War for the Crown Gameplay

Continuation of: https://critical-scumble.forumotion.com/t43-war-for-the-crown-gameplay-part-2

Adelaide gives a deep curtsy as a gesture of respect. ”We are in this area as of a week ago to mend wounds to the community and the land from years of neglect and careless treatment,” she answers carefully, still evaluating. ”We are at your lake today due to concerns from our subjects about the spirit residing here being angry. I suppose it should have occurred to me they may be using the term loosely,” she notes as an aside, shaking her head. ”Might I ask how have nobles past have transgressed? We are aware of some of their sins, but I wonder now if we’re disgusted by the same behavior.”

"My... court lived here once, but man's development encroached too close. That cursed highway grew too close to our home, and we were forced to leave. Only I remain to continue stewarding over this land. For generations, those who rule these lands, the most recent group calling themselves Lotheeds, had an agreement with me. I would permit travelers along that highway through my court's rightful home if they paid tribute. We had an accord. Neither of us was happy with it, but we considered it acceptable. Until the last ruler died and his son claimed these lands. He would not bargain with me and gave me an ultimatum, which I refused, of course, and then I began to follow through with my threat of interfering with travel along the highway. The highway, which I stress, passes through my peoples' land. In retribution, this Lotheed unleashed a terrible blight on the northern end of this lake. It consumes everything, plant, animal, life, and is moving south. If left unchecked, it will render the lake barren and polluted, and I too will be forced to leave. If that is the case, I will return with my court once more, and all the humans of Meratt will feel our pain." With every word, Atratus's voice rises in volume and intensity, eyes burning with an internal green fire as she finishes.

Adelaide nods, thinking carefully as she listens to Atratus’s complaints. ”We are now the direct rulers of this land, rather than Count Bartelby Lotheed,” she tells Atratus, ”and we would be more than happy to discuss appropriate tributes for you. I’m confident now the local people were misinformed about what the tribute used to be. It sounds, though, as if this blight must be taken care of first. Will you tell us more about the blight?”

"It is, technically, a living creature. But it is an abomination, it has no mind, only a desire to consume. It's a formless, disgusting acidic mass that consumes and consumes. It does not sleep, it does not breathe, it does not pause. It kills, and it pollutes," Atratus explains, disgust clear in her tone.

”If it is living, then we could likely kill it,” Adelaide comments. ”I assume we’ll need to contain it in some way, but we should be able to sort that out as well.”

"If you slay the blight, I will allow travelers to pass safely," Atratus promises, "Until we can work out a more permanent arrangement. As a gesture of good faith, allow me to return some items I retrieved from poachers over the years." Then she suddenly transforms into a gorgeous white swan and dives backwards into the lake, reemerging a moment later with a sack full of gears, oils, and construction materials, which she lays in front of the group then transforms back to her humanoid form. "I have another gift for you if you slay the blight."

Adelaide nods and begins considering her extracts. ”The blight sounds like a type of ooze,” she comments, speaking quickly as she opens and pours vials. ”I won’t know more until we see it. Sarina, some of your spells won’t be effective against them since oozes are mindless creatures. Oozes don’t generally have specific weak points, though I don’t think that’ll impact anyone here terribly much. Anything else?”

After a little further preparation and discussion, the group begins heading to the blighted side of the lake. Adelaide sighs as they begin their march. "All right, this seems like a better time," she comments, looking over at Corey and his companion and raising an eyebrow. "Corey, why do you have the goat with you?"

"Uh..." Corey looks back at Kalbio, who is cheerfully walking at his heels. "He kinda... won't leave me alone? If ya remember when we first got ta Stachys, there was the goat outside? This is him, and he's followed me everywhere Ah been since. I was able ta convince him he couldn't come to dinner, on account a it'd be weird ta bring a goat ta a nice meal like that, but..." Corey rubs the back of his neck. "I tried ta get him ta stay put fer this, since it'd be dangerous. Ah tried everythin', locking him in mah room, stablin' him, but anythin' Ah do, he always gets out and catches up right quick."

"...that... shouldn't be possible?" Adelaide raises an eyebrow. "There simply should be no mechanical option for a goat to unlock itself from a bedroom or a stable. Else stables would have to be heavily redesigned. And what do you mean 'convince him' to not come to dinner?"

"Well that's the other thing, he's wicked smart. Ain't that right Kalbio?" Kalbio nods. "Lahk, watch this, this ain't no trick Ah taught him or nothin', it's just somethin' Ah tried. Hey Kalbio, do two and two make four?" Kalbio nods. "An' two an' three make six, right?" Kalbio shakes his head at this, then stamps his hoof on the ground five times. "See? You ever heard of a goat that can do math?"

Adelaide purses her lips. "All right, goat, how about subtraction? If I have nine and take away three, what do you have?" The goat stamps his hoof six times, then trots a little quicker to catch up with Corey. "Hm. I've not heard of math specifically, but I have heard of strangely smart animals in certain contexts. However, you've not mentioned gaining the ability to cast magic, Corey, which leaves me a little puzzled about how you've gained a familiar or what it implies."

"No magic here," Corey shakes his head. "Least not ta mah knowledge. Although Ah have gotten some lucky strokes since he started followin' me around, but that's prolly coincidence."

"Well, good luck keeping it safe, I suppose," Adelaide comments, shrugging and continuing onward.

Momo gives a sideways look to the goat, smirks for a moment, then turns her attention. "Adelaide, you mentioned tribute to the spirit and that it got muddled? What are the tributes she was after? Not baby heads or anything, I hope?"

"The word from the locals was that the tribute had been virgin sacrifices," Adelaide comments with a small smile. "However, given she's a swan maiden, that seems unlikely at best. Swan maidens are fey, and they protect their wild lands from the encroachment of civilization and evil. I'm confident whatever she seeks as tribute won't require acts of evil."

"Ew," Momo says with a crinkled nose. "Well, that's good at least. Would hate to send Corey out there to get eaten by some sort of evil swan," she notes with her impish smirk returning.

"What exactly is a Swan Maiden?" Sarina asks.

Adelaide blinks, puzzled. "Fey? What else did you want to know, more specifically?"

Sarina shrugs. "I was just curious if there was anything more to know about them, other than what you had already mentioned."

"Ah, I see. They normally live in small flocks, but Lady Atratus mentioned being the only one to hold these lands as civilization encroached further," she adds, mulling on that. "Fey have certain reputations, I realize, but swan maidens are generally benevolent in their intentions. Hopefully we're able to come to an agreeable arrangement with her."

After a very brief and somewhat pathetic beatdown, the ooze is defeated. Josie remarks, "Well that was anti-climactic."

”Quite,” Adelaide adds drily. Looking around, she comments, ”I don’t believe there’s anything to do to heal the land save letting time pass. Shall we return to Lady Atratus?”

When the group returns to Atratus, she fixes them with her intense, green-eyed stare. "Did you slay the Blight?"

”Yes, Corey and Josie and Sarina were extremely efficient,” Adelaide reports with a smile, after another deep curtsy.

Atratus finally breaks into a smile. "I am glad, and grateful. It seems we have some matters to discuss then. But first, I did promise another gift." She dives in and retrieves a white domino mask with golden vines snaking across it, emeralds studding the left eye, and sapphires studding the right. "It was once worn by a singer whose voice left kings weeping and mountains low."