, if you didn't have a brother, that would have been period.

Yeah, because morons have never been in positions of power and authority before. That's definitely the way the world works. It's the smart people in charge, not the charismatic ones. He is handsome, yeah. He's very charismatic and handsome that's how it works