Damsels and Dragons

OOC
After long deliberation, I decided who to cast my vote for. As there decent amount of redundancy between both of them and one has, shall we say, more exclusive content attached, I ultimately went with them. Plus I can solve a problem that has come up more easily with one death than the other.
/OOC

When he had first arrived in this world, Jason had been confused, upset and (while he would never admit it) scared. He had been forced in to a world where nothing made sense and all the securities and reassurances that he had grown up with no longer existed. Since then, he was slowly growing angry and bitter about being stuck in this stupid world, although perhaps not as much as he would have expected.

The biggest reason for his relative emotional stability was the fact that he had, sort of, made a friend. In many ways Matilda was as isolated from the world as Jason was, the immense social status that came with being an Incarnate made it all but impossible to have any real peers, much like how Jason's own foreign status made it impossible for him to relate to anyone in this stupid world.

The same could also be said of Gregori, the man who offered Jason power. That power came at the price of being used by the old Wizard to achieve a kind of immortality, but it was a price Jason had become willing to pay, despite the dubious moral aspects attached to Gregori. That power would allow Jason the chance to finally exert influence over the mad events that surrounded him, and perhaps finally regain some control over his life.

These things would only be realized by Jason in retrospect, possibly as a way to justify or rationalize this choices. What it came down to, however, was the choice between emotional stability with the only person who could offer him a semblance of normalcy, or the availability of power and command over his own destiny with the only person who could offer it to him in such volumes with such low price attached.

Maybe there were other reason involved that he didn't want to consciously think about, but those were thoughts for another time, when the two people who could offer him something he desperately needed were not in danger. Fate and chance had conspired to force him in to an impossible choice, and in that moment of frozen time, when all possible paths were laid bare before him, he made the only choice that he could make in that most unkind of circumstances.

Sword draw, power flowing through him, Jason launched himself forward in an exposition of blue fire, screaming out a wordless battlecry that served more to reassure himself that he wasn't about to die, rather than intimidate his target.

His blade blade shimmered with a blue light, sharpening to unnatural degrees as his inner energy flowed through it. He had no idea how much power he needed, so he put everything he had in to this one blow. Closing his eyes at the last moment as he braced for the impact, Jason brought the sword froward in a large, overhead chop.

And brought it down on the arm holding up Matilda, cutting it clean off.

The Black King howled in rage and pain as the limb went flying, the first sounds of true discomfort he had made that whole evening. The Sky above, darkened with the storm clouds Matilda had conjured, seemed to respond in kind, booming out with a roiling peal of thunder that deafened Jason as his moment let out and he fell to the ground.

"No you don't!" Shouted the Black King, all composure lost. He lashed out with his bare foot, kicking Jason square in the chest as he struggled to stand. The bottom of the Black King's foot impacted with Jason with so much force that he was throw backwards, and a loud cracking and popping sound could be heard as his ribs broke. Only the magical protection and potions he had ingested prevented the blow from crushing his heart and killing him instantly.

"I've waited too long for this to let some nobody stop me now!" The Black King snarled.

"Yeah, well, you're ugly. "Jason said weakly he tried to do something, anything to protect himself from his wrath.

"Get up." Ordered the Black King, pointing at Jason with his unmanned hand. A phantasmal copy of his hand came forth, as large as Jason himself. It crossed the distance between them in a heartbeat and seized him in a crushing grip.

With a gesture, the phantom hand brought Jason back over to the Black King, who eyed him with contempt when he came in to full view. "So. Not a nobody, then. Just a pathetic attempt to swap out one problem with another. What a joke." He spat.

"You're just mad because you can't clap anymore." Jason said, the adrenaline flooding his system and his anger at his helplessness was affecting his head, and he had resorted to lashing out in the only way he could.

"You're not nearly as funny as you think you are." The Black King said, tightening his remaining hand in to a fist. In turn, the phantasmal hand began to crush Jason, and he began to black out from pain and the air being pushed from his lungs.

"He is a little funny." Matilda said, having recovered at last. She placed her hand on the back of the Black King's head, her eyes narrowed in deadly concentration.

"I am the Sun."

Fire, heat and wrath from above came down from the sky, punching through the storm clouds above and engulfing both Matilda and the Black King in a column of searing heat.

Despite being mere feet away, Jason remained untouched by the fire's blaze, even as the grasslands around them were turned instantly in to a scorched hellscape as all moisture was plantlife was burned away in seconds. Indeed, the only person who seemed to be affected by it all was the Black King himself, who once more let out a howl of pain as the flames engulfed him.

Lashing out in a blind range, the Black King threw Jason at Matilda to try and stop the onslaught of sunfire. Jason blacked out momentarily from the pain of having his body thrown like a rag doll with his broken ribs, and when he came to he found himself on the ground, watching Matilda get pushed back by the Black King's dragon, which had come to defend it's master.

"This isn't over." Snarled the Black King, climbing aboard the dragon. "My forces have landed and there is nothing you can do to stop them from ripping your country apart. I'll see you soon, Incarnate, and when I do you can be sure it will be our last encounter."

"Yeah, you better run." Jason called after him weakly, his voice barely raising above a whisper.

"We'll call this a draw, for now." The Black King said, makingno indication that he heard Jason. With a gust of wind the dragon took flight, arching through the sky and passing over the Imperial forces, where it let out a massive gout of flame from it's mouth. Hundreds of Imperial soldiers died to the dragon fire, as well as dozens of the Black King's own forces who were caught in the blast.

In a moment, the Black King had given his own forces a victory over Martin's own men, and they began to scatter and flee the dragon's wrath even as the Black King's own minions began to rally and follow their leader deeper inland.

Fist clenched, Matilda could only watch in fury as The Black King made his withdrawal, before a pained, blood spattered caught from Jason reminded her that she was not alone up on the cliffside.

Matilda let out a sound of surprise, and moved over to Jason, placing her hand on his head. "O Earth, give this hero your strength and succor, grant him the endurance and vitality needed to persevere though these hard times."

"What?" Jason said dumbly, not fully cognizant as the pain dulled his senses. Thankfully the pain was short lived, as a dull, almost invisible green-brown light flowed from Matilda's hand into Jason. There was the smell of pollen and moss, and suddenly Jason felt much much better, almost as though he wasn't injured at all.

"What?" Jason repeated, now confused more than addled. "Did you just heal me?" He asked, examining his chest where the Black King had kicked him.

Matilda shook her head, still focusing on Jason. "The Earth did, I simply channeled it's power in to you." She said.

Jason had a lot of things he wanted to say about that. Stuff about cell growth, bone structures and conservation of mass. All things covering how nonsensical and stupid healing magic was.

But...

He decided to let it go. This time.

Stupid magic.

"Thanks." He said, shakily getting to his feet once more. Matilda offered to help him up, but Jason wanted to make sure he was as fit as he felt, and did so on his own, healing a small bit of his manly pride in the process.

"You are welcome." Matilda said. "And I thank you. I would have died had you not intervened as you did." She said.

"I think we're even on that." Jason said, looking around him at the burnt fields. "I just wish I had been able to save..." He stopped, realizing what he was about to say.

"Gregori!" He cried, running over to where the old wizard had been battling the Dragon. The area around their battleground was pitted and scored from spell craft and dragon claws, not to mention even more burnt ground from the dragon fire.

"Gregori!" He called again. There was a large crater in the ground where Jason had seen him last. The rock was still hot and the air was full of smoke, but Jason ignored that and moved past the ledge, downward.

At the bottom lay Gregori, his left arm and right leg gone, burnt to a crisp under the dragon's assault. His whole body was a mass of burnt flesh, and not a single hair or scrap of cloth remained.

"Oh no." Matilda whispered as she joined Jason, kneeling beside the old Wizard and placing her hand on his head, uttering her prayer once more.

The brown-green light flowed from Matilda in to Gregori, but only the most superficial of recuperations could be seen.

A ragged, wheezing cough and a feeble attempt to waive Matilda away came from the broken body before them, as Gregori's eyes fluttered to motion, clinging to the vital energies pouring in to him in a last bid to stay alive.

"Stupid girl. You know better than to wake your elders." Came a raspy voice, barely above a whisper. "Shoulda let me die in my sleep. Idiot." He said.

"I am sorry, Gregori. I cannot heal you." Matilda said, crestfallen.

"Bah, obviously." Gregori rasped, coughing up smoke and ash from partially disintegrated lungs. "Get out of the way, let me see the boy."

Jason moved to Gregori's side as Matilda made way for him. Jason felt like gagging at the sight of Gregori's condition, he had never seen someone so horribly burned before. It was only his concern for his belligerent teacher that allowed him to keep himself together.

"Stupid boy. You almost got yourself killed, didn't you?" Gregori said, making a move with his unburnt hand like he wanted to swat Jason. "Still, you're alive. Smart call, there, going for the Incarnate. Best odds of winning."

A racking, wheezing cough overtook the old man, and he closed his eyes temporarily to regain his focus.

"I'm sorry." Jason said, and he meant it. On a personal level, Gregori was amoral and potentially dangerous to everyone around him, but he had been willing to teach Jason what he knew, and Jason couldn't help but feel guilty that he had let him die. "I'm sorry I couldn't help you."

Gregori let out a snort. "Don't make me repeat myself. I don't have time for that." He said. "I have a gift for you. My insurance should the worst happen. Better you get it from me, rather than have it come to you." He said.

"What are you talking about?" Jason asked, looking at Matilda briefly in confusion. Unfortunately, she seemed just as lost as him.

"Come here, idiot boy, open your mouth and come here." Gregori said.

Jason, more confused than ever, did so. Leaning over Gregori and opening his mouth wide.

Before either Jason or Matilda could react, Gregori's unburnt hand shot up and sized Jason by the face with surprising strength, forcing his mouth to remain open.

"I give you all that I know, boy." Gregori said, his voice becoming clear and unblemished by the fires that had ravaged him. Glowing white mist began to emanate from his mouth, making it's way towards Jason's own, working it's way down his throat.

"I give you all that I was, all that I am. I name you my heir to all I have." Jason's face began to burn, but it was not painful at all, rather it felt like an itch he could not scratch. At the point where Gregori's fingertips touched his temple, a symbol appeared. Two circles next to each other, touching, with a vertical line between them and a long and short horizontal line crossing the vertical one.

Jason was thrown back by an invisible force, and a hot-cold sensation filled him. It was power, more power than he could handle in it's raw form. He needed to do something, channel it somewhere, in order to use it.

"What did you do?" Asked Jason, after he had managed to arrest the power in him and bring it under his control.

"My boy." Gregori said, his voice raspy once more, and even weaker than before. "I gave to you my Legacy." He said. "You will be great, I made sure of it. You will secede me and do all that I could not." He sounded how he looked, now. A dying old man, content at having passed along what he could to his student.

"Go my boy, and carve your name in to the world on my stead."

And with that, the last breath of Gregori, Master Battlecaster of the Aderan Empire, passed from his lips.

Silence fell upon the three, now two. The only sound was the low rumble of thunder above, which quietly faded away in to the distance.

Stillness soon followed silence as the wind died and the heat began to fade, and Jason looked over the body of Gregori with bitter regret. The old man had been the closest thing Jason had to a guide in this world, and had things been allowed to continue between them, perhaps things could have turned out better.

But that wasn't how the world worked. It was unfair, or at least didn't care about what you wanted. Jason's presence in this world was proof of that much, at least.

A hand found itself on his shoulder, and Jason's attention settled on Matilda. "Come." She said, helping him to his feet. "We will send someone to give him a proper burial. Will you be alright?" She asked.

Jason said nothing, shaking his head in a non-answer as he let her help him to his feet. Casting one last glance at Gregori, he turned and started to walk with Matilda. Together, the two of them walked towards the beaches, where the the broken and scattered Imperial forces were trying to regroup.

Where did you channel Gregori's Legacy?

>My Heart
>My Hand
>My Head
 
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My hand. We did cut off the black king's hand, so hands are fresh on our mind.

(almost said heart, but don't want Jason to become a cold hearted bastard like Gregori.)
 
Not quite how it will work. I'm being intentionally vague with what this choice means as you have as much information regarding this choice as Jason, but it wont result in a personality shift or anything. Just an unspecified power surge.
 
Damn - there goes the old man... great post!

I'll go with hand as well - the heart might be reserved for someone else, and our head should better remain untouched by his legacy, just to be safe...
 
Gregori, you shall be remembered forever as the coolest old guy that ever lived. Matilda may have a pure heart and Jason may be our protagonist, but you are awesome. When I first saw you, I was amazed by the power and wisdom you held. But your attitude alienated everyone around you, and your thirst for even more power only made you more isolated. I felt that you abandoned everybody in your quest for power; that nothing else really mattered besides that.

I really wanted you to live longer so I could find out why you did that. Why did you alienate people and isolate yourself?

You chose that path, the lonely path that few dared trek. Sometimes the lonely path chooses you, like the Incarnate Matilda. But I wanted to know what drove you to be so alone and so thirsty for power. I wanted to know why you were so desperate to leave your mark on the world when you could have lived a normal life.

I do not believe that you are a cold-hearted bastard like what wonderandawe said you were. I believe that you are someone who is passionate about the things he loves, and you are desperate to preserve that thing because you have given so much of yourself to it.

You had a lot of flaws to be sure, but everybody in this world has them. I wanted to see you live longer so you would overcome them. But now that you are dead, there is nothing we can do to change that. I just hope that you may be happy in the afterlife, and that god may smile on you.

=============

>My Head

I want Jason to transfer all the energy he received to his head. This is so that our thoughts will always turn to Gregori whenever we are weak. Jason will remember the power and the legacy that Gregori left him, and that if Jason dies so does Gregori's hopes and dreams.
 
So uh... yeah. I'm going to come clean here and say I don't have a post for tonight. Breath of The Wild and Nier Automata kinda... ate all my time normally spent on thinking of the next update.

My bad. Tomorrow though, promise.
 
So uh... yeah. I'm going to come clean here and say I don't have a post for tonight. Breath of The Wild and Nier Automata kinda... ate all my time normally spent on thinking of the next update.

My bad. Tomorrow though, promise.

Hah, I have no shortage of distractions in life, this site being a big one of them.

I can wait since I can only digest the story one bit at a time. Oh, and stay awesome, JayTree.
 
>You Hand

Jason accompanied Matilda down the slopes, lost in thought about the maybes and could have beens of a future that had now been burnt away. There was something there resembling regret, not of his choice, but of his failure to do better. Regret soon turned to guilt, then shame, which lasted for a moment before finally settling in to anger, an emotion Jason was slowly becoming familiar with.

He was angry. Angry at himself for not being good enough to save both Gregori and Matilda, angry at the Black King for forcing him in to the choice in the first place, and most importantly of all, angry at this stupid world with it's stupid magic and stupid dragons and evil wanna be conquerors.

He quietly seethed as he walked, and, for better or worse, Jason was soon forced to bottle his anger up when he reached the beach. There, dozens of Martin's men lay dead or dying, with Martin himself standing amongst them all, barking orders to the survivors in an effort to save as many as he could from that final breath of life.

Matilda moved before Jason could even register she had gone, briskly striding over to the most wounded and placed her hand on his head, uttering the same prayer to her god to grant him the same blessings and renewed vitality that she had bestowed upon Jason.

She didn't use the word "hero", though, which was odd. Prayers were usually pretty specific about that kind of thing.

She repeated the process, moving from soldier to soldier, always prioritizing the most heavily wounded. Jason, after watching for a moment, soon remembered that he had access to healing potions in his pouch. There wasn't nearly enough there to treat everyone on the battlefield, but it could still be of use somewhere. It's not like he needed it himself at the moment, after all.

"Martin." Jason said, approaching the Colonel. "I have this for you, not much, but use it where you can." He said, handing the man the potions he had on him. Martin stopped barking orders for a moment and took them.

"Thank you, Jason. Every little bit helps." He said, calling over one of the medics and giving the potions to them.

"How bad are things?" Jason asked. The beach was covered with the marks of The Black King's assault. Sand had been blasted in to molten glass from the sheer heat of dragon fire, to say nothing of the wounded from the assault itself.

"It is not the worst case scenario, but it may as well be." Martin said grimly. "We failed in our mission to detain the Black King's forces, initial estimates show that nine in every ten man is unfit for battle, and at least half of those will be permanently removed from duty, should they even recover."

Jason swore under his breath, which drew a nod of agreement from Martin. "Indeed." The Colonel said. "Nevertheless, with the Incarnate here we may have to revise those estimates in to something more optimistic, but we're still looking at most of my men dying tonight." Martin's first was clenched in to a first and there was a barely perceptible current of rage in his voice. "Mark my words, I will have the Black King's blood for this."

"For what it's worth, he didn't come out of this unscathed." Jason said, upon seeing Martin's questioning gaze, Jason continued. "I managed to disarm him. Literally." He said.

"Truly? You cut off the bastard's hand?" Martin's face split in to a vicious grin. "Well done, no wonder he left in a hurry. You may have saved all of us with that stunt." He said, sounding more upbeat for the first time that evening. "And what of the Wizard?" Martin asked. "I expected to come hobbling down the hill, yelling and cursing up a storm."

Jason's face fell at the mention of Gregori, and didn't meet Martin's eyes. "He didn't make it. Fought the Dragon to a standstill while Matilda and I fought the Black King. It managed to overcome him, though."

Martin let out a sound of acknowledgement, frowning as he did so. "That is unfortunate. We could have used that old bastard for the war. To say nothing of the line of succession." Martin said.

"What are you talking about?" Jason asked. He knew Gregori had earned the right to lay claim to the throne, but he didn't think he was in line for it.

Martin let out a sigh, and dropped his voice to speak softly. "This is not well known, but rumors are going to fly so there is no point in keeping a secret." He said. "The Emperor is sick, bedridden. His Royal Advisor, Maxwell, has forbidden anyone from seeing him as he recovers." Martin explained.

"That 's...not good." Jason said. A leaderless Empire was the last thing they needed right now.

"Indeed. His daughter, Lucinda, as bee lobbying the Council of Lords to grant her the title of Heir Apparent, but Maxwell has been blocking her attempts by claiming that only the Emperor may name an Heir, and until his passing, the throne could go to either of them."

"Either of them?" Jason asked, incredulous. "How can this Maxwell guy have a chance at the throne with Lucinda around?" He asked.

"Maxwell is fiercely loyal to the Emperor, and his services have been such that his Majesty named him Heir Presumptive by the Right of Virtue, just in case something should happen to the Royal family." Martin let out a sigh of frustration, clearly unhappy with the politics of the situation. "I dearly wish Gregori had managed to survive. There's no way he would have wanted to have the throne, but his support for a candidate would have helped settle things more quickly."

Jason was about to comment, when that was the moment Matilda returned. She was covered in blood and grime that was not the result of any battle, and looked like she had run a hundred miles. "I have tended to your men as best I could, Colonel." She said, sounding exhausted. Her voice was hoarse, and she had to make an effort to be heard clearly. "But many others are not going to make it. Sadly, even my blessings are not infinite." She said.

"You have done more than we could have asked for, Incarnate. Thank you." Martin said. "I will have the burial arrangements made for those who pass from this world. We wold be honored if you would give them your blessing as they pass from this world to the next."

"I will need time to rest, but I would be glad to." Matilda said. "I trust by now you have heard of what transpired between myself and the Black King?" She asked.

Martin nodded. "I can figure it out. You engaged him while Gregori took on his dragon, but when Gregori fell and the Black King lost his hand, he decided to withdraw. Correct?" He asked.

Matilda looked at Jason for the briefest of moments, before turning back to Martin. "Yes, he managed to escape from me this time, but I will not allow it to happen a second time." She said.

"Thank you, Incarnate. I am glad to hear that." He said. "If you'll excuse me, I have funeral preparations to make." Martin said, before moving to confer with his officers.

When Martin had departed, Matilda visibly sagged, her own exhaustion catching up to her at last, and she allowed herself a moment of vulnerability.

"You going to be okay?" Jason asked, concerned.

"I will be fine." Matilda said. "Rest is all I need, and time to prepare what I want to say for the funeral." After a moment of thought she continued. "Gregori will be buried alongside the others who fell this day. I know your relationship was... unique, but if you would like to say a few words for him, I can help arrange that." She said.

Do you want to speak for Gregori at his funeral?

>If yes, what?
>No.

Axiom Days Axiom Days , Dusky Dusky , Emiya Shin Emiya Shin , Genon Genon , Historical Storyteller Historical Storyteller , Killigrew Killigrew , Reinhardt Reinhardt , D Dugym , Silanon Silanon , Silvertongued Silvertongued , simj26 simj26 , elusivethought elusivethought , Syrenrei Syrenrei , White Masquerade White Masquerade , wonderandawe wonderandawe
 
Yes. Do your best impression of a drunk Brit.

"'E was a good man, wot'

Dude, this is a funeral! Respect the dead not only for Gregori's sake but for the men who are going to die tonight.

>Yes, something like this...

Before meeting Gregori, Jason was a stranger to this land. He was weak and friendless in a land he never knew even existed. But when Gregori came along he changed all that. Gregori gave Jason strength, he taught him the arts of magic and swordsplay. And if Jason knew Gregori in such a short amount of time, he proved to be one of the greatest friends Jason ever had. And even if Jason felt so lost here in a land unfamiliar to him, Gregori was one of the few people that made this place feel like home.

Jason remembers the times Gregori tried to kill him during his training. Gregori nearly burnt Jason to a crisp when he was forced to walk across a platform surrounded by a sea of fire, and Jason once tried to escape Gregori's brutal physical trianing machine but Gregori spotted Jason walking out of the door at the last moment and pulled Jason back to hell. Gregori did all this while he swore like a drunken sailor.

Jason will be forever grateful for what Gregori has given him and he promises to use whatever Gregori has given him to the fullest. Jason will never squander the potential Gregori saw in him.

And last but not the least, it is time to announce one last thing to shock everyone. Gregori has left his legacy to Jason and will now carry the burden of taking over for Gregori. He will swear to avenge his master against the Black King.

He will walk straight into the Black King's lair and kill him, kill his dragons, kill his servants, and kill everyone that is responsible for Gregori's death. For every man lost in this island the Black King will pay in the thousands. The Black King wants to destroy everyone, but it is he who will be destroyed, and Jason swears that he will find a way to destroy the Black King forever.

The Black King has plagued the world for as long as it could remember. Jason says that he's had enough of this hogwash and it's time to end things now. And Jason will do everything in his power to stop the Black King. This is not a fight against good or evil anymore, this is the fight of a man who had just lost his master and his friend. It has gotten personal and this is serious business. If nothing will stop the Black King from destroying the world, nothing will stop Jason from destroying the Black King.

(Hey, guys, you can add something else too.)
 
Go drink out of pure anger, deliver an eloquent speech up until the part where you reminisce you will always carry Gregori in your heart after he gave you that magical kiss-thing.
 
Go drink out of pure anger, deliver an eloquent speech up until the part where you reminisce you will always carry Gregori in your heart after he gave you that magical kiss-thing.

That works too, Jason will show up drunk in the funeral and deliver the most epic speech ever filled with over-the-top mangst combined with bits of slapstick comedy swearing by both the gods and men that he will slay the Black King bla bla bla and then he'll faint.

In the climax of the speech, the crowd will cheer, so Jason will up the ante by grabbing a nearby soldier and haul him up the air while Jason screams his heart out in joy. Also, the soldier appears to go along with it, unsheathing his sword and waving it around the air.

(Then Gregori's spirit will be all like, "Damn it, they seem to be happy that I'm dead.")

JayTree, I want you to combine all of our responses.

Jason will speak like a goddamn Brit by simj22's suggestion, he will deliver a speech along the lines of my format, and Syrenei has suggested that he will drink out of pure anger.
 
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If Jason ever gets appointed to an important position, like a General or hell if he even gets to be Emperor... then I'll probably make him squander all of the Empire's resources just to get back at the Black King.

There's someone in real life who did something like that. Richard the Lionheart taxed the fuck out of the English so he could fund the Third Crusade. It's in one of my books and it's one of the few books I actually managed to finish.

ONE LAST THING.

The Black King lost his hand in the fight, but Jason decided to channel Gregori's magical power into his own hand?

Somehow it seems symbolic to me. I don't know how, but it means something to me.

What the Black King lost, Jason gained.

The only winner in this fight is Jason. Everybody else lost.

OH AND ANOTHER LAST THING.

Hmm.

Gregori said that Jason is heir to all he has. Besides being the strongest candidate for Emperor, I wonder if Gregori owns some big pieces of property.

If everything goes smoothly (I doubt it ever will) Jason could become a noble in his own right.

And if Gregori's legacy has some widespread political impact, Jason could be involved in Imperial politics. He could try to become an Emperor or he could support Maxwell or Lucinda for Emperor or Empress.

He could marry Lucinda... as part of a political marriage, but I was thinking there could be a twist if Jason has a relationship with the Incarnate while this happens.

But then again, everybody might not take Jason seriously, maybe at first. Jason still has to make a name for himself, he has to gain popularity among the people by fighting wars, maybe wars against the Black King, or wars against other nations, or even civil wars within the Empire.

I am really excited to see what Jason can do. Gregori can see potential in him and Jason can actually do what Gregori could not.

Jason could be Emperor. Jason could kill the Black King. Jason could make the Aderan Empire the greatest of mankind's Empires or he could bankrupt it by fighting so many wars.

So many crazy things have been happening in such a short span of time... More crazy things will follow.
 
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Maybe he could describe how he's not just gonna walk in through the Black King's front door... he's gonna... fucking blow a hole in his palace, beat him in the showdown of the century, cut the Black King's balls off before torturing him then ending him once and for all, then burning everything to a crisp.

Hmm, I think I'll make an improved version of Jason's speech if I get the time.

This also makes me briefly think if Jason could become a possible substitute for the Black King. You know, those cheesy stories where you become what you hate? Yeah, that one.
 
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Maybe we should focus a bit more on the Incarnate, instead of just focussing on ourselves. After all, the soldiers believe in Matilda moreso than in our own strength or Gregori's. Let them know that it's not us alone to kick the King's butt, but every single one of them as well, united to support the Incarnate. Gregori died covering her back, many others did as well. But we'll remember every single one of them, and revenge them by killing the foe once and for all.

At some point, people will remember this war, and they will ask how we managed to win. Let the people tell the story of Gregori's funeral, and how in this single moment, we managed to find our strength despite our losses. Let this be Gregori's legacy.
 
Maybe we should focus a bit more on the Incarnate, instead of just focussing on ourselves. After all, the soldiers believe in Matilda moreso than in our own strength or Gregori's. Let them know that it's not us alone to kick the King's butt, but every single one of them as well, united to support the Incarnate. Gregori died covering her back, many others did as well. But we'll remember every single one of them, and revenge them by killing the foe once and for all.

At some point, people will remember this war, and they will ask how we managed to win. Let the people tell the story of Gregori's funeral, and how in this single moment, we managed to find our strength despite our losses. Let this be Gregori's legacy.

Good point. In my mind's eye I envision a sort of a villainous Jason, but that doesn't fit his character at all. I think it would be wiser to slide more towards Silanon's suggestion.
 
I say have Jason drink and drunkenly speak at the funeral. Have him vent/praise about Gregori for a bit and then realize he needs to stop thinking about himself and his problems. Fate dealt him a shitty hand, but not as shitty as Matilda. She has the responsibility of the whole world on her shoulders. Jason only had to worry about paying rent until he got here. Maybe some internal thoughts about how empty his life in the old world was.
 
>Yes

There were two funerals.

One was held for the soldiers who had died on the beach that night. The process had been a joint effort by Martin's remaining forces and Matilda. Each body was brought before her, where she called upon the Sea to purify and wash away of all physical and spiritual maladies that the remains may have possessed. Then, they were laid on the fresh ground in rows, each one head to toe.

When each body was settled, Matilda uttered one more prayer, asking the Earth to lay the bodies to rest, so that they might rejoin the land for which they fought for once more. At her request, there was a low rumbling, and the bodies of the dozens of men who died that night slowly sank in to the ground.

Martin then spoke, of the fallen, of the survivors, of what the future would bring and of how he knew that while they had been bloodied, they were not beaten. The Empire would have it's vengeance upon the Black King, and they would be at the forefront of the fighting, bringing their own revenge against him and his forces.

Matilda spoke after Martin, where she gave one final blessing to the departed, wishing their souls a speedy departure to join their ancestors and their gods among the Stars. She blessed the survivors with long lives and victory in battle, saying that she was grateful for all their efforts, fighting alongside her to rid the world of the scourge of the Black King.

To everyone's surprise, that was not the end of it. In the center of the field where the bodies were buried, a tree sprouted from the ground. Aged artificially and nourished by holy magics, the tree started off as a simple sapling and quickly grew over a few short minutes in to a strong, healthy oak. A living edifice and tribute to those who had fallen.

The gesture was not lost on Martins men, and many of them feel to their knees in silent worship of the Living God. When Matilda gave her final words and departed, many tried to follow and give her their thanks, but they were gently rebuked by Martin and the other officers, and they reluctantly obeyed and moved back in to the ranks. Eventually, after everyone had given their final farewell, the men departed for the camps to drink. Martin had doubled the rations for the night, and had allowed alcohol privileges.

The second funeral was a more private affair, for a small group of people only connected by their mutual relationship with one Gregori. Despite being a key force doing the battle, Gregori was still ultimately banished from the Empire, and it was agreed that it would be more appropriate for him to have a private service.

As both Gregori's successor and his apprentice, Jason was expected to speak first. For his part, Jason had very little idea of what to say. He barely knew the man, only spending a week or so with him while under his tutelage. In the end, he decided to just start with that, and see where it took him.

"I didn't know Gregori for very long." He said, standing before Martin, Matilda and a few others who appreciated what Gregori had done. "Honestly, I think I knew him for all of a week, but from what I did know of him, I know he wasn't well liked, and I could see why."

"Gregori wanted a lot of things. Power, immortality, fame and glory. All things that aren't bad on their own, but the way he tried to get them didn't earn him many friends, and the way he treated others lost him the few he did have."

"I was a stranger to this land when I first met him. I had barely any idea what was going on, much less how to defend myself. But Gregori saw some potential in me that he must not have seen in anyone else. He taught me how to duel, how to twist reality with my words and my will. He gave me the tools I needed to make sure I wouldn't be at the mercy of the whims of the universe, and for that, I am grateful to him."

"Then he took that a step further, and made me his heir. He gave me everything he was, everything he had. I still don't know why, but that kind of act leaves a mark on you. To have that level of trust put in you, I don't think I'll ever forget him for that."

"He did saving lives. He died fighting the Black King, keeping his dragon busy while the Incarnate fought it's master. I think we all owe him a debt of gratitude for that, regardless of his status in the Empire."

"The people of the Empire have been dealt a poor fate, doomed to suffer the wrath of the Black King. But, as a tribute to Gregori, I will do whatever I can to help the Empire in it's struggles, even if I have to duel the Black King himself. We will have justice for the wrongs that were committed here, and we will have a happy ending we deserve. We owe ourselves nothing less."

Taking a moment to let his words sink in, Jason thanked those who had assembled, and stepped aside for the next speaker.

>End Chapter 2

Short post for a short chapter, but this felt like the appropriate stopping point. Hopefully the next chapter will be longer and more interesting.

Tired to get as many suggestions included in the speech as possible and keep it self-consistent, hopefully it was to your liking.


As this is the end of the second chapter, I feel this is a good opportunity to get feedback from everyone, so I'll re ask the questions I asked earlier, and invite everyone to offer their own comments:

What are your thoughts on the quest itself so far? Is the story to your liking? Any moments you liked best? Moments you could have done without?

Do you feel your choices are being respected? I can't always give everyone what they want, but I can try to accommodate as much as possible while still keeping to the story.

How do you feel about the characters? Is their development is progressing at a comfortable pace? Anything you like about them? Dislike?

Finally, if I could get a bit of a headcount on who is still following the quest, I'd appreciate that. I've noticed that only a small number of people are replying to the tags I send out, so I figure this would be a nice way to save everyone the headache of being spammed by alerts if they aren't paying attention anymore.

Thanks for all your time!

Axiom Days Axiom Days , Dusky Dusky , Emiya Shin Emiya Shin , Genon Genon , Historical Storyteller Historical Storyteller , Killigrew Killigrew , Reinhardt Reinhardt , D Dugym , Silanon Silanon , Silvertongued Silvertongued , simj26 simj26 , elusivethought elusivethought , Syrenrei Syrenrei , White Masquerade White Masquerade , wonderandawe wonderandawe
 
Beautiful, just beautiful, Jason just knows the right words to speak. Makes me a bit ashamed that I suggested that he go straight into the Black King's palace and burn everything to the ground...

Oh, well, most of us here wanted us to give him a speech while intoxicated anyway. I wonder if we horrified you a little, JayTree.
 
Think those words pretty much hit the nail on the head.

About the quest as a whole: Not much more to say than what I wrote previously - still a big fan of Gregori, even in death (think his last words couldn't have been any more fitting), and looking forward to see if Matilda changes by the happenings, or if she stays the same. Now that we met the Black King - really makes me wonder what makes him invade again and again. I didn't mind the less interactive part in the middle of the chapter, and really liked the choice between Gregori and the Incarnate. That's the kind of choice that really makes you think - good job on that one.
As usual, your writing has been amazing, and I feel like all of our choices get respected damn well - even if we decide for one thing, I always feel like the other side very much finds their thoughts included in the end result as well.

Needless to say, I'm still following (as you might have noticed). Always happy to see your alerts, so no need to stop tagging me.
 
You know what? I think I'll start reading some bits of the roleplay starting from page 9. I feel that I've missed a lot in this roleplay and it's time to pick up the pace. There's simply a lot to uncover here and this roleplay truly has a lot of potential. I can see the true passion you put here, JayTree, because you've been posting nonstop for months and you just keep it coming.

Yeah, I have the same thoughts as Silanon, you give proper respect to all of our choices whatever they may be. When we had to choose between Gregori and Matilda, we were reluctant for either one of them to die. Even though I was a Gregori boy all the way, I really liked Matilda. And even though you ultimately decided to off Gregori for good, you did so in a way that gave his character justice. You respect your story, you respect your characters, and you respect your roleplayers. And that's why we respect you, JayTree.

Suggestions (Warning: Wall of Text)

Well, you asked for it.

Here are some of my thoughts for your consideration. I hope this helps. Oh, and you don't have to do everything I suggest. Just saying.​

I really liked how the funerals were conducted. It really showed how these men gave their lives fighting for their land, and we may never get to know their names yet we will still remember their sacrifice. And in the dark, Gregori had his own private funeral that was attended by only a few people who knew him personally. These people are either some of his close friends or his family members. Undoubtedly, they must be powerful people since Gregori belongs to royalty.

JayTree, I think it would be a good idea to get to know some of these people. And remember Jason stepped aside to give room for the next speaker? If possible, I'd like to also know what that speaker would say or give me a general idea of his or her speech.

These people who were close to Gregori must be quite old like him. They probably knew that he was a bit of a asshole, but they might have been shocked to learn that Gregori was conducting experiments on his servants. Maybe they can give us a glimpse into Gregori's character and give us an idea of how Gregori lived his life in his earlier years. I'd like to know if Gregori had a lot of good in him but he gave in to his delusions of grandeur or if he was just really an asshole all his life.

Personally, I am also curious about the world's history. The Black King once said something about wondering what type of government we set up this time. Does this mean there is some ancient history to this world that we are not aware of? Are there still records of ancient civilization existing? And the Black King also said that the Incarnate would usually put an end to him after the Black King had burned the entire continent down. Perhaps the Incarnate was too late to stop the Black King from destroying civilizations in many cases.

Jason has some big shoes to fill. Many people from now on will be looking at him and I'd like to see how Jason will deal with it. I don't know if Gregori made some bitter enemies during his lifetime, but they'll probably try to kill Jason or at least call him bad names or something. The ordinary folks would probably fear Jason since they know Gregori's reputation as some kind of magical Frankenstein that performs evil experiments on hapless peasants...

In the end, I think everybody would first think Jason is as much as an asshole as his master. Like student like teacher. But once they get to know him personally, they might quickly change their mind... or think this is just a trick. I don't know, sometimes people can trust others easily while others are downright paranoid. I just hope Jason bumps into the good people.

I can recall that when Jason first met Matilda, she was with a group of Holy Knights or something. Perhaps Jason can meet up with some of the Holy Knights and learn some tricks from them...

That's all for now. I'll let you know if I have any more suggestions. If so, then I'll make a follow-up post called MOAR SUGGESTIONS.
 
MOAR SUGGESTIONS (Warning: You will lose your sanity reading all this.)

Jason's Car (!!!)

Fuck, guys, you're all forgetting about Jason's car! It would be hilarious if some thief tried to steal the damned thing and Jason had to chase the bastard only for the car to crash in the end. Or if some magicians or scholars came to study this 'strange contraption' and figure out how it worked. Double points if they manage to turn on the music player and let it play some hard rock music. Or yeah, people could just be lame and ignore the damned thing.

Animorphs (...) - Shits and giggles, don't take it seriously.

Oh good, for a moment there, I thought you had stumbled upon Matilda's secret ability to turn in to a bear.


Imeanwhat?

While reading on the previous posts, I stumbled on this one, and so now I think Jason should learn how to turn into a rat... a bear... or maybe even a rhinocerus... rhinoceras.... fuck it, rhino. Or maybe even a T-Rex or that perodactyl? preactyhel? I don't know how to spell that damned thing!

Whatever, Jason can turn into a dinosaur! Yes, that's it.

Aderan Navy (... ?) - Prepare to be REALLY confused because I can't explain it well.

I wonder if there's a way to stop an invasion through the sea. It requires a lot A LOT of patrol boats for sure, but it makes me think about a navy. Gah, fuck it, it's nearly impossible to detect an incoming fleet without radar anyway. The Black King probably expected to take the Aderan Empire by surprise but he was the one taken by surprise instead.

I know of several ways to assemble a navy. First, is to seize all the merchant ships in the country in the name of the Emprah! The economy will probably take one good kick in the balls, but at least you got a navy now. And sea merchants would probably run away from your country because of that.

Second, is to require a community to supply a warship and a crew to man it in times of war. It will still be a pain in the ass for the peasants, but you got a navy. Oh, and those peasants will probably need to return home in time for harvest so you can only summon them for at least three months or something. Third, you can hire mercenaries. It might be expensive but at least you are hiring professionals. Problem is that they are susceptible to bribery if the enemy pays much higher.

Well, the fourth way to build a navy is to uh... er... localize it! To make a local tax so that you can build a local navy. Let's say there's a navy tax in a port city so that the city will be able to build a few warships for itself. These warships will make up the city's local fleet, and they will be mostly interesting in the city's affairs rather than the Empire's. (Sorry if I'm not clear, even I'm a bit confused.)

Ah, so here's a fifth, there's... something called privateering. I'm not sure what it means, but I think it means that you can attack another country's shipping for your profit with the permission of the Empire. Six, or you can do it without the Empire's permission, which means you plunder some ships and engage in an act known as piracy.

Now, there's a seventh way to make a navy, which is frankly really really hard to do. You can make a national navy which would require some sophisticated organization to keep it intact, a lot of incoming resources to supply it, and it would probably need tons of cash to keep it afloat.

I'm not really sure if the Aderan Empire is landlocked or if it's situated in an area close to the sea. Maybe there are rivers that go deep in the Aderan Empire which many ships go through to either trade or to engage in piracy.

Thanks for bearing with me, JayTree. Tell me what you think of a navy.

Gambeson (... !) - Wow! You know your stuff.

Hah, you sure know your medieval armor, pal. When the quartermaster had to give Jason some armor, he handed Jason a gambeson. It's the typical armor of a medieval soldier, and you must have done some serious research before posting that. This isn't a suggestion, I just wanted to point out that you know your stuff, man.

Matilda's friends (?)

Surely, Jason isn't the only one that's got Matilda's back. Back when she found out that she was the new Incarnate must have been quite a shock to her, but that doesn't mean she doesn't have old friends from her farm life. The sickness may have killed all her family but some of her friends might still be alive. Oh, and she might have friends among the royal family or something. Don't know, it's all up to you, JayTree.

Black King's pathfinders, spies, or assassins (!!??)
I think this is a topic that you should give some serious thought. I heard that before the Mongols would attack a certain civilization, they would send spies to learn what they can of the civilization they would attack.

I got it from an answer in Quora. I suggest that you read it.
https://www.quora.com/What-did-espionage-look-like-in-Medieval-Europe/answer/Pat-Sullivan-32

So the Black King would have men as spies that would pose as merchants or missionaries or something like that to gather information on the Empire. Or they could take a step further and try to gain political power by killing officials and taking on their disguises. Or maybe they could just gain some influence over the people by being really likeable and having lots of charisma.

This can be interesting because maybe the Black King will send spies to either gather information on Jason or use assassins to kill him for taking the Black King's hand.

...

Or he could use a spy to steal Jason's car.

Reinforcements (?)

Remember how there were only a couple of hundred men in the beginning of the Black King's invasion? And that there were more men expected to come when the supply lines were secure? Perhaps hundreds more men will come to join Colonel Martian, and maybe they'll even try to set up several fortifications around the area so they could build a new base just in case the Black King decides to attack there again.

Martian's army (?)

Perhaps some of Martian's men (or women) can become major characters in their own right. That's only if Jason decides to tag along with Martian's army, so he'll have more interactions with them. There's this female Sergeant that's armed to the teeth, makes me wonder how she kicked ass during the Black King's invasion or... probably died there. I know the magicians have all died because of that damned dragon. Hmm,

Mayor Herschel and the villagers (?!)

Hmm, I wonder what happened to those villagers and Mayor Herschel. I know they're probably safe and sound with a squad of soldiers led by a guy named Hemmick, but maybe we might get to meet these folks again if we head deeper into the Aderan Empire. What happened to the woman selling potions? What happened to the barkeeper? Do they have new lives? How are they getting along with it so far? Perhaps they're living their lives as poor refugees, living a hand to mouth existence. Or they've been granted new land to farm under a new lord, so they're now farmer tenants. Or they're working for the army, doing some chores in exchange for meals. OR maybe they've either joined the army or at least been conscripted in it so they could fight against the Black King.

Stay tuned in, JayTree for EVEN MOAR SUGGESTIONS!
 

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