World of Animals 2/Story Second Half

## Conservation Era

### Early

The Dragon's left resting. He's unaware of what's happening to him, or even if anyone knows what's happening to him. He tries to fight the pull of slumber, but his body isn't responding to any of his willing. He rests and rests, before eventually feeling the space around him tightening. It felt like the walls were closing in on him, the walls he wasn't even aware were there. He tried to bellow out for someone to come and find him. However, there's a loud snap, and the binding on him shattered!

He snapped awake at that moment, jolted out of his slumber. He's blinking out any lingering slumber to get a read on his current situation. He finds that he's currently sitting in what appears to be the shattered remnants of some sort of coffin. Well-trimmed wood forms a large prism that looked like it'd contain his younger self, though Demiurge himself is now bigger than that, standing two feet taller than before and with a wider shoulder span and gate, his horns having grown a few inches while his tail and wings are bigger and thicker.

Players are prompted to pick one of the classes available to them, before the scene continues. Demiurge can hear what sounds like a door opening up. He notices more of the room, now spying that he looks to be in some sort of cavern-like chamber, though the rear wall has cloth on it bearing the drawing of a draconic head, which he assumes to be of his younger form, based on the horns. He then turns towards where he heard the door, spying a route leading from into the chamber to what he assumed to be outside, though a wooden door is set up in place. Said door's opened up, allowing a lemur guy with a whip and a leather vest and pants to enter.

Demiurge's eyes widened as he spied the stranger, who closed the door behind him, before being startled by the appearance of the Dragon. He takes a few steps closer, Demiurge seeming to dig into his head to try and get a read on who this could be. He rears back, before suddenly lunging at the lemur, tackling him down while wrapping his claws around his neck. The lemur gasps out in alarm and smacks at his wrists, saying he's not here to hurt, he's not here to hurt! Hearing the more masculine tone of voice seemed to register to Demiurge that this lemur was not the same as the one that helped kill him.

He releases his grip, before panting and sitting back. The lemur gasps in as much air as he can while rubbing at his throat. He begins to climb up to his feet, saying that he was just checking the tomb when he heard a noise. He supposes that that must be the guy before him right now... he is a dragon, right? Demiurge takes a closer look at the lemur, getting a better read on his overall appearance, including the clothing that appears more advanced than the tunics he tended to see back in the day. Demiurge replies that he is, in fact, the Dragon. He gives his name, which seems to get the lemur's attention moreso.

He replies that if this is Demiurge... then this'll surely be something to put in the history books. Either way, the lemur decides to introduce himself to the Dragon, saying that he's **Derrik**, one of the beast masters of T'rere. Demiurge takes slight pause at the name he said. Demiurge asks how long he's been in that chamber, to which Derrik says that the tomb's existed as early as Deni, so at least 500 years? Demiurge supposes he should've figured, before asking what the lemur's going to do with him? Derrik says that he supposes that he should show him to the chief pronto. This is some very interesting news. He asks the Dragon to stay by his side, he'll escort the Dragon. Demiurge isn't quite sure about this, but supposes he doesn't have much other choice...

Demiurge woke up in a cavern on the mountain range near T'rere. Derrik's currently leading him down the path in the direction of the location of the last battle with the Monsters. However, on their way down, Demiurge raises his brow and sniffs at the air. He remarks that he smells something weird nearby. Derrik's confused, though cautiously reaches towards his whip as he asks the Dragon where it's coming from. Demiurge points in a direction, the edge of a nearby cliff. The lemur looks at the source, before widening his eyes.

He lashes at the ground near the edge, letting out a loud cracking noise that prompts a mountain lion hidden off the trail to leap in surprise, them stumbling down. Seeing that, Derrik says that the two of them have to go after it. Derrik's not allowed to kill off the ferals right now, so they should make sure it's alive. Demiurge asks why, that thing was probably gonna kill them. However, Derrik's already going off trail, and Demiurge follows after him. They careful travers the cliff-face, before arriving at a ledge the mountain lion's downed on, now bloodied and panting.

Derrik draws a restorative potion from his pouch and gets close to it, Derrik requesting Demiurge keeps close in case this thing feels ungrateful. Derrik gets close, Demiurge looking on uncertain. Then, he pours the drink onto the feline, its wounds suturing close. Then, it stands up, before swiping at the lemur, who's forced to dodge back! Like that, the two are forced to battle, and Derrik reminds Demiurge they mustn't kill this creature. Here, players learn a bit about what Derrik does, including some rather damaging elementals, a few damaging slashes, and a special skill that can let him charm ferals. Thankfully, the two of them are able to scare off the feline, who runs off. Derrik says that they got sidetracked, and now, they should get back to going to T'rere.

The duo soon makes it off of the mountain range and down towards the hill-y area Demiurge remembered. However, he wasn't expecting to see a settlement here. There's plenty of huts around the general area, a fairly large graveyard, as well as worn trails from where various people have walked. T'rere seems less like wildlands, and more like its own small city. Derrik leads the Dragon through, and they end up passing various other animal people of similar dress to the lemur. All sorts of citizens look at the Dragon in confusion, surprised at the existence of such a creature.

Derrik says that tale of the Dragon's been kept quiet to those outside of the chief's personal circle, but he promises that many will learn about "the immortal creature" once he confirms his existence to the chief. The Dragon remarks that he's not sure how he feels about being a secret, though the lemur says that this's been the way things were for a while. Ever since the Monsters were beaten, Deni's village liked to linger in the general vicinity of the Mountain Range so as to keep a close eye on the Dragon. Demiurge remarks that they've always been moving, were they really alright with just staying in one place? Derrik says that the chief should be able to bring him up to speed. Either way, it seems like the Dragon can only talk to the chief in order to proceed.

Either way, they head into a hut that has flags draw over either side of its doorway, said flags bearing the image of what seems to be the face of a wolverine, bearing their claws in front of them. Derrik leads the Dragon ahead of him, Demiurge hunching under the door and struggling to enter the building. Derrik enters behind him, and there, the Dragon notices the inside features well-crafted wood to create a sort of skeleton to the hut, this current section of the skeleton featuring a room with a large desk in it and a big doorway behind it, currently a buff tiger guy behind the desk with his arms crossed.

Derrik quickly explains to the tiger that the new creature is a guest of his, and he needs to meet with the chief. The tiger acknowledges with a nod, and steps aside to let the two of them through. The two progress forwards, and go through a hallway with various doors leading into other rooms. And at the very end of the hall is a more lavish room with more of those flags in it, and a fairly big chair in it that boasts a muscular panther lady with a scimitar at her hip, and numerous bones pinned to her like jewelry. Derrik steps out in front of Demiurge and takes a knee, acknowledging the lady as **Chief Miza**.

The panther nods to accept the decree, before turning towards the Dragon. She says that the Dragon's documentation has been passed from chief to chief, though they always described him as small. The Dragon says that he kind of grew, and Derrik assures that this is the same guy, he guarded the tomb and the Dragon appeared from within, introducing himself with the name of the lying creature. Miza strokes her chin and leans back in the chair, her saying that everything else matches, which means that the tales the Dragon spun once upon a time were true.

Demiurge says that he wants to know what's happened during his sleep, to which the calm and collected feline says that she should've expected as much of a reaction. She then stands up, before stepping towards a corner of the room, this one hosting several shelves with various documents on it. She searches through the lot of them, before pulling forth a few. She approaches the Dragon as she scans over them, saying that when the Dragon was slain, Deni had his beast tamer ally transfer him to the mountain range, where Demiurge was contained and left to linger in the hopefully unapproachable landscape.

Deni grew weary about the Dragon getting discovered, so he transferred the people to T'rere for easier access. During this time, they'd hunted to their hearts content, as easily as they had through the Monster Capital. However, local feral life grew less and less plentiful, and as that happened, scouts would have to scavenge farther and farther while the chief transferred powers to their next born. This process would repeat, and eventually, the chiefs would realize that certain scouts weren't coming back. Some were sent to investigate, only to be met with resistance, them branded as "trespassers". It turned out that as resources grew more limited, members of the chief's village splintered off to create settlements of their own, which means that they too would be hunting down ferals, which means less resources for themselves.

Miza looks up from the paper, and tells Demiurge that the local wildlife isn't doing well, and the villages nearby aren't making things easier. Hearing that, Demiurge asks her what she wishes of them, to which she replies that if T'rere is to survive, then they need food. And if they're going to get food, then they'll need to stave off opposing settlements. Demiurge's eyes widen and asks if she intends for them to harm other people, to which she replies that people like them have harmed plenty of poor people, and now people are starving because of it. For now, she's been having scouts try and sneak in whatever scraps of meat before other settlements could take them, but with this Dragon, they might actually have a chance of overcoming this hardship.

Miza looks at Demiurge and Derrik, and says that the two of them are tasked with heading northwest to pacify the settlement of **Gurah**. Derrik gives a bow and assures that they shall be dealt with, and Demiurge himself is fairly uncertain. Though, he ultimately follows Derrik's lead and bows. Miza says that she'll be at a distance to see the might of the Dragon with the naked eye. She requests that Demiurge not disappoint.

After that, Demiurge and Derrik are out of the chief's hut, the night starting to come down. Demiurge asks if the two of them will be safe on this mission, to which the lemur replies that whether it's safe or not, it's what the chief wishes. They're pretty tough people, though; they should be safe. For now, though, they'll have the night to make a few preparations for tomorrow. This is where players are able to buy more items (better healing, mp restoring, and battle items), better equipment, and accessories. Either way, the duo will simply have to go to Derrik's personal lodging, it next door to the chief hut and being a little smaller, boasting three rooms.

Derrik settles down in his own bed, and the Dragon's forced to lay down on one of the floors on account of his size difference. He grumbles and settles about, before resting. And as he does, a scene outside shows the Pale Dragon on the mountain range and looking out over T'rere. She remarks to herself that the poor thing seems to struggle with the new setting. She gives pause, before shaking her head and saying that for now, he'll have to pull himself through this. She can't quite influence the path he leads mortal kind, but says to the Dragon, regardless of if he can hear her or not, to be careful. The hard stuff's only just begun.

Augua 4th
At this point, the duo awake, and Derrik is already pushing the Dragon towards the northwest border of T'rere. Derrik tells the Dragon that they'll have to be careful, and says that if any ferals gets involved, then they shouldn't be afraid of utilizing his taming ability to their advantage. Demiurge understands, though ponders if they should stop for any allies. Derrik says that they'll determine that based on this trip out. And then, Demiurge realizes that if they will encounter ferals, then shouldn't they collect them and bring them back to the settlement? Derrik says that they weren't given explicit permission, so they'll have to keep them alive, though at the very least they can scare them away from the direction of other villages and instead send them towards T'rere.

With that said, the two step out, and head on the passageway to the northwest, leading them to the **Glimmering Forest**, the area thick with trees and brandishing autumn-colored leaves. The duo progresses through, finding a distinct lack of trail, though Derrik says that they just need to press on in the appropriate direction. He thinks that if they just keep going in the appropriate direction, then they should come upon something. And so, the group presses on, sure enough encountering various ferals of a decent level.

They continue on, until a cutscene plays. They two keep on moving, while a different camera angle shows someone far off with a bow. And then, they fire, plunging an arrow into the ground right in front of Demiurge's feet, prompting him to stop. He looks up and sees the bowman, who hops down from a tree. Said bowman is a lithe squirrel guy in a green outfit, who has a pair of wolves accompanying him as he approaches the two. The squirrel tells the two that they're trespassing, and orders them to leave the area. Derrik says that this is one of those Gurah men, and says that this is a good way of seeing how well trained they are. Hearing that, the squirrel asks if they seriously intend on resisting. Derrik prompts the Dragon, saying that they can step away, but that they'll have to deal with this guy sometime or later.

After confirming that they wish to challenge, the bowman says that they made a big mistake. And so, the group's made to fight the **Gurah Bowman**. It's a relatively tough fight, the Bowman utilizing various status effects to make it harder to hit him while he plugs away at their health. Thankfully, the presence of the ferals gives the party a slight advantage as Derrik's able to essentially fool the wolves into attacking each other and the Bowman. Either way, the group's eventually able to take care of that guy, though both parties are quite winded. The Bowman's racing away with a limp, while Derrik's forced to sit back and take a breath. He remarks that he's not doing too well.

Derrik says that they're pretty lucky that guy had ferals with him. That was just one of the guys they'll have to deal with. He remarks that they aren't prepared to deal with Gurah right now unfortunately, so they should pull back.

The duo's back in T'rere, the two panting. The Dragon asks what they're gonna do about those guys, to which Derrik replies that they simply need more man power. Derrik can hurt a lot, but he tends to be useless without ferals nearby, and he can't be certain if those guys will have more ferals or not. So, they should go for someone good at surviving a fight. Derrik says that he's all tired, so they should probably rest up and leave the search for one tomorrow.

Augua 5th
The next day comes, Demiurge finding the hut he's resting in empty. However, before he can contemplate further on this, the door opens, revealing Derrik entering. He says that he checked with Miza about the situation, and she said that she's currently still observing, and that she's got plenty of scouts out and searching for grub. However, she is having her tiger minion, **Grant**, convey the message to various members of the T'rere. She suspects that they should only use one other citizen on this mission, for many are in a bad state.

Demiurge supposes that that's the best they can do. So, he supposes they should set up shop and get a good look at each person. Derrik nods in affirmation, saying that they'll have to be attentive. So, they set out and into the chief's hut, positioned near the desk the tiger originally stood at. Grant approaches and says that they got a volunteer. Demiurge asks Grant why they can't join, to which Grant says that he has to make sure the chief stays safe. Then, Derrik speaks up and asks if Grant said **a** volunteer.

And then, in comes the lady running the equipment store. She's a rhino lady with a pickaxe at her side, and she tends to collect material herself to prepare the gear she sells. Demiurge asks if she'll be ok leaving her shop, to which she replies that she has a loyal friend keeping look at it. Besides, she can't gather material if she bottoms out the mineral veins nearby, and she can't investigate other veins unless they clear out those territorial other villagers. She introduces herself as **Manya**, and says that she'd love to fight with them.

Demiurge and Derrik glance to each other, before turning to Manya. Grant supposes that by default, she's a shoe-in, though Derrik supposes they'd better see how she performs. Manya then asks if they seriously doubt her, to which she flexes and says that these arms have torn through several feet of stone to get at her prize and come out with barely a scratch. Besides, it couldn't hurt to get to know the stranger in town a little more than as a customer. Demiurge apologizes for not conversing more. Manya says that that's no problem, and says that if they're so weary about her, then they can head out to Gurah today. Demiurge seems in support, as does Grant, and in the end, Derrik recognizes that he's outvoted. So, out they go.

The trio's out and in the field, heading to the Glimmering Forest and going through similar foes to before, Manya able to utilize her prowess to slow down enemies, and to bodily block blows directed at party members. Sure enough, the rhino's serving as one heck of an ally. It eventually culminates in them arriving at the same stopping place as before, the Bowman from before back in place and patched up.

He sees the oncoming foes, and goes to fire the next arrow. Demiurge remarks that this was where they encountered that Gurrah villager before, when Derrik looks up, and spies that foe from before. An arrow sails towards the lemur, when Manya rushes in and blocks the strike. With that, the Gurah Bowman comes down from the tree, his fellow ferals on either side of him. He again tells the group to get away, to which Derrik says that with Manya, they should wipe the floor with this guy. Hearing that, the Bowman asks if they're serious, before whipping his bow up and challenging them.

The fight's fairly similar to before, though Manya is able to take attacks in place of others, a very necessary skill considering her resistance to stabbing attacks, this resistance greatly reducing the Bowman's attacks. Sure enough, they're able to overwhelm the Bowman, who grunts and is forced back, though struggles to stand. His fellow ferals limp near him, and he limps. He says that he'll make sure the village is prepared for when the three of them arrive, before racing off! With that, the trio give pause, before Derrik remarks that Manya did amazing there.

Manya thanks him for the compliment, before saying that if they continue on, then they'll probably face more resistance. Still, with their combined forces, they should probably withstand whatever these guys have to throw at them. Derrik nods along, and says that they've spent a fair bit of time not acting. They'd better wrap this up fast.

Augua 5th - Augua 15th
With this, the group must traverse more of the Shimmering Forest in search of the village. The players will encounter ferals a little less frequently, though will find them accompanying scouts from Gurah. The group powers through them more and more, until eventually, huts can be seen, the arrangement somewhat similar to that of T'rere. Sure enough, this'd be the settlement of **Gurah**.

Demiurge remarks that this may be tricky. However, Derrik says that now they should be past the hard part. If Gurah is anything like T'rere, it'll keep its scouts a fair distance from the village while keeping some tough guards around the chief. He suspects that they should be able to get through quite a bit of the village before arriving at the chief's hut, where they intend to come to some sort of agreement that'll... benefit both parties. Manya then remarks that they don't got time to waste, and presses on.

Now, the party presses through the village, where they'll occasionally encounter spear-wielding guards, before eventually arriving at a hut built similarly to the chief's hut back in T'rere. There are a few more guards here, though players should be able to press through them and into the chief's hut. They press on in, soon arriving at the end of a hall, lined up against a mantis man, him being skinny and having a pair of sickles at his hips. He sees the three in his hut, and gives an annoyed sigh. Demiurge remarks to Derrik that this guy looks like a chief, to which he replies that this is **Chief Gur III**.

Gur III says that he's heard his men talk about T'rere folks breaching their lands. He wishes to know what they're doing here, to which Derrik replies that their settlement has been interfering with T'rere's supply lines. If their people are to live, then Gurah needs to either ease their hunts and territory laws, or it needs to absorb back into T'rere. Gur III says that their village too has been in a dire spot. He asks if the people on T'rere really thinks that they and they alone are suffering food shortages? Gurah's been struggling to keep up with the lesser resources, though Derrik brings up that they have far more ferals among their ranks than T'rere does. Manya also brings up that she saw some pretty hardy material among the guards, much better stuff than what T'rere has among them.

Gur III, however, says that it is then survival of the fittest. They were able to branch beyond T'rere, against the wishes of Deni, and are now able to survive. Then, Demiurge asks if that's really how they wish to live, splitting off from former friends and leaving them to die. Gur III says that it wasn't he who'd separated, but rather his forefathers. He has no attachment to T'rere, and he has his own people's safety to worry about. Demiurge can then ask "Even if that means harm to others?" or "You've no right so long as you harm others!" Hearing that, Gur III gives pause, before standing. He says that if the group insists on remaining, then he'll personally rip them out of his sight. He draws the sickles, and the fight with **Chief Gur III** begins.

It requires some tactical thinking from the party, especially as the foe wields the passive "Counter". Thankfully things should get easier when the boss summons in ferals that Derrik should be able to Charm. Through some careful thinking and planning, the party should tear through his HP and knock him to his knees. He pants and is prone, unable to lift either sickle. As he lays there, the party presses forwards, Manya telling him that it's over, time to surrender. Gur III leans up, still panting. He visibly pauses, as if trying to think of some way to get out of the mess he's in, though in the end says that he will open negotiations with the chief of T'rere. Hearing that, Derrik says that he's to leave any guards at the border of the settlement, to which Gur III sighs and says he will.

After that, the group doesn't need to do further with Gurah, and are free to simply laze about, do sidequests, or whatever to occupy their time. Come the deadline, and the plot progresses.

Augua 16th
On this day, Derrik says that Gur III should be arriving. He tells the Dragon that they should keep an eye on him, in case he tries anything. Demiurge agrees, and the two head out towards the border. Once there, they can see the mantis approaching, him flanked by the Bowman from before, and a bear man. When he sees the duo approach, he waves his guards back, and says that he'll have to respond to this issue personally. Derrik then leads him away from the guards, who look on with venom. As they go, Manya steps out of shop and tries to follow, though Derrik tells her this is business for the higher rungs of this settlement.

They enter Miza's hut, leading him past Grant and before the puma in her throne-room. Gur III is tense before her, and Miza mentions that those that approach her typically take a knee. Gur III rolls her eyes at this, though Derrik mentions that he doesn't have much room refusing. Hearing that, the mantis wearily takes a knee. As he does, Miza draws her scimitar and rises from her throne, walking around the bug as she fingers the blade.

She tells him that their village has been suffering for a long time. Many villagers have been caught passed out, many scouts injured, and many feeling hopeless. Gur III tries to say that he alone is not responsible for the land failing to bear fruit, before Miza stamps down between his shoulders and gets him more prone. She demands he be quiet while she speaks. She draws her foot from him and continues walking, before asking him if he knows how many have been buried, and asking if he knows how many youths will never see a better world. Gur III wearily says that he suffered this pain too, only for her to stamp down again, driving his whole body against the ground.

She tells him that there's no excuse trying to get her sympathy. T'rere could've been a nice and sustainable community, but people like him split off, and now multiple people are suffering, his own included. If he cared about them, he'd go through the effort of unifying them and allowing the resources to be spread amongst each of them. Gur III tries to get up, though Miza's foot keeps him in place. She then asks if he cares about his people, to which he pauses, but replies that he will go back on his protection. He'll have his men refrain from attacking the people of T'rere if they're ever on their territory.

Throughout this whole display, Demiurge can't help but feel slight worry. He can say that "You can get up" or "Yeah, sounds good". However, Miza says that that's not good enough. She says that, for one, he his to renounce his position of chief, and leave control of his men under her control. Gur III widens his eyes, and says that he can't agree to that. Miza then remarks that if he refuses to follow, then she reminds him that her men beat him once. Gur III gives pause again, though gives a hefty sigh. He swears that he'll give her all of his power. Miza nods, before stepping away from him and sitting on her throne, Gur III now lifting himself to his knees.

She then tells the mantis that he's not quite finished yet. When famine started to strike the village, they started to mark the burial spots of their dear friends, now beginning to put names to each. She says that for the damage he's done, he is to give some form of penance. Grant and Derrik will bring him to the graveyard, and he will be required to apologize to each and every one. Gur III says that that's just insulting, though Miza simply says that he has no right telling her what is or isn't right. Either way, the two animals aligned with Miza flank Gur III, and march off...

Miza and Demiurge are each side by side, watching from a distance as Grant and Derrik watch the mantis as he goes gravestone to gravestone, kneeling before each and bowing his head in penance. Demiurge then asks the lady if she had to go that hard. However, Miza asks if he can imagine how many youths she felt go limp. Ever since the village chose to secede into branches, everything's gone wrong. And now this bug is a prime example of it biting them as well. She says that for as much as they try to make themselves victims, they need to be taught the consequences of their actions.

Miza says that a stern hand needs to be dealt to keep the peace. If not for her words, then half of the village may very well be dead today. And through this, Gur III will learn how wrong he is, and he can spend the rest of his days finding some way to make up for the damage he's caused. And if not, then a harsh hand needs to remove the weed from the crop. She turns to Demiurge, and says that Gurah is only one of several problems. They'll have to branch out further to establish a safer society for all of them. She recommends he relax. For the future, she expects to look into Gurah to get a read on the kind of people they have there. Might serve well for claiming another settlement.

Either way, the day was rounding out, they should rest.

### Medium

Augua 17th
This day, Demiurge and Derrik are heading out towards the border of T'rere. As they do, Manya comes out to accompany them. Derrik tells her that they're on direct orders from the chief, though Manya says that after what she's done for the settlement, she's certain that she can do more. Besides, she needs to head out for more material. Derrik shrugs, and supposes that they should head out anyways. Players are able to fast travel to the location, or they can go through the Glimmering Woods again.

They soon arrive at Gurah, the tension currently being far less than before when the trio initially arrived, though they can still feel a slight bit of it. They stepped in, and would be greeted by a few disapproving stares. They'd even see that squirrel Bowman from before, Derrik remarking that he's been seeing him a lot more than he expected. The Bowman simply replies that since Gurah's been taken, his guard duty's been reduced. Derrik, however, replies that this is for the better. Their unification will all out of despair, be patient.

The Bowman seems unconvinced, though still steps back. The group continue walking through Gurah. Derrik says that he and Manya may as well search about random areas, and he leaves Demiurge to his own thing. Players are now able to act on their own to walk around.

* In the chief's hut, Gur III sits, though he's currently got the bear beside him. He's downtrodden, sitting dejectedly on his throne, though said throne's been torn up, rendering it only a stool. Seeing the Dragon appear, he says that he's done what he was asked already. Demiurge will notice that there's a lot less grace and sternness to his voice than before. Demiurge asks "What're you gonna do?" Gur III says that it doesn't really matter. From this day on, he's just a villager, and just as vulnerable as any other animal.
* In a more squarish-hut than others, there's a bunch of soft leaves laid about for others to lay on. In it is a flamingo lady with white feathers and a soft pink robe. She greets the Dragon, saying that she's the town's masseuse. When people were worried, they'd come to her and she'd work her magic on them. Demiurge remarks "You seem fairly chipper". She replies that she's quite used to keeping up her spirits. She says that she's a well respected member of the town for her service, so she usually gets some good benefits around here. She can't help but wonder how the change in powers will affect her business, though. She introduces herself as **Vala**.
* There's a hut with bunches of wood set around, brandishing benches on it that have all sorts of scraps of wood, metal, and other stuff on them. In there is a beetle guy, him looking at the Dragon. He says that he was tasked with preparing the weapons they have on field. His craft isn't very refined, but with the material they have around, they're able to get by. Demiurge can then say "You seem like you'll be quite handy". The beetle supposes that's true. He shrugs and says that he's **Mar**, by the way.

Either way, the group reconvenes. Derrik says that he made sure to spread the word. Gurah is now knowledgeable of what's going on, and they'll be ready to accept Miza as their leader. Manya remarks that she found a shop for constructing weaponry, and says that she should have an easier time finding material now. Demiurge then says that Miza said this was only one of several problems around T'rere. Derrik says that that's true. He suspects they'll be called to action sooner or later, but first she'll want to know the kind of people they talked to. Derrik remarks he hasn't noticed anyone other than Gur III's guards, though he doubts the lot of those guys will help. Demiurge supposes they'll have to think on it a little more.

Augua 18th
The next day opens. And when it does, Derrik says that Chief Miza has chosen to reach out to former chief Gur III. Demiurge asks what she's doing, to which he replies that she said "cooperating". He suspects that she may be getting more of a lay of the land from him, while also looking for recommendations from him on warriors. Demiurge asks what they're to do, to which he replies that he supposes that while she works, then they'll have to examine the people they'd investigated in combat, now that they have some free time. Demiurge asks if they can relax, though Derrik says in times like these, they don't have a lot of time to laze around.

Anyways, they oughta get Manya, and they should gather a few of the people from Gurah. And so, out the group goes...

Demiurge, Derrik, and Manya are each out in the Glimmering Forest, and before them are quite a few people. There's Vala and Mar from before, but they also see the squirrel bowman from before, and beside him is a frog lady with a boomerang at her side. And then there's a deer guy with a spear strapped to his back, and a rhino guy with a pickaxe. Demiurge introduces Vala and Mar respectively, Derrik introduces the bowman and boomerang lady as **Akfa** and **Cera**. Manya, meanwhile, introduces the deer as **Sumul**, and the rhino as **Erna**, though she has a noticeable bit of venom towards his name. Said rhino, meanwhile, looks a little uncomfortable before her, Demiurge not failing to notice their brief interaction.

Either way, Derrik says that the six of them have been picked out for a shared purpose: to see who's fit to be among their ranks. Mar says that he's not really interested, and Akfa says he doesn't want a part of what the three of them are after. However, Derrik says that work is mandatory among the people of either settlement. If the appropriate people don't pitch in when they're requested, they could look at a lot of chaos for any of them. The six of them were chosen, and now depending on how they're doing, a few of them might be selected into the special forces.

Akfa grimaces and sulks back, though Vala says that if this is for the good of their community, then she supposes it's for the best. Either way, Cera asks what the six of them are to do here, to which Derrik says that he's still, sort of, organizing. Akfa gives a slight snicker at his clear naivete, prompting a pout from the lemur. As if spurred on by his teasing, Derrik decides on what should be a good show of strength: seeing the six of them perform against each other. Demiurge asks if he's being serious, to which he assures that Akfa clearly wants fast results, and what faster result is there than this? The squirrel seems uncertain, as do several of the other animals there. Derrik then speaks up again, remarking that he gave his answer, so this is what they ought to be doing now. The six snap up, before beginning to mobilize.

Meanwhile, the three of them are sitting back and watching as the six battle. Akfa is seen scaling the trees to try and get a vantage strike on the many others, while Cera would utilize her agility and boomerang to whip through various foes. Mar appears to be scrounging for whatever he can find, while Vala hangs back and seems to meditate. Sumul can be seen ramming Erna, though he uses his pickaxe to try and block him. And all the while, the group watches, each glancing between each animal to try and personally decide who might be their next teammate. Demiurge can't help but keep an eye on Vala, while Derrik personally hopes not to get that bowman, not because he's bad, but because he's sure he'll just cause trouble.

After a bit, Demiurge notices Vala step up, before she lunges towards Mar to deliver a powerful finger-tipped punch, jabbing at a spot at him that seemed to lock up his arm. She then quickly weaves behind him, before delivering another stab strike, locking up his leg. Then, with a kick, she knocks the beetle down. She takes an arrow to the side, though she weaves towards cover to work the arrow out while she massaged the pained area. Meanwhile, the rhino man would shoulder ram the tree the bowman was on, who was knocked down. Seeing the turn of events, the three party members were suddenly a little more invested, particularly in the flamingo.

The fight continued, the flamingo seeming to've completely healed off her wound with her hand movements, and going on to deliver precise strikes. The process repeated, until she eventually downed the rest of the foes. They didn't look like they lost their stamina, but instead, they seemed unable to move. With them down, she'd give a sigh before standing before the group. Manya remarks that she did outstanding there, each of them clapping in response.

The three stand up near Vala, Derrik telling her that she's performed admirably compared to the rest of the group. And for that, he says that her aid will be more than instrumental in the special group's further efforts. Demiurge, however, can't help but ask how this'll affect her business. She replies that the people home might have to wait a little, but she usually keeps up normal reservations, and as such will simply be unable to act with the group on one of her days. Hearing that, Derrik says that they may have to review her schedule with Chief Miza, but for now, they should head home and report the news. They also recommend Vala comes with.

With that, the four leave, soon arriving back at T'rere, just in time for Chief Miza to've come back from her meeting. The four head into Miza's hut, and they kneel before her, Vala following with slight delay. Derrik says that this flamingo lady has performed fantastically, and they think that they should recruit her. Miza asks her a bit about herself, to which Vala says that she's a masseuse back in Gurah that alleviates the stress of those there. Hearing that, the panther furrows her brow before asking if Derrik's quite certain. Demiurge assures that she did really well, they personally saw her.

She explains that she's gotten to know the body really well and knows how to strike them where it hurts and how to hit a body back into working well. Miza furrows her brow again before leaning back in her throne, saying that the best she supposes they can do is to see her out in the field. Derrik nods in affirmation, and Demiurge asks what she learned in her meeting. The chief says that she'd spoken with Gur III about the nearby settlements in hopes of getting to know their perspective on who they should go after. She said that after some consideration, she now knows a little more about how the western settlement, **Hafa**.

That settlement bears quite a few larger ferals, the likes of which several scouts rode upon. Those creatures tend to be able to act with more frequency than the people they've already encountered, so they'll have to keep their wits about. Derrik assures that they shall take down the enemy forces, though Miza says that some more observation will be required. She'll have a few well trained men observe the area to try and determine who they're dealing with, but the four of them will be expected to act at a moment's notice. She then dismisses them, and with a nod, they each leave... except form Demiurge.

Seeing him stay behind, Miza asks him what's on his mind. Demiurge says that today, they were just tasked with tugging someone out of their usual business to put their lives on the line. Miza says that any and all hands are required to keep their home running. Gurah helped, but their lands don't offer a lot of sustenance for them. But with this next settlement, they suspect that they'll have a hell of a banquet. She says that their people needs this to survive, and any extra hands will be all the more necessary for it.

Augua 19th - Augua 22
This morning, the four of them are free to do whatever. At the start of the morning, Vala submits a paper with dates that she works on, which Derrik quickly transfers over to Grant. During this period, the lot of them are able to do whatever, which means performing more sidequests, or indulging in a couple new pass times:

* **Crafting**, a service offered by Mar, which allows them to combine weapons/armor the party collected and combine them together to hopefully get better stats or to absorb whatever skill is attached to one of the weapons/armor
* **Toy Shop**, a service offered by Sumul, players can go here to collect vanity items with which they can decorate their room with
* **Eavesdrop**, a service (unofficially) offered by Akfa, Cera, and Sumul. Players can near the scouts of Gurah and listen in on them, learning of a few key areas in the overworld they can go to, where they can probably find interesting creatures or gear that could help them

Augua 23rd - Septmi 1st
On this day, Demiurge and Derrik wake up, only for Grant to tell Derrik the next course of action. He tells the two that Miza says that they need to head out now, to Hafa. Hearing that, Derrik supposes that it's time to group up the cavalry. With that, the lemur and the dragon decide to head out, intent on finding Manya and Vala.

With the group together, they decide to head west, opting to go in from the Gurah side, which means going southwest from there to get on the more appropriate western trail. Going this way will lead players out and into the **Lake Hafa Region**. This region largely consists of plains with sparse ferals about, though there are some feral rhinos, feral bears, and other such that are being ridden by scoutsmen. Upon arriving, Derrik reminds the group of the mission: make it to Hafa, and don't kill the ferals. According to the information gathered by scouts, the settlement should be towards the other side of the lake, so they should stick near the bank.

With that recommendation, the group presses on, dealing with the creatures nearby, as well as occasional surprise attacks straight from the lake. They press on, before eventually being cut off half way to their destination. Once there, they approach a river heading southwards, there being a bridge between them and the way forwards. They go to cross it, only for someone to stop them on the other side. This is a lizard woman sitting on a saddled rhino. Seeing the trespassers, she holds her spear aloft, demanding they halt.

Vala says that they're sent hear by orders of their chief to establish some sort of connection between their settlements. They're suffering back home, and they say that Hafa's cooperation will be instrumental in everyone's prosperity. The lizard, however, says that she doesn't care where she's from, Hafa's not accepting any outsiders right now. Manya remarks that this girl doesn't appear willing to go down without a fight. After confirmation on the player's part, the group battles the **Bridge Guard**. Hers is a fight that relies on her being really strong and hitting a lot, which means players should utilize defensive techniques and Vala's ability to paralyze foes shortly. It's a little tricky, though, on account of the enemy's ability to first use the rhino to attack, and for the lizard to use her own skills.

It's a little tricky, but players should be able to overpower this foe soon. With that, the bridge guard is left panting, limp over her rhino. She groans and says that she can't let her people be beaten. She quickly smacks the rhino's rear, prompting it into action! At that, it begins wildly stamping about, smashing down at the bridge. It quakes with each hit, and as it wobbles, Derrik says that they have to run! They each race off, just in time to avoid the bridge falling under them. They pant and pant, Derrik saying that that's very annoying. Manya, however, says that they should probably follow the lake, maybe they'll find another path across, or maybe some shallower waters.

The player progresses further and further, following along the edge of the river. Forwards they go, until eventually coming towards some trees a few north from the southern edge of the map. When there, Manya checks the trees, looking at one that's wider than her shoulder span. She remarks that they could probably use one of these to cross. Derrik says that they don't have very good tools for this, and trying to find a woodcutter could just lead to a longer period of searching and questioning citizens. However, Vala steps forwards and assures that she thinks she can manage something.

She approaches the tree they're looking at, before softly planting her knuckles against it. She adjusts her stance and holds the pose, before slowly bringing her arm back. Then, she swiftly chops it forwards, managing to crack the trunk and send the thing toppling down, creating a makeshift bridge between this edge of the river and the other. The party's shocked by the display, and Vala steps back towards their side. She says that she had to work through a lot of tough hides in her work. Either way, they found their route forwards.

With that, the group's free to step over this southwards river, and thus free to continue on the route towards Hafa. Here, they have to push through more ferals, more soldiers, and very rarely mounts, the likes of which the rider can act and the mount can act. But they're still more than able to progress, arriving at the front gates of Hafa, it seeming to have scaffolding reaching out past the water, creating several dock-like structures. The front gate has a trio guarding it. One's an anteater with a long string of beads, one's a boar with a large, pike-like stake, and riding on top of a bear was a jaguar lady with a large club. Seeing the oncoming party, she raises her club and points it at them, commanding them to halt. Seeing them, Derrik says that they're here to establish cooperation among the settlements, and as such, would seek to establish one such with these people. The lady on the bear declares that she heard talk of them galivanting through these plains, and already know that they bring chaos.

Hearing that, Manya remarks that it sounds like combat's inevitable. They won't challenge until Demiurge gives the "ok", at which they challenge the **Gate Guards**. The jaguar deals quite a bit of damage, the boar tends to direct blows more towards themselves than others, and the anteater uses support magic. It's a fairly normal match up, and players should rely on techniques intended to undo buffs as well as status ailments, so as to try and stop the boar's movements. But through smart play, the group should be able to overwhelm the party, thus forcing them to flee from the group and racing into Hafa itself, leaving the settlement nice and open to the party.

Said settlement is partially on land, though features docks out into the water, which forms more town that are suspended over the water upon thick wood pillars. Many of the villagers have clearly worked towards sealing themselves off into the various houses, while many guards are around. Players have to work through them and get further into Hafa. Through more and more, they eventually find one wooden cabin with some fancy decorations on it that remind the group of Miza's, Vala warning the group that a powerful foe awaits them ahead. After confirmation, the group presses on. However, as they approach, the carriage-sized door opens up, letting someone out.

Out comes, riding upon a feral hippo, a muscular horse lady with a spear in her hands. She spies the group, and says that they heard about the invaders. She's been preparing herself for this moment for a while now. She doesn't intend to keel over while trespassers threaten her way of life. Derrik says that her selfish actions are the ones threatening people, and Vala (if she's available) says that Gurah's been suffering because of Hafa's hoarding. She says that for everyone, she will take her down! Either way, the horse chief scoffs and says that it doesn't matter what happens elsewhere. They've been able to grow without anyone else, and they won't need anyone else in their lives, especially if they're acting like this! With that, the fight against **Chief Bailey** starts.

Bailey's claim to fame is her ability to improve her defenses, and her hippo's multi-targeting Smash attacks. Said hippo tends to perform their multi-target smash after Bailey uses high-level water magic, which is unfortunately useful for this boss, because her high water magic has a low chance to freeze party members, making the Smash deal more damage on frozen foes. After bringing them down to half health, combat suddenly halts as Bailey's mount backs up, before suddenly leaping into the water. Seeing her flee, Derrik looks over and asks where they've gone, to which Manya points out that she's moving elsewhere! The creature makes it to another dock, before climbing up, Derrik noting that none of them have a good chance of hitting her right now, though the enemy points out that she's plenty capable herself.

At this point in the fight, players are forced to battle Bailey at range, though it's more difficult than before. Neither party can use normal attacks or physical skills, which thankfully means that the hippo won't Smash anymore. However, now the horse and hippo utilize their magical attacks more often and the party's forced to use magic attacks. It's a somewhat arduous fight, and once she's down to about a quarter of her health, Bailey groans in annoyance before slamming the butt of her spear on the ground. She hollers for her guards, who pool out on the docks she's at. Then, her hippo swims through the water to get before the group, where she intends to finish them with some good old fashioned grit. And now, players are forced to contend with both her old moveset, and the magical attacks and buffing/debuffing from the guards far off. But, as long as players choose their targets wisely, they should be able to down the ranged forces, and also overwhelm Bailey, her hippo falling down as she slumps over.

With that, the two are left panting, her spear having falling to the docks while she tries desperately to lift herself. Meanwhile, the group approaches her, Derrik saying that there's no use resisting anymore. They've taken down the hardest of their forces and now fought through her "brilliant" strategy. She pants and pants, but eventually relents. She says that she will lessen the strictness of her patrol, before Derrik says that they'll need to speak with Miza about the terms of their surrender. Hearing that, Bailey asks if they seriously intend to have her tread upon an enemy settlement, though Manya points out that they beat them once, they can do it again. Bailey pauses at that, before sighing and says she will be at T'rere come Septmi 2nd.

Septmi 2nd
This day, Demiurge, Derrik, and Manya are out to look westward, awaiting Hailey's arrival. As they do, Miza steps out of her hut herself, Grant trailing close behind and eyeing her wearily. Derrik asks what she's doing out here, to which she says that she requires a bit of space for negotiation. Demiurge then asks "We need cooperation" or "A fight won't help things". Either way, Miza says that she knows what she's doing. Either way, she steps past the gates, Demiurge and Manya try to step forwards, but Derrik motions them to stay. They keep on watching, watching as Miza steps out, the figure of Hailey on her hippo stepping out into view. She rides in, and the two chiefs soon meet a fair distance outside of T'rere's buildings.

Hailey says that Miza's men did a lot of damage to her friends, while the panther looks over the other chief. Hailey demands that the panther speaks up and answers. Miza keeps a cold stare and simply approaches, her saying that she did what was necessary for her people, and that Hailey's people happened to be in the way of their well being. However, it appears that Hailey has the opportunity to fix her wrongdoing. Hearing that, Hailey says that Miza needs to put something down if she's to accept any of this! Miza glowers at her, and says that she'll either comply, or face sheer destruction.

Hailey takes this as a threat, before kicking her hippo's hips to trigger it to action. It rears back, before sending forth one of those water spells the party had to deal with. As it approaches, Miza reaches down to her side, before flashing her scimitar out, reducing the spell to droplets and flecks of ice. Startled, Hailey and her hippo send more water blasts, a few striking Miza though she slashes more of them, her slowly advancing. As she does, Hailey decides she can't keep doing chip damage, and opts to charge, her hippo racing towards Miza while she raises the spearhead towards the panther.

Seeing her approach, the panther threw her scimitar to the ground, stabbing it into the soil and leaving her unarmed. She goes forwards to meet the chief, before she ducks down under the spear, her going to wrap her arms around the hippo's neck. She takes the brunt of the charge and is forced to dig her feet in to slow down, though Hailey seems certain that she can't handle this. She raises her spear up to try and stab her, only to wobble as the hippo's charging motion is halted. Miza's reached down more and more such that she's stretched one arm under the mount's stomach and another around her neck. She heaves and lifts up, managing to raise the massive animal over her shoulders.

The party's stunned, even Derrik surprised. She simply holds the pair overhead while Hailey is stunned. Then, with a heave, she tosses them to the side, them hurtling through the air such that the hippo ends up crushing Hailey's right leg under their side. The horse lets out a scream of pain, herself frozen in shock. While they're left like that, Miza walks over to her left behind scimitar, which she plucks from the ground, and then walks over to the duo. As she approaches, she points out that there are people starving, meanwhile the people of Hafa have been hoarding them like shiny rocks, not even bothering to eat them apparently.

Miza's soon near the fallen pair, at which Hailey makes one last desperate stab towards Miza. However, she catches the spear in her hand, and snaps the spearhead off. She says that for them to properly apologize, they'll have to give up some of their stock. Hailey's clearly alarmed, worried about her insinuation. Miza says that what she offers is a fine start, but they'll require so much more. She the kneels down and angles her sword towards the hippo's underbelly. Hailey, meanwhile, can feel the creature seize up upon contact, while hearing the blade glide through it. It's squirming, Hailey pitifully beats against the ground and the creature's back in some futile attempt to make this stop, but she can still hear the cutting noise and feel the hippo's dying struggles.

Eventually, it stops, and Hailey can see the light in its eyes faded. Miza lifts the creature up just enough for Hailey to crawl away, though not before the horse notices a strip of still dripping meat in the panther's hand. She remarks that this looks like cause for a hell of a feast, before saying that she won't get rid of all of those mangey ferals. However, she expects them to send a good majority of them, else she'll see to it that all of those creatures will go to "better use". And, of course, Hafa will be under the control of T'rere, and by the time the ferals have been picked, she'll be stripped of any and all authority. Hailey can only struggle to her feet, using the spear like a cane, and limp away, unable to look away for extended periods of time at her mount.

The three onlooking party members, meanwhile, are mortified, even Grant. Miza, meanwhile, sheathes her sword, picks up the hippo, and marches onto T'rere. There, she tells Derrik to prepare a feast for tonight. Demiurge, however, stops her. He can say "That was too cruel" or "Was that all necessary?" To the former, Miza says that a firm hand is needed for the survival of the settlement, she's already said this. To the latter, she says that everything she's done was for the ensured subservience of Hafa, them not being so weak as Gurah. Either way, she says that each of these foes consider themselves alphas in their own right, and if nature's shown anything, it's that an alpha needs to show strength to keep control. She just so happened to cull the lessers, and now they're falling in line with their tails between their legs. Besides, this way a lot of people that need it will be fed.

The chief then says that they should tell Gurah that food is coming, so they should show they deserve some of it. Miza continues stepping to her hut, leaving the three party members and grant to merely look on. Manya said that that was... astounding... Derrik says that she understands keeping the people alive, but being the kind of guy he is, he can understand the bond between person and feral. Not to mention hurting someone that badly... Grant says that Miza believes extreme measures are needed to keep people in line, and he wouldn't be surprised if Hailey never attempted anything after that kind of a punishment. Demiurge can then say "We could've done something else" or "Maybe... maybe..."

Either way, there's a pause, and Grant says that he'll have to report back to Miza. In the meantime, the group should probably check in on Gurah and spread the word, just be careful about what details they bring up. The trio nod, and Grant heads back to the hut. Manya says that she doesn't think she wants to be a part of this, and opts to leave the group to keep on working. Meanwhile, Derrik turns to Demiurge, and asks if he's going to stay. Demiurge shakes his head, and says he'll accompany.

Elsewhere, towards the east, a lithe black cat with a set of sharp needles in a pouch at his hip looks on, staring through what seem to be a set of binoculars. He appears to've been watching T'rere curiously, having now seen Miza in action. He'd also seen a few of the members clearly shaken by her actions. He watches them head outwards in the direction of Gurah. As they do, he searches his satchel for other clothing...

### Penultimate

Demiurge and Derrik have left T'rere and stand in Gurah, the many residents wandering around, and Gur III's hut appears to be stripped of its decoration. The duo arrive at the front gates, and seem somber. There's a palpable pause, before Derrik says that he'll cover the commoners, while Demiurge should probably consult with the scouts. Demiurge nods, and the two split. Now, players take control of Demiurge through this section, where he's supposed to talk to Sumul, Akfa, and Cera.

* Sumul - When he approaches Sumul, Demiurge tells him that Miza will extend food to them, as long as they earn her favor. Hearing that, Sumul sounds kinda happy. He assures that he'll do all of her favors no matter what! He'll even transfer to T'rere if they wish!
* Akfa - When he approaches Akfa, Demiurge tells him that Miza will extend food to them, as long as they earn her favor. Hearing that, the bowman says that he hates how she acts like she's doing them a favor. Still, he supposes he should do well for them, for Gurah's sake.
* Cera - When he approaches Cera, Demiurge tells her that Miza will extend food to them, as long as they earn her favor. Hearing that, she says that she'll do whatever it takes to get her people the food. She also says that the group should peddle any jobs to them, and she'll personally pass word to other scouts.

After that, Demiurge starts heading back to where he last saw Derrik, and happens to pass by a chinchilla lady who motions him to follow. She asks the Dragon if he's happy with his lot in life right now. Demiurge asks what she means, and she replies that not a lot of people would be happy carrying out such a cruel will. Then again, not many would be able to free themselves from such a will. The Dragon's a powerful individual, isn't he? She says he should keep an eye out in the future. He and only he can make the change he wishes. And with that, she continues forwards, leaving Demiurge confused, and thinking he should follow her.

Before he can, though, Derrik calls for him. The Dragon turns to the lemur, the latter saying he'd told many men, including Vala. He thinks that word should spread far through Gurah now. Demiurge says that he spoke with the scouts, so they should be able to transfer info. With that, Derrik says that they should continue forwards and report back to Miza. The Dragon follows, though peers back curiously. As he does, the two step past Vala's shop, where Demiurge notices the chinchilla from before, except she appears to be in the middle of a line for the shop. Demiurge gives pause at that, though Derrik continues them forwards.

They walk along Glimmering Woods, a noticeable silence among the two of them as they progress. As they do, Demiurge brings himself to ask Derrik why he serves Miza. At that, he replies that ever since Deni, his forefathers and foremothers had bred to be among the best animal tamers they could be, and always in T'rere. He supposes that ever since he remembered, he hasn't had much perspective on anything outside.

Demiurge says he's getting perspective now, does that change anything? Derrik then points out that Miza's not kind to those that go behind her back. If she were to catch him doing anything untoward to T'rere, there's no telling what she can do to him. As long as he keeps on this path, people might get hurt, but ultimately, a lot more people will live better. Demiurge says that servants like him and himself are part of her threat, which prompts a pause from Derrik. He says that they shouldn't talk about this when they get this close to T'rere. Maybe the ceremony will lift spirits.

Later that day, Miza's set up a feast at her own facility, where Demiurge, Derrik, Manya, Grant, and other scouts are invited. There, hippo meat is being served, much of the attendees looking on weary while the other scouts are happily digging in. The feast goes on, when players are given the chance to either "Eat" or "Excuse self". To the former, he takes a few bites from the meat with a bit of apprehension, while Miza is very eagerly snacking, Grant trying to match her pace. To the latter, Demiurge sets his silverware down, and backs away from the table, a few men eyeing him before going back to their meals.

Either way, the feast keeps on, when Derrik asks what they'll be doing after this. Miza says that this meal cannot last forever. They'll need more food, which means they'll be gathering plenty from Hafa soon. She says that they should collect in seven days, and that in the meantime, they'll be seeing how well each group's willing to behave. Manya asks what'll determine which gets chosen to be eaten. Miza says that they can agree on which mounts get sent, or T'rere can choose. Either way, they'll have to provide a sufficient amount.

The countdown won't start until tomorrow, and she'll have them explain the circumstances to them. Then, it'll be up to them. In the meantime, she has her own thoughts on which settlement should be dealt with, but she'll say it tomorrow. Derrik and Manya seem to understand, while Demiurge sits/stands there.

Septmi 3rd
On this day, the usual party's tasked with heading towards Hafa, though before they go, the group decides to pick up Vala. Demiurge says that they need someone to help them get into higher spirits, plus she doesn't currently know about what's going on. The flamingo's been briefed on the situation, from Hafa's submission to the cruel display Miza put on. She asks them if they're really ok with that, when Manya brings up that a lot of people are hungry. If they don't go for this, then a lot of people could die, unfortunately. Vala doesn't look comfortable with this, but will stand by the current group.

Sure enough, they soon arrive at Hafa, where many of the citizens clearly appear worried. They see the lizard guard from before holding onto her rhino as if it'd be snatched away in an instant, there's the jaguar lady standing between the party and her horse, and plenty of other mounts. As they stand, Demiurge remarks that he can't handle this. Derrik says that the four of them should be able to handle this anyways. Demiurge splits from the group as they do their announcement, and walks out towards one of the rivers nearby, sitting down at it and looking into the rapids.

As he sits, the strange chinchilla from before can be seen approaching from the other side of the river, sitting essentially at the other side of it. Seeing them, the Dragon raises a brow and remarks they're pretty far from Gurah. The chinchilla, however, seems to ignore that remark. They say that if Demiurge is still uncertain, there's a place he can go to to learn more about his options. They say that he should cross the mountain range, though that he should come alone. Demiurge asks why he should trust them, to which they reply they can't prove they mean no ill harm, but will show him they intend only a a window to a better life, though they hope it can become a doorway.

With that, the chinchilla leaves. Demiurge is curious, and turns towards where he left the party. However, he gets up, gives his wings a few test flaps, before using them to toss him across the river. And then, he decides to head towards the mountain range this adventure started on...

Players are hereby tasked with progressing through the mountain range, now actually able to go towards the southern edge, out towards the original spot of Deni's village. As he progresses, however, he hears some footsteps nearby. Demiurge turns towards the source, spying a very weathered-looking ox, bearing a broken horn and scars. It huffs as it sees Demiurge and seems ready to rear back. The Dragon seems to be gearing up for battle, when another set of feet appear from nearby.

Demiurge turns, when he sees the chinchilla from before. The ox is still charging at the Dragon, when the chinchilla leaps high up into the air, before tossing a set of needles down to strike at the territorial foe, who's forced to rear back from the blow as the stranger lands behind it. Demiurge asks the stranger just who they are, to which they say that they can't be totally honest, but if they're to survive this fight, then they'll expose one thing about themselves. They reach for their clothing, before suddenly whipping it upwards. Now, unveiled is a lithe cat with bunches of pouches around him. Demiurge's perplexed by the sudden appearance change, to which the strange cat says that he'll explain later. For now, they fight. With that, Demiurge and the Stranger battle the **Battle Hardened Ox**.

During this fight, the cat reveals that he's a **Camouflager**, meaning he knows about not just blending in with people, but also with blending in with the environment. During this, not only is he capable of stabbing damage with his needles, but he also has the ability to hide either himself or Demiurge from the foe's attacks, making them immune to targeting for a turn. With his assistance, players should be able to overwhelm the Ox, forcing it to flee. With that, the cat pockets his needles, and says that they dealt with that handily, didn't they?

Demiurge asks who he is, to which the cat says they'll have to continue forwards for some details. And so, the Dragon presses on, following behind the cat as they reach the end of the Mountain Range, where they then have to go east from where the old village was, opposite from the former Monster Capital. They approach, soon finding a gate with a pair of armadillo guards wielding spears on either side. Seeing the cat with the Dragon, they nod in some sort of silent conversation, before stepping aside. The cat leads him further in, where he introduces Demiurge to the settlement of **Nokut**, a settlement that's got a large canopy hanging overhead and fairly small buildings with various people of various kinds of lifestyles.

He says that this settlement allows those in it the chance to be great, and the chance to achieve the greatest life to their ability. The cat introduces himself as **Amak**, and says he's one of the top workers here. Here, those born in can laze about, and choose to do certain tasks, and in reward, get fed for their service. This system doesn't require their higher ups to enact atrocities like Miza does, while keeping those that wish it fed. Hearing that, Demiurge asks what about thsoe that don't work for it. Amak says that they can't just dole out food to any random, else everyone will eventually either suffer, or they'll be stuck turning into something like Miza.

Amak swears that if Demiurge chooses, then he can come here and no longer have to perpetrate the atrocities Miza performs. And if he wishes, he can bring his friends along. Hearing that, the Dragon clearly still seems unconvinced. Amak says that he clearely needs time to think. He's free to, but he needs to realize that if he waits to gather his thoughts too long, his opportunity will leave him in the dust.

Demiurge returns home, where Derrik and Vala are each out at T'rere's front gate, waiting for him. They ask where he's gone, to which he replies that he's been clearing his head. Vala then says that she can work some of that stress out if he wishes, and Demiurge seems ready to wave it off, though says that he'd like to accept it. She says that she can set one up tomorrow, and that she'll be expecting him tomorrow.

Septmi 4th
Demiurge and Derrik are both walking, Grant actually trailing behind. The Dragon asks what he's doing, to which he replies that Miza says that come the feast, she'll want them prepared for the next mission. Miza said that their next mission will likely be their toughest one yet. They'll head eastward to engage **Hullo**, a settlement that's set itself up to be thoroughly fortified from external attacks. Demiurge shrugs and keeps on pressing forwards, saying that he'll deal with that when the time comes.

They keep on walking, before eventually arriving at Gurah, where the Dragon approaches Vala's building. It takes some scrunching up on the Dragon's part, but he's able to lay himself down at the floor of the location, before the flamingo climbs over him and begins getting to work. She has to put in notable effort, what with his scaly hide and what not. She asks him to talk a little if he wishes; some of the tension lies deeper than the muscles she can reach. Demiurge says that she wouldn't quite understand, though she assures that he should trust in her.

He then talks about his journey from the beginning, and after that, Vala's startled. She says that she hasn't heard a tale like that before. Demiurge says that he just wants a good world, and now this all happened. She then says that he can't have known what'd happened when he chose. She says that if there's something she's learned about those that go through here, it's that the best anyone can really do is learn from the mistakes they made the first time, and try to get better for it. Demiurge supposes that's true, but he says he's not sure how much better he can do now. Vala says that everyone will just have to be attentive to stuff like that.

They wrap up, and Vala says that he can come by if he ever wishes, do remember that. He nods, and heads out, followed by Derrik and Grant. As they walk, Grant says that he understands how scary Miza's been, but he says that deep down, she does intend the best for those under her. She's had to face the death of friends often growing up, there not being a lot of food around here. And despite every other settlement making things harder, she still wishes to keep them fed. Derrik supposes that's true, while Demiurge contemplates the new information.

As they walk, their movement is halted when Derrik is struck in the neck by a dart. He falls over and flops down, and Grant reaches to his side before pulling out a sling. They turn towards the source, and spy a fox with a blowgun trying to hide amongst the Glimmering Woods' trees. Grant says that that's a hunter from Hullo, Demiurge asking what they're doing out here. Grant says it doesn't matter right now, and says they'll have to take him down before he does anymore. He loads a rock onto the sling, before hurling it at the tree and jostling the hunter. With that, Demiurge and Grant are both forced to battle the **Hullo Hunter**, Grant brandishing a fairly straightforward fighting style where he gathers strength to deal more damage, while also brandishing blinding, accuracy and evasion lowering skills.

With that, the hunter's felled. Grant scoops him up and hoists him over a shoulder. He says that they should interrogate this guy, though he'll have the scouts deal with that instead of involving the two of them. He says that in the next few days, they should probably relax, seeing how much is on their mind. With that, Demiurge has to carry Derrik while following Grant, and eventually reaching T'rere. Grant tells Demiurge to think about what he said. Things're hurting, but they're ultimately for the good of everyone that's split. Remember, Gurah was suffering too, and they'll be getting food.

Demiurge's thus left alone, and left to contemplate. If he agrees with Nokut, he won't have to hurt people anymore, but that means plenty of guys will also suffer. If he agree with Miza, people will get hurt, but more people will get fed and live a longer life. The Dragon has to decide...

Septmi 5th - Septmi 10th
With this, one of many different branches occur. It's not prompted by a simple Menu Choice. No, instead, players are prompted to bond with Amak or Grant, getting their Social Link up to Rank 3 (they're currently at Rank 1). The article will detail either route, and will show off the results later.
Players can bond with Grant at T'rere, and players can bond with Amak at Nokut.

Septmi 11th
#### Bond with Amak

On this day, Miza expects to organize her soldiers in order to collect the mounts from Hafa. Derrik's told Demiurge as much, and as such he begins organizing Vala and Manya. As they walk, however, Demiurge has a thought, and stops them. He says that, today, something's going to happen. They ask what he means, and Demiurge says that he's been talking with someone, and he's been considering a few things. He himself is going away, and he doesn't want either of them getting involved, so he wishes to offer them the chance to avoid a chaos.

Hearing that, they each give pause. Derrik says that he'd trusted Miza for a while, but seeing her in action... Manya says that she'd rather take her business far from Miza's treacherous soil. Vala says that a negative force like Miza must be defeated. Demiurge nods at their affirmation, and then begins to tell them what's going to happen...

The group approaches Miza's hut, flanked by other scouts. They press onwards, Miza stepping out while Grant stands beside her. Derrik takes a knee, followed by the other party members. Seeing them, she greets. She says that today, they prepare a feast for their people. Either Hafa rounded up their mounts as they should've, or they'll be personally picking them. And so, she says that it's the lot of their mission to go out and claim them. At that, Demiurge tells her "no".

At that, Miza gives pause. She asks him what he means "no", to which he replies he's through following her. Maybe it was because he was naïve, maybe it was because he woke up here, but whatever the case, he'd been complacent thus far. But now, he refuses to follow her lead anymore! She stands up, and says that on this day, he declares a separation from T'rere, much to much of the settlement's alarm. Miza reaches for her scimitar, and says that this action runs in defiance with that of the good of the people! To defy her would be akin to defying the livelihood of the people she'll feed! Demiurge says that as long as the path to happiness involves harming others, then that's no path to live!

At that, four of the scouts reach for their shirts, before whipping them upwards to reveal themselves as a few people Demiurge saw from Nokut, including Amak. Miza, Grant, and several scouts rear back in alarm at this. While they're recoiling, each Nokut member takes out what looks like a smoke bomb, before tossing them around, Demiurge and friends immediately reaching for their noses. The bombs strike, before exploding into a noxious cloud that overwhelms much of the forces, forcing Miza and Grant to retreat into their hut while the other scouts scatter. During the attack, Demiurge and friends are running out towards the edge of the city, the Nokut members flanking them. As they run, Miza, through her overwhelming disgust, demands someone stops those guys!

As they run, the people that joined notice a few of the scouts managed to recover, and they tell the group that they'll keep them back. Amak will lead the way! They break, and the group keeps on progressing, Amak now officially joining the party. As they run, they eventually make it to the Mountain Range, only to get halted by T'rere troops. Seeing them, Amak says that if they let these guys follow, then they can report the exact location of their group. They have to drive them off here! With that, the party battles **T'rere Scouts**.

It's a fairly simple fight, and soon, the group's forced to retreat. At that, Amak says that they can't lose time. They have to keep moving, else risk getting into another fight. With that, they keep on running, before eventually making it on the other side of the Mountain Range, and eventually to Nokut. Once there, Amak quickly tells them how things work around their settlement, and the group's obviously a little worried about not getting food. However, he assures that given their performance, he doesn't doubt that they'll keep themselves fed.

He tells the group to make themselves comfortable, but also suspects that they should expect enemy movement soon. They found they made it as far as the Mountain Range, so they'll at least south of the mountains. He apologizes, they came here to avoid causing harm, but if Miza moves as expected, then they'll probably have to defend themselves. Manya says that she's fine with a few scraps, as long as it's with people that earn it. With that, he offers them each a house, and says he'll speak with the chief about this.

Septmi 12th
On this day, the party awakes, starting to adjust to the new area. Apparently before nightfall, Vala decided to have one of Nokut's members send a message to Gurah, though they're far, so it'll take a while for the message to arrive. Manya, meanwhile, has found herself a shop, Nokut's metal maker immediately declaring her a master. Derrik, meanwhile, seems to've been recruited into Nokut's animal handling group. After checking them out, Amak approaches Demiurge and tells him that, as this fabled Dragon, he should come see the chief, she has an important mission to him.

With that, Demiurge joins Amak, the two walking through the secluded settlement before arriving at a hut that looks akin to Miza's, this one bearing gilded imagery of a knife. They progress, and step in, finding in the front room the hunters that joined Amak in that attack on T'rere, though they each seem injured. They nod at the two, who progress past them and into a doorway leading deeper in, uncovering a throne with a horned owl lady upon it, her with a large, single-edged axe beside her throne.

Amak assumes an upright stance while Demiurge goes to bow, though the cat motions for him to stay up. The horned owl introduces herself as **Chief Deba**. She says that she's had men maintaining Nokut, and has been fine keeping to herself, when one of her men noticed the mythological creature, a Dragon, wandering the cliffs. They grew more curious as it's said they went to T'rere, and that led to them watching the origin point of many of their settlements. And, in that time, they saw that Miza had encroached on other lands, using the Dragon to her advantage. She knows that they probably came here hoping to avoid the fighting, but if they stay back, then Miza might try to keep on her quest. In fact, she wouldn't be surprised if she turned her forces this side of the mountain sometime soon.

Demiurge supposes that that makes sense, and in fact Amak warned them as much the other day. In response, Amak says that they cannot rest on their laurels for now. If a calm future is to be in the cards, then they must suppress Miza before she can tear their way of life apart. Demiurge says that he's battle long enough, and that he's fine with fighting her yet again. With that, she says that their group are free to relax for the day, but come tomorrow, she'll want them to begin the assault on T'rere. They must come back with Miza bound.

With that, players are now allowed to do what they want for this day, hang out with who they want, collect material they want, and eventually sleep.

Septmi 13th - Septmi 22nd
With this, players are tasked with crossing the Mountain Range to get back into T'rere territory. Before they press on, Amak approaches the party, before showing off those "smoke bombs". Derrik remarks that those were used when they fled T'rere, and Amak states that these are **Skunk Bombs**. They extracted a chemical from skunks and were able to weaponize it. He warns that if things get too dicey, they can use this to make the battlefield a little more roomy. He also says that they shouldn't be afraid to use this stuff, they'll probably be facing quite a bit of strength in numbers.

On their way forwards, they'll find that scouts are on the trail, players forced to battle hordes of them as they press on. There are more foes to contend with once they enter T'rere itself, with several guards around the area that players must either work their way around, or beat up. They tend to be fairly straightforward foes, tending to work towards buffs, debuffs, damaging, and being out in the open.

Players may even encounter characters they'd done sidequests for throughout this era, who'll either shy away from the party, or will be forced to fight. Eventually, the group's able to reach the hut their adventure began in, where they have to face a pair of **T'rere Guards** before entering. However, after beating them, Manya pauses and remarks that this isn't going to be easy. Derrik says that Grant wasn't among these foes. Miza's already pretty tough, and if she's working alongside him... Amak says that they have to do something. He says that they should steel themselves and get ready.

With that, the party presses forwards into the hut, approaching Miza's throne-room, only to find that there's no one there, except for Grant. Seeing him, Demiurge asks where the chief says, to which he replies that she saw them tearing through her home, and fled. She brought a few along, though Grant himself, as well as a few others, decided to stay behind to distract them. She's far away by now, plus he has the chance to take care of a few traitors. At that, a few guards close in from behind, encircling the party. Demiurge says that Miza's only bringing harm with her philosophy, though Grant says that if he wants to see how just his path is, then he's free to look upon the houses when this is over. Grant draws his sling, the guards draw their weaponry, and like that, players are forced to battle **Grant**.

In this fight, Grant's fairly similar to when he was introduced as a party member, fairly straightforward and able to deal ailments and buffs. What is worrying are the backup, who players are encouraged to use Skunk Bombs on to scare them off. After enough fighting, eventually Grant's overwhelmed. He grunts and falls to his knees, panting. Amak says that he's reached a fitting end for his lot in life. Grant says that there's a book behind the throne containing names. Miza planned to give them proper solace, but they were thrust into combat. If they're so confidant in their path, then face the result of their actions, and those left behind to suffer for their mistakes. Grant gasps again, before falling to his knees. He says that this is exactly what Miza wanted to prevent, before his life fades from him.

The group looks over the carnage of their fight, Amak seeming upset particularly. Manya tries to console him, saying that they don't have to worry about attacks from T'rere. Meanwhile, Demiurge goes behind the throne, finding a book like that man said. He steps out into the comparatively less lively settlement, there not being a lot of combat in it now. Demiurge looks in the book, when Vala says that they don't have to if they don't want. Demiurge says that Grant's right: they can't just ignore the impact of their decisions. With that, he continues forwards.

They thus go house to house, finding other citizens the party may've interacted with in the past. As they do, they'll find houses reeking with death. Inside, they find people of any age dead, either alone, their family dead, or the corpses feasted on by whoever was left there. Many of the party members find themselves unable to stay and watch, but Demiurge forces himself to look into each of them, Amak also joining him. As they flee, several of the citizens try to follow, asking them what they'll do. Amak says that they'll do for them only what they earn.

Either way, the party's gathered all they can from T'rere, and leave, the Dragon, Derrik, and Manya stopping to glance back at the settlement, before continuing forwards.

Septmi 23rd
The group had told Deba about their news. After the fact, the group's back in Deba's hut, where she called for a meeting. She explained that Miza's been very violent, and that she's surprised she actually fled. However, she fully expects the panther to lick her wounds and mount some kind of counterattack. Besides, if not a counterattack, she'll probably organize another community like T'rere. At this, Derrik asks them what'll become of T'rere, to which she replies that those ruled over by Miza will be put under her own rule, and thus given the same rules as her others. However, this'll mean that there'll be more requirements for food than before, though Amak assures that he'll keep performing to standard.

She thus tells the group to be prepared. Considering the layout of the settlements, she fully believes that Miza would've run to Hullo, it being the one place that wouldn't belong to Nokut after the fight. She'll have scouts investigate for signs of her, and recommends the party gets ready for any kind of attack. With that, the players move onto Nokut Route.

#### Bond with Grant/Not try to Bond

On this day, Miza expects to organize her soldiers in order to collect the mounts from Hafa. Derrik's told Demiurge as much, and as such he begins organizing Vala and Manya. As they walk, Demiurge gives pause, though Derrik assures that this'll be over soon. Grant told them that this is for everyone. Demiurge nods uncertain, and keeps on walking.

The group approaches Miza's hut, flanked by other scouts. They press onwards, Miza stepping out while Grant stands beside her. Derrik takes a knee, followed by the other party members. Seeing them, she greets. She says that today, they prepare a feast for their people. Either Hafa rounded up their mounts as they should've, or they'll be personally picking them. And so, she says that it's the lot of their mission to go out and claim them. Demiurge nods, and Derrik assures that they will perform their mission.

At that, one of the scouts gives pause before turning, asking if he's serious. Several scouts turn towards the one curiously. The scout points out what she's done to Gur III, what she's done to Hailey. Her methods have hurt so many, and Demiurge is just going to comply with that? If Demiurge bonded with Grant, he'll say that it's the best course of action, prompting the scout to say that he's blind, and that this'll only lead to devastation. If Demiurge didn't bond with Grant, he'll be silent for a while, prompting the scout to remark that he was just too lazy to stand for what's right, is that it? Either way, the scout says that if Demiurge won't aid them, then they'll put an end to this threat personally!

With that, four of the scoutsmen reach for their shirts, before whipping up, revealing themselves to be Tokut members, including Amak. The people of T'rere are shocked, before the members pull up what appears to be smoke bombs, and hurl them. The bombs produce a foul cloud that overwhelms much of the people there, forcing them to retreat. Miza says that the lot of them have some nerve threatening them at a time of great feast! Amak, meanwhile, while covering his nose and mouth, races towards Miza and tries to strike her down. The panther, however, whips her scimitar up to deflect the oncoming knives, and brawls with the smaller cat.

Meanwhile, Grant officially joins the party, and says that they have to drive off the foes before they harm any of T'rere! With that, the party's forced to fight the **Tokut Hunters**. It's a fairly simple fight, and the group's able to drive off the hunters. Meanwhile, Miza seems to've exhausted the cat, driving him back. Realizing he's overwhelmed, he tells Demiurge that he's made his bed, and that he better be prepared to lie in it. With that, Amak runs away with the rest of the Hunters, a few scoutsmen trying to chase him down.

At that, Miza glowers and says that an attack like that cannot go unpunished. After they gather the food, they must look into finding out wherever these foes originated from. For now, it's time to gather the mounts. Now recovering from the fight, Grant says that they shall collect, before giving her a bow. Miza tells them to take the time to recover. Meanwhile, she'll try and get her scouts to find out wherever those hunters are running to.

Later, a short scene shows many mounts being marched towards T'rere by both members of T'rere, and members of Hafa.

Septmi 12th
On this day, the groups each are working on transferring food from settlement to settlement, as well as around T'rere itself. The many party members have to split up to transfer, Derrik and Manya going to Hafa, Vala using the scouts to transfer food in Gurah, and Demiurge and Grant providing food to the people of T'rere. As they do, Grant says that he's happy the Dragon chose them. He understands how scary she looks, but she grew up seeing a lot of people suffering thanks to the lack of food. She wants to keep people fed, but she's very vindictive to whoever gets in the way of that.

They keep on giving slabs of meat to the people of T'rere, Grant saying that clearly not everyone agrees. He'd never seen people like those, but if they were so bold to attempt an attack on her, then odds are they won't be opposed to trying again. Demiurge, meanwhile, after a bit of contemplation, says that he knows where they are. Hearing that, Grant gives pause. Demiurge says that they tried to convince him to join, and showed them the settlement. With that, Grant says that this is very necessary information. As soon as either of them finish giving food, either of they must go speak with Miza.

They soon wrap up, Grant doing so first, and so he heads out to speak with Miza. He meets back up with Demiurge momentarily, and tells him that he'll fetch the scouts. He asks Demiurge to head out to try and find the other party members, saying that they'll begin their mission tomorrow: assault this settlement called "Nokut".

Septmi 13th - Septmi 22nd
With this, players are tasked with going to Nokut, traveling across the Mountain Range to get south of T'rere. The Mountain Range seems empty, save for a few random foes. However, some players may also find that other foes are hiding in the environment to jump out and corner the party. They keep on pressing, eventually reaching the other side, where more of those hunters are about, either out in the open or hiding to attack. As they fight, some of these foes drop **Skunk Bombs**, an item that scares a target away from battle. Players should be weary, because some of these enemies can use them to try and scare one of your party members away and make things a little trickier.

They keep on pressing, and find Nokut's front gate flanked by some heartier looking guys than before. Seeing them, they tell the group that they cannot enter, and the party seems all ready to battle... only for the Nokut Guards to retreat and shut the gate. The party were alarmed and test the gate, finding that it wasn't going anywhere. Grant asks if Demiurge can get over the wall, though the Dragon brings up that he'd be alone on the other side, and he's too small to carry everybody. With that, Manya supposes that they should search around, maybe they can find a weak spot in the wall that Vala can break through.

They keep on searching, looking around for any sign of their path forwards, all while enemies jump down to try and ambush them. Eventually, they make it to the backside of the settlement, where they find a hole in the gate. Grant seems confused by this, but supposes that it's a way forwards. Vala notes that she has a bad feeling about this, and suggests they should prepare before pressing on. The player chooses to continue, and in they go. When they do, they're caught off guard by a pair of sneaky rogues on the other side, who thrust the party into an Ambush, putting them at a disadvantage for this fight. Fortunately, they're able to overpower them, and Grant points out that they seem to be right behind the chief hut, at which he says if they can corner them, then they should be able to quash Nukto.

With that recommendation, they sneak around the hut to get at the front, before pressing in. Once inside, they press on, only to find it strangely empty. They eventually reach the throne room, only to find no chief in the area, but a message saying to come to "the front square". Derrik asks if they should really listen, to which Demiurge explains that they have no other choice. So, they step out, and head to the front, where they find Amak standing.

He looks at Demiurge and tells him he's made a terrible mistake today. Demiurge says that he can't support a system that won't let as many people live as possible. Amak concedes that in a perfect world, everyone would be fed, but today's world isn't perfect. Miza's gonoe through terrible steps to feed the people around her, and even with that, she's going to end up costing everyone deeply. Grant then tells him that they talked enough, and asks to know where their chief is. Amak says that she's not here.

She heard about their approach, and she was willing to bring Amak himself along to save him. But the cat chose to stay here, all the better to contend with the irksome foes. Grant then says that if they intend on resisting, then they'll happily take them down. Hearing that, Amak supposes that they have no reason to talk anymore, and thus three other hunters leap out, standing beside him. They take a defensive pose, before the other three seem to transform before the group's eyes, mirroring that of Amak himself. They spread, before running circles around the party, each struggling to keep up with the real one. They run more and more, before eventually stopping in a circle around the party, each flashing a set of needles. Then, they each lunge towards the party, and they're each forced to battle **Amak**.

The battle's tricky. Either hunter and Amak are pretty agile, Amak even wielding High Counter, making physical strikes less likely. A hunter will be turned back to normal when they're hit, but Amak can spend a turn restoring their disguise. Worse still, Amak can make players unable to damage one of the opponents for a turn. However, through the right use of Multi Targeting skills and careful maneuvers, players should be able to take care of the foe, eventually downing Amak and his allies.

With Amak down, he pants and pants, saying that he doesn't care how much T'rere hates him, he will defy them with every breath. He hates them all, he hates what they're eventually going to do to everyone, and he hates that they fooled the Dragon into serving them. Grant tells him to shut up and demands he says where the chief is. Amak declares that he'll never tell them anywhere near her... besides, isn't this enough, felling their forces here? There's a pause, before Derrik says that the people of this settlement will be fed. Amak glowers, but he can't bring himself to talk anymore. With one final groan, he falls down, unable to keep on living.

With that, the assault on Nokut is finished.

Septmi 23rd
The group had told Miza about the news after they defeated Amak. On this day, Derrik brought the party over to the hut, where she explains that she's managed to round up people to get some food to Nokut, though several of the people there are under investigation to test their loyalty. They chose to keep their people hungry, and of course, they can't allow that to continue. Demiurge then asks if they must pursue them further, having beaten them already. However, Miza explains that this wicked mindset came from a particular person, and as long as she's out there, she has the capacity to pursue this harmful activity.

She tells the party to be ready. She'll have some scouts investigate the people of Nokut to try and find out where their chief went, and other scouts will be searching for signs of her. If something comes up, she wants them to be ready for a fight. With that, players move onto T'rere Route.

### Finale

#### T'rere Route

Septmi 24th
On this day, Grant approaches Demiurge saying that they're among those tasked with looking into Nokut for clues. Demiurge asks about any other scouts, and the tiger assures that other scouts will be there to help. For now, the two of them will be preparing some questions, and will be there in case any of them choose to go bad. With that, the two head on out of T'rere, and go south.

The duo, alongside several scouts, made it out to Nokut, the settlement looking a little worse for wear since when they least saw it. As they walk, Demiurge asks what settlements are nearby, to which he replies that they could've gone anywhere, realistically. East, west, south, there are settlements of varying sizes in either direction. Heck, depending on how many men she brought with her, she might gear towards building up her own small settlement, provided she abandoned any plans to fell T'rere, though they shouldn't rule that possibility out.

They eventually reach the settlement, where the many scoutsmen split up to converse with various members of Nokut. Demiurge and Grant, meanwhile, are tasked with looking into a few particular members, these guys being either valuable members of the society, or being members of the guard.

* Brada - the mineral worker, takes material and makes it into various supplies. He's a ferret guy, noticeably plumper than many of the villagers. He says that he was just here to provide weapons and armor. He did personally work on her axe, but that's about his only connection with her. Grant asks if she ever talked to him about any places she's been scouting out, to which he replied that, as far as he knew, until T'rere became a threat, she was content with living in isolation.
* Garrik - A younger brother to Amak, and appears to've recently gotten in a scrap. He's also quite plump, far moreso than Amak. Garrik tells the duo that he doesn't want anything to do with any of them. Grant says that this doesn't have to be difficult. They can move along from him, but that just means that they'll question others. Garrik glowers and says that he'd rather they scewer him right here. Realizing they won't get anywhere, they break away from him.
* Lada - An ostrich lady that appears well fed. She's one of the guards that helped to defend Nokut earlier, and Grant seems convinced that someone like her would have some insight on the chief. They ask her what she knows, to which she replies that she refuses to tell them anything. Grant reminds her that they won't be leaving until they get some sort of lead. Lada says she won't help them, no matter what, and no one else will. Grant is can feel her stubbornness, and decides they should move on.

At this, Grant says that they've been going about this the wrong way. The chief's plan was harmful to a few people, so maybe they should seek out a guard that was affected by the limited resources. And with that, they have to listen in on a few casual conversations, before slowly piecing together the story of a guard that wasn't able to put in the work necessary on account of taking care of their family. They got limited food, and got too scared to give too much of it away to their family, so it was either eat himself, or let them eat a smaller portion of the earnings. The family's apparently on its last legs.

Demiurge and Grant head to the individual, a bow-wielding sparrow named **Bode**. Grant greets the individual, to which he mutters and shies away. Grant says that he probably knows what they're doing here. Bode says sure, but they're crazy to think that they'll just get anything out of them asking. Grant, however, says that he actually has something that could help him. He raises a brow, before the tiger shows off some meat, the sparrow's eyes widening. Upon seeing how much he's offered, he almost immediately says that **Chief Deba** fled to Hullo. Demiurge remarks that that came out fast, to which Grant says that that just shows how much loyalty this living style earns you.

Either way, he remarks that it's quite ironic that that's where she went. Their original mission would've taken them there before Amak revealed himself. Hullo's not an easy target: it's positioned itself to be heavily fortified, making direct contact difficult. Either way, before they approach it, they'll have to confirm Deba's position: searching anywhere between here and the settlement while others investigate Hullo itself. They must report this to Miza.

Septmi 25th - Septmi 29th
Miza's been spoken to before, and now everyone's doing there own thing. This is a period of free time while scouts are at work investigating into Deba's location. This is a good time to do sidequests and to raise bonds.

Septmi 30th
On this morning, the scouts return, and the party sees them going into Miza's hut. The group follows, and finds them reporting to the chief. There, they say that they spotted the Nokut chief within the walls of Hullo. She looks to've worked herself to becoming right hand to Hullo's chief. Miza then remarks that if they can breach the settlement's defenses, then they should be able to take out two birds with one stone. However, she also asks if they were able to identify any other influence the opposing chief may have, to which they reply they weren't able to gather any other information on her.

With that, upon seeing the party, she notes that they must've been watching for a while. She says that if this settlement is claimed, then T'rere will establish a firm foothold in the mainland. From there, it'll only be a matter of time until every other settlement on this landmass will fall in line. However, she also warns that this area will be much harder than anything they dealt with. Even getting in will be hard. Grant assures that they shall take care of the enemies. Demiurge asks what'll become of Deba, to which she replies they will see if she's willing to change her mind, else they'll get rid of her. So now, she suggests that they begin their mission.

Septmi 30th - Octuar 17th
With this, the group's tasked with heading eastward. Going east of T'rere sends the group on the first leg of their journey, the **Valley of the Predators**. This is an area with rolling hills the reach high up, forming almost natural paths between them and onwards. The passage from T'rere leads the group down into the depths between hills, which has a small river leading between either one that the group's able to walk over at frequent shallow points.

This valley has the group proceed through it, the path they're taking eventually leading them up and out, though not before having to deal with scouts akin to that Hullo Hunter from before, them jumping down in an attempt to ambush the party. However, through careful movement, the group should be able to get up and out of the small valley, spying the river source being a waterfall. As they go up, however, their path loops around to the top of the waterfall, from where they can see in the distance a walled off settlement. Manya notes that that must be just what they're after. Grant remarks that it looks heavily fortified, though Demiurge says that they should contend with that when the time calls for it.

However, as they begin their approach, there's a stirring in the water from the waterfall. The group turns, when suddenly, a large gator lunges out from it, him holding a large club that he attempts to slam down on Grant. However, the latter's able to backstep just in time, the rest of the party bringing up their weapons in response. The gator stands up, and says that a lot of these T'rere people have been traveling a little far from home. Derrik says that they've already claimed every other surrounding settlement, this one will fall all the same. The gator, however, simply says that while all of them have been dealing with their worthless war, Hullo's been beefing up their defenses and weaponry. This hammer, for example, can smash many a metal. Hearing that, Manya says that any loser can smash stuff, it takes skill to properly work the material! The gator, however, merely says that as long as it gets rid of nosy little outsiders, it's good enough for him. With that, he goes in for the attack, Vala warning everyone to brace themselves.

With that, and with two eel people jumping out on either side of the gator, them wielding spears, the battle with **Executor Marak** begins. Marak himself is fairly hardy, wielding high defenses and dangerous attack power, though he himself is vulnerable to evasive maneuvers/skills that lower hit rate, and magic. Players should also be weary, as Marak has access to reflect magic. What they should also worry about is those eel people, who, on top of being able to attack alongside the gator, are also able to cast revitalizing magic to bring the gator up in case he's knocked down. Find your way to defeat the eels on the same turn, and then take care of the gator. He grunts, forced to take a knee as he struggles to keep himself up, using the shaft of his hammer like a cane.

He says that he can't lose, that he can't go back while a bunch of T'rere people are running free. Derrik asks what he means, to which he replies that the people in Hullo have to earn their keep. If they underperform, that's that much less food. Grant remarks that that sounds just like Deba, doesn't it? Manya says that they figured she was there, but she couldn't have been in there for this long, could she've? To think she'd established this kind of rule already... The group turns to Marak, with Derrik telling him that under T'rere's rule, that rule won't be a thing anymore. Everyone will be fed equally. Marak says that they'll have to go through quite a bit to accomplish that, but if they can, he'll be behind them. Either way, he can't do anything now.

The group continues forwards through the valley, before soon approaching the front steps of the large walls of Hullo. They appear to be made of stone, wrapping around in a circular fashion before clinging against the side of the mountain behind. They approach, and find a thick gate out front with a wooden gate shut down in front of it, it seeming several feet thick. Demiurge notes that every other settlement's just had guards out front, but Grant suggests maybe Deba suggested to Hullo to keep its gates closed, at least until they're prepared to take the fight to T'rere.

So then they'll just have to find some sort of gap in the wall's defenses. Vala then suggests that they should check the wall for any hollow points. With that, they search the border of Hullo, and will eventually uncover a part of the wall that feels less sturdy than the rest. The flamingo approaches, before rearing back a fist, and striking it just right, rendering the object to debris and leaving an opening into what appears to be a small fortress. And unfortunately, this fortress bares a lot of hunters and scouts within, which players will be forced to face as the **Hullo Horde**.

After taking care of the horde, Grant will note that he saw some of the foes flee in the other direction, they're probably alerting the rest of the settlement. Derrik then says that that just means they'll have to be hasty. Push through the settlement and try and find the chief. Hullo's chief takes priority, don't engage Deba yet. With that, the group proceeds through the fortress, and out into the streets of **Hullo**. Hullo bears stone buildings and towers, some looking like they're built for housing multiple people like a modern day hotel. It isn't hard to identify what the most important-looking building is, for up against the mountain-side of the settlement appears to be a more square-like building that has many different huntsmen wielding bows and javelins upon it.

Derrik says that the main building looks to be heavily fortified, a straight assault will probably get them killed. Grant then says that they need to find some way to drive out the enemy, and unfortunately, those bad smelling bombs Nokut had can't cover a large enough area. Demiurge ponders himself, before feeling his belly a little. He says that he might have an idea, though they'll have to get to a higher elevation to pull it off. With that, they're tasked with going to either of those towers around, having to maneuver around the various guards in the streets as well as those in the towers. From there, they'll have to go to either the mid-west tower, the south-east tower, or the south-west tower.

Upon reaching the first tower, the group stands on high, Many asking him what he's got planned. Demiurge says that there's a technique he's seen a few Dragons his current size perform, and he's wondering if he can pull it off. He rubs his belly a little more, before craning his head upwards, before snapping it down and belching forth a colorless beam, this beaming down to a portion of the important-looking building. When the beam touches down, a large explosion bellows out from the epicenter, rocking a portion of the building and causing much of it to collapse while also causing others to flee.

Much of the party is shocked, even Demiurge terrified by what he'd just done. Derrik says that he'd never heard of that kind of power in a Dragon... But Manya says they can't keep using that power. They want to control this place, not utterly destroy it! Demiurge understands, but Grant points out that that one strike appears to've scattered much of the defensive force. Maybe they can make an assault on it now. So, they go down the tower, however their descent becomes interrupted by the appearance of a raven man wielding a crossbow, him flanked by a pair of bull men wielding axes.

The raven says he doesn't know what happened, but this group's come from the source of the attack on their chief's building. Manya then says that if they saw that, then they should know not to mess with them. However, the raven simply replies that he cannot let a foe as dangerous as that continue to live. So, he orders the two bulls to surround them, before aiming, and so the battle with **Scout Leader Ach** begins. Ach himself is a fairly low damaging foes, though he relies on applying a chance to deal ailments, not just to his own attacks, but to his axe-men bodyguards. He's a fairly straightforward fight, players should take him down fast so the high damage dealers can't be more harmful, while also utilizing ailments to keep the axe-men at bay.

After enough, the raven should be overwhelmed, him falling to his knees while those guards are struggling to keep themselves upright. Derrik says that a new future is at hand, that this settlement will face a brand new age of prosperity, especially once all of their technology is submitted to them. Ach says that he'd love to see them try and take care of **Chief Loug** and that owl alongside him. Those two are a dangerous pair.

With that, the group's able to progress towards the hut, its defensive numbers significantly reduced thanks to Demiurge's previous attack. Upon reaching the front steps into the building, Manya points out that this is unlike anything they've dealt with. It seems as if they've formed their own small mountain, probably complete with its own series of "tunnels". Vala then says that that means they'll have to be aware of whatever enemies lie behind the oncoming turns and corners. With that, the group progress. And like they feared, the inside of the **Chief Fortress** is built almost like a castle, with several hallways insides and needing to traverse stairways and doors to hopefully reach their goal. Many doors are barred from one side, meaning that they'll have to find a way around them to open them. All the while, they'll have to deal with rangers and hardy foes.

After a bit of maneuvering, the group reaches a fancy-looking door, it bearing the gilded image of what seems to be a croc. Opening it, the group sees a throne room, it appearing even larger than any they'd seen before. And inside is a horned owl with an axe, and at the throne is a bear man wielding a pair of lances. Grant presumes the bear's Chief Loug, while the owl's Deba. The bear affirms this and stands, where he says that Deba's been a very valuable asset. Now he's gotten his men working hard, but apparently not hard enough. Perhaps they should raise the prices soon to make sure invaders like the party don't arrive.

Derrik declares that there's no way a life that limits who can live can go on. Grant says that they refuse to let anymore suffer under Deba's flawed ideology. Deba, however, counters that a life that expects everyone to live at once will not last. Why, look at the today, where Miza's enforced devastating punishments onto everyone around so that they can eat themselves. And after that, they'll lose more and more until everyone has nothing. Manya, however, says that she underestimates their efforts. Despite everything she suggests, they'll all come out of this better than whatever Deba could. Vala says that she's felt tension wane after T'rere organized food around here, and even Nokut is getting better. She will see to it that everyone Deba and Loug have harmed will be saved. Demiurge, meanwhile, can say "We'll bring down your reign" or "We will make the world a better place!" With that, Loug says that the time to talk is over, and Deba says that they'll pave the way for the future!

With that, the battle starts proper with **Chief Loug** and **Deba**. Loug wields lances, and with them can deliver stab attacks, while also wielding a high crit chance on his end. He even has a skill that increases the chances of crit attacks on either side. Be especially weary of his Triple Down skill, a multi-targetting stab skill that beats down each party, especially when crit chances are up. Deba, meanwhile, wields an axe, with which she deals smashing damage, she also wields Cosmic Magic and Wind an Dark Magic, with which she wields the ability to place an Omen, to Confuse, or to Silence the party. Be careful, this isn't an easy fight, but with enough perseverance and defensive action, players should be able to take them down.

With that, chief and co-chief fall to their knees, unable to do even hold their weapons up as they each clatter down to the ground. They pant and pant, and the group approaches, Demiurge leading them as he approaches. He says that he recommends they surrender now. They pant and pant, Loug glancing towards Deba. Loug himself bends down in a deep bow, though Deba herself tries to stand up, using the ehandle of the axe to keep herself up. She says that, despite everything, she refuses to stay down. Demiurge shakes a little himself, and says that she really should stay down. However, she simply hobbles forwards, glaring at them. Demiurge is still shaking, and he steps forwards a little, only for Derrik to stop him.

He says this doesn't have to be his burden, before saying he can turn away. Demiurge gives pause, before thinking. **If players bonded with Grant**, he says that he'd appreciate that, before turning and walking out, the rest of the party accompanying him as Derrik turns towards Deba. **If players didn't bond with Grant**, he says that after everything, he needs to take some responsibility, before approaching Deba himself, the owl looking up at him, as he takes up a fist and delivers a final punch to her that swivels her head around and snapping her neck. Either way, things're wrapped up, the party's stepping out, and Loug shambles towards them, asking what'll become of him. Gant says that Miza will decide, and so they press on home.

After all of this, Chief Miza learns of the fall of Hullo. With that, she says that she shall personally march onto their territory. She plans to turn this fortified base into the new capital to T'rere. As she arrives, she expects the party to accompany her and keep her safe. The group each nod in affirmation, before they part. However, as they leave, Miza tells Demiurge to stay behind for a brief moment. The rest of the party seems weary, though Demiurge gives a soft sigh, and waves them off. They take a few more steps forwards, before continuing out of the hut.

She says that understands that he's been stressed. These have been hard times for many a people, but it's all necessary to a better future. People will live better in the tomorrow, and it'll be all thanks to their effrots today and yesterday. She assures that things will only get easier from here on. She tells him to take refuge in that. Demiurge says he'll try, before continuing out and on the town.

Octuar 18th
On this day, Miza and much of her crew are marching into Hullo. Grant's been tasked with staying behind to lead whoever stays in T'rere, while the rest accompany the chief. Several members from all over are coming, from people in Gurah, to people in Hafa, to even people in Nokut. Garrik, Lada, and Sumul in particular are focused on. They move more and more, Hullo's people seeing them step through the front gate, Loug seeming too worried to so much as try to defy them.

They continue forwards, and Miza steps out before the front door of the chief's fortress. There, she stands over the people of Hullo, them waiting with bated breath over what she's going to say. She raises her voice, and declares that in recent years, the people of this world have faced a terrible shortage. The many ferals of the world have been growing scarce, and as such, everyone's been struggling to feed themselves. So, Miza herself has worked to beat some sense into those around. And now, many people have been fed, and the people of the world have grown better. And now, she will extend that grace to the people of Hullo, and with that, move onto every other settlement.

However, with that, Garrik steps out and approaches, him glaring at Miza and her crew. He says that everything's been suffering under her rule. The party turns towards the younger cat curiously. He says that his big brother talked about the people she's hurt, the people she's dominated... And he talks about how he'll never see his brother again. Miza says that their people would've suffered if Amak were able to get in their way, and then the rest of the world would be made to starve. Garrik, however, says that he doesn't care. He's going to do what Amak wanted to!

With that, several people, including those focused on before, draw weapons and begin attacking. As they attack and the party tries to repel those strikes, Garrik races forwards, determination on his face. Miza looks among the many attackers, several of Hullo's people fleeing while the party tries to quell the attackers. He soon stands before the chief, having worked himself through the defensive line. As he stands before her, he asks her if she knows what it's like to lose someone that gave you everything. She answers that she has, and says that after she lost them, she's had to work hard to build herself back up. Garrik can do this if he backs away. However, he says he doesn't care about building himself up, he just wants to take her down.

With that, he begins conjuring some powerful magic, his body igniting with a bright light. Heat begins to fill up the general area as Miza draws back. Demiurge can feel the heat on his back, and turns to face the cat. He seems to ponder the magic momentarily, before realizing what Garrik's going for. He tells Miza to get back as he charges towards the cat. Miza appeared to've been reaching for her scimitar in preparation, before drawing back at Demiurge's urging. Suddenly, while spreading his wings, Demiurge soars off of the top of the staircase while tackling the cat, taking him into his arms and tugging him skyward and towards the surrounding wall.

Garrik demands that he let go, saying that he's betraying everyone like this! Demiurge says that he's made his choice. Despite everything she's done, he's seen great stuff coming from her actions. As he flies away, several of the party members look over towards the Dragon curiously as he flies over the wall. Once there, the cat seems to detonate like an explosive, blasting over Demiurge's chest as he's sent falling out of the air. He splats against the ground outside, rainbow-tinted ichor oozing out of him while he lays there.

He groans in pain, a dull voice coming from his lips. He tries to climb up, but can barely move his arms. He says that he feels cold... so cold... Darkness begins creeping in as he can still hear the sounds of conflict from where he fled. And eventually, his consciousness fades, and down he goes, felled. If players have made it here, they'll move onto the Devolution Era.

## Devolution Era

Demiurge groans and shakes around, feeling a slight sense of claustrophobia. It isn't unlike before, him being held in a tight box. He grunts and shudders more and more, before that constraint around him shatters. He groaned and began to flutter his eyes open, finding himself looking up at a moonlit sky. He groaned and climbed up, finding himself in what looked to be the remnants of a hut, which he must've been put in while he slept. That gives him some hope about what happened back then. He looks around more, and finds what looks like the dilapidated remnants of T'rere, it looking just like a ghost town with all of the buildings having aged into crumbling. Demiurge himself appears to be now over 15 feet tall, with wings as wide as his body, muscular limbs, and thicker horns.

As he looks around, he hears that motherly voice from before, the voice asking "Oh, dear Demi... what have you done?" Demiurge raises a brow, before turning. Sure enough, there's the pale dragon herself, Sophia. He asks what happened while he was asleep, to which she replies the state of the world is up to the respective ruler to learn, but she warns that as he slept, terror crept into the world. Demiurge asks what she means, to which she replies that he'll find over there, she says as she points eastward. Demiurge looks ahead, and begins to walk, before turning to face her. He says that he's sure that he did everything right this time, that he did what he needed to. She says that not everyone can see the full scope of what their choices can do.

She also says that before he goes, she will let him know of one more power. No matter how bountiful a creature's love, everyone needs to learn when it's time to cut their losses and put down a life that's too far gone. So, within each Dragon comes the power to end all life on a planet. Demiurge recoils, saying he doesn't want anything like that. However, she places a hand on his chest, and Pure magic flows into him, and he feels something unlock in him. At that, the player's informed that Demiurge unlocked the Skill "Armageddon". She says that knowing this is not to be feared, but to know he merely has the option. If he ever decides that the world's too much, then this is always at his disposal. With that, she turns and walks away. Demiurge seems ready to follow her, but deep down knows he has a journey to complete himself. So, he turns eastward, where he last remembered Hullo was.

### Early

After choosing a class for Demiurge, players are allowed to progress forwards, moving eastwards across the now very dead T'rere. They soon reach the valley from before, only to find some bulky guards in some actual armor, either wielding a halberd of their own. They step before Demiurge for a brief moment, before coming to realize who they are. They spread, and one of them tells Demiurge that **Chief Amma** would love to see him. Demiurge raises a brow, and just continues forwards, finding the formerly somewhat wild landscape appearing lined with strong guards that seem to be in a uniform stance as he presses forwards.

Eventually, he finds himself before Hullo, though finds that its walls appear taller, and it has even taller buildings. From the ground, he can also notice what looks to be cannons (albeit made of wood) on the tops. He also notices a few guards wielding hollow shafts in one hand and a sack of gunpowder in the other. They let him continue, and he presses on into Hullo proper. Once there, he can see many citizens, each of them looking weak, timid, and small, almost looking almost as if they'd shrunken in their clothing.

Demiurge turns to the main building, which appears to've fixed the wound Demiurge left on it earlier, additionally standing over 3 times as tall as before. Demiurge begins going up the stairs, before spying a few extra gates embedded into the base of the building, them adjacent from either side of the stairs. And before those gates is tons upon tons of bones scattered about haphazardly. Demiurge can't help but shiver, and he keeps on walking, soon reaching the front door. The guards motion him in more, before he arrives at a pair of doors that remind him of when he challenged Loug.

The door opens up, and in he comes, where he sees the all too familiar lemur ally, though this one appears to be holding a lance far longer than he is tall. And behind him, sitting on a throne that looks far too small for the one sitting on it, is a lion man bearing his chest, wearing some royal red pants, and with a red cape wrapped around his shoulders. And at either side of the throne are a pair of lances that seem to match the one the lemur holds. Seeing Demiurge step in, the lion's expression lights up, him saying that he's so thankful to've lived to this day. Demiurge raises a brow, when the lion stands up, and greets himself as **Chief Amma**, current ruler of the world.

Demiurge asks how he knows about him, to which he replies that word of the Dragon that laid their future for them was made constant history amongst them. Many chiefs of the past honestly felt daunted, feeling unable to measure up to the greatness that is Miza and Demiurge. Amma finds himself getting ahead of himself, and instead asks Demiurge if he's been asleep this whole time. Demiurge replies that he's only waken up today, to which Amma supposes that they have a lot of history to catch up on. Demiurge says that he does wish to now about what's happened, and so the lion stands up and begins walking, offering the Dragon to follow.

The two walk through the inside of the chief's building for a while, them going across various catwalks that lead to one of the exteriors. The lion says that dinner approaches, and he actually wished to talk to Demiurge a little about that. After Demiurge was felled, those that remained were able to take down the opposing forces, and went on to execute them, though not after carefully placing Demiurge into the chief's old hut. After that, they'd move onto other settlements, and extend their hospitality to them as well. Generations passed, and soon after Miza, all would respond to whoever ruled Hullo. And with this, everyone would work to collect food and send what they collected to the various settlements.

Eventually, he was raised to be a chief, and many years ago, he was supposed to deliver food again, but would begin to find some terrifying results. Less and less food began to come back, which was a problem because there were more and more mouths were asking to be fed. The chief asked them to find any and all ferals, from the tallest mountains to the deepest seas. However, they'd find fewer and fewer birds, and fewer and fewer fish. Eventually, the workers were coming back with nothing. Demiurge seems alarmed, and asks if he truly means to say that all ferals have been wiped out. Amma says that as far as they knew, that's the reality.

As news spread, despair hit the world. Some could eat fruits and vegetables, but that didn't offer many of their people all of the sustenance they needed, especially those that were constantly at work. Soon, he found himself looking out over a world that thought it would see the end. However, he himself stumbled upon an idea, and with it the power to save the world. Demiurge asked how they could recover from something like that, to which Amma replies that he did some reading. Soon, they reach the balcony, overlooking the large realm of Hullo. A gonging noise rings out over the area, and many of the citizens step forwards, approaching the foot of the building, nearing either gate.

Amma says that as far back as Gidere's texts, it's said that the modern mortal grew from a feral, having been fashioned into a form able to govern itself. So, the lion pondered what if they were to strip away that growth. Demiurge feels his nerves quiver, and he turns towards Amma, asking what he means. Amma motions down to the ground, where the gates begin to open up. And then, Demiurge swears he sees ferals coming from the openings, except they're odd. They each appear to have longer limbs than the ferals he's seen, and generally seem thinner. Demiurge looks closer, before his eyes widen in horror upon realizing what he's seeing.

Those crawling out on all fours, those acting like ferals, they're each an animal person! They've been stripped of any clothing, and look to be without any sign of intelligence. Canine people walk like dogs, some with their tongues lulled out past their lips. Some felines people carefully pace around and extend their claws with each step, even if they walk on their knees. So on and so forth, each creature seemed to imitate the kind of creatures people he knew hunted. As he watches, he swears he can see the crowd hold their breath as some of the nearby guards approach a "feral" each. They raise their halberd, before swinging it down, smashing the one before them into a lifeless husk.

Guards would repeat this over and over, before drawing a machete and gliding across their bodies, Demiurge only able to watch as some guards carried chunks of fresh meat out to the citizens, who greedily snatched and gobbled them, while others would travel towards the outside of Hullo, holding sacks of the stuff. Demiurge feels dizzy and has to clasp his head, himself doubling back and having to sit down. He gives his forehead a few smacks, before smacking harder and harder, him telling himself that this is just some kind of nightmare!

Amma asks what the Dragon means by that. Is he scared of what he sees? It's thanks to this sight before him that the world lives, how can that be nightmarish? Demiurge gets up on shaky legs and says this isn't right, none of this is right. Amma says that he's assured every little one is either a volunteer, or randomly picked. There is no bias out here, only the common cause for everyone to live in this world. Demiurge soon shakes off his initial fear, before standing up and telling the lion that he's sick! Amma seems visibly taken aback at the Dragon's revulsion towards him.

Amma says that he's only done what was necessary for this world, that they live because of his choices here. He asks the Dragon if he can even imagine the despair brought upon this world, and says he'll only have the right to complain about it when he's seen that. Demiurge, however, stands up and declares that he can't let Amma do this. The lion holds his lances up, and says that if he feels that way, then he'll stand between him and the end of the world. Hearing that, the two rush at each other. The lion seems remarkable in his movement, able to block various punches from the Dragon despite the size difference, and seeming to repel him with a few well placed punches.

The two keep on fighting, and a few guards begin to rush in, though Amma waves to keep them in place. The two keep on fighting, but eventually, the Dragon begins to realize he can't keep up with the chief. He weaves around a strike from the foe, and rushes past. Amma looks back and realizes he's running, and follows. Then, the Dragon extends his wings. He mutters to himself nervously, trying to recall lessons from way back in his old days. He then mutters that there's so much more weight though... Then, he reaches the edge of the balcony, before lifting his wings to yank him up.

He leaps off the edge, and begins to falter. However, a few more flaps of his wings, and he soon begins to adjust himself. Amma, meanwhile, reaches the balcony and looks up, seeing the Dragon fleeing. The many guards are near him, and Amma tells them to get the wall defenses trained on him. They then begin running. Demiurge keeps on flapping, and soon gets over the wall. Meanwhile, the cannons on the top of the wall swivel around and begin aiming. A few blasts sail towards him, but they miss, and Demiurge now readies himself to evade them. He flies forwards more and more, and soon gets far from the walls, while Amma can only watch. He growls solemnly, before turning and going back in his building.

Demiurge flies as far as his wings will take. He's been flying southwest, roughly in the direction of Nokut, though he's going further past that. More and more he flies, but he's getting tired. His wings are beginning to flap slower and slower, and soon he lowers, plowing through a few tree trunks. Soon, he's come to a stop with a trail of destruction behind him. He doesn't know where he is, but that concern is far from the forefront of his mind. He can only give a few sorrow-filled chokes, unable to even bring himself to cry as he merely lies down and lets his tired muscles rest. And as he rests, a strange figure appears.

Octuar 19th
Demiurge rests more and more, before eventually stirring in response to the soft sunlight on his face. He mutters and begins to climb to his knees, before extending his wings. He soon finds them bumping against a few tree trunks. He shakes his head and looks around, realizing he's somewhere unfamiliar. He's confused, but begins to recollect what's happened recently. He sighs, noting that he'd hoped that was just some nightmare. Maybe some of it was at least?

He then hears the soft voice of a man, greeting him. Demiurge raises a brow and turns to the source, where he sees a stag dressed in a green tunic, a longbow on his shoulder and a quiver mounted on his back. He says he was in the area when he saw a creature larger than anything soaring through the skies. He followed, and upon realizing it was a Dragon of all things, he decided to keep watch. Demiurge climbs up and sits on his backside, before asking where he is. The stag remarks that he doesn't very much know either, he's just supposed to be out and about and hopefully find any signs of ferals. Hearing that, more of Demiurge's memory returns, and he simply hangs his head.

The stag asks if anything's going on, to which Demiurge says that everything's wrong. Hearing that, the stag gives pause, before sighing. He supposes that he must've recently woken up. He says that a lot of people aren't happy nowadays. But there're people like him that believe that something can be pulled from the current despair. That's why people like him are out searching. Demiurge is merely silent, and still sitting back. The stag's clearly upset, though says that maybe he should travel with him for a little while. Maybe with the Dragon in the world it's time for things to look better.

Hearing that, Demiurge does decide he has a duty. He stands up, and says that they should get looking. With that, the stag realizes that he hasn't really explained himself well. He's called **M'valy**, people like him have a close connection to nature and the power of restoration. He'd fixed up some of the trees that the Dragon flew through, but they're kind of still babies. For now, they should head out of this small section. And like that, players realize they're in the **Etcher Forest**.

The duo presses up and out of the short patch of trees Demiurge had been resting in. M'valy seems to think that they should leave the general area, he hasn't really found anything. However, as they press up, they soon find themselves stopped by a cat lady holding one of those hollow tubes Demiurge noticed before. She appears to be some kind of guard. She says she thought he lost them last night, but now she found where this accursed brat had gone. She's been up all night, and says that all Demiurge needs to do is renounce what he's said.

M'valy seems confused and asks Demiurge what she's talking about. He says that he's refused Amma's means of ruling. He then turns to the cat and tells her pointedly that he will refuse with every fiber of his being. The cat declares that if that's his answer, then she'll have to show Amma the Dragon's corpse. With that, players battle **Guard Lata**, her wielding something called a "Boomstick", this being a long stick/bamboo shaft that's hollowed out to carry gunpowder and dangerous material, the powder able to explode and send the material out the tube. Fortunately, Demiurge and M'valy together should be able to overwhelm her. She grunts and rears back, pained. She declares that Amma has eyes everywhere. So long as he opposes him, he'll never be safe. And then, she flees.

Hearing that, M'valy says that things're going to get dangerous around the Dragon it sounds. Demiurge says that he doesn't have to follow along if he so wishes, though the stag assures that he's ok with this. Demiurge clearly seems to need some aid around here. For now, they should find somewhere that's remote enough for guards not to follow. He asks if the Dragon's wings are doing ok, to which Demiurge flexes them a little. He says he thinks he can, and the stag asks if he can... He doesn't quite finish. Demiurge, however, simply lowers his body, and the stag climbs on. Demiurge flaps, and takes to the air.

With this, players are now able to go to the air and travel around, using Demiurge to fly around the air. For this specific instance of flying, the stag looks around, before spying what looks like a small village southwards. It seems fairly far from Amma's personal quarters, and fairly small in comparison to the spots the guards are usually around. With that, players fly towards it, able to interact with the location in order to go down to it, the location being marked as **Ganna Village**.

Demiurge approaches on the village. And as he goes down, several fairly scrawny-looking people can be seen around the edge of the village, in comparison to a strange, buff wolf man that's standing out before the many of them. Demiurge flies down more and more, and sets down near the edge of the village. M'valy climbs off of him, and the two carefully step in, the villagers still shying away while the wolf steps forwards, him carefully holding what looks like a pair of claws one would wield like brass knuckles.

The villagers each wear some more modern clothes, though appear generally more farm oriented in aesthetic. This wolf wears potato brown pants with a red shirt, and appears sorta like a body builder that's just in the middle of this village. He asks the Dragon what brings the two of them here, especially the Dragon. He imagined that the Dragon would be working with the world's chief. However, Demiurge assures that he wants nothing to do with that man, and M'valy says that right now they're trying to lay low. Hearing that, the wolf seems to ease up, before telling the guards that the new visitors don't appear threatening. A collective sigh can be heard throughout the village, and they begin to step away from where they were frozen.

The wolf introduces himself as **Gant**, and says that he's been here to protect the village. A rabbit lady nearby leans on him and dreamily remarks that he's been such a great protector. A dog man also leans up and says that things've never been safer before he appeared. Gant tries to wave them off before saying he should go back on patrol. In the meantime, if the two of them are to stay here, they may as well look for someone that's willing to take them. Each house is owned by someone, and Gant himself is already lodging with someone.

M'valy supposes that that makes sense, and says that they'll look around. Gant nods and begins walking off, though the duo can't help but notice a few villagers giving him a few dreamy looks as he passes. They're tasked with going from house to house, though whenever they approach the first one, Demiurge looks upon the door and realizes there might be a problem, looking down at himself and all. M'valy says he'll take it, and thus whenever players enter a house, M'valy goes in while Demiurge waits by the door and sometimes peers through whatever windows.

* **Holly** - a jaguar lady in a humble house. Looking into it, Holly apologizes and says that she could only afford herself a room with one bed. Players are still able to check out the house and get a look over the general storage and comfort options, seeing a small space made to be very calming.
* **Sue** - a swan lady in a two story house. She says that she's actually been housing Gant. She's sort of the leader of the village, though that's kind of just a title. Things are sorta already calm and at the point where people do their jobs for the sake of Ganna's continued survival. If anything, Gant's sort of been more of a leader type. The house is fairly well organized with minimal decoration.
* **Renna** - a stoat woman that lives in a humble house. She says that she can't exactly lend her house to others. She's kind of... busy at night. She's deliberately vague. The house itself has little decoration and seems fairly standard, though investigating a dresser reveals a... Gant-sized shirt? M'valy isn't able to investigate it for long before Renna pops in to try and hide away the clothing, before offering the stag 50g to not tell anyone about this.
* **Petunia** - a skunk woman that lives in a humble house. There, she says she's actually fairly lonely, and is willing to let someone come in. The house is fairly humble, hosting plenty of flowers and, indeed, two bedrooms. There's even a fairly small amount of foliage outback to cover Demiurge.

Upon interacting with Petunia, the story progresses.

Out in the living room, M'valy sits at a table near a window, Demiurge kneeling near it to get a good look inside. Petunia herself, meanwhile, approaches and looks in. The skunk sits across from M'valy, and says that seeing the two of them, she does have to admit something. She says that if the Dragon is here, then they should be able to do something. M'valy asks her what she means, to which she explains.

She says that Gant's been here a few years now. Shortly afterwards, a strange beasts has appeared in the nearby woods, that news immediately perking M'valy up. She says that it let out such terrible screams and howls, and the many villagers were terrified, all while Gant was out there with the monster. It pops up every full moon, and Gant is always out to tackle it. And as much as they appreciate the gesture, a lot of the villagers worry for him. He first arrived a bloody heap, and though he hasn't had to worry against common bandits, whenever he heads out to battle the Full Moon Monster, they either find him passed out and mutilated, or he hobbles back struggling.

Petunia says that Gant's a powerful, strong, muscular, dreamy, handsome... She trails off for a moment, though M'valy prompts her to continue with a "but...?" She shakes off her momentary daze, and admits that whenever he goes out after the Full Moon Monster, she can never go to sleep. She wants to go out and help, but she doesn't have any of the fighting spirit or training or gear. Plus if Gant come out so damaged... She says that she wants to get strong enough to fight alongside the wolf before the village loses him. M'valy says that they can't really afford to go out too far, what with the forces of Amma's Guard wanting them dead. However, she assures that guards don't travel near ever since Gant appeared, and that gear and such shouldn't be too far from the village.

Hearing all of that, Demiurge supposes that if she's going to house them, then they should at least do this. M'valy agrees, and asks when the next full moon is. She says that word has it the full moon next comes on the 31st, so they should make sure all of their preparation is done by the 30th. With that, the group has a brand new mission in the new era. It may not be directly tackling Amma, but right now, they don't have a lot of options for countering his forces. Maybe the best thing they can do now is gather allies.

Octuar 19th - Octuar 30th
With this, players need to handle a couple of missions. Petunia says that before she goes out and fights, she needs a proper weapon, and some proper armor. M'valy points out that he hasn't seen any forge nearby, though she says that if they need help, then maybe they can seek out some bandits in the nearby forest. Petunia thinks that she should get something big and hefty for weaponry, and something kinda light for armor, fearing that if she got too big that she'd struggle to move. M'valy supposes that makes sense, and thus they have things to look for.

**Note:** at Octuar 20th, Gant will stop by the house to ask the group if they were told about the Full Moon Monster. Demiurge tells him that she made sure to tell them, to which he nods in approval. He says that things'll be dangerous outside of the village, so he recommends everyone stay indoors until either he comes back, or until sunrise, whichever comes first. He walks away, and Petunia says, quietly enough for only the two party members to hear, that he won't have to fight alone anymore.

Players head out into the **Gan Woods**, a small section of woods that's fairly contained. There appear to be a few branches out of the area to the northeast, southeast, and west, though players aren't able to go in either of these directions for now. No, instead they have to travel the field towards quest markers at certain parts, battling various bandits on the way.

Near the northeast trail, players can find a group of bandits near the trail, though they're lying in wait, clearly hoping to ambush someone. M'valy, a person with strong eyes, points them out. The bandits squirm a little, and asks them if they can give them a better chance to hide. Demiurge tells them to come down and either play nice or get beat. A collective sigh is heard from the bandits, and they come out of the trees and bushes. Among them is a raccoon bandit wielding what looks like a large, thick club. M'valy notes that that looks big and hefty.

Demiurge asks the raccoon if he'd be willing to submit that weapon. He looks at it curiously and asks them if they're serious. Demiurge nods, and the thief says that he'd rather not. Can't exactly take extra meats from guards with just his fists. Demiurge blanches and asks if they're seriously out here taking food from people that need it. The raccoon, however, states that they need food too, but ever since they got pegged with crimes, they stopped being seen as people worth giving food. They don't do this, they starve. Demiurge gives pause at that, though M'valy steps forwards and draws his longbow, saying that their past mistakes brought that on themselves.

Seeing a fight's inevitable, the raccoon raises his club, orders the bandits to fight, and thus the fight with **Eric** and three additional bandits begins. It's a fairly simple fight, the only real notable part being Eric's ability to deal a hefty amount of damage with his club. However, with little effort, the players should be able to overwhelm Eric, at which the raccoon says this isn't worth it, before running. As he does, he leaves behind the club, to which M'valy says they're one part of the way finished.

After that, players are prompted to go to the Eastern path, where they'll spy another few bandits in wait. Once there, they see another group of bandits, though notably one of them's wearing some light segments of metal wrapping around them, as opposed to the usual suit of metal and such. Seeing that, M'valy can't help but wonder if that's really practical. The wearer, a frog man, hears them, and lets them know that this stuffs saved his life more than a few times. He doesn't have to deal with the full weight of one of those stuffy suits, he can easily maneuver his arms and legs into the path of an oncoming weapon, and he can still hop away from danger. Hearing that glowing review, M'valy points out that that sounds like something that'd interest Petunia.

He then asks if they could possibly buy that armor off of him. Hearing that, he seems offended. He declares that it's not for sale, and that he oughta beat the two of them for even suggesting he strip himself of such a genius design. M'valy says that he supposes it can't be helped. With that, the raging frog approaches, and like that, players are forced to fight **Markus** and his band of bandits. Again, they aren't too remarkable, save for Markus' evasive ability. Fortunately, players are soon able to beat him, and thus he's forced to flee, though it seems the fighting undid some of the straps to the armor, for a pile of pieces of metal lays before them. They collect it, and the player has gotten armor for Petunia.

Get Petunia her Gear
After wrapping up those objectives, players are able to return home, where they show off what they got the skunk. She looks over the stuff, and can't help but be excited! She declares that she'll put it all on right away. With that, she hides away in her room for a little bit, and Demiurge and M'valy wait back for a little. They wait, and eventually Petunia returns. She seems to wear her normal purple clothes, though they're hidden behind the plates of metal strapped around parts of her body (calves, biceps, stomach, various sensitive spots), while the club is slung over her shoulder. M'valy asks her how it feels, to which she says she's feeling like a real fighter now.

Petunia gives the club a few test swings, though has noticeable trouble keeping upright, her struggling to stay upright. Demiurge remarks that she has some training to do, to which she says she knows. They don't have a lot of time, and asks if they'd be willing to let her join along. M'valy says that as long as it's to help a friend, he'd be happy helping her get strong. She cheers, and like that, **Petunia** officially joins the party, wielding hefty attack power, some fairly evasive moves, wind magic, and status ailments.

From there on, players are prompted to either just hang out at the village and/or bond with allies, or spend time going out and letting her do stuff to build up her level, as well as the players. Either way, eventually the time comes.

Octuar 31st
On this day, there is a noticeable tension among the villagers, each working hard at farming while Petunia herself carefully tends to her weapon. She reminds them that today is the day, the full moon will rise, and Gant will go out, and that will be their chance to stop this monster in its tracks for good. Demiurge nods, and M'valy says that if they can, he'd like to take such a "creature" alive, it could prove useful for the future. Petunia says as long as it's not threatening Gant or the village, she's fine.

Either way, evening comes, and Gant's making rounds around the village to tell everyone it's time to stay indoors. As he does, Petunia races up to ask if she can come. However, the wolf says that as much as he appreciates the offer, it's too dangerous for any of them. He kindly requests that they stay here and make sure not to come out until either he comes back, or until sunshine. Petunia tries to argue, but Gant says this is a very dangerous creature, and it'd just kill him if anything were to happen to anyone of Ganna. Petunia sighs and says she understands, and the wolf escorts her home.

She watches as the wolf goes off in the distance, before saying that if he won't let her join, then she'll just insert herself. She asks the party to come, and says they have to follow Gant, fast! M'valy agrees, fearing that this'd be their only chance to get a feral, and Demiurge follows along. They're brought out to Gan woods, where Petunia says she saw him head towards the southeast trail. They race there, but at the entrance to the trail forwards, M'valy warns that there's a foul air in the trees. Petunia briefly apologizes, though M'valy clarifies. He says it seems as if the nature itself is trying to warn them, though Petunia says that that means they need to be beside Gant even more! M'valy says they should only progress if they think their ready. And after some preparations and confirming on the player's part, they go south.

The group steps south onto part of a trail to elsewhere, not that the group knows it outright. As they travel, they can hear the slight jangle of metal nearby. Petunia wonders if that's Gant preparing, to which M'valy says they should be fast. They rush to the scene, going into a patch of trees near the trail. They rush, but begin to slow down when they see what's happening. Among the many trees, the muscular wolf has chains wrapped around him and a tree behind him. He appears to be in the middle of fastening a set of chains to himself, when he spies the group, looking on in confusion.

Seeing them, Gant looks on in alarm and asks them what they're doing here. Don't they know a terrible monster is about to come out. The group's still confused about what he's doing, though Petunia, with a shaky breath, says that she didn't want Gant to face the monster alone. She wanted to come help, but... she asks him what's going on. Gant seems to struggle with his words, to the point of sweating. With a shaky voice, he insists that this is part of the process, the beast likes to play with its food. Now, he demands they go home.

However, Petunia says that no matter how much he begs, she won't leave him alone. He's done so much for their village already, and she refuses to let him face this thing alone. Now, she begs him to let her and her allies aid him! Gant pants, and begins grunting, now grasping at his head. He's quivering and sweating a storm, and he begs them to leave, now! Petunia, however, though upset, still stands tall. He's grasping at his head and now beginning to writhe side to side, and he keeps on begging them to leave, repeating himself over and over as he keeps on adjusting his grip on his head.

The moonlight grows more and more, shining more on the patch of woods. And as it does, Gant seems to shy away, as if trying to melt into the tree trunk behind him. He keeps on repeating, getting more and more desperate with his pleading, and though the party's uncomfortable and falters a little, they still ultimately stand tall. The moonlight soon shines on the tree trunk, and despite himself, he forcibly cranes his head upwards. His eyes widen as he looks upon the full moon, and his pleading halts, instead replaced by an animalistic growl as he writhes about in the grip of the chains.

He lurches forwards as much as the chains allow, and he keeps on shaking around. He suddenly barks out a snarl and writhes more, the snarl growing into a growl, before he cranes his head upwards and bellows out an animalistic yet terrified scream. Hearing that, Petunia's eyes widen, and she can only remark "That scream..." The wolf guard's demeanor changes from the relaxed yet serious guard from way back, into something from a nightmare. He snarls at the group and keeps on struggling against the chains, his struggles eventually making them break while they leave marks on him and tear his clothes a little. And once freed, he slams down on all fours, as if mimicking a feral.

The group's each backing up and the beast stalks towards them, letting out hungry pants. Demiurge remarks that he's moving just like a feral, and Petunia says that he's not himself... She says that if they leave him like this, he's going to do something he'll really regret. M'valy says that they better quell this man fast, and he owes them an explanation back in Ganna. Demiurge warns that he's coming, and with a lunge at the group, the fight with the **Full Moon Monster** happens.

The Full Moon Monster is not a foe to be taken likely, even if you have advantages in numbers. His defenses are low, but he has high attack power, the ability to hit every party member with a certain skill, and access to high level Dark and Cosmic magic, which means a chance to Silence and a chance to Omen. Fortunately, if players are able to weaken his damage and make him more likely to miss, they'll be able to defeat him. The final blow is struck, and the wolf gives a few more pants. He takes a few slow steps for the group, before shutting his eyes and flopping down, all the fight in him lost.

Each party member pockets their weapon while Petunia rushes up to him, before leaning down and planting an ear to his chest, at which she says that he's alive. M'valy says, almost disappointed, that it didn't turn out to be a feral after all. Demiurge asks if this's happened before, but M'valy says that he's never seen someone able to go from normal to feral like that. There's been the odd whisper, but only a whisper. Petunia, meanwhile, is propping the wolf man on her back, heaving with effort as she has him almost piggy back her.

She says that they need to get him at her bed before the rest of the village wakes up and finds out something's weird with him. M'valy says that that makes sense, and they'll be careful. With that, the party rushes northwards.

Novi 1st
After a quick cut, the party's back in Petunia's house, Demiurge peering in through a window while Gant's laying on Petunia's bed. Said bed appears too small for him, and M'valy, meanwhile, is using his restorative magic to suture his wounds. As he does, Petunia can't help but look over his body. There's a pregnant silence, though the skunk seems to break it, remarking that this probably isn't going to leave a great impression of her on him. M'valy says that he probably has more important things to worry about. Petunia, while rubbing her shoulder, supposes he does.

M'valy soon stops, and says that the wolf'll survive. In fact, they can probably rouse him awake. Demiurge says that now they can find out about what that was, though M'valy's quick to say they should be gentle. He's still gone through a lot. Petunia gently holds his shoulder and wiggles it a little, herself blushing as she grasps him. After a bit, the wolf mutters and begins to climb up, though he's slow in his movement. He wakes up, and sees the people around him. He goes to rub his eyes and asks what happened, before noticing his torn up clothes. Everything seems to come back to him, and he shies away, trying to hide against the head of the bed. However, Petunia simply grasps his shoulder comfortingly, and tells him everything's ok, nothing happened last night. Gant's slow to ask if she's sure, to which she nods.

Demiurge then says that despite all of that, they need to ask. M'valy says that it's not normal what happened to Gant. So, he wishes to know what was the meaning of that transformation? Gant supposes that he does owe them that much. He sits up but is hunched over, clearly upset by his body language. He says that it happened many years ago, back in Hullo...

He explains that back in Hullo, he was a guard there, meant to keep the peace and occasionally go out to get food for the populous. However, eventually they were failing to gather food for the people. After a while, Chief Amma had decided to start his experiments, he would set up random selections for those that go through de-evolution. Gant had family, so to keep them safe, he decided to offer himself up. This led to a long, long time of trials to try and turn him into a feral. Hypnosis, bashes to the head, some kind of sleep reverse-education... Despite their efforts, he wasn't turning, as well as a few others that were chosen for experiments.

The workers were clearly being frustrated, Amma's second in command, the lemur **Gasha**, especially so. However, during his experimentation, the full moon began to rear. He remembered looking upon it, some instinct inside ordering him to. And then, he blacked out. He woke up hours later, registering the green grass beneath him, and an awful taste in his mouth. He remembered struggling to get up, and slowly registering the mind-numbing pain going through him. He was then aware of the numerous wounds on him, from cuts and stabs around his body, to arrows, pieces of rock, and javelins piercing his hide. He remembered being unable to feel his hands and feet as he tried to follow the trail, unsure of which way it went.

He eventually found the village and Ganna, and when he was several feet from the entrance, he felt all the drive in him fade, and he collapsed. He later awoke to Sue and several other Ganna people nursing him to health. He didn't know where exactly he was, and, at the time, a part of him feared that he'd done something really bad in Hullo, so he wasn't too certain about going back. Plus, he had a debt to Ganna for saving him. So, he spent a long time aiding them. He built up their houses, he staved off bandits, and they'd give him housing, veggies and fruit, and clothes.

During one day way later, he was further up the trail away from Ganna, when he noticed what he thought were normal people walking down the trail when some bandits approached. He rushed in to beat them away, when all of a sudden, mid-fight, a sleeping spell was cast on him, and he fell. He woke up, and found himself tied to a tree in rope. Before him were those citizens from before, except they were now dressed up like Hullo guards. It seemed that they'd laid a trap for him.

They explained that they were away when the attack happened, but they were told that on the full moon, several early experiments fled from the capital and left behind a trail of corpses, from guard to commoner, rendered mere chunks in their stomach. And among those were Gant himself, a creature called back home the Big Bad Wolf. Many a bandit had talked about a stranger in these parts that happened to match the description of said experiment. So, they waited until now to capture him. Gant asked why, to which they explained.

The experiments weren't exactly a success, but clearly there exist some stimuli to bring the feral out. And among those stimuli is the full moon. They aren't allowed to do anything obscene to an intelligent creature, but once that moon shines down, he won't be intelligent. They told him that he should be still, for in mere minutes, he'll be stricken down, and his body will be put to good use for the staving commoner. Gant remembered he struggled against the bindings, but the more they spoke, the more a part of him felt like he needed to go through with that. He did volunteer to help people, but instead, he brought on destruction and ran, and now he'd been hiding away in Ganna. He remembered thinking that he should do something better with himself. Then, the full moon rose, and he blacked out...

The next morning, he woke in tattered clothes, the awful taste in his mouth again. And around him were the barely recognizable piles of those guards that'd threatened to butcher him. He groaned and fell down again, unconscious. He'd later wake up finding himself in Sue's bed. Several of the villagers looked over him worried, and in a moment, his previous despair began to giveway, and instead he realized he still owed them, especially as they tended to him now. Shortly after, they asked what happened, and not wanting to expose himself as a monster to them, he spun the tale of the Full Moon Monster. And since then, whenever the full moon came, he'd retreat to the woods to bind himself and keep himself from going feral in Ganna. He's managed to keep hidden for a few years since, until last night.

Now, a villager followed him out, and he could've struck them down. He gets sullen and goes to bury his face into his knees. Petunia, however, simply stands beside him and tries to hug across his shoulders. She assures him that she's made sure to build herself up so that she could stand before the beast. The three of them were able to repel that creature once, and they can do it again. Gant's faced this creature all alone all these years, and he's been hurting all the while. That's why she'll alleviate the burden for him.

Gant seems to ease up, and he gives a sigh. He says that he ust needs to lay down a little. Meanwhile, the other two seem willing to follow. Demiurge says that a lot of people need to pay for this, and M'valy says that it won't mean anything if there isn't any feral to go back to. Their lead here's been exhausted, so they'll have to head elsewhere soon. Demiurge then asks how they'll get Petunia and Gant out of here. Petunia wants to stay by Gant's size, and the wolf seems devoted to keeping this place safe. M'valy holds his chin, and remarks that that may be a puzzle...

### Midway

After this, Demiurge and M'valy are both out front. M'valy says that, considering how well Petunia's fought alongside them, he's quite certain that they should be useful in their upcoming journey. And if they can convince Gant to join, then that'd be even better. Demiurge asked how they can do that, to which M'valy said that Petunia was willing to change for his sake. Maybe they can convince the others to act that way too? Demiurge supposes that it'd only be fair. They've had him here for a few years now apparently. With that, M'valy supposes their next mission is decided, find a way to convince the people of Ganna to take arms.

Next, the group's tasked with going house to house to talk to various people about possibly raising arms. Each villager wonders how Gant is doing, and they're told he's alright, before M'valy asks them about fighting themselves. However, plenty of them are apprehensive. They saw the kind of wounds Gant came home with, and they're sure he only lived because he's built like a house. They don't have that luxury. M'valy, however, will frequently point out how much Gant's done for them and how much he deserves some time to himself. Each villager still seems antsy, though do appear guilty.

They keep on, though don't find much result. After a bit, M'valy decides that they aren't getting anywhere like this. They need something proper to convince them. Demiurge then points out that maybe Petunia could show them that they can change? M'valy strokes his chin, and figures that that's not bad. She appeared to be just a flower girl before, and now she stands having triumphed over the Full Moon Monster. If they're going to do anything about that, then they'd better gather everyone in one place. So, they head into the house, where Gant is still at, sitting upon what appear to be the remnants of a chair at the dining room table. He's rather bashful while Petunia assures him it's ok.

Seeing M'valy enter, and seeing Demiurge at the window, Gant asks where they've been. M'valy explains that they've been trying to talk the rest of the villagers into taking a stance themselves. Hearing that, Gant seems more flustered and gets on his feet, asking them why they're trying to make them do that. Demiurge says that, truthfully, they can't leave him to do all the work here himself. Hearing that, Petunia seems to perk up, and remarks that that was, at least, part of why she reached out to the adventurers. Gant still says that he can't afford to let the people of Ganna get themselves into danger, though M'valy assures that Petunia herself is quite powerful, and the rest of the villagers could certainly take a que from her.

Still, Gant can't allow them to get in danger themselves. They've done too much for him, and if anything were to happen to them... Petunia, however, insists that they could learn a thing or two about independence. Besides, she's here better because she wanted to make that change. Gant slowly realizes he's kind of outvoted. He groans, but says that he'll have to watch their training closely. Demiurge and M'valy both nod in understanding. Gant says that he's still resting himself, so he'll have to retire for the night before gathering them tomorrow.

With that, the group each turns in, Petunia leading Gant to her bedroom while M'valy's getting ready to go to his own bed. He asks Petunia to come back real quick, and after leading the wolf, she comes back. Demiurge asks where they should go when they move on from here, to which the skunk asks in alarm if they're really leaving. M'valy says that he and the Dragon has their own mission, to find any remaining ferals. If they find them, then they might be able to mount an offense against Chief Amma. Petunia gives pause, before remarking that that guy was behind whatever happened to Gant. If that's the case, then she'd love to try and help them.

She remarks that the old stories say a lot of ferals were isolated in the mountains back in Chief Miza's times, so maybe they can find something there? The southern trail can take them to the mountains. M'valy says that that sounds like a plan, and also says that if they can bring Gant along, that'd be even better. Petunia then asks if that's really why they're doing this, to which the deer replies that he deserves closure, and deserves the chance to grow beyond here. He's still hurting, and he's not growing so long as he's cooped up in this village. Petunia then seems a bit guilty, wondering if they've just been hurting him keeping him here. M'valy says that no one here is to blame, but it's time to move on. Either way, it's getting late. They'll prepare the village, and they'll head south.

Novi 2nd
On this morning, Gant makes it up to his feet and begins heading out, stepping out the door. As he does, a few of the villagers notice him leaving Petunia's house, before blushing and seeming to whisper some gossip between each other, before scurrying away as the wolf walks up the trail and into the rest of the village. As he does, he goes around house to house, saying he wants everyone to meet up out front, he plans on making an announcement.

And so, after a bit of that, Petunia herself steps out while in her battle equipment, M'valy and Demiurge following behind. They're now in the middle of the village, the party standing behind Gant as the villagers group up in front of him. There's a mutter amongst each of them, before Gant raises a hand, hoping to get their attention. They paused and turned to face him. Gant explains that, as they know, the Full Moon came, battle came. However, in that battle, none other than Petunia and her friends were able to repel the beast and he was returned and nursed to health.

As such, seeing her active and fighting, he's decided that for the goodness of the village, the rest must learn self defense. The many villagers seem uncertain, and eventually Sue speaks up and says that they've only survived because they've had someone as strong as Gant among them. Gant rubs the back of his head nervously, and says that he knows that they can be just as strong. Renna says that Gant's just so strong and powerful and so on, and even he couldn't handle a straight fight with the Full Moon Monster. How could they hope to repel it next full moon? At that, the party each turns towards Gant, who seems to connect the dots.

He sighs, before saying that, for a long time now, he hasn't been honest. He begins talking, saying that the Full Moon Monster only stays around where he is. There seems to be a gasp among the group, before Sue asks what he means. Petunia whispers to him, saying that he doesn't have to admit if he doesn't want, but he takes a deep breath and shuffles in place. He says that he was the monster itself, and only came out at the full moon. There's another gasp, and he explains that he hadn't realized what he was until the full moon after he arrived. Still, he says that doesn't excuse him from bringing destruction on this land, but seeing someone like Petunia be able to stop him when he got into a rage, he has confidence that the rest of the village would be able to defend themselves, and only then he'd be confident bringing the monster away.

There's some definite discomfort among the current crowd. They're clearly conflicted, realizing that Gant's departing would bring a horrible monster away from here, but ultimately still deeply caring for him. Sue eventually steps forwards, and says that if it'd make Gant more comfortable, then she'll train. With her, a domino effect occurs in which each creature steps forwards, now spurred on by her. More and more seem willing, and Petunia declares that they'll be training for a while.

And after that, Petunia's started her work, while Gant steps away from the lot of them, leaving him with Demiurge and M'valy. M'valy says that he's grateful for him choosing them. Gant says, however, that he'd still be dangerous. He's only more confident with them cause they already exchanged blows. Either way, the stag extends a hand, and Gant takes it, shaking. With that, **Gant** has joined the party. Demiurge then says that while Petunia's doing things, they should scout out the southern path. He thinks he can fly them to it, but may as well keep an eye out for anything in between here and there. The two allies nod in agreement.

Novi 2nd - Novi 6th
During this period, Petunia will be unavailable for this portion of the game, and instead players get to experience a bit of Gant's general style. South of Ganna is the **Holix Trail**, a clearing that leaves the tree cover, and begins to go upwards, the upper portion of the trail having bits of snow on it. Between here and the other end of Holix are various bandits and guards, as well as the occasional item hidden. Additionally, during this period, players can fly and visit a few other nearby settlements.

* **Nokut** - Or at least what's left. Arriving at the area south of the mountain range reveals a striking lack of any of Nokut's structure, save for several stacks of stones provided in memorial.
* **Hafa** - Hafa's still a lake-side town, and has guards in it (them being hostile towards Demiurge) as well as villagers that try to hide. There are signs of fishing equipment, though some of it seems hardly used.
* **Gurah** - Another dilapidated village. There is the occasional guard that wanders through here, though it seems the general populous has migrated to Hullo.

Any attempts at touching down upon the mountains at the end of Holix Trail leads to Demiurge saying "Petunia's still busy, we should wait before going in here".

Novi 7th
On this day, the party wakes up, Petunia and other allies leaving her house while Gant exits Sue's house. They step out into the field, and look around at the various villagers. Though there're a couple that don't appear any different, some wield bows, some wield bows, some wield spears, and some wield armor. They appear to be taking a poise similar to Gant as they march around, prepared for combat. Gant tells Petunia that they're looking really well prepared, and thanks the skunk for what she's done. She blushes and gently wrings her tail.

Either way, the group begins to set out, and as they do, the many villagers spy them walking. A few approach Gant, Sue included. Before the party leaves outright, Sue tells Gant that if he ever feels lonely, he's free to come here. Just mind the phases of the moon. Gant seems to perk up at that, and nods. He says that this won't be forever, and the many villagers wave him off. He waves himself, and so the group heads off, Petunia clinging to the wolf's side while the rest are out front, M'valy saying that as much of a detour as this has been, they at least have some allies out of it.

Next, players are prompted to either travel to, or fly to, the other end of Holix Trail. Players are able to enter the region of the **Holix Mountains**. This is a range of mountains, boasting several layers of snow throughout, alongside a very vague trail, though it appears to've faded to time. Traversing the mountains is a bit more treacherous than at the Mountain Range in T'rere, and Demiurge will find he can't fly too high else face the biting, chilling winds of the skies above.

They're forced to come down on the ground and try to stick to the trail. However, when they touch down, they find a small group of Amma guards, them joined by the cat lady from way before, Lata. Demiurge and M'valy are surprised to see her, and the cat lady spied them, before glowering. Petunia asks if they know that lady, and M'valy said that they had to fight this guy a while ago. Lata then says that dad, before correcting herself to say that Chief Amma's been real uneasy when he learned the Dragon's vanished to the wilds, and the guards've been out and busy for a while now.

Gant asks just what the guards were doing, and the guards beside Lata say that while the usual guys are delivering meat, small groups are delegated to trying to eliminate Demiurge. And while they're busy, food lines are buffeted and people are getting less material than they need. So, if he knows what's good for the people, Demiurge will submit to them now! Demiurg then says that that man doesn't know what's right. He and his group are going to bring back the ferals and tear down this terrible system he's put up! Lata then says that if they insist on denying their way of life, then they won't show mercy.

With that, players are forced to fight **Lata and allies**. Lata herself wields abilities similar to before, and appears to be the forefront of damage. The allies alongside her wield buffing, debuffing, and ailment abilities, and seem able to use that to make the players' ability to damage Lata harder than before. As such, players are encouraged to take care of her allies before obliterating Lata. Eventually, she's overwhelmed, and they're forced to retreat. Gant then says that they're probably going to alert Amma, which means more guards'll probably fill these mountains. Petunia says that in that case, they should head out real quick and make sure they scour as much of this mountain as possible, before it's teeming with enemies.

Novi 7th - Novi 21st
With this, players are thus forced to go through the whole of Holix Mountains in hopes of finding any signs of ferals.

The current path leads them through whatever vague-ness there is to the path, eventually forced to utilize their athletic ability or M'valy using careful shots to nock down some debris to create a passage for them to go through. As they move, they'll have to encounter more bandits, as well as small groups of guards. They progress more and more, before eventually arriving at some more flat plains that they can walk across.

As they progress, Gant remarks that there's an awful lot of ground to cover, and so far, no sign of any ferals. Not a scent, not a footprint, nothing. M'valy says that they have to keep looking, and Petunia says, albeit timidly, that he's only said that since they got here. Demiurge says that M'valy's right, they can't just stop looking. However, before he can talk more, M'valy ends up stepping on something, at which the ground beneath him gives way, revealing the snow to've been covering up a pit! The group peers over in alarm, before spying the stag with a large spike through either leg. They each gasp in alarm, though M'valy, through heavy breaths, assures that he can heal this. He just needs to get out, though the slightest movement on his part leads to a pained howl coming from him.

And while he's pained, the snow around shifts, revealing people hidden in the snow, wearing white cloaks and with white-dyed fur. They each draw weaponry and begin to approach the pit, though the remaining party members decide to draw their weapons and try to group up. The foes near, and say that they're outmatched. That man said he has restoration magic, and in a moment, they'll be incapacitated. The rest of them stand no chance without that kind of magic. The group winces in worry, though Petunia, with shaky breath, assures that they can beat them. She glances towards Gant, who doesn't look too certain. The bandits give pause, before saying that they can let them go, if they simply give up the stag. Petunia tightens her grip, though again turns towards Gant. The wolf says that they can't just give him up.

The bandits are once again at an impasse, and then they say that if they wish, then they can provide food in exchange for them just leaving. Petunia seems to perk up at that, while Demiurge scowls. Gant, however, motions Demiurge towards him, at which he says that if they do this, then they'll be led to their base, where they can do something about M'valy. At that, the Dragon, though hesitantly, agrees. With that, the party sheathes their weapons, and the bandits approach, before pulling the stag, now barely conscious, out of the pit.

After that, they're led into a cavern deeper into the plains, the group leading them through and avoiding any other traps. They reach the entrance with the stag in tow, and the group are treated to an interior lined with torches only deeper inside, and some pelts strewn around. They walk more and more, before stepping into a network of tunnels with more of those guys in white, one in particular being an arctic fox with her hood down. At the far end of the tunnel is a guy with a thick white coat, and a necklace of bones around them. This person appears to be a brawny snow leopard man. He greets the travelers, introducing himself as **M'ava** of the Holix mountains.

Demiurge asks what's happened up here, to which he replies that there used to be a village out here that he ruled over. Years ago it was a fair town that felt invincible, able to weather any weather. However, the great famine came, and much of them would starve to death, rendering what's left of it a mere graveyard. Amma's people couldn't make their rounds fast enough, so people were dropping more and more. However, he was able to provide one alternative to keep their people alive, those that had the strength for it. Gant asks exactly what he means. He explains that Amma limits their food to those that lose their intelligence. And as he looked over one of the corpses, he remembered thinking that if mind alone was what the separating factor was between man and feral, then is the body just as consumable? Each party member's eyes widen, and Petunia asks that he surely can't mean-!

M'ava tells them to fear it all they want, but their experiments proved fruitful. Now their people are thriving when once they would've died. And now, they're free to provide shelter to those that see reason. Demiurge grits his teeth and assumes a more threatening stance, though the guards seem to tense up. M'ava sniffs the air a little, before looking towards Gant, muttering in sort of content to himself. The wolf can't help but shudder and draws away a little. The snow leopard then orders the guards to bring the new prey before them.

The guards tug M'valy ahead, and the party tries to go to catch them, only for other guards to cut them off by extending spears. The stag is tossed at the foe's feet, the latter grabbing him by the shoulder and hoisting him up. He struggles in his grip, though he's still bleeding out. M'ava raises an arm, and water magic coils up his fist before forming into a knife-like structure. He's about to strike, though the arctic fox speaks up. The leader turns to her curiously, and she announces that those they promised food still seem uncertain. She says that this won't convince them, and as such seeks to, herself, teach them. M'ava supposes that makes sense, and those releases M'valy. The arctic fox then picks him up, and begins heading down one of the tunnels, the guards escorting them down.

Now the group's lead into a remote section of the tunnel, the arctic fox in white laying the stag out on a table while the other party members are there. Demiurge seems ready for an attack, though Gant says that if they try anything, they're liable to be struck down by the rest. The arctic fox looks over the felled archer, before utilizing some form of magic, her life force flowing from her and into him, restoring his legs. The party's confused, and the arctic fox says that she agrees, this is all awful.

She introduces herself as **Dollim**, and says that she doesn't want anything to do with this, but this was all she could do to survive. At that, Petunia asks why doesn't she leave. However, she says that if she leaves, then she'd be likely to be struck down by any of the bandits. And if not them, then she'd be seen as a criminal in the rest of the world and thus would be killed herself. She says that if the circumstances were different, she would've left the moment M'ava brought the idea up, but he said it in a period where they were all suffering. To go far would be suicide. She can only imagine several of them are in the same boat as her. But as long as M'ava's there giving orders and as long as they have no other leader, they won't be going anywhere.

Petunia says that they'd love to get out, though Demiurge decides to speak up. He says that he himself is being hunted by the guards, and shortly, the guards will probably be on this mountain. At that, Dollim says that if their group isn't let out soon, then they'll all be killed! Demiurge seems repentant, and Gant says that they'll work towards eliminating M'ava's influence. M'valy then says that if they get them out of here, then can they help their search for ferals. Dollim says that if they can find ferals, then they can put an end to the darkness their people have been put under. The arctic fox says that she herself will be more than willing to help the group, she's fairly low profile so she can come and go without much worry. With that, the party gains brand new party member, **Dollim**.

M'valy's grateful that she sees reason, but he asks how they'll get out. He's expected to be dead by now. Dollim then says that she knows the way out, she offers to direct them. And so, they move, traversing the tunnels before eventually reaching a way out onto the mountain. And as they run, someone demands they halt. They turn, and see a pair of ibises in clothing akin to the rest of the bandits. One of them asks what she's doing with the guests and the game. Dollim begins to stutter to try and give a lie, insiting that they're running, though one of the duos are quick to point out that M'valy stopped in time with her. There's more stuttering, before Dollim turns and points out that if they don't move fast, they'll have the rest of Holix on their tail! With that, she suddenly draws a pair of sickles, before lunging at the duo, either running to try and assist her. And now, players are forced to fight **Holix Hunters**.

During this, players get introduced to Dollim's general ability, wielding restorative magic (at the expense of her own life, akin to Osrus), the ability to restore her own health with normal attacks, as well as the ability to damage enemies and split the combined damage total among allies to heal them. With that, both ibises are down, the party panting. Dollim, meanwhile, approaches the two. She takes up her sickles, and raises them, ready to slash their throats. However, Demiurge comes in to grab either hand and stop her. She struggles, and tells him that if she doesn't do this, they'll report her! However, Demiurge counters saying that they can face judgement after they're no longer under a bad man's thumb. If she's scared about returning, then she can stay with them.

She gives pause, though asks if they'd really have her. M'valy says that they'll be weary of her methods, but they trust her to see her vision through to the end. An ideology like this cannot keep on existing. She nods in approval, and says that they'll be allowed to live. Either way, on the day this is performed, M'valy says that the day's been eventful, and they should retreat to keep themselves safe. With that, the player's forced out of the dungeon.

While outside, M'valy points out that those guys don't seem to have any sign of ferals. It seems their initial quest is bust, but if they can gather these guys, then maybe their efforts will be better. Dollim nods assuringly, saying that she will talk them into it. But first, they need to get at M'ava. He's surrounded by lots of bad grunts, a straight assault may very well be suicide. Gant says that guards have various plans for smoking out foes, and he supposes their best bet is to thin out their numbers and keep the Holix guys restrained before they can breach M'ava's defenses. Petunia says that that sounds like a really good plan, and Demiurge says that he supposes their best bet is to go around to the various entrances to attract the bad guys, then strike M'ava.

With that, the player's goal now shifts to going to certain entrances in the general location. This involves wandering around the snowy planes in order to try and find a cavern. And upon finding, players will be tasked with heading in, where they encounter a small group of enemies that they'll have to defeat, before drawing out a Horde of Holix Warriors, and imprisoning each of them. After taking care of enough of them, players are thus able to go through the main entrance, the one players went through before, and challenge M'ava himself.

With this, players press forwards, progressing through the insides of the Holix cave. They press forwards and forwards, before arriving at the chamber with the snow leopard in it. He seems alarmed at the current state of his quarters. Seeing the oncoming group, he particularly notices one of his own have turned. He asks what the meaning of this is, to which Dollim replies that he's kept them cooped up for too long and playing his tune the whole while. He's a mad man and he needs to pay for what he practices. However, he counters that this group lives because of him. Besides, he can smell such a "disgusting" practice among the party. Gant shudders and shies away, though Petunia's quick to jump in, saying that he hasn't done it willingly, and that he's always hated it!

Dollim then says that people are scared, and M'ava knew that. He knew they wouldn't be able to defy his leadership in those circumstances, and now they're stuck. What's more, the world chief's guards are going to storm this place, and as soon as they find them, they're all dead. M'ava says that if these feckless scum hadn't infiltrated, then they'd have all opportunity to repel an invasion! This is all on their hands! Dollim tells him that she refuses to give him anymore support! Demiurge says that they won't allow another terrible leadership to rise in this world! M'ava growls, before standing up and gripping a band of rosaries in his hand. He says that if Holix is to die, he'll make sure its murderers are dealt justice. With that, he lunges at the group, and players are forced to fight the **Cannibal Chief**.

The Cannibal Chief fight can be considered a bit of a war of attrition. M'ava himself has an attack that allows him to drain HP from a target, as well as water-based magic, which also includes the ability to freeze foes, which also means he can deal bonus damage if he strikes them when they're frozen. However, through tough action on the party of the party, they should be able to overwhelm the cannibal, and beat him.

He grunts and collapses to his knees, struggling to keep himself up on his knees. He pants and pants, saying that he was doing everything right. He did everything he did for the people of Holix. He tries to talk more, only for Dollim to shove her sickle up close to his throat. He gulps nervously and looks up, the other party lingering near. Dollim glowers at the foe, before saying he can tell the Dragons how right he is. Then, she swipes to the side, slitting his throat. He groans and falls over to the side, the life leaking out of him.

The party, sans Demiurge surprisingly, can't help but feel a little disgusted. They each shy away, when Dollim turns to the groups. She says that now's as good a time as any for them to attract the rest of Holix. Demiurge nods in understanding, and says that they should get off the mountain very soon. With that, the mission is over.

Novi 22nd
On this day, the group approaches the Holix Hideout, Dollim there at the entrance awaiting them. She greets them, and says that she's talked to a few. Gant asks how many are turning, to which the fox explains that many seem willing to move on. There aren't a lot that're willing to come alongside them, but many don't want to stay on these mountains much longer. Demiurge says that it's time for them to move asap.

With that, they go in, and carefully release the many members of Holix. And then, they each rush down the mountain, just in time for many guards to begin coming down. Gant begins to lead, saying that he knows which way to go to get opposite of Hullo. They run more and more, and the guards each come upon the mountain. It cuts to later, where the cat, Lata, can be seen leading the many guards in hopes that they can bring some results. However, more and more they can't find anything. Lata scowls, remarking that at this rate, the chief will only get even angrier. She sighs, and says that the guards haven't been the same ever since that Dragon appeared. Then why...?

### Penultimate

At this, the group is heading south, racing away from the general location. As they do, a few peer back, and see the guards storming the mountain. They run more and more, before ending up deep in the depths of the forest. The many are panting and panting, and rest amongst the foliage. Gant says that they're lucky they got away when they did. They wouldn't have survived a raid like that... Petunia, meanwhile, asks if they'll be safe over here, to which M'valy supposes they should sneak a little deeper into the foliage.

Dollim herself has a suggestion, and says that spreading out would be a valid strategy. To those that want to remain, they're free to stay in the general area. Those that aren't, they're free to go wherever. The people of Holix understand, before spreading. The fox then says that the few of them should hang around, just to be safe. They do make kind of a good team. M'valy says that he'll have to teach them about their tracking techniques. They need to act fast if they're to put some distance between them and the chief's guards.

The group are each resting in the woods, hidden in the bushes. Demiurge sighed and thanked Dollim for her help. The fox nods in affirmation, saying that she couldn't have gotten out without them, and she thanks them. M'valy asks her what her and her group will do after they find the ferals, to which she replies that she's not really sure. The lot of them are rich with disgust, and odds are that they'll be hunted down to the last. And if M'ava could smell Gant's sins off of him, odds are some of the higher rank guards can to them. Demiurge gives pause, though says that when they change things with Amma, maybe they'll be able to get Dollim and group out of their situation.

Hearing that, Dollim remarks that he sounds rather confident. What's to say that he'll be so different if they show a different way? When M'ava was shown his way would be too destructive, he doubled down and tried to kill them off. Demiurge says that he's not sure if that's the same case. If there's nothing else they can say, then it's that Amma still has principles and still seems to care for the people. If he has the chance to fix things, then maybe... maybe he'll stop the feral process at least. For now, though, he's kind of making it up as he goes. Petunia says that she'd love to get some smacks on the guy that screwed up dear Gant, though Gant says that that won't quite fix his situation. Either way, they can't really progress until they find those ferals.

With that, the group chooses to rest for the night...

Novi 23rd
The next morning, the group wakes up, Dollim adjusting her clothing in discomfort. She remarks that it's a lot warmer out here than she's recalled, even in the autumn weather. M'valy says that she should get used to it soon, before saying that they need to get searching, fast. The arctic fox then says that she'll search around for the group. She leaves, and Demiurge then decides to ask Gant if that "smelling sin" thing is real. Gant says that a few have the ability, he himself included. But the high winds up in the mountains made it harder to pick up the intricate smell. Not everyone will pick up on their past, but some of higher ranking will tell.

Either way, the group sits back, and waits for Dollim...

After a bit, Dollim returns, bearing only around a dozen of the old group. Dollim says it's disappointing, but not unexpected. M'valy says that he'll take the time to lead them, though for now, they should head out to another settlement. The stag suggests they should head east from here. The group agrees, and so they set out. Now, players are able to either walk across the **Weathered Planes** and run into the various guards or foes on it, or they're able to fly eastward to try and find the small village **Novey**.

Said village is a riverside village with cement buildings of varying sizes, with several famished villagers going from the buildings to the river to farm. The group approaches, where M'valy says that they'll each have to fan out for any sort of rumors. Additionally, they may have to work on their magical ability, for if they can hone in on either issue, then they'll be able to narrow down on the potential location of these ferals. With that, each party member and the people of Holix are prompted to head out and ask around the various villagers.

* Domin - A sheep man that's seen running a machine that grinds up products. He's surprised at the appearance of the Dragon, and says that the people of Novey don't really go out much. He apologizes for not being much help.
* Reed - A chicken lady that wields a bow and stays at a tower near the entrance. She says that she's just here to watch the village. Bandits have been plentiful, but a while ago, they've been keeping away if anyone gets too close to the northern end of the river.
* Dalla - A lobster man with armor and what looks like a war hammer. He says he's just a guard and he's one of the guys trying to make sure the people aren't hurt by whatever bandits are out there. Thankfully, there's been less bandits as of late.
* Gera - An antelope lady that appears to be preparing some sort of wine. She says that she's also stayed in the village, though the village leader, **Gorno**, has gone north up the river recently. He hasn't come back, so they figured staying here would be better.

After speaking with various individuals, the party regroups, as do the people of Holix. Much of Holix says that the villagers haven't heard of any ferals, and Petunia says that plenty seemed to scoff at the idea. However, Demiurge brings up the only oddity he saw being the village leader going northwards. M'valy says that they haven't been able to get any information other than that, maybe they should search.

So they set out, traveling north up the river. They eventually reach a wall of earth, where the river appears to originate from a waterfall. However, as they approach, gray clouds begin to bunch up overhead, much to the party's confusion. Gant remarks that it seemed like clear skies just a few minutes ago. Dollim says that this feels like some kind of omen, though Demiurge says they should press on. M'valy tells the people of Holix to keep their noses open, just in case of any wrongdoing. So, the group presses forwards, forced to investigate the **Doni Cliffs**.

They go up, and throughout the holix people will point out hidden alcoves they find, hidden treasures, and other such. As they go up the cliffs, one of the Holix people, a tubby bear lady, tenses, before grasping Demiurge to stop him. Lightning zips down and strikes where they would've stepped. The bear lady says she smelled some sulfur ahead, and figured that wasn't good with this cover. M'valy says that she did really good, and says that they need to be careful ahead. Part of him's suspecting that this lightning might be malicious... With that, players press on, with the Holix people accompanying them warning them whenever lightning's about to strike somewhere. But they press on.

They eventually reach the cliff, having evaded much of the lightning. Before going up, a bunch of the Holix people say that they smell someone up there, M'valy hypothesizing that that's probably the guy behind these attacks. He suggests that they should be careful, this may be a powerful spell caster. When the player's ready, they climb the cliff, and investigate. Up there's a small forest the river goes through, and the party approaches. They step through, either party member reaching for their weaponry.

They approach a portion of the forest, a hill that hooks over the river, that has a somewhat thin jackal man sitting on it, him wielding a staff. He's in a meditative stance, before slowly lifting a hand ushering the group to stop. He says that he controls the winds, and he's been able to smell the vilest of creatures approach. And he says that he felt such a sickness as the current party approached. Dollim backs away wearily while Petunia says that it's a long story. Demiurge asks if he's the village leader, to which he answers he was. He says he has more important business now, more important than to let people like the party threaten this patch of land.

Demiurge asks what he means, to which M'valy gives pause. He closes his eyes and clutches at his chest, taking a deep breath. His eyes widen, and he remarks that he feels "it". The meditative man begins to stand, and says that their kind cannot be allowed to linger. Now, he'll destroy them all. With that, he cups his hands, before spreading them out, sending an icy gale out that repels the Holix people, though the party remains. He declares that he'll destroy them all! With that, players are forced to battle the **Storm Mage, Gorno**. The fight is pretty tricky. This foe wields the power of Storm, meaning he can conjure up Wind, Water, Electric, and Fire skills. This gives him a relatively large array of potential ailments, though much of the party can resist one or two elemental damages at a time. He leans towards damage, so if players can find a way to limit his magic usage, they should win the fight.

The group's able to overwhelm the jackal, who falls to his knees, overwhelmed. As he kneels there, the rest of the party approach. Gorno declares that he will resist with all of his life. None will learn the secret of these woods! However, Demiurge says that they don't mean any harm, really. They want to fix things up and are out looking for anything. The jackal dismisses that, and says that he can smell evil on so much of them. However, Gant chooses to explain. There's a cut away, and the Storm Mage seems caught up.

He says that he's surprised. For them to each be like this... He says that he's still not sure if he can trust them. M'valy says that whatever the case is, they're still here to fix the world. Either way, he can feel *them*. He steps away from the group, and Demiurge and the rest follow. Gorno tells them not to go any further, but they press on anyways. They go into the forest, and Gant and the people of Holix pick up on the new smell. They each seem to speed up, before finding... a small den. There appears to be a small collection of ferals in these small woods. Does, foxes, wolves, and others, each living together.

M'valy seems elated, lunging at one of the nearby deer and holding it closely. The people of Holix look on with pure joy, before collapsing to their knees. Petunia clasps Gant excitedly and hops, and Demiurge smiles widely, though finds a few tears coming out, him remarking that it actually feels safe to cry. He falls to his knees and cries some more, while Dollim approaches Gorno. She says that this is a huge discovery, this should've been reported to the chief ASAP! Why is he up here just hanging with these?! Gorno then says that the rest of the world doesn't deserve that.

Many of them saw the world go from its more peaceful pace to something of a nightmare. With the lack of ferals, everyone's fallen in line with Amma's plan, regardless of how much harm he's caused. Everyone's decided his plan will work out fine enough, so now they're eating meat that used to be someone, and there're people out trying to steal said meat. And what's worse is that people've just fallen in line, as if this is an acceptable solution. He says that a world like that shouldn't go on, so he decided he'll just sit here in paradise and wait for everyone to end themselves.

Demiurge can then say "I'm not sure I blame you" or "That's not your decision to make". To the former, much of the party turns towards him. He says he wasn't sure if he could've stood the state of this world, but M'valy found him, and gave him hope. He knows there's a chance to make things better than they are now. To the latter, he says that Gorno'd be no better than any of those people he criticizes. They gave up on a better way of life, and now he's giving up on a better life for them, and because of him, good people could be dying today! Either way, he says it doesn't matter what the Storm Mage thought, they can make things better.

Gant then asks what they should do, to which the stag says that they should spread news to Hullo. If Amma hears about this, then they should be able to get someone here. Dollim points out that they're not welcome among the guards, though points out maybe that someone in Novey should be able to send a message. Demiurge says that they should head back, and the Holix people says that they can stay behind to keep the forest safe. Gant also suggests they should drag Gorno along, just in case he feels like trying anything.

With that, players take up the jackal, and fly off to Novey, ready to have a message be delivered. And then, it'll be a matter of time.

Novi 24th - Novi 28th
After that, it's a matter of waiting, all while **Gorno** is forced to tag along with the party. They want to make sure they keep a good eye on him. This gives players a chance to perform sidequests, deepen bonds, and gather experience, while getting to know the new party member for a little while. It'll be a while, but eventually, the time will come.

Novi 29th
This day, the guards are supposed to arrive at the forest. So, the many party members fly up, Gorno included, and up to the cliff. They settle down, and the many ferals are still ok, the Holix people even petting a few. Demiurge asks if anything happened, to which a squirrel man in the group says that no one came close. Maybe Gorno's storms scared off the guys for good. The jackal seems surprised that the animals are safe around these people, though he tries not to show it. Either way, Demiurge says that they should all be ready, things are going to be changing for the better anytime now. And so, they wait.

Eventually, they can see several lines of guards marching towards them. And at the forefront are Lata, Gasha, and between the two of them is Amma himself. Demiurge seems to suddenly realize how little he's actually seen the man, but still felt his presence in everyone around. He shuts his eyes in reflection, as if rehearsing what he plans to say. They walked more and more, before the many stopped at the front border of the forest. Amma and the other two raise their arms to signal to the guards to hold steady. Amma steps forwards, seeing the line of the party. He looks among each, only seeming to take note of Demiurge and Gant. He says that they're either bold to summon them here, or they're wishing to repent in some way.

Gant recoils, though Demiurge says that surely they read the note, surely they know why they're here. Amma then says that his men have searched high and low for ferals, surely they jest. He almost expected this to be an ambush, but if the enemies of the state are offering themselves like this... Demiurge, however, brings up a hand to signal him to stop. He says that they'll show them. Amma seems skeptical, though he tells his guards to follow close behind, while the other two stay close to his sides. The party carefully goes into the forest, and the group follows behind.

They eventually reach the Holix people standing guard, and they each spread, the squirrel picking up one of the deer and coming close to the group. Shock crosses all of the officials, though an almost relief crosses many of them. Amma's expression, meanwhile, appears unreadable as he looks over the ferals here. Demiurge can't help but feel there's something slightly familiar about that expression. He stabs his spears into the ground and approaches the squirrel wordlessly. The Holix man offers the deer earnestly, and the lion takes it in his arms, expression not changing. Demiurge says that this is the moment to change, to make things better for everyone. Amma's done many awful things, but this is his chance to repent. They'll breed these ferals, distribute the meat, and put an end to the unintelligence process.

Amma, meanwhile, walks away from the group, who looks on in bated breath. Amma walks more and more, soon approaching the cliff. Demiurge furrows his brow curiously, and begins to spread his wings. Amma seems to give one glance to the feral... before lowering his arms. He doesn't toss the feral, he doesn't drop, he just lowers his arms and lets gravity pull the deer from his arms and down towards the ground below. The party's each mortified, and Demiurge's quick to flap his wings and try to race down the cliff to catch the feral. Amma, meanwhile, turns around and steps back towards the alarmed guards, past the mortified party. With an almost emotionless voice, he orders the guards to kill all of them. Lata, through a warbling voice, says that they can't, only to be cut off by him saying, a bit more sternly, to kill them all, the ferals and the party.

He continues to walk, stepping through the guards as they press on, and all the while the party begins to shake off the shock to call him out. M'valy shouts out, declaring that this is exactly what the people have needed! Petunia shouts that he's even more a mad man if he thinks this is acceptable! Gant says the chief's supposed to look out for the people, that this won't help anyone! Dollim says that everyone's been struggling to survive in the famine, and says that they can't just let everyone else keep on suffering! Gorno says that he's an even bigger moron if he really thinks this is the best use of his time! However, despite all of their words, Amma ignores each of them and keeps on walking while the guards that accompanied him step forwards and get ready for fight. Lata and Gasha step back, and players, without the help of Demiurge, are forced to face a four man group of guards.

Fortunately, with the party members available, it shouldn't be a hard fight at all. After beating those four, there're still plenty to deal with. Demiurge, however, is able to make it back up to the forest, having caught the deer without harm. M'valy says that they have to get out of here, fast! The Dragon nods and tells everyone to grab as many ferals as possible, they have to take them out of here. The people of Holix say that they'll try to hold back the guards as much as they can, and Dollim says that they'll be in danger. A bear lady in the group assures that they'll get away if things look too dicey. Either way, the party's able to round up the ferals, group up on Demiurge, and the Dragon flies out of the forest and all the way to Novey. And as he does, Lata can't help but watch them with a sort of longing.

The group returns to Novey, ferals in hand and getting the attention of a lot of the people there. Gorno tells them that the ferals aren't to be touched, and they have to be kept safe for now. He says that they might make crop gathering a little tricky, but he'll see to it that everyone gets fed. Meanwhile, the rest of the party is left to contemplate. Petunia asks why he would do that, why would he want to get rid of something as precious to this world as a feral? Demiurge says he doesn't know, but whatever's going on, those guys will know where the ferals are. M'valy says that that's almost a certainty, and says that they'll have to repel the guards. Gant says that they'll have to push them all the way back to Hullo, and Demiurge says he'll push them to the ocean if he has to. But for now, they'll have to keep on their guard.

So, they're left to recover from the stress of the day. And as they relax, Reed announces that the Holix people are returning. She also points out that they seem to have... Lata? The group's confused, and steps out towards the front. Indeed, the Holix people approach, and between their people is that cat lady with the Boomstick. They come closer and closer, and notice the once loyal cat appears awfully shaken. Gant asks them what the heck the guards are up to right now. Lata says she doesn't know, this was the first time Amma showed any intention like this.

She says that she's had bad blood with the Dragon, but that's only because her father hasn't been himself when he showed up. He seemed more aggro, more irritable, more high strung. And now, he's started making the unintelligence process more personal than it should've been, at which Demiurge snaps that they shouldn't be a thing in the first place. Lata waves him down and swears that if it weren't for necessity, this wouldn't be a thing. But now, seeing him snap like this, she decides that she can't keep following him. This is why she's choosing to fight alongside them from here on out. The party's alarmed, and Dollim asks if they can really trust her. Lata says that she's one lady in the enemy lines, she couldn't do much against them if she wanted. Either way, she swears that she'll work to do everything necessary for the ferals' survival.

With that, **Lata** joins the party. And then, the group decides that they'll have to turn in for the night, but come tomorrow, they'll have to mount an offensive against the guards.

Novi 30th - Demi 11th
With this, the player must go through the trail, along the river, to the cliff, and back to the forest the ferals were originally stationed. Before going out, Gorno says that they can't leave any loose ends behind. They could try to fly up, but if they do, then they risk letting any of the guards break into Novey. Demiurge says that he's fine with shoving the offensive line all the way back. So, the objective's clear, cleave through the enemy line from front to end. In a rare case, the "Random Encounters" out here are saved, and the final boss of the segment won't show up unless every cluster of guard is felled.

This involves traversing the riverside and pushing the guards out, before going up the cliff players went through before, and getting to the forest itself. The guards are somewhat tricky, but shouldn't be too hard so long as the player's attentive. They chew through units based around projectile (stabbing) damage, units based on slashing/smashing, units based around magic, and mixes. But, with enough work from the party, they should be able to defeat the lot of them. When the last of the guards are beaten, Lata speaks up. She says that by now, the man currently in charge should be out front. Gasha's not a foe to be taken lightly. Either way, the enemy forces are pushed back, now they'll have to go to the forest. And so, the player's able to, where they find the lemur waiting in the middle, standing near the river bank.

The lemur sees them, and takes note of Lata. He says that the guards weren't sure what'd happened when she vanished, but when he heard the reports, he couldn't believe it. But here she is now, aiding the bad guys. Lata, however, counters saying that Amma's orders make no sense. Gasha, however, simply says that Amma's always acted in the interest of the people. Even if it doesn't make sense now, everything will just work out, won't it? Gorno says that it's that mentality that's made things worse, and that it's exactly those kinds of thoughts they need to put down! The party each takes up their weapons, while Gasha draws his whip and threateningly lashes at the ground. He declares that if tearing this group down is what'll make dear Chief Amma happy, than he'll more than oblige.

With that, the fight with **Gasha** starts. For the first portion of the fight, Gasha will summon in a pair of guards, one focusing on magic one focusing on buffing. The buffer will keep on working on Gasha's attack and evasion ability, while the magic guard will assail the party with dangerous spells. Fortunately, the group should be able to deal with this relatively easily, able to down the guards and leave Gasha himself wide open to tough attacks. After bringing him down to half health, he grunts and snarls at the group. He says that ever since these guys started popping up, Amma's been on edge! And now this happens, and he's now struggling to keep face! He swears he'll bring back the chief he knew!

Lata tells him to shove it. He was presented a better solution to his problems, and now he's gone off the deep end over it. This isn't stress, this is him making a fool of himself! She won't validate his tantrum, and now she decides that she'll beat him into sense if she has to! Gasha groans and says that he refuses to entrtain their delusions anymore. And now, he pulls out charming skills, with which he can turn party members against each other while also giving himself the chance to buff up. But through this, players should be able to push through Gasha's defenses and overwhelm him.

He grunts and is driven back, digging his feet down to try and halt himself. He panted and panted and dropped to a knee, still panting. He tells Lata that she's making a big mistake. However, the cat simply says that they're here to fix the chief's mistakes. The lion will be taken down. The lemur sighs, before standing up. He says that this won't be the end, that they'll keep on fighting! However, Gorno simply says that they'll respond in kind. With that, the lemur swings down a smoke bomb, and allows himself to flee.

With that, the current mission is finished.

Demi 12th
On this day, the group wakes up. Demiurge decides to search the general area between here and the forest, and a quick sweep shows no one there. Demiurge returns and tells the group that the guards have yet to regroup. Lata says that they likely won't be silent for long. However, Gant suggests that now that they're licking their wounds, maybe they can launch an offensive. Petunia says that that sounds like a wonderful plan, though Dollim speaks up and asks if they'll be ok. Even with the guards down, there's a whole score of foes inside Hullo. However, Demiurge decides to speak up.

He says that they can't keep the enemy shoved back for long. They can't afford to see whether or not he'll falter in his plot, and they can't afford to waste resources. So, their best bet is to take the fight to Chief Amma, and beat some sense into him. M'valy gives pause, though softly nods. He remarks that that lion's been a thorn in the Dragon's side for so long... So he wishes to support him. Gant says that the lot of them have reason to resist that guy, so he's willing to step in. Petunia also speaks up, leaning up against Gant and saying that she'll join in the fight! Dollim says that it might not be a smart plan, but she'd like to beat on that jerk, that kinda meat could've saved Holix. Gorno says that he despises what Amma says, and he's willing to rain thunder and lightning down on that man's head. Lata says that of course she'll join along, she's got to stop that man after his drastic changes.

The party each unites, before splitting. Gorno says that he'll speak to the people of Novey to tell them that they need to keep the ferals safe for a little longer. Petunia says that she and Gant will spend some time together, the wolf seeming surprised by the news but not outright refusing. That leaves Demiurge, M'valy, Dollim, and Lata together. Lata apologizes for what she's done. She admits that she was kind of like Gasha in that she figured that by wringing the lot of them in, then Amma might go back to normal. Demiurge says that, considering how scared she seems to be for her father, he can understand. He can, sort of, understand what it's like trying to impress a guardian.

Dollim says that she should still be at a far enough reach, but if she can help them pierce the defenses, then she could be helpful. Still, she warns the cat that there are a few people in this group that can kill. Lata nods in affirmation, and realizes that they'll probably have to reconsider just what to do to people like Holix's people. M'valy, meanwhile, turns to Demiurge and says that he should get serious. He owes everything to the Dragon. He could scarecly imagine being able to go back to his tribe proud, but now their future will be secure. He thanks the Dragon, and thanks him for everything. Demiurge, however, tells him he's thankful for the effort he's put in. The world needs people like him to do what's right while everything else looks wrong.

With all of that said, the party members are turning in for the night. Demiurge looks in the direction of Hullo, silently staring. Amma's done so much harm. Not just him, but everyone that tore the ferals' numbers down. The world won't be fixed overnight, but for things to change, everyone needs to see Amma and everything he's worked for torn down. He then tells Sophia, regardless of if she can hear or not, that he'll show her this place can be better.

### Finale

Demi 13th
On this day, the party has to march out. Gorno tells the people of the village to keep the ferals safe, them each nodding in affirmation. With that, Lata says they'll march out to Hullo, and there they'll put an end to the mess her father's made. And with that, they each make their move. Players can either go north of the cliffs the forest rests on, or they can fly north.

Once going north enough, the group stops a fair distance away from the walls of Hullo, them seeing the various devices upon it, a thick gate out front to keep it defended. Once here, M'valy says that they should set up camp nearby. They'll probably end up having to retreat to lap up their wounds, so they should make sure they remain somewhere hidden. Gant agrees, and once here, they set out, M'valy leading to some thick bushes that they can hide in, setting up their camp. Dollim ends up helping, her being very familiar with camping in the snow. They each set up their camp, and from here, they're ready to start their mission.

Demi 13th - Demi 28th
First things first, their group has to penetrate the wall. They can't go through the gate, so they'll have to fly over it. Unfortunately, there's a cannon right upon it. Lata says that those things are vulnerable, but they're awfully hard. She warns that they should prepare themselves. They approach the wall, at which the group clings to Demiurge, who flies up. As he does, the jaguar guard manning it is alarmed. He frantically messes with the controls and tries aiming, though Demiurge's able to weave around the fire before eventually getting up on it. The jaguar shouts for help, and guards start to come in. With that, the fight with the **Guard Cannon** starts. The cannon itself boasts high defense and attack power, though it has the unique feature of needing a turn to load up before firing the next turn. Other than that, players need to worry about guards that'll annoy the party. Fortunately, it shouldn't be too hard to take care of the contraption.

The cannon's left in splinters and the guards around are left in chaos. They each flee from the scene, while many guards from far off are beginning to get up and are on alert. Gant says that things aren't going to be easy, though Petunia says that everything will work out, especially with Gant on their side. Lata says that Amma will likely be within the Chief castle near the edge of town, that'll be the most defensive position. Dollim says that they'll tear through the enemies' defenses, and Demiurge nods in assurance.

Lata says that a lot of the guards will probably be grouping up at the edges of the walls, so they should head down. With that, the party's free to go down into the town itself, where the many villagers are hiding away, fearful. They're about to move on, though Dollim speaks up. She says that she doubts Amma let them know anything about what's going on outside of Hullo. So, they should spread word of the ferals among the various houses. Gant, meanwhile, agrees, clearly eager to see his family again, though he admits he's not sure if he can face them. Petunia tells him that she'll be sure to make him look good. With that, before the group moves onto the castle itself, the party splits to go door to door, spreading word of the existence of ferals. Much of the villagers are un-trusting, though definitely seem surprised at the mere idea. There's a very clear hope among them that these guys speak the truth. And throughout, players will have to deal with the guards lining the streets.

After that, the group regroups in town square. Once there, Gant says that he checked his home, but he didn't see his family. M'valy says that they'd probably have left. Dollim assures the wolf, saying there's no certainty in their fate. Gant doesn't seem certain, but Gorno says they can't relax for long. He asks Lata how the front gate sounds, to which she replies that they'll probably face a lot of resistance that way. However, the pens will probably be less guarded, so long as they get through the gate. Demiurge is clearly uncomfortable, though M'valy supposes that that might be the only way. So, the group heads to the gates near the base of the castle, where Demiurge and Gant utilize their strength to lift the gates and go through.

They progress in, and as they open, they can hear what appear to be the noises of various people trying to imitate ferals, them sounding somewhat excited as the front gate opens. However, the noises turn to confusion as the gate shuts and no one's let out. Demiurge gives a shudder and finds himself struggling to look near them, though much of the party's tempted to look. Demiurge can hear the various people around feel and bang against the cages they're each locked in. Lata says that they should find a set of stairs near the end, and if they go up, they'll be able to enter the castle proper.

As they progress, however, they encounter a guard, who stumbles back. The party seems convinced that they can take him and begin to take up arms. The guard backs away, before glancing towards one of the cages, this one bearing an alligator that looks up at the guard pleadingly. The guard then takes the latch of the cage, before yanking it up and pulling it to the side, releasing the gator, much to the party's horror. The guard whistles before saying in a commanding tone "Sick 'em". And thus, with little more provocation, the gator turns towards the party and begins lunging at them. The party's alarmed, but are ultimately forced to fight the **Devolved Alligator**.

The party's able to take care of him relatively easily, though of course they're not comfortable with it. After beating it, Demiurge shudders and cups his mouth, trying to fight back his vomit. As they do, Lata points out that that guard's disappeared. If he's going this far, he's probably gonna release more. Gant then says that they should be careful. He asks Lata if they can be... fixed. But Lata says that the process for restoration is impossible. Gant sighs, and says that they can't really do anything for them. With that, the group presses onwards, looking for the stairs. And as they go up, players will have to fight other guards, as well as other Devolved people.

Eventually, they're up the stairs, and progressing through the halls. These halls lead into a small chamber with several cast iron doors. They press through, and on the other side... They find coat racks with what look like animal leads hanging from them, and inside is Gasha with a whip, him now bearing a leather eyepatch over his left eye, and several weapons sheathed on his back. He says that the chief wasn't happy. Lata says that Amma's gone off the deep end, that's why they're here, to stop him. Gasha, however, says that if everyone had just done their jobs, he wouldn't be hurting right now. Worse still, after his punishment, he now can't properly lash a whip, he has to be entirely dependent on the guards. He tells Lata that he told Amma about her betrayal, and says he has plenty worse in store for her. He then turns towards Gant and says, with an uncomfortable amount of vagueness, that he to will be made to feel his consequences. Gant asks what he means, though the lemur simply leaves, going deeper through the halls.

The group progresses, going through the apparent Leashing Chamber, before following Gasha's trail into a room with large iron tables, blood drenching the head of them while large, bladed tools are around. There're also portraits around depicting the head of a generic fox man, a though bubble pointing to a specific part of the brain that a knife's pointing at. It appears to be some kind of diagram, possibly helping these guys go through Devolution. As they progress, however, a pair of guards stand at the way out, Gasha standing behind either of them. Gasha tells the pair that if they run off, then Amma will do worse to them than these guys ever could. The next fight appears similar to other fights, but Gasha will cast buffing spells on the guards, cast spells to inflict Charm on the party, and even toss weapons towards guards which'll change up their damage types and allow them to use different skills.

After taking them out, Gasha retreats further, forcing the party to progress. As they do, Gasha asks if they're sure this will fix anything. Plenty of ferals roamed the land before, and they've been stricken down to this small a number. What'll happen if these ones expire? Demiurge says that they'll run things better, that they'll fix things for everyone. Nothing will be easy from here on, but one day, everything will be better than they are now. Gasha simply says that there are plenty that will never feel that better life, before he progresses deeper in. And as the players walk, they pass be several more cast iron doors, some empty but some with a still intelligent animal person on the other side. They're probably being held and waiting to be Devolved. Either way, the party presses onwards.

The group continues on. They're able to exit the Devolution sector, and soon arrive at what seems to be a sort of main hall to the castle. This leads towards a set of stairs that looks as if it leads up to almost the top of the castle. And on the staircase is the lion man himself, Amma, him holding a goblet while guards on either side of him are each beside large, covered cages. The group tenses before Demiurge steps forwards. He says that Amma's gone too far now, that it's time to stop him! Amma, however, claims that he doesn't care whatever the lot of them say, that he'll tear apart their lies all the same. Gorno raises a brow, and asks what he means by lies.

Amma says that no matter what, he has the right of way for these people. Their pathetic little garden won't save as many people as his world will. But M'valy steps forwards and says that they refuse to accept his world! They will bring forth something better than what he's made! Amma, however, sneers and nears the cages, at which he waves the goblet before them. And then, the cages shake about as snarling is heard within, Gant's ears perking up in worry. Amma says that these've been special projects after he heard about the kind of people that'd stand against him.

He then takes the goblet, before hurling its contents at the party, them shrugging off the drink as it falls on them. However, they smell the brew, Dollim saying that it's blood. Amma then steps back, and the guards draw the cloth off of the cages, exposing three devolved wolf people: a large woman, a large man, and a boy half Gant's size. Seeing them, Gant's eyes widen, his jaw hanging as he looks at each of them. Amma says that he was supposed to protect them, wasn't he? Well he's chosen to deny the way of the chief, so they weren't protected. He commands the guards to move, before they each smash the locks off. At that, the three devolved wolves charge out and race along the path of blood, lunging at the party. They each guard and shove the enemies off.

Gant, however, is practically frozen still. He's clasping at his temples and panting harder and harder, the thoughts of earlier, of Lata saying that the process is permanent, clearly running through his head. He pants and pants, and Dollim says that they can't merely resist, unfortunately. She tells him that they have to fight. Demiurge says that he's sorry about what's happening, but whatever happens here, they'll support him as best he can. Petunia says that she'll do anything for him to help him after today, but first they need to survive.

Gant's teetering on the edge of lunacy, but he takes up his weapons either way. The party is thus forced to battle **Devolved Father**, **Devolved Mother**, and **Devolved Brother**, while Amma himself lingers in the back lines, being an enemy that can't be targeted, even by AOE attacks. The mother and father both rely on high attack, mom wielding Cosmic power while father wielding Light power, to bear down on the party, while the brother relies on evasion and boosting the father and mother's defenses. Meanwhile, Amma will cast reflective walls on one of the foes, and will even appear to perform a skill, "Maddening Words", to trigger Gant's Lunacy. Through some hard work on the party's part, they're each able to defeat the devolved family members.

With all of their health down, they finally collapse, felled by their attacks. The party begins to pocket their weapons, while Gant just stands there, physically shaking. He glares up at Amma, who just glares back. Then, he turns and walks up the stairs with an alarming level of calmness, without even sparing a word. Gant, however, snarls and extends his claws, starting to go feral. Demiurge tells him to wait, but he's already charging up the stairs, howling the chief's name. Amma, meanwhile, tightens his grip on his spears, anticipating the assault, the guards following suit. Then, Amma turns around and stabs at him, running him through on his weapon. While Gant's halted, the rest of the party charges up as either guard draws a machete and are ready to slash at him. However, Dollim catches one's arm, M'valy blocks the other's with his bow, and Petunia races in to clock the third guard with her club, before lunging at either of them to smack them down. Meanwhile, Amma backs away, drawing his spear out of Gant to leave him down.

The party's forced to tend to Gant while Amma presses on, grimacing as three tough warriors were felled and a fresh piece of meat appears to be out of his grasp. He press on and through a set of heavy doors, them shutting tightly. The party keeps on tending to them, M'valy working on his wounds while Petunia gently cradles his head, Dollim, Gorno, and Lata standing back. Lata says she knew Amma was going bad, but to go this far... Gorno asks how this man had ever been in control... though, on second thought, if he does things like this he can probably understand why someone might be afraid of going up against *that* monster. Dollim says that despite everything, Amma's appeared to've stricken down that rampaging monster in a single blow. Demiurge can then say "This is proof we need to beat him" or "He only wants us to be discouraged. We can't fall back" Either way, the party sighs. Dollim says they're in too deep, they have to keep moving forwards.

Either way, after a bit of respite, Gant can be heard groaning, his body tensing a little. He begins to climb up, Petunia and M'valy backing away as he sits up. Gant, meanwhile, is breathing heavily, as if he's just come out of a marathon. As he sits there, he starts to register what's just happened, especially as he realizes where he is. As he does, Petunia comes in from behind to hug him. She assures him that Amma will pay. Gant, meanwhile, seems tired and disheveled, tears beginning to seep down. Noticing that, Petunia climbs around to hug him from in front, the wolf hugging around her and holding tightly as he can only cry.

After that, Gant's standing, though there's a clear sense of despair in him. Still, he says that they will be avenged, the rest of the party assuring them. They're now able to progress onwards, though find the doors Amma went through are sealed shut. Lata says that there're usually multiple passages through the castle installed in case they need to flee in an emergency. Maybe if they find one, they'll be able to go around the halls and get into his throne.

So, they're tasked with retreating, and finding a hallway into another sector of the castle. If they search the current staircase, they should be able to find other hallways, either leading somewhere that'll hopefully bring them closer to the throne.

* Northern Battery - A series of defensive turrets that guards can stand behind, intended to rain fire upon those that attempt an assault on the front via either bows, boomsticks, or spells. Demiurge actually remembers these attempting to strike him. Dollim suggests that they should get rid of the weaponry here, though Lata says that if they do fell Amma, then they should be able to use these to their advantage. In this area, there are guards that patrol the area, and Lata points out there being a passage in this room, though there being one means it's probably heavily guarded.
* Southern Battery - A series of defensive turrets that guards can stand behind, intended to rain fire upon those that attempt an assault on the front via either bows, boomsticks, or spells. Demiurge actually remembers these attempting to strike him. Dollim suggests that they should get rid of the weaponry here, though Lata says that if they do fell Amma, then they should be able to use these to their advantage. Lata points out two passages in this room, security being somewhat tight.
* Resting Quarters - A long, long room adjacent to the normal hallways to either battery, there are many cots in this room that around the area, while a large table's in the middle of it. Lata explains that there won't be a lot of guys around because everyone's on high alert. She points to there being three of those passages in here, and it should be easy to go through.

Players will have varying levels of difficulty going through these passages depending on which room they choose to go through, but in the end, they should be able to make it to the throne room. They're about to enter, though Lata says that if Amma's in here, then this'll be their toughest fight yet. Chief Amma's a powerful creature, the people saying that he'd rival that of the Dragon. Demiurge gives pause, though thinks back to their last fight. M'valy then says that they won't accomplish anything if they stop here. So, after preparations, they press onwards.

They breach the halls and enter the throne room, though find a lack of Amma inside. Instead, there's Gasha, while tons of guards stand inside in a ring around the throne. The party's alarmed at their appearance, and Gasha greets them. He says that Amma still wanted to show the group hell, so here they are. Gorno then points out that Gasha can't fight, to which the lemur replies that he won't be here wielding a weapon. Dollim then speaks up, remarking that's another leader leaving their people out to dry. Gorno gives a grimace and rubs at his shoulder, while Gasha assures that these men can take care of themselves. He retreats, and the party presses forwards, and thus the group's forced to battle the **Guard Horde**.

The Guard Horde fight consists of players battling a large conglomerate of the various enemy types players can encounter while Gasha himself is un-targetable. The Horde has access to many, many different skills as such, and all the while Gasha will attempt to debuff party members, or attempt to inflict charm. After taking care of about half of the enemies, Dollim speaks up. She says that they have an awful lot of forces here doing nothing while villages are out struggling. Gasha says that their group cannot grasp what their group's been doing, though Dollim doesn't want to hear any of it, telling him that they had to do terrible things while the guards hid away, but the moment some dumb old Dragon pops up, they're up in arms. Gorno then follows up, saying that it doesn't matter talking to these guys. All they want is to hurt them now, just like the rest of the world's been doing. Gasha seems offended, and says he'll offer no mercy. The fight continues, only now Gasha's able to toss his weaponry towards a member of the horde, meaning they may be able to use a skill that a lost member of the horde was able to use. Fortunately, after enough fighting, the group should be able to defeat the horde.

After that, the party's down and panting, feeling really spent. They're standing yet slumped over, while Gasha looks over the many unfortunate guards. He says that this's very unfortunate, but they will have to move on. The lemur says that no matter what they do here, Amma will have them destroyed. He then races towards the side, Demiurge watching. And then, he sees him climb up some of the bits of the wall, scaling it towards what appears to be an upper floor, which appears to be some sort of scaffolding whose stairs were shattered. M'valy asks if they're really to go up there to find Amma, to which Demiurge says that they very may well have to.

Gant goes to reach, only for the etchings to start to crumble under him, to which he pulls away. Dollim then begins climbing, as do M'valy. Petunia points out that she can't do anything, she's covered in heavy gear. Gorno also says that he can't do anything, he's too frail. Demiurge furrows his brow, before saying that he thinks he can fly up there. At that, M'valy and Dollim pause, before gently coming down to the ground. They group up, and the Dragon flies up, ending up on the loft up there. Some invstigationo leads them to find a long length of rope, which they can put down to make going up here easier.

They go through the scaffolding, and are able to get outside, making it to some of the outcropping. While on the cropping, the group can hear a horn from on high. Looking up, they can see Gasha blowing a giant, ivory horn while Amma stands beside it, looking down on the group. And while they're dealing with that, the many cannons on the walls suddenly turn towards the castle. Realizing their situation, the group retreats inside before the cannonballs can rend them. Lata says that there's no other way up, they'll need to go through that way. Demiurge says if they go airborne, the weapons'll probably strike them from on high. So Petunia asks if they're supposed to destroy each of the cannons, to which Dollim says that if they have to, then she'd be happy to do that.

When they go down, Lata says that from the throne room they should be able to go through the various main halls and reach not just the staircase they saw before, but they should be able to make it to the walls bordering Hullo. With that, the next mission is to go onto either wall and smash the cannons on them, 3 on one side, 2 on the other (due to one of them being destroyed earlier). Fortunately, it should be a simple task, as they lack reinforcements. However, players will have to be weary of Boomstick Guards and magic wielders. After dealing with the cannons, Lata says that they've secured the path up, they should be able to reach Amma now.

They go back to before, and head up the scaffolding. Then, it's back through the outer walkway they were stopped at before, and head up, going up the main tower in the direction of the horn from before. They progress towards the doorway that they saw Gasha and Amma at before, it just behind the horn. And once there, Lata speaks up. She says that their fight will be extremely tough from here on out. Amma's probably trapped up here, and if he's got Gasha with him... She says that they need to prepare for anything from here on out. The player's prompted to say whether or not they're ready, and when they say they're ready, they progress through the doorway.

The party each steps through, ending up in a chamber up high in the castle tower. And in the middle of it is Gasha and Chief Amma, him with a spear in one hand and his other two strapped to his back. The party approaches and glowers at the duo as the lion points his spearhead towards them. Amma says he's had enough of them, that they've annoyed him far too much. He says that everything could've just played out as normal if their group had never appeared. However, M'valy speaks up, saying that they found a way to live better than how Amma could, and the lion shied away when he saw that. Amma merely says that their way won't fix anything, though Demiurge notices a bit of a stagger to him.

Lata asks what's gotten into him, to which Demiurge speaks up, stepping forwards to say he knows what's gotten into him. The party seems curious, even Amma raising a brow anticipating what the Dragon will say. Demiurge explains, he's had to make very hard decisions in the past, and has always worried about the effect that has on him. However, when the Dragon, the shaper of history, appears before him and hates what he's done, he began to worry about the decisions he made. Then, a while later he found out the ferals he'd been searching for for so long, and that cemented to him that when he chose, he chose wrong.

Amma's face scrunches up in response, a snarl beginning to form. Demiurge continues that now seeing that his years of crimes were wrong, he can't handle it. He's been fighting to either stamp out their group, or to stamp out the ferals outright, just so he can lay confident in thinking that his plan is right. Demiurge says he knows this, he knows that he's regretted his choices, because he bore eyes akin to what Demiurge himself had once upon a time. He says that he knows what it's like to make mistakes you can never fix, but he also knows that the best they can do is to move on from it to make something better than what they made!

Amma then snarls that he's heard enough, swinging his spear in a wide arc sideways, as if trying to repel them. He says that he doesn't care what they spout. He is the best thing the world has right now, he is the best chance of survival, and that everyone's sided with him. However, Dollim speaks up, pointing out that they had to side with him because that's the only choice they provided! M'valy says that they will all abandon their way of life once the ferals come to life. Petunia says that everyone's suffered for Amma's decisions, and that everyone will take time to recover from his choices. Gant says that Amma's abandoned the last bit of morality to the process and had personally chosen who should suffer devolution. Gorno says that the world's gone to a terrible place, and when given the chance to fix it, he's decided to throw a tantrum, that he needs to be felled. Lata says that she... that everyone's been blind to his crimes for too long, and now that he refuses redemption, it's time to face justice.

Amma growls and stamps the ground while brandishing his spear towards the party again. He snarls and says he doesn't care what any of them think. He's lived through so much more than the lot of them ever had, that they have no right to tell him he's doing things wrong. If he needs to, then he'll tear them apart to get them out of his way! Each party member draws their weaponry while Demiurge steps forwards. He says that he still knows he has a lot to learn, but he knows that he needs to stop this. He's seen the world for the better, and he knows that for things to get better, then he needs to stop Amma here and now! With that, the fight finally begins, with the group all squaring off against **Chief Amma**.

Chief Amma wields one spear, currently not taking up the other two. He's physically domineering, typically either buffing up his strength or increasing the chances of critical hits, while also able to use multi-targeting Stabbing skills. He's also seen able to cast Lightning magic and Cosmic magic, allowing him to possibly Stun or Omen party members, which is especially worrying when he uses multi-targeting skills. As the fight goes on, he'll sometimes call for Gasha, who'll appear wielding a weapon. And when he does, players are able to target him, and if they don't beat him in one round, then he'll pass the weapon to Amma, giving him more skills and allowing him to deal an additional amount of damage. He can be passed a sword which lets him deal Slashing and Fire damage, a club which lets him deal Smashing and Earth damage, or another spear that lets him deal additional Stabbing damage.

After bringing him down to 50% health, he tells Gasha to leave him. He says that he refuses to bear weakness anymore, that he'll use only his strength to tear their world apart. With that, he draws the other two spears, holding two in one hand and one in the other. Now he won't accept other weapons, but instead has the ability to act three times, as well as access to use Severe skills. He's still a physical powerhouse, and still able to increase crit rate.

After bringing him down to 15% health, he pants more and more, before growling out, his powerful aura seeming to shred his cape. He raises his spears, before smashing them down on the ground, sending a wave that repels the party members and Gasha, except for Demiurge, much of the structure of the tower crumbling. He stands up and stands off against Demiurge, saying that he's changed everything for the worse. He swears to tear him apart once and for all! For the final portion, it's Demiurge vs Amma one on one, the player having to either damage Amma fast enough to drain his health, or find ways to counteract Amma's plans. Fortunately, with enough work, they should be able to defeat him.

He pants and pants, coming down to his knees and dropping his weapons. He pants and pants as the party closes in, the lion glaring up at them all. Lata says that it's over, he's finished. The lion pants more and more and stand up, weapons still on the ground. He backs away, saying that he doesn't care what they say anymore. He's lived his life, he's done what he can right, and if everything says otherwise... then he'll let the world move on without him. He backs away, and plummets from the tower, taking a long plummet down to the ground. The party, meanwhile, are panting and panting, each falling back onto their backsides. Gasha, meanwhile, looks on with alarm. Lata asks him what he's going to do, to which he replies that he doesn't know right now. If they beat Amma, he's not sure what anyone else can do to them. However, he steps back and tells them that they're free to spread the news. He's not sure how they'll respond, so he supposes they should be prepared for anything.

The group returns to the square, the many guards alarmed. They each clearly seem shaken and don't want to resist them, so they stand down, showing them fealty. They see more and more stop themselves before the group's back at the square. From there, Lata says that they've done it. They may not've saved him, but at least they ended his reign. M'valy assures that a brighter future is in store, though Gorno pipes up saying that the lot of them probably won't see that future. Dollim says that a lot will suffer for the many decisions made, but now there's a chance someone will make things better after they learn what'd gone down here. Petunia then wraps around one of Gant's arms and says she can't wait for their kids to see a calmer world. Gant blushes and pulls away, asking her not to be so loud, they haven't talked about *that* yet.

M'valy shakes his head before asking Lata how ruling will be handled now. Lata answers that with the previous chief out, the hand of leadership will move down to the next of kin or, in case one isn't available, their close confidant. And, considering she'd gone turncoat, she's pretty sure that she's not going to be on that throne. There's a darkness amongst the group as Gorno asks if that means things won't change. Gasha agreed with Amma's plans so far. Lata sighs and says that if worse comes to worse, then they'll just have to keep on protecting those ferals until they can make a rule that tears down Amma's rules.

For now, though, they've probably done about all they can. In the meantime, they should wait. As they do, Demiurge finds himself sighing and slumping, before shaking himself awake. The group's confused at that, though the Dragon reasons he's just a little tired after everything. He says that they should probably head back.

And at this moment, players return home to relax for the day, but after that, they're able to just do what they want. Finish whatever relationships they have, perform any sidequests they have left, maybe even clear up some final challenges that only unlock after Amma's defeat.

Demi 29th
The group checks on Novey again, making sure that the ferals are ok. They even see that there're a few babes among the group. M'valy says that these are very good results. Meanwhile, Lata arrives. She says that apparently Gasha's been spreading word that their group aren't illegal anymore. Apparently during that final fight, when the group spelled it out, he realized deep down how selfish Amma really was. Gant says that's great to hear. Lata assures that not all guards will be compliant, but they won't have to hide as much anymore. Plus, his coronation will be in a short while. Word has it that they'll open the new year with a new era.

Petunia says that after everything, she'll be happy to greet the new year. Demiurge sighs and says that he'd be more than happy. After everything... He trails off, before shaking awake. Dollim asks if he's alright, and points out that he's been acting off ever since they beat Amma. Demiurge says that he's fine, he swears it. The party's still unsure, but they're not sure how to pursue on the deal with Demiurge, so they decide to talk about other matters.

Gant says that they should probably check out the local settlements, see how everyone's doing. M'valy says that now that news is spreading, his troop will probably meet up where he's grown up, so if they can check that place out sometime... Demiurge says that that'd be great. Would be nice to see how the world behaves as a better era dawns on them. Gorno then says that they should probably check with the people of Novey before heading out. With that, they step out and onto the normal city, though as they do, a beacon of colorless light beams up into the sky like a beacon, Petunia pointing it out. M'valy points out that that light looks kind of like Demiurge's magic, which the Dragon realizes it is. Gorno asks if that means there's another Dragon, and Demiurge says that he should probably check it out... And because he can guess who it is, he asks that he do it alone. The party seems confused, though, at his urging, begins to separate, instead checking out the people of Novey.

With that, Demiurge extends his wings, before flapping and flying away, soon arriving at the source, the mountain range he once fell asleep at. And there, sure enough, is Sophia. He asks her what's going on. Sophia, after chiding him for such a harsh welcome, says that she still has to congratulate him. When the world was thrust into despair, he was able to hoist out hope and set forth the seeds to a brighter future. She knows many Dragons even older than him that'd probably give up by now. Demiurge blushes and rubs at the back of his head. Sophia then says that she needs to explain something else to him.

He's been feeling it, right? The tiredness? The tension on his body? He may've smashed insurmountable odds, but he was still a young creature. He's gone through a lot of stress over a short amount of time, and that's on top of everything he's had to stomach to now. His body's struggling to put up a fight. This sensation is common among those that start out ruling. Demiurge asks what it means, to which she replies that he'll need to sleep soon. Demiurge blanches at that and asks if she's serious. Sophia nods, and Demiurge asks if she has some magic that can help him. Sophia, however, says that no matter how much physical healing she does, there's still the mind to carry the burden of what he's endured. He'll sleep whether he likes it or not, and if she pours some healing into him, then she might just end up burning him out.

Demiurge seems ready to argue, but in the end realizes that he can't. He probably needs a long rest. He asks her how long, to which she replies 500 years it usually takes to rest of damage like this. She reaches to him and magic pours from her as she analyzes him, before she determines that he'll probably have to sleep at the latest on the first. Demiurge takes that day in, and realizes that he has a short time to say goodbye. Sophia says that it may be a scary prospect, but at least this era can fade like a nightmare to him as he sees the fruits of his labor. She says that he's done so much already, and that it's time to clear any regrets he may have left.

Demiurge's returned to Novey, the party regrouping at the square after having walked around the town a bit. They see the Dragon appearing and group around. M'valy asks him where he's been, to which Demiurge learned a bit more about himself. Truth is, he's a bit new at being on his own on another world, but he's been told one more thing after they beat Amma. He'll have to rest soon, and he fears that he won't wake up for hundreds of years. The party's each mortified at the news.

Demiurge says that he'll still be around for the coronation, but after that, he'll have to see this era off. The party each seems grim for now. M'valy then says that they should probably still see around the general place. Demiurge can check in with the people of Novey first off, and then they can head out towards the other settlements. Even Hullo's seemed to've calmed down, so they might be able to check it out. Dollim says that the people of Holix, after Amma's been taken care of, felt like they shouldn't stay around, so they headed out to Nokut where there aren't a lot of people around.

Demiurge says that that might be nice, taking a tour of the world right now. So with that, players are able to check out the various locations of the world, them able to talk to M'valy at Novey in order to have the day move onto the next. A lot of this involves speaking with people you may've completed sidequests for, or other normal people all around.

* Novey - In this location, the people seem ecstatic. They're going to be the epicenter of the oncoming feral explosion, and everything's going to be better for it. They'll go down in history!
* Nokut - Nokut's in the early stages of production, and the people of Dolix are working on setting up a small village. While here, Dollim explains that she'll come here to work on leading, but when she's not, someone else will take control. Demiurge asks what'll happen when someone else finds this, they're probably still considered criminals, at least if someone can still smell the evil on them. Dollim says that that's why they're hiding, and says that they'll keep hidden and look for places to hide to keep themselves safe.
* Hullo - Hullo appears to be in a bit of upheaval. The guards here are cleaning up the debris and mess left over from the previous fight. The citizens there explain that they're trying to wrap up things in preparation for the upcoming coronation, and that the guards are trying to set up less active movements, so as to not waste energy. According to Gasha, they'll probably not be delivering meat for a while, at least not until there's a large amount of ferals in the world. Lata asks what'll happen to the devolved people, to which the guards sigh and say they don't really know. Gasha doesn't want them killing them... Right now, Gasha has men looking into potentially fixing the damage done to them, though that's likely not gonna happen.
* Ganna - The village Gant stood guard at and Petunia grew up in. The many people there are armored, wielding weapons of various sizes, and Gant even remarks that the surrounding clearing seems very empty; not a single bandit in sight. Sure enough, speaking with the villagers reveal that they have been staving off enemy attacks. However, the many people there remark that, despite how well they're doing, they're still more than happy to accept Gant back into their place if he ever needs it. Gant does remark he may want to retire over here, and Petunia says that she'd be happy to house him if he wishes.
* Faunk - The original settlement of the troop M'valy belonged to, far southwest of Gurah. Being there, there are plenty of people in attire and weaponry similar to M'valy himself, each seeming elated to see the stag. While there, M'valy says that he couldn't have imagined getting a greeting like this without Demiurge. The Dragon asks them what they'll do, to which the people there reply that they'll help to keep the ferals safe as well. Demiurge is grateful for their help, and considering how strong M'valy is, he's sure he can trust them.

(in process)

Either way, the group returns back to Novey, and are ready to rest.

Demi 30th
On this day, everyone wakes up. Everyone's stepping out and grouping in Novey. While there, Gorno says that tomorrow things are going to change. M'valy then says that after tomorrow, that'll also be when Demiurge has to leave. There's a silence among the group. M'valy speaks up, saying that that doesn't have to be a bad thing. Today's the day right before the new year, which means that today they should spend as much time together as possible. Demiurge says that he'd like that. The party seems excited about that, Lata saying that today's a great day to hang out.

Demiurge says he can fly them about anywhere, though M'valy interrupts, saying that perhaps today's a good day for a long walk. Gant says that's probably for the best, Demiurge's getting pretty tired right now. And so with that, the group takes a lonog trek around, going across the various long stretches players have gone through before, going through them to get from location to location. As they walk, Lata speaks up, saying that Demiurge's an older creature, correct? She asks him if he's seen everything back before nowadays. Demiurge says he has, and said that despite everything, he can see bits of the past in the modern world, which sort of makes the new stuff stick out.

Gorno asks him about some of the stuff he's seen, and so as they walk, he tells them about his journey, going so far as to describe the Monsters, the early vestiges of an old village. He was kind of surprised to see how far the village spread out into numerous little civilizations. He never imagined what everything would lead to... Each party member seems winded. They should've realized that he was so old, but to've seen that much... M'valy says that it is a little overwhelming. He can't imagine going through something like that...

They keep on walking, having remarked on the various party membes' support links. M'valy's going to keep the future secure and protect the ferals, and Gorno agrees to work alongside him. Gant's going to prepare himself for any future full moons and will make sure he can't see it. Petunia, meanwhile, rubs up next to him and assures that they'll work together. Dollim says that she'll keep her old friends safe. Lata says that she'll try and keep close to the guards in order to make sure nothing like what Amma did happens again.

Their walk eventually brings them near the mountain range, and they stop at it. Demiurge looks back towards the south, saying that that there is where he first saw intelligent people. From there, they spread out west before eventually getting north of this mountain range and settling on T'rere. At this point, M'valy asks how he feels about what all happened. The rest of the party also seems to be interested in learning what the divine creature thinks about the progress of mortal kind. Demiurge can say "I have many regrets" or "I feel so happy now".

Either way, the party understands. They decides to hike across the mountain range, before eventually coming upon the old settlement of T'rere. It's gotten pretty late, and here Demiurge says it's a good place to rest. They're not far from Hullo. The party agrees, and they settle in the various abandoned buildings, before sleeping, a few clearly antsy about tomorrow.

Demi 31st
On this day, the group wakes up, an air of weight among each of them. Today, things'll change for everyone. The party can't even really bring themselves to speak, before Lata says that they should go and watch. The group agrees, and each decides to move out. They march out from T'rere to Hullo.

They make it to Hullo, where much of the crowd's gathering. And before them is Gasha standing at the stairs, him flanked by several guards. The many villagers linger at the foot and look up expectantly, there even being a few from far around, from Ganna, to Novey, and so on, there being no sign of Holix's people. The party's closing in, when one of the guards approach and tell Lata that Gasha asked for her to come close. The party's confused and Gant asks if they should come with, to which the cat says she'll trust them. With that, she follows the guards while the party looks up.

And up there, Gasha holds up a hand, the other guards holding up to command the citizens to quiet. From there, Gasha explains, saying that recently, a lot of chaos has erupted throughout the world, all of it centering around the reappearance of the Dragon. Amma's done all sorts of manic things in the process, and as he has, he's ended up unveiling his insanity to the rest of the world. He'd hoped that the lion had a plan in the end, but as things went on, he saw now that in the end, he was merely a selfish fool. Even as he took his life.

Gasha says that the time's come to get a new ruler, and though under normal circumstances he would be, Gasha decides he can't accept. He's been too under Amma's thumb and fears that he'd just turn out to repeat his mistakes. Lata, meanwhile, has seen his issues quickly, and fought to undo them. As such, he chooses to hand control over to her. He brandishes one of the spears Amma once held, before holding it to the surprised cat. She carefully reaches towards it and holds it, Gasha telling her that many people trust her right now.

The lemur steps back and Lata holds the weapon, before raising it overhead, declaring that she'll lead the world to a better place! The many citizens cheer and clap, gleefully accepting the new ruler. The party, meanwhile, each shares a satisfied grin while the guards each bow. Demiurge looks over the lot of them. He sees Gant and Petunia holding hands, M'valy seeming really relaxed and clapping happily, Dollim nodding in appreciation, and even Gorno looking less tense. Demiurge feels calm, feeling a mighty weight lift off...

There's a celebration going on, and it goes on and on, though Demiurge himself doesn't feel like being too attached. He'd be vanishing, and he'd hate to draw attention away from Lata. Still, from afar he can see the lot of them congratulating them as much of the villagers laud her in. Demiurge, meanwhile, walks away from the gates of Hullo, the guards looking on curiously. Demiurge spares them a glance, before nodding, wishing them luck. With that, he spread his wings, and flew off, in the direction of the mountain range he'd been around for so long...

He flies up there, and eventually settles down on one of the peaks, him remarking to himself that he never would've gotten here when he was younger. He stretches out his limbs, before laying down over a patch of clean rock. He makes sure all of his limbs are splayed out, and as he did, he could see what looked like a fireworks show going on at Hullo. As he looks on, the player is given another set of options: "Goodbye" or "Good riddance". Whatever options he chooses, it matters primarily to him. He let out a big yawn, before shutting his jaw and going limp. With that, he sleeps. He'll sleep for a long time.

At this points, players will move onto Minimal Era

If players were felled before Novi 23rd, then they'll be forced to go onto the Server Era

### Server Era

???
Demiurge grumbles and groans, before climbing up and onto his feet. He rubs at his head and begins to recollect what all's happened, before remembering being felled. In worry, he scans around, seeing no sign of his party. He remarks to himself that 500 years can't have passed, not with a guy like that in power! He stands up and tries to calm himself down. He says that he can't say anything conclusive right now, he needs to get a handle on the situation. He looks around, as if expecting Sophia to appear. However there's no sign of her. He supposes that he'd better start looking himself. So, he decides he should get up from wherever he is, and look around wherever he's been. And wherever that is depends on how far in the story players have gone.

If they made it to Novey, Demiurge will check that place out and find the very dilapidated buildings and growth that's grown to a wild size, clearly unattended. Demiurge approaches, and finds a foul smell filling his nose. He covers up his nose and walks around, peeking into various open doorways while still covering. He asks for anyone, and in his search, can feel crunching beneath his feet. He looks down, and finds a bunch of bones crumbled beneath him. His eyes widen with worry and he searches the buildings, finding similar sights, bones left untouched for who knows how long.

He finds nobody at Novey, and decides to search elsewhere.

If they made it to Ganna, Demiurge will check the place out, and find similar going ons, with the foliage overgrown and a lack of people. He steps in and begins to search. Any time he opens up a house, he finds a terrible smell wafting out, him recoiling and trying to cover up his nose. He scans again, and finds bones inside. More bones, just signs of death as far as the buildings offer.

He soon comes to realize there's nothing for him to find here, and so he leaves and instead goes to the last remaining location.

Regardless of their previous project, in the end, they'll arrive at Hullo, what appeared to be the most populated place last Demiurge saw. Surely there's something going on there. He flies to the familiar location, the walled of area that he originally ran from. However, there's no sign of people on the walls protecting the place. He flies past the wall and looks out over the city, and finds the streets littered with bones. His eyes widen in horror, and he wearily lowers himself to the street.

He speaks out for anyone's attention, only to hear his voice echo out. He steps in a bit, and still finds no sign. He tries to be careful with where he steps, though he still crushes a few bones underfoot. He searches the buildings around, and even steps into that foreboding palace that Amma once stood in. However, there's no sign of any life anywhere. He soon steps out, feeling sick to his stomach. The sun's begun to set from his search, but a part of him still thinks he should keep looking. Maybe someone's out in the smaller villages?

He heads west from Hullo to try and find someone, flying over the valley from way back. He soon arrives at T'rere, and there, he finds... A house with a torch lit in front. His spirits raise, and he approaches. He makes it, the house relatively small, it being a single floor and probably having a few small rooms. He comes closer, and sees the door open up. Out comes a jackal an in ratty clothing, and with bandages over half his scalp, one over what looks to be his now half gone right arm, and bunches of bandages over his thighs.

He sees the Dragon, and greets him. He introduces himself as **Mada**. Demiurge greets the jackal, and asks him if he's seen anyone. The jackal sighs and says there hasn't been another soul for a long time unfortunately. A long time ago, when ferals were said to be gone, the chief of Hullo tried to tide everyone over with substitutes, but that didn't last long. His family's said to explore the world, and found nothing. As far as he's led to believe, his family found the last bit of feral in this land, and stands as the only living people in the world.

Demiurge gives pause, though nervously laughs the notion off. He's sure someone's somewhere, it doesn't make sense for him to be the last guy here. Demiurge says that they should go search for someone, but Mada sighs. He says that it's getting late and he should rest. The jackal himself was waiting for tomorrow for a long time. Demiurge looks up at the sky, and notes at how late he is. He supposes he can rest. Mada begins to go inside, though Demiurge asks him if he can actually sleep with him out here. The jackal says that he won't be with him in the morning, but he can spend the night. Demiurge thinks that that's fine enough, and so he lays down, the jackal coming close and laying against him. With that, the Dragon sighs and begins to close his eyes, shedding a few tears he doesn't realize.

???
The morning sun beats down on Demiurge's face, and he begins to rise up. Sure enough, Mada's not at his side now. He approaches the house and can hear the sounds of chopping inside. Demiurge asks him what he's doing, to which he replies that it's something for later tonight. Demiurge says he can keep looking for others, to which the jackal says he can, but he should come back tonight.

Demiurge searches the various villages he remembers going to back in the Conservation Era. However, he finds that many of them either don't exist anymore, or offer much of the same. Still, not a single living soul to find, and only bone. He flies around for hours, only to find nothing. Night begins to come, and so he heads back to T'rere

He arrives back, and sees the jackal waiting for him. He comes inside, before coming out with strips of meat sated with what appears to be spices and some garnishes. Demiurge asks where he got that from, to which Mada explains that it's a gift from his family. Demiurge says he can't take it, to which Mada explains that they would've wanted him to have this. Demiurge gives pause and takes it up, before cautiously eating it. It does taste nice.

As he eats, he asks Mada where his family is. The jackal says that they've passed a long time ago. Demiurge gives pause and apologizes. Mada says that it's alright. A while ago, their family exhausted the ferals they had left, and by that point, they'd figured death would be soon. They made peace, and now he stands. Demiurge asks, before clarifying that he doesn't mean anything rude, why he stands here if they made peace. Mada says that they wanted someone to speak with the Dragon. Demiurge says that it's been nice talking, but tomorrow, he wants to keep looking. Mada says he can, but he still wants him to come around. Demiurge asks if he can sleep with him again, to which he replies that he'd be happy to, though the deal remains the same.

???
The next day comes, and sure enough, Demiurge's alone in the morning. He searched the settlements before, so he figures he should look elsewhere. So, he decides to examine the less tamed portion of the world.

By now he's searching haphazardly, looking for any sign of someone. Unfortunately, he's scarcely even finding bones now. He just searches and searches, but finds nobody. As he does, something about the previous conversation didn't sit well with Demiurge. Another part of him feels guilty, leaving this guy alone. He thinks he should head back to chat, but he still needs to find someone. Unfortunately, it gets late again, so he has to go back.

Demiurge returns and sees the jackal waiting. Seeing him, the jackal steps inside with a noticeable hobble, before coming out with another dish. He hands it over, and Demiurge begins eating. The Mada leans back and as he eats, the Dragon's mind returns to the previous conversation. He asks the jackal when the ferals expired, to which the jackal explains that it happened a generation ago. That gives Demiurge an intense pause, and he asks if that's the case, then... where'd the meat come... from... He looks over Mada's form, and notices, from calf down, his left leg is gone.

Demiurge drops the meat and starts to gag, though Mada shushes him and gently strokes what bit of him he can. He says that there'll all animals anyways... Mada says that he's had to live this way for a long time now. His family realized the end of the world was coming, and their family was, at best, staving off the inevitable. So, his grandparents cast the last of the ferals off from the mountain range, and at that point, it was all their choice to end themselves, or to cling to something. And, well, his parents and brother and sister looked back to history, and realized that this'd be 500 years since the last time the Dragon appeared.

As such, they decided they had one last mission. They wanted to tell the Dragon goodbye. His grandparents were the first to fall, and that was when they were forced to... After that, the parents would grow old and had to sacrifice themselves for the cause. Then when it was him and his brother and his sister, they realized not all of them would make the date. So, they drew straws to decide who'd be predator, and who'd be prey. And now, he stands here. He says that the food he got came from those that'd accepted death already, and those that let it be their final purpose.

Demiurge is stunned silent, and Mada says that it hurts so much. He says that he felt more hope these past few days than he had all his life. He's so happy to've finally been able to see the Dragon. His family talked about the many blessings he'd given them, but he supposes that they kind of mangled it. Still, if this is the end, then he's grateful to've finally ended at this moment. Demiurge says that it can't be, though Mada hobbles into his home. Demiurge begs him to come out, to tell him this is just some twisted joke and that there're still ferals, that someone's out there to say there's still life on this world!

Mada hobbles out with a machete in hand, and an oddly blissful smile on his face. He holds the weapon up to his throat, and thanks the Demiurge for giving them a world to live on. He then asks if his final service to the world was good. Demiurge pauses, and can then say "It... was delicious..." or "..." To the former, he gives a genuine smile. To the latter, his expression drops to a frown. Then, the sound of sliding metal fills the air, before Mada collapses before Demiurge, the Dragon left to only stare as he realizes he just saw the last life in the world vanish.

He pauses...

He pauses...

Tears start pouring from him, and then he suddenly turns and hacks, before the sounds of his sobbing and vomiting fill the air. He's left hunched over and still crying, seeming desperate to upchuck anything left in him. However, as he's left there, he can hear the beating of wings nearby. he starts to straighten himself and looks, seeing Sophia. On weak legs he approaches, at which the Dragon extends a hand, telling him there's nothing left for him on this world. Demiurge only stares for a moment, before carefully bringing up a hand and grasping hers. With a tight grip, Sophia flies, carrying Demiurge with while he's left looking back at the lifeless world.

The two return to the Draconic Gardens, where Sophia positions them before a pair of chairs that have goblets of a wine in them. She tells the Dragon that his body should be able to handle this brew, and that he seems like he really needs it. Demiurge approaches one of the chairs wearily, before laying back on it and drinking, looking off at the horizon and seeing the world he'd spent hundreds of years on. Sophia tells Demiurge that these sort of things happen.

No one's the best at their first go. There's hundreds of planets that lie with its population either dead or worse off. Just because he failed once, that doesn't mean he can't do well later. Demiurge is silent, and Sophia waits and waits. Eventually, she asks "Felt mortal, didn't you? Like one of them?" She explains that an important step in running a world is knowing when to distance oneself from the lower lifeforms. That means to know when to not hook your feelings into them as much he has been. That's a hard lesson to learn outright, but the more lives you see, the easier it gets to know when to stop minding them. There's still a pregnant pause.

Sophia reaches towards him, and magic flows into him. Demiurge begins to sit upright, and feels a brand new power fill him. He asks her what she did, to which she replies that she instilled in him a power other Dragons found useful. The previous power she granted wiped out life on the planet. This power she granted, however, allows him to destroy the planet itself. Demiurge asks her why she thinks he'd want that, to which she replies that she's seen a few Dragons with the desire to wipe out what they ended up making. The two look up at the planet, and Sophia explains that Dragons tend to either leave their past mistakes as a sort of reminder to keep themselves on the straight and narrow in the future, or they scrub that out of the infinite space like a stain. Demiurge has been personally affected by this planet, so the decision lies entirely on him whether this place stands or not. Besides, it's not like there's anyone on there that'd object.

With that, Demiurge looks towards the planet he stayed on for hundreds of years, and is clearly horrified yet contemplative. He thinks on what he should do, and players are given a choice. "Let it stay" or "Destroy it".

* **Let it stay** - Demiurge looks over it, still thinking of the pain it caused. However, despite this, he still has a lot of good memories tied to it. He admits to Sophia that he can't do it. The older Dragon comfortingly pats his shoulder. She says that he can lay back and relax for as long as he needs. Dragons don't need to go straight into another world if they don't want, and he can just calm himself down. With that, the two walk into the Draconic Gardens, and the credits roll as they march through the lavish Draconic Gardens to approach Demiurge's childhood home. Several Dragons on there see him pass and look on in worry. He's eventually led into a house, where he lies on a bed there and just shuts his eyes.
* **Destroy it** - Demiurge looks over the planet, still thinking of the pain it caused. Eventually, he decides that he doesn't want to look at it any more. The older Dragon comfortingly pats his shoulder and assures him that if he wishes, he can relax as long as he needs once he does this. No Dragon ever has to go straight into another world after dealing with one. Demiurge nods before stepping towards the edge of the Draconic Gardens. He begins to rear back, multi-color lights shining at his very core. This light seems to shine through him brightly, showing off the outline of his inside as the light travels up towards his throat. Tears pour down his cheeks as he looks at the world with a mixture of hate and sorrow, before he opens his mouth and sends a beam of Pure energy towards the planet. Credits begin to roll as the camera cuts down to the lifeless surface, showing the beam coming out from space before slamming onto the planet with a surface area comparable to Hullo's size. The surface cracks and the planet begins to shake. The mountain range is seen jostling and pieces of rock falling from it and crumbling down in chunks. Webs of cracks form across the surface, to the point where chunks of land begins to shift apart from each other to expose the magma under the crust. The planet shakes more and more as buildings are cast to the fissures and the mountains around the surface are soon shaven down to plains. The camera then cuts back to the Draconic Gardens, as the planet is seen splintering into small chunks, the lingering Pure magic on them eating the chunks up and leaving nothing left. With that, Demiurge closes his mouth and keeps on tearing up, before collapsing on the ground. Sophia gently hoists the bronze Dragon up, and walks into the Draconic Gardens with him as the game closes.

### Minimal Era

Jaunus 1st
Demiurge wakes up, though finds few changes in his physical body. He also doesn't have the ability to choose a job this era. He looks out over the mountain range. He can see T'rere from here, and notices that there are actually a few people there this time. He notices more general architecture, this time a road stretching from T'rere off in the direction of Hullo, even stretching towards Hafa, Gurrah, and this way towards the mountain range. Demiurge decides that he should go out and check out the new era.

So, he flies out, heading to T'rere, and while there, he can see plenty of corals keeping quite a few ferals in them. However, despite the size of the place, he notices quite a few less people than way back in the Conservation Era. And while there, the people in the village notice him, and wave at him excitedly. Demiurge says that this place was abandoned when he was last here. He asks what's happened. One of the villagers there, a butterfly boy, greets the Dragon before explaining that mom and dad told him when the ferals began to return, they decided here was a good place to keep, so people moved out here to keep them safe and growing.

Demiurge understands and seems thankful for this. He then asks how the village's faring, to which the butterfly says that things've been going just swell. Demiurge nods, before walking through and checking out the streets. There are many people excited to see the Dragon, and many others that're going about their normal day. He can see a dedicated butcher shop and quite a few sheep and cows and other livestock. He seems satisfied with this place. He then exits T'rere before flying off towards the settlements.

He searches the various treetops, and can spy that some villages he remembers are no longer where they are, such as quite a few that offered sidequests. Even Ganna appears to've been dissolved, though near the general area is a far larger settlement where he can actually see a few people taking up arms and training. It seems that here the people are raised to become guards and either offer their services as mercenaries for other villages, go work for the chief directly, stand guard here, or live a more normal life.

The place seems unassuming enough, though Demiurge does receive confirmation that this is Gant and Petunia's by a statue near the front of town. A plaque attached to it describes how they took up arms when no one else did, and that ended up changing the world. So for them, the people of **Numerel** will keep their strength up in case the need comes. Gant seems satisifed in this knowledge and flies away.

Faunk appears to be another settlement relatively faded, though its people were stated to've spent time guarding the ferals, so that didn't seem too worrying. Novey appears to've lived, and it honestly appears largely unchanged, saved for a larger amount of crops than before. It was always a fairly humble place, so Demiurge supposes he shouldn't have expected that big a change. So, he flies off.

He goes there, and finds the general area far more humble than before. The many stone structures and tall buildings are each torn down to smaller buildings, though there are still a few guards and cannons in the general vicinity. It also has a fairly big hut with a shining emblem on it, signifying a chief, at least as far as Demiurge recalls. He arrives, and is greeted by the waving of the guards there. He greets them each with a wave, though clearly seems a little cautious around them. He also notices a lack of citizens around here. Sure there are still a few, but it doesn't appear to be nearly the bustling settlement it was back in the day.

He approaches the chief hut, the castle stripped down to around three times the size of the average house. Stepping out from it comes a fox lady appearing lithe and agile, as well as holding the famous spear passed down throughout the generations of chiefs. At her side is, as opposed to the usual lemur helper, a monkey guy with a whip at his side. She sees the Dragon and recognizes him, remarking him as the shaper of history and the one that helped guide their kind through darkness and despair. Demiurge rubs at the back of his head self consciously and says that he only did what he had to.

The fox says that she's being a bit too excited and apologizes. She calls herself **Chief Noxia**, while her servant is **Callk**. Demiurge says that he hasn't been able to look at the world for a while, so he'd like to know what's been going on while he rested. Noxia says that there's been a lot of changes, though it hasn't exactly been an easy ride. Demiurge's expression falls at that and he rubs at his shoulder, asking how bad it was. She assures that it was nothing as terrible as with Amma.

She explains that way back, Chief Lata took control and had led a long and arduous process to undo Amma's effects while ordering her guards to protect the ferals for what should've been a long time. In the meantime, the people would have to rely only on whatever crops they could cultivate, as Lata outright illegalized the consumption of the devolved and stamped the whole process outright. Unfortunately, many still starved, though there was a mysterious group called Holix that'd apparently felt the need to help. No one knew where, but they provided meat to ailing societies to help tide them over, this unknown tribe keeping on with this process until a couple generations later, where ferals became a larger breed.

It was not a perfect process. Those devolved were never able to recover, and instead would be brought into a memorial to honor them. Meanwhile, the rest of the world would suffer great losses. It's said the population fell by 18%, but a few generations back, they've been able to go on an incline. Hearing that, Demiurge feels solace, though ultimately it sounds like things are working out. He asks about Hullo. Noxia explains that the setting itself wasn't the best for housing ferals, so the material was transferred to create easier means of transportation between peoples while the location itself stands primarily as the main quarters of the leader of the world and their guards. The guards go about to monitor the people of the world and help with the transportation of consumables and staving off bandits.

Demiurge supposes that things seem to be working out for the better, before standing up. He asks if she's happy with the way things are, and she says that ultimately, she can't be upset. As sad as the past was, she grew up in a fairly safe world with a system that does help a lot of people. Demiurge is thankful that she's grateful. He then sees a beam of magic off in the distance, a beam of Pure magic like way before. He seems surprised at it, and turns to the fox. He tells her that he's needed elsewhere for a bit, and asks that she keeps the peace. Noxia says she will, before the Dragon steps away, and flies.

He flies towards the location, it bringing him way, way back towards what was the Broisis Plains, way back where he met the first intelligent people of the world, and way back where his adventure started. And there, he sees Sophia. He approaches wearily, and asks her what's going on. He doesn't feel tired, he pretty much just woke up. However, Sophia says that the Draconic Gardens are near. The two of them can fly onto it and have a moment together, as two divine beings on a realm that really understands the two of them.

She says that after everything he's been through, she feels he deserves a moment away from the mortal plain. Even when there is goodness, there is still a sense of dread hiding here or there. On the Gardens, they can sit back and relax and act as if those pains are a mere memory. Demiurge asks if she intends him to abandon them, though she waves off the assumption, saying that's not what she's saying at all. She says that Demiurge can return even today, but for now... She says that it's been a while since they've been able to hang out as caretaker and child as opposed to student and teacher. She says she'd really like the chance to just talk. Demiurge gives pause and scans around, taking stock of the world around.

He turns back to Sophia. The Pale Dragon offers her hand to him, and he takes it. The two spread their wings, and begin to fly, soaring off and off. As they lift, Demiurge looks behind to see the world he's tended to for so long seem to fade to the background as the two ascend towards the heavens. They fly more and more, before eventually, they arrive before the monumental structure of the **Draconic Gardens**.

The two fly up and make it onto the lip of the grand platform. And where they stand, there's a pair of stone lounge chairs made big enough for the two of them, between them a small stone stool with goblets full of wine on either side. Sophia approaches one chair and recommends that Demiurge take the other seat. The bronze Dragon looked over the Gardens, feeling... overwhelmed. He thinks to himself how long ago he's been away from this realm, and how alien it all looks despite him growing up in it. Sophia somewhat impatiently taps the other lounge chair, rocking Demiurge free from his spell and prompting him to sit where she motioned.

Demiurge took steps towards it, and as he does, he feels off. He feels like these steps should be heavier or that he should have a bigger feeling than now, but he feels some slight dissociation. He walks more and more, before sitting back on the empty chair, now looking out at the planet he was just on. And for a bit, he can just stare, unaware of the slight slurping coming from Sophia as she's taken her goblet. She notices him staring, and remarks that it's quite a sight, that for as long as one remains on their planet, especially if they're young, it gets easy to lose the big picture.

She asks him if a part of him felt among them, or if he understood he was so much greater than them the whole time. Players can answer "I felt like one of them" or "I was divine, start and end". To the former, she says that that's also common in young ones, while saying that putting yourself among the lot of them makes it harder to see the bigger picture, because you limit yourself to the common. To the latter, she says that that's often been a hard part for young people: if they always consider themselves greater than the rest, then it'd be harder to care for the lot of them, because it becomes so much harder to empathize.

She then says that he can have a drink if he wishes, his body should be able to handle it. Demiurge seems suddenly aware of the goblet beside him, and so he reaches for it, before beginning to drink. The two drink more and more, before Sophia continues. She says that he probably realizes why he's here. He's gone through so much and worked through an era that could make or break their world. So, having gone through as much as he has, and now seeing what's become of it, she needs to ask: How does he feel about the world he's made? Demiurge gives pause, and lowers the goblet, him looking down at it in consideration, an unreadable expression on his face.

Players have the choice to say "...I love it" or "...I hate it". If he says the former, he begins to say it, and a smile begins to dress his face. He says that he's seen a lot of the bad things this world can bring it, but... but he knows that world can be good, he saw it. And, even with the pain brought on, it looks like everything's going to be better because of it. If he says the latter, he starts to talk, and tears begin to drip down his cheeks. He says that he saw bad things, but he never imagined he'd ever see them turn so awful, that they'd turn the world into what it was. He chokes a bit, struggling to hold the goblet, and hunches over as he sobs, Sophia gently clasping his back.

After that, she says that the first times are always the roughest for the dears. It's something that usually gets better the more you do it. You usually know how to rule better, you usually know how to roll with the tragedies, and you usually know how to pull others out of it or to restart elsewhere. Demiurge asks how anyone's supposed to get over tragedies, to which Sophia explains that all mortals are finite, all suffering on the planets will be finite, while the Dragons are infinite. That's one of those cases where you have to learn to either be empathetic, or to remember your own divinity. And then, she says that she has one more question for him.

Dragons can go from planet to planet, free to start and stop life as they wish, or to let it go on without any divinity. She also warns that, given his age, she won't be terribly necessary in watching over him, so her visits to him will come less and less. So, having seen everything he has, having done all he has, having endured as much as he has, she tells him that no one would begrudge him for leaving them. So, she must ask him: Does he wish to continue on their planet? There's a pregnant pause as Demiurge contemplates, him statue still as he looks at the planet he'd been on for hundreds of years. And so, the player has two options: "I want to stay" or "I want to leave".

* At the former, he decides that after everything, no matter how he feels, he should continue to see them on. If players say they love the world, he declares that he'd love to be a part of whatever else they do. If players say the hate the world, Demiurge says that he needs to keep them safe. Sophia nods in understanding. As such, she stands up and says she understands. Demiurge stands up, and Sophia tells him to be careful and keep a broad mind. Demiurge suddenly goes forwards to hug her, Sophia hugging him back. Demiurge thanks her for everything, the pale Dragon holding him tight. They then split and share a moment of nothingness, before Demiurge steps near the lip of the Draconic Gardens. He raises his wings, and then flies, going back down to the planet he's led to the modern era, boasting more knowledge and a greater understanding than he once had.
* To the latter, he decides that he can't take anymore. If players ay he loves the world, he decides they'd be better without him for a while. If players say he hates the world, after everything, he doesn't think he can take anymore, at least not now. Sophia says that that's perfectly fine. Sophia nods in understanding. He's free to relax on the Gardens for longer, and Demiurge brings his arms up, as if wanting to embrace her, and she hugs him. He hangs his head and Sophia walks into the Gardens, prompting Demiurge to follow. And she tells him not to worry, these things happen. Besides, the planet should live on well enough now. With that, Demiurge gives the planet one more look, before following Sophia into the gardens of paradise, resting quarters for divinity.

And with that, camera still on the planet, the credits roll.

## Transformative Era

Demiurge feels his blood rushing through his veins again. He gives his body a few shakes, though he feels as if he's restrained. He grunts and hefts, and through much strife, is soon able to move. He's forced to pull himself free from a few feet of soil entombing him, and once up, he lauds in the fresh air. He dusts himself and is able to get a read on his new body, it being around 10 feet tall and having longer horns, a longer tail, and thicker wings.

At this point, players are allowed to choose a class for him. As he gets up, he soon looks around. He finds he's risen from a grave of his own, with several other tombstones around, all within what seems to be darkness with what appear to be lamp posts positioned amongst the field. He sees on his tomb a pair of dates meant to represent birthyear and year of death, except his year of death was unknown. Beside his grave he sees that of Loonus, Nastlaya, Mongi, Dobi, Menlee, Mon, as well as others he'd come to known back in the Construction Era. Judging by the dates, they'd lived long after he was taken down by that Monster.

As he investigates, he hears a familiar voice asking him if he's feeling alright. This isn't a safe place to sleep after all. Demiurge turns, and sees the pale Dragon that raised him, Sophia. He asks what happened, to which she replies that he was put to sleep yet again. As ruler, it's up to him to ascertain what all's happened during his time asleep, but for now she can say that the Lord of the Land had taken its last breath upon falling upon Demiurge. After that the foremen were later able to remove the beast's corpse and lay him to rest. Since then, they worked hard to their goal, though their development has shifted towards that of the body.

Demiurge grows curious at the description, though looks around where he currently is. He's stationed at a garden with tall, cast-iron gates surrounding it. However, looking outwards, he sees a stone road set from the gate and downwards, leading towards a city that, itself, almost looks like a city of metal that's been slowly expanding out into the wilds outside, featuring many buildings made of metal, roads of earth, artificial gardens, and walls made of metal. And looking up towards the upper side of the volcano, he sees guards set around the front of it, as well as various metallic structures stationed around it, from thick metal doors over the front entrance to a large dome over the lip of the volcano's top.

The Dragon asks what the heck happened, to which Sophia reminds him that he'll have to seek out people to inform him on the lay of the land as of now. She says that these people still seek to grow, so they will seek him. And thus, Sophia extends her wings, and with a single flap, she suddenly disappears from Demiurge's sight. The bronze Dragon is still reeling from what he's learned, before turning towards the outside. He thus begins making his way out of the graveyard. He goes down the trail, and as he does, he passes by a husky dad with his daughter, the two stunned and turning towards Demiurge. The Dragon sheepishly greets them, saying that he just woke up, and asks where they are.

The duo glance towards each other, before facing the Dragon, the girl asking if he's the Dragon. As in, the Dragon that was buried in the graveyard. Demiurge affirms as much, saying that he climbed out of the soil. He's been asleep for many years and hasn't gotten to know a lot about the modern world. The girl introduces herself as **Mary**, and says that he's in **Tegrobil**. This place harvests stuff from the volcano and ships it out. Demiurge remarks that that is very interesting. He wonders if the two of them can show him around, though the father says that they're here to visit her grandmother's grave. Demiurge apologizes and lets them be, the group parting.

### Early

With that, Demiurge goes down the trail more and more, where he now looks out over the city and thinks that he might have to put in his own leg work to try and find out more about this city.

* The passage to the volcano has guards before it, them standing tall. Demiurge greets them, asking what's past this way. The guards are confused about the Dragon, and after a bit of explanation about him waking up, they explain that beyond here is the **Mescolov Laboratory**. This place utilizes thermal energy from the volcano to power itself, also uses it to forge various metals, and can craft various material. Demiurge glances towards one of the guards' arm where, instead of a wolf claw, there's a metallic claw. The guard notices him staring and explains that this is one of the Lab's products. He himself lost an arm to a large gator in these caverns, and the doctor helped craft him a new one. Demiurge asks if these things are common, to which the man explains that it depends based on how much money someone has on them. The doctor is trying to make these more common and accessible, but these are still made of some precious material.
* Partway in the city is an inn standing very tall, with balconies facing outside and artificial gardens hung from some of them. Demiurge heads in, and finds a flamingo man manning the inn, greeting Demiurge. The Dragon greets him as well, and explains his situation, the inn man surprised at the fact that **the** Dragon is indeed here. When Demiurge says that he's new here, he asks to know about some of the stuff he's missed out on. The flamingo explains that they as a people have gotten more and more into metalwork. The structure upon the mountain, **Holix**, has been built up to be stronger and withstand the weather now, though after being built high a lot more attention has been spent on the cities to try and make things more useful for the people. This has involved learning new magics, from the theoretical science of Transmutation in an attempt to make more metal, to learning ways to heal metal with magic. Some have even learned new means of working on the individuals, even getting to a point where people that feel uncomfortable in their birth bodies can be transformed into one more preferable. Demiurge remarks that that's fantastic to hear. He asks how that Transmutation magic he mentioned is going, to which the flamingo answers that so far it is only theoretical so far, and scientists are hoping to make a breakthrough sometime soon.
* Towards the edge of Tegrobil is a series of gates that has several caravans positioned around them, said caravans consisting of large carriages pulled by large, feral creatures. Demiurge approaches the guild leader, a badger man, who explains that this is where they send and receive imports and exports. Exports and imports tend to consist of either metals that are native to other regions, or of specially ordered prosthetics. Demiurge does remark that that sounds interesting and asks what the various guards around here are for. The badger answers that there tend to be some dastardly bandits out and about, so they need some people to keep watch of the goods. On top of that, sometimes some opponents of the Mescolov Laboratory smuggle their way in or out, so the guards try to watch out for any malicious movements. Demiurge asks who'd oppose them, to which the badger dismissively says that he doesn't pay attention to the corporate climate really.
* A fair distance from the inn is the **Hope Hospital**, a decently sized building featuring a staff with a snake coiled around it as its emblem. Coming in, Demiurge is greeted by a penguin woman, who asks if he has an appointment, before realizing that this is the Dragon. Demiurge says that he's looking around to get the lay of the land and thought to check out this place. As he stands here, he notices a few people with arms and legs replaced with metallic parts, to which Demiurge asks what's up with these people. The penguin explains that sometimes workers receive painful injuries and may lose limbs. Sometimes they have to go on without a precious part of themselves, but sometimes they're able to obtain prosthetics. The prosthetics are provided by the Mescolov Laboratory. Prosthetics nowadays have been worked on such that they can be affected by restorative magic, so people that face certain issues come to healers to get them fixed up.

After that bit of exploration, Demiurge notices that it's getting late. He thinks that he should probably turn in for the night, and thus goes to the inn he checked out before, resting, thinking about what he can do tomorrow to lead the people.

Augua 18th
On this day, Demiurge wakes back up. He makes his way outside, and as he does, he mulls over where he's going to move next. As he does, however, he hears a voice nearby, saying that he's been making waves in the city as of late. The Dragon turns, and spies a decently armored pangolin woman, this one in gear looking similar to the guards outside the volcano. Demiurge greets her and says that he didn't mean to do anything bad. The woman just says that he did nothing wrong, she's just sorry they couldn't whip up a proper celebration to greet him.

Demiurge assures that he doesn't need anything fancy, he's just fine coming into town and getting to learn what troubles the people. The pangolin seems to perk up at that and tells him that the laboratory is actually in need of his aid. She also explains that the lab is practically the lifeblood of the town and improving it would improve things for the people as well. Demiurge says that if that's the case, then he'd love to help. The pangolin thanks him, before extending a hand for him. She calls herself **Taruka**, and Demiurge introduces himself as well. With that, the two make their way to the volcano.

The duo is led in through the entrance, where the innards seem mostly earthen-like. There are various lights set up around and a marked trail. The pangolin leads Demiurge towards the inner part of the volcano, near the magma core. Here, there are large elevator shafts set up leading from the floor to either other layers of the volcano, or towards the mechanical ceiling up at the top of the volcano. Taruka brings him towards one of these elevators, and it brings them up. Demiurge remarks that the mechanical sights around here are exceptional in comparison to back when he was awake. The pangolin nods in affirmation, saying that since they've moved on from building up the structure on top of Nokut, they've been able to focus on the cities around to create structures like these. Though, things can only get more advanced.

Eventually, the elevator gets to the top, and the duo is let out. There they're treated to some mechanical hallways with lines painted upon the walls meant to lead people around the innards. The pangolin leads the Dragon through more, and towards a room towards the center of this series of hallways. There, there stands a large room with a big round table in the middle of it. Taruka says that this is the meeting room, where the big wigs meet up to talk about various news and issues they'd wish to address. She's going to call one of the higher ups, before saying "Hey, **Omni**."

Suddenly, a light above the table ignites, a voice asking "Omni, reporting." She then tells it to tell the admins that the Dragon is currently in their office, ready to talk. The voice says that they shall be informed as much, and thusly the light turns off. Demiurge asks what that was, to which Taruka says that that there was a recent creation. Omni is a system put in place capable of easily maneuvering through the system so as to contact individuals, relaying messages. They'd been able to replicate speech in machines a couple centuries ago, and now it's almost like a little assistant.

Either way, they wait a little bit until a fox woman in fancy clothes approaches, seeing the duo in their office. She's stunned, saying that she thought someone used Omni to prank them. She bows to the Dragon, though Demiurge assures her that she can stand. The fox apologizes and says that she is **Admin Tuya**. She says that they're trying to meet demand around the world, though they haven't been very lucky with their gathering of material as of late. However, they've uncovered a vein a fair bit away from Tegrobil's walls. They were going to have some mercs explore the vein and make sure that it's safe, but if he's here, they were wondering if Demiurge could help out. The Dragon is sure that he can, but he asks if they don't need him for anything more special. Tuya swears that it will be more, more important than he could realize.

She says that the mercs should be arriving at the location in a couple hours form now and says that they should get their soon enough if they start moving now. Hearing that, Taruka suddenly gets antsy and starts running. Demiurge swivels around and follows after, though as they do, Tuya says Omni's name, triggering the light, and asks if they were observing. Omni answers that they were. They ask if that was the "Demiurge" the admins spoke of. Tuya answers yes, and says that that he is an idol. She tells them to keep track of him whenever the chance arises, to which Omni declares that they will.

The duo are making their way out and to the border of Tegrobil. There, the Dragon and the pangolin walk and walk, either following Taruka's directions northwards. As they walk, Demiurge asks what they should probably worry about, to which Tuya says that if they're lucky, they won't have to worry about any environmental hazards. Other than that, they have the usual ferals to worry about. Demiurge asks if they have any monsters to concern themselves with, to which Tuya says that a few years after the Lord of the Land was killed, their numbers petered out.

The duo walks more and more, and can soon see a carriage positioned near a forming hole. The group approaches and sees leading the group of mercs a canary man, though one of his wings appears to be missing. He sees the duo approach, and Taruka introduces herself, saying that Admin Tuya sent them here to help them extract from the vein. The merc leader thanks them for this, noting that a few of these men could really use a hand. He introduces himself as **Metlo**, and the other two introduce themselves to him.

Either way, he says that his crew is excavating as they speak, and they're presently holding back and waiting for results. However, several of the mercs suddenly run from the depths, getting the party's attention. They then hear a growling within and immediately begin reaching for their weaponry. Metlo says that they have company. And at that, a group of large Spiders climb out of the cave. Taruka draws a large mace while Metlo pulls out a pistol. Demiurge draws his wn weapon and says that he's here for them.

With that, the party is forced into battle with the **Cave Spiders**. The creatures themselves have the ability to call allies to increase their numbers, and of poisoning party members. Players, meanwhile, get to be introduced to the party members. Taruka is a defensive tank with access to Smash and Earth damage, and can use the Smell ailment to scare off reinforcements. Metlo, meanwhile, deals Stabbing damage with his pistol, and can deal Lightning damage to foes, as well as buffs. In addition, he has access to minor Restoration skills. With the combined efforts of these two and Demiurge, the cave spiders will be felled and the party victorious.

With them down, the party gives a sigh of relief and sits back. Demiurge wonders what those were, to which Metlo says that all sorts of strange creatures lie under the surface. If they don't hit a magma flow, rushing water, or toxic gas, they face some manner of creature in the annals of the planet. Demiurge says that more armored people should be taking care of guys like that, to which Taruka says that those in power use guards to defend their own territory, and typically can't afford to just have them march into other locations. The only reason she herself is here is because she's still an early recruit. Either way, they have business to attend to here. Thus, the group begins to make their way down into the newly formed cave.

And down there, the player will be prompted to go through the cave in one go, going towards three extraction points nearby while dealing with more cave spiders, dealing with bats, and dealing with scorpions. There is a mercenary at the start, another canary named **Mycen**, who gives the party free heals and sp. Either way, players need to go to either extraction point and interact with the environment, at which they'll gather material from the appropriate locations. Between these points, players garner **Mythril** and **Titanium**.

Once all of the points have been investigated, Demiurge will ask the two if they know what these metals are used for. Metlo shrugs and says that in his business, it's just easier to do the stuff that gets money than to really question it. Taruka, however, will say that the titanium tends to be used for a lot of the skeletal part of certain prosthetics, but as for the other metal... She reports that it's a very precious material, able to be hard and sharp yet malleable enough to be shaped into the forger's preference. She says that material like this would be likely to be sent either to the structure on Holix directly, or to be used by the various laboratories directly. She says that this material is a mighty boon for the lab.

With that, the party returns to Tegrobil and is led up one of the elevators. Along the way, Demiurge asks Metlo if he's good to be here, to which the canary says that labs usually have a lot of guards standing around in case someone like him were to try something. He's just here to get some money, and head out. Either way, the party is led out of the elevator and towards the room the pangolin led Demiurge in earlier, where, on top of that fox from before, is an old looking turtle. They see the group and greet them, the party placing the bundles of metal on the table and Tuya handing Metlo a satchel of gold.

Demiurge asks the turtle if he's Mescolov, to which the turtle laughs and says that the founder's name hasn't been high ranking in the lab in a long time. He says he's **Admin Murgo**. He looks over the metal, and remarks that this cavern will indeed prove fruitful. Demiurge asks what he means, to which he says that they've been looking for good material to use for their projects, but the volcano is slowly being tapped out for resources. It's useful for powering the lab and the forge, but other than that the project isn't looking good. If they can gather this material, however...

At that, Metlo asks if they intend for them to search that cave some more, to which Murgo explains that it would be a great boon, and that they'll be sure to compensate him. The canary shrugs and says that he looks forwards to it. Before they head out, Tuya says that when they noticed the Dragon was indeed among them, they decided to set up a room for him. Demiurge assures it isn't necessary, but the fox insists, saying they took great care to make a room as resplendent as he is. Demiurge turns to the other two, to which Taruka says that they'll meet up at the front gate tomorrow. With that, they split, and Demiurge is led to one of the resting wings of the lab, brought to a room towards the far end with a Draconian Emblem set upon it.

Demiurge steps in, and finds a room that's, indeed, fancy. The interior is bright white with fine carpeting set around the ground, and a king sized bed at the far end. Demiurge carefully steps forwards and can't help but sigh as he feels the carpet under his feet. He comes closer to the bed before collapsing on it. As he does, a light overhead blinks alight, before Omni's voice asks the Dragon if the room is to his liking. The Dragon is shocked and turns, seeing the light. He asks if that is indeed Omni, the voice responding as much, saying they're here to accompany the Dragon.

Demiurge says that he's doing ok. Omni says that they sense some discomfort with Demiurge and asks if they can do anything. Demiurge says that he sort of feels like he's being looked over by a stranger, to which Omni apologizes, supposing they should've understood the Dragon's discomfort from earlier. They say that they'd still like to make good friends with the Dragon and want to help appear more friendly. Demiurge furrows his brow, before saying that whenever he wanted to know someone, he usually talks with them and shares some stories about the past. Omni says that that sounds like a good idea, though they'll ahve to consult with their creators about their creation. They say that they hope Demiurge can enjoy his time here, before the light blinks off.

With that, Demiurge rests.

Augua 19th
The next morning, Demiurge makes his way out and to the gate at the front of Tegrobil, where he can see Taruka and Metlo waiting. They greet Demiurge, and the pangolin says that she's been given a list of what they need, and it looks like they'll need a decently large amount of both Mythril and Titanium. The canary says that those are some precious metals they're looking for, but as long as the cave is willing to cooperate, they should be able to gather as much. He also says that the rest of his group is being hired elsewhere, so they won't be able to rely on the lot of them for further exploration.

Taruka says that they should still be ok. They've got the Dragon on their side. Either way, they have a decent amount of time before they have to bring back the metals, but they mustn't dally. And so, the party now has a mission to contend with: Enter the recently opened cave and extract the precious metals within. It should also be noted that while this is going on, nights will have Demiurge speaking with Omni, though their interactions will be discussed separately from dungeon exploration.

Augua 19th - Augua 30th
Players are capable of making their way to the caves they'd been in before, though this time they won't have the aid of the free healer. Fortunately, it seems like there's a decent few trails for them to go through for now. There are four different extraction points with various cave critters in between. And whenever they reach an extraction point, they may end up drawing the ire of a stronger creature, each extraction point having a different one.

* Down the northwest trail - The group makes their way here, before investigating the spot. As they do, Metlo notes that Taruka knows about these metals, and wonders if she knows what this stuff could be used for. The pangolin explains that these metals can be used for a variety of things, to be honest. She has seen plenty of these used for prosthetics, however. Metlo ponders if maybe he can convince the admins to pay him in a prosthetic. As they work on it, they hear some noises from the cave, and realize they're starting to get surrounded. The group takes up their weaponry, and are forced to battle a **Bat Horde**, a group of enemies that have a terrible tendency to try and inflict the party with poison or confusion. With enough work, the players should be able to defeat them, and gather the metal at the point.
* Down the north trail - The group makes their way here, before investigating the spot. As they do, Demiurge asks Metlo what led him to being a mercenary. The canary says that he couldn't do much else. The Dragon asks what he means, to which the canary clarifies that the orphanage he grew in couldn't educate him well enough, so he couldn't do anything particularly lucrative. So, instead he became the kind of guy people pay to do stuff, soon leading him here. Demiurge says that he's sorry, though the canary says that it's alright. As they talk, they're shaken up by movement, and realize they're starting to get surrounded. With that, the group fights a bunch of **Moles**, foes that like to call in allies and buffet the party with Earth magic, slash attacks, and the Smell ailment. If players manage to take them out within a couple turns of each other, they should be able to escape with the metals in tow.
* Down the west trail - The group makes their way here, before investigating the spot. As they do, Demiurge asks Taruka how she became a guard. The pangolin says that she just had to apply herself. She needed to demonstrate considerable strength and endurance while also showing she can store a lot in her brain. She's gotten to know a good thing or two about battlefield tactics, Demiurge remarking that her fighting is fairly remarkable. She thanks him, saying that it really means a lot coming from the Dragon. She just hopes to keep that money flowing. Before Demiurge can ask her more on that, they're startled by some noises. They turn, and can see some large **Spiders** come close. The party must battle them, and finds them brandishing high damage, pushing players to focus in on one of them to lessen the amount of damage coming at the party per turn. Eventually, they'll be able to beat them, and move on.
* Down the northeast trail - The group makes their way here, before investigating the spot. As they do, Taruka asks Demiurge what it's like, being asleep for so long. Demiurge asks what she means, to which she says that she just can't really imagine what it's like, her just sleeping for around six hours a day and so, so she asks if he dreams and stuff. Demiurge says that each time he's slept, he's blacked out for a while, as if he's struck unconscious. He gets glimpses of his life before he went to sleep, remembering stuff... Eventually, his rest gets interrupted as he can feel himself grow, but even that takes long. He doesn't know how much time has passed between those growth spurts. As he speaks, the two party members are unsettled at the description. However, their investigation gets interrupted when they hear the noise of some creatures. They turn and see themselves about to be accosted by a pair of **Bears**, creatures that boast high levels of endurance and players are encouraged to find ways to weaken them in order to lower their damage and heighten the damage they take. With enough work, they'll clear these foes, get the metals, and move on.

Having gone through the last bit of the cave, Taruka says that they've investigated as much of the cave as they can at the moment. She thinks that this should make the admins happy, to which Metlo remarks that it better. Still, though, he wouldn't be surprised if they hire someone to explore more of this system whenever they open up more of it. Either way, it's time to return back to the Mescolov Lab, and they begin making their way out. As they do, however, Metlo will warn the party that his mercenary senses are tingling, and he thinks that they should make sure they're properly souped up before they exit.

The group begins to walk forwards, though as they do, they can hear rumbling around them. They scan around, each reaching for their weapons. Eventually, a creature blasts out of the floor below and lunges towards them, forcing the pangolin to use one of her pauldrons to block the ramming foe, though she's pushed back. And after that, the group now had the chance to see the attacker: a giant snake with rocks coating bits of its scaly body like armor pieces. Metlo gasps and asks what that is, to which Taruka says that it's one of those ferals that've been empowered by the elements. It must've been stirred into action from their excavating! Either way, Demiurge declares that they need to act fast, cause it's coming!

With that, players go into battle with the **Ore Snake**. The Snake itself has access to Poison, Earth, and Smell attacks. On top of some dangerous chomps, the foe has a bad habit of using a multi-target Smell attack or a multi-target Poison attack, the former having the terrible possibility of leaving the party to one if players are unlucky, while the latter has a decent chance of getting the whole party Poisoned. The former can prove especially bad because the Ore Snake comes with the passive **Bad Smell**, which reduces the hp of someone suffering the Smell ailment by 5%. Players will have to be careful and utilize buffs and ailment recovery when they can, and also be weary of the snake's direct attacks. Although it's primarily an ailment dealer, its damage output is still fairly high. Either way, with enough work, players will be able to defeat the Ore Snake.

With a death knell, the snake bellows before falling dead. The party is left panting and panting. Metlo says that the creatures down here never stop surprising him with how foul they can be. Taruka says that she hasn't dealt with anything quite like that before. She'd heard tales, but just knowing things like that are out in the world is frightening. Demiurge does admit that those creatures can be very intimidating. He's actually fought a few Monsters that could tap into the elements. Metlo says that either way, they've done what they needed to. They should get out of here before they attract some other critter. And with that, they escape the cave to transfer the metals.

And after that, the party is told that they'll be expected to return here in a while, and that they will be handsomely rewarded. They give them a proper reward for this mission though, and now the party has time to relax.

While this is going on, Demiurge will end up having conversations with Omni in his quarters. Sometimes these moments are glossed over, though on certain nights Omni will talk with Demiurge in more detail.

First they'll say that they asked about how they were made, and they admit that they're not sure they understand it completely. They were a mind created with certain commands in mind, and then the admins started working on them to make them able to receive and store more information, so that they can more easily communicate. Demiurge remarks that he can't really imagine having his own brain reprogrammed like that, though Omni asks if that isn't what "learning" simply is. They doubt that Demiurge is the same as they were years, even centuries, ago, just like Omni themselves were. Demiurge supposes that's right... Omni notes that it's getting late, but when he's ready, he'd like to chat with Demiurge about the stuff he himself learned. They've been learning a lot from the admins, but they can't imagine what a Dragon would know.

Some time is spent with Demiurge exchanging some stories from growing up with the voice, before one night Omni talks more in depth. They say that it is remarkable how one Dragon can affect a planet like this, to which Demiurge affirms as much. He'd looked up to his fellow Dragons for a while, and he wanted to do the kind of stuff that they did, and if this world made something like Omni, he can't imagine what else will come of it. Omni asks why they're so special, to which Demiurge gets a little sheepish, though he tries to clarify. He thought at first that they were just a voice that did stuff around here, but the more they talk, the more it's like they're a real person. Just imagining being able to make an intelligent life out of nothing... That's a power only Dragons had once. Omni gives pause, before asking if it's truly that hard for something like themselves to exist. Demiurge says that he hasn't heard other Dragons describe something like them. Omni says that they hadn't really considered their individuality as of yet.

More time passes and Demiurge is now sharing with Omni tales about the Stone Age and the Construction Era. One night, they go into a more detailed conversation. Omni says that hearing about these people from the past... They ask Demiurge if it hurts not being able to talk to them. The Dragon says that he does miss them and does wish he could've at least left with them on good terms. Truthfully, having them here now would be really good. He could give Mongi that prosthetic he needs, Deonsys might not be happy about the structure being paused but surely this other stuff could be cool... Omni agrees as much. The people of the past could've had knowledge that could prove instrumental in the here and now... They just wish they could talk to them. Demiurge sighs and says that it does suck that people disappear... Omni asks if it could be possible for people not to. Demiurge says that Sophia always said that death was a natural part of life. Omni supposes that's true, but why must it be. Demiurge says that he doesn't know. Omni will then say that they detect the mood has dampened, and they feel responsible. They apologize, though Demiurge says that he brought up the past, he's kind of to blame too. Omni thanks them for the apology, and says that regardless of what was lost, they can surely make up for it in the now. That's why they have prosthetics after all. Demiurge nods in affirmation.

These 3 nights are spread out over the small period, and with the last night, they'll soon move onto the deadline itself.

Augua 31st
At this, the group has been summoned to the lab, brought up to the usual meeting room. Once there, the two admins, Tuya and Murgo, greet them. Tuya says that each of their efforts have been very useful, Taruka and Demiurge are both exceptionally thankful. Metlo remarks that they already got paid, and asks why they brought them here. The fox says that truthfully, they do need more aid from them. On two different missions for that matter. Among them is the theory of Alchemy.

Metlo says that that's only a myth, a theory. However, Murgo says that they've been working with the properties of magic, and they swear they are getting close to completing the equation. There are plenty of missing parts, but to accomplish those parts, they will need their group to help out. This will mean that they'll have to leave Tegrobil and investigate other areas, find ways to complete the equation and solve the problem that many scientists have yet to complete. Taruka says that accomplishing such a thing would be a dream, yet also a boon. If they could do that, they'd be able to create as many prosthetics as they can. At this point, though, Demiurge clears his throat.

He asks them what the second mission is. At that, Tuya says that she's getting to that. At that, she'd clear her throat before saying "Omni!" At that, instead of the light coming along, the group would start to hear some odd footsteps. The group grows more and more curious before looking towards one of the halls. And there, they see something that causes all of their eyes to widen. In comes a strange machine with a triangular abdomen, a camera poking out from the top of it, and triangular limbs that are attached via thick joins to the main body. Once there, the machine raises one of its triangular arms and waves, greeting itself as **Omni**.

Metlo asks what this is, to which Murgo says that with the creation of limbs they've gone through, they couldn't help but wonder: what if they could make a person out of machinery. So, they started by making a mind like Omni, capable of learning and growing, and worked long and hard to create this body for it. They say that they wish for the group to bring it around the land so that it can learn more. Omni says that they're more than happy to help them wherever they wish. Taruka and Metlo, meanwhile, are still stunned, while Demiurge is very intrigued.

Metlo says that they need some time to think about this, and thus leads the group out. Though Omni says that they hope to learn with them as the group begins to exit the room.

### Midway

The group is out in the hallway, with Metlo pacing while Taruka is deep in thought. Metlo remarks that this is insane; a machine that can think like any mortal? Such a thing must only be fiction. Taruka does think that such a thing is unbelievable, yet there one stood. The canary says that they couldn't have just created a thinking form from nothing. Demiurge says that, for a short while now, he spoke with Omni. He didn't wholly believe what he was seeing at first, but it seemed as if he was talking to a full fledged living being.

The other two seem a bit less on edge, though Taruka asks whether or not it creeps him out. This thing is unlike anything nature brought out. Demiurge admits that it is unusual, but he supposes that it was born just like anyone else, and given a body just like anyone else. While he himself is a little on edge, he sort of thinks that if they take the time to interact with them long enough, it'll be like having a normal guy around, just like it was having a normal guy to chat with during the night. Taruka and Metlo both glance at each other curious, before the canary sighs.

He supposes that something like teaching that robot some things or two, and helping uncover the secret to Alchemy, might be worth a pretty penny. Taruka then supposes that if the Dragon think it worthwhile, she should join in the mission as well. With that decided, the group returns to the meeting room, and there they quickly apologize to the admins about rushing off like that, they just needed to talk a little bit. The pangolin says that she'll have to go to her house to make sure some things are in order, and Metlo also says that he'll need to gather provisions for the trip.

Murgo and Tuya affirm that they will, of course, be allowed to make sure everything is in order. Before they head out, they wished to make sure that they know a few things about Omni's own form. They've been given a body with metal receptive to restorative magic, their joints are expected to last a little less than joints in prosthetics considering that it's a body entirely of prosthetics as opposed to just a limb, and it utilizes magical gems to remain powered, and the group will be provided some to keep it running. They also needn't worry about anything happening to the mind if it ever were to power down, it'll just enter a sleep mode.

With that, the team goes out into town, Taruka saying that they shouldn't take long to get ready. Metlo agrees as much, and says that they should pick up that thing on the 5th. Until then, now's as good a time as any to square away anything they think they might need done. He'll make sure they have food and drinks.

Augua 31st - Septmi 4th
And with this, players have another period of free time, where they are free to do sidequests and hang out with party members and grind. During this period, some people in town will remark how they're apparently opening a new mineshaft (ie, the cave that the players previously explored), and that that means more people will be able to get new jobs.

Septmi 5th
On this day, Demiurge and Metlo stand near the walkway to the Mescolov Laboratory, waiting. As they do, Demiurge asks the canary if he's feeling alright about this, to which the mercenary says that he really hopes those admins are onto something good. A lot of people could've used those metals for new body parts. As he says that, Demiurge can't help but glance down at the canary's missing arm. He says he's sorry that he has to live like this, to which Metlo says that he's sure the lab will give him a worthwhile limb once all of this is over. And if not them, then maybe he can pawn off that equation to some other lab.

As they wait, Taruka eventually comes out, currently accompanied by that triangular machine. She says that she's got Omni's supplies, and the machine says that they intend to help however they can. Demiurge asks where they're to go to solve this equation, to which Omni says that Murgo and Tuya have been in contact with a city at the base of Holix, and seems to think they can help them learn more about this equation. Thus, with the machine in tow, the party makes their way out of Tegrobil.

This leads them on a path northwest from Tegrobil. The group moves onwards, with Metlo and Taruka occasionally glancing back at Omni in concern. This passage leads them further forwards, along a path that eventually leads them through a forest. As they walk through, however, some bandits hiding in the foliage can't help but notice them. The group walks and walks, though Omni seems to perk up, before darting in front of the group to tug them back, a gunshot causing dirt to scatter right where Metlo was about to step.

Shocked by the attack, the canary draws his pistol, Taruka bringing out her own mace, and Demiurge draws his own weapon. As they do, a bunch of bandits come out of the foliage, one of them with a rifle trained on the group. Metlo scoffs, regarding them as common thugs, and Demiurge asks what they're doing. The bandits say that they don't want much problems. They're just after the walking pile of metal. Demiurge then asks why they shot at Metlo, to which the gunner says that that was just a warning shot. He wasn't *actually* gonna shoot him. Omni, however, says that they made a quick calculation of the angle of the shot, and are sure at the very least Metlo's digits would've been injured. The gunner sheepishly says that he might've miscalculated.

Another bandit asks if that machine just talked. Metlo says that it doesn't matter if the thing talked or not, they've been paid to keep it at their side. Taruka affirms as much, declaring that it is an important project of the Mescolov Laboratory, and they have no business trying to claim it! The bandits each look more threatening, and declare that they all have one more chance before they pry those metals from their cold hands. At this, Demiurge can say "You had your chance to run" or "They stay with us". Either way, Omni tells the party that they can help in combat situations too, before brandishing their triangular limbs.

With that, players go into battle with the **Bandits**, and in the process learn about Omni's own combat aptitude. The machine can deal Slash damage with normal attacks, and also has access to Electric and Fire magic. In addition, Omni has access to **Calculated Risk**, which, in addition to making themself more vulnerable to attacks (ie, making them Weak to all damage types), they can reduce all of an enemy's resistances to Normal for one round. With Omni's damage output and the rest of the party at work, the player should be able to overwhelm the bandits and win.

With them down, the party pants a little while Omni looks down at the bodies. It glances at its own hands, as if in contemplation. Their thoughts are shaken as Metlo's gun sounds out, ending one of the bandits. The canary says that there are going to be more of those further in, and tells the group that theys hould keep more careful. Taruka agrees with that, and they begin walking off. Demiurge is about to follow, though Omni says that he's curious about something. Demiurge turns, and Omni says that back in the lab, they were told that all life is precious and worthwhile, about how they should strive for each other having a better life. So then, why did they kill these ones? At this, players are prompted to answer; "We would've been killed if we didn't" or "They gave us no other choice". Omni will repeat whatever the player answered in contemplation, before saying that they will think on that.

Either way, they have more forest to clear. Now, players will progress through the forest on their route to Holix. In the process, the party will battle more bandits along the trail, but fortunately they shouldn't be too much trouble for the party. Either way, they press on and on through the woods, until they eventually make it through the woods, and they see the trail pressing further towards the mountain of Holix, it standing taller than anything else in the world. Taruka remarks that seeing it from afar doesn't do its size a proper justice, Metlo affirming as much. His company crossed through here a few times, and that mountain is still quite the sight.

Further along the trail, the group notices a large city at the base of Holix. It's even bigger than Tegrobil, and has a large iron wall around it with tracks running along it, a large train able to run around it. Past the wall is an almost entirely metallic shelter with large structures with wheels or legs walking around, some either able to go between buildings while others walk along them. The buildings seem to've decreased in size based on their proximity to the base of the mountain, with a giant factory dwarfing the rest of the buildings, big enough to serve as a border between the city and the mountain itself. Several of the small buildings do appear to be mid construction. Demiurge asks what this place is, to which Metlo explains that this is the city of **Emula**.

Omni suddenly chimes in, explaining that Emula was formed at the base of the mountain after old construction workers had established where they'd set anchor points for the structure above. They established the city here in order to better develop the metals needed to construct the structure, and even to this day the factory stands. Though the structure's construction has been put on hold, this city stands to monitor it to make sure it remains in place while also maintaining their own city. Metlo is a bit sheepish that his explanation got cut off, and affirms that the machine is right. Either way, they need to go in there to talk about the Alchemy equation thing, though Taruka says that their trip here was pretty tiring, they should look for an inn first.

So, the group presses onwards, passing the wall's gate. As they do, Demiurge looks all around at the city within, thinking to himself about how unnatural it all seemed. He admits he isn't sure how he feels about so much of the outside just being metal... Either way, Metlo leads the group further in, before soon bringing them to an inn. Though on the way, a few people stare at Omni, confused. Eventually, they make it to the inn, where a hedgehog man runs the counter. He greets the group, who pay for a room. The worker also stares at Omni, though Taruka assures that it's part of some important business.

Either way, the group is allowed to go into one of the rooms. And there, they start to go into their respective beds, though Omni stands by the door. Demiurge asks them if they're going to sleep, though the machine says that they don't have to sleep. They'll watch over them anyways. The party is a little bit creeped out, though they do eventually go to sleep.

Septmi 6th
The next day, the group wakes up yet again, before making their way out of the inn. And once outside, Omni says that they're to speak with the lab about the equation. Taruka says that she has a letter, she'll make her way to the factory to get permission to enter. So, the party follows along, making their way through the streets. As they do, they do pass by a few people in the alleyways that appear homeless and lay saddened. Demiurge can't help but feel sorry for them, and asks whether or not they should do anything for them. Metlo says that the only thing that'll help those people is jobs. Sometimes people aren't good enough for the jobs that there are openings for, and sometimes the jobs that are available to them don't pay enough. Demiurge remarks that that's terrible, to which Metlo affirms. Unfortunately, there's nothing guys like them can do about it.

Either way, they make their way forwards more and more, soon making it close to the factory at the base of the mountain. There, several vehicles can be seen parked around the exterior with heavily armored guards standing around, them with some large, futuristic guns on their backs. They see the group and assume a defensive posture, though Taruka shows off a letter. She says that the Mescolov Laboratory sent them here on a mission. The guards glance at the letter, before saying that they will bring this up to the admins. They say it'll be a little while until they confirm its authenticity, so they suggest that the lot of them enjoy the city.

With that, players are given a chance to check out the locals, examining various bits of Emula and getting the lay of the land, getting to understand what this place is about other than what Demiurge got from the intro. Taruka and Metlo will have gone off to check out the various locations, while Omni will stay by Demiurge.

* Medical District - Near the border of the factory are several medical centers, able to distribute medicine, help people get prosthetics, or otherwise tend to their injuries. Metlo himself can be seen around in the streets, and talking to him has him say that this area is used to treat injuries and illness. Demiurge says that that's great, though Metlo says that it's more inconvenient than he might think. These centers are far from the border, meaning that if someone outside, ie a local mercenary group or guys going out to mine, would have a lot more space to traverse until they got here. He actually knows a guy that ended up losing use of one of his legs forever thanks to how much time it took them to get here. And that's without going over prices. They're legally unable to charge in the case of a life threatening injury, but if certain injuries are deemed livable, even with the use of Restoration magic, then the people will be charged. So someone that might in fact need a new arm to work would have to pay a lot to get a new one. Demiurge is unsettled by that, him thinking about how every Dragon he's met has been able to regenerate from any ailment. Metlo just hopes that their own understanding of magic advances that far.
* Commercial District - Along several of the streets that lead directly from the exterior to the innards of Emula are several shops with big signs brandishing their goods, from commodities to foods to souvenirs, and more. As he walks, he comes across some leopard lady peddler, who sees the Dragon and machine with him, and greet the Dragon. She says that she's been out and about and looking for the rarest material, and he's come upon gear the likes of which no normal man can claim. She thusly extends her coat almost like a flasher would, stones and blades lining the inside. She says that this stuff would be worth a fortune, but she's offering a special deal, and says that the most they'll have to part with is a couple hundred gold pieces. Omni looks over them, though says that several of the stones are imitations, while the weaponry appears to be brittle and aged. The leopard shakes her head, sheepishly swearing that this stuff is legit. Demiurge won't buy anything, but players can give her money anyways.
* Train Tracks - Near the walls are large stairways that lead up to the top of the wall, where the train can run about. As he looks over this, Demiurge wonders how these things are utilized, it doesn't look like these really go into the city at all. Omni, meanwhile, looks towards the mountain itself, before saying that it looks like the track runs into the mountain. Demiurge asks what could be inside, to which Omni says that they cannot detect what's on the route, but it can be assumed that either these are used to transport up the mountain, or into veins in the mountain for material. Either way, they'd need to investigate more into this to make any concrete conclusions.
* Dark District - Tucked away in the corners of the border, away from the medical district and away from any notable roads, are a series of seedy-looking buildings with a bunch of oddly dressed people. The buildings are also under decorated and brandishing odd signs with strangely generic names. Demiurge spies Taruka, and asks what's up with this place. The pangolin says that this district is one not officially recognized by the admins, but referred to in a bit of a hush by the locals. It's functionally a place for selling goods, but these are fronts for other goods. Some people either grow heavy quantities of drugs and alcohol, some help others indulge in more carnal services, and all usually for a high price. Demiurge asks why this stuff needs to be hidden, to which Taruka says that services like these aren't looked upon favorably. In this society a lot of people put weight on jobs that "take effort" as other would put it. These people would get in trouble with either guards that would put a tax on them for their higher prices, or from puritans that'd consider their services too crude to stand by, so they instead show goods for people to buy unless they know how to get the "good stuff".

Once the last area is looked at, some guards will approach Demiurge, and tell him that his and his allies' presence is hereby allowed.

The party makes their way in, being led through the factory doors and to the front. And once there, more guards would be around the group, The front of it features a large room with many guards around, alongside several small doors lining the wall before the group, alongside an industrial-sized door between the smaller doors. As the group stands, eventually a fairly skinny rat woman comes forwards from one of the smaller doors, this one in a lab coat. She says that she looked over the message, and definitely has a few questions.

And first and foremost is that machine. Demiurge asks if she's referring to Omni, which prompts the machine to greet her, saying that they are a learning machine, a mind created that's capable of learning. They also affirm that their name is Omni. The rat is weirded out, though introduces herself as **Vulka**. Other than that, she's certain that this is some sort of exaggeration, but for now they have other business to attend to. She asks if they can show her the equation, which Omni to step forwards. Their chestplate opens up to reveal a monitor, which the rat leans in to observe. She says that maybe there could be some credence to that letter.

Metlo asks if they can actually achieve Alchemy, to which Vulka thinks that it's looking more possible. If they can achieve this next evolution in magic... But first, it's missing a lot of pieces. If they're going to reach this evolution of magic, then they'll need to do some more research. She thinks that she can get the admins to appoint some people to look into this. It will take a while, though, so she thinks that they should spend some time relaxing. Demiurge says that he himself has never been knowledgeable of such a process and wonders how something like that would function. Vulka says that with training, anyone can learn to manipulate the elements, though it usually manifests as conjurations of them. However, some are learning to change the properties of the elements, like how they'd learned how to make a metal that can be healed, or how some people can increase the intensity of fire. Theoretically they should be able to take material and turn it into metal, though, at least right now, that's a pure theory.

Either way, they need to iron this out pronto. For now, they should rest on their laurels. Taruka thanks her for seeing them out, and the rat says that she just hopes that they'll make some progress here. With that, she waves them off, and the party exits.

Once outside, Demiurge asks if it's weird at all how they could only see the front of the factory, as opposed to back in the Mescolov Lab, where they could see a lot of the bits and pieces. Taruka says that it's perfectly understandable: Beyond the factory is the structure originally built to be a monument for the Dragons. Plus, the Emula Factory tends to be very conservative about how many of its machinations are put on display. Omni affirms as much, pointing out that it has a whole rail system delving into the mountain itself for reasons currently not documented. That then gets Metlo to wonder if that's the case, then what'll end up of Alchemy, should they make any progress.

Taruka says that it wouldn't make much sense for them to hide anything; the Mescolov Laboratory already whipped up the equation, so even if they were to make some sort of ownership, then they could easily disprove that. And if they were to use the properties for themselves, then Tegrobil can come upon the soluton themselves at some other point in time. Demiurge says he's still not sure... Taruka supposes that they should use this time to relax, and wait to see whether or not the factory is willing to go further with them.

With that, the group spreads, though Omni hangs with Demiurge. They say that Taruka says there's no problem, though withholding such advancements as Alchemy could prove very harmful to the rest of the world. The Dragon does say that they have a point, but he's not sure if they can just storm the factory or something. Omni supposes he's right. Either way, they should probably keep their head on a swivel, as the people say. And with that, players are allowed to use the rest of the day for their own business.

Septmi 7th
Once more, the group wakes again. They begin to head out, and as they do, Demiurge asks the group what they plan to do. Metlo says that he thinks he's going to try and look into some healing techniques, just in case, while Taruka says that she thinks she'll look around the city. Demiurge thinks that he'd like to check out things too, he kind of only managed a cursory glance previously. Omni says that they themselves are curious about the realm anyways. They do need to get more knowledgeable, and they are curious about that railway into the mountain. They suggest they go up to the railway to find out about the train.

Demiurge and the machine makes their way up the stairs and to the wall up there, looking over curious. As they'd stand around, they'd notice a few guys had set up mats near the railway with wares on them, including that leopard. Omni looks over the many wares, seeing the mats bearing foods, drinks, and some stones. Demiurge is curious about the stones, to which Omni affirms that they are fake. The machine suspects that the tracks are probably used to transport workers, and these guys probably wait for workers to come around and try to sell to them. Demiurge wonders if that meant that workers were coming.

As they contemplate, they can hear a rumble on the tracks, which prompts the merchants to get upright. The train pulls in closer and closer, and they can see segments of it start to extend, the cabins creating much negative space between them. And as they do, the duo can hear people make their way up the stairs. Eventually the train comes to a stop, with the cabins halting at various points of the platform. And then, people began to step out, at which point Demiurge notices the people in the cabins and the people coming up the stairs wearing similar uniforms: bodysuits with plating over their joints. On the train are guards at the doors, them with big guns in their hands.

People are exiting the trains and making for the stairs while the people from the stairs are making their way onto the train. Demiurge and Omni approach, with the Dragon asking what's up with the train. The guard before him explains that workers are expected to ride these trains to arrive at the work zone in order to earn their keep. There are three different shifts for workers, and they're currently seeing the night shift leave the train, and the morning shift enter. Omni asks if it's possible to walk along the track to get close to the work area, to which the guard answers that even if one would wish to, the rails are electrified and likely to paralyze walkers. And even if they stave off the shock, unauthorized personnel will be accosted.

As they talk, Demiurge notices in his peripherals some merchants approaching the workers, many of them tired. The Dragon's attention gets drawn in particular to the leopard when one of the workers kicks at her mat, scattering her wares of stones and waters. The merchant is sheepish and is trying to straighten out her mat and reorient her wares. The guard they're talking to say that these guys tend to target workers fresh off the rails, and sometimes get an angry customers. He says not to pay her too much empathy, she was probably overcharging for the goods. Eventually, however, the workers manage their exchange and the train shuts and races off. However, a few of the workers weren't able to get on, with one frantic-looking red panda racing for the speeding train, hand outstretched. Eventually the space he can run on runs out, and, though with a moment of hesitation, he leaps onto the tracks, aiming for the space between.

However, one misstep causes the rails to suddenly sing a violent screech as electricity suddenly surges through the red panda, whose body collapses as he lays across the tracks and is only zapped more and more. Demiurge and the merchants are horrified, though the leopard whips her mat up and tries to rush over. She gets close to the edge before she whips her mat down in some attempt at wrapping around a part of him. Demiurge tells her not to, but she says that it's ok. This mat's insulated with rubber. Eventually she's able to get the convulsing worker's thigh, and pulls. Demiurge and Omni offer a hand and help her pull the worker off of the tracks and onto the ground.

The leopard feels around the red panda, and she says that he should pull through. The other merchants and workers still on the platform are still unsettled, though they do try to go back to their day while the leopard places the red panda over in a corner. And once there, she takes a potion from her pack before pouring it down the worker's throat, whose breathing subsequently starts to get back to normal. She thusly lays him down and sighs. Demiurge asks the leopard if he really will be ok, to which she says that she can't be certain of anything better than "alive". Those tracks were able to burn him, so it probably means that he suffered some form of heart problems. If he's lucky, it'll only have occurred for the moment.

Demiurge asks why someone would do something like that, to which the merchant remarks that he must be real new here. Either people forget about how dangerous those tracks are, maybe they just choose to face the rails, maybe they don't know those tracks are electrified, or maybe they're so desperate for their day of pay they'd try anything to get on the train. Either way, she says that he really shouldn't judge his decision. Demiurge stands uncomfortable for a minute, before wondering if they should stay around. The merchant furrows her brow and looks over her mat, before she says that she'll stay here to keep an eye on him. Though, she wonders if they could potentially sell her wares while she's dealing with this guy. Demiurge supposes that it couldn't hurt, though asks if it's the fake stuff she wants to sell. The merchant simply says that what they don't know won't hurt them. And then she says that these are being sold by **Mz. Eruba**.

With that, Demiurge and Omni scoop up the merchant's goods, and are now tasked with going around town to try and sell this stuff.

Demiurge and Omni step into town, the machine asking the Dragon how they go about selling things. Demiurge admits that he has no idea, and says that maybe they should wing it. And so, the duo begins to walk through the town, intent on selling some of Mz. Eruba's wares. This involves making trips to the districts visited previously, and in the process will end up letting players see the general populace. Along the way, more people will see Omni, and grow more and more unsettled by their appearance. Many people consider them unnatural and will likely run off.

After that, the machine notes that the people seem scared off by them themselves. They ask the Dragon if their attendance in this endeavor should cease, to which Demiurge says that he doesn't want them to feel unwelcome. Omni says that it'd only be logical, seeing how everyone reacts to them. Demiurge shakes his head and says that that won't be necessary. He says that he thinks he has some money on him, so maybe he can placate that leopard with this. With that, the two make their way back to the train platform, where they now see that the leopard's been waiting, but the red panda that'd been injured previously is now gone.

She says that someone contacted medics and had brought the civilian away. Demiurge asks if he'll be ok, to which Mz. Eruba shrugs, before asking how selling went. Demiurge thus exchanges the goods and some gold pieces. The leopard looks over either stuff, before handing Demiurge the gold pieces. The Dragon asks why, to which she says she knows that they didn't sell anything. She asks them if they really thought she wouldn't notice that none of her stuff was gone. Demiurge nervously rubs his shoulder, to which Mz. Eruba sighs and says that she shouldn't have really expected much from some amateurs.

Omni apologizes, saying that they'd scared them. Before Demiurge can correct him, she says that people aren't scared of Omni, they're *offended* by Omni. Demiurge asks what that's supposed to mean, to which she points out that a lot of people lost their limbs in work and can't work, having to pay for new bodies. But some lab spent time and resources to create a whole body of their own and tried to put a mind in it. She doesn't even now how that works! Omni gives pause and steps back, while Demiurge seems stunned himself. Mz. Eruba sighs and says that she probably shouldn't have said something like that. But people around here just focus on what they could make instead of what they could improve. There's plans for expanding the building on top of Holix while she's passed by numerous people resting in the streets missing at least one leg.

Demiurge says that he never really thought about that, to which Mz. Eruba says that she's just going to work double time tomorrow. She says that she doesn't know what they're doing here, but she guess she wishes them luck. Thus, she walks off, while Demiurge sighs. Omni thinks about what she said, to which they turn to Demiurge. They say that she talked about a lot of problems in the area, though the admins talked about how they should keep looking to the future, about how the problems of today will be fixed tomorrow. The machine asks Demiurge if he thinks that they should work on the future before the present, or the present before the future. Demiurge is thus able to answer "We should fix the now" or "Later will fix the now". Either way, Omni assesses Demiurge's words, before saying that it's getting late. They should rest.

Septmi 8th
The next morning Demiurge and gang wakes up again, with the Dragon greeting the two. He says that he forgot to check on them earlier, and asks how things have been on their end. Metlo says that he's been trying to learn more about the medical arts around here, but there're some pretty advanced stuff in this territory. Taruka says that she's been buying some fancy toys around here, saying that her brother would love this stuff. Metlo asks what he and Omni were up to, to which the Dragon says that he doesn't really want to talk about it too much. Omni, however, will say that they helped out after a man got electrocuted on the rails.

There's a palpable pause in the group, the pangolin apologizing that they had to see something like that. Demiurge says that it was mortifying. If it wasn't for some con merchant on the platform, he's not sure if he'd have been saved. Taruka says that it's great that he was saved. Either way, they're still waiting on the factory to give them access to what they wish. Metlo supposes that they have more time to do the stuff they wish, so he thinks he'll try to keep on learning. Taruka says that she'd like to go with Demiurge and Omni for now.

The group walks some more, making their way over to the commercial district. As they do, Demiurge asks Taruka if she needs more from the commercial district, though the pangolin explains that she's personally not into the medical field, and she's personally a bit scared to really peek into the Dark District. Demiurge supposes that that's fair. They keep walking and soon come to one of the buildings. Demiurge looks over at one of the bigger streets, and can see several merchants have set up with those mats again.

Either way, he stays with Taruka and watches her browse a few toys set up, with some looking like very stylized versions of Demiurge himself. And all the while, the shoppers inside look at Omni in absolute confusion. Omni turns towards Taruka as she scans the various items, and asks why those merchants outisde have set up shop so close to the other shops. The pangolin explains that merchants that don't utilize buildings for sales are the kind of people that don't have alot of money to themselves, so they try to find strategic places to sell their stuff. In this case, that there is a major road, so a lot of people are likely to pass along there.

They work more and more, though Demiurge notices the leopard from before coming down to the street, her looking kind of beat up. Demiurge says that he has to step out for a bit and walks out, before going to talk to the merchant, who's yet to set up. Mz. Eeruba sees the Dragon and tells him that she hasn't set up, though Demiurge says that he moreso wanted to check on her. The leopard asks if he's curious about the bruises. She says that it's just a part of the work: sometimes people get fed up with the merchants and go on the offensive. Demiurge asks if anyone can stop stuff like that from happening, to which the leopard says that because merchants like her aren't officially registered, they technically aren't protected, and in some cases can even be perceived as a slight on their own part. As such, they tend to be at the whims of the public unless they get it real good with the guards. Demiurge apologizes dearly, prompting Mz. Eruba to apologize for the extension of his hip. The Dragon is confused at that, before he turns and notices Omni beside him, the machine saying that they wished to follow.

Omni then says that they'd not understood properly how dangerous her work has been. They wonder if there are other occupations she could apply in, to which the leopard scoffs. She says that it takes a lot of moxie and wit to be a merchant, but unless you can show off some legitimate experience, that doesn't mean anything to jobs. So, unless a miracle happens, this is kind of all she has. There's a slight pause between the group, before Demiurge searches his pockets and hands over a bunch of gold. The leopard says that she still isn't seeling, though Demiurge says that he'd like her to have some of this. Omni, meanwhile, speaks up and says that she might need more than just money. They say that maybe she needs some specialized employment.

Mz. Eruba raises a brow in confusion, to which Demiurge suddenly realizes what they're getting at. The Dragon says that his group is going on a special mission, and right now it's just the four of them. But, considering the kind of person Mz. Eruba herself appears to be, he feels like she could prove to be a useful affiliate. The leopard turns towards Omni, and asks if he means to have her work with the mortalis ex machina. Demiurge says that she doesn't have to think of it that way, but she'll be able to find comfortable housing, and he can make sure to funnel money to her on a daily basis. The leopard perks up at that, though she searches her pockets real quick. She supposes that if he's offering, then it wouldn't hurt to join along. First, though, she's hidden a lot of her gear in some alley, and she'll have to go pick it up before she joins officially. Demiurge then gives her directions to where himself and his allies are hanging out and to meet them there at evening.

Demiurge and the others meet up outside the inn. As they wait outside, Metlo asks if the bunch of them learned anything new, to which Omni says that they spent a lot of time shopping and learning about the merchants. Taruka affirms as much before showing off a bag with various toys in it. The canary asks where she's gotten all the money to buy this stuff. Taruka also asks him how his learning is going, with him saying that he's still trying to wrap his head around certain concepts. He goes to rest, though Demiurge stops him, saying that they're waiting for someone.

Demiurge explains a bit about Mz. Eruba, which gets Taruka concerned while Metlo is, at most, amused. Taruka asks if they should really be hiring random people off the street, to which the canary points out that he's pretty much the same as her. Though, the pangolin asks if she'll be alright, considering the nature of their mission. Omni ponders on this, pointing out that this is about their previous issue about learning about Alchemy. Some people will probably want it privatized, likely, though considering the nature of the streets in here, it's likely that some people won't have the needs of everyone in mind. The machine turns to Demiurge and thus asks, does he think that people like Mz. Eruba should know about Alchemy, or not? Players can thusly answer "Yes" or "No".

Either way, as they mull over this, some guys in ratty clothing come over, and they can be seen with crowbars and wrenches. Demiurge asks the group if they know anything about these guys, Metlo merely saying that he's detecting a malevolent aura from these guys. The guys get closer, before one of them, a pig guy, says that they've been the talk of the town. Specifically the metal guy. Omni affirms that they have been getting attention, though Demiurge asks them what they want. The pig says that he just simply wants to take them off of their hands. Demiurge says that Omni isn't for sale. However, the ruffians don't take kindly to that, and say that that there is at least a couple hundred pounds of precious metals, and they can't just let them wander around and think they can get away with that!

However, before they can go on the offensive, a bag of coins suddenly slams into one of them, with several of the gold pieces scattering around the field. And while distracted, the others would go to see who attacked, and see that leopard come into the field. She says that she's not into that machine, but those are her clients. Demiurge is happy to see her, to which the leopard says that they can talk later. She then reaches to her side before pulling out a machete.

With that, players battle the **Ruffians**, while accompanied by Mz. Eruba. She can deal Slash damage with her machete, and along with that is mainly support oriented, wielding Healing spells and buffs. She also has the ability to use some of the party gold to deal damage to an enemy. With the merchant's support, they're able to overwhelm the ruffians, who're forced to run off. The group sighs, and Metlo thanks her for her help, while also noting that she's quite the fighter. She says that sometimes you gotta learn things on the street. Either way, she supposes it's time to rest. She immediately presses past them, the group sort of surprised by how brazen she is. Though, they decide to follow her and go to bed.

Septmi 9th - 12th
Here, players are allowed some more free time, with which they can work on various activities.

Septmi 13th
The group wakes up yet again, making their way out towards the streets. As they do, some squirrel woman races towards the group, her in armor akin to the other guards, and with one of those strange guns the group's seen frequently. She bows for the group, saying that she apologizes for any inconvenience their wait has caused them. She says that the lab is ready to talk to them again, to which Demiurge thanks her, before telling her that they'll be right over.

With that, the party heads over to the lab, before entering. Inside, they find the rat woman again. Vulka greets the lot of them, before spying the merchant. She asks where the leopard is from, to which Demiurge says that she is with them. Vulka furrows a brow at that, though supposes that that should work out. She says that she looked into their... report, and says that she thinks she knows how they can add onto it. Though to discuss into this, she needs to talk to Demiurge on his own.

The Dragon is weirded out, though Taruka, Metlo, and Omni say that it's ok. Thus, Demiurge is led further in, led past the doors and to a room with a great big table in it. The rat asks Demiurge what he knows about transmutation of the elements, to which Demiurge says that he himself isn't too terribly knowledgeable on a lot of it. But he does know about being able to transmute fire and water. Vulka explains that a lot of their practice with magic stems from learning how to increase the potency of the magic, before learning how to perform more with it.

She knows of a town nearby that's learned how to utilize Earth magic to seek out minerals in the soil, and though it isn't akin to the results they wish for, that is still people learning the composition of Earth via magic. If they can establish a proper connection with that town, they could share the secrets and learn how to bridge the gap between evoking Earth, evoking precious metals. Demiurge asks what she means by "proper connection". To that, she answers that this town has decided to keep its secrets to itself. It's made sure to isolate itself from the rest of the realms, and instead sells off what they find to the other cities.

She says that she doesn't expect them to make learning their secrets easy, but she does hope that they'll be able to get at least some of them to join Emula. The rat explains that this town is called **Mulga**, and it's set itself towards the northern edge of the mountain range towards the west. Demiurge thanks her, and asks how hard that should be. She says that the residents are fiercely defensive of their secrets, and will probably try and do everything in their power to defend it, including violence. She says that if they find the need to, they will be permitted to defend themselves.

Demiurge asks if that's really necessary, to which Vulka points out that those people are stopping a lot of them from advancing. If they keep up like this, they could be stuck in a dark age until the rest of their society is able to catch up. She says that this is very much necessary. Demiurge is still uncertain, though will comply. So, he returns to the party with what he's learned, and with that, the party is given a new mission. Go to Mulga, and help establish an alliance between them and Emula.

Septmi 13th - 22nd
The group thus makes their way towards the west. Along the way, Demiurge will explain that he actually used to be in a village near this mountain range. Omni asks if it's the one with the foremen, to which the Dragon affirms as much. He shares stories about the kind of stuff that went on over there, even with Mongi, to which Taruka admits that it's very interesting learning about how living with those people is actually like. She'd only been able to read books before. Mz. Eruba wonders what it would've been like to actually live back then, being able to not have to worry about actually getting employed and just be ushered into a role. Metlo, however, points out that back then people hadn't refined their magics or even learned about prosthetics. Mongi ended up unable to work another day in his life and was left on a chair for the remainder of his days.

Hearing that would get Demiurge sad. As they walked, they'd soon see the mountain range in question, and would be prompted to curl northwards. There is a chance to go southwards, though that'd mean either going across the trail itself or curling around the other side of the mountain. They continue forwards, and once along the northern edge, where they can see hills lining the landscape, they can see a city with a large wall surrounding it on all edges, with its back against the mountain. However, a fair distance from the city itself were a series of watchtowers. Demiurge asks what this stuff is for, to which Taruka points out that Mulga is very aware of how important its magical knowledge is, so they've been hard at work preparing a defensive.

Demiurge asks how they'd get the material, to which Metlo says that usually buyers will send a message to them notifying of who'll be coming to collect items, so if Eluma's smart, they'll be able to walk right up. Thus, the group begins to advance, though when they near the watch towers, Metlo says that his "mercenary senses" are kicking in, and warns the party to be careful. Either way, they start to press on, when a bolt of electricity suddenly zaps right where they were about to step. They turn to the source, where they see someone on one of the watchtowers has cast a spell, telling them they will go no further! Mz. Eruba will shout, saying that they're supposed to be here about some meeting for partnership! The guy on the watchtower says they've been informed, but they deny it.

Hearing that, the group realizes that they cannot talk through this. Mz. Eruba says that they aren't being paid to raid some city, but Omni will point out that they're here for a mission that will better the whole of their world. Metlo says that if they are to continue, that would mean earning their ire. So, players will press on, and invite a fight with the **Watchtower** and its allies. The Watchtower itself is exceptionally tanky, and wields high damage. Players will have to worry about damage and the allies, them likely to take out the allies first. With enough work, they'll be able to drain the tower's health, and cause it to crumble. With that, Taruka says that it's clear that they aren't welcome, and warns everyone to be prepared.

The group thus now proceed onwards, having to deal with guards and watchtowers in the field, being forced to contend with the lot of them. Eventually they make it to the front wall of Mulga, the gates up. Metlo says that they're not going to let them in, and asks Demiurge if he can fly them up. The Dragon flaps his wings, and says that he doesn't think that he has the muscle for it. They look over the gate, just pondering on what they could do. As they do, however, Omni speaks up to get their attention. They say that their core is full of magic, and they've learned how to tap into it to let forth a concentrated blast. Demiurge asks if that'll be ok, to which Omni says that they should still have enough crystals to get them back on their feet.

The party steps back as Omni stands before the gate. As they do, the machine's chest piece will open up, revealing the glowing stone inside. Components within the machine will reach for the stone while forming a channel directly in front of it. The components near the stone will split it, and the channel before it starts to draw in the cackling energy. And then, it blows through the channel, a massive beam of Pure magic firing forwards! The gate starts to bend against the force of the beam, but after a few more seconds of struggle, it's soon split open! Omni will then power off and go limp. The party rushes over and immediately starts to swap out the stone, while Demiurge furrows a brow and looks towards the damage. He remarks to himself that he's only seen power like that comparable to a Dragon... Either way, it seems like they can enter Mulga now.

The group breaks into **Mulga**, the shattered gates beside them. Past the gates, they can find streets paved in stone with a ring of buildings, circular and built partially into the ground. Deeper in the city are a series of houses, smaller buildings used for the people to rest in. Looking over them, Demiruge wonders what this design is. Taruka says that those towers built into the ground look like they're being used to dig into the soil itself, and she can only assume that they've been using this to get the material inside.

Demiurge says that he hadn't expected to see a city where the main work force is outside, as opposed to with the previous cities, where the communities were more built around the work force. Mz. Eruba points out that it's hardly any better this way. Those houses are awfully close to the work areas themselves, probably built with the expectation that workers will take one of those houses and wait to be queued in. That probably means that the locals probably have to spend their time watching people reeking of the earth coming in and out. It'd be just like back home, watching those guys coming out and to the train for work.

As she explains, they can see other guards storming forwards. Metlo tells them to stay alert before he takes out his own pistol. Demiurge realizes that they do need to act, and thus prepares his own weaponry. The party will be forced to beat through a wave of guards, and with them gone, the Dragon asks what the plan is, now that they've got hostiles to worry about. Taruka says that the people that can locate the minerals will probably be in the housing district, so they should try and find them and whisk them out of the city. Once they get out of the walls, Mulga has no way to mount an offense against Emula.

Demiurge wonders how they'll find them, though Omni says that those casters are fairly public in terms of identity. They needed to prove that their magics were indeed plausible in order to do business, so certain labs made sure to commit their name and image to their banks. They themselves know of these individuals. With that, the party will now be tasked with proceeding into Mulga, needing to get to the housing sector. On the way, they'll see that the guards have erected barriers to make it harder to proceed, forcing the party to maneuver around the streets to find ways, first of all, past the towers into the earth.

As they step past the ring of towers, they'll soon hear some stamping near one the tower nearby. Looking towards it, they can see a set of steps leading up inside, and can soon see a heavy figure stepping down. Said figure is a man in thick armor, covered head to toe. The armor is of a material none of them have seen, it glistening with an almost rainbow hue. They notice other guards nearby. The guards by the entrance laugh and say that they're in danger now. They've uncovered a metal that cannot be broken by any metal! Metlo grit his teeth before raising his pistol and firing at the warrior, only for the bullets to plink off. Omni themselves decide to reach into their magical reserves and fire out a wave of electricity, managing to bring the guards to kneel but not even halting the warrior in the metal. Taruka says that they might be right, but soon find themselves set upon by the warrior.

They're confronted by the **Mythril Knight**, who they're unable to damage at this moment. The foe nullifies all damage types, and has a passive that disables Pierce. Partway through the initial confrontation, Taruka will tell the group that they have no chance at beating this man! They have to run! Thus players are forced to flee, racing away form the Knight. Once they get away, Metlo supposes that those guys weren't blowing smoke. Demiurge asks Omni if they were able to get a read on the armor, and the machine takes a moment to think. They say that their weapons cannot dent the armor, and to even begin to make it vulnerable would require magic unlike any they'd seen to wear down. Demiurge repeats that point in contemplation, before the party can hear the Knight's stomps.

At this point, players will have to continue racing through the streets, only now they have to worry about the Mythril Knight coming close, them only able to Flee in combats against it.

Eventually, after weaving past more enemies and streets, with the Knight on their heels, the group makes it to the housing district. They search more and more, before soon Omni says that they've identified the individuals that can identify the material. They, however, recommend engaging only if they feel confident. Once they go deep into the housing district, they have to worry about being surrounded. Once the player opts into it, they press deeper into the district.

Inside, they can find five people in the streets: a tall and thin gazelle man, a short parrot woman, a buff bull man, a round frog woman, and a very short mole man. Omni says that these people are well documented, and refers to them as **Mazy**, **Ruina**, **Tik**, **Suna**, and **Dens** respectively. Seeing the lot of them, Demiurge addresses them, saying that they'd intended to come here in peace, but were instead greeted with hostility. Mazy explains that they were defending themselves, it was their group that pressed the issue! Taruka says that they are under express orders to get their cooperation, that they cannot return empty handed. Ruina says that they don't care, that it is only right for them to remain neutral.

Demiurge asks what they mean, to which Ruina says that the power Eluma asks for is overwhelming. It'd singlehandedly shift the power structure of the whole world if it found it in their hands! Omni asks what's wrong with that, which gets the five individuals shocked initially. Demiurge says that they can worry about the machine's sentience later, for now he wants to know what they mean about this shift in power and how bad it is. Tik says that the power to change material in an era that demands material would guarantee that one person would be able to propel themselves in power. And if they're really as close as they say they are to uncovering that power, then there's no chance they don't realize that. And if there's one thing the five of them know, it's that the world can't rely on a single power to run. If that one power was to rule, then the moment it turns bad, everyone else will suffer.

At this, Omni asks "what about Demiurge?" The party turns, and the machine explains that Demiurge had worked towards bettering the world ever since he'd come down on it. The machine thinks that if anyone should hold the power of Alchemy, and thus the power of the world, then it should be someone like him. He cares about both the progress of society and about the people in the streets. That's why Mz. Eruba is with them right now. The machine motions towards the leopard, who can't help but nod. The five of them give pause, though Suna points out that even if that *is* true, he's not in power. He's just a lapdog! Taruka says that they can make sure Demiurge manages to reign in the other powers, to keep things safe. The five still seem uncertain, though Dens says that if they really think that they have a foot in this world, then they should be able to stand up to *him*.

The party hears the familiar stamping, and spies the Mythril Knight coming forwards. Metlo says that this isn't fair, they can't scratch that armor! Dens declares that this metal is among the strongest in the soil, and it is thus their shield against those that threaten the balance. If they wish to press on, then they must battle that intense force. Seeing it approach, Demiurge thinks back to Omni's words. He tells the party that he has a plan, but he needs time to prepare it. He also needs to make sure that nothing can get in the blast zone. Taruka says that she doesn't know, but he hasn't steered them wrong so far! So, Demiurge briefly leaves the party, and the remaining group stands up.

Thus, the party is forced to survive the **Mythril Knight**. In this situation, players find themselves unable to Flee, instead needing to worry about the Knight's intense defenses. The Mythril Knight also wields Gauntlets, with which he deals Smash damage, and is also able to use Earth magic, AOE skills, and damage up buffs. Players can utilize buffs on their end and debuffs on the Knight to weaken it, while also using liberal uses of Defends and healing. THey're required to brave the Mythril Knight for a few rounds, before Demiurge shouts for the party to get away!

The party each glance back, where they can see Demiurge digging his feet into the ground, his chest glowing with a rainbow-like glow as he recalls the memories of lessons he'd witnessed before. The ground seems to shake below, and the party realizes that this is really serious. The Knight itself seems ready to move, though a few hits form the party would convince it to stay still. Metlo tells them to all wait just a little bit... The light begins to travel up Demiurge's throat and towards his jaws, and the seeing it come, Metlo declares "Now!"

Just as the party each leaps away, Demiurge lurches his head forwards, and sends forth a massive beam of Pure magic, the beam the size of a truck as it soars across the street and bathes the district in light. It comes straight for the Knight, who even he seems to be uncertain. He raises both of his hands and thrust them forwards, the beam impacting against his gauntlet palms and seeming to push him back, the Knight's feet struggling against the ground! As the beam impacts, flecks of magic sprays in random directions as the brunt of the beam is stopped by the Knight's block. The Knight, however, starts to struggle, and his arms start to get wrenched away. Eventually, his guard is broken, and the beam slams against his front, netting wails form the Knight before the beam eventually peters out.

The five mineral finders and the party looks on in surprise, awed by the display of Draconian power. The Knight's armor is blazing red, steam raising from it, and he falls to a knee, panting. The armor looks as if it's struggling to hang on by a hair, before chunks of it flops off, clanging against the ground with a volume akin to gong after gong after gong. All present are shocked at the sight, Mazy saying that it's impossible... The Knight starts to stand, revealing its inhabitant to be a jackal man with an eyepatch over one eye, him panting and panting. Mz. Eruba claps and cheers after that awesome display, and Metlo points out that the Knight's armor has cracked! With this, Demiurge steps forwards, and tells the five onlookers that he's ready to "threaten the balance".

With that, the party gets into a proper fight with the **Mythril Knight**. The warrior has lost his Blocks and his Resist Pierce, which means that players are now able to damage him. This doesn't mean that he is a pushover, though. He still has powerful Earth magic, Smash attacks, multitarget, and buffs. He also, from time to time, uses a new Skill, **Aegis**, which'll make him immune to damage for a short bit. Players will have to utilize their actions wisely to maximize their health, lower the enemy's stats, and wear him down. Eventually, the jackal's health is depleted, and he falls.

The Knight is forced onto all fours, unable to make an attack anymore. With him down, the five onlookers are stunned. They each glance at the party, saying that that isn't possible. Taruka cheers and says that that's the power of the Dragon! Mz. Eruba tries to hide it, though she is quite ecstatic that they actually did that. Meanwhile, Omni walks over to the five, and mentions that they believe they had a deal. The five blanch, before sighing, Mazy admitting that they did. They will go along quietly.

With them in tow, the party makes their way out of the city, the various guards unwilling to mount an attack with the five so close to the hostiles. The group exits Mulga, with several of the party members still ecstatic over what they accomplished. As they walk, Demiurge does approach Omni. The Dragon asks if what they said back there, if that was true. Omni says that they do believe that the Dragon knows better for the planet. Solving Alchemy would be a massive boon, but deep down, they feel that the power shan't go to either of them. Just looking at how they address problems now, they're not sure if *more* power would even change things.

Demiurge then asks what exactly they are proposing, to which Omni says that such a thing would require something more concrete later. But first, they need to play along enough to solve this equation, and to prepare for what could be potential resistance. Demiurge nods, and says that they'll do that. So, the party keeps on walking and walking and walking.

After this, the five will be taken into custody, and the squirrel woman from earlier will tell the party that the bosses will try and get those five to comply with their demands. In the meantime, the lot of them should make use of their free time. Demiurge thanks them, though Metlo asks what's going to happen to Mulga. The squirrel says that their party had responded to their aggression in kind, so at the moment that's considered to be decent retribution. As long as Mulga doesn't try anything further, they won't have reason to fight back. Metlo asks what'll happen while those five are away, they kind of helped keep things running. The squirrel says that, unfortunately, that'll be up for Mulga to find out.

Either way, their mission is now done, and they have free time.

Septmi 23rd
As the group's free time winds down, Demiurge wakes and finds the squirrel woman from before, who waves him over. She says that the Mulga extracts have been spoken to, and it sounds like they're going to start complying. Demiurge asks if she knows about what the leaders are after too, to which the woman nods. She says that several of the elites have been talking about potentially uncovering the secret of Alchemy. They seem to think that the full secret will become unfurled shortly after they learn about uncovering the properties of the precious metals, after that it might simply be a case of trial and error by the soudns of things.

Demiurge thanks her for the news, though admits that he hasn't really gotten to know her herself, he apologizes. She says that she tends to blend in from time to time, before introducing herself as **Myla**. Demiurge introduces himself as well, though the squirrel woman says that she already knows who he is. Demiurge then asks what she thinks about the secret of Alchemy coming forwards. She says that a lot of people talk about how it's going to grant their world insane growth, but if you ask her, she thinks that it's just going to let some people continue to rise above the rest. If anything, she's sure that the people are going to suffer more, as this is likely to end some jobs. She actually has an older brother on the trainline, and she's kind of scared what'll happen if he can't harvest material anymore. He doesn't have a whole lot of other skills.

Demiurge is concerned, saying he hadn't really thought of that. Myla says that whatever the case, things are going to change, and she's not sure whether it'll be for the better or worse. Demiurge mulls over what she says, and thanks her for informing him. He'll have to think on what's coming up. Myla nods, before leaving. And as she does, the Dragon thinks more on what Omni said back then. They talked about how he might be better for leading, but at the same time he was so blind to the full ramifications of his actions here... Though at the same time, he can't be certain of himself that that power is currently going to the right hands.

### Penultimate

Players are allowed a morning of free time, though they aren't allowed to head out into the field, instead able to hang out with allies. Whatever they do, time passes.

By now, night has begun to come down, and Demiurge is still mulling over the information he'd learned. As he thinks it over, Omni begins to approach, and asks the Dragon if he's doing alright. The Dragon admits as much, saying that he's not sure how worthwhile this Alchemy thing will be. The machine says that such a teaching will make for a ton of progress, but he supposes the higher ups have their own definitions of "progress". And, depending on the definition, people will be left behind. And unfortunately, it's the people that can leave them behind that controls the means of progress.

Demiurge supposes that they're right. That Alchemy stuff sounds like it could be useful, but he realizes that he charged right into helping out with that before he really looked into the issues that aren't being helped by that. There are plenty of people that could probably have new limbs once the secret is discovered, but there are people that seem like they won't prosper with it. Demiurge rubs his head and says that he thinks he needs to research yet again. He needs to figure out everything he's overlooking up to now. Omni asks what this means, to which Demiurge says that he wants to look into the lab itself and figure out who all they're really looking out for.

Omni says that such a thing could prove difficult. The innards of the lab are heavily guarded, and Demiurge understands that. He says that he'll spend some time working on a possible entry. Omni says that they're available to help whenever. The Dragon thanks Omni, and thus decides to turn in to rest.

Septmi 24th
The next morning comes, and Demiurge decides to go over to the lab at the base of the mountain. Once there, the rest of the party comes close, with Metlo asking Demiurge if he's certain about this. The Dragon says that he needs to figure out what these guys plan to do with Alchemy. If they figure that out, then they can make proper judgements on what to do with the rest of their time going forwards. Taruka says that she can try and ask for permission into some rooms, though Mz. Eruba says that if it's so secretive, then they probably won't let them in anywhere close to anything too suspicious.

Demiurge supposes that having another room deeper in the lab could prove useful. His mind races, and he thinks he knows someone that could help let someone in deeper. But he'd have to really charm them. Metlo asks if he's sure, to which Demiurge assures that he's positive. Someone could help them in, and he thinks that they could help them with this goal. Taruka says that while he gets their attention, she can get requests for more rooms. Demiurge thanks them and says that's a good idea. With that, he decides to head off, silently thinking to himself that he has no idea where she may be.

With this, players are cast to the city, left to search for a while. Eventually, their searching will lead them to the Dark District, where a cutscene will play. There, Demiurge walks around, when a door to one of the buildings pops open. Out comes a familiar squirrel woman (though in more casual clothes), her sighed blissfully while her fur is messed up a little. She thanks whoever is beyond the door, and says she left them a little extra. She closes the door, before turning and seeing the Dragon. She blushes and inches away, asking him what he saw. With that, players answer "Nothing" or "Absolutely nothing". Either way, she takes a deep breath, before saying that she didn't expect him to come find her on her day off.

Demiurge says that he's been doing some thinking, and he figured that he wanted to try and talk to her about something. Myla supposes that talking to the Dragon could be useful, and says that she's already gotten through, like, 40% of her work-induced stress relief. She asks him if it's going to be long, though Demiurge assures he'll try to make it short. She nods, and recommends that they take this somewhere else. Demiurge supposes that this district would be a bit too seedy to talk, and thus agrees. And so, the two go off, leaving the district to talk in an alley.

The two step into the alley, where the squirrel asks Demiurge what this is about. The Dragon explains that he wants to get to actually know the lab, to know what it is that they have planned with Alchemy. Myla furrows a brow and asks what he means, to which the Dragon explains that he hadn't really thought ahead before moving forwards up to now. So, he wanted to figure out just what is in this world's future before they let them use the power of Alchemy for their own purposes. The squirrel mulls over that information, before saying that she thinks she likes the sound of that. Demiurge asks if she knows anything, to which she says that they've only told her things she'd expect people like them to say, such as creating better machinery and being able to create more prosthetics.

Demiurge says that he's got Taruka trying to give them more room to explore, to which Myla says that depending on what they have access to, she could try and see where she could take them. Part way through the conversation, the Dragon furrows his brow, and remarks that he thought on a whim that she'd be a good contact, but he wants to make sure that she's actually ok with helping them sneak through. Myla says that the lab overlooks a bunch of small guys, like her brother. She herself is barely even a blip on their radar, and so she barely gets the stuff that she needs or really informed. She thinks that if someone like Demiurge feels they should be scrutinized, then they deserve it.

Demiurge thanks her. Eventually, Taruka shows up, saying that she's been looking all over and found them. Demiurge explains that Myla here is on their side, and the pangolin is able to give her the information. Myla says that she has a couple days left of vacation, but she'll be sure to tell them the night before when they're ready. And then she says that on that note, she has some more stress to relieve. With that, she leaves, and Taruka supposes that they have some time to themselves now.

Septmi 24th - Septmi 26th
With that, players are given some more free time.

On the night of the 26th, Myla will come by the inn, Demiurge himself coming down. The squirrel says that they she spent some time reviewing the rooms Taruka found, and explains that she can see a good route. Demiurge thanks her, and asks if she's sure about going through with this. The squirrel says that she knows that if they really wish for it, they'd drop her, so she's more than happy to give them a bit of a beatdown. Demiurge nods, and says that his party will meet her at the lab tomorrow. The squirrel nods, and then leaves.

Septmi 27th
With this, the group makes their way towards the lab, where they are greeted by the squirrel woman, now in her usual regalia and with one of those big guns. She welcomes them, and says that they'll each have to be careful. Right now, they only legally have access to a few rooms at the forefront of the building, but she knows a route that'll only lead them across automatons. Omni asks if she refers to people like them themselves, to which Myla clarifies that these machines aren't as intelligent as they are. There's a section over there where machines are designed to handle manual labor, while others are designed to fight off people not registered to be in the location.

The party presses into the front hall that they'd only been able to look at before. An attendant at the front tells them they're free to check out the mess hall, the public records room, and the frontmost shipping platform. The attendant leaves, and Demiurge asks Taruka how she got these areas, to which the pangolin answers that the mess hall wasn't anything hard, but the public records room and the frontmost shipping platform are both placed far, far enough away from the rest of the process for anyone visiting to really get a read on stuff that they wouldn't want them to see. Shipped objects are hidden in boxes while they're free to police whatever records are available out front.

Myla explains that the shipping area will be their best point of entry. Thus, the group makes their way towards the shipping area, where they see a room with tons upon tons of containers at it, with several guards around it looking over the inventory. The guards greet them, Myla waving to them as well. They press further and further forwards, where they see a guard blocking a door deeper into the building. The group hands near some containers that are out of view of the guard, to which Myla tells the group to hang back and wait, she'll clear the way. Demiurge asks what she's doing, though the squirrel is already off. At that, the two share a bit of a conversation that the group can't read, when suddenly she points in a direction. The guard looks where she points, only for Myla to pull her large gun out, and blast the guy with a bolt of magic, stunning him and knocking him out!

The party races in with Metlo asking what she just did. She says that she'll handle any of the heat later. Right now, they have a mission. She searches the guard's pockets to pull out a set of keys, before unlocking the door. With the door open, she warns them to be quick and swift and figure out whatever they wish to. And, though confused by her actions, they proceed to enter behind her.

The group is within part of the factory area, with machines going about to various automatic lines, taking product from them to bring them to containers that are moved by other machines. The various machines range from a wheel-bound device that can lift things that most people won't be able to lift, to anthromorphic beings that patrol the area. From afar, Metlo can see some prosthetics being made, with him looking over at a line with a bunch of weapons/tools on it, and noticing that the weapon/tool count is higher than the prosthetic count. He then points out that the prosthetic issue should be because of a lack of resources, but here they just appear to be using the material for the wrong things! Mz. Eruba says that these guys are more worried about getting their work done than with giving the people the resources they need.

Either way, the leopard points out they have the Dragon's mission to carry out. She does ask, however, if they'll be able to get the knowledge that they need through this shipping area. Myla says that if they can get deep enough in, they should be able to get close to the admins' quarters, if not get near the records themselves. She hasn't been allowed that far, and she has no doubt that at some point they'll end up encountering flesh and blood guards, which will throw a bit of a wrench in their plans. Though hopefully they'll get the info they need before having to encounter any of those guys. Either way, it's time to press onwards.

With that, players are prompted to move through the innards of the **Eluma Lab Shipping Wing**, having to contend with various machines inside, said machines immune to several ailments. It's also at this point that players get to utilize Myla as a party member, getting to know of her general playstyle. She's a bit of a glass cannon, using the cannon itself to Smash enemies for normal attacks, while also having access to several different single-target elements in order to hit enemies for a lot of damage. She also learns **Charge**, which allows her to deal even more damage to enemies. Through some searching, the party is able to make their way to a door deep in the shipping area, which Myla judges should lead into the more corporate part of the lab, though it's locked. She ponders about where to find a key, only for the merchant to make her way in and begin to fiddle with the lock. She picks it, and is able to open it up, Taruka and Metlo cheering her on. Myla asks why she didn't do that with the first door, to which Mz. Eruba says that she didn't want to steal her moment.

They step in and close the door behind, with the squirrel saying that their group should be careful here on; they're in unexplored territory. Demiurge reminds the group that they need to figure out what the admins plan to do with the power of Alchemy. Metlo nods and offers to split up.

* Going down one hall, Demiurge will find a door that's unlocked. Opening it up, they can find Taruka and Metlo inside, looking over several blueprints and a several vats with various chemicals inside. The canary complains about how it smells worse than Taruka after a big dinner, the latter of which gives him a jab to the stomach. She does, however, suspect that this is their chemistry lab. Looking over the sheets, she imagines that this might be where they're practicing narrowing down on what the secret of Alchemy is. Judging by what's jotted down on these blueprints so far, it seems like these combinations would've conjured up the material from the soil should there've been some in the vicinity. Metlo can't help but ponder, if normal Earth magic seems capable of conjuring soil out of thin air, then why doesn't it seem capable of creating those precious metals, though the pangolin explains that the magics manifest base forms of various elements, while the material he thinks of is more complicated in composition. Merely transition an element to another will be a heck of a miracle. Either way, it looks like the admins have been fast at work trying to figure out the secret.
* Going down another hall, Demiurge will find another door unlocked. Inside, Mz. Eruba can be seen in a room with a bunch of papers and official documents all about various cabinets. The leopard can be seen scanning through various cabinets and reading pages. Demiurge asks the feline if she found anything interesting, to which the merchant explains that she initially started with the Plans section, but couldn't help but want to look over some other stuff. Criminal Records, Building Permits, Licenses... These guys have on record various people as well as whether or not they're permitted into certain lab-sanctioned jobs. However, if these guys are really as smart as they think they are, these are probably copies of some original document, so she couldn't simply change a few words around to give herself what she wants. Demiurge apologizes for the circumstances. Mz. Eruba supposes that these guys are going down soon, so she should just be patient. She says she'll keep looking and stop imagining.
* At another hall, Demiurge finds a locked door, with Omni and Myla looking through it curious. Peering through a window in it, it appears to be some sort of dormitory area, and players can see Suna walking around and out of view. The Dragon asks what this is, to which Omni answers that this wing appears to be the current grounds of the high profile people from Mulga. At least attempting a glance at them would suggest that they're been tended for, but they seem unable to exit. It seems as though all five of them are being made to live here, as they'd witnessed glimpses of them. Demiurge wonders if they're trapped, to which the squirrel affirms as much. The admins told a few of the guards as much. Demiurge asks what she thinks will happen to them once the admins get what they want, to which she says that they're not *that* heartless. Odds are that they'll be released and allowed back to Mulga, though they'll have to contend with the fact that their secret is no longer there's to hold onto.

After speaking with everyone, the team meets up, sans Mz. Eruba. Omni explains that the five from Mulga are being held prisoner in this setting, likely been interrogated for their knowledge. Metlo explains that the admins have been experimenting with the potential Alchemy spell, though it seems like they aren't quite there yet. Taruka does, however, bring up that they are likely close to figuring it out, which means they probably have little time until the admins' plan is realized. The group looks around, Myla wondering where she is anyways. Demiurge wonders if she's still over in the records, and begins making his way over.

The group enters, where they see the leopard looking through a some more documents, some drawn from shelves marked "P" and some marked "F". Mz. Eruba says that she's been looking some more. She didn't find anything under P that looks like "Plans", but over in "F" she found some folders marked "Future". She shows some documents, and the group looks over them. They depict mining projects for material taken in the shape of measurements of a few individuals needing prosthetics, before the material is transmuted into another material. On this sheet there are several individuals listed, to which Mz. Eruba explains that these guys are related to, or are owners of, businesses that've been providing to this lab. On top of that, several of the sheets she's read suggests that they intend to keep the magic to themself and essentially monopolize Alchemy.

Following that, there are further documentations, showing the metallic city expanding, layers of walls erecting, and the structure on top of the mountain even growing larger with thicker chains and anchors to keep it in place. Mz. Eruba says that Eluma's looking towards protecting its information, and thus to improving its defenses. Among which includes a more intricate railway system. More jobs will apparently be available, but they'll be construction jobs and military, with several workers being put under close monitor to make sure they don't take any "unnecessary" information with them. Demiurge asks why the structure on top of the mountain is more fortified, to which the leopard says she thought to look into that, and got discouraged, until she found something under "Power Source".

Apparently they've converted the structure itself to house a giant system meant to empower several of the functions of the city. They've been converted magical stones into energy, and have been feeding stuff into that structure in order to keep the railway running, the lights on, and a ton of other stuff. She pulls up some more documents, and she says that there are ideas for flying machines, so they're apparently afraid that someone could try and strike at it. Speaking of, looking into more future projects, it looks like at some point they plotted to do stuff for the sake of doing stuff. More varied mechanical bodies, projections of light meant to resemble an individual, even an AI of their own. Omni seems especially curious about that, and Mz. Eruba turns over the document, explaining that it seems to be designed directly after Omni themselves.

To conclude, she says that they will improve mechanical progress, but it seems like that they still plan to be the ones that profit the most in the end. The party seems a little downcast at that, the Dragon seeming especially upset. He says that these guys are just going to just make themselves more powerful. Myla nods, saying that this is just what she was afraid of. Though, Metlo asks what they're supposed to do. They have a ton of people and metal between themselves and the admins, and there isn't even a certainty that they'll let them know the secret of Alchemy once they figure it out. At that, Omni says that they've done what they came here to do. For now, they should retreat, and figure out where to go from here, and get ready to fix this problem.

With that, the party agrees, places the documents back in place, and leaves the lab.

Night comes, and the party is outside, seemingly unspotted. Demiurge thanks Myla for her assistance, the squirrel saying that she's just glad she has her eyes on the enemy now. She just hopes that it's not too late to stop them. Metlo says that they'll reach out for her when they get a lead. She thanks them, and thus leaves. The party, meanwhile, feels really tired after today, and thus goes to turn in for the night. Demiurge, however, is uncertain about where to go once they pry Alchemy out of the admins.

Septmi 28th
On this morning, Demiurge wakes up yet again. He finds Omni stepping out into the street alongside Taruka, and comes down curious. Demiurge greets the machine, and asks what they're doing. Omni explains that the group has raised many good points as of recently, especially in regards to ownership of Alchemy. Odds are that Eluma are going to keep it, which means that if they're to claim it, they may need to force it out of their hands. Taruka says that they're going to try and speak with the admin of Tegrobil. Demiurge asks if they could use the rest of them, to which she explains that the two of them will be fine, while Omni reasoned that Demiurge should probably remain here in case of any upcoming developments.

Demiurge thusly wishes them luck, and thus the duo heads off, temporarily leaving the party and leaving Demiurge currently with just Metlo and Mz. Eruba. Players are allowed free time for the rest of the day.

Septmi 29th
The next day comes, and with it, the duo decides to head out with Mz. Eruba, the latter of which is setting up a stall. There, she gets ready to sell, though the group gets approached by a stranger. The group faces him, and sees a jackal with burn scars over him, and sizable muscles, though there appears to be metal replacements for parts of the body. Mz. Eruba asks if she can help him, though the jackal says that he's under the employ of the lab here, and they want to see the three of them.

Metlo, however, recognizes him, and asks if he's that knight from Mulga. The jackal gives pause, before grumbling "No hard feelings". Metlo asks how he became employed, to which he explains that they offered more money, as well as aid after his injuries. He glances towards his hands, his arms presently prosthetics. Demiurge apologizes for that, though the jackal says that they were fighting, he cannot hold it against them. Anyways, he's here to escort them. The Dragon looks curiously at the other two, though Metlo and Mz. Eruba both seem equally uncertain. Demiurge supposes that they have no way of denying it, and thusly agrees. The jackal nods, before telling them to follow him. He thus turns, and walks, with the three following.

The jackal walks them more and more, the party a bit uncomfortable at being led by a former enemy, especially one so heavily scarred by them. Demiurge tries to clear the tension, and thinks to ask for his name. The jackal says that he is **Barroque**. Demiurge asks him what he likes, to which he says that business has been his life for a long time. He's paid to protect things, and trained to protect things. He lost a thing to protect in Mulga, and now he protects here in Eluma. Demiurge again apologizes for what happened to him, to which he says that if he hadn't arrived when he did, Eluma wouldn't be paying him this much.

The party is soon led into the lab, where they're greeted by guards, and the rest of the admins, a team of 3. There's Vulka, the rat from before. There's also a pig woman, and a labrador man. Demiurge greets them, saying that he hasn't met the two of them before. The pig introduces herself as **Mish**, and the labrador introduces himself as **Mondu**. The two say that they had been too busy to speak with them before, but they'd love to finally speak with the Dragon himself. Demiurge nervously rubs his head and says that he supposes he's happy to talk to them.

They ask him how he's liked Eluma so far, to which players can answer "It is very big and noisy" or "It could use some improvement". Mish will admit as much, that this realm could use improvement. However, they're sure they're getting close to bringing that improvement upon them all, and they'll have Demiurge to thank for that. The Dragon glances towards Metlo and Mz. Eruba, who both look uncertain. At this, Demiurge begins to speak up, saying he's wondering if they could potentially discuss about the power of Alchemy. Mondu asks what it is he wishes to discuss.

Demiurge glances at the other two again, before saying that he thinks the power of Alchemy should come under his own power. The guards are each shocked, the admins each mildly surprised. Vulka asks what he means, to which Demiurge says that he's looked over the people down here, and sees that despite the resources they've had available to them, that plenty are still in disarray down in the streets. He says that he's not sure if they'll actually help each of them were they fully in control, so he wishes to personally hold onto that power so that he can help out wherever they overlook. The admins each look at each other, furrowing a brow, before nodding. They tell the Dragon to come with them, that they have a very important conversation. The Dragon asks why they can't talk out here, to which Mondu says that certain information cannot just be available to everyone.

Demiurge turns towards Metlo and Mz. Eruba, and the merchant says that she can tell if Demiurge never pops up again. Demiurge faces the admins again with that knowledge, and says that he'll hear them out. The admins thank him, and thus open up a door leading deeper into the lab. They go through it, and the Dragon wearily follows after. They go through a hall, and Barroque himself is following suit. The Dragon asks what it is they wished to discuss, to which Mondu says that they wished to talk to the Dragon about scale, and about scope.

The truth of the world is that no one actively seeks to punish people, he explains. In fact, people like him and Tegrobil's admins and others were established to work on the world to make it better for the people around in it. They would give people prosthetics, give people jobs, but the simple fact of the matter is that their society isn't built for that. If they were to keep giving jobs, they'd basically have to invent jobs for people to take, which has with it loads upon loads of paperwork. And if they were to give everyone prosthetics, they'd quickly run out of material. Sure, they could spend time making that a reality, but if they did, that'd mean just *that* much longer they'd go without innovating the world.

Demiurge asks if they need to innovate, to which Mish says they absolutely need to innovate. Since they as a people became intelligent, they've had to grow their society in any way, shape, or form. They needed to show that they as a people were growing from the neanderthals they once lived as, and to show that they aren't going stagnant. If they are to go stagnant, then they risk failing as a people. Demiurge asks why they'd think that, to which Vulka points out that in a hunt for purpose, they as a people agreed that they needed to become masters of the world, to mold the planet into their image to prove their worthiness of being here. Demiurge thinks back to the previous era, realizing that this sort of attitude must've been baked into them at an early age.

He asks them if making sure homelessness and illness is stamped out can't be innovation in and of itself? Mondu says that while they can attempt that, innovations like that won't stick. People will always face injury, and as long as society grows, there will always be people that won't be able to keep up with the new jobs that pop up. They can fix the issues of the now, but the world will grow with and create new issues. Back in the day, they overcame Monsters and took the world for themselves. But in the place of Monsters was the elements of the planet itself, from the earth itself collapsing due to their work, or deadly gasses under the crust to threaten them. They worked on improving Restoration magic to combat that, soon learning to make body parts to replace what people lost. And then the planet itself stripped them of the material needed to conveniently make that stuff.

Demiurge furrows his brow as they explain, with Mish continuing that strife is always going to be a part of their world, and the truth of the matter is that not everyone will be ready for it. Some people are going to build themselves up to overcome it, while others are going to have to live in the shadow of their success to survive. The Dragon says that it just sounds like they're giving up on the people beneath them. At this, VUlka turns towards Barroque with a strange look in her eye. She asks him if he's ready for his next assignment, to which the jackal agrees. Vulka says that there's a village north of here, between this mountain and the ocean to the north. She's going to have Barroque collect a few provisions, and then tomorrow, he's going to send him there. She suggests Demiurge accompany and get to understand their perspective some more.

With that, the Dragon is led outside, where Metlo and Mz. Eruba are waiting. Metlo asks how it went, to which Demiurge explains what he went through. The cannary crosses his arms and remarks that it just sounds like they're making excuses for letting people waste away. Mz. Eruba agrees, saying that they're just being lazy. Demiurge agrees as well, but he's not sure if he can even really deny their mission right now. They certainly didn't make it sound like a choice. Metlo sighs and supposes that they'll just have to hope they can handle this job fast enough. He also remarks that Taruka can't get here sooner. Either way, it's getting late, and he says that they should probably turn in. The leopard nods, saying she's getting really sick of getting pocket change for the day.

With that, they go to rest.

Septmi 30th
The next day comes, and faster than Mz. Eruba can even think to prepare to sell, Barroque is at their inn. He tells the group that he hpes they're ready for business. Metlo supposes they're as ready as they'll be, though asks what they're doing over this way. Barroque explains that there are bandits to the north harassing villages, and guys like them are being dispatched to take care of them. Mz. Eruba asks if that means they're going to see him himself work, to which he affirms as much. He warns that he won't be as powerful given his recent injuries, but he'll still try.

With that, the team makes their way northwards, needing to go around the mountain to make their way to their destination. They march north and north, the ocean coming on the horizon. And eventually, they'd make it to a fairly humble-looking village that's set up various vehicles with big tires. This is the village of **Deniba**. Demiurge asks what those are, to which Metlo explains that some villages get commissioned for projects, and he can only assume this is some sort of industrial project from another lab. Barroque explains that this area's losing a bunch of parts to bandits, and so their group is now tasked with taking out those bandits.

The group begins searching the nearby foliage, where they encounter bandits. And along the way, players get to learn about Barroque's playstyle itself. Firstly, with his augmentations, he now wields **Wrist Lances**, sharp talons that extend from his mechanical arms that deal stabbing damage. He's a very defensive character in comparison to other members of the party, as well as a fairly decent damage stat. He has a special skill that lets players target an ally so that he can jump in to take the damage instead. He also has skills that act as personal buffs to make it so he can perform even better in battle.

The party is tasked with going around the surrounding area to take down various bandits, and once they took down the last of them, another cutscene will play, displaying several of the bandits rounded up before the party. Barroque asks the group if they have the metal they'd taken, though one of them, a dog man, tenses up, before collapsing before the group. They apologize, saying that they sold it already! And as they spoke, Demiurge suddenly recognized this guy as one of the guys without homes in Emula. Demiurge asks what they sold it for, to which he explains that he was hoping to get housing, so he thought he could get some from selling goods.

Demiurge says that this guy was just trying to make it, that this is what they need to fix. However, the jackal would motion for the Dragon to stay quiet, before asking him about the people he's hurt. The dog swears that they've just been fighting for money and against people that tried to hurt them back. The jackal begins listing off injuries and deaths in the general vicinity. He also focuses on the dog himself, before saying that the guards in Eluma spoke of a drug seller from the Dark District. He'd coaxed citizens into buying, made sure to sell in such quantities to make people addicted, and even sold to young teens. Many youths over dosed because of him. He then looks among the other bandits.

He starts to list crimes among them; unlicensed drug trafficking, murder, pimping, coercion into the Dark District, alongside petty crimes against people they'd never met before, from vandalism of their property to arson, and even to kidnapping and murder. Barroque turns to Demiurge and explains that these guys may've been put in bad positions, but they hurt people that didn't deserve it. Demiurge's eyes are wide after he explained each of what the group before them did, and he asks them if they truly did that stuff. The bandits begin to start deny, but one of them gets down on all fours and begs for forgiveness, shattering the facade. The Dragon seems really disturbed by this explanation, before the jackal says that these guys are going to own up for a lot of crimes.

At the end of the day, the bandits had been escorted back to Eluma, with various guards taking the bandits off of their hands and leading them deeper in. And as they're led in, Demiurge asks jackal why he supposed they asked for them to see that. Barroque can only assume that the admins wished to teach them a lesson. It is sad that the people around here are facing hardship through no fault of their own, but while Demiurge sees a collective that should be solved, the admins and him himself see people. And the truth is, people are flawed animals, likely to act in ways that'll hurt those around themselves.

He explains that he himself grew up homeless in Mulga, and he's sure that he would've done as they did. But truly great people will push on regardless of what they're dealt, bear through the pain and try to keep the people around them safe. Metlo asks if they can't just make things easier so people like that don't get made, so that they don't become bandits. Barroque says that if they were to focus on people like those, that would hurt and kill in hardship as opposed to grow despite of it, then the whole of the society will refuse to grow. He says that he's not a fan of it either, but for people to make a better world, they can't worry about every individual like they're a helpless babe. Because the truth is that if the time really comes around, people like those will end up hurting the people around, even Demiurge.

Anyways, he says that he needs to go back to his post. Thus, he begins to walk away, leaving Demiurge with the other two. The Dragon asks those two if he's right, to which Metlo is quiet. Mz. Eruba, however, says nervously that he and those admin are just trying to psyche them out. Yeah, those people turned out bad, but that doesn't mean they should dismiss the whole as criminals. Demiurge affirms as much, though he admits he isn't sure that that's exactly the point. The leopard asks if he's seriously considering this, with Demiurge shaking his head. He says that he's just thinking... He says he's sure the thoughts will fade when he sleeps. Thus, he makes his way to the inn, Mz. Eruba looking like she wants to smack some sense into the Dragon, though she takes a deep breath.

Octuar 1st
Once more the group wakes up, and once they do, Taruka and Omni will have made it back to Eluma. The group welcomes them back, and Demiurge asks if they found anything. The pangolin affirms as much, stating that they had to really hoof it to get here when they did. Omni explains that once they shared some info with Tegrobil, they'd pointed them northwards for some form of offense against Eluma. Metlo tells them to "get on with it" and just explain what they'd found out.

Taruka says that they've learned the city's power source is in that structure on top of the mountain, right? Well, the city near the northern ocean has been working on machines capable of moving people without the use of livestock or whatnot. And among them is an attempt at creating a flying machine, which if they can get functional, they should be able to fly up above the city's defenses and breach the structure. It likely has guards upon it, but if they were able to get past them, they'd be able to charge into the structure, claim the power source, and basically hold it hostage until Eluma turns over to them.

Mz. Eruba is shocked at the idea of a flying device, and asks if that's even possible. Omni says that they pondered the same thing and looked over the blueprints they'd set up. They say that the mathematics all check out, and if they were to gather the appropriate material, they'd be able to construct a device that'd at the very least lead them to the structure. Though, they'd have to fight like their lives depended on it once they got that far. Metlo rubs the back of his head and admits that that could be a problem. Just thinking back to Myla's power output makes him imagine what kind of firepower they'd be up against up there, not to mention they'd pretty much entirely isolate themselves.

Taruka says that it is threatening, but if they plan to put Alchemy in the right hands, then they need to go through with this. Demiurge, meanwhile, is thinking about how threatening this could be. If they were to go through with this, they'd upend a plan that, though it didn't have everyone's wellness in mind, it still was a plot for everyone as a collective to move forwards. On top of that, they did risk putting themselves in grave danger. However, if they were to pull this off, they could personally help out the ones overlooked and make sure these guys can't leave them to suffer.

Either way, Taruka says that if they are to go through with this, they'll need to uncover the necessary material, which means trying to uncover where x or y is sold, or to obtain the necessary material, potentially from the very earth itself. Metlo says that sounds like a good idea, and Mz. Eruba says that once they get the necessary material, they can get Myla in on this. She seems trustworthy. Taruka says that that soudns like a great idea, and thus the party sets out into the town, waiting for Demiurge to organize them. Omni, meanwhile, does take notice that the Dragon seems weary.

They ask how he's doing, and the Dragon says that it's just nerves. He's thinking about how much danger they'll be putting themselves in, to which Omni says that it does seem daunting indeed. But, the many people around here constantly perform in spite of danger. This whole group acted against the danger that lingered before them, all for the sake of what they thought was right. Omni is sure that he'll pull this off well. With that, Demiurge takes that in mind, and realizes he has a choice to make.

Octuar 1st - Octuar 7th
With this, players have the chance to trigger a potential turning point for the era. Players have access to a sidequest that'll allow them to acquire the parts necessary for creating a flying machine, and this has a deadline of the 7th. Players can either take the steps necessary to complete the sidequest, or let time pass to not achieve it, and depending on which option is chosen, that'll alter the course of the era.

#### Penultimate: Complete the Sidequest

In this route, players decide to work on gathering material for the flying machine. This involves going around the northern area to either search for bandits, or to go to various black markets hidden in the overworld to find stuff. That, or to uncover caves around the area that could yield material. Either way, players have a certain amount of material to collect, and once collected, they'll get Myla's attention. The squirrel says that she'll get this stuff to the city to the north. The group thanks her, though Taruka tells her to be careful. Emula could be watching them potentially.

Myla assures that she'll be careful. With that, she begins to move. And once the material is settled, Demiurge supposes that now all they'll have to do is wait. Metlo says that while they wait, they should make sure that all of their stuff is oiled up. And with that, the players is given free time.

Octuar 8th
Eventually, the 8th dawns on the group, the party getting up. Mz. Eruba wonders how long it'll take that city northwards to get their attention. Taruka tells her to be calm, they can't act too rashly. The leopard groans and says that they already put in the legwork. She says they should at least check out the city. She thus begins to head out, the party hesitant about following. Eventually, they do decide to follow. They make their way to the front gate, though Demiurge can hear some sounds a fair distance from the gate. He hears metal clashing, spells being slung... He thinks that they should check it out.

The group heads out and approaches the source of the noise, where they can find... Myla battling some strange foes in metal. They look to be themselves machines, boasting a thin yet tall frame with thin blades akin to katanas. Myla herself can be seen being forced on the defensive, using her massive blaster to block oncoming slashes, though still taking a few nicks. She'd turn the nozzle towards the foes and fire, though the machines would manage to evade several blasts. Seeing her under attack, the party would race in to try and give the squirrel cover. Taruka asks what's going on, to which Myla says that there's no time to explain!

Either way, the party is forced into battle with the **Machine Assassins**. The foes are fairly dangerous, being agile and thus typically moving sooner than the other party members. On tops of high crits, evasion boosting techniques, and lightning and wind magic, they prove to require a fair bit of plotting on the player's part to best. However, with appropriate debuffs, ailments, and well timed healing, the party should be able to pepper the machines. With enough work, they'll be taken down.

Metlo asks what this was about, before Omni looks over the machines more carefully. They explain that these things were among those plans in Emula's documents. They ask Myla if Emula tried to take her down, to which she nods. She says that either she wasn't as careful as she thought she was, or they took notice of the movement of material to the city to the north. Either way, they must've realized that that city is developing something threatening, and thus a covert force has been sent to try and tear down their workshop. Mz. Eruba thinks back to that mission with Barroque, and realizes that Emula must've been keeping an eye on this region for a while.

Demiurge says that they don't have a lot of time. If these guys are going to destroy that city to the north, then they'll have no chance of breaching Emula's defenses! He says that they need to stomp out this attack force, pronto. Omni says that they agree with this course of action, but warns that if they do battle with Emula's forces, they'll probably no longer be welcome in the city. Mz. Eruba says that as long as she has the resource for it, she's more than happy to dump the city. Either way, the party now has a mission, and they have to fulfill it fast.

Octuar 8th - Octuar 14th
The player has a shorter time limit than usual, but fortunately they don't have a dungeon to explore, per say. Instead, they have to traverse the forestry to the north and get near the city by the ocean to the north. There are normal enemies on the way over, but once players get too close, they'll have to worry about conglomerations of Emula enemies. But once they get within range, they'll see the city itself. It's a fairly big port city that's built docks towards the sea with giant workshops covering them and a portion of the sea to the north. There actually appear to be a lot of shacks of great size that must be containing various vehicles that they're working on. Other than that, the city is filled with concrete, and has various vehicles with large tires trying to cover the perimeter of the city, guards with rifles stationed behind the cars and using them as cover. This is the city of **Ruto**.

Once the party sees it, Myla explains that Emula has set up strike forces around the area to try and break open the city's defenses. She wanted to help out, but when she realized how many enemies were in the vicinity, she realized she couldn't do this alone. Taruka says that she really wished they could've done this more covertly, but direct contact is a requirement in this case. She just hopes that they can take care of each of those jokers. Demiurge asks Myla if she knows of where the strike forces are stationed, to which the squirrel nods. Demiurge reasons that right now, all they have to worry about is defeating the forces around the city.

With that, players are tasked with going around the area to points of interest on the map in order to locate the enemies at each point and clear them. There are four to clear out, each coming with their own brief scene:

* Along a trail leading south of Ruto is a portion of the Eluma strike force. This includes a pair of bulky machines, them joined by some wolf man with a remote-like device in his grasp. Omni explains that these machines were also among the plans, and that they are equipped with explosive devices, including explosives with adverse yet non-lethal effects equipped. They also warn that that stranger with them is sending electronic orders to the machines, and thus suggests that they should find a way to get at them fast. Once the player agrees, they challenge the **Blast Force**, with the bomb lobbers and a controller, the latter of which is able to buff the machines and give one another turn. Additionally, this guy comes with a passive that allows the bomb lobbers to take damage for him if they aren't Knocked Down or suffering Stunned, Frozen, or Confused. With enough work, the players will have them beat, and Mz. Eruba will note that she thought that these things were plans, not present! Omni says that according to the plans, they were being developed already, plotted to be let out when they uncovered Alchemy. They suspect that, realizing the threat Ruto might pose to them, they decided to use some state-of-the-art technology to attack.
* Towards a forest to the west, there stands a large machine with a giant cannon upon its shoulders. It's also surrounded by several guards. Taruka says that according to the plans, this thing is projected to be able to destroy multiple vehicles. If they let that thing load up, it'll destroy Ruto's defenses. Demiurge thus says that they'll have to take care of it! Thus, the party rushes to battle the **Destructor Force**, which consists of the large machine and the guards around it. The machine itself spends a couple turns charging a single attack before blasting either the whole party or one, an attack that'll deal a lot of damage to anyone hit, especially when it uses Pure attacks. Along with that, the guards around it each have a healing spell, meaning that if players disregard them, they'll be able to undo a lot of the damage the machine takes. Once down, Metlo looks over the destroyed machine, and remarks that it's a shame they have to destroy these things, it could really help in the fight against Emula. Demiurge, however, points out that that'd cause a lot of innocents to be injured, to which the canary supposes that he forgot about the fact that they can't get it up the mountain without going through the city.
* In the field to the west side of the city, there is a set of Emula strike members that are using a machine with big arms to shield themselves from Ruto gunfire and spells while trying to exchange fire. Myla notes that those guys are using higher power weaponry than she saw in Ruto's area, that even if they don't use the machine, odds are they'll tear through the guards if given the time. Demiurge says that they have to act fast. So, the party battles the **Western Break Force**, in which they have to deal with a tanky machine that can use its turn to guard one of the guards for a turn, as well as various guards with decently powerful magic to pound party members. Multi-target spells should help wear these guys down, as well as certain ailments, especially Smell. With enough work, the party is able to defeat them. As they pant and pant, Metlo looks over the gear, and notices that several of these guards have been outfitted with prosthetics. He asks Myla if workers are outfitted with machinery like this, to which she says that she's heard whispers of it. The admins have looked into designing prosthetics with even more powerful firepower, to which Mz. Eruba thinks back to Barroque. Metlo scoffs and remarks "Fat lot of good it did them..."
* In the field to the east side of the city, there is a set of Emula strike members that are exchanging fire with Ruto's forces, though while the latter is using cover, the former are joined by a fairly small machine that seemingly constantly heals them. Mz. Eruba says that she can't believe they already got restoration magic functioning well in a bot like that. It looks like the people from the city can't get a good shot at it! Recognizing this, the party decides to battle the **Eastern Break Force**. During it, players have to worry about the guards who each have high magic stats, as well as the heal bot. On top of a party-wide heal, it has summoning magic, which means that it can allow a guard to either constantly heal off ailments, or restore HP. Worse still, the bot itself is highly evasive, though if players use proper debuffing, they'll be able to make it vulnerable to attacking, and when it goes down, the rest of the guards will follow suit. Once they're all down, Mz. Eruba looks down on the bot in disappointment. She says that a thing like that would be endlessly helpful in the city, but instead those admins are using it to try and help guys hurt more people. Demiurge agrees that it's terrible, and it's just more reason to mount an offensive. The leopard agrees, and says she's glad to follow him, but tells him to swear they're going to see those guys given the beatdown they deserve. The Dragon nods.

Once the four points are taken care of, the party is left panting, looking over the destruction on the field. Metlo notes that those new fangled technologies are no joke. Omni notes that the plans for them were very thorough, that it's good that these things were put out in a rush job as opposed to fully complete. Mz. Eruba asks if the inside of Emula's structure is going to have those worse ones, to which Omni says it's unlikely, though they should still act fast. Myla, however, will look towards the city, before saying that something's wrong. There's chaos brewing in the city! Demiurge asks how that happened, they took care of the strike force! Taruka thinks that the only thing that makes sense would be if another strike force were able to slip in while they were distracted with these guys. She wonders if they used the ocean to get behind them.

Metlo, however, says that whatever the case, they need to act now. Thus, the party now has the objective to enter the city and keep helping.

The people around the border of the city, having seen this party battle the strike force *and* having seen Myla is among them, decide to stand back and let the group enter. The group can see several guards rushing over to the large buildings near the docks, and along the way, Demiurge notices that, again, there's a lack of houses for individuals in this place. They race more and more, and can see a small strike force just outside one of the factories. Demiurge asks what that is, when one of the gunners, a gorilla man with large muscles, approaches to answer. He says that that building is where they're working on the flying machine.

The party realizes that if they deal with these strike force members, those enemies will probably destroy the machine! The gorilla says that his group will weaken the guys out front, it's the least they can do! Demiurge appreciates the help, and Taruka brings up that this has to be the last of the strike force, and she has a feeling that the most dangerous one is threatening the machine. She suggests that the lot of them make sure they're prepared before they enact this attack. Thus, the player is allowed a moment to make any preparations before telling the gorilla that they're ready to defend the flying machine. Once the player gives the ok, the gorilla and group rushes the strike force guarding the entrance, allowing the party to press past them!

They get past them and shove into the entrance, rushing past it and into the factory floor. There, they see chains strung up and hung around, heavy duty instruments along the walls, and a very large mechanical frame in the middle of the room, it perched upon a platform with a hole on its underside for tending to its underside, and thick metal comprising its frame. The strike force is sees the party entering, and among them they see a machine as big as a van, it having a bucket-like top that looks like it could seat a fair few travelers. Beneath said bucket is a machine with spindly limbs and blades at the end of its arms. Myla realizes that this was the amphibian vehicle that came up in the plans!

The strike force members draw their weapons, telling the party that this matter doesn't concern them! These guys were given orders not to develop this kind of technology, yet they've been garnering supplies and developing! Mz. Eruba points out that these guys brought multiple extremely destructive machines, but they have an issue with someone being able to fly?! The guards declare that any flying ability could threaten the structure that's been a part of religious development hundreds of years ago! They cannot threaten it! Demiurge says that he doesn't care about concerns like that! Things need to change, and clearly the only way things are going to change is if someone threatens their power! The strike force member grunts, realizing that they aren't going to talk them down. They say that they have to keep these guys at bay while they dismantle the flying machine!

With that, players engage in a battle with the **Amphibian Strike Force**. The Amphibian Machine is the most immediate threat, it being able to hit heavy, strike with Slash and Smash, and bathe the field in Water attacks. However, there are the other strike force members to worry about, including someone that'll buff the Machine, one that'll heal the various guards *and* the machine, and one that'll focus on inflicting ailments on the party. Players will have to be careful as they approach this, chipping away at the forces assisting the machine will keeping their own health up as the foe lays into them. Additionally, the Smell ailment has a chance to make this fight easier, so players should feel free to abuse that. With enough work, they'll manage to defeat the strike force members, and make the machine spark and burst before it collapses.

The party pants and pants, seeming to struggle to hold up their own weapons. They look over the battle, seeing the foes laying dead. Metlo can't believe they actually managed that. He feels like he just beat up five different buildings. Mz. Eruba laughs and can't help but imagine how badly those Emula jerks are hurting after this fight. The gorilla from before enters, declaring that the last of the strike force is felled! He looks over their progress, and says that he would've expected nothing less out of the Dragon and allies, and thanks them for their aid. Myla tells them not to thank them yet. She has no doubt that Emula already knows that this attack failed and will probably prepare a counterattack. The gorilla nods, saying that that means they have no time to waste. He'll inform the leaders and get to work on cleaning. He also says that quarters will be prepared for them. Demiurge is tempted to ask if they can help, though he feels the weight of tiredness overtake him. He supposes they should hang back a little, the gorilla understanding, before leaving them in the factory, each left to mull over the fact that they're going down a path that'll bring them a lot of hardship...

The group tries to relax, hoping that no one will threaten the plane frame during this period. Despite the strike force being driven off, they cannot relax. However, the gorilla soon returns and tells them that they've prepared a resting quarters for them. The group thanks them, and thus the Rutoan guard leads them out of the factory, and through the streets. They're eventually led to a string of three buildings at the eastern edge. The gorilla explains that several workers get their own living spaces around the various factories while these are set up to house travelers and/or mercs. Demiurge thanks them, and says that they might have to stick with this place and Tegrobil for the foreseeable future. The gorilla says that that's fine, they've been given a permanent discount for their work.

Demiurge thanks them, and thus they make their way in, where, indeed, they have their discount. Now allowed to rest in this place, the group is thankful and heads in. And here, they find that the rooms are a bit more roomy than what the inns in Emula offered. Mz. Eruba already thinks about how she made a good choice. The group thusly sets their gear down and rests, resting off the rough day.

Following this, players have some free time until the end of the chapter. More time to raise stats, do side quests, and otherwise prepare themselves for whatever comes in the future.

Octuar 15th
The 15th comes, the party having adjusted to the inns of this place. As they wake, the gorilla greets them again, explaining that they've taken the extra parts out of storage following the falling of the strike force, and now they're trying to work even harder to create the flying machine. The party thanks them for their effort, though Mz. Eruba asks if the thing will be able to accommodate Demiurge. The gorilla says that they've done a lot of calculation, and they're sure that all of their group should be able to stay on the machine and allow it to be able to flown, though they will ask group members to come in to test out the capacity.

He tells the group to relax for a little while, and Taruka says that Tegrobil may contact them in the future, and she'll suspect they may be called to them in the future. The gorilla understands, and ushers them off, though tells them to stay away from Emula. If they're correct about their assumptions with the city, they probably won't be able to even get past the gates. The group nods in understanding, and with that, the players are allowed to relax for the day. Players can explore outside, hang out with allies, deal with some side quests, or who knows what. And indeed, players cannot enter Emula.

Night soon comes, and the group is about to rest. However, Omni gets the Dragon's attention. Demiurge is curious and decides to follow the machine. They head up to the roof of the inn, looking out over the city while looking to the massive structure on top of the mountain. Demiurge notes that they're going to make history soon. Once they're able to get off the ground, they'll wrestle the power of Alchemy from those guys, and be able to empower others. Omni agrees, adding that once Demiurge gets the power, things will be better. The Dragon gives pause, and Omni glances towards him curious.

Omni asks what's wrong, to which Demiurge says that he's not sure if it will be. He helped lead the people of the world before, helping them make that structure and settle it on the mountain. And since then, they'd grown and grown, until they're now at this point. He says that it's great seeing how big the population has gotten, but it seems like not all of the population is allowed to live as gracefully as the others. Omni mulls over the information Demiurge gave, before concluding that this isn't his fault. He had an image, and people drifted from it and settled into their own way of life, a way of life that implicitly threatens the people beneath those stronger.

It's not just Emula truthfully. They've heard Metlo talk about the kind of risk he and others like him have had to go through in order to make something resembling a living wage. Mz. Eruba's shown them an awful lot about what they have to go through in the streets. Several have had to dedicate their bodies and minds to get a good job to live, and several have been forced to sacrifice even their bodies. They suppose Demiurge thinks life shouldn't be like that, to which the Dragon affirms as much. He thinks about how happy several of these people could be if they didn't have to go through this kind of stuff in this world. Omni agrees, and says that if more people would listen to Demiurge, things would be so much better.

Omni then has another question. They point out that Demiurge is regarded as divinity, as a holy being ordained to lead mortals on the path of life. However, when he spoke of his ideals to the admins, from Demiurge's explanation, it sounds like they didn't listen. Omni asks why he thinks that they didn't listen to him. Demiurge mulls this over, before players are allowed to answer "It'd require a lot of change" or "It makes them strong in this world". To the former, Omni supposes that it makes sense to be scared of a new way of life after living an old one for so long, but they should still respect the change if it's for the better. To the latter, Omni supposes that that makes too much sense, that these guys wish for life to bend to their whim, to be able to stand above everyone else.

Either way, Omni says that they're going to work together. Those admins are going to be made to change, and they're going to make things right with Alchemy. Omni promises to make a world that doesn't suffer like this world does. Demiurge thanks the machine, before shaking his head and remarking that sometimes he forgets they're a machine. Omni supposes that Tegrobil's efforts have paid off. Omni says that they feel smart, but can't wait to get smarter with Demiurge and the rest of them, and to see what they can learn from the new world. The Dragon promises to teach them as much as they can in the new world.

With this final scene, the chapter wraps up, and if they went down this path, players will move onto here

### Finale: Side Against Emula

Octuar 16th - Octuar 18th
Players are allowed some more free time for now, though at the very start the pangolin will tell the party that Tegrobil is expecting to see them on the 19th, they wish to provide some gear for them. Apparently they intend to provide better wings for Omni and to give the party more gems to empower them. Keeping this in mind, the party keeps on managing business of their own through Ruto and the surrounding area.

Octuar 19th
On this day, the group makes their way to Tegrobil again. Once the group is over at the base of the volcano, they can notice that there appear to be a few guys from Emula in the vicinity, them scared from the recent conflict. They appear to be trying to get some sort of business here, only to find that there's very little room for jobs for them. The party presses on to the Moscolov Lab, and enters, where they are greeted by admins Tuya and Murgo. Demiurge asks if they know of everything going on, to which Murgo says that they'd expected Emula to try and overstep. Those guys have always had power and had wanted to garner more for themselves.

The fox offers to pivot away from there real quick and wants to poke Omni's head. The machine nods and comes close, with the woman popping open a panel on their head and poking around in it, placing a plug in it before pulling it out. She says that she'll have to analyze the data on this independently, though Demiurge assures that they are very, very smart now. Omni assures that there's always room to grow, to which Murgo nods. He says that they're here to make sure the group is resupplied. At that, he presents the group with more of the material used to tend to the machine, including more magical crystals. He also provides them replacement wings for the machine to use and empower themselves.

Demiurge is grateful for their help, though Tuya says that it's nothing. Murgo affirms as much, saying that as long as this gets Alchemy in their own hands all of this will be worth it. That wording weirds Demiurge out, and he's tempted to follow up on that, though Taruka simply says "Of course". She says that they'll make sure they're ready to defeat them. With that, she ushers the party out, and soon they're out of the volcano and towards the edge of town. And at this, Demiurge asks Taruka what they meant about Alchemy ending up in their hands. The pangolin explains that she had to lie and say that they'd allow them to wield that power. It was the only way that those guys would give them the necessary equipment.

Demiurge points out that they'd probably run into the same issues, and Metlo says that if they find out they don't want to give it to them, then they'll try to attack them as well. Mz. Eruba points out that if they can make Emula kneel, then there's no way these guys will overpower them. Metlo, however, points out that they have data of Omni. If they can get that in another body, they could face another creature like Omni. The machine, however, points out that if they used the data as it is collected, they'll just end up with an Omni that'll defy them as well. And if they were to alter the data, they'd have to worry about the changes such a thing could have disastrous effects on other portions of the machine's behavior. And that's without accounting for how much trouble they had in constructing Omni's own body.

Truth is, if Tegrobil wishes to face them, they'll be at a sever disadvantage. Demiurge, meanwhile, can't help but feel a little guilty, resorting to basically stealing from these guys to stand a chance against Emula. Metlo sighs and supposes there's nothing that can be done about it. In some way, shape, or form, people have to use others to get ahead in life. Mz. Eruba nods, affirming that that's just the truth. Besides, it's not like they're hitting down or anything, these guys are large and in charge. Taruka says that either way, they're getting closer and closer to their attack. She warns that once they get that flying machine running, they'll have one shot to claim the city's power source.

Octuar 19th - Octuar 24th
With that in mind, players have some more free time. At points in time throughout this duration, party members will be called aside for assistance in testing the flying machine.

Octuar 25th
On this day, the gorilla approaches the party, and tells them that the flying machine has been constructed. The party members are excited to see it, and thus make their way to the appropriate factory. And once there, they see the grand machine. It's rectangular prism-like machine with two sets of wings, a large pair at the front and a smaller pair at the back. There are also devices attached to the underside of the wings that are capable of utilizing miniature explosions within them to function. The gorilla explains that they will be provided someone that knows how to fly this thing.

Mz. Eruba asks if they can just wait and go whenever, though Metlo points out that Emula is already well aware of the flying machine by now. If they wait too long, the enemy will surely be souped up to repel them. Taruka affirms as much, and suggests that it means they have to take this thing... as soon as possible. Myla asks the gorilla if it's ready to fly, to which he answers that it is. Myla thus says that they've prepared for this for a long time now, and that it is time to do or die. She says that this is their last chance to make sure they're ready, that they can only bring with them to the final battle what they have on their back.

With that, players are allowed to spend money on weapons, armor, and supplies. They're also allowed a moment to speak with their allies, and speaking to the gorilla lets players confirm whether or not they want to proceed.

* Taruka - She comments that it's weird living like this. She'd spent so long being a servant to the people at large, and now she's about to betray everyone. Demiurge says that these are the lengths they have to go to make things better. The pangolin supposes that's right, she just thought back, and realized she'd sort of been leaping forwards without really considering all of the other factors. Demiurge admits that he's been doing that too, but that is going to change. The two of them are going to change that.
* Metlo - The canary says that he always knew that the system was messed up, but he didn't think he'd manage to go this far. Demiurge asks if he's nervous, to which Metlo points out that there's no way he can't. They're basically putting a gun up to a bunch of admins' head to get them to change. He can only hope that once they get the power of Alchemy everything else will fall into line. The canary looks towards his missing arm, and says that maybe he can even complete himself. Demiurge says that he can't wait for him to get what he wants.
* Mz. Eruba - The leopard sees Demiurge, saying that when she agreed to be employed under him, she didn't expect to help him overthrow a superpower. Demiurge supposes he's living to impress. The feline laughs and asks if they can potentially argue for more than just Alchemy. Once they reach that power source, they'll have them completely in the palm of their hand. They could probably get them to give them whatever they want. Demiurge says that they shouldn't overextend. Mz. Eruba shrugs and claims she was joking anyways. She says that truthfully, she is grateful to've met them and thanks them for putting a roof over her head.
* Myla - The squirrel greets Demiurge, saying that she's been trying to keep her morale up. She seems uneasy, and Demiurge asks if she's worried about family. Myla says that deep down, she knows that the admins wouldn't go that far. They are underhanded, but she doubts that they'd threaten her family or anything. Still, she's been proven she doesn't know a lot, so she's unsure of what to expect. Demiurge says that the lot of them have gone through plenty so far, and that whatever comes, they get over it. Myla supposes he's right, and supposes that as long as they stick to their virtues, they will come out better.

Either way, once players affirm they're ready to move on, the gorilla will let them enter the flying machine. And once they do, a cutscene will play, showing the roof of the factory open up. The platform under the flying machine lifts up, the cutscene showing a generic guard at the front of it while the rest of the party is holed up in the main body. The platform tilts up, and the engines attached to the wings fire up. The guard pulls some levers, and the engines fire on, and hurls the flying machine skyward and towards the mountain, the gorilla looking on and saluting, telling them to be careful.

The machine flies up and up, everyone nervous. Taruka in particular can't help but pay attention to a few of the rattling nearby. The guard tells them not to worry, there's currently a 0% failure rate for these types of vehicle. Metlo points out that this is the first time this thing has taken flight. The guard is quiet after that and just keeps flying. Demiurge takes a deep breath, and tries to take his attention off of the death machine around them, though he still has to worry about storming that place. Demiurge asks Myla and Omni what they might have to worry about, to which Myla says that she expects there to be guards even bigger and better equipped than her. She wouldn't be surprised if that muscular new recruit would be in there. Omni also says that they doubt that any of those structure-busting machines will be in there, but wouldn't be surprised if they had to deal with those assassin and healing machines, if not more.

As they mull this over, the guard speaks up and says that the Structure is within view. As they do, they start to hear the pop of gunfire, with some of the party members bemoaning the fact that their cabin has no windows. Myla asks what the guard sees, to which the pilot explains that some men with guns are trying to fire on them, but those aren't getting past their metal. However, once they touchdown, they will have to deal with resistance. Metlo says that this is what they prepared for, and thus the party members begin to take up their weapons.

The plane gets past the wall surrounding the Structure on top of the snowy mountain and sets down on the ground. The group makes their way out, though they are immediately greeted by a bunch of guards. The party each takes up their gear, and the party is put into a battle with the **Emula Guard Horde**. The group finds themselves dealing with various familiar skills and having to deal with some familiar resistances and weaknesses. With enough work, the part will be able to fell the lot of them. And with the Horde down, the party takes a deep breath as they look over the field.

The group approaches looks over the field, and then the pilot that'd flown them originally steps out. He tells the group that he's not sure if he'll be able to fly this machine in another time, so he'll try and stay back and protect it. Taruka appreciates it, though says that they'll do everything in their power to allow them to head out without any error. The group approaches the front of the Structure, Demiurge looking on in awe. He says that he only ever saw this thing at the beginning of its construction. Now, it stands tall with metal walls thicker than any tree he's ever seen, the chains anchoring it down looking large enough to blanket several city blocks.

The rest of the party also can't help but feel awe. Metlo remarks that construction had halted on it, yet it still looks bigger than anything he'll ever see completed in his generation. Taruka remarks before they'd focused on constructing machinery, this place was a place of religious worship. She asks Demiurge if he appreciates it, to which players can answer "Yes" or "...". Either way, Myla says that whatever it stood for once upon a time, Emula will turn it into a battleground now. She tells everyone to stay on their guard. And with that, the group enters the **Draconian Structure**.

The group shoves the front gates open, and press forwards. Within, the group looks over the innards. The Structure is full of metal, carefully forged into hard surfaces. It's also full of noise as industrial-sized gears turn around and pistons pump elsewhere. The floor they are on boasts a ceiling dozens of feet tall with various solid structures that either reach anywhere from the floor to the ceiling. Portions of the ground can also be seen glowing with an arcane energy. Beyond that, there are decorations embedded into portions of the floor, depicting the emblem of the Dragon throughout.

The group is in awe of the innards, before they become aware of the sound of movement within. Myla gets the party to snap out of their stupor, saying that they have time to gawk at this place later. The party realizes that they do have to act fast, and thus make their way forwards. The innards of the structure are maze-like, and throughout there are several guards and machines to worry about, be they assassins, guard replicas, or heal bots. Along the way, players may pass the parts of flooring shining, and Mz. Eruba will ask why they don't just strike at these parts. Omni will warn that the flooring represents one of several different routes the power source flows through, so doing so would lead to only portions of the city being threatened as opposed to all of it. In addition, destroying the flooring could run the risk of the power source leaking outwards and potentially harming them.

Either way, the party must maneuver through the innards, with guards creating barriers along the way, Players will have to find ways to maneuver around these barriers and undo them in order to create shortcuts. They walk and walk, and soon reach a giant staircase in the middle of the Draconian Structure. In order to proceed past here, players will be forced into another fight with guards, though they fortunately shouldn't be that hard for this portion of the game. The group begins to rush up, though they can hear heavy stamping ahead of them. The group begins to back up, before they soon see Barroque.

The jackal looks over the group with a sneer. He says that he's ashamed this is how things shook out; they needn't have met each other in combat again. Demiurge says that they don't have to, they can team up and make things better. Barroque says that he's already part of a team, and this team is already making things better. People are left behind, but no matter what world it is, someone will be left behind. He points out that for all of their expositing and their platitudes, he wonders how many they missed the chance to help, and how many they had to kill to get to where they are. Metlo, however, speaks up and asks why he's working with someone like Emula, he points out that their actions scarred him like this in the first place. He points out that *they*, the party, scarred him like this. And if tonight is anything to judge by, they are perfectly capable of choosing otherwise. Demiurge says that he's sorry, that he didn't have a choice at the time.

Barroque asks Demiurge what changed exactly. Demiurge explains that they looked into Emula, and realized that they didn't have the best in mind for their people. The jackal asks how they could claim any better. Emula at least had plans, they at least considered their options. Their group, meanwhile, acts entirely on emotion, only choosing to investigate these people after it's already too late. Then they've stranded themselves right in the middle of their base in hopes of gaining some sort of edge. The party is momentarily shaken, though Demiurge swears that they will do better. He's learned that part of growth is messing up, and he's sorry that such mess ups led to his current state. But he will swear things like this won't happen again. The jackal narrows his gaze, spitting that they hurl more platitudes. If there's anything he's learned, it's that it's on each person to earn their way in this world.

With that, he flashes his wrist lances while machines approach him. The party draws their own weapons, and are forced into battle with **Barroque**. The foe packs a fair bit of a punch, able to improve his strength and hit hard, all while the party has to deal with an assassin machine and a heal bot. The heal bot is especially dangerous because it has access to a midway revive skill, meaning that if a character on the enemy team is felled, it can revive them. Players may be tempted to focus on it, but Barroque has a skill that can direct damage towards it to him instead, which would give it enough time to heal itself. A viable strategy is to strike down the jackal so players can safely damage the heal machine, though it'll likely revive the jackal eventually. It should be noted that if Barroque is revived, his model will be updated to have his guard suit torn up to reveal burn scars underneath. With enough work, players will be able to defeat the jackal and its allies.

The cutscene shows Barroque falling back, one of his mechanical arms shattering and his legs falling apart as he collapses on the stairs. He pants and pants, telling the group that they indeed proved themselves superior... The group approaches, Metlo saying that he's been practicing medical magic. He can restore him. The gives a spiteful laugh and regards them as ridiculous. He cheated death once already. People have to earn their place in this world, and twice now he was unworthy. Demiurge says that things like that won't matter in the world they plan to make. Anyone would be free to live, even him. Barroque says that he doesn't care. He was born a weakling in a world that despised weaklings, and after all of his works, he just wasn't strong enough. He just tells Demiurge to be stronger. With that, he takes the remaining arm, and suddenly shoves the wrist lance through his chest, causing the party to stumble back in shock. The jackal coughs up blood, before falling limp, his arm pinned into his chest. The party is uncomfortable at this, though Demiurge says that they need to prevent this from happening again. The group thus begins walking past him, though Metlo can't help but glance towards Barroque for an extended period of time. The canary wrenches his gaze away and continues up.

The group is up on the second floor of the Draconian Structure. Up there the structure is fairly similar, though they can see towards the far end of the floor a bright glow resembling those glows in the flooring. Omni suspects that that is where the power source itself is. He tells the group to look lively. With that, the group has to maneuver around the floor some more, and along the way, they'll have to deal with some slightly stronger version of forces from the ground below, as well as dealing with more barriers. Only now, they have to also deal with finding ways of lowering and/or raising segments of metal so that they can progress.

Eventually, they get close to the back, and once they come near, they can see several large gears and pistons working, them pumping into a pipe network. And above said network is a massive glass bulb, glowing with magical energy. It looks as big as a house and has a multi-color solution within it. Metlo asks what this is, to which Omni answers that it is refined magic worked into a mass producible solution. It's being filtered throughout the Structure and refined so that it can feed the city proper. But if this container is damaged, then the city could face a black out that'll take years to recover from. Mz. Eruba asks if they themselves will be safe if they break it, seeing as they're letting out a ton of magic. Taruka tells her that they aren't actually going to destroy this thing, they need those admins to think that they actually will destroy it.

The group starts to go forwards to secure the position, though they begin to hear the movement of metal. The party gives pause, and can hear the movement some more. Metlo looks up, and warns "Above us!" The party looks up and sees a hunk of metal hurtle straight towards them! The group leaps backwards as the creature slams the ground hard enough to cause it to shake ever so slightly under them. The group is now able to get a better look at the creature, and are startled by the appearance. It's Demiurge's size, and appears vaguely humanoid. It has an extended neck, a long, whip-like tail, and extensions that resemble wings, though instead of appearing membranous, these wings resemble grasping hands. Demiurge looks on it, and asks if this thing is supposed to be... him?

Taruka asks how that's possible, they'd arrived here recently! Omni ponders if maybe they'd been designing some sort of guardian anyways, and decided to shape it to resemble the Dragon when they got a good look at him. They're not allowed to question much longer as the creature bellows forth a beam of magical energy, forcing the party to take evasive action. Metlo warns that this thing doesn't look like it'll go down easily, and tells everyone to take this seriously! Demiurge nods, and the party takes up their weapons. He says that they've come too far to lose to some mockery!

With that, players are thrust into battle with the **Draconian Guardian**. The machine boasts tons of health, tons of magic, and even comes with Summon magic. It swaps between summoning an Electric Summon, meaning each turn of the machine is accompanied by a powerful bolt of electricity to a target, and between summoning a Restorative Summon, meaning each turn of the machine it is healed a decent amount. Players will be required to swap between keeping their health up and dealing enough damage to the foe to offset the healing it does receive. After reducing its health a decent amount, the hand-like wings the machine boasts will pop off and function as their own units, dealing Smash damage against party members. Other than that, the Draconian Guardian is able to pull out Slash, Smash, and Stab attacks, as well as hit with a wide array of elemental magics. When it is at 10% health, it'll be seen starting to charge, Omni warning that if they take too long, they doubt that they'll survive this attack. With that, players are tasked with dealing enough damage to the enemy in a short enough time to prevent it from unleashing a powerful, party-wide Pure attack.

After overwhelming the Guardian, it shudders and winces. It takes a few staggered steps as it tries to focus its attack, though explosions rack its body as it tries to focus. A penultimate explosion occurs at its neck, causing it to rear up and fire a beam of Pure magic towards the ceiling, carving a partially-melted wound in the Draconian Structure. It collapses onto its back, and explodes. The party pants and pants, before sighing and putting their weapons away. They look over the debris the machine had formed, and Omni looks over the bits and pieces. They remark that they are uncertain if they crafted this Dragon out of reverence, or out of hubris. Demiurge can say "I'm flattered" or "I don't care".

The machine dead, they each rush to the power source itself, now victorious. As they do, the remaining guards on the floor rush forwards, demanding them to stop right there. However, seeing them so close to the power source, they're each horrified. Seeing their expression, Metlo decides to take full advantage, and brings out a gun before pointing it towards the source. He says that things don't need to be too hasty. They just want to talk to the big men. One guard says that they couldn't, that they'd die too! Myla, however, asks them if they're blind or something. They took a one way trip into the most precious part of the most advanced city in the world. This was a suicide mission from the start!

The guards all are shaken and mutter amongst themselves. One says that they'll get the admins as soon as possible, but leave guards here to make sure they don't try anything. The Dragon says that that is acceptable. A portion of the guards pulls away, and then leaves. And now, the party is left with the power source, looking over the guards as tension raises in that room.

The tension between the two groups remains tense, though eventually, the admins show up, Vulka, Mish, and Mondu. They each see the party, and the rat asks what the meaning of this is. Mz. Eruba says that they've all had a long thing about it, and decided that they're sick of serving the three of them when they're all too happy to overlook them! The pig then asks if they're really content with this, saying that they're going to lead to the destruction of so many lives! Myla, however, speaks up and says that this is entirely on them. They have their own demands, and if they can fulfil them, nothing is going to happen here. However, they're used to letting others suffer from their decisions, aren't they?

The three give pause, and the labrador asks what their terms are. Metlo says that they wish to be released from here unharmed, first of all. Second, they want access to the power of Alchemy too. Mondu asks how they can be sure that they even have it completed, though Omni says that they've crafted a ton of plans that seem reliant on them mastering this power. On top of that, they've hurled a small army of machinery at them. Even if they don't have it wholly complete, it's clear that they've garnered enough knowledge to get some sort of jump on the robotic realm. And with the knowledge they've accrued, they surely can gain the knowledge necessary to complete it. The three freeze up.

Vulka looks up at the group, and sneers. She says that the lot of them are doing this for the good of everyone, and yet they're trying to destroy the city's lifeblood. Houses and hospitals alike will be destroyed with their work, and they expect them to believe that they want that. Demiurge says that no matter what they believe, they have the power to stop this. And there's no way that they can just let this happen, right? There's a pause, neither side seeming willing to budge first. However, the pangolin speaks up and tells Demiurge to do it. The Dragon gives pause, though nods and begins to walk in front of it.

With this, energy begins to pool at his core. He takes several deep breaths and begins to rear his neck back. Energy starts to crawl down his throat and to his chest. As this happens, the various guards look on in horror while the admins keep up a poker face. The party is each spreading form the power source and are also feeling scared. The divine being charges and charges, before one of the admins start to budge. The three each shout "Stop!", prompting Demiurge to clench his jaw shut as, instead of releasing a powerful beam, multi-color smoke puffs out of his maw and nostrils. The party turns to face the admin, and they each now look more scared than they did before.

Mish walks forwards, reaching into his coat. He pulls from it one of several folders. He brings it out and flips it open, unveiling a very long equation. He says that they've done plenty of research, and have been able to transform metal to another. Their range is limited, but with enough research no metal would've been out of their grasp. The group takes the folder, and pockets it. The admins and guards step away, all on Emula's side glaring at them angrily. However, they walk away. As they do, Mz. Eruba will give a condescending smile and wave them bye bye as they make their way down the stairs and to the exit, every single guard forced to just watch.

Once out, a cutscene briefly shows the admins together, with Vulka saying that with all of that information, their work will be jeopardized! They need to destroy them now! However, Mish will speak up, saying that they saw what happened when Demiurge went up against mythril. If they press them too hard, there's a real chance he could use that kind of power on the tower itself and decimate this base. The rat sighs, and ponders what they do now. Mondu says all is not lost, they still have a copy of the equation. If they can just strike down those guys before they can complete it, they're golden. They just need to be prudent.

Elsewhere, the party makes their way down the mountain trail, followed by the guard. They are able to get through the factory and into Emula. Demiurge admits that this still doesn't feel real. This is world changing magic they have. Metlo says that none of this could've been done without the Dragon. Taruka affirms as much, saying that he's the best. Myla nods, saying that this world could do with someone that can match Emula in power. Mz. Eruba's just happy imagining what those guys are feeling having something not going their way. Taruka says that they should go over to Ruto, Tegrobil is expecting them to hand over that equation once they get there.

With that, the party begins to leave, though while Demiurge and Omni are alone, the machine remarks that that was splendid. After all of the power Emula wielded, they folded before the aura of divinity. The Dragon admits that he didn't totally want to go there, but that's what it took to get this information. The machine says that they'd recorded the equation themselves just in case, and they can run through the information to try and figure it. But they ask Demiurge if this kind of work might be useful in the future, scaring people like those admins into submission. Demiurge wonders what he means, to which the machine says that, of course, fear shouldn't be the first resort, but against people like that, it's clear that something like that is the only thing that'll cause them to falter. Demiurge thinks that there might've been a way to solve this without threatening them, though Omni says that they'd thoroughly investigated, and this has been the only plan they'd arrived at.

Omni says that they don't doubt the Dragon, that they don't think they did wrong. They themselves know that Demiurge wouldn't cause harm of that level if he had the choice, but it's clear that not knowing that is what won them the day. They wonder why it is that some people need to be fearful to be controlled when the Dragon fights so hard to be a good person. They ask Demiurge what they think: Does benevolence breed people who abuse it, or does strength make people ignorant to kindness? At this, players can answer "People will abuse kindness" or "Kindness won't reach everyone". Either way, Omni nods at the Dragon's answer. They just think that moving forwards, they should keep questions like this in mind. With that, the duo follows the party, ending the day.

Octuar 26th
The group wakes once more. They make their way out into the rest of the city, the gorilla seeing the group. He asks if they feel well rested after last night. Demiurge says that they're pretty good all things considered. Mz. Eruba cheers and says that they gave those jerks a good sucker punch. Metlo turns to the group and says that he hates to bring it up now, but he's not sure what they should do. They've got the equation and they should be able to solve it soon, but other than that, are they going to go around the world to fix up the various issues? Myla turns towards Demiurge, and asks the Dragon what he has in mind.

Demiurge ponders the answer, and players are briefly given the screen to select an answer, but before the answers can even load, Omni speaks up, saying that they need to create a system that puts Demiurge at the front. The group turns towards them, and Taruka asks what they mean. The machine clarifies that moreso than any other being, Demiurge appears to have the best in mind for all beings. So, logically, wouldn't he make for a better leader than any other living being? The group mulls over this, with Demiurge starting to feel a little sheepish.

Taruka says that this whole time they'd listened to the Dragon, and they'd been able to overwhelm the most powerful organization in the world. Metlo nods, saying that he'd spent this whole time concerned about everybody and scrambled against the biggest bads. Mz. Eruba says that she hadn't known him for that long, but he has been helping her out for a while now. Myla says that he's fought for the people while others rally only platitudes about doing right by their people. The many of them declare that Demiurge needs to be an Admin.

Demiurge rubs the back of his head, and thanks them. Though, he wonders how they'll make him an admin. Metlo says that admins help make a bunch of laws and research stuff for their city. Maybe they should prepare to set up their own city. Taruka asks if that means that the Dragon is going to design laws now. Demiurge rubs the back of his head and says that they should probably establish their own base and lab first. With that, the group begins to head out.

Players won't have to face enemies on their way over, and end up down near the mountain range near where the people of the Construction Era set up camp. The large natural formulation Demiurge and party helps set up camp. Once they set it up, Demiurge heads over to a tent. There, he says that he should probably work on laws. Taruka says she can help proofread them. The rest of the party offers to take turns looking over whatever he comes up with. Demiurge thanks them, and thus goes into a tent, taking up ink and paper. There, he writes and writes. Unknown to them, machinery has been watching their movement, and returns to Emula.

Demiurge spends all day writing, and the various party members come by, telling him about various laws and comparing them against what he writes.

Octuar 27th
The next morning comes. And as it does, Demiurge is working more on those laws. He wipes his brow and says that these things are a lot wordier than he'd expected them to be. He didn't realize that people around here were so capable of finding "loopholes" in laws. As he mulls over this information, Omni is elsewhere in the camp. The machine appears deep in thought. Eventually, they seem to perk up. They reach down and grasps a rock by their "foot". They hold it up, and concentrate. The rock is soon covered in magical light, which then wraps it up. Suddenly, the rock is turned to gold. Mz. Eruba nearby noticed the shine, and comes in close. Omni changes it again, turning it to rock again. Then to silver. The leopard is in awe, stating "Holy sh-"

As she talks, Metlo and Myla race over. The squirrel says that they were on lookout, it looks like members of the strike force are on the horizon! Omni and Mz. Eruba are stunned and stand up. The rest of the team comes out of their tents, Demiurge and Taruka racing over. Taruka groans and says that they should've expected something like this! She asks how big a strike force this appears, to which Metlo says that they're bringing out a lot of those giant machines. Among them look like versions of that guardian of the power source, albeit stripped down significantly.

Myla says that they took down the forces of the structure, surely they can fight off this group if they try hard enough. However, Mz. Eruba says that they can't risk it, Omni just mastered the Alchemy spell. The group turns in shock. Omni affirms as much, demonstrating on that same rock again. The leopard says that if those guys get their hands on Omni, they'll be able to snuff out all external research on the matter and monopolize this magic. Metlo holds his chin, saying that he's sure that they'll target that machine. Demiurge says that right now, Omni's safety needs to be a priority.

The canary ponders on what they should do, that those guys will probably keep chasing them. Myla says that that amount of machines probably means that they'll really be hurting after this. If some of them can stay back long enough to damage those things... Demiurge thinks for a bit, before taking the laws he's written, and handing them over to Omni. The machine asks what he's doing. The Dragon says that he can come back from injuries no matter how severe. He wants the rest of them to keep careful look over Omni, over each other. The group is stunned, Omni especially weirded out.

They say that what Demiurge says is logical, and yet... this doesn't feel right. Taruka says that he can't just let himself be felled! Demiurge, however, says that they've seen him in action, they know the sort of damage he can do to these things. Metlo says that that isn't fair, they can't lose him after all of this. Demiurge says that he doesn't want them sacrificing themselves over this either. If there's anyone he trusts to make a better place for everybody, it's them. Myla looks on saddened, though nods. She turns to the group, and says that they need to move. The group is worried, though Demiurge is already moving to face the strike force. Several of the group members start moving, even Myla and Omni. However, with a sizable pause, they start to turn. Omni is the last to leave, looking towards where Demiurge left. They tell the Dragon that they'll make sure to see him again.

The Dragon steps forwards, with the various machines and foot soldiers coming forwards. Several of them were those siege-kind of machines that threatened Ruto, and, indeed, there were two Dragon-shaped machines at the forefront. Demiurge looks among the bunch of them, and already he's preparing a magical blast. Several of the warriors aim at him, and soon he'd let loose his strike while several blasts traveled towards him. What follows is a blur as Demiurge exchanges blows with the many enemies, while taking blows himself. They fight more and more as the Dragon is struck by severe blow after severe blow.

After that, the battlefield starts to clear, and there are several bodies and scraps of machinery strewn across the field. It is eerily silent while Demiurge himself is left taking deep breaths. He huffs and puffs as the camera lingers on his injuries. His left arms has been torn off, one eye blinded, several bullet holes, slice marks, and javelins in his hide, and his tail and wings have been worn down to their stumps. He takes some more breaths of strain, and through his blurred vision, he can see a duo of foot soldiers approaching. Three, three were left on the field, including himself. The two came closer and closer, looking over the field. One of them thanks him, saying that they now see a scene of greatness that none other their generation will see. The two raise their blasters, and Demiurge shuts his eyes, the sound of the blasts being the last thing he could hear...

With that, the era is finished. At this, players will move onto the AI Era.

## Industrial Era

### Beginning

Demiurge feels his blood rushing through his veins again. He gives his body a few shakes, though he feels as if he's restrained. He grunts and hefts, and through much strife, is soon able to move. He's forced to pull himself free from a few feet of soil entombing him, and once up, he lauds in the fresh air. He dusts himself and is able to get a read on his new body, it being around 10 feet tall and having longer horns, a longer tail, and thicker wings.

At this point, players are allowed to choose a class for him. As he gets up, he soon looks around. He finds he's risen from a grave of his own, with several other tombstones around, all within what seems to be darkness with what appear to be lamp posts positioned amongst the field. He sees on his tomb a pair of dates meant to represent birthyear and year of death, except his year of death was unknown. Beside his grave he sees that of Loonus, Nastlaya, Mongi, Dobi, Menlee, Mon, as well as others he'd come to known back in the Construction Era. Judging by the dates, they'd lived long after he was taken down by that Monster.

As he investigates, he hears a familiar voice asking him if he's feeling alright. This isn't a safe place to sleep after all. Demiurge turns, and sees the pale Dragon that raised him, Sophia. He asks what happened, to which she replies that he was put to sleep yet again. As ruler, it's up to him to ascertain what all's happened during his time asleep, but for now she can say that the Lord of the Land had taken its last breath upon falling upon Demiurge. After that the foremen were later able to remove the beast's corpse and lay him to rest. Since then, they worked hard to their goal, and apparently decided the structure they'd originally envisioned wouldn't be enough for their desires. Demiurge asks what she means, to which she motions outwards.

Looking out, Demiurge sees the fuller picture of where he was stationed. This graveyard must've been a very late creation, while everyone else built what looks like a set of arch-shaped concrete over this, forming a cross-shaped ceiling of stone above the place of reverence. And between the openings of stone, sunshine can be seen shining into the space beneath. Sophia says that the world is quite different from what he remembers, and says he should be careful. Back then he only had to worry about dumb ferals trying to kill him, but nowadays as mortal kind grows, so to does their arrogance and greed. Demiurge asks what she means, only for her to vanish.

Demiurge is confused, and takes a few cautious steps towards one of the openings. He steps out and looks back, seeing the concrete arches curved like hills and lifted up over the graveyard, which appeared to be fenced off with signs over it saying **First Construction Memorial**. As he stands there watching, he hears an odd noise akin to a chugging engine, not that he's heard one before. Looking back, he sees a sight unlike anything he's ever seen before. It was a large device of metal of a vague rectangular shape, a set of wheels positioned near the bottom corners of it that allows it to move forwards. The front of the vehicle has a bunch of various mechanical things he'd never seen before, each having connections amongst themselves or to somewhere else on the vehicle, though much of the pumps and wires appear to have some form of protective cover over them.

The device has come to a stop at the side of the road, before a door on the side of it opens up. Out comes a walrus guy with decently long tusks, what appear to be overalls, and a grungy-looking shirt beneath said overalls. He asks the Dragon where he came from, to which the Dragon is unable to answer, still clearly awestruck by the sights around him. The walrus is waiting for an answer, and asks him again. Demiurge shakes off the confusion, and apologizes, saying he hasn't seen anything like... this before. Only when he says that, he sort of motions at about everything around him. The walrus is clearly uncertain with the Dragon's words, and asks if he's feeling alright, sober and all? Demiurge swears he's ok, though supposes he's just woken up.

The walrus is still uncertain, though supposes he can't expect too much out of him. He asks where he's come, though Demiurge says he kind of just woke up here and he's not sure what's going on around here. The walrus supposes that he's stopped over already anyways... He asks the Dragon if he could use a ride. If he gets him to a city, then he should be able to collect his bearings. Demiurge supposes he'd like that. The walrus then walks over to the thing he drove in earlier, and Demiurge follows. The walrus climbs into his seat, and Demiurge climbs into the other, looking around the inside with curiosity. The walrus takes a key-like device, before slotting it into a slot in front of it. At that, the devices at the forefront of the vehicle begin to chug to life, and then it begins moving, prompting Demiurge to clutch at the seat beneath him in surprise.

Now, players are able to take control of the vehicle, able to drive around the roads. This opens up later, but for now players have a set destination to go to while being made not to stray too far from the path. There are branches of road and the occasional other vehicle, but the vehicle keeps driving, until eventually approaching a large collection of buildings, them forming a fairly thick ring of construction around one of the strangest sights Demiurge has had yet: a tower as thick around as a country, made of various metals, that stretches higher than the mountain range Demiurge remembers. The upper crust of it is hard to see, though there's plenty of smoke and such pouring form above, almost forming its own layer of black clouds. Arriving at this city, players have entered the **City of Eminence**.

The vehicle goes through the streets, these concrete slabs similarly being like what Demiurge saw before, although these ones are more straight. There are various brick/stone buildings around, each positioned so as not to obstruct the roads. The buildings are forming a sort of ring. Lampposts are around akin to what Demiurge saw back at the graveyard way back then. They drive more and more, before the vehicle stops at a corner near the start of the city. There, the walrus says Demiurge can step out and look for someone that could help him out.

Demiurge apologizes for taking his time, though the walrus assures waves him off. He says he had to make a delivery over here anyways, so it's not like he was going out of his way or anything. With that, he drives off deeper into town, in the direction of that giant tower. Demiurge watches the vehicle as it drives off, and looks up at the tower curiously. That thing was the epicenter of all of the last era's attention, and with all of this attention, he's sure that whatever's going on in their has something to do with the way the world is now. So, he feels he should go check it out.

Players can check out the general area, where they can see several animals in low amounts of clothing, though they have construction padding taken off in nearby clumps. They appear to be trying to relax, and players can hear them complain about how tired they are. Either way, Demiurge presses through the streets in the direction of that walrus guy he saw before. As he walks, though, he soon becomes aware of some presences behind him. He looks back, and sees some odd guys stalking towards him, these guys in similar low clothing. Two guys, both looking drunken and looking on the creature. One's a lithe wolf man, one's a bulky lioness.

The wolf looks at the guy and says that he looks kind of familiar. The two look closer, when the lioness suddenly speaks up and says that he looks like the guy the boss guy's been rallying behind for their work. The wolf says that she's right, before saying that this guy's the reason they've been working to the bone this long. Demiurge raises his arms defensively and asks what they're talking about. However, the duo flashes a knife each and begins approaching. Demiurge seems ready to take arms himself, though another voice brings him to halt.

The group looks to the source, and spies a guy with form-fitting clothing, metal plating positioned over the joints and vital areas, as well as a helm. He's a coyote guy slightly more muscular than the wolf accosting Demiurge. He says that the two can be charged right now, and if they stand down, he'll just let them walk away. The wolf says he doesn't care, and the lioness says that they just have to take that guy down before he can do anything to them. The coyote, however, simply flashes out a baton of small size, and tells them he offered them mercy. With that, a fight starts with **Irritable Man** and **Irritable Woman**.

The coyote's not named as of the fight, but he seems to wield Smash and Electric skills, alongside paralysis and speed debuffs. He's a very straightforward kind of character, boasting a fair amount of defense alongside decent attack power. With him, players should be able to subdue the two assaulters, who're unable to stand in the proceeding cutscene. The coyote hefts either of the two over his shoulders and turns to Demiurge, apologizing to him for the annoyance. Before proceeding, he glances at him and notes that he didn't get a good look at him at first...

The coyote introduces himself as **Officer Dale**, Demiurge introducing himself. Dale says that the Dragon should come along with him, so as to make sure he can charge the duo if he wishes, and because he wants to check something important with him. Demiurge is confused, though supposes it couldn't hurt. Demiurge begins to follow Dale, who keeps the two over his shoulders. The two head towards the tower, which is surrounded by a set of thick gates with guards around them, the majority in armor thicker than Dale's and wielding larger weaponry than his. He tells a pair at the front gate that he'll be reporting these two to the coordinater directly. Demiurge's confused about what he means by that, but the guards seem to take this well enough, and open the gate. With that, the duo are able to step past the gate, and into the construction site to **Mortal Kind's Eminence**.

The duo is past the wall, past the gate, and going across the stone road that looked like it'd account for other vehicles the likes of which Demiurge road in on. The roads lead to the tower, specifically towards house-sized doors. And beside those doors are smaller doors that it looks like people are allowed to go through. The duo approaches, and Dale leads Demiurge into the building proper. The inside boasts a city-sized room with various pillars with what appear to be dorms built into them, making them resemble thin hotels. Also, there're what appear to be lifts and stairs that lead up to upper floors, large slates of metal between various floors.

Dale leads Demiurge through the walls on the inside and says that this here is Mortal Kind's Eminence, a massive monument to the efforts of mortalkind. Demiurge remembers back to the Construction Era, and he wonders out loud where the Wild Plains went. Dale raises a brow and wonders what the Dragon's referring to. Demiurge says that there were wide plains around the construction site with a bunch of trees in "that direction". Dale is still confused, though he shakes it off and says that they'll talk about this more later. For now, he needs to show Demiurge to the boss.

They step on one of the platforms stationed around the floor, and it raises up. It brings them several floors up, and around here, they can begin to feel the vibrations of construction around them. This floor, meanwhile, has what looks like several smaller buildings are positioned around, making the area appear like a small city. Dale leads him through the inside, before eventually stopping him before a building looking to be guilded with more fancy-looking material than the rest. Dale says that the boss is through these doors, and that he'll deal with the baddies in the meantime.

Demiurge thanks the coyote, and the two split up. Demiurge isn't quite sure what he's getting into here. The world's clearly changed a lot, and stepping into this tower... It feels like stepping into a whole other world, where the environment is all pure and mechanical and cold. He shakes off a shiver, before stepping into the building. Within, he finds several guards similar to outside, and blueprints strapped wall to wall. They remind him of the stuff Loonus had, but there're far more numbers, far more shapes within several different circles, and all around the blueprints looked far more complex than before.

Towards the back of the building Demiurge had entered was a set of stairs leading to a raised platform, upon which a desk was sat with a ferret man in black, formal clothing. He was in the middle of sketching and measurements. He glances up at the sound of the door opening and closing and goes back to work on the sheet, before his eyes widened in alarm. He glanced back up and took careful vision of the Dragon, before letting down his equipment and racing down the stairs, him being around half the Dragon's height. He dashes around either side of the creature, clearly checking out the larger creature.

Demiurge is a little bashful as he's checked out, but eventually the ferret pulls back, wondering if he's seeing what he thinks he's seeing. He asks if he's a true, bonafide Dragon. Demiurge's confused at the exact question, but he says that he's a Dragon indeed. The ferret seems to jump up in excitement while pumping his fists in the air. He says that he's amazed, that the First Construction people didn't think it believable, but... He asks for the Dragon's name, and he answers "Demiurge". He jumps up again and says the stories were unbelievable, but now the one that helped set up the building is with them!

He clears his throat a little and admits that he's the current lead organizer of work on the Eminence, **Myzak**. He's been hard at work continuing the legacy of those before him. The tower's been the effort of hundreds of years, and now he needs to keep building this up. Demiurge seems admittedly weary about Myzak pushing him like this, but he clears his throat. He says that when he came here, it looks sort of like they've got things handled well enough on their end here. He came in and saw the tower far higher than he's seen before. At that, Myzak admits that it's not all sunshine and rainbows unfortunately.

He probably knows about how Makeet started its business, starting the mining and construction business and setting the foundation and all. Well, eventually metals started to get more and more scarce. So, they'd have to head out to gather more, but there's only so far one man can go on their own feet. So, his ancestors began establishing land-transport. However, the natural terrain wasn't in the best state for them for the most part, so they began developing roads that these vehicles would travel across to find untapped collections of material. They needed to set up settlements around those places in order to comfortably live there, and soon they'd have to develop larger vehicles that'd be able to transport the necessary material.

Unfortunately, a few of these guys have been less than cooperative. They apparently wished to negotiate before they submit the material they've collected. Demiurge says that the tower's everyone's goal, isn't it? What could they want in exchange for its construction? Myzak answers that he wondered the same thing, and each of them want some of the most menial things beneath the shadow of the Eminence. Some want material for houses, some want more armed men among them, some want money, apparently some of these guys have been establishing their own small leaderships among these settlements. And he's been made very aware that these are very useful materials they're holding, so they can't simply ignore them.

Demiurge says that that does sound a little troublesome. Myzak says that it's quite troublesome. Though with the Dragon here, then surely they'll be able to fix up these issues. They'll just have to go around the roads to the problem settlements, and then the material will be transported to the Eminence, and they can continue building! For now, though, it's getting a little late. He can direct the Dragon towards one of the living quarters on the lower levels and far away from the vibrations. He can relax there, and in the meantime he himself can begin organizing guards and a transport for the Dragon.

With this, the two separate. Myzak calls for a lady called **Donna**, and from a short distance into the bunch of buildings, a horse lady in thick armor comes out, her looking sort of like a walking bunker. At her side is what looks to be a chainsaw in the shape of a sword. Myzak tells Donna that Demiurge will be their new guest and will be helping with oncoming negotiations. The lady gives a nod and says she hopes he'll be of great service. Myzak assures that he will, he's the Dragon of old! Donna says she can bring him to a good housing unit on the lower level, and she'll be sure the boss knows where he'll be.

With that, they take a platform down, making it to what's considered the sixth level of the tower, each level being over 50 feet high. On this fifth level, in comparison to the hotel-like towers on the lower levels, there are modest-looking houses positioned around the area. Donna says that the first few floors had built their buildings akin to support beams for safety's sake. But as the building got more and more sophisticated, that stopped being terribly necessary, so they began making the buildings like this. There're quite a few people living on this floor, but Demiurge's house should be relatively lonely.

They go through the passages between the houses, before stumbling on one with a set of numbers carved into it. She says that as long as he stays in this house, they shouldn't have trouble contacting him. She'll go and report to her boss, and Demiurge can settle in. She thanks him for being cooperative, and the two split up. Demiurge, meanwhile, steps into the house, it being a single floor house consisting of several rooms (kitchen/dining, bedroom, bathroom, lobby, storage). Demiurge approaches the bedroom, feeling as if he'd just been told a maelstrom of information. He sits on the bed, takes a deep breath, and leans back on the bed, falling asleep.

Augua 18th
On this day, Demiurge wakes up to the sound of some knocking on his door. Metallic clangs ring out the inside of his hut, and he gets up. He approaches curious and opens up, seeing Donna from before. She says that the boss's been organizing for the upcoming trip, and that they'll be heading out soon to investigate one of these problematic areas. Demiurge nods in understanding and gathers his stuff, before following Donna towards one of the platforms.

They head down more and more, soon arriving at the ground level. Donna leads him forwards, and they soon arrive at one of the large doors marking the outside. And there, there stands a fairly big truck akin to what the walrus rode in before, except this one has a more remarkable metallic design, more coverage over its vital spots, and it bears an emblem akin to a bee, though it appears to be accompanied by a draconic symbol wrapping its wings around said bee. Beside it are a few people.

There's Dale for one, him giving a curt bow before the Dragon. Next to him is a big st. brenard lady in hefty safety equipment, a pistol at her hip as well as a case of medical equipment strapped to her other side. Donna says that this lady's a valuable asset to the team. She herself seems to survive many a dangerous strike, and seems always able to come in to help anyone that could be in trouble. Demiurge goes to shake her hand, to which she delivers a crushing handshake and excitedly tugs him towards her in a hug, insisting that he skip the formalities. She calls herself **Lin**, and she'll always keep an eye out for the lot of them. Demiurge struggles, before eventually she releases him, leaving him gasping.

Dale says that unfortunately they may have to be prepared for anything and everything. They're going in with a few less numbers than they should, so as not to appear threatening, but if they're not careful, then those that they're visiting might be threatening. Fortunately Lin should be able to keep them healthy, and Donna should tear those foes down. Donna says that it's time to get moving, and so she steps past him to get into the driver's side. The lot of them climb into the vehicle, and it heads off.

After this, players are able to control the car again, and thus able to drive out on the roads. Again they'll be limited in where they go, and the player's prompted to use a specific road. This road leads them westwards, and players might recognize this as them heading in the direction of Makeet. They go and go, and players can notice a small settlement branching off in the direction of where Makeet would be, though players can't actually visit it right now. Instead they follow the road more and more, keeping straight west (and not in the direction of the mountain range they'd interacted with before). Eventually they go more and more, soon arriving at a city adjacent from the shoreline. It appears to have a set of roads, one heading north and one heading south, under construction.

The group makes it into the city. It's presented with buildings that tend to be a couple dozen feet tall at most, a set of docks in the back with some boats (as well as a warehouse that seems partially built into the water), and all in all being 1/8th the size of the City of Eminence. This city is called **Gimono**. Donna brings the truck through the border and into it, and she tells the group to be careful. These guys have apparently been quite irritable and been in negotiation for a long period of time. They apparently want a surplus of material for constructing a vessel grand enough to rule the unexplored sea.

Dale remarks that they can't afford to spend much material, especially out in the depressing water. Lin says that it's especially an awkward goal when nothing's out there. What do they possibly hope to encounter with that vessel? Demiurge wonders if they hope to create some sort of monument themselves, akin to the tower. Donna, however, points out that they're already in the process of making one. If they're not contributing to that, then they're not contributing to the monument construction. Either way, they need to get out and convince them to change their minds.

The group steps out and into the city. There are many a person walking the city, alongside guards in similar attire to back in the City of Eminence. Said guards begin to approach, a trio of a bull, a hulking tortoise, and a swan. Seeing them do so, the citizens begin to separate from the group, weary. The guards come closer, the bull saying that the three of them are Myzak's men. Said guard looks at Demiurge closely and says that he's ever seen anything like him before. He begins to ponder where he's seen him before, when the swan guard interrupts, asking if they come with the material they asked for. Donna says they've done no such thing, and don't intend to.

The swan says that if they're not here to give them what they want, then they oughta return where they went. Donna shakes her head and says they don't need extra material. They don't need to work on this device they're working on. There's nothing to get out of this endeavor, and it's just a pointless use of resources. The bull then says that they did the calculations: the means of completing the ship requires a little less than half the material needed to complete the average floor of one of Mortal Kind's Eminence. It's a negligible amount and they'd be more than able to find whatever the water hides from them.

Dale says that that's not worth it at all. They need to make their Eminence as grand as possible, and as quickly as possible. There've been many that weren't able to even see the device begin to rise, and if they're not careful, they just might fail to see real progress on that tower. The guards put their feet down and say they refuse to budge. Demiurge turns to the trio curiously, and they're clearly upset. Donna says that they'd better come back, they need to find some way to assuage their demands. They begin to walk, when the bull speaks up, saying he recognizes that scaled boy. Thick wings, long tail, claws and firm teeth... He must be the Dragon!

The guards then take an offensive stance, the tortoise saying that if they liberate the Dragon from the foes' clutches, then they should be able to spearhead their efforts towards their own devices. Hearing that, the party draws their own weaponry: Dale and his baton, Donna and her chainblae, and Lin and her pistol. Donna tells the group to get ready, and so they fight the **Gimono Guards**. It's a fairly simple fight: the tortoise is defensive, the swan is magic oriented, and the bull deals hefty smash damage. During this, the player finds that Donna deals hefty damage, has self buffs, and wields fire magic, and they also find Lin has restorative magic, water magic, and the ability to deal stabbing damage. With their combined efforts, they're able to fell the foes, who're forced to flee. Donna then says that if they're willing to go this far, then they can't linger here long, they need to return.

On the way back to the City of Eminence, Dale says that those guys are insufferable in their demands. Lin remarks that if they lost that ship, then they wouldn't have to worry about demands. Donna hears what she's saying, but says that if they were to try anything like that, then they'll certainly lose support. They may not be able to repel any attack from the city, but there's always the possibility that they could destroy the material they could collect. Donna says they shouldn't, but remarks that they'll never break negotiation at this rate, and they've got plenty other cities to go through.

Dale supposes that they should try and find some way to get rid of their construction site asap. But for now, they need to report their incident with Myzak. However, as they drive, they notice a vehicle from Gimono ride past them and towards the city. Lin wonders what they're up to, and the vehicle goes on more and more.

Eventually they make it back to the base and the group reports to Myzak on his floor. The ferret says that he was informed of what'd transpired at Gimono. He says that the people there assured that the actions of those guards are not representative of the city. As such, they've come here to submit them for their own judgement. In the meantime... He'll personally try to settle on something to do about those guys. He expects the lot of them to be ready for when they have a mission. With that, the day wraps up...

Augua 19th
Demiurge wakes up to Donna's knocking. He approaches, and the horse tells him that she'd done some thinking. She decided that at this rate, their best bet is what Lin suggested. Demiurge asks if that's real safe, though Donna says they don't have many other options. They're refusing to respond to their requests, and they can't respond to their demands for now. Their best bet is to remove their bargaining chips. They need to be careful though, so they'll be out soon.

Augua 19th - Septmi 1st
With this, the mission is decided. Head to Gimono, break into the warehouse in the back, and destroy their construction project.

Players are able to ride in, and make it to Gimono's border. They're able to step in and not get accosted, though attempting to interact with any of the guards has them ask if they're reconsidering. Interacting with Donna has her say that they need to find some way of halting construction without exposing themselves, and warns this won't be an easy mission. Interacting with Dale has him say that he doubts they have anything more remarkable than anything the City of Eminence can produce, though they still have the material itself to worry about. Interacting with Lin has her say that those guards seemed awfully quick to go up in arms when they realized who Demiurge was, and wonders whether the guards were waiting for some chance to axe the three of them anyways. Either way, players are tasked with heading in the direction of the docks.

Approaching, they see that there are many workers around the area, as well as guards positioned around the area. Donna remarks that they can't make a straight approach. They scan more and more, when Demiurge starts to question whether they have any water transportation or not. Dale asks why he's wondering, to which he replies the warehouse is partially submerged. Maybe they can use the water to get around the guards. Lin says that she likes the idea, but they'd have to bring such a boat out into the city, which could arrange suspicion. Dale brings up that they're near the shore, maybe they can find something.

With that, the player's prompted to investigate near the edge of the city to check out the aqueous area. They have to check out near the edge of the city further away from the docks, which leads them down a natural ramp towards the sandy beach. They step down, and notice several pieces of scrap metal dotting the beach, as well as the water adjacent from it stained black. At the end of the ramp, there's a sign saying "HAZARDOUS AREA: DON'T ENTER". The group steps past the sign and looks out, Demiurge remarking that this is terrible. Donna says that this is what happens when you got people designing things outside of the Eminence's design.

Lin says that that metal could scrape them up and leave all sorts of afflictions on them. And falling into that oily water would be akin to a death sentence. Either way, they look across the beach and can see it almost connecting to the warehouse. Donna says that this is their best bet for infiltrating the warehouse without raising suspicion, so now they go across the beach in the direction of said warehouse. As they progress, they can find a few looters trying to gather the junk, and will occasionally be forced to fight them back. A few can even be seen on boats out in the water.

They eventually reach the edge, where there's plenty of scrap around the area. They look across the water, seeing that there's still a few dozen feet between them and the edge. Donna says that they should've anticipated that it wouldn't be that easy. Lin says that they can't swim across, the water's too toxic. Demiurge looks over the scrap curiously. He remarks that the stuff must've floated over here, maybe they can use it to get across? Donna says that if it came this way, then the natural flow of the water must be pushing it over here, which'd make it hard to just float towards the warehouse. However, maybe now would be a good way to find some sort of boat to cross.

With that, they begin to search the city. Demiurge seems ready to go and maybe buy something from the city, but Donna stops him. Dale points out that they need to leave as little of a trail as possible. Demiurge asks if them using a boat would be that suspicious, but Dale says they shouldn't allow for many problems anyways. However, Lin begins to get a bit of an idea for herself. The group pulls away from the public view, where Donna, Dale, and Demiurge keep watch. Lin says she's ready, before coming out, now not dressed in her uniform and into a more citizen outfit. Demiurge asks why they don't just all go in disguise, to which Donna points out that everyone except Lin has status. Dale and her are prolific guards, and Demiurge was important enough for those random guys to realize who he was.

Either way, Lin walks off, and soon enters a shop near the beach. There's a sheep guy at the shop there. It looks to've once been a fishing shop, though there's little of that on the stands. Instead, there appears to be various candies around the place, with even a sign pasted over the old sign outside. The sheep guy asks her what she needs, to which she replies that she was wondering if she could get something *more valuable*. The sheep's not sure what she means, though she leans in and says she could really use something for... personal business. The sheep pauses, though says that something like that would cost a pretty penny, especially if they're to keep this between them. Lin assures that she's sure, before placing a fistful of gold pieces on the counter.

With that, she's allowed around back, where the sheep draws out a small boat. Lin reunites with the party, to which she says they should be safe now. The shop owner doesn't want people learning about him giving out those boats those looters have been using. He's helped her hide it on the beach, so now they'll be ready. Demiurge asks how she handled that so well, to which she replies she hasn't always been as straight-laced as she appears. Dale affirms, saying that he had to turn her in one day. She'd ended up working with Mortal Kind's Eminence, and became a valuable member.

With that, Donna says they've been sidetracked an awful lot, and now's their chance to get on with their journey. With that, the group's able to get down to the beach, find their boat hidden near the edge of it, and are ready to head out. They just have to be careful of a few looters out at sea, and soon they'll make it to the warehouse.

They make it to the edge. There's a large portion of the warehouse submerged into the water, as if it's built to completely hide whatever's inside. However, near the bottom is a catwalk that the group can walk across. The bottom-most door is locked, but there's a set of stairs leading up that the group can go through. They go in, and find themselves looking upon several sealed-up boxes and oil drums, there being many guards parading around the location. Dale looks over all the junk and remarks that they have plenty of material to give to the Eminence.

They're forced to progress, forced to sneak past the guards or fight them. They're able to get through the seeming hallways of crates and are able to look at the valley between a pair of walkways over the water. And between it is a fairly large structure, it looking to be as long as five street blocks. It's made up of a lot of metal craned into a bowl-like shape and still afloat, what looks like hallways and several different floors being set up inside. Donna says that this must be that device they're talking about. Lin points out that it's massive, there's no way the four of them can break it! Demiurge, meanwhile, ponders to himself...

He asks how it's floating, to which Donna remarks that it looks like it's shape is helping. If it were a solid block, it'd fall down, but the inside is hollow, which lets it be less dense and able to float. Demiurge then suspects that all they might need to do is break the shape to sink it. The beach is far away from here, so they're probably away from any sort of shore. Dale then asks how they'll do that, and Demiurge has a thought. His elders had a technique that might help, but first they'll need some height. The group looks around, and notices a platform with a crane positioned above the boat. Lin points that out, and Demiurge says that should be a useful point to strike down at the ship from.

The group's forced to maneuver through the crates, weary of more guards and construction guys, and get closer. They soon make it to the ladder, where Dale warns that once they do this, they need to be ready for anything. After confirming that they're ready to go, the group climbs the ladder. They make it up to the platform with the crane on it, and look down on the hollow ship. Donna says that whatever Demiurge's preparing, now's a good time to do it. The Dragon nods in understanding and approaches the edge of the platform.

Demiurge takes a deep breath and places a hand over his chest, taking a few breaths. He thinks back to what he's seen his elders do, and a glow begins to shine around him, the party members stumbling back in slight interest. They watch on and see the glow march up his core, up his chest, and up his throat. He cranes his head up, before hurling it downwards to belch out a beam of Pure energy, it screaming through the air and filling the warehouse with a quick and sudden loud noise! And at the same time, the beam came down and drove through the ship, the whole thing rocking in response! Even the water beneath seemed to've split on impact! The whole of the warehouse seems to've been knocked off their feet, a shockwave emanating through the warehouse that knocked down many guards and knocked over many of the containers in the building! And then, seemingly as suddenly as the beam came, it vanished, everyone still rattled.

The party member even appeared to've been stunned, and were struggling to get up. Demiurge appears to be the only one still standing, him stepping back from the edge. The party's rubbing out the confusion in their head and trying to stand up, when they suddenly hear the sound of chaos below. The party looks over, and can see the many construction men and the guards looking on in worry, and running around in panic as the ship began to get swallowed up by the sea below. Dale exclaims in wonder at what Demiurge'd just done, when Donna says that he did what they were supposed to. Unfortunately, if anyone happened to be watching the source of the strike, they'd be able to trace the source of the attack back up here. They need to get moving, fast.

Unfortunately, the group looks down the ladder they came up, and would see that the guards are in a panic. Donna says that they'll never be able to sneak around while those jerks were racing around. Dale, meanwhile, is checking out the crane itself. He points out that this thing's probably moving the material around, and it's probably able to move around the roof. The group investigates, and finds several levers on the crane. Dale begins messing with the controls, and he's soon able to move the thing away from the ladder set they'd just climbed up. Unfortunately, this seems to've attracted a few guards, who begin to climb up the respective ladders in hopes of intercepting the crane when it gets to either of them. However, Dale's maneuvering causes the crane to smash into the platform near where they'd entered the warehouse in the first place. This tosses much of the guards on the platform off, a scant few able to cling to it.

The group steps out, seeing that there's an opening between them and the way out. They quickly scale the ladder, unaware of the few guards clinging to the platform. They climb up, before turning towards the crane. The group's rushing to their way out, when suddenly the hook of the crane slams in front of them, cutting them off. The party turns, and sees that the crane they'd just procured appeared to've turned its attention on them. It raises the hook in seeming preparation, and Dale says that they have no choice but to fight it, else those in it will be able to report them. With that, the machine will begin its assault, and players are forced to fight the **Warehouse Crane**.

The Crane is a strange device. It has little utility Skills, save for a Charge attack that can deal an awful lot of Smash damage. it also seems capable of unleashing Fire and Earth damage. It is a highly damaging device, though throughout the fight, players will find guards from within the warehouse utilizing various attacks on the Crane. Demiurge wonders what's going on, to which Donna suspects they probably think that whoever's manning the device is probably behind this terrorist attack. They probably didn't notice the four of them getting out. Thankfully with the aid of the guards and the party's own skills, they'll soon be able to overwhelm the machine. It breaks down, explosions blasting around the cockpit.

The crane is breaking, and it's soon unable to move, merely hanging over the water pit that once held the boat. With it down, the many guards are able to rush to the nearest ladder in order to investigate whoever may be stuck on the device. And while they're all dealing with that, Lin remarks that this seems to've worked out far better than they'd ever imagined. Dale says they have to get far away, fast. Donna says they've done what they can for now. Now they'll have to return home and see whether these guys are willing to change their tune or not.

With that, players are able to leave the warehouse, and are thus able to spend the remaining days doing whatever they wish.

Septmi 2nd
On this day, the party drives out to Gimono again. Demiurge wonders if they'll have changed their mind, and Donna assures that they won't have the proper material for that boat anytime soon. Not only that, but their previous fight destroyed that crane device of theirs, which'd make progress on it even harder. They'd have to be either extremely stubborn or dumb to keep on hoarding their material. The vehicle keeps going, before stopping near the border.

They walk in and start approaching the warehouse, where the guards approach. They seem a bit sheepish as they near the group. They near the party, and there's a momentarily tense moment. One of the guard approach, before kneeling before them. They say that they're willing to submit their material. Donna crosses her arms and asks what changed their mind. The kneeling guard seems unwilling to speak at first, before admitting that their plans have changed significantly. They can't go forwards with their former plans, and as such will acquiesce what they've gathered.

Dale nods in affirmation and says that they'll expect a steady line of delivery. They themselves have a vehicle to transfer bits of the material, but they expect the city to be able to pick up the slack. The guards nod, and thus walk. The guards begin setting up the material to move material to the group's vehicle, and as they walk, a pair of odd folks are watching from afar. One's a lynx teen boy with a twin-sided sword strapped to his back, and one's a shield-wielding kangaroo woman. The two look at the group, paying careful attention to the Dragon. The lynx asks if they should approach now, though the kangaroo says now's not a good time. The Dragon's shown a shocking willingness to do just what they say. They need to find a way to isolate him from the group before actually approaching him.

Either way, the car gets filled up, and now the party's free to drive back to the Eminence.

They drive off, before eventually arriving at the city. They make it in, and guards within the Eminence approach. Donna immediately motions them towards they vehicle, and they set about opening it up to gather the many metals the vehicle'd collected. While those guards are working on that, the group takes a platform up and eventually arrives at the floor Myzak's at. They approach, and Donna tells him that they've done what they set out to do. The ferret's very grateful for that, and tells them they've done a great job.

The three party members salute in affirmation, while Demiurge nods, saying he's excited to see this thing get bigger. Myzak says that the four of them are free to rest. He'll examine the things they gathered, compare the amount of material they should collect, and from that decide on who to target next. With that, Myzak returns to the cabin he'd done a lot of his work in, and the three people Demiurge walked with beforehand. He's sort of used to them all palling around after a good job, but they seem to just be splitting up to do their own thing, like they were just clocking out.

Demiurge thus begins moving to the appropriate platform, having stayed here long enough to memorize where he sleeps. He presses a button, and down he goes. As he heads down, he notices one of the platforms going up past him. And as he does, he notices something weird. On one of the platforms is a bunch of people on a platform. There're several guards on it, each wielding a pistol on their hip, and a chainblade on their other akin to what Donna held, the four of them positioned around the group almost like a square-shaped fence. Those within the "perimeter" are dressed in tight, orange bodysuits, and bear thick cuffs around their necks. Among those people, Demiurge notices a wolf and a lioness.

Demiurge attempts to approach the edge of the platform he's on to try and look into them, but the platforms zip past each other too fast. He looked on at the platform those strangers were on as if he could possibly see whoever's on it through the bottom of it. He swears to himself that those guys were the same guys that'd threatened him back when he woke up. He contemplates investigating into this, but he has no idea of knowing where that lift's going. Perhaps he'll see those guys later? For now, all he can do is rest.

### Midway

Septmi 3rd
The next day comes, and Demiurge wakes, finding himself having woken up a little later than usual. Curious he approached myzak. The ferret says that he's still looking into who they should approach next. Donna and Dale are on guard duty while Lin's among the first aid. Demiurge asks if he can do anything, to which he replies that he's not sure if the boy knows a bit about construction equipment, or if he knows about one on one negotiation... He then says that he should probably spend this time educating himself. He recommends he check out the local library, a lot of people after the First Constructors published their knowledge in those books.

With that, Demiurge begins to go towards the lift, when his memory of last night came back. He was tempted to ask this man, but, him being alone with this guy with who knows what alignment in mind, he felt a little weary about saying anything. So, he kept on pressing forwards. So he reaches a lift, and takes it down to the ground floor, ready to go through the town.

He maneuvers through the streets, and makes sure to keep a careful eye out for anyone. There are a fair amount of guards on the street, and he does get a few eyes from citizens. He eventually makes it to the library, where he meets the staff, including the lead of the library, a sheep lady called **Medya**. She's able to direct Demiurge to a particular section, and Demiurge begins reading. Time passes, and Demiurge remarks to himself that there's a lot of terms he's gotta memorize. He keeps on reading, and as he does, the duo from before enter.

Demiurge tries to keep on reading, when the lynx boy sits across from Demiurge, the kangaroo beside him. Demiurge appears to've not noticed, too deep in thought. The lynx sits for a little while longer, before carefully stepping out of the chair and walking off. The kangaroo follows confused and asks what he's doing. He asks her how he's supposed to make a cool introduction to the Dragon?! The kangaroo sighs, and she says that's not important right now, they need to talk to him. The lynx nods but says that he can't just let himself look bad. The kangaroo shoves him forwards and they re-approach the table.

The lynx sits, and tries to lean back, looking casual, while the kangaroo stands behind to make sure he doesn't tilt too far back. He clears his throat, and gets the Dragon's attention. He sees the two, and waves at them curious. The lynx visibly pauses in thought, before stuttering out that he looks to be the Dragon. Demiurge is confused at the approach, and, with pause, answers that he **is** the Dragon. The lynx gives pause, before bringing the chair down on all fours, getting up, and stepping away in embarrassment. The kangaroo rolls her eyes and sits in the chair.

She apologizes for her associate, and calls herself **Lonna**. Demiurge greets himself, and the two shake hands. He asks what the two want from him, they clearly approached him because of who he was. Lonna says that she and her brother, the lynx, he's called **Serio**, were born in this world, raised on stories of the First Constructors, and especially on the Dragon. His image is all over the Eminence's architecture, and ever since he "rose from the dead", his appearance has been lauded as a sign of the heralding of a new era, a jumpstart to the process of creating the Eminence.

And, seeing how influential that Dragon is, she says that she figured he'd be really helpful for what they want. Demiurge asks what they want, to which she explains that this world... this isn't the right world for anyone in it. Now Demiurge can say "Are you sure?", "That's ridiculous", or "No way, you see that tower?". Either way, she assures that things are far from great. He probably saw it in Gimono, but clearly everyone's not happy with just working for the tower. They've thus far spent 500 years on it, and if they were to dedicate all of their time to it, then that means looking at the same kind of damned civilization with little variation to anything. That's why when you look at cities splitting from the Eminence, you see large, sprawling networks of buildings and goals separate from that thing.

Demiurge says that he was there when they set the foundation, he saw how inspired all of his friends were to see the tower raise high. Lonna motions towards a nearby window and points out that it's already higher than any building, any mountain! And even so, does he have any idea what's been done to get it that far? Demiurge gives pause, and asks her what's been done. She decides to lead him out, and motions to the sky, pointing out the black clouds. She says that old books talked about beautiful nature, talked about the shining skies and the clean air. But she looks out there today, and can see the nature they talked so fondly of vanished, and the clear sky the talked of turned an ugly smoke black, and the clean air turned chokingly thick. And this problem is only expanded as other cities are built to try and contribute to its construction.

And that's not to mention what's happened to the common man. Demiurge asks what's happened, to which she points out that almost everyone's been forced to work a job only to support the construction. Those to operate the machine, those to do the heavy lifting, those to build the things for transportation, luxury shops to placate those that've slaved away, and those to treat those that are injured or poisoned by the disgusting mess the construction's creating. Demiurge can only look on at the sky, feeling a twinge of horror begin to take his heart as she explained.

Demiurge says that that doesn't sound terribly ideal. Lonna then says there's more. Those that do anything the upper men don't like? They get swept up by the guards and tossed into the Eminence to work directly. Those that are "imprisoned" don't get pay like other workers do. Instead their paycheck is the chance to end their forced servitude and eventually actually get money. Demiurge gives pause, and thinks back to last night. Lonna says that her and Serio grew tired of it, and want to put a stop to all of it. Demiurge gives pause, and says that he needs to think. Lonna raises a brow, and the Dragon admits that he's known some friends that wouldn't be happy to see this progress top. He just needs to think for a while. Lonna pauses, before giving a sigh. She supposes she should at least help him back to his resting spot.

With that, they walk back through the streets.

On their way over, the duo are suddenly aware of Serio approaching. They turn, and see the lynx from before being chased by a pair of truckers, a large and rotund elephant man, and a large yet muscular bear guy, the elephant with a pipe and the bear with a chain. Lonna tugs Demiurge towards a nearby alley, Serio following suit. Lonna asks him what he did, and he answers that he bumped into those guys and ended up knocking their drinks out of their hands. The three are cornered, and Demiurge asks why they went over here, to which she replies if the guards catch them about to do this, then they'll be imprisoned.

Unfortunately, the two trucker guys corner them and flash their weapons threateningly, and Lonna tells everyone else to prepare for a fight. With that, Lonna draws her shield, Serio draws his dual-sided sword, and Demiurge brings forth his weapon. The three fight the **Mad Truckers**. The two are not terribly threatening foes, this serves more of a slight demonstration of what the two can do. Lonna's a powerful defender, bearing low attack power but high defenses, in addition to the ability to draw enemy attention to herself, or to nullify a single hit of damage for a party member she targets. Serio, meanwhile, is a physical attacker that features the ability to strike twice in one turn, and even has the special skill, Summon Sword, which allows him to grant a party member the ability to deal a free Slash attack in addition to whatever action they perform.

With their combined efforts, the trio are able to fell the foes, each laying unconscious. Serio sheathes his weapon, sheepishly apologizing. Lonna sighs and says that truthfully, they shouldn't have threatened him like that. At the very least, the Dragon was surely impressed by that blade work. Serio seems quite thankful, and he says that it took him a long time developing what he calls the Sword Factory. There's a lot of blades stored in this weapon, and he's free to send them out whenever, either as blades for defense, or as individual blades. Demiurge admits that that kind of weaponry was neat.

Either way, Lonna says that she apologizes for the brief scuffle, and Demiurge admits that that's not the first time his first meeting's led to a bit of a fight. Lonna says that they're pretty close to the Eminence now. She'll see him off near it, then they'll split. They thus continue walking, and on their way, the kangaroo says that she will want to be able to move on together with the Dragon in the near future. He can think on what he's learned today tonight, but tomorrow, she'd like to keep on talking. She wants to meet him over at the southern road. That's the one that passed over the First Constructor graveyard.

Demiurge assures that he'll try, so long as there's no mission tomorrow. Lonna nods, and thus she and Serio begin walking away, the Dragon now able to enter.

Now, Demiurge goes up and interacts with Myzak. He admits that he's struggled to keep up with everything the books had to offer, and the ferret admits that it's a lot to learn in one day, so he shouldn't be too discouraged. He should just keep at it, and if his predictions are correct, he should be free to learn tomorrow. He dismisses him, though Demiurge still seems weary. He seems to struggle with what to ask, before eventually asking what happened to those two that assaulted him back when he woke up.

Myzak furrows his brow, clearly in deep thought. He taps the desk a bit, and sighs. He says that he hasn't spent much time remembering the faces and names of those that commit a crime. But if those two were found guilty, then odds are they're currently working tirelessly on the Eminence. Demiurge asks if that's entirely right, though the ferret says that they've demonstrated threats to good will and harmony. He's simply putting them back on the straight and narrow. It could be far worse: he's heard of some cities that've decided to lock them up and leave them to rot in some dank, claustrophobic room. Some execute them and leave them utterly worthless. Some... some do far worse.

He says that they're merely doing what's best for the Eminence. They serve a while, then they're free to pursue what career they'd done previously. Demiurge gives pause, as if contemplating asking him another question. But he decides that too many at this moment could be dangerous. Myzak asks him why he asked, and Demiurge answered that he thought he saw the two last night. Myzak shrugs and says that that's how it goes sometimes. Either way, they should go rest up now, it's getting late.

Septmi 4th
Demiurge wakes up, and is again tasked with keeping up his education. Myzak's still trying to decide on a negotiation to complete, and the others are doing their usual thing. And so, Demiurge takes the lift down, and steps out into the city, though a part of him says to himself that he should probably have guards around him more often in this city before he sets out.

Fortunately it's a safe walk, and Demiurge soon makes it to the street those two talked about. He goes towards a large parking garage near it, and sees the lynx and kangaroo waiting there. The kangaroo waves him over, and Serio heads into the building. The kangaroo says they'll be on their way to one of those bending the knee to the Eminence. Once there, Demiurge can see why they need to end this. The Dragon asks how they'll get there, when suddenly a vehicle rides forwards, this one seeming to be less refined than what the Dragon's seen before, instead seeming smaller and with a relatively thinner frame.

Demiurge climbs into the passenger seat, and Serio is seen visibly tensing up. He looks back and sees Lonna in the back, as well as a pretty slim doe lady, a pair of crossbows at her hips. She appears somewhat older than Lonna. She's wearing normal civilian clothes, along with the other two. Demiurge asks who she is, and the doe introduces herself as **Nonia**. She calls herself the brains of these three, and Lonna affirms, though Serio likes to think he still has good ideas. Either way, Lonna tells Serio they're going to the place agreed to, he remembers where that is, right? He assures he does, and begins driving.

Players are allowed to drive again, though for now they're required to follow the road southwards. This takes them over the hill that was made to pass over the graveyard Demiurge rose in, and south more they go, soon arriving at a city a bit larger than Gimono. It stands on flat lands, and seems to be more based around digging. It has a ring of buildings set around the circular place, and players can see near the center there being a very wide hole with various cranes and drills lowering into it, there being trails for normal people to walk around to get lower. The player's arrived in the city **Gadda**.

They park in a parking garage adjacent from the road leading into the city, and the party exits their vehicle. Lonna says that a lot of old veins were tapped out early on, so a lot of these people have resorted to digging into the earth where the veins once stood and creating cave systems themselves. Many landmasses have been torn down to prepare for this. Demiurge seems confused and begins to head up towards the upper floor. The group follows him, and he looks out across the area, generally in the northern direction. Demiurge was sure that there was a volcano around here once upon a time. Nonia says that it was probably another one of the victims.

Demiurge uses his vantage point to look towards the center of the city, where he sees the hole as wide as 5 football fields. The angle doesn't let him see the bottom of it from here. Demiurge asks what happens if they get to the bottom. Lonna says none's gotten that far yet, but if they do, then odds are they'll move onto somewhere else, and carry the stink of corrosion with it, and to turn more greenery to dust. And as long as the Eminence keeps in power, this'll happen more and more. Demiurge is stunned silent.

Serio then says that that's where they come in, while posing dramatically. Demiurge turns curious, the other two turning to address him. He says that they're out here to defeat the forces of evil that threaten the planet they all live on. Thus they shall tear down the machinery that gouges out the land, poisons the waters, and smothers the air. He then points towards the hole and says that's why they'll- Only to be swiftly tackled by Loona, who holds his mouth shut. She says that he really needs to be more careful. But for now, this is sort of why they're here. They wish for Demiurge to be able to aid them in this endeavor, to begin work on tearing down the mining machinery.

Demiurge looks over the city, and feels kind of cornered. He still had part of his heart towards the First Constructors, but this is still pretty bad. Considering he's here already... He supposes that he can try. Serio leaps up excitedly and races towards the car down in the parking garage. There, he opens up the trunk in the back, before pulling up a bunch of clothing. Lonna grabs hers and brings it on, giving herself a layer of kevlar padding, a hood, and a mask over her face. Nonia dons a black, padded suit and some gunk over her face, almost wholly covering herself. Serio, meanwhile, dons a flowing cape, several belts over his torso for some reason, and an eyepatch. Demiurge finds himself looking on confused, and Lonna says that he's been reading some funny YA books. She then motions Demiurge to the hood and says they tried to get something for him to blend in, though Nonia remarks that he'll probably be recognized anyways, just means they need to be more careful.

With that, Serio says they strike pronto, and Lonna orders they go to the loading bay, now.

The party heads towards the appropriate setting, having to head towards a parking area set near the road that heads north towards the Eminence. There there're several sets of garages that can open up to let the storage devices within be let out and loaded onto trucks, the likes of which are either out doing whatever, or are parked at the parking area. There're a few guards set in the location, and Nonia remarks that those guys are a little tricky.

Serio says that they need to form some sort of entrance into the facility. That means either finding a gap in the exterior around the mining facility, or they need to find some way to open up those garages. Nonia says that they seem to only open up when a vehicle comes in to collect, but that unfortunately means stuff's going out, not going in. If they need something from the outside, then someone drives the gear through the gate. Serio then says that that means they need to find a way to open those from the outside then.

So, they try and approach, though the parking area's got a few guards around. Demiurge, Lonna, and Nonia linger back, trying to find some good way past these guys. However, Lonna peeks around and asks where the lynx is. They see Serio sneaking near the two. Lonna grasps her ears in worry and Nonia immediately begins readying her crossbows. Serio extends a blade from his weapon, and goes to bash one of the guards over the head. The guard seems unfettered, and turns towards the lynx. He pauses like a deer in headlights, and says he hadn't thought this far.

While the guards are sizing him up, each drawing a baton, Nonia aims and fires a bolt between the two, it exploding into a blinding smoke. Serio stumbles back before turning and running away. Lonna motions him towards them, though the guards are eventually able to escape the fog and chase down the lynx. They pull around the corner they're hiding by, and Lonna says they should get ready. They come close, and a battle starts with the **Gadda Guards**. It's also a fairly simple fight, though the guards are able to deal both smashing and stabbing damage with their batons and gunshots. Fortunately, the full party's more than able to take care of them, especially with Nonia. She has access to many ailments, as well as an ability to essentially cast Had or Cym on a party member as if it were a Buff (an ally gets healed each turn if the former effect is on them, an ally gets various ailments healed each turn if the latter is on them).

They're able to fell the guards, and each party member brings their weapons back. Lonna says that that was really dumb, and Serio supposes that it is, and he's sorry, he's so sorry. Nonia, meanwhile, looks towards where the guards were hiding, and she says that that boy's distraction drew the guards away from the others and gave them an opening. Lonna seems surprised by this assertion and looks, seeing that Nonia's telling the truth. Nonia says that now's their chance to potentially open up a path inside. So, the group steps forwards, Serio getting a little bit of his confidence back, and in they go.

The group's thus forced to investigate the parking area while evading guards around here. They're tasked with going to the various garage doors and testing them. They're able tor each the one at the far end, which Lonna's able to crane open with a combination of her shield and one of Serio's swords. They lever the door open, and each party member's able to climb in. They appear to be in a more dilapidated part of the factory, with a lot less equipment around while the door they went through doesn't appear maintained. Lonna remarks that there must've been some sort of factory malfunction around here and they've yet to repair it.

Nonia says that they're quite fortunate, while Serio says that this seems like a great part to set up the first checkpoint. Lonna also says that they've made some pretty good progress so far, but for now, if Demiurge wishes, now's probably a good time to return home and restock. Demiurge asked what if he were to expose them, to which she says that that's a risk she's willing to take. Truth be told, she believes that the Dragon does truthfully want to do what's right. She does believe that he'll help save the world, and it'll start with this city.

Either way, the party decides to break for now. They return to the garage and put their disguises away, before driving off. They stop at the City of Eminence, and Demiurge is let out. Serio says that they'll be working on this for the next couple of weeks, and they hope Demiurge can get involved. They'll wait here for sign of him. Demiurge understands, and thus heads over to the Eminence to rest, hopeful he won't run into any missions for the upcoming future.

Septmi 5th - Septmi 16th
For this duration, players are able to head south in order to work on the mission in Gadda. Throughout this, they get to work alongside, and bond with, the rebellious party members.

They start in the garage they'd previously broken into, and they're tasked with pressing forwards, having to go through the insides. The inside has several more guards, as well as having quite a few wheeled machines that're meant to transfer containers around. The progress is slightly tricky, what with the party being less defensive than the previous group. Among the guards, there are people dressed in a similar fashion to what Demiurge saw on that platform on the night of Septmi 2nd. They're transferring material around the location and manning the various machinery, and Lonna remarks with disgust that those people are being used everywhere. Nonia says that they may've done bad things, but it doesn't warrant what these machines do to them.

They eventually make it towards the way out of the garage, and into the halls of the mining facility. Stepping in, there are more guards to go through, and it appears that there're many guards around here. Lonna says that they'll have to make their way to the various cranes and the cliffs inside the complex. There they can prepare to topple this whole operation. As such, this involves progressing through the halls to try and find the appropriate doors that lead to where you need to be.

Among the locations within, players will be forced to go through various locations, as in the process, they'll need to acquire some keys to get into the appropriate locations.

Players are able to go to a set of quarters near the garage. Stepping in reveals several bunk beds with footlockers positioned around the room, with a few people in orange jumpsuits lying in them. Serio remarks that this is where those poor prisoners lay. Demiurge covers his nose and remarks that it reeks, Nonia saying that the prisoners around here don't have a lot of time to change their outfit or to bathe. They have to live in that. The party then has to move around, and will occasionally have to contend a prisoner that seems to want to get some sort of bonus for taking down the rebels. Searching manages to net the player some keys for the forge sector.

With the key, they're able to traverse the halls and head towards a set of doors, through which players are able to get into the forge sector. Here, there are many workers that'd taken the various metals from deeper in the area, and were setting them out on the forge, some being placed on a conveyor belt towards a bed of molten metal, before being spilled out into channels that shape the magma into appropriate shapes. And many workers, be they prisoners or otherwise, are seen later in the track and beating on the metal, forming them into bars that're easier to pack up and transport. Players have to deal with more guards and more prisoners, some of the prisoners now able to utilize fire and earth magic.

They progress further and further inwards, and as they do Demiurge notices a commotion. Among those working on the forge, there's one of many guards progressing through and observing each of the workers' progress, paying attention especially towards the prisoners. The guards are seeing using some form of restoration towards some of the guards. Among them, there's a blue jay prisoner man who's slumped forwards and not acting. The guard approaches said blue jay and nudges him on his shoulder. The guard pushes harder, and gravity seems to tug him down, yanking him away from his work station and crumbling to the ground. The guard nudges his side with his foot, only to get no response. He resorts to kicking a few times, the sound of cracking even being heard, and still no response. The guard seems more annoyed with this information, and proceeds to carry him on his shoulder, and walks off.

Demiurge asks what that was about, to which Lonna explains that the workers often get exhausted. They usually offer assistance to those that get paid, but the prisoners are usually left on their own, they don't actually get paid. If they pass out, they're taken away to rest. And if they're unresponsive then, then they get buried. Demiurge shivers at that, and says that this should be stopped. Nonia says that at the rate they're going, they should be able to end this factory at least. Serio declares that they shall press onwards posthaste.

They progress beyond the forge and soon make it to the inner hallways, which seem to be what separates them from the outside. Nonia warns that they're getting close, but when they get close, they should each be ready to race on out. Lonna and Serio nod in agreement, though Demiurge seems unaware of what they mean by this. Either way, they progress forwards, through the halls, before soon getting into the mining pit, where many workers and prisoners are seen progressing down the artificial slopes to gather whatever material hasn't been gathered yet, and transfer them up to conveyor systems that feeds the material into the factory.

Once here, Nonia says that they're ready to prepare the deconstruction of the factory. They should set up the perimeter of the mining pit, and after that, up to the cranes. So the player's required to maneuver around said perimeter, interact with certain positions, and leave a bomb with a fairly long fuse, which Nonia's quick to cover up with some rubble. Throughout, players again have to contend with prisoners, workers, and guards. After that, she says that they can use some of the conveyor belts to get close to the roof, and then they'll be able to prepare the cranes' destruction. However, she warns that once those are set up, it's time to get out.

With the player's permission, the group's able to make their way up the conveyor belts and onto the roofs, where they're able to get to the bases of the various cranes, Nonia able to set the charges. Once in place, Nonia says that she'll prepare for the protest, while the rest of the group should begin heading to the way out. With that, the parties split, Nonia going around to the previously planted bombs, and the rest going towards the entrance they'd previously gone through. They march through the insides, and as they do, Demiurge asks how they're going to evacuate everyone. Lonna assures that everyone will be safe, before telling Serio to scout ahead for anything, which the lynx does emphatically.

With him out of earshot, Lonna turns and says that this is one of some very unfortunate sacrifices. Demiurge is alarmed by what she's suggesting. Lonna says that if anyone were to warn those in here, then someone else could either investigate the place for their sabotage, or they could place them on a sort of suspect list. That's among what Nonia and allies say. Demiurge says that there are prisoners here, people held in these walls against their will. They'll die. Lonna says that by the time they're imprisoned, they're already dead. It's either die for a better future, or work themselves for death once they're caught. That's how it was for their parents, and that's how it will be unless they tear down all of this Eminence work.

Before Demiurge can respond, Nonia appears in the hall, seeing the two. She asks about Serio, and Lonna tells her she had to point him away when Demiurge began asking questions the boy wasn't prepared for. Nonia says that the fuses are lit, and now they need to go, fast. At this, a timer appears on the UI, and players have 45 minutes to escape, the timer pausing during cutscenes and periods of conversation. The group's thus forced to run as fast as they can, for the timer still runs during combat portions.

Eventually, they make it to the garage. They're heading to the hideout they'd initially setup, though on their way, Nonia gets the parties' attention and motions towards one of the doors. There, they can see a lot of parts getting loaded into one of the vehicles. Lonna asks how much time's passed, to which the deer answers that those trucks'll be out of here by the time the protest is finished. She says that if those make it to the road, the Eminence will still get a lot of material out of this. Serio says that they can't be allowed too much leeway! Demiurge asks if they should really do this, though Nonia says that this'll be all the better for felling Eminence. Without their supplies, their morale will take a toll.

Either way, it seems Demiurge can't talk them out of it, and players are forced to battle the **Three Transport Trucks**. The trucks themselves don't actually act, instead boasting fairly high defenses and health. There are a few things to worry about in this fight though: reinforcements will arrive in the form of guards and workers, and the timer's counting (though here it'll start at 25 minutes). The reinforcements will utilize various techniques, including healing and techniques to have them take damage instead of the trucks. But fortunately, through the use of various debuffs, hard work, and through a steady stream of damage, players should take out each truck's HP, them each falling to pieces.

With those down, Serio stands triumphant, looking over the rubble. He tells Demiurge that he did amazingly, and that he's sure he'd be a worthwhile member. However, while he's turned, he's suddenly struck with a gas which knocks him out. Demiurge seems surprised, though looking around reveals Nonia's fired a shot from her crossbow at him. Lonna's quick to pick him up, and Demiurge is about to ask why, though Lonna says that he's not ready to see what's about to happen.

The group flees from the mining facility, and the bombs they'd planted get closer and closer to detonation. Eventually, their fuses reach the bombs, and they each explode, shocking much of the workers. The structure beneath the cranes start to collapse, and the devices hoisting the drill and other such cranes fall down, bringing the construction equipment either down towards the ceneter of town, or crashing into the city proper. Meanwhile, the bombs around the mining pit itself explode, causing the cliffs hoisting the factory to crumble, pulling much of the facility down. Workers still in the pit are only able to look up in alarm as several tons of factory and earth rubble come down on them. Meanwhile, a massive storm of dust erupts from the facility, covering the city while the whole of the factory falls to pieces, covering much of the streets and damaging a lot of the city infrastructure.

Demiurge and party, including the still asleep Serio, are in the parking garage, Demiurge looking over the city and hearing the screams and wails of horror while guards are storming the streets to try and make sense of the situation. Meanwhile, Lonna says she'll be getting Serio into his normal clothes, and asks nobody watch. She walks off to a part of the garage, while Demiurge and Nonia are left alone together. While there, Demiurge is still just watching.

Nonia says that it's not pretty, but it's a necessary step in fixing this world. A part of her regrets dragging those two in. Lonna herself is quite remarkable, but that Serio brat's too infantile. Those that are to fix the world need to be prepared to hurt, and that lynx's still at that age where if he were to find out what he was actually doing... Unfortunately, Lonna didn't want to join, because otherwise she'd be split from that boy. Since they lost their parents, she's had to raise him on her own, and, eccentricity aside, she's done pretty ok with him.

Either way, if they really had a choice, those two probably wouldn't be here right now. But they managed to show themselves off well enough, and now they've shown a fair bit of progress in their performances. Demiurge meanwhile... he's doing really well for having just joined. If he were to become a full member, then the Eminence for sure will fall. She says that if he cares for this world, then he needs to prepare to get his hands dirty. They'll drive him back, and the three of them will frequent the city for any future response from him.

Either way, Demiurge's returned home, and players are able to spend the rest of their time doing whatever.

Septmi 17th
By now, news has spread about the terrorist attack in Gadda. Vehicles are driving out to try and provide relief, while there's much chatter in the streets, them terrified of the effectiveness of the attack. The Eminence got a fair amount of material from it in the past, but it's still a major loss. That place of mining has been destroyed, and it'll probably take years for anyone to dig through it. And that's to say nothing of the losses...

Demiurge thought to check out the city, and already he's hearing some bad news. While exploring, a guard finds him, her saying that Myzak's asking for Demiurge and the others to meet him on his level. Hearing that, the Dragon goes back into the tower and up to the floor, on the way bumping into Donna, Dale, and Lin. They convene on the floor with his cabin, and hang for a while. They linger outside his cabin, and each begin to exchange looks.

Lin asks if anyone knows who did this, and Donna replies that nobody was able to report, unfortunately. Dale says that there've been minor attacks and acts of protests. Some factories reported having bomb packages or having bombs strapped to their trucks. But this... They managed to strike in such a way that they completely tore apart the foundation of the building and tear it all down. They'd have to've been let far in so they could do that much damage. Demiurge feels sheepish, though asks for confirmation that these attacks have happened before. Dale confirms that their factories have faced quite a few attacks but nothing of this scale. Lin then says that it's unlikely they'll be ignored now. There'll probably be quite a bit of work going into destroying them.

And then, a guard opens the door, ushering the group in. In they come, and they stand before Myzak. Instead of writing on the papers or making calculations, he's seen with several upon several guns on his desk, him loading bullets into the lot of them. He saw the group, and welcomed them. He said that he's been... better. There'd been whispers of a terrorist organization, but now it's been confirmed. He stops loading his guns, before taking up a letter and placing it on the desk. Donna looks over it, reading it. It explains that this was merely one of several victories to come. The Eminence will come crashing down from the heavens, mortals' pillaging of the earth will be ceased, and nature will reclaim what was rightfully taken from it. They can shut down now, or they can keep up this fight.

Lin asks what they can do, to which Myzak says that there's one thing they can do: rain the absolute judgement of the Dragon upon these heathens. They will locate these foes, find where they've cooped up, and destroy them. Dale asks how they can do that, to which Myzak says he'll be investigating long and hard. For now, he'll want the group to head out to see if they can do anything to help. The party leaves, though Myzak speaks up, saying that he wishes to spend time with Demiurge. This is probably really stressful for him, so he wanted to do something for him.

The party leaves, while the guards stand outside. Demiurge asks what Myzak wants to do. The ferret, meanwhile, pulls up the letter, and explains that he'd created an altered duplicate of the letter. He said he didn't want to raise suspicion with his fellow men, but there was more to the message. He then pulls out another letter, and it has much of the same, except Demiurge distinctly sees the terrorists explaining that they had divinity on their side, and were able to bring forth destruction unlike anything any'd seen before.

Demiurge feels the color drain from his face and he steps back. Myzak assures that he won't punish him, but for now, he wishes to know how it happened. Demiurge pauses, and explains, the screen blanking as he explains the story. The ferret soaks in the information, saying that it sounds like they exploited the boy's naivete. Demiurge swears that if he knew the harm they'd caused, he wouldn't have done it, and Myzak assures that he's aware. It hurts what Demiurge's done, but it does give them an opportunity. He's friends with members of the terrorist group, which means through him, they might be able to find their hideout. So, he'll keep the rest of the world in the dark so to speak. But in exchange, he wishes Demiurge to find where this group stays so they may finally bring rightful judgement on them.

Demiurge gives pause. Then, he asks if they have a point. Myzak raises a brow, and the Dragon asks if all of this construction is too harmful. Myzak asks if this is about the prisoners and the nature outside. The Dragon pauses, though that seems to confirm it for the ferret. He explains that as unfortunate as it is for the prisoners, they live in a world where some people apparently can afford to go against the grain. People like that need to be kept away from people they can hurt and kept under monitor. There're a lot of harmful people, and a lot of those people can't hurt others now stuck working all day.

As for nature... He asks Demiurge if the old world was all sunshine and rainbows back when it was owned by nature. Demiurge seems confused at that, and Myzak continues. In the old days, powerful creatures ruled the world, harsh weathers buffeted the commonfolk, and trips around the world can take many days and require them using many provisions. Hell, Demiurge himself had been slain by two powerful creatures, the likes of which would've gone on to terrorize the common person or worse. People who say the nature would be best for everyone only ever see the forest for the trees and not the dangers within, while the cities provide some form of safety, so long as the guards remain stalwart. He guarantees that if one day everyone were forced to camp for a while, they'd come crawling back to the urban paradises and would never ask for anything again.

He then turns towards Demiurge, and says that they as people have grown past such a wild world. To even attempt to crawl back to that nothingness would be akin to reversing evolution. And if these people did have a leg to stand on, if their cause were so just, would they truly resort to such underhanded and destructive tactics? Demiurge pauses and shuffles in place, clearly in contemplation. Myzak seems to consider the conversation over, and he tells the Dragon he wants what's best for the people, and right now, their best is the tower reaching as high as it can and achieving the dreams of old. He apologizes that others have gone and made it more complicated than that, the boy doesn't deserve that.

He approaches and comfortingly places a hand on his shoulder, which is a little tricky considering Demiurge's taller than him. The ferret says that they'll promptly wipe out these terrorists, and everything can continue as it should. For now, though, the Dragon's free to sleep. He's probably got a lot of stress on his shoulders. With that, Demiurge steps out and goes down a lift alone. As he does, he thinks to himself, pondering either "Is Myzak right?" or "Are the terrorists right?", depending on the player's choice.

### Penultimate

Septmi 18th
On this morning, Demiurge wakes up. He steps out of his resting quarters, knowing that he has a mission. So, he rides down a nearby lift and steps into the city proper. Once out, he steps out to around where he last saw Serio and group. He approaches, and can see the lynx and the kangaroo, the two seated at a tea shop. Lonna's drinking, and Serio sees him and waves him over. He approaches, and Serio says that he's excited to see him.

As Demiurge approaches, he gives pause, while Serio seems excited to talk about the previous mission, though Lonna's quick to cover his mouth and motion for him to quiet down. He's in deep consideration, thinking back to last night. But ultimately, he needs to at least know where these guys are holed up, so he can decide to either join them, or expose them. So, he says that he'd like to come to their home. Serio leans forwards excitedly, while Lonna seems uncertain. She says that she and her brother don't exactly have the permission to do something like that.

Demiurge asks if they can get permission from the appropriate guys, and Lonna says they should do that. And considering the Dragon's status, she doesn't doubt he'll be let in. They'll keep visiting here daily, so Demiurge merely needs to visit them. The Dragon nods, and the two get up before leaving, Serio waving him goodbye excitedly while Lonna gives a more professional wave. They're heading to the parking garage, and Demiurge himself walks away.

As he walks, he sees the vehicle Donna usually drives coming down the street, before stopping next to him. Once there, Lin steps out and tells Demiurge that the boss wants them to oversee progress on the Gadda recovery. Demiurge enters the vehicle at their request, and it drives off.

They arrive down in the worn city. The dust cloud that formerly enveloped the city is faded now, though there's still plenty rubble around the location, most of it being the mining facility, but several being buildings that've been shattered. Many people are left in the street without homes, it's stated that many had left Gadda in light of the attack, and there are several guards with excavation equipment that are trying to grind through the rubble to find anyone. The group's out of their vehicle, and Donna says that the two of them will make sure to keep the peace, and Lin will have to prepare to heal anyone hurt.

They set out, and for now, Demiurge's able to go around the general area and interact with the people there.

* There's several medical tents near the problem area. There he can find Lin alongside other medics, each administering restorative magics. In a lot of them, the afflicted are lying in beds and some are in recovery on wheel chairs. Some are seen undergoing training to work through the trauma and walk again, though many are still needing help. Speaking with Lin has her reveal that there's still a lot of people unaccounted for. They've recovered many bodies, many body parts, and many dismembered. They're trying to keep up spirits, but...
* Demiurge can approach the start of the excavation trail, where Donna is seen looking over the process. She says that the groups are working hard at getting through the material. They've got the sniffers out front trying to find any signs of life, and hearers with them listening for anyone. Workers are discouraged from stepping directly on the rubble for fear of putting any stragglers in danger. She can understand Demiurge wanting to help, but this is unfortunately a situation that requires very careful hands and equipment, and she's not sure if the Dragon's trained well enough in it.
* Demiurge can see Dale ordering a few guards by a soup kitchen set up near the location, with people in dirty and ratty clothing coming up to eat. Nearby, the crane that was blasted was downed, and workers are trying to tear through the material to make it small enough to take apart. Dale explains that a lot of homes were lost and a lot of workers without employment right now. A lot have left already, but many are too scared or lack the resources to go anywhere, so the people are trying to raise spirits at home.

After conversing with them, players are able to progress to the next story beat. The party members meet back up. Dale says that the guards appear to have the relief efforts settled. Donna says that the guards have made progress and were able to find a few more bodies. Lin says that they've been bringing vitality up, but the many people here were still suffering from trauma, and many of them were missing limbs still. Demiurge falls silent and bows his head. Donna says that this process will keep on, so they'll have to be strong for it. They may not be chosen to attend tomorrow, but for when they arrive again, they need to face whatever this city has for them.

They're about to leave, though the sound of glass shattering nearby is heard. They race to the noise, and find a group of looters have broken the window of an abandoned apartment and are heading in. Seeing that, Dale points and orders them to stop. However, the looters just try and speed up and race in. Seeing them resisting, the party races forwards to subdue the **Looters**. It's a simple fight, though a nice reminder to players of how this party plays, in case they hadn't done anything with them during the prior chapter.

They're taken down, and Dale and a few other guards group around the felled looters. Dale says that he'll work through the process of imprisonment is for these guys is, now that the factory's out. Donna says they'll be going back to the Eminence now. With that, the two parties part, and head back to the Eminence, where Demiurge sleeps the rest of the day away.

Septmi 19th
Demiurge wakes up, and heads down to the tea shop he'd seen beforehand. There, he sees the duo again, though now they're accompanied by Nonia again. They see him, and Serio says that he's in. Nonia nods in affirmation, and says they'll finish this drink, and then head off.

And so, they finish up, head to the parking garage, and drive off. This time, they take the road east. They ride out, before eventually reaching a part of the road. Serio looks out and notices a kilometer marker, these things used to denote how far cities are from the City of Eminence. The one he sees marks "150 KM". Once there, he sharply turns to the side, the vehicle swiping over the curb and riding over the soil and out. Demiurge watches as they go off road and head out south on the plains.

They head out more and more, soon coming upon an odd building larger than a football field, it having its own parking lot and what looks like an old mill for crafting asphalt. It's out in the middle of nowhere, several other vehicles parked in the parking lot attached to it. The group vehicle stops outside of it and near the others. They come out before heading to the shack, Lonna saying that sometimes guys made these buildings outside to give themselves little checkpoints to work on the road more and more. Less material needed to be sent farther distances. Since they completed this road, there've been very few workers left in the facility, when their organization came in.

They walk forwards, approaching the front door of the facility. Out front were a duo of guards, the two clad in plate armor and wielding a spear each. Seeing the group, they eyed them each, and spied the Dragon. Seeing the four of them, they spread away and motioned them forwards. The four walk forwards, led by Nonia. They open the door and pass through, finding a fairly plain-looking lobby area with what looks like timecards next to clocks that'd run out of energy a while ago. There's also a big desk next to a set of double doors, there being a person in similar plating there, a big axe in front of them. One can see muscular, tiger-like flesh through gaps in the armor. Lonna gives him a gentle wave, greeting him as **Sten**. He greets them, saying that they did great work getting the Dragon here. Serio nods excitedly in response, and so they press in, the duo opening up the door beside the desk, Demiurge now free to see what the terrorist base looks like.

Inside, players enter the **Terrorist Base**. One sees a fairly hollow-looking building. There're various silos with pipes attached to them and leading to long dead forges, each silo positioned around with scaffolding positioned to let someone reach up to the top of them. There're also taller silos with higher scaffolding to match them. Near the borders there are staircases that lead up to the respective scaffolding, as well as separate staircases that lead up to a bunch of doors stretching across walls on five different floors above the ground floor. These're presumably dorms for what would've been workers. Instead of workers however, there are numerous guards in heavy armor, a few gunmen with lighter armor, and what looks to be a few healers dressed somewhat similarly to Lin.

Nonia says that the boss'll be towards the uppermost floor. With that, players are prompted to take the stairs. And as they do, they can get a better vantage point on the floor, where they can see other people making bombs akin to what Nonia used, crafting poisons, working on weaponry, and so on. They take the stairs more and more, before soon making it to the uppermost floor, them passing various guards and gunmen that give a respectful bow to the Dragon. He presses on, and soon they approach a catwalk that leads over the factory floor and into what appears to be an observation platform, a closed off room with a big window looking down on the floor. It appears to have a similar catwalk opposite it and lad over the opposite wall, that one moreso having a bunch of silos as opposed to dorms.

They go through the door and find several desks and chairs, though they're spread to the walls. At the back of the observation platform is a desk in front of a similar chair, though seated at it is an important-looking man with a pair of guards on either side of him. The important-looking man is a strange cheetah man in light, spiked armor with what appear to be hardened braces over the arms and legs. His fur also appears grayed in certain parts. He sees the Dragon, and thanks Nonia and group for their efforts. Nonia gives a bow, assuring the cheetah, **Maki**, that the Dragon will turn the tide for them yet.

Maki is grateful. He turns to the Dragon, and remarks that he's served the Eminence, and that he's served his subordinates here recently too. The Dragon nods and says that he hasn't gotten much of a chance to examine the tower, but he couldn't quite tell him all there is to know about it. Maki assures that he himself has seen the tower firsthand. He once lived in the city of the Eminence. He was young and saw a few of the guards harassing some citizen, so he stepped in to stop them. But they slapped charges of "assault" on him and tugged him into that tower.

He worked, and while inside, guards would continue to harass the prisoners, and he'd try and stop them, only to get beaten down and get his sentence extended. He's spent 40 years working his sentence off, and all throughout, he could see the darkness sewn into the Eminence. The guards were law and above punishment so long as no one else could expose them, he could see the sky get darker whenever he worked the higher floors, and he heard whispers of the tactics Myzak used to make those that object to the Eminence kneel. Demiurge can't help but shudder under the cheetah's words as he thought back to some of the stuff he saw.

Demiurge asks about what happened at Gadda, to which Maki says it was necessary. As he does, though, Lonna's quick to cover Serio's ears. Maki says that this isn't a simple issue they can ask for a few rules to be changed. They'd be better off tearing tearing everything down and building back up, and the first place that needs to start is with the fall of the Eminence. Demiurge thinks back to the past era, where the people there looked forwards to seeing this thing reach high into the air. Demiurge is quiet, and Maki raises a brow, as if waiting for him to say something.

Demiurge can say "..." or "But..." Either way, Maki seems uncertain. He says that this is a question of right and wrong. Demiurge can stop this, or let the evil of the Eminence continue. People will suffer, the land will get worse, and more families will be broken. Demiurge still pauses, and Maki scowls. Demiurge asks what he'd have him do if he were to join. Maki bares his teeth as Demiurge says "if", before saying that they need to trim the ruling powers. Even if they beat the Eminence, creeps like that will hasten its recovery and bring them back to where they are. That means those high guards, Donna and Dale, and Myzak have to go.

Demiurge seems surprised, and Nonia says that those two are among the most esteemed members of Myzak's staff. It'll take a lot of effort on their part to try and replace the damage done, and in that time, they may have a chance to deal a devastating blow to the Eminence. Demiurge still seems uncertain, though his consideration is halted when the door to the observation platform opens. The group turns, and sees a squirrel guy coming in. He seems to have a few small explosives, akin to what Menlee had. Maki sees the man, and asks what brings him here. He asks for whoever coordinated the attack on Gadda.

Maki says that that was a facility that gave the Eminence the material it needed. The squirrel says he had family there. He took a trip there and looked for them, only to find their dorm smashed under the rubble. He wants to know who's behind it! Lonna begins to step forwards and says that they only did what was necessary, when the squirrel raises one of the explosives. Everyone in the office gets weary, and Nonia flicks her crossbows up, ordering him to stand down. The squirrel, however, says that they'll pay, they'll all pay! Suddenly, Demiurge and the rebellious party are thrust in a battle with the **Vengeful Man**.

It's a fairly simple fight, and down he goes, overwhelmed by their attacks and knocked out. Maki orders his guards to seize this man, and they rush in to grab him and carry him off. Maki says that that's an unfortunate side effects, a few people being a little too narrow minded for this fight. They let short-term goals cloud a more hopeful future. Maki sighs and says that there was a lot of stress building in this office. He says that Demiurge can cool down for a bit, he just wants him to eventually get them ready to take down Myzak's top men. That means preparing an assault on the Eminence's barracks.

With that in mind, Demiurge sets off back to the city, aided by the rebel party.

They make it back to the city, where the rebel party says they'll show up here each day whenever Demiurge is ready. If he wishes, he can just scoop them up and they'll make their attack. And if they convince him, they should be able to bring Maki along for the fight. Demiurge separates from them and goes off to the tower, where he goes to his floor. There, he sees Dale waiting for him at his cabin. He says that Myzak will want Demiurge's report soon. He nods, and the coyote begins to walk. He says that now's a scary time, but people like him and himself need to be strong in it. Because if they're not, they'll have to remain afraid unfortunately. That doesn't mean they can't rely on each other. Demiurge thanks him, and so Dale walks off.

Demiurge makes it to his momentary home, and now realizes he's left with two choices. The Eminence, or the Terrorists. People will get hurt either way, either in a perpetual cycle of oppression and pain, or through bursts of chaos and pain. Demiurge's forced to think and choose, one way or the other. He can hardly sleep as his decision jostles his brain.

With this, one of many different branches occur. It's not prompted by a simple Menu Choice. No, instead, players are prompted to meet up with one of two party groups and subsequently go to one of two locations. The article will detail either route, and will show off the results later.
#### Team with Myzak and Group, attack the Terrorist Base

Septmi 20th - Octuar 6th
This route has players side with the Eminence's group. Demiurge goes up to Myzak's floor, where they find the three party members, in addition to Myzak himself, who's armed himself with several guns, among which includes two machine guns that he wields for normal attacks.

Myzak swears to the Dragon that they will give those worthless dregs of society just what they deserve. Players are thus able to drive wherever, though their mission requests they go to the Terrorist Base. They drive over there, and once there, Myzak remarks that a part of him imagined something more grandiose than repurposing an old bit of their tech. But he supposes he shouldn't expect much out of these foes. Either way, there's no telling what the enemy's done to prepare their base, so they should remain alert. First, Myzak says they should investigate the outside for any alternate entrances, they've probably laid some trap at the front.

They investigate, and soon uncover the garage area towards the rear, where the trucks would be parked and they'd load the asphalt on them. There's no telling whether or not someone could be keeping an eye out on this area, nor do they have a real knowledge of now many people are in there, unless Demiurge got a good look at all of them. The Dragon says he hasn't seen all of the facility. Myzak says that there's probably some form of guard in the back, though he's positive the front will assuredly be deadly.

Either way, they're forced in the garage area, where as expected, there are a few armored men, a few kitted in explosives like that squirrel from before. The group has to progress through them and eventually into the facility itself. Unfortunately doing so, they soon become noticed by several guards, the lot of them racing away and beginning to prepare themselves for any resistance. Donna says that they're in it now. Either way, she's prepared to tear them apart.

They go forwards, the many people inside forced to run away as the Eminence group goes forwards. As they progress, soon Sten approaches, him wielding the axe he was seen beforehand. He sees the group, and focuses on Myzak. He tells him that he's got some nerve showing himself. In here, there isn't a single person that isn't pissed at him. Myzak says that there's not enough hours in the day to contemplate everyone's feelings. He looks towards the future, and surely it'd do these morons well to start looking too. Sten says that he only looks to the future because he can't be bothered to worry about the people suffering **now**. Myzak grimaces at this, before drawing his guns. He says that he doesn't know why he's trying with these guys. They've already shown they don't deserve negotiation. With that, the fight with **Sten** begins, a fairly simple fight, though it's more a test of attrition. Sten relies on damage, and non-targetable foes will try to use their own skills on the party. Eventually, though, Sten's down.

He falls to his knees, and the group quickly pulls him away and towards the back. Dale says that this guy looks like he came from the front, and Myzak says that they should be able to get in through there now. Donna asks what they'll do with this guy, to which Myzak says that he wishes to imprison those that've threatened their way of life. So, the party quickly gets this terrorist captured, before returning to their mission. The party's thus forced to go through the base. They face various guards, and will find that the foes had blocked off the way up the stairs, which means that the player has to navigate the catwalks in order to get around the blockades. Random fights grow dangerous, because foes from the background will utilize skills on the party, meaning they receive damage from non-targetable foes.

It takes a lot of effort, but eventually they're able to maneuver around the catwalks, through the passages besides the dorms, and eventually make it to the stairs just before the upper floor. There, Demiurge sees the party members he'd worked with before. Serio, Lonna, and Nonia stand before him. Nonia has a steely expression, Lonna glares hatefully, and Serio just appears disappointed. Demiurge feels a twinge of guilt, before Lonna asks what the hell he thinks he's doing. Demiurge is silent for a moment, though can say either that "I can't abandon the dream" or "I can't support your destruction". The Eminence party grows confused, Lin looking back and asking what's eating him.

Serio says that Demiurge was supposed to work with them. That he was supposed to help them wipe out the corruption brought on by the Eminence. That's why they dealt with the Gadda facility! The party members are stunned, except for Myzak. Dale asks why would he do that, Donna saying that they lost so many. Demiurge then says that he didn't know what he was getting into, though Donna shouts, saying that he's the Dragon. He's supposed to be some leader of the world, that he's meant to bring them to prosperity! He brought them to this terrible future, so why can't he get them out of it!? However, Myzak suddenly fires a warning shot to the roof, bringing the conversation to a halt.

He explains that the Dragon's seen the side of the Eminence, and he's seen the side of the Terrorist. He's had a chance to judge them both, and he's judged the Terrorists as wrong. They all have the chance to halt their resistance now and submit to the rightful way of life, and they should understand that to continue resist would mean to resist the Dragon. Their morals, their entitlement, their pleads for a "better life"? It's all been judged as wrong, and now the lot of them have no ground to stand on. Serio's will seems to waver and he stumbles back, though Lonna stands in front of him, refusing to accept this. Nonia then says that nothing "right" can result in the suffering Myzak's caused. If their group is wrong, then there's no way the Eminence is. And in that case, they refuse to let their group be the "wrong" that remains! Seeing his friends get hyped up, Serio himself brings up his weapon and steels himself. Myzak says that for digging their heels in the face of proof against them, then they're even more pathetic than they appeared.

With that, players are forced into a boss fight against **Serio, Lonna, and Nonia**. This party's fairly well rounded. Lonna still has her power to nullify damage for a target, Nonia still has her ailments and buffs (including her healing skill), and Serio can still use Summon skills. Nonia's the recommended target to take care of, but players should take care because Lonna will enact her defenses on whoever gets targeted more frequently, which means players will have to either focus on someone and have the heavy hitters beat her, or they'll have to utilize multiple hits to do damage to her. After her, it's recommended to go after Serio, on account of him being the damage dealer, though players have to worry about his evasive techniques. And then, they'll down Lonna.

Once the party's beaten, a cutscene plays, showing the Eminence party battling the Rebel party. Dale's after Serio, Donna after Lonna, and Lin and Myzak targeting Nonia. The deer keeps on evading and backing away while Dale and Serio are forced to exchange who has the edge, and Donna's chainblade grinds against Lonna's shield. Demiurge looks at either, contemplating which one he should contend with. He sees Nonia aim carefully at Lin and Myzak, and Demiurge, in a panic, rushes at her. He manages to ram into her side as she's evading, knocking her off balance and causing her to stumble while the gunners take aim. Then, they take decisive shots.

Nonia's swiftly struck by a hail of gunfire, pelting her abdomen and limbs. She collapses onto her side, gasping in pain. Lin takes aim again, though Myzak holds out a hand, motioning for her to stop. He tells her to help out the others, and she breaks away. Myzak then walks towards Nonia, who's struggling to get her concentration back. Demiurge watches as the ferret approaches, and sees him stamp on her shoulder to keep her down. He orders her to surrender, only to receive a hateful glare, her using what little strength she has left to fire a bolt into his thigh. The ferret gives pause for a moment, before taking a deep breath, aiming one of his guns at her face, and squeezing the trigger.

Lonna keeps on fighting Donna, when she notices what's become of Nonia. Her fight falters a little, which gives Donna the edge she needs. She sharply swings the chainblade towards the side, knocking her shield out of the way and allowing her to drive the blade into her side! Lonna wails out as the weapon strikes her, prompting Serio to look in her direction, his eyes widening in horror at what he saw. The mare's worked the blade partway into her abdomen, blood pouring down her side as Lonna's only able to look down fearful. She tries to reach an arm up to push Donna's, but she doesn't have the strength for it. Donna pushes and pushes, and though it's offscreen, Serio seems forced to see her chopped in half.

Serio's left staring for a moment, when Dale suddenly shoves him forwards, knocking him to his backside. The coyote points his baton threateningly, ordering the boy to stand down. The lynx just stares over at Lonna, terror filling his face. He glances towards Nonia, his horror growing. He says that they killed them, only for Dale to respond that he and his friends killed. Does he not remember what happened at Gadda, or is he too blind to who he hurts? Serio freezes up and says he was just helping, he was just beating bad guys. The good guys fled before anything bad happened. Lin asks if the brat's really that dense. Serio says that Lonna said... He was always told everything was ok.

Dale says that his and his friends actions got a lot of people hurt and killed. Serio starts to hyperventilate now, worrying more and more and more as Dale berates him. Dale raises his baton in frustration, though the lynx is able to dash away, evading the attack. He then rushes past Myzak and Lin and Demiurge, running headlong into the observation platform. Once there, Demiurge is only able to look on, really uncomfortable. Myzak asks what's over there, and Demiurge says that their boss is in there. Myzak says that this could be tricky and recommends everyone prepare themselves.

They gear up, and then press forwards, before opening the door. There, they see Serio, sitting on a desk. He has a dull expression on his face, and no one else is near. Demiurge asks where Maki's gone, and the lynx says he ran off. He told him about what just happened, he ended up explaining everything to him that Lonna didn't. Donna says they need to press on, though Serio merely steps forwards, getting between them and the door. He says that he's not letting them through. Donna asks how he can still side with them after they've explained what happened.

Serio says that he knows about all that, but right now, he's not sure if he cares. This whole time he was told that they're all exclusively good guys, that it was just the Eminence saying a lot of guys are hurting. He supposed he never thought about how rough everything got. But right now, now that he knows how much blood's on his hand, he just doesn't care. Myzak may've made him bad, but their group still stole away his parents and his sister. Dale then asks what he expects to do, they just beat him. Serio holds his weapon with some determination, and says that he doesn't have anything to lose... their group saw through to that.

With that, players are forced into one last fight with **Maddened Serio**. Serio's got a buff to his health and his evasive ability, already starting the fight with Osg cast on him. In addition, he has some new skills: a summon skill that lets him summon two swords to enable him to deal slash damage twice in addition to whatever action he performs, Mellten to let him damage all party members with Lightning damage, and he now has the passive High Counter equipped, which makes it so he avoid a physical attack to strike them back at the attacker. With the ability to lower his damage and raise party members' defenses, players should be able to overpower him.

He's overwhelmed and brought down to a knee, though he uses his weapon to prop himself up, insisting on keeping on fighting. Myzak tells the rest of the party to move on to the other door. The party starts to run forwards and Serio goes to strike them, though Myzak fires at him to stave him off. The party continues through the door and Myzak keeps firing while approaching, Serio still trying to block. Eventually he gets close enough to stop the blade itself, before kicking the lynx down onto his back. He groans and tries to climb up to his rear, only for the ferret to straddle his midsection. The ferret says that he has a lot of nerve talking like he has some right to strike them down, while he lowers his guns and cracks his knuckles.

The party manages to make it to the catwalk on the other side of the observation platform, the one near the silos. They look around, before Demiurge sees Maki and his friends rushing down to the garage. Demiurge points them out, and the party tries to rush down, though partway down, they can hear one of the vehicles drive off, indicating to them that their target's gotten away. As they talk, the ferret's able to meet up with them, though he's picking at his knuckles. He asks them what he's missed, and Lin says that a bunch of the members were able to scape while Serio distracted them.

Myzak says that's unfortunate, but the good news is that this was a major blow to this organization, and not one they'll soon recover from. With that, he grunts as he manages to pull whatever he was picking at out of his knuckles. He says that now that they've cleared the base, they should head home and prepare for any other missions, as well as keep their ear to the ground for any signs of the remainder's reappearance. The party understands and goes off, while Demiurge sees what Myzak picked out as the ferret drops it. It appeared to be a tooth that'd embedded into his fist. And looking carefully at Myzak's trail, Demiurge is sure that he can see a sparse trail of teeth behind the ferret.

Demiurge seems weary about asking, though he's unable to bring himself to say anything as Myzak walks forwards, saying they've done well today. They've done about everything they can do, and though he bemoans the leader's escape, anyone responsible for it's been dealt with already. He thanks Demiurge for his aid. Now there'll be far less losses. Demiurge doesn't find himself able to say anything, and Myzak debates whether to host a celebration or not. He eventually settles that it can probably wait for when the leader is captured.

With that, players are brought out of the base and back to the Eminence.

Octuar 7th
On this day, there is a bit of a commotion. There are many newspapers set out with new information. They're telling tale of how the ones that struck down Gadda have been felled, and their Terrorist group has been torn to pieces. There remain outliers, but they're too small in number to be threatening. And upon hearing the news of the staggered group, many citizens seem excited, a few hollers and cheers filling the street.

Demiurge, meanwhile, has stepped out of the Eminence and looked on, hearing the cheers. He supposes that everything's working out, but at the same time... he shudders as he thinks about just what he saw. He also has no idea what they're going to do about Maki. He feels himself too overwhelmed as he thinks on it, before he heads into the Eminence. He goes up, and gets to Myzak's floor. He approaches his cabin, before stepping in and finding the ferret sketching.

He greets the Dragon, saying that he's still not gotten any mission. Demiurge, however, says that he's not feeling too great. Myzak raises a brow in confusion. He asks if this is about striking down those guys. The ferret takes a breath and assures him that it hurts, but if they as a species learned anything, it's that sacrifices are needed to get to a better future. Many creatures were felled in the creation of their cities, but now many can live safely and away from those that would threaten them. If they didn't destroy those foes, then they'll certainly attack more places. Demiurge asks if they would've if they surrendered.

Myzak gives pause, and asks Demiurge if he's regretting siding with the Eminence. Demiurge is quiet at first, and says he's not sure. Myzak's still for a bit, before he goes back to sketching. He says that he's been raised to see the dream of the old blossom, and he'll stop at nothing to let it blossom. Demiurge asks if he gave Donna the order to go through with the sabotage. Myzak merely repeats himself and keeps sketching. He says his forces will try and track down that leader, and in the meantime, Demiurge's free to do as he wishes.

Demiurge is still uncertain in his choice, and took some steps out of the cabin. And once out, he approaches one of the lifts, gives pause, and takes the lift down to the first floor, ready to do with his day whatever he could to get his mind off of this conversation.

#### Team with Maki and Group, attack the Eminence Barracks

Septmi 20th - Octuar 6th
This route has players side with the Terrorist group. Demiurge goes to the tea shop, where they find the three party members, in addition to Maki himself, who's armed with the muscle braces and powerful martial arts.

### Finale: Eminence Route

The day continues, Demiurge down on the streets. He walks around, and can find folks gathered around news stations, fairly young people delivering articles to some buildings, and so on. He can also find Dale out on patrol, him saying that it's kind of weird just hanging around the city after all that business with Maki and his forces. It sort of feels like he's walking normal while everything else's slow mo.

Demiurge can find Donna over at the barracks towards the southern edge of town, her ordering those there around. Speaking with her, the mare explains that everyone needs to prepare for anything. Maki may be gravely stunted, but he was still able to form a dangerous group out of seeming nobodies. Who knows whether or not he'd be able to accomplish similar works. For now though, it seems like there're quite a few people better off.

Searching a few of the higher floors, Demiurge can see Lin below the scaffolding, having set out a medical area for housing the injured. She sees Demiurge and remarks at how weird it is going from all that fighting to here. It's almost like this stretch of the world is completely isolated from that outside. Sorta makes you think about how inconsequential those grievances out there are in the shadow of the Eminence, huh? Demiurge can't help but feel a little unnerved at the way she phrased that, though asks if she's fine just going back to business as usual. She answers that she can't exactly do anything else right now.

Searching the streets, Demiurge can even find the walrus that'd brought him up here to begin with. He greets the Dragon, saying that it feels like it's been ages. He asks him how's he been, to which Demiurge can say "Ok" or "Not good". To either, the walrus remarks that it seems like he has a lot going on right now. Several weeks after waking up, and he's dealt with the Terrorist group. He says that things've been pretty tricky as of late, and as happy as he is to hear about those guys, it won't get back his ma and pa. Demiurge remembers that the path to Gadda was near the graveyard he woke up in. He apologizes, though the walrus says ain't nothing anyone can do now. He'll get by anyways.

Either way, he asks the Dragon if he's had a vehicle of his own. Demiurge says that he hasn't had a vehicle his own, so he nods. He brings the Dragon to the parking lot, revealing an old vehicle that appears a wee bit smaller than the Eminence vehicle Donna usually drove. He says that this used to be his before he got the bigger thing, and unfortunately, he won't be able to use the big guy thanks to recent events. And at least for the time being, it seems like the Gadda factory won't be up and working for a while. So, he's going to try and start over somewhere else, and is just looking for somebody to pawn the thing off to. And, seeing as Demiurge kind of brought justice on the perpetrators, he supposes he should offer him a bit of a hero discount.

Demiurge supposes it might be nice to have some time to himself on the road, and finds himself needing to pay pocket change to get it while the walrus walks off to do whatever. Now Demiurge has his own vehicle, and players are able to swap between it or the Eminence vehicle, a purely aesthetic change. Either way, not counting other characters encountered through side quests, it doesn't seem like there's much else for the party to do today, and soon they rest for what news may come.

Octuar 8th - Octuar 13th
These are days of free time, players allowed to do whatever. Perform sidequests, raise social links, gather equipment and what not. In the meantime, there's still an air of excitement amongst the citizens, though some are uncertain, especially with the knowledge that Maki is still out there. Fortunately, he's public enemy number 1, and forces are spreading the news far and wide to make sure any public space will be able to report him.

Things seem very quiet.

On the night of the 13th, Myzak's continuing sketching, when he sees Donna enter his office. He greets her, and asks what the occasion is. The mare then says that they made some brilliant progress. They haven't found Maki, but they did find his parents among the imprisoned. The ferret's brow raises, and he wrings his hands, remarking that this will be quite useful. He also asks if she's looked into that Sten guy like he asked, and she answers she has.

Octuar 14th - Octuar 21st
More days of free time, the player able to interact with party members and npcs alike. They work more and more, before eventually the night of the 17th comes around. On this day, Myzak groups the party together. He tells them that it took them a lot of work, but they're able to draw out Maki. The party seems surprised. Myzak says the cheetah says he agrees to surrender, and claims that it'll take him until the 22nd to submit any and all equipment.

Dale remarks that that sounds kind of suspicious, and Lin is certain that this is a trap. Myzak doesn't doubt it, and as such he expects everyone to prepare for whatever might come. Maki will supposedly be coming to the City, which means they need to be prepared for whatever may happen. Donna asks if he's certain he won't just attack another city, to which Myzak explains that it wouldn't make sense. He's probably still low on material and low on men. If he intends to do anything, then it'll probably be either to waste their time, or one last attempt of defiance.

This is Maki's last chance of any kind. Either he lets himself be captured peacefully and spend a lifetime sentence in prison, or he embarrasses himself one last time, and they have good reason to destroy him and whatever he drags with him. The party bows, and begins to walk away. As they do, though, Myzak signals for the mare, and tells her he wants her to get those parents they discovered. Then, he wants her to deliver pieces of them to that maniac. Donna asks if he doesn't believe what he says, and the ferret assures that this is one last bit of assurance. In addition, seeing as that tiger's brother's been found, he wants her to... *talk* to him. She nods, and then walks off.

With that, players are given the next few days to do whatever they wish, until the night of Octuar 21st comes, the party all grouping up around Demiurge's floor on the Eminence. Dale says that it's been a while, but it seems like one long chapter's coming to an end. Lin sighs and says that after this, they can finally get back to work on the Eminence. Donna tells them all to be ready, that tomorrow could be their toughest fight yet. There's no telling what Maki's going to do. Demiurge, meanwhile, can say "Let's look our best" or "Everything's riding on this".

The party agrees, and begins to depart. Demiurge, meanwhile, can't help but feel a little concerned. A part of him feels like a weight can finally be lifted off his shoulders as he gets rid of the Terrorist business he's just gotten involved in. On the other hand, he can't help but worry about what the Eminence will bring in the future. He takes a deep breath, and then heads to his hut to rest.

Octuar 22nd
On this day, the party's meeting up outside Demiurge's house. Dale, Donna, Lin, and Myzak are there, waiting to see the Dragon. Myzak tells him that Maki should be coming today. If anything is to happen, now's their last chance to make sure any potential issues are covered. So with that, players are able to go around town to gather whatever last few items, to buy items or equipment, to arrange the parties, and so on, until they go towards the east part of the road, the road in the direction of the last base.

After choosing to wait here, the party spreads, several guards positioning themselves around the streets in preparation for whatever. Myzak, meanwhile, approaches Donna and whispers to her, her nodding as she goes off somewhere. The party thus waits and waits, until they see a large, truck-like vehicle ride in. It comes in, before coming at a halt in the middle of the street past the City borders. One of the doors opened, and out came the cheetah.

He stood outside the vehicle with an uncomfortably dull expression. He looked over the various guards and the party, all waiting for him. Myzak then speaks up, telling Maki to slowly open up his vehicle. The cheetah didn't respond and walked over towards the back. He holds the door briefly and pauses. He speaks up, asking them if they want everything his group has. Do they really want all of them? Myzak says that that is why he's here, to surrender his assets and himself. Maki grips tighter, before saying that they're not here quite for that.

He throws the doors in the back open, and at once, tons of the few remainders of the Terrorist group rushing out and firing at the guards with guns and explosives. More crawl out from under the truck and attack themselves, while Maki himself is running away. Seeing that, Myzak orders the party to go after him. As they go, however, they're beginning to get aware of the growing number of Terrorists attacking the City, seemingly at random. Donna says that they can't leave them unattended! With that, the party's forced to go around the City to three locations, where they have to destroy three **Terrorist Horde**s, them striking and even killing a few citizens with seemingly no discretion. And after they're felled, Lin says that those guys were dealt with, but they're undoubtedly a distraction. Dale then asks where Maki could've gone, and Myzak turns towards the tower itself.

They rush towards it, and as they do, they can see, in the distance, the cheetah racing through the streets towards the Eminence. Guards try to stop him, but he races around the gunfire, before dispatching them with quick hand- and foot-work. He beats on the guards that try to stop him and he keeps on racing, and the party keeps trying to reach him. Maki makes it to the gates, when Myzak and Lin fire a few bullets in front of him, bringing him to a halt. He turns, and sees the party, including the Dragon. Demiurge asks what he hopes to accomplish, he's outnumbered.

He says that he doesn't care. He'll devastate the City with his last breath, he'll stain this pathetic part of history with the memory of agony, even if he can't tear down the tower! Demiurge says that he wanted to stop the suffering, that he wanted to do right for the people. This is nothing but random violence. Maki declares that this violence is entirely brought on by Myzak. He arranged the meeting so that he could get his parents back, and Myzak delivered them to him in ribbons! Demiurge's eyes widen at that, while the ferret steps forwards. He says that he doomed many on this day. He could've allowed him and his friends to live as productive members, but instead they now have to waste them like scraps of garbage. He raises his guns and declares Maki has never had the right to make demands, not so long as he's only ever thought for himself. Maki takes an offensive pose and declares that he'll tear Myzak apart right here!

With that, the cheetah rushes at the party, and the final battle with **Raging Maki** begins. Maki wields primarily attack skills, having access to all three physical damages, some Light, and some Dark. He also has access to Combo Passives, which means he can perform an additional powerful attack after he performs combinations of attacks, which, considering the fact he can act twice in a turn here, is very likely to happen. Players need to be weary of the damage he can do and the party's defenses as they progress.

After bringing him down to half health, he shouts again. He shouts at Demiurge that he's cursed this world. He's sided with an absolute plague of a man, a foe that'll stop at nothing to achieve goals that hurt everyone. He declares to the Dragon that he too will suffer, for all that will suffer because of his decisions. He rises, and the next part of the fight begins. Here, he frequently uses Beast Eye to give himself a third action per turn for three turns, he'll sometimes use Charge to increase his physical damage, and he has access to a very dangerous Combo. If he uses Dark-Light-Dark-Light, he'll follow up with the Pure Skill Quake, a powerful party hitter that'll really shake up players if they're not prepared. Be weary of his damage and hit hard, and soon you'll fell him.

He falls to his knees and pants, overwhelmed. He can be seen falling onto his knees, struggling to keep from falling on the ground. Myzak smirks victoriously and remarks that, try as he might, his final breath turns to a weak gasp. He turns to the Dragon, and tells him to finish this trash. Demiurge seems startled at being put on the spot, and begins walking forwards. Maki pants more and more, and then turns towards the Dragon. In one final burst of desperation, he rushes forwards, suddenly bearhugging the Dragon.

Myzak and Donna stumble back, each motioning the other party members back. Demiurge asks what he's doing, to which the cheetah raises a fist, shifting his clothing to reveal an explosive strapped to his side. He angles the metallic parts of his muscle brace, and declares that this is for the damned! He swings his arm down, striking with enough force to cause a spark, and causing the bomb to explode, turning him into a red mist while Demiurge's blown back, bloody. He lies there, pained and panting. Lin's about to step forwards, when a gunshot drives her back.

They look towards the source, and see a saddened looking Sten having escaped the tower, him pointing one of the guards' weapons at them. He steps forwards while the party each reaches for their own, though Myzak and Donna still hold their allies back defensively. Sten then aims his gun down more, towards Demiurge. The Dragon can see his lips, him saying that he's sorry, before he delivers a magic-powered shot... and then, his world is black.

If players made it here, they'll move onto the Eminence Era.

## Eminence Era

Demiurge feels awful as he sleeps. He stirs and and feels around, feeling stone beneath him. He craned his eyes open, and found himself looking at the black void of space, planets and stars dotting it. He looks around in confusion, and climbs up to his feet, becoming suddenly aware of his increased size. He's twice as large, his wings as wide as his body, a tail as long as he is tall, and long horns. He looks about, and finds himself on a platform in the middle of space, akin to the architecture back at the Draconic Gardens.

As he looks, he can hear a familiar, motherly voice ask "Oh, dear Demi... what have you done?" Demiurge stumbles in alarm, before turning. He sees Sophia standing there, the two of them being the only people on this platform. He asks her what's happening, and what he's doing on the Gardens. She clarifies that these aren't the Gardens, she merely requested they provide her a platform. She doesn't mean to offend, but there're few occasions where a Dragon mustn't be allowed to awake ono their world. Demiurge raises a brow and asks why he can't.

Sophia begins walking to the edge of the platform. She motions Demiurge forwards and prompts him to look down. Demiurge approaches and looks down, his eyes widening in shock. From on high, he finds himself looking at his planet. Except instead of the cool, clean orb he'd seen before, he sees one with noxious, black clouds in the sky, and seas that appear thicker than mud. Any sign of green that wasn't toxic is wiped and gives way to a gray and lifeless soil. Demiurge stumbles back in horror and asks her what the hell happened.

Sophia says that the history of the world is still the duty of the Dragon that lords it. Demiurge clasps at his face and says he can't have failed, not this badly. Though Sophia affirms that he hasn't failed. Demiurge looks up curiously, and she explains. As long as there is intelligent life on a world, there is still something a Dragon can do. And despite appearances, life still lives on that world. Demiurge walks to the edge, and says he can do someething.

Sophia stops him, saying that a couple of things are needed. No matter how bountiful a creature's love, everyone needs to learn when it's time to cut their losses and put down a life that's too far gone. So, within each Dragon comes the power to end all life on a planet. Demiurge recoils, saying he doesn't want anything like that. However, she places a hand on his chest, and Pure magic flows into him, and he feels something unlock in him. At that, the player's informed that Demiurge unlocked the Skill "Armageddon". She says that knowing this is not to be feared, but to know he merely has the option. If he ever decides that the world's too much, then this is always at his disposal.

After that, she gets behind him and places her hands on his back. She says that if he were to land on that world now, he'd choke and succumb before he'll ever find them. So, she offers him aid in reaching the surface. Demiurge is uncertain about the whole general situation, but if it's necessary, he'll take it. She channels Pure magic into him, and he's suddenly wrapped up in magical light that wraps around his form. She says this will keep him safe until he reaches the appropriate destination, and assures him he'll know where they are. With that, she presses him forwards, sending him off the platform as the magic surrounding Demiurge tugs him towards the planet.

### Early

Demiurge goes down, down, down, soon pressing down on one of the familiar roads. He finds himself near the graveyard he'd originally started in, which tells him where he is. The grass around is gone, the soil looks ready to crumble at the slightest pressure, and the road's in shambles, to the point where chunks of it's smushed the graveyard. He takes a few weary steps, and goes north along the road.

He goes more and more, and soon sees... it. He can see the City of the Eminence, it looking bigger than when he left it. But more notable than that is the ginormous tower. It was impressive already, but it seemed to stretch even higher than before, going far beyond those oily clouds the mortals themselves made. Instead of looking like a pillar of accomplishment, Demiurge feels threatened beneath its shadow.

He steps forwards and past the border of the City. And as he walks deeper into town, he sees more of the dilapidated architecture and roads. But more than that, he can see the skeletons of many past mortals... as well as ones that still have flesh. He's confused at this fact and walks more and more, unable to stop himself from looking at the various corpses. As he walks, though, he hears the whistle of something coming through the air in front of him, when suddenly that whistle turns into the loud sound of a smack accompanied by a crack. He turns towards the source, finding a lion man in what looks like a black bodysuit, though his form is twisted and contorted and his lower half's been torn out of place. He isn't bleeding out too much, suggesting he wasn't killed from the fall. What he does have, however, is dead and cloudy eyes, and what seems to be bloody vomit down his front.

Demiurge feels himself about to vomit, though there's nothing in his system at the moment. He powers on and walks towards the tower, soon arriving at the base. He looks on curiously, and knocks on the door. Then, he hears a loud buzzer come from the door. He steps back and the large door begins to spread open, and he can hear the loud roar of fans shoving the toxic winds out of the chamber. Demiurge approaches, and finds himself in an airlock-like chamber. And in the corners, he can see, of all things, robots.

They have a very boxy look, seeming to be cubes with a single glass eye on the front while boasting arms and legs with shapes akin to cranes, the legs boasting manhole-like feet and the arms boasting claw-like hands. Demiurge steps into the middle of the chamber and the door shuts behind him. He hears the fans still going, before they power off. Then, the machines belt out a message, ordering him to stand still and to follow the guards once the platform reaches its destination. And then, Demiurge feels the platform raise up, and feels the magic surrounding him fade.

The lift lifts up more and more, getting faster and faster. Demiurge feels as if it takes an hour for the lift to get where it needs to, and eventually, it begins to slow down. It soon reaches its position, and the doors leading deeper into the tower open up, revealing an odd site. Inside reveals a city-like interior with several barrack-looking buildings positioned in a grid-like position around the floor, at the far back being a 7-story building with the emblem of a bee pasted at the top of it. Meanwhile, he can hear the sounds of machinery working on high.

Throughout the "streets" between the barracks were various guards, from what seem to be more machines like what helped Demiurge up, to larger-looking ones that looked like they could be ridden in, to various normal-looking guy in full body, mechanized, pure white armor. The one before Demiurge was a turtle-looking guy bigger than the average man, him wielding what looks like a mechanized axe with a glimmering blue edge. He has thick white armor with black peering through the edges of the armor, a set of camera-like eyes over the face, and thick plates wrapping around the shell.

The turtle tells the Dragon that the boss wishes to see him. Demiurge is too stunned with the surroundings to object, and thus presses forwards, the turtle leading him. Demiurge sees various odd equipment among the guards, from similar axes, to mechanized-looking swords, various assortments of guns, what look like thick gauntlets or boots, and so on. Either way, the turtle leads the Dragon to the 7-story building, stopping before a set of doors that looks as tall as two of those floors. The door opens up, and Demiurge can see several guards positioned inside, lining either side of the hall in at attention.

Demiurge steps forwards, going past those guards and glancing at each. As he presses forwards, he notices, at the far end, a lady with a lot of presence. She's a ferret that seems only slightly taller than Myzak, and wore a black uniform with the bee badge over it, black gloves, thick cuffs with mechanical braces around them, and thick boots. And behind her is a large machine with a body shaped like a ladybug, it boasting four sets of arms with large gauntlets attached to uncomfortably long limbs, same going with its legs and feet. The lady's seated on one of the machine's hands and looking at the Dragon with a judgmental expression.

She gives him a once-over while keeping the same expression, asking if he's *the* Dragon. Demiurge pauses, but says that he is Demiurge. The lady nods and hops off the hand, soon walking towards the Dragon, the robot standing upright and following after her, it standing as big/tall as Demiurge. The ferret says he probably met one of her top officers, **Tena**. The turtle bows in affirmation. The ferret says that she is the leader of the Eminence, the reason the world lives, and she's the reason the world will live on and prosper. She is the leader, **Solumn**.

Demiurge asks her what's happened while he slept, and she remarks that it's been a while since someone extended her a courteous greeting. Either way, she sighs and dismisses the guards. She then says that it's been 500 years since he woke. Way, way back when, Demiurge worked with Myzak and his Eminence workers. Around that time the Terrorist group was in swing and struck. They tore down many, but the leader'd fled. They located the leader, and then prepared a meeting, the Dragon having apparently agreed to work with the leader's plan. Demiurge raises a brow curious.

She explains that they prepared a meeting with the leader, but he didn't want a surrender, he wanted the complete destruction of the Terrorists and their way of thinking. So, he'd destroyed the bargaining chip, Maki's parents, and sent them to him, hoping to provoke. And, sure enough, the Terrorist leader rushed in on a path of vengeance. Many were killed in acts of random violence that day, ultimately ending with him exploding on the Dragon with a powerful bomb, and seemingly "on recovery to normalcy" broke out of imprisonment and finished him, but that was all part of the plan.

The Terrorist group was struck down, and Myzak was able to withhold the appropriate information, simply spinning it as a tale of wicked foes with wicked wants, likely using their hatred of the Eminence as a smokescreen for their evil. From there, and through implanting a few agents among the masses, Myzak was able to treat anti-Eminence thoughts as some sort of either inherently evil thought process, or a sign of evil infecting some poor soul. They even developed a saying out of it: "Mad as Maki". Either way, with that, any attempts at speaking against the Eminence were treated as cries of madmen, and the tower built and built, and so too did the poison spread across the world.

Several generations after that, the air began to choke out less healthy people, and people began to fear that normal were next. So, efforts were made to make the tower safe for any of them. It's air tight, blocking out any of the poisonous air, and now they live in here. The world they knew... It's long dead. All anyone in this tower can hope for is to build into something that can sustain them, and so it's been that the leaders kept on the process, and now the tower builds still. Demiurge is mortified. Myzak'd not only falsified Demiurge's involvement in this plan, but they'd used not just his death, but Maki, Sten, and the death of many citizens to press on with this tower, despite what it was doing to their world.

Demiurge says that this is insane. The world couldn't have gotten this bad, did they seriously keep building until people were dying?! Solumn says not to shout such questions at her. After all, *he* worked with men like that. Demiurge seems ready to retort, though his voice gets caught in his throat. Solumn begins to walk towards the door, the robot walking behind her. She says that the Dragon is technically a living being in this world too, so he too requires housing. She'll bring him to Tena, and he can bring him to his quarters.

She walks, and Demiurge sheepishly follows behind her, when he's brought to a lift the turtle from before stands at. He steps on while Solumn stays behind, and Tena signals for the lift to go down. And so, down it goes.

Tena stops the lift a few floors below the floor he was just on. Demiurge looks out, and sees a floor full of several-floored buildings, them boasting shining colors and there being fancily dressed people on the floor. Tena says this is a world that doesn't know about the Dragon, so expect to get by just like anyone else. Demiurge is confused at this, and steps off the lift and out into the floor, Tena stepping forwards to lead the Dragon.

Demiurge presses on into the **Monarch Floor**. Tena leads the Dragon through the streets, him saying they hadn't anticipated him being this big, but guards will make sure wherever he rests will be safe. In the meantime, he offers Demiurge the chance to look over the various shops and people on this floor. With that, Tena walks off, and Demiurge is allowed to walk around.

He meets various people, many common citizens in nice-looking suits that see the Dragon. They remark that he's far bigger than anyone they've ever seen. Many pay attention to him, though many seem a little intimidated by Demiurge. He can approach various stores, but can only peer his head in. Demiurge can find a shop for clothing, a shop for food (with what looks like an indoor farm for tending to ferals, vegetables, and fruits), and a shop for various self defense equipment. In each shop, Demiurge can also notice what looks like pipe systems that lead down.

Demiurge can also notice, near the food shop, a penguin lady in a dark blue tux who appears to be trying to look unassuming. She tells the Dragon she's just loitering, nothing weird going on. The Dragon's confused, though will leave her be. In addition, Demiurge looks overhead, and sees other lifts, including one positioned in the center of town. And high up to the top of ceiling, he can see large mechanical arms with treads on them, as well as what appear to be chains attached to them, lying in wait for who knows what.

Eventually, Demiurge's investigation gets interrupted as Tena speaks up, saying that it's time for the Dragon to rest, they managed to find something. Demiurge follows the turtle, and they approach an area of the settlement that looks almost as if one of those mansions were erased from the area. In its place is, instead, a large, air bag-like device. Tena says that that oughta be soft enough for the Dragon to lay on, and so the Dragon does. And indeed, it seems to contort nicely enough to his form. He settles into place, and starts to enjoy it, though his heart's still racing.

Octuar 23rd
Demiurge wakes up, Tena standing before him. He tells the Dragon that the leader will be arriving shortly. He orders him to the center lift. Demiurge nods and heads over, Tena leading him while the mattress Demiurge rested on deflates. The Dragon approaches, and sees that the lift's already moving. It comes down, and the duo step onto it. The lift lifts up, and brings Demiurge into that barracks area from before. And around the lift, he sees many people waiting, including several guards, the ladybug-like robot, and Solumn herself.

She sees the Dragon, and asks him if he enjoyed his stay. Demiurge says, wearily, that it was nice enough. She nods, and a few of those rideable mechs approach either side of the Dragon, who looks around weary. They flash on mechanical plates, before smacking them onto his sides, clamping over his wings. He looks around in shock, before looking at the ferret in worry. The leader tells him he was given a taste of Heaven. Now he can look up to it as he squanders away deep in Hell.

The guards step back while Solumn looks down into the lowering lift, at which point Demiurge now notices walls raising up around the border of the platform, ready to cut him off. He looks up at the ferret, who explains that this is a world without Dragons. As far as anyone around here is concerned, he is just another man, and just as vulnerable.

The lift goes down more and more, Demiurge still surrounded by a set of walls that've reached up to his neck. It lowers more and more, before eventually slowing down, and by now he notices the windows around the walls of the tower, which show the floor's at ground level. Demiurge peeks over the edge of the wall, looking over a far more messy floor. It has small buildings, with a few that're a couple floors high, he can practically smell rankness permiate the air, and he notices what appear to be lifts that go into the planet. These appear to reach up, and Demiurge thinks he remembered a few of these smaller platforms reach up to the Monarch Floor.

Now, Demiurge is on the **Cockroach Floor**, and the lift soon reaches its position. Demiurge steps off the lift and walks out, the device racing up once he's off. Demiurge looks around, seeing that he stands slightly taller than most of these buildings. As he looks around, some people come around curious, trying to get a good look at the new arrival. Demiurge looks around, seeing that many of these people are currently dressed in bodysuits akin to that lion corpse he saw before. The many people hear appear dirty and smelly, with fur frayed and unkempt as they look up at him.

Demiurge hears multiple voices from the group, them remarking that he came from the higher floors, some saying he must've done something real bad to end up down here, and some asking how hot the guys and gals up there are. Demiurge feels somewhat overwhelmed as the many people surround him, though a loud noise clacking against the floor drowns them out, causing them to stumble back. The crowd parts as a strange duo approaches.

One's a rat guy, pretty short, with one of those matching bodysuits. He's holding what looks to be a large, rusty pipe about as long as he's tall over his shoulder. And next to him is a tiger guy twice his size and very muscular. He's also wearing a bodysuit, though this one wraps tightly around him. Said tiger can also be seen with a utility belt, which Demiurge notices on several people in the crowd actually, and attached to this belt is what looks like a pocket knife. The rat steps forwards and gets between the crowd and the Dragon, him stroking his chin and looking over the Dragon curiously. He ponders allowed, remarking that he's from on high...

He then turns to the rest of the crowd, declaring that this Dragon is now under the care of **Kensey**. The crowd's muttering angrily and starts to speak up in a rouse, though the rat clangs his pipe against the ground again. He clarifies that the Dragon is their business, and if they're gonna raise a stink over it, he'll sweeten the deal. As long as the Dragon's under their care, all of **Dandy's** services will have a discount. The tiger nods in affirmation, and at this, the crowd's still muttering, though begins to quiet down.

With that, the rat tells the Dragon to follow them. The Dragon's clearly confused, though follows anyways. He continues forwards and the crowd parts to let them go forwards. They press forwards, and begin heading through the roads...

They manage to go through, and Demiurge thanks Kensey for helping him out like that. Kensey says it's nothing. Besides, the Dragon can surely help him a bit, long as he can talk about the things he saw from up high. Demiurge swears that he can, though admits he's pretty new to this world. The rat's confused at that, and says he kind of just arrived at the tower. Kensey asks him how that's even possible, and Demiurge says that it's a long story, before a brief fade to black has him talk about some of the stuff he's done in the previous eras.

After that, the rat seems perplexed. He says that that's some story, but hardly anything he could believe. Demiurge swears it's true, but the rat tells him it doesn't really matter right now. He still saw what was up there, right? Demiurge assures he did, and he says that means he's still useful. He and Dandy'll get home, Demiurge can make himself feel as at home as he can, and he and Dandy will take their usual trip around the floor to get money.

At that, the Dragon is curious. Kensey mentioned a discount... So what is Dandy's services? Dandy gives a nervous shiver and rubs the back of his head. Kensey says he doesn't have to say it if he doesn't want, and Dandy nods, deciding to keep it to himself. He then says that Kensey himself is a protection guy. He finds guys that're scared to go through certain parts of the floor, and offers them passage while beating away any nasty punks. That's sort of how he and him met.

Demiurge says that sounds nice. They walk more and more, soon arriving at an alley. Demiurge asks which building they stay at, and Kensey just motions towards the alley. Housing costs money, and they need to save up a lot for whatever's ahead for them. Demiurge is concerned, though works his way in, having to squeeze in a little bit. He sits in, noticing not a lot of room for him. Dandy asks why he's still got those plates on, and Demiurge looks towards his clasped wings, saying that they were locked on. Dandy points out those lights are off, so they're disabled. Demiurge pauses for a bit, and brushes them aside, letting them clatter down. Kensey says that maybe this metal could fetch them some money, though they'll have to tear them down when they get back.

Kensey tells Demiurge to keep an eye on their junk, the dumpster there and the metal scrap too. They'll be back soon. He then turns to Dandy and tells him to be careful. The tiger swears he will. He approaches the dumpster and reaches behind it, before pulling out several scraps of clothing covered up in plastic wrap. Demiurge can notice the clothing he selected looking awfully... short... Along with that stuff is several pieces of paper that Dandy takes in hand and looks over the items. He knows what options he'll allow them, and he knows when to take out the knife. Kensey nods in affirmation, and tells him to meet back here at 9. With that, the two part ways, and Demiurge is thus left there in the cramped alley.

He waits here more and more, when he eventually hears the sounds of approaching guys. Demiurge raises a brow and turns, seeing a duo of guys in mere bodysuits. One's a fat warthog guy with a pipe of his own, and one's a lithe wolf guy with a knife. He sees them, and Demiurge asks them what they want. The warthog remarks that he took some pretty cool-looking tech with him, so he thought they should come check it out. Demiurge says that some friends of his sorta claimed it.

The duo approaches threateningly, and the wolf says you don't exactly get to "call" things on this floor. Demiurge begins to get up, struggling a little in the tight alley, when suddenly, Kensey appears and smacks the wolf with his pipe, causing him to stumble. The rat races forwards and stands next to Demiurge. He thanks the Dragon for keeping up the defenses. Demiurge asks where Dandy is, and Kensey says he's probably still getting money. Anyways, he says they should take out these guys.

With that, the duo battle the **Muggers**. The duo aren't anything to write home about, this serving more as a decent overview of Kensey himself. He has a fair amount of defense, though physical attack's clearly his favored stat as he deals pretty powerful blows with it. He even has access to skills that, in addition to dealing Physical damage, also have a chance of delivering a debilitating debuff. Throw in debuffs, and he seems like a fairly straightforward character.

They're able to overwhelm the duo, who're forced to flee. With that, Kensey sighs and props his pipe up before turning towards Demiurge, saying that he's quite the interesting sort. Demiurge says that he has heard his story. Kensey shrugs at it, clearly still uncertain about the validity, but says that, anyways, he's got a fair amount of gold for tomorrow. He says that this should be enough to get the three of them a meal, and maybe their savings will turn into something really useful.

For now, they wait until Dandy himself returns, him wiping his brow while he's adjusting his bodysuit. Kensey waves him over, and Dandy says he got a fair amount. He walks, and Kensey notices he's sort of wincing. He asks the tiger if he's being careful, and the tiger swears he is, he just stepped on a step wrong. He comes over and sits next to the group. Demiurge says they seem... ok. Kensey says things haven't been the best, but sometimes, you can only do the best you can for yourself. Anyways, now's a good time to talk about what Demiurge's seen up there...

After a cutaway, Kensey glowers, Dandy himself seeming upset. Kensey says those guys are far from the mines, and probably spend little time actually working while them down here scrounge through the annals of the world. Meanwhile, they're acting all rich and not worrying about anything. Kensey says that it's too late to be worrying about this... He says they should turn in the scrap tomorrow, get some food, then deal with this more. With that, the party rests.

Octuar 24th
There's a soft yet loud chime ringing through the floor. The party stirs and wakes up and Demiurge asks what that is. Kensey asks if he hadn't heard that up on the other floors. Demiurge swears he hasn't, and Kensey grumbles in annoyance. He says that that tone signifies that it's morning at 7 AM. A good indicator for workers to get ready. Anyways, they've got work to contend with. He says that Demiurge seems able to defend himself, so he and Dandy will turn in the junk, and he asks Demiurge to scrounge up some breakfast for them.

With that, Kensey tells him where the nearest food shop is, he hands him the money they'd collected, and the party splits. Demiurge progresses through the streets, still needing to get used to his size in this confined space as he approaches the appropriate building. He gets there, and, struggling to get in, he's able to pop his head through the door, finding a porcupine man in a beige coat and that usual bodysuit. He seems surprised, though Demiurge assures he just wants food here. The porcupine calms down and notes he hadn't seen the Dragon before. Demiurge introduces himself, and the porcupine introduces himself as **Clance**.

He shows off the various foods available, and Demiurge notices that this stuff was on the Monarch Floor. Clance motions him towards the menu-like board hanging over the counter, and Demiurge sees that the food here is really expensive. Demiurge's former uncertainty is quickly replaced by annoyance. He declares to Clance that he saw this same stuff several floors up, and he saw the prices up there. Why is it five times as expensive down here?! Clance says that he probably refers to one of those floors that have the material to produce their products. They then have to deliver it down here, and they demand payment back for the goods they send. Demiurge notices pipes in his shop similar to what's above, and he asks what those pipes are for. Clance says that they're part of delivery. They provide them food, they ask for money for the products they gives, and he delivers money for their service. Now is he buying anything or not?

Demiurge is forced to part with a pretty penny, and leaves the shop. He returns to the alley from before, and waits for Kensey and Dandy to return. And sure enough, they come back, seeing the food. Demiurge tells them that the food is super expensive. He tells them about how everything in the shop went, and Kensey himself seems upset. He says that that's just how it is, the guys up high get access to stuff they need, then force everybody to pay exuberant amounts and keeps them lapping away at whatever resources might be available.

Solumn tells everybody they can get to higher floors if they make enough money to get housing and a lift up there, but they need to use that money for their limited services down here. Dandy then says that he was able to remain a couple floors up, but eventually some jerks robbed him, so he was forced down here with nothing but his clothes. Demiurge remarks that that's terrible, that's not right. But Kensey says that that's life, unfortunately. Maybe if they work real hard they can get high up and not have to work another day in their life. Either way, they should continue on work. He offers Demiurge another chance to walk with him, and Dandy walks off with those wrapped up clothes. They separate and walk around town.

As they do, they notice the stretch of street they're in is pretty quiet. Demiurge also notices some of the dirty guys in bodysuits are racing into the doors of nearby buildings. Demiurge starts to ask the rat what's up, but he's already vanished. Then, he finally notices the pounding of metallic feet. One of those mechs from a higher floor steps in around a corner, scanning across with its security eye. It seems to focus on Demiurge a brief bit, but turns away and continues walking.

Kensey leans around a corner, telling Demiurge he needs to really be careful. Demiurge asks what's happening, to which the rat says that it may be dog eat dog down here, but everyone knows to be careful when any of Solumn's servants are spotted. People around here leave guys beaten and bruised, but those guys are more than happy to get rid of bad seeds, and as far as anyone seems concerned, anyone down here's a bad seed unless the guards or machines judge otherwise. Their personal service will only get them in trouble in this part of the floor, they have to get elsewhere.

They then begin walking away, forced to get out of the general area. But as they do, a loud alarm is heard as those stamping get faster, somewhere else on the floor. Kensey says that the guards are focusing on some poor sod, now's their chance to run! The rat runs, though as they do, Demiurge notices monitors lower from the ceiling, monitors the size of houses. Said monitors flare to life, and it appears to be from the perspective of one of those mechs.

The mech's holding some bull man in one hand, him wearing a bodysuit with blood over the chest, though it's clearly not his. Two other guards, dressed in that similar thick plating, approach. One says in a filtered voice that this man's here on suspicion of murder and theft. The bull swears he hasn't done anything, though the guard drags a finger through the blood on his chest, holding it in front of him accusingly. He says that the evidence is as plain as the nose on his face. Then, one of the chains suspended from the arms overhead lowers, and attached to it is what looks like an octagonal container. The bottom opens up and the mech lifts the dull into the opening, which quickly closes and seals the bull in.

The chain lifts high up, before swiftly moving towards one of the outer walls, Demiurge is able to watch it zip towards the wall, even without the monitor. With that, the feed shuts off, and the monitors retreat into the ceiling. Demiurge is worried at what he's seen, and realizes he's been distracted. He runs in the direction Kensey last ran, soon finding him a fair distance away from where they were running.

Demiurge asks him what that was. Kensey asks if he's really been sleeping through this stuff, or if there's just no crimes higher up in the floors. He tells Demiurge that *that* was an execution. Demiurge repeats the word in worry, clearly uncertain of the exact prospect. Kensey says that they find someone suspicious looking, makes sure people see offenders getting caught, and then locks them up in one of those cages. And then, those cages are sent outside.

He points towards the nearest large window, there being a set of stairs leading up to what looks like a viewing platform to the outside. He says that the cages are sealed shut and zipped through the insides, before being hung outside. There, the walls open up and let the toxic air in. They're choked out, die, and then the cages drops them to the ground below. Demiurge is horrified, and asks why there's even a platform to look up at it. Kensey shrugs unsure. Maybe they want them able to see bad guys suffer, maybe it's some sort of reminder to behave, maybe the people on this floor take some pleasure out of it. It's rare, but sometimes people can see some of the Higher Floor people descend from the sky, and sometimes that lifts his spirits.

Either way, they're wasting a lot of time. Those Solumn guys are grouped up about now, which means they have time to perform their business. If there was ever a time to act, now's it while they can't capture either of them.

The duo work for a while, looking for anybody scared to go around. Unfortunately, they find very few takers. Apparently many are worried about getting anywhere after the recent execution, and so they have to make by with whatever little scraps they can gather. Kensey says that he's used to not having a lot of money, but today was exceptionally bad, he apologizes for the weak introduction. Demiurge says that it's alright, they'll just get more later, right?

Kensey shrugs and supposes they'd better be prepared for the next haul. Anyways, they'll be heading back, maybe Dandy got something. So they head back to the alley, and find Dandy waiting there, him resting on his backside. He waves the guys over, and they muse briefly about what they gathered. It seems the tiger was slightly more successful than the duo. Kensey supposes that things will get better tomorrow, certainly. For now, they should rest.

Demiurge asks what came of the scrap metal, and Dandy says that they kind of took it all. They declared the stuff their property anyways, and took it without offering any compensation. Kensey gives a deep sigh and confirms what he says. That's why they need to get lucky with their work.

Octuar 25th - Octuar 28th
With this, the players go through a few days. Kensey leads Demiurge through the streets, and is forced to retreat to hiding as they notice more guards in that silvery plating patrol the area. They move more and more, though Kensey remarks that Solumn's Guards are far more alert than usual. And unfortunately, it cuts into their earnings. Each night, he looks over his earnings while Dandy looks towards him in worry.

They work more and more, and unfortunately, they get very few earnings. On the 28th, he says that they'll probably have enough for 3 more days worth of breakfasts. Dandy, meanwhile, looks on worried. He furrows his brow, before reaching for his utility belt and handing it to him. The rat looks on curious, and the tiger says that it's sort of been a good luck charm. Maybe he'll find more with this. Kensey says that it's supposed to keep him safe, though the tiger assures that he knows to keep himself safe.

Kensey's unsure, but if he really wishes... Either way, they sleep.

Octuar 29th
On this day, they go through the usual process. Still there're guards galivanting around, and still people are worried about going anywhere, and still they're getting little business. Kensey furrows his brow before angrily kicking at a nearby wall in annoyance. What in blazes has these guys on edge anyways?! Demiurge thinks back to that time that machine looked at him, and inwardly wonders if this might be about him.

Either way, they gather whatever they can and begin to head back. They approach the alley they've been staying at as usual, and when they do, they notice Dandy's not quite here yet. They both look at each other in concern, Kensey saying that he's usually back by now. Demiurge asks if they should probably look. The rat says they don't have a lot of other options. So, heh heads out the other way of the alley, hoping he'll be nearby.

They look around curious, when a short squirrel guy in one of those skinsuits approach. He asks if he's Kensey, and the rat answers he is. Some guy out here's asking for him, too weak to move. He asks the squirrel to take them to them, and so they move. They make it, and find the horrible sight of their tiger friend laying down next to a low-lit building, his back covered in deep wounds. He's wearing small underwear and nothing else, though that pales in comparison to how terrible he looks right now. Other than that, he has in one hand those papers he had before, and he has in the other a pair of bags, one for other clothes, and one full of money.

Kensey is horrified and races forwards, reaching under him. He grunts and tries to lift him, though he's too tough. He demands Demiurge helps him, and the stunned Dragon is shaken to acting. He races forwards and takes the tiger up. Kensey says he knows someone that can probably help, they have to be fast though! And so, they run.

They make it to another set of alleys, this one being adjacent from a doctor's place. They're around the back, where a quetzal lady, her having green feathers and a red underbelly, though much of it's hidden by one of those bodysuits. She's also dressed in a white gown, and has the tiger on a bed around the back. She says that he's been hurt pretty badly... she's used whatever magic she can, but his body's still working through the trauma of what whoever did this to him did.

Kensey thanks her, calling her **Mont**. She says she'll leave him be for now, and walks away. Kensey's clutching the bags Dandy was holding, and he looks on the tiger fuming as he's reading through the sheets of paper the guy was holding. Demiurge apologizes for him, and notices the big bag in his hand. It looks really heavy. He wonders what he's done to get that much money. Kensey rolls his eyes and asks if he's really that dense by now. Dandy's a Man of the Night. There are very few people on this floor able to get good clothes, and even fewer that're able to look good, but he comes from a higher floor, so he descended unto this one like a shiny treasure piece. Everyone wanted a piece of him, and he had to teach him to defend himself... And even then, on the rare occasion, the moron'll get himself almost killed!

He told him to remove some of these services, but that moron insists that he should keep some of this stuff just in case. Demiurge asks if those cuts were seriously part of the services, and Kensey says that there's that and far, far worse. The more it'll hurt him, the more it'll cost. He's holding a lot of pain right now... That moron even stuck him with his self defense.

Demiurge says they need to do something about all of this. The money they're getting isn't enough, the shops cost too much for necessary goods, the floor itself is working to bound them all down, and they might all die if those guards pop up. The rat grits his teeth and punches the wall nearby, angrily asking Demiurge if he thinks he doesn't know that?! He's lived it all his life! Dandy's been the only light in his life, and that guy keeps on putting his neck on the line! As if this'll make him a difference! As if he's not going to live and die here whether he gets that money or not!

He'd love to march right up to Solumn and give her a piece of his mind, but no matter what he does, no matter how strong he gets, no matter what weaponry he gets, those guards will always be stronger than him and Dandy. They have all the cards, and he's just a rat living out of pure spite. Hearing all of that, Demiurge gives pause and takes a few steps back, overwhelmed. He feels despondent himself and rubs his shoulder.

After a few moments to try and calm, Mont comes out. She apologizes and says she couldn't help but overhear. She was actually originally on one of the upper floors, and she remembers someone up there that might be the kind of guy he's looking for. Kensey raises a brow and asks what she means. She says she's used to be on the Arachnid Floor, and there there was someone that was trying to rouse up some form of resistance. She managed to get quite a few supporters, though she's recently suffered a hit to her rapport. Still, she has some supporters.

Demiurge says she sounds like she could be helpful. She says they should at least check her out, and Kensey asks how they can. Mont says she still makes enough for a pass up there, she thinks she can bring them up on the lift. She just needs to make some final adjustments to some patients' tables, and she can bring them over tomorrow. The rat gives pause and takes a deep breath. He says that they should probably see her, just in case. Mont nods and tells them to meet her back here tomorrow, she'll keep Dandy safe.

Kensey sighs and quietly thanks her. So, he turns and begins to head out, Demiruge following. He asks the Dragon if he can keep it a secret, him revealing Dandy's occupation. He's kind of self conscious about it. Demiurge assures he can. Kensey thanks him, and they walk.

Octuar 30th
On this day, Demiurge and Kensey go back to the hospital area, where the doctor from before steps out, her with a razor-like straight sword at her hip as she stepped forwards. Kensey asked if that's something you get on the upper floors, to which she replies that this was something on the black market up there. Apparently someone took a guard's weapon and remolded it to make it appear different enough. The guards' swords are able to fold, though this one's straight and rigid. Either way, Mont says she got what she needs, so they oughta get going.

They move to one of the lifts, where the bird takes out a card with the symbol of a spider on it. She steps in and slots the card into a reader at the edge of the lift, and it begins to lift. As it does, Kensey and Demiurge looks back, spotting a pair of fairly large people, a polar bear and a lion, had gotten on behind them. The rat shudders and tells the other two to look lively. Demiurge and Mont turn, and see the group.

Kensey says that these two happened to be repeat punching bags on his jobs, though never at the same time. The lion says that this jerk's been a real pain in his side, the polar bear affirming. The polar bear tells the other two to look away if they want to. They don't get any beef with them, and they can just hide out on the other floor. Kensey brings out his pipe wearily, and Mont draws her own sword. Mont seems surprised, though she assures that that man is kind of part of her business. The polar bear says that if she wishes, then they can beat the lot of them.

With this, the trio are forced to fight the **Burly Duo**. Either foe relies on physical prowess. They tend to focus on damage on the trio, which is ok, because Mont's good at healing. She also seems to have Lonna's ability to nullify damage for an ally, Nonia's ability to give allies a buff that frequently heals them, and buffs to increase party members' speed to make their turns come around faster. With the trio's efforts, they're able to overwhelm the duo, who collapse. Kensey says this'll look really bad on the upper floor if they arrive like this. Mont says that they should probably run when the lift stops.

The lift comes to a stop, and thus the three race away, leaving the polar bear and lion behind. They make it deeper into the **Arachnid Floor**, a floor that's slightly cleaner than the floor before. It has a lot more buildings that're more than one floor tall, and they can see more guards and mechs on the floor. Kensey says that despite how nice the floor looks, he feels a little less safe here. Mont says that there're less criminal acts on this floor, though some attention might be given to this floor thanks to that resistance chick.

The group goes around the floor, taking care around the guards and the mechs. They move and move careful, soon arriving at one of those multi-floor buildings out in the middle of the floor. Demiurge asks if Mont's sure that she's here, and the quetzal says that this was where she's lived back when she had a spot up here. Demiurge looks over the building, and he notices that there are latches and what look like handholds around the various rooms, making it seem as if parts of the building can be opened up. Mont says that if she's not here, then maybe they can ask someone here where she's gone.

Demiurge himself is unable to enter, and players get to control Mont or Kensey as they walk through this building. Mont says she should be on the third floor, and the rat asks if she's her biggest fan or something. Mont assures otherwise, saying that back in the day, she was publicly discredited thanks to Solumn. She brings up the "Kinder Gardening" that occurs frequently, and says that she was subjected to one of those. Her child was brought back, thankfully, though the incident left a stain on her. Kensey shudders, thanking god he hasn't had a child.

The duo goes through the apartment and up to the third floor. They go through the hall before eventually arriving at one door. There, Mont says that this should be where she is. Kensey motions for her to go ahead, and so, the quetzal knocks the door. They back away, and the door opens up, revealing a mantis lady in one of those bodysuits, her being almost as tall as the ceiling. She sees the duo, and asks who the heck they are. Kensey seems stunned, though Mont speaks up, saying that this rat guy here wanted to talk to her.

She turns to him, and the rat seems startled. He explains that this Mont lady here said that she had plotted out a resistance group against Solumn, and as he says that, she turns and heads into her apartment. The duo follow after while she steps into the room, it having a small bed, a separate bathroom, and one of those security monitors, now at a smaller side, embedded in the wall. She says that if he's here for that, he's too late. The Eminence leader saw to the destruction of her resistance. Kensey rose a brow and looked around in concern, him saying he doesn't see any child. The mantis says that after the incident, the little girl couldn't look at her, so she's allowed her someone else to take care of her.

Kensey and Mont both feel uncomfortable, though the quetzal walks over to a nearby window. She opens it up and looks down, waving for someone below. The mantis is confused at her motion, when suddenly, Demiurge lifts his head up to look in. He sees the lady and asks if this is the resistance guy. The mantis rolls her eyes and says that it's not gonna work. Solumn's goons already made her look awful. Demiurge says that Mont seemed to have a high opinion of her, and Kensey here seems interested. The mantis then asks if they even know what she's done. Demiurge wearily answers no.

The mantis reaches under the mattress of her bed and takes out a remote, this one having letters on it and a bar that indicates where the typed letters go. She types something and points it at the monitor on the wall, and it flares up. It shows one of those pov shots of one of the mechs going through the streets, approaching the building they're currently at. Demiurge briefly peers back to see if someone's approaching, though the mantis assures it's just a recording. She says that she was able to work in secret and make those that work with her act without making it cleaer they intended to topple her. But that ferret looked for one thing to pin on her.

The recording shows the mech approaching the building, raising up to the third floor. It grabs the handle at the wall adjacent from the room they're in, before pulling it, opening up the wall like a door, revealing the mantis and a smaller bug lady. The mech speaks in Solumn's voice, declaring that the lady inside, **D'mere**, has been accused of failing to fulfil payments to the government body. The mantis inside swears that she will, that she'll do everything she can to get the money. There's a pause, when the machine reaches forwards and grabs the child, her screaming. D'mere reaches for her, crying out "**Molly**" in fear.

The mech says that if she can't keep on paying, then this child will serve as interest. D'mere swears that she'll sell whatever, that she'll take a loan, she begs her to return her. The mech stops and says that she's had her chance, and if she really wishes to do anything, then she can join her. D'mere seems to tense up and stumble back, muttering that she doesn't want to die. That seems to seal her fate, and so the mech pulls away and closes the side of the room, before walking off, the child screaming.

D'mere then turns off the monitor, Kensey and Demiurge horrified. D'mere says that Molly was sent out for execution, but there seemed to be a failure in the unlocking mechanism, so she was brought back. But by then, she was scared and alone and already saw her as a lesser person. Her allies suffered similar fates under the Kinder Gardening. Either they were too scared to go with their child, or they went with. Those that went with never returned, and those that were scared were left with a child that hated them and people that gave them sour looks. They couldn't face execution legally, but she made sure they'd suffer for their resistance, and now they have to live with the consequences.

Kensey glowers and kicks the nearby wall angrily, saying that they went up here for nothing. Demiurge, meanwhile, gives pause, before speaking up. He can say "You're letting her win" or "You can't give up now". D'mere looks towards him curious. He explains that this was clearly a targeted move if it happened the way she described it. That must mean that Solumn saw them as a threat! If they give up now, they're just showing that she won. They need to dismantle the pillars of her rule and give everyone in this tower the chance for a better life.

D'mere gives pause at that reaction, before taking a deep breath, and sighing. She looks around the room she's at, before huffing. She says that it's not exactly like she has a lot left to lose... She gets up and says that she'll see what she can do. She offers the party to go home for a while and come back tomorrow. In the meantime, she'll try to see what connections she can get, and then they can see what they can do about starting to take care of Solumn. Kensey perks up at that, and Mont claps her hands together excitedly. She says she knew there was some spark in that body yet! D'mere nods dismissively and tells them to keep hush about this stuff. They need any advantage they can get before they take this fight to the system. Any mistake could mean death for any of them.

Octuar 31st
On this day, the group joins up and takes the lift again, Kensey checking to make sure no odd guys follow them up. The lift goes up and soon makes it to the appropriate floor, where they step off and head to the apartment. They rush and rush, and find D'mere waiting there. She's at her door and sees the trio, and tells them that after the hit they took, it'll take a lot of work to build the resistance back up.

She steps into the room and searches around, soon finding what she's looking for in a hollow compartment under the carpeting. She pulls it up, revealing a strange looking weapon. It appears to be a technological axe, hosting a long shaft with an edge at the top of it that appears to be thicker than D'mere's torso. Said edge also has various segments in it with machinery visible through the cracks. Mont looks on in surprise, saying that that's a weapon from a high ranking guard! D'mere remarks that she knows, and fiddles with the shaft a little, at which the segments in the edge whir to life before altering the shape of the edge such that it appears like the blade of a scythe. She fiddles the shaft again to turn it back to its axe form, and puts the weapon on her back.

Mont remarks that being spotted with that would surely be grounds for execution, at which D'mere says that they must be careful. For now, she's begun networking with resistance members. She was able to find a few friends, but only two of them seemed willing to join alongside her. They're trying to reach out to their own allies, and in the meantime, they need to get prepared for whatever. That's why for their first mission, they need to gear up.

Kensey asks if she means what he thinks she means, and she nods. If they're going to prepare their resistance, they need the gear and weaponry. Before they were dismantled, her allies had stocked some weaponry up at a building nearby, and attempted to gather money for a trip for each floor. Mont asks what she intends to do, to which she explains that part of the process means to get rid of their influence. And that'll mean driving the guards and mechs off of the floors. If they're going to get Solumn, they need to make sure she can't escape to the lower floors.

Anyways, they need to get to work. They hid their weaponry in a local scrap building one of their allies ran, but she was, unfortunately, executed. It's under ownership of someone else, but hopefully they haven't gotten everything out of there yet. With that, Kensey supposes they have a mission. Mont says that this could very well be their chance to make a difference. And then, Demiurge can say "Let's make a difference" or "We're giving everyone hope".

With that, the mission is started. Players must investigate the appropriate shop and get the weaponry from there before it gets snatched away.

Octuar 31st - Novi 14th
With this, players are tasked with progressing around the floor and towards the appropriate destination. Said destination is towards the southeast corner of the floor. It's a storehouse with a stall out front that someone would exchange money for goods with. This is the **Scrap Store**, D'mere explains that a few people on this floor gather lost pieces of metal and place them here to be collected by the guards. They should be careful, there could be many foes within this area.

With that, the group must work their way around the building, getting towards the back, where there's a mech-sized door. Demiurge reaches for it and lifts it slightly, the party peering in to make sure. Kensey says that it looks clear, so they slip in, Demiurge following suit. Inside, there are numerous shelves with scraps of metal stacked on various industrious shelves, them reaching high to the ceiling. Numerous staircases can be seen to go up to higher floors to get at a different portion of the shelves to gather scrap. The floors have gaps in them that the mechs appear to be able to go up through in order to gather stuff. Additionally, what looks like a partially deconstructed mech is in the middle of the bottom floor.

D'mere says that if they're going to find anything, they need to go to certain shelves, the stuff should be there. For now, they need to be careful, only for the door they went in to snap shut, startling the three. Demiurge appears to've dropped the door, and looks back sheepishly. D'mere declares that they need to get moving, so they rush to one of the sides. In the process, they end up bumping into a few of the workers, guys with welding irons and with motorized saws. They see the group, and hold their gear threateningly while the party draws their own weaponry, Kensey saying they need to act fast.

The group's forced to battle the **Scrap Guards**. In the process, players learn about D'mere's overall playstyle. She has the unique ability to swap her damage type between Smash and Slash, a 0 cost skill allowing her to swap between the axe form and the scythe form while the physical skills are unique to her, them changing their damage type depending on the current form of her weapon. In addition to that, she wields various self buffs and electric magic. She's all around very focused on damage. With her and the rest of the party's help, players are able to down the Scrap Guards, just in time for the other guards to see no one at the rear door. They start to go back to their posts, and D'mere says they need to be careful. They have several spots to investigate for the equipment.

They must navigate the various stairs and around the various walkways. They progress around the shelves and must look into each of them, gathering more and more hidden equipment. Explosives, arms, armor, so on. In one portion, D'mere draws some small boxes with antennae, speakers, dials, and buttons. Demiurge wonders what those are, and Kensey admits he himself doesn't recognize them. D'mere says these are handheld radios. Solumn's people wield these and are able to communicate with each other from far distances, that kind of tech will be invaluable to their group.

Either way, the group's eventually able to get the last piece of equipment. And when they do, one particularly puny-looking worker, a beetle guy, notices them. Seeing them, he rushes to the floor in terror. Mont says they have to stop him, and with that, they're forced to race down to the bottom of the Store. Once down there, they see the beetle guy race towards that partially deconstructed mech, shoving into it and fiddling with the controls. Kensey gets worried, and much to everyone's worry, the machine whirs to life.

The mech has no legs, though it's able to utilize the arms it still has to drag itself towards the group, before parking on its base to keep it in place. It raises its machine arms threateningly, and D'mere declares that they have no choice. These things are really tough, but with it partially scrapped, they might have a chance! With that, players are forced to battle the **Scrapped Mech**. Said mech is a bit of a damage sponge. It Resists all physical damage while it's able to deal Smash damage to a single target, Smash to all, and deal Fire and Lightning damage. It's a bit of a war of attrition. This foe can't heal itself, but its frame makes it hard to damage with non-magic attacks, while players should make good use of their healer. Either way, with enough work, the Scrapped Mech will take too much damage, and begin to collapse. There's specific attention paid to how the frame, the area the beetle guy entered to control the mech, crushes together. The mech slumps over and falls apart.

The party's panting and panting, feeling a little overwhelmed. Kensey says that even in pieces that mech was tough. D'mere says they'll have to deal with more later. For now, though, they got what they needed. It's time to return.

With that, players return to D'mere's apartment, her inside and removing the carpeting to find hiding spots. She explains that she'll work on distributing this gear. Mont asks what they should do in the meantime, to which she replies that once the pieces are in place, she'll ask everyone to gather so they can work on the next part. Once they meet, they can discuss further issues and prepare means of circumventing them.

The group nods, and then they start to split, though before they do, D'mere hands Demiurge one of the radios they collected. She tells him to keep this safe, and not to let anyone see him with it. Demiurge swears he will, and so they begin to head out. Once out, Kensey supposes all they can do is wait... Mont supposes they can train a little in preparation, and Kensey says that he's going to keep an eye on Dandy. Mont says he should be up soon, and Kensey remarks that that's good... Maybe he can give him some good news finally.

Novi 15th
On this day, Demiurge and Kensey meets up at Mont's medical store, and find Dandy's bed empty. The two look around, Kensey in worry. Mont then comes out, and next to her is the tiger. Seeing him, the rat rushes up to him and hugs him, Mont saying that her magic was able to tie up the wounds early on, and it seems his body's been able to work off his trauma. Dandy apologizes for being away for so long, he underestimated how much he could withstand for his work. Kensey calls the tiger a big dummy and says that he's worried enough without hearing him blame himself.

He says that he'll have to settle down and stay calm before he ever gets out on the field. He and the upper floor guy are going to keep on working. However, Dandy speaks up, and admits that Mont's talked to him a little a bit about what their group's been doing. Kensey's surprised at this, and Dandy says that he wanted to keep working with him. He got all messed up because he cares for him, and he'll continue to care. Kensey starts to speak up, though Dandy leans in, whispering that it doesn't hurt that he could get out of his "business" if they can wear down Solumn's rule. Hearing that, Kensey says that he's on board.

With that, he pulls out the knife Dandy'd given before, and hands it off to the tiger. Dandy grabs it, and with that, he says they'll prepare for anything. As they do, Demiurge's radio crackles to life. Demiurge lifts it and hears D'mere saying that she's managed to organize a few guys. She says they'll host a meeting up here in a short while, so in the meantime, he says that the group should make whatever preparations they need and gather whatever information they need. They need to be ready to subvert whatever advantage the foes have, asap.

Demiurge speaks into it, though she doesn't respond. He tries to speak again, though Mont holds the radio herself, pressing the button and speaking, answering that they copy. D'mere responds, thanking for the update. She wishes to see them at Novi 21st. Mont says they shall, and they click off. With that, Mont supposes they should garner whatever information and buildup any skills they can until that day. Everyone nods in response.

### Medium

With the news, Kensey supposes that they should probably finalize whatever problems they can on this floor/ If they're suffering them, odds are someone else is. Dandy asks if they could do something about the guards, though Kensey says that taking care of those guys will likely be an end goal. They need something else, maybe to build some rapport with the common people. As they speak, Demiurge speaks up, recalling the shops. At that, Kensey remarks that he's right. Everything'd moved on too fast for them to really focus on, but the food shop Demiurge went to cost more on this floor than on another. And considering the reasoning he gave, maybe the other shops are in a similar state.

With that, they now have a mission. Demiurge goes to the various shops and investigates their prices. In the meantime, Kensey himself will double check on the food prices. With that, the party nods, before heading off. To the clothing shop and to the self defense shop. He goes to either, and finds two different animals running each. An expressive peacock man in the clothing store named **Percy**, and a grizzled lizard lady in the weapon's shop named **Goona**. He looks over either shop, and like before, they're five times as expensive, and these guys assure they need to pay off guys above floors.

Mont and Dandy say that this seems like something to work on. Dandy himself says he noticed that the prices were a little steeper down here, but he was only a couple floors up, he never realized the stuff down here was five times as expensive as up. Demiurge asks how much stuff costs up there, and Dandy says he didn't pay much attention to the prices up there, though it cost him a fair amount. The money he provides tells Demiurge it seem to be 4-5 times as expensive, not as expensive as down here but still a significant difference. Mont says that much of these tools are very important, so it's not like people can just *not* buy them, so that leaves them stranded in poverty likely. Dandy then says they should probably bring this up with D'mere early on so she can check and make sure the circumstances are similar on other floors as well.

Dandy suggests they should check out other shops. Entertainment, health supplies, other things Demiurge might not've paid attention to on the floor he was on originally. Maybe if they can check out the various shops they can see what else they're being robbed of, and maybe see if they can prepare for that stuff. Demiurge says that sounds like a good idea, so they spend the day searching other shops on this floor.

The late hours soon come, and Mont suggests they can wait over at her own shop if they want. She'd hate them to stay on the streets when they could get shanked. Dandy says that that sounds nice, and then he offers to hang out at the usual place to lead Kensey over. Mont says that that sounds good, and thus they begin to walk off. Demiurge and Mont arrive there, and they're soon joined by Kensey and Dandy. Mont says she took note of the various prices and had notified D'mere, that mantis said it sounded worth looking into. Kensey says that if they can get cheaper stuff down here, they could worry about their money a lot less.

At that, Dandy thinks to speak up. They'd spend so much of the day looking and browsing, they never really got around to making money, did they? Kensey brings up that after he checked out Clance's shop, he thought to do some escort jobs. It was a little tricky, but he managed to get a fair enough. It won't be enough for a meal tomorrow, especially for all of them. Mont says that she could probably pay, though Dandy says that he'd hate to be a burden on her, especially after what she did for Dandy. Mont swears that it's nothing, though Dandy says he'd still like to earn his keep, so to say. Kensey says that he should be sitting still for a while.

Mont swears that it's nothing. Anyways, D'mere will probably investigate the shops on her floor, then report if there are issues, and they'll probably do some proper movement at the 21st. The party says that sounds good, and then rests.

Novi 16th
On this day, the characters wake up to the usual tune. The group all rouses awake and meet up at the back of it. There, the doctor says that she'll have to wait on any updates on D'mere. The mantis said she'd have her allies work on it too, so maybe they'll be fast. Otherwise, it's a matter of waiting. Kensey then speaks up, saying that that probably means they'll have time to get some pocket change. Mont assures that they don't have to, though Dandy insists. Kensey then says that Dandy should stay put, he won't have to do anything.

Kensey then heads out, Demiurge coming with. Mont, meanwhile, stays back to keep an eye on the tiger. With that, they split. Demiurge and Kensey soon return, though on their way back, Mont intercepts them. She says that she took her eyes off him for a moment to check on other patients, but she returned, and he's gone! The duo's worried, and Kensey declares they need to find him. The rat says they need to split up and search, and so they fan out around the doctor's station.

Demiurge's searching down one street, and hears some threatening noises. Demiurge raises a brow and approaches the alley, peeking around the edge to find Dandy underdressed, wearing only overalls. There are also three shady looking guys around him. One's a tall crow lady, one's a shorter wolf guy, and another's a shorter cat guy. The wolf exclaims that Dandy's being unreasonable, his prices are way too high. Dandy swears they're very reasonable, he's offering a lot for one of a kind pleasure. The crow declares that any old toy or even a hand could do what he does, he has some nerve making demands like this.

Dandy looks among the lot of them, trying to stammer out some sort of response. But he sighs and says he can probably lower his prices. The cat says he better throw in a good show on the house, cause he's really been killing the mood! Dandy looks downtrodden, but before he can do anything, Demiurge steps in, saying that the three of them have some nerve. Dandy seems surprised at the Dragon's appearance, and bashful. The wolf says this is between customer and seller, if he wants something then get in line. Demiurge says that this is his friend, and he won't let them talk down to him like this.

The crow says that she's getting real sick of this. How about they get rid of this reptile and work out their frustration on that tiger, that may be a good use of their money. Seeing Demiurge threatened, Dandy reaches into his pocket and pulls out his knife, saying that after everything, he doesn't care to serve them anymore! With that, a battle starts with the **Demanding Patrons**. This is a little troublesome with it being just two in the good guy party. Thankfully, Dandy himself is fairly tanky, able to deal Stabbing damage with normal attacks and having a few Smash skills. Additionally, he has Charm skills that'll trick some of the enemies to act in ways that benefit the good guys. With Dandy's skills combined with Demiurge, the trio are overwhelmed, the cat declaring that this is way too much trouble to just waste money. The three retreat.

Dandy pants and pockets his knife. He says that he's sorry Demiurge had to see that side of his work. Demiurge can say "I... already knew..." or "I don't mind at all". To the former, Dandy's still bashful, though is happy that Demiurge considered him friend even after getting exposed like that. To the latter, Dandy sighs and thanks him for that. Either way, he says that he thought he might've been ready for this, but clearly he's just going to be walked over for the foreseeable future. He asks the Dragon if he can walk with him back home.

The two arrive back home, and Kensey and Mont soon arrives at the location, finding the tiger and Demiurge. They're both relieved and rush forwards, Kensey embracing Dandy. Kensey asks where he's gone, and that he can't just go off without letting anyone know. Dandy admits he was trying to get money, and Mont declares that's not necessary. She's just happy that he's ok. Kensey declares that he's seriously dumb, all while he buries his face into his chest.

At here, Dandy takes a deep breath. He says that he's felt it very necessary to work his job for those around him. Back when he was wrong, he'd hoped that the guards would be able to return his things to him, but he didn't receive any compensation, and eventually ran out to tend to himself with. Since then, he figured he really needed to put himself on the market, and back when he arrived at this floor, his... profession... seemed the most ludicrous. Despite what'd just happened, he thought to continue his services, he just thought that he could get away with limiting the options. But, clearly the truth is that there aren't a lot of people down here that'll respect him, including himself.

So, he's going to step away from that job. He'll be doing everything with the group now. Kensey thanks him for finally seeing reason, and Mont says that what they're doing is still dangerous. If he ever wants to, he can hide away at this building. However, Dandy says that whatever happens up there can't be worse than what happened in his line of work. With that, Mont says that she looks forwards to his work. For now, though, it's getting a little late, so they should eat.

With that, they take Kensey's earnings to buy some food, eat, and then rest.

Novi 17th - Novi 20th
During this period, players are allowed some free time. They'll encounter a sparse few sidequests, be able to boost bonds, or be able to grind up on exp by traveling the more dangerous alleys and getting in fights with bad guys in there. Players are meant to prepare for whatever, for the 21st will arrive soon, and there's no telling what'll happen there.

Novi 21st
On this day, the group must go up to the Arachnid Floor from before, once again passing the **Dung Beetle Floor** and the **Ant Floor**. As they pass, Dandy remarks that he used to be on the Ant Floor there. Kensey asks how it was, and Dandy answers that it wasn't too remarkable. Still had a fair amount of crime on it, there were a few men and women of the night there... He does remark that there hasn't been as many criminals or as expensive items as there were on the Cockroach Floor. Either way, they go more and more, soon arriving at the Arachnid Floor.

They go through the streets and arrive at the apartment from before, and get to her floor. Once there, they see that she's with a couple of guys: a bobcat man with gray fur, a swan man with pure white feathers, and a short chinchilla lady with gray fur. D'mere says that these are but a few representatives she got in contact with, and each of them have been at work gathering allies. The swan asks if they really have to work with that **Andas** jerk, motioning towards the bobcat. Andas says that he's got as much a vendetta against that maniac as anyone in this room, though the swan says that they haven't given up their child over and over! D'mere is quick to wave them down, saying that this kind of disparity is exactly what Solumn wants among them.

The swan glowers and sits back, the chinchilla glaring at the bobcat. D'mere says that that wasn't a good introduction... She decides to introduce the people here. The bobcat is Andas, and is a resident of this floor. The swan's **Goe** and comes from the Dung Beetle Floor, and the chinchilla is **Lon**, and comes from the Ant Floor. They each nod in response to their intro. Goe says he's a seller of self defense items and has tried weaving words of the resistance to people he thinks are helpful, and he's been in the process of examining the gear and screening people. Lon says she's a food seller and that she's been trying to cut down on costs for her food, though that's ended up making it hard to maintain her shop. Andas says he's been purely a follower of D'mere, and doesn't have any positive reputation to keep up.

The party's confused over that bobcat, though the other ones seem useful. Kensey pulls the others aside to the corner Demiurge's leaning into. Kensey asks if they're seriously gonna work with that guy. Demiurge asks what his business is, and Mont speaks up. Among the Kinder Gardening, Andas was a victim. But he must've come to some terrible conclusion whenever others' children returned, because he kept acting up and his son kept on getting pulled away, until one day he never returned. Kensey remarks that as if that weren't bad enough, he got smugger and smugger whenever his kid was taken, clearly figuring he was winning or something. Demiurge himself shudders at that.

Demiurge can then say "We should probably give it a chance" or "We don't have a lot of options". The group gives pause, though agrees. They each turned, and Mont assures that she's thankful they're together. She then says that she hopes D'mere was able to investigate their issue, to which the mantis assures they have. Sure enough, they have many sources of price disparity between floors. The lower the floor, the more costly, which she's sure is meant to keep the people of the Eminence pinned towards the bottom.

So, if they're to do anything about that, then they need to find a way to bring the necessary material from the higher floors to the lower ones so that they can produce the items necessary. Lon points out that that's easier said than done: Demiurge found the cheapest stuff way up on the Monarch Floor. That's almost right below the military floors, and it'd require a ton of money to get a pass up there. D'mere holds her chin and ponders, remarking that this is a predicament. Demiurge peers back at himself, looking at his wings. He says that he might have an idea...

At this, the group of D'mere, Kensey, Dandy, and Mont are at one of the lifts. D'mere speaks into her radio, asking Goe if he's working. The swan is down on the Dung Beetle Floor, and he answers he's placed the request for a lift up to the Arachnid Floor. With that, the group waits, and D'mere speaks. She says that some flying types have tried what Demiurge have tried, and they usually managed to get away with it, unless guards happened to ask them the right questions. Besides, it wasn't llike they could remain on there permanently, they'd have to pay for housing. That being said, Demiurge himself might be a bit more noticable, so when they go up, they'll have to be careful.

As they wait around, that bobcat from before lingers near, having a chain in his hands. He wanders to the group, and remarks that he doesn't exactly have much to do right now. Kensey says he can sleep the day away for all they care, they have a mission. Andas says that that's not fair, he has a stake in this too. Those maniacs are holding onto his child, and he's going to get him back. The party's surprised at this assertion, and Kensey asks if he's certain of this. Andas swears that they've kept him alive before, so there's no reason he shouldn't be now. The group ponders for a moment, clearly uncomfortable with working with this guy. But, they sigh.

D'mere says he should be careful if he's going to join along, and with that, Andas joins the party. And as they wrap up the conversation, Dandy pipes up, pointing out that the lift's coming down. It comes down and races past the current floor, and D'mere says it's time to move! With that, each party member jumps onto the Dragon's back, and he spreads his wings. He lifts them overhead, before swinging them downwards with enough force to launch him from the ground. He flaps more and more, racing towards the opening in the ceiling and racing up through the entry! Each party member clings tightly, each clearly terrified. They cling tighter and tighter, and Demiurge goes up and up and up.

Up and up they go, the Dragon pumping his wings as much as he can. They pass multiple floors, and it feels as if Demiurge goes for half a day. Eventually, he makes it to the upper floors, up to the Monarch Floor. There he steps out and onto the ground, panting and resting his wings. The party members each climb off, and D'mere declares that they have to move fast. They can't let anyone see they were here. With that, they rush off, Demiurge still worried.

Many of the well dressed people on t his floor are confused at the going ons, several guards responding to some strange happenings and approaching, them followed by other guards. Among them, Demiurge looks over his shoulder and notices Tena from way back. He approaches the lift-area, and Demiurge notices he has a set of Solumn's cuffs around his wrists, and behind him is a building-sized mech with a head as big as a house, a round body, and a set of thick arms and legs. Demiurge just speeds along, and they soon reach hiding.

They make it to the streets and rush into an alleyway, hiding there. Kensey says that if those guys saw anything, they'll probably be prosecuted. D'mere says he's right. She apologizes for having to do this, but she asks the Dragon to hide here. Demiurge says if it's necessary, he'll do it. With that, the party splits and gets to work searching. D'mere says that their job here is to look for the shops up here and find out where they're getting their supplies. With that, players take control of D'mere, and are now tasked with walking around the city, now without the Dragon.

Kensey remarks that, thankfully, those guards and machines seem preoccupied with the recent issue over at the lift area, so they should be safe for now. Either way, they scan around, soon finding this floor's food store, self defense store, and clothing store. At each, D'mere and Andas don't enter, leaving the remainder to look around and appear browsing while the other two scan around the building to see their things. They find that the food store seems to have its own small greenhouse that grows various items, and an adjacent building that stores various animals. The clothing store has a large adjacent building that has numerous tumbling devices in it that must be making the clothing. And adjacent from the self defense building appears to be some sort of tiny forge that constructs the devices.

The group reconvenes, and they relay the various things they'd seen. Kensey remarks that this is bull. How'd these guys even get these devices? Mont says that a lot of those things are very important, some very high class things. She ponders if that stuff was with the military at first? Dandy then asks why it would all be down here then? As they talk, though, Andas notices a strange penguin lady lingering near the building they've just investigated, looking at them curious. The bobcat approaches, the others curious and approaching. Seeing them approach, the penguin waves them closer and hides into the alley. The group approaches, and the penguin looks over them curious, asking if the mantis is really D'mere. She raises a brow and answers that she is.

The penguin introduces herself as **Aun**. She's a worker in the self defense store here, and she's become... aware of the way things are. Kensey asks if they can really trust her, and she swears she means no harm to them. She's heard about the various acts of violence through the grapevine and heard of how little the people of this floor thinks of those below. She had a penpal towards the bottom, and she got to hear about how rough it'd been. She sent some money and that person was trying desperately to get money to get some floors up, but her parents had informed her she was struck down in an alley. She thought about what she could've possibly done differently, and eventually came to realize not just the price issues, but also how wrong it was the way the people on this floor talked about those below.

Aun says that she wants to help the resistance. If nothing else, she at least wants to be able to halt this disparity. She says that the quetzal got the gist of it: a lot of this came from the guards up above. Seemingly randomly, Tena led the guards from building to building and provided various supplies, as well as provided another branch to the material transference lines so that this floor could send stuff down to other floors. She doesn't know why they did that, but the forge, the farm, the textiles, they're all from the guards.

The party's curious, and Andas wonders if they could've done that to drive the wedge. Kensey asks what he means, and the bobcat tries to explain. These guys are able to live better than everyone, and they get the material others need. So it makes the ones below depend on those above, even diverting their attention from the leaders that should be providing them this stuff. Mont says that that is possible... She asks if this happened all at once, or one by one. Aun assures that it happened seemingly at once, to which Mont says that that probably means this was calculated.

Either way, it sounds like if they're to do something about their situation on the lower floors, they need to somehow break into the floor above. Kensey says that Demiurge seemed pretty worn out from the previous flight, and Aun says she can help out. She has a pass for this floor, and they can ride with her up. Kensey says that'd be great! With that, they decide to head back to get Demiurge. However, when they get there, they see a pair of guards at the alley Demiurge is at, each wielding their weaponry. The group begins to grab their weapons, though Kensey takes pause.

He says that those are guards, they're always stronger than them. Mont says that they've yet to face them armored. They'll surely die... Andas growls and takes his chain. He whips it sideways, before rushing forwards, the rest of the party, sans D'mere, stunned. The bobcat rushes forwards before leaping up, and swinging, blindsiding the two guards with a whip attack. Kensey supposes that they're doing this now, and rushes forwards.

With that, players are forced into a battle with the **Solumn Guards**, and are able to learn a bit about Andas' powerset. He has skills that Enrage foes, forcing them to target him. He's also a bit of an evasive tank, having high chances of avoiding attacks. He also has multi-targeting physical strikes, wind skills, and skills that lower enemy accuracy and party evasion. With his skills, the party finds themselves able to avoid the guards, and beat them down. The cutscene continues, showing them shoving the guards into the alley, at which D'mere's quick to chop into each guards' neck and kill them. Demiurge is surprised and asks what's happening, to which D'mere says they'll explain on the way down. For now, they should hurry.

The group returns home, the penguin in tow. The group now has a slight idea about what they could do. Demiurge says they need to find a way to break into guard territory and find just what they're looking for. They need a lot of it in order to fix up the situation through the tower. Aun says that she can provide them access to the Monarch Floor so they have easier access to the guard floors. D'mere says that that would be appreciated. The penguin nods, and so the group has their mission now. Break into enemy lines, acquire supplies for constructing necessary goods, and distribute them throughout the floors.

Novi 22nd - Demi 3rd
With this, the group's able to be sent up to the Monarch Floor, where they first must find out how they're going to get above here. Aun says that it could be risky, but maybe they could fly up there like before. But first, security's probably tighter on that floor than everywhere else... D'mere says that if they were able to divert enemy attention then they might have a way in, but that'd mean possibly sending others to death. The penguin says she can do something she figures, maybe draw attention without having to put others in danger.

Aun moves while the rest of the party stands near a lift area. Then, they hear a commotion near one of the shops, the owner saying they were robbed! Guards begin moving, a few coming down from a lift overhead. And seeing the opening, the Dragon brings the party up and into enemy territory. They bypass it and find themselves in an area unlike any of the others on the floor. Instead of living-spaces and buildings, these floors appear to consist of various hallways, with branches off to other rooms. It's as if walking through a floor in an actual building, just extremely large. The player now traverses the **Lower Guard Floors**.

Demiurge remarks that it feels a lot more like a factory here. D'mere suspects that this is where these guys develop a lot of their technology. If they're going to find what they need, then these floors will be it. Now it's a matter of finding and transferring. Everyone knows what they're after, so it's a matter of navigating. So now, players are required to go around the floor, being careful of the various foes within. They have a lot of guards to go through, as well as automatic security features they have to battle. Thankfully it seems like the mechs aren't to be seen around here.

They maneuver around, and as they progress, they soon make it to a hallway that leads towards the center of the floor, revealing the lift that Demiurge had originally taken from way up down here. And around here, the group notices various pockets in the walls the size of large garages. And in each garage is a bee-shaped mech larger than a van. D'mere says that she hasn't seen any of these things before... Kensey says that whatever these things are, they probably aren't good. They should smash them. D'mere says that they shouldn't raise any more alarm than they will. They have a mission to complete, so they do that, then they plan their next move.

They progress more through the Lower Guard Floors and through more enemies. They have a few destinations: the Weapon Lab, the Food Development, and the Clothing Workshop.

* Food Development - Here, players find a fairly remote room that seems to be designed to be isolated from the rest of the floor. It's designed like a large-scale green room, featuring artificial sunlight and moisture in the air, as well as tons upon tons of plantlife. And another section of the area features lots of ferals, with a barn in the corner that stores various baby ferals. There are also many guards around that are monitoring the ferals and the plants. Mont remarks that she can feel her stomach writhe looking at this, and Kensey says he's never imagined seeing this much food in his life. D'mere says they need seeds and those infant ferals. They transfer them, they can allow other floors to make food of their own. With that, the group's required to maneuver around the various guards to collect the necessary components and ferals still in cages.
* Clothing Workshop - The group makes it to the Clothin Workshop, and find many assembly lines with various guards at various points, overlooking what appears to be an automatic process. They see several fabrics and rubbers being maneuvered through the track and through various points to be wound into clothing. Dandy says that this must be where they develop civilian uniforms and anything to "reward" their hard work. Andas looks on, and remarks that he'd been saving up on something real cool for little Nim. D'mere says that they need parts for the clothes-making process, and fabrics to feed to the machine. Now's their only chance. And so, players are tasked with maneuvering through the shop to gather the necessary equipment.
* Weapon Lab - The group makes it into the Weapon Lab, and finds a large forge that smelts various metals into weaponry of varying shapes and sizes. There's also a track that's building various mechs and those bee machines, and there are numerous guards around the area, looking over blueprints and making appropriate adjustments on consoles that seemed linked to the machine lines. Dandy pants and remarks that it's burning up in here, and Kensey remarks that it reeks in here too. D'mere says that this is what they're looking for, it's time to find the machinery they need, pack it up, and then get moving. With that, the group maneuvers around the location, soon finding material that would be used to make a forge, and lots of it too. As they do, among the mech desk, players can notice a set of blueprints showing off Solumn's mech. However, also on that blueprint is what looks like Demiurge's form and measurements.

The group's lugged their various equipment to a seemingly abandoned room, each panting after all that work. Kensey remarks that there's way too much stuff to take around. There's no way they can bring all of this junk down! Andas points out that they have to drag this thing through the halls to a lift, they have to hope they'd have permission to use the lifts from up here, and they'd look suspicious as hell with all of this junk anyways. Dandy then asks how they could bring this stuff down safely then? Demiurge himself ponders, and thinks back to those odd machines around that central lift. He ponders aloud if those things might be positioned around that lift for a purpose...

Players are first asked to confirm whether or not they want to proceed to those machines, because this decision could be dangerous. Upon confirming, the group drags their earnings through the hall and makes it to the central lift, where all of those bee machines are. D'mere goes up one of the ladders to one and checks it, before noticing that it needs one of those guard keys in it. With that, Andas is quick to rush out before returning with one. She takes it and turns it on, bringing the machine to life. She carefully maneuvers the controls, and finds that it flies.

It takes great care, but the machine's able to go out through the side, before coming to touch down on the ground near the group. D'mere presses various buttons, causing tendrils to extend from the bottom of it and retract, causing the bulbous eyes out front to light up, causing an alarm to blare for a moment before silencing, and finally causing the abdomen to open up, revealing a ramp into the machine. The group's quick to shove their material inside, and so they shut it. D'mere lifts it, and the party grunts as the thing moves, surprised.

Kensey asks what they're doing with these things, to which Andas remarks they don't have a lot of room to wonder for now, they gotta get what they earned down and somewhere safe! They begin moving, though a few guards have entered, wondering out loud what that racket was. Then they notice the bee moving, and one of them demands they identify themselves. Mont begs D'mere to move faster, but the mantis says if they move, they'll just lead them down! They keep on demanding, though the party remains silent, maneuvering around the opening carefully. Realizing that they aren't responding, the guards grow suspicious, and assume a bee machine themselves. The thing stands off, and now, the group notices hatches around where those tendrils they saw pop out of the machine were before. Mont asks if she can hit that button again, and so the tendrils extend, the hatches opening up. Kensey says they can probably fight from these things, and D'mere presses another button, her saying that she thinks it's in a state of hovering now, meaning she can join.

With that, players are now tasked with battling the **Worker Bee**. The fight is a strange one, as the Bee itself seems able to bring out guards enmasse while the Bee itself seems able to assault the party with gunfire, cosmic damage, and fire damage. The party requires a careful balancing act, with some required to be on support/healing, some required to wear down the number of guards on the field, and some required to damage the Bee itself, the machine having a relatively high amount of health and defenses. It's a fight requiring care on the player's part, but eventually they should be able to overwhelm it, and it flies into the side of the lift shaft, crashing and exploding.

With it downed, the party gets back into the machine, and flies down quickly. Several citizens see the oncoming machine and look on in confusion as it races past, going to lower and lower floors...

It eventually makes it down on the **Beetle Floor**, a floor several floors above the Arachnid Floor. They touch down and take out the material they've gathered. With this, D'mere says they should split up and get moving fast. If they can move fast enough, they should find good hiding spaces for this equipment, and then should be able to group up later to set this stuff up for the other floors. She tells the group she's proud of them, and says this will be a major victory against the forces of Solumn.

With that, the mission appears to, for now, be a success.

Demi 4th
With this, the group meets up, having hidden their earnings elsewhere before the team meets at the Arachnid Floor. There, they meet in an alley, all the resistance members and the penguin included. Goe says he can't believe, and Lon says that they dragged all of this down... D'mere brings up that they had to use a vehicle, and Lon asks where that vehicle is now. D'mere says they had to race away from the Bee, and apparently it'd been collected while they were running.

Lon admits that it would've been useful, though it probably would've been only drawn attention to them. Either way, they've gathered their material, so now it's time to start moving. Goe says he'll gather reliable people and get them to transfer the material, and Lon says she'll do the same. D'mere says she'll do the same for her floor, Kensey, Dandy, and Mont for theirs. Aun, meanwhile, will be preparing herself. Demiurge asks what she's preparing for, to which she replies she feels she should help them out on the field. With that, the group breaks, heading to their hiding places.

Demiurge's gone down with the three, where they gather the material. Kensey remarks that this is amazing. They're going to make things so much better for this floor. Dandy says that he can't wait to pay for less! Mont says that she feels like she's dreaming: all this work and she feels like she's about to see the fruit of their labor. Everything's gonna get fixed up, though Demiurge can say "There's plenty to do still" or "There's still Solumn to worry about". Either way, the happy times do lessen, though Mont says that they have plenty to work on. They managed to fix up one problem, and rush into enemy territory and come out alive. They'll fix things soon, and they'll surely overpower Solumn.

For now, though, the team will fan out. They'll bring their material to each shop, to Clance, Percy, and Goona. They give a brief explanation to the material, and each seems uncertain, especially fearing that those guards might get suspicious. Though...

* Dandy tells Goona that this is necessary, that there are foes on this floor that won't care for one, and that they need them to keep safe.
* Kensey tells Clance that there are people suffering on this floor, that there are people here that'll only stay in poverty if they don't lower the food price.
* Mont says that now's his best chance at expression. If he keeps on relying on those guys upstairs, he's just using other people's dessigns.

Either way, they also assure that they'll be safe, and that they'll time this right to make sure the guards only realize they have the equipment until it's too late. Hearing that, the shop owners, think, before deciding that this is worth risking. With that, they each accept what the group's gathered, and begins setting up their things and preparing their things.

With this, the group turns in, and decides they'll wait to see if they accept it...

Demi 5th - Demi 9th
On this, players are able to do whatever they want for a while. The story won't progress until Demi 10th, but in the meantime, players can perform sidequests, grind up on experience, and gathering items.

Demi 10th
On this day, the group checks out the shops. There, they find that the shops are a lot more crowded. Looking inside each, they can see that the prices have already dropped. The party can't help but jump in excitement, before they hear calls on the radio. Goe, Lon, and D'mere all report that their prics have dropped, and Mont replies that they dropped here too. Kensey excitedly hugs Dandy, telling him he's never been happier!

### Penultimate

With this, the group is still quite happy. Mont reminds the group that they have to still be careful. This is only the start of change around here. Kensey says he knows, but after everything, he thinks they deserve to indulge a little. They're getting three square meals and they're getting money over it. For now, though, they should wait for D'mere to say something so they can prepare. Demiurge says that that makes sense, and says they should just do whatever for now.

At this point, players are able to go around the floors they have access to, which includes Cockroach, Dung Beetle, Ant Floor, Arachnid Floor, and Monarch Floor. And through out, players can interact with various characters there, including those from sidequests or various party members.

* Kensey and Dandy - The two are seen hanging around. Dandy says that now that the prices are lower, he doesn't have to work on his old business. Kensey says that the tiger'll be joining him in his missions for now. Dandy tells Demiurge and Kensey that he's really thankful for their efforts: if they hadn't stepped in when they did, he'd probably still be a slave to those jerks.
* Mont - The quetzal says that more people are getting self defense. She's not sure on the overall affects of the clients, though a part of her feels like the damages will lower. She has a feeling that she'll be seeing less harmed, which is good. Surely those guys will be less willing to attack someone with a weapon. She says she's glad that they're making progress.
* D'mere - The mantis says that she hasn't felt spirits this high ever. That being said, she knows not to rest on her laurels. Solumn will likely respond, she might even realize that the resistance is back. She's not sure if she'll target her herself, but odds are she'll target someone. That means they need to be prepared for anything, and she wants Demiurge to keep on his toes.
* Andas - The bobcat is sitting at a corner on the Arachnid Floor, leaning against a building while sighing. He says that he's sure his son would've loved to see this... He could get some fancy food, give it to him, maybe get a cool outfit... He knows this isn't the end, and to be honest, he's glad. He can't wait to break into their hidden alcoves and free his son wherever they have him.
* Aun - The penguin says that the upper floors seem unaware of much of the going ons. A few have heard of the good news, and a few are a little perturbed. The shops up here are especially feeling upset that they won't be making as much money as they have been. But she's sure that as these guys continue paying for stuff, they'll eventually get along with it. Either way, she's preparing to fight with the resistance.

At any point, players can go to Mont's shop to sleep.

Demi 11th
On this day, the morning comes. Here, Kensey tells Demiurge that they need to be careful: the guards are more on patrol this morning than ever before. They mobilized overnight and have been moving around and checking out houses. According to D'mere, this is happening on multiple floors. Demiurge gets worried and holes up in the shop, and they can hear more guards than usual patrol outside. They wait and wait, and eventually the guards part. Kensey and group steps out for a moment, and see the Bee machines from before, flying up and going up towards the lift shafts.

They wait more and more, when those monitors come down, those same ones that showed off an execution. Down they come, before they flash on, revealing the image of Solumn looking out from the screen. She addresses the "Children of the Eminence", saying that this morning, the military force was in far greater numbers than before, as they most certainly noticed. That's because their community's faced a terrible crime: Much of their resources were stolen away while they're unawares, and has kept them firmly out of their hands.

For this, she seeks retribution. Those that have claimed their material can return them and not face consequence. Those that know who committed the act will be rewarded handsomely for turning them in. If there is no change, the patrols will be more and more frequent. That will be all this morning. **Earn, behave, live**. With that, the monitors return. Mont remarks that this isn't good... Kensey says she's probably gonna execute those behind this, and she's going to get rid of those stores' assets. They need to do something about this, asap! Dandy asks if D'mere said anything, though Mont says she only confirmed that they've been seeing patrols themselves. For now, she supposes they can only wait for any news.

Demi 12th
The patrols are out again, and again they wait. The guards return to those Bee machines, and after they do, they wait, when they get an alert on their radio. Goe's proclaiming that they'd just tried to take his kid! Mont rings over, asking what he means. Goe says they were trying that Kinder Gardening thing, they tried to extort him. He was lucky to have the money necessary, but if they come by again, he won't be able to protect her. Mont says she'll come up.

They turn off the radio, and Mont says they should get moving, now.

They make it to the Dung Beetle Floor and looks around, soon arriving at an apartment looking akin to D'mere's, except shorter. They look through the rooms, and finds Lon, Andas, and D'mere entering a room. There, they find Goe holding a small swan girl close, him and her crying profusely while they hold each other. D'mere tells him he got the message, what happened. Goe struggles to explain that he waited inside for the patrols to stop, when one of those mechs opened up the wall in the side. The mech said he owed money and threatened to take away the girl as insurance, but he threw his money at the machine, and it let go of her.

The group is very disturbed, D'mere in particular looking upset while Andas just feels guilty. She says that they're clearly trying to destroy their resistance in whatever way they can. Demiurge asks how they associated him with them, to which D'mere explains that he was an old associate. They probably figured he was involved in the thievery of their supplies. And if they're targeting him, who knows what they'll do to the rest of them? D'mere herself has her daughter elsewhere, there's no telling what's happening with other associates, and Lon...

Andas gives pause, before saying that this has to be their next mission. The party turns to him curious. He says that this is one of the ways they control. They're not killing them, but they're scaring them and the people associated without making it clear this is a matter of them versus the resistance. If they can track down where they take one of these children, then maybe they can put an end to that means of control. Goe seems ready to demand how he could come to a conclusion like that, only for D'mere to chime in, saying that that might actually be useful.

D'mere says that it's dirty, but if they're able to follow a Kinder Gardened cage to wherever they're being taken and dispose of it, not only would they be able to claim without question that the foes are trying to dismantle their resistance, and show their cruelty. They got the weaponry, they got the rapport, and if they get this, they can ignite the powder keg that is this tower. But before anything, she needs to ask Lon if she's willing to do this. The chinchilla gives pause, and feels sick to her stomach. She mutters that she couldn't... Andas points out that it won't matter what she wants. If those guards chose her child, it's either she has the amount of money they want, or they take her son. Lon takes a few short breaths, and says that she needs to consider. D'mere says that's fair, and she says she'd hate to have her agree to anything she's not willing to.

Either way, for now they've learned about this. They should break and give Lon time to think. With that, the party, now feeling tense, decides to back away from the apartment, leaving Goe to keep on hugging his daughter.

With this, the group's left and is allowed to do whatever they wish for the rest of the day, though there's still the worry of these guys' children to worry about.

Demi 13th
The group waits for the patrols to pass, though Lon, Goe, and D'mere report that a few children were taken away. Even on this floor the group can see one of these Kinder Gardenings happen. Kensey says that this can't keep happening, that they have to get up and fight! Mont says that D'mere hasn't said anything yet. If they're going to breach the annals of the Eminence they need everyone together. The rat groans at this, and Dandy speaks up. He says maybe they should check up on the Monarch Floor, maybe see if anything off is going on up there. Besides, Aun said she wanted to be ready to fight alongside them.

With this, they decide to check on the penguin.

They make it up to the Monarch Floor, and find the penguin near. She sees them, and says she's heard about the recent happenings. Sounds like those guys are cracking down on the resistance. Kensey says that Solumn seems hard at work breaking down what they've worked for. Aun says she doesn't want to sit around and let them do this. So, she'll fight with them. She isn't too experienced, but she thinks she can manage something. She then reveals a rifle she's been hiding behind her back.

Seeing that, Kensey seems surprised. Aun says she's tried it on a few cans she's bought. She's pretty satisfied with how it feels. Anyways, she feels she should hang out with them, she's sure that something's going to happen sometime soon. Mont says that'd be appreciated, and so the group takes a lift down to the Cockroach Floor. They're down and begin walking towards Mont's store. However, they become interrupted.

An odd looking pair approaches, either with what looks like guard equipment. They said that they're looking for anyone that matches Solumn's description. Kensey says they're looking, but the pair continues, saying that they talked to a few guys. They managed to talk with one of them. They mentioned a rat with a tough-looking appearance, and pointed towards Kensey. They said they'll get a confession out of them and draw their weapons. And at this, Aun drew her rifle and says now's a good time to show her thing.

With this, the group's forced to fight the **Impromptu Bounty Hunters**. Sure enough, they're not too tough, this is more a chance to see what Aun can do. She can deal Stabbing damage with her gun, though doesn't seem too keen on damage. Instead, she's far more oriented towards support. She seems able to nullify an enemy's defenses, changing their Res to Wek, or getting rid of reflective walls. She's also able to drain SP from an enemy, which works in tandem with her ability to give SP to allies. With this, they're able to overwhelm the duo, each dropping.

With that, they're able to continue forwards. Aun asks what the group's settling on, and Mont says they're not sure right now. Their group seems to be struggling on what mission to do, though they seem to be leaning towards following wherever those Kinder Gardening victims are going. The penguin asks isn't that death? Dandy says that the resistance might think it's part of some trick on their end. If they can break into their group, then maybe they can destroy the enemies' rapport.

Either way, they don't have much more to go on, so they have to wait.

Demi 14th - Demi 16th
With that, players are able to do what they wish, waiting for the story to continue.

At the end of the day, Mont gets a call on the radio. She checks it out, and it's Lon. She says that she's spoken with her daughter. She told her that she loves her deeply and that she wants the best for her, so when what'll happen happens, she wants her to know that she loves her. Mont says that they'll join up there as soon as possible.

That night, the group meets up on the Ant Floor, having spoken to the chinchilla. D'mere assures that whatever happens, Lon's daughter will return to her. Lon thanks them, and she says that she'll be hoping... Either way, the group decides to camp out near the track that usually carries victims away, lingering near it for the night.

Demi 17th
This morning, the group wakes up, and can hear the sounds of guards moving around. The group watches, watching Lon's apartment intently. A mech approaches, the security screens lowering and coming to life as feed shines through from said mech's pov. It's seen opening up the side of the wall, revealing Lon's room and her chinchilla daughter. The mech speaks in Solumn's voice, saying what D'mere herself heard. Lon is forced to go through the motions, saying that she doesn't want to die, and the mech is able to capture the child before walking away, sealing the smaller chinchilla in one of those cages.

They see it put on the track and zipped away, Andas declaring that they need to move now! Demiurge gets the party on his back, and then flies up towards the opening the cage is heading towards. It goes through, and the Dragon's able to force his way in before the entry seals. They then race more and more, and witness the cage taking a sharp turn, the group curious. Aun speaks up, saying that the way the cage is heading isn't towards the outside. Andas says that that confirms this is all some elaborate trick. That means that if they follow that cage, they can get to the bottom of what the Eminence is doing with these guys.

Demi 17th - Demi 23rd
With this, players are tasked with traversing the **Annals of Eminence**, a network of tunnels that appears to lead from the many, many floors to feed into a single track that leads somewhere someways up the tower. By the end, Aun seems to estimate that the tunnels lead to about the halfway portion of the citizen floors. Either way, the group has to climb up them more and more, forced to battle security systems within, and guards that are overlooking the track. It's a fairly long track, but fortunately, it seems to the group that they only have to follow one track to get to what they suspect is the end of the trail.

They make it to the end, and see the track they've been following empties towards a room the size of a warehouse. It has some fairly wide walkways arranged like the outline of a square around a pit dozens of feet deep, and it has those tracks that carry the cages feed into the pit, where they're deposited onto one of several branching tracks and locked into place, the shutters still in place. Upon those tracks, the tracks carrying the cages rock and shutter threateningly, no sound able to escape from them. Other than that, there are guards patrolling around the walkway, and at the wall closest to the outside of the tower is what looks like a viewing platform with controls in them.

The party is horrified. Andas describes it as a contraption meant to drive the fear of death into any who enter. And D'mere describes it as a means of also driving resentment into those forced in, making them hate those that abandoned them. Demiurge can say "It can only hurt others..." or "It has to be stopped!" The party focuses on the observation platform, Andas saying that they get there, they can stop all of this. And thus, the player's forced to go through the walkways to get to the platform, though they'll find it's locked. They try a few of the other guards' keys, and find they don't fit.

Mont asks D'mere what they should do now, and she begins to ponder, however, the pounding of metal can be heard. They turn towards the entryway that leads to the upper levels of the tower. Down the ramp comes a familiar pair, Tena and his mech. As he walks, he declares that he's heard of some rats in the gears around here, so he suggest that they either get far away form here, or offer up their necks to judgement. The party looks upon him, and D'mere says that that man may very well be their key here. She warns that it won't be easy...

After confirmation on the player's part, the group decides to go out and confront Tena. They head out around the ridge and confront him, seeing the turtle guard turn towards them. He remarks that the rats in the gearwork finally showed themselves. He then pays particular attention to the Dragon, remarking that he was wondering when he'd finally have the chance to bring his head to the boss. Dandy asks what he means, and the turtle laughs, remarking that they really don't know just what Demiurge is. Demiurge seems concerned about what he'll say, and Tena asks him if he's going to tell them, or should he? Demiurge is then offered the choice of saying "I'll explain" or "...". Either way, the group's told about how he's an immortal, one that worked alongside the elder group. And he's personally shaped history to make sure this tower prospered. Kensey says that that's still unbelievable, but Tena tells him believe whatever he wishes, the truth is the truth. The group can't help but spare Demiurge a look, and Tena says that Solumn hopes deeply that he's enjoyed the world he's made.

Either way, D'mere confronts him, telling him that this is insane, that no right person would do something like this! This floor can only ever hurt! Tena declares that this is far from a one-person act here. After all, someone needs to cause a great disturbance to have their kin put in here. D'mere herself caused a stink, and she got her dear daughter sent here. All these people had to do was comply, and no one had to enter this room. And then they leave them alone to suffer in these cages and have the audacity to complain about how terrible they are. D'mere glares and brings out her weapon, declaring that she refuses to uphold their terrible rule! She refuses to let them keep on hurting their loved ones, and she refuses to let them act like they're above everybody!

Andas declares that they're going to get everyone out of here, and that includes Nim! Tena pauses, repeating Nim in a questioning tone, before straightening up in realization. He remarks that he's Andas... before darkly chuckling. Andas asks him what's so funny, but he doesn't answer. He presses some buttons on his wrist, and the mech he's with opens up its chest, allowing the turtle to jump into it. He declares that today, Solumn will be one very happy woman. The chest shuts, and the mech stands tall and threatening while the party draws their weapons. Andas swears that he'll tear his head off if anything's happened to his boy!

With that, the fight starts with the **Tena Mech**. The mech itself is extremely large and boasts a lot of HP. It also has the ability to swap what physical attack it can block (Null damage from Slash, Stab, or Smash), while the rest of the physical attacks are resisted. The party is forced to contend with it, its physical power, and its Water and Electric damage. Partway through, Mont declares that this thing's armor is too tough, and D'mere herself is considering... She thinks she can see its exhaust system, and suspects if they damage it, they can make it vulnerable. Now the exhaust is targetable, and if enough damage is done to it, the mech itself is unable to act for a couple of turns while its core opens up to air out excess heat. The core is weak to all damage. Properly defending it and exposing it should let players beat it in battle.

After enough damage is sustained, the machine sputters and struggles, falling to its knees. The chest opens up and Tena is forced to leap out as the massive machine falls down. Tena grunts and struggles on one of his apparently harmed legs, saying that these nothings are annoying. Andas then demands to know what he's done to Nim. Tena groans and stands up, saying that it's not what *he* did to Nim, but what Andas did to Nim. Did he really think he could keep on biting the hand that feeds and not face consequences? Andas pauses and asks him what he means. Tena asks him if he really has to spell it out. Nim. Is. Dead. Executed like a criminal because his dear old dad decided to play chicken with his rulers. Andas freezes up and gets wide eyed, only able to mutter that he's lying.

Tena laughs and says that it must hurt, seeing what his decisions cause. Solumn's been given the experience of hundreds of years, what does any of the morons on these residential floors think they are, acting like they understand how better to rule them? Especially when they're putting their children in the way of danger? Tena swiftly draws a Guard Edge akin to what D'mere wields, and asks them if it's any wonder why they live beneath the military. They all pale in comparison to the glorious leader herself, and if any of them were in charge, they'd just get themselves killed! But none of them like to hear reason, so the guards have to keep on scaring them, redirecting their attention, and worming their ways anywhere in the residential districts!

D'mere declares that if he refuses to see the error in Solumn's works, he's lost. There are people suffering needlessly under her, she's building a system to create competition between the residents on this floor while leaving the guards above everyone. Things need to change, and if that means tearing down their whole establishment one person at a time, then she's fine with that! With that, the turtle swings his weapon threateningly, and declares that they need more than determination and hope to tear through him!

With that, the scene transitions straight into a battle with **Officer Tena**. Tena is similarly defensive, taking little damage while dealing a fair amount of damage back, though he has a strong lean towards physical damage. So players should work towards improving physical defense and lowering physical damage. Worse still, when he defends he can nullify all damage. Utilize any avenues to heighten damage on him, be mindful of his ability to swap between Smash and Slash damage, they should bring his health down.

A cutscene shows him stumbling, his guard dropping and leaving him exposed. With this, D'mere rushes forwards, the edge of her weapon unfolding into a scythe and she aims the blade forwards, ramming it into his stomach while Andas races alongside, him pressing into the back to have it shove in harder, piercing the foe's armor. D'mere then slices upwards, cleaving through him and grievously wounding him. While he's working through that pain, she brings the scythe blade up and wraps it around his neck. He grasps at the shaft and says they can't do this! But D'mere and Andas tug at the shaft, before swiftly shoving back, bringing the blade through the Officer's neck. He gasps and stumbles, before falling forwards, his armored head rolling off his neck while his body slams down with an echoing thud.

The group searches his body and finds an ornate keycard. They take it and go into the observation platform, unlocking the door and finding the many controls within. They search and press a few buttons, able to stop the machines from rocking. Then they press some other buttons, and the bottoms of the cages release, letting the prisoners fall down to the floor a couple feet beneath said cages. There're many screams of worry, though they come to realize they aren't in the toxic environment outside. They look around confused and part of the party goes out to greet them. Andas and D'mere stay behind, each bringing up their respective weapons, and lashing at the controls, intent on smashing them beyond repair.

The party goes down the ladders leading to the bottom of the pit, and finds the various children left in the pit. They're quick to comfort them and begin escorting them up the ladders. Andas is soon able to join up with the party and looks over them, searching for his child. The kids pass more and more, and Andas soon realizes Nim isn't among them. The kids pass, Dandy, Kensey, Mont, and Aun escorting them while Demiurge, D'mere, and Andas are behind. The former two are looking over the latter, clearly unsure what to say. Andas says that this wasn't supposed to happen... that Tena can only be lying, surely. With this, Demiurge can say "You have to move on" or "You're a terrible person".

After all of that, the party escorts the children to whatever floor they were kidnapped from. And of course among them is Lon, who reunites with her chinchilla daughter. She excitedly snatches her up and holds her tight, hugging her against her and sobbing. The same is true for many people that night as their kin is returned en masse. It seems the resistance has one more victory.

Demi 24th
On this day, the group reconvenes. This morning, they find many, many guards are out and about, patrolling. And they can also see the security monitor lower, revealing Solumn on it. She gives her infamous glare and says that a murder most foul was carried out. On the Arachnid Floor, one of her officers, Tena, was found beheaded. She says that this is a terrible loss to her fellow men, and hereby demands that whoever is behind it be revealed. The guards will be out and about in larger and larger numbers, seeking out any leads. If anyone has anything, they will be compensated heartily. With that, the monitor retracts.

Demiurge and group are on the Arachnid Floor near D'mere's room. He remarks that that's not where Tena was felled. Aun then suggests that maybe she wanted to skew where he was destroyed. If the public found out about that awful room, that'll definitely make Solumn and group an enemy. She wouldn't be surprised if they were able to somehow bring his body down to this floor, probably hoping to somehow link it to members of their resistance. Either way, it certainly sounds like Solumn's struggling.

For now, it's time to prepare. They get those children to talk about what they've been through, they expose Tena's mech at the crash site, and then they can make the final stand against the ruling powers themselves. Kensey's excited, they can put the boot to that ferret. Dandy can't wait to make something more of his life. Mont says she can't wait to look at a better living space from here on out. D'mere says that Solumn's going to get exactly what she deserves. Andas can only be silent. Aun says that she's going to avenge her dear friend and bring the hammer on those guards. With this, Demiurge can say "It's time for a better future" or "It's time to make things right".

With that, the party's oncoming mission seems set.

### Finale

Demi 24th - Demi 30th
And with this, players are given time to prepare. D'mere's anticipating that the time for revolution will be tough, so they need to make sure they're in top form. Once the new year comes, it'll be time for all of them to fight like their lives depends on it. Not just their lives, but everyone in the Eminence. With this, players are allowed to grind up on the floors, perform any sidequests still available, and gather material. Meanwhile, Goe, Lon, and D'mere's other allies are working alongside the children, and even escorting a few citizens along the annals to the lair they were held up at.

On the night of Demi 30th, D'mere approaches Demiurge. She tells him that their group is going to talk and prepare for the oncoming battle. Tomorrow could spell death for anyone not prepared and anyone not using their weaponry properly. The people have been provided the various equipment they stole, but she anticipates their group will still have to be vigilant in this fight. Either way, before he sleeps, she suggests that he make absolutely sure he has everything necessary for tomorrow.

Demi 31st
On this day, the various citizens seem to be in arms, each being quite upset and in the streets. The guards, meanwhile, are all around the streets, weary of the various angry people. D'mere, meanwhile, has written down a speech on each slip of paper and has given it to various individuals, who each head to the appropriate floors to go up. They each make their way to the appropriate floor, while the main party groups up on the Cockroach Floor, prepared to take care of any and all issues, from bottom to top. The group goes over to the central lift, ready for their speech. The party each looks towards each other, a mix of concern and determination on each of them. And then, they each nod, and step forwards.

Once there, Demiurge raises his wings and bellows, demanding their attention. The people of the floor turn to him curious, the many guards tense. D'mere steps forwards. She explains that they, the people, have been cheated and lied to. Everyone's been thrust into pain and misery under the command of an unjust ruler. She's worked in secret to keep make the people of the Eminence enemies of each other, limiting the money supply and encouraging attacks among each other. And in the meantime, they've scared the people away from the government. But now, their fear turns to hatred.

So long as they think they can drive them with fear, they think they can do whatever they want. That's why today, they need to show everyone that they won't be so compliant. Get mad! Get rebellious! For the children they drove to hatred. For those that died because of the rulers. For those that think they have nothing but despair to look forwards to. It's time to fight! With that, the people of the floor cheer out, the many guards on the floor seeming uncertain. Cuts to other floors reveal the many people on each in similar high spirits. One of the guards on the Cockroach Floor approaches a cheering group, ordering them to get inside. However, one of the group sees them, draws a pistol they'd been hiding, and fires at the guard, causing them to stumble.

And with that gunshot, like a chain reaction, the people of the floor begin attacking, slashing, stabbing, and smashing the guards of the floor. The guards themselves start to respond in kind, and at this, D'mere declares that it's time. The common people are fighting, but if the people fail this fight, the rebellion could be ended right now. With that, the party hurls themselves into the action, approaching a group of guards that're driving back a group of gunner citizens. With this, they quickly engage the **Guards**. They have to battle multiple guards, starting with four and ultimately ending at eight.

After taking care of the various guards, the foes turn and run, though as they run, they can hear the familiar sound of a machine's footsteps. They turn, and see one of those oncoming mechs approach, it speaking in Solumn's voice and ordering them to surrender. With this, the group is forced to battle the **Security Mech**. The mech is a pretty tough foe, it being fairly resistant to physical attacks. Worse, it has a skill that lets it switch what physical attack it Blocks. However, through careful movement and strategy, they should be able to wear down the mech, causing it to slump down. The cockpit opens up, revealing a guard within, who's forced to run.

At this, Kensey points to the lifts, showing that a lot of the guards are fleeing to the upper floors. D'mere says that they need to make sure every floor is aided! With this, players are allowed a moment to fix up their HP and SP, before heading up to the next floor.

Time passes as the group goes through the next few floors, the player skipping until they make it up to the Arachnid Floor. There, they're forced to battle a **Guard Horde**, needing to wear down a large multitude of guards. And after clearing a Horde, the group's forced to battle another Mech, though this one is aided by a pair of Guards. Fortunately, they beat the lot of them, and more guards are forced to flee. D'mere says that the numbers are getting more and more dense the more and more they fight, but they're all getting closer to out of the residential floors! The group's allowed another moment to recuperate before taking the lift.

The group goes through more and more floors, more skipping done as the group gets higher and higher, before eventually reaching the Monarch Floor. There, even the higher class people are fighting the guards. Only problem: the concentration of guards in this floor is significantly higher than any floor below. D'mere declares that this is their last stretch. Everyone needs to get their wits about, and make one! Last! Push!

With that, the group's forced to fight again, now dealing with three **Guard Hordes**, before dealing with two **Mechs**. It'll be the hardest fight yet, but through hard work and perseverance, the player should be able to take care of the lot of them. With this, the guards are forced to flee, and now take to the various lifts, inputting their special guard keys in each and having those lift them up to the guard floors.

The party's panting and panting. Meanwhile, the now guard-less floors are now cheering, each excited at the new freedom. The party themselves can't help but be excited themselves, each sitting down on the floor they're at. Kensey looks skyward, almost expecting to see those monitors lower and to hear Solumn chastise them. But they just stay raised. Dandy says he feels so tired. Mont raises a brow herself and can't help but look at her watch, her giving a light chuckle. She says that they spent so long fighting, the day's passed...

Jaunus 1st
Dandy remarks that he's going to feel so sore tomorrow. Aun, meanwhile, can't help but ask the obvious question: They just beat the guards, not Solumn herself. So then, what'll happen? D'mere says that Solumn's influence is shoved out of resident affairs. She could send guards down, though they could always repel them again. Same goes for if she sends a larger force. Solumn would probably send herself down when she realizes she herself needs to fight, though they might be prepared for that fight, and if they fell her, then it'll all be over. If they get really lucky, those jerks will probably stay locked away up there while the rest of them live on down here.

Either way, the future looks a little brighter. For now, they need people to monitor the upper floors here to look out for if anyone comes down. Kensey, meanwhile, says that he needs to sleep the rest of the day away, asap. With that, the group goes down many, many floors to rest at the Cockroach Floor, resting the day away while the streets are alight with joy and freedom, looking out for a brighter future for everyone down here.

Jaunus 2nd
On this day, the group wakes up again. They step out, and look around in slight confusion. Mont remarks that she almost expected to see guards still walking the streets. But clearly they're still up there. D'mere calls on her radio and asks for any updates, to which the guy posted up there says that there's been no movement from the Guard Floors to the Resident Floors. D'mere says that right now they can't do much but live their own lives. So, she tells each of them to live the best they can, but to remain ready.

Jaunus 2nd - Jaunus 6th
With this period of time, players are able to enjoy the streets and get to see how a lot of people are happier now, more upbeat. There're still some stragglers and looters to fight (for grinding and sidequest sake), but all in all, things are nicer.

* Kensey - Kensey remarks that his job's easier. He no longer has to worry about bumping into guards or anyone, and thankfully, there's still some baddies on the streets that need to be cleared. It's ironic, he's escorting people, and *he* feels more secure.
* Dandy - Dandy's feeling a lot more confidant. He's been able to get a new job with Clance, and he hasn't had to sell himself for money. And by now, it feels like those old scars he'd gathered are healed over. He thanks Demiurge for all of the help, and says he doesn't know where he'd be by now.
* Mont - Mont says that she's primarily kept herself as isolated from the baddies as she can, but no matter where you go, you feel Solumn's breath on your neck. Well, you did, at least. The guards are gone, and she feels she can breathe a little happier. She says things are so much better now, and thanks Demiurge.
* D'mere - D'mere says that she's decided to search for her kid. And wouldn't you know it, she was proud of her. Mommy scared all the bad guys away, she's so cool. D'mere says she feels ashamed that she let those guys scare her away like that, but now she feels so full.
* Andas - Andas doesn't respond to Demiurge at first. He doesn't respond again. Upon speaking again, he says he doesn't have anything to talk about. His kid's killers still need to face the music. He doesn't care if he has to break in there himself, he will destroy that maniac.
* Aun - Aun says that she's amazed. The people up here seem to actually care for what goes on below now, and they seem happy that the guards are away. They're still struggling to adjust, but more and more seem to've gotten the hang of it. And she's sure that her penpal's happy.

On the night of Jaunus 6th, the day seems to pass by without much happening. However, at night, the security monitors lower. Everyone on each floor looks up in concern, watching as the monitors descend from the ceiling. The monitors are low, before they flash on to life. On each monitor, there is the image of Solumn, arms behind her back and staring judgmentally down at the crowd. She takes a moment to look across each of them, before speaking.

She explains that she knows that a few of them have kickstarted the attack last week. She wishes to address them. She orders them to stand before the central lift at the Cockroach Floor. There, she and the kickstarters will meet, and they, together, will end this... insurrection. With that, the monitors retract, and the civilians across the many floors feel slight unease.

The party meets up, and Dandy asks what they should do. Mont says if she intends to meet them all, she probably wishes to finish them in one blow. D'mere argues otherwise: everyone's had a taste of rebellion, so seeing the lot of them felled wouldn't break their spirit. Even then, they weren't the only ones that spread the word of rebellion, so there'd be others that might be seen as big players in the rebellion. Kensey asks if they can really trust her not to have some trick. Andas says that of course they can't, but this might be their only chance to get at Solumn herself. Aun supposes that's true, there's no telling if they'd be able to get through the Guard Floor just yet, especially if all of those guards are up there.

D'mere says that they should confront her, show they have no fear. If she's trying anything, then their eyes in the upper floors can warn them. She tells everyone that tomorrow could be their toughest fight yet, so she tells everyone to keep in high spirits. Despite this, players aren't allowed a moment to buy things.

Jaunus 7th
On this day, the party wakes up, and they each meet up at the Cockroach Floor, near the central platform. Each member seems nervous yet determined, and faces the Dragon, as if waiting for something from him. Demiurge can thus say "We won once, let's do it again" or "It's time to finish this". At that, the group nods collectively. D'mere, meanwhile, draws her radio and looks at it expectantly. It sparks to life, and someone on the other side explains that Solumn's mech just went down. D'mere asks for clarification, if there was any sign of other people. The voice answers no, that the mech was the only thing that went down. D'mere says that she wouldn't do anything that damages her own mech, but at the same time its frame is too small for her to ride in. So what's going on?

Either way, they wait and wait and wait. After what feels like an hour of waiting, they see the lift coming down from on high, and sure enough, the ferret's mech is upon it. The party each takes up a defensive stance and watches as it comes closer and closer, and as they wait, the security monitors lower from the ceiling. And according to some reports over the radio, it's happening for other floors too. And on the monitor is the sight of Solumn herself, alongside camera feed of the mech itself. The lift comes closer and closer to the floor, and settles.

The mech lumbers off of the platform and towards the closest group, the party. It comes closer and closer, and as it approaches, Solumn asks if they are the people she'd asked for, her voice coming out through the monitors. Kensey answers that they are. The machine leans in close, it seeming to physically eye up each member, their faces appearing on the monitor as well. Solumn appears to grimace as the machine focuses on the Dragon, some of the party noticing the odd reaction though not commenting. The mech then steps back, giving the group space.

Solumn says that she will give the residents of the Eminence two opportunities, and two opportunities alone. The first opportunity is everyone's chance to keep in her good graces. The second opportunity *will* be their last. As such, she asks the group if they and those that follow them will comply with her leadership. D'mere declares that they never will. They showed that they're willing to defy her and her forces, and they will show it over and over again if they have to! Dandy declares that she can no longer bully them! Mont says she has no say over the way they live! Andas demands she stop wasting time and come down and face them herself! Aun says that she can never expect them to submit to her! And as they speak, the many citizens on the many floor seem to shout in response, hollering them on.

Solumn, unflinchingly, asks if they confirm this to be their first response. Demiurge simply gives a determined nod. With that, the mech turns and walks to the lift. The party's confused, and the radio flares up. The guy on the other side says that bee mechs are flying down from the upper floors! D'mere declares that this is a trap, they have to move! The party begins drawing weapons, though the voice comes on again. It says that the bee stopped at the window on their floor. Other voices come on, reporting similar things, and the security monitors' image changes. Instead of Solumn and her mech's feed, the image is filled with live feed of one of the windows on the various floors.

The party looks on in both confusion in worry. And then, almost in tandem, they see the windows on each floor... crack open...

The party and civilians look towards the windows on their floors, and they can see many citizens at said windows run away in droves. And behind those rushing guys is a wall of toxic air flowing in from outside. The former cheer and determination on the floor melts away to sheer terror, and each citizen is rushing haphazardly, either to their homes or to the lifts. Some are mashing on the console of the lifts, some are finding their way in their houses only for the gas to seep into any cracks, and the monitors are showing the destructive air billowing in through each and every floor.

The party hears are each terrified and are running in the direction of the nearest lift, though looking at the monitor, they realize that that's fruitless too. Eventually the camera feed of each floor shuts off as the bee mechs fly up back to the military floor, it replaced by the image of Solumn staring down at the terrified masses judgmentally. People are hammering away at the consoles, people are getting trampled in the panic, parents are holding their sobbing children like it's the end, and the gas is just getting closer.

Demiurge eventually finds himself lunging upon either party member to try and keep them under his frame in hopes of keeping them shielded from the toxic air, even as it sweeps over him. He tries desperately to hold his breath, but eventually he's forced to take some of it in, and in a single breath he feels a shock to his system. However, as the entire floor seems swamped in the air of death, everyone hears industrial-sized fans flare on, and pull the toxic wind away from the floors and send them outside, the windows each shutting. Fortunately, it seemed that they were spared, though many can still hear the horrified sobs of others, and many can hear many a victim vomiting.

Solumn speaks up, telling them all that they're free to live how they wish. No guards to bother them for now, none of her rules, none of any of that. But she expects them to earn their livelihood now. Suddenly, a number appears on the monitor. It's several billions-worth of money, and Solumn declares that her mercy is hard-won, but not unobtainable. She expects everyone to play their part by the end of the month. And with that, the image of Solumn herself disappears, though the number itself remains. Only now it's accompanied by "0/(amount)", plus the date Febrar 1st. The implication is clear: she expects everyone to come together to collectively pay an absurd amount of money to the government in a short amount of time. If they don't, it could be the end for all of them...

Shortly after, the many people of the floors are in a frenzy. Inspecting Clance's shop reveals that the toxins poisoned the crop and soil, so now he's desperately begging the citizens for money so he can get food from Solumn. Those that had clothing and self defense are quick to sell anything so they can give Solumn what she requests. Perhaps worst off, the attack wasn't bloodless, as many elderly and those with various biological problems were killed.

Kensey, of course, is pissed. He cries that they spent so long working to fix things up around here, and that maniac dashed their hopes away with a single move! Dandy says he felt like he was going to die, and Mont comfortingly pats his shoulder. She says that even if they do pay off Solumn's demands, she's just going to put things back the way they were, if not render the masses more dependent on her. Aun says that they took away their food stations as a side effect of that attack, meaning that they'll have to rely on the guards to get them money. D'mere says that she knew Solumn was extreme, but to come so close to destroy everything like that...

There's a silence among the group, one heavy with contemplation. Eventually, Demiurge can't help but feel he needs to speak up. He says that their previous plans are clearly gone to the wind. The leader's shown her hand, and unfortunately, all they can do is respond to it in kind. He asks them if they want to make things better... D'mere and Dandy nod... He asks if they want to make things right... Mont and Aun nod... He asks if they want her to answer for her wrongdoings... Kensey and Andas nod. With that, he declares that there's only one thing any of them can do now... "Get into the thick of it" or "Bring the fight to Solumn". Either way, the party agrees. They need to get past the guard floors. They need to get to the top of the Eminence, and they need to defeat the ferret before she can actualize on her plans.

Jaunus 8th - Febrar 1st
With this, players have a simple mission: finish the revolution. They must bypass all of the guard floors in order to get at Solumn herself. In order to do this, first they must go up to the Monarch Floor, where they see that the many well-dressed citizens on this floor have sold their clothing away, now dressed only in those bodysuits. Either way, they approach one of the lifts, where Aun says that they won't have the advantage of attracting the guards' attention. They go up here, they'll probably have to deal with the full force. Andas says that he's looking forwards to giving these monsters what they deserve, and Kensey says he can't wait to bash some skulls!

When the player's ready, they can fly up, at which they'll cross the lift and onto the Lower Guard Floors where they once were. Upon reaching the platform, they find a few guards waiting for them, and are quickly forced to fight. After beating them, D'mere says that they can't worry about the usual supplies right now, they need to make their way up to Solumn! With that, the player's tasked with maneuvering through the halls and past the guards to get to the other lifts, where they have to open up shutters to get to higher floors.

They progress further and further, and are eventually able to bypass the production part of the floor to get higher. They progress up and find themselves on one of the floors containing barracks, indicating they've made it to the living space of the guard floor. They've made it to the **Upper Guard Floors**. Demiurge says he's familiar with this... They're getting close. Solumn waited for him on a floor akin to one of these. Kensey asks what Solumn was doing with him, and the Dragon pauses.

He asks them if they remember what Tena said, about him. Truth is, he has lived a long time. He did help construct the tower. Truth is, this future's on his shoulders as well. And when he first arrived, Solumn seemed to want him to know that he was an enemy in this time. The party gives pause, and Kensey remarks that he's been telling this lie too much... is he serious? Demiurge is silent, though it speaks volumes. Sure enough, they realize that Demiurge really means it, that he's helped construct this era. Though D'mere speaks up. She says that the world sucks as it is, but he's not behind people like Solumn. Besides, if he's messed up everything, that means it's his job to fix it, which he's working towards now. The party, though unsure at first, does seem to ultimately agree, though they certainly have a more shaken view of their friend now.

The player again has to progress through the various floors. They have to deal with more guards, more mechs, more security systems, and even some bee mechs. They have to get higher and higher, soon arriving at the floor Demiurge remembers. The Dragon can see the building that Solumn met him in earlier, and suggests she may be in there right now. However, Mont speaks up. She says that if she's willing to let in the destructive gasses as a mere show, she'll probably end them if the lot of them are to face her. Kensey asks what they're to do then, and D'mere says that the only recourse is to steal her control out from under her.

Demiurge himself can't really sneak in, so players will be forced to control D'mere as she sneaks in through the insides of Solumn's building. They'll have to contend with a few security systems, before getting to certain consoles. At each console, the mantis remarks that she seems to have a remote connection to the various functions of the tower. First the party smashes the console that controls the windows, they tear out a device placed on a console for the lift, tear out a device placed on a console for the radio systems, and tear out a device on the console for the security monitors. After the last console is dealt with, D'mere says that that's it. Solumn's been isolated from all of her resources. Now, it's time to finish this.

The party meets up at the front door, and are given one last chance to make sure everyone's ready. Upon deciding all preparations are made, the group steps forwards, entering. Inside, they see Solumn's mech. Demiurge demands that the ferret shows herself, and at that the ferret comes down from the stairs. She sees the group, and is already pressing on buttons on her cuffs. She says that the lot of them have some nerve coming this far while she holds the world by the neck. Kensey says that she can forget about that, she has nothing to fall back on anymore. Solumn cocks a brow curious, and Dandy says that they made sure she couldn't hurt anyone again.

She glances at her cuff in annoyance, before crossing her arms behind her. She supposes this is happening then. With that, she begins to walk while pressing on some buttons on her cuffs, and the ladybug-like mech suddenly flares to life and walks alongside her. As the pair walks, the party's forced to step back, and the group's out on the main floor of the current floor. She asks them what they intend to do after today, after tomorrow. Aun says that they're going to live better, that they're going to make sure everyone gets a chance to live comfortably. Solumn then asks "and?"

She explains that in a different world, everyone's happiness would be achievable. But right now, the world doesn't support everyone, and they can only hope to build up and out of this. If they wasted their time with everyone's joy, they may be stuck staring at that toxic landscape for even longer. Dandy then asks if she thinks that way, why the fear, why the conflict between those of differing floors, why make things difficult? She says it's because morons like their party exist. She says that the Eminence is full of people with the wisdom of generations behind them, but they still insist on choosing wrong.

Do they not think there's a reason she was put on top? Do they not realize she's the one that knows the mission of the people and that knows how best to go through with it? D'mere says that she's been hurting everyone, that she's made life hell for the majority of people in this tower! She then snaps back, asking them if they think she hasn't been hurting. She's had to look over this hole of a world and has worked tirelessly on extending the tower. All the while she has morons breathing down her neck and acting like they know how better to run this planet, like those guys without their guards are going to be anymore respectful of each other's needs.

Demiurge says that she can't talk about them like that. She's been primarily in control and has made sure everything's worse off. Solumn then declares that she doesn't want to hear anything he has to say. He's the reason everyone's holed up in here, he's the reason construction happened in the first place, he's the reason she has to be a leader! Demiurge says he's only done what the people of the world wanted, and Solumn declares that that's precisely what she's been getting at. Demiurge's been working towards satisfying the masses, and people like her are left to fix the consequences of his actions.

Demiurge pauses for a moment, and Solumn presses on, asking him if he knows anything about leadership, or if he only ever followed what the people wanted. Did he ever think about what actions would be more beneficial in the long run, or did he only ever listen to what ignorant nobodies thought would be best for them? Demiurge still gives pause, though Kensey steps forwards, saying that she can't act all high and mighty after everything she's done. Mont says she's only been building up her world because she can't see happiness in what they have, that they can make things happy here. Dandy says that they've seen the people that mean harm, and that they can repel them for the sake of everyone. Aun says that they can each learn to cooperate with each other and each become better than they were before. Andas says that she's fought so long and hard for control, she's never considered making things right for the people at large. D'mere says that they've lived long enough under the control of an unjust ruler, and that they will usurp her, one way or another!

By now, Solumn and the party made it to the central lift, the ferret's normally stoic expression instead portraying annoyance at them. She says that she'll be more than happy to tear their ignorant little ambitions to pieces. With that, the mech flicks out a wire that strikes at the nearby console, and the lift begins to raise. The lift raises, everyone realizes now, it's just between everyone on the platform. Each party member takes up their weapon, the mech behind Solumn takes an offensive stance, and the ferret grimaces, before pressing some more buttons and making the mech lunge forwards, initiating the fight.

Players are forced to fight **World Leader Solumn**, her commanding her mech throughout the fight. Solumn herself doesn't boast much defense, though she is fairly agile. Whenever she acts, her mech performs the attacks, either using Smash or Stab attacks for physical attacks, dousing the party with Lightning, Cosmic, Fire, or Pure magic. She can also cast certain buffs on herself that makes it so that those that deal physical attacks to her will be dealt Lightning, Cosmic, Fire, or Pure damage. Players need to rely on accuracy, on steady restoration, on high damage, and they need to be careful. Players should also be weary, for when Solumn performs the defense command (signified by the mech curling around her defensively), she's about to cast a powerful multi-target spell on the party. They deal more and more damage to her, until eventually her health is dropped.

She grunts and falls to her knees, panting and panting. D'mere asks if she's had enough, though Solumn refuses to answer her. However, the group feels the lift begin to slow down. They pause and look up, seeing the top of the tower. The lift comes to a stop, and everyone looks out, seeing they're miles upon miles upon miles away from the surface. They're on top of an in construction platform, looking to be halfway as large as the floors below. Other than that, the atmosphere outside is actually breathable, and they can see the more natural beauty up here, even past all of the scaffolding and the racks, cranes attached to them to lift and weld metal to form the floor.

She asks them if that look entices them. Is it not so much more serene than what they've been born with? This image is a mere shadow of the world they've been denied. Solumn's read tales of what the world looked like before everyone had to go into the Eminence. She says she could never imagine what the world before looked like, and only knows it's a mere fragment of what she looks at around here. She says that people like the party act like they know what they want, like they know better for their world than she would. But she looks around, and she sees a world that could've been, and she looks beneath her, and she sees the world the people wanted. She then looks pointedly at the Dragon, and says she saw the world Demiurge decided the people of old deserved.

Demiurge takes pause, though says that he messed up. He knows that no matter what, he can't take back what he's done, but that doesn't mean he won't work to make things right. He knows the people of the world deserve better than what Solumn has offered. And he knows that the people he's worked alongside know better than the people he walked alongside in the past. Solumn says that she and she alone knows how to make the tower, she knows she can bring the people of this world to a better one! Demiurge declares that it's not worth it anymore. Instead of making everyone suffere so they can keep this mistake running, he'll allow the world they live on to become a better place! He's going to do what he should've done ages ago!

With that, Solumn realizes that her vision is still refused. So, she presses some buttons on her cuffs, and the ladybug mech sputters oddly. It clenches up, and begins shifting. Chunks of metal shift from the ladybug-like frame down the arms and down the legs. Its back furls open into a pair of draconic wings, and the frame itself unfolds, taking on a more angular frame. The party watches on as the mech transforms more and more, soon adopting a long draconic neck, an angular draconic face, a long draconic tail... Soon, the group realized they were looking at a mechanical mirror image of Demiurge!

Solumn says that it's only fitting that the one that damned their world would be the one to destroy them! She presses another button, and the chest opens up, revealing its frame is large enough to allow Solumn inside. Andas grunts and goes to attack her with his chain, though she's quick to evade it and jump into the frame, it quickly shutting around her. The group hears her voice come out of the machine, her declaring "Assuming manual control... Assuming direct control... All limiters disengage". The machine moves in an uncomfortably organic way, it flexing its claws, flaring its tails, widening its wings, and gnashing its teeth. Solumn says he doesn't care about any of their platitudes, she doesn't care for a word that comes out of the Dragon's mouth! She destroyed the memory of him once, she'll destroy his memory a thousand times if she has to!

The party holds their weapons aloft, are more determined than ever, and go to battle the **Tool of Damnation**. The fight is far more complicated than the one preceding it. The Tool is split up into three targets: Head, Arms, and Body. Players need to take out the Body's HP to finish the fight. However, as long as the Arms are active, whenever an attack is performed on the body, the Arms will take the damage instead. They'll even block the Body from multi-target attacks. Players will have to take out the Arms before they can damage the Body, though one should realize the Arms and Head won't stay dead. The Body has a move, Repair, that restores a moderate amount of HP to the Head and Arms, regardless of if they're down or not.

Beyond that, there's the attack themselves to worry about. The Arms, Body, and Head each have their own speed, so players won't have to worry about four actions in a row (one for Arms, one for Head, two for Body), but they each have things to worry about. The Arms can deal Slash and Stab physical damage, and can conjure Cosmic and Lightning damage. The Head can deal Slash and Stab damage, and is able to conjure Fire and Pure, it can Debuff party members, and also has a skill (Consume) that allows it to take a party member out of the conflict for a few turns, or however long it takes to destroy the Head. The Body can deal Smash and Stab damage, it has its restorative magic, it has a multi-target Smash attack, it can conjure Earth, and it can buff its various body parts. It's a long fight that requires a lot of attention and planning from the player, but with enough time and effort, they should be able to take out the Body's health, and finish the Tool of Damnation.

After beating her, a cutscene shows the machine creaking and struggling to move, Demiurge standing before it defiantly. He digs his feet into the steel beneath, and begins to take a deep breath. His body begins to ignite with pure energy, starting at the core of his being and traveling up his throat. The Tool of Damnation looks on, and tries to stand upright, it curling its wings in front of it. The Dragon rears back, Pure magic billowing in its jaws, before he lunges forwards and hurls a beam of Pure magic. The Tool blocks it with its wings, though it is being pushed back a bit by the force.

Solumn struggles to hold her ground, gritting her teeth as she works the machine overtime to keep blocking. However, the plating around the wings slowly gets stripped away. Eventually, they're blown off and she's forced to take the attack on the chest, the machine lurching backwards and using any resources available to it to keep itself upright, it getting closer to the edge. Solumn grits her teeth as her machine tries to stomach the blow, eventually forced to bellow out a scream as the beam pierces harder and harder. Then, the beam of Pure energy pierces the chest and blows out through the mech's back, flying off to space as the machine is bested.

It slumps down, and explosions begin to ring out through the various parts of the mech. Solumn is hammering at the controls to do something, though they're failing. She starts to shout, declaring that she is the people's-! However, Demiurge is already rushing the machine, delivering a powerful ram to its body to send it hurtling off of the edge of the platform and down to the planet below, Solumn completing her shout, declaring that she is the people's future. Her voice fades as she falls lower and lower, before getting cut off as the mech explodes, it shaking the tower and causing some of the cranes to lose what they were holding, and even some get knocked off of the frames they're locked to.

The party pants and pants, a few approaching and looking over the edge, as if fearing that she might still have something. Mont asks in almost bewilderment if it's over... D'mere says that they've done all they can here. And it's time for them all to move to a better future.

Later, the group procures Solumn's building, and proceeds to interact with the various terminals. They have access to the security monitors and to the radios. They procure it, and the party seems a little uncertain about what they're about to do. D'mere says that they've gotten through the hardest part, haven't they? That seems to assure them, and so they go through. The monitors turn on, and they introduce themselves. They tell the people of the world that their fight is over. Solumn is gone, and no one has to worry about the execution of those in the Eminence. All free men are free to live free!

With that, they fiddle with the controls, and disable the money counter and the countdown. And then, they turn off the monitors, and Kensey says that now they'll find where she's kept the money, though how are they going to make sure it goes back to the right people? Mont says that that is a pickle, though right now she's feeling a bit too fired to really answer this question. They've secured the upper floors by now, so maybe they can answer it later, as long as they can keep those guards at bay.

Either way, money aside, they've done what they can do here. Right now, they should enjoy the free world, decide on what's to be done with the money, and relax.

Febrar 2nd
By now, the group figures they've settled on a fair enough deal with the money: Take the people existing in the tower, evenly divide the money, and spread it among the various people. D'mere's men are working on that, and by now, the people are trying to relax. As they relax, though, there's a bit of uncertainty among the guys. Aun can't help but ask what now. Dandy says that Solumn's been building up the tower all this time. They can probably maintain living protocols on the Eminence in the meantime, they can also distribute the foods and other goods directly from the guard floors to the people, but the tower won't be built anymore.

Kensey says that that's fine. The thing's big enough, isn't it? Demiurge gives pause, though admits that mortal kind certainly has made its monument... He's also been noticing he's been getting a little tired as of late, though he doesn't bring that up. However, he does ask what each of them are going to do. Kensey will keep up his business, and Dandy will help Clance set up his shop. Demiurge notices that the two are holding hands. Mont says she'll keep up her shop, and will keep in touch with the people of the floor, maybe even get to know the other floors a little more. D'mere says that now that her mission's over, she's going to reconnect with her daughter, and try to live a normal friendship with her former allies, while overseeing the transference of money and the guard-horded resources. Aun says that she'll help the people on her floor get reacquainted with their pre-Jaunus 7th attack lives, and she'll try making more friends now that there's less societal pressure. Andas, meanwhile, is quiet.

Either way, it seems everyone has their own jobs now. And right now, Demiurge is satisfied not having to do much else.

Febrar 3rd
Right now, the people are being redistributed weaponry they lost. Shop owners are given more dangerous weaponry than common citizens, just in case. Meanwhile, money's being gifted as closely to the proposed model as they can. And meanwhile, the various party members are enjoying their livelihood. Meanwhile, Demiurge still feels tired. As he walks around, an odd song comes down from above. The people of the Eminence are confused about it, though Demiurge himself recognizes the noise. That's his guardian's song, and it sounds to be coming from way up.

So, he takes the central lift, and takes the long ride up to the top.

The lift raises up and up, and soon makes it to the battlefield against Solumn. And up there, waiting for him he sees Sophia, singing. She sees the Dragon, and greets him, remarking that he's made a substantial change this era. Demiurge asks her what she's doing here. She says that given the recent happenings, she wanted to check on something. She asks the Dragon if he's feeling tired. Demiurge admits that he has been. She says that this is a normal sensation for a Dragon so young. He's been through such a tense time and has done a lot, his body's begging for rest. He'll likely enter a sleep like death and awaken 500 years late.

Demiurge is stunned by this. He says he's done so much already, is he really going to have to rest? Sophia says that it is inevitable, but for what it's worth, it sounds like the future should be in some good hands for now. Sophia asks him how tired he is, and he pauses, and then looks towards himself. He says he feels like he's going to fall at any moment. At this, Sophia tells him that if he wishes, he should check out those he cares for. Maybe tell them what'll happen. Demiurge curses himself, upset that he can't avoid this, but supposes he should do that much at least.

At this point, players can either Rest at the top of the tower, or go around the Eminence to communicate with various characters, from party members to prominent npcs.

* Kensey - Kensey seems to be handling himself well. He says that now that he doesn't have to worry as much about food as before, he's getting the chance to get some stuff. He's thinking of getting a pair of suits, maybe some rings, maybe a lot of alcohol. Speaking of... he asks Demiurge if he's gonna be busy anytime soon. The Dragon has to admit that he, unfortunately, has to rest. He won't be awake for a long time, and the rat's spirits drop a little. He remarks that he's done this much for him and he's just gonna sleep on them? Demiurge tries to explain what Sophia said, and Kensey begrudgingly admits that Demiurge's probably earned this. He just hopes for a "good luck" from him.
* Mont - The quetzal is at her hospital area, tending to a couple of victims. She says these guys tried to rob a shop each, though they didn't make it far before they got hurt. Aside from that, she's been keeping in contact with Lon, Goe, Percy, Goona, and the rest of the party. She's actually managed to make some friends on some of the other floor, and she's hoping to do something fun with them, now that they don't have to worry about satisfying Solumn. She offers Demiurge the chance to hang with them, though the Dragon gives the bad news. She's stunned and asks if he's serious. Unfortunately, he is. She says that she's sorry she didn't get to know him too terribly much before now, but she's grateful for what he has done for them.
* D'mere - The mantis seems to've moved out of her former apartment and is now moving things in to her family's place. She tells the Dragon that after all's said and done, she personally feels that she's owed a bit of a rest. Her little girl's actually proud of her, so now maybe she can make up for some lost time. As she talks, Molly's stepped out of the house, and sees the Dragon. She's amazed and rushes up, saying that he's so cool! She says that he has to come with her to the rest of her friends, though the Dragon speaks up. He says that he can't be up long, he has to rest, kind of like D'mere has to. The mantises seem saddened, though D'mere understands. She tells him that none of this would be possible without him, and she thanks him for everything.
* Dandy - Dandy's helping distribute food stuff from the guard floors to the various residential floors' shops. The guards seemed to've all fallen into place after they defeated Solumn, their members only needing to occasionally repel an attack. Anyways, he's keeping the food shops stocked, and he's going to make sure the foods grow well. Kensey's been really warm around him lately, and the other guys enjoyed hanging with him. At this point, Demiurge is forced to explain what is going on. Dandy seems to shrink away in worry. He says that he helped him become better, he got him out of a dark place, and now he's going to vanish? Demiurge says he can't help it, but he's sure they'll be safe. Dandy gives pause, though says he'll try and make do.
* Andas - Andas is at a dilapidated apartment. He sees the Dragon, and when Demiurge tries to ask him how he's doing, he says that nothing's happening. Solumn's gone, his son's gone, all that's left is to get rid of one more problem. Demiurge says he'd like to offer his help, but he'll be resting soon. Andas says he doesn't care what the Dragon does. To be frank, he doesn't need to do anything, Andas himself can handle this. Anyways, he wishes Demiurge luck with whatever he's gonna do. In the meantime, he's going to hope he can see his son again.
* Aun - Aun seems to be now standing alongside Lon and Goe in the distribution and in repelling the guards. She says that since D'mere retired, Aun herself has integrated harder into the rebel life style. Now she feels like things are on track to create a very hopeful community for eveeryone on this tower. She just wishes her old friend could've seen it... but she's sure they'd be happy. Demiurge is certain too. Aun supposes there should probably be some sort of celebration, everyone can be invited. However, Demiurge reveals that he won't be awake for long. When he explains his situation, Aun's saddened. She says that they just got their happy ending, he can't go. Demiurge says he can't help it, and Aun gives pause. She supposes if it can't be helped, she'll keep his memory alive. Demiurge thanks her.

Players can go to the uppermost floor and approach the area north of the central lift. Approaching, players are prompted to rest, though players are warned that doing this will mean they won't see this era again. Upon deciding to do so, Demiurge stretches his body out, before curling around himself to lay down. He feels his eyelids get heavier. He blinks a couple times, before groaning tiredly. With that, he goes limp and rests on top of the highest point of the world.

### Free Era

Febrar 4th
On this day, Demiurge groans and wakes up, him stretching his limbs out and extending his wings. As he does, he feels a few things get knocked over nearby. Curious, he glances around, and finds around him various pots full of flowers, stacks of fancy pots that didn't smash, and other such offerings. Demiurge was kind of surprised and sat up, seeing a shrine of intricate things around him. Besides that, the floor he's on seems untouched, as if it was frozen in time since that fight with Solumn.

He carefully steps over the various items of tribute and near the nearby lift. He interacts with the console, it comes up, and he descends, deciding to start with the monarch floor.

On his way down, he gets notices of those barracks he's seen those guards hang out in. They currently have a bunch of normal looking citizens in them. Demiurge notices that they aren't wearing those bodysuits anymore, but instead have articles of clothing on. Many of them hear the lift moving and look up, and he can hear the many of them gasp at the appearance of the Dragon. They then begin to cheer, excited to see the Dragon up and about. Demiurge gives them a wave as the lift brings him down more and more.

Soon, he arrives at the Monarch Floor, and finds the gaudy and extravagant dresses instead be a mix of various apparel. The lift stops on the floor, and Demiurge steps out curious. The many citizens on the flor approaches, surprised. Some of the crowd appears to've expected the Dragon to wake soon, but they didn't expect him to appear today. Demiurge greets them, and remarks that the people of the floor don't seem as rich as he remembered. A bat man in the crowd says that after the old shop system was dismantled, every shop was able to produce their goods without needing to rely on the other floors, so they didn't have as much money disparity, nor were the shopkeepers richer.

Demiurge asks for what else has gone on. What's life been like without Solumn's guards? A bear man nearby says that after Solumn's forces were cleared, security was sort of up to the commonfolk when the resistance finished up emptying Solumn's coffers. Since then, it's been a bit easier for bad people to do bad stuff, but no one's had to worry about being cast to the air outside, nor has anyone had to worry about going into the planet to make themselves a buck. A lizard lady says that since Solumn was beaten, further construction ended, so money's only had to circulate among the people rather than any ruling forces.

Demiurge gets more curious, and decides he wants to check elsewhere for a moment. He thanks them for answering a few of his questions, and he'll be off. With that, he approaches a lift, and goes down to the Cockroach Floor.

Demiurge goes down. And as he goes down, he looks out across the various floors. Structure-wise they appear identical to the way they were before. However, the people on the floor are all dressed like people on the other floors. It was strange to Demiurge: he once saw a tower that split the people up by how well off they were. But now, they just looked like normal people, unabated by any fear of higher powers. They probably just had personal problems or merely problems with each other.

The lift eventually makes it to the Cockroach Floor, and Demiurge steps out. He looks around curious, and now that he's on one of the floors, he can actually see many memorials set up. These memorials show off many members of the resistance, though he sees his allies and himself more often, in either paintings or in little statues. And as he walks, he gets more greetings and more cheers, and waves at them. He checks out the streets more and more, actually feeling kind of surprised at how normal it feels to walk here as opposed to slink around fearful of any guards nearby.

He can't help but feel a little curious about one last thing, so he decides to go back to a lift, and goes up to the floor Solumn once occupied.

Once up there, he looks around, and now notices the building he'd overlooked several times. This floor has people on it, and also has the ruins that once were Solumn's building. The large structure was torn to pieces, blasted apart and left in chunks on the floor. He approaches the ruins, when one of the nearby guys approach, a calico cat lady asking him if he's curious about that stuff. Demiurge answers that he is, and the lady explains: The people back in the day realized that the mechanical stuff routed into her building were used to be able to manipulate the population. The window controls were just one of those things, but the security monitors helped to scare the common person, and when the last organized rulers split up, the radios weren't necessary. So as one last act, to make sure no harm can come to the people of the Eminence as a whole, this thing was destroyed.

Now, they live with what they've got, they try to make the most they can on this tower, and they try and enjoy it. She knows she shouldn't complain, it could be a whole lot worse. But, sometimes you can't help but think that everyone here's just biding their time, living in a stalemate. No one has the resources to build more for this world, and no one has the resources to fix the world outside... She asks the Dragon if it's wrong to think that they should die? Demiurge seems startled, and is tasked with either answering "Yes" or "No". To the former, she admits that it might be morbid, but to be honest, she's sort of thought of how there might not be much for them as a species to look forwards to, other than living the same lives from now on. To the latter, she's actually surprised, she admits that she felt guilty thinking such a thing, but it's nice to be vindicated.

Either way, she says that it's not like anyone can really do anything about that one way or another. They'll live, and maybe they'll all find out something to do while they enjoy the spoils of efforts past.

She walks off, Demiurge looking a little shaken. And as he stands there, he hears that song again. Again, it's coming from the upper floor. So, he's quick to ride up to greet Sophia. Once up there, the Pale Dragon greets him. She explains that the Draconic Gardens are near, and she thinks that he should come. The view's much better up there. Besides, it's been too long since they got to enjoy each other's company. Demiurge looks down at the tower a bit concerned, though Sophia assures he's seen just what he needs to. For now, she has an important conversation with him.

So, with a heavy heart, Demiurge spreads his wings. And then, the two flap, up and off the planet, and off into space, towards the giant structure floating in space. The **Draconic Gardens**.

The two fly up and make it onto the lip of the grand platform. And where they stand, there's a pair of stone lounge chairs made big enough for the two of them, between them a small stone stool with goblets full of wine on either side. Sophia approaches one chair and recommends that Demiurge take the other seat. The bronze Dragon looked over the Gardens, feeling... overwhelmed. He thinks to himself how long ago he's been away from this realm, and how alien it all looks despite him growing up in it. Sophia somewhat impatiently taps the other lounge chair, rocking Demiurge free from his spell and prompting him to sit where she motioned.

Demiurge took steps towards it, and as he does, he feels off. He feels like these steps should be heavier or that he should have a bigger feeling than now, but he feels some slight dissociation. He walks more and more, before sitting back on the empty chair, now looking out at the planet he was just on. And for a bit, he can just stare, unaware of the slight slurping coming from Sophia as she's taken her goblet. She notices him staring, and remarks that it's quite a sight, that for as long as one remains on their planet, especially if they're young, it gets easy to lose the big picture.

She asks him if a part of him felt among them, or if he understood he was so much greater than them the whole time. Players can answer "I felt like one of them" or "I was divine, start and end". To the former, she says that that's also common in young ones, while saying that putting yourself among the lot of them makes it harder to see the bigger picture, because you limit yourself to the common. To the latter, she says that that's often been a hard part for young people: if they always consider themselves greater than the rest, then it'd be harder to care for the lot of them, because it becomes so much harder to empathize.

She then says that he can have a drink if he wishes, his body should be able to handle it. Demiurge seems suddenly aware of the goblet beside him, and so he reaches for it, before beginning to drink. The two drink more and more, before Sophia continues. She says that he probably realizes why he's here. He's gone through so much and worked through an era that could make or break their world. So, having gone through as much as he has, and now seeing what's become of it, she needs to ask: How does he feel about the world he's made? Demiurge gives pause, and lowers the goblet, him looking down at it in consideration, an unreadable expression on his face.

Players have the choice to say "...I love it" or "...I hate it". If he says the former, he begins to say it, and a smile begins to dress his face. He says that he's seen a lot of the bad things this world can bring it, but... but he knows that world can be good, he saw it. And, even with the pain brought on, it looks like everyone's finding something to be happy about. If he says the latter, he starts to talk, and tears begin to drip down his cheeks. He says that he got rid of the worst guys, and even after fixing everything, things were still ruined. He chokes a bit, struggling to hold the goblet, and hunches over as he sobs, Sophia gently clasping his back.

After that, she says that the first times are always the roughest for the dears. It's something that usually gets better the more you do it. You usually know how to rule better, you usually know how to roll with the tragedies, and you usually know how to pull others out of it or to restart elsewhere. Demiurge asks how anyone's supposed to get over tragedies, to which Sophia explains that all mortals are finite, all suffering on the planets will be finite, while the Dragons are infinite. That's one of those cases where you have to learn to either be empathetic, or to remember your own divinity. And then, she says that she has one more question for him.

Dragons can go from planet to planet, free to start and stop life as they wish, or to let it go on without any divinity. She also warns that, given his age, she won't be terribly necessary in watching over him, so her visits to him will come less and less. So, having seen everything he has, having done all he has, having endured as much as he has, she tells him that no one would begrudge him for leaving them. So, she must ask him: Does he wish to continue on their planet? There's a pregnant pause as Demiurge contemplates, him statue still as he looks at the planet he'd been on for hundreds of years. And so, the player has two options: "I want to stay" or "I want to leave".

* At the former, he decides that after everything, no matter how he feels, he should continue to see them on. If players say they love the world, he declares that he'd love to see them work through their terrible situation. If players say the hate the world, Demiurge says that he wants to make sure they stay safe. Sophia nods in understanding. As such, she stands up and says she understands. Demiurge stands up, and Sophia tells him to be careful and keep a broad mind. Demiurge suddenly goes forwards to hug her, Sophia hugging him back. Demiurge thanks her for everything, the pale Dragon holding him tight. They then split and share a moment of nothingness, before Demiurge steps near the lip of the Draconic Gardens. He raises his wings, and then flies, going back down to the planet he's led to the modern era, boasting more knowledge and a greater understanding than he once had.
* To the latter, he decides that he can't take anymore. If players say he loves the world, he decides they'd be better without him for a while. If players say he hates the world, after everything, he says he can't look at it anymore. Sophia says that that's perfectly fine. Sophia nods in understanding. He's free to relax on the Gardens for longer, and Demiurge brings his arms up, as if wanting to embrace her, and she hugs him. He hangs his head and Sophia walks into the Gardens, prompting Demiurge to follow. And she tells him not to worry, these things happen. Besides, the planet should live on well enough now. With that, Demiurge gives the planet one more look, before following Sophia into the gardens of paradise, resting quarters for divinity.

And with that, camera still on the planet, the credits roll.

## Realistic Era

Demiurge feels this terrible coldness, a terrible lack of himself. He can't feel anything below his neck, and he's scared. However, he can feel his old self begin to fill out. Eventually, he feels something crunching beneath him. He's finally able to wake up, and groans. He starts to stand and blinks to try and get a read on wherever he is. He finds himself in, of all places, a glass display case. He's confused and looks around, and he can see what looks like the bones of several Monsters in similar conditions to his own.

He grows especially confused and searches the case containing him. He goes to push it, though he suddenly sees, entering, a certain pale Dragon. She approaches and waves at Demiurge. She reaches under the class containing him, and, with only a finger, lifts up the stuff containing him, and she beckons him forwards. He steps out, and she carefully places it back down. She asks him if he's handling the world well enough. Demiurge says that he is, though he's not sure how he got here, or even where "here" is. Sophia, however, says that he'll have to find that out himself.

Either way, she warns that it's late, and there are a few people that aren't keen on visitors this late. However, she's sure if he stays here and explains himself that they'll let him off the hook. Demiurge asks who "they" is, though Sophia begins walking. She says that his growth is appreciated, and that he should remain keen. There is more work to be done. Demiurge realizes he hasn't checked himself out, and sure enough, he's grown a little bit. His horns are developing, his wings are larger, and he's taller. He then turns to the display case, and finds a sign to describe what's inside.

The sign has a drawing that seems to depict his draconic skeleton, though it shows only above the waistline area. The text describes that Demiurge and allies were fighting the Lord of the Land, when Demiurge himself was slain. His head ending up in the Monster's belly, and when the Monster itself was slain, its skeleton was partially broken while the Dragon's appeared to be forming more, despite only his head being reported. The skeleton was brought to the Mimzy Museum while the Lord of the Land's was put under restoration.

Demiurge strokes his chin curious, when he hears someone saying "You aren't supposed to be here." Demiurge turns, and finds a well dressed cat man. However, upon seeing him, his eyes widen as he spies the creature's general frame.

### Beginning

Demiurge finds himself being led out by the cat, and as he walks, he finds the museum very different from what it once was. He's in a section labeled "Art Era", and as the cat leads him out more, he's soon led into a lobby that looks to be as big as a house, complete with long staircases and ramps leading up to one of three different floors. He looks back, and sees the hall he came out of marked "History/Reference Material". Looking around, he can see more halls, one extra on this floor, and halls on upper floors. Others seem to lead to more historic sections, and others seemed to label certain art pieces, several under the names of artists. Meanwhile, in the center of the lobby, he can see a statue made in memory of Mimzy, though this Mimzy appeared significantly older.

Demiurge asked where they were heading, to which the cat says he's not sure if he should bring him to the chief or to the coroner. Either way, this is unprecedented. They're led out of the museum, and Demiurge finds the former village of Origlo now standing as a very prominent town. Instead of a dusty plain with very plain buildings, there was clean blocks of stone around making up the field, and the buildings were similarly made up of houses, them far less colorful than those in the past era. And he also saw a few guys walking around in fancier dresses now.

Demiurge asked where he was. The cat answered that he's in the capital of artistry, **Origlo**. Here the top colleges stand to try and help people be as talented as anyone can be. Demiurge ponders what he means by college, and he asks what rock he's been living under. Demiurge answers a Monster's belly, apparently. The cat is uncertain what he means, though he answers. He says that colleges are where people go to get more info on fields of interest. And their colleges happen to be among the most thorough. Demiurge takes note of "their", and asks if there are other cities like this. He answers that of course there are.

Anyways, they're heading towards one corner of the city, a residential district. And here, Demiurge noticed that the buildings that were directly outside of the almost castle-like museum were giant buildings, though they were not as big as the museum, and seemed to have a more complex shape than a cube, possessing curved rooves and spires. Here in the residential district, however, he'd see houses two floors high on average, each with far more simpler shapes than what he saw over in the other place. He'd also see less well dressed, though still well dressed, people around the streets. He walked more and more, and soon, they made it to a graveyard that appeared to be stuffed into the corner of the city.

They approached, and find a gravekeeper. He's a strangely gruff wolf guy with black fur, and he's wearing a black cloak that tapers off into a triangular-tail. He's named **Sonil**. He looks at the cat guard curious, wondering what he's doing so far from the museum. Then he sees the Dragon and is surprised. The cat guard says that he wasn't sure who he should approach about this. He's pretty sure that this Dragon is legally dead, so he figured that he should reach out to him? Sonil's not sure what he intends to show, but he supposes he can examine the Dragon's grave. So, they go through the graveyard, and eventually make it to the Dragon's tombstone, it surrounded by Mimzy, Beau, Tsoa, and Maje. Demiurge looks on with regret, and Sonil digs the Dragon's grave. Demiurge leans over curious, and finds a coffin there. Sonil pries open the coffin, and uncovers a headless Dragon skeleton.

Demiurge can't help but feel a little sick looking at it, and Sonil remarks that it looks the same as any report's said previously. No tampering, no movement, nothing of consequence. The guard asks what it means, though the wolf says he's not sure. Maybe this Dragon isn't legally dead anymore? The guard says that that's obvious, though Sonil points out that he came to him. Anyways, Sonil asks the Dragon if he's ok. Demiurge says that he's not sure how he feels. It's so weird looking at his old body like this, and Sonil remarks that that sounds like something that'd exist only in a nightmare. He apologizes for him, and begins reburying it.

Either way, Sonil supposes that the guard should return to his quarters, and Demiurge himself should probably check out the town's leader. Demiurge says that he doesn't know where they are, to which the wolf says that he'll help him over. He hasn't seen anyone try anything to this bone yard. Besides, there's something strangely poetic about him guiding the dead. Demiurge blanches at that, though Sonil says he's teasing. The more you can laugh at something, the less power it has. Either way, he begins walking out of the graveyard and through the streets.

They progress through the streets, and eventually make it to a building similar to the colleges that one guard talked about, though this one's far more narrow than the others. Sonil approaches the door and knocks on it, prompting a guard within to ask them if they know what time it is. They see the Dragon, and their eyes bug out in shock. They then scramble for the door and open it up, offering for the two to head in. Demiurge thanks them, and so the two progress in.

Demiurge finds himself looking upon an inside with marble tiling and plaster, giving the inside of the building an almost temple-like look. Demiurge progresses carefully, and notices several guards throughout. They give him a salute as he passes, and he waves at each. They head more and more in, and are eventually led up the stairs and to a room brandishing an emblem akin to a Dragon. He opens the door, and inside finds a quetzal lady in a silvery dress, the back of it flaring in a lily pad-like shape with fur adorning it. She sees the two, and greets them cordially.

She remarks that she would normally ponder if she were dreaming, seeing the Dragon right now, though that wolf's stench assures her she's quite awake. Sonil apologizes and says he headed straight here after the Dragon popped up in his presence. Demiurge assures that this isn't a dream. She then introduces herself as **Chief Dawn**, ruler of Origlo. Demiurge says it's great to meet her, and introduces himself, though the quetzal assures she's heard of him. Legends speak of how he stood for every virtue of the past and helped spearhead its movement in the field of arts, and how he was tragically slain by the Monster that'd soon be struck down themselves.

And then, spirits were raised when the head within the Monster's belly began to heal. And now, here Demiurge himself stands. The Dragon awkwardly agrees, saying here he is. She repeats that he is here, and that he'll be of great help. Demiurge is sure he will, but he wonders what help he is to provide. She answers to keep making strides in the world of art, of course. Demiurge says he's sure to aid, though remarks that the people of the past taught him what he knew. However, Dawn says that they require more than just teaching.

Demiurge is a symbol of change, and of direction. Without his guidance, the people of the old world would've been confined to this realm, and would not've reached out farther and farther for art pieces. And even now, they reshape the landscape to try and make something impactful for their pieces. But what they need is more direction. That is why she wishes for Demiurge to go around and share his story, and help the students realize a path for each of them to move towards.

She says that she can offer him housing in her estate. And tomorrow, she'll grant him his first task. Demiurge is still not sure what he's doing, but he says that he'll perform to the best of his abilities. She also turns to Sonil and tells him he's dismissed. The wolf nods, and then heads out. The guards, meanwhile, lead the Dragon out of this room, and into a room adjacent from Dawn's. He's led in, and there, he sees that the room's a little small for him. It has a bed maybe half a foot too small for him, a dresser, a desk with sheets of paper and several art supplies upon it, and a window out over the city.

The guard says that the room will be changed to accommodate him later, and Demiurge thanks him. The guard leaves, and Demiurge closes the door. He then goes to lay in the bed, and gets ready for the first day of his new era.

Augua 8th
Here, Demiurge wakes up again. He climbs out of bed and rubs at his neck, remarking that he needs a bigger bed. When he steps out, a guard nearby is quick to inform him of one of the classes he'll be helping out. He'll be heading over to the **Beau-Honored College**, and assist anthropologist **Galebo** in their demonstrations to their class. Demiurge says he'll be happy to help, and asks where this college is and where in it he'll find Galebo. The guard says he can assist, and so begins leading Demiurge out.

They head through the town, go towards the college districts, and eventually towards one of those fancily designed buildings. It is, indeed, marked as the Beau-Honored College. The guard says that they'll explain Demiurge's situation here, and then the staff should lead him to the anthropologist. The Dragon nods, and so they go ahead, entering into a fairly big lobby room. It features a far more modest look than Dawn's room, featuring wood flooring with rugs connecting from door to door. The lobby features paintings of, presumably, people from across history. And at one end of the room is a desk with a ferret man at it talking to the guard.

The guard parts from the ferret, and said ferret reaches into his desk before pulling out, with both items in one hand, a map and a small necklace. He tells Demiurge to return the necklace when he exits, and the Dragon swears he will. He then opens up the map and looks through it, finding the layout of the school, as well as one of the rooms, which the ferret appeared to've circled before handing it over. Demiurge then progresses through the halls, this room being on ground floor, and there are more drawings of historic people, some less modest than others. Eventually, he makes it to the room in question, this one being over at the far end of the college. He adjusts his necklace, and then opens the door.

And when he opens it, he sees a fairly large room that's built such that the door side is at its highest point, while stairs stationed around the local area lead lower and lower to various levels of desks, until it eventually leads to the lowest point, where a larger desk stands in front of a chalkboard with a lady addressing the class. Said chalkboard depicts various shapes of body parts, equating angular to something more tough or dangerous while equating roundness to something cuter, maybe to youth even. And the lady addressing the class is a komodo dragon woman, standing relatively tall and wearing a brown dress with a white shirt.

She appears to be taking attendance, and at this point, Demiurge notices a few other students in the classroom. While she takes attendance, Demiurge carefully raises his hand and asks "Galebo?" At that, the komodo dragon looks up from her sheet to get a good look at whoever just addressed her, when her eyes widen and her jaw drops. The camera then switches to her perspective as she spies the Dragon, a pink backdrop behind him as fairy-like sparkles twinkle around him, the Dragon appearing more sharp and muscular to the teacher. It then cuts away from her perspective to show that she's just staring. Demiurge nervously glances among the students, who're each alternating between looking at him and the teacher, before the Dragon repeats himself.

The komodo dragon shakes her head and apologizes, she was lost in thought for a moment. Either way, she clears her throat, and introduces herself to the Dragon as Galebo, though reminds the class that she is Galebo to the assistant. To the rest of the class, she is still Ms. Dobnier. The class responds simultaneously that they understand. She then asks Demiurge to come to the front of the class, and he obliges, heading down one of the stairs to get beside the teacher's desks. And when there, he asks her what she wishes of him, to which she says that she wishes to go over a few theories in biological design and would like Demiurge to help with some of them.

Here begins one of her lectures where she tells the class about the body and about phycological reactions to said body parts. Here, she talks about how shapes actually tend to have lead to part of that. This day, they're going to talk about shapes. Here, she turns to the Dragon and says that he faced some Monsters in the past, yes? Demiurge affirms that he did. There, she asks him if he can show to the class what they resembled. Demiurge thinks to himself how he'll portray it, before turning to the chalkboard. He looks at her curious, before she motions towards a bar of chalk. Demiurge then picks it up, before holding it like a pencil. He presses it to the board, and notices that it leaves behind a mark. His brow raises in understanding, and then he begins drawing.

There, he draws one of the velociraptors they faced. And here, Galebo nods in approval, before asking the class to take notice of the general shape of it. Lots of angles, the triangular head, pointy claws... She asks Demiurge how he feels looking at it. Demiurge can say "It's powerful" or "It's terrifying". She then asks the students how this image makes them feel, and there's a mixture of "powerful" or "scary" in the crowd. She says that the appearance of it gives off an intimidating image towards most, doesn't it? She says that once upon a time, people were feral, and they'd often operated on base instincts that fostered through experience of others. Among the earliest and most prominent predators were creatures like this, brandishing sharp claws, sharp teeth, and a very angular body type. Whether they developed this shape as an evolutionary trait or not, they don't know, but the point is that a long time ago, animals were terrified of these creatures, and many would know to stay far away from things like this.

She likens it to the oft under-explored color theory in that people associated various feelings with colors. Just like people associated red with danger, others would learn to associate triangular things with cutting or stabbing. Similarly, the fairly triangular/angular figure of the old Monsters could be associated with hunters or predators, especially as tools seemed to keep on employing that. Meanwhile, there are various ferals that take on rounder shapes, and even some babes maintaining these shapes, so there's a general innocence and friendliness found in items like these.

One of the students raise a hand. Galebo addresses her, and the sheep student speaks up, saying that she's had to drawl triangles and squares, but she hasn't felt scared of them. At that, Galebo says that that's a good question. She says that there's a difference between the shape itself and the imagery. The shapes themselves are mere building blocks for larger figures, so you don't exactly get the same feel from looking at the individual pieces. However, seeing them in a more complex shape, that's a different story. To demonstrate, she draws a square on one side, and a triangle on the other. She says that apart, they just look like basic shape. Then she draws several triangles on one side of the square, and at that she points out that now it resembles spikes, doesn't it?

Either way, the class progresses with her talking more about how the shapes of individuals might impact their view of them, and how this may translate into drawings, with her pointing out how some of their kinder historic figures are often portrayed in a soft, rounded fashion than historically accurate documents would suggest, and vice versa.

Class soon wraps up. And at this point, the class heads out. Meanwhile, Galebo and Demiurge are left alone together. And at this point, she chooses to ask the Dragon where he's been all her life. Demiurge simply responds that he's kinda been dead until yesterday. Galebo looked on confused, though she cleared her throat and moved on. Anyways, she thanks him for his assistance earlier. She felt that that really got her point across to those guys.

Demiurge admits that it's an interesting thing to learn about. He admits that if that applies to real life people, to which she replies that sometimes there're initial bad impressions with certain people, especially reptilians. A few students were even scared of her. However, the more they got to now her, the more they enjoyed her presence. Demiurge, meanwhile... he has some reptilian features, but as a Dragon, he has a different impact on others' psychology.

Either way, it's getting late, so she'll head to her place, and Demiurge himself should go somewhere else. And so, they both head out. They walk past the streets, sharing the same route for a while. However, as they move, they hear some claws scraping along the concrete. They turn, and they can see a squad of feral dogs, each looking quite dangerous, racing towards them. Galebo seems shocked and tells Demiurge to look out. The Dragon turns and spies the group of savage ferals. He says that they're pretty fast, he doesn't think they can outrun them.

Galebo then reaches to her satchel, and pulls out a tome. She tells Demiurge to get ready, and so, players are forced to battle the **Kidnappers**. During this fight, players learn a fair bit about Galebo herself. She wields a surprisingly wide range of magical abilities, able to cover more weaknesses than most party members. In addition, she has access to Charm magic, which has a chance of forcing enemies to act in a matter beneficial to the party. And with her abilities, the group is able to defeat the ferals.

And after that, the ferals are down and panting. Looking over them, Galebo notices that they're collared. Demiurge asks what that means, and she says that someone owns these. And then, a stoat lady in a big dress runs in, screaming for several names. And when she spies the four, she wails and rushes for them, asking the duo what they've done! Demiurge says that the dogs attacked them, they had to defend themselves. The lady insists that they're precious angels, how dare they lay a finger on them! Galebo asks if she's serious. And as the conversation looks as if it's about to turn sour, those in the area notice a smell, and grimace.

Demiurge turns towards the source, and spies the grave keeper from before, Sonil. He remarks that his ears were ringing from all the barking he heard, and he thought he'd come to investigate. And here, he finds his friend and some dangerous-looking lady getting harassed by dogs. Galebo looks towards the other lady victoriously, and she seems left without words. She declares that she doesn't care for the opinion of someone that watches the dead. The dogs seem to've recovered by now, and they each seem to react to the smell, and run off. She claims that she's not forgiving them for hurting her babies, but she won't bother with their presence anymore.

She walks off, and Galebo sighs. She thanks Sonil for his aid, and asks why he came to help out like that. He says that he figured he should keep an eye on the dead, and well, a friend of the dead is a friend of his. Galebo asks if he's referring to the Dragon, and Demiurge nods. Sonil says that he's still interested in the guy and he'd hate for anything to happen to him too soon. Galebo now seems weirded out, though still thanks him. He nods, and says that he can accompany them. She says that it shouldn't be necessary, her dorm's just next square now. He nods and waves her off, and so she parts. She says that she can't wait to speak with Demiurge some more.

With that, Sonil asks Demiurge if she's really the guy they paired him with. Demiurge asks what's wrong, and he answers that nothing's officially wrong. There're just a lot of guys that claim to have weird vibes around her. Some swear that she just stares for long periods of time at people, and there are some that even claim that they swear some of her sketches uses them as references. Demiurge is weirded out by that news, and says that that is odd. Still, maybe it's just her theory about shapes influencing psychology having an effect. Sonil shrugs and says that they're just rumors.

Anyways, he'll help him back to his old place, and Demiurge supposes he doesn't know the layout too well. And so, they walk, and soon arrive back at the old place.

Augua 9th
Once again, Demiurge is meeting with the komodo dragon. He has to be walked through town again, and once there, he's able to actually run into her at the lobby. She greets the Dragon, and says that Dawn sent her a message. Demiurge asks what she asked, to which she replied that the lord feels several of their professors should be able to go to one of the nearby cities. She apparently felt that her academics have been quite influential, and she feels that she should bring their word to other students.

She also said that she was sure the Dragon would be able to give them safe passage. Demiurge says that he's sure he can help, though asks what they could face. Galebo says that the trail tends to have ferals and bandits about it, the latter of which will exceptionally have a soft spot for important people like them. Demiurge asks why she reached out to her, and she says that her relation to the Dragon determined that she should help.

Either way, she supposes the boss has given their orders. The two of them are to clear up the trail between Origlo and **Ahan** to the southeast. She's informed her assistant, and they should be able to dole out her notes. This means that they have some alone time, she suggests with a wink. Either way, they should begin their work.

With this, the duo heads out to the southeast exit of town, and there, there is a worn trail from many people that've walked before them, as well as what appears to be trimmed grass around the edges, suspecting someone tried to keep this orderly. On either side of the trail are long expanses, boasting plains with ferals walking around, as well as clumps of trees here and there. The trail seems to stretch on a long distance, and this trail is regarded as the **Origlo-Ahan Trail**.

Galebo says that there's no time like the present. With that, they move out. Here, players are required to move along the trail as Galebo says that there are a few problem areas Dawn noted. She said that if they clear up those areas, the professors should be able to make it to Ahan. With that, they progress forwards, the trail pretty empty at first. As they walk, however, they soon pass a patch of woods adjacent to the trail, Galebo saying that this part's noted as a problem area.

They begin to enter, while a figure comes in from behind. The duo steps in, and Galebo says that if it weren't for the danger, this spot would be kinda romantic. Demiurge says that the scenery is kinda nice, all while looking around for any foe. As they walk, however, figures begin to move in from the brush. The duo turns to face the encroachers, only to realize they're starting to get surrounded. Galebo draws her tome while Demiurge takes up a defensive pose as they see a bunch of guys in rags close in on them.

A cat-like bandit remarks that these look like some of those bigwigs up in Origlo. A dirty raven guy affirms: those clothes are just like one of the guys that turn their noses at them. Galebo remarks that these sound like a bunch of degenerates that blame their problems on the successful. One of the bandits snaps, declaring that they did cause their problems! They were born in a world where everyone around them had a better chance of making a name for themselves! Galebo says she doesn't care what excuses they have, and decides that she'll just get rid of them now.

With that, players are forced to battle the **Bandit Squad**, but the process proves difficult. Especially at the start, which is treated as an ambush on the enemies' part. This gives them the chance to use Sneak Attack to try and knock someone down, or inflict one of different status ailments. The fight goes on, but it proves pretty tricky, even with Galebo's wide range of coverage and charm. Eventually, they're panting and panting as the armed warriors close in. Galebo says that there're too many. Demiurge says he knows, and says that they have to keep trying. However, he smells something, and grimaces.

The bandits close in more and more, when claws of black magic reach up from the ground and grasp at a few of them. The bandits look confuse and clutch at their chests, before starting to collapse. Galebo's confused, when that wolf from the city appears. Sonil says he thought he'd keep an eye on the group, and then he runs in to join them, holding his shovel like one would hold a spear. And with that, the battle continues with the new ally. Sonil himself seems geared towards strength and luck, and he also seems geared towards status ailments. Among which includes his access to Bendigedig and Damnedig, two multi-target skills that have a chance of instantly defeating foes. And with their combined forces, players are able to overwhelm the massive amount of bandits.

With the lot of them down, the party members sigh and stand up, each turning to each other. Galebo asked what he was doing so close to the lot of them, to which the wolf explains that he has a vested interest in Demiurge's livelihood, and seeing that stranger that rose from the dead wander out the city, he felt he should keep an eye on him. Demiurge feels kinda weirded out, though he says he appreciates his help. Sonil nods while saluting, and asks what they're doing out here anyways. Galebo answers that Ruler Dawn requested that they clear up the trail so that the professors could safely travel to Ahan.

Sonil says that that sounds pretty tricky. Especially if the two of them are going at it like this. With that, Sonil joins the party, much to Galebo's chagrin.

Augua 9th - Augua 17th
With this, players have their mission. Go along the Origlo-Ahan trail, approach one of four locations near the trail, and take care of the clump of enemies there. A simple mission, though players should be careful considering their pretty low party count.

Players progress, having to go along the trail in a southeast direction. The trail itself is fairly straight with a few curves here and there. Throughout, they may encounter ferals and bandits, each with various levels of difficulty though not too difficult. Players are also able to encounter other foes out on the plains beyond the trail, though they should be weary, because there are higher-level enemies past the trail. Beyond that, players also have particular destinations to go to to get rid of enemies. There're three to clear, and players will run into them in order as long as they stick to the trail.

The first destination is another patch of woods. And near said patch is a **Wolf Horde**, which players will have to contend with fast. These guys are exceptionally dangerous at the start, as the larger their hp represents how many enemies are in the horde. Players will want to do a lot of damage fast, which becomes exceptionally helpful with both Sonil and Galebo, especially since the former's insta-kill translates to damage dealt to the horde. Thankfully, they're dealt with soon enough, and Galebo says that that's one more down, and says they've got a few more to deal with.

After that, further down the trail they'll find another patch of woods. And hiding inside is a **Mother Bear** and a **Father Bear**. The two are a hard hitting duo that rely on physicality, the player needing to worry about their defense. Worse, because of their status, Sonil's insta-kill doesn't work. Thankfully, he has other ailments, so he can hamper their abilities. Players will have to worry about their self-buffs and their smash/slash attacks. Fortunately, through smart planning players should be able to beat them. And with two parts of the trail cleared, Galebo says that there's one left.

The third location is another patch of woods near the trail, and here, players encounter more bandits. This fight is fairly similar to the fight that introduced Sonil, a large amount of bandits that players have to work through in order to complete the encounter. Work and work they do, dealing with a wide variety of techniques from the enemy. And after enough work, the bandit group is also dealt with. And with that, Galebo says that that should've been the last location. She congratulates the group, and tells Sonil that he helped out a lot better than she'd expected. Sonil assures that it's all in a day's work, and supposes they should just return home.

However, as they begin to head back, a stranger in the patch of woods appears to be watching them...

That night, Galebo's told Dawn the news. However, the next day, Dawn's given another message to the group. Now she's saying that the gate of **Ahan** is being targeted by some foul enemy! Reports from the city says that those that try and enter or exit are being assailed by gunfire! Demiurge remarks that that's awful! Galebo says that they'll have to work fast and investigate. This time, it's to the end of the trail!

With this, players can go through the trail again, this time their destination being over towards the ocean-bordered city of Ahan, its entrance guarded by a thick wall and gate. They approach the gate, and Galebo pipes up, saying that this is where those reports of the assaulter are being made. She tells Demiurge they should only proceed if ready. And, at the player's behest, they go forwards.

They start to progress, the party members scanning around carefully. From a nearby set of woods, Sonil notices a glint. His eyes widen and he races forwards, bringing his shovel up to block a sniper shot with the head. The other two are surprised, though they're quick to race in the direction of the gunshot. They run out to the woods, and soon see a snake man in lightweight rags and hoisting a sniper rifle. He's slithering deeper in, and his goons block the way to him. Galebo orders him to stop, saying that he's hereby a wanted criminal. The snake, however, declares that it's not his time to retire, that he needs to keep sending those higher ups a message.

Demiurge asks what he could possibly mean to message any of them. The snake says that he intends to tear down their rotten little society. They constantly tell them to reach for the heights of arts, that that is the sign of success. However, they're all ensnared by people that've either already reached the heights of arts, or had lots of money to give them a head start. Meanwhile, guys like him were forced into poverty and obscurity, just because guys before him could perform better than he could hope to, and had more money than he'll ever see, money that got them a step up on the artistic process.

Galebo declares that he's just blaming everyone else for his own problems. He should've made his own money, he should've improved his own skill, and he shouldn't expect to turn to banditry just because he doesn't have fans. Sonil becomes noticeably uncomfortable. The snake aims at her, offended that she'd make light of his situation. It's not about fans, it's about him not being recognized enough to even make rent, him not being recognized enough to feed himself. He says that for all their talk about how unnecessary fame is, they neglect how much is necessary to actually live! Galebo rolls her eyes and says that they can't reason with this guy.

With that, players are forced into battle with **Darius the Sniper**. Darius himself isn't terribly damaging, though he's known for applying debuffs. More worrying for this fight are the bandits in front of him. Darius has a passive that makes it so he can't be targeted unless he's the only target. AOE magics can hit, but there's usually a nice mix of resistances that makes it so AOE isn't optimal for damage. Players should try and focus on wearing down his forces as fast as possible so they can create an opening to attack him, or maybe even get a Knock Down so they can boost an AOE attack. Players should be weary, for Darius has a skill that allows him to summon allies to battle. With enough work, though, players should be able to dispatch of Darius's goons, as well as the snake himself.

The snake's collapsed and is panting. He's huffing and puffing, and Galebo and Sonil step forwards. Galebo says that he will hereby be imprisoned and face trials for his charges. She thus asks Demiurge to take him away. Demiurge nods, albeit a little uncomfortable, and thus takes the snake by the shoulder and begins leading him up the trail. Darius, meanwhile, tries to struggle, though he can't fight off any of their grips...

That night, Darius is brought to one of Origlo's jails. The group's parted, except for Demiurge and Sonil. There, Sonil asks Demiurge how he felt after that. Demiurge can thus answer "Good" or "Uncertain". Either way, Sonil says that there's an unfortunate truth to what that guy said. Sonil himself was born here, but when his parents couldn't make ends meet, they dropped him off. He's since tried to do some artwork, only to be really sloppy. He's tried to get help in it, but the classes he'd needed were too expensive. He's lucky to've gotten the stinky old gravekeeper job, there are others who don't even get that.

Top that off with people constantly telling him it's his fault... He admits, it gets a bit tough to try and seem nice. Who knows what the less fortunate must be going through. Demiurge starts to get silent. And at that, Sonil says he probably shouldn't have put that much information on you. He supposes he should go back and try and mull over that info on his own time, he'll continue his own job.

Augua 18th
On this day, Demiurge and Galebo meet up with Dawn. And there, she thanks them. They'd made a quick search of the trail, and everything's safe. Galebo says she's done only what she needed. Dawn then turns to Demiurge, and tells him that she'd like him over the city and meeting with some of the more bigwigs of the city. The professors will be communicating with Ahan's professors, though their focus is in the field of Dance, Song, and Performance.

Demiurge remarks that that sounds interesting. Galebo then says that he should be careful. Lots of talented performers means lots of degenerates to go after them. She also warns that he should keep whatever he has to show those performers behind closed doors. Demiurge seems unsure of just what she's talking about, though Dawn clears her throat to get his attention. The quetzal says that everyone's planning on heading out on the 21st. So, she offers them to pack up. She expects a three day stay.

With that, the meeting breaks, and they head back.

Shortly after, Demiurge meets up with Sonil. He says that they're planning on heading out to Ahan. He wonders if he'd like to tag along, though Sonil says that he can't really afford to head out. He's still gotta tend to the boneyard. Demiurge apologizes, though Sonil tells him not to. They can still hang out while he's in Origlo. Plus, he's only staying for three days, right? Demiurge affirms that.

So, Sonil nods in affirmation, and tells him "good luck" with packing.

### Midway

Augua 18th - 20th
Following his meeting with Sonil, players are able to spend the next few days doing whatever they wish. Sidequests, hanging out with party members, supplying, so on. It's a simple matter of preparing for the trip and getting ready for whatever might happen in Ahan. And then, come the night of the 20th, the guards in Dawn's setting remind him to be ready tomorrow, and Demiurge nods. He then goes and rests.

Augua 21st
On this day, the Dragon wakes, and he walks over to the gate towards Ahan. There, he sees many professors, and he can hear several of them bemoan the long walk. One of them says that someone should make a really big carriage. Demiurge searches around the crowd, and eventually finds Galebo, who waves him over. He gets next to her, when they're joined by a lithe blue jay in a beige suit. He sees Galebo and asks if she's been hanging out with the Dragon. The komodo dragon says that she was chosen to guide the handsome shaper of history.

The blue jay remarks that that's quite interesting. He'd only gotten passing glances of the divine being, and being up close to him, he can practically feel that incredible aura. He turns to the Dragon and introduces himself as **Doga**. Demiurge shakes his hand and introduces himself as Demiurge. Doga asks him how he feels about the environment itself, to which players can answer "It's very pretty" or "It's... something..." Either way, Doga answers that he's always been quite invested in the natural beauty of the world, and has actually been studying into the applications of personally affecting the environment to make it more aesthetically pleasing. Galebo says that they're kind of busy, to which Doga nods and apologizes, saying he kind of got too excited. He blushes and backs into the crowd.

Either way, several of the guards approach. They tell the group that they'll be heading out now. The guards have planned on housing for each of them, and that they recommend they stick near them if they feel threatened. They also recommend to stay in the market, only parts of the performance district, and only parts of the residential district. With that, the guards turn, and tell the group to move out. And with that, the crowd makes the long march across the Origlo-Ahan trail.

They walk and walk, and thankfully, they don't have to worry about issues. They make it to the gates of Ahan, the ocean-bordering city. The gates open for them, and they press forwards, at which Demiurge's eyes widen. The gate opens into what appears to be the market district, the initial opener being a long strip from the opening towards the end of town, with several people having set up stands around the main road, and with many performers around, from people playing instruments to people painted gray and posing as statues, to people performing magic tricks.

Noticeably, the street lamps here are electric-based instead of gas-based like in Origlo, and the lightbulbs are shades of pink, bathing the streets in a fancy hue. The buildings around also featured less curves and angles than in Origlo, and they were more like straight-edged buildings. The buildings themselves also feature signs displaying various services, and branching towards the left and right of the main road are more buildings for services. The main road ends at the other end of town, at the other end of which there's a fairly large building with more curved/pointed architecture than the rest of the buildings. This building's remarked as the entrance of the **Neptunian Stage**.

The guards tell the group that with how late it is, they'll be taking their rooms before they meet anybody. They have some free time before they have to check in, so in the meantime, they're free to examine the markets and performers. With that, the crowd spreads, and Demiurge is free to check out the sights. In the process, players will get to witness a few street performances and check out items they can get here that they can't get back in Origlo. Professors checking out the performers will remark about how pedestrian the performers are.

Besides that, there are a few key areas players are prompted to check out before moving the plot along:

* Neptunian Stage Entrance: Demiurge looks over at the entrance there. And there, a lemur boy ticket master notices him. He asks the Dragon if he's interested in the performances, to which Demiurge nods. The lemur says that performances will be on the 23rd. Demiurge asks who's performing, to which the lemur asks if he's new in town. The Supreme Sirens, vixens of scales with voices as pretty as the wind as it whistles through valleys. He says it'll be a miracle to witness.
* Tourist Tide: Demiurge finds his shoulders brushing against the ceiling as he steps forwards. He finds various pictures of various performers, various photos of the sky shining a hue similar to the purple lights of presumably the Neptunian Stage, and pictures from above of the stage itself, which seems to depict several platforms hanging in or above the water, creating a fountain-like effect as it pours into the ocean while performers are on risen parts of said platform that don't touch the water. Doga is seen hanging in here and checking out the various pictures, and even spying a few more casual shirts with risque phrases on them, mugs with similar phrases, and what appear to be plushies of, judging by the photos, performers.

After checking out the areas, Demiurge remarks that it's late, and he should probably go to that hotel they talked about. He says he'll look for Galebo. Talking to her prompts the story to move along, and so the guards and professors walk through the streets, heading over into the residential district. They progress, and as they do, they notice the buildings around were decorated in a more magenta pattern with reflective stones in the concrete. It seemed like the hotels around here were meant to be decorated different from the rest of the buildings. They progressed northwards more and more, before eventually arriving at a hotel.

They step in, and the lobby has a fresco depicting Demiurge himself alongside Mimzy, Tsoa, Beau, and Maje. The rest of the lobby has some fancy-looking couches, a check in desk, a hall to lead to rooms and a staircase, and, Demiurge needed it explained to him, a "gambling hall". Galebo says that that should be fun to check out later, just be careful who you talk to. Following that, they head up the stairs, and each check into their rooms. And inside, Demiurge realizes how tired all that walking made him, and collapses on his bed.

Augua 22nd
This day, the various professors wake up, and are in the process of making sure they're alert for the day. Among which includes Demiurge and Galebo, who are already down to the lounge. Galebo says that the professors are intended to meet up with other instructors in the afternoon, and Demiurge himself will be expected there with the lot of them. In the meantime, he can do some stuff he wishes. Demiurge says that he is pretty interested in this area, and that he's excited to check it out.

With that, players are allowed to do some things in the new town.

* Gambling - Players can visit the gambling hall in the hotel in order to gamble. They can participate in slots, roulette, and blackjack, relatively quick games. The hall itself is in a low lighting and is designed in a more aesthetically pleasing fashion than real life casinos: the tables and slots are arranged such that participants can more easily maneuver around the location, smooth carpeting, and ornaments boasting the symbol of the dragon hang from the ceiling. A few people in the hall can be overheard praying for the Dragon to give them luck.
* Shopping - Players can check out the various shops around the market place. The shops available here are fairly similar to those from the other night, except stat-enhancing items aren't available. Other than that, there's a raccoon man named **Jesh** in this shop selling weapons and armor with funky effects to them at the expense of their stats. Other than that, not terribly much to look at.
* Strange Person - In the residential districts near the hotel, players will notice someone maneuvering through, them wrapped up in a lot of clothing. Seeing them, Galebo warns Demiurge that there's still weirdos out on the prowl, so he should be mindful if he's thinking of exploring. Investigating the strange person will lead to the plot continuing, though players are prompted to choose whether or not to pursue them.

Having looked into them, the stranger is seen going through the passages, peering around in concern as they progress. They eventually make it to a shady-looking corner, where some rough-looking guys are hanging. One's a scorpion guy, one's a skunk woman, one's a rat lady. The scorpion ask the guy if anyone saw them. The stranger shakes their head. He then turns to the skunk, who brings out a bag and holds it in front of the stranger, who begins to search their pockets.

They pull out a pouch of money, and hand it over. The rat takes the pouch and begins quickly counting it, before answering that he's light. The guy in the cloak says that that has to be enough. He double checked before coming over. The skunk asks if he checked the updated price. They should've sent it over this morning. The stranger says that they were already out at that time! How's he supposed to respond to the price change in such short notice?! The scorpion man then says that it doesn't matter, that right now he has to get them a good million.

He says that he can't possibly get that much. The skunk lady starts to pull away, though the stranger reaches out pleadingly. The scorpion then tells him that if he's that concerned, then he can always put it on his debt... again. And if they're so concerned, then surely they can work something out. After all, He's sure a man of his... stature... can get a few guys interested. Surely they can work something out. At this point, Demiurge and Galebo are curious, and begin to press forwards.

They see the duo, and ask them what they're doing. Demiurge speaks up and says that it sounds like they set this guy up on a raw deal. The stranger tries to wave them off, and insists that this is private business. Demiurge, however, insists that he's going to take care of this. The skunk tells him if he insists on this narc operation, she'll be more than happy to destroy him. Demiurge carefully pulls the stranger behind him and Galebo and tells him to step back. Hearing that, the stranger is stunned for a moment and looks on while the strange trio approaches.

He then takes the clothing all around him, before tugging them off. He's now revealed to be a snake guy with blue scales, lower half a tail upper half a torso, and pink highlights through his form and vibrant, shining clothing clinging tightly to him. Demiurge's surprised by the appearance and asks just who he is. Galebo recognizes him and asks if he's... Demiurge realizes it himself, and realizes that this guy's one of the performers, **Halla**. The snake says that he's not going to let the two threaten themselves on his behalf!

With that, players are forced to fight the **Filthy Trio**. The enemies prove relatively tricky, each having a skill to poison party members. Fortunately, Halla has the means of helping. He has summon magic so that party members can repeatedly have Hadfer or Cymorth Cyntaf, healing them and undoing ailments. Additionally, though Halla officially wields a ribbon, that translates to him dancing elegantly to overwhelm foes. He's very agile and a good support, and with his combination of attack prowess of healing, players are able to overwhelm the baddies.

With them down, Halla sighs and says that they shouldn't be bothering anyone for a while. He thanks the two for their assistance, and asks them if he can do anything for them. Demiurge assures that it's fine, though Halla insists that he needs to do something for them. At this point, he recognizes them, saying that they're here to converse with the instructors. He says that he'll arrange something for them. Demiurge offers, though Galebo is uncertain. Halla thanks him, and runs off after dawning his disguise garb.

With that, Galebo said she hadn't expected to've interacted with any of the performers. Demiurge wondered whether or not they were people that their group were supposed to interact with. Galebo answers that they were supposed to, but not until this night. She wonders what he could possibly have planned for them, and what Halla was dealing with... Curious, she examines the bag, and finds a lot of drugs. They'll have to have these disposed of properly before some other degenerate gets their hands on them.

Shortly after, the duo makes it back to the hotel. And here, players are thusly required to go into conversation with the instructors. It's a fairly lengthy process, and Demiurge has to admit he's starting to doze off. He keeps on trying to listen though. Eventually, the many instructors in the area feel satisfied in what many of the others had told them, with several others conversing with classrooms. Eventually, the instructors stop, and the guards approach Demiurge and Galebo.

They say that they've been chosen to meet with the performers. Demiurge perks up at this, and says he's quite interested. Galebo says that their art's very spontaneous in comparison to the drawn work. They'll be fortunate to have professionals around to capture their performance. Demiurge says she should probably lighten up on them. Either way, the guards decide to escort them.

They're led to the Neptunian Stage the inside brandishing pearly architecture with frescos depicting what appeared to be multiple performers. They appeared to be of many different species, though were very skinny and athletic. They're led in more, alongside Doga. The trio's led in more and more and brought up a few stairs, before eventually being led to a door with a star emblem over it. Demiurge asks what the star's meant to signify, to which Galebo explains that stars are looked up at, so those that're deemed pinnacles of mortal-kind are denoted as "stars". Professors like them are above such pedestrian terminology though.

They make it to the room, and inside, they see a fairly big room with some cushy furniture around, though there's also several desks set up with mirrors and makeup, and there are separate rooms from this: Vocals, and Dance. Seated at the cushy furniture are the performers Demiurge's seen hints of several times. One is the snake from before, Halla. Another is a dragon slug man with a slender frame but long frills extending from its limbs, them a haunting blue color, this one named **Bnent**. Another is a seaweed dragon lady with similar frills, though having a more grassy look to her, this one named **Haun**. The other is an oarfish man, taller than any in the room and boasting a navy blue body with red fins and a mohawk-like mess of frills, this one named **Megie**. And the last is an ethereal creature with a translucent body, lights shining in her and wing-like arms, her being a bit more heavy-set than the others, this one known as the leader **Dana**.

The quintet sees the group, and Halla waves excitedly. Dana sees the Dragon, and says it's quite an honor, having the Dragon join them. Demiurge says that he's more than happy to be before them. Haun declares that the pleasure is all theirs. Hearing the Dragon would be able to grace them, they felt it more than appropriate that they may grace him with the fruits of their labor. Bnent says that they pray their physicality and their voices may serenade the dear Dragon. Galebo wonders if they really brought him here to seduce him to their arts, to which Dana explains that that is not all at all. They wish to legitimize their art, and what better way than with the Dragon appraising them?

Demiurge looks towards Galebo curious, and the komodo dragon furrows her brow, saying she's not certain. Megie swears that it'll be fun if nothing else. They may not have pens or brushes, but their art will chisel themselves into his brain and his heart. Demiurge says that this is part of the reason they were here, he supposes he may as well. With that, Halla says that it's time for his treat: the VIP room! The professor seems surprised, though she's happy to take some vip.

Dana says that the request was fairly irregular, but they were able to arrange a room for either of them. And so, they decide to have their guards lead them to their rooms. With that, two pairs of guards go on either side of Galebo and Demiurge, and walk them out. Galebo's set in one, and Demiurge is set in the other, both rooms being in the stage itself. Demiurge steps in, and finds a very lavish room. It's significantly three times as large as his room at Origlo's, and boasts a giant bed. There's also a set of tables with many cakes, donut holes, well-done meats, and fruit platters.

Demiurge gorges himself, before going to bed, sleeping nicer than he has beforehand.

Augua 23rd
This morning, Demiurge wakes up and climbs out of the giant bed, inwardly remarking that it feels like he's crawling through quicksand. However, through much struggle, he's able to climb out of the bed and makes it to the door. And there, he's greeted by guards. They offer to lead him to his seat, prime viewing for the performance. Demiurge thanks him, and he's thus led, soon joined by Galebo.

They're lead through the halls, and soon make it to a door that leads to a balcony attached to one of the highest points in the stadium. There they sit on plush seats, and they look down at several hundred people looking on the performance, though a few in rags are seen being escorted out by brawny guys. The stadium is set such that long rows of chairs are curled around in several layers to look down at several platforms hovering over the ocean, said platforms having water pouring from them and having raised sections of floor that're dry.

The platforms lower below the lowest set of seats, and there is palpable silence among the onlookers. And then, the platforms raise back to their normal positions, though right now, Dana is on the highest platform and has with her a microphone-like device that seems to amplify her voice. She also has in her hands a violin. One platform lower is Halla himself, joined by Megie, the two of them wielding ribbons that contrast each other. And a platform below that is Bnent and Haun, either wielding trumpets.

Dana talks into the device, explaining that this performance is very special. She points in the vague direction of the vip section, and tells them that this is for them. With that, she begins singing while playing a tune that starts slow, Halla and Megie making sure they're prepared. And then, the two below start playing, turning the mood more pumped up and cheerful while Dana plays faster. And in tune, Halla and Megie flick their ribbons out to make sure they're completely unfurled, before they each swirl around each other.

The ribbons race around in a vortex-like fashion, creating a mutli-color maelstrom on that platform. Dana keeps signing as she keeps up her tune, the serpentine-like dancers expanding their arc to make sure more of themselves were visible. They throw in moves of their own, from flicking their tails under the other with the other jumping over, to corkscrewing past each other while they arrange themselves in a ring-like fashion to make it more daring, even utilizing each other's bodies to glide around more easily.

The song starts to climax, and as it does the duo split and begin racing down the fountains created by the platforms, jumping down to one of two lower platforms each. Throughout the performance, their ribbons made sure no one could lose sight of them. They danced more and more and raced down the waterfalls before doing solo dances on those platforms, gliding along the slick surfaces. Eventually, the high pace slows down, and they race down to the bottom platform, the one with the trumpeteers on them. And when down, Bnent and Haun put in their final notes as the two serpentine creatures race along the water-soaked exterior of that platform, before locking arms to halt their momentum and pose for the crowd, their ribbons whipping out to full length far to either side of the platform.

And at that, Dana slows down her own playing, and gives her final notes. With that, the performers bow, and the many stands are filled with the loud applause of the many onlookers. Demiurge himself is amazed, now at the point where he's standing up and leaning forwards to get a good view of the performance. By now, the platforms begin to lower, and that's everyone que to begin leaving. The guards are there to help guide the duo out of the vip section.

After that, the group meets up with the performers, who've made it back to the hall outside their rooms. They ask the group what they thought, to which Demiurge says that that was absolutely phenomenal. All the spirals and the swiftness and- Demiurge swears he felt like he was witnessing a dream. He'd never imagined seeing anything quite like that. Galebo says that it served for a very unforgettable moment. She'll probably memorize those notes for a long time. Dana thanks them for their work, and Halla, while knowing that they'll be leaving today, hopes that he can see them again.

Demiurge thanks them for having them, and so they begin to be led out. They soon find themselves out on the market district, and they can see the other professors conglomerating. They begin heading out, and Demiurge and Galebo are hanging together. As they do, Demiurge says that that was a really nice performance. Galebo remarks that it was, thought it's a shame it'll fade away. The Dragon asks what she means.

She says that it's not like the written word or the inked page. You can't preserve performance, you can't even capture the atmosphere of it and enchant another unless they saw it. They'll remember it, sure, but it'll either leave the memory, or those with the memory disappear. Demiurge says that that's insane. They've got merchandise, they've developed an intricate stage, that's their tourist attraction. Galebo says that it is a vehicle for just one more set of stars. And, unfortunately, stars fade. Demiurge says that a performance like that won't just fade.

The komodo then asks the Dragon how many people he remembered from his time in the past. Demiurge thinks, and answers he can remember many different faces and many different people he helped. Galebo then asks how many of those names popped up in the modern era. And at that, the Dragon gives pause, and finds himself unable to bring up a proper answer. Galebo says that that's her point: these stars are a drop in the bucket. They're a passing trend that quickly gets filled in by someone new. People went gaga over the first group, then the second, then the third. And just like those before, they faded. They'll have merchandise, but that will be replaced by others. They have the stadium, but that will house a new one.

Demiurge asks why she said what she did to the quintet, to which she explains that few can accept the truth.

That night, Demiurge returns home and, feeling too tired to really do anything else, he rests. He supposes he should chat with Sonil tomorrow to maybe clear his head a little. And as he lays down, he inwardly remarks that this is nothing like the other bed...

Augua 24th
On this day, Demiurge wakes again, and after that previous trip, the many professors were out and about in Origlo and enjoying their free time. The Dragon himself felt the need to enjoy his own free time, and so stepped out. And at this point, the Dragon thought to himself that he may want to chat with Sonil, it's been a little while. With that, players are prompted to go to the graveyard. And there, they find the wolf at the shack outside the graveyard, some people visiting.

Sonil sees Demiurge, and asks him what's up. With that, Demiurge explains what went on over in Ahan, and he specifically talks about how fancy the city was, the hotels, about Halla, and especially about that amazing performance. Sonil remarks that it's hard to imagine that all happening. Finding out a famous performer's dirty little secret, and seeing a mind-bending show, that's a wild couple of days. Demiurge says that it's a bit more than wild, though the wolf shrugs.

He says that he'd hung out near those less fortunate in the city, thought he'd get a read on others' opinions after that one sniper they ended up fighting. He says that it sounds like there's a lot of resentment around the general populace. Demiurge asks if it's the same anger, to which the wolf says it sounds pretty similar. Lots of guys got opportunities they couldn't get, got to make stuff before they could, and got recognition before they could have it. There are even a few that say they got their work stolen and were left on the street.

Demiurge says that that sounds awful. Sonil says that there's not much they can do about it either way. He saw how Galebo reacted, there's no way Dawn will change, not unless the majority's affected by this issue. Demiurge ponders to himself, remarking that he might be able to do something... Though first, he personally thinks that he should check out the rumors for himself. Sonil also suggests that if the opportunity comes up, he should check out Halla's issue too. Well off people usually don't owe druggies stuff.

With that, players are thus prompted to go around town to converse with various characters to learn about their issues with the system.

## Weapons Era

### Early

Demiurge rests. He shudders and wriggles, trying to move. However, he can't move a single part of his splattered body. He can feel himself get moved around, though only barely. He eventually felt like his body was getting bound, and would feel himself get cut. The cuts came with relative frequency, though after a while, they stopped. Instead, there were slower cuts, and humming. Eventually, though, he could feel himself able to move. He groaned and began to blink his eyes. He found he himself had grown a little, standing two feet taller than before and with a wider shoulder span and gate, his horns having grown a few inches while his tail and wings are bigger and thicker. However, despite that, that wasn't the strangest thing about his current circumstances.

He was inside the chamber of some marble-like castle, with a front door and a set of stairs leading up to a large door, and lots of dirt and dust around the area. Demiurge, meanwhile, was suspended in the air, his arms and legs held against the ceiling by the hands of bat statues. The statues were built into the ceiling, and almost seemed constructed as if they were cradling the Dragon like a babe. He began to twist his body a little, confused. As he struggles, unknown to him, five bandits walked in through the front door, a couple holding torches.

Demiurge's struggles manages to snap his arm free and send a statue hand down, clattering to the floor. The bandits paused and looked up, spying the Dragon wriggling against the statue that bound him. He wriggled more and more, and was able to free his legs. Then, with another tug, he freed his last arm and fell to the ground, though he'd extend his wings to slow his descent, though he still slams on the ground and causes it to crack. He groans and stands up and rubs at his wrists and ankles while also spying the scars around his trunk. However, his attention is captured by the bandits, who're looking on in surprise.

They carefully raise their weapons, and the Dragon steps back. One of them asks if that really is him, though the other says that it isn't possible. This has to be one of those freakish experiments. Demiurge asks what he means, though they each hold their weapons threateningly. One of them says that they knew one of those monsters were skulking around here, and berates them for not listening to him! The rest, however, tell him to shut up and take care of this freak of nature! Demiurge realizes he can't talk them down, so he raises his fists in preparation. However, from seemingly nowhere, balls of darkness swing down and strike their torches, casting the room in darkness.

The Dragon and bandits are equally alarmed, now sweeping around for the source of the attack. However, a feminine voice fills the room, asking who is bold enough to raise arms against the beloved Dragon. One of the bandits demands they show themselves and each swing around, unknowingly wandering away from each other. Demiurge, meanwhile, can see a winged figure sweep across the ceiling before clinging to it, hovering over one. Then, they leap down, and Demiruge can make out a flowing dress. They touch down just behind one of the bandits, before swinging up a scythe and wrapping the blade in front of the bandit's neck, them now aware of the flash of metal in front of them. And at this, the figure explains that they are "a freak".

Then, with a quick movement, the bandit is only able to choke out a scream and falls down. The other bandits turn and realize the shadowy figure is attacking. They then rush her, and she flips up her scythe. She swings, clashes of metal whipping up sparks and showing more detail of the attacker. Demiurge can spy that she appears to be an exceptionally tall bat with white skin, leathery wings, and a maw with more teeth than someone like her should normally have. Demiurge might actually compare that maw against a draconian one.

She continues clashing with the bandits' blades, and would soon be able to hook them with her scythe before tossing them away, and impaling them on the blade. She'd be quick to flash the weapon out of their body and into another, It seems like the moment she's able to strike their bodies she kills them, each bandit flopping. With swift swings and shrugging off nasty cuts to her, she's able to fell each bandit. And with each down, she's quick to descend on their bodies, and Demiurge can hear slurping noises from his savior.

He seems unable to decide whether he should run or whether he should approach her, and so just stands there in confusion. Eventually, she rears her head back, and he can notice her tongue, having extending a couple feet past her lips, retreating back in her maw. She then stands and turns to him, and now that the fight's over, Demiurge can take in the sight of her dress. She wears a ball gown that stretches down to her ankles, he can see her clawed feet beneath the dress, and she wears black with white highlights. He can also notice a gap on the sides of her dress that allows the wings attached to her arms to stretch out.

She then walks towards Demiurge, and the Dragon takes a few steps back in concern as she approaches. She then stretches out her scythe, before releasing it and letting it clatter to the ground. She walks closer to the Dragon, before hiking up her dress and kneeling before him. He looks on with a cocked brow, and the bat tells him how grateful she is that he may visit them, before addressing him as "father".

Demiurge had to sit down after the short amount of things he'd just witnessed. In the meantime, though, the bat took his hand and would lead him into the establishment, bringing him up the big stairs and past the door and now down a hall with various paintings about, them brandishing the Dragon's body portrayed alongside several individuals fawning over him. As they walk, the bat says that she apologizes the others couldn't be here, but she herself made sure to keep close and tend to his body. And now, she can only hope that she earns his favor, again addressing him as "father".

Demiurge says that he doesn't know who she is, he can't possibly be her father. She says that her and her kind were descended from him. Demiurge asks what her kind is, and what he has to do with them. She says that 500 years ago, Demiurge was felled in the battle with the Lord of the Land, though he and allies were able to damage it enough so that they could finish it off. Maris was able to scrape up the remains of the Dragon and the blood, and was able to restore those already tempered with blood. On top of that, there was leftovers, so they stored them.

A later king heard of the blood's effects on ferals, and grew curious about the effects on sapient creatures. So, they gathered a few families and would transfer the blood into them. Those that had been injected would face some of the same issues of the ferals before, but when they bred they produced offspring that had the blood naturally in their system. However, even in offspring the blood seemed to run out later into their life cycle. It was found that they could supplement the lowering supply of blood by feeding them ferals. Some creatures would go after other sapient beings and draining them of blood.

Their family had discovered the Dragon's body reforming, and thusly decided to take him into their house. They'd lash at him while he rested, and drank from him, and that fed them better than any worthless creature. The others wanted to keep him a drain him, even if it meant he'd just be living on the ceiling as a comatose creature. But she... she saw him for a living being. He had blood she wanted, sure, but he would certainly hate to remain up there, correct? She turns and asks if he'd prefer to walk around here rather than be hung in the chamber, and the Dragon says that of course he does. Then, before he can ask any follow ups, she says she had to fight off family members, and they were forced to flee. And since the building was left derelict, bandits would occasionally invade and she'd fight them off and feed off of them while he recovered. And now, here he is.

She turns, and says she is so happy he can be with them. Demiurge is stunned by the news. He looks at his vein, saying with worry that there are more creatures with his blood... He asks if others are hungry for this blood, to which she replies if they're alive, they're probably feeding too. It is unfortunate, but she now has the father to herself. Demiurge says he's not really comfortable being called that, and says he'd prefer names. His name's Demiurge. The bat lady answers that her name is **Valvia**. But he's free to call her whatever he wishes. Demiurge shudders at that, though they keep walking through the halls.

Eventually, she leads him up more halls, before soon arriving at a pair of doors embroidered with gold colored vines and the Dragon's image about. Vivalia opens up the door, and reveals them to be for a master bedroom. Unlike a lot of the house, this room is dusted cleaned and nicely organized. It features various dark wardrobes and desks, and in the middle of the room was a large, circular bed with a dark cover and a dark purple veil hanging from the ceiling and covering it. Vivalia answers that this used to be the parents' room, though since they've passed, she's been tending to it in hopes that Demiurge may use it.

Demiurge is liking the room he's seeing as he walks in and looks around. However, looking up, he can see a mosaic on the ceiling resembling the statues that'd held him, except it seemed to portray the bats as angels that'd tended to Demiurge in the blue sky. Demiurge asks if there's another room, to which Vivalia explains that any room lesser would sooner be torched than disgrace his presence. Demiurge inwardly remarks that he supposes she's already prepared it for him. He thanks her for the room, and says he's already feeling sleepy. She motions him towards the bed, and so he spread the veil and settles into it.

He spies Vivalia's silhouette through the veil, and says that he can't really sleep with her staring at him. However, she assures that she seeks only his safety. Bandits had threatened him before, so she'll get rid of any more that threaten him. Demiurge is starting to realize he can't argue with her, and so tries to sleep, confused about what all was happening.

Augua 14th
Demiurge wakes up yet again, finding himself looking up at that weird mosaic yet again. He climbed out of bed, and then saw Vivalia looking over him through the veil. He slides it open and steps out, the bat curtseying to greet him this morning. Demiurge stretches his limbs a little and begins stepping out. He says that it was a fine bed, but he needs to check out the world at large. Vivalia's expression tenses up at that, and she asks him why he wishes that.

Demiurge says that he's supposed to be leading the world, that he can't just leave them like this. But the bat says that the rest of the world is undeserving of him. It stole him away, and she alone has been tending to him these last few years. He can't leave her! Demiurge says that he just can't abandon them, and begins storming past her and down the halls. She says that he's been her only salvation these few times. If he leaves her, she'll have to feed on vermin or mortals. And she'll have to feed more frequently!

That gives Demiurge pause. She thinks back to what she did to those bandits, and realizes that she'll do that to more. He says that if she's that concerned, she can come with him. Vivalia's eyes widened and she looked up at him expectantly, asking if he truly wishes to have her. He says that she can come with, they can find private areas for her to draw his blood from, and he can see whatever is going on with the modern world. Vivalia seems to perk up and then hugs the Dragon, again addressing him as "father" as she says she'd love to join him. Demiurge thanks her, and says it's time to go.

And so, they begin heading out to the front door, where they open up the door, looking out at the shining light outside. And then, they step out, and Demiurge can find himself looking over a field, and a few miles away from a new kingdom.

The duo begins walking through the **Decka Fields**, having to march from the ornate house and out in the direction of the larger settlement. They walk and walk, when the sound of some feral gets their attention. They turn, and see an oncoming group of feral buffalos. Demiurge is surprised at the appearance of the group, and Vivalia brandishes her scythe. She swears that she shall tear down those that threaten "father". Demiurge stutters and says that he can fight for himself as well, and so he takes up a fighting stance himself.

The group approaches, and Demiurge and Vivalia are forced to fight the **Buffalo Group**. The group are very strength oriented, though not much else. Vivalia, meanwhile, is able to brandish her strengths. She has the strange Passive that allows her to expand HP for damage-dealing Skills, the trade off dealing more damage than the SP variant. She wields Dark Magic, Pure Magic, powerful Slash skills, and the Pure Skill "Drain" in order to steal HP from a target. With he immense power, they are able to defeat the group.

The buffalo run off after the fight, and Vivalia coos satisfactorily as she sheathes her scythe. She says that fighting alongside "father" is truly exhilarating. Demiurge again assures her that she can call her by name. Anyways, they've still got that kingdom to investigate, and so he presses on, the bat following.

The two eventually make it to the gateway of the kingdom, Demiurge looking down the streets in deep contemplation. He'd turn to the bat and ask her what she knows about this place. Vivalia explains that she's been cooped up in that house for a long while, she hasn't exactly kept up to date with this realm. Demiurge takes a deep breath, and then steps forwards, crossing the gate. And there, they enter **Decka**.

The kingdom is bigger than Hosha, and with bigger buildings. It features a thick stone wall surrounding the settlement with guards patrolling it, them wielding large bows. The guards are wearing far more armor than before, some armor even bearing interesting colors, and a few helms seem to have flairs on them akin to draconic horns. He can also spy a few guards on ground, some more muscular guards wielding a large shield and equally large weapons (big sword, big axe/hammer, big spear, etc), while some lithe ones wield lighter equipment.

The buildings, meanwhile, are now taller and made of stones, and some have signs strapped to them to brandish what services they might brandish. The streets, rather than being a worn path of dirt, are paved in smooth stone, which seems to support the new addition of carriages. The various people on the streets spy the two and look on curious, much attention drawn to the Dragon especially. And noticing the attention, Vivalia can't help but feel a little worried for him. She glances suspiciously at each member of the crowd, and her aura seems to push a few onlookers back.

They press forwards, and as they go through the street, Vivalia asks the Dragon what his plan is. Demiurge says that they're looking for information on the modern world, and they're going to see to it that they go about guiding yet again. Vivalia remarks that it is quite admirable, him wishing to aid the world so soon after waking. But isn't he pushing himself too soon after rousing up? Demiurge, deep down, wanted to get out of that creepy house, but there's no way he'll tell her that. He says that he's been asleep 500 years already, he's got to get involved.

They walk deeper into town, where Demiurge can spy a castle that looks twice as big as the one back in Hosha, and instead of being cube-like, it seems to bear branching towers and spires and a circular base. Said castle also has various walkways positioned about with several guards maneuvering around it, the majority of them wielding powerful-looking bows. Demiurge and Vivalia share a curious glance, before the former takes a few steps forwards. As he walks, a section of guards can be seen propping up their bows and demanding he halt. Sensing hostility, Vivalia would begin to reach for her scythe, though the Dragon would motion for her to steady her hand.

The Dragon says that he's merely here to get to know the modern climate. He's been kind of... dead for a while, and he wishes to know what's been going on so that he may lend a hand. The guards look over him, noting the horns, scales, and wings... They then realize just who this is, and they each put down their bows. They apologize and say that an escort will be down shortly. He thanks them, and thusly guards head in. With that, the two wait, the Dragon watching the bat weary. He asks if she's hungry, though she says she's fed shortly before he woke up. Demiurge supposes that makes sense, before pausing. He asks if she's referring to his waking after 500 years, or his waking this morning? Vivalia seems like she's ready to answer, though some guards come in through the castle gate.

They say that they're here to escort them, and Demiurge thanks them. WIth that, the duo start to be led to the castle, though at this point the Dragon can't help but be a bit worried. As they walk, he tries looking over his body for signs of damage as they're led into the **Decka Castle**.

The duo is led through the halls and deeper into the castle. Demiurge takes note of the architecture, and especially spies a few paintings. Said paintings depict various rulers, including Maris's parents. Other paintings also seem to depict various scenes of what looks like battle. Looking at them, he can see various weapons of various builds, from weapons utilizing more metals and gunpowder, to weapons that seem to utilize magical manipulation to function. It seemed to Demiurge a lot has happened since he went away.

They're led through the halls, before soon ending up a few floors up and being led into a large dining area, it featuring ornate tables with benches set at them, though an area further back in the room has extra armored guards standing before a set of stairs, and there's a smaller yet more ornate-looking table at the top. And seated at the table is a plump lioness lady, and a plump stallion, either in fancy dresses and wearing a crown bearing similarities to the Dragon's horns. The guards lead the Dragon up, though they block off Vivalia before she can go up. She snarls and asks if they dare separate her from Father. Demiurge is quick to tell her he'll be back soon.

He goes up, and sits at the small table, the two bowing as he approaches. The lioness says that she's very happy to see the Dragon before them, the stallion saying that this is great news! Demiurge thanks them for greeting him, and says that he hasn't gotten much of a chance to learn about what's gone on while he was out. He's since only had the bat, Vivalia, to help him out here. The king and queen say that they're very happy to explain everything to him. Though, they suppose first they'll have to get a read on where to start...

First of, they decide that they need to introduce themselves. They are King and Queen of Decka, **King Apothose**, and **Queen Meras**. They are the recent leaders of the kingdom of Decka, and, truth be told, they are fearing the worst. For a long time the dream of expansion has filled every member of the race, and things seemed content to remain that way with Maris and his parents. However, as they expanded, soon they'd try expanding into each other. And when that'd happen, people felt a drive to take others' land for themselves. After all, they were the ones given the mission, anyone else is just in the way unless they give up.

What followed has been a long period of kingdoms developing. The Kingdom of Hosha had a head start on the development thanks to some mysterious magic under their control, though others would try and catch up. What followed would be several powerful weapons and the application of magical stones to weapons to create bizarre gear, while Hosha would construct people and ferals of surprising strength. However, they didn't seem to be a tightly knit operation, for some secrets ended up in the hands of other Kingdoms, and now super creatures are popping up around the area.

Decka is, fortunately, in a safe spot. They've managed to work out some form of treaty with Hosha. They provide weaponry and assistance to Hosha, and Hosha will provide them some super soldiers. At that, Demiurge mentally notes how Vivalia's house was very close to Decka. They also note that there lies a valley to their west, and a pretty high mountain towards their east, so enemy attacks would be greatly hampered in either terrain. Thus, enemies are forced to either come in from the south, and in the direction of Hosha, or from the north. However, there are still super soldiers out there, and there's no telling what weapons are being made.

At that, the Dragon seems worried. He says that this was never supposed to happen. Why're the many kingdoms against each other? They all originated from a single group! The two rulers sigh, and the queen says that it may've been ignorant to think everyone could get along all the time. Deep down, competition serves as a motivator, and everyone had the motivation to expand. Maybe they feel a strong pride from being "the one" to expand as much as possible. Maybe they feel that they've branched far enough to be considered independent and thus feel they shouldn't share achievements with others. Who knows?

Whatever the case, the people of the world all want to be the one in control of the world at large, even if it means stamping out anyone in front of them. For now, though, they suppose that they should show Hosha more good faith to make sure their relations are strong. So, they ask Demiurge if he'll be able to march south to the Kingdom. Demiurge supposes if it'll keep Decka safe he'll check them out. Still, he asks if it can wait for tomorrow, and the queen assures that that is very possible. He and the bat can hang out around town, and they can give him money for an inn. Tomorrow, they wish for him to meet at the southern gate in the morning. They also intend to provide an ally to keep him and his daughter safe.

Demiurge stutters and swears she isn't actually his daughter. Anyways, he'll be thankful to hang out in town, and for the housing. He'll be sure to meet up tomorrow. The royals thank him and dismiss him, and so he heads down, soon meeting up with Vivalia. The bat can be seen sulking as she's waiting, before perking up as the Dragon appears. Demiurge explains the situation to her, and she says that they shall keep those nasty other kingdoms at bay if it's what Father wants. Demiurge says that he just wants everyone to be safe and happy. For now, they have the town to have fun in, and tomorrow, it'll be out on the road again.

With that, players are free to explore Decka. This consists of buying stuff, speaking to various npcs, and even obtaining a couple sidequests. Players can also hang out with Vivalia this day to expand her Social Link.

Either way, night will come, and Demiurge sleeps in a somewhat dirty-looking inn. It smells of booze, Vivalia is exceptionally protective, and they soon make it to the bedroom, where the Dragon sleeps.

Augua 15th
Once again, Demiurge awakes. This time, he steps out of his room, though stops for a moment to note Vivalia watching over his bed, and then proceeds out. The duo make it to the street, and head to the meeting spot the king and queen talked about. They make it to the gate at the south, and spy a small squad of soldiers awaiting them. One particular soldier, a rat in lightweight armor, one with gleaming metal and rainbow-ish highlights as well as flairs from the helm resembling Dragon horns, and even extensions past the shoulder that look a little like Dragon wings, except significantly smaller. She has a lance with springs positioned strategically on it, approaches. She salutes the soldier, saying that their squadron is here to aid the Dragon in his march.

Demiurge thanks her, and asks who she is. She says she is **Alst**, Dragon Knight. Demiurge and Vivalia share a curious look, and he asks what that means. She answers that she's been trained in the art of aerial combat, and is able to take to the skies as easily as any creature with wings. Demiurge looks towards his own wings, and remarks to himself he'd never tried them out before now... Vivalia asks if they should, to which Alst recommends otherwise. If Hosha sees them approach from the skies, they might perceive it as a show of threat.

With that, the party decides to go on march, heading south out of Decka, and along the **Decka-Hosha Trail**.

Passing through this trail, Demiurge looks around and he can see some minor villages have been built up around the trail. It seems like there are relatively fewer ferals out here, especially thanks to a few guards positioned at some of these settlements. He also notices certain croppings of trees and greenery are gone in place of some homes. They keep on walking and walking. Though as they walk, some bandits can be seen looming nearby.

The party continues walking, though some bright flashes suddenly strike the squad, much of the travelers blinded though Demiurge, Vivalia, and Alst are unaffected. They look around confused, when the bandits suddenly charge in. They pose threateningly and demand the party hands the Dragon over, and no one gets hurt. Vivalia bares her fangs and asks what they could possibly want with Father. The bandits says that that doesn't matter, all that matters is that the Dragon goes with them, or they all go down. At that, Alst steps forwards while brandishing her Gravity Spear. She steps between the Dragon and the bandits, and declares that foes like them shall be ended. They are here to protect their group, and to that end, they shall destroy them.

With that, players are thrust into a fight with the **Bandits**, a fight that helps players learn about Alst. She's a fairly balanced character that does Stab damage with her weapon. Additionally, she has ailment-restoring magic, Wind magic, and a unique ability that allows her to vanish from the battlefield before returning to it by slamming on a target for a lot of damage. She proves to be a helpful party member, and is able to defeat the bandits. With them beat, a few guards from the now recovered squad pick them up, and Alst says that they shall be put to the dungeon prompto. The guards nod, and thus they go away.

The rat turns to Demiurge, and she asks why they might wish for him. Demiurge says he doesn't know, he woke up only a couple of days ago. Vivalia then speaks up, suggesting that they might be after the Dragon's blood. Both turn to her confused. Vivalia says that there is some fancy magic inside this Dragon, and some may try and draw it out of him. Whatever the case, it seems some bad guys are interested in Father. Alst supposes that means they need to be more careful. With that, she says they should proceed. With that, they continue along the trail.

The group progresses, and there are occasional enemies on the trail that the trio will have to contend with. After much walking, they eventually make it south, and as they go through the area, Demiurge finds himself looking on Hosha, and it is *very* different. What was a fairly humble settlement with a small castle now stood with high walls and a castle more akin to Decka's. However, beyond that, he could see some soldiers in thicker armor around the location, only their armor seems to be designed similarly to the Dragon himself. They appeared thick and muscular and tall, and Demiurge felt almost like he was looking into some dream version of him as he looked on the armor.

The guards stand on guard and looked proud as they looked upon the bronze-scaled creature, before parting. Demiurge was confused, and Alst supposes they'd hoped that he'd appear. The group thus marches in, though Alst recommends the squad that joined them to stay out. Haivng too many foreign soldiers might look threatening to them. The soldiers salute and wait outside. With that, the trio steps in, and Demiurge looks out around the city. It looked kind of similar to Decka, except some of the facilities here appear more geared towards medical stuff than market. Furthermore, there appeared to be far less civilians around the general area than usual.

Demiurge asks what's up with the streets, to which Alst answers that this kingdom's delved into anatomy for a long time, and had become a capital of medical practice. They're also regarded well as one of the most religious groups as they celebrate the Dragon. There's also reports of there being several people in the kingdom's military, to the point that soldiers outnumber civilians. Some even grew tempted to join when the super soldiers started to become more public. Demiurge asks why they'd want that, to which Alst says that the Hoshian material can actually cure many ailments. Recently they announced they're experimenting into applying the material in fashions that'd allow for safe ingestion of the product.

Either way, they need to show Demiurge to the rulers, and establish a stronger bond between their kingdoms. With that, they'd press forwards, and soon made it to the fairly large castle, the guards freely leading the Dragon and duo in. As they go in, Demiurge can't help but feel uncomfortable. After all, this is the place where his blood was extracted... However, he notes to himself that the two ladies around him seem prepared to keep him safe. He took a deep breath, and headed deeper into the Hosha Castle.

The group is led into the castle's lobby, looking out around the interior. The architecture seems similar to Decka's, though it features paintings showing off what can best be interpreted as a Draconian spirit blessing soldiers with power. Demiurge can even notice a bat lady getting infused with power. The guards, meanwhile, tell the group that the royals shall be down to address them soon. Alst thanks them for being so inviting, and so a portion of the guards heads into the castle.

With that, players are given a moment to talk with the other party members.

* Vivalia - She says that she can see her ancestor getting blessed. She asks "Father" if he'd known them, to which Demiurge replies that he's only ever seen the ferals injected with his blood. Vivalia asks what they were like, to which Demiurge replies that it was like looking at a different creature between the two. They definitely radiated with a different power, and they had a wholly different demeanor. Vivalia asks if they fed like her, to which Demiurge replies he hadn't even noticed that they were struggling like that. Vivalia remarks that if he had known about their issue, surely he would've blessed them with his blood. At that, Demiurge can say "Yes" or "No". To the former, the bat nods appreciatively. To the latter, she gives pause, and there's an awkward air between the two.
* Alst - The knight salutes the Dragon, and says that it's an honor to fight alongside him. Demiurge thanks her for the praise, She says he should expect it, being the shaper of history and all. She asks if those he worked with before praised him to which he replies they had. But still, it feels weird to get praised like that. He's not sure if he's quite sorting out all the issues the world's dealing with. Alst said if everyone were to be upset over what they could do better, few people would be happy. She says that the betterment of the world is a group effort, and she looks forwards to whatever he has in store.

Either way, speaking with the guard at the front of the stairs will pass the time, and eventually the royals proper will enter. From the door at the upper end of the stairs comes a trio. One's a lithe fennec fox man standing tall in a dress somewhat similar to a scientist gown. One's a muscular jaguar lady in a black and white gown. And between them is a smaller fennec fox boy in a dress similar to the elder's. The guards beside them introduce the trio, **King Ferrox**, **Queen Lazili**, and **Prince Fontaine**. Seeing the Dragon, the trio would bow/curtsey, and Demiurge would, surprised by the movement, give a bow while Vivalia curtseys and Alst salutes. The royals stand upright, and Lazili tells them all "at ease".

They all stand up, and seeing the Dragon, Ferrox says that he is quite happy to see this. Seeing the Dragon reawaken is sure to raise spirits throughout the realm. Fontaine especially is wide eyed, saying that he's never imagined seeing this sight before him. He's always heard tale of the Dragon, but never had the chance to see him. Lazili says there's not a soul alive that've seen them. Demiurge says that they were here to strengthen relations, and he wished to ask how they could. Lazili says that merely the presence of the Dragon is sure to make it harder to overpower them. Other than that, there are matters of national security on their end...

Alst asks what the issue is, to which Ferrox says that a powerful chemical agent has been passed through their lineage and refined to ensure powerful soldiers. However, as of late, they'd uncovered that some of those chemicals have gone missing, and now there's talks of empowered soldiers appearing here and there around the realm. Alst asks if they wish for them to track down the distributor of this chemical, to which the King and Queen nod. Demiurge looks towards Vivalia, and thinks back to that terrifying display she put on back in her family house. He could only imagine what more of those, and unregulated at that, would do at large. He says that he'd be glad to cull that super soldier problem.

They thank them for their readiness to perform this task. Fontaine asks if he can go with them, to which Lazili says that these three will be getting involved in dangerous fights. Alst affirms and says that he should remain in the safety of his guards. Fontaine seems downtrodden, though doesn't argue the point further. Either way, the duo says that it's getting late. They recommend the trio rest at an inn, and in the meantime, they'll gather word of the general locations of these rogue soldiers and give them to them. Alst thanks them for their hospitality, and with that, the trio would head out and to an inn.

And there, they'd rest, letting the night pass.

Augua 16th
The next morning, they wake up, and a messenger guard would find the trio at the inn. The messenger gave a messenger, and answers that the royals wished for this. Alst thanks them, and the messenger leaves. Demiurge asks what they should do now, to which she says that they should seek out the problem areas to try and cull these super soldiers. She'll have some guards investigate certain areas, as well as send a messenger to Decka so that they may take care of one of these locations. Vivalia says she'll be happy to take care of one of those that betray Father's blessing, and brandishes her scythe.

Alst looks over the message, and says that the lot of them should gather what material they wish for here. In the meantime, she'll go to the guards outside and prepare movements. Demiurge thanks her, and says they'll make preparations. With that, she leaves, and now players are allowed to shop a bit. Additionally, players can fast travel to Decka in order to gather more material on them. Either way, eventually players will go to the guard group outside Decka, where Alst says that she's sent a messenger, and she's organized her men.

She says that they're left to investigate the kingdom near the oceans to the north, **Loyst**. That kingdom is a fishing capital, and makes a lot of money distributing the fish. Those there are lightly guarded, though their position at the far edge of the mainland makes it so it's harder for them to get bumped into by conquestors. Though that only raises questions of why super soldiers would end up there. Either way, she says they should get there asap.

With that, players are prompted to go across the grand field to get to the kingdom of Loyst.

The field is very broad and features several different terrain with various enemies across it to buffet progress. It proves to be a little tricky to go from one side of the world to the other. After a bit of travel, they make it to the midsection of the world, and maybe would've seen a kingdom on their way though the party wouldn't be allowed to go in it. As they walk, Demiurge says that his muscles are aching. Alst admits that she may've misjudged their target. As they walk, Vivalia focuses on a patch of woodland, specifically on a sign before it with the image of a tent on it. Alst says that that's perfect: a place to rest at.

Alst tells Demiurge that they'll probably be out on the field on a few occasions out here, so if he feels they're tired and they're far from proper cities, she recommends seeking out one of these campsites so that they may rest. It'll cost them a day and mean that they'll have to go out in the field first thing in the morning, but it's better than dying of exhaustion. And right now, they could probably use it. With that, players head into the camping area, and rest.

Augua 17th
With this, players continue, and, given the previous rest, are more than able to make it to Loyst. The kingdom is another walled city on the sea-side border. Funny enough, this area seems to be developing some docking, though there don't seem to be any boats that'd make it far from shore. No, instead the boats seem geared to head out into the water and fish a bit before returning. The city itself, meanwhile, seems to feature many buildings that are stretched high with a market street, and the city appears to have a sewage system. Additionally, the stones appear evenly tiled and colored, almost giving the roads the look of a dull locker room's.

Alst says that they've made it to the kingdom of Loyst. This here is the fishing capital, owners of boat craftsmanship and wielding well-bodied soldiers to make deliveries. She says that rumor of the super soldiers are in this general area, though she can't imagine what unleashing such a terrifying enemy in this realm. Demiurge asks what they can do to track this thing down, to which Alst says that they should leave it to her. They've put in plenty of legwork already, so she feels they should rest on their laurels until she gets to the bottom of this.

Demiurge thanks her for that, and Vivalia says that it feels like she hasn't had a chance to sit down and relax in a while. She then turns to the Dragon and swears that she's not upset or anything. She's glad to give herself to Father's cause. Demiurge says that he'd hate to push her to where she's uncomfortable. Anyways, he admits that he's not sure he's gone this far in the world back in the day, he'd personally like to take in the sights. Maybe he can actually check out the oceanline. But first, they're all pretty tired.

With that, players will have to rest for the night.

Augua 18th - Augua 22nd
With this, players are given a decent amount of free time. They're free to hang out with party members to boost bonds, and perform a bit of sidequesting or grinding outside. Plus, now that players reached the location, they can fast travel around the broader map to get to other locations to purchase stuff other than what Loyst provides. This section of time is simply a break from the story.

Augua 23rd
On this day, the group wakes, though find Alst is missing. Demiurge is quick to move and Vivalia follows behind, though he bumps into the dragoon knight upon exiting the inn they're staying at. Alst apologizes, they went out early to follow up on a lead. Vivalia asks what they learned, to which she replies that during their time in the kingdom, she's searched for some of the seedier parts, and happened upon a guild of information brokers who'd gathered gossip. Those guys didn't use the specific term "super soldier", but it sounded like a being of immense power was intercepted on its way through the sewers and out onto the beach.

As far as she seems to tell, the soldier they're looking for may very well still be in the network of sewer tunnels. The guards are standing around the entrance near the beach to try and keep the incident covered up, though they made sure to discretely send information to Hosha. Demiurge supposes that that means they'll be able to track this guy down, but then what? Alst says that if they find them, then they should be sure to chase them off deeper in to hopefully uncover where they may've come from.

Either way, the sewer probably has some bad guys in it, maybe even some bad ferals. Especially once they come into contact with this super soldier, they should be prepared for any sort of trouble ahead. The trio agrees, and with that, their mission is now set.

Augua 23rd - Augua 29th
With this, players are tasked with infiltrating the sewer system. Players will find the entrance near the beach has tons of guards around it. Attempting to talk to them leads to them saying that the area is off limits, there's been a terrible incident. Demiurge assures that they're here to help with the situation. Realizing who they're talking to, the guards are surprised to see the Dragon himself before them. Realizing that they're here on business, they step away to let him through. However, coming to the entrance, the group sees a shocking scene: the area before the pipe leading under the city is charred with magical scars. Strips of sand appear turned to glass, the waves of sand scooping around the entrance like a frozen tidal wave, flurries of blood staining the glass while some chunks of the glass are shattered. It is otherworldly to the party as they look on, terrified. This is a brief glimpse of what the group could face, but ultimately, they must take care of it, now.

With that, players maneuver through the pipes beneath the kingdom. They carefully go through the ridges lining the flowing water, and as they progress, they'll encounter various feral foes that tend to inflict various ailments on the party. There are also bandits hidden inside that'll try and buffet the party with combinations of physical or magical blows. The pipes are very maze-like, making it a bit tough to find the appropriate direction. However, their maneuvering does get cut off partway through.

They make it about halfway through, and there Demiurge ponders why they've designed these pipes in such a convoluted way. Alst shrugs and they keep on walking. However, as they walk, they uncover a strange guy setting up a form of shop in the annals of the kingdom. He sees them and waves them hello. The party approaches curious, observing this guy to be a skinny stag man wearing armor that looked nice once upon a time, though are all dirty now. He greets them, saying that he's been trying to find a friendly soul around here, and he asks whether or not the three of them are bandits. Vivalia says that they've been dealing with those heathens throughout their stay down here.

He's thankful that they seem to be reasonable people. Alst asks who he is, and what he's doing down here. He says that he's here on... private business. He asks which way they came from, he'd so wish to come out. Vivalia, however, threateningly aims her scythe towards his throat while Alst looks over his armor. She notes that this looks like **Hertsi** armor. That kingdom's southwest of here a fair distance, and she wishes to know what he's doing out in the labyrinth beneath Loyst. Demiurge ponders whether or not he may be involved with the "you know what". Alst considers that that may be possible. Alst asks if he's aware of the recent invasion on here.

The stag shudders, and says that he didn't realize what his squad had planned until they got here. He says that his squad came here on belie of an illegal weapon being developed here. However, when they came, he noticed a portion of the squad split off to one side of Loyst and into the sewer system. He thought it weird and followed, when they released a warrior with veins glowing a rainbow color. They began to lead it, but he'd managed to get the guards' attention and they were able to intercept the ball of madness before it could break out into the beach. In the chaos, many soldiers fled, while he himself was forced into a corner of the sewers and he'd completely lost his direction.

Alst supposes that means that Hertsi was preparing to sabotage Loyst. Vivalia says that they shall take care of it, though Alst stops her. She asks the stag if this creature had left. However, he says he can hear its noises reverberating along the walls occasionally. Alst says it sounds like they still have a problem, and says that they should take care of it. At this, the stag says that he'd like to help. He didn't realize they were going to release something so dangerous into the city, and he feels he should help take care of it. Alst warns that it's dangerous, though the stag assures that that's fine, he's not the guy usually on the front lines. He's a cleric.

Either way, the party supposes he's safe enough to join along. And so, the party acquires a brand new party member: **Hoisea**. Either way, Alst says they have plenty of important information, it's time to go on deeper.

The group progresses, and as they do, players learn about Hoisea's gimmick. He's a mace-wielding, smash-dealing cleric that practices Light magic and bears restorative magic meant to heal and undo debuffs/ailments on party members. With the new support, the party progresses deeper in, and as they do, they frequently hear the noises inside, inhuman noises. The stag warns that that's the sound he's been hearing, and warns that they need to be careful. They go closer and closer, towards the heart of those strange noises. And once there, Hoisea warns that they're dealing with a real monster of a man up ahead, and says that they should only press on if they feel ready.

Upon deciding they're ready, the party goes into the depths of the sewer, either already reaching for their respective weapons and looking around weary. Alst asks Hoisea if he remembered anything about the weapon they sent in here, to which he replied that it was powerful, big, had jaws that could break metal... However, his thought process is interrupted as they hear the sound of clattering weaponry and pained noises. The group heads deeper, and once inside, they spy men in armor similar to Hoisea's being sent flying, some breaking their backs on the walls while others are twisted oddly. They even see one soldier get hit with a fire beam that causes them to collapse, their armor partially melted. The party spies the source of the beam, and it is terrifying.

They look upon an alligator man a head taller than Demiurge, wearing hefty armor and with a set of claws that seem as long as daggers. His teeth seem equally enlarged, and as Hoisea described, his veins can be seen glowing with pure magic. Demiurge asks Vivalia what's going on with this thing, to which the bat explains that this thing must've been fed the blood recently. This certainly isn't one of the descendant experiments. The gator turns towards the party, and in a husky voice, asks if they're going to hurt him too. Demiurge's eyes widen, and he asks what he's talking about. The gator says that it hurts, it all hurts. They keep shocking him, they keep spurring him on... He asks if they're going to hurt him too. Alst points her spear towards him, and declares that he won't be hurt, but he will have to face the dungeon for his crimes.

He clutches his head and stamps the ground, saying he knew they'd hurt him too. He's not going to be hurt. He's not going to submit to them! He's not going to anymore dungeon! He rears back, before sending a wave of fire at the group, forcing them to defend against it though they're blown back. Demiurge asks what it's talking about, to which Alst says she has no idea. It sounds like whatever he'd gone through, it really hurt him. Vivalia notes that his aura is radiating, flaring. She says that he's getting into a rage, and they have to get ready!

With that, players are forced into battle with the **Dragon Experiment: Alligator**. The creature is a hard hitting foe. It features high level Fire magic and some pretty dangerous physical blows, and even Enrages himself to perform harder attacks seemingly on random targets. Players will have to find ways to lower the amount of damage it causes, else get punished. Especially towards the lower 20% of its health, where it starts using Pure Magic, Quake, to deal a lot of un-resistable damage to multiple party members. However, with enough work, they'll be able to take him down.

The experiment falls back with a loud groan, collapsing onto his back. He grunts and shudders, saying that it all hurts. The party, meanwhile, comes near it, looking over the pained creature. Alst says that they should find a means of imprisoning this creature, pronto. In the meantime, Horsea will have to tell them plenty about this creature. Including the apparent pain it's endured. With that, the party begins to head out, though Demiurge glances at the collapsed foe, the latter is left repeating for some invisible force to stop as he can only lay there. Demiurge furrows his bros, though ultimately heads out, the guards of the city finding a means to ensnare the foe.

With that, players are allowed freetime after they defeat this enemy.

Augua 30th
At this day, Alst and group approaches the castle set near the beach. They're near an area towards the back, a set of docks that goes over the beach while lingering near the iron dungeon door, a pair of guards before it. When there, the guards and party greet each other. The guards wish to thank them again for their service. If they hadn't shown up when they did, that gator would've caused much more damage. Demiurge says it's no trouble, and says that they actually came to ask about that. He asks them what's gone on with the prisoner.

At that, the guards start to get uncomfortable. They glance towards each other, one of them asking him if nobody's informed them. Alst asks what he means, to which they explain. Apparently when the creature was brought to the sewers, it was losing its life already. And while it lingered in the dungeon, it was getting weaker and weaker. They'd tried to keep its health up, but that didn't seem to help it in the long run. This morning, it'd perished. The party is stunned by that, Vivalia in particular glancing towards her veins.

Alst asks if they've really lost him, to which they reply that there's no question. The individual was pale and already cold by the time they examined his cell. Demiurge can't help but feel uncomfortable at the situation. He speaks up that he was so scared when they last saw him. Hoisea himself also seems uncomfortable with this situation, and he asks what the cause is. Demiurge decides to speak up, saying that it had to be because of the experiments on him. He had to've been injected with the... he's quick to say "solution" instead of "dragon blood", and he points out that that's not good for people unless they get more. It's as if they're starving.

Vivalia wonders under her breath why they'd go with such an outdated model. Hoisea says that if Hertsi is doing this to people and threatening to unleash that on innocents, then this cannot stand. He hereby secedes from his kingdom, and kneels before Demiurge, swearing allegiance to him. Before Demiurge can say he doesn't need to kneel, Alst says that he can start by explaining everything he knows. If they're going to avenge that guy, they need to get to Hertsi and find out what it's doing.

### Midway

The party's made it back to their inn, where they decide to talk. Hoisea is already on the path of talking about his kingdom. He explains that he knows very little if anything about Hertsi's experiments. At least, hardly anything official. There's rumors about people mysteriously disappearing and some say that an unidentified traveler was escorted through the castle's dungeons. He's not sure whether the two are correlated or not, but that's about as much as he knows that may be going on behind the scenes.

Alst asks how weaponry and such is handled in Hertsi anyways, to which he replies that the kingdom is fighting hard to develop grand weaponry. They've tried desperately to mix stones bound with magic with intense gear, and have been able to make a few strange magics. He's seen a few with swords whose blades are made of magical energies. Demiurge remarks that it sounds like they're really trying to make tough weaponry. Alst answers that it does, and that none of the kingdoms have gone public with such techniques and results as of yet. She says that it sounds like the strange visitor might be behind the super soldier, and thus says that it sounds like they'll have to infiltrate to try and figure out what is happening with this conspiracy.

Vivalia says that it sounds nice enough to visit. She'll love to give those heretics what they deserve. Demiurge, however, motions for her to quiet down. He says that they should probably update a few people first off. They should inform their allies about the super soldier and potentially about Hertsi's involvement. Alst says that they should provide updates on taking down the super soldier. However, she says that if they say anything about the kingdom itself, they'll probably rock the boat. Either way, they'll have to end up at Hertsi sometime soon.

Hoisea asks if he may accompany them. He can't stand that they've been doing such terrible things to their own people. Demiurge says that his aid will be quite helpful, Alst says any other aid will be useful in this mission, and Vivalia says whatever Father decides is her decision too. And with that, Alst says they should be ready for movement tomorrow. Tonight, however, they should spend the time relaxing. With that, players are allowed a day of free time, before being tasked with getting to the kingdom of Hertsi.

Augua 31st - Septmi 6th
And with this, players are tasked with reaching the kingdom of Hertsi. Hertsi is southwest of Loyst, but in addition to that, players can inform the kingdoms Decka and Hosha of the recent happenings, though they leave Hoisea out of their description. Giving this description to them nets players some weaponry and gold, and it's purely optional.

The group heads forwards more and more, approaching the kingdom itself. The kingdom is positioned near a mountain range, though it's been fairly heavily torn up by people from the kingdom. Said kingdom also features more metal in its architecture than those the party met beforehand. However, their path forwards gets cut off when they spy a fight going on a fair distance away from the gates. They see a jaguar with black fur evading a few bandits, said jaguar near a toppled carriage. The jaguar keeps trying to evade, and occasionally uses a large mirror mounted on his wrist to block a strike.

The party draws their weapons, and Demiurge declares that they need to help him. With that, the party races forwards, the jaguar soon noticing them. When he sees Demiurge, he is stunned. A quick fight goes on, players needing to take care of the bandits that threatened the jaguar. Shortly after dashing them, a cutscene plays, showing the various party members dealing with the enemies. And throughout it, the jaguar is stunned. He watches Demiurge fight, the scene portraying it in a romanticized style that seems to portray Demiurge as a stunning warrior as he parries and counters foes.

Eventually, the fight wraps up, and each fighter sheathes their weapons. Demiurge turns to the jaguar and asks if he's ok. However, the jaguar kneels to the Dragon, saying he needs to join him. The party is quiet for a bit, and look among each other curious. Demiurge asks what he means, to which the jaguar apologizes, he should explain. He calls himself **Faust**, and says that he's a big fan of the Draconian teachings. Demiurge asks what he means, to which he explains that Hertsi's been looking into observations made from the Dragon, and relating it to the world around it, and it is fascinating. He says that the people of Hertsi have concluded that it'd taken a draconian magic to form the world around them, from the lively environment to the magical stones to the creation of life. Demiurge tries and says that he hasn't done all of that, but Faust concludes that he surely knows people who have.

Demiurge can't deny, and at that Faust declares that he must tag along. Any word they've gotten of draconian magic have all been hearsay and based on the observations of Maris and allies. But this way, he can get to know the Dragons better than anyone on this world! Vivalia glowers at him and her hand hovers over her scythe. Demiurge motions for her to be at ease. Alst says that their group is going through dangerous situations, and that to go with them would be akin to facing death itself. Faust, however, says that he wishes to learn from the Dragon either way.

He shows off his mirror, proclaiming it a symbol of his performance thus far. Said mirror seems to ripple, and individual shards lift off of it before hovering back in place. He says that this mirror is able to interact with the elements and affect its wielder with that effect. It's also able to influence the elemental affiliation of those he wishes. If he practices more he can make it so much more capable, though that requires more time. For that, he wishes for them to give him the opportunity. Demiurge mulls over the choice. Alst remarks that he has some knowledge on the teachings of Hertsi, and appears capable of some enchantments. Demiurge supposes it shouldn't hurt, and agrees.

Faust thanks them, and races into the group. With that, a brand new party member joins. However, their time is interrupted as one of the bandits gets up. They proceed to attack, and Faust is forced to act. With that, the party is thrust into another fight with the bandits, Faust now aiding them. He has the strange passive that allows him to alter his elemental relations based on a certain accessory slot, and he can target party members to have them able to resist certain elements to make it harder for enemies to beat them. Soon the bandits are beaten again, and the party stands victorious.

Hoisea says that he's never seen magic like that, and that that will surely help them. Alst admits that it is impressive. Demiurge thanks them for their assistance, and Faust joins along. Now the party is a little bigger.

Following that, it should simply be a straight shot to Hertsi. The group makes it through the gates, and there they find themselves in a city built partially into the mountain range. The wall is wrapped in such a way that it goes over part of the range, thusly leaving part of it in the city. And there, the party can see scaffolding around the range that let people go around it to get to certain spots to mine. Other than that, there appears to be many smithies set about as well as empty fields that appear to be meant for weapon/magic testing, and there are more than a few alchemical shops. And towards the rear wall of the kingdom is a large castle with metal positioned strategically around the large structure, and boasting cannons through slots in the openings.

When here, Alst says that they've made it here. Alst says that they should be able to more easily traverse around and make it to this kingdom. Hoisea asks what they should do, to which Alst says that they need to find some way of figuring out how the formula got from Hosha to Hertsi. She supposes that this might involve finding out about the missing people, finding out what might've gone in the dungeon, and perhaps find out how much of the court is involved. It seems like at least some members of the military aren't knowledgeable on the experiments. She says that they should try and ask around about what's gone on.

With that, players are now allowed free time, and are also able to learn about Hertsi itself. Players learn that Hertsi utilizes slave labor, relying on either persecutor criminals or people deep in debt. Those that work make sure to gather metal, and their continued labor has helped to produce unique advances out here. In addition to that, players can also find that Hertsi sells weapons that deal element damage instead of physical.

Either way, players have a bit of time between arrival and the plot moving on.

Septmi 7th
On this morning, the group is together in Hertsi, meeting near the gate. There, Demiurge asks if Alst's managed anything, to which she answers she's only thus far managed to get a list of names. She's tried to get some form of meeting with the royals, though they've since denied her audience. Demiurge asks Faust if he knows anything, to which he says he's kept his ear to the workbench and supply lines. He's been trying to find some good material to work with the experiment more, but he's never heard anything of the tier they're describing.

Demiurge furrows his brow and asks how they're supposed to go forwards with this. As he ponders, some dirtied citizens approach the party. They're a skinny dalmatian teen boy, a pudgy pigeon teen girl, a red fox guy of average build, and a seal lady of similar average build. The rat gets Alst's attention, the rat turning towards her. The dragoon knight remarks that these are some of the guys she asked about the missing people from, and she them what brings them here. The seal says that she noticed her talking to a few guys about the missing peoples, and she thought to gather a few of them up to speak with the party personally. Demiurge asks what's going on, to which she says that she knows some guys that supposedly "know things".

Vivalia asks what they mean, to which the dalmatian says that there're people around town that are considered weird. They claim to know of conspiracies in the kingdom. Apparently they noticed that the missing persons are the slaves, and they didn't totally connect the dots. However, after Alst asked around, they came to realize that there might be truth in that fear. The seal confirms that the missing people they know about have each been a slave. Hoisea asks if they know of any alligator, to which they affirm, before giving a description matching the previous boss. Sure enough, he was one of the slaves.

The seal says that he was a friend to them. He'd tried to spoil his boyfriend rotten, and ended up getting dumped and left only with debt. Then one day he disappeared, and, it sounds like the worst has come to him. She says that she'd like to see justice come to him, and if that means seeking out the oddest people to accomplish that, then she'd be fine with that. The party feels uncomfortable at the situation, but hearing that they want justice for their friend, they seem only spurred on even moreso. Demiurge says that he wants to help them, and that he'd love to interact with some of these guys.

They thusly become become acquaintances with the quad: **Herso** the dalmatian, **Mron** the pigeon, **Hosa** the fox, and **Serba** the seal. The four of them have some people they think should be able to help them learn about the conspiracies floating around the kingdom.

The day is thus spent going about the town and searching various alleys, led on by the citizens.

* Herso and Mron are in one corner, where there's a big toad guy. Said toad says that he saw guards dragging miners to the dungeons. Vivalia asks that they're prisoners, are they not meant to be in the dungeon? The toad says that these miners were picked up by special guards, and whenever those guards grabbed someone, they'd never come back.
* Hosa is in another, and he shows off some balding peacock guy. Said guy says that he's kept an ear to the walls. He says he's heard screams inside there. He says if he leans in close he can hear the screams and drilling sounds. Faust grimaces at the description. The jaguar says that he can imagine a few situations where a drill would be used, though if it's involving screaming subjects...
* Serba is in another, showing off a terrier woman leaning back. Apparently she's honed in her senses, and she says that she thinks she knows the way in and out of the dungeon. She's found cracks in the walls and thinks someone can slip in, and she's seen some fancy-looking guards through those cracks. Hoisea remarks that the infrastructure could use some updating, though notes that she'd see things even he hasn't seen.

With the information gathered, Alst supposes that they've gathered the information they need. It sounds like something terrible is going on in these walls, and that they should take the time to investigate. Once they expose the instrument of their experiments, they should be able to rub the royals' noses in it and force them to answer questions necessary to finding out what's spread Hosha's solution around. Hoisea warns that this could be dangerous, there are some tough warriors within those walls. However, Alst says that this kingdom's doing terrible things, and they need to put a stop on it.

Faust says that no pursuit of knowledge is worth this mayhem. They need to get this issue sorted. Vivalia says that if it makes Father happy, she'll be more than happy to destroy those guys. Demiurge says that he looks forwards to ending this chaos. They have to act, fast.

With that, one more mission is decided: Infiltrate Hertsi's dungeons, and uncover these fabled experiments.

Septmi 7th - 16th
Now, players are ready to press on. The terrier they talked to leads them to a corner of the city, showing off a small hole from the dirt just under the dungeon walls. The dog says that whether the city knows it or not, the lot of them are doing a huge favor. She wishes them the best. With that, players go through the hole, and make it into the **Hertsi Dungeon**. There, the insides are very confined and claustrophobic, brandishing concrete walls and narrow halls. Demiurge says that it feels more cramped than anything he's seen. Alst says these are meant for containing prisoners as opposed to comfort. Then there's those rumors they keep hearing about...

They press into the dark halls, having to deal with occasional guards and guard animals. They have to go through it, and occasionally have to find keys to be able to unlock other passages into the dungeon. As they progress, however, they soon make it to the prison wing, finding many people behind bars. The prisoners look to be in various stages of dirty and disheveled. Plenty look on the guys going through the halls distastefully, while others just seem huddled in a corner and saddened. Demiurge looks over them, and as he does, Alst speaks up. She says that the dungeon is supposed to contain prisoners, why is there a wing dedicated to storing them as opposed to utilizing the dungeon itself? Faust says he's not sure. What's more, it seems like they've explored all of their current options.

Faust, however, starts sniffing the air. He remarks that he thinks he smells something. The party looks at him confused, though Vivalia sniffs herself. She says that she also smells something weird. She says that it smells like Father, though further away. Demiurge thinks on the nature of the experiment fluid, and thinks that their noses might be onto something. He says that they should go and look for it. Though as they start to leave, one of the prisoners gets their attention. It's a skunk man. He remarks that they're not any of Hertsi's guards. Alst confirms so, and asks what he's reaching out to them for. He says that guys've been disappearing out here and the halls've been filled with screams.

He says that they must have the power to take down this castle, right? And they've got the Dragon with them. Surely they can tear this whole castle down! Alst says that they're here to investigate things, and if their findings prove true, they'll certainly bend the court's arm. The skunk, however, says that their investigation is worthless! He declares that things've gone bad even before the screams went on. The city's actively pushing for their people to go into the caves and extract metals. Normal jobs run out too fast, the passage to castle jobs is too long for any of them, and the services around them are too much for most commoners to keep up! Hard labor is practically required! Alst, however, says that she has no need to listen to a criminal's plight. With that, she tells the party they have business to wrap up, though Demiurge can't help but feel concern over that skunk's words, and Alst's non-reaction to any of it.

They follow Faust's lead, the alchemist smelling and smelling. Soon, they make it to a part of wall in a hall a short distance away from the prison wing. He says that he smells it through here. The group looks over it curious, pondering what the smell could mean. Alst asks what it smells like, to which Faust answers that it's chemical, magical, Pure. He's dabbled with a few chemicals, and he's grown accustomed to some of their scents. And this definitely smells like one of those scents. Hoisea says that that's probably the solution they're looking for, and says they need to find a way through this wall.

Players can investigate the portion of the wall, uncovering a tiny hole in it. Faust supposes there might be some sort of key in there. If players hadn't uncovered a Thin Key by now, players will be required to search for it through the dungeon. When/if they do have it, the party will insert it into the slot, and will promptly open it, the panel of the wall spreading open to reveal another hallway. By now the rest of the party recoils, Hoisea remarking that this place reeks of chemicals. Vivalia, however, appears to be lauding in the scent, saying that they must investigate. Alst says that, regardless of how threatening it appears, they should press on. With that, they enter the deeper parts of the dungeon.

They press onwards, and the smell gets thicker and thicker. Eventually, they make it through the halls and into a chamber, which shows various flasks with various chemicals in them, brandishing colors reminiscent of various magics. Some colors also appear mixed together to try and form some combination of the magics, including red and brown forming Magma, like the one creature Demiurge and party faced in the volcano way back. Alst asks what this is, to which Faust says it looks like they're trying to combine various elements to try and form something more potent. He looks at a fire and water combination while saying they've tried constructing steam. He looks at red and pink and says they've tried making solar. Then he looks at a goblet with a large quantity of mixed elements, to which he says this combination would be a complete failure, whoever made this clearly tried mixing together as many elements as possible without consideration of the quantity or consistency of the elements together.

Alst asks what they probably intended with a combination like this, to which Faust says it's pretty much purely hypothetical. They probably saw how the other elements combined together to create other, powerful elements, and probably assumed they could do the same with each of them. Demiurge, meanwhile, couldn't help but look down at his arm, when he was given a painful bite by some feral a long time ago. He quietly wonders if they might be trying to recreate his blood. Either way, Alst says that they're getting closer to their destination. Now's the time to investigate further.

They thus head deeper in, and will end up encountering guards that can utilize various elements formed through the alchemical lab they'd encountered. They prove to be tricky and players will have to be careful as they head in. They press on and on, and as they head in, they uncover a room full of cages with some unconscious people in others. And among the cages at the edges of the room, there are what look to be operating tables in the middle, alongside some colored solutions positioned upon cabinets. And in there stands some jackal man in a white coat who's looking over the various cages. And as they look around, Demiurge spies a vial of rainbow-ish solution in his pocket, this one being partially empty. Demiurge speaks up and says that that's what they're looking for.

Alst thusly points her gravity spear towards the foe, and demands he surrender. The jackal turns, spying the intruders. He asks what they're doing here, and Demiurge says that his kingdom's taken something important, and they're here to stop him. Hoisea speaks up and says they're also here to stop him from experiment on the kingdom's people. The jackal, however, says that they're here to continue the mission of mankind. These people here have forfeited their responsibility of decency already, and they're now being made into something more useful. Alst, however, says that regardless of the way they treat prisoners, he can't expect to get away with stealing material and sending weaponized people on other kingdoms. They've just come from Loyst, so they know this is their goal.

The scientist, however, says that he's merely doing divine work. Demiurge, however, speaks up and declares that he's divine, saying that this isn't what he wants! The scientist looks on confused, seeming to go limp in uncertainty. He says that this can't be right. To expand, to take the world, that's been the mission. Demiurge says that he never wanted them to hurt each other to get that goal! The scientist, however, tenses up and declares that this is some fraud! He declares that Decka must've brainwashed him! With that, he loudly slams one of the cages, prompting those inside to rouse awake. As they do, he says that whoever kills the intruders will be released!

With that, players are forced to take their stance, and do battle with **Doctor Lithel**. The boss, in addition to trying to inflict an ailment on a party member, will bring forth an ally who, while begging all the pain to stop, will fight alongside the doctor. The allies have varying different skills and stats, so players will have to be on their toes as they contend with the foes and with Lithel. Lithel himself is more of an annoyance than a threat as he leaves the damage to those he summons, though players should be mindful of their ailments. Things get worse as Lithel gets down to 20% health, where he looks over his vial, saying he can't lose, not now. Alst says that they need that solution if they're going to confront the royals! With that, it's a race against time before Lithel unleashes an insta-kill, Pure-based attack on the party. But with enough work, they should be able to defeat him.

Doctor Lithel collapses, panting and panting. He glares at the approaching party. He then takes the vial of Pure magic and lifts it overhead, threateningly. He says that they've all done things they regretted, but this can end now. If they come too close, he'll smash this, and if they try to take him down from a range, he'll just drop it anyways! He begins making demands, only for Vivalia to whip towards him at blinding speeds and slice the hand holding the vial off, the jackal crying in pain. With it gone, the bat grabbed it, and held it triumphantly. She then sauntered towards Demiurge before looking up at the Dragon pleased.

Demiurge takes up the vial. With that, he says that the rest of them should be free to do what they wish to Lithel, and whatever they wish to do to the rest of these captured people. Alst says that they're dead anyways, the experiments doomed the other guy. As for Lithel... He'll definitely spin some tale to the royals if they let him live. She raises her weapon, though Demiurge asks won't getting rid of him also make issues. She points out that when they confront them about the solution, they'll be able to claim the high ground if problems arise from this body. With that, she raises the spear, and finishes the doctor off, the camera cutting away.

With this, the group exits, Demiurge admittedly not feeling great. They took the super soldiers offline seemingly, and they have the material. However, he's not sure how he feels about those guys' general attitude around what's gone on here. At the very least, they'll merely have to deal with this gunk at a later date. So, from here on out, players have free time until the deadline.

Septmi 17th
The deadline eventually comes, and by now, the Alst approaches the party. She explains that a message has been sent to them. She'd sent a message earlier, revealing they personally held one of their precious items, and they wished to discuss about it person to person. Demiurge asks if this is a safe plan, to which she says that if they try anything, then surely the people of Decka and Hosha will be upset. Especially considering that they currently have what was taken from them. Trying to strike them down would be akin to suicide right now. Vivalia says she's excited to make some heads roll, though Demiurge says they won't be going that far.

Faust says that he wish he'd grown up in Hosha. They seem content with keeping their experiments confined, and they're probably more open about their chemicals. Demiurge momentarily thinks back to what led to his current predicament, and can't help but glance towards Vivalia. Either way, Faust says that he wonders what that kingdom could've done if they controlled this mountain. Demiurge, however, says that they shouldn't think like that. They have to keep the people of the world safe, not push for conflict among each other. However, Hoisea says that it's unfortunately not that simple. No matter how idle you are, people around you will want what you have, and will build to strike back. if it wasn't for their interference, Loyst might've fallen for Hertsi's strike.

Alst says it would be fantastic if everyone could live nice and happy, but there are people out here that will fight for what the other has. Hosha's had to get their own hands dirty to keep Decka safe, just the same of their own party. At that, Demiurge asks what the end is, if they're supposed to just keep fighting to try and either take things or to protect? There's an uncomfortable silence in the group, to which Vivalia supposes the only acceptable solution is for one nation to fulfill the goal of everyone. Demiurge can't help but feel uncomfortable, though he sits down.

Either way, Alst says it's time to head out about now. They'll go and speak with Hertsi, and they'll try and find out who's responsible for stealing and distributing the solution.

The party progresses to the castle, the guards spreading so that they can pass, though they cling behind them, very weary. The party progresses forwards and Demiurge can't help but glance around, feeling their glares upon them like daggers against their flesh. They progress into the castle, its inside ornately decorated with stone, as opposed to a lot of the steel on the outside. Many guards inside have thick armor, and they can even see a few in armor similar to Hoisea's. They're led and led, before soon making it to a banquet hall, with a large table and a large painting depicting the royal duo sitting at the table.

One's a tall, lean bull in a fancy suit, and the other is a tall, lean robin lady in a sparkly dress. The guards tell the party they're in the presence of **King Estua** and **Queen Meridi**. The dragon greets the king and queen, and the two of them greet back, albeit a little coldly. The party approaches, and sits at their own end of the table, the many guards looking on and the air filled with tension. The queen supposes that they can't keep off topic for long right now. Surely the party is aware why they're here. Alst answers they're here to discuss about the material they found in their possession. With that, she placed the vial of dragon blood on the table.

The king asks how they received it, to which Alst answers honestly that they'd heard of Hosha's material being used illegally, and far from their own territory. Their investigation has led them here, where they heard that the guards had been in contact with the potential perpetrator. The king asks if they'd invaded their halls, to which Alst says they were retrieving material that shouldn't be here to begin with. The rat also points out that they offered a more diplomatic channel so they can gather this material, though they'd refused, and thus forced their hand. The king and queen look at each other, weary, before turning towards the party.

The king asks what they intend to do with this information, to which Alst explains they expect cooperation now. They return to their kingdoms, they'll confirm that Hertsi possessed this material illegally, and they'll be in trouble with several well trained super soldiers. Faust speaks up, clarifying that if they disappear, the other kingdoms will likely see this as a declaration of war. The king and queen grimace in annoyance. They briefly whisper towards each other, before facing the group. The king says that they've decided they will comply. They shall send a description of the person they got the material from. Alst also says that their lab shall be put on lockdown for now, seeing as they attempted what sounds like quite a few invasions with these super soldiers.

The king and queen try to stand in opposition, though a pair of guards beside them pull them down to their seat, clearly feeling this an ill advised course of action. They sigh. Estua supposes that they shall keep their lab out of commission. Alst nods in affirmation, and she says she looks forwards to their cooperation. With that, the party is led out.

They stand outside of the inn, Hoisea letting out a deep breath he didn't realize he was holding. He said that he was sure that was going to go worse! He actually managed to get through without them addressing him! Vivalia says that the nasty villains have been beaten and they'll be properly punished for their crimes in Father's glorious land. Demiurge can't help but wonder why they struggled to a diplomatic channel. It seems like in the end, they only made things harder for themselves. Alst supposes that's just the way things are for those with power, isn't it?

They fought so hard to keep such a terrible power all to themselves, they didn't consider what'd happen if it was taken away from them. Odds are that once the lab is out of their control, it'll be seized of all of its precious material. They won't be able to claim the mountain, but this should set back their experiments for a while. All because they wanted to tilt the power in their favor. At that, Faust speaks up, saying that if guys so malicious weren't behind the robbery, then who the heck could? Alst says that there aren't a whole lot of other kingdoms left to investigate, though once the thief's identity is provided, they'll be more than able to narrow it down.

For now, though, they have time to relax. With that, the party spreads out, though Demiurge stays back with Alst and Faust. Demiurge looks over the vial they'd gathered, feeling a slight sickness as he looks over it. Faust asks if he can hold it, though Demiurge makes sure that he can feel the vial itself. Faust remarks that it feels warm, to which Alst says that that's the magical aura emanating from it. There's nary a stronger source of magic out there. Hosha hasn't said how much they have or even the source, but she hypothesizes that there's not a lot left, considering the urgency of the request. Faust asks if that could just be about the super soldiers, to which the rat supposes that's possible. Demiurge, however, can't help but focus on that hypothesis. Alst takes the vial and pockets it, saying that she'll get this sent with a message to Hosha explaining the situation. In the meantime, they are to pass the time how they wish.

### Penultimate

Players are allowed a moment to hang out for the night. They can't go out into the field this day, but for now, they can simply do whatever else they want. Night comes, and players sleep.

Septmi 18th - Septmi 20th
These few days serve as free time for the party, free to simply do sidequests available, grind up, raise social links, and otherwise do as they wish. On the night of the 20th day, a messenger approaches the party and provides them a letter. Alst opens it, and she says that it seems the foe has been discovered. She says that they shall move out at the break of dawn. Vivalia says that she can't wait to give that nothing what they deserve for defying Father. Faust says that the misuse of such great magic cannot go unpunished. Hoisea says that this foe caused a terrible ruckus, and they shall be terminated for it.

And now, Demiurge is given the chance to add in his own phrase. "For those lost" or "For the future". Either way, the party cheers excitedly, and fans out, ready to slumber in preparation for tomorrow.

Septmi 21st - 25th
With this, Alst explains that their next goal is clear. The foe originates over in the kingdom of **Isalma**, a far younger kingdom in comparison to most. It's to the western edge of the mainland. So, players are thus tasked with going far west within the timeframe. They must go to the very edge of the mainland, across the plains and through various foes. Fortunately, it shouldn't be too tough a fight for them, and players should be more than able to reach the new location.

Eventually, the party makes it to the kingdom of Isalma, where they see the area is significantly smaller than the kingdoms they'd visited previously. It boasts a shorter wall, though scaffolding indicates some work will be done on it. It also features a castle built more akin to a pyramid, featuring a large base with segments stacked upon it. Some segments match the shape of the one below, while others are shaped to form spires or to form pillars to keep up a base that's larger than the one beneath it. It also features the similar separate districts and similar houses, boasting wood in a lot of their construction.

The group crosses, and Faust wonders out loud how a kingdom like this was able to cause that much panic. Alst says that they'd do better than to underestimate them. Vivalia declares that if they try anything, this whole kingdom shall surely face Father's wrath. Demiurge diverts the topic and asks Alst who they're looking for. She says that Hertsi reported to've come into contact with one of the kingdom's top captains themselves, **Osol**. A letter should've arrived here, and she says that the kingdom will be expected to produce the offending party so that they may properly interrogate them. Vivalia flashes her scythe expectantly while Hoisea asks if they can really expect them to cooperate. Alst brings up that Isalma's defenses are considerably weaker than most others. To defy a request such as this would be akin to dooming their entire population.

Demiurge asks if she's really serious, to which she replies she speaks not for herself, but for Decka and Hosha. This is a very serious crime, and they've yet to establish a proper motive behind it even. Demiurge remarks that the people and guards here don't even look well equipped for an attack of that magnitude, to which she replies that'll be blood on the court's hands. Besides, with players like Hertsi around, odds are some other kingdom would've absorbed it. Maybe they'll beg for protection, maybe not. Point is, they will have to face some form of consequence.

With that, players are allowed more time to relax up until **Septmi 26th**.

Septmi 26th
The party wakes again, and upon speaking with Alst, she explains that the deadline is not yet upon them. The kingdom will produce Osol eventually, but for now, they should remain prepared. Demiurge nods and begins to head out while the rat and the stag remain at the inn. As Demiurge heads out, Vivalia accompanies him, joined shortly by Faust as well. Demiurge asks Faust what he's doing following him, to which the cougar replied that he wanted to hang out with the Dragon more, now that things seem less life threatening. Vivalia comments that she can change that, though Demiurge sheathes her scythe for her and says he can tag along.

They head into the town, and some of the guards look at the trio a little curious. Demiurge glances at them, and Vivalia grimaces as she again reaches for her weapon, though Demiurge pushes her hand away. They walk and walk, before soon uncovering a group of beggars. They approach and offer some coin, and the beggars start to rush off. However, a young adult cat man stays behind, eyeing the Dragon curiously. Demiurge asks if he can help him, to which the cat says that they need to speak. He asks him to follow, and Demiurge does so, albeit in concern. Demiurge looks back. Faust seems equally concerned, though Vivalia offers an arguably more concerning reassuring grin as she glances at the blade of her scythe.

Demiurge and trio follow, the cat leading him towards a hotel-like building over in the market district, a wooden building standing five stories tall. The cat leads them in, and they're led up to the third floor. The cat knocks on a door, and it opens up. They approach curious, finding a room with old memorabilia in it. Faust and Vivalia look on curious, but Demiurge recognizes them: a lot of books and paintings from Hosha, way back in the day. The room itself is a single room with an adjacent bathroom, featuring a single bed at the far end. And sitting on the bed is a relatively old panther lady. She sees the group, and welcomes them. Faust asks if they know her, to which she replies that she'd actually hoped to speak with the Dragon himself.

Demiurge asks what she could wish of him, to which she asks him if he's heard of a Fawnk. Demiurge's eyes widen, and he says he has. The panther lady introduces herself as a descendent of her, **Osol**. Hearing the name, Faust and Vivalia draw their weaponry and point threateningly at her, though Demiurge motions for them to remain still, and the cat cowers behind her. Demiurge asks what she's doing in some random building, to which she replies that the court recommended she lay low after her mission. Speaking of, she knows they're here about that. At that, Faust asks if she chose to hide, why even stay in the town, to which Osol replies that she wished to talk directly to Demiurge.

Faust asks if they should trust her, to which Demiurge replies that this doesn't seem like the set up for an attack. He steps forwards, and asks what she wished to talk about. She says that Fawnk had kept a piece of history running through the family: the origin of the material Hosha uses. Fawnk had noticed what'd happened to the ferals in Hosha during the wars on the monsters, but she didn't realize that Demiurge's disappearance had something to do with it, until a while later. When the Dragon was crushed by the Monster and it was subsequently killed, the gore was collected, and on top of the revitalization of the creatures afflicted with Purity, more came. She also remembered how she swore one of Maris's strikes had left Demiurge open for the killing blow, and though she couldn't be certain, the fact that Demiurge had vanished way back had convinced her that it was no accident. She wished to speak up against the king, though the public was under his thumb. After all, who could defy the one that'd slain the monsters that assailed their realm?

As the Pure creatures came, Fawnk broke her brother out of the dungeon and fled, bringing with her a small sector of detractors. They'd since tried to hide among settlements, making sure Hosha's secret remains with them. Eventually that group's descendants ended up here, and constructed their kingdom while Hosha, Decka, and Hertsi continued their experiments, and other kingdoms tried to exist. The group had seen the terrible power originated from Hosha, and had watched other kingdoms fall before being absorbed into Hosha or Decka, and had similarly seen Hertsi's growth into a super power. They realized that this material was not a blessing, but a virus intent on granting power to those that do not deserve it.

So, now they've been looking into plans to rebalance the powers. They couldn't simply dispose of the material, legend states the Dragon was immortal, so they could just take more from him. And it's not like they had the power to destroy the soldiers. So, instead... Faust completes the thought, saying they hoped to pit super power against super power. Osol nods, though Demiurge says that isn't right. Many people got hurt, and the material ended up with people that'd only abuse it. Osol explains that if they hadn't stepped in when they did, then Hosha or Decka would've made more, and been able to cause far more destruction. Now Hertsi's experimentation has been put down, a significant portion of the material has been used, and now they need to get rid of the rest of it... and to get Demiurge far away from them.

Vivalia asks if they should really expect that Osol truly has Demiurge's best interest in mind? Demiurge takes pause, though brings up that thus far the experiments seemed to be the most dangerous thing he's seen in this world. Faust says that it's true, plenty of trouble has arisen from the chemicals. Vivalia gives pause, though pulls her scythe back. She asks if the removal of the chemicals will really mean there won't be more pain. Something else would surely take its place, right? Osol supposes that theory makes sense, though for now they have the chemicals themselves to worry about. Either way, they needn't decide right away.

An important date is coming soon, and Demiurge will have to make that decision by then. Either Osol is taken in, Hosha takes the material they wish and develop more powerful soldiers, maybe threaten even more settlements, or Demiurge works with Isalma to make sure that future doesn't come. Faust and Vivalia look between each other, very uncertain about the conundrum. Demiurge thanks her for talking to them, and says that they'll consider. With that, he leaves, bringing Faust and Vivalia with.

After that, the night belongs to the player, free to do as they wish, though this time they can't leave the kingdom they're currently in.

Septmi 27th
Next day comes, and Alst says that they're still waiting. She says that she understands how annoying it can be being cooped up in one place for a while can be, but they can't afford to stray too far from Isalma in case the kingdom meets their terms. Hoisea admits that, after all of this moving around, he kind of likes getting to settle in one place for a little bit. He's actually started hanging out with some guys at the pub, and it felt like they were really enjoying themselves. Demiurge asks if he has anyone back home, to which the stag replies not really. Back in Hertsi the royals wanted people working as much as possible, so he didn't really have a lot of time to socialize until he was taken in by the party.

Alst moves on, saying that they shall continue to wait. By Octuar 3rd, they'll get their answer. Demiurge asks what'll happen depending on the answer. If they submit the foe, said foe will be punished accordingly. If they don't submit the foe, then the kingdom itself will be considered compliant. Demiurge looks uncomfortable, though the rat explains that they caused some serious damage, they should be dealt with. Either way, they should try and find ways to relax until then. Right now, Demiurge supposes he'd like to hang out with Hoisea a little, and Alst says she'll keep watch of the inn.

The four head out, Hoisea seeming visibly more chipper. Faust asks what these guys are like, to which the stag replies that they're tough guys that actually helped him on his way over. Apparently there are some guys that don't like seeing those from Hertsi, so some guys tried to attack him, though those other guys were able to scare them off. Vivalia asks him if he asked them along for that reason. Hoisea rubs his arm and admits that that's the case, to which Demiurge says that he didn't need to be secretive about that. They'd be more than willing to help.

They walk and walk, though as they do, Demiurge hears some shifting nearby. He turns and spies a group of ratty-looking citizens coming from a nearby alley, several with weapons barely concealed. Demiurge gets the party's attention and they turn, spying the foes. The party begins to draw their weapons, and the citizens near, a wolf-looking one approaching. He says that this is no place for the Dragon-touched, or the magic-defilers. Faust says that they're just walking, and they don't want any trouble. The wolf says that they don't have to worry, there'll be no trouble as long as they don't start any. Hoisea asks what he means, to which the wolf explains that prominent members of the other kingdoms' military striking down random citizens surely wouldn't look good to any of the other kingdoms. Vivalia points out that the damage they sustain would surely prove it was self defense, though the wolf points out that soldiers feeling threatened by mere citizens wouldn't fly.

The party feels a little uncertain at this explanation, and start to inch away as the citizens get closer. The wolf says that there doesn't need to be trouble. They and that dragoon knight need to get outta town. However, as they do, a powerful bulb of water strikes down, causing a divide between the party and the oncoming, threatening crowd. Then, from behind the party comes someone in a dark cloak. The wolf asks what they're doing, to which the one in the cloak replies that she was actually about to ask the same thing. These are guests, after all. Demiurge recognizes the voice. However, the lady draws a rapier and points it towards the opposing crowd, declaring that it is they that needs to stay down.

With that, players are suddenly thrust into a battle with the **Threatening Crowd**, while also joined alongside the mysterious, rapier-wielding figure. On top of wielding water magic, she wields summon magic, allowing other party members to be able to cast a spell in addition to whatever act they perform. The mysterious figure, in addition to her water magic, hosts two summon spells for elemental magic, and one summon spell for healing, allowing a party member to be healed at the end of each turn. With her joined along, players are able to subdue the enemies.

The crowd is left panting and panting, and the wolf turns up and glares at them. He declares that they'll suffer for this, though the cloaked figure declares it's just the opposite otherwise. She lowers her hood, revealing herself to be Osol. Hoisea's brow raises in alarm, and the crowd is jaw-dropped. Osol declares that if this incident is to go public, then she'll simply explain the situation. She is in the position of a key witness, after all. If anyone finds out about this incident, then his crowd will be declared the perpetrators. In fact, if they don't scamper off now, she'll see to it that they get imprisoned for assault. The threatening crowd then turns and rushes away.

Faust asks what she's doing here, to which Osol declares that she wanted to keep an eye on the road after she heard talk of an incident the other day, sounds like their stag got involved. Hoisea asks if she knows who they are, to which she explains she knows they're here to make her pay. However, she hopes that they can respect her good deed by letting her go until the upcoming deadline. Hoisea rubs his head nervously and supposes it'd be rude to take her now. Osol says that she'll be sure to keep an eye on the streets here to make sure the lot of them are safe going around the area. And she intends to meet them come the appropriate date.

With that, she starts to walk away, though makes sure she's close enough to Demiurge to whisper to him that he's free to hang out with her a little more if he'd like. With that, she walks off, and the party watches as she leaves, clearly surprised at her action. Hoisea, meanwhile, thinks that they should go on to the pub and act like they should just move on from all of that.

Septmi 28th - Octuar 2nd
And with this, players are offered a choice to change history. Either they hang with Osol and raise her social rank to 3, or they don't and let the deadline come. That means that players either hang with Osol enough, or they let the eventual capture of Osol go through. Raising Osol's stats will lead to players siding with Isalma, and not doing it will lead to players siding with Hosha.

#### Side with Hosha

Octuar 3rd
Eventually, Demiurge decides that he'd be better off hanging with Hosha. That, or he can't commit himself to Isalma. Either way, the deadline eventually comes, and Alst is mobilizing the party. She begins moving the party towards the meeting spot, but before they go there, however, a group of guards appears outside of the Isalma gates, and they thusly meet them. They see the many guards step out, including Fontaine. Demiurge asks what he's doing here, to which he explains that he figured he should mobilize his troops once he heard that the deadline was today. He wanted to make sure nothing goes down. Alst, however, explains that she appreciates it, but she doubts there'll be much need. Either way, she's grateful to him for coming to assist. For now, she asks that they stay out here and only come in once they hear conflict. The fennec fox nods, and so they stand by.

The party heads into town and towards the the square, where the meeting is to be held. They go forwards, and plenty of guards are filling the area, ready for whatever may happen. The party gets in close, and there's a stare down of everyone involved. A few guards step forwards bearing spears and jingling chainlinks. Alst says that they were here to receive the perpetrator of the crime that'd faced Hosha and other kingdoms. One of the guards say that they know. However, they've thusly refused. Alst glowers, and Vivalia reaches for her scythe, saying it sounded like the terms were clear. Someone gets punished, or everyone gets punished.

One of the guards say that they understand, but they needed to decided that it's too important to stop now. They had a mission: ending the life of the weapons that threaten all on this world. Hoisea declares that the lot of them are the ones threatening this world, Faust declaring that they need to fess up for what they've done! With that, many of the guards step forwards, forming a wall of metal in an attempt to cut of the party. They find themselves needing to fight, so they take up weapons, and battle.

After the first volley of guards, the party can hear the marching of guards from behind. They turn, and see Fontaine leading the Hoshan guards into the city, intent on having them push back the enemy. Some guards break off as Fontaine stands beside the party members, at which he declares he heard the clashing, and decided to lend his aid! Demiurge thanks him, and so they turn to the foes as more guards make their way in. With that, they're forced into another battle, now joined by Fontaine, who draws a massive hammer in preparation for the battle.

With him, he wields Earth magic, proves to be fairly tanky, and also wields self-buffs to not only improve his sustainability, but also allow him to deal more damage. With Fontaine, players prove able to scare off the guards. Hosha's soldiers are keeping the line still, though one of the guards has warned the party that the citizens are taking up arms. Alst says that if they just focus on the armed men, those enemies will flank them. Fontaine asks if she intends them to strike down the citizens, to which she explains if anyone points a weapon at them, they'll have to take care of them.

Demiurge looks uncomfortable, and Hoisea asks what they're to do aside from that. Alst says that the kingdom's committed a crime and has declared itself complicit. So, they need to face punishment for it. She says that they need to drag the royals out for judgement. Those hurt, the distribution of that weapon... they're going to resolve all of that.

Octuar 3rd - Octuar 11th
With this, Isalma's usual business isn't available for the duration of the dungeon crawl.

Upon reaching the front gates of Isalma, Hoshan soldiers will tell the party that citizens are taking up weaponry and are attempting a count towards their front line. Alst asks if they should really be worried about them, to which the guard says that it seems the government provided some dangerous weaponry. They've witnessed some explosives coming from a few houses. Hoisea ponders out loud that Osol must've exchanged some tech from Hertsi in exchange for giving them that solution. Fontaine thinks that they should subjugate those enemies before they storm the castle, to which Demiurge can't help but feel uncomfortable with the suggestion.

Unfortunately, the rest of the party seems ready to go. The party is tasked with going around the street to try and find clusters of more dangerous citizens, the clusters of them sending bombs of elemental magic upon the road to the castle. Players find themselves forced to beat down enemies and eventually to destroy the hordes of citizens that are protecting the castle and pounding the soldiers. The party beats them into submission, and makes the road to the castle far easier to go through. With that, the party is tasked with heading there, though find that the ramp up to the front gates is given toughly blocked and locked tight. The soldiers say that while the citizens kept them at bay, they've been fortifying the prime entrance into the castle.

The party approaches, and unfortunately, there are mages and rangers focusing fire on the ramp to the gate. Fontaine says that if they try and approach, they'll be assailed by enemy projectiles. Even moreso as they try and open that gate. Vivalia says that even trying to fly could prove deadly for them unless they provide enough of a distraction. And even then only two of them can fly, though Demiurge admits he hasn't actually flown yet. However, as he looks over the scene, he admits he has an idea. He hasn't totally wanted to try it, because it could be dangerous. But it might be their only option. Alst says that if he thinks it'll help, then he should. Demiurge sighs and supposes he'll try.

He stands towards the ramp and looks up to the fortified gate. He shouts that anyone in front of the gate should steer clear. That merely seems to keep the many soldiers in the castle on guard and they focus their weapons. Demiurge, meanwhile, thinks back to a few sights he'd seen on the Gardens. He takes in a deep breath, and Pure magic looks to glow within his chest. It starts to flow up and through his throat, until reaching his maw. He rears back, before unleashing a stream of Pure magic forwards, shooting up the ramp and into the gate, instantaneously shattering it and causing some of the stone around the gate to shatter. The beam continues through the insides, and the castle itself seems to quake as the beam rattles its insides. it pierces the other side and flows into the sky, dragging partially vaporized stone with it and out. The beam continues through the sky, causing a cloud to fade as the beam fades out.

The party is stunned at the display, and many of the soldiers within the castle are either toppled over, or left stunned at the sight. There's a pregnant pause throughout all of Isalma as those present take the display of sheer power put before them. Eventually, though, Vivalia speaks up and says that that is Father's power! Her declaration spurred those present back to the fighting spirit. Fontaine says the castle is open! It's time to engage the royals and bring upon them justice for their crimes! With that, players are tasked with storming the Isalma castle.

The party storms it, and the soldiers within are in a panic. There's currently a hole burned through the interior and towards the upper end of the castle. The damage has made it so there isn't a sufficient foothold if anyone was thinking of traversing it, and even if they did some tough-looking guards were grouping up at the upper edge. Alst says that it's time to reach the royals. Through the halls, and keep up the pressure! With that, players are tasked with going through the halls to try and traverse the castle, though there're notable wounds within it following Demiurge's previous strike.

This involves going through the halls and maneuvering around toppled/splintered furniture, carefully crossing gashes in the infrastructure, and dealing with guards that're still dealing with the aftermath of the beam attack. They progress through the enemies and take care of enemy after enemy. They may have to gather keys from enemies to make their way deeper, throughout will encounter enemies that'll really force them to work as they resist, and even block, some physical attacks. And eventually, they make it to the throne room of the castle.

They stand before it, and there, Alst and Fontaine warn that those royals will probably put up a hard fight. If they aren't careful, this could be deadly for them. They say to go in only if Demiurge is ready. Upon choosing to, the player opens up the door and heads in, finding that the throne room has cracks flowing through it, though there are only guards in there. Among them being Osol herself. She sees the party, and says that they're too late. The royals had the chance to escape, they've wasted their time. Vivalia raises her weapon and says that they're more than happy to take care of one despot.

Osol steps forwards, and explains that it's not over. She still has the power to save the world. Fontaine asks what she's talking about, to which she replies she knows that the formula is on a limited life span. Those that are infected by it are losing life, and can only stay alive by feeding on unfortunates. They'll soon be either starved or slain as the monstrosities they are. And Hosha probably doesn't have the material to recreate it. Or, at least, they didn't until the Dragon unveiled himself. The party members, sans Vivalia and Fontaine, glance towards Demiurge curious. Osol asks Demiurge if he thinks he's safe standing side by side with them. They've taken his life once, what's to stop them from taking it again?

Demiurge can't help but pause at her words. He looks towards Fontaine, the latter looking up at him sympathetically. Demiurge turns back to Osol, and says that he can't just ignore the pain she's caused. Those lost in her attempt at destabilizing their kingdoms... they'll have to be paid for. At that, the panther sighs. She says that this can still be salvaged. She just has to keep their material away from them, and then deal with Hertsi. With that, she draws her rapier, and points it towards the party, guards standing beside her. At this, the party raises their weaponry. Osol says that the Draconian reign ends here!

With that, players are forced to fight **Osol**. The captain is accompanied by a pair of guards that resist all physical damage, making them stay long in the fight unless players are liberal with their magic usage. Making matters worse is the fact that Osol will use her summoning magic to allow any actions on their parts to also deal damage to a party member, or even to get healed each turn. Players will have to be mindful of the defensive ability of them while tending to Osol herself. If she goes down the fight is finished, but her guards will be able to interrupt attacks directed towards her under certain circumstance. Players can try to use ailments to stop them to prevent summon attacks and to prevent defense. With careful work, players will be able to overwhelm Osol.

She's forced to take a knee, panting and panting as she's too weak to mount a defense. And as she kneels there, Vivalia brings her weapon down and wrap the blade near her neck. The bat says that Father's bee running all around the world because of her. Fontaine, however, speaks up. He says that he's going to give her one last chance. Either she comes quietly and goes to the dungeon, or Alst will see to it that she's executed here. He seems ready to keep on talking, though the panther growls, interrupting him. She says that she'll sooner fall here than see the world fall to their machinations. The bat seems ready to rear back to finish her, only for the captain to take the blade in her own hands before tugging it deep into her throat.

The party's stunned as she suddenly administers the execution herself. There's a pregnant pause among the onlookers as she draws it deeper into her, before falling limp and crumbling onto the ground. The many onlookers are stunned and look upon her. Faust decides to speak up, asking if they should worry about what she says, the world falling, he means. Hoisea says that she's gotta be lying or something. Though, to take your life over a lie... Alst says that their business here is done. They'll round up the remaining soldiers and see if any of them know where the royals would've disappeared to. They've still ultimately sided with Osol's actions, and still need to face judgement. Fontaine speaks up and assures that once they do, they can put this nasty little chapter behind them.

With this finished, players have free time until the deadline.

Octuar 12th
On this day, the Hoshan soldiers declare ownership of Isalma. Many citizens harmed in the attack are currently being tended to, while Alst is tending to those that served under the crown. Either they formally renounce their fealty to the previous rulers, or they are to be sent to the dungeon. Meanwhile, the rest of the party has gone back to Hosha, where Demiurge and Fontaine are on one of the walls of the castle. The fennec fox says that he's sorry that he had to awake to the world in this state. With so much chaos running around the realm. Demiurge says that it's fine, it's not his fault.

Fontaine says that he's very thankful that Demiurge had gathered the people he had. Alst has far more conviction than he himself capable of, Vivalia shocking power, Hoisea great healing, and Faust a very interesting mind. The lot of them together are akin to a minor army. And Demiurge with that magical blast... The Dragon says that he doubts he'll use that more than once. A single blast like that is capable of so much damage... Fontaine says he understands. Either way, his parents are informed of the situation, and the people of Isalma are being questioned as to their royals' location. They've yet to gather their location, though once they do, they'll mobilize pronto.

For now, though, it may be a good time to relax. Demiurge, however, does have a question for the prince. He asks him if what Osol said there, about them running low on the solution, potentially needing more material to suffice them. Is there any truth to that? Fontaine says that the king and queen are the ones that know what goes on in the labs, though they've told him that their concerns lay in the illegal creation of super soldiers. Osol was merely trying to psyche him out, he's sure. Demiurge is mentally uncertain about his assurance, though he tells him that he's thankful for his words. With that, the Dragon and fennec fox separate, Demiurge exiting the castle while Fontaine stays behind.

### Finale: Hosha Route

With this, players are allowed whatever free time they wish for night on Octuar 12th. Whatever they do, the night soon passes.

Octuar 13th - Octuar 16th
Players are allowed free time, trying to relax while information is being extracted. During this period, Hertsi itself is doing... ok. A lot of the citizens are still shaken up, especially now that Hosha's in control of them. But players can still buy stuff and pal around on its streets. Eventually time passes, and the days run out.

Octuar 17th
On this day, Fontaine comes forwards to speak with Demiurge. He says that it took a lot of questioning, but they got what they were after. They've now exposed that the royals have fled to the kingdom towards the middle western border, the kingdom of **Echel**. Alst says that that kingdom's normally friendly to each, it exports great medicine. She only hopes that they won't put up a fight. With that, Vivalia says that the perpetrators are within their sight, it's time to end this. With that, the party has a brand new destination.

Octuar 17th - Octuar 19th
Thus, players are tasked with going through the field and to the appropriate location. It should be a fairly simple trek by now, with how powerful the party has gotten. They go to the very edge of the mainland, and towards the western edge of it.

They arrive. And there, they see the kingdom itself. Features architecture fairly similar to Isalma, though some structures look to be built out of stone, apparent exports from other kingdoms. In addition to this, there are lots of greenery, especially tall trees and bushes stretching from the streets. They arrive there, and there, Fontaine says that they'll contact the royals of this kingdom. They'll see whether or not they have who they're looking for, and, hopefully, they'll submit them. In the meantime, there's time to relax.

Octuar 20th
On this day, the party's trying to keep themselves calm before what they figure may be a dangerous battle. Demiurge is allowed some time to speak with the party members, sans Fontaine, to see how they're feeling.

* Vivalia - She says that this kingdom sounds like it's a good kingdom. She remarks that it'd be a shame if they had to destroy it. Demiurge says that he doubts they'll have to do strike down this kingdom or anything. But for now, they should just make sure they're ready.
* Alst - Alst says that the fight in Isalma was already harrowing. But to take down the capital of medicine? That could be disastrous, not just for those Isalma royals, but for the world at large. She just hopes the people involved see reason.
* Hoisea - Hoisea says that he's been trying to relax, but he keeps getting worried. Luckily, it seems like this kingdom's developed some kind of relaxing drugs. Chew a couple of these, smoke some of this, he's actually feeling a little mellow. He offers Demiurge some.
* Faust - The cougar says that when he joined Demiurge, he never imagined getting wrapped up in large scale fights like these. Demiurge apologizes for getting him involved, to which he claims it's ok. He agreed to it... he just should've realized what he'd get involved in.

With that, or when players speak with Fontaine outside the castle, they're free to advance the plot.

And upon interacting with Fontaine, he reveals that they have good news, and they have bad news, and they're sort of one in the same. It turns out the royals aren't here. Demiurge asks where they could be, to which Fontaine inquired about that too. Apparently the royals had approached them in hopes of shelter, but they'd waved them away, not wanting to be involved in the conflict. They say last they saw, the royals were heading to the beach to the west of the kingdom. That place is supposed to be nothing but sand and some positively nasty creatures. Alst says that anyone would be lucky to go in there alive, though Vivalia says they can't leave anything to chance.

With that, Fontaine says that it pains him to say this, but they have one last journey to complete. Infiltrate the shore, and make sure that the foes that evade judgement are given justice. It won't be easy, but this is the last step needed to close this chapter of history!

With that, the destination is clear: infiltrate the beach, and seek out the Isalma royals.

Octuar 20th - Octuar 30th
With this, players are tasked with going along the **Western Strip**, the strip of beach separating the mainland from the sea on the western edge. Here, players are back to battling many ferals, from crabs to octopi to shark to turtles, and even some fairly big scorpions. Fortunately, they didn't have too terribly much to worry about. There's a noticeable lack of structures in their way. It's moreso a straight shot to a section of the beach as they take care of creatures, and stumble upon the corpses of some ferals. The party can only imagine a few people that'd be behind this, but despite this sight, they press on. And as they do, Fontaine speaks up, saying he sees a pair of figures up ahead. He's sure these are who the they're looking for, and says they should only approach if they feel ready. They took down some pretty powerful creatures apparently.

The group chooses to go into battle, and they approach. There, they see the king and queen of Isalma. One's a muscular brown wolf guy in a regal outfit, though they're tattered and stained with dirt and sand. The other's a snake woman with teal scales and a dress adorning her slender body. Both of them are seen with a greatsword strapped to their back. This is **King Ardent** and **Queen Hoffle**. Ardent says that they have nothing. They've been cast from their kingdoms and refused aid. Do they really have anything to gain from pursuing them? Alst says that they let themselves be complicit with criminal actions, and that they can't just avoid judgement as they hole up in the middle of nowhere.

Hoffle says that they had the time to live their own life. Were they to keep them alone, they would've just withered away. But instead, they brought the source of evil here, and now they have the chance to end this. Demiurge asks if he's referring to him. Hoffle says that his very blood has brought forth monstrosities. If he continues in this path, more monsters will come. If their world is to survive, he must dispose of those that usher in the monsters, and offer his body to this desolate land so none may take it back. Demiurge says he's so sick of being seen as bad here. He's tried his hardest to appeal to these people, but then they all had to decide to turn a simple dream into a competition! And now they're calling him the source of evil?! Vivalia says that Father won't listen anymore, clearly. Hoisea says they made their bed, and it's time to lie in it. Faust tells them that they've gone too long acting like they have nothing to answer for. Demiurge declares that it's time to end this.

With that, players are forced to fight **King Ardent** and **Queen Hoffle**. The duo both wield a greatsword, and with it are able to deal hefty damage, do aoe slash attacks, and even deal smash attacks with the flat edge of the sword. Ardent wields Earth, buff, and debuff magic, while Hoffle wields Water, poison, and multi-hit. Hoffle also seems to lean towards agility while Ardent leans towards strength, with Ardent preferring to improve the queen's offense/agility, or even luck so her ailments land more often. Players will have to plan to take care of the two of them, though be weary: taking down one will revitalize the health of the other.

When one goes down, the living one laments the loss of the other, though will declare that they will avenge them, and unmake the terrible future. They take the dropped greatsword, and bear both powerful blades while glaring down the party. If Ardent is left standing, he acquires multi-hit and water magic. If Hoffle is left standing, she acquires buff and debuff magic. Either way, the remaining boss will acquire a dangerous power boost, and players will have to be careful with the new moveset. Though, with enough work, players should be able to overtake the enemy, and finally put this chapter to rest.

The fight wraps up, and the two royals lay dead, the golden sand now stained crimson as the two lay in a heap. The party pants and pants, and sheathes their weapons. Faust asks if there're anymore loose ends, to which Alst says that that should be everything. They tracked down the criminals, the kingdom supported those criminals, and they've since administered judgement on those that perpetrated, and that supported them. Now, things should be fine. Vivalia admits that after so long dealing with these guys, she's surprised that things are really going to go back to normal. Hoisea then points out, albeit a little uncomfortable, that it won't quite be normal, thinking back to a few of the kingdoms they've gone through.

Fontaine then speaks up, saying that everyone's done great. They'll have to prepare a feast for the lot of them after everything's done!

After that, players have free time up until the deadline.

Octuar 31st
After a lot of work, the party's been welcomed into Hosha's castle. The crew headed over, and decided to dress up nice. The various party members get to put down their weapons and adopt some fancier clothes, and are led into the ballroom, where the room is set up with many fancy dishes and noblemen, as well as a few super soldiers standing guard. Vivalia wears a nice dress, Alst wears a tux, Hoisea and Faust wear suits, and King Ferrox, Queen Lazili, and Prince Fontaine are dressed like usual. Demiurge dresses similarly, and can see the various party members enjoying their time together.

For this moment, players are allowed to interact with the various party goers, among which includes several npcs players might've come into contact with either in or out of sidequests, as well as other party members. Interacting with the king and queen will lead to the scene moving onto the next.

* Vivalia - Vivalia remarks that the people have been awfully kind to her. Demiurge asks how it feels, to which she explains that she has no opinion on the thoughts of others. She was content with living as a terror of the night. It does feel warm right now, but right now she asks Demiurge how he feels about them treating her. The Dragon asks if it really matters, to which she replies that he is Father, and his grace is her life. Demiurge shakes his head and tells her to be good to the people.
* Alst - The dragoon knight greets Demiurge, saying that she's grateful he's been able to lend a hand. Demiurge says that her direction has helped them for a long time now. Alst says that the spirit of the Dragon has helped them achieve their victory. His presence has been a guiding light among all of them, and she is eternally grateful to his help. And now, she hopes that he will continue to guide them. Demiurge is sure that he'll help out their people still.
* Hoisea - The stag admits that he feels like a real fish out of water. Hertsi and Hosha have always been bad bedfellows, but everyone seems a-ok with him here. Still, he can't help but feel like he's still being judged. Demiurge says that he's been wholly helpful in all of their efforts. He's one of the reasons this whole conflict is done for. The stag thanks the Dragon, and tells him that none of this would be possible without him.
* Faust - Faust says that after all that walking, he's not sure if he can realistically settle down anywhere. He's gotten to learn a lot about magic and materials on his trip, and so he'd still like to go around the area. Demiurge says that he's sure a few of the guys would be willing to go with him, but he himself will still have to hang back and monitor for those moments when mortal-kind needs his aid. Faust says he understands. He wishes him luck, and thanks him for everything he's done for him.
* Fontaine - The prince says that he's surprised this's pulled off so well. He's always relied on captains and his parents to lead, but now he feels more confident about what it takes to lead. Demiurge says that the first step's usually the hardest. Fontaine asks him if it's usually this hard for him, to which the Dragon replies that he thinks he's starting to get the hang of it. Fontaine nods, and assures he will be sure that he's ready.

Upon meeting Ferrox and Lazili, the fennec fox man and the jaguar lady seem excited to see him. Ferrox says that he's so thankful Demiurge has stuck with them throughout this entire journey. Demiurge says there's no way he could let those guys get away with abusing that solution. Lazili says that she's grateful he could. And, she'd hate to ask so soon after they'd completed their journey, but she fears something else has come up, and his help will be needed. Demiurge perks up at that, and Ferrox says that Osol's done a fair amount of damage, and he'll be needed to help repair it. Demiurge asks what he should do, to which they reply that they'll have to discuss the full details outside of view of the public. They ask he comes in tomorrow, and the guards will lead him. Demiurge nods in affirmation.

With that, orchestra begins playing slower songs. At that, Ferrox cheers, and says that they cannot miss out on this. With that, he and the jaguar head out to the field. Demiurge begins to head down, and as he does, he notices the several party members looking upon him. And at this, he suddenly realizes that they may wish to dance with him. With this, players are able to choose to dance with any of them, or neither. The scene that follows isn't too different depending on who you choose. It's just a simple warm scene between Demiurge and whoever players choose.

Either way, the dance soon wraps up, and the Dragon goes to sleep, the various party members going to their own quarters to relax.

Novi 1st
The next day, Demiurge wakes up. And as he does, he notices that a lot of the people in the inn have gone elsewhere. He does, however, find Vivalia. She says that the various people thought to cool down after their time at the dance. Alst said she was returning home, Faust said he'd go with Hoisea, and Fontaine went back to the castle. Demiurge asks if she's going anywhere, to which she replies that her place is still beside Father. Demiurge says he needs to be somewhere, so she can join along if she wishes. She gratefully accepts the offer, and with that they head to the castle. And once there, the guards lead him through the halls.

He's lead through, though the guards decide to keep Vivalia back, them still not sure that she's safe to keep around. Demiurge is lead towards the ballroom from before, where the king and queen are waiting for him. Demiurge asks where Fontaine is, to which they say that he's currently being instructed about the current circumstances in Isalma and Hertsi. For now, the three of them have business. Demiurge says that this is about Osol's damage, and asks what they wish of him. To that, Lazili answers that the little rebel had put a large dent in their limited supply of the solution. And, unfortunately, many of their staff need it to survive. However, this incident has revealed to them that just scraping up the gore is hardly a sufficient solution.

Demiurge's eyes narrow in worry at that, and he asks what they mean. At that, Ferrox says that the Dragon's come back from so much, been able to keep alive despite being rendered a pile of muck. So, they'd pondered... what about the heart? Demiurge straightens out in worry, but before he can do anything, a knight wielding a mace strikes him over the head with enough force to knock him out.

...

Time passes, and Demiurge slowly wakes up. He blinks, his vision fuzzy. He sees the tiles of some sort of lab overhead. He tries to talk, though finds he's silenced. He tries to raise an arm, though finds he's restrained. He looks around, and finds he's on some metal table, straps keeping his limbs, tail, and wings down, with a separate one locking his mouth up tight. He's also suddenly aware of a scratching at his chest. He looks down, and can see some weasel man testing various tools out, blades of varying strengths and sizes against his chest. At that, the Dragon shifts, and he hears the voice of Lazili spur the weasel to work harder.

Demiurge tries to lift up, only to feel the blade the weasel holds pierce him. He let out a muffled wail, prompting the king and queen to glance towards him, realizing he's awake. The king tells the weasel to hurry up, there's no telling how long they can hold him! The weasel thus grunts and tries to draw downwards, pain coursing through the Dragon. With enough pulling and tugging, they manage to pull down to Demiurge's abdomen. With that, the weasel reaches for the divide he's made, and begins pulling in either direction. Demiurge wails and tries to pull and wriggle, but he can't move. Eventually, with a disgusting "snap", he's opened up to them. And for a moment, those in front of him stood in awe.

Ferrox remarks that for one so divine, they look so... mortal inside. Demiurge, meanwhile, is still trying to tug himself free, misery coursing through the whole of his form. Lazili, meanwhile, steps forwards. She reaches towards the cavity, and Demiurge can feel his heartbeat banging away in his ears as she shuffles through. Then, in a shower of pure blood, she pulls something out, the sight obscured by the blood, and his veins pulling up with it. That beating is getting faster, and Ferrox tells the weasel to finish this in one swing. The king grasps the many veins in one bundle, and the weasel rears the blade back, before delivering a swift chop through the veins, separating him from what he could only assume was his heart.

Demiurge can feel darkness creeping through him, and can only watch as Lazili cradles the heart as if it were a babe. Then, his vision fades...

Following this, players will move onto the Conqueror Era.

## Conqueror Era

Demiurge groans and shuffles. He splays his digits, and can feel a surface beneath him. He starts to get up, and realizes he's on a roof somewhere. In a worry, he suddenly clutches at his chest, and feels his heartbeat. He sighs, and slowly takes in more of his surroundings. He notices he's on top of some well decorated, red building with a feudal aesthetic. There are many trees below the ceiling line, covering much of the landscape below, though he does see lamplight. He looks around, and notices... water surrounding the landscape? He asks where the rest of the land is to no one in particular, though a familiar voice answers that this is an island, land surrounded by water on all sides.

Demiurge turns, and sees Sophia of all people there. Elated, he rushes and hugs her, her hugging back. They pull away, and Sophia asks "Oh, dear Demi... what have you done?" He's confused at the assertion, and asks what's happened while he slept. She says she cannot answer to him herself the state of the world, but something terrible has happened. As the Dragon chosen to the world, he has to learn the danger that lingers on it. However, one who should aid him will arrive soon, so she recommends he waits here. Demiurge assures that he will, though asks if she can hold him a little more. She assures that she can, and they keep hugging.

### Early

Eventually, Sophia pulls away from Demiurge. She says that the one to help him will arrive soon. She also says that before he goes, she will let him know of one more power. No matter how bountiful a creature's love, everyone needs to learn when it's time to cut their losses and put down a life that's too far gone. So, within each Dragon comes the power to end all life on a planet. Demiurge recoils, saying he doesn't want anything like that. However, she places a hand on his chest, and Pure magic flows into him, and he feels something unlock in him. At that, the player's informed that Demiurge unlocked the Skill "Armageddon". She says that knowing this is not to be feared, but to know he merely has the option. If he ever decides that the world's too much, then this is always at his disposal. She wishes him luck with his journey. And thus, she extends her wings, before suddenly darting to the sky, leaving behind a mighty gust. The bronze Dragon watches as she flies away, before he hears some noises from an opening nearby. Demiurge turns, and sees a set of stairs that leads up to the roof. And from it comes a fox-like lady boasting nine tails. What's weird, though, is that she was naked (though none of her nudes are seen).

Demiurge's eyes widen and he brings up a wing to cover up his view of her. The fox comes up more and sees the strange figure, asking calmly who's there. Demiurge says he didn't mean to wake up while she's indecent. The fox questions what he means by "wake up", before taking in some of his details. She comes closer, remarking on the bronze scales, the divine wings... She peers around his wing, taking note of his face. The Dragon blushes and pulls away, and she asks if he's indeed *the* Dragon. He answers that he is "the Dragon". She smiles and remarks that she'd been looking forwards to this day, she just didn't expect it to come so suddenly. She welcomes him to the world, and to the **Land of Joy**.

Demiurge says he'd like to talk more, though he'd prefer to talk to her when she's dressed up. She says that she doesn't exactly see the issue, but if he's so concerned, she can. She offers to explain while she changes. She knows there's a lot to go over, and she'd hate to just spend a lot of time sitting down to explain it all to him. Demiurge supposes he can do that.

They've headed in, heading into a room with rice-paper walls and wooden tiles, flowing water running through the inside and under the tiles to create an ambient room with the sounds of the outside. Inside, there're several vases, several clothes just scattered around, and a large pile of pillows presumably for sleeping on. Said pile has an incense candle ready to be lit. Nearby, there's a changing curtain with the symbol of a star soaring through the cosmos. The nine tailed fox that greeted Demiurge had taken a few clothes behind there, and as she changes, she says that Demiurge might wanna sit down, it's a long story. She offers the pillows if he so wishes.

Demiurge looks around curious, though sits down on the floor. She then says that this all started way back with Hosha, right? Well, once upon a time, the Dragon, that's him, went missing. His daughter, some bat lady, grew worried for him when he didn't return from the castle. The guards had apparently told her that he was offering to be a powerful soldier for them, but she didn't buy that. She'd rounded up his old companions and used them to search the castle. Through many fights, they'd managed to uncover the kingdom's labs, where they found poor him. His clean coat of scales shredded nearly bald, his teeth, horns, and claws harvested, and his chest torn open and raided as if a bandit had found it.

The group had reasoned that there was only one group of people that could do that, and they each defected. Even Fontaine chose to betray his parents. However, they held the authority over the army, and the army couldn't exactly argue with the possibility of their kingdom getting stupidly powerful. So, they thought to cut their losses and bring the Dragon far, far away. However, that bat and the mirror guy decided they wanted to do some damage. Alst, Hoisea, and Fontaine raced out of Hosha, though supposedly looked back to see and hear a massacre from within. They decided not to listen for much longer, and thusly continued to flee with the Dragon's body in tow.

They made it to Loyst, where they'd realize they'd have limited time to get out before what remained of Hosha, and their allies in other kingdoms, came down on them. What's worse was that they still had whatever they harvested off of Demiurge (him). The three had warned Loyst of the threat, and said that they'd need to flee, off the mainland if they have to. So they took up a boat and went off into the distance, where they eventually came upon this decently large piece of land in the middle of the sea. And with it claimed, Hoisea, Alst, and Fontaine realized that as long as the docks stood, there's a chance Hosha and allies would make it here, so they, along with members of Loyst's kingdom, would decide to head out to prevent that from happening.

Ever since, the Land of Joy grew. Demiurge looked over them, and slowly grew back that which was stolen from him. Even his heart. They kept him up as a national treasure to look over the land as it developed, and she herself stands as **Chief Exulta**. And having heard all of that, Demiurge is stunned. He has a lot of questions going through his head, but for now, he asks what's gone on in the mainland. Exulta answers "Don't know, don't care." As far as anyone knows, the mainland still wants Demiurge's body, literally, and so they stayed here, just waiting for the world to end. Demiurge asks what that means, to which she explains that it doesn't really matter. He's spent so long looking down, it's about time for him to come out and enjoy the Land of Joy!

With that, Exulta steps out. She bears some form-fitting pants and shirt, them seeming to accentuate her figure. Said clothing is also pink around the thighs and torso, and purple towards the legs and arms. She also has a flowing pink wrap that hovers behind her, said wrap hovering over her shoulders and behind her head. Demiurge says that he'd really like to know what she means about the world ending, to which she says she's in her walking clothes, so it's too late to talk her out of it. She thus starts walking, and offers that he should follow her if he doesn't want to be alone with her stuffy guards. Demiurge realizes that he can't talk her out of this, and thus starts following.

The duo heads down more and more, and steps out through the front door, a door with a shrine gate positioned in front of it. They step out, and Demiurge is greeted to a strangely homely site. The ground has been stripped of its grass and given simple stones to mark paths. The large building Demiurge stepped out of appeared to be at the north end of the island, and immediately past it is a brass fountain depicting Demiurge himself, the facsimile seeming to roar out a rain-like stream. It's late in the day, so there aren't a lot of guys walking around it except for a couple guys lounging on benches near it. And past the fountain is a market area that features a restaurant, massage parlor, clothing shop, pharmacy, cosmetics, bath house, so on. And past that is a residential district that's about as big as your typical neighborhood. Sprinkled along the trail are red lampposts with paper lanterns, lighting the night.

Exulta continues to walk, and Demiurge follows. She welcomes him to the lap of luxury. Hers is the only military for miles, no taxes people don't have to work, some of the businesses are finding ways to work around the money disparity, and the law is positively lax around here. The Dragon asks what she means, though he's cut off when, as they pass by a couple (a fox and a cat), he notices that the two of them are naked. The camera doesn't show anything untoward, but Demiurge clearly saw. He goes to point that out, though notices a few other nude guys, intermixed with some clothed. Demiurge asks Exulta what's going on.

She says that she explained earlier, the world is ending. Some crazy things are going down on the mainland, and the lot of them in here are just trying to have fun around here. So, some decided they're perfectly fine going around naked, though she personally prefers the suit that lets her show off. Demiurge says that this can't be great for the people here, though she says that if he doesn't like that, he oughta stay indoors during Frises, before suggestively whistling. She then says that that's the spirit of the Land of Joy: Do your thing. If someone does something that pisses a dude off, then it's up to those guys to sort it out. Demiurge asks why she doesn't do anything, to which she remarks that the world's ending, she doesn't gotta worry about lifting a finger.

Anyways, she's going to get a drink, and she asks Demiurge if he wants anything. Demiurge says he's ok, and she shrugs. With that, she visits one of the buildings, and comes out with a bunch of drinks. One in either hand, and a pair tucked under either arm. She says that it's her treat. He's spent all this time sleeping, surely he can let go. Demiurge supposes he can try a sip or two. With that, she saunters back to the building they'd started at, Demiurge following suit.

They make it back to her original home, where she lays back on a bunch of pillows, and drinks. Demiurge is holding one bottle and looks down at it curiously. Exulta drinks, before belching. She asks Demiurge if anything happened while he slept. Demiurge said he was just sorta in a limbo, sometimes able to feel himself grow if he focused. She then remarks "500 years of nothing? Damn!" Though she drinks more, and Demiurge is still looking over his bottle. Demiurge asks what she does as a chief. She says that she just sorta enjoys the sights, farts about, and sometimes sleeps the day away. She then asks, in an unrelated note, if Demiurge smells popcorn. Curious, Demiurge sniffs, though winces and covers his nose. Exulta snickers and drinks some more.

Demiurge then asks if that's really all she does. What about law enforcement, and maintaining supplies, and teaching stuff? She says, first off, the world's ending, so they don't have to worry about that. Second, the Land of Joy's been peaceful for a long, long time so far. The people don't really need to do crime, so they, well, don't. So, things get to be quiet for the most part, especially while the mainland's crap *stays* on the mainland. Those jokers are probably worrying about the cataclysm while her and her friends are simply lounging. Demiurge then speaks up, saying that she keeps saying that the world is ending. He asks her what exactly this end of the world is.

She drinks some more, before burping and sighing. She says that she looked into the future, and saw a bronze wave sweeping the land. Demiurge asks if she talks about him, to which she replies of course not, he's a bit of a softie, a lightweight. However, she tells him to remember: not *all* of him left Hosha. Those guys 500 years ago apparently did a fair amount of damage, but not enough if her future vision is to be accepted. A bronze wave will come, and destroy the world, and those that try to stand in its way will be consumed. Demiurge asks if it can be stopped, to which she says that maybe it can be, there are bits and pieces of it that do go down. But buy and large, that wave will destroy everything.

There's a bit of a pregnant pause, and she groans. She says that he's really bumming the mood. Demiurge says that he should get to the mainland, prompto. However, as he stands up, he feels a bit weak and sits back down. She remarks that he's gotten a bit tired. She says that the bronze wave will consume that which faces it, so he'd be better off hanging here and getting to feel the Joy. However, she supposes he can sleep on it. She herself is feeling a little too tired to argue. Demiurge wants to argue, but he sighs. He says a nap sounds nice, to which she nods. She scoots aside and offers him a spot on the pillowscape.

Demiurge has to admit that it looks nice, and lays down on it. It feels pretty soft. She huddles up to Demiurge and loudly yawns. And then, the two of them sleep, Demiurge stays up a little more to think about what he's understood. He's had a lot to learn about, and has just dealt with this really weird Land of Joy. He tries to think about what he could possibly see on the mainland, and eventually forces himself to sleep.

Novi 2nd
Today, Demiurge wakes up, and Exulta wakes up as well, her yawning loudly. Demiurge, meanwhile, stands up, thinks back on the stuff he's learned, and lets out a deep breath. He turns to the kitsune, and asks her which way the mainland is. Exulta's ears perk up in surprise and she faces him. She asks what he wants to know that for, to which he says he needs to face the bronze wave. He has a duty to this world, and if that duty involves stopping whatever of him is left out there, he will. Exulta, furrows her brow, and sighs.

She says that she's always a bit of a joker, but she's not joking about her vision. She sees death, destruction, and one of insane power. If he is to challenge the wave, death is sure to claim him. Despite this, Demiurge says he wants to find out what's going on. The kitsune sighs, and says that if he ever regrets his choice, he can come back here. She then leads Demiurge up to the roof, and points southwards, telling him that if he flies in that direction, he'll reach it. She tells him to go that way, and look out for the bronze wave. Demiurge nods, flairs his wings, and thanks her for overlooking him. With that, he flies off, Evulta watching.

Demiurge watches his wings, almost surprised at how easily he's taken to this. He's soaring through the air for the first time in his life. He wishes to himself he could actually enjoy it, though. He keeps flying and flying, and soon makes it to the mainland, where he can see the old kingdom of Loyst looks to be more fortified than what he once saw. He'd notice a few guys on the street would glance up curious. Demiurge flew more and more, and decided that his first destination would be Decka and Hosha, where he thinks he'll get a read on whatever is going on.

He flies towards where he last remembered the location, and as he approached, his flight would slow down as he sees what was Decka. The castle stands extremely tall and fortified with metals and cannons. The wall that protected it once stands larger, and features many angular buildings within, and from on high Demiurge could see clusters of heavily armored guards. The Dragon descends cautiously, and as he does, the guards notice him and... welcome him. Demiurge comes closer and closer, and the many guards take a knee to him. The Dragon furrows a brow as he looks over them, and asks what's going on here. The guards say that "her divinity" has been expecting him, and seeks to converse.

Demiurge asks what they wish of him, to which they say her divinity wishes an audience with the progenitor. Demiurge thinks back to his current powerset, and thinks he might be able to handle himself. So, he says that he'll go along. So, the guards lead him on, bringing him to the ramp and through the front gate. And inside, Demiurge couldn't help but notice a sort of coldness to this castle unique from any other. There was usually decorations or the such to lighten up the mood, but here there weren't paintings or rugs. Instead, there stood murals on the halls, each showing the silhouette of a dragon looming over prostrating people, while those that didn't kneel were turned to bones.

The guards led him through, wandering through a labyrinth-like network of halls, until he's eventually lead up to a room halfway to the top. Demiurge is let in through a pair of sliding, metal doors. And inside, he sees that the room he's in is akin to a giant prison. There were several blocks around with prison bars in place, many guards positioned around the area, some of them wielding rifles, and the cells... They looked worryingly cramped, and bore all manner of prisoners, from children to middle aged. Though some of the prisoners looked saddened and scared, many, many others seemed to be in a trance, almost blind to the world around them. Demiurge looks around curious, and asks what this room is for. The guards say that her divinity will explain. Demiurge is led through more and more, when some guards in gleaming, golden armor with mighty tower shields step forwards, prompting the other guards to stop. One of the guards says that her divinity is here, having heard the news.

The many guards spread, unveiling an odd pair. One is a gecko woman in a decorated, bronze-colored suit and with what looks like an in development guns trapped to her back. Beside her, however, was a figure that truly fit the image of "divinity". She towered over the many guards, with Demiurge being the only being to be taller than her in the room. She was a shredded force, looking about as thick as a building. She wore similarly thick armor, it made of bronze, and covered the majority of her body. Said armor also boasted a pair of wing-like extensions around the shoulders, a blade thicker than the average arm strapped to her back, and a helm with the shape of a Dragon's head. and through its hole, Demiurge could see the scarred face of a bear.

She sees the Dragon, and greets him in a powerful voice. She says that she's waited for this day, to greet the Dragon that breathed life into this world. Demiurge asks who she is, to which she explains that she is **Aunqiller**, the one born to pick up the world Demiurge left behind. She's been laying the seeds for the world he's sought so hard to see realized. It's not ready yet, but soon, all land will be claimed under one. Demiurge asks what this room is or, to which she says that they too have been chosen for the cause. And at that, Demiurge asks what she means.

The world he's wished for cannot be built by one and one alone. So, they've been brought here to be sculpted into one that can create that world. The Dragon says that she's enslaving them, to which she says she's bringing about the world needed. Demiurge remarks that she keeps saying that, that this is the world he's asked for. He says that he never wanted this to be a competition, that he never wanted the people here to kill each other just to "own" land. Aunqiller says that no matter what he says, this is the will. They're here to claim the world, and claim it they will. That's the Dragon's will. Demiurge points out that *he* is the Dragon, and that *he's* saying this isn't his will! There's a pregnant pause, and the bear remarks that he's not impressed.

Demiurge asks what he's supposed to be impressed by. She points out that she's building up into the most powerful force on the land, and her kingdom is currently among the most knowledgeable in the art of combat and training. If none else, hers deserves to be the one in control. She asks Demiurge if he disagrees with that. The Dragon says that she shouldn't be worrying about combat and conquering at all! She says that the world's raised to necessitate her need. To necessitate someone like her. She then says that if he cares for the world, he will grant Decka its blessing and fight with them. Demiurge declares that he will never fight alongside her.

She sighs. She then says that if not as an ally, he'll do well as a resource. She then reaches back, and pulls forth a giant sword, said sword suddenly lighting up with electric magic. She rears it back and sends a beam of electricity at the Dragon, who's forced to dodge to the side. He goes to punch at her, though she brings the sword up to block. She swings it to the side to parry the blow, and then swings at him, dealing a decent blow to his side. She then shoulder-rammed him, driving him back a few feet. And with him disoriented, she'd send another electric beam, and manage to strike him with a painful bolt. The two continue fighting, and Demiurge manages a few decent hits, though Aunqiller presses her advantage.

Eventually, Demiurge finds himself forced to break away and race upwards. Guards try to fire on him, and he is forced to weave away from the blows. He turns to one part of the castle, and belches out a beam of Pure energy similar to back when they challenge Isalma. However, he'd notice the walls of this castle seemed to absorb the energy moreso than those of the castle back then. Demiurge is forced to take more blows, and can only look in horror as the wall resisted the blow. A hole is formed, and he's able to go through it. He ends up in a hallway several feet away, and darts through it, making his way to a large window. He flies straight through it and to the fresh air outside.

He flies and flies, looking back to see several guards at the window, only able to watch as he fled. He flew and flew more and more, going off in some random direction. He flew and flew, hoping to get far away from Aunqiller.

Demiurge flaps and flaps, huffing and puffing as he flees from the scene of the fight. He groans and starts to descend, soon touching down on grassland and crashing, weakened from his endless flapping. He lays there on the ground for a bit, trying to catch his breath. As he heaves and heaves, he soon sees lights in the distance, spying another kingdom. It boasts a wall that obscures the inside of it. The Dragon doesn't have much else to go on, so he presses towards it, crawling through the soil to get to the road. He crawls and crawls and soon gets before it. He looks up to it, seeing a gate between him and the inside, and no guards out front.

He groans in defeat, and collapses, passing out. And starts to fall unconscious. Though as he does, he can hear the gate start to open up. He sees some figures approach, but he's grown too weak to see who they are.

Novi 3rd
Demiurge blinks awake, confused. He starts to get a read on his surroundings. He's in some lavish room with a persian flair to it, white walls and a bed he rests on whose curtain is done up in the style of a funnel, making Demiurge sort of feel like he was in a vase. He spreads the curtain and steps out, finding himself in a marble room with nice bright, white architecture around the setting, and a channel of water running under the boards. He steps forwards and scans around, before noticing that he smells like soap.

He steps forwards and soon finds a door. He opens it up, and is surprised by some well dressed raccoon man suddenly opening it. The raccoon asks how he's feeling, to which Demiurge replies that he's just woken up, and he feels a little sore. He asks what's happened, to which the raccoon says he was found outside and looking pretty worse for wear, so they brought him in. He asks Demiurge what happened, to which he answers he got in a fight with this Aunqiller lady. The raccoon gasps, surprised that he's actually gotten out alive.

Either way, he knows he's just woken up, but the king and queen wish to speak with him. In the meantime, he's free to bathe at least until noon. With that, the raccoon bows, and leaves Demiurge alone with his room. And, looking over it, the Dragon realizes he does have some things to learn about with this new setting.

* In a room adjacent from the current room is a nice, tiled room with marble steps leading up to a basin. Manipulating levers around it causes water to run in, and when water runs in, the tiles within the basin heat up, causing the water to heat as well. Demiurge takes a brief dip in it, swabbing himself with the nearby soap, and steps out feeling far more clean than he'd felt in a while.
* Looking at a dresser nearby, Demiurge can notice a framed painting only slightly larger than the average palm. Said painting shows a ferret lady in a regal purple dress, a falcon man in a regal black uniform, and a ferret girl in a pink dress.
* Looking into the nearby closet, Demiurge can spy several suits. They appear to be akin to what the falcon in that painting wore. Of course, they're quite too small for the Dragon.

Interacting with the door allows players to leave the room.

Demiurge is led through the insides, where he gets to witness the smooth, marble architecture. Looking around, he sees carpet laid out and paintings, showing off the trio featured in the painting in the room. The paintings seem to depict the falcon being a king, the older ferret being a queen, and the ferret girl being a princess. Some paintings show them establishing a a healthy society protected by walls. Some paintings show soldiers driving back lines of forces tampered by Demiurge's blood. And some... are missing the king...

Demiurge is led deeper and deeper into the castle, soon led to a big room with several guards armed with armored plating over vital parts with chainlinks connecting them together. This room is a throne room, bluish marble in the floor interspersed with stone, and a series of fancy-looking thrones of a similar color out front, behind it being a mural showing the Dragon, wings spread to wrap up the world. Two of the thrones are filled by those seen in the paintings, a ferret woman, and a ferret girl.

Demiurge steps before the two of them, and they nod, greeting him. The older ferret greets him, saying that they're grateful to see he's awake. Demiurge thanks them for pulling him in, and he asks where he is. The older ferret explains that he's in the kingdom of **Egea**. She is the queen of the land, **Aslia**. Her daughter here is **Princess Moota**. Moota bows in affirmation. Aslia says that the servants explained he was injured in an encounter with Aunqiller. She was wondering if he could talk to her a little about what goes on in the land of Decka.

Demiurge says that it's awful. The kingdom is built like an army instead of as a home for the people within. Its ruler has a terrifying aura and even more horrible strength. And she's brought prisoners in to do things he didn't even figure out she'd do. And she wanted him to join her as an ally. Aslia remarks that it sounds like she's just as terrible as many fear. Her kingdom's had a few refugees from them, but they'd stopped coming in a few weeks ago. The refugees had told them a little about what'd gone on in Decka, but it seemed she kept a lot of them in the dark on what went on in the castle itself.

Demiurge asks what they're going to do about her, to which Aslia asks what he means. Demiurge says that she's causing terror and mayhem and slowly exhausting the will of her people. She should be stopped. Moota speaks up, saying that they can't just stop them. They have among the mightiest firepower in the world. Her forces have invaded in the past, and it took practically all of their forces to stop them. And there's no way a direct assault could defeat her. At that, Demiurge asks what they should do, to which Aslia says that right now, they don't have much choice. The various kingdoms are too scared to try and oppose her, so attempts at alignment don't work out. And even if they did, there's no telling how much power she has in her walls.

Asalia supposes their best bet is to try and wait for some opening in their defenses. In the meantime, she hopes that he can enjoy their city. With that, Demiurge is allowed a moment to step into the castle town and hopefully relax and maybe ignore the billowing terror close by.

Demiurge steps out of the castle, and first finds himself on a flight of stairs that goes on for several stories, stretching from the front gates of the castle down to the courtyard, the castle resting upon a tall wall, a waterfall coming from the space between the top of the wall and the bottom of the castle. The staircase also had a pair of thick guard rails on either side of it, fortunately making it safer to go down. Demiurge went down more and more, soon making it to the courtyard. Said courtyard features a lot of the coloration of the castle itself, but also boasts a fountain out front, a sprawling garden that stretches throughout the square space inside and under the staircase, and stone passages for people to take.

Demiurge follows the path, and gets towards an iron barred gate with guards stationed around either side of it. The guards open the gate up for him, and Demiurge steps through. He ends up in an area with clean white buildings within the walls of the kingdom. A lot of the buildings have some graffiti on them, and many more appear to've been recently cleaned/painted over. It seems similarly divided into districts like others, while also featuring running channels of water through the area. And from his current location, Demiurge can notice that on the wall surrounding the city, there's some shielded barriers sprinkled periodically along the wall with big bells in them.

During this time, Demiurge is tasked with going around the area. He can find the usual shops, groups of citizens, to talk to, and can generally see how people live in this place.

* Street People - Players will find some animals in rags and lingering on the streets. They say that Egea treats the upper class real well. Those that aren't in the upper class, however, typically have to struggle to make ends meet. Either they're left struggling with housing that demands a lot of payment, or their breadwinners end up drafted into the military. After the recent attack the army took a significant blow, so the Queen's been trying to gather necessary money, manpower, and gear to be ready in case another attack comes in. In the meantime, they're left to the mercy of the businesses.
* Shopkeepers - Apparently, the shopkeepers are having to limit a lot of stocks now that Egea's getting more and more scared of the kingdom to the east. Weapons and medicine are being sold sparingly to common people, and if someone can prove they're a part of the guard, they have more leniency with that. Making things harder is that a lot of other kingdoms are trying not to make enemies out of Decka, so they tend to take a more neutral position. As such, they haven't received imports in a long time. And worse still, they can't afford to export many items, so they have trouble making relations at the moment.
* Upper Class - Those in the bigger and more well off buildings explain that they wish they could live more easily. The draft applies to plenty of people, as have the price changes. A lot of them more owe their lot in life to being well off before the attack of the Supers. And right now, they're hoping that there's no need for more drafting. Other than that, they're trying to indulge in what's going on within their walls and hopefully to cool down while everyone else takes care of the opposing forces.
* Anti-Dragon - There's a significant portion of the society that appears outright hostile towards Demiurge. They declare that the Dragon's the reason this all happened in the first place. Ages ago he's worked alongside Hosha and Decka while tearing down the rest of the kingdoms. Isalma and Hertsi fell to them, and now the mountain near the middle of the landmass has been practically shaved down into plains once they got their hands on it. And now because of them, Decka is going to take over the world and rule over everyone with an iron fist!

Players get the above information by extrapolating info from various npcs. Players can also turn in early by returning to the castle itself. Returning, the guards out front say that Demiurge's room is set up. He's free to turn in whenever he wishes.

Night comes, and Demiurge is brought to the room he was in before. He steps in, though the princess comes in. Moota asks if he's happy with the kingdom, to which players can answer "Yes" or "No". Either way, she says that things aren't great right now. They're still in a recovery period, and still very afraid. She's sorry about the people that don't like him. At that, Demiurge asks if the court thinks the same way of him. The ferret says that she believes that a lot of people had a hand in the modern world. She's not sure what exactly went down between him and them, but she's sure she can lay more blame on Decka and Hosha.

And who knows? Maybe a Dragon will be what's needed to stop them. She asks if he is indeed going against her, to which Demiurge replies that he very well can't let her keep doing this. At that, Moota declares that that's enough reason for her to like him. She wishes him a good night, and Demiurge wishes her one too. With that, Demiurge is left to sleep in the room.

Novi 4th
On this day, Demiurge wakes up, and is brought to the throne room yet again. There, the queen sees Demiurge, and tells him that they hear a section of their guards are being cooped up by powerful animals a fair distance away. She can't send her guards, she needs to keep them here in case there's an assault. Demiurge says that if she so wishes, he can go find them. The princess then speaks up, saying that she wants to help him too. Aslia says that she can't risk losing her too. The younger ferret, however, says that she's strong enough to take care of a few ferals. And if any soldiers try to take her down, Demiurge can fly her away.

Aslia says that if she doesn't return... The older ferret sighs, and asks Demiurge to keep a close eye on her. Demiurge nods, and is then led to the gate he'd fallen asleep at way back. He sits there and waits, when Moota speaks up, saying she's ready. Demiurge looks towards her, now dressed in armor instead of her dress. Said armor has plating around the limbs and vitals, while chainlink covers up the majority of it and a pink cloak around her back and shoulders. She's also seen sheathed and strapped to her back a sword that looks as big as she is. Demiurge says he's looking forwards to her ability, and the duo steps out through the gate.

The duo steps out, and Moota explains that the missing guards were towards the East. She says that they should only go as far as the border, else risk incurring Decka's smiting. The duo goes forwards, following along the trail. Eventually, they make it to a part of the trail where they can hear the growling of ferals. The duo follows the noise, where they see a pair of big, feral bears near the mouth of a cave. And looking past them, they can see guards aligned with Egea. Moota says that this is them, they have to hurry! She thusly draws her massive sword and aims it forwards, and swiftly rushes the enemies. Demiurge follows, and thus, players are forced into battle against the duo of feral bears.

During this, players learn about Moota's general playstyle. She can be described as a paladin: a bit of a tank with some lesser healing magic. Hers is lower level in comparison to most at this level, but is still helpful. She also has access to defense buffs, Light magic, and Piercing Light, a Light magic attack that scales with Strength instead of Magic. With her, players should be able to overwhelm the enemies, swiftly able to take them down with her great sword swings. The ferals are forced to flee, and Moota sighs as she sheathes her giant sword.

The guards come out and Moota approaches, asking if they're alright. Several of the guards remark that it's one thing seeing her train, but actually taking a blade to opposing enemies! She thanks them for the praise, though asks how they ended up here scared off by a bunch of bears? They say that they'd come from Decka, where they were sent on reconnaissance. They got what they felt would be important information, and thusly fled in a hurry, where they got the bears' attention and got cornered. Moota asks if they really do have important information, to which they reply that they do. Moota declares that they have to race back to the castle walls and keep this information safe!

With that, Demiurge and crew rush back to Egea.

The group makes it back to the castle with the various guards. As they do, Demiurge asks Moota why the guards get so close to the villainous kingdom despite being so scared of it. Moota answers that as terrifying as they are, they cannot break their defense. They've thus taken it on themselves to block Decka in case she tries anything. Demiurge supposes that makes sense. Either way, they make it to the castle gates, and they get in. They walk and walk, and soon make it to the throne room, the guards kneeling while the princess breaks from the group to reach the thrones.

Moota tells Aslia that these guards come with important information. The queen thus asks them what they've learned, to which the guards answered that they've watched them from afar. They were able to see them developing new gear. One in which appears to be some sort of heavily armored mobile cannon. Aslia asks what they mean, to which they describe something akin to a mobile vault moving around and aiming a cannon-shaped hose before blasting out attacks. They've also seen it able to launch magical bolts, presumably from someone inside. Aslia says that's not good.

They've struggled against normal forces, but an actual weapon of that description... She says that if Aunqiller creates that weapon, she'll likely pierce their defense. However, an outright offense will not be useful on their part. She says that she'll have to mull over their current options. She thanks the guards for their assistance, and dismisses them. With that, the guards spread away, while Demiurge, Moota, and Aslia are left there to consider this new info. Moota asks what they should do, to which Aslia says that their guards will likely be torn up if that thing approaches them. The walls should prevent an upfront magic attack, but she'd much rather not gamble their last line of defense preventing that.

If they're to prevent a potential attack, she feels that they should first and foremost prepare more walls. Though to do that, they'll need more hands, more than their own kingdom can provide. Moota says that other kingdoms aren't willing to stand up to her, to which she replies she knows. She just doesn't know how they're going to defeat a weapon of that description. For now, though, they don't have much to go on, unfortunately. So, she says that she'll send out messages to see if someone is willing to lend some hand. In the meantime, she suggests they try and calm down.

Novi 5th - Novi 7th
During this period, players are allowed free time. Players are allowed to explore the area around Egea, and are dissuaded from getting anywhere near Decka. This involves sidequests and grinding and hanging out with Moota.

Novi 8th
This next day, Aslia calls Demiurge and Moota to her quarters. There, she says that she's sent out requests to a nearby kingdom, **Phonton**. They may not be willing to oppose her directly, but they recognize that an assault upon them could be disastrous for other kingdoms, so they're willing to set up barriers. Demiurge says that that's great! Aslia says that first they need to bring them here, to which Moota says that Demiurge might be able to help there. He seems big enough to have a bunch of people on his back and fly. Demiurge looks at himself, and supposes that he might be able to.

Aslia says that the sooner they can get those barriers up, the better. First, fly over to Phonton to get the staff they've been allotted, then bring them here, then follow their instructions. Demiurge nods, and says that he's willing to help out in Egea's defense. Aslia nods, and wishes them luck in their journey.

Novi 8th - Novi 15th
With this, players are tasked with preparing the barricades between Egea and Decka. Here, players are prompted to first go northwards towards the kingdom of Phonton. Players can either go on foot over there, or they can take flight and go across. The destination is over towards the mountain range that once stood tall, and the base of Hertsi's power. However, arriving there today shows the mountain range shaven down several hundred feet while the kingdom itself appears stripped of its metals and a whole lot more decrepit than before. This is the kingdom of **Phonton**.

Demiurge and Moota stop in front of the gate and approach. There, guards find them, and wave them onwards. They're lead through, and find much of the commons is in a very depressed state as the majority of people are in ratty houses or on the street. They soon reach the castle, which seems very familiar to how Demiurge saw it 500 years ago. Inside the front, they find several under-armored men with various tool kits. They see the duo, and greet him. One of the men approach, and say that they're the labor force, here to respond to Egea's request. Moota seems ready to thank them and move on, though Demiurge asks what's going on with this kingdom.

The labor man is confused at first, though comes to realize what Demiurge is referring to. He says that after Vivalia and her gang busted up Hosha, Decka went into overtime to try and make up for lost resources. So, they robbed Hertsi dry of its resources, else face destruction. With their claim to fame taken down, business ran dry. The loan and slavery business came crashing down, and the royals themselves were deposed in the process of claiming the material. Many preferred to leave and settle down in Decka and Decka-aligned kingdoms. Another section, however, moved in to take the ghost kingdom for themselves, and now they stand, trying to fix up the cracks and holes that Decka left behind.

Demiurge is quiet at that, and the labor man asks if he's ok. Demiurge can then say "I never liked Hertsi, but still..." or "Poor Hertsi..." Either way, the labor man says the past is the past. For now, Egea needs help, yes? With that, Demiurge will be used to fly the various members of the force from Phonton to Egea.

Soon, the crew is brought to the trail between Egea and Decka. There, one of the labor men nears the duo and says that they've analyzed the terrain. It looks like the only logical path for the weapon they describe is the main trail. Otherwise there's rough terrain and hills for it to contend with. So, they'll have to develop their barricades along the trail. Moota asks him them if they have the material they think should slow it down. The labor man says that they have plenty of material, but they need time to create this trail.

They'll work on their barricades. In the meantime, they hope that they'll be able to keep any potential damaging forces from them. Moota says that Aslia wishes to conserve her soldiers' ability, so their powerset will be limited to this small group. At that, the labor man says that if that's the case, they'll be willing to provide one of their forces to help out. So, he turns to the crowd and calls for a **Toni**. With that, a slender bobcat man comes forwards, wearing a gray tunic and wielding a mallet. He greets them and says that a lot of his friends are out here, and he hopes that they'll keep them safe. Demiurge assures that they will. The bobcat thus joins their party.

With the new guy, the party is tasked with going out to the field, where Moota says that they should look for groups of enemies nearby and clear them out. If they're within a certain distance of the trail, they run the risk of interfering with construction. So, the player must reach certain parts of the map to deal with groups of enemies. In the process, they'll learn about Toni's general playstyle. He has access to Earth magic, though is primarily a buffer. He applies buffs to the various stats in battle. A very simple character, but good for support.

There are clusters of enemies to contend with, with two big feral creature groups in one end, and a few Decka soldiers that've overstepped on their territory. And as they fight, the players get to learn a bit about the party members.

* After clearing the first group, Moota sheathes her giant sword, saying that they're doing alright so far. She tells Toni she's sorry he had to get involved, he doesn't seem like much of a fighter. Toni, however, says that a part of him's kind of wanted to actually lend a hand in a fight. She asks why that is, to which he says that Decka's already done a lot of damage, and Aunqiller sounds like she'll make things even worse. He understands that he himself isn't too well built for a fight, but he doesn't exactly want to sit around and wait for her to win. So, he's perfectly fine with building the rest of them up. Moota says that it's nice to see someone willing to fight for the good.
* After clearing the second group, they sheathe their weapons, and Toni says that it's not usually that royals go out into the field. So, he asks what's got her out and about. She answers that Egea's worked differently for a while, including with her mother and father. When they had to defend against the super soldiers, those two went out to help. However, after he was... felled... her mom hasn't taken up the sword in a while. She's felt more and more scared within these walls, just waiting, and she supposes it's nice to go out and... vent. Toni says he's sorry about her dad, to which she says she's had time to push back it anyways.
* And taking care of the third group, they sheathe their weaponry, and Demiurge seems ready to head off. However, Moota and Toni speak up, trying to get his attention. Toni says that they've talked a fair amount during this trip, but they haven't really heard much from Demiurge himself. Demiurge asks what they'd like him to talk about, to which the bobcat supposes he'd like to hear about how he's feeling about all of this or why he's fighting. At that, Demiurge says that truth is, he's not terribly happy with the world right now. When he last slept, his heart was stolen, and since then his killers had grown more powerful. Moota then asks if he's facing them because he's mad? If he is, there's no problem, anger can be as much a motivator as anything else. At this, players can answer "I'm fighting for me" or "I'm fighting for the world". Either way, Moota says that Aunqiller's threat shall be quelled.

Following the defeat of each of them, Moota says that the big players seem to've been cleared from the field. She thanks Toni for his assistance, and the bobcat assures that it's nothing. They're here to stop that queen's attack, there's no way they should ignore the chance. However, as they talk, Demiurge hears something and turns towards the Decka trail, where he can see some powerful-looking soldier going along it. Demiurge points it out, and the princess and labor man turn. They see the soldier, and Toni asks what she's sending one of the supers out for! Moota says they probably attracted some attention when they were fighting off the enemies. Moota says that if they leave that soldier alone, it could come upon the barricade! They have to take care of it, now!

The party approaches the road, where they can see a muscular, green snake man slithering forwards, veins bulging. He's also wearing Decka armor and has a glaive strapped to his back. The party steps before him to cut him off, preventing his approach. The snake looks upon them, and starts saying that he's here on business, and they're in his way. However, he notices two of the people that stand before him: the Dragon and the princess. He asks what the two of them are doing out on the field, to which Moota says that they're here to stop Aunqiller and her plans.

The snake shrugs and draws his glaive. He says that he was to take care of some soldiers supposedly reported in the area, but if he's dragging back figures as important as this, he's sure her divinity will be happy. With that, the party draws their weapons, and go into battle with **Seige Soldier: 102**. The snake proves to be pretty troublesome. He starts with a multi-target poison strike that, unless rng is in your favor, will likely poison each party member. He tends to keep up his personal evasive ability, using multi-targeting slash skills, and can use a multi-hitting slash skill to really wail into a foe. It's a battle of attrition as, be it through attack or through poison, he's constantly ebbing away at the party's health. Fortunately, players can use this to their advantage and use items to get rid of poison in order to force him to use a turn to reapply poison. Through careful work, players should be able to defeat him.

The snake stumbles back, falling onto his back and his glaive clattering to the side. He pants and pants and glares towards the party. He says that he can't go back empty handed, he can't go back a loser. At that, Moota brings up her sword and points it towards his chest, declaring that she can arrange that. The Seige Solder grits his teeth... before an electrical rod from his wrist. He declares that he will destroy them, and then swings the rod towards him, actually managing to pierce his chest. His teeth grit as a buzz of electricity courses through him, his eyes bugging. He draws the rod out and it withdraws. He huffs and puffs, and the blood is surging through him. His muscles pump up and his eyes seem to bulge out unnaturally, him standing upright. Toni asks what's going on, to which Moota says she doesn't know. Demiurge says that he's making his heart beat faster and putting that blood through him faster and faster. But that should just mean that he'll empty his reserves faster! The Siege Soldier declares that he'll die either way, so he'll tear them down with him!

With that, players are thrust into a battle with the **Pure Seige Soldier: 102**. And here, he nixes his poison skill. Instead, he wields a single-target Pure magic skill, it doing a hefty amount of damage, especially considering that players can't block/resist/absorb it. In addition to that, he utilizes multi-target slashing, smash skills, and will buff up his attack instead of his evasion. Players will need to work towards limiting the amount of damage he can do while wearing down his health. After bringing him down to 20% health, the foe will deploy Quake, a Pure magic skill that deals hefty damage to multiple targets. Once players power through that, they should be able to take care of the enemy.

The snake is blown back, crumbled into a heap. He groans and tries to crawl after them, hissing as he tries to crawl at them. He pants and pants, and says he has to kill them. He gets weaker and weaker as he crawls, trying to reach towards the party, each pulling back while bringing their weapons up defensively. They keep their distance, and as he reaches towards them desperately, a pop is heard, Pure blood explodes out of the crack his electrical rod left, and the color drains from his face. He collapses, dead. The party pants and pants, putting their weapons away.

Toni asks what happened, to which Moota says that Decka's experimented in applying the Dragon's blood to soldiers, hence the supers. The blood's had its drawbacks and benefits, but this effect is new. Toni remarks that using someone's blood like that... He asks Demiurge if he's alright. The Dragon is quiet, and at that, Toni supposes that that was already obvious. Moota says they should bring this up with the rest of the military. In the meantime, the construction should be safe for now. She says they've done well.

With that, Moota breaking off that night to spread her news. Following that, players have free time for the rest of the period until the deadline.

Novi 16th
On this day, the party meets back up in the royal chambers, where the queen stands alongside a lemur woman in less armor, but with metals over her chest. Asalia says that this is the general of their army, **Misferri**. She's helped with the organization of their troops, and she's told her about the information the three of them have come across. The lemur says that it's quite the shock, the news provided. She says that such information would run counter to the nature of supers, in that increasing the blood flow would likely shorten their lifespan.

She asks what could've led to this, to which Toni says that the soldier said he'd take them down with him, at which Misferri concludes it's seemingly a last ditch effort. She says that if more of the supers were to pull off an attack like that, then they'd likely see much bloodshed in oncoming battles. Asalia then ponders what could've led to Aunqiller coming to this conclusion. Moota says she isn't sure, but that she knows what she saw, and that that snake went through the motions with a clear plan in mind. It clearly wasn't something thought up in the heat of the moment.

Misferri stroked her chin curious. She says that Aunqiller's likely developed many different plans after the previous war. She thinks their best bet right now, while the barricades are being developed, is to find out any information about these supers that could possibly be available. Decka's well guarded, so, coming soon, they shall investigate the ruins of Hosha.

### Midway

Novi 17th
On this day, the party wakes up and head to the front gate. There, they see Misferri again. The lemur says that she wishes to join them on their quest. Toni asks if they'll be ok heading off to Hosha, to which she replies that the ruins have been abandoned for 500 years, raided a long time ago. By now, there should only be mere raiders there. Realistically, they can only hope they're lucky enough to find something useful out there. She thusly takes up a rifle and places it on a sheathe on her back. She says that they should be careful anyways.

Players are thusly made to fly out of Egea and go to the usual location of Hosha. Flying down there, players uncover one sight: What used to be the initial grounds of the kingdom system, what's grown into a powerful structure in its ages, what's killed Demiurge twice now, its many buildings and walls are torn apart. It looks as if a bomb had ravaged the streets as webs of cracks cover the majority of it and its tallest buildings have crumbled down to a few stories tall. Demiurge himself finds himself only able to look upon it from a distance.

She says that they'll have to touch down. Demiurge thusly goes down and lands outside the ruins. They thusly make their way into the rubble, taking care to walk around the cracks. They step further in, soon reaching the center. And there, they can see the skeleton of a certain bat, said skeleton riddled with what looks like hundred of arrows, crossbow bolts, arrows, and spears. Demiurge actually looks sort of like he's going to throw up, though Moota tries to cool her down by rubbing his back a little. The party presses on and towards the castle, where Misferri says that this'll be their best bet for finding out any information on the supers.

They make their way in. However, as they ead in, they can hear some noises in. They try to sneak around and head deeper in, where they uncover the sight of a few bat bandits skulking the painting-less, ornament-less halls for something to pawn off. The party looks on, only to be surprised by a shout from behind. Turning, they see another bandit, who says that this is their loot! No kingdom grunts are gonna take it! Misferri thusly says that they have to defend themselves. With that, they bring up their weapons, ready to fight.

They hold their weapons, and in this, players learn about Misferri herself. She wields a rifle, with which she deals stab damage when she attacks someone. In addition to that, she wields Electrical magic to deal the appropriate damage, and also wields various debuffs and stabbing skills that have a chance of dealing debuffs. With these, she'll be able to buffet enemies and leave them open to attacks from the party. With enough work, they should be able to defeat the bandits. And with them down, Misferri warns that there might be more to deal with in here, and warns the party to be careul as they progress. They're looking for information on the super soldiers.

They make their way through much of the halls, facing more bandits and whatnot. During it, players will notice the structure is different from way back when. As they progress more and more, they soon make it to the throne room. At this point, Toni says that he swears they've searched every inch of this castle and haven't found anything that hasn't been plucked clean. Moota says that they can't have gone to this with nothing to show. They have to keep looking. However, at this point, Toni glances towards the two thrones. He approaches it, and says that the thrones in this era are typically set higher from the ground than usual.

He investigates around it and fiddles with the back, where he notices some weird panels. He fiddles with them, and the throne lifts a little. He tries lifting it more, the party joining in to help him out. They pull the throne out and set it aside, uncovering a trap door under it. Moota remarks that it looks dusty around here, probably not tampered with in a little while. Misferri says they've exhausted everything else, so they should deal with this. With that, the party crawls in.

The party makes it down into the dank halls of something hidden in the castle. They progress deeper in, Toni commenting on the architecture. He says that it looks like this part of the castle had to've been hollowed out several decades after the destruction of the landscape.. They progress, and after going through some stairs, and end up down a hall with several doors lining it and an almost chemically clean smell. Progressing in, they uncover an office with what looks like some tape-playing device on it. Demiurge looks over it curiously and asks what it is, though Moota says that some kingdoms have developed technology to record and play audio. This one must've been a secret project before the technology became more public. They search the office, and uncover one tape, which they put in the device.

Misferri suggests they walk and listen. They exit the office, and as they do, the tape plays, giving a date indicating that this happened 480 years ago. The voice on the tape introduces themselves as **Doctor Hashiba**. They explain that ever since Vivalia went on her destructive rampage, their scientists have decided to hold off on any projects until there are no signs of the rebellious sorts. And to make things more certain, Decka decided that they're better off either immobilizing or killing the supers. Once they took care of each of them, they've been tasked with heading out here and establishing their test sight, just in case experiments in Decka prove harmful. She then states that the heart and several documents on Pure soldiers have been recovered, though right now they're developing a means to restore the heart. They sign off, and the party makes it down another set of stairs.

Down there, they see another set of office doors to the side, as well as some bar doors along the hall. They investigate the office, find another tape, and start playing. Here, another voice comes on introducing themselves as **Doctor Ixa**, giving a date indicating that this happened 426 years ago. The doctor explains that they've had many healers on standby for the heart, and after much experimentation, they've got it into such a position that it's now producing blood. Plenty more time's been spent finding an appropriate canister for containing it safely. But now, they have it in an environment that they can keep it sustaining long enough, and the magical solution to restore it. They've thusly began drawing from it to create more Pure soldiers. They will be trained and fashioned into proper children of Decka. The tape ends, and the party goes down more stairs.

And down here, they see more office doors and more bar doors. They find another tape, and play it. It gives another name, introducing themselves as **Doctor Hosian**. The date the doctor gives indicates this happened 390 years ago. The doctor says that project **The Dragon Hearted** has begun its work. The Pure soldiers of old have been fascinating works, but their longevity has always been a sorespot. So, they're now looking into ways to increase that, and they've thusly settled on providing the heart directly to a worthy candidate. This's involved creating an artifical vein network, and finding someone to surgically insert the veins into. They've thusly gathered chosen ones from the city and brought them here. Results have been... unfortunate. The doctor then asks "Have you ever somebody pop? I have."

Down, they find another floor that's the same. And uncovering the next tape, the doctor introduces themselves as **Doctor Boust**, dating it 300 years ago, and explains that they're trying to make progress in The Dragon Hearted, and have thus far come to a few conclusions. One, they need to be more sparing of their progress in this. Attempts at applying the heart to a subject has required it be healed, which's harmed healers. They need to find a good material to protect the heart and the artifical veins. Second, they need subjects big enough to contain the heart, and to control how much blood it provides. Thus, they're working on means to establish a more concrete vein system, and to establish a regimen to get subects prepared.

Down another floor, they come upon another of the same. The tape is portrayed by **Doctor Isali**, dating it 234 years ago. They explain that they've finally been able to establish the proper body size for the heart. And now, a proper armor for the heart is established. Problem is making sure that they control the blood flow more properly, and that those that have it can take it. Bodies thus far are suffering either too much blood, too little blood, or outright being burned from the inside out. They've thusly decided they need to breed the Dragon Hearted. They make it to the next floor, even further uncomfortable with the various things they've learned.

They make it to the deepest floor, whereupon they find a floor reeking of its chemical cleanliness, and also find multiple operating tables on them with various diagrams, showing individuals of varying sizes were brought in, and the aftermath. Among which includes multiple accounts of people from children to middle aged being reduced to bloody pulps from the experiments. There isn't gore here, though the blueprints around tell plenty of a picture. They walk more and more, when Moota speaks up, attracting the party towards one of the tables. And there, they see a blueprint brandishing a certain bear, born in the lab, worked into the most muscular body possible, and in the end, bearing the armor of her divinity herself. There's another tape by it. And playing it, the tape is read by **Doctor Kresha**, dated 60 years ago. This voice simply explains that the project is finished. Decades have been made to hone the perfect weapon, and they've succeeded. Only thing is, the weapon's decided it wants to be in charge. No one could stop them.

And with that, the party present are stunned into silence, only looking on in discomfort as they look over what the wielders of the Dragon's heart has brought on. Demiurge tells the group to get what they need, they're not coming back.

The party leaves, Toni, Misferri, and Moota stepping out with plenty of documents. Moota asks where Demiurge is, before the three turn and see the Dragon hovering above. The Dragon rears his head back, magic flowing up his throat, and he fires down, striking the castle and causing it to collapse further, leaving no sign of its former self. No lab, no halls, nothing. Hosha is now a pile of stones.

Novi 18th
The next day comes, and Moota finds Demiurge himself very awake. The ferret asks him if he's struggling to sleep. Demiurge nods weakly. She comes to his side and sits by it. She says that she knows there're a lot of people that'll blame him, but she's always felt it more appropriate to blame the wielder over the weapon. A bunch of guys did bad things with his heart while his body was far, far away. Demiurge says that he knows that, but if he hadn't gone with Hosha... if he hadn't been here in the first place, his blood would've never ended up in anyone's hands.

Moota grimaced at that, and gave pause. She supposes that if he weren't here, there'd be a lot of things different. She probably wouldn't live in a castle. His daughter probably wouldn't have existed. Maris probably wouldn't have had the kingdom he had... Heck, Rugar probably would've been left alone with the Monsters way back when. There's a lot of what ifs, and there's a lot of what if nots. She herself probably wouldn't be as great a fighter as she is if it weren't for what happened to her father. Though she misses him, she does think she's over all more equipped for repelling that queen.

She says that a lot of them owe him a lot, to be honest. And she's sorry that the world's rewarded him this way. Demiurge takes in a deep breath and says that he's glad someone said so. He apologizes if he sounds selfish, but she assures that with what he's probably been through, a bit of self indulgence is warranted. She says that they'll fix this, that Aunqiller will be knocked down and they will be allowed to prosper. Demiurge thanks her.

Novi 18th - Novi 21st
Misferri says that her and her team is going over the documents they've acquired and are trying to discern whatever they have to learn about the blood and about what their soldiers are capable of. In the meantime, the party should stay prepared. That means it's time for freetime. Grinding, sidequests, boosting social links, it's free gain for these four days.

Novi 22nd
The day comes up. And as it comes up, guards approach the party. They explain that more refugees have been spotted escaping Decka, and are heading this way. Moota remarks that it's been a long time since more have appeared. She says that if this is the case, they need to get them fast. The guards declare that they will move out to them pronto. With that, they head out, and Toni remarks that he heard Aunqiller's been increasing the border security as of late. Misferri says that that's true. She thinks that they should question them about openings in the kingdom.

Moota says that this'll be the break they need. They'll uncover an opening, abuse that, and use the information they've garnered to take them down. Demiurge says that it will be really tough, the castle's material is resistant towards his draconian magic. Moota understands that, though says that once they get in, they can devestate Aunqiller's army and leave her possibly vulnerable to other attacks. And while they're at it, they can bring out more under that bear's thumb. Demiurge then says, excitedly, that they need to go get those reugees.

Time comes, and the guards returning, bringing with them several poor, unfortunate guys covered in dirt and soot and wearing rags. The party approaches them, looking over the many saddened people. Many middle aged, many children among them, and they see the royal and approach. A fox lady says that Aunqiller's gotten worse since she'd clashed with Egea before. She asks why they hadn't just let her through. Moota grimaces at that, though says that she wasn't involved in the decision. For now, they are on the path to defeating her.

The fox turns away and is led into Egea. Demiurge asks Moota if she's alright, to which she explains that Aunqiller's willing to hurt anything she can. And, frankly, if the way she's probably raised is any indication, she's not sure she can blame her. Demiurge looks over the many unfortuante refugees as they're led in. Toni asks if they're really ok with them being so rude after being saved, to which Misferri says that they too were victims, and directly within her walls to. They'll have to find them housing and have to assure them that they can trust them.

Moota says that that's right. Their kingdom will be one to welcome them, and will wipe away the darkness brought on by Aunqiller.

Novi 22nd - 24th
With that, players are treated to brief snippets of the party members organizing housing and giving the various refugees aid. The various members are placed in various buildings in the housing district.

After that, the party is back in the castle, each looking haggered and sweaty. Demiurge says that that took a lot, but he thinks that everyone's housed and given new clothes. Moota then asks Misferri how all of the new guys are handling, to which Misferri explains that the guards have gathered information on them. She says that they went through a sewer system and in their direction. She'd also learn that the vast majority of them lacked a lot of basic education. Moota asks what she means by that, to which she explains they lack reading and writing skills, as well as some mathematics.

Moota supposes this is similar to some of the other refugees. She says that they should be let through the usual channels asap. Misferri nods and says that she'll organize it. She thus leaves the group, and Moota regards the info they got: through the sewer system. She says that that almost sounds too easy. In fact, she swears that a few sharpeyed guards examined that and saw guards around it. Were they perhaps familiar with the guards' routine and used it to get out? Demiurge says he's not sure. Moota says whatever the case, they have to take care of these people.

With that, the party goes to rest. Though as they do, the gecko from Aunqiller's side can be seen near the wall, her motioning a pair of lithe guards beside her. She points towards the wall around Egea, and the various guards nod, before approaching, flashing dangerous-looking daggers as they look over the Egean guards on top of the wall.

Novi 25th - Novi 27th
Players are given some free time during this period.

Novi 28th
The next day comes, and it seems unassuming enough, though on this, Moota can be seen corroborating with Misferri about some of the education going on. The lemur explains that many of the refugees seem to be taking to the new teaching well, though there are just as many that're sort of faltering. She suspects it'll take at most a month before the adults are in average condition. Demiurge asks how things are, to which Moota says she's just reviewing the situation with the refugees. Demiurge says that that's unfortunate, but he hopes to see them well soon. And as they talk, the guards on the walls are seen looming over, undetected.

...

Then night comes, the various characters doing their things. Meanwhile, the guards are near the edge of the wall at their respective points. Said guards can be seen with devices similar to the tape players the player used, except they feature a larger speaker. They hold them close to the walls, pointing inside the kingdom, and then sign a signal at each other, ready to synchronize the attack. With that, they press the play button. Then, the kingdom is filled with a tune; one long low note, one long high note. It repeats in a steady fashion. And at that, scenes cut to show the various refugees that'd just arrived freezing up, an odd look in their eyes.

Meanwhile, the party, plus Aslia, steps out confused. Aslia asks what that noise is, to which Misferri says she has no idea, there's nothing about this in their information. Toni looks out, and spies a couple sitting on a bench in the main street of the kingdom. One of the refugees can be seen approaching them. Then, the refugee suddenly brandishes a knife, and lunges at the couple, them wailing as they're tackled down and stabbed out of the blue. Toni gasps in alarm and points, prompting Moota to rush forwards with her sword. Suddenly, players are forced into a brief battle with the **Manic Refugee**, an uncomfortably simple fight.

The party looks over the dead refugee. Moota asks where the hell that came from, to which Misferri wonders whether this was just a random act of violence here, or if this refugee had it out for them. However, Toni's ears perk up. He says he hears more fights. The party's confused, and the player's prompted to approach one of the noises of the sounds. They approach an alley branching off of the main road, where they're horrified to find a bunch of refugees had dragged someone off the street in there, and mercilessly beat on them, despite them looking dead now.

Moota looks about ready to throw up, and they pull away. Toni says that he hears more of those noises. Misferri says that she'll organize the guards, pronto.

...

Later, the guards report back to the party. They say that they've dispatched their forces to round up the refugees. Though they say that they've attempted to strike their men down, and have actually slain a small few of them. They actually hear that they're struggling to contain some of the manics. Moota says that this doesn't make sense. Were these refugees organizing an attack? Toni looks up, and says that the noise probably has something to do with it. Misferri ponders if this is supposed to be some sort of hypnotic trigger.

Demiurge asks when those noisemakers were even installed. Asalia says it doesn't matter right now. She'll try to organize the chaos down here before more lives are taken. The lot of them need to go up there and dispose of the noisemakers! If that is indeed the trigger, this should prevent the attack! With that, Demiurge says he'll fly them up to the wall when everybody's ready.

The party flies up and makes it to the ridge, sitting upon there. Up there, they look down, and can hear the sounds of combat below, manic, animalistic shouts and screams of horror fill the kingdom. Misferri looks down through her sights, and can see the violence, from random citizens being haphazardly beaten/killed, to a few guards being killed, to a few guards striking the manic refugees down. She says that the situation is looking really bad, and says that they need to act fast! Toni looks around, and comments that a lot of the guards he sees up here are in Decka armor. Moota asks how they got here, to which Misferri says that they must've been behind this attack! She says they need to act fast and destroy these machines!

With that, players are required to go around the wall, from location to location. This requires them to go around the various locations, having to contend with various guards stationed up here. At the locations with the music players, there will be large groups of guards to contend with, which means that players will have to go through ha brief fight with them, before smashing the respective device. There are six devices to destroy, and once they're all destroyed, the tone playing in the kingdom is silent, and the violence in the street gets quiet.

The party gets down, and Aslia is seen waiting for them on the stairs up to the castle. She says that the fighting seemed to stop after that music shut off. Toni says that that's great news. He then asks how everything's looking, to which Asalia gets quiet. She says that a lot of the violence failed to be contained. She says many mentors were found reduced to bloody pulps, and random citizens were killed off. Some of the guards made their choice to strike down the refugees. She says sighs and says that it's going to take a long time to scrub out the scars this night left.

The party looks out past the gates. Demiurge says that the town smells terrible tonight, and the group can see guards covered in blood approach solemnly.

Novi 29th
The next morning comes, and the party is in the throneroom, a heavy air in it. There, Misferri apologizes formally to Asalia, saying that this horror should've never come to pass and that they should've been more diligent. Moota, however, says that it was a royal decree that'd invite any and every refugee, and so she should be apologizing. Asalia, however, dismisses their apologies, saying that this was none of their faults. Between the guards' arrival on the walls and the sudden appearance of the refugees, it seems clear that this was a malicious plan against them. She doesn't doubt that those in Decka purposefully let those refugees leave so they could be picked up here.

That being said, she called this meeting because she fears that this isn't the extent of the plan. Toni asks what she means, to which she explains that how elaborate this plan was combined with the outcome doesn't match. They obviously wouldn't have accepted any entry unless the refugees were sent, so they sent out those afflicted with the hypnotic trigger. Then, the guards snuck in while they were distracted and set up the attack. So, that leaves a few questions: why send actual villagers instead of trained guards in disguise? No doubt about it, they fought geniune commoners last night. Second, why not send actual soldiers in to attack instead of setting up the hypnotic plan? Sure plenty were killed, but their military would be more than a match for that lot.

Misferri says that these are very odd decisions. She can only imagine it being an assault on their morale. Truth is that many soldiers in the barrack felt disgusted in the previous actions. Asalia then says that if they intend to weaken them with an attack like that, then it probably means they aren't confidant in their own forces. The queen ferret stands up, and declares that for those that were downed in the previous fight, they need to tear down their forces, asap. Moota declares that she'll be more than happy to, Toni saying that they are going to pay! Misferri, meanwhile, strokes her chin curious, wondering if that was the purile reason for this course of attack.

Either way, Asalia declares that they are going to organize an attack. They are going to approach the front lines and strike down their foes. They've reviewed their documents, and now she feels that they have the knowledge to more carefully approach the supers. Demiurge says after everything, they're finally going to take down Aunqiller. Asalia assures that they will be accompanied by soldiers. She says it'll take a few days to organize an assault, and she wishes they be prepared for that.

Novi 29th - Demi 1st
Players have freetime during this. Players will be able to interact with characters and shops and the outside, and will get to see the still gore-soaked streets of the city, much to the Dragon's dismay.

Demi 2nd
On this day, the party can see several soldiers on their way out, marching. The party is heading down the stairs, though Asalia herself approaches, asking Moota if she really wishes to go out there. Moota says her father died to this, she merely wishes to pick up where she left off. Asalia says that if she ever feels she's in grave danger, to find some way out of the battlefield and back here. Moota says that she'll be ok. She then looks towards Demiurge, saying that this time they have an advantage anyways.

The party continues walking out, Moota looking determined, Toni trying to be stonefaced, Misferri looking a little pensive, while Demiurge looks towards Decka, saying to himsel that he's going to ix a lot of his mistakes.

Demi 2nd - Demi 8th
On this, players are tasked with going past the barricades they'd previously set up. They head outwards, towards the battlefield. And out there, they can see a war going on. Soldiers of Egea are battling soldiers of Decka, and it looks like there's a long distance between them and the walls of Decka. Misferri looks over the field, and says that it looks like they're currently even. She says it looks like their supers aren't at the frontlines. Toni wonders why that is, to which she replies she doesn't know. Moota says that they won't be able to get close while the war effort is going on. So, she says that they need to damage the enemy frontlines to approach.

With that, players have their current goal. That requires them to approach certain locations of the frontlines, where they're required to damage soldiers there and push them back. In the meantime, players may encounter foes within the Egea lines. Ultimately, the goal is to push back the lines so that they can approach Decka. The more they fight, the further back they push, soon bringing them closer and closer to the **Decka Fields**.

Misferri warns that they're approaching enemy territory. Things will get harder from here on out. With that, players are tasked with more of the same, damaging the enemy's frontline and getting closer. In the process, there will be some super soldiers sprinkled among the enemy ranks, though thankfully not as dangerous as the boss of the previous chapter. Eventually, the party is close to the gates of Decka. And as they near, Toni says that he has the feeling that things are going to be tougher from here on out. He says that they should make sure they're ready before tackling them.

With that, the party approaches the front lines, nearing the gates. However, as they do, a strange blast of light shines from the distance, cutting them off. They look towards the source, and spy a peacock in armor similar to the style Alst wore. He rears back before leaping up, and slamming down. This is followed up by several explosive arrows striking near where they stood, the firer revealed to be a finch lady in light armor. And this is then followed by a mist covering the field, limiting their sight. And when it clears, they see a pheasant man with a set of needles in his clutches.

Demiurge takes up his stance and says that it looks like Decka's brining out the big guns. Moota, however, says that these aren't Decka. That knight armor migrated to **Marsha**, the kingdom near the valley. Toni shouts out to them, saying they're here to stop Decka! The peacock, however, explains that they're here to prevent that. Toni asks what he means, to which he explains that Decka's citizens were provided to the nearest kingdom, Egea, and her guards reported that the vast majority of them were slain. And now, a few days before killing Decka's people, they come to attack them directly. The party is confused.

Moota asks if Aunqiller told them that the refugees were offered to them, instead of them escaping her confines. The peacock says that Aunqiller told them that they've spent so long making sure their people were safe from an attack from Egea, they ended up weakening their resources. They were thus forced to send some of their citizens out to be helped, only for them to get killed. She'd reported that they'd suffered a war with this kingdom before and attempted to send out people as some form of extending an olive branch. And seeing all of this happen, the lot of them decide that they can't let this continue!

Moota swears that it isn't what it looks like, but the opposing knights clearly don't believe them. Misferri says that this must be what Aunqiller planned all along, turning them into villains in the eyes of other kingdoms. If they're forced to contend with this group... Misferri declares that they must retreat to their kingdom, stat! But first, the trio before them attempt an assault.

With that, players are forced to battle the trio of **Moxi** the peacock, **Deara** the finch, and **Steau** the pheasant. One thig players should note is that the trio of them primarily wield Stab physical moves as opposed to other. Besides that, the three of them prove to be pretty tough if you aren't careful. Moxi is balanced with a lean towards attack, Deara is the damage dealer, and Steau deals out debuffs and ailments. Steau primarily works towards lowering attack and inflicting blind, while Moxi has the distinction of being able to avoid attacks by triggering his own Jump move. Other than that, players have to contend with potentially the deal of Burn from Deara's fiery arrows or blindness from Moxi's Light magic. There's plenty of ailments to contend with here, but with enough work, players should be able to press through them and defeat the nightly trio.

The trio's down, panting. Toni and Moota declare that they've beaten the enemies, now it's time to make headway into the kingdom! Misferri, however, says that if they're dealing with opponents out here, odds are the kingdom itself is facing problems! She says that they need to go back and make sure it's safe! Moota looks towards the gates and back towards her kingdom, before gritting her teeth. She says that they'll make sure things are ok. And so, they race back. And as they race back, they can see several non-Decka forces attacking their soldiers too, seeming to try and close in on Egea itself. The party is horrified, and Misferri grits her teeth. She declares that there's no way they can maintain their attack on Decka like this! She says she'll pull back her troops so they can keep back the enemies.

Moota and crew are not happy, but they recognize that there's no other option. So like that, they're forced to halt the attack.

After this, there's free time, but the fields outside of Decka are threatening. Players should be careful.

Demi 9th
On this day, the soldiers of Egea can be seen trying to keep the foreign soldiers back, though the latter are pressing towards them, getting closer to the kingdom itself. Marsha troops are joined by Decka, and they combine to perform a hellish assault right upon their kingdom. The party's thusly met up at the throne room with the queen, Asalia with an uncertain look on her face. She says that Aunqiller's unfortunately played them for fools, and now they face what could be a losing war. Toni says that it can't end like this, and Moota says if they fall, Decka will be able to press on!

Asalia shuts her eyes, and sighs. She says that whatever happens, she fears their own fight is finished. She says that the lot of them have shown brilliant strength. Her own kingdom and her troops don't measure up, she feels. If the kingdom is lost, then the truth is that their party needs to survive. Moota says that they can't lose their home too, but Asalia says that nothing can be helped about it right now. She's already tried to explain the situation to them, but they determine it her merely lying. The best they can do is maintain a defense, but even that is ebbing away.

She says that she'll try to gather supplies, and soon, they'll have to race out. Misferri, however, says that she's not sure about where they could go. They're very remarkable people and will be left without an army. If Marsha won't strike them down, then surely Decka will follow after them and destroy them. Demiurge, however, speaks up. He says that he knows somewhere that they can go to to make sure the armies won't follow them. He warns that it's weird, but it'll probably help them to hide away and form a plan.

Night approaches, and the soldiers are getting worn down more and more. The many soldiers are pressing in and Egea's losing its edge. Meanwhile, over in the main street, Demiurge can be seen with many people climbing onto his back, the party especially. Demiurge remarks that it's getting heavier and heavier. Eventually, he manages to get many on him, though several others are still trying to climb up. Demiurge apologizes deeply, he says that he can't fit anymore. Asalia speaks up and says that disaster is coming to their kingdom. And should the soldiers fail their defensive, then they are all to do whatever they wish to survive. Even if it means to submit.

Demiurge thus spreads his wings, and lifts into the air, the many people of Egea screaming for him to stay down. Moota and Asalia look down in deep worry, only able to look on as they leave the kingdom. Meanwhile, the many soldiers are soon able to pour past the walls itself as Demiurge and crew are able to escape. Meanwhile, back at Decka, Aunqiller looks on as the war goes on, her gecko nearby. The gecko says that by morning, they'll have claimed Egea. With that, the bear says that they will devestate Marsha's forces. She thusly orders them to prepare an offensive on them, before marching to the valley itself.

The gecko asks if they wre to move the war machine out, to which Aunqiller explains that they shall wait until Marsha's stamped out of Egea. Once they are, it's time to bring out the weapon. The gecko says that she looks forwards to piloting it.

### Penultimate

Demiurge flies and flies, rushing over the water as night shines over them. He rushes and rushes, and the various people on his back lookover the sea, almost fearing that they're going nowhere. However, eventually an island amiliar to Demiurge comes into view. He comes in closer and closer, soon lowering down and stepping down on the shore of the island, where one can see the remnants of a long broken dock. Demiurge lowers his wings and lets everyone off, where he says there's a pretty lax civilization up ahead. He says that everyone should cover their kids' eyes before going in.

Moota asks what he's talking about, and Demiurge is about to say something, however, someone farther up clears their throat. They look ahead, and see a lithe skunk man in a tight body suit, a purple scarf flowing behind him. He says that he was sort of standing there for a while, hoped one of them would notice him. Demiurge asks who he is, to which he explains that he himself is one of the few in the Land of Joy that keeps up his fighting spirit. He calls himself **Donner**.

Asalia greets the skunk, and says that they've been driven away from their own kingdom. Demiurge brought them here to keep them safe. Donner says that Chief Exulta had foreseen the Dragon's re-arrival, and says that she's more than willing to accept newbies as long as they don't mean harm. He says that he'll lead them in, though remarks that it's not exactly like they'd lose their track without him. It's pretty much a straight shot. Either way, the refugees follows behind the skunk, and are lead into the Land of Joy proper.

They make it in, where a few of the people spy several naked citizens, unnerved. Asalia and Moota both seem concerned at the sights around them, and Donner says that he doesn't currently know the housing situation, but he's sure once Exulta gets in the spirit, she'll be able to help them out. For now, they'll probably have to sit around on the streets. Asalia says that whatever the situation, they can't stay here permanently. Donner asks if they're really considering going back to the Bronze Wave. He says that Exulta warns the end of the world is on them right now, and this island is their only means of riding out the Wave.

Moota says that that's precisely why they need to go back. There's no way they can let that maniac ruler win. Donner says that he himself isn't the guy to talk to about politics and whatnot, he's just saying what Exulta says. Either way, they'll have to relax on the street right now, and he'll go look for Exulta herself.

And thus, the group is left to relax on the street, Misferri drawing up a general map of the landscape around Egea while the party looks over it curious. They don't appear to be making a lot of good progress in the planning, and eventually the skunk returns. He answers that Exulta has fallen into an alcohol-induced slumber, so they'll unfortunately have to wait for the morning to converse with her. Those present groan in annoyance, but realize they'll have to sleep on the side of the street.

Demi 10th
The group wakes up again. Moota says that they're supposed to talk with this Exulta, and Asalia says that she'll hang back and try to organize the information they've gathered so far and prepare an offensive. Thus, the party proper heads in, going to the big temple. There, a few tough guys are seen before it, and let them forwards. They're led in, and Toni says that Demiurge seems to've met this Exulta before. He asks how she is. Demiurge grimaces and says that she's... different. Either way, they're led deeper in, up the stairs, and eventually to that big bedroom they saw previously.

Resting on the big pile of pillows is the kitsune herself, though currently dressed in a purple night gown. She greets the party, and says that she hasn't really had the time to whip up her more regal clothes. Either way, she welcomes them to the Land of Joy, and is sure they had a splendid time so far. Moota asks her how she knew about what's going on in the mainland. Exulta explains that she can see the future, and had foreseen the oncoming destruction. The party, sans Demiurge, is alarmed. Toni says that that kind of power would've been more than able to stop Aunqiller's move, to which Exulta supposes it could've, but says that she's seen many futures, and many of them lead to her rise. Even if this attack was stopped, she probably would've eventually plowed through them.

Misferri remarks that if she can see multiple futures, then surely she must see ones where Aunqiller is beaten. She admits she has, though they are very few and very far in between, those futures where the bronze wave is stopped in its tracks. Misferri says that either way, they should work for those better futures, yes? Exulta shrugs and says that if they want those other futures, that requires **a lot** of pieces to work together *just* right, far more than any one person to control, and with far too much chance for chaos. Right now, the best thing to do is to shrink in the corner rather than thrust herself on the enemy's blade.

Either way, she says there's plenty to do here, and plenty of people to do here. She remarks that she's meant this handsome young man, Donner- Demiurge, however, cuts her off. He says that they can't just hide. There's a monster out there bred to destroy, and robbed of her empathy. She might not have people out there she cares about, but he knows a lot of people, his friends know a lot of people, that will suffer. He says that if they hide, then everyone will keep on hurting, and nothing will change for the better.

Exulta takes pause at that, and sighs. She says that that's another thing, "better". For as long as history's stood, "better" was defined by the dominant. It was "better" to create those super soldiers. It was "better" to subjugate the enemies of Hosha. It was "better" to use the Dragon's powers to destroy and bully. Everyone on this planet has their own definition of "better", but every definition she's seen has led to pain and misery for those deemed "not better". Aunqiller might be the "not better" person here, but when she's gone, what then? There'll probably be another person claiming they're things are "better", claiming someone else is "not better", and things just repeat.

Even if the Dragon's powers are wiped away, the world is going to find something else to use. If they hadn't, the old Hosha wouldn't have been able to turn metal into killing thingies before Demiurge arrived. Like it or not, the world is a bunch of animals clawing for the top, trying to be "better" than everyone else. Stopping the Bronze Wave will merely delay it, and someone else is just goiong to end up seeing the end of the world. So, now that she sees it's so close, she says that it's time to just let nature take its course and strangle itself on the noose its tied itself.

The party is each stunned by her words. Exulta sighs and says that now they've put her in a drinking mood again. She says that after a few sakes, she's going to organize their housing. Her previous offer still stands, even the Donner thing. And then, she shoos them off, and the party is led out of her temple.

The group is outside, each unsettled by the stuff Exulta said. Moota, a little uncertain, says that they can't just listen to that fox. She says that they still can't let Aunqiller win. Toni then asks "then what?" The group is quiet still, and Demiurge is uncomfortable about their state. He tries to say they can't just listen to her. Exulta's all sorts of weird. Moota, however, says that she's just going to sleep on this.

Demi 11th
The next day comes, and Asalia tries to talk with the party about their plans, but the party, sans Demiurge, don't seem to have the strength to listen. The queen says that she's struggling to find a proper way of breaking past the enemy. She says that if they're to do something, they need everyone to work together if they're going to defeat her. Demiurge knows, but he says that everyone's in dower spirits since their talk with the kitsune. Asalia wonders what she talked about, to which Demiurge explains via cutaway.

Asalia mulls over that information, and furrows her brow. She says that that's a lot for her to just lay on them. Demiurge asks how he can go through it, to which Asalia asks what he means. He says that he needs to disprove it, but how'll he disprove future sight. Asalia says that truth is, she's probably right about a lot of the stuff she said. Demiurge's spirit drops, but the queen speaks up. She says that it's true there may be more peril in the future, but that doesn't mean it should end. Death is certain in every being, but everyone finds some way to continue living. Demiurge asks her what keeps her moving, to which she answers that she sincerely believes that Decka's brought out the worst in people, and she wants to get rid of its head so everyone can mellow out.

The brief talk with Asalia seems to perk Demiuge up, and he realizes what he's going to say. For now, though, he's tasked with communicating with the party to try and raise their spirits.

* Moota - Moota says that she knows she should, that she knows she should fight them off. But now she's just wondering what they're going to do if they even beat her. Demiurge says that looking too far ahead will make it harder to live in the moment. Moota asks how he can say that: he's divinity, he should be looking well in advance, shouldn't he? Demiurge says he really should be more mindnful of the future. That's why he's going to fight here, because the only way to a better future is if he takes out the Dragon heart. There will be more who'll try to hurt in the future, but that just means that they're going to be wiser for them. History will have to look back at this and realize what needs to not happen. Hearing that, Moota seems a little happier.
* Toni - Toni says that he's never had ambition. And now... He's not even sure why he got wrapped up in this war, to which Demiurge said he wanted to stop this mayhem too, yeah? He then says that his struggles here aren't going to be worth it later, to which Demiurge says that there'll be centuries ahead of now that'll be grateful because people like him wanted to make things better. Toni seems to perk up a little, and asks if he really thinks that. Demiurge answers that he knows it, that his efforts will be felt ages from now.
* Misferri - She says that she's supposed to be better than this, but right now she's not really sure. She's not sure if she's even going to beat Aunqiller, or even if it's going to lead to a better ending for their world. Demiurge answers that they won't know the answer to either if they don't try. Misferri says that Exulta knows, to which Demiurge says she's just a strange lady who gave up on everything because she has nothing to lose out there. People like them, however, do have things to lose, including a whole world that's crying for aid. Misferri pauses, though nods determined, saying that she understands.

With them perked up, Moota says that she's ready to continue with the plan. Demiurge says that that's great, and then says there's one more person he needs to talk to. Toni asks who, and the Dragon looks towards the temple itself.

Donner has led Demiurge back to Exulta's bedroom, her preparing a drink for herself. She asks how the squad is, and Demiurge brushes past the question, saying that he needs to talk to her specifically. The kitsune says she's got only a few drinks and a few drug pieces left, to which Demiurge says that he wanted to talk to her about her whole "giving up" thing. The leader is curious, and asks him what he means. Demiurge says that he'd spoken with a few guys, and he knows that they don't have to be as defeatist as she thinks everyone should be.

Exulta chuckles at this and leans back on the pillow pile. She says that she'd love to see what he could possibly mean. Demiurge explains thatlife isn't all about the end, that it's about what happens between. An ending is certain, but it's their actions that decide what happens and what's worthwhile throughout it. If he'd adopted her thinking, then this world wouldn't have existed. At that, Exulta asks if he's really happy with this world, to which Demiurge says "I have a lot of regrets" or "I will fix it". Either way, Exulta scoffs and says that his actions will just lead to another conqueror. This world's life cycle will be flushed with peril and danger because there'll be more people that want it.

Demiurge realizes that he's not going to be able to tackle this orginaryily. So, he decides to go about it at a different angle. He explains that he comes from a place where there are more people like him, going out into space to develop more worlds like this one, with multiple different lifestyles and different histories. He says that this has gone on for all of Dragon history, for thousands of years. He asks her if she knows why they do it. Exulta is curious, and asks her why. Demiurge explains that they do it because Dragons find life, especially mortal life, fascinating. Mortals are functionally different from Dragons, and thus have a very different way of living.

Even if worlds end, he's heard many Dragons talk about how fascinating the journey has been for lifeforms. They didn't always look at the end, because the end was always the end for everything. They always saw the greatness of individuals behaving, and so the world keeps on. Hearing all of that, Exulta is actually stunned. She looks over her drink curious, and Demiurge supposes that she must believe that too. That's why instead of disappearing herself, she's living her life as best she could. Demiurge says that right now, he and his friends want to make sure the rest of the world can live like that too. And right now, Aunqiller is stopping that.

Exulta furrows her brow at the drink, and sighs and sets it down. She stands upright, and says that she'll gather her battle gear. Demiurge is surprised at that, and asks if she's serious. Exulta says that he's talked her into it, and now he has to deal with her. She says he better hope she doesn't get on his nerves. Speaking of, she's going to get her bedfellow ready for combat too. Donner is stunned at that, and begins following her away.

Night's beginning to dawn down and Demiurge is back with the group, telling them that Exulta's changed her mind. Toni asks how he did that, to which he explains that he did some soul diving. Now, they're going to have a future seer to help them beat Aunqiller. Moota says that he did something truly amazing, and thanks him for his work. She's sure this'll be helpful in the upcoming fight.

More time passes, and eventually Exulta herself steps out, dressed in her tight purple dress with her wrap hovering behind her shoulders. She tells the group that she's now their funny new roommate. Alongside her is the skunk guy from before, and she says that they're joined by mister silent but deadly himself, Donner. The skunk asks that she not refer to him as such, but still, says that he's here to help them out. Moota says that she's thankful for any effort they can all provide. She says that she wants to know what Aunqiller is doing, to which the kitsune says that she'll have to do a ritual to see something that specific. She suggests that the group rest up, they may have to wait for the morning.

Demiurge thanks her for her work, to which she says it's nothing. So, the party rests up.

Demi 12th
The next day comes, and the group arrives before Asalia, Exulta herself coming close. Exulta says that she's divined a view of the land away, and says that things are going as well as a hangover. The Bronze Wave brought a weapon on wheels out of the kingdom that'd held them back, and is forcing its way to the valley north of it. Misferri says that that must be the war machine accounted for, and it sounds like they're targeting Marsha. Asalia says that if they take too long, one more kingdom will be felled and claimed by Aunqiller.

Moota then asks what they should do, to which Demiurge says they have to stop it. They need to reach that war machine and make sure it never hurts anyone again, first and foremost. Toni brings up that the people around probably don't distrust them anymore now that Aunqiller is on the attack, so they should probably win back their support once they fell it. The Dragon asks Exulta if that's possible, to which she replies she's seen it possible to defeat the machine, though warns that it will be exceedingly difficult.

Either way, Moota says that they've got their mission. Asalia says that she and the people of Egea will wait here, and they will offer them whatever weaponry, armory, or whatever else if they need it. Exulta says that her stuf is also available, and that she and Donner are dressed to kick butt. Either way, the party now has a mission.

Demi 12th - Demi 18th
The party flies off the island, makes their way near Egea. When they get close, they can see it is flying the flag of Decka, and Moota, though reluctantly, says they'll have to ignore it. Their destination is towards the valley. They go there, and can see several soldiers on the field, some of Marsha some of Decka. And from afar, they can see a steely monster working its way through the army, sending bolts of amplified magic out to wear down on their forces. Misferri says that an aerial appraoch could prove fatal for them with its firepower, they'll have to approach it on foot.

Exulta says that they're gonna have to be careful if they wanna get back in time to party. Lots of enemies they'll have to tear through, and lots of forces that can tear through them. Toni looks around and asks where the other guy is. Then, a puff of smoke blinds them, revealing Donner. He says that he was able to get a reading of the general layout and enemies. He thinks he's ascertained as safe a route as possible through the enemies and to the war machine. Exulta says that he'll be getting a real good reward later, before saying that Demiurge is on point, she supposes.

With that, players are tasked with progressing forwards, through the enemies. And in the process, players can learn about Exulta and Donner as party members. Exulta is primarily a magic damage dealer, using Cosmic magic to deal the respective damage, complete with a Summon spell that can deal cosmic damage multiple times, and an ability that can nullify an oncoming attack, and she uses her wrap to deal Slash damage. Donner is an agile character with access to Wind magic, the Smell ailment, and utilizes martial arts to deal Smash damage. THey prove to be quite helpful as players make their way through the fields and towards the edge of the valley, having to contend with many dangerous Decka soldiers.

The process proves quite dangerous, especially given the fact that some midbosses in this area even Block physical attacks. However, as long as players utilize their magic well, they'll be able to overwhelm the foes. They work and work, and eventually they make their way close to the edge of the valley, the kingdom of Marsha poised up there such that the rear was unapproachable while all of the defenses could be poured into the front. However, the War Machine is there to wear down on their forces, and the party realizes they need to act fast. Moota asks Exulta how dangerous it is, to which the kitsune says that they're going to get their asses kicked. However, she thinks she sees flaws in the machine, and if they follow her instructions, they can beat it.

Once the party's ready, they progress, approaching the machine. From afar, Moota sends a blast of light, Toni hurls chunks of earth at it, and Missferi fires a bolt of electricity at it. The machine reacted to the damage and turned, spying the party. Then, a voice within speaks, saying that the lot of them are supposed to be dead. Donner says that the Dragon was quite determined to stop this. The voice within the War Machine speaks again, saying that it matters not, ont while they have this weapon in hand. Even the Dragon cannot withstand its amplified magic blasts!

However, Demiurge's eyes widen, and hee says that that voice sounds familiar. Toni remarks that he's right. It sounds like one of those voices on the audio players in Hosha. The voice inside the machine remarks that she wondered who'd torn those down. Moota then addresses her as **Doctor Kresha**, saying that she's part of what made Aunqiller. The gecko within laughs and remarks that she stood upon giants, and now sees the way to greatness. The mightiest weapon the world has seen is on her side. Misferri asks if she seriously thinks that she's in control, to which the voice within says that Aunqiller is merely sweeping up the less desirable so that they can rule all.

Demiurge remarks that she's part of the problem. That she's helped hurt the world like this. Kresha declares that the world wouldn't be like this if everyone didn't fight back. Now they'll witness the overwhelming strength of the First Kingdom! The War Machine's weaponry turns towards the party, and Toni asks Exulta what they're going to do. Exulta answers that that thing's insides take in magical energy, utilize a sequence of stones to reflect the magic, before belching it out in greater frequency. Long story short, they'll likely handle at most one, maybe two, blasts. Moota asks then what they're to do, to which she says that she sees the parts of the machinery aren't reinforced against all the elements. If they can fire the right magics at the right parts at the right time, they can interrupt its charge and wail on it.

With that, players are prompted to battle the **War Machine**. The weapon bears powerful defenses, making it hard to do much damage to it, while its agility is low, practically guarenteeing it'll act last. In addition, it fires dangerous minor magics at it, the likes of which don't need to be charged. Eventually it'll use the skill **Genocide Bomb**, at which it'll charge up an attack for two turns. When it initiates, Exulta warns that one of those dangerous attacks are coming, and at this point, multiple parts of the tank will be targetable, and players will be prompted to attack certain parts with certain elements. If players don't react fast enough, it'll fire off a Pure blast that'll deal Sever damage to everyone. If players do it accordingly, they'll cause it to freeze up, lowering its defesnes and leaving it a sitting duck for a fair few attacks.

After its health gets lower, Kresha bellows out that her machine should be inpenetrable! She declares then bellows to the soldiers, saying if the War Machine falls here, Aunqiller will deal unto them a fate worse than death! At this, Decka soldiers will frequently appear to assist it, some even having a skill that lets them block an attack for the War Machine. At this point, players are encouraged to either Knock Down the soldiers so they can actually strike the tank when it's charging, or to use ailments to either disoreint them, or to use Donner's Smell to scare them away. After enough work, the War Machine's health drops.

The machine creeks to a halt, the treads of it snapping while the main cannon falls apart. Kresha can be heard fiddling with the controls as she demands the machine works. Moota declares that she's lost and that all she can do is come out and face imprisonment! Kresha tells her to shut up, and that once her beautiful machine is running again, she'll destroy them! Moota glances towards Demiurge, who says that they can't let this machine stand. So, he goes up to the out of commission creation, and begins pushing it, it dragging through the soil. Kresha asks what he's doing.

Demiurge pushes the machine closer and closer to the edge of the valley, though the gecko isn't aware. She keeps fiddling with the controls, and eventually he brings it to the edge. Then, with one final huff, he bumps it off the edge, and sends it hurtling into the valley. Kresha can be heard screaming as the deadly machine enters freefall, going... going... going... A loud crash echoes out from below, solidiying its defeat. The many Decka soldiers realize the defeat of their deadliest weapon, and are suddenly less confident. With that, the Marshan troops are able to push back the soldiers and force them back to Decka! The day is saved, and Decka's dangerous weapon is no more!

After clearing the army, the people of Marsha are thankful for their aid. The peacock they'd previously fought in particular is there to greet them, saying that he's sorry for their attack. He's willing to offer them housing in this trying time, as well as equipment. Moota says she's grateful for that, but says that they'll be sure to utilize their equipment however they can. For now, though, they need to prepare for an assault on Decka while their machinery is weakened. The peacock says that he'll try and organize people to help in the fight.

The party starts to leave, and Exulta remarks that she's hearing a lot of names get tossed around that she doesn't really know. Moota says that she'll be sure to review it later. For now, however, they need to make sure they're ready for the final fight. First, they'll need to recover Egea and save the people within. Then, they'll need to tackle Decka itself. Exulta says that she's sure Donner would can get a read of the situation. The skunk supposes he can, though it may take him a little. Exulta tells him to take all the time he needs. For now, she has her cushy island to go back to.

Moota supposes that they've done about all they can for now. In the meantime, they should make sure that they and their armies are prepared for whatever comes.

After this, players have freetime to do whatever they wish.

Demi 19th
The party wakes up on their island yet again, stepping out. Asalia is grateful about the recent news. Moota says she's just happy they got through this alive. Though, she understands they still have a lot of work to do. She says that Marsha's organizing communication and the others should be preparing an attack sometime soon. For now, though, they're going to make sure they take back their home. She tells Demiurge that once they push the enemy back, they are going to end this nightmare.

### Finale

The day is up, and with it, Asalia says that she's preparing her forces to reclaim the kingdom. For now, they should each get ready for the assault. Which means, free time.

Demi 19th - Demi 22nd
With this, players are able to do as they wish, hanging out with party members, gathering supplies, rinding levels, and so on and so forth.

The night of Demi 22nd comes, and Missferi tells the group that the soldiers are preparing for an offensive tomorrow. She says that Donner's done them a good surface examining the many soldiers. Doner says that he did an ok job. Toni remarks that after everything, they're finally going to get an edge in this fight. Soon, they'll be able to destroy Aunqiller. Moota says that their nightmare is nearing its end. She turns to Demiurge, and says they couldn't have done this without him. The Dragon says that it's the least that they could do.

Either way, tomorrow it's time to go out.

Demi 23rd
The day comes, and Demiurge, the party, and several soldiers are near the shore. The soldiers say that they're ready to battle, and Moota says that they'll have to be careful, they can't afford to lose too many people anymore. The soldiers nod, and everyone groups onto Demiurge. Exulta turns to Donner, as if expecting him to say something, though he shies away. She tells everyone to mind Donner's findings when they approach, those'll be the best chance to catch the enemies off guard while the capable crew swings in to finish them off.

With that, Demiurge spreads his wings, and flies upwards, heading off the island.

The players approach the field of Egea, looking on as the castle remains filled by the forces of evil. Misferri says that she'll direct her soldiers accordingly, and meet up with the group at the rendezvous point. Donner says he'll be providing support from the shadows. Lotta, Toni, and Exulta say that they'll go on the offensive. With that, Demiurge touches down, and the group splits up. Demiurge and the other three stand alone, looking on the kingdom. Exulta looks over it, and shrugs, saying it doesn't really seem like a party place. Moota, meanwhile, can only imagine what her people are feeling, to which Toni says they're probably hadling themselves well thanks to Asalia's words. Moota tells him she hopes so.

Either way, now's the time to go in, and face the enemies head on. With that, they approached the front gates, spying new cannons positioned on top of it. The group remains careful as they approach, intent on avoiding the sight of the cannonades.

...

The party enters, and as soon as they do, several Decka troops are crowding forward, rushing into the square to confront them. Thankfully, there are no villagers out in front. Seeing the group come in, Moota tells the party that they'll need to hold out long enough for their allies to give the enemies the Bullhorn attack. With that, players are thrust into a battle. Players find themselves needing to last several turns against enemies, or defeat enough enemies. Decka soldiers fill in empty spots the turn after enemies are felled, the four of them wearing down each foe.

After defeating several foes, the many soldiers take pause as they hear another part of the kingdom. Looking towards it, they can see that they've been blitzed by several Egea soldiers. High ranking soldiers orders the cannonades to fire on them. However, there's a pause. They turn, and see several soldiers that would've aimed the cannons lay knocked out. They're confused, and in a puff of smoke, a familiar skunk appears by the party, saying that he took out the enemies' dangerous weapons. Exulta tells him he did splendid!

Now, Misferri herself is able to meet up with the group, them able to break away from the main conflict to reconvene. Misferri says that their soldiers are able to keep the enemies at a standstill right now, and says that if they act fast, they can take the fight! With that, players are prompted to go to various parts of the city, intent on battling enemies so that the Egea soldiers can claim more ground. Eventually, however, the super soldiers are unveiled, these ones bearing a feature similar to the previous boss in that they revive themselves with electricity. These supers prove to be tough, but with enough planning, the heroes should be able to defeat them.

It takes a lot of work, but soon the Decka soldiers are forced to flee Egea and go in the direction of the conqueror's castle. With Egea back under their control, the party pants and pants, before breathing a sigh of relief. Meanwhile, the many people of Egea come out from the buildings and alleys, as if confused about the enemy forces disappearing. And when they realize they're gone, there are cheers in the kingdom. The party is there to accept the praise, and sit down, breathing a sigh of relief. Exulta looks up, and remarks that the sun is starting to rise again. Indeed, it seemed that this fight for Egea had taken them all night.

Demi 24th
Moota says that it wouldn't be proper, but she could really go for a sleeping spell. Those except for Exulta, Misferri, Moota, and Demiurge begin to head over to the castle. Meanwhile, Demiurge tells Moota that he can deal with the crowd. The ferret tells him that she'd hate to put more work on him, but the Dragon says that he's had to get more responsible for a long time now. Misferri is willing to bring the princess back. Exulta tells Demiurge that everyone's pretty tired, but she herself is a bit of a nightowl. She's sure she can talk to them, to which Demiurge says that she might be a bit too much an animal for these guys. She shrugs and heads off to the castle herself.

The crowd gathers around Demiurge, looking up at him curious. The Dragon looks over them, as if suddenly realizing what he just agreed to. He takes a few deep breaths, and greets the many people, saying that plenty has happened as of late. The royals have been away, but now they're getting the strength to actually push back these guys, as they probably saw. And now, well, Egea is gotten. One of the crowd asks if the Decka are going to come back. Demiurge says there's no doubt they'll try and attack again, but they'll have a much harder time with it. They won't be able to pull the trick from before, and they lack their deadliest weapon.

He says that the lot of them are preparing to defeat Aunqiller once and for all. Marsha's mobilizing and getting ready to attack alongside others. He assures that they're safe, and the crowd's spirits seem raised. Demiurge himself feels tired, and he decides to make his way to the palace too while these guys are enjoying the return of their rulers. Demiurge, meanwhile, collapses on one of the castle's furnitures.

Demi 25th
After a day of resting, the dragon's flown off to the Land of Joy. Many of those that came here in the first place want to go back, though a few (some npcs that offered sidequests in the past) prefer to stay. Demiurge flies back, and has Asalia brought to Egea. Asalia has been brought up to speed on the situation, and she says that she's grateful to the party for everything they've done. Donner says it's the least they could do, Toni saying he's just glad they knocked that maniac down a peg. Moota says that they've yet to be told to mobilize, to which she says their best bet is to make sure everyone's prepared for the oncoming fight.

She tells them all to rest now, and to stay alert for the oncoming fight.

Demi 26th - Demi 28th
And thus, more free time is allowed in the now snowier landscape.

Demi 29th
On this day, the many soldiers have decided to head out. The party is included in this, and are mobilizing. As they do, each party member is feeling a sort of elation. This fight is going to be the beginning of the end, and this is what's going to make sure they can work towards fixing everything that's happene so far. Exulta, meanwhile, is moreso excited to see whatever celebration this fight is going to net them. The party heads out and towards Decka.

Down there, they see several soldiers at work already. They're fighting and fighting, pressing back the Decka forces and intent on getting near the castle. Egea forces are dealing with the super soldiers while the party themselves are just arriving. They're ready to head in to attack, though pause as a loud gong echoes out through the battlefield. Everyone looks up to the source, spying a long platform extending from the castle, upon it the hulking figure of Aunqiller herself. She walks across the platform, and gets to a device at the end that amplifies the speaker's voice.

She addresses them, saying that they are bold to raise arms like this, though there's a fine line between bravery and stupidity. She says that in challenging her directly, they only face a losing battle. Thus, she warns them that if they return to the kingdoms they came from, they merely have to worry about a fight for the future. If they pesist in their fight, they will die. At that, the Decka soldiers pull away, clearly uncertain about what she's talking about. The other soldiers, however, press on, not minding her threat. At that, Aunqiller focuses her magic, and a bright glow emanates form her chestplate.

Demiurge recognizes the light, and is concerned. The light in her chest rose up to her throat. She glares down towards a patch of soldiers, renched her jaws wide open, and bellows out a beam of Pure magic, it slamming the ground with enough force to produce a decently powerful earthquake, toppling the many soldiers and causing a few nearby hills to fall apart. Those at the point of impact, meanwhile, where instantly vaporized. And then, the beam started to sweep across, the soldiers in its path afforded only a split second to watch the magic come straight towards them.

Few were able to get up and flee away while the rest were atomized, left with not a trace except for the blackened soil that used to be the ground they fought upon. The beam sweeped away more and more, until all of the soldiers that were upon the battlefield were either dead or fled. Then, the beam petered out, leaving behind a battlefield painted in the blackness of destruction. The Decka soldiers, meanwhile, were stunned at the display of power. All of the soldiers present were shocked for that matter. Everyone looked up at the mighty conqueror.

She leans into the amplifier device, and says that all of their days are numbered. With that, she stepped away and back into her castle, everyone mortified at just what this foe is capable of.

That night, all of the armies had retreated from the battlefield, and people in Egea are scared. Several of the soldiers remark that she's singlehandedly stronger than multiple armies. How are they to stop her?! Misferri is uncertain as well, though eventually says that they need to do this in a way to avoid her knowledge. Though for that, they'll have to get around the enemy soldiers without engaging them. At that, Exulta says that Donner would probably have to find a way through, to which the skunk nervously answers that he probably can.

To that, Moota says that there's still the interior to worry about. They probably won't have to worry about her blasting her own kingdom with that kind of magic. But even then, if they are to approach her herself, they'll probably have to prepare for that. TO that, Toni says that they probably have the documents for her armor somewhere. Those documents earlier mentioned that being used to hold the heart, which is probably the source of that attack. Misferri says that they'll have to look through her archives with a fine-toothed comb.

Demiurge says that a normal assault isn't going to do them any favors here. They're going to be smart about this, and they'll have to do anything they can to weaken her defenses and allow the others to come in to defeat her. Moota says that this'll be their toughest fight yet.

With that, night comes, the party rests, and Donner heads out, stealthing through the field to try and ascertain anything he can out of the field.

Demi 30th - Jaunus 10th
The next morning comes, and Donner tells the party he's gathered an entry route. They'll have to be swift however, there are some tough guards out there. Misferri says that that's fine, and that they'll be swift as they deal with them.

With that, the group makes their way out, carefully maneuvering around the field to get to the kingdom itself, needing to get around to its eastern edge, looking for a sewer pipe with an artifical river leading to the ocean. And of course, there stands guards. Tough-looking guards. Seeing them, Donner says that he wasn't able to get past these guys, but he's sure the group will be able to take them down. With that, players are given the chance to fight the **Sewer Guards**, who prove not to be too terribly tough compared to what players have encountered thus far.

With them down, Misferri warns that they're going into uncharted territory now. She tells the party to be careful as they progress.

The pary is thus required to make their way through the annals of the kingdom. Due to Demiurge's size, they'll have to find an opening big enough to go through. Meanwhile, there are many soldiers within here that are keeping watch. The various party members have to be careful as they progress. And eventually, after enough maneuvering, the group finds a slope upwards, sunlight shining down from it. Toni says that, based on the overall structure and their maneuvering, this way will lead them into the main city. He says that they'll probably have to deal with worse numbers up there.

The group make it up, and out in a section of the kingdom filled with garbage. There also stands a wall of iron bars with a locked door, cutting them off from the rest of the city. However, the party is free to either defeat the guards by the door for their key, or to fly over it. They look out, and Demiurge takes a moment to look over the strange realm. He remembered it looking fairly humble before, but now its many buildings stretch as high as mountains, and each buildings bears Draconic Imagery on them. Misferri prompts him that they should observe later.

The group heads out and makes it away from the dump. They find that the many roads around the buildings are quite thin, creating a sort of maze-like effect to this setting. Made worse by the guards around, making it so much harder to go around. Demiurge finds he can't fly because of how thin the walls are. The party is forced to go towards the main road, where they find several citizens there trying to make money of their own, though they can be seen being forced to give a significant portion of their earnings to guards nearby, who're constantly monitoring the market. Worse still, in the center of the main road, the party is horrified to see a statue of Aunqiller herself, it decorated in the hands of dozens upon dozens citizens. The statue boasts the plaque "Monument of Thieves".

The party is weary about getting anywhere near, there being a bunch of guards in the center. There are, however, citizens around the alley, sat down and wearing clothing akin to potato sacks. Moota says they've been able to get a fair few details about the city. From the little bits they got, they learned that the many people here were expected to be totally subservient and reverant of Aunqiller. Those that feared were apparently struck by a guards' whip. The citizens near say that things have only gotten worse since the Dragon appeared.

Since he flew over and rejected her, there were a few members of the city that chose to praise him as the proper ruler, the proper divinity, not Aunqiller. And seeing that, the bear thought them all ungrateful. All that supported them would be executed, and now, those that failed payment for a week would be deemed thieves and stripped of their thieving hands. The party is disgusted at these words, and the citizen says that death could come from anywhere. She makes sure that they know they are all mere slabs of meat to her. Especially with those that practice Demiurge-ism. They are... special victims. Demiurge asks what they mean, to which the citizen says that they pray he doesn't learn.

Either way, the goal is the castle. Though Misferri looks towards the walls containing the city, and spies something alarming. Up above, there are those audio devices that were placed in Egea a while ago. Misferri wonders if that could possibly mean... Moota decides that if there's even the chance that something like *that* could happen, then they need to stop those things asap. Toni points out that if they just fly up to the walls, then they'll likely alert all of the guards and get them to play that horrible noise. Moota says that in that case, they'll need to make their way onto the walls from the castle.

With that, the party heads towards the edge of the kingdom, approaching the tall castle. Though as they come closer, they see that the courtyard before it boasts the plaque **Garden of Heresy**. And there in the garden... They see, behind the hedges, only slightly obscured by the foliage, numerous crucifixes. And on them are various citizens. Donner gulps nervously, and asks if this is what those citizens from before meant about what happened to thsoe that practiced Demiurge-ism. Demiurge looks on, feeling disgusted. Had she really done this because they believed in him? Moota says that she will be made to pay for everyone harmed under her rule.

With that, the party is prompted to get past the gate and make their way into the castle proper, using Demiurge's wings to go over it and race to the entrance.

They make it to the castle, and thusly are prompted to race up its halls. This involves battling even more soldiers within. Among said soldiers also include soldiers empowered by the Draconic blood. Eventually, they make it up to a level equal to the walls, and before moving further, Moota tells them that now's their chance to get rid of those noise devices. With that, players are thus prompted to go about the process they'd gone through before with Egea, going around the upper walls to get to the various nonise devices, needing to take care of clusters of enemies along the way. Along the way, Misferri notes the weapons lining the wall, and says they should take out their cannons and ballista. With those out of the way, they'll be able to make it in the air unobstructed.

The process proves long, but eventually they're able to overwhelm the various soldiers, get at each sound player, and destroy them. Toni remarks that the city will probably be a little safer now, and Misferri says that they can now press on. She then looks up to the balcony extending from Aunqiller's throne, and says they can probably head up there right now. Demiurge, however, says that they can't go just yet. There were people contained here, they were going to be made into soldiers. He looks over the castle, and spies some metal hastily plastered over a hole in the castle. He says that those people were up there. With that, the party's now tasked with going into the castle and heading up to the prison level.

The party races in and makes their way through the innards and up to the level specified. This means more and more soldiers, until eventually they make it to the hall with the damaged wall. And investigating further, they uncover the room with the many prison cells and people within. And unfortunately, there are more enemies within, from soldiers to scientists. Demiurge says that after they release these guys, they're going to make sure Aunqiller can't do this to anyone else. With that, players are thrust into a battle with the **Prison Horde**. It's not a hard fight, and soon enough, players will be able to fell each of them.

With this horde of enemies down, the party goes about the process of dismantling each lock, allowing each prisoner free. And at this, Moota says that it'll be a little hard to have these guys back in Egea. She's sure many of her subjects will be antsy about allowing more refugees after the last incident, and they probably won't be very welcome in Decka. Exulta, however, raises a hand, and says her place should be just right. With that, Demiurge says they should use this time to bring everyone out and over there. And this will cost players a day.

The night the prisoners are brought back, the many prisoners are brought to the Land of Joy. Toni remarks that those guys were really out of it on their way over. Demiurge remarks that there are plenty of abnormals on this island. Donner says that the many prisoners will have to spend some time getting used to this Land's flavor, but he's sure with enough time, they'll acclimate. Demiurge sighs and says that he's feeling a little tired now. Moota remarks that they had gogne through a fair bit right now. She says that their victory is within reach, and if they're going to win, then they must be at their strongest. So, she warns the group to be as ready as possible for the final battle.

The next day comes, and now, with as much done to Decka as possible, the group has one last objective: to confront Aunqiller. Demiurge is able to fly up to the balcony The party thus heads on over, and stands before the doors to the throneroom. Moota warns that when they go through here, there is no turning back. They're going to battle a monster empowered by a divine heart. She warns that they should only go in if he's absolutely certain that they can win this fight. Eventually, the player decides to go in, and thus enters.

The party enters the throneroom, said room brandishing a rug done up in a style similar to what Pure magic looks like. There also stands a brilliant throne with a mural behind it, showing various mortals growing out of what looks to be the remains of a Dragon. And sitting on the throne was the divinity herself, Aunqiller. The bear glares down on the party, remarking that they stand in the presence of destruction. Moota says that after everything she's done, it's time for her to pay for her crimes. Toni says that all of her pain and misery will be answered for.

Aunqiller says that she more than anyone knows about pain and misery. She was grown in it, fostered, until she became what she is today. She says that she was bred to claim the world, so why do they stand before them? Misferri says that it's true, no one should go through what she ended up going through. However, that doesn't mean that the people of this world deserve to suffer for her! Exulta tells her that she's been a real bummer, and that she just wants to go back to drinking and sleeping around. Hell, a lot of people just want to do that, but they can't because people like her are making things even more miserable. Donner tells her that as scary as she is, he trusts everyone here to stand up to her.

The bear grimaces and stands, taking up her weapon and stepping forwards. She turns to Demiurge, saying that he's raised this world, that he fostered this future. And now he stands in opposition to it. Demiurge says he never wanted something this awful to happen, though she says that it did, and now they've had to live with it. But now she stands ready to accomplish the goal set centuries ago. She and she alone will accomplish that vision, and anyone else will just try and create something as powerful as her. Demiurge declares that he'll make sure nothing like her happens again.

With that, she draws her massive sword, and players are forced into a battle with **Aunqiller**. This fight proves to be quite tricky. Aunqiller wields the power to lower everyone's stats, and highly powerful moves, from the ability to use Summoning magic, to powerful Pure magic, to exceptionally dangerous Slash skills. She uses Pure magic later in the battle, and also later in the fight, she starts using reflection magic to essentially force players to damage themselves in order to attack her, or to use a different attack type. After enough damage, however, she's taken down.

She gasps in pain and starts to fall to her knees, using her sword to prop herself up. The party themselves, meanwhile, look pretty tired themselves, however they each seem happy, albeit weary, with Aunqiller's state. The bear punches the ground in frustration, shouting that she can't lose. She's the most powerful creature on this planet, she's the one that's supposed to control this world. Demiurge says that it's over. She is a relic of an old mistake of his, and now it's time for it to all end. Aunqiller demands he shut up, that she refuses to let her life be thrown away just because of some holier than tho weakling. She climbs up to her feet, and tells them all that they are going to die.

With that, she taps a few buttons on her wrist, and her armor hisses. The chestplate opens up, and everyone's disgustd to see the pumping, Draconian heart, tubes hooked up from it and running through the interior of the armor. Aunqiller flashes a cruel smile and electricity builds in her palm. Demiurge reaches forwards and tells her to stop, only for her to deathgrip the heart planted in the armor. With that, it drums extremely loudly, the sound reverberating around the walls as tubes around the heart suddenly light up even brighter. And at that, Aunqiller pants and pants, her body writhing as the organ pumps at unnatural speeds.

The blood from it runs through her at intense speeds and she hunches over. The party can only watch as her body pumps up. Her muscles grow, her eyes bulge out, and her veins are popping. She pumps up to the point that plates of her armor pop off of her, her growing a good three feet. She bears a wide, pained grin as she glares at each of them. Moota looks on in horror, and says that she's even stronger than before! Exulta assures that she will indeed kick their butts. Misferri tells them all it's too late to back out now, it's do or die! Demiurge stands upright, and tells Aunqiller that he's going to silence that accursed heart!

With that, players are forced into one last fight, battling **Pure Aunqiller**. She wields far greater stats now, and can even drain Electricity. Worse still, she utilizes more Pure magic than before, thus forcing allies to use either buffs or debuffs instead of relying on elemental affinities. Worse still is that she even has access to Charge and Concentrate, meaning that she can make her next attack deal obscene damage. It's as tough as tough can get, but smart players should be able to keep up healing and lower the overall damage. With enough work, Pure Aunqiller is finally beaten.

The next scene plays, showing the throneroom torn up in their fight. Numerous cracks are around the interior, and the room seems to be wriggling precariously. The party keeps on fighting, though notice that the room is going to collapse. Seeing this, Demiurge tells the party that he's going to finish this, and asks them to give him an opening. With that, the party follows suit. Misferri rushes forwards and shoots at the foe's heart, causing her to wince. Moota leaps up and swings her sword down on an arm to keep it disoriented. Exulta uses her wrap to ensnare the other and pull it back, Toni and Donner joining her to hold the wrap back. And as her arms are spread, Demiurge rushes in, and reaches into the cavity in the chestplate. There, he manages to wrap his claw around the Draconic heart, and pulls back, tugging the tubes.

Aunqiller shouts in pain at the pull, but the Dragon pulls harder and harder. Then, with a sharp pull, the tubes snap and the heart is severed from the armor. Then, he leaps off of her, and magic can be seen going from his core up his throat. Seeing the attack, the party races away while Aunqiller's feeling the lifeblood she's relied on start to run out. Demiurge, however, fires a powerful Pure beam upon her, hitting her with enough force to cause the ground beneath her to crumble. It falls apart and she falls down, her increased mass causing the rooms beneath to fall apart beneath her. The room is shattering, and the party thus races out. The throneroom is crumbling in on itself, and the balcony outside is falling out. The party leaps on Demiurge's back, and he flaps his wings and flies away. They each look back, and watch as a majority of a castle they were just in is collapsing, and each of them now at the very bottom of the rubble is definitely Aunqiller.

After everything, each party member is sure that Aunqiller is finally fallen.

Following this, players have freetime. Meanwhile, Asalia lets the party knows that she'll be seeing to the refugees and finally subduing any military tension with Decka. She also tells them that she's so glad to've met every one of them, and that every one of them chose to fight for righteousness. She swears to welcome each and every one of them.

Jaunus 11th
On this day, Moota is setting up a feast at Egea, at which the goods are being transfered to the many people. Asalia tells the party (sans Moota and Misferri, who're busy with the feast) that her kingdom has everything being set up with the feast. She tells the party that they should prepare themselves for the nicest night in a long time. Kingdoms from around the world are going to join together to look forwards to a world without Decka's influence. Toni sighs and is excited to see a less scary world. Exulta says she's just ready to kick back and relax for a night finally. It's been a couple months, and she just hates fighting. She's lucky Donner was there to massage her troubles away.

Demiurge nods and flutters his eyelids, before giving a yawn. Toni asks if he's alright, remarking that he's been getting sleepier as of recently. Demiurge swears that he is, it's not like he has to fight again. He then asks what's going on with Decka anyways. Asalia says that much of the soldiers have fled, though many of the kingdoms are keeping an eye out for them to make sure they don't try anything. Meanwhile, the civilians are being split between Egea and the Land of Joy, as well as any other kingdom willing to take them. Toni then says that his governors have been trying to get the material Decka stole, though they aren't getting much of them thanks to other kingdoms claiming them.

Demiurge remarks that that sounds nice. He thinks he's going to just laze about for a little while until the feast comes. Asalia says that she'll be willing to give him free reign on any commodities their kingdom offers, though Demiurge says he'll be fine anyways. With that, the Dragon exits the castle and heads out into the square. Now, it seems only specks of blood remain in the streets, though much of the damage they've gotten is gone. Meanwhile, there's an overall more calm air in the environment, with many of the Egeans enjoying their time together and looking forwards to the feast. Said feast can be seen as long, lavish tables being set up in the square while braziers with flags hanging from them are being set up.

As Demiurge looks over the commodities, he senses a presence. He turns, and can see a certain light coming down a far ways away. He recognizes that light as one person and one person alone, and thus spreads his wings and flies away. He goes off to the distance, way in the middle of the field, and sees Sophia herself, standing there. He approaches, and she says that he's done well. Spirits are far greater now than when he last woke up. Demiurge is grateful, though says that he has to ask something of her real quick. He reaches into his pack, and pulls out the Draconic heart Aunqiller had acquired. He says that this thing caused a lot of danger, and he needs to make sure it can't be used again.

Sophia looks over it, and says that that is a hard task for anyone. Only the force of the destruction of a world can destroy any part of a Dragon past regeneration. Clearly Demiurge has yet to be comfortable with that power, but she herself has more than mastered that. She thus takes the desecrated heart between her hands, and Pure magic flows through her, coming from her core to her claws. The Pure magic enwraps the heart, and sparks fly as the organ seems to fight back against the magic. However, with enough work, she's able to vaporize the organ, rendering it to mere vapor. Demiurge can't help but gulp nervously as he sees it destroyed. He thanks her, and she assures that it's no problem, though he should get used to something like that in his own time. Speaking of which, there's something she needs to talk to him about.

She says that Dragons his age aren't used to dealing with this much stress at a time. Their bodies tend to quiver and ache, until they collapse. Demiurge's eyes widen, and he asks if she means what he thinks she means. She says that it's only a theory for now, but she asks him if he's been feeling tired as of late. Demiurge admits that he has, to which she says that he's hurting, and getting close to resting yet again. The bronze Dragon asks if he's going to sleep again, to which she says that he can fight it as much as he can, but eventually he'll likely fall asleep all his own. She says that if he wills it, he can enter a 500 year sleep all over again.

Demiurge says that he's gone through so much and starts to tear up, though Sophia tells him that this is just the cycle of a Dragon. In a few centuries time, he'll eventually not even need to sleep as long. But for now, he just needs to rest. He's been through a lot. Demiurge sighs and says that she's right. Sophia says that his people's feast is approaching, and that that's a good time for him to say his goodbyes to the people he cares about. And, for his sake, she'll make sure to bring him somewhere no one will take anything from his body. Demiurge thanks her for that. Thus, he turns to Egea, and flies off.

With this, evening has fallen, and the main street of Egea is a light with excitement. Many tables have been set about there with all sorts of fancy meals. And, of course, the many party members can be seen partaking in the festivities. And Demiurge realizes he's going to talk to each of them.

* Moota - Moota can be found in the castle courtyard, the gates open to allow the people of the kingdom to enter and eat there as well, Misferri there to keep watch. Moota herself is at a table with Asalia beside her, and a paintaing of her father on the table. She greets Demiurge, asking if he's enjoying the event. Demiurge says that he's happier than he has been in a while, honestly. He asks how she's feeling, to which she says that she's sure her old man will look upon this day fondly. She says that she's not sure what's in the kingdom's future, but it sounds like the kingdoms are going to start pitching in more and more. Demiurge says that he can only hope, and the ferret asks him if he's going to hang around, make sure things stay safe. The Dragon says that he'd love to, but he's going to go to sleep for a long time now, and he won't exactly be able to stop it. Moota and Asalia's eyes widen in shock. Moota asks if he's serious, to which Demiurge nods. Moota says that there must be a way, to which Demiurge replies that the powers that be deem otherwise. The ferret tears up, and says that she can't imagine what she'll do without him. Demiurge assures that she's grown a lot and that she'll do plenty on her own. Moota motions for him to lean down. He does so, and the two ferrets hug him, thaning him for everything.
* Toni - Toni is out at the edge of the square. He's eating a lot of food, and leaning back in a chair. He sees the Dragon, and greets him merrily. He says that he hasn't seen this many people happy in a long time. Demiurge remarks that it is nice, and asks himwhat he's probably going to do. Toni thusly says that his gang will probably be returning to Hertsi after garnering whatever they can from Decka. Misferri assured that no material on the draconian weaponization has been burned swiftly. Demiurge remarks that Hertsi caused some problem with their material, to which Toni says that a lot of other kingdoms are acquiring some for themselves, so Hertsi will not be seeing anything close to their previous power. He says that after all of the work the Dragon did, he should come over to help raise it up. The Dragon then admits that he's not going to be around for much longer. The bobcat asks what he means, to which he explains about the slumber. Toni remarks that he can't just go away after everything, to which he says he can't fight it. The bobcat says that everyone here will work to make sure what he wishes comes to fruition.
* Misferri - Misferri is standing guard at the gates to the courtyard. She greets the Dragon, saying that everything's calm in the feast. Still, she's making sure everything's as safe as can be. The many guards and even some citizens came together to make sure the feast is as frutiful as can be. Demiurge is grateful for that, and asks her how the future military looks. She says that it sounds like much of the usual crew is splitting up, but the world will probably be more fearful of herself and Moota. Her forces are going to make sure the Land of Joy and Marsha are safe. She says that she hasn't accounted for Demiurge himself, but he's sure that his aid will be greatly appreciated. The Dragon gets uncomfortable, and tells the lemur about the slumber. She seems surprised at that. Demiurge apologizes for the inconvenience, to which she says that everyone will probably be able to keep things in control even without him. But still... she's sorry to see him go. Demiruge says he's sorry to go, and thans her for her work. She swears that she's the one that should thank him: for his assistance, for Moota, and for the world they now look forwards to.
* Donner - Donner is standing at one of the tables near Exulta, the skunk having a small meal while looking on at the kitsune. He sees Demiurge, and greets him, telling him that he's not used to so many people in one place. Demiurge asks him how the Land of Joy is looking, to which Demiurge says that Exulta's preparing to open lines between the Land of Joy and the mainland. It sounds like people are going to be visiting, and her majesty is going to open her usual shenanigans to them. However, it sounds like more people are going to need to learn to fight, just in case, so he'll be one of the people to try and teach them. However, it sounds like her grace will make sure to compensate him. However, he asks him if he could maybe help. Demiurge tells him the uncomfortable truth about the slumber. Donner seems surprised, and asks him if he's serious. Demiurge nods, and Donner says that Exulta probably won't be happy. She may not seem like the girl to wear any emotion other than "party", but truth is she really cares for him. And he himsel really cares for him. What he means to say is that the Land of Joy will be missing a valuable member.
* Exulta - Exulta is sitting at one of the tables, Donner nearby, and gobbling up food and drinks. She sees the Dragon and waves towards him excitedly, telling him to take a seat and eat as well. This feast wouldn't be a thing without him. Demiurge thus sits down, and she remarks that this may not be her usual fare, but it's certainly somoething she's down for. She remarks that she thought those Egeans were a bunch of prudes, but if this is what they can make, then the Land of Joy may very well be fine with them. She then asks Demiruge what kind of party he's been looking forwards to. Demiurge is hesitant to answer, though she tells him that after everything he went through, he deserves to take a load off. Demiurge, however, tells her that he'll have to slumber soon. And he thus goes through the process. At that, she remarks that he got him to care about this world, just to disappear? Demiurge apologizes, to which she sighs and says she knows how important a good sleep once in a while is. She tells him that if that's how he wishes to relax, then he's perfectly fine to sleep the rest of their lives away. Odds are he probably deserves it more than anyone else on this planet.

With this, players are able to exit through the front gate. And once proceeding out there, the Dragon finds Sophia standing there, ready to greet him. When he approaches, she tells him he's free to sleep, she'll carry him off somewhere safe. Demiurge tries to walk as far to the border of the mainland as he can, though eventually, his stress has ebbed at him too much. He soon collapses, though Sophia's able to easily in one arm, extending her wings and flying off to the sea.

At this, players move on to the Diverse Era

### Diverse Era

Jaunus 12th
Demiurge blinks awake, and finds himself in a truly odd scene. He's in a flowery meadow on the peak of a plateau. And looking around, Demiurge spies that this is yet another island. He pondered to himself how he wound up here, when he remembered Sophia offering him aid. He also spies, around the bed of flowers, a section of them a significantly different color than the other, with an arrow pointing northwards. Demiurge realizes that this must be a message left to guide him back to the mainland. He decides to check around the island first, however, and discovers that there's no sign of any other being on this island. Having ascertained that he was indeed brought somewhere far away, he takes wing, and flies off, players free to explore around the world to understand what's become of it.

Players can uncover Hosha. And going there, they find the area to be fixed up into something new. The kingdom bricks have been torn down, leaving only a memorial pillar where the town square was. Instead, there stands a quaint village. Touching down, Demiurge finds an elder cat man, who seems surprised at the Dragon. Demiurge asks what happened with the ruins here, to which the cat says that it started a couple hundred years ago. After Decka was taken down, Egea claimed the ruins and decided to strip it down to make sure there's no sign of the terrible experiments of old. Other settlers decided to set up their own home here while remembering those that fought to delay the rise of the Conqueror.

Demiurge can't help but feel a little saddened, seeing such a familiar sight reduced to this. But, he supposes that it may be for the best.

Players can uncover Egea, where they find that the kingdom's grown bigger, and now boasts more worn trails that branch off in more directions. Looking into it, they find that the poverty situation appears to have grown in disparity, with richer rich and poorer poor. However, the general architecture shows that there are more emblems of the Dragon, some depicting him wrapping his wings protectively around nondescript mortals, and some depicting him hoisting the kingdom onto his back. And stepping to the main square, he can see a giant fountain. This depicts statues of himself and the party from the Conqueror Era together, jets of water pouring from them and down into the water at the statues' feet.

Nearby, there is a seal lady sitting on a stone bench, her looking at the fancy fountain. She sees the Dragon, and looks between him and the statue. She asks himif he's the Dragon of 500 years ago, to which Demiurge replies that he is. She remarks that it's very interesting seeing him out here, and she asks him how he's doing. He says he's just woken up, and says that he wishes to know what's happened with Egea while he slept. She says that the kingdom's gotten so much bigger since Aunqiller went down. Several kingdoms were a-ok with alinging with them after they defeated her, so they've been able to share resources and expand. Their kingdom stands as a real powerhouse, not particularly because of its military, but because it's gotten plenty of allies. They're friends with Marsha, Loyst, the Land of Joy, and the new kingdom of **Solata**. Basically, they have the eastern edge of the mainland on their side.

Demiurge is surprised at that, and asks if things are peaceful. She says that things are as peaceful as can be, though Echel's looing to get a bit powerful and is slowly gathering allies around the north. Demiurge asks if they're dangerous, to which she says no one's really sure. It's been a while since there's been any major skirmish among the nations, but for now, they're safe. Though, quality for the individuals could be better.

Flying over to the Land of Joy, players find that much of the interior structure is unchanged. However, it bears a resort out at the shore towards Loyst, complete with small huts around, people sunbathing, and various people in stages of dress/undress. Coming down, Demiurge comes to one of the huts, this one labeled **Tourist Center**. Curious, the Dragon peeks in, and sees a red panda guide. He's surprised at their appearance, and the Dragon asks what this is. The red panda asks who he is, and the Dragon introduces himself.

The guide quickly reads through some pamphlets, and realizes that this legend of the Dragon is real. He asks what brings him here, to which Demiurge replies that he's looking around to get a gauge of what's going on in the world. He's wondering what's going on here. The red panda says that a while ago, someone realized just how scenic this place is, and figured they could probably make some money off it. So, people between Loyst and the Land of Joy set up a profitable business that lets tourists enjoy the island. Demiurge asks if the residents are ok with it, to which the red panda says that they make sure every visitor is educated on being courteous. Demiurge asks about Exulta, and he explains that she's passed on and let someone else keep up the tradition of chief, and they've each been sure to keep the Dragon as a faithful figure in the island's lore.

Demiurge thanks him for the words, and decides to pull away.

Checking out Eshel, players find that the stone kingdom has grown, a large portion of the Western Strip covered in stone walls. It boasts metal weaponry within its walls, and pretty scary looking soldiers. Demiurge comes in, and the many people within are surprised at the appearance of him. There is not a lot of architecture around that regards the Dragon, or really much of the eastern side at all. Communicating around town, players learn that they too have been scared of the threat way in the past. So they spent time building up their defenses. The easterners have been busy with their own thing, and Eshel has been free to grow and grow.

The easterners have stand together and strong, and Eshel grew more and more weary about whatever they can do. So, they've been working on their own alliances to make sure they can stay safe should there be any issue. Demiurge asks why there would be an issue, to which the villagers seem convinced that it is in the world's nature to cannibalize each other. It's animal eat animal out here. Demiurge seems uncomfrotable at that, but he feels too tired to try and argue.

Over in Hertsi, players find that though the mountain is still shaved down, the old kingdom seems to be built back up, though not nearly as lavish as it was during the Weapons Era. Instead of metal and superior weapons, it's covered in stone. Investigating inside, players learn that the kingdom is attempting to stay neutral. Considering what all's happened in the past, they felt it necessary to serve as some sort of guard between the east and the west. However, truth be told, they can't help but feel like if there was ever a fight, they'd end up being the first to be destroyed. They don't have a lot of weaponry, but they should have enough to do some damage.

After investigating the many areas, Demiurge feels a light nearby. Looking over to the source, he sees Sophia's light, shining over at the Brosis Plains. He flies over, and sees the Pale Dragon again. She greets him, and explains that the Draconic Gardens are near the world. She says that a view from up there is much better than a view the planet itself offers. Demiurge looks across over the kingdoms curious, though Sophia assures him that he's seen what he needed to. She tells him to come along, the Gardens miss him and want to hold him if only for a little.

So, with a heavy heart, Demiurge spreads his wings. And then, the two flap, up and off the planet, and off into space, towards the giant structure floating in the void. The **Draconic Gardens**.

The two fly up and make it onto the lip of the grand platform. And where they stand, there's a pair of stone lounge chairs made big enough for the two of them, between them a small stone stool with goblets full of wine on either side. Sophia approaches one chair and recommends that Demiurge take the other seat. The bronze Dragon looked over the Gardens, feeling... overwhelmed. He thinks to himself how long ago he's been away from this realm, and how alien it all looks despite him growing up in it. Sophia somewhat impatiently taps the other lounge chair, rocking Demiurge free from his spell and prompting him to sit where she motioned.

Demiurge took steps towards it, and as he does, he feels off. He feels like these steps should be heavier or that he should have a bigger feeling than now, but he feels some slight dissociation. He walks more and more, before sitting back on the empty chair, now looking out at the planet he was just on. And for a bit, he can just stare, unaware of the slight slurping coming from Sophia as she's taken her goblet. She notices him staring, and remarks that it's quite a sight, that for as long as one remains on their planet, especially if they're young, it gets easy to lose the big picture.

She asks him if a part of him felt among them, or if he understood he was so much greater than them the whole time. Players can answer "I felt like one of them" or "I was divine, start and end". To the former, she says that that's also common in young ones, while saying that putting yourself among the lot of them makes it harder to see the bigger picture, because you limit yourself to the common. To the latter, she says that that's often been a hard part for young people: if they always consider themselves greater than the rest, then it'd be harder to care for the lot of them, because it becomes so much harder to empathize.

She then says that he can have a drink if he wishes, his body should be able to handle it. Demiurge seems suddenly aware of the goblet beside him, and so he reaches for it, before beginning to drink. The two drink more and more, before Sophia continues. She says that he probably realizes why he's here. He's gone through so much and worked through an era that could make or break their world. So, having gone through as much as he has, and now seeing what's become of it, she needs to ask: How does he feel about the world he's made? Demiurge gives pause, and lowers the goblet, him looking down at it in consideration, an unreadable expression on his face.

Players have the choice to say "...I love it" or "...I hate it". If he says the former, he begins to say it, and a smile begins to dress his face. He says that he's seen a lot of the bad things this world can bring it, but... but he knows that world can be good, he saw it. And, even with the pain brought on, it looks like everyone's finding something to be happy about. If he says the latter, he starts to talk, and tears begin to drip down his cheeks. He says that he got rid of the worst guys, and even after fixing everything, everyone's still scared, everyone still thinks they'll kill each other, and his body was used like a mining vein! He chokes a bit, struggling to hold the goblet, and hunches over as he sobs, Sophia gently clasping his back.

After that, she says that the first times are always the roughest for the dears. It's something that usually gets better the more you do it. You usually know how to rule better, you usually know how to roll with the tragedies, and you usually know how to pull others out of it or to restart elsewhere. Demiurge asks how anyone's supposed to get over tragedies, to which Sophia explains that all mortals are finite, all suffering on the planets will be finite, while the Dragons are infinite. That's one of those cases where you have to learn to either be empathetic, or to remember your own divinity. And then, she says that she has one more question for him.

Dragons can go from planet to planet, free to start and stop life as they wish, or to let it go on without any divinity. She also warns that, given his age, she won't be terribly necessary in watching over him, so her visits to him will come less and less. So, having seen everything he has, having done all he has, having endured as much as he has, she tells him that no one would begrudge him for leaving them. So, she must ask him: Does he wish to continue on their planet? There's a pregnant pause as Demiurge contemplates, him statue still as he looks at the planet he'd been on for hundreds of years. And so, the player has two options: "I want to stay" or "I want to leave".

* At the former, he decides that after everything, no matter how he feels, he should continue to see them on. If players say they love the world, he declares that even in despair, they chose to better their situation, and he wants to see that more and more. If players say the hate the world, Demiurge says that after all of the work he put in, he wants to save them from themselves. Sophia nods in understanding. As such, she stands up and says she understands. Demiurge stands up, and Sophia tells him to be careful and keep a broad mind. Demiurge suddenly goes forwards to hug her, Sophia hugging him back. Demiurge thanks her for everything, the pale Dragon holding him tight. They then split and share a moment of nothingness, before Demiurge steps near the lip of the Draconic Gardens. He raises his wings, and then flies, going back down to the planet he's led to the modern era, boasting more knowledge and a greater understanding than he once had.
* To the latter, he decides that he can't take anymore. If players say he loves the world, he decides they'd be better without him for a while, seeing what his mere body did to it. If players say he hates the world, after everything, he says he can't look at it without feeling sick. Sophia says that that's perfectly fine. Sophia nods in understanding. He's free to relax on the Gardens for longer, and Demiurge brings his arms up, as if wanting to embrace her, and she hugs him. He hangs his head and Sophia walks into the Gardens, prompting Demiurge to follow. And she tells him not to worry, these things happen. Besides, the planet should live on well enough now. With that, Demiurge gives the planet one more look, before following Sophia into the gardens of paradise, resting quarters for divinity.

And with that, camera still on the planet, the credits roll.

## Enlightenment Era

Demiurge feels his blood rushing through his veins again. He gives his body a few shakes, though he feels as if he's restrained. He grunts and hefts, and through much strife, is soon able to move. He's forced to pull himself free from a few feet of soil entombing him, and once up, he lauds in the fresh air. He dusts himself and is able to get a read on his new body, it being around 10 feet tall and having longer horns, a longer tail, and thicker wings.

At this point, players are allowed to choose a class for him. As he gets up, he soon looks around. He finds himself buried at the top of that mountain range, but, on top of said mountain range, he can see a village nearby. As he looks over it, he hears a familiar voice ask him if he's had a good rest. Demiurge turns, and sees the pale Dragon herself, Sophia. Demiurge asks what happened, to which she explains he "died" again. Demiurge admits that he didn't exactly want to remember that. It hurt. He then asks for clarification what exactly happened with the civilizations. Sophia tells him that as this world's Dragon, he'll have to figure that out for himself. She, however, clarifies that the Lord of the Land was quickly finished off before it could claim another victim, and that those that'd traveled with him ages ago set him up here as tribute. Since then, they'd been at work with the ideology they'd decided on.

Demiurge asks what they'd settled on, and what they're doing about it. To that, the pale dragon explains that that is on him to figure out. She says that the world is quite different from what he remembered, and that there are people out there that won't be reasonable. As the mortals have overcome the wilds around them, their zeal grows to dangerous lengths. She tells him to be careful, to which the younger Dragon says he will. Sophia spreads her wings, but Demiurge stops her, saying that they spent a long time debating over what the goal of lifeforms is. He didn't personally know, so he went with the best guesses he could garner from what they'd gone through during their time on this planet. So, he wants to ask her what that goal is, and whether he's deviating from that or not.

Sophia takes pause, silent as she stayed in her pose. Demiurge waits for her to say something, only for her to flap her wings, and suddenly disappear before the bronze Dragon. He looks up, distraught at having a potential answer torn away from him. He sighs, before turning towards the mountain village he sees nearby.

### Early

He heads closer and closer. The village is settled onto a more plain part of the range. The main trail has a lot of more commercial buildings perched around it while, off to the side, there's buildings for housing. The various animals around here are wearing thick coats to withstand the altitude, though it's not too terribly cold. The buildings around brandish the image of the Dragon as well. This is the village of **Surgona**. As he goes in, one of the villagers sees the Dragon, and are surprised. They turn back to the village and wave and shout. The other villagers start to come out, and see him, each seeming surprised to see Demiurge.

As he looks over the lot of them, someone raises their voice, telling the others to settle down. Demiurge looks down at whoever is stepping up, and sees a short goat guy, fur forming a beard below his chin, and him wearing a red robe with a naginata pinned to his back. He tells them to settle down, that they shouldn't crowd around the visitor so quickly. He turns to the Dragon and apologizes for the intrusion. He then asks him whether his eyes are betraying him or not. If he is, in fact, seeing the Dragon of old. Demiurge confirms that he is the Dragon.

The goat is excited to see the divine being in their village! He introduces himself as **Agovon**. Demiurge welcomes him, and says that he's been asleep for a long time. He wants to know what's gone on while he slept. Agovon says that it's been 500 years, there's a lot of ground to cover, to which Demiurge asks for as succinct yet detailed a summary he can. The goat says that ever since the Monsters went extinct, Onah would continue the mission she'd started since it was interrupted. She understood Happiness was the purpose of life, but would understand that her perception of Happiness was limited. Thus, the villagers would begin to set out in order to uncover more of the world and get a greater understanding of this purpose.

Villages are being established all around to try and ascertain this purpose. Demiurge supposes that sounds nice enough, and he wonders if purpose is being made. Agovon, however, answers that that answer seems to be different from person to person. He himself is going to try and find that journey soon. Demiurge asks what he intends to do, to which the goat answers he's about to attend one of those pilgrimages to try and get himself an understanding. He's actually about to have himself one last dinner here. Demiurge says that he'd like to come along, get to see the villages that've sprung up while he slept. Agovon tells him that he'll be happy to have a companion like him along.

With that, the player has joined Agovon, and a quick transition to evening occurs.

Night is coming, and right now, Agovon is attending a building with the sign of a ham over it. Said goat is being accompanied by an older looking goat man and a couguar woman. The cougar says that they hadn't expected to see the Dragon himself to come along to help their son. The older goat says that their son is going to become a wiser man, but he should handle himself much better while Demiurge is alongside him. The bronze Dragon assures that he'll keep him safe. Agovon says that they'll be eating now, and whenever he wishes, he can join them. They'll save a seat at their table.

Before that, players are allowed to go around the village to get a read on it.

* Towards either edge of the village, players can find several villagers gathered around and looking over the edge. Several of them comment about how eye opening it is, looking out over the world from this height. Some towards the eastern edge will look towards the larger mountain in the distance. They'll comment that some have tried to go up there to form some sort of village, but at least right now, it's proven to be a bit too hazardous a journey. Furthermore, just looking out from here can show a fair few villages scattered around the area; some rustic, some looking more advanced. Demiurge can't get much of a read on them from here.
* There's a temple designed with imagery of the Dragon, Demiurge's large wings seen caressing the various mortals around the world. Inside, a fox lady dressed somewhat akin to Onah, greets the Dragon. Demiurge greets her as well, and assumes she's an Oracle, to which she affirms as much. She's **Oracle Oloka**, here to help with enlightenment. Demiurge asks how Onah's teachings have changed, to which the fox explains that the path to Happiness has always been a hotly debated topic around the world, and right now they're all trying to ascertain just what that path should be. Demiurge wishes her luck with her future, and she thanks him for that.
* The settlement itself seems to have fairly few commercial buildings and focus more on living spaces. The commercial buildings that are there include the main building for feast (where Agovon and family are attending), a building that offers armor and weaponry (run by a hedgehog man), and a building that offers general goods (run by a lemur man). A few people comment about the various commercial buildings necessitating workers to keep themselves up to snuff, which allows them to earn gold that they spend back on those services. A few others note that they've gotten a fair few many people in their place, and they hope that they don't run out of space for people to live in.

Eventually, the Dragon decides to join Agovon to eat, having some hearty mutton. The parents describe the goat as a spirited young man who's very excited to expand his mind. Demiurge asks if pilgrimage is common, to which the parents explain that it's a rite offered by the many villages around the world. Everyone's encouraged to take it, but not everyone's willing to go around the world to do it. Truthfully, this is a task that not everyone can achieve, though they'd expect no less from the action which'd net the answer to life.

They eventually wrap up their meal, and Demiurge thanks them for the meal. They say that they should be thanking him, offering to help out their son. The mother then asks if he has anywhere to rest, to which the Dragon says he's sure he can find something out. However, they insist that he spend the night with them. Asomov tells him that it'll just be one night. He's sure there'll be no problem having him around. The Dragon accepts their offer, and thus, players rest, though the Dragon thinks back to Sophia's non-answer earlier that day. Perhaps that's just another test the Dragons are to achieve on their own. Maybe it's just like learning about the world, her saying that she can't just tell him that. Still, it's weird that she didn't even comment about that. He has a contemplative pause, before telling himself that he's being ridiculous. Sophia's a powerful Dragon. If anyone would know, then she would.

With that, he rests, ready for the next day.

Augua 14th
The next day comes, and with it, Demiurge and Agovon begin heading towards the trail, heading North down the mountain trail. Agovon's parents can be seen accompanying the group, and wish the duo well. Agovon swears that they'll be safe, and Demiurge tells them that he'll keep them safe. With that, the duo begins to head down the mountain. Demiurge asks the goat what's north of this village, to which the goat says that this trail heads all the way to the western shore. Between here and there is a village frequently use for resting, **Sirtoba**, and the village at the shore is a medical capital, **Erronus**. So, they'll make a pitstop at Sirtoba, before continuing onto the Erronus.

The duo keeps on walking down the trail, where their passage onwards starts to get interrupted by some noises nearby. The duo turns, confused at the sounds. Looking towards it, they'd see... a pair of cougars. They seem to be eyeing up the duo, and Agovon tells Demiurge to take up arms. The big cats come closer, and the goat draws his naginata, Demiurge taking up his own weapon. Demiurge asks Agovon how knowledgeable he is in combat, to which the goat says that the Oracle helped teach him a few magics and physical strikes. He just hopes that they'll pull off well, especially alongside the Dragon.

With that, the duo is forced to battle the **Two Cougars**. With Agovon alongside him, players are able to learn what the goat can do. Said goat can use the Naginata to deal Slash damage. He also has access to Healing magic, and some minor Freezing magic, which should certainly stop the enemies in their tracks, while also leaving them open to a painful attack. With the duo's combined efforts, they should be able to overwhelm the cougars, and the two of them will be forced to flee. Agovon sighs and sheathes his weapon, before turning to the Dragon. He tells him that he did amazing there, and that he's sure they'll do well on the oncoming pilgrimage. Demiurge says he'll do what he can to keep him safe.

With that, they keep on the trail.

Eventually, they make it down the mountain trail, and are upon the rolling hills that the Lord of the Land originally ruled over. The trail they're on weaves around the rolling hills westwards, and the duo goes on, having to be weary of any other creatures they encounter on their way. They walk and walk, before eventually making it towards a plain on the way to the edge. And in said plain is a village set up, arranged in a fashion similar to Sinnoa. And upon approaching the front gates, players are informed that this is **Sirtoba**.

Agovon confirms that this is where they are to rest. Demiurge supposes it'd be nice to freshen up after that long walk, to which the goat nods in affirmation. They thusly stepped in, going past the gates and into the village of Sirtoba. And inside, Demiurge can't help but mentally note how very similar it seems to Sinnoa of old. However, he does notice some architecture akin to what was in Tula. Among which includes some bath houses, a shrine, and apparently some inns. Agovon says that Surgona itself should probably look into some of these facilities, to which Demiurge supposes this trail to enlightenment is already bearing some fruit.

The duo look up at the sky, and see that it's getting dark. Demiurge asks what the plan is for now, to which the goat says they'll have to take some time to stock up before going onwards, he thinks. He thinks he'd like at least a day to keep himself in good condition. Demiurge says that it sounds nice to be able to just settle down in a place for a little bit. With that, the duo heads over to the inn, where they find a room adjacent from the lobby reeking of alcohol and sounding of hollers within. Agovon can't help but grimace and pulls away from that doorway as he approaches the reception desk, where a tall, lilac-breasted roller woman, **Delilah**, standing there.

Agovon greets the receptionist, and says that they're here for a room. The bird nods, saying that she'll be happy to see them to their room. She then glances towards the Dragon, raising a brow curious. The Dragon looks at her curious, and is subjected to a few curious pats from her. Delilah pulls away, surprised that it is indeed the Dragon before them. Demiurge affirms as much, a little uncomfortable, though the lilac-breasted roller pulls away, realizing she's invading his personal space. She apologizes for that, saying that he hadn't expected to see something like him before them. Demiurge says that he understands, and that he has no ill will. Either way, she leads them through the inn, soon bringing them to a room.

The duo stepped in, Agovon offering Delilah the payment. She'd thank them and head off, while the two were allowed in their quaint little room. They'd step in, and Agovon says that they should probably hit the bath house tomorrow. Demiurge sniffs at himself before grimacing, agreeing to that. With that, they start to rest, though Demiurge notices that the goat is taking a while to go to sleep. Demiurge asks if he's ok, to which the monk replies that it just feels weird, going to sleep away from the family. The bronze Dragon takes pause, and says that he knows how that feels a little bit. The two of them are away from home so that they can grow, so grow they shall. And someday they'll come back home a greater person than before. Agovon supposes he's right, and says that it is too early to regret this pilgrimage.

With that, the duo rest.

Augua 15th
The next day comes, and the duo is out of the room. And once out, Agovon says that it's early still, so they should have access to the bath house. Demiurge peeks out, and notes that it's still dark. Agovon says that they'll have more time for sunlight later. For now, the duo are making their way out onto the village, and towards the bath house. They're let in, and quickly pay for a room, before heading in. The two are in adjacent stalls and showering up, and as they do, Agovon speaks up, and says he'd like to talk to him about something. Demiurge points out that it tends to be weird for people to talk to each other during a bath, though the goat apologizes and says that the thought only recently came to him.

He says that they're seeing plenty of strangeness around here, among which includes those drinks in the inn. Surgona has some, but they don't offer them to those under 23. He thinks that he saw a few younger over there, and supposes he should try some sometime. Demiurge says that his caretaker always said that drinks like those are usually the sort you drink when you don't have any plans for a few hours. The goat supposes they should try that stuff later in the day. For now, though, they should check out the rest of the village, see if there's anything too different from Surgona.

They soon finish off the bath, and begin to head out. However, as they begin to head out, they step right in front of a white ferret woman. The duo and the lady stumble to prevent themselves from colliding, with Agovon apologizing. However, the lady is immediately snappy at him, telling him to watch where the hell he's going. Agovon apologizes sincerely and backs away, the ferret storming past the two and making her way out. And after that, Demiurge's eyes widened, and he tries to get her attention, saying she forgot her clothes. However, she seems to be far away right now. Agovon asks Demiurge if they should check her out later, thought he Dragon says that he's kind of afraid to approach her. The goat sighs and supposes that they have their own mission to work on. Look around town, try and find out various ways that make it different from Surgona, and see how that expands their knowledge on the path to Happiness.

Players are thusly tasked with going around town in order to ascertain what kind of things are going on in Sirtoba. This involves checking out a few key points on the map.

* Players can inquire into the bath house to find out about it. There, they learn that the house is used to allow people to clean themselves off. People of old uncovered an underwater spring, and had built there place over it. They designed a water system to capitalize on it, and utilize water crystals to wipe out whatever impurities end up in the system. Workers there comment that some people spend hours in these bath houses. Demiurge asks if it might be possible to have one of these go to a house, to which the staff replies that they haven't yet figured out how to send the warm water throughout the village.
* Players can inquire into the inns to find out about them. Delilah comments that these buildings were come up when the houses they'd built before became less and less. The living spaces here are far smaller than what houses offer, but they offer necessary services to those that visit. She says she's not sure when any new houses will be set up, but she assures these inns are temporary. Demiurge asks about the drinking area, to which she says that a lot of guests like to head there to hang out. She herself sneaks a drink or two.
* Players can inquire into the shrine in the village. It's a fairly small hut that appears to contain a statue depicting the Dragon. Some people nearby comment that people pray to the statue to gift them Enlightenment into the journey to Happiness. A lot of people take comfort in the planet's guardian. Demiurge comments that the last village he was in had a temple to accomplish a similar goal, to which the people he's talking to comment that they have one of those too, that they tend to be very, very religious.
* Players can notice a few people outside of the bath house gossiping. Listening to them reveals they're talking about the weasel woman. They comment that she hasn't been out recently at all. One comments that they could smell her from yards away, one comments that she came out naked, one comments that she ran off as fast as possible. One comments that she always stays indoors, and wonders what she could possibly be doing for fun.

After investigating the locals, players meet up with Agovon. The goat replies that there's some quite interesting details around here. Demiurge exchanges what he's learned, and the goat remarks that he's learned some interesting things. He is curious about that weasel, though. It sounds like she might be a talking point around this town. Demiurge asks him if he'd really like to seek her out, to which the goat says he's not sure right now, might come off as weird. He thinks for now they should probably wait until they bump into her again, or find out what else the people around here have to say about her.

Anyways, he notes that it's getting dark. He thinks they should check out that strange room they saw over in the inn. Demiurge supposes similarly, and says he's ready to go. Thus, they begin heading over to the inn from last night.

The duo approaches the inn, and steps in. The interior is fairly rambunctious, with various attendees hollering as they beg for more brew. Agovon notes that it's quite noisy, and wretches, noting that it reeks here too. The voice of Delilah points out that the guys around here tend to have no shame the more they drink. They look, and see the bird over at a corner. She motions the two over, and thus they sit down at the table she's at. She says that she thought she'd keep a table for them, seeing as they came here asking about getting drinks.

Demiurge asks what the deal with these drinks are, to which she says that on top of having a good taste, they can also be used to dull the senses a little in order to make one feel more at ease with whatever's going on around in their life. Demiurge remarks that that sounds kind of dangerous, to which the lilac-breasted roller affirms that they have discovered a few issues with drinking. That's why they're taking to limiting the drinks they hand out. She considered herself a bit of a connoisseur, and decided to buy a couple drinks that she thinks would be good for newbies. And thus, she presents a couple of decently sized mugs for the two of them.

The duo looked down at the mugs, before taking them up. Agovon asks if they just drink them, to which Delilah jokes that "No, you photosyntehsize it". The duo drinks. Agovon's eyes widen at the taste of it, and he remarks that it has a strong taste. Demiurge coughs briefly, sighing and saying that he never knew what these drinks would taste like, but he never really tasted these. Delilah says that it's a bit of an acquired taste, but says that once you get into them it's hard to let it go. Agovon decides to drink some more, and Demiurge also thinks to drink a little.

The duo drink more and more, and Delilah says that they're getting the hang of it. Agovon says that he's not sure if he really understands the appeal just yet, to which Delilah says that once he goes through a bit of work he'll understand. Agovon keeps drinking, and Demiurge also drinks a little bit. Though as he does, he almost feels... lighter. Deep down, he's been feeling stressed, and this brew feels like it's making him leak out and out. He thus takes the mug and tilts it up to let gravity send it down his throat. He can faintly hear Delilah tell him to slow down a little. However, he tilts too far back and falls onto his back, blacking out as the alcohol takes hold.

...

Deep in his mind, he stirs up on his feet, and finds himself... on the Draconic Gardens. Except, the colors all around are weird. Players are prompted to move around the field to try and get a read on what he's doing over here. Demiurge wonders if that was all a dream, that planet he'd been on. He walks and walks, and eventually approaches the edge of the Gardens. He comes close to the edge and looks down, where he sees a sight he'd seen around a thousand years ago, the planet. And as he looks down at it, he hears a very familiar voice ask him what he's doing.

He turns, and sees Sophia up on the platform with him. He asks her what's happened, to which she says that he's supposed to know that. Demiurge says that he doesn't understand, and Sophia gets closer. She says that he should know. She repeats that he should know, he should know, he should know. Demiurge steps back in some worry, though feels the edge of the Gardens behind him. He asks her what she's talking about, why he's here. Suddenly, she's right in front of him, giving him barely a foot of space. She tells him that he has a duty to fulfill, before pushing him forwards. He's shoved off the edge and finds himself hurtling back to the platform, screaming as gravity takes him back down...

...

Augua 16th
Demiurge shoots up in a bed, screaming. He pants and pants and glances around, looking himself in a room he's unfamiliar with. It looks sort of like the inn room he'd slept in last night, but covered in personalized decorations, among which looks like jewelry adorned with a very familiar set of feathers. As he looks over them, he notices Delilah on a couch nearby, asking him if he's ok. Demiurge asks what happened, to which she replied that he passed out during their drink-fest yesterday, and she wanted to bring him somewhere safe while he was out.

Demiurge blushes and apologizes about that, though Delilah assures that it's fine. He's a first timer. In all honesty, she'd expected him to end up pissing himself or something. Demiurge blushes deeper, and Delilah asks if he's feeling alright, that he screamed pretty loud there. Demiurge assures it's nothing, and though Delilah clearly knows something is going on, she feels that she shouldn't press him on this for now. Demiurge asks how Agovon is, to which Delilah says she asked a friend to keep an eye on him while she watched him. She says that she'll be sure to lead him to him, to which Demiurge thanks her.

Demiurge gets led out of the inn, and towards a house towards the edge of the village. And there, Delilah gives the door a particular knock. The door opens slightly, and when whoever's inside sees it's the bird, the door opens up, revealing them to be the weasel from the bath house. She sees Demiurge, and she takes pause. Demiurge greets her, and apologizes about stepping in front of her when the two of them did. The weasel, however, says that it's nothing, she was just in a mood. Anyways, she points out, his friend is resting inside.

Thus they enter, and find Agovon resting on a couch. Demiurge asks how he's doing, to which the goat says that he'd alright, but says that he should be asking him how he is. Demiurge says that he was handled well. And as they're inside, Demiurge starts to note the house itself. There's trash around the place, clothes hung around seemingly at random, wine stains around the area... the place looks unkempt. Demiurge asks the weasel what's gone on around here, to which the weasel explains that she doesn't have the energy. Agovon says that even children can handle their rooms better than this, to which Delilah says that he really shouldn't speak without really knowing about her.

The weasel, however, says that he's right. She really should get around to cleaning up... maybe later... Delilah's expression lowers, and she tells the weasel to lay down and rest somewhere, referring to her as **Miranda**. The weasel says that if this is all they needed her for, she's ok to disappear. And thus she walks away. Delilah glowers towards Agovon, saying that he really messed up. Agovon swears he's telling the truth, and that she'd been rather rude to them on their first meeting. Delilah says that she's got a lot going on with her right now. The goat asks what's gone on to justify this state? Delilah says that she doesn't want Miranda to know she told them this...

She got in a relationship with a woman a while ago, and they adored each other. They were apparently childhood friends, and she ended up pouring much of her adult life into making her happy. She'd even proposed to her a few weeks ago. However, before they could wed, her SO was out hunting. One tough feral got her unawares, and Miranda came to learn of her unfortunate passing. And there, she began to fall in a spiral. She lost the will to do much of anything ever since. And the less she was able to do, the more her energy plummeted. When she lost her lady, she couldn't go to work. When she couldn't go to work, she got fired. When she got fired, she felt unable to really do anything for the village. And when she felt unable to really do anything for the village, she felt unable to do anything period. And now, she spends days in this place, only occasionally stepping out to even bathe.

The two are stunned at all of that information. Agovon says he didn't realize, and apologizes. Delilah sighs and says that she shouldn't have talked like that, it's not like he knew. Demiurge asks if anyone's helped her, to which Delilah says that no one really knows how to. Friends have tried to buy trinkets to take her mind off of it, but really, how does someone make someone move on from the loss of a loved one. As the friend group grew less and less able to figure out how to help her, they sort of drifted away. Right now, she's pretty sure she's the only one who's keeping in contact with her. The duo take pause, and there's a palpable silence.

Agovon says that they're on a quest to find out the path to Happiness. If they find that, maybe they can bring Happiness to Miranda too. Delilah says that that sounds like a good theory, but they as a species have been looking for that answer for a while now, and she's not sure how they'll uncover that. Agovon points out that the Dragon graces this journey, so maybe they'll discover it themselves. The bird mulls over that, and supposes that he might have a point. She says that she'll try and find some sort of arrangement for work, and see whether or not she can join them in their quest. Agovon says that they could use whatever help they could, but warns that it'll be a long journey. This pilgrimage will take them around the world. Delilah says that if it'll help Miranda out of her funk, she's happy to help.

With that, the lot of them leave the house, and Delilah says she'll meet up with them later. For now, she says they should hang out around the city to find something to do.

And with this, players are allowed a really brief period of free time with Agovon, during which they can hang out, gather equipment, or do a sidequest or two.

When night comes, the duo makes their way to the inn, where Delilah is waiting. She says that her boss was able to get someone to take her position for the foreseeable future. She says she'll be happy to come along and help them find the path to Happiness. Agovon is thankful for the aid. He says that they'll be free to go tomorrow, they kind of tired themselves out this morning. The roller nods, and says that she'll make sure she's bright and early. First, though, Agovon asks whether or not they can bring Miranda. Demiurge says that that sound like a good idea, and Delilah says that that'd be ideal, but given her condition, she's not sure whether she'll come along or not.

Demiurge supposes that whatever she chooses, it'd be important to keep in contact with her. Delilah agrees, and says that she'll visit her briefly before meeting them. However, she warns that there's word of bandits surrounded the trail towards Erronus. Agovon supposes that's just their like. Delilah assures that it'll be fine, she's done some hunting before she became the inn's receptionist. She actually doubles as a bouncer for the inn. Demiurge says they'll deal with this later, but for now they should get rest and later meet up to go out.

Augua 17th
The next morning comes, and Demiurge and Agovon head out, seeing a flamingo is already manning the front desk. They head towards the gate towards the west, and wait. Soon enough, Delilah comes. Demiurge asks how it went, to which the lilac-breasted roller says that she didn't want to go anywhere anytime soon, and that she'd rather get letters. Agovon says that that's unfortunate... He swears that they'll find the answer they're looking for, and Delilah says that she hopes so. She searches her pockets real quick, revealing a set of Knuckles. She says that she packed up a little bit to prepare for the trip out.

With that, the gang begins to head out.

The team is now stepping onto the trail to Erronus, and begin heading over. As they walk, they look around the general area, trying to keep an eye out for foes that could be on their way. Agovon asks Delilah if she's been out of Sirtoba recently, to which she says she's been born and raised there all her life. Agovon says that he too was born and raised in his own village, Surgona. Apparently the village was established because people back in the day believed the aesthetic leaves the mind open for enlightenment. Delilah asks if that's the case, why the need for this Pilgrimage. Agovon says that the people of old clearly only hypothesized.

Though as they walked, an arrow impales the dirt in front of them. They each stop, and look towards the source, where they see a raccoon woman in leather wielding a bow. A couple other bandits start to come out, and they tell the group that they're trespassing. And if they want to go out alive, they need to pay up. Agovon says that this road is supposed to be free for anyone to walk around! Delilah tells the goat to forgeet it, that they can't reason with this group of enemies. She pulls out the Knuckles showed off before, and wears them as she steps forwards. She says that guys like these they have to beat reason into.

With that, players are forced into a fight with the bandits, the lot of them having a fairly straightforward fighting style. Through this, players get to learn about Delilah herself. She can be considered a tank. She has access to the Rage ailment, thus forcing enemies to focus on her. She can also use the Knuckles to deal Smash damage to targets, and she also has access to Wind magic. She can also inflict herself with an ailment that heightens her Strength but forces her to deliver normal attacks to the enemies. With her, the players should be able to overwhelm the bandits.

With them taken down, the bandits say that they're too strong, and are forced to run away. Delilah sighs and says that that's one issue out of their way, and there'll probably be more. She says they should keep moving. However, Agovon speaks up. He says that if guys like that are taking the road, then any future Pilgrimages will be in jeopardy. Delilah asks if he thinks they really should take care of the rest of these dirtbags. Agovon says that it might be the right thing to do. These guys are impeding the path to Happiness, and they shouldn't deny that path to others. Demiurge says that he has a point. Delilah sighs and says that if the majority agrees, she'll tag along. But, she says, that they can't take too long on it. They still have people to make Happy, don't they? Demiurge agrees, and says that they should take care of these bandits swiftly.

With that, players are given a new mission: Clear away the bandits on the Sirtoba-Erronus trail so that it's safer to travel.

Augua 17th - Augua 25th
With this, players are given a task along the Sirtoba-Erronus trail, to clear the bandits that line it. This involves going around the trail and investigating large concentrations of bandits along the way from here to the western shore. The way to it is relatively long, and the plains along the way are dotted with hills and forests. Players will have to contend with various camps along the way, from those out in the plains to those out in forests. And along the way, there are more ferals and bandits they'll have to take down. There are three camps players will have to eliminate on their way to Erronus.

* The first camp is far off the trail, but has bandits come from it and to the trail. Said camp is south near the sea, and going there they find a select few tents. They make it there, and bandits within the tents come out and spy the party. One of them asks what they're doing here, to which Agovon says that they've been bullying the trail for too long, and they're here to drive them out. The bandits, however, say that they're not going to bow to a bunch of random travelers. They couldn't get this far without grit, they're no pushovers! Delilah says that they should've expected pushback and draws her weapons. Like that, players are forced to battle the **Bandit Horde**. It shouldn't be hard to beat them, especially with Delilah's Rage ailment. The party should beat them simply enough, and with them down, they're left weak. Agovon tells them to leave and live honest lives. The bandits say that they'll try, and thus leave the camp. Delilah says that that's one more down, and the road a little safer.
* The second camp is arranged in a patch of trees nearly adjacent to the trail. There's an exceptionally high concentration of bandits in the area, and players will have to brave them to get to the epicenter of the rogues. And once in there, they uncover a few tougher bandits, them aligned with a rugged wolf man with a large club. Said wolf says that rumor's spread about their trio causing trouble around these parts. Agovon points out that they're the ones causing troubles, to which the wolf says that they do this because they have nothing else. Demiurge asks what he means, to which the wolf says that housing runs out, money runs out, and they have to act. Agovon says that that's no reason to attack people on the road, to which the wolf says that they merely attack those with a better lot than them. He then says that they've talked enough, and orders an attack. With that, players are forced into battle with **Tegra** and a pair of associates. Tegra himself wields high attack power, and the "Charge" ability, so he's rather tough, though Delilah's tanking helps mitigate the damage. With enough work, players should be able to overwhelm them, forcing Tegra to flee and disbanding the camp. Delilah points out that one more group is down, to which Demiurge asks if that wolf was correct about them being forced into this. Delilah says that some villages have noted the birthrate is faster than the build rate of houses. Some Elatkan teachings have led some to believe that those that work would rightfully own houses, so some villages set it such that some have to meet a deadline in order to keep their houses, else it goes to someone else. She, however, points out that homes usually go to people with more money, so those that don't have access to it suffer. Demiurge says that that sounds terrible, to which she affirms that it is, but it's not like she'll be able to fix it.
* The third camp is set up in a patch of trees far from the trail and into the plains. And there players have to tend to a cloud of bandits before they make it in, where they find a squirrel woman with a spear at her back. She hears that this group of travelers have been tearing down their forces, to which Delilah says that their group deserves to be torn down. Demiurge says that he'd like to get through this without hurting them, and asks that she just throws down her weapons. However, she says that she has a score to settle with the guys that threw her out. When she was born, there wasn't a home available to her, so why shouldn't she be mad? Demiurge asks what she means, but she says she doesn't care about talking. Players are forced into battle with **Nol**. The latter wields impressive magic attacks, and "Concentrate". This can be dangerous, though her lower defense allows players to shred through her health with enough work. And with that, she's forced to flee. Demiurge asks Delilah what she was talking about, to which Delilah explains that housing is not perfect. Birthrates are higher than building rates, so in societies where housing isn't paid for, homes are typically held onto for years upon years. Demiurge asks how those homes are supposed to go to anyone, though Delilah says that she doesn't really get the logic, but apparently the idea is that either elders are supposed to give them to younger ones, or people are intended to go out, enlighten themselves on the rest of the world, and get new homes. Demiurge says that that sounds inconvenient, to which the bird says that it is.

Once the camps are cleared, Agovon says that the road feels a lot safer. Delilah supposes that he's right, and that it doesn't hurt to have a little less rabble on the road. Demiurge, however, is a bit uncomfortable. He says that it sounds like these guys got in a bad situation, to which Agovon says that it doesn't excuse hurting people. Delilah says that he'll be the kind of person that'll fix that, surely. He is the Dragon after all. Either way, they have Erronus to see. As they do, though, Agovon looks in the distance, and says he sees several of the bandits gathered up in the middle of the road.

Looking where he's looking, they see indeed Tegra and Nol, though they're accompanied by a third stranger. Delilah groans and says that they're relentless! Agovon says that if they leave them alone now, all of their efforts will've been for naught! Demiurge says that they were pretty tough, and they now have an unknown element. They shall engage them only when they're ready. With that, players have the boss of the area to contend with.

With that, the group meets up with the trio in the middle of the road. There, the enemy team of Tegra, Nol, and the third individual, a red panda woman, looks over the lot of them. Tegra says that they've destroyed tons of organized work, that they've set back their operations by months. Delilah says that their little operations deserve to be torn down. Demiurge, however, says that he understands they're suffering. He says that he'd like to help them out, without getting anyone hurt. Nol asks if he can just magically create several houses, to which Demiurge sheepishly answers that he can't.

The red panda says that the people at large promise to give the resources these people need, but that'll only come in years. And they don't have years. They need to do whatever it takes to get what they need. Agovon speaks up, saying that they're merely making other people unhappy. He points out that their work out here isn't making them any happier, and that they merely leave travelers scared and isolated. The red panda seems shaken at that, though she shakes her head. She simply says that she doesn't have to justify themselves to them. She says that they'll simply destroy them, here and now.

With that players are forced to battle **Tegra**, **Nol**, and **Heltoba**. Tegra and Nol are physical and magical damage respectively, while Heltoba is mainly a support force. She actually has the ability to heal either Tegra and Nol, can increase their attack power, and perhaps most dangerous is her ability to cast "Impale", which makes it so the subject of the buff ignores any Affinities on the target. This can essentially make it so that Tegra or Nol are able to bypass any Resistances on the party team. Players should be careful during this fight and mind when to defend and whatnot. But with enough work, they should be able to take down the trio of bandits.

The three of them are down, panting and panting. Delilah looks over them, and says that they each played with fire, and they got burned. Tegra says that after all of this, they'll welcome their death. They'd prefer it to the life they'd live otherwise. Agovon, however, says that they're not here to kill them. Demiurge says that they've done a lot of bad things, but it sounds like they got dealt a bad hand too. If they can, he'd like to lend them some help. Delilah says that she knows a few open houses, and maybe she can give them a bit of a discount. Heltoba says that surely they won't be able to get everyone a home, to which she says that that'll be true. It's not much, but it's all she has.

The three look among each other, before saying that if what they offer true, then they'd appreciate it. Delilah says that she offers it in exchange for them *stopping* the bandit attacks. Tegra says that if this relation is kept up, he'll try and keep attacks down. However, he cannot answer for everyone's compliance. Delilah supposes that as long as a lot of their attacks are down, that'll be fine. Nol says that she's sure that this'll reduce attacks, but there are more people out there that'll have their mindset. Delilah says that they'll handle those too. And with that, the group splits.

With this, the team is able to go forwards through the trail, Delilah remarking that that was a fair bit of a diversion, but that should make the roads a little safer. Demiurge, however, says that it sounds like a lot of people aren't in good conditions for this world. The bird affirms that the leaders that fashioned this world clearly hadn't thought everything through, but that the people that'll lead the modern world will hopefully set that on track. For now, though, they have a pilgrimage to accomplish, don't they? Agovon affirms as much, and says that now sounds like a good time to complete their journey to Erronus.

With that, players will be able to make their way to the city on the coast.

The group approaches Erronus, the city boasting thick, stone walls with elaborately decorated buildings within. The beach itself has also been rearranged. Channels have been dug through it while cement has been used to pack passages together, creating decently-sized passages for the ocean to flow through. The buildings have been poached upon slabs of stone that've been dug through the sand to establish a firm foundation, each building having a fairly fancy look, with mild bits of water damage on some of them, though some animals can be seen working on them even as the group comes in.

Agovon says that this city's been touted as the medical capital of the world, making strides in the field of medicine and advancing Restoration magic. Delilah says that this place has been shipping out medicine to the major settlements. However, it sounds like they've been moving away from religious practice in their continuing pursuit. Demiurge asks what kind of medicine and restorations they've been discovering, to which Delilah says that they've practically mastered suturing wounds, and some say they're even investigating into regenerating whole limbs. They've also been able to stave off a few diseases cropping up. Demiurge says that that all sounds really good.

Agovon says that they'll have to set up shop here sometime and inquire in them about their methods, and about the ways this stuff helps them towards Happiness. That is part of the Pilgrimage after all. The lilac-breasted roller agrees, and says that after the day they've had, they should nap. The group agrees, and takes rest at a nearby inn.

Next Day
The next morning comes, the group meeting up in the lobby. With this, Delilah supposes the plan is to inquire about all of that medical stuff and how they feel about it. She asks how they'll investigate into that, she doubts the doctors'll just let them into their personal quarters or whatever. Demiurge supposes that that's a good question. However, as he contemplates on this, a rat man in the lobby takes notice of the trio. Specifically of the bronze dragon. He comes close, and asks if he is who he thinks he is. The Dragon looks towards him curious, and says that he'll have to be more specific.

The rat touches the Dragon, and declares that he is indeed *the* Dragon! He says that they need an audience, asap! Demiurge asks what it is, and he leans in close and starts whispering. He says he's part of a very important medical facility, and they're making an insane breakthrough. They say they need the Dragon to attend. Demiurge says that he'd love to see whatever they got, and says he'll come along. However, the rat says that he can't come quite yet. They're currently organizing the details about the breakthrough, and says that it should be ready to present on Augua 26th. Demiurge says that he'll be ready, and asks if he can bring these other two along. He says that that's fine, and heads off, saying that the others will be made aware of his coming.

Agovon says that it must be fate, though Delilah wonders what's so interesting that they beseeched the Dragon directly over it. Demiurge supposes that they'll have to wait to find out. Either way, they'll be able to answer their questions then.

With that, players now have free time. They can go around either settlement or explore the trail between, and hang out and do sidequests. Eventually, the day of Augua 26th comes.

Augua 26th
The next day comes, and the party makes their way out and to the lobby. And there, they see the rat waiting. He greets them and says that the lab's ready to see them. Delilah asks what's going on, to which he says that he can't go too public about it yet. For now, he asks them to follow. Thus, the trio follows him out of the lobby, and towards one of the buildings. After a secret knock, the group is let in, and they inside appears fairly rustic, featuring three floors and a winding staircase, along with portraits around featuring various biological structures.

The trio is greeted by a horse man, spying the Dragon and excitedly greeting him, and introducing himself as **Bosala**. Demiurge greets him back and introduces the rest of the trio, Delilah and Agovon. He then asks him what they've been brought here to see. The horse supposes that considering the short notice he really should be prudent. Anyways, he feels that before he explains what he wants to show them, he wants to explain a detail recent research has revealed. Demiurge asks what they've found out, to which Bosala asks them to come along.

There've been reports of people struggling to be happy, and have even struggled to do basic day to day activities. Many have tried to help many of these reported people, though they simply refused to get happy. So, they've done some investigation into those people, and have uncovered interesting details. Sometimes this disorder is inherited by previous family members, sometimes it's spurred on by irl events, but whatever the case, something happens in an individual that prevents dopamine, a chemical that helps one feel happy, to flow. Hearing that, Delilah thinks back to Miranda, asking what determines whether or not someone is suffering that disorder. Bosala explains that though the process of identifying whether or not someone is suffering this disorder is lengthy, signs of one suffering it could be a persistent, debilitating depression that lasts for at least a couple of weeks.

Anyways, he and team have thought to look into producing these dopamine chemicals into distributable quantities. He thusly brings them to a table, brandishing a bottle full of purple liquid, which Bosola introduces as Happiness. Agovon furrows a brow, and asks if he's seriously suggesting that they've made Happiness in a bottle. Bosola affirms that that is the goal, though for now the quantities are limited, and the chemical is still in its experimentation phase. Delilah looks at it with a strange gleam in her eye, before asking Bosola if it's worked. The horse explains that they've thus far tried it out on ferals. They've had to surgically stunt dopamine production in a couple and attempted to inject it, and after a bit of experimentation, they think that they're getting close to a concrete cure for the disorder in everyday people.

Delilah then asks if it'll even work on people who have non-chemical reasons for being upset. Bosola asks what she means, to which the lilac-breasted roller explains that from his description, it sounds like this disorder could be brought on by events in a person's life. If this chemical is meant to apply dopamine or whatever, then will they really feel better as there's still those reasons to deal with? Bosola says that though it might not completely make a person happy, it should at the very least make them cognitive enough to function, if not put them on the road to recovery.

The trio is stunned at the information they've learned. Agovon says that something like this could be life-changing for the modern era, Bosola affirming as much. He says that this could be the greatest advancement in modern history. Demiurge, however, says that this is too good to be true, that this must be a dream. The horse says that right now, unfortunately, it is a dream. They need supplies to produce more of this chemical, and they need to affirm that it is functional. Delilah furrows her own brow and looks deep in thought. Demiurge says that he thinks they should reconvene on this issue and that they'll come back to him later on this. Bosola says that he wants dearly for them to help him in this research, but if they need to think over this, he understands.

Thus, the party steps out with a lot to consider.

### Midway

The trio is outside, and Delilah says that it seems too good to be true: actual Happiness, able to be administered to a subject. Agovon agrees, and almost has to wonder if this is cheating in some way, shape, or form. Demiurge holds his own chin in contemplation, and says that he himself is uncertain about this. Delilah, however, says that if it does work the way Bosola says it does, then Miranda could be helped out of her funk! Agovon wonders whether or not they should comply with it so readily, it sounds like some vital parts are being messed with in order for it to function.

Delilah sighs and supposes he's right. This is still a very strange medicine. She just really wants her to be able to live better... There's a pause among the group, before Demiurge says that he thinks they should try. It sounds like this is a serious enough issue to warrant the research, he thinks that maybe they should look into at least helping out those with the disorder. Agovon asks if it's really a lack of dopamine or whatever, and if they don't just need some support. Delilah says that he shouldn't just assume they aren't being supported. Agovon supposes that may be right.

Still, he can't shake the feeling that this doesn't feel right. Delilah says that none of them are versed in brain stuff, maybe that's why it doesn't feel right. It might only look like cheating because they don't know how tough the fight for something like this is. Agovon supposes that it only makes sense someone else is fighting for the path to Happiness. He just always thought that uncovering that path meant taking in the world and various aesthetics as a whole. He then decides that he thinks that they should look into this condition, ascertain just how dangerous it is and if what Bosola said was right. Demiurge supposes that it couldn't hurt.

In that case, Delilah supposes that if it'll set them on the right way, they may as well check this stuff out. She says they should ask around to either get to know about people with the condition, or get to know about where resources for this condition may be. And thus, they gang has a real brief mission for the day, to investigate into this disorder.

With that, players are tasked with going around the city to try and ascertain information about the disorder they learned. There are, fortunately, markers directing players to the appropriate locations.

* One location is a library a short walk away from Bosola's office. There, players find Delilah reading over a few books. She reads and reads, and she says that a lot of people've written about this stuff, but they say a lot of the same things. Low dopamine count, can be genetic, sometimes a result of external factors... Demiurge asks when it was first a thing, to which she says that a lot of these books suggest that it's always been a thing, but they've advanced enough to more easily identify the disorder, though the books warn that unless someone is very carefully examined, identification isn't an exact science.
* One location, an inn, has Agovon hanging out. He's apparently been asking around to see if anyone's been in a situation like Delilah, letting their room get dirty even as they reside in it seemingly forever. Apparently there've been a couple in that situation, just "content" with being in there and playing with who knows what while ordering food to come to them. Demiurge asks if he's been able to get in contact with any of them, to which the goat says that he tried, but when he went to one of the floors one of those individuals was reported to be on, he a bunch of flowers set at the door, and felt discouraged from searching for anyone.
* One location, a gazebo on the shore, has a family there. Interacting with them, players learn that the big brother of the family lost his job, and hasn't been the same since. He hasn't left his room in a while, and they can't remember the last time he even bathed. Demiurge asks what's been done for him, to which the parents say that they've tried to talk to him, but he hasn't been receptive to them. They've tried buying him some things he used to like, but that hasn't gotten him out of his room. They say that they're at their wits end, and don't know what to do about him.
* One location, a lab near Bosola's office, has a kind of dirty-looking fox lingering around. He sees Demiurge and tries to turn away, though the Dragon asks him if he's ok. The fox shrinks away and says he's fine. He's just trying to schedule an appointment. He sort of missed the last one, and it took him a lot of will power to get in contact with them again. Demiurge asks if he can help with whatever ails him, to which the fox says he's not sure if anyone can right now. He's been trying to enjoy himself, but the usual things aren't doing anything for him. He struggles to even have fun with his friends, and he feels so guilty he couldn't have gotten this dealt with sooner.

After all of that, the party meets back up. Agovon says that he'd never imagined anything like this happening. Delilah asks what things have been like up at his village, to which he says they haven't really dealt with any science-y stuff. Demiurge furrows his brow, before saying that after all they've learned, he thinks that they should check out this research, at least for the sake of the people suffering this affliction. And Delilah says that when it's good to be distributed, Miranda needs to be helped out.

Demiurge says that it's gotten late. They'll have to check out Bosola tomorrow.

Augua 27th
The group wakes again, and makes their way to the horse they'd previously met. The doctor sees them and asks them if they're going to go through with it, and they answer that they thought long and hard about it, and they will. Bosola is grateful for the opportunity! He says that first they need to test this chemical on someone diagnosed with the disorder, and depending on the results, collect more material for it. It's required a lot of tuning of Restorative crystals in order to fix the dopamine supplies.

Agovon asks the bird if she knows anyone, to which she says she wants to make sure it's safe before she subjects her to it. For now, though, she asks if he has any subjects. The horse says that he's trying to establish an appointment with someone, but several of them get a little scared of all of the medical talk. So, he's asking if maybe they can talk one of them into getting the application? Seeing as they seem at least accepting of this. Demiurge says that they should be able to get someone into it.

Bosola says that he'll make sure all of his things are prepared while he waits. And thus, the group's tasked with going back out into Erronus in order to find someone diagnosed with the disorder that'll accept treatment.

For now, the team is tasked with going around town and interacting with a few of the individuals. And among them is the fox from before. Interacting with him reveals that he couldn't bring himself to make the appointment. However, Demiurge says that someone else has an opening for him. The fox asks if he's certain, to which the Dragon assures that he is, that they'd be grateful to examine him. The fox asks for the location, and Demiurge points him, allowing him to go off.

With the new guy in tow, they return to Bosola's office, the horse looking over the fox and taking a few notes, gathering some of the information the fox gave Demiurge earlier. Bosola asks about this appointment he's been trying to make, to which the fox answers that he's been trying to get into contact with a therapist he kept hearing about, who says that he's supposed to help people feel better and whatnot. Bosola says that a man like that can certainly help someone in his kind of straights, but if he's suffering what he thinks he's suffering, then something more medical may be necessary. He notices the Dragon, though asks the fox to head over to the waiting room real quick.

Bosola says that people tend to be uncomfortable when someone they don't know becomes privy to their secrets. Demiurge apologizes, though says that he had told him about his issues a short while ago. The horse supposes that this is true. Either way, he says that all of the symptoms are there, and the length of duration sounds about right. For now, though, he needs to first go through the proper diagnosis phase, and then apply the chemicals and get back to the group on results. Demiurge asks what they should do in the meantime, to which he says that he supposes they may as well enjoy the city for a little while. And with that, he sends the Dragon off, who explains the situation to the other party members and says that for now they can just hang out.

People have free time for the rest of the day.

Augua 28th - Augua 29th
Further free time is allowed. Though now as the group goes around, Demiurge may start to notice some strange, gray-scaled viper woman in some noble-looking clothes now in the city. Interacting with her has her look to be reading from some book, though if players angle the camera correctly they can see her following Demiurge from a "safe distance".

Augua 30th
The next day comes. And as the day comes, the group's about to meet up, though as they do, they viper that's sometimes seen around town shows up. Demiurge sees her and greets her, saying that he saw her around town here and there. Agovon greets her as well, though Delilah looks over the woman's clothing and says that she knows this outfit, she says that that's **Herkushol** wear. Demiurge asks what that is, to which Agovon says that that sounds like the Holy State up north. The viper takes pause, though remarks that she should've probably assumed she couldn't hide that well. She affirms that she is indeed from Herkushol.

Delilah asks what brings her here, to which the viper explains that word's spread along the grapevine up to the Holy State, and there's buzz all over about the Dragon, **the** Dragon, walks among them yet again. And, well, here he is. Demiurge says that he is indeed here, and the viper says that she thinks he should come to the Holy State. Demiurge says that he'd like to, but he's currently here on some business. The viper asks what business that may be, to which the Dragon seems ready to answer, though Delilah cuts him off, whispering to him that they should probably not reveal the project to these guys, that the Holy State is pursuing various avenues to that eternal question of Happiness, and if this gets leaked, especially before it's tested, it could lead to trouble.

Demiurge says that he can't say exactly, but depending on conditions, a business nearby could use more of their assistance. The viper supposes that that makes sense, can't just break a promise. And then she asks what he's being requested to do for business, to which Demiurge says that it sounds like they *might* need some Restoration crystals in the near future, to which the Herkusholan says that that is a very rare substance. She asks if they might need help locating some, to which Demiurge says that they're not sure if she can really do anything. She says that Restorative crystals are still helpful to get a hand on, regardless of whatever the context is, so she may as well help them get it. Besides, anything to help the Dragon.

Demiurge supposes that it couldn't hurt to go find one of these crystals. So, he accepts the help. The viper thanks him and says she'll do everything in her power to help out. She introduces herself as **Labal**, Saint of Communication. And thus, the party grows more, and is suddenly granted a new mission: finding a substantial amount of Restorative crystals.

Augua 30th - Septmi 10th
With this, players are prompted to head out to the Erronus-Herkushol trail in order to start searching. Though as they head out and Labal begins leading, Demiurge can't help but be a bit curious. He thinks to ask the viper about what Herkushol is like, to which she says that it is the state that's the very heart of the world right now. It's been monitoring the villages that've sprung up, and is hereby monitoring interactions in order to make sure settlements are getting supplies necessary. Sometimes bandits get in the way, but the Saints are making great strides towards trying to fix that. They're currently trying to work with the metal capital, **Sellogish**, to try and outfit people to battle them. Agovon says that that city is at the very end of the pilgrimage trail and then it'll be back to Surgona.

Delilah says that they could definitely use a lot more guards and whatnot. They just spent a lot of time clearing out a bunch of bandits. Labal says that she's grateful for the aid, though Delilah says that these guys went bandit because their housing situation. The viper says that the Saints are currently trying to fix the issue around housing and the many births, but for now they should just worry about those crystals.

Either way, they keep walking and walking, though as they walk, going away from the shore and towards plains eastwards, a growling nearby gets their attention. They turn, and see a giant bison coming close. Seeing it come close, Delilah shouts that it's coming right at them! The party pulls their weapons, and Labal herself draws a weapon as well: a hasta. She says that none shall harm the Dragon. With that, players are forced into battle with the bison, and learn about Labal herself. With her hasta she deals Stabbing damage, and she has a lean towards ailment magic. She has access to Earth magic, to Smell, and to Poison, the latter of which proves useful in wearing down the enemy. And with enough effort, the bison is down.

With the foe down, the party is left panting and sheathes their weapons. Label says that it serves them right, threatening them like this. Delilah wonders why this thing was out all alone, and why it suddenly attacked them. Meanwhile, Demiurge starts to smell something. Curious, he leans in close and smells the creature's fur. Agovon recommends against that, saying that those ferals don't usually bathe. However, Demiurge says that he smells something, other than the foul fur. It smells like traces of magic... Restoration magic. The party is shocked at that, and Labal asks how he knows. Demiurge says that when learning of the magics of the universe, Dragons are taught to be very familiar with it, some teachers encouraging them to use all senses to know them.

Agovon wonders if they could potentially find wherever this thing came from, maybe they can find some of those crystals. So, Agovon offers to heal the bison up while the rest of the party gets away. He does so, and now the feral starts heading off northwards, Demiurge telling the group to follow it.

The party follows the bison, and they find that the large feral had made its way towards a portion of the shore: a cavern towards the north that leads towards the mainland. Labal says that this place looks clear of any sapient influence: no signs of light sources or even guidelines. Demiurge says that he can still smell that Restorative magic on the bison within, to which Delilah says that they should carefully go through this. The group makes their way through the cavern, and finds themselves having to deal with a few more ferals within the cavern. They go deeper and deeper in, though find the way is maze-like. There are crustaceans and serpents throughout these caverns, and the party needs to be careful. As they progress through the caverns, they tend to speak with Labal from time to time.

First, Delilah thinks to ask the viper about what those Saints are digging their heels in about this time. Labal assures that at the moment they've been balancing distribution among the settlements, though as of recent there've been noticing some shortages. So, they're going to organize some parties to go out and search for additional items. She understands that several could use additional aid, but portions of the Saints are focusing on trying to find additional stuff while others are trying to focus on the path to Happiness.

Second, Agovon says that with how isolated his own homeland is, he can't help but be a little curious about what sort of advances he's missed out on. Labal points out that that's a rather broad subject to answer, and asks if there's anything in particular he wishes to know about. Agovon first asks if she's heard of the name "Surgona", to which she says that it sounds faintly familiar... Agovon says that a Pilgrimage is sort of rite many are encouraged to take, and wonders how encouraged it is in the Holy State. Labal says that Pilgrimage is still encouraged, though Herkushol moreso needs able-bodied people to seek out necessary resources. A scant few Saints don't see value in it, but Pilgrimage has helped shaped the modern climate to the point of establishing a lot of the major settlements around the world. Hence, Pilgrimage is still highly regarded, after all the path to Happiness is still out there.

They traverse the cavern more and more, before eventually approaching an opening deep in the caverns. And even from here, there's a gentle, green glow deeper in. Seeing it, Labal declares that that must be an untapped Restoration gem, and a pretty big one at that. Delilah says that that bison must've interacted with it, to which she replies that she wouldn't be surprised if there's a bunch of ferals crowding around that thing. She suggests that they all make sure they're prepared before they get in there. And so, the player's prompted to prepare themselves before they bypass the threshold.

The group makes their way into the threshold, and inside the portion of the cave, they see a boulder-sized collection of crystals, shining a dark green. Looking on them, Delilah confirms that those are Restoration crystals. The group steps near, and the goat remarks that he feels his body improving within its presence. Labal points out that people can channel their magic into these things in order to use the magic, though more refined hands can focus on points for healing. Delilah is contemplating on how they're gonna haul this chunk of rock home, to which the goat says they'll have to break it down. Thus, he takes up the naginata, and starts to swing on it.

However, upon striking the gem, it starts to shake. The party pulls away in shock, and the sand around the ore begins to part. With a few more quakes, crab-like legs extend from the sand, and pulls the bunch of rock up and out of the sand. With that, the party finds themselves in the presence of a giant crab, utilizing the boulder of stone like some sort of shell to hide within. It lashes at the group with claws, forcing them to pull away. Agovon seems shaken, though Delilah and Labal draw their weapons. Labal says that this is what they're after, and they need to beat this thing fast. Delilah affirms as much: all they need to do is kill some dumb crustacean. Demiurge nods and tells the group to get ready; they can't just come out of here empty handed!

With that, the party draws their weapons, and battle the **Karkinos**. The boss proves to be somewhat tricky. The crab itself is rather slow, though it has hefty physical blows and access to Water and Earth magic. By far its more annoying attribute is its defenses. It is exceptionally tanky, taking limited damage from even tougher skills, proving Poison to be quite useful. The crab will summon up other, smaller ferals to make the fight trickier, and arguably the worst fact about it is its access to Healing magic. The first time it uses it, players are prompted to target the rock on the back of the crab (the latter of which can't be healed). After dealing enough damage to it, Karkinos itself loses its defenses, and thus becomes much easier to damage. With enough work, the party is able to fell the crustacean.

With Karkinos down, the party is left panting, looking over the battlefield. Delilah says that that took more effort than expected, but at the very least they got the gems they needed. Agovon says that hopefully Bosola will find good use for these, and for a brief moment, Demiurge catches a glimpse of interest on Labal. However, he doesn't feel like acknowledging it, and she doesn't follow up on that strange moment. Either way, the group thus begins gathering the gems, and head back.

Now, the player has some free time before the deadline. They're free to hang out with the party members, gather gear in Erronus, grind up, and so on. Eventually, the day comes, and the party gets a message from Bosola, saying that he'd like to see them tomorrow.

Septmi 11th
The next day comes, and Delilah thinks to tell Labal to make sure all of their supplies are in order before they move out, the rest of the party has their own thing to do. The viper nods and gets to work, and thus the rest of the group makes their way out. They head over to Bosola's, and once inside, they meet up with the horse that'd enticed them to this opportunity to begin with. And once there, he greets the group, and reports that he's witnessed some extraordinary changes in the subject once he set forth his treatment.

He'd noted to begin with that fox had low energy, that he tended to keep within his own quarters at the majority of times. However, with the use of a journal, he's now seen that the individual has been out and about! It hasn't been an instantaneous change, but the subject still shows progress! Delilah says that that's great news! Bosola says that with the progress currently witnessed, he needs to make more of this stuff, he needs to help out others suffering similar conditions. But first, he needs more Restorative crystals. Agovon remarks that it's a good thing they thought ahead, and thus brandish what they've gained. The horse looks over them excited. He says that they've all done a great deed today, and that he'll do anything to repay them. Demiurge says he'll have to think on that, Agovon says that he'd just like some money, and Delilah says that she wants something... personal.

She says she knows someone that's been suffering symptoms that're similar. She says that she'd like them to be treated, to which the horse says that once he develops more, he's sure he can book her in. But first she'll have to get out over here, he's not sure how long it'll take for this treatment to be more widespread. The roller understands, and says she'll try and arrange something. In fact, she says that she's going to write to her right away. With that, the party makes their way out while Bosola collects the many crystals. Delilah and Agovon are giddy with excitement and racing along while Demiurge walks along, feeling a sense of pride. He's shaken out of his stupor when he hears someone nearby clear their throat. He turns, and sees Labal, very close to the door they just walked out of.

She says that Saints need to be rather wise about their surroundings, and it doesn't take a genius to tell that they've been trying to keep her in the dark. She tells Demiurge that that in there... that is an amazing discovery. The Dragon asks what she plans, to which she continues that that sounds a lot like a path to Happiness. This guy sounds to've found a way to create a state of Happiness in someone. Maybe with some more research, it can be even better than he described. The Dragon tells her that that sounds very far from the intended use, to which the viper says that they can't be bound by what things "should be". Were they, they'd still be lame mortals with stone tools.

Demiurge says that he's not sure, this sounds like something intended to help people who only really need it. Labal says that the world may very well need this, but she understands she isn't to be too tough on the divine's will. She'll try and talk to him later, once they're at Herkushol. She'll not bring it up at any point with the rest of the group, and he's free to think on his stance, and on whether or not the world must be deprived of such a medicine. She pats him on the back and says that the bags are packed back at the inn. She then slithers past, and the Dragon is left in place, thinking on what was just offered.

### Penultimate

The group meets back at the inn, and once there, the Labal announces that their gear is together, and that they're ready to go asap. However, Delilah speaks up and says that they might've been too quick in their judgement. She thinks that they'll have to linger here for a little bit, just so she can gather the necessary equipment. Labal supposes that that should be fine, so long as they're careful with their packed equipment. She says she feels like preparing a meal for the team, and Agovon says that sounds nice, saying that he can help.

With that, those two head out, though Delilah stays with Demiurge. She says that she wants to make sure Miranda at the very least makes it to town first. Demiurge asks if she'll even come out this way, to which she says she doesn't know, but that she'll make sure she's here one way or another. She says after tonight she's going to head out and bring her back, and she tells Demiurge to keep that Saint placated. She's going to relay the message to the goat too. Demiurge says that makes sense, though says he wants to try something tonight. The roller shrugs and asks that he not be long. With that, she leaves the Dragon, who contemplates on the stuff the viper said previously, before making his way out.

Back at Bosola's office, he's starting to pack up. However, he hears a knock at his door, and investigates. On the other side, he sees Demiurge, and is surprised to see him. Demiurge says that he didn't expect this either, but right now, a concern's cropped up, and he wants to see whether or not his worry is founded. The horse is happy to deal with whatever complications he has, and Demiurge says he wants to know what happens if someone *not* suffering the affliction is to receive this treatment. The horse raises a brow, and strokes his chin.

He says that such a thing should be avoided, at least as far as his hypotheses propose. Among symptoms include addiction, and he can't help but fear something like that with a chemical like this would be exceptionally harmful. However, Demiurge proposes something: he be a test subject. Bosola is taken aback, and asks him if he's certain. The Dragon assures him that he's divinity, he'll be ok. Bosola still seems uncertain, but sees that he's serious about this concern. He says that he can certainly try. And thus, Demiurge is led to a chair in the back, where an iv bag can be seen next to it, said bag glowing a faint green.

Bosola takes the needle at the end and observes Demiurge's wrist, feeling for a good pulse. He warns that this'll pinch, though Demiurge assures that he's had worse than a pinch. Bosola supposes if he feels that way... and thus, the needle is inserted, and the chemical flows through the tube and into his bloodstream. And seeing that, the Dragon takes some deep breaths, and begins to close his eyes...

...

For a brief moment, Demiurge can hear applauding. He stumbles in response, and begins to open his eyes. He finds himself standing at the Draconic Gardens. He's at that all too familiar ledge, the one he looked over centuries ago before descending on the world. Only now, there stood the many Dragons in the Gardens, clapping and cheering. And looking out over the crowd, he can see some of them holding up signs, several of which says "Best World Ever!" He's positively stunned at the sight before him, though gets shaken out of the trance by a gentle hand on his shoulder.

He looked over, and could see Sophia herself standing over, looking down at him with the sort of warmth he hadn't felt before. Sophia tells her that he's done amazing, making a world in which everyone lives harmoniously. No one's ever done that before. Demiurge slowly asks if he really has, to which Sophia chuckles a little and assures him he has. She tells him about how proud she is of him, and the bronze Dragon tears up at that. However, just as suddenly as the vision came to him, he could see the very etchings of reality begin to fade away. He looks around and asks what's happening, though no one around responds to him. Sophia herself seems to be fading away, and the Dragon tries holding her to keep her close...

...

He grunts and rouses about, blinking wildly as he registers where he is. He's on the chair, in that doctor office, and he sees Bosola holding the iv, it now detached from him. The horse says that he went into a deep trance, and asks if everything went alright. Demiurge says he had this dream, this beautiful dream. The horse strokes his chin at that, and remarks that he hadn't expected a deep dream. Perhaps that's the body trying to give their brain the means to perceive the influx of happiness poured into them? He says that he needs to conduct more experiments.

Demiurge says that he needs to be somewhere, but there should be time for furthering the process later. Bosola tells him that he needs to keep everything he saw in that dream in mind for later. He'll want to probe that for later and ascertain whatever he could gather from it. Demiurge sweaers he will, and thus stumbles out of the chair. He runs out the door, Bosola looking on in slight concern.

The team can be seen at a diner, seated at one of the outside tables and enjoying some food. Demiurge approaches and finds them, Agovon asking him where he's been. The Dragon says that he got a little bit sidetracked, though Delilah points out that they're already on dessert. The Dragon is sheepish and takes a seat. And sitting their, Agovon notes that he's sort of just realized that they have a tendency to get to sit down and get a better feel for each other. First it was him and Demiurge, then the two of them and Delilah. And he supposes now's a good time to get to know Labal.

The viper says that she is a Saint, one of those tasked with helping to achieve the goal this world has sought out for so long. Delilah says that that much is obvious, but Agovon was more asking about her herself. Likes, dislikes, what led her to becoming a Saint, so on and so forth. She says that the passage to Sainthood is long and arduous. Former Saints had to first prove their prowess to the people to establish themselves as leaders of the world, and then they'd find people they think worthy of Sainthood, and make sure they can demonstrate the abilities that they'd demonstrated once before. She herself had to go through trials to make sure she's fit to rule.

Delilah asks if her parents had sorta pushed her into it, to which Labal says it matters not. She's going to be one of the minds that helps steer the world in the right direction. Why wouldn't she like that? Demiurge asks her if that isn't stressful from time to time, to which she says that it does tend to weigh heavy. But she thinks of the future she could secure, and that helps her out. Demiurge thinks on those words and leans back, when some desserts are brought to the tabel. The party is thusly prompted to eat up before turning in for the night.

Septmi 12th
The next morning comes, and Demiurge bumps into Agovon. The goat says that Delilah made her way out to try and get Miranda. Demiurge asks if they should go and protect her, but he says that she seemed pretty tough, he thinks she'll be alright. Anyways, he said that she said she should be here tomorrow morning at the latest. So for now, they're going to keep Labal busy. Demiurge says that he can certainly try, and Agovon says that maybe they can talk her into getting a souvenir. That should keep her away from Sobola. Hearing his name, the Dragon feels a slight shiver, though despite this odd sensation he says that that sounds like a good idea.

With that, the goat prompts Demiurge to come along, though the Dragon says that he actually has some business right now. The goat seems weirded out by that, but says that he'll try his best to keep Labal busy. With that, the two split, Demiurge making his way to the office.

Bosola's seen dusting his shelves. He's interrupted by a knock at the door, where he checks it out. He sees the Dragon and greets him. He asks him if he's here to report the stuff he'd witnessed after being given the chemical. Demiurge says that he owes him that much, and he'd like to help out. And so, the horse asks him about what he's seen, to which the Dragon says that it was one of the nicest things he could've imagined. He saw everyone loving him and his caretaker talking about how proud she is... Bosola takes notes, and asks if those are the sorts of things he wanted deeply. Demiurge takes pause, and says he supposes he had wanted that stuff to happen.

Bosola jots down the notes and strokes his chin. Demiurge asks if that helped, and Bosola says that a single test isn't exactly conclusive. Demiurge says that he can try again, but the horse says that that is not recommended. One proposed symptom is addiction, and he can't really trust himself if he were to inflict such a thing on the Dragon. He says that he's going to try and find someone else willing, and the Dragon looks as if he's going to insist, but he catches himself. He supposes he understands. Bosola thanks him for everything he's done, and Demiurge says it was no trouble. Bosola says that a lot of people should be helped out thanks to this research. With that, the Dragon makes his way out, though is reluctant as he leaves.

Demiurge spends time searching Erronus's streets for Agovon. However, his looking is proving more and more fruitless, especially as the sun is setting. He keeps looking until he gets near the shore. And there, he can see the goat and viper hanging out on the sandy bank. The Dragon comes close and sees them hanging out. Demiurge asks how their day is, to which Labal says that they checked out a lot of the sights. She admits she hasn't had the time to check out the shore-side town, and looking on it now, she regrets not seeing it. Agovon says that he's just happy they had the chance to see this during summer.

He says that Surgona enforces the idea that looking over the natural landscape helps one expand their mind. Labal admits that such a teaching doesn't get to be enforced among the Saints as much as before. She was lucky to even come this far. As the group relaxes, Delilah approaches the shore, and a certain weasel is with her. The group turns and sees them, greeting them. The two ladies approach and sit, Delilah making sure to be close to her. The two of them look towards the sunset, and even the more reclusive Miranda has a small smile. The party is thus left on the shore, enjoying the sight of the sun setting.

...

Eventually, the team is back on the streets, the moon hanging over. Delilah tells the group that she's rented a room for Miranda, and she's going to be hanging with her for the night. She then asks the weasel for her to promise that she'll keep seeing Bosola. Miranda says that she'll try. He did seem kinda nice when they were in earlier today. The roller is glad, and assures that he'll help. Labal says that tomorrow's probably time to head out to the Holy State, to which Delilah affirms that. Agovon apologizes for the hold up, and the viper assures it's alright.

Thus, the group goes to sleep.

Septmi 13th
The next morning comes, and the various party members has gathered their things. Demiurge, Agovon, and Labal are waiting over by the gate towards the north, when Delilah appears. She says that she was just making sure Miranda was going to be ok one more time, and the rest of the party seems ok with that. Labal says that they're to follow the trail north. They won't be able to miss the Holy State. And thus, the party makes their way along the **Erronus-Herkushol Trail**.

The trail itself features ferals and bandits, though the latter is not in nearly as high a volume as on the other trail. The trail takes them northwards and eastwards. They're led towards the central mass of the mainland, the northern shore relatively close to it. And the city itself can be seen from far away with its grandness. The city stands with large stone walls and a mighty, church-shaped structure in the middle of it. It looks as if the city is divided into layers with passages leading from the various layers to the church within. The party, sans Labal, looks on in awe, and the viper says that that there is **Herkushol, the Holy State**.

Labal says that there'll be housing throughout the city, and says that Delilah and Agovon will be fine there. Demiurge, meanwhile... he'll be expected to commune with the Saints. Agovon ponders how there'll be more housing, it looks like the entire city was built to shield that big church. Labal assures that there is some for them. For now, though, they need to complete their journey. Thus, the group continues along the trail, and makes it through one of the gates.

The group makes their way into the city of Herkushol. And stepping in, the group looks up in awe. There's several floors built into the inside of the walls, these floors looking to have various buildings on them. Said layers have passages extending from them and into the giant church in the middle of the Holy State. The current floor also brandishes buildings, though they can also spy several people in rags around the bottommost layer. Agovon asks what's with this structure, to which Labal says that as the Holy State, the Saints of old thought to build the biggest monument to the divinity they could.

Anyways, she tells Delilah and Agovon to look for an inn. The divinity must grace the Holy State's church. Delilah asks the bronze Dragon if he'll be ok, to which Demiurge says he thinks he'll be fine. So, the duo heads out into the layer, and the other duo begins heading into the church. The front doors features the emblem of the Dragon, seen cradling the world between his wings. The Dragon and the viper go through it, and begin walking through the halls. Eventually they get to a part of the halls where, just looking up, they can see the roads connecting to the city walls leading into the church's interior, where branches from them lead down directly into the church's halls. Demiurge remarks that that all must've been complicated to make, to which Labal says that anything is worth it for the divinity.

They walk and walk, going up several flights of stairs, and it soon comes to the point where Demiurge swears they've been walking the length of a city. Labal says that they've arrived, a door with a more detailed depiction of the Dragon painted into it. Labal opens it, and they step in, revealing a room with a well crafted round table in the center of it. Positioned in the center of the table is those Draconic Wings Onah fought so hard for. Labal tells Demiurge to take a seat, she'll gather the rest of the Saints. Demiurge, albeit a little uncertain, approaches the table and takes a seat. The viper slithers out, and thus Demiurge is left waiting.

He looks over those wings, unsettled. He cautiously reaches towards them and feels them, affirming that these things are in fact in front of him. He hears the doors open up and he pulls away. He turns, and sees six people come in. There's Labal from before. There's also a raven man, a toad woman, a cat man, a lemur woman, and a wolf man. And each of them, sans Labal, are in awe of the Dragon's appearance here. They each bow, though Demiurge assures them this isn't necessary. Labal says that she found him a short while ago, helped him with some errands, and now they he's here to grace them. The raven comes close, saying that this is a momentous occasion.

The toad says he's already met Labal, the Saint of Communication she's certain. Demiurge affirms as much, and the toad woman introduces herself as **Oleca**, the Saint of Distribution. The raven introduces himself as **Resti**, the Saint of Worship. The cat introduces himself as **Worro**, Saint of Craft. The lemur introduces herself as **Conna**, Saint of Gathering. And the wolf introduces himself as **Locke**, Saint of the Military. Resti says that they've been working together to try and develop their Holy State to properly give the Dragon worship, and to bring the world closer and closer to the goal proposed centuries ago. Oleca says that that is on top of their work towards shepherding the world at large.

Demiurge says that he's glad to see some people taking care of this world. He asks how they feel the search for the path to Happiness is, to which Resti admits that it feels as if they haven't made progress. Labal, however, says that they actually may have. The Saints turn towards her, and Demiurge's eyes widen as he realizes what she might be talking about. She says that the Dragon himself actually discovered it. Someone in the medicine capital created a medicine capable of producing Happiness in a person. Demiurge is flustered that she comes right out with that, and Conna asks if that's true. Demiurge tries to say that it's not, but his stuttering tell a different story. Locke, however, says that they should contemplate on *why* Demiurge originally tried to hide this.

Demiurge thinks on this, and tries to say that it's untested. Labal, however, says that she heard the doctor explain that the medicine was tested on someone. Demiurge admits it was, but not on those without an affliction. Oleca says that they should be able to provide people to alleviate that. Demiurge then seems even more uncomfortable. He knows that it has an effect. He himself had felt that effect, and he's sure once they get those guys there, they too will find that effect. Demiurge seems to struggle to talk about this, and even has a brief thought about whether or not he even should deny them.

Resti, however, notices that he seems to be in distress. He asks him if he'd wish to relax before discussing the matter further. Demiurge says that'd be nice, and that they spent a lot of time walking anyways. The lemur says that they'll be more than happy to provide a bed for him. The Dragon says that'd be fine, and thus the Saints agree that the current meeting must be dismissed. And so, the Dragon is led through the various halls again, this time up towards one of the upper floors of the church. And up there, he's let into one of the rooms, which boasts a nice, cushiony bed and various Dragon imagery. Labal wishes him a good rest, and softly closes the door. Demiurge, however, is not entirely at ease, even given the room, and tries to lay on the bed and rest, hoping that this is some sort of bad dream.

Septmi 14th
Demiurge wakes up again. He finds he's in the room he saw last night, and affirms that he is indeed where he believes he is. He groans and gets up on his feet before making his way out. And once out, he bumps into a couple of guards wearing a combination of robes and armor. They say that Locke offered to guide the Dragon. Demiurge says that right now he'd like to meet up with his friends. He wants to get out of the church right now, and the guards say that they can do that, and offer to lead him back in whenever he's ready. And so, the guards lead him out.

Demiurge's led to the ground level, where he makes it back to the street. He looks for the nearest inn, where he finds that they've been completely booked as of last night, meaning that his friends couldn't have stopped in here. Demiurge finds himself needing to look around the street, which proves tougher than he imagined. The walls stretch fairly high and have many buildings around the various layers and streets, and even though he ascertains some of the inn locations, he finds that they too are booked. So, he finds himself subsequently needing to ask around to see if anyone saw a goat in a tunic and a lilac-breasted roller in casual wear. And along the way, he finds himself learning about the people outside the church.

* He asks some of the homeless people on the bottommost floor if they saw his friends, and they answer last night they saw those two go to the inn before leaving and heading for the stairs up. Demiurge wonders why they left, to which the homeless say that the inns are usually always packed. The Holy State either didn't expect there to be so many people in the walls, or it just doesn't care about the little people. A lot of the inns are managed solely by the owners, and a lot of the owners end up answering to more money, and if someone can offer more than someone pays in rent, their time in the inns are usually numbered. Demiurge remarks that that's terrible, and the homeless affirm as much.
* He's up on the second layer and he asks some of the homeless near the stairs if they saw his friend. They said that they went to the inn near the path into the church, but then they started to go around the ring. Demiurge wonders how many inns there are, to which they answer not enough. Demiurge asks about what housing looks like in general here, to which they answer that people either need to start a business and live in their buildings, or be lucky enough to get one of those inns. Demiurge remarks that the church is almost as big as a city and that there should be more than enough room for people in there, to which they say that housing in there is restricted to either the Saints' sycophants or the Saints themselves. They apparently can't leave themselves open else "sully the aesthetic built for the sake of the divine".
* On another portion of the second layer, after asking the various inns, he asks some of the shop owners nearby if they saw his friends, and they affirm that they saw them make their way up before they began to close. Demiurge asks what the shops are like around here, to which they say that there's equal parts luck and equal parts quality. The Saints require taxes for the sake of their own work, meaning they have to keep their numbers up. Same goes for the inns. They say that they've seen shops rise and fall and more people add to the numbers that're either forced to lay in the streets or go out into the dangerous roads.

Demiurge makes his way up to the third floor, where even up here he can see some of the Church Guards working on a fourth layer. And after enough looking, he can see, resting over in an alley with some homeless, Agovon and Delilah. He comes over and asks them if they're alright, to which Delilah says that that was a miserable night, but they can walk it off. Agovon says that he supposes he cannot appreciate true Happiness without seeing the depths of despair. Demiurge says that this city seems terribly designed for the amount of people it seems to hold, to which a nearby jaguar affirms as much. Demiurge turns and sees a tall jaguar man wearing filthy-looking clothes.

Demiurge greets him and asks who he is, to which Agovon says this man offered them sleep here. The jaguar affirms as much. He calls himself **Oogarra**, and Demiurge introduces himself as well. Oogarra says he figured as much, seeing the Dragon before him and all. He says he was actually hoping to see him. Surely he's seen the way people around here live, to which Demiurge affirms as much. The jaguar says that those Saints claim to be running the world, but the fact of the matter is they care so much for the path to Happiness, they're willing to overlook the problems right outside their doorstep. Oogarra says Demiurge needs to get them to care.

Demiurge says that he absolutely cannot let this continue. Those Saints intend to speak with him soon, and he intends to give them an earful about how living down here should be. Oogarra thanks him, and prays that his encounter with them is fruitful. Agovon and Delilah wonder if he'll be able to bring them in, to which he says he can try. The jaguar wishes them luck in convincing those Saints, though deep down he fears that that won't be enough.

The group makes their way back in the church. The guards that'd led Demiurge before lead him back in. And eventually, he's brought before Locke, the wolf greeting the Dragon, remarking he hadn't expected to see him with usual people. The Dragon says that these two have helped him up to now. Locke says that the other Saints are currently doing their duties, but says he's ready to communicate with the divine. Demiurge says that he's looked out over the city, and found it teaming with people begging for a home. Locke says that he knows of them, but says they're acceptable losses. The trio blanches, Demiurge asking him what he means by that, to which he says many lives have gone away in the pursuit of Happiness, and many more will. Unless the Dragon is certain about the secret he and Labal found.

Hearing that, the Dragon takes pause, and says that those people can't be Happy if they're to remain in these dire situations. Locke says that a lot of people aren't Happy, that's why they're continuing to search for Happiness. He then says that the Dragon will be able to end that. It's just a matter of using the secret they'd learned. Demiurge says that he won't tell them about it unless they start working on the housing situation, but he says that they'll keep searching. Labal herself should know, and at that, Demiurge realizes he's up the creek without a paddle. Delilah, however, decides to chime in and say that while people are without houses, they get violent. All of their sitting on their butts is just making things harder outside of these holy walls! Agovon affirms as much, saying they've had to take care of bandits on their path to pilgrimage!

Locke says that they're at work trying to wipe out threatening foes in this world, and says that he cannot expect commonfolk to understand the works of the Saints. Demiurge seems tempted to speak up about the secret, though the roller says that they should leave right now. Thus the group's led out, on the street again. Demiurge asks why she didn't let him speak, to which she says they can't let this jerk just walk over them. They clearly don't care about the people beneath them, and they need to learn that they can't do that! Agovon, however, says that they don't seem like the type to just buckle. It sounds like they'll only be able to help these guys if they give in to their demands. Demiurge knows that, but says that he needs to find some way to fix this...

As he contemplates, the jaguar from before finds them and approaches. He asks them how negotiation went, to which Delilah says that it was terrible. That Locke guy isn't willing to budge on anything that *might* impede the path to Happiness. Agovon says that they promise Happiness to those in the city once they ascertain that path, and says that it's close. Oogarra, however, declares that he can't just wait on them to ascertain this goal. The Saints have twiddled their thumbs for decades and nothing is better! Delilah says that she knows, and that they need to find some way to fix this if the Saints aren't willing to! Oogarra says that he knows, and declares that they are going to. And if the Dragon backs them, then surely they'll stand some chance of smiting them. Demiurge asks what he means, to which he says that he'll explain later. For now, now that the Saints have made their position clear, he needs to prepare a few things.

Thus, the jaguar walks away, the party left staring. Demiurge wonders what he's talking about, to which Delilah remarks that she doesn't know, and she doesn't trust it. But for now, it sounds like they're not going to do anything without the Dragon's permission. So, she thinks their best bet is to wait around for Oogarra to contact them again.

Septmi 14th - Septmi 16th
Players now have free time to relax. During the 15th, Labal will appear again, Demiurge checking on her. The viper asks Demiurge how the church has treated him, to which he says that the city is doing a terrible job treating its people. Labal says it looks bad, but it is a temporary suffering on the path to Happiness. Demiurge, however, asks how much she's looked at the people who've suffered. With that, the Saint is now given an excuse to hang out in the streets with Demiurge, and she does get a good look at the plight of the impoverished.

Eventually, the night of Septmi 16th ends, and in an alley on the third layer of Herkushol, the jaguar can be seen laying, holding a young jaguar girl. He holds the sleeping girl, swearing that things are going to be better than this.

Septmi 17th
On this day, Demiurge and crew wake up again. And having woken up, a sparrow woman has found them and offers them a letter. It's revealed to be from Oogarra, giving the crew directions to the third layer towards a particular alley. Labal supposes that considering the circumstances, she should keep her distance, though she hopes that they can put in a good word for her. Demiurge says they can certainly try, and begins making their way.

They eventually make it up to the meeting point in question, and they find a conglomeration of homeless around said alley. They approach curious, and find towards the very end the jaguar himself, back turned towards them, and a scythe in either hand. Demiurge asks what's happening, to which Oogarra says that the church is denying the word of the divinity himself. That is proof enough that they are right to act. He says that the weather will turn colder and colder, and many are going to be lost to the elements. He says that either they force the change, or they die. He asks Demiurge and crew to stand beside him and spread word that they the people need to carve their own path forwards.

Demiurge asks if they should really do this, to which the jaguar says they have no choice. Year after year those on the streets have died, and unless they've been murdered, the sycophants are content with just cleaning them off of the road. They have to do rise above the Saints, and Delilah says that this guy knows what's up. She says that they should spread this word, though Agovon questions whether or not they can even hope to stand up to these guys' guards. Oogarra says that they're people just like everyone else; once there's too many set upon them, they'll fall too. He says that this group is going to paint their message at a strategic point so that they can get people to their side. He says that they need to keep them safe.

With that, the group of homeless suddenly start moving, and the party find themselves needing to move with them. Some time passes, and several of the aligned with the cause are painting messages on some of the walls in the alleys. "The Saints are scammers", "The path to Happiness will kill us", "The church rejects the divine", so on and so forth. Meanwhile, the party is looking carefully upon them as they paint. Agovon asks if people will really start to fight once they read these, to which Oogarra says this will implant the flame of rebellion in the people. He also says that he'll have allies gather and provide weapons once they have the material. This city will learn the fury of a people tired of apathy.

As they speak however, a pair of guards approaches, and finds the lot of them painting. They shout at them to stop, immediately drawing spears. Seeing this, Oogarra flashes his scythes and tells the party that this is exactly what they're needed for. The party's thus forced into battle with the two **Herkushol Guards**, and in the process learn about Oogarra's fighting style. He's primarily a physical fighter, and wields the High Counter passive, meaning he has a chance to strike back at foes if they try to physically attack him. He also has the unique Skill, **Flagellate**, where he selects an ally and subsequently intercepts attacks directed at them. This, in tandem with his High Counter, can lead to some interesting combos. The party proves able to defeat the two guards.

With them down, the homeless finish painting, and Oogarra prompts them to head out. He says that they'll keep on spreading the word and that they'll prepare their weaponry. With the homeless spreading out, the jaguar thanks them for their aid. He swears that things are going to change, and the Dragon will be to thank for that. Faster than the Dragon can respond, Oogarra is rushing after the group. Agovon says that this isn't what he expected when he set out on his expedition, and Delilah admits that it felt kinda nice giving those guards a little shiner. They'll just walk over these guys while they're left in the streets, but speak up when they apply a different coat of paint somewhere.

Demiurge says that dealing with a couple of guards is one thing, but if the Saints themselves get involved, he's sure there's going to be pain. Labal herself has proved fairly powerful in comparison to those guards, and he can only imagine what the rest of them are like. The goat supposes that's true, and says that he'd hate for things to come to blows. Demiurge thinks back to the conversation with Locke, how there might be change if they speed along to their path to Happiness. He says he's going to try and talk to the Saints again, to which the roller asks if he's really ok with putting up with those stuffy holier-than-thous. Demiurge says he's sure.

With that, he makes his way to the church again.

The Dragon is back in, and he's led back to that meeting room, where he sees the six Saints from before. Resti greets him, and asks if he's here to make a decision. Demiurge asks if they're certain that this path will lead to no suffering for the homeless. The Saints affirm that, and Conna says that Labal filled them in on a few details. The lemur says that she's preparing men to gather the amount of crystals that will be necessary, but first they'll need his blessing. Demiurge mulls over this news, wondering if they could really go and ascertain their goal and give the homeless what they need without any blood being drawn. On the other hand, this could potentially make them weaker in the Holy State were he to side with Oogarra.

He says that he thinks they should start searching. Conna is grateful, and Locke says that the people will search. Resti is elated at Demiurge's assistance, and wishes him rest. The age of Happiness will be upon them soon. So, Demiurge heads off to rest, though still he can't help but be uncomfortable about this course of events. He has a feeling, deep in his gut, that he has to choose one or the other.

Septmi 18th - Septmi 22nd
With this, players are given a choice. They have two choices, either assist Oogarra by helping him paint various locations around Herkushol, or assist the Saints and try and find mining veins in the nearby landscape. If players don't do anything until Septmi 22nd, the choice will default to the Saints as they uncover the appropriate vein themselves. Either way, players will be thrust into one of two branches this way.

#### Help the Saints/Do nothing

In this route, if players choose to do stuff, Resti will come out to accompany the Dragon. The raven says that he's here to help the divine in his duty to the world. Delilah tries to tell him they don't need his help, but the raven simply says that he'd gladly give his life for the sake of the Dragon. Looking at his back, the group spies a claymore hanging from his back whose blade looks wider than his body. Either way, Resti has joined the party.

The group is now tasked with going around the fields around Herkushol to look for a sizable vein. And in the process, players will get to learn about the raven in question. His Claymore deals Slashing damage, he wields insta-killing magic, and he wields buffing magic. With this combination of powers, he can prove to be a powerful foe against enemies. Either way, players will advance throughout the environment, checking out key locations. And after enough work, players will uncover one particular spot, and trigger a cutscene.

Here, the group looks into a currently uncharted cave, and upon going a fairways in, Resti remarks that this seems to warrant further investigation. He tells Demiurge that he's done plenty already today, and tells him he's free to relax until the Saints reach out to him again. Demiurge seems uncertain, but is fine with returning back home.

Septmi 23rd
The group wakes again, and by now, a pair of guards approaches Demiurge. The duo tell the Dragon that the Saints need him. Delilah and Agovon aren't allowed entry as he's let in. He's brought before the many Saints. He asks what they need him for, he's already given them his blessing. Conna says that they've encountered a gigantic amount of Restorative Crystals in that cave. However, this amount proves too tough for their normal weaponry. Worro suggests that they cannot possibly develop a weapon in a timely manner to break it down. As such, they seek the Dragon's aid to break up the cluster enough to transport it.

Locke says that the path into the cave should be secure, and says that they just need him to go and help break them up. Demiurge supposes if it's to further the mission he can help out. Oleca says that once the material is brought to them, it'll be a while, but they will create the medicine that will bring Happiness. Resti says that he'll be more than happy to lend a blade just in case. Demiurge wearily thanks him, and thus they head out. Demiurge is led out with a bunch of knights, the rest of the party, and several knights. Meanwhile, looking down on them from on high is a certain jaguar, snarling as he clenches the shafts of his scythes.

Septmi 23rd - Octuar 4th
With that, players must go to the cave they'd uncovered beforehand. They approach it and make their way down the cave. The cave leads into the planet, requiring them to go around ramps and utilize some platforms. Along the way, they'll bump into some feral bats and whatnot, such as bats and moles. They go on and on, before they get stopped when they notice a guard dead on the ground. Labal wonders how a guard ended up dead, they're powerful soldiers. Delilah comes close and looks over them, before noticing the wounds. She says that this looks like a sword wound. Agovon asks if anyone else would be looking for this crystal. Resti says that looking into it reveals no signs of anyone else being in here.

The group continues down the path, and along the way, they'll notice several of the guards have retreated. Resti tries asking them what's wrong, to which several of them say their superiors to retreat. There're rogue individuals striking them. Resti asks who's causing this, to which they reply they don't recognize them. Resti grimaces, noting that someone is sabotaging the Dragon's mission. He says that they need to be punished. Light and Dark magic sparkles among his fingers, though he dismisses them. Either way, they continue on.

They make it about 3/4 of the way down, and as they do, they're surprised when a bunch of people in rags jump down, surrounding them. Resti asks who they all are, but Delilah notices them. She calls Resti a "dumbass", saying that these are a bunch of homeless in *his* own city! Agovon asks them what they're doing, to which they say that their future needs to change. Oogarra says that the Saints need to die, and they're here to eliminate one of them. Demiurge tells them they don't want to do this, only for Resti to hold up a hand to quiet him. He smiles and steps forwards.

He says that he'd wondered who was threatening those loyal to the divine mission, and for a moment thought there was some sort of traitor among the Saints. But it turns out there were merely a bunch of no-name goons that'd tracked down their work so far. The many homeless are stunned by how brazen he is, one of them asking if he can really be so heartless. Resti says that he's the one with the most heart here, next to the Dragon. He says that he swore his soul to the divine mission, and says that he'd be better off dead were it not for the glorious divine. Same as the rest of them. They look only at their own lives as important when the precious Dragon had set forth the means of accomplishing their purpose. He says that if they seek to kill that mission, then they seek to destroy their very purpose! He thusly draws the claymore and swears to the Dragon he'll kill them all. Demiurge tries to tell him this isn't what he wants, but the rest of the homeless decide they're fed up being looked at like less than people!

With that, the team is forced into a fight with the **Homeless Ambushers**. The fight starts with them ambushing the party, meaning that they have the first turn. One of them relies on buffs, one of them relies on ailments, and one of them relies on damage. The party needs to take care of each of them, though have to be weary, for warriors of similar builds will replace someone that was felled shortly after. They keep on fighting, to the point that players will've beaten 12. And once that's done, the various homeless are beaten, the party panting.

Seeing them down, the various fighters are left in a heap, panting heavily. Demiurge looks over them and sighs. He says that they should just keep moving, these guys don't pose a threat anymore. The raven looks over them. He asks them if they're willing to repent, if they will kiss the ground the Dragon walks on. One of them shouts they never will. He starts to stand, saying that the Dragon betrayed them. Another says that they don't deserve to suffer just so the Saints can work on their fruitless cause. More and more dissent is heard from the crowd, and the party focuses on Resti. The raven sighs, and says that they don't deserve another chance. He extends a hand, it cackling with Dark magic, before claws of darkness rake across the ground at the many felled people. The claws make it to each of them, before each reaching up. Talons of the darkness stab into the many people, and that section of cave is filled with screams as the former opponents are stabbed, into their very being, by the claws of damnation. The party, Labal included, is positively stunned by this display of utter cruelty.

Each homeless member is left dead on the ground, terror on their faces. The raven sighs and turns to the party, saying that the unworthy have been beaten. He says that they're almost upon their goal, and walks on. The party just watches as he continues, before each turning to each other. Agovon asks what have they done, and Labal says she's never seen this side of him. Delilah says that they can't just beat down someone like that. She takes a heavy swallow, before saying that they need to just play along, maybe see an opening in that jerk's defenses later. With that, the party continues.

The group makes their way deeper in. They're in the deepest chamber, and they can see the glow of green around the corner. They turn, and they uncover a positively shocking sight. Ahead of them stands, from floor to ceiling, a pillar of crystal as thick as a castle wall, stretching several stories tall. The party looks over it, Delilah wondering how they're supposed to take care of that. Agovon supposes there's something they can do, and glances towards Demiurge leadingly. The Dragon thinks, before settling on something.

He says that the Dragons have access to great power, and that it could be dangerous. But he thinks that it'll be able to break these Restoration Crystals down enough. Resti says that it'd be splendid to see the divine power firsthand, Labal affirming that. Delilah says that that sounds like it could be dangerous whatever it is. She suggests that they settle on it only if they feel like they're ready for whatever fallout there could be. With that, players are given the chance to heal up and whatnot before they go up to the pillar itself.

Demiurge stands there, and tells the group to stand back. They do so, and he braces his own legs. He dives deep into himself, tapping deep into the magical reservoir within himself. His abdomen starts to glow with a Pure light, a shinier speck traveling up his stomach and up to his throat. He clenches his teeth, aims at the pillar, and then he extends his jaws and shoots out a beam of Pure magic, a mighty roar filling the chamber and shaking the floor, moreso as the beam carves straight through the pillar! It's like a knife through warm butter, tons of crystals shot out and the beam carving up through the cave walls. The party is stunned by the sight, Resti's smile wide on his face. Demiurge twists and turns his head to change the angle of his assault, before eventually closing his mouth. With that, the pillar crumbles, the many chunks of Restorative Crystal now littering the chamber.

Agovon is surprised, remarking he'd never seen anything like that. Labal says that she'd heard tales of the Dragon's power, but to see it in action... Resti spreads his wings, praising the Dragon! He praises loudly and jovially. Delilah glances around and blinks a few times, as if she's trying to see whether or not she actually saw that. She asks the Bronze Dragon if he could always do that, to which the Dragon says that he's only tried that for the first time now. Delilah says that she can't imagine that kind of power being in someone's hands. Either way, she asks if this is broken down enough to transfer, to which the viper says that it looks like they should be able to send people to collect.

Resti says that they should contact Conna. She and Locke will be able to organize people in order to collect all of the chunks of crystal. And with that, the party is forced out of the cave, going into another cutscene. The party makes their way up the ramp and out to the fields outside. However, once they're outside, the group sees a bunch of other homeless in the field, each looking haggard and out of breath. And among them can be seen Oogarra himself. Delilah notes that it looks like they've just come out of a fight, and Agovon wonders if they really did what he thinks they did.

The party approaches, and Resti wonders what they're doing out here in the middle of nowhere. Oogarra says that they need at least one head while threateningly brandishing his scythe at the two Saints. Resti looks over them, before smugly asking how well they fared against the other Saints. Oogarra declares that it doesn't matter, that the righteous will rise up! Labal tells Oogarra that this isn't necessary, that they've obtained just what they needed to bring Happiness to all. The jaguar asks why they should trust them. For years they've been left at their mercy and for years they died in front of them! Why should this be any different?!

Resti laughs. He says that he is bold if nothing else, but boldness is hardly a thing in the face if divinity. Happiness is coming one way or another, and not all can achieve it. Unfortunately, it seems like Oogarra chose *not* to see Happiness. So, he'll be fine to prune him from the path. Oogarra glares towards Demiurge, and asks him how he could side with him. He looks down on everyone and only ever has good words for... him. Oogarra asks if that's it, if Demiurge serves the raven just because he and the rest of his sycophants showered him in praise? Did the size of that church blind him from common decency, or does he too just think so little of the people that the suffering of individuals don't phase him?

With this, players can answer "I did this to hurt as few people as possible" or "We weren't going to defeat them". To the former, Oogarra says that there are people that deserve to be hurt, that to try and keep everyone safe is naive at best! To the latter, Oogarra turns to the party and tells them that the divine doesn't believe they can change the world for the better, and asks if they can really rally behind him! Either way, Agovon tells them that it's too late for this, that they got their goal and things are going to be better now. He says that they can all act like this never happened, and just go home. Oogarra, however, snarls and declares that creatures as selfish as the Saints and the Dragon deserve a fate worse than death!

With that, the party is forced into a battle with **Oogarra**, accompanied by several other homeless. The jaguar is the primary damage dealer, and he'll be accompanied by one focused on buffing and debuffing, and one focused on healing. Oogarra has less health than most, but to compensate the healer will be there to improve his health and to even revive him. Players can target the allies, but they will have to worry about him using Flagellate to intercept damage. Fortunately, that move targets one ally, meaning players can either focus on one or use multi-target moves to beat them. With enough work, the party should be able to fell the enemy team.

Oogarra and his allies are down and panting. The party themselves are panting a little, though Resti himself walks forwards. Labal tells him to stay back, though the raven waves the viper's worry off. He approaches the jaguar who glares up at him hateful. Resti looks down at him and he tells him that not all are great enough to be acknowledged. Many try, but many fall. He is not the first to suffer in the shadow of progress, but he can take solace knowing he'll be among the last. The feline keeps panting before glancing towards Agovon. He tells him to go back to where they first met. The goat is confused, though Oogarra struggles to his feet.

The jaguar raises his scythes and swings at Resti, though the Saint of Worship flashes his claymore out, parrying the blow and causing him to stumble past. Oogarra tries to hurl one scythe at him, prompting Resti to sidestep it, which seemed to be meant to leave him open for an overhead swing from the rebel. However, one more swing of the claymore would manage to hit the blade of the scythe hard enough to tear it from the shaft. Despite this, the jaguar would swing the stick, managing to sting him across the face. This only seems to upset the raven, who swings wide and manages to slash across the jaguar's abdomen and knock him down. Oogarra tries to climb up, only for the raven to stamp on his chest and pin him down. Resti raises the sword again, tanking the smacks of the broken scythe, before he swiftly buries the giant blade into his chest.

With the rebel down, the rest try to stand, though stumble and fall to their knees. Resti twists the claymore a few times, before pulling it out and leaving the jaguar down. The Saint says that this was a right mess, but it's all over now. They'll return, and bring forth the age of Happiness. The rest of the party, however, seems uncomfortable with all of this. Agovon himself is wondering about whatever Oogarra wanted.

That night, Resti and Labal go off to the church. Agovon, meanwhile, is heading into town, Delilah asking where he's going. The goat says that he wants to follow Oogarra's request. Demiurge follows suit, and they soon come to where Agovon claims they met. And then they hear a yawn deeper in. The group approaches the source, where they find a young jaguar girl. Agovon greets her, and the girl greets them back, before asking if they're Agovon and Delilah. The roller answers that they are, and asks how she knows. The girl says that her dad talked about them, and then the party connects the dots.

Agovon asks her what her name is, to which she answers she's **Mahla**. Agovon asks Mahla if she could stick with them for a little while, to which she says she'd love to hang out with friends. With that, Delilah and Agovon take her, and decide to stay with her in the streets, Demiurge choosing to stay with them too.

With that, the party has free time until the deadline. Come Octuar 5th, if players are on this route, they'll go onto here.

#### Conclusion: Help the Saints/Do Nothing

Octuar 5th
On this day, Demiurge makes sure Mahla is ok with Delilah and Agovon. Delilah mentions that it looks like it's going to be cold soon, and the goat appears uncomfortable. He says that the next step of the pilgrimage is **Sellogish**, the metal capital. It's set near a volcano and will be warm. He thanks they should bring Oogarra's daughter there. Daliah asks if they can really just leave, to which Agovon says that they brought the Saint what they needed, they should be perfectly fine to go on. Meanwhile, Delilah looks over a letter she received, and she sighs happily. She says that at the very least it looks like Miranda's feeling better. Demiurge admits that he sort of forgot about her and is happy to see that she's doing well. Delilah says that once this pilgrimage is over, she's going to go over to her and spend the rest of her life with her.

As they talk, Labal finds them, and wearily tells Demiurge that the Saints wish to commune with him again. Demiurge wearily approaches, though Agovon says they'll meet him at the southeast gate. The Dragon is lead through the city-like church and back to the meeting room he'd met all of the Saints in. And there, he can see each Saint sitting around, looking barely able to contain their excitement. Labal tells Demiurge that they've made communication with the inventor of the medicine, and it sounds like they're going to be producing it in mass quantities. Oleca says that Locke will be able to distribute the material once they create it. Worro and Conna says that she thinks she'll be able to synthesize more of the Restorative Crystals given the excess they received. Resti says that the future looks bright for all of them, and he cannot thank him enough.

The viper, toad, raven, cat, lemur, and wolf each bow to the Dragon. Demiurge feels like he should be proud here, but he's still not comfortable. He just asks that after all of this is done, that the homeless here be treated. Worro says that they will be able to create all the homes necessary now that the end of the path to Happiness is in sight. The Dragon says that he has friends he needs to see to the end of their journey, and says he's ready to leave. Locke asks if he's sure he wishes to leave as they're on the cusp of a great achievement, to which Demiurge said he made a promise. He finished his here, now he needs to finish the other over there. Resti says that he shall join, and spread to those they travel to the great tale of Demiurge's achievement. And unfortunately, the bronze Dragon doesn't even seem to have the energy to tell him "no".

With that, the Dragon exits the church, Labal and Resti following suit. They approach the gate and find the rest of the party waiting. Delilah asks why Resti is coming with them, to which Demiurge says that he wants to talk more and more about how great he is. Resti spies the jaguar girl and asks where she came from, to which Agovon says that she has to move somewhere else. They happen to be going somewhere that'll be nice for her, so they're bringing her along. The raven supposes that that sounds nice, and says he's happy to help her as well.

The party approaches the gate, Demiurge looking back. The streets of Herkushol almost seem too similar to how they were when he first entered. Yet deep down, he knows that something big is going to change. He just hopes that he can make up to his friends the damage he caused to the common people here. Either way, with things done here, the party makes their way out and onto the Herkushol-Sellogish trail.

From here, players move onto the #Finale: Saints Route

### Finale: Saints Route

The group is hereby tasked with going all day to the other end of the trail, Delilah saying that they've spent too long in that stuffy capital. The group goes along the trail, which goes southeast. The trail here fortunately doesn't boast too many dangerous foes, at least not foes that'd pose too much a threat to the party. The trail eventually leads them towards one more rock-like, though it has a clear trail. The group goes forwards more and more, before eventually spying a town with steely walls surrounding a village with several buildings in place, them also outfitted with steel. The general environment appears to be much warmer than the landscape before it. This is the village of **Sellogish**.

The group steps in, and Agovon says that sometimes Surgona has travelers come in from here. Some of them brought metals he hadn't seen before, and he actually got his first naginata from a traveler. Mahla asks if he can be their guide, to which the goat says that he gained very surface-level knowledge on this place. Demiurge supposes they should do the normal thing, go about and ask about the general lay of the land. The group nods in understanding, though Resti says he'll stick to Demiurge in case anything happens.

The team thus splits up and Demiurge is tasked with going to check out the various areas.

* Agovon - Agovon is seen with Mahla over by an inn. The goat says he's found the sleeping quarters. He says that these guys haven't had access to some of the hard liquor they saw before now unless attendees pay a special membership service. Apparently it's quite the commodity, because it's hard to grow the appropriate crop for such drinks over here. Mahla wonders if they could potentially slip some out while they aren't looking. Resti asks the little girl if she or her father had done that in the past, prompting the young jaguar to pause before saying that her dad said not to answer authority without a responsible adult nearby. Agovon says that he's going to work on getting a room for everybody.
* Delilah - Delilah can be seen over at a building built into the side of the volcano emanating steam. The roller says that this is apparently a sauna. She says that it sounds like it's something akin to a bathhouse back in Sirtoba, except it utilizes natural hot springs to help cool people off. Indeed, some go in to take a dip in the water heated by the volcano and come out feeling great, and some people go in to clean the ponds. Demiurge asks if anyone should worry about getting boiled or something, to which she says that there've been no reports about the hot springs getting that hot.
* Labal - Labal is seen over at a smithy near the volacno, set on a trail that's blocked off by a gate, said trail leading into the volcano. Labal says that this smith doubles as a private mining guild. They apparently go into the volcano to collect material before returning and forging the gear. Resti says that they've actually received a scant few material from Sellogish before now, and wonders if they've really just been going into a mountain of flame to construct these things. Labal says she can only assume as much, before Demiurge asks if they've seriously never pondered that before. The Saints appear a bit sheepish, the raven saying that he's correct about that.
* Foodery - Demiurge and Resti can check out a foodplace nearby, this one boasting a sign with ham over it. Demiurge looks at it and says that he thinks he saw this exact architecture over in Surgona. Resti says that it's common for some settlements to take material from one another. Several utilize similar structures for worship as well as Oracles, old worshippers. The raven personally takes note of what looks like a hunting guild near it. He says that this terrain doesn't look particularly good for farming and whatnot, so he wouldn't be surprised if the foodery and hunters work together so that this place can get its good food. Demiurge just hopes they can try some sometime.

After checking out the terrain, the team meets up over at the inn. Agovon says that it soudns like they've all gotten to know some good surface-level knowledge, but it seems like they should go in for some more detailed investigation soon. Delilah, however, says that the walk over here was a bit rough. Demiurge affirms, and says that they should rest about now, to which Resti enthusiastically agrees. Agovon reveals he's been successful getting rooms. Resti says he hasn't had to go into a public sleeping space since... he hasn't had to go into a public sleeping space. Delilah says that it's about time he learn what it's like, and so the team goes in.

With that, the team rests.

Octuar 6th
This day comes up, the group meeting in the lobby. There, the raven admits that he hasn't exactly seen what this pilgrimage entails firsthand, so he asks what they do whenever they go to a town. Agovon says that the purpose of this pilgrimage has been to go about and expand their mind to hopefully ascertain the path to Happiness from the various locals they meet. Resti points out that that's been discovered, no? Agovon points out that it was because of their pilgrimage that they found it. Plus, it does feel kinda nice, going out to see the world before settling back home.

For now, it seems like they're to get to understand what life is like here in Sellogish. Delilah says she'd be more than happy to check out the sauna, though Labal supposes that they may want to look into the guilds. Those look like the big guys in this settlement, which means that they probably have a sort of handhold on the way life goes in here. Agovon says that sounds like a smart idea. They'll go check out the Hunting guild and the Mining guild. And with that, the team's prompted to check out the two locations.

Going to the Mining Guild reveals its entrance to be blocked by a wolf man in overalls. Said wolf explains that entry to the guild is very restricted, there are precious items within those walls. Labal says she merely wishes to know how they function with the rest of Sellogish. The wolf says that their guild is the main export. They go into the mountain to collect material, their men refine it, and then they send it out, but not before negotiating trades. They typically ask for provisions, though sometimes ask for technology. Labal remarks that they should form some sort of information-network to make these negotiations more fruitful, to which the wolf says he'll bring that up in the next meeting.

Going to the Hunting Guild reveals an interior with feral pelts positioned around the area. The squirrel woman heading the guild greets the group, and asks them what they're doing here. Demiurge says that they're curious about this guild's contributions to the village. She says that the lands aren't as fertile as they'd like; lots of stone but not a lot of greenery. Agovon says that his own mountain village has to rely on some hunters and a very small farm set closer to the bottom of the mountain. The squirrel notes that he gets it, and says that they're here to look for ferals to take them down and bring their meat here. The Mining Guild gets them material to keep their weapons up to snuff, and they contribute back with more meat. They, however, can't always rely on a hunt, because they need to let the ferals have a little time to repopulate.

With that, the group convenes and comes to conclude that it sounds like Sellogish here relies on its guilds to keep itself afloat, with the attractions to get some gold to help a little. Resti asks if that's it, if that's what it takes to do a pilgrimage. Agovon says that that's not usually it, but he doesn't quite understand what's missing. Could it be that with the actions in Herkushol the pilgrimage has become redundant? Normally they'd stay in a location to get a feel for the vibes in it, but right now he sort of doesn't feel like he'll get much if they stay here long enough. The party's quiet, though Delilah clears her throat, and says that they've still only gleamed the village. Maybe their spirits will pick up once they spend a little more time around here. She thinks maybe a week should do them well.

Agovon supposes that'll help, and that they'll merely remain in here, get to feel the place.

Octuar 6th - Octuar 12th
During this period, players have free time in the village, free to experience the commodities here. Along the way, players will have special interactions with certain party members to get a feel for their position in the current part of the storyline, as one last hurrah before they end this Pilgrimage.

* Agovon - The goat hangs at the inn, saying that he doesn't know why, but he sort of expected to see a drinking place. Demiurge asks if he was looking for a drink, to which Agovon answers "maybe". Demiurge asks him if he's still upset about Herkushol, though Agovon answers it's partially that. The Pilgrimage was meant to bring about Happiness and he supposes they've done that, so he's not sure why he isn't feeling so great. Demiurge supposes he understands it too. The two of them probably expected for there to be some sort of fanfare or something like that? Agovon supposes it is like that. He can't help but feel first off that the path to Happiness had too much of a cost, and secondly that this Happiness is... wrong? He supposes he isn't one to judge, but it feels like this medicine was intended for people that needed it, not for everyone. He just hopes that their Pilgrimage didn't do more harm than good.
* Delilah - The lilac-breasted roller is hanging in the sauna, Demiurge able to hang with her. Demiurge asks her if she's doing alright, to which she replies that she's feeling mixed admittedly. At the very least it sounds like her girl- her friend will be better. And she supposes ultimately that was why she went on this journey. Still, she doesn't feel great about helping out those Saints. Demiurge says he doesn't feel great either. There's a pause, before Delilah asks him if there was any truth to what Oogarra said before they fought. She doesn't doubt that he did try to do that to hurt as few people as possible, but she does wonder if he did like the attention those guys gave him. Demiurge is silent, though she apologizes, saying that question was not appropriate. Demiurge says it was nice being with her, to which she says it doesn't have to be goodbye forever. He and Agovon are always free to visit.
* Labal - The viper can be found over in the area outside the Mining Guild. She greets Demiurge, and as the two share an awkward pause, she says she's sorry. Demiurge asks what for, to which she says she was blind to the darkness in the Saints. If she'd known that Resti alone would be capable of that kind of vileness... The Bronze Dragon asks if she can leave, to which she says she can't simply quit. The Saints are important figures and the disappearance of one would lead to scrambles in the Church until they find a new one. At best, she'd be replaced. At worst, a key aspect of world control would be lost for much longer than necessary. She says that she'll try and make the transition to the new era as painless as possible, but she's going to keep her child away from these rulers. Demiurge hopes her luck in that, and Labal hopes him luck in the rest of the world.
* Resti - The raven can be seen hanging near the outskirts, looking up at the sky at night. Once meeting him, the raven remarks that he hadn't take then time to look at the stars in a while. Demiurge supposes he'd stayed cooped up in that church for a real long time, to which he says that he has no idea. He was given a task and practically raised in there, and he learned some key things. But the best thing he learned was how much the Dragon cared. He'd hoped day and day for the Dragon to arrive and validate all he's learned, and here he is. Resti thanks him for everything; appearing to him, bringing him out to see the aesthetics, not to mention the path to Happiness. Demiurge asks if he's really ok with the blood spilled over it, to which he says that all sorts of sacrifices are necessary in achieving the dream of all. He asks what Demiurge is going to do himself, to which the Dragon says he supposes he's going to see the world grow up again and see how the Church's work will pan out. Resti asks if he can see it with him, to which Demiurge says that he'll have to move on without him soon enough. The raven seems saddened at that, but says he understands.
* Mahla - In the room the group's rented, the young jaguar can be found. She greets the Dragon, the Dragon greeting her back. He asks her if she understands what all is happening, to which she seems sad and says she does. Agovon told her that she was going to be with him or with Delilah. Demiurge asks if she's at all uncomfortable with them being close with Resti, to which she says she understands that they couldn't say "no" to him. Still, she hopes she gets to see Delilah give him that smackeroo she says he deserves. Demiurge can't help but snicker a little at that, and says that maybe they will see that, maybe they will. Mahla smiles at that, though asks him what Surgona, Erronus, and Sirtoba are like. He says that they were each pretty in their own way, to which Mahla says she hopes she can see that stuff herself.

Either way, the free time is wearing down, and the next day comes.

Octuar 13th
The morning comes and the party starts to make their way out of the inn. Once out, Agovon looks over at Sellogish, before saying that he supposes it's time to go home. Resti says that they shall see him to there before parting back to Herkushol. Delilah says that she's going to get to Erronus stat. As the group discusses their plans, some commotion over by the volcano catches their attention. Weary the group rushes over, and finds the Mining Guild in an uproar.

Demiurge asks what happened, to which the wolf out front says that there've been rockslides within the volcano, and their guild members have gotten cut off. Agovon asks if they have anyone that can help them, to which they say that the Hunting Guild is built for fighting ferals, and their current equipment isn't designed for the level of blockage in there! They don't know how long it'll take for help to come and don't know if the miners will survive it! The team looks over at each other, Labal saying that they can't just leave them here. Delilah says she's right and asks the wolf if they can enter. The wolf looks over the various characters and says that they look very powerful, he thinks they can hopefully take care of things in there. He warns that they should be careful; that volcano is dormant, but the resting magma is still deadly, and the passages might be a little unstable right now.

With that, the party has one last mission before they finish this Pilgrimage. And this one forces players to complete it in a day.

The group is forced into the **Volcano Veins**, where they're made to go around the odd terrain. There's plenty of rocks shoved into the various passages which requires people to go around in odd directions. In the process, they'll encounter several cave-bound ferals, them needing to be weary as they dealt with each of them. This goal requires them to go around the various parts of the volcano tunnels to find various miners, where upon uncovering each of them, they'll direct them on a way out. Sometimes the players will even be forced to destroy blockages to reveal miners, sometimes having to deal with other ferals in the way.

Eventually the group's able to clear out the miners in the interior, though going up to the wolf near the entrance, he says that they're still short. Delilah says that they've looked all over the tunnels, but Agovon wonders if someone might've gone into the heart of this volcano. Resti remarks that getting so close to the magma could be dangerous, but Demiurge says that they should check it out anyways. With that, the team is now prompted to head into the core of the volcano, which requires them to clear more and more debris on their way. Once they clear the way into the magma-filled center, Resti warns that the way forwards seems dangerous, that they should make sure they're prepared for whatever is going on in there.

The group makes their way in, and they indeed uncover more miners beside the glowing magma. However, this group is being harassed by a bunch of bull-sized land iguanas, each gleaming with magic. One gleams Red, one gleams Brown, one gleams a combination of the two. Labal says that those look like native creatures. They probably got spooked by the miners and caused this destruction in the volcano caves. Delilah warns that they look pretty tough, but they've been through plenty already. Agovon holds his naginata close and declares that once they take these things down, it'll all be over. Resti declares that as long as they stand by the Dragon, they will win. Demiurge says that they're all right, and it's time to end this.

With that, players are forced into battle against the **Inferno Iguana**, the **Mountain Iguana**, and the **Eruption Iguana**. The trio proves fairly different, especially on the magical front. Inferno absorbs Fire magic and Mountain absorbs Earth, so players should be weary about that. Worse yet, the Eruption Iguana has a spell that hits all on the field with one of the two elements, meaning it can heal one while damaging the other all while harming the party. Players should try to focus down on either Inferno or Mountain so that they get those guys out of the way as soon as possible, otherwise they'll bathe the field in magical damage. Players will need to be crafty, for only with hard work will they manage to fell the trio of volcano dwellers.

With those iguanas down, the party is left panting and panting, the miners rushing over and asking if they're ok. Demiurge says they are, though Agovon takes notice of the volcano shaking. He says that these caves are going to come apart at the seams! The miners say they need to run and begin making their way out, Labal and Delilah racing forwards to try and direct them. As they do and the remaining party members begin to go after them, they hear stirring from the creatures. They turn and can see the creatures stirring onto their claws. Resti begins to draw his blade, Agovon wondering how they're stirring. Demiurge also starts to take a fighting stance, though he notices those creatures glowing harder with magic and feels the volcano shake more.

He says that these things are trying to destroy the volcano on top of them! Resti says that that just means they'll have to kill them fast, but Agovon says that they can't risk that! Demiurge furrows his brow, before telling the two of them to run out. Agovon asks if he's serious, though Demiurge says that he can come back from this, neither of them can. They need to get out! Resti blanches, looking up at him in absolute concern. Agovon says that he was going to come back, to come home so they can tell stories to his parents. Demiurge says that he'll come around for them, but they need to be out if he's going to see them. Resti also seems crestfallen, but Demiurge just commands them to go. With that, the two rush out the way they came as Demiurge turns his attention to the iguanas.

With that he faces them personally, interrupting their casting. However they respond back, striking at him and pelting him with powerful magics. The fighting gets rougher and rougher and soon brings the many fighting reptiles close to the magma. Demiurge, bloody, keeps on trying to beat them. However, things take a turn as one rams into him, dragging him close to the bed of magma. The other two ram in close with the intent of shoving him in, though Demiurge realizes, in the split second as he's toppling over, he doesn't have any other choice. He wraps the three of them in a bearhug and pulls them into the magma, where he's immediately struck by an intense burn. Even the Inferno and Mountain iguana seem unable to handle this level of heat. Demiurge, of course, struggles to even keep his eyes awake as his senses are shot to oblivion by the heat.

He can feel those reptiles go limp, but he himself has overworked himself. He himself goes limp within the very belly of the volcano, realizing he isn't going to see any of those guys again.

...

After that, having helped out the Saints, players will move onto the Happy Era

## Happy Era

Demiurge groans and shudders. He squirms in place and stretches. He can feel earth shatter around him as he spreads his wings. He claws his way out and his eyes adjust to the darkness. And here, he realizes he's still in that volcano, though the magma beneath him is now a dull, cold black instead of a raging, burning red. Demiurge pulls himself out more, where he realizes that now he's even taller than before, even bigger... He's looking like a proper Dragon. He then hears the voice of Sophia, who says that she had to quell the flames of this mountain before he woke. He wasn't quite strong enough to shrug off that kind of power upon waking. The bronze Dragon turns and spies the very familiar pale Dragon in the chamber with him.

He rushes to her, the Elder Dragon gently holding him in her arms. Though now that she gently caresses him, he hears her ask "Oh, dear Demi... what have you done?" Demiurge pulls away, wondering what she means. She explains that the state of the world is up to the ruling Dragon to learn. However, she warns that as he rested, a terrible evil has given rise in this land. Demiurge asks what kind of evil, to which the pale Dragon says that it is an evil that he, as divinity, will have to learn about. However, she will warn that an evil like this is one of few kinds she'd ever seen. To defeat it means more than out muscling it. The younger Dragon asks her where he can go to start, to which Sophia will say the source of this evil will be obvious once he heads out.

She also says that before he goes, she will let him know of one more power. No matter how bountiful a creature's love, everyone needs to learn when it's time to cut their losses and put down a life that's too far gone. So, within each Dragon comes the power to end all life on a planet. Demiurge recoils, saying he doesn't want anything like that. However, she places a hand on his chest, and Pure magic flows into him, and he feels something unlock in him. At that, the player's informed that Demiurge unlocked the Skill "Armageddon". She says that knowing this is not to be feared, but to know he merely has the option. If he ever decides that the world's too much, then this is always at his disposal. With that, Sophia steps onwards towards the tunnels in the volcano, though Demiurge speaks up. He says that she never did answer him when he asked what the purpose of life is. To that, Sophia remarks that she hasn't. However, she merely vanishes down the trail, prompting the Dragon to follow her.

Once out, he'd find no sign of her, but would see Sellogish. However, it appears far more lifeless than it once was, with some buildings fallen apart from time and some covered in dirt and ferals exploring the land as if there was no life in it to stop them. Demiurge is immediately curious, realizing the deafening quiet around him. He speaks up, trying to get someone's attention. There's no response, and he asks for someone again. However, there's still no sign. He steps forwards before looking back at his wings, noticing how big they are. He gives them a flap and feels himself lift. He thinks to himself that these should get him wherever that obvious source of evil is, but for now he wonders what's going on.

However, even from here, he swears he notices Herkushol is a bit bigger than usual...

* Sellogish - Looking around there appears to be no sign of anyone. It doesn't even seem like anybody touched the stuff around here in years! The spa's gone dreadfully cold, the inns all unlocked and dusty, and the guilds all empty. Noticing some journals, he can see some traces of ink. The only traces he sees says "Happiness is Coming"
* Surgona - Looking upon this mountain village, it took has been buffeted by the elements. Snow's completely covered its roads and buildings, and again, there's no one in the general area. The only traces he finds are skeletons either resting in their houses or left on the trail side.
* Sirtoba - Down in this simple village, the foliage has overtaken it. The grass has marched up to even the roofs of certain buildings. The bath house's waters are dry, and the inns here too are unlocked and dusty, with not a non-feral in sight. Demiurge can spot a couple other journals, several of them faded but several bearing the message "I'm going to be so happy"
* Erronus - Over at the shore-side settlement, it looks to've really suffered. The waters have eroded away at the side of the village, causing its buildings to've crumbled into the sea. Thankfully it seems as if no one was in the path of destruction when they came down. However, investigating more, players will find Bosola's office, and there they find medals decorating the shelves, medals that've lost their luster a long time ago.

Whether they investigate the other villages or not, players will eventually make their way to Herkushol, which, like the initial glance suggested, has changed big time. The church that stood at the center of it has now eclipsed the city, having completely sheltered the city walls and streets. The giant church bears the Draconian emblem all over it, and he even sees a replica of his own wings sculpted upon the roof. He approaches one of the doors, which stands as a massive portcullis. He comes close, and players are prompted to either "Knock" or "Lift". To the former, a voice inside asks who that is, before realizing that it is the Dragon! Lifting it sends it up into the wall, though not without causing noise, noise which alerts whoever is inside and they seem excited. Either way, Demiurge goes past the gate, the voice within approaching.

There, he's greeted by a stout owl man in saintly robes, the likes of which bear the Draconian emblem proudly over the front. The owl greets Demiurge, saying that the world's been waiting excitedly to see him again. He introduces himself as **Mikula**, and says he is the current Head Saint. Demiurge says that he hasn't met a single person outside this place and asks what the heck's happened. Mikula says that they've done it. The purpose of life, everyone's end goal, they've made it! And he wants so dearly to show him victory over the world! The owl thus begins tugging Demiurge, though the Dragon follows along, weirded out deep to his core.

Demiurge and Mikula go down the halls, though on their way over, the Dragon notices that the owl is seeming a little uncomfortable. The excitement he'd initially shown he's trying to quell, clutching at his scalp and breathing nervously. The Dragon decides to ask him about all of that stuff outside. He didn't see a single sign of intelligent life, and Mikula says that they'd all moved in under this roof. Demiurge asks why, to which he says that they'd perfected the path to Happiness, and they offer it within these walls. Ages ago the path was offered, and since then the Saints have been tending to the path to make sure it is maintained. And now, all of the Happy People are protected under this monument to the divine guide.

Demiurge sticks an ear out, and asks why it's so quiet then. The owl says that the path to Happiness is achieved, and all are experiencing it. Well, except for those chosen to tend to the path. Typically five Saints are chosen to tend to the path, and today four other than him tend to it. Eventually the duo makes it to a large set of stairs, and they go up it, Demiurge remarking to himself that it's like they've been lifted out of the sewers and onto the main street of a city. And even higher. The stairs lifted higher and higher, and eventually the walls that surrounded them ebb away, allowing Demiurge to look out into the expansive space inside the church, over the many, many walkways suspended over the air... and Demiurge spotted something that gave him pause.

Across one of the highway-like walkways, he'd see, lining either side, rows upon rows of beds with white bedsheets. In either bed was a person of varying species and size, each hooked up to what looks like an iv bag. And even from here Demiurge could tell that the material in those iv bags was familiar. Demiurge asks what's with the people sleeping, to which Mikula explains that those people are happy. Demiurge repeats the word in confusion and looks out over the many other walkways. And he can see more and more and more beds, and he realizes in each of them was another person sleeping. Mikula leads them up more and more on one of the many walkways. And sure enough, there he can see those sleeping people closer in person, and spy that they are indeed hooked up to these devices, look to be in a deep slumber, and each seem to have a smile.

Demiurge asks what this all is, though Mikula says that the other Saints should be on their way over, and that they too should bask in the Dragon as he witnesses mortal-kind's victory. The sound of footsteps gets their attention, and Mikula remarks that they're right on time. Down the walkway comes four other people in a gown akin to the owl's. One is a hyena woman with a sword strapped to her back and a gun at her side. One is a salamander man with a set of scalpels poking out of one of his pockets. One is a lynx woman with a mace at her side. And one is a pheasant man with a set of needles poking out of his pocket. Mikula announces that these four, along with himself, have been cast aside from Happiness to make sure others experience it.

He himself is the Head Saint. He motions towards the hyena, saying she is **Hailey**, the Saint of north end of Herkushol and monitor of health. He motions towards the salamander and says he is **Eeloki**, the Saint of the east end of Herkushol and monitor of the path to Happiness. He motions towards the lynx and says she is **Tolka**, Saint of the south end of Herkushol and monitor of passings and birthings. He motions towards the pheasant and says he is **Regis**, Saint of the west end of Herkushol and monitor of farming. They all work together to make sure those chosen by Happiness are eternally embraced in it. Each Saint clasps their hands in prayer and bows, saying they are grateful Demiurge can be here in this place of reverence.

Demiurge is still stunned. He looked around, still drinking in the giant city and the people that were asleep. He asks what it means to be "eternally embraced" by Happiness, to which Mikula explains that the Dragon himself had found that grand path. The Saints came to learn of the power of a medicine, capable of bringing Happiness to one that'd been subjected to it. Once it was revealed to the Saints of old, they funneled resource after resource into it to make it better. Eventually the path to Happiness was perfected into a distributable form, and then it was a matter of opening the path to everyone. While the church was built in reverence to the holy guide, people would be brought in and set upon the path. As would their children, and their children's children, with the Saints choosing who among them would maintain the path in their stead and who would remain on that path.

Demiurge is stunned by that description. He knew what they were talking about, but to think it'd go this far... He asks if they're all that's out here, to which Mikula explains that the guards of old searched and searched. They scoured the land, past the larger cities and into the empty plains and mountains, and soon none would be spotted under the Holy State's eyes. If there are any left, then they exist in too small a number to be detectable. Demiurge is stunned into silence and looks over them. They each looked up at him, as if expecting him to shower them in praise. Demiurge says that this can't be right, but Eeloki assures that everyone is very happy. He himself is making sure the material is still running well, and Hailey says that she makes sure as many people are as happy and healthy as possible.

Mikula supposes that he's yet to get the full picture, and thus extends an offer to the mighty Dragon. He too can be a Saint. This way he'll be able to go all over Herkushol and see how effective their medicine is. He can also learn how important the Saints are and how much work they put in to keep the path to Happiness tended. Demiurge feels like he needs to shout them out more, but deep in his essence he thinks back to Sophia's warning. He realizes that if he's going to do something about this insanity, he'll need to convince them, which might mean spending a lot of time with them to get on their good side. So, he says that he'd like to be a Saint, to which the owl is grateful. He says that they will prepare a gown for him and that one of them will shout for him whenever he's ready. And with that, the Saints spread out, and now Demiurge is left in the middle of hundreds, maybe even thousands, of people trapped in an eternal sleep, looking Happy.

With this, players now have a bizarre mission, especially in comparison to other eras. Here, there are no sapient beings to battle, no deadlines, no npcs to get sidequests from, none of that. Players can go out and grind on ferals or otherwise gather resources. Besides that, progression in this era is dependent on increasing Social Links with the Saints themselves, hoping that this can somehow unravel this perversion of the path to Happiness. However, players must be careful, for the wrong Social Link risks making things worse.

Alongside that, players can uncover hidden lore in Herkushol.

* Certain journals tell of the events that led to all being under Herkushol's roof. First the guards uncovered bandits out in the field and the Saints used them as test subjects for the refined Happiness. Second, they spread word of the medicine, brought to them by Demiurge himself, saying it'd show them the path to Happiness, them even sending guards to make sure the corners of civilization would hear of it. When some were skeptical of it they tried to tell them how true their cause was. And even then some denied it, but at that point Herkushol was already moving onto bigger and better things. They'd halt the distribution of supplies to anywhere except the Holy State, which'd essentially leave the other cities entirely on their own. And Demiurge knows how that turned out.
* Throughout the city, Demiurge can spot certain sleepers that stand out moreso than others. Some are seen with scars, some are revealed to've been partially dismembered, and some are pregnant. Demiurge thinks about how these guys are supposed to be asleep, or Happy, all their lives, before imagining what'd lead to these people being put in this position.

### Hailey

#### 1

First players can go to the north part of the Herkushol, and along one of the large pathways they can find the hyena. She's seen looking over the various sleepers, feeling their wrists and heartbeats. Demiurge greets her and asks if she'd like to talk. However, she says that she's going to be busy. Demiurge asks if they can walk and talk maybe, to which she says that should be find, and in fact wonders if he knows a thing or two about observing someone's health, to which he says he has some experience. She supposes if he's going to hang out he may as well keep track of the people's health.

With that, the two walk along the walkway, observing the various animals. She tests their wrists and their heartbeats and feelings inside their muzzles, Demiurge asking if that's necessary. She says that she's checking for any signs of dehydration. She also asks Demiurge for the subject's bpm. When the Dragon seems confused, she clarifies Beats per Minute. Demiurge still says he's not sure, to which she decides to go in and feel herself. She says that there's plenty to observe so they should feel for a few seconds. Track the seconds, track the beats, divide the beats into a single second, and multiply that by sixty for a minute. Demiurge rubs the back of his head and says that sounds kind of complicated, though she says this is among the most basic of medical care for the Happy.

Demiurge asks how she got to be so knowledgeable, to which Hailey says that each of them have had to go through a lot of growing in order to fulfil their roles as a Saint. They've had to go through rigorous training at a young age. As they pass a sleeping person, Demiurge notices that the individual has a large scar over their eye, though Hailey doesn't seem to remark on it. Demiurge asks if they should report on it, to which the hyena says that their health is still in good condition. Demiurge says that someone still injured this person, to which she says it doesn't matter. No matter what happens to these sleeping people, they're Happy. They're as Happy as the day they were brought in this world as they are when they die, and nothing will change that.

Demiurge asks her if that disturbs her at all, to which she says there's no reason to be disturbed. The Saints are usually smart enough to suture up whatever injuries they make, or she'll be able to fix them up. And even if she doesn't, they'll live and die Happy just like they always do. She's seen a giant hole in one of them and saw them keep that expression as the worthless life drained from them. Then she told Tolka about the loss, she helps take care of them, and life goes on. She does, however, have to be mindful of whoever is with child. Those ones especially need medical aid.

Demiurge is unsettled by what she said, but for now keeps on with monitoring the various sleeping people's health.

Eventually night comes, Demiurge feeling a little tired after all of that. Hailey also seems ready to turn in for the day, her looking over her notes. She says that they've covered more ground than she usually does, so she is thankful for that much at least. Demiurge says it's no problem albeit a little uncertain. She asks him what brought him before her, to which he says that he's new here and felt like checking out the Saints. She says she's grateful, and says she'll have more to deal with tomorrow. Namely, the sleepers they hadn't encountered. Demiurge asks if each of her days are like that, to which she answers that indeed they are.

Each of the Saints have a lot of people they need to attend to, and she is among those that have to work. Demiurge says that they'd probably have more workers without so many people asleep, to which she says that this is they way it has been to maintain Happiness in this land. Saints before now are supposed to choose an appropriate heir to become one. Her own parents would've brought two to the world, but apparently that couldn't be. Demiurge asks what that means, but she gives pause, and she shakes her head, saying it's nothing. She needs to rest up anyways.

By now, Hailey's whole demeanor appears to be far sadder than before, though she suddenly punches her own cheek and returns to her usual stupor. And thus, she wanders the walkways towards one of the bedrooms, the Dragon watching. He knew there was something he could use for conversation. He didn't exactly like it, but it might be his chance to break through that weird demeanor she and the rest of those Saints wore. Something about that bothered her, and she tried to hide it. And if he could dredge it up, he just might be able to get to talk to the normal being under that Saint-title.

#### 2

When the next Social Link happens, Demiurge approaches Hailey, the hyena asking if he wishes to help again. Demiurge does in fact help, while still mulling over the information he'd learned. The two thus walk through the walkways more and more, Demiurge looking around to make sure no one was near. Demiurge says that she mentioned someone earlier, Hailey insisting that she knows not of what he talks about. Demiurge says that she said her parents would've brought two or something like that. Hailey shudders in place, pausing as she looks over the people in the beds, not quite moving herself yet.

She rears back a fist before swinging it at her again, trying to keep her mind off of whatever that memory brought. However, Demiurge says that that's not necessary. He says that whatever she's going through, he'll be happy to help her through it. But she needs to open up if she's going to get help. However, the hyena shakes her head, her face crooked a bit as she tries to hide some sort of emotion. She says that everything's fine, that even if something was inside her she's not going to bother anyone. She is a Saint, she already has her duties, and she can't let anything she's gone through stop her. Demiurge says that this isn't proper behavior, he knew people that were able to speak their mind and get their struggles off their chest, and that that always made them happier.

That prompts Hailey to turn and punch the railing of the walkway, it bending slightly. She'd pant and say that the Saints are the ones denied Happiness, asking him if that much hasn't been obvious enough to him. The people around them all have those smiles plastered on them while Saints can never feel that. Her parents taught her that, and her parents' parents taught them that. Even attempting a smile would garner a smack from them, because that just wasn't right. They all had to maintain the path, and she herself has to maintain the path. Demiurge is stunned by the sudden outburst. He approaches her, and says that that isn't right. Anyone deserves to be happy, and this system obviously makes it so not everyone can *be* happy.

She sighs and says that she wasn't meant to shoulder this alone, being the Saint of the north. Demiurge perks up and asks if this is about that second guy. She nods, and says she had an older brother. He had a strange mind to him; he wanted to make her Happy. He didn't do it through that medicine, no. He'd find ways to distract the teachers and bring the two of them to a walkway on the outside, and they'd hang out. He showed her a smile and taught her how to smile too, sometimes even tickled her and told her jokes. And it felt nice, almost like they were living a whole different world. One day he'd tell her to keep smiling outside and not to let the adults see. Life was a lot easier with him around.

Demiurge says that he sounds nice, to which she says he was. There's a pause, and Demiurge asks what happened to him, to which she says she doesn't want to talk about that. One day she was alone, and she got to understand how foul the world she fled from once upon a time was. She was taught her brother and her teachings were an afront to the modern sensibilities, and she was led to the right path. There's another pause, though Demiurge gently pats her shoulder. He says that from the soudns of things, there are no teachers to "correct" her or whatever. Deep down he feels like she's someone that deserves and wants to be happy. He'd like to help her *be* happy, and says that he can talk to her whenever she wishes to.

There's another pause, Hailey starting to get back on work. Though as she does, she says that she might take him up on that offer. She walks away, and Demiurge decides to follow suit, feeling like he's getting closer to fixing things.

#### 3

Next time Demiurge decides to hang out with her, Hailey noticing the Dragon and greeting him. Demiurge swears there's something extra in her inflection though chooses not to act on it. He approaches and asks her if her work's going ok, to which she says that she's still in the middle of work. Though, she wonders if he'd like to follow her real quick? It's not like these folk are going anywhere. Curious but feeling hopeful, Demiurge says that he'd like to follow. And thus, they make their way along the walkways.

Eventually they make it along a balcony that looks out over the horizon. They stand there, looking out over the landscape, Hailey noting that she was never quite sure why they built these back in the day. All work goes on inside Herkushol, and none of the sleepers are set outside, else risk facing the elements. Demiurge wonders if maybe back then the Saints wanted to enjoy the aesthetics outside. He knows that back in the day people used to take in the sights to help enlighten themselves. Hailey supposes that that could be possible.

Either way, she looks over the railing, and asks what people back then really saw when they looked out and the landscape like this. Demiurge asks what she means, to which she says she sees the obvious sights, from the mountains way off to the smooth plains and the sky... but what about this helped them achieve enlightenment. Provided players rose social links with Agovon, Onah, or Eluso, he'll talk about how some guys he talked to helped remember how much bigger their world was whenever they looked out at sights like this, and how their was always room for their minds to grow. Hailey looks out, and says that for her, the only world is right beneath her feet. If Demiurge hadn't raised those social links, he'll be quiet.

Hailey continues looking, and she says she knows he doesn't like this Happiness stuff either. He hasn't been totally secretive about it. Demiurge admits that this stuff just isn't right. Hailey says that this is Happy, that's at least what the rest of the Saints say. They were chosen to not feel that Happiness. If everyone were to be Happy, then there'd be none left on this world. She asks Demiurge if they should all just be Happy? Demiurge says that that medicine isn't the way to achieve Happiness. It's helped people, sure, but it's not supposed to be a wholesale replacement for just living. That out there is the world, and that world out there should be full of life. It should be more than a bunch of sleeping people couped up in a house!

Hailey looks on and on, mulling over the information. She sighs and backs away from the railing, and says that she'd doubt those other Saints would agree. Hell, she's not sure if even she's a hundred percent on the Dragon's words. Demiurge says that she's clearly unhappy, though Hailey counters that that's the point of the position. When she and her brother experienced happiness, they were made to see how wrong it was for them to strive towards it while those sleeping need their attention. The only reason she's here now is because she was stronger than him. The Dragon is stunned at that sudden development, and he asks her what she means. Hailey gives pause at that and glances at her weapons, before sighing. She says that she doesn't want to talk about it now. Maybe later.

She makes her way back inside, and tells Demiurge that they have work to do. Demiurge deep down feels like he's making progress, and follows behind her. He might be able to change her and might be able to make headway into fixing things around here.

#### 4

With this, Demiurge approaches the hyena, her working some more. Demiurge says that he'd like to hang out, to which she says she figured. She asks if he's here to do the job, or otherwise. Demiurge says that he wanted to help talk to her. It sounds like something's weighing heavy on her mind, and she furrows her brow. She says it's nothing, but Demiurge says that she's hurting, and it certainly isn't nothing. So, he asks her to talk to him. The woman pauses as she looks over the bodies, before sighing. She says that if he really wants to hear it, then he'll need to come along.

Thus the duo makes their way along the walkways, heading into the city-like interior, before eventually arriving at a particular room. She'd thus open the room and make her way in, Demiurge peeking in curious. It's a bedroom with no distinguishing decorations around it, except for murals of the Dragon. She'd sit on the bed, and said her brother showed her something more than this work. He made her feel the way those sleeping felt. But what she hadn't known was that he was fighting hard to show her that stuff. The teachers said that they were all chosen to look over those Happy, and that they weren't to deny the mission by lazing off. He'd keep trying and trying to show her, but one day he gave up on even that, until he tried to bring her outside one more time.

She remembers that he didn't smile once, and she herself tried that old stuff he'd try with her. But he didn't respond to it, just looked out over the landscape. Then the two of them retreated, and he went missing again. She'd waited for him to show back up, but he never did. She waited and waited and still saw no sign. Eventually she searched one of the rooms, and in one, she found him, laying on this bed, a gun in his hand, and no life left in his body. Demiurge is stunned by that, and sees her feel the gun at her side. She hunches over, saying that she got a taste of what he'd gone through while he was alive, and... and she hated it.

He promised to make things better for her. He promised he'd be there to help her see more than those sleeping bodies. He promised her hopes. But in the end he left her alone. He took all that he'd shown her, all that he claimed was worth striving for, and threw it away. As she speaks, she's seen tearing up, her clutching the mattress. She says that he took that hope he'd built up for years, and snuffed it out. Demiurge finds himself unable to say anything, but tries to reach for her, carefully bringing her close for a hug. He says that they're alone, and that she can let out that frustration.

She sniffs a few more times, and begins punching at Demiurge's shoulder, saying she hates it. She hates him. She hates them. She hates, hates, hates, hates, hates it all! She howls with frustration, her crying starting to mix with the anger, and Demiurge takes the anger, still trying to cradle her. She bellows out her frustration and buries her face into his shoulder, Demiurge now gently pulling her out so he can wrap her wings around him. And for a long time they remain there in that moment, him holding her while she lets out the terrible feelings she's bottled up for years.

Eventually, she seems exhausted, passing out. Demiurge tests her real quick, and recognizes that she's ok. He thinks to bring her to a different room, where he sets her down. He also thinks to hang out here, and wait for her to wake up.

The next day comes, Demiurge waiting. The door opens, and she comes out. She sees the Dragon, and there's a pause. She rubs her eyes, though begins making her way to her job. Demiurge, however, says that if she ever needs anything, he's around to help. Hailey pauses, before asking if last night really happened. Demiurge nods solemnly, and the hyena gives a deep sigh. She says she'll see him next time, and walks off.

#### 5

Here, players approach Hailey, and find her merely looking at a body. She sees Demiurge and goes back to looking over the body. She says that she's been looking over them recently, and noticed that they've been cold. They haven't been anything like Demiurge; she noticed how warm he was back... that night. Demiurge remarks that, come to think of it, those guys have felt pretty cold. Maybe its that magic in their veins being dormant? Hailey thinks that that might be a thing. She herself notes that the Saints, while not as cold, aren't as warm as Demiurge was, and he has been regarded as being a creature of great power.

Demiurge rubs the back of his head nervously, and asks what spurred this on. Hailey says that he brought something she'd lost. She realizes now she has feelings in her that needed to be hashed out, and Demiurge made her realize that. It actually sort of reminded her of back then. She lowers her gaze, and asks Demiurge if he's here to stay. The Dragon says that he is indeed here to stay, and at that, she huddles up against his side. She says she'd like that. Demiurge gently pats her shoulder, before she steps away.

She says that she's going to try. She's going to try to end this. Demiurge says that that sounds great, and he wants to help her. She says that the rest of them will be eliminated, this entire system. Demiurge says that this does have to go down, but it's still just the two of them. He says that he'll try and see if someone else can help them end this. She says that she's already got something, but Demiurge says that they should still wait. Hailey gives pause, though sighs. She says that he's helped her so far, she should hear him out.

However, she says that she's been planning it. She says that she knows they can end this, and she knows it'll work. She just needs him to give her the go. Demiurge understands, and says he'll look into the others. However, he is curious about whatever Hailey has in mind. Players have the chance to continue socializing with her, and potentially see a different ending.

#### 6

This time, Demiurge decides to continue hanging out with Hailey. She's doing her job, and spies the Dragon. She asks him what brings him to her, to which he replies that he thinks he wants to hear Hailey's plan. She observes the body below and says that she's been able to check out Eeloki's lab. She's looked over the various drugs and stuff, and she's read about a sleeping drug. She thinks that with those, the other Saints will be helpless. Demiurge goes quiet at that, and asks how that'll help. She says that the Saints control this world. There's no way they'd get away with defecting with them in the way.

Demiurge says that they can't just get rid of them. There's a lot of people under this roof, and the two of them alone cannot simply care for all of them. At that, Hailey seems to tense, her grip tightening on the sleeping person beneath her. She says that even so, those Saints just helped with the process. She remembered Mikula even helping those teachers back in the day. Demiurge gives pause, though he says that these guys will face justice someday. But first this whole thing needs to be torn down, and it takes more than two people to tear a world down. Hailey tightens her grip on the body, and says that it took one guy to build all of this up. The Dragon gives pause to that, before lowering his head.

Hailey asks him if he really thinks the rest of them will help. They were born and raised on this, and they didn't have someone like her brother to talk to. They had the teachers to mold them and turn them into the shepherds of the Happy. They'll just stick to their teachings. The two of them and the two of them alone know it needs to change. Demiurge says that they just need convincing, just like she did. Hailey demands that they're not like her, when suddenly there's a snapping noise from the body below. The two are stunned by the sound and back away, the hyena looking over. She approaches and feels, before shaking her head and pulling the covers over the body while unhooking the iv.

Demiurge, through a shaking breath, starts to ask if she... Hailey appears to still be shaking, and says that there's plenty more where that came from. She says that she supposes there still needs to be time for deliberation. She needs to collect her thoughts, and find Tolka to report this passing. She thus starts to leave, though Demiurge swears for a brief moment she saw the corner of her mouth raise a little. He shakes his head, supposing that that's merely some stress on his part. There's just a lot of unjust going on around him and he's merely seeing things.

#### 7

Demiurge decides to hang out with Hailey again. She greets the Dragon, and says that she's been hoping to talk to him. She says she's talked to Eeloki and learned about making tea, and says she'd like to give some to him. The Dragon says that he'd like that. With that, the hyena leads him along one of the walkways to Demiurge's own bedroom. And so the two would sit in, though the Dragon asks her if she's doing alright after last time. She says she is, sometimes people die. Demiurge gives pause, and says that he still wants to talk to her about getting those other Saints on board. She asks if he's concerned about the sleeping bodies, to which he answers that he is.

She gives pause, though says she still needs to think on it. She says she needs to go get that tea. Thus she leaves, Demiurge left there for a little bit and feeling uncertain for some reason. Eventually, Hailey comes back, bringing two teacups. She offers him one, and the Dragon takes it up. He begins to drink it, Hailey drinking her own. Hailey says that she knows she hasn't behaved well, especially in the years since her brother was... gone... but ultimately, she is thankful for his arrival. She feels like he brought her the kind of hope she'd been missing for a while.

Demiurge says that he's always happy to help. He says that he'd wanted dearly to make people happy, but not like this. He likes helping people actually feel better. She wonders why it is that this happiness is better than the medicine they put out. Demiurge says that the people of old had wondered about the nature of happiness. A point of contention was about there being counters to happiness in the more strife-filled world. Maybe the world offers strife to make happiness more worthwhile? Hailey says that whatever that point is, she doubts that they'll ever see that which they searched for of old. Demiurge says that they can recover, they just need to put this Saint business all behind them.

Hailey says that she'd like to put this all behind them. Demiurge says that he'll talk with the Saints more, but Hailey shakes her head. She says that they'll be left behind too. Demiurge asks what she means and tries to get up, though feels his muscles are really limp. He tries to wriggle some, and asks what's going on. Hailey says that she's doing what's best for them. She knows what he wants, but she also knows that he hasn't lived this world. She says she knows he'll try to stop her, but once the world's better, he'll see she's right. Demiurge tells her to stop, but struggles. He falls limp, Hailey stroking his face. She tells him to rest, and that this will all be a bad dream...

...

Demiurge groans and gets up, finding himself somewhere dark. He starts to get up, though finds a very familiar substance beneath him. It's... the stone of the Draconic Gardens. Curious he walks forwards, and finds himself at the edge, where he sees a very familiar Dragon at the edge. He asks her what's going on. Sophia there says that she's looking at the world. Demiurge looks past her, and sees the world he's been on for a while. She says that the world's seen a lot during his time, good and bad.

Demiurge apologizes, saying that he wanted to make it look as good as it could. Sophia asks him what "good" looks like. Demiurge gives pause, though says that he thinks a happy world looks good. She says that the world is happy, but he denies it. Demiurge says that's the *wrong* happy. People cheering, people hand in hand. It was going to be peaceful, full of people that loved each other. Sophia says that many before him had tried that, and asks why he would've achieved better. Demiurge says that he thought hearing their stories would teach him stuff he could do and stuff he couldn't do. He gives pause, and asks her if this is how a world should look, to which the pale Dragon says that that is for the world's Dragon to decide. But regardless of if this is or isn't how the world should look, he's made his decision, and it no longer is what it looked like. Demiurge asks what she means.

Sophia tells him he's bound to see. And thus the dream begins to unmake itself...

#### Hailey Solo: Endgame

Demiurge finally wakes up, rubbing his forehead. He finds himself in that bedroom made specially for him, laid on the bed. He blinks a couple times to get a read on the situation around him, before he notices a figure in a white cloak at the door. Demiurge recognizes her as Hailey, and asks what happened. The hyena says that she got the world prepared for him, and he wants him to see what she's done. With that, she makes her way out, the Dragon still frazzled after his period of sleep. He wonders how long he was out, and begins making his way out. And once out, he realizes that it's still dark outside.

Hailey leads him up some stairs, and as he goes up, the Dragon winces as he becomes aware of an awful smell. He brings his hands up to cover his nose, wondering out loud what that stench is. Hailey doesn't remark on it, and keeps on bringing him up more and more. Demiurge notices no lights were on, and he's just getting more and more weirded out. They went up and up until they were up on one of the upper walkways, Hailey leading him towards the center of it. Hailey tells him that the sun is about to rise, and tells him that dawn is about to raise on their world. Demiurge turns towards one of the windows, and sees the sun raising. Sunlight shines in and illuminates Herkushol, where Demiurge comes to realize the source of the horrible smell.

Along the walkway they are on, on either side are those hooked up to Happy and sleeping. Except these all have their bedsheets pulled over them, and their blood staining the sheets. He looks more and more, and sees splotches of red on each. He rushes over to the edge of the walkway and looks over it, now seeing the many sleepers below. Only each bed they laid in was bloody. Demiurge is horrified as it's dawning on him what's happened while he slept, before he turned to the hyena and asks what she's done. She says that she's fixed their world, and cast away that retched old one.

Demiurge, in a shaky voice, says that she killed them. All of them. She says that they'd been slowly killing her and her brother. And one day, they would've killed him too. She says that he felt a world where all could be happy, truly happy, even in the face of strife is what is correct. With that, she drops the cloak she's wearing, revealing her blood-soaked body, and a wide grin plastered on her face, though it doesn't reach her eyes quite. She says that she can't stop smiling. The Dragon asks why, what could've possibly made this worthwhile.

She says that those Saints would've just kept this system going. She's been with them for years and know what they're like, so she had to get rid of them. And then there's the sleepers... They've never had any teachings, never had any experience off the bed. Their only waking moments have ever been from the womb. If they're allowed off the medicine, then the two of them will just live through the same Hell she's lived to, only they'll all conspire to make it worse! That's what the sleepers always have done, make things worse! Her life, her brother, they all had to suffer because these people decided they want to spend their entire lives just being Happy!

She pants, and says that she made sure they lost it. When she'd snuff the life from them, she felt a shudder of them, as if it'd dawned on each of them that they were dying. She asks him if he can understand how badly her heart was pumping when she realized that. She kept it up and up, and so many of these worthless sacks of flesh stopped being Happy. She tells Demiurge without them, the two of them, the two people that know what life should be, can be happy. She extends a hand towards him, still keeping up that smile, and says that she's ready to be happy... together. Demiurge, meanwhile, is panting, utterly stunned by the sheer hatred Hailey is emanating. He sees red for a moment himself, and tenses up, turning towards her. With this, players are given a choice: Attack outright, or say "Draw your weapons". The former grants Demiurge the first hit in the ensuing fight, and the latter gets her confused, though Hailey draws her sword and gun from her discarded cloak. She merely smiles and brings up her gear.

Either way, Demiurge is forced to battle **The Last Murderer**. The fight proves dangerous, especially considering that this is one of very few fights where Demiurge is fighting solo. Worse still, at the end of each of her turns Hailey will hit Demiurge with a Stab attack. Players should worry about defense/evasion while wearing down the enemy. And as the fight progresses, sometimes she'll talk to Demiurge to get a response out of him, and depending on the response, Demiurge's stats could be influenced. It should also be noted that if players try to use Armageddon, Demiurge will say "Too fast".

First she tells him that she did this for the two of them, that this will be better for all of them. She asks if he loved them that much, the people that never walked for their own, that never thought for their own, that never lived without people like them to tend to them. She asks if they really deserve to live more than the two of them. Demiurge can thusly answer one of three options: "You deserved happiness before" (Raises Def/Ment)/"You only did this for yourself" (Raises Str/Mag)/ "..." (Raises nothing). Second, she tells him that he doesn't know anything about life, he only just woke up. She's lived with these worthless pieces of meat and with those Saints. She has the scars and stress from years of work, they've all handled the wriggling babes before putting them to rest, she *knows* what'll happen if they're all allowed to wake. She asks him if he can confidently say that his plan would've ever worked. Demiurge can thusly answer one of three options: "You've left yourself the only mortal" (Raises Str/Mag)/"You can't give up on the rest of the world" (Raises Def/Ment)/"..." (Raises nothing).

After bringing her down to half health, a cutscene plays, showing the two continuing to fight, Hailey continuing to smile. Demiurge slashes at her, prompting Hailey to roll out of the way and shoot at him. He turns and rushes at her, bearing his fangs as he tries to bite down on her. However, she brings her sword up to block him, before pointing her gun into the side of one of his fangs, and firing. He grimaces in pain, though swings his head to hurl her back, dislodging a portion of his fang in the process, while Hailey slams against the railway. She gets up, and dives away to avoid him stamping her, her firing at him as she runs away. Demiurge then swings his tail to knock her into the air, before bringing his arm up and punching her down, hard enough to shatter a portion of the walkway they're on and causing her, and several beds, to tumble.

Hailey clings to one of the railings nearby, though Demiurge slams down again, shattering another portion of the walkway and sending her further down. The process repeats until they're about ground level, at which Demiurge hits her and sends her into one of the pillars supporting one of the walkways, her sliding down it as a large crack is formed from impact. Demiurge himself touches down, though he hears the aftermath of the collateral from before. He turns, and he sees the many beds and debris falling down, and sees several of the sleepers slamming down and breaking apart like dolls. He's left stunned, only able to watch, and is on the verge of vomiting, only to hear Hailey struggle to her feet.

She gets up and pants, taking her arm and popping it back in its socket. She says that her heart is going to beat out of her chest at this rate. She feels patches of her, and asks why she's so warm. She realizes that it's her blood. She seems to smile wider and says she's warm. She walks towards Demiurge while holding her weapons aloft, declaring that after years, she is finally **alive**! Demiurge narrows his gaze and goes back into his fighting stance, Hailey laughing. She tells him to keep at it. "I've never been more alive!" she cries as the fight continues.

At this point, she's willing to use buffs to improve his damage output, making management of buffs and healing even more important now. Two more questions will come forwards that'll allow players to potentially buff themselves. The third question she asks is about if this is his way of showing love or something. He's fighting for no one, for a world that's already gone. She and him are the only people to experience any help, and she asks if he'd really rather a dead world than a world with her. Demiurge can answer "I'd kill you a thousand times" (Raises Str/Mag)/"Someone needs to pay" (Raises Def/Ment)/"..." (Raises nothing). Soon, she's on her last leg, and she asks her final question. She says that maybe she's wrong. She's talked this whole time about how he doesn't know what her life is, but now she thinks she knows what his life is. She and the Saints stood in the throne of divinity, tending to a world that they all have the power of life and death over. And now, she realizes how much that life sucks, looking at people that'll never know how much you sacrifice for them and that'll never be as great as you are. She asks Demiurge to tell him that he hates her now. Demiurge can answer "I hate you" (Causes Charge/Concentrate effect)/"I don't" (Raises Def/Ment)/"..." (Raises nothing). Eventually, Demiurge is able to empty her health.

She's thusly hurled back, hit into a wall that crumbles underneath her. And there, she's left twitching, almost like a dying spider. Though still she smiles, and still she laughs. She says that she knows how much he needed to let this go. She sighs and says that he'll deny it, but deep down, they're two souls made for each other. Two people hurled into a world neither of them deserved, and just begging for the moment they can let that frustration out. That's what this fight is about, isn't it? Hitting her with all of that anger he's bottled up for years? Demiurge gives pause and glowers at her, quaking in place as his core ignites with Pure magic. Despite the face of death before her, Hailey softly chuckles.

She says that she probably shouldn't, but she's happy. He's broken her everywhere, and she's happy to've been his to break. She can only imagine how badly he needed to break someone, hell, maybe even break the planet. Maybe if she'd gone about it differently, the two of them would be slaughtering the old world with smiles gleaming as bright as the sun. She tells Demiurge she knows one day that he'll be happy, happier than he ever dreamed of. Because even now, even though she knows she's going to die, she'll die having lived.

And at that, Demiurge decides to end this. With tears pouring down his cheeks, he lurches his head skyward, and extends it forwards to bellow out a beam of Pure energy, straight towards The Last Murderer. She's quickly vaporized in the blast, and the column of Dragon breath extends past her, through the wall, outside Herkushol and leaving a crater, it extending off planet and out into the heavens, leaving a trail of destruction behind it. Eventually it peters out, and there's not a sign of Hailey, save for the cloak that she discarded. For now, Demiurge is feeling the weight of the world's circumstances crush down upon his shoulders. He sheds more tears, and the sheer stress of what he's gone through exhausts him, causing him to collapse onto the floor and drift into a death-like sleep.

#### Hailey: Ending

Demiurge grumbles and groans, shifting around in his sleep. He soon stretches his limbs and blinks his eyes, only to realize he's not under a roof. He blinks a few times and recognizes that he's looking into a starry sky. He furrows his brow and begins to sit up, and soon realizes he's at the edge of the Draconic Gardens, seated upon a lounge-like stone chair. He hears Sophia's voice ask if he's had a bad dream. Demiurge turns, and sees the pale Dragon on a matching chair, her currently drinking from a goblet. She says that she supposes "dream" isn't the right word. Maybe the proper term is "chapter". Demiurge asks what happened, to which she said the end of a world happened.

Demiurge looks ahead, and sees the familiar sight of the planet he looked upon ages ago, and the slowness brought on by a fresh slumber ebbs away, Demiurge now looking down. Sophia assures that things like this happen, before offering him his own goblet. No one's the best at their first go, least of all tackling a subject as complicated as what his people chose to investigate. There's hundreds of planets that lie with its population either dead or worse off. Just because he failed once, that doesn't mean he can't do well later. Demiurge is silent, and Sophia waits and waits. Eventually, she asks "Felt mortal, didn't you? Like one of them?" She explains that an important step in running a world is knowing when to distance oneself from the lower lifeforms. That means to know when to not hook your feelings into them as much he has been. That's a hard lesson to learn outright, but the more lives you see, the easier it gets to know when to stop minding them. There's still a pregnant pause.

Sophia reaches towards him, and magic flows into him. Demiurge begins to sit upright, and feels a brand new power fill him. He asks her what she did, to which she replies that she instilled in him a power other Dragons found useful. The previous power she granted wiped out life on the planet. This power she granted, however, allows him to destroy the planet itself. Demiurge asks her why she thinks he'd want that, to which she replies that she's seen a few Dragons with the desire to wipe out what they ended up making. The two look up at the planet, and Sophia explains that Dragons tend to either leave their past mistakes as a sort of reminder to keep themselves on the straight and narrow in the future, or they scrub that out of the infinite space like a stain. Demiurge has been personally affected by this planet, so the decision lies entirely on him whether this place stands or not. Besides, it's not like there's anyone on there that'd object.

With that, Demiurge looks towards the planet he stayed on for hundreds of years, and is clearly horrified yet contemplative. He thinks on what he should do, and players are given a choice. "Let it stay" or "Destroy it".

* **Let it stay** - Demiurge looks over it, still thinking of the pain it caused. However, despite this, he still has a lot of good memories tied to it. He admits to Sophia that he can't do it. The older Dragon comfortingly pats his shoulder. She says that he can lay back and relax for as long as he needs. Dragons don't need to go straight into another world if they don't want, and he can just calm himself down. With that, the two walk into the Draconic Gardens, and the credits roll as they march through the lavish Draconic Gardens to approach Demiurge's childhood home. Several Dragons on there see him pass and look on in worry. He's eventually led into a house, where he lies on a bed there and just shuts his eyes.
* **Destroy it** - Demiurge looks over the planet, still thinking of the pain it caused. Eventually, he decides that he doesn't want to look at it any more. The older Dragon comfortingly pats his shoulder and assures him that if he wishes, he can relax as long as he needs once he does this. No Dragon ever has to go straight into another world after dealing with one. Demiurge nods before stepping towards the edge of the Draconic Gardens. He begins to rear back, multi-color lights shining at his very core. This light seems to shine through him brightly, showing off the outline of his inside as the light travels up towards his throat. Tears pour down his cheeks as he looks at the world with a mixture of hate and sorrow, before he opens his mouth and sends a beam of Pure energy towards the planet. Credits begin to roll as the camera cuts down to the lifeless surface, showing the beam coming out from space before slamming onto the planet with a surface area comparable to Herkushol's size. The surface cracks and the planet begins to shake. The mountain range is seen jostling and pieces of rock falling from it and crumbling down in chunks. Webs of cracks form across the surface, to the point where chunks of land begins to shift apart from each other to expose the magma under the crust. The planet shakes more and more as buildings are cast to the fissures and the mountains around the surface are soon shaven down to plains. The camera then cuts back to the Draconic Gardens, as the planet is seen splintering into small chunks, the lingering Pure magic on them eating the chunks up and leaving nothing left. With that, Demiurge closes his mouth and keeps on tearing up, before collapsing on the ground. Sophia gently hoists the bronze Dragon up, and walks into the Draconic Gardens with him as the game closes.

### Eeloki

#### 1

Demiurge decides to hang out with the one monitoring the medicine himself, Eeloki. Over in the east, he can find the salamander in the process of applying more medicine to some IVs. He sees Demiurge, and greets him, asking what brings him here. Demiurge says that he came to check out his own business, to which the salamander is thankful that the Dragon chooses to grace him. He says that he's in the middle of work and wishes for him to come along. If he watches carefully, he might get to learn how to do the job as well.

With that, the duo goes on their way through the roads. There, Demiurge watches as Eeloki monitors the various bags of glowing liquid, them feeding fluid into the individuals. Eeloki can be seen eyeballing each, before going to one that looks low. Eeloki says that these things are supposed to last a year per person. He's supposed to make sure more medicine is put in these should they go under a certain threshold. He's also supposed to present for each newborn and provide them the material. Thus, Eeloki fills up the low bags, Demiurge glaring at the gunk as it prolongs this era. Demiurge supposes that he goes through a lot of work, to which Eeloki says that he's had many, many sleepless nights to monitor each IV. The Saints before him made sure that he'd learn to go through it.

Demiurge asks how the Saints taught him about working this hard and this long, to which Eeloki says that they had their ways. They managed to produce a medicine that feeds energy into him regardless of if he's asleep or not. He says that the medicine still had some kinks to work out; though his motor functions worked his body still didn't handle being awake and moving for that long. Demiurge remarks that that sounds really unfortunate, to which the salamander says that it is what's necessary for Happiness in this day and age. The whole of the world chose to be Happy, and now people like him are chosen to keep the Happiness.

Demiurge says that it doesn't *have* to be like that. Once upon a time people lived and were able to walk around and do stuff the ways they wished. Eeloki says that they've heard of the old days and heard about how unhappy people were. In particular, they've been told of how during snowfall people in Herkushol died on the streets, how men stole from one another in between towns, and how today the mere concept of sadness is but history. This is the way the Saints ordain life should be, so they follow. The salamander keeps on, while Demiurge follows, still looking into that Happiness medicine.

Night comes, and the Dragon finds himself tired. However, he sees the salamander pull out a needle from his pocket, before jabbing it into himself. He twitches his fingers, grunting. He says that he has a spare if Demiurge wishes, to which the Dragon says he thinks he'll have to look into another Saint. Eeloki understands, and says that he still has a lot more ground to cover. And he thinks one day that Demiurge will be able to make the process faster. Demiurge apologizes for that, though Eeloki is already on his way further along the walkway.

Demiurge says that he doesn't have to live like this. However, the salamander says that this is the way things have to be. A long time ago the world chose to be Happy. People are needed to keep the Happy. If they were all Happy, they'd all die. He'll serve them until the day he dies, even if it wrecks his body. He says that he hopes one day Demiurge himself will learn to take to it. And with that, Eeloki walks off, leaving Demiurge to contemplate on what he needs to do to stop this.

#### 2

With the next social link, Demiurge approaches Eeloki again. The salamander greets him again and asks if he wishes to help yet again. Demiurge says that he'd like to, though Eeloki says that if he wishes to, he thinks that he should get to know the medicine they work with a little more. Demiurge supposes if it's necessary, then he'll be happy to learn about this stuff. Eeloki nods before making his way down one of the paths, telling Demiurge to follow close behind. The bronze Dragon follows.

The duo goes to the ground level, to a room towards the corner of Herkushol. There, they come upon a fairly large room with clinically white tiles, a very chemical smell to it, and a fair few operating tables around as well as medical cabinets. Eeloki explains that this place stands as the nexus point of several modern medicines, and has been used to test the condition of those Happy. He says that they have a lot to review, and it's time for them to start. He thus makes his way over to some of the cabinets, Demiurge following, weary.

The day is spent with Eeloki telling Demiurge about some of the medicines. Among which is the Stimulant he saw Eeloki jab himself with the other night. It injects chemicals into the body that makes its way to the brain to keep the body awake. Eeloki's apparently trying to look into a sort of constant regen potion to try and counter the downsides of the stimulant. He imagined potions would've worked once upon a time, but those are more attributed to actual wounds and tears whereas the injuries brought on by stimulants are more the result of wear and overuse.

Speaking of which, those potions have proved to be fairly useful for the various sleeping people should their healer not be nearby. Plenty have been injured, though these potions have sutured up a fair few wounds. Demiurge asks how they're being injured, to which Eeloki responds "why not". Demiurge asks what he means, to which the salamander says that there's no wrong in it. They're all Happy, and they'll only be Happy. One with five fingers on each hand is as happy as one with one on each hand, and one with two hands is as happy as one with none. No matter what happens to them, things will be ok, as long as they live Happy. Demiurge says that that's not right, they can't just tear apart people, to which Eeloki says there's nothing saying they can't. They live, they get to have children, they get to continue the lineage, and they get to keep Happiness flowing in this world.

Before Demiurge can try and talk him out of it, Eeloki looks at his wrist, and remarks that he's spent a bit too much time talking. He needs to go out and maintain the Happiness. He promises to teach him more about the medicine they wield, and thus makes his way out, while ushering the Dragon out. Demiurge thus stays in place while he watches the salamander walk off, feeling uncomfortable at just how hateful that man appears to be.

#### 3

Demiurge decides once again to hand out with Eeloki. The salamander greets him and says that there's still more medicine to talk to him about. He hasn't even tested the stimulant on him. The Dragon wearily agrees that they should test this stuff out. Eeloki says that it's to the lab again, and so they walk.

There, the two of them enter, though for a brief moment Demiurge sniffs the air. He swears he can smell a faint trace of blood, to which Eeloki apologizes, saying he hadn't had as big a chance to clean before. Demiurge asks what he could've been testing, to which Eeloki answers he was trying to work on a restorative tonic for the issue he'd been dealing with. He tried inserting a poison into a body and tested the tonic on them, but it hadn't had the desired effect. Either way, that's not what's important right now. Eeloki draws one of the stimulant needles and tells Demiurge to offer an arm. Demiurge is uncomfortable with the news he'd gathered, but decides he'd better not defy this guy yet.

So, he extends an arm, and Eeloki lowers his needle. It proves a little tricky to pierce his scales, but the needle goes in, and he pumps the medicine in. And once it enters his system, Demiurge suddenly feels alert. He starts to pant and tries to stand upright. Eeloki remarks that it looks as if it's already working. Demiurge says that he feels like he can't stay still, to which the salamander says that he knows what that's like. He says that once it goes in, the only way to work it off is with exertion. He supposes that it was bad to test this medicine now... He says that he'll head out and check the various IVs. He goes to a cabinet and takes out some vials of the medicine that makes them Happy before heading out, though Demiurge notices that he left the cabinet open.

Demiurge approaches it and look down at several large vials of the medicine. He knows that if he figures that if he can get rid of this stuff he can end this terror. If he can just convince that salamander... Maybe if he's careful he can empty it. He takes a nearby syringe and attempts to drain one of the vats, though chooses to do so in a limited quantity, so as not to be obvious. And like that, he now has one syringe of the Happy medicine, and a ton more to go. He'd love to get rid of it outright, though he's sure he'd incur the Saints' wrath. So, he leaves.

Still, now that he's alone, having disappeared to one of the balconies, he looks over the medicine. He thinks back to the Enlightenment Era, where he'd taken a dose of it... He also wonders if this could quell his current stimulation. Plus, it'd mean that the medicine would be gone for good. So, he injects himself. And soon, he feels the lull of sleep cloud his mind...

...

Eventually he blinks his eyes. And when he does, several loud pops suddenly resound out, and he's covered in confetti. He's surrounded by cheers and he blinks his eyes, where he now sees himself in some village in the middle of the world, several people clapping and cheering for him. He looks around, and he can see several familiar faces: Onah, Sherebi, Elatka, Eluso, Agovon, Delilah, and Mahla. He can even see Sophia on the outskirts, drinking merrily. And looking around, he can see banners declaring "Best World Ever!"

Onah says that he did amazing! Hundreds of years and their work is finally at an end! Elatka tells him that she never thought their conflict would finally end like this, but here they are! Demiurge is stunned by all the attention, before watching as Sophia comes close. She suddenly comes in and hugs him, her wings and tail wrapping behind him. She tells him that she's so proud of him, Demiurge stunned and, albeit shakily, bringing his arms up to hug her back. The voices around him continue to cheer, declaring "Best World Ever!" "Best World Ever!" "Best World Ever!" And so on and so forth.

Eventually, though, the world around him begins to fade, unmaking itself at the seams. Demiurge clings tighter to Sophia, telling her to stay. But she too fades as the world is unmade...

...

Eventually, Demiurge wakes back up, laying against the side of the wall on the balcony. He blinks and looks around, before suddenly remembering just where he was. He realizes that that was just a dream, and he sighs. He pockets the now empty syringe and heads back into Herkushol, realizing he still has a mission.

#### 4

This time, Demiurge hangs out with Eeloki again. The salamander is amid work again, and sees the Dragon, wondering if he's ready to study again. Demiurge nods, saying he's ready to help however he can. Thus, the Saint motions for him to move, before directing him back to the lab.

They make it back there, and once there, Demiurge notices a body, a raccoon man, on one of the beds, them also hooked up to one of the IVs. Demiurge asks what this guy's here for, to which Eeloki says that they too react to some of the medicines. They can't use stimulants on them due to Happiness being pumped into them, but that doesn't mean they can't see the effect of some of their other medicines. Eeloki goes towards one of the medicine cabinets, and as Demiurge watches him go to it, he briefly glances over at the cabinet holding the Happiness. Demiurge wonders out loud if it's possible for someone to overdose on Happiness, to which Eeloki says that their IVs ensure the medicine flows at an acceptable rate. Though, they have tested that out before.

He describes that a body injected with too much will eventually slow in function altogether, to the point that the heart stops pumping blood to the rest of the body. He'd imagine the sequence akin to drowning, though he's sure these bodies won't even know they're dying by the time lose all of their color. Demiurge thinks back to when he himself was injected, and can't help but shudder a little. He had no knowledge of what was happening around him, and woke up in such a daze. He can only imagine being under that effect for even longer. And yet...

Eeloki says that either way, they have the other medicines to worry about. Unless Demiurge would like to see the described effects in action. Demiurge says he'd prefer to try out something other than that, to which Eeloki shrugs. He continues to one of the cabinets, before pulling out various bottles and supplies. He goes over to the raccoon in question, before presenting a potion, asking Demiurge if he's familiar with these. Demiurge assures he is. Eeloki explains that this proves to be one of the most useful tools for a Saint. No matter how much abuse one of these bodies take, a single bottle can patch up a fair few of their wounds. He demonstrates by taking one of the supplies; a tool resembling a pair of scissors. He wraps the blades around the pinkie of the body, before snipping, Demiurge wincing at the demonstration. He then opens the body's mouth and feeding some in, the wound incurred healing over.

Demiurge asks why he'd do that, to which Eeloki says sometimes it's... cathartic. You can do whatever you want to these creatures, and there's nothing wrong with it. They'll only be Happy, forever and ever. Which means they can do whatever they want to these things. Demiurge asks if he's so angry at them, then why does he and the other Saints maintain them. Eeloki says that that's part of the job, to make sure the goal of Happiness is still maintained. They've strived for this goal since the beginning, and they'll strive for it until the end of time, as that is the ultimate goal of life, is it not?

Eeloki looks over the raccoon, glowering as he speaks. He says no matter what they do, this Happiness is what they all strive for. He drags the blades of that instrument across the body, saying that they have their goal, and they have the means. So they have to do this. Demiurge says that this is just hurting everyone. Once they get rid of the Happy medicine and reset everything, everyone and everything will be better. Eeloki tells Demiurge that he's done everything to make sure this future stands, and he expects to just throw it out? Everyone's Happy, centuries of work has led them to this point. They can't just deny it.

He then remarks that he lost track of time. He was supposed to teach him about how things work around here, but he's just spent this time ranting. He says that it's time to go back to work, and thus steps away form the body. He tells Demiurge to take the potions he feels he needs, and is out. Demiurge is still unsettled, and then glances back at the medicine cabinet the Happiness was in. Curious he tests it, only to find that it's locked. He realizes that he still has a lot of work to do if he's going to break through this mess.

#### 5

Once more, Demiurge decides to hang out with Eeloki. And seeing him, the salamander supposes it's time for another tutor lesson. Demiurge agrees, and follows him to the lab.

The duo arrives once more, and once again, a body is on one of the tables. A fox guy, looking slightly younger than the last subject. Eeloki says that he's going to teach Demiurge about refilling these IV bags. This one in particular looks like he's going to run out within the month. He says it might be a bit tricky, given his size, but he thinks he can manage. He is divinity, after all. Demiurge supposes he can try. With that, Eeloki heads over to the medicine cabinet, where he opens it up and takes a out a large bottle of the Happiness medicine.

He says that they're too draw a healthy amount of medicine from these vats, and inject it into the uppermost parts of these bags. He says that the plastic will reseal later, but it's safe to do it from on high. So he takes a syringe, draws some medicine from the bottle, and places it into the bag, though it isn't filled up. Demiurge looks down scornfully at the bottle, knowing it's behind this. He also knows he needs to convince that salamander somehow, but at the rate things were going, he still had a lot of room to work on. So, he takes the syringe Eeloki offers, and handles it carefully.

Eventually, they manage to fill up the IV bag. The salamander notes that he handled the syringe well and says that he'll be a big boon in the future. He then says that he'll bring this body to where he found it and asks Demiurge to put the bottle away. Demiurge agrees, and soon he's left alone with the room. He thus takes the bottle and makes his way to the medicine cabinet. However, before he puts it away, he realizes he has another opportunity to starve this Happiness thing. Or, is there another motive at hand, asking him to take it? Either way, he needs to act more, he's not getting anywhere anytime fast with Eeloki. So, he draws some more medicine from the bottle, and carefully hides the syringe. And then, he heads out.

Once again he makes his way to the balcony, and once there his mind is drawn to the medicine. He mulls over the liquid in the syringe... before reasoning to himself that this'll just be less for them to use. So, he injects himself, and is brought back to that lull.

...

He wakes in the Draconic Gardens, specifically on a seat near the edge, overlooking the world below. He sees a goblet in one hand and can feel a Dragon behind him gently massaging his shoulders. And looking to the side, he can see Sophia in a similar situation. She asks Demiurge if he fell asleep again, prompting the bronze Dragon to rub behind his head nervously. She tells him to relax anyways. It's not often a Dragon can just relax. Then again, it's not often a Dragon makes a world like this. She tells him to drink and enjoy to his heart's content. Demiurge thus leans into the massager behind him, and asks her if she's proud. She answers that of course she is.

He's doing such a great job, and so many people are Happy. Demiurge feels slightly uncomfortable at that specific tone she mentions it in, though tries to just enjoy the massage. However, he suddenly feels a splitting headache and clutches his temples. He wonders what that was, when he spies the environment before him. He sees a portion of the fabric of space has melted away into blankness. Demiurge wonders what that could possibly be, before he feels another splitting headache. He looks around a bit, before spying the masseuse behind him, half of his abdomen vaporized though his body kept on working.

Demiurge wails in alarm and stumbles away from the Dragon, looking back as more of his mindscape appears to've been vaporized. Sophia seems utterly nonplussed by the events around her, and she just keeps saying that things are so Happy. So Happy. So Happy...

...

Demiurge wakes with a start, gasping in horror. He looks around, and sees the world he'd fallen asleep in. It takes him a moment to recount the events around him, before he remembers that he'd injected himself. He briefly wonders whether or not this medicine had something to do with... that. Still, he pockets the syringe. And right now, he has this deep feeling in his gut that this path might not be what he's looking for. That, if he lets it, it could mean the destruction of him...

#### 6

Demiurge decides to hang out with Eeloki yet again. And upon greeting him, the salamander greets him back. Though upon seeing him, he wonders if he can talk to Demiurge about something. The Dragon perks up at that and says that of course they can talk. He says that they'll have to go to the lab. And so, they make their way to the lab yet again.

They make their way there, though Demiurge now sees there's no body inside. Demiurge is curious, until Eeloki goes over to the cabinet that he keeps the Happy medicine in. He tells Demiurge that he wanted to check and make sure the medicine was back in its place after he did his job, and when he looked at the bottle, he noticed something off about it. The two of them personally drained medicine from it, and he knows what level it was at. And yet, it somehow got lower. He asks Demiurge if he knows anything about that.

The Dragon gets nervous. He asks why he'd know anything about that, to which Eeloki explains that he's the only other person he left with this, and he isn't sure those other Saints would've been willing to take this stuff. Demiurge soon gets too nervous to speak, and at that, Eeloki looks downright disgusted and betrayed. He sighs and sets the medicine inside, asking Demiurge if he really wanted to go down this path, if he really wanted to turn his back on them just like the rest of the world. Demiurge says that he just wanted to get rid of it, and Eeloki asks where it went. Demiurge is quiet again, though he glances down at himself.

Eeloki asks if he tried to be Happy, to which Demiurge says that it felt like the only place he could make it disappear to. Eeloki declares that that's crap and he knows it. Plumbing, a plant, hell, dump it over the balcony. He could've taken it anywhere, but he chose to ingest it! Demiurge apologizes, and says that he acted rashly. He just thought back to when he had it before, and it started to feel good. But suddenly, it acted weird. The salamander asks what he means, to which Demiurge says that he first got some good dreams, the happiest dreams he had for a while. But then one day, it was like his dream started to disappear all around him.

Eeloki rolls his eyes, scoffing at "dreams". Demiurge asks what he means, to which Eeloki explains that that medicine isn't supposed to bring Happy memories. It's meant to bring Happiness, period. He saw dreams because that was a base reaction to the medicine sparking his mind, but that's going to melt away soon enough. Once he's subjected to enough of a dosage, his mind will melt away; his memories will be gone, his capacity for longing will be gone, everything will be erased except for Happiness. That's part of the design of the medicine. Demiurge asks why it works like that, to which Eeloki explains that simply offering recipients their memory back will only make them feel sad they don't have it. So, the medicine ebbs away at all of that to leave them in a state of only Happiness. And hearing that, just imagining how much damage he could've done to himself, Demiurge is left still, standing there and clasping his shoulder, uncomfortable.

After the pregnant pause, Eeloki wonders if Happiness appealed to him that much. Demiurge is quiet again, and the salamander sighs. He says that he'll be quiet about this. They can keep doing business and keep Herkushol working well. But... Now that he knows the truth, he can stop this. Or, he can subject himself to Happiness all over again if he so desires. If he does, then he can no longer be considered a Saint. He can be Happy just like everyone else. For now, though, they have a city to serve. And thus, Eeloki leaves, Demiurge now left to mull over this. There's no way he'd agree to subject himself to that, especially knowing what happens to Happy people... Right?

#### 7

Once more, Demiurge approaches Eeloki. Eeloki wonders if he's here to continue to do the job, and at this, players are given a choice as to whether to do the job, or to do... something else. Doing something else will advance the Social Link, and selecting it will give the salamander pause. He asks if Demiurge means... *that*. Demiurge is quiet for a bit, before nodding. Eeloki furrows his brow, before telling him to come to the lab, they have much to do. And thus, Demiurge is led to the lab.

Time passes and the duo's in the lab, Demiurge now laid on the ground as Eeloki goes around towards one of the wrists. As he sets up an IV bag, he asks the bronze Dragon if he really wants to go through with this. Herkushol was waiting a long time for him to come. Demiurge decides that he'd like to be Happy. Eeloki looks betrayed, before sighing and going through with it. He injects the IV needle into his wrist, and the fluid begins running. Eeloki tells him that he forfeits the role of Saint with this. He can be Happy... and everything that comes with it.

And thus, as the medicine flows into him, Demiurge blinks more and more. And as he does, his eyelids get heavier and heavier. Before eventually, darkness overtakes him...

...

Demiurge blinks again, and finds himself in the grass of the Brosis Plains, where he first descended on this world. And as he lays there, he begins to see the old intelligentsia (Gidere, Deonsys, Arrivar, Rugar, and Meila) come into view, looking down at him with odd smiles. Gidere tells him that he's done a great job. Deonsys says this world is better than she could've ever dreamed of. Arrivar says that no mind other than his could've done anything like this. Rugar says that they stand by his every decision. Meila thanks him for showing them the best world they could live in.

Demiurge begins to sit up, and he hears more and more thank yous. He looks around and sees several individuals he's seen from across the eras. Onah, Sherebi, Elatka, Eluso, Olki, Agovon, Delilah, Labal, Oogarra, Resti, and several other npcs that'd either been on the streets, moved the story along, or provided sidequests. They each have that same odd smile and each are praising the Dragon. Demiurge feels better about the stuff he's seeing, but that feeling starts to fade as he looks up in the sky. There, the blackness of space and the stars that dot it are partially faded into a nonexistent whiteness. Demiurge feels uncomfortable at the sight of it, and even moreso as the cheers of the people around him try to pull him away from his rapidly fading conscious.

He steps past the happy residents in his mind, saying that he needs to stop this. He got scared out there and thought this would be an acceptable escape. But it's all wrong. He's going to stop this. He contemplates on how he's going to get out of here, he begins to hear Eeloki's voice. The salamander says that he's ashamed. Even if they didn't talk a lot, he did appreciate having someone that could make this easier. But instead, he was just another one that chose the easy life. If he wants to be Happy, then he can stay Happy. No matter what happens to him. And hearing that, Demiurge realizes he has to get out of this, fast!

He tries to search his body, attempting to think on a way to claw out of this state. With a bit of meditation, he thinks he can locate the influence within him. He stands tall, declaring to himself that he has to fight harder, fight stronger. And as he declares that, within the grassy plains, a ball of energy seems to form, it made up of the same hue as the medicine that induces this Happiness. As it forms, Eeloki speaks again, saying that he's going to test how Happy Demiurge is. And as he says that, Demiurge can hear the sound of something heavy and metallic being dragged across the ground. Demiurge knows he has to act fast, and goes into an offensive stance.

And with that, players are forced into a boss fight with **Happiness**. And unfortunately, the fight proves exceptionally difficult. Happiness is exceptionally hearty and comes with various debuffs, Dark, and Pure attacks. It's a magically oriented foe and equipped with Pierce so as to make it ignore whatever resistances Demiurge might've come in with. Worse still, it also has access to a special ailment in order to stop his movement and leave him vulnerable. And even worse still, throughout the fight Eeloki will lower Demiurge's max HP. The following events lead to him losing his max HP.

First, Eeloki says that he's looking at Demiurge's tail right now. He can just take the tip of it. As long as he's happy, he won't need it. He tells Demiurge if it's worth it for him to keep it, he'll stop him. A couple of turns later, the game notes that Demiurge feels pain shoot through the length of his tail and his max HP is lowered. Second, he tells Demiurge that he's now at one of his hands, such big hands. He says that he can just take a finger or two, and says that as long as he's Happy he won't need a few fingers. He then tells Demiurge that if it's worth it for him to keep them, he'll stop them. A couple of turns later, the game notes that Demiurge feels an explosion of pain in his right hand, and the Dragon's max HP is lowered. Third, he says that he's at his horns, and he remarks that he always found it dumb whenever mortals had bones outside their body. Anyways, he says as long as he's Happy he won't need one horn, and that he can just take one. If it's worth it for him to keep it, he'll stop him. A couple of turns later, Demiurge feels as if pain is drilled directly into his brain and his max HP is lowered.

Eventually, he tells Demiurge that he's up to his face, and tells him that he can just destroy his eyes, right here right now. After all, as long as he's Happy, he won't need them. He tells Demiurge that if these are worth keeping, he'll stop him. At this point, players will have to've done as much work as they can. When Eeloki delivers this blow, Demiurge's health will be all gone, and players will be forced onto the Dismembered Route. If they beat Happiness, they'll go onto the Whole Route.

#### Dismembered Route

If players lose all of their health to Happiness, or if Eeloki destroys Demiurge's eyes, the scene suddenly cuts to black. It soon returns, however, to Demiurge looking out over an abstract piece of space, no trace of his lovely mindscape left. All that's in it is him, and as he looks over it, he can hear Eeloki talk some more.

The salamander says that he truly is ashamed. He looked down at these people, all of them did. This world has chosen to abandon them all and leave them tending to a sleeping world, and Demiurge wanted to be a part of that. He asks him if he truly set them on this path for the greater public, or if in the end all he wanted was to be Happy. He said that growing up he was taught to look up at him, like a shining star that's meant to point them in the correct direction. But here they are now, with him looking down at him, just as mortal as every last worthless sack of flesh. He asks Demiurge if he can even comprehend how worthless he looks now, or if that Happiness has stuffed his brain like a plush already. Worse still, as Eeloki demeans him, more and more of the projection of Demiurge fades away.

Either way, Demiurge came to him looking for Happiness, and now he has it. And he'll keep on having it, forever and ever and ever. Meanwhile, he and the rest of the Saints can figure out how much you can dismantle a Dragon until it's considered dead. He commands Demiurge to give in, and just be a problem like everyone else in this worthless city. And with that, the representation of Demiurge fades away, the game stating that Demiurge is Very Happy.

...

The scene then cuts to Eeloki's point of view, conveniently not looking at the Dragon's body while he makes his way over to one of the medicine cabinets. He puts away a jar of medicine, before going over to another cabinet. He opens it and looks over a rack of several tools, from saws to drills to scalpels... His fingers are seen sweeping the various handles as he tries to settle on one... before his blood suddenly explodes out onto the cabinet and his fingers tense up. He looks down and sees the tip of a tail jutting through his gut. The scene then pans to a side view, showing the tail lift him up and angle him to see the scowling face of Sophia.

The salamander is left slack jawed and terrified, eyes wide with fear while he grasps the tail stabbed through him in some vain attempt to pull himself free. His struggling is interrupted, however, as the pale Dragon wrenches her tail one way, before whipping it the other, hurling the Saint off of it and towards one of the other walls, the camera cutting away as he's heard exploding into a bloody stain. After that, the elder Dragon walks over to one of the tables, the camera still keeping the body obscured. She pulls an IV out, before casting a powerful Restoration spell upon them. At this point, the subject is revealed to be Demiurge, who, despite the injuries he'd sustained during the last fight, appears to be recovered, albeit with some slight discoloration between the newly formed limbs.

Now, Demiurge screams out in pain, grief, and horror. As he panics, Sophia cradles him, wrapping her wings around the bronze Dragon as he's utterly horrified. She strokes his back, assuring that it's in the past, it's in the past. As she does, the lab door is heard opening. The two turn and can see Tolka entering, her starting to ask Eeloki for any updates on his sector. However, she comes to a stunned shock as she sees two Dragons in the room. Her eyes turn towards a corner of the room, where he sees one of the walls painted in gore with ribbons of those Saintly robes around it. She realizes what happened, and backs out, rushing back into Herkushol.

Sophia pulls away from Demiurge, though keeps a wing across his back. She says that she foresees that trouble is before them. She says it might be too late to fix this, but assures the bronze Dragon that there's always next time. Demiurge still seems to uncomfortable to talk, though Sophia still walks forwards. She says when they go back to the Gardens she can prepare a little day off for him. Or a week off, a month off, a year off... However long it'll take for him to unwind. But first, it's part of a Dragon's duty to see a world through to its end.

The two exit the lab, and see the lynx making her way up the ramps, shouting that the Dragon's killed a Saint. Sophia walks forwards and turns to Demiurge, asking him if he wishes for a quick end, or a long one. Demiurge asks what the difference is, to which she says that some new rulers tend to like instilling a bit of fear into the perpetrators of their world's rot. He has the power to wipe it out, or they can destroy them individually. This is meant to remind players about the Armageddon skill, though players can progress through the proceeding events if they wish.

First, Sophia flies after the lynx, Demiurge allowed to fly after her too. Once there, realizing that she's in danger, Tolka draws her mace and declares that she won't go down without a fight! Sophia glances towards Demiurge, as if prompting him to say something. He can thusly say "That can be arranged" or "Just prepare yourself". And suddenly, players are put into a fight with the lynx, though the pale Dragon is now a party member, albeit not under the player's control. Tolka wields her usual kit and might take a couple of blows from Demiurge. Sophia will spend her turns buffing and full healing Demiurge as he fights on. However, if enough turns pass, Sophia will strike, delivering enough damage to hit the maximum capacity.

After that, Tolka is knocked onto her back, crawling and panting. She says that she's always done right by the Dragon, Sophia merely walking towards her. She asks her why she's doing this, why she's getting hurt. She tries to stand, but Sophia merely holds her down with a single claw, dragging her a far distance from the bronze Dragon. Magic seems to crawl through her arm as she beats at it with her mace, before an explosion of Lightning magic batters the walkway, vaporizing a good portion of it and Tolka. A quick flap of her wings get her back to Demiurge's side, where she asks how that felt. At this, players can answer "...Something..." or "...". Either way, another shout is heard above, and the duo turns, seeing Hailey and Regis on the walkway above. They run towards the center of Herkushol, shouting for Mikula.

Sophia thusly flies in the direction of Hailey, and players are prompted to fly as well. Demiurge goes over, and the two confront the hyena. She suddenly draws her sword and gun, asking the pale Dragon who she is. Sophia is, however, quiet, and turns towards the bronze Dragon, silently asking him his next move. Players are prompted to answer "She is judgement" or "We are judgement". Feeling threatened, Hailey briefly glances at her gun, before shaking her head and turning her weapons on them. Players are thrust into a fight with the hyena, with her using her own gear while Sophia continues to buff and heal Demiurge. Again, if she isn't beaten in a certain amount of turns, Sophia will strike for maximum damage capacity.

The cutscene shows Hailey hurled several feet away to one of the railways on the walkway, it cracked severely form the blow. She staggers onto her feet and glares at the Dragons. She aims her gun and fires several shots, though Sophia is quick to block the blows, the bullets clattering to the ground uselessly. Sophia walks over to the hyena, who keeps on firing. When she gets close, Hailey tries to slash her with her sword, though it shatters against her hide, leaving only her hilt. She looks up at the vengeful gaze of Sophia, and it dawns on her she's not getting out of here. She's frozen in place as Sophia raises a claw, before pounding the area with a fiery explosion, again shattering much of the walkway, and messily eliminating the hyena. She's quick to fly back to Demiurge, and asks the Dragon how he's feeling. He can thusly answer "..." or "...A little..." Either way, she says there's two left.

Regis has fled to a structure towards the middle of Herkushol looking like the head of a tower, Mikula's personal quarters. The pheasant pounds on the quarters, though Sophia and Demiurge arrive. He turns and sees the duo, and says he heard the destruction. He starts to reach for his needles, and says that they've acted in the interest of the world, of all life! They are sacrifices to the cause, meant to suffer for it! Sophia turns to Demiurge, silently prompting him to talk again. Here, players can say "You chose the wrong cause" or "None of these people had a choice". Either way, again the duo's put into a fight, very similar to the last ones, including Sophia waiting a few turns to finish off the opponent.

He's hurled back, wailing, and into one of the sleepers' tables. He knocks them over and lands on a heap on them. He sees Sophia approach, and shuffles to his feet. The pheasant grabs the body and holds it before him like a shield as the pale Dragon comes close. He brings his needles close to the body, and tells her he'll do it. He's done worse plenty of times, and Demiurge can attest to that! However, in the middle of his ramblings, Sophia's claw flashes faster for him or even Demiurge to register. And then suddenly, the body Regis is holding explodes into a mist of red, utterly coating the pheasant, who's frozen in place. He collapses to his knees, spitting up a bit of red as his eyes look as if they'll bulge right out of his skull. And as he's left horrified, Sophia simply places a hand on top of him. He's suddenly enveloped in ice, at which Sophia shoves her hand down to crush him into a pile of bloody blocks of ice.

With that, Sophia returns to Demiurge's side, looking onto the entrance into the tower. She asks Demiurge how he's doing, to which players are prompted to answer "...More..." or "...I'm feeling things..." Demiurge asks what the purpose of this is, to which Sophia says that there are times even in a Dragon's life where they need to let go. And in times like that, it helps to do it on people that beg for it. Such as those that brought a loved one to such a poor state. The Dragon is quiet about that, though Sophia tells him he's free to unwind here. She has this feeling the next guy could stand up a little more, but she promises nothing too deadly will come to him. And if he has qualms, he does still have that power.

The duo enters, and inside they see, gathering various items, the owl. He sees the two enter, and he's already looking uncomfortable. He reaches for his staff, backing away weary. He says that he's heard the chaos outside. He says that he's done everything he's tried to do well in this world. He's managed the Saints, he's praised Demiurge, he's been tending to Herkushol. He says every action was for him, and asks if he's really angry at him. Sophia again glances towards Demiurge, silently prompting him to speak. Demiurge can thusly answer "I never wanted this" or "Stop acting like you did this for me".

With that, the duo challenges Regis. And during it, he indeed proves a little tricky, seen using healing items, some buffing items, and even using Concentration to increase the damage he deals onto the Dragons, though Sophia hardly takes damage, and will be more than able to fully restore Demiurge. Again, she works on buffing and healing him while the bronze Dragon strikes back at Regis more and more. This time, Sophia is willing to let more time pass before she intervenes, but if players let enough turns pass, she'll strike swiftly, dropping the owl's health.

He's knocked back, panting and panting. He stands again, and points his staff threateningly. He says that he's always worked his best, and he refuses to die over it! He thusly raises the staff, channeling a massive amount of magical energy into a ball of Pure magic. Seeing it form, Sophia would stand in front of Demiurge. After forming a ball as big as Demiurge, Regis hurls it towards the duo. Sophia then raises a hand, and catches the spell in her palm, though she digs her claws into the ground beneath to keep from being pushed back. Demiurge looks as if he wants to help, though she extends a hand towards him to have him stop. While holding the ball of magic back, she opens her jaw wide, before lunging at it to clamp down on it, chomping the ball of Pure magic. She squeezes more and more, crushing the ball into a smaller form. Regis is then left awestruck as the pale Dragon absorbs the ball of magic, sucking it down her throat.

She politely burps into her arm, trails of smoke puffing out. She then turns towards Regis, as if daring him to do something else. However, the owl simply drops to his knees as he realizes his weakness. Sophia then steps aside, motioning Demiurge forwards. He wasn't given a command, but he knows plainly what she means: finish him. At this, players are able to use any action on Demiurge's repertoire to end Regis. And with the appropriate action given, the last sapient life form on this planet is dead. Sophia gently pats Demiurge's shoulder as he stands on a dead world, saying that this sort of thing happens from time to time. However, stress has taken a hold on the bronze Dragon. He groans and collapses to his knees, feeling tired from what he's gone through. Sophia catches him, though feels him limp. She sighs and brings him up in a fireman carry, before making her way outside of Herkushol, knowing that Demiurge will be asleep for a while.

Eventually, Demiurge rouses in his rest. He stirs some, stirs some more, before eventually waking up, blinking his eyes. And once he does, he realizes that he isn't under a roof. He blinks a few times and recognizes that he's looking into a starry sky. He furrows his brow and begins to sit up, and soon realizes he's at the edge of the Draconic Gardens, seated upon a lounge-like stone chair. He hears Sophia's voice ask if he's had a bad dream. Demiurge turns, and sees the pale Dragon on a matching chair, her currently drinking from a goblet. She says that she supposes "dream" isn't the right word. Maybe the proper term is "chapter". Demiurge rubs his head and asks what happened, to which Sophia explains that the world proved itself too far gone and tried to tear divinity down to a mortal level. So, they'd ended it.

With that, Demiurge would remember the last day on that world. He'd look towards a few of his fingers and feel one of his horns, to which Sophia says that he needn't worry about that. With how much time has passed, those body parts should match the rest of him now. Just looking at him it's like nothing's happened to him, maybe even in a few centuries he won't even remember what happened on that world. Demiurge asks how any Dragon could put up with that, to which Sophia explains that it takes a lot of experience to withstand the twisted corners of a mortal's soul. Many have faced hardship and stress, and have snapped even harder. She's known a few cases of Dragons reconstructing mortals before destroying them, reconstructing, and destroying, and so on.

Demiurge asks how that can possibly be ok, to which Sophia says that Dragons are a little above the usual morals. Dragons are expected to still hold a certain grace and fairness in each world, but sometimes, their discretion is required for a planet, or for a people. She suspects that if things were different, Demiurge himself might've had to come to blows with some mortal super power. Demiurge looks ahead, and sees the familiar sight of the planet he looked upon ages ago, and the slowness brought on by a fresh slumber ebbs away, Demiurge now looking down. Sophia assures that things like this happen, before offering him his own goblet. No one's the best at their first go, least of all tackling a subject as complicated as what his people chose to investigate. There's hundreds of planets that lie with its population either dead or worse off. Just because he failed once, that doesn't mean he can't do well later.

Demiurge asks what he can do to do better, to which Sophia says that all Dragons can do is learn from their past. Sometimes you have to learn that the best way to lead a world is to forget the weight a single life can hold. Despite this, there's a pregnant pause between the two. And now, Sophia reaches out to him, extending magic into him. Demiurge begins to sit upright, and feels a brand new power fill him. He asks her what she did, to which she replies that she instilled in him a power other Dragons found useful. The previous power she granted wiped out life on the planet. This power she granted, however, allows him to destroy the planet itself. Demiurge asks her why she thinks he'd want that, to which she replies that she's seen a few Dragons with the desire to wipe out what they ended up making. The two look up at the planet, and Sophia explains that Dragons tend to either leave their past mistakes as a sort of reminder to keep themselves on the straight and narrow in the future, or they scrub that out of the infinite space like a stain. Demiurge has been personally affected by this planet, so the decision lies entirely on him whether this place stands or not. Besides, it's not like there's anyone on there that'd object.

With that, Demiurge looks towards the planet he stayed on for hundreds of years, and is clearly horrified yet contemplative. He thinks on what he should do, and players are given a choice. "Let it stay" or "Destroy it".

* **Let it stay** - Demiurge looks over it, still thinking of the pain it caused. However, despite this, he still has a lot of good memories tied to it. He admits to Sophia that he can't do it. The older Dragon comfortingly pats his shoulder. She says that he can lay back and relax for as long as he needs. Dragons don't need to go straight into another world if they don't want, and he can just calm himself down. With that, the two walk into the Draconic Gardens, and the credits roll as they march through the lavish Draconic Gardens to approach Demiurge's childhood home. Several Dragons on there see him pass and look on in worry. He's eventually led into a house, where he lies on a bed there and just shuts his eyes.
* **Destroy it** - Demiurge looks over the planet, still thinking of the pain it caused. Eventually, he decides that he doesn't want to look at it any more. The older Dragon comfortingly pats his shoulder and assures him that if he wishes, he can relax as long as he needs once he does this. No Dragon ever has to go straight into another world after dealing with one. Demiurge nods before stepping towards the edge of the Draconic Gardens. He begins to rear back, multi-color lights shining at his very core. This light seems to shine through him brightly, showing off the outline of his inside as the light travels up towards his throat. Tears pour down his cheeks as he looks at the world with a mixture of hate and sorrow, before he opens his mouth and sends a beam of Pure energy towards the planet. Credits begin to roll as the camera cuts down to the lifeless surface, showing the beam coming out from space before slamming onto the planet with a surface area comparable to Herkushol's size. The surface cracks and the planet begins to shake. The mountain range is seen jostling and pieces of rock falling from it and crumbling down in chunks. Webs of cracks form across the surface, to the point where chunks of land begins to shift apart from each other to expose the magma under the crust. The planet shakes more and more as buildings are cast to the fissures and the mountains around the surface are soon shaven down to plains. The camera then cuts back to the Draconic Gardens, as the planet is seen splintering into small chunks, the lingering Pure magic on them eating the chunks up and leaving nothing left. With that, Demiurge closes his mouth and keeps on tearing up, before collapsing on the ground. Sophia gently hoists the bronze Dragon up, and walks into the Draconic Gardens with him as the game closes.

#### Whole Route

It takes a lot of work, but with smart moves, swiftness, and well-timed Skill usages, players will be able to defeat Happiness before the worst can come to pass for the bronze Dragon. As his psyche lies in tatters around him, the vestiges of Happiness crumbling at the seams, Demiurge still stands strong. He says that he's not going to deal with this anymore! He flashes his claws, before striking true, completely dismantling the bundle of Happiness. And as it lays in pieces, the Dragon can feel his drowsiness fade away. He stands tall and looks up, waiting for the waking world to accept him.

...

Eeloki can be seen moving onto one of Demiurge's limbs with a set of dangerous-looking clippers. However, he gives halt as the Dragon stirs. He furrows his brow in confusion, wondering just what he's looking at. He's never seen one of the bodies move as they rest. He only gets more confused as the Dragon climbs up onto his hindquarters. He plants his claws into the ground and stands up. If players hadn't suffered any of Eeloki's dismemberments, Demiurge won't look over his body. If they have, Demiurge will, and wince at the damage done to him. And then, he glowers at the salamander, who begins to feel fear for the first time in a long while.

Demiurge steps up and looms over the salamander and raises his tail. However, instead of striking at him, Demiurge stabs towards the medicine cabinet that held the many medicines that put these people in this rest. Demiurge hoists the cabinet aloft with just his tail and brings it close to him, all while maintaining eye contact with the Saint. Demiurge says that he's the Dragon of this world, that he's the one who's been tasked with leading the people of this world. If he sees a problem, he's the one to fix it, and right now he intends to fix it, especially now that he's personally witnessed their "care".

He says that he doesn't care about their justifications, how much they think it'll hurt, or any of that. He refuses to give him or the rest of them the benefit of the doubt! He thusly raises his tail, before swinging it down, slamming the cabinet down on the ground and completely shattering it and its contents. Eeloki spares a quick glance at it before glancing up at Demiurge, still fearful. He says that he and the rest of the salamanders are going to stop this, and bring those people back to being normal people. Eeloki pants a little bit, before his eyes roll into the back of his skull and he collapses, overwhelmed by fear.

Demiurge feels like he got his point across, but he still feels the need to press on. So, he searches the lab for more items.

Eventually, Demiurge ends his work and makes his way down, only to see that Eeloki had woken up at some point. He grows weary at this and begins to head out. He flies over Herkushol, when eventually he sees those radiant white robes gathered on one walkway, looking over several of the sleeping bodies. He'd approach, and there he'd see all five Saints were gathered and looking over the iv bags. Demiurge asks what's going on, to which Mikula explains that Eeloki informed them about Demiurge's decision. He says that the process of making more medicine will take forever, and many will likely die. At that, Demiurge explains that they're not to make more.

The owl asks what he means, to which Demiurge explains that he tried to listen to them, but one among them had abused his moment of weakness. The Saints each seem frightened by this turn of attitude and each shy away. He tells Demiurge that they will cease with this medicine and allow normalcy to return. They are to keep the people safe, and to teach them how people should live. He wants none of the injustices that Herkushol's brought here to repeat. Mikula then insists that this has all been in his name, that they've done all of this for him. Demiurge, however, insists that he never wanted this, and he refuses to have it any way other than his way.

He commands them to let the medicine run out and to let everyone live like people should. Eeloki then asks how they can be Happy, to which Demiurge replies he's seen plenty of happiness before this era, and he's certain he'll see more once this is all behind them. He then makes his way to the edge of the walkway, the many Saints still feeling uncertain about Demiurge's demeanor here. The Dragon says that he expects them all to act as he wishes, or else. And then, he flies off somewhere in Herkushol, waiting to see if they'll follow through.

A few days pass. And with it, a few of the iv bags had run out. And with those emptied, some of the people rouse awake. Even if some of them are adults, they have the mentality of babes, having been left in this state since birth. They scream and cry and crawl, which only dampens the Saints' spirits more. Demiurge, not personally knowledgeable of taking care of people like this, tells the Saints that they're their responsibility. They're theirs to nurture and sculpt back into normal people. The Saints are mortified at this prospect, though find the Dragon's vengeful gaze pushing them forwards. The Dragon rests, sure that they've got the message in their head. He just hopes that change can come along soon.

He time passes as he rests... when he hears a loud crunching nearby. He looks... and sees a body had been dropped to the ground. His eyes widen and he hears another crunch. He turns and sees another has been splattered. He looks up above, and sees someone else was hurled from the walkway. He flies up and snatches them, continuing up to where they were dropped from. He gets up on the walkway, where he can see Hailey and Eeloki with wriggling, crying newly awoken over their shoulders. Demiurge asks them what they're doing, to which Hailey says that these creatures are pure chaos!

Eeloki says that they only ever make noise and crawl wherever! Demiurge says that that's not grounds enough to do this, to which Eeloki says that there's no reason for anything. They've spent years living a lie, following a command that they apparently never should have! How do they know this itself isn't a lie either?! Demiurge swears that this isn't right and that he himself assures that. Hailey, however, points out that it was Demiurge himself that told them Happiness was the greatest pursuit, and now he's thrown it all away! At the end of that, she hurls the body over her shoulders over the walkway, Demiurge flying down to grab it. And as he does, he notices the other Saints on other walkways, also tossing bodies.

At this, players are prompted to go to Hailey, Eeloki, Tolka, Regis, and Mikula in order to get them to stop.

* Hailey - Attempting to approach the hyena, he tries to beg her to stop. She's just causing violence for the sake of violence! Hailey, however, says that he doesn't know what this is like. They've spent years being pushed around by a bunch of sleeping bodies, and now they're out crying. She's never heard Herkushol so full of noise, and it's hellish. Demiurge says that she can't just kill people for being annoying, though the hyena says that in this day and age, that doesn't matter. Her life, her brother, all given up for nothing! Demiurge tries to speak up again, but a gunshot from her drives him off, making him realize he can't reason with her like this.
* Eeloki - Attempting to approach the salamander, he tells him he needs to stop. These are living, breathing people with futures, though Eeloki asks why their future should matter. They, the five of them, all had their futures stolen from them. Decades ago it was decided they can never be happy, and now the Dragon's only come to make sure that continues. And even worse, they have to do it with a bunch of squealing nothings! Demiurge says that he never wanted any of this. He's sorry that the people of old did this to them, but he says that the only way this can stop is if they take the initiative, and change. Eeloki asks why *they're* the ones that have to change! After taking away their medicine, he's gone and put the weight of the world on their shoulders all over again! If he doesn't want them to listen to orders, then they're perfectly happy to start ignoring now! He keeps throwing, and Demiurge comes to realize he can't reason with him.
* Tolka - Demiurge flies towards the lynx, demanding she stops. This is all wrong! Tolka, however, asks what right he has telling them right and wrong now. She's already had to live around death growing up because of wrong choices on his part, and now he intends to thrust her into a screaming hell. Demiurge apologizes for what she's gone through and knows that this is bad. But he knows that a better world past this, but they have to suffer for it. He says that he knows what it's like to suffer for a world you want, and tells her that if they put in the effort, they can end this. Tolka declares that they are ending this. No more sleepers, no more tending to each of them, no more keeping their numbers, and there sure as *hell* won't be any of the chaos he's planning on hurling on them. She says that decades of his bad choices end right here, right now! With a bolt of electricity, she drives him off, and Demiurge realizes that he can't reach her like this.
* Regis - Demiurge flies towards the pheasant, pleading for him to stop. He says all of this violence is needless! Regis, however, says that he doesn't care anything about what he has to say. Demiurge keeps spouting about how he wants a better world, how he wants everything to be better and whatnot. But he asks how this is any measure better! Demiurge swears that things will be tough now, but this will turn into something much better! Regis asks why they should expect him to start making good decisions now. All of his decisions up to now led to this, and he motions to the city they live in. He says that he doesn't care about what he has to say anymore. They're through with this world, and they're going to riot! He hurls a bolt of powerful water at Demiurge, driving him away, and forcing him elsewhere.
* Mikula - He approaches the owl and pleads with him to stop. The Dragon tells him that he can't believe this in any way correct! Mikula, however, says that he doesn't know what to believe anymore. All his life he's been raised to view this life as just what's right for the world. But today, once all the smoke and mirror's cleared, he sees himself in a world full of screams and malice. He looks out over the screaming bodies being hurled to the floor below, and says that the Dragon was supposed to be greatness, a pinnacle in the world, meant to lead them to a good world. He asks if this is what a good world is supposed to be? Demiurge says he'd never wanted this, that if he could've prevented this... Mikula says that he'd always wanted to believe there was a method to the madness, but now he sees at the end of the Dragon's path is only madness. He laughs a little, and just repeats that. At the end of the Dragon's path is only madness. At the end of the Dragon's path is only madness. At the end of the Dragon's path is only madness.

Having talked with each, Demiurge is back in the air, left watching as the Saints give in to their horrific impulses, and all of the screams and cries wrung out of their victims. He feels his heart pumping, his ears ringing, his vision blurring. He's feeling such intense stress... Then, his body seems to go numb. Players are then presented a couple of choices: "Hailey", "Eeloki", "Tolka", "Regis", or "Mikula". When players choose one, Pure magic billows in Demiurge's core. He rears his neck back as it travels up his throat, before he bellows forth a bolt of energy at the selected target, the Saint only allowed a moment to look up before they're suddenly vaporized.

And after that, players are presented the choices again, just without whoever they chose last. One by one players select the Saints, vaporizing them one by one and ending their insanity. Just as easily as clicking a button, the Saints are done and dusted, leaving behind piles of gore down in Herkushol, and cries and screams of a now leaderless lot. Having blown them away, the Dragon pants and pants, tears now flowing down his cheeks. He feels his stress overtake him, and he soon finds himself unable to control his muscles. He goes limp and falls, collapsing on the ground below and falling into a death-like slumber...

Demiurge grumbles and groans, shifting around in his sleep. He soon stretches his limbs and blinks his eyes, only to realize he's not under a roof. He blinks a few times and recognizes that he's looking into a starry sky. He furrows his brow and begins to sit up, and soon realizes he's at the edge of the Draconic Gardens, seated upon a lounge-like stone chair. He then hears Sophia's voice, remarking that she didn't think he had it in him. The Dragon turns and sees Sophia in a matching chair, holding a goblet. And then he glances ahead, realizing he's currently looking at the planet he's spent so long on.

Demiurge asks what happened, to which Sophia answers that the end of a world happened. Demiurge's memory rouses from his sleepy state and he realizes what he'd done and starts to shrink in his seat. Sophia tells him that if it's any consolation, no Dragon would blame him for the way he acted. Plenty would've wiped the planet out earlier, yet he tried to stick it out for as long as he could in hopes of obtaining something. But, when the people choose to show the darkest corner of their souls, sometimes they invite destruction onto themselves. Demiurge says he just wanted them to make things better, to which Sophia explains that not everyone is going to follow a Dragon, even when they display their awesome power.

She says that there are greater Dragons that'd gone to such measures in the past, and it shouldn't eat him up to bad. Demiurge, however, sits there and asks sadly how it got this bad. How it got to people being this angry. Sophia says that it takes a lot of time for Dragons to understand mortals and how to properly herd them. Some Dragons may never see that answer for themselves. She assures Demiurge that the first time is rarely good, let alone perfect. He can take what he learned, and do something better later. Demiurge however, remarks that he's not sure if he's even learned anything. Sophia says, however, that failure is a better teacher than one'd expect. And then, there's a pregnant pause.

Sophia says that there's one more thing she can offer to him. Sophia reaches towards him, and magic flows into him. Demiurge begins to sit upright, and feels a brand new power fill him. He asks her what she did, to which she replies that she instilled in him a power other Dragons found useful. The previous power she granted wiped out life on the planet. This power she granted, however, allows him to destroy the planet itself. Demiurge asks her why she thinks he'd want that, to which she replies that she's seen a few Dragons with the desire to wipe out what they ended up making. The two look up at the planet, and Sophia explains that Dragons tend to either leave their past mistakes as a sort of reminder to keep themselves on the straight and narrow in the future, or they scrub that out of the infinite space like a stain. Demiurge has been personally affected by this planet, so the decision lies entirely on him whether this place stands or not. Besides, it's not like there's anyone on there that'd object.

With that, Demiurge looks towards the planet he stayed on for hundreds of years, and is clearly horrified yet contemplative. He thinks on what he should do, and players are given a choice. "Let it stay" or "Destroy it".

* **Let it stay** - Demiurge looks over it, still thinking of the pain it caused. However, despite this, he still has a lot of good memories tied to it. He admits to Sophia that he can't do it. The older Dragon comfortingly pats his shoulder. She says that he can lay back and relax for as long as he needs. Dragons don't need to go straight into another world if they don't want, and he can just calm himself down. With that, the two walk into the Draconic Gardens, and the credits roll as they march through the lavish Draconic Gardens to approach Demiurge's childhood home. Several Dragons on there see him pass and look on in worry. He's eventually led into a house, where he lies on a bed there and just shuts his eyes.
* **Destroy it** - Demiurge looks over the planet, still thinking of the pain it caused. Eventually, he decides that he doesn't want to look at it any more. The older Dragon comfortingly pats his shoulder and assures him that if he wishes, he can relax as long as he needs once he does this. No Dragon ever has to go straight into another world after dealing with one. Demiurge nods before stepping towards the edge of the Draconic Gardens. He begins to rear back, multi-color lights shining at his very core. This light seems to shine through him brightly, showing off the outline of his inside as the light travels up towards his throat. Tears pour down his cheeks as he looks at the world with a mixture of hate and sorrow, before he opens his mouth and sends a beam of Pure energy towards the planet. Credits begin to roll as the camera cuts down to the lifeless surface, showing the beam coming out from space before slamming onto the planet with a surface area comparable to Herkushol's size. The surface cracks and the planet begins to shake. The mountain range is seen jostling and pieces of rock falling from it and crumbling down in chunks. Webs of cracks form across the surface, to the point where chunks of land begins to shift apart from each other to expose the magma under the crust. The planet shakes more and more as buildings are cast to the fissures and the mountains around the surface are soon shaven down to plains. The camera then cuts back to the Draconic Gardens, as the planet is seen splintering into small chunks, the lingering Pure magic on them eating the chunks up and leaving nothing left. With that, Demiurge closes his mouth and keeps on tearing up, before collapsing on the ground. Sophia gently hoists the bronze Dragon up, and walks into the Draconic Gardens with him as the game closes.

### Tolka

#### 1

With this, Demiurge decides to hang out with Tolka. He flies over to the lynx over in the South, where he sees her monitoring a few pregnant woman. She sees the Dragon and greets him, asking if he wished to monitor her work. Demiurge affirms as much. She says that she's currently looking over previous reports to make sure the pregnant are still going ok. Demiurge asks how they monitor that, to which she says she can show him. She just tells him to follow behind, and thus begins walking.

They make their way along, approaching a few woman, at which point Tolka would begin by checking her wrist, and then monitoring the ivs she's hooked up to. She says that these people are eating for more than just one, so their food intake needs to be more closely monitored. This also means that these people need to know how many babes a woman has. Demiurge asks how they find that, to which she says she has to have her magic flow to detect the bodies inside, which means she has to make sure she's understanding what's forming inside.

She says that she's gotten to learn how much forming babes eat and uses that to understand what percentage of the food iv is needed to be replaced. When this is taken into account, she looks for ivs that are getting at the lower end of its fill, and then either she fills it or someone else fills it. Demiurge asks how she manages to keep track of so much, to which she says sometimes she doesn't. It's a group effort keeping track of so much information, but sometimes she finds she still needs to head out to look for the pregnant people to keep their intake up to date. Demiurge remarks that it sounds like that'd keep her really busy, to which she affirms that it does.

Demiurge says that back when he was awake, there were plenty of people to keep stuff like that proper. Tolka says she's heard of that. But in the end, the world decided to be Happy, so they're kind of alone in that regard. Demiurge says they don't have to be. If they wake these guys up, they can go back to the way things were. Tolka, however, points out that people won't be Happy then. She says that if this is the sacrifice needed to fulfil the world's goal, this is what they must do. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like Tolka is willing to talk much more on this, so she keeps on, showing Demiurge how to monitor more pregnant women.

Night comes, and the two seem tired. Tolka leans against the railing, and she groans. Demiurge asks if she's ok, to which she says she's alright. It's just been a little while since she slept. She thinks she just needs to lay back and relax a little. The Dragon says that she can probably rest, to which she shakes his her head. She says that there are still people to look for, and that she still needs to fulfil her numbers. Demiurge seems like he wants to say something, but he doesn't know exactly what to say. He knows that she's keeping track of some important people.

Tolka eventually stands up, and grips the shaft of her mace. She concentrates magical energy along it, igniting the head. And then, she brings the head of the mace to her face, not hard enough to smash it into her, and causes a jolt of electricity to course through her. Suddenly, she's more awake than she was when they first settled down here. Tolka says she'll keep on keeping on, and tells Demiurge to do as he wishes. Though she could use a hand from him later. Demiurge says that he can certainly try that. And with that, the two part, Demiurge thinking that he can try and wear her down.

#### 2

Demiurge decides to hang out with Tolka yet again. She greets Demiurge, asking him if he wishes to work with her for the day. Demiurge affirms as much, and Tolka says that she has a fair few more pregnant people to contend with. With that, the duo makes their way over to the appropriate individuals. They work on them, though as they do, Tolka looks over another sheet of paper. Demiurge asks what that one is, and the lynx replies that this paper belongs to the elders and the ill, or worse. If she remembers correctly... She trails off and heads over to a bed nearby, belonging to a lemur man. She observes under his chin, seeing a gash across his throat.

Demiurge asks what happened, to which Tolka remarks that it looks like someone got frustrated. Either way, one more sleeper is down, probably died happy. Demiurge asks if anything's going to happen to them, the guy that did this, but Tolka answers simply that this thing happens. Besides, these people are Happy all the time. It's not like anything's necessarily taken away from someone if they're stricken down. At least, so long as they don't strike a pregnant person. Demiurge says that that's not right at all. Tolka, however, says that they're Happy, and motions towards the lemur himself. His cheeks are up and his face is serene. No matter what happens to these people, they remain Happy.

She unhooks the individual and props him up over her shoulder, before walking. Demiurge follows and says that even if he was Happy, just killing someone is terrible. Tolka asks what's so bad about it. They live their entire lives asleep, never having anything in their life besides eternal Happiness. Demiurge says that they could live lives and could have more in their lives than that, but Tolka simply says that a life like that is not a life achieving Happiness. Demiurge furrows his brow in frustration, before he asks her if this is all good because things are Happy, why are the Saints here unhappy? At least unhappy enough to do *this* to one of the sleepers. Tolka says that sometimes they get denied Happiness, but some people need to not be Happy so others may enjoy the gift they cannot reach.

They make their way to a staircase down, and the two head down, Demiurge following. Eventually they make it to the base, where she says that they're approaching Regis's realm. Demiurge asks what they're doing there, before she reaches a room with drawings of flowers over it. She opens it up, and Demiurge is suddenly struck by a wall of a foul stench. He immediately feels like he's going to throw up and peeks in, where he can see, alongside a large amount of vegetation, bodies laid inside, and a pit of grinded up material. Tolka says that Regis maintains material for food and nutrients, and has learned the art of making compost. She tosses the body into the room, before shutting the door.

Demiurge is too stunned to speak, though Tolka proceeds as if that's just part of the job. She says that there are several vegetation rooms. They're on the ground level, and denoted by flowers over the doors. She tells him that if he comes upon bodies, to either note it for later, or to deliver it. Demiurge still seems too stunned, and the lynx decides to head off. She says that she'll keep up with her job, and tells Demiurge to come rejoin. Or don't. She doesn't care. Either way, the two split up, and Demiurge is left concerned over how he's going to proceed through this...

#### 3

Once more, Demiurge decides to hang out with Tolka. The lynx spies him and greets him. She asks him if he's here for more work, to which Demiurge replies that he wished to talk a little bit. The lynx seems slightly confused, but says that she can walk and talk. So, she leads him along the walkway, where she investigates the various bodies.

As she does, Demiurge mulls over what he could possibly say to convince her. He asks him if she's still feeling tired, to which Tolka admits that it does sometimes get on her. Thankfully a quick jolt of electricity is enough to get her back in working shape. Though the body still has a lot of catching up to do. Demiurge inquires into that, to which she replies that her body's gone through a lot of wear and tear keeping up with things around here. She's had to change several shoes after bleeding all over the soles. The Dragon winces at that, and says that that's not correct, but Tolka says that's simply part of the role.

Demiurge says that he couldn't imagine putting up with this. Especially after that thing the last time, the body. Tolka says that a few are squeamish about that, but the Saints of old helped them get comfortable with it. There was a period where they were thrust into several dead bodies and made to feel the cold things until they felt numb to it. Sometimes they'd have them sleep in the vegetation rooms to get comfortable with the smell. And sometimes they'd be made to eliminate a sleeper enough times so that the process got easy. It took over a year, but each of them got comfortable with the process. Demiurge says that that's not right at all, but Tolka says that when they were younger, they were too weak to take care of the bodies. But with the fore-Saints' work, they now understand what it takes to be a Saint.

Before Demiurge can argue the point, she comes upon a specific body, a panther woman. Tolka tells Demiurge that this here is a very special occasion. Demiurge asks what she means, before she draws a knife. She tells Demiurge to just follow her directions. Suddenly, she carefully draws the blade across the panther's abdomen. She tells Demiurge to keep the incision open, prompting Demiurge to, squeamishly, hold it open. Tolka then reaches in and carefully grabs something inside, before pulling out a screaming, wet mass. Demiurge's eyes widen as he realizes what she's holding, her drawing out a boy panther baby.

The rest of the process is done off screen as she holds this wriggling mass, looking down at it with an almost disgust. She asks Demiurge if he hears that, the sound of Unhappiness. People are born into this world screaming, and now they've ensured all can leave it with a smile. Except... some have to be forbidden from that life. She says that at this point, Saints decide whether someone is to be or not to be Happy. Either they set up a bed and IV, or they get ready to train the new one. Demiurge thinks about what he's learned about the Saints, and knows that this panther will just be tormented. Demiurge says that he'd actually like to hold onto him. Tolka asks if he's serious, to which Demiurge says he wishes to raise him. Tolka remarks that this is unprecedented... but she supposes Demiurge is technically a Saint. She says that the other Saints will help him raise this guy, and help him learn how Saints are raised.

With that, Demiurge is now with a baby as Tolka stitches the mother's abdomen together, places gauges on it, and then walks off. Demiurge looks down at the creature, who seems to calm down in his grasp. The Dragon thinks that maybe this can do something. Maybe if he shows a being raised without that wicked medicine, maybe they can see that this process is wrong. Right now, though, he just has to worry about keeping this panther healthy...

#### 4

Demiurge has been looking over that new baby, and this time has decided to bring him out as he meets Tolka. The lynx sees the Dragon and the child and asks what he's doing with him out and about. Demiurge says that he's new to the "taking care of babies" thing, and that he thinks he'd like a hand or two with it. Tolka seems weirded out by the proposal, but supposes if he does intend to raise a Saint she can help. First, she checks her documents to see how her work looks, before saying she has time. Thus, the two walk towards one of the bedrooms in Herkushol.

There, they lay the babe down on a bed, Tolka noting that he'd been cleaning him. Demiurge affirms as much and says that it took him a while to find some sort of formula for him. Tolka is thankful that he knows some things about taking care of these things. Demiurge says that it's nothing. He just sort of needs help exercising the baby and making sure he's teething properly. He also wants him to feel comfortable around at least one of the Saints. Tolka thanks him for his intuition, before exercising the smaller panther.

Eventually, the child starts to giggle as she plays with him, and the lynx gives pause. Demiurge asks if she's ok, to which she replies she is. She just hasn't heard... something like this. Demiurge says that she's probably hearing real happiness. Tolka asks what he means, to which Demiurge says that growing up, he found people able to be happy without being strapped to a bed. He knows people that've found joy in either simple things in life, or in other people. And he's learned that when people are truly happy, they know to give it back to people.

Tolka, however, pulls away, shivering a little. She turns towards a nearby wall and pants, grasping at the wall. Demiurge asks if she's alright, and the Saint currently seems unresponsive. The baby also seems curious, his laughter stopped and him looking up at the woman in concern. Tolka makes her way out, and Demiurge ushers her out, and goes to set the baby safely in a room. He asks her what's up, to which Tolka replies that she doesn't know. She thinks that she's heard laughter before, but then, there's pain.

Demiurge gives pause before asking if something's happened to her. Tolka says she doesn't know. Alongside this warm feeling in her chest when the babe laughed, she felt this sudden surge of burning anger, and she doesn't know why. Demiurge's expression lowers, before he comes in close and gently wraps a wing around her. He says that he's free to help her if she needs it. He says that whatever she's gone through, this whole Herkushol thing... it isn't right. And he wants to help her overcome it. Tolka says that she'll think on that. With that, she parts with him, saying that she'll talk with him later. Thus the two separate, Demiurge now feeling like he's made substantial progress.

#### 5

Once more, Demiurge decides to hang out with the lynx. The Dragon seeks her out on the walkway, and soon uncovers her. And seeing him, Tolka says that she'd done some thinking, and wanted to talk to him. Demiurge asks her what's up, and she says that she'd prefer to speak of it in private. And she asks if he can bring that baby. Demiurge nods at that. With that the two part, giving Demiurge time to prepare for this meeting.

Eventually, the two meet over in Demiurge's personal quarters. Once there, Demiurge asks what brings her over. Tolka says she's been thinking of that strange feeling the laughter gave her, and she thinks she remembers what it was. She doesn't remember much of her time since she left the womb, but she does remember pain. And she thought to that feeling she got around that panther, and she thinks she knows what happened... Her parents, the Saints before, must've hated seeing other people happy. Demiurge grows uncomfortable and asks if she's implying what he thinks she is. Tolka nods.

She says that she thinks the other Saints might've gone through similar; people that've wanted other people to feel as low as they did. And, to be honest, she feels like if Demiurge wasn't there to speak some sense into her, she might've fallen into a similar trap. Demiurge asks what he'd done, to which she says there was something about that thing he said, about how happiness should be shared... She asks if she can see that baby. Demiurge wearily brings it towards her, and she gently grasps it. Again, it seems to laugh, and Tolka holds it.

She gently holds the baby and seems to hug ever so slightly tighter. She says that she's thinking about what Demiurge's said, and she thinks he might be right. This... this doesn't seem right. She thinks she likes what Demiurge suggests, sharing the happiness. Not through this medicine, but through this joy others seem capable of. Demiurge thanks her for that. Tolka says that she doesn't think that she alone will be able to stop this whole system the Saints of old have established. She thinks that if he can get through to the other Saints that they might be able to do something. Demiurge thanks her for this, and says that he'll see what he can do.

### Regis

#### 1

Demiurge decides to hang out with Regis. He heads to the west, where he finds the pheasant monitoring various ivs before inserting some material into them. He sees the Dragon and greets him, asking him if he wished to monitor his work. The Dragon answers that he wanted to hang out, to which Regis says that he still has a lot of work to do, and he figured he might as well show Demiurge what he does. He begins walking while occasionally side eyeing the ivs along the walkway.

They walk, and as they do, Demiurge asks him if he realizes that this is wrong. The Saint replies that this is the world the people of old have always wanted. A world where everyone can just sit back and relax and be Happy. And right now, they're just worried about keeping them all up to snuff. Hence, he himself is tasked with making sure people get the appropriate nutrients. He approaches one bag, and says that the longer you do this job, the more you understand when a bag needs more of a fill. He takes a tube of some fluid out from his pocket before injecting it into the bag. He says that you also have to take account of the size of individual, some need more nutrients than the other.

As they walk along, Demiurge notices some wounds on them, be it a hand twisted the wrong way, punctures in the forms, and even some broken noses. Demiurge asks what's happened to them, to which Regis answers that sometimes the Saints get a little frustrated. Demiurge asks if they're seriously injuring these guys, to which Regis says that they'll just be Happy anyways. Long as they don't go too far, it's all good. The Dragon is deeply unsettled, but the pheasant keeps on walking on, and the Dragon realizes there's a lot of ground to cover.

Eventually, the two are left resting at the end of a walkway, Regis panting. He says that he has a lot more to cover, and that the Dragon still has plenty to learn. He says that if he wants, he can teach him about when someone is too low on nutrients. Demiurge says that he still wants to talk to him about this weird stuff, but the pheasant is already walking, though he's visibly wincing. Demiurge asks if he's ok, to which the pheasant explains that he's just a little tired. He casts a healing spell on himself and sighs, before walking.

Demiurge says that he can't rely on healing to keep himself upright. That just drains another valuable resource. Regis says he knows, he just needs to keep track of the stress this job puts on his joints. He walks more, and says that he hopes to see him again. Demiurge thinks over this, mulling over the stuff he's learned so far. He knows he didn't get much info out of Regis himself, but he needs to find a way to show him this is wrong. He'll just have to hope he can make him open up later.

#### 2

Demiurge decides to hang out with the pheasant again. The Saint sees him and asks if he's here to learn more about his business, to which Demiurge affirms as much, and answers he still wishes to talk to him about stuff. Regis says that he's grateful for him hanging out and offers for him to follow. Right now, he was going to prepare some more nutrients. Thus, Demiurge and the pheasant walk...

They make their way down to ground level, and towards one of the rooms. Regis opens it up, and the Dragon is suddenly struck by a foul smell within. He gags in disgust and coughs, dropping down on his knees. He asks what that is, to which Regis answers that these are the vegetation rooms. They grow food in here, and he converts it into a substance that can be applied to the sleepers. He supposes he forgot about the smell, to which the Dragon asks how he could possibly forget about this. Regis answers that at a young age he was shoved into these rooms for long periods of times so that he could get used to it. Now, this stench is nothing to him.

He enters and Demiurge, while covering his nose, approaches and peeks in. He sees the room with water running through it, artificial gardens, and various vegetables growing out of it. Regis examines the foods and takes some healthy looking ones, before going over to a corner and observing some sort of compost pit. He twists a lever next to it, causing a grinding noise to come from inside, as well as numerous snapping noises and cracks. He then walks back to Demiurge, who pulls away. And once Regis closes the door, Demiurge takes in fresh air. Regis says that now that they have vegetables, he'll have to synthesize this. And they walked some more.

As they do, Demiurge says that someone shouldn't be subjected to something like that, but Regis says that it's part of the process, simply. Demiurge says that the process itself must be wrong, though Regis says that that doesn't make sense. They've all done this in the name of mortal kind's singular goal: Happiness. It just so happens that Happiness doesn't come without some people to carry the weight the others left behind. Demiurge swears that he noticed some malice in his voice in the latter half of that sentence. Demiurge grows curious at that part, and asks if something wrong. Regis swears that nothing's wrong, he just has to catch up on his work! Once more he uses some restorative magic on himself and keeps walking, and Demiurge follows along.

He's treated to seeing him use a table near the medical sector in the north, where he looks over a pamphlet carrying various nutritional information, before going to a table. Demiurge watches as he goes through the process of turning these vegetables into some more fluid that he labels the nutritional information on. And as he does, the Dragon is just mulling over that brief bit of Regis's true feelings he'd just seen. He wonders if that's something he could capitalize on later. Eventually, Regis says that he got what he came here and will be going back to work. He says that Demiurge can come join along if he wishes, before leaving the Dragon to mull over this info.

#### 3

Once more, Demiurge decides to hang out with the pheasant. He comes close to the Saint, but notices that he's hunched over one of the sleepers strangely. Demiurge furrows a brow and approaches. He nears closer and closer, being as quiet as he can be to try and get a read on the Saint. However, Regis is able to notice him, and stumbles to a stop. He greets Demiurge, asking him what brings him here. Demiurge says that he wanted to hang out, though as he does he notices the pheasant is still hunched over. Curious, he tilts his head to get a read on the body.

He sees the panther woman behind him has a tourniquet wrapped around her arm, and with her wrist partially sawed through. Demiurge's eyes widened and he asks in alarm what he's doing. He says that he noticed one of the compost piles is getting low, so he's just taking some to help with the farms. Demiurge tells him that that's not right! He's just hurting people! He replies that they're Happy. She motions towards the panther, pointing out that despite the injury, she's still smiling. Demiurge says that that's just because they've got these people drugged 24/7!

Regis says that they are Happy, and they always will be Happy. This is just as Demiurge and his friends ordained it, and this is how it is. Now they can do whatever they want, and these sacks of flesh will remain Happy! Demiurge shouts that he never wanted this! Regis gives pause at that and looks up at the Dragon. He asks him what he said, to which he repeats what he said. He did want people to be Happy, but not like this. Never like this. The people of old worked through hardship, got close to people, and got happy that way. Not because they were constantly fed this stuff, but because they were able to find joy in the world and people around them.

Regis furrowed his brow at the Dragon's explanation. He looks towards the body again and seems visible tense. He says that that can't be right. The Saints, the punishments, the training... All of this was to maintain the Happiness they witness today. That can't have been a lie... He holds the panther's partially sawn hand and huffs and puffs. He says that after everything he's seen, and how much he's hurt himself just to care for these people... that can't have all been for nothing, could it? Demiurge meekly repeats his name.

Then, with pure rage, the pheasant yanks suddenly, pulling the hand cleanly off of the sleeper's arm. Demiurge is horrified at the scene, and the pheasant pants and pants. He looks over the hand he's holding, and holds own face. He says that he's just hallucinating. The Dragon wouldn't tell him his life's a lie. There is some method to this madness, surely... He just needs to cool off. Demiurge tries to talk to him again, but the pheasant is acting like he doesn't hear him. Instead he's walking off, grasping the severed hand with bone crunching strength. The Dragon feels like he might need to give him some space for now, but at least hopes that he's starting to change...

#### 4

Once more, Demiurge decides to hang out with Regis. He comes to the pheasant on the walkway, who sees Demiurge. He visibly tenses, though the Saint greets the Dragon. Demiurge nervously tries to bring up "last time", and Regis supposes that he was quick to move on from the farming stuff. Plus, he still needs to find out about who gets what nutrients. Demiurge furrows his brow, and he says that this isn't about that. But the pheasant is already moving.

Demiurge follows behind, and he tries to talk about him sawing that hand. Regis rubs behind his head and says that he's taken a few fair hands. Demiurge decides not to acknowledge that, but he says that he went... quiet after the fact. Regis rubs his head nervously and supposes that that shared dream stuff Mikula talked about has some truth. Demiurge sighs and he tells him that he knows it isn't a dream. At this, the pheasant starts to shed a tear, and he says that it was a dream. He insists that Demiurge is pulling some sort of prank on him. Demiurge, however, steps past him and sits down in front of him, cutting him off. Demiurge says he wants to talk.

Regis stares up at the Dragon, and in a moment the Dragon notices the stoic persona he'd tried to put up starts to ebb. Regis asks him if he was really telling the truth, that this world is so wrong. Demiurge for some reason feels hesitant, but he admits that he'd never wished for a world like this. The pheasant looks downwards, before snarling and asking him why he couldn't have said this hundreds of years earlier, pillars of spiky rock suddenly erupting around him in a furious rage. Demiurge pulls away, and says that he didn't know, that he didn't know it would turn out like this! More tears would come down Regis as he asks if that's the puerile reason for the world they're in now. That the Dragon "didn't know" stuff would work out this way?

Demiurge admits that he made mistakes, but he wants to fix it. He wants to make things better. He wants to help people, including him. So, if he wants this madness to end, he wants to open up and talk. If there's something that's eating him, then he'd like to be there to support him. Regis's arms go limp and he looks down. He says that the Saints of old... They hurt them. He remembers sometimes smiling, and getting beaten over it. The people of old... they wanted them to know that Happiness was reserved for those not chosen. So they beat, stabbed, and bled the joy out of them. They'd be patched up all over again, but they'd still remember what they went through. He doesn't want to believe that that was all for nothing.

Demiurge grows quiet after that and apologizes for all of that. He would've never wanted something like that to happen. Regis then starts to sniffle, and he just says it's so frustrating, and he doesn't know who he's angrier at, these people that chose to fall asleep, or Demiurge himself. Demiurge gives pause, and he says that nothing he can do can undo whatever he'd gone through, but he can be here to support him through the pain he's gone through, and make it so no one else has to go through it. The pheasant is quiet some more, huffing and puffing while tears are still flowing.

The Dragon comes closer, carefully brings up an arm, and tries to wrap it over his shoulders. Feeling the Dragon's embrace, Regis ebbs away and starts to cry. Demiurge holds him close, albeit a little awkward, and lets him cry, and cry an ugly cry at that. Soon, he cries himself so hard he grows exhausted, and Demiurge brings him to one of the bedrooms and laying him on one of the beds. He sets him there, and exits, thinking that he might be getting through the pheasant...

#### 5

Demiurge seeks out the pheasant yet again. He finds Regis putting more of those nutrients in iv bags, though he seems to have even less energy than before. He notices the Dragon and greets him. He says that he knows this is unprecedented, but he was wondering if they could talk a little, maybe somewhere private? Demiurge says that he'd like that. Thankful, the Saint leads him to a nearby bedroom.

They enter, Regis sitting on the bed while Demiurge is peeking his head through the doorway, unable to totally fit. He asks him what he wanted to talk about, and the Saint explains. He says that he thought about what they've been talking about, how all that's happening in Herkushol is wrong and whatnot. He says he also though about what'd happened to him when he was young... He'd love to mess up those Saints of old, but they accepted Happiness once him and the others were of age. He thinks that his next best bet is tearing down everything those monsters worked for.

Demiurge perks up and he asks the pheasant if he means what he thinks he means. Regis explains that he wants to end this business like Demiurge has been saying. He doesn't know how, but he knows that he doesn't want to go through this business. He's so sick of feeling those Saints' venom night after night after night. That one moment, when Demiurge held him... that was the only comfort he'd ever received in his life. He then drops to his knees before the Dragon, declaring that he will fight in his name. Demiurge smiles and gently motions for him to stand up.

The bronze Dragon says that he's going to make sure this will work out. He just needs to make sure that everything else is in place before they topple this system. Regis thanks him, and says that he'll be on standby, ready to end this. Demiurge starts to pull away, though the pheasant asks him to stop. He asks him if he can have another hug, and Demiurge is certain to give him one. He comes close, and the two share another embrace, and though it takes a while for Regis to pull away, he eventually does.

He asks Demiurge not to take too long. He pumps a fist and declares that he's raring to get back at those Saints. Demiurge says that there'll be plenty of time to give them whatfor. With that, he pulls away, and players are prompted to interact with the other Saints some more. However, they can still talk to Regis to advance his link.

### Mikula

#### 1

Demiurge decides to hang out with Mikula. He comes to the owl, who's hanging out in a grand structure towards the middle of Herkushol. He sees the owl, who spies the Dragon and is excited. He welcomes the Dragon, saying he hadn't expected to see him speak with him. The Dragon explains that he indeed wished to reach out to him, to which the owl says that he'd be honored. He then makes his way into the large structure, saying that he has much to show.

Demiurge is allowed to enter, taking special notice of how the doors inside seemed to be built extra large, large enough even for him. Mikula makes his way over to the desks strewn about the room, where he looks over sheets of thousands upon thousands of names. Demiurge asks what all of these are, to which Mikula explains that part of the process of maintaining Herkushol involves the Saints frequently updating the going ons around here. He looks over the notes the Saints had gathered, uses them to update his end of the notes, and delivers updated notes to the Saints.

Demiurge looks over the various notes, seeing them stacking far higher than the owl's head, with some step ladders set up to get up to them. Demiurge remarks that that looks like a lot of work, to which Mikula explains that this is part of the process of Sainthood. People need to be Happy, and so people like them are chosen to put the weight of the world on their shoulders. Demiurge says that a job like that shouldn't be on five people, to which the owl explains that they are far more than just five people. They've gone through rigorous training all of their adolescent lives in order to get to this point.

Demiurge asks what they could've possibly gone through to get to this point, to which Mikula explains that the process is different from Saint to Saint. He himself had to spend hours upon hours learning various biological factors as well as the medicines they use. He'd have to spend many sleepless nights cramming the information of Herkushol into his head, and then he had to graduate onto actualizing what he learned to make sure Happiness was maintained. And that meant taking the numbers the Saints brought back, and making sure to spread the information to others.

He says he's been doing this all his life, and it's all been in the Dragon's name. With that, he gives a slight pause, as if waiting for Demiurge to react. The Dragon looks over the various sheets of paper, just imagining how much this owl would've gone through. He says that he doesn't feel like this should be necessary of a single man, to which Mikula says that he's more than capable of it, and tells Demiurge that he'll show him. And thus, the Dragon is left watching as the owl suddenly races around the office, sifting through the various notes, from reading one set to rushing over to write on another, jotting down information relevant to either Saint...

Eventually night falls, and the owl is still working. Demiurge takes note of the moonlight shining down, and he tells the owl that it seems to be getting late. Mikula says that Demiurge can rest if he needs, he can rest assured that he'll keep this world running. Demiurge says that he should probably rest to, though the Head Saint says that he'll have plenty of time to rest later. For now, he has tons of sleepers to look out for. He keeps on moving, and Demiurge realizes that he can't talk him out of this, not now.

Thus, he makes his way out of the big structure, and is left mulling over what he's just learned. This guy seems to've resigned himself to a ton of brain-breaking work, and he almost seems to think he's doing this for the sake of the Dragon himself. He thinks that the best bet would be to just tell him outright that he doesn't want this to happen, but as he thinks over that, he also thinks that sounds almost too easy. He's almost worried that he might somehow make things worse... He thinks that he should hang out with Mikula a little more, just to see if he can find some chink in his armor.

#### 2

Demiurge decides to hang with Mikula again, hoping that he can begin to chip that armor. He returns to the large structure in the middle of Herkushol, and sees Mikula working on the various notes. He greets the owl, who greets the Dragon as well. He says that he's slipped a little behind, but he can certainly work and talk. Demiurge asks if he's truly happy doing this, to which the owl says his own Happiness doesn't matter. There's thousands of people that need to be Happy, and people like himself have been bred to keep them that way.

Demiurge says that this isn't real Happiness, prompting Mikula to wonder what he could mean by that. The medicine is designed to give Happiness, and everyone lives in a world where none of them have to experience greed, gluttony, lust, or violence. He says that he cannot imagine a life Happier than that. Demiurge, however, points out that they do experience crimes like that. He's seen some with terrible wounds, without limbs, and worse. Mikula says that that is what Saints experience, while the sleepers themselves remain blissful and Happy.

Demiurge says that they never had lives to live, people to love, feelings to feel. Mikula says that that also means they never had lives to have snatched from them, people to lose, feelings to hurt them. He says that the Saints of old told him all about how Happy they are, and how everything else is less. Has he noticed how babes come from their mothers screaming and crying? Mortals come to this world despairing, begging for joy to sweep them away. And just as quickly as those screams come, their medicine silences it, and allows them to live with the same joy the people have striven towards for centuries.

Demiurge starts to try and say something, but he finds himself grappling at the way Mikula spoke. He seemed to believe everything he said, and the way he spoke... Demiurge doubted normal logic would apply. He tries to say that this isn't the world he sought out, that he hoped to see people walking around and loving each other, happy in each other. Mikula says that sometimes life has a funny way of working out. Once upon a time he too didn't think that the treatment of him was worth it, but lo and behold, he's helping keep the world Happy. He recommends Demiurge spend some time with the other Saints, see how life prospers under their rigorous work.

Demiurge feels like he might've hit a stalemate with this guy, and realizes he'll have to think of a new angle to come at this guy. He thus begins to step out and looks back, seeing that owl working without any sort of hesitation. He thinks on what he could possibly say to this guy, and heads off.

#### 3

The Dragon decides to hang out with Mikula again, in hopes of changing his mind. He goes to the office one more, seeing the owl continuing to work. He excitedly greets the Dragon yet again, and Demiurge says that he was hoping to talk some more. Mikula explains that he's always happy to speak with him and asks what he wishes for. Demiurge says that he'd thought about what he said before and wanted to discuss more about that. Mikula says that if he wishes for more enlightenment, he's happy to oblige.

Demiurge says that he's still not sure about how right he is about the nature of Happiness. He says that a proper world should be one that lets everyone be Happy, Saints included. And, as they've all experienced, a world like this cannot let Saints be happy. Mikula says that the Saints of old told them about that as well: In a world Demiurge describes, one where all is Happy, that means that all will be in this slumber. And if all is in this slumber, then there's no one to let the others live. Ergo, someone must be unhappy for Happiness to prosper, else the world would end.

Demiurge asks if he truly thinks that they're happy like this. They're not experiencing love and joy, they're just hooked up to a supplement and left in an eternal slumber. Mikula counters that anything less than that would be suffering. He says that if someone were able to experience that, they'd be able to experience the opposite of that. One can be fed Happiness 'til they're fat, while the other can starve and wither away. One can find someone or two or three they wish to spend the rest of their lives with, while the other can die alone, never finding someone to value them that way. He says that a world that isn't spoon fed its Happiness is a world that risks starving everyone of it.

But Demiurge tries to point out that that describes this world anyways, though Mikula argues that this suffering is necessary for others to be Happy. He says that the Saints of old will affirm as much. However, in the world of old, there was no need for that. Some people were unhappy either because of random chance, or because someone decided they needed to be Happier than the other. Why, just look at the people in Herkushol's streets before they attained the secret to Happiness. Hundreds of people were left on the cold roads with nary a roof to huddle under, because other people were richer than them, and because some people were rich enough to take what they had. He says that he doesn't know what Demiurge experienced back then, but he asks him that if that world was brought back, if he thinks one of those people would agree with the Dragon's world.

Demiurge thinks back to Oogarra. He remembers that that guy struggled because of this pursuit, but he wonders truly if he'd be happier in a world without that, he and his daughter. Demiurge thinks more and more, wondering how many people would be happy about this. These guys spent all their lives seeking out this purpose, and he's left wondering how they'd live without that pursuit, or how they'd enjoy living without this. Mikula tells Demiurge that he was uncertain himself once upon a time, but the more the old Saints explained it, the more it made sense. He tells Demiurge he should look upon the people more and more and understand how Happy they are. Demiurge feels like he's continuing to beat against a brick wall, and decides he'd have to go away to reconsider his strategy. And thus, he leaves the central structure.

#### 4

Once more Demiurge thinks to converse with Mikula. He's thinking maybe he can try yet again to speak to the foe, and hopefully get him to see reason. So once more he comes to the owl's office, where he sees him at work once more. Mikula greets the Dragon, saying that he's actually gotten a fairway into the work here. He says that he should have more room to chat, and Demiurge, this time, decides that his best bet is to learn more about him. Clearly a barebones clash of words won't shake him, so Demiurge thinks to ask him about himself, how he became the Head and how he got so knowledgeable.

Mikula takes pause and asks if he really means to ask him about himself. Demiurge says that he hasn't really gotten the time to learn him himself, so he thought he should remedy it. Mikula says he never really considered himself much worth learning about to be honest. He among the other Saints were chosen among a batch born in the Happy world, and raised, taught various aspects of their Happy world. The Saints of old would decide on who'd learn what. Once upon a time two people were slated to be a Saint of the north, but one of them failed to be strong enough for the position, so Hailey became that. Meanwhile, he himself was chosen to be the Head, and he'd have to learn long and hard about how to function.

He's had to spend many days sleepless, locked in a room and spoon-fed his information. Sometimes the Saints of old needed to keep him focused and correct with zaps of electricity and pricks of blades. He quickly learned how wrong wrong was and how much it hurt. He says that he's better now, for the sake of the Dragon. He says that they told him all about how much he had to shoulder to be acceptable for the Dragon. After that, there's a pregnant pause as the two sit there, Demiurge thinking over what Mikula just said, the latter of which seems to be waiting for a response from him. The bronze Dragon says that he doesn't need people to be perfect, he just needs them to be good and loving people.

Hearing that, Mikula blinks briefly. He says that that doesn't make sense. The Saints of old... they talked long and hard about how desperately he needed to shape up to both the world and to the Dragon. He asks Demiurge if this is some sort of test, but Demiurge swears it isn't. Mikula shivers and comes over to one of the walls. He says that he didn't mean to doubt, that he didn't mean to drop his guard. He swears he'll be good, and promptly bashes his face into the wall. The Dragon's eyes widen and he stands up, finding his words catching in his throat. The owl rears back and apologizes, before slamming his face again.

He apologizes and slams. He apologizes and slams. He apologizes and slams. The wall starts to crack and blood is pooling around it, Mikula's beak starting to get twisted in an odd position. Demiurge is soon able to shake off the shock and shouts for him to stop. Mikula gives one last slam, before pulling away, shaky and stumbling on his feet as blood is pouring from his beak. He comes over to one of the desks, saying that he believes he answered Demiurge's question. He thinks he should get back to work. He thusly sorts through the notes, and Demiurge finds himself unsure of how to progress. Nervously, he backs away, but he feels like he at least got a peek into something under that Saint exterior. But whether he should pursue it more or not... he's going to have to think on that.

#### 5

Once more Demiurge thinks to check out Mikula, though he's a little hesitant after that previous meeting. At the very least there seems to be some chink in that Saint armor, he just hopes he can peer into it without... that happening again. So, he comes to the large structure, where he can see Mikula at work. Demiurge can also see the crack still in the wall. He greets the owl, and the owl greets him back. He says that work is proceeding as usual, and Demiurge stands there, feeling uncertain about whether he should take this route or not.

He says that he feels he should talk about himself again. Mikula says that he feels he explained enough about himself, though Demiurge says that that wasn't what he was talking about. He says that he doesn't want him thinking that the way he lived was correct. He doesn't need to hurt himself or strain himself to appeal to him. Mikula takes pause, though tries to go back to working on the documents. Demiurge says that he didn't know what he was doing back in the day, but he knows that a world that allows for suffering like this isn't the kind of world he wishes for. At the same time, he doesn't see the transition going without some more being done, but he wants to raise this world out of the state it's in and back to what it was before.

Mikula asks if he thinks that the world will be better with its Happiness wrenched away, and Demiurge says he doesn't know what'll happen later, but he knows that it needs to be better than this. Mikula says that all his life he was raised to see this. And now here comes Demiurge, telling him it's all wrong. And yet he can't even say what's supposed to happen after this. Demiurge is quiet at that, and the owl takes a deep breath, before standing up. He says that though he disapproves of it, maybe the truth is that mortals have gotten wiser about the world than him. Demiurge asks his name in concern.

Mikula says that this world is Happy, Happier than it was back in the day. The people of old faced violence, lust, greed, and apathy. They went through a lot to get here, but they're standing as the most capable being, able to complete this task. Herkushol stands better than it ever has, and the whole time the Dragon's slept, and now he claims to know more about all of this. Demiurge says that he knows enough of the people before to see this is wrong. Mikula says he doesn't care, and that this world is grand and Happy despite him.

He tells Demiurge that he'll stand strong by Herkushol, even if Demiurge refuses to. Demiurge reaches out to him, but the owl waves him off. He says, with a bit of venom in his voice, he has business to return to. He says that he doesn't want to hear any more of Demiurge's complaining. Demiurge feels as if he's exhausted this route and makes his way out. He has this feeling that pursuing Mikula won't get him the results he wants, though he wonders if he could possibly appeal to him if he keeps at it...?

### Hailey, Tolka, Regis

If players managed to get Hailey, Tolka, and Regis up to Social Rank 5, then a new option will come when talking with either of the three, stating "I think it's time". Selecting this for either of them will have Demiurge tell the Saint he's talking to that he thinks they're ready to end this. He asks them to wait in his room so he gathers the rest of them. The Saint he talks to understands and is ready for this to end.

With that, the scene cuts, showing the Saint waiting in Demiurge's enlarged bedroom. They wait and wait, when the other two Saints enter. Hailey asks what the two of them (Regis and Tolka) are doing here. Regis says that the Dragon requested his presence, and Tolka affirms as much, and at this point the party notices she's holding a babe. Hailey asks her what that is, to which Tolka, seeming sheepish, says that they're just a Saint, presently unaware that they're against the Herkushol system. As the three Saints seem uncertain in each other, Demiurge himself eventually enters, him remarking that he really needs to keep his wings from getting sore.

He says that he's happy to see the three of them here, and Hailey asks him what he's doing with three Saints in one location. Demiurge says that he's been talking with the various Saints, getting to know each of them. He's managed to speak past their exterior and gotten to know the real them and has come to a conclusion: The three of them have something in common; the want to end Herkushol's structure. Hailey, Tolka, and Regis are surprised by this news, and each face each other, as if expecting one or the other to confirm or deny. The hyena and the pheasant each glance at the panther in the lynx's arms. She looks over it, and, after a pause, admits that he's given him a bit of a new perspective.

Tolka asks in that case, what's up with Mikula and Eeloki. Regis says that it doesn't surprise her that Eeloki wouldn't cooperate. He had this odd aura to him, and she could always feel this awful rage deep in his core. Though as she says this, she briefly glances over at Hailey with an almost equal amount of fear. Hailey says that Mikula's the most devout to this mission to Happiness. He will always spread word about how Happy this world is. Demiurge nods, and he says that if they're to end this, they need to be smart. Hailey says that the three of them against those two should be a cakewalk, though the Dragon says that it's not just them they have to worry about.

If they're going to move on, they need to let the others wake up. Hailey and Regis freeze up, before Hailey asks if he means to let those... things crawl about. Regis says that they've been slaves to a bunch of bodies all their lives, and now they're supposed to bend the knee those bodies writhing and crying like babies?! Tolka is quiet, before saying that she's not sure if it's that bad. The two turn towards her in confusion, to which she holds out the panther, saying that she's been raising this one as a non-sleeper, and indeed it's been painful, but she's felt a sort of pride after making him happy. Not in the medicine way, but when he giggled and smiled at her, just from her being nice to him and taking care of him.

The pheasant says that that's just one baby, but what about hundreds of them?! Demiurge admits that this is going to be a rough journey, now way to sugarcoat it. He apologizes, but if they're going to see a better world, then they need to set the seeds for the better world. Even if they have to suffer through it. Regis says that he confided in him because he taught him he didn't deserve to suffer like this. Hailey, hearing about his address for a better future, furrows her brow and leans back in contemplation. Tolka says that the world is cruel. No matter what they do here, they are doomed to suffer. But in this path, they can at least make sure this kind of suffering is never allowed again.

Regis glances between the three, Hailey and Tolka standing up beside Demiurge. Demiurge says that this is going to hurt the Saints that hurt him, that hurt Hailey's brother, that hurt the world as a whole. Not only will this be the way to fix their world, but this will be the way they get the ultimate revenge on the people that put them here in the first place. The pheasant mulls over this, before sighing. He says that he doesn't know what he's going to do when these people wake up, but if it means tearing down the old guys' work, he'll do it. Thus he walks over, Demiurge thankful for his turn.

Hailey then asks Demiurge what the plan is. They just thrash Eeloki and Mikula, wait for everyone to wake up, and raise them? Regis says that if they do that, then Eeloki at the very least will try to destroy as many of the sleepers as he can. Hailey asks if that's that bad, though Tolka says that they need to do something to slow him down or separate him from the sleepers. Demiurge asks if they think Mikula would destroy them too, to which Tolka says that she doesn't know. He was always devout, but just like any other Saint he released his stress on those sleepers.

On top of that, Tolka warns that he is more powerful than he looks. He's a very learned man and has granted himself strength to wield even Pure magic. If anyone can do damage to these sleepers, he'll be likely to bring the most. Regis says that it sounds like they might need to distract them long enough to isolate them and move sleepers out. But that just begs the question of how they're going to manage that. Demiurge thinks on it, before looking towards the walls. He says that there are plenty of ferals out there... he wonders if maybe they could distract them?

Hailey thinks that that could actually work. They could open up the gates and pull some ferals in, towards the areas with less sleepers than normal, and then start working on removing some from an area. And once they've set the field, they can go on the offensive. Regis says that an act like this would be something that requires full conviction: If start it, they need to be ready to end it. Those two will realize something's up, which means it's time to fight back. Hailey agrees, and warns Demiurge that they are to pull this off only, and *only*, when they're all ready. Tolka warns that the two of them are dangerous fighters, and they need to leave nothing to chance.

With these warnings in mind, the team splits, the Dragon now given the chance to prepare and act.

At the player's discretion, Demiurge tells the group that it's time to act. Accepting this, the various Saints begin moving to rouse the ferals, bringing them close to the gates of Herkushol. They prepare to open them, making sure each of them, plus Demiurge, is ready to open a gate at either compass direction. And, on que, they open up the gates, letting hordes of ferals shove in. Mikula and Eeloki soon become aware of the noises and exit their sectors, where they see bulls and bears and horses and more crowding the ground level of Herkushol.

The duo begins rushing down to clear out the ferals, tasked with herding them out. Hailey and Regis also get to work, but Demiurge and Tolka work together, the lynx telling him that they need to work fast. They have to clear out a sizable space to corner those two. She thinks they should work on the eastern sector, that being where Eeloki works. Thus, they get to work on it, the duo working on a few of the walkways to quickly move the people while the remaining members of Herkushol clear out the ferals. Eventually they're able to clear a significant portion, but by now the people on the ground level have cleared out the ferals.

With that, Mikula and Eeloki begin heading to their stations, though Demiurge calls for them to come up. The owl and the salamander look up curious, and Eeloki wonders what he could possibly wish for. The Head Saint says that they should hear him out. The duo thus makes their way up the ramp and to the walkway, though on their way the two notice that the beds are missing. Mikula asks what's happening, to which Demiurge says that he wants to give them one more chance to stop this. To let life continue how it was once supposed to. Eeloki glances back, and sees Regis and Hailey closing in from behind. Eeloki realizes that this is some sort of trap, and Mikula asks if they really intend to get violent with them.

Demiurge says that he doesn't want this to get dangerous. He just wants to make life better. He wants these people awake and wants everyone to move past this. Eeloki asks if they really intend to force them to spend years attending to a bunch of nothings with the intelligence of babes, to which Tolka explains that they've all been put in a bad position, but their own suffering will be required to move past this. Regis then points out that that's all they've ever done anyways, suffer. Mikula glowers before turning towards Demiurge, saying that he led them down this path in the first place, and asks how he can possibly be sure that the path he chooses he won't regret.

Demiurge breathes a sigh, before saying that if there's anything he's learned so far, it's that he's going to make mistakes. He hasn't stopped regretting, knowing he's let people die and suffered himself. He's sure that on his way forwards he'll see reasons to be upset. But he refuses to accept this world, for in making mistakes, he knows what he doesn't want. And he sure as hell doesn't want this! Mikula glowers and clenches his staff, while Eeloki asks if the rest of them, the Saints, truly intend to throw away everything they learned, just to gamble on a future they cannot be certain in. Hailey declares that Demiurge has shown them things that their path has never offered them. Hailey declares that she's been offered Hope, Tolka declares she's been offered empathy, and Regis declares he's been offered care.

Demiurge declares that in their pursuit for Happiness, they've made a stagnant world fostering despair. He says that it'll be torn down, here and now, and either they can stand with them, or fall with these ideals. Mikula clenches his staff tightly, to the point that the shaft starts to crack. He says that he doesn't care how much he thinks he's grown, he refuses to trust a judgement that threatens Happiness. He tells Eeloki to take up arms, and the salamander draws his own scalpel. Demiurge tells the defecting Saints to draw their own, and they do so.

And with that, players do battle with **Mikula and Eeloki**. The two prove fairly dangerous, Eeloki able to hit the party with a wide array of ailments and deal more damage to him thanks to his passive. Mikula, meanwhile, is capable of pure damage, having access to high level magic and Pure magic to ignore resistances. Worse still, because he has access to high level spells, there's a chance that he can inflict ailments himself, which allows Eeloki to deal more damage to them. Players will have to be smart about their skill uses here, especially when Mikula starts using Concentrate, and Tolka's resistance breaks can especially prove useful for this section. With enough work, the player should be able to fell the two of them.

With them down, Mikula would be propping himself up with his hardened staff, panting and panting, while Eeloki appeared utterly overwhelmed. The rest of the Saints are panting while Demiurge steps forwards. He tells Mikula that it's over. Their power outnumbers his own, and it's time to end this era. The owl clenches his beak and pounds the butt of his staff against the ground, letting the sound echo out. He lifts his head, telling the Dragon that he refuses. He refuses to let everything he's suffered for end like this! He clenches his fist tight enough for the staff to break. He tosses it, before channeling Pure magic into his hand. He slams it into the walkway, causing it to shatter at the far ends. Suddenly, this part of the walkway falls, separating Demiurge from his allies as this is cast down towards the ground level.

As it goes down, Mikula channels his magic to its utmost, specks of Pure magic flowing around them. He demands Demiurge to take up arms, to finish this the right way. He can have his minions fight his fights all he wants, but he refuses to let this end without him proving himself! The Dragon takes up his gear and gets ready to battle **Enraged Mikula**. Demiurge finds himself in a one on one fight against the owl, whose own prowess has improved insanely. He now has Summon magic to let him tack on a spell attack at the end of his turns, and still has access to a chance of inflicting ailments on him, and still has access to Concentrate. The combination of effects will have him prove to be dangerous, requiring the now solo Demiurge to do everything he can to try and overwhelm this foe. However, with enough smart moves, players will be able to defeat him.

The segment of the walkway has landed on the ground level during the fight, Eeloki's body having been destroyed beyond repair during their fight. Demiurge is panting and panting, struggling to stand upright while Mikula is in a similar fashion. He pants and pants as he looks up at Demiurge, the magic around him looking as if it's burning his own body. He looks at Demiurge, his fury seeming to subside and sorrow come to his face. He asks Demiurge why he did this. Why create this world where everything about his life is rendered worthless? At this, players can answer him: "You had the chance to do more" or "The world before you doesn't determine who you are". Hearing either of these, a single tear comes down Mikula's cheek, him remarking that he should've had more faith. Demiurge, however, says that he can't blame him. The owl breathes his last breath and collapses.

By now, the rest of the party makes it down to ground level and finds the Dragon the lone victor. Hailey asks if it's over, only for Tolka to tell them that the rest of their duty's only just begun.

Some time passes, and some people are starting to wake up. At Regis's and Hailey's request, they made sure to limit how many would wake at a time, though only allowing themselves enough Happiness to last a few weeks. Demiurge, meanwhile, would be tasked with bringing the rest of it away, flying to the edges of the oceans to make sure the medicine is destroyed far from the mainland. With it gone, Demiurge would return, and see that the Saints, though upset with the crying people, are trying to tend to them. Fortunately, they seem to be able to handle a small batch for now, and Tolka shares a glance at Demiurge, assuring him that they'll get into it.

Some more time passes and Demiurge watches them feed them, teach them, get them to walk, and moreso. More and more wake, and Demiurge watches as the group slowly warms up to these ones too. The Dragon feels calm at this. As time passed, he was feeling tired himself, and now he was feeling especially tired. As he mulls over this, he hears a familiar tone outside. Curious, he approaches, heading over to the nearby balcony. And once outside, he'd see that familiar pale Dragon, looking on him. He tells Demiurge that he managed to reverse his world-changing decision, and congratulates him.

Demiurge thanks her, saying that it's been rough. He looks out over the horizon and asks Sophia how she does it. The older Dragon tells him that it takes a lot of experience to brave the depths of mortals' twisted thoughts. Not every Dragon can handle such a thing with grace, but it can be learned. Demiurge asks when it gets easier, to which she says that mortals will keep doing terrible things and having terrible thoughts, some possibly worse than this. It'll take a while for any Dragon to get used to that sort of thing, but she says that it'll take a lot of experience to stand unflinchingly to such a thing.

There's a moment of pause between the two, when Demiurge decides to bring up his weakness. Sophia says that Dragons his age aren't used to dealing with this much stress at a time. Their bodies tend to quiver and ache, until they collapse. Demiurge's eyes widen, and he asks if she means what he thinks she means. She says that if he's tired as he says he's been, she may be. He's hurting and getting close to resting yet again. The bronze Dragon asks if he's going to sleep again, to which she says that he can fight it as much as he can, but eventually he'll likely fall asleep all his own. She says that if he wills it, he can enter a 500 year sleep all over again.

Demiurge says that he's gone through so much and starts to tear up, though Sophia tells him that this is just the cycle of a Dragon. In a few centuries time, he'll eventually not even need to sleep as long. But for now, he just needs to rest. He's been through a lot. Demiurge sighs and says that she's right. Sophia says that he has time to wish his friends goodbye. She says that she can bring him somewhere safe to rest, to which Demiurge says that he'd like that. He says he'll meet her later, and thus steps back into Herkushol, now thinking about how he's going to tell them goodbye.

* Hailey - He finds her looking over several people, watching them get up on their feet and helping them to walk. She sees Demiurge and greets him, saying that the people seem to be getting more and more into their new lives. Demiurge says that that sounds nice, and thanks her for her work. Hailey says it's the least she can do after what he's done for them. There's a pregnant pause, where he tells her he has to admit something. He explains the situation about him needing to sleep, and the hyena's spirits drop. She asks if he's really going to disappear after everything. Demiurge apologizes and says he wants to help, but he's just too tired. He doesn't know if he'll stand up much longer. Hailey sighs, saying she's just going to lose her brother all over again... Though she says that she supposes Demiurge has done so much for them... She says she feels that empathy thing Tolka talked about, and she feels much nicer about this world than the one before. She says that she'll do her best... for his sake.
* Tolka - He finds her on one of the walkways, teaching several seated mortals about speech and math and whatnot. She sees the bronze Dragon and greets him. She says that it took a while, but she thinks the people are getting to know the stuff that they themselves should know. She thinks that in a few months these guys will be able to help lead the other ones and lighten the load. Demiurge says that that's great to hear, though admits that he needs to confess something. She grows concerned, and Demiurge explains his situation. She seems distraught, asking if he's really leaving them. Demiurge sadly nods, which causes the lynx to turn her gaze down. She says that he taught him her most important lesson, and she thanks him for that. She says that she can feel empathy spreading to the others, and says that she'll make sure the rest of the realm is granted this. She promises to work to the best of her ability.
* Regis - He finds him hauling around several pieces of food, treating various mortals with the food. He sees Demiurge and greets him, saying that he hasn't needed to mash the stuff down into mush and was able to feed them normal food. It's actually been easier than usual. Demiurge says that that's great, and hopes that things otherwise are looking great. Regis says that he is really busy, but those other two have made things a lot easier than he was afraid. They actually pitch in from time to time. Demiurge says that that's great, and the pheasant says he can't wait to see what Demiurge can cook up. At that, the Dragon admits that he can't really pitch in. The former Saint is confused, and Demiurge explains the situation. Regis asks if he's really going to disappear too, to which Demiurge admits that he has to, and apologizes. Regis is quiet for a bit, before saying that he's going to end up like before. Demiurge swears that the other two will help, and, with a pause, he says he's right. Plus, Tolka says that the others will soon be able to help out too. He quickly hugs Demiurge, and thanks him for popping up when he did.

Either way, players can head out one of the gates, where he meets Sophia. He says he'd like to go over to the mountain range, pointing to the appropriate direction. Sophia smiles gently and begins leading him. Demiurge is getting more and more tired, still walking along with Sophia. Though eventually, Demiurge would be too weak, and slump over. Sophia would gently hold him up, at which she'd unfurl her wings, and flap, a single flap sending her and Demiurge miles away to the mountain.

At this, players move onto the Reborn Era.

### Reborn Era

Eventually, Demiurge wakes again, grunting as he climbs up to his feet. And as he does, he hears some gasps around him. He grows curious and looks around, and notices that there are people around. It seems like that village he'd been brought to had been occupied. Or at least, that was his original thought, as a closer looks reveals a different architecture on this mountain. He doesn't see signs of any religious buildings, and this place utilized a lot of cement that he swore he recognized from Herkushol.

Demiurge asks them what this place is, to which one of them, a rabbit in a thick coat, answers that he's in the village of **Rekua**. Demiurge looks over, as if trying to assess that this is the same mountain range. Demiurge asks them what happened to Surgona, to which another villager, now a bull, says that that place was all but gone with the passage of time. A lot of the old stuff suffered water damage from rain and had been untended for centuries, so when they moved in they thought to replace it. Demiurge seems saddened at that, though he says that if they're here, then people moved out of Herkushol? A goat girl asks what that is, though the rabbit from earlier says he understands that he has a lot of questions, though recommends he checks out the various places, before offering him a map.

And now, Demiurge is prompted to check out the various locations around the mainland, them being around where the towns stood originally in the Enlightenment Era. There do, however, appear to be significantly more villages dotting the landscape, though players aren't able to visit the smaller ones.

* Rekua - In the village players woke up in, they'll find it more modernized and less ideology-based. Rekua is currently a modern tourist attraction with a guild that helps people come up to the village to check out the sights. When asked about any temples, the villagers explain that people haven't really found themselves seeking such ideological pursuits anymore. They don't want to reach the heights a long time ago, so they've tried to distance themselves from such pursuits. Since this abandonment, however, they've found themselves unable to find their way back to such a pursuit, so they're kind of... existing.
* Dagar - Over at the shore where Erronus once stood, there stands a village that's built closer to the soil than to the sand. The old village had been washed away and its buildings had been cast to the sea, with a few people diving in to gather the material. Learning more about it, Demiurge learns that, on top of keeping up the medical field advancements, this village is preparing more sea jobs. They might even boat out across the ocean sometime. Investigating more, Demiurge learns that that old medicine is around, though there are guards put in place here to make sure only enough is used for those that need it.
* Morga - Over by the volcano, where Sellogish once stood, there's now a rich metal village. Now that the volcano has been drained, the people have been more able to gather the material within, which left them more able to collect from it. They had to first take care of the rock slides that'd buried much of the surrounding area, but since then they've been able to collect various precious stones and minerals, and have been able to trade it for goods. They're slowly developing several smaller communities since. They're a rich community and seem as happy as a clam.
* Herkushol Ruins - Towards the center of the mainland, players can find, where once was a church the size of a city, now instead stands ruins, picked of its various material. Much of the terrain has been torn up to fetch cement from the ground while only scraps of staircases and walkways stand. There appear to be some bandits camping out in it, though when they see Demiurge, they cower and flee. The Dragon can only assume that the people of the world stripped this place of its resources. As he looks over the old ruins, seeing very little sign of the old Herkushol, the bandits watch and don't even try to threaten him.

After investigating the various locations, Demiurge sees a glow off in the distance. Flying over towards it, Demiurge encounters Sophia upon the Brosis Plain, way back when this started. She tells the Dragon that the Draconian Gardens are within a quick flight from this location. She says that a view from up there is much better than a view the planet itself offers. The bronze Dragon looks over the land, thinking over the various things he'd seen, and says that he'd like to, saying he's seen everything he needed to. She tells him to come along, the Gardens miss him and want to hold him if only for a little.

So, with a heavy heart, Demiurge spreads his wings. And then, the two flap, up and off the planet, and off into space, towards the giant structure floating in the void. The **Draconic Gardens**.

The two fly up and make it onto the lip of the grand platform. And where they stand, there's a pair of stone lounge chairs made big enough for the two of them, between them a small stone stool with goblets full of wine on either side. Sophia approaches one chair and recommends that Demiurge take the other seat. The bronze Dragon looked over the Gardens, feeling... overwhelmed. He thinks to himself how long ago he's been away from this realm, and how alien it all looks despite him growing up in it. Sophia somewhat impatiently taps the other lounge chair, rocking Demiurge free from his spell and prompting him to sit where she motioned.

Demiurge took steps towards it, and as he does, he feels off. He feels like these steps should be heavier or that he should have a bigger feeling than now, but he feels some slight dissociation. He walks more and more, before sitting back on the empty chair, now looking out at the planet he was just on. And for a bit, he can just stare, unaware of the slight slurping coming from Sophia as she's taken her goblet. She notices him staring, and remarks that it's quite a sight, that for as long as one remains on their planet, especially if they're young, it gets easy to lose the big picture.

She asks him if a part of him felt among them, or if he understood he was so much greater than them the whole time. Players can answer "I felt like one of them" or "I was divine, start and end". To the former, she says that that's also common in young ones, while saying that putting yourself among the lot of them makes it harder to see the bigger picture, because you limit yourself to the common. To the latter, she says that that's often been a hard part for young people: if they always consider themselves greater than the rest, then it'd be harder to care for the lot of them, because it becomes so much harder to empathize.

She then says that he can have a drink if he wishes, his body should be able to handle it. Demiurge seems suddenly aware of the goblet beside him, and so he reaches for it, before beginning to drink. The two drink more and more, before Sophia continues. She says that he probably realizes why he's here. He's gone through so much and worked through an era that could make or break their world. So, having gone through as much as he has, and now seeing what's become of it, she needs to ask: How does he feel about the world he's made? Demiurge gives pause, and lowers the goblet, him looking down at it in consideration, an unreadable expression on his face.

Players have the choice to say "...I love it" or "...I hate it". If he says the former, he begins to say it, and a smile begins to dress his face. He says that he learned a lot about himself and about how life should be, and about what try happiness is. He is hurt by what life could be, but he's sure he can re-find goodness in people even in the darkest of times.. If he says the latter, he starts to talk, and tears begin to drip down his cheeks. He says that he never imagined the people of this world capable of something like that, and even now it still feels like a dream. He can't imagine what other horrors they're capable of.

After that, she says that the first times are always the roughest for Dragons. It's something that usually gets better the more you do it. You usually know how to rule better, you usually know how to roll with the tragedies, and you usually know how to pull others out of it or to restart elsewhere. Demiurge asks how anyone's supposed to get over tragedies, to which Sophia explains that all mortals are finite, all suffering on the planets will be finite, while the Dragons are infinite. That's one of those cases where you have to learn to either be empathetic, or to remember your own divinity. And then, she says that she has one more question for him.

Dragons can go from planet to planet, free to start and stop life as they wish, or to let it go on without any divinity. She also warns that, given his age, she won't be terribly necessary in watching over him, so her visits to him will come less and less. So, having seen everything he has, having done all he has, having endured as much as he has, she tells him that no one would begrudge him for leaving them. So, she must ask him: Does he wish to continue on their planet? There's a pregnant pause as Demiurge contemplates, him statue still as he looks at the planet he'd been on for hundreds of years. And so, the player has two options: "I want to stay" or "I want to leave".

* At the former, he decides that after everything, no matter how he feels, he should continue to see them on. If players say they love the world, he declares that he'd be happy to learn more from these people, and to help guide them through this uncertain period. If players say the hate the world, Demiurge says that he wants to make sure they never fall to *that* again. Sophia nods in understanding. As such, she stands up and says she understands. Demiurge stands up, and Sophia tells him to be careful and keep a broad mind. Demiurge suddenly goes forwards to hug her, Sophia hugging him back. Demiurge thanks her for everything, the pale Dragon holding him tight. They then split and share a moment of nothingness, before Demiurge steps near the lip of the Draconic Gardens. He raises his wings, and then flies, going back down to the planet he's led to the modern era, boasting more knowledge and a greater understanding than he once had.
* To the latter, he decides that he can't take anymore. If players say he loves the world, he says he turned it into something awful, and he doesn't want to do that again. If players say he hates the world, after everything, he says he can't look at it anymore. Sophia says that that's perfectly fine. Sophia nods in understanding. He's free to relax on the Gardens for longer, and Demiurge brings his arms up, as if wanting to embrace her, and she hugs him. He hangs his head and Sophia walks into the Gardens, prompting Demiurge to follow. And she tells him not to worry, these things happen. Besides, the planet should live on well enough now. With that, Demiurge gives the planet one more look, before following Sophia into the gardens of paradise, resting quarters for divinity.

And with that, camera still on the planet, the credits roll.