Plot Summary/The Long Boy

## November 6th, 7221

Asphodel begins with **Belgael** *(Captain Whitehawk)*, an ex-Archangel of Chastity now searching solo for **Elodi** *(Captain Whitehawk)*, the god of the Elysians. Upon arriving at the King's Isle, **Belgael** finally realizes that his god is gone, and tips off the edge of the isle towards Zion, intending to glide the rest of the way down despite not having any of the physical strength needed to do so. A few isles below, an amnesiac Elysian teen named **Ariel** *(Captain Whitehawk)* watches him fall but makes no move to aid or stop him.

[UNFINISHED--BAGEL'S HIT KISS AND RUN WITH ZURIEL]

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**Ahsa Bakir** *(Captain Whitehawk)*, de facto commander of the Forgotten and its chapter in Zion, heads out to an obscure shack west of Zion to finish his pursuit and assassination of a wandering scholar called **Kasyade** (*OrganicEvil)*. **Ahsa** reveals that he is looking for a book that the man held and that he intends to burn **Kasyade's** home down when he's done, implying that there is something sickly or wrong with the man to warrant this. This would-be act of arson is interrupted by **Sathariel** *(ghoulerie)*, who had been on her way to meet the dead man. Seeing that **Kasyade** is now dead and slain by **Ahsa's** hand, she turns on **Ahsa**. They fight, but eventually **Sathariel** gains the upper hand. She finds the book and runs. **Ahsa** recovers after a few minutes, but by that time **Sathariel** and the book are gone. He burns the house down, turning the wreckage into a signal for the Forgotten to retrieve him.

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One of the Elysian's top strategists, **Idriel** *(Comrade Squid)*, forgoes sleep yet again as he debates the plight of the Elysian cause. He provoked into annoyance by an unwanted lantern light--until he realizes that that's the sun, and he's been at this game thirteen hours without rest or break. Remembering company is coming, he hastily cleans up.

**Jehudiel** (*Captain Whitehawk*) arrives at **Idriel's** office with a fresh pot of coffee and his young Bonded, **Petra Kappel** (*Comrade Squid*). The trio shares coffee and discusses the war. Both sides are stuck waging skirmishes and raids, under which pressure they could theoretically last forever. **Jehudiel** asks **Idriel** for ideas. **Idriel** reports of **Ravager** activity to the west and the probability of **Wrathmonger** activity in the probable future. He admits to having plans that could meet **Jehudiel's** request, but doing so would take troops away from Jehiliath, which they both know is too dangerous both for the city and their general tactics.

**Jehudiel** suggests three possibilities: guerrilla warfare, an alliance with the Homini, or sabotage of the Sheolfolk. **Idriel** likes the first idea, and suggests the Forgotten for the cause. **Petra** speaks up in favor of a Homini alliance, and **Jehudiel** affirms that it's not implausible though he is concerned over the matter, especially considering that the Archangel of Justice, **Asutiel** (*Athena Lionheart*), had been sent several months ago to do the same thing with no word heard since. **Idriel** believes that the Homini have higher ambitions to rid the continent of the Elysians, and would make unreliable allies. **Jehudiel** approves the counter-assault, and agrees to consider further alliances. Then, he takes **Petra** on a walk.

[UNFINISHED--LITTOL PICK ME UP TALK BETWEEN PETRA AND JHOE]

Meanwhile, having had her first cup of tea, the Archangel of Chastity, **Florizel** (*Lady Senbonzakura*), is now ready to read the reviews for last week's truly devastating essay titled, *"Denial of Memory and the Erasure of the Self,"* an academic discussion of the correlation between memory and identity (i.e. with corrupted or incomplete memories, the Self is corrupted.) When **Jehudiel** and **Petra** arrive at her office, **Florizel** gives **Petra** some tea. **Jehudiel** offers some paltry critique on **Florizel's** paper, **Petra** gives a thoughtful counterpoint, **Jehudiel** eventually recants his point but admits he has a more pressing matter--he wants **Florizel** to move from Zion to Jehiliath for her own safety, seeing as she is not Bonded. After some debate, she agrees, and bids farewell to both him and **Petra**.

[UNFINISHED--ISABEL AND FLORIZEL]

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Far south, the morning is going much grimmer for **Drekavac** *(Comrade Squid)*, an information broker that had until recently been selling to **Lucifer** (*Comrade Squid*), General of Wrath and leader of the more-terrifying **Wrathmongers**. As of this morn, he is shackled to a wall, decidedly much worse for wear after a night of torture at the hands of an expert employed by **Lucifer**. **Lucifer** gives a fine speech about how scummy **Drekavac** is, then punches him in the gut, after which he reminds **Drekavac** that any time your life is in someone else's hands, you've failed.

From his Elysian-feather cape, **Lucifer** takes out a key to unlock **Drekavac's** chains. After roughing him up some more, **Lucifer** reveals that he intends to spare **Drekavac**, but only so he can spread word of **Lucifer**'s cruelty. Once **Drekavac** is dragged out like a limp ragdoll, Lucifer instructs his trusted Lieutenant, **Gorgoth** *(Comrade Squid)*, to tell the other Wrathmongers to kill **Drekavac** if they ever see him again.

Once he's finished, **Lucifer** deliberates with his loyal Bonded, **Delilah** *(WritingBookworm)* while looking out the window of the Wrathmonger Fortress. Sensing that the troops are restless, he declares that he intends to invade the Homini fief of Spieti within the week. **Delilah** agrees and offers her services. **Lucifer** instructs her to move ahead of the army and infiltrate Spieti. She is to disguise as a lowly peasant fleeing the Wrathmongers in order to get close to Spieti's leaders and find out their political instabilities and strategic weaknesses. **Delilah** accepts the mission and sheathes her sword, ready to carry out **Lucifer**'s orders.

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South of the Iskerian border, a Homini fisherman named **Phillip Destramus** (*Comrade Squid*) meditates on his excitement over the local woods and the chance to teach his niece how to fish at an upcoming holiday. His thoughts soon move to something more frightful, however, as he reflects on strange visions he's been having, visions that let him see through the eyes of other people of all kinds: Homini, Elysian, *and* Sheolfolk. He considers telling a local priest before dismissing the idea, afraid that admitting to having seen Sheolfolk will earn him condemnation from his fellow Homini. The visions are frightful, always ending with a pair of huge, hungry yellow eyes, and a gaping maw to match it. Stranger still, as the visions end his sense of self becomes discombobulated: he's not being eaten, he's *eating* himself. And he's so terribly, terribly hungry. He must eat.

This sense of hunger unravels with clarified identity. It's not **Phillip** speaking, but instead **Behemoth** (*Comrade Squid*), an enormous *neurovore* of unusual intellect, capable of absorbing her victim's memories and sense of identity when she consumes them. She awakens from her dream-recollection, hungry and eager to feed again. Her followers greet her as her emerge from her cave, horny and ready to service her however she should please. **Behemoth** asks her high priest how long she has been asleep, to which he recounts that she'd eaten a caravan and then proceeded to sleep the meal off some three days before. She realizes that he waits every day outside her cave while she sleeps, even while the other cultists are away. **Behemoth** promises to eventually eat him for his loyalty, a promise that both pleases and angers him, as he'd much prefer to be eaten now.

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**Calista Lovelock** (*WritingBookworm*) is a recently escaped cage-fighter and slave from Morgul Fief, presently running away from any potential captors. She takes a moment to clean herself up after several days without proper hygiene, realizing some time in the process that she's feeling foolishly aggressive about scrubbing herself up. The presence effects of Anarchy, she presumes, and she quiets as her stalker approaches. When words do not dissuade his pursuit, **Calista** stabs him in the throat with her boot knife and loots from his corpse food, money, and water. She returns her efforts towards running away.

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In her bedchambers at Zion City, **Sariel** (*Sal*) reflects on the loss of her Bonded, **Jared** (*Sal*), and his child that she is close to birthing. It's been a hard pregnancy not helped by the Sundering and her solo motherhood, but she is tentatively hopeful that her situation might change: **Aquila** (*Lady Senbonzakura*), a Homini **Sariel** recently befriended, does not have a Bonded. While she has no intention of forcing the issue, **Sariel** intends to ask **Aquila** to Bond with her today. With a Bonded, **Sariel** knows she can safely give birth to her child. Without a Bonded, it is very likely **Sariel** will not survive.

Meanwhile, **Aquila** is disappointed that they've survived. Since the genocide of their people at Nitarem, **Aquila** has been staying at **Iodel's** (*Captain Whitehawk*) house trying to recover from a severe case of depression and PTSD. They spend time with **Sariel**, and other friends (**Haziel** and **Jude** (*Lady Senbonzakura*)), but every aspect of Zion is either a reminder of their abusive past-Bonded, **Imperiel** (*Lady Senbonzakura*), Nitarem, or their deceased family. They intend to return to the islands of the Nitarem to linger as a metaphorical ghost, but decide that before they leave Zion they need to say goodbye to **Sariel**.

After trading strained morning greetings, **Sariel** invites **Aquila** in and they begin to talk more seriously. **Sariel** reveals to **Aquila** that her child is half-Homini, a secret she's not revealed yet to any of her fellow Archangels, furthermore informing them that, given their lack of Bonded, giving birth will probably kill her. She then asks **Aquila** if they would consider Bonding with her. **Aquila** is understandably concerned, terrified, and angry, having only ever experienced Bonding as a tool of abuse. They ask **Sariel** if she has any better options. **Sariel** explains that she sees Bonding differently because of **Jared**, her Bonded before, and that she only intends to Bond out of mutual respect and for a better future. She wants to learn from **Aquila**. **Aquila** believes they have nothing to lose or gain from Bonding, whereas **Sariel** could potentially lose everything. They suggest a warrior, or a wet-nurse instead of themself, to which **Sariel** replies she only wants a friend to stand by her. **Aquila** cries, **Sariel** holds them, and they agree to Bond with her.

Trying to be efficient, **Aquila** offers their wrist to **Sariel** for Bonding, vulnerable and ready to slice. A little horrified, **Sariel** suggests they have a proper ceremony and celebrate, hopeful that the other Archangels will assist in the celebration. **Aquila** accepts, and requests they visit an archangel they have already met once, **Florizel**.

They visit Florizel at her workshop, and give her the good news. She's very happy for the two, and offers herself and her assistants to help prepare for the ceremony, which Sariel declares with be at 11:30 the next morning (Wednesday the 7th). Aquila is nervous at having so many Elysians they don't know at the ceremony, but says nothing because they don't want to dampen Sariel's good mood.

During this conversation, Florizel has yet another visitor - **Isabel** *(WritingBookworm),* archangel of Charity, needs to discuss an urgent matter with the her. However, Florizel is unaware of the situation, so she urges Sariel to announce her news to Isabel.

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At the edge of Spieti Fief, an Elysian healer by the name of **Lady Love** (*~Dylan Battle~*) has rescued a Sheolfolk assassin by the name of **Sansa Hellsing** (*~Dylan Battle~*) from the banks of a riverbed, where he was left to die after being severely beaten and thrown off a cliff. His eight-month coma now finally broken, he's besotted by **Lady Love's** beauty and disgusted by her taste in food. **Sansa** much prefers blood wrested from the necks of his enemies, and he's fitted himself with golden fangs to do it with. **Lady Love** insists he have soup with which to find his strength.

To ease both of their minds, **Lady Love** rolls a bong in some rose petals and shares it between the two of them. **Lady Love** tells him of her lost lover from whom she took her last name, and explains that though she is Elysian and once followed **Elodi**, she's a loner now. When **Sansa** asks why **Love** rescued him from the creek, she says that **Sansa** looked so much like her lover that she'd thought it was him, and pulled him out. **Sansa** says that **Love** is mad if she thinks **Sansa** is the child of her lover. **Love** says she believes that **Sansa** was brought to her for a reason.

**Lady Love** uses **Sansa** as expediter in her new hunt, the quest to find her lover. **Sansa** is incredulous, believing that a trail several decades old is long gone, but goes along with her whims.

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Also in Spieti, **Azazel** (*~Dylan Battle~*), ex-spouse of the Lord of Hastance, suffers a nightmare of murder, specifically that of his husband **Vinnkiel** (*~Dylan Battle~*) and son, **Amin** (*~Dylan Battle~*) dying in his arms. **Sunona** (*~Dylan Battle~*), his aid, tries to rouse him from his nightmare to no avail: he incorporates her too into the nightmare, believing that she is dangerous and trying to snap his neck. It's the sensation of his neck being snapped that wakes him. They confirm the subject of nightmares, also that nightmares suck, also that **Sunona's** gonna pick up some herbal medications from the markets in Spieti that'll hopefully help him. **Azazel** says that sometimes he'd prefer to be dead, which **Sunona** chastises him for. **Azazel** corrects himself, saying that he shouldn't be emotional lest **Malleville** (*ghouleriee*) witness his unrest. **Sunona** suggests that his emotional constipation will be the primary factor in his continuing unwellness, to which **Azazel** retorts he'll be better when the Elysians and Sheolfolk are dead. **Sunona** wishes him well, agrees to call him by the correct name ("Azazel," not "Azalon,") and leaves him. On one hand, **Azazel** seems confident in himself and the battles he intends to win. But when he glances in the mirror, it's clear he still sees his illness reflected back at him.

After leaving him, **Sunona** wanders Spieti with two bodyguards, **Eq** and **Tykiras** (*~Dylan Battle~*). When **Tykiras** takes fright at a child, misunderstanding its closeness as a threat much like those he faced while in Hel Fief, it is **Sunona** that chides and talks him down from it. She then apologizes to the children her bodyguards had frightened, explaining that the two men have suffered bad monsters and that's why they're so twitchy. After explaining what kind of monsters they were at one child's inquiry ("terrible fiends,") she tells the children that they're here to keep the children safe from such monsters, killing them one at a time.

**Azazel** is called on to aid Spieti's guard, the Third Divine chapter, as they're having issues with the aristrocrats. He readily agrees but then becomes snappish when the messenger mistakenly refers to him by the wrong name. It's a matter of great importance to **Azazel**, saying that he'd prefer the term "bastard" over the dead name. After the messenger corrects himself and apologizes, **Azazel** leaves with him.

Meanwhile, **Sunona** visits a brothel where she is received by a mysterious but beautiful woman called the **Madame** (*~Dylan Battle~).*  **Sunona** asks **Madame** for poison, a request which **Madame** assures her will come at high cost. **Madame** suggests bodily favors might ease the price, a flirtation which **Sunona** deflects by citing a devotion to Her Divine (*ghoulieree*). The **Madame** is not impressed, and would much prefer **Sunona** working for her. In exchange for poison, **Sunona** promises to send men to the **Madame** to do with as she pleases. They bargain over the exchange rate for a little bit before settling on five men in exchange for a cobra. **Madame** would like to have **Sunona's** bodyguards, but **Sunona** reminds her that those two are also of the Third Divine, and thus unavailable. **Madame** is disappointed but lets all three of them go.

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Captain of the *Rectitude's Lament* and General of Anarchy, **Leviathan**, aka **Diatar Rapta Coma** (*Adrian*), steps off his vessel to take his Ravagers towards Hadiqa, a village somewhere between Iskeria, Neren, and Hel. After robbing the locals, **Diatar** takes a local half-blooded boy under his wing and gives him aid and some life advice. **Shayel** (*Adrian*), the local lad, tells **Diatar** that this really isn't necessary, to which **Diatar** says "Freedom costs nothing except the blood of our captors," and then insists that they'll have to kill the Elysians that **Shayel** once knew. **Shayel** was in a bit of a pickle because these Elysians wanted him to follow a Virtue, which he didn't understand the point of. **Diatar** gets a little glass-eyed and reminiscences about his homeland and the people there that had also tried oppressing him. This bit is best explained by the golden dialogue written there, which is as follows:

```
The Elysian-Homini half-blood nodded fearfully. "They wanted me to follow a Virtue, but I never understood the point. I didn't understand-"

"Why they would force you into something like that," Levi finished. "You know, you and I are not all that different, my friend. My home tried to force me to bow to their ways. Hundreds of years ago, my best friend tried to turn me towards a path of rigidity and constraint. '''And you know what I did to him?"

"You... you..." Shayel trailed off.

"I did what I had to do. And now, you have to as well. If you want to follow the true Path, that is. The path of Anarchy." Levi straightened himself again. "That is what you want, right?"
```

With intent to free **Shayel** from his oppressors, **Diatar** steers him into Hadiqa, where he intends to pay **Shayel's** parents a visit.

Eventually, **Diatar** and **Shayel** visit the latter's parents, where **Shayel** demands his mother and father stop trying to bring him back home. The couple eventually agree and, satisfied, **Shayel** returns to the ship, leaving his hometown behind to burn. But as **Shayel** walks off, **Diatar** secretly returns to his old home, shooting and killing **Shayel**'s parents before following his partner back to *Rectitude's Lament*.

On the *Rectitude's Lament*, after a successful lay, **Leviathan** accidentally lets slip that he ended up murdering **Shayel**'s parents, to the latter's great distress. **Shayel** abandons him, jumping overboard and swimming to land to find a new path.

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It is 9:30 AM, which for **Namrael** (*Adrian*), Archangel of Humility, is daily meditation time. She's so thoroughly practiced that in a matter of minutes she's dissipated her form into mist. She speaks quietly to her Bonded, **Annalise Fortuna** (*Sal*), and teaches her tenets of Humility to meditate on. Also gently dissociating, **Annalise** appears to be at ease as she mediates with **Namrael**. It's clear she feels both safe and humbled by **Namrael**, and that they are on good terms.

After some time, **Namrael** remembers that **Sariel** is set to ask **Aquila** to become her new Bonded. She invites **Annalise** to come along with her and attend their Bonding ceremony.

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Far east in Jehiliath, the Archangel of Patience, **Emmanuel** (*Acheron*), visits children in an orphanage. As this is a regular practice of his, the orphaned children recognize him and are very glad to see him. A nursemaid calls them off and scolds them, to which **Emmanuel** steps in and asks her not to be cross, giving her a gift of sweet breads to soothe her mood. The nursemaid reminds him that the gesture is unnecessary, as she and her coworkers could easily make breakfast themselves without assistance, but **Emmanuel** insists she accept the gift all the same. He notes that is a beautiful day, and seems excited to take a swim.

**Emmanuel** wanders the city streets for a time before returning to the keep. There is a stack of papers on his desk awaiting his attention, but he chooses to ignore it for now, inclined instead to use the secret passageway behind his bookshelf to drop into a pool of water, prompting some wild shapeshifting as his legs fuse together and create a fin. **Emmanuel**, though he is Elysian, is also Piscian. He swims through an underground tunnel that takes him out to the ocean, where he spots the ship of his friend, **Alucard** (*Acheron*), the *Aequariel*.

**Alucard's** lazy morning with his beau, **Baol** (*Acheron*), is interrupted by a crash outside the boat. Both men don pants and take to the poop deck, where **Alucard** spots his crew pointing at something out in the water. They track with it for a short while before it disappears and then reappears on the opposite side of the deck, pulling itself up onto the deck. As soon as **Alucard** realizes who it is, he walks back to his cabin, upset that his sleep was disturbed for nothing. He tells **Emmanuel** that he'll deal with him and his antics after breakfast.

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**Katya Faun** (*Michael Deathflame*), an escaped Homini slave from Morgul, flees her captors on foot across a desert. She considers that perhaps she is hallucinating from the heat, but considers it irrelevant as she cannot change what she sees regardless if it is real or not. She has killed someone recently, and is momentarily upset with herself for bruising herself in the process, first because she thinks it's sloppy, and then because she fears that the messing-up was purposeful, an old habit of self-harm and evidence of her Despair. She counts her heartbeats to focus on instead, then begins to run and count her steps. The fear of being chased keeps her going despite her exhaustion and dehydration.

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Outside the walls of Spieti Hold, **Nereida Dorean** (*Captain Whitehawk*), meets with her captains to decide the best way to take the Hold. After declining sewer-invasion and taking the gate, **Nereida** says they'll be having lunch with Spieti's Lord instead. To lunch, **Nereida** has brought **Phaedra** (*Captain Whitehawk*), her second-in-command, and **Basil** (*Captain Whitehawk*), a really good lackey. **Lord Cato** (*Captain Whitehawk*), Lord of Spieti, is upset with **Nereida** for supposed negligence. Raiders are pillaging towns and stealing members of Spieti's Merchant Guild, the watchtowers have stopped sending border patrol reports, and Nebe's trains no longer deliver to Spieti. **Cato** tells **Nereida** to relinquish her forces to **Cato** or swear loyalty to Spieti's throne. Prefacing the first option, **Cato** accuses **Nereida** of treason, but promises her soldiers pardon once the trade of power is complete.

**Phaedra** confronts **Cato,** saying that the raiders are under **Cato's** command and the Merchant's Guild works for the raiders. In an aside, **Nereida** explains to the reader that **Phaedra's** father was killed during a caravan raid and that ever since she's had authority issues, *"...but really, she just likes things fair. Real fair. And someone like Cato, that's spit in her face."*  **Phaedra** continues her tirade, confirming that **Nereida's** forces retook the watchtowers from raiders, killed the raider's commander, and found **Cato's** commission on his person. **Phaedra** is rushed by **Cato's** guards, and she and **Basil** fight for a time before being pinned by the bodyguards. In the meantime, **Nereida** puts something between her thighs and cleans her hands of breadcrumbs.

**Cato** yells at **Basil** and **Phaedra** for a time before **Nereida** distracts him with talk of her resignation, saying she'll resign tomorrow. **Cato** says she'll resign today. Before he can force anything, a horn sounds outside, right before the hall's doors crash open. Emissaries from Nebe arrive, notably **Ashura** **Ferald** (*Captain Whitehawk*),son of Nebe's Lord, **Drusilla Ferald** (*Comrade Squid).* **Ashura** and **Nereida** seem excited to see each other, the former referring to **Nereida** as "Dux," which frightens **Cato**. (A "Dux" is a Homini military leader who, in a time of crisis, temporarily seizes control of all Homini resources and military forces to defeat a threat too big for an individual fief to deal with. While a Duxship can be defied or overthrown, by law of the land a Dux has more power than even the Council of Lords.)

**Cato** threatens **Nereida** and says that she'll never have Spieti's support as long as he lives. **Nereida** says, "sounds good," and shoots him with a pistol from beneath the table. She asks the guards to return **Phaedra** to her as she needs **Phaedra** to keep yelling at people for her.

After converting the city to the Dux banner, **Nereida** and **Phaedra** walk the keep. The latter is upset with the former for taking so long to kill **Cato**, saying **Nereida** was being unnecessarily dramatic. **Nereida** is confused, she thought **Phaedra** liked being scary and theatrical. **Phaedra** confirms this is true, but she's also upset with her role as **Nereida's** "pet monster." Not so good with her words, **Nereida** takes **Phaedra** aside to a dark corridor, where they make out for a time before **Phaedra** stops her, saying she's got a "prince" waiting for her.

> *"I wish I'd had the guts to kiss her in the light."*
>
>

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A Balum innkeeper named **Chou** (*zenmetsu*) struggles to say goodbye to a recent patron, **Ena** (*zenmetsu*). **Ena** had been staying in **Chou's** inn for weeks and, in that time, fostered a close bond. **Ena** is a scholar, and can read and write, hobbies and abilities that **Chou** is amazed by and longs for. As she reflects, **Chou** mourns the continual loss of people in her life, and as she stands to say goodbye to **Ena**, she is hard again by the suffering cycle she is caught in. They exchange goodbyes, and **Chou** watches from the inn's window as **Ena** leaves. Only when **Ena** can no longer be seen does **Chou** mourn the loss with tears.

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**Yang** (*zenmetsu*) a halfblood suffering from homophobia and racism, has a nightmare (of drowning) and then a fit of anxiety (from which he saves himself by careful breathing exercises). He cleans himself up and mentally prepares the day's to-do list, which is accompanied by several rules he keeps for himself, such as do not like boys, don't follow Vice, and don't be like your dad. He flirts with the old neighbor lady, who scolds him for being a rascal and reminds him to eat. He gives a cheeky reply, and is swatted away. **Yang** recalls the nightmare as he says goodbye, but dissuades his anxiety with reminder of his mother, whom he must visit.

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After murdering Sheolfolk in the woods of Elodiel fief with the Forgotten, **Oberiel** (*Comrade Squid*) returns to Zion to give his battalion a rest and hit the brothels. Rather than fuck, **Oberiel** much prefers to be listened to by the women he pays for company. **Maeve** (*Comrade Squid*), his lady-companion for the evening, grows concerned as she listens to him, finally declaring that he needs professional help. She suggests **Florizel** (*Lady Senbonzakura*) as a counselor, having personal experience with her therapeutic skills. **Oberiel** isn't certain it'll help, but agrees to go if **Maeve** thinks it'll be good for him.

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(This post is on page 6, 10/10 read for the humor.) Iskeria's Lord, **Porcius the Younger** (*Comrade Squid*) finds himself furiously distressed when his dinner is interrupted by a messenger reporting a recent attack. His dinner companions, **Drusilla Ferald** and **Tacticus Ferald** (*Comrade Squid*), the Lord and consort, respectively, of Nebe fief, are not as perturbed. **Drusilla** requests the messenger speak. The messenger reports that the missing Nebe caravan has been found in pieces, destroyed by **Behemoth** (*Comrade Squid*), a monster plaguing the land. **Porcius** is upset at the "insult", baffled by **Behemoth's** prodigious eating habits. The messenger clarifies that she's not just eating food, but also people. The guard-captain tells stories of **Behemoth** at **Tacticus'** request, notably the time **Behemoth** ate all his cohorts, prompting his promotion as captain due to lack of soldiers.

Seeing as how the caravan to Nebe contained needed steel and food from Iskeria, **Drusilla** is upset with **Porcius** for not solving the **Behemoth** problem. She wants **Porcius** to build a railway to Nebe, which Porcius refuses, saying that trade would be fine if goods could be transferred through the Spieti train network. **Drusilla** informs him that **Lord Cato** (*Captain Whitehawk*), ruler of Spieti, hates her family and would block trade, an obstacle that is refuted by a new messenger, who informs the party that **Cato** has been killed and replaced by the Dux, **Nereida Dorean** (*Captain Whitehawk*.)

**Tacticus** remembers the name, and through a series of hand gestures, reminds **Drusilla** that their son, **Ashura** (*Captain Whitehawk*), has mentioned **Nereida** before and is on good terms with her. **Drusilla** suggests to **Porcius** that if her son and the Dux were married, the issue of trade contracts between Spieti, Nebe, and Iskeria could be resolved. Supporting the Dux, she states, would skyrocket their influence on the Council of Lords. **Drusilla** thanks **Porcius** for dinner and says they must leave. They have a Dux to visit.

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A strange woman of dominating demeanor and disconcerting appearance (*Lady Senbonzakura*) appears in Balum, frightening the local populace into reporting to the city guards. Two guards on the hunt think at first that their search will be fruitless, until a sudden influx in interest guides them to a fountain, where an armored Elysian with patchy wings and braided blonde hair is cleaning her chest plate. The guards ask her if everything is alright. She says yes, then tells them that she's looking for someone, and gives a description that closely matches another character present in the RP. When one guard mistakenly refers to this mysterious person with he/him pronouns, the woman corrects him, saying, "It's 'them,' actually," but thanks him for his efforts. She tells the guards that if they see this person, to tell them that she misses them so, and then flies off.

This woman, **Imperiel**, is later found in the woods alone, eating deer meat under a tree. **Calista**, still fleeing, comes across her, and despite the Elysian's attempts to lure Calista to her, she continues to run. Imperiel eventually finds Calista in the brush, and tells her she can have the rest of the deer meat in turn for explaining to her what happened to Elysium. Calista mentions the Sundering, but Imperiel (having been dead) doesn't know what that is. Calista explains further, and though Imperiel doesn't believe her, she gives Calista the meat and lets her go.

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Somewhere in the Underdark lies Ahrimart, the current refuge of the Despair general **Molech** *(Fix-It)* and their bonded, **Z** *(Captain Whitehawk)*. While dwelling on the hopelessness of the other vices, fire spreads to the toy aisle where they rest and knocks a fidget spinner toy onto Molech's head. They angrily crush it with the weight of the body and lie down again.

The fidget spinner, now broken, reveals a voice chip that begins to recite the opening scene to Todd Howard's Skyrim. Molech is sent into a trance, seeing themself as a Khajiit Imperial for a brief moment. The remnants of the fidget spinner then explodes, burning their ear and face. Molech hardly cares about this and returns to their own thoughts, where they become obsessed with the prospect of eating cheese.

They dissociate so hard that they stop existing briefly, and they leave the physical realm with a whisper: "Damn you Stormcloaks."