Generically-Titled Fire Emblem Quest (Gen 2) Part 45 Summary

Part 45 Link: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/45565334/

Part 45 Summary

 -With the aid of an Advocate claiming to be named Limin and strongly implying she was from Lloyd's destroyed hometown, Lloyd was able to get out of trouble with the Order of Odo. Limin and Zlatan, who helped clear this entire mess up, invited Lloyd to a celebratory dinner at some eatery Zlatan's apparently well-liked enough at to have immediate access to a VIP room at.
 -This was all a trap, however, Limin turning out to be Paula in disguise, Zlatan turning out to be her partner in crime. They were able to get the drop on Lloyd with the Firebolt he swiped, Lloyd's own dark magic tomes, and the fact that Zlatan, as opposed to Paula, had been the one equipped with Esmer's Witch Pendant, catching him off-guard. Lloyd, being completely unable to resist magic as a Wampyr, was easily put under mind control.
 -The remainder of the thread was via Leigh's POV, mainly listening in on a conversation between Riga, Irene, and Ansi about clearing Riga of suspicion and laying out various reasons Zlatan is totally a spy for Paula and probably has a Witch's Pendant. It was revealed that an assassin of the Peshkatz Group has successfully slain much of the Order of Odo's leadership before being taken out by Zlatan and Limin. The assassin's presence was immediately linked to the fact that the rebels were knocking on the Order's front door, leading them to believe that this is the last-ditch, all-or-nothing effort of the Groznyi. While Irene, Ansi, and Une investigated this assassination, the seemingly-fine-as-ever Lloyd would lead the rest of Marrius' Group to help fight off this invasion.

Marrius' Group Members

 -Lloyd (Spirit Charmer/Wampyr) A pragmatic young man whose home settlement was destroyed by an undead horde. Left with nothing, he convinced his girlfriend that the two of them needed to become bandits, and a series of coincidences from there led to him joining a noble group of mercenaries. Was a middle child, but both his older sister and younger brother are as dead as the rest of the people of his home settlement. He can be very silver-tongued when the situation calls for it. A large chunk of Marrius' Group, including said girlfriend, defecting was reason to convince him to form a pact with spirits. After purchasing a mysterious staff from Anna, he had Ansi test its on him. Turns out that that was the Wampyr staff, and now his own magic harms him, though his large supply of magical essence leaves him able to regenerate with ease... So long as he doesn't run out. Currently secretly under the control of "Limin," an Advocate living in Odo better known by her real name: Paula.
 -Leigh (Hero) A strong young woman whose home settlement was destroyed by an undead horde. She was convinced to become a bandit by her boyfriend, but she still has a valiant soul, being enthusiastic about chances to do the right thing. A series of coincidences led to her joining a noble group of mercenaries. While she's a hard-worker and ultimately good person, she's quick to complain about other people's moral failings and sensitive about how reliable she is. She wields a Miracle Sword (the Prayer Sword with the name changed to reflect the skill's official name) from Tomnus and Kneil, which wound up saving her life multiple times. After learning that Irene was formerly loyal to the group Lupus represented, she ended up spontaneously organizing a mutiny with several other members of Marrius' Group, which lasted several chapters and caused them to accompany Princess Shea for important plot events Lloyd couldn't be present for.
 -Ansi (Summoner) An antisocial and pragmatic former bounty hunter, long-haired, "pretty," and of average height and build, the type who won't help others if there's nothing in it for him. That being said, however, he does have a surprisingly passionate side to him, believing firmly in love at first sight, as professed upon meeting Jolie... And still being an all-around creep, even if he has been filled with newfound belief that he can improve his life. His gung-ho attitude as a bounty hunter led to a lot of collateral damage, some unnecessary deaths, and him being wanted for quite an impressive bounty in Tarvos Valley, though he's obviously mellowed out since then (hot-blooded side notwithstanding). His cynical side and his continued desire to change for the better for Jolie's sake combined in a rather inconvenient way when suspicions against Irene came up, and then he was arrested when Queen Eva "suddenly recognized him" after learning of his and Lloyd's mind-control-reversing spell. After he escaped and gained a cowboy hat, Lyeim convinced him to give Irene another shot.
 -Une (Bael Rider) A former bounty hunter who was forced to change careers after the disaster of helping Clint capture Ansi. Missing an eye and taking a massive hit to her reputation, nobody wants to partner with her, and she and her giant spider of a mount do NOT fly solo. Coldhearted, black-haired, and very strong, she is still not one to be trifled with, and she actually doesn't seem all that mad about the circumstances of her loss. She does seem to drink a lot to ease the literal and physical pains of eye loss, though. The keyword here is seems to. She carries around a flask and drinks from it at random in conversation, often hanging in bars, but Ansi revealed that she doesn't actually drink at all. She does have a bit of a tendency to be too passive and defer to others against her better judgement, despite her strong front. She has a habit of womanizing.
 -Asra (Assassin) A reclusive master of the killing arts, living in the mountains of Tordo and only showing herself should she notice someone in danger of falling at the hands of monsters or undead. Has a youthful appearance, stoic but friendly demeanor, and long black hair. A woman who had the misfortune of a Deadlord entering her body, though her being alive at the time caused her soul to be at odds with it. Shortly after revealing to Mage General Yancy that a mark was left somewhere on her body by this action (which prompted his interest in reviving Spirit Charming), she took on the name Valerie and remained generally out of people's ways until she made enemies out of Lupus. Joined Marrius' Group after Leigh's impromptu mutiny.
 -Sheena (Pegasus Knight) An Ulir-born young woman with a lot of heart and much less sense. She and her mother would not-uncommonly visit her aunt, during which they would camp together with them and their pegasi if the weather allowed. One time, this ended with her and her pegasus, Buccaneer, the sole survivors, left delirious and poisoned with only her aunt's Steel Lance at her side. In this state, she met Marrius, and attempted to rob him while not thinking straight. He set her straight, cured her poison, and generally won her heart in a matter of days (much to his chagrin). She decided to join Marrius' Group out of her gratitude. Fate is not kind to those who get close to her.
 -Calof (Vautou Archer) A non-confrontational winged man with a bow. He's a pretty simple, curious guy, a good shot, and a better conversationalist than a few of his wingless coworkers. He's very good at following orders, but poor at making decisions on his own account unless they're glaringly obvious choices. More shy than he lets on, with a tendency to play the straight man or voice of reason. During his long time spent in Ulir, he was compromised, mind-controlled, and sent home like nothing happened, but an uncharacteristic outburst tipped everyone in before he could properly betray everyone. Ansi handled it.
 -Gonzo (Soldier) Ansi's (now-former) roommate, a generally helpful, very nondescript man who dislikes small talk. Keeps a portrait of his family in his quarters, the only real hint to his life outside work. Doesn't particularly care about conspiracy or intrigue; he's just in this job for the paycheck.
 -Lyeim (Swordmaster) Half-garou, half-human, this guy was the newest member of Marrius' company prior to the appearance of Lloyd and Leigh. Overall, he's a nice, unassuming fellow, though he does have a slight dark side and can be insecure at times. The son of a beloved public figure in Neir, Stefyn, and the current leader of the Garou, Dama. While still a member of Marrius' Group, he decided to take some time off to visit home, clear out his head and remember what he considers important in life. Aiding Ansi's escape alongside his brother Romulus convinced him to end his time off early.
 -Yulea (Great Knight) A green-armored, fair-haired mercenary with a heart as big as she is strong, preferring to wield lances upon her horse. Unusually close with Yancy, who feels she's too nice for her own good, but is also exceptionally insecure about being "good enough for her." Can sometimes be slow on the uptake, but has an overall good, empathetic, protective head on her shoulders. While she does put her trust in Irene, her love for Yancy is much stronger than her feelings of camaraderie with Marrius' Group, so when Yancy departed, she left with her.
 -Yancy (Valkyrie) A red-armored, brown-redheaded mercenary with a foul, boisterous demeanor, skilled with a sword and a staff alike (and now learning tomes!). Unusually close with Yulea, who insists she has a good heart (she's not a bad person by any stretch, but she isn't actively nice like her friend). An admirer of muscles, she's constantly striving to improve herself, and can be snappy. The niece of Mage General Yancy, named after him by her... Interesting father. Having never liked Irene to begin with, the questionable nature of her trustworthiness was all the reason she needed to hightail it with Leigh.
 -Irene (Witch) A pupil of a former Mage General and a powerful mercenary with an extremely curious mind. In particular, she is currently studying ways to allow human beings to warp around safely without the use of some extremely rare apparatus, to mixed levels of promise. She's quite clever, good with administrative work, money, record-keeping, and generally being pleasant. She's comparable to a secretary-accountant-magic scientist and very supportive. She is, however, still capable with combative magic, and comes across as very protective of Marrius Group's members. After striking up a friendship with Lloyd, she began to teach him in an attempt to improve his magic. Until recently becoming fed up on moral grounds (thanks, Lupus), she was willing to employ Marrius' Group to the will of the masters of her meaner mentor, Esmer. This fact coming to light caused several members to leave Marrius' Group in outrage. She was coerced into rejoining them for the rest of the team's safety by her mentor, though she joined up with Princess Shea shortly before the parties re-merged anyway. Currently and for the forseeable future Marrius' Group's leader.

Allies (non-Marrius' Group)

 -Ellen (Hero) A champion of Neir who was sent into the mountains of Tordo to investigate the source of the undead menace who, by the reports of her surviving companions on the trip, resultantly fell through an Outrealm Gate and was missing in action awhile afterwards. At some point, however, she managed to return, being captured and mind-controlled by Paula and her faction. Still, though, she managed to resist it enough to avoid fighting Lloyd, Leigh, and Irene altogether as the mages mentioned broke the spells. From there, after a misunderstanding with Lloyd, she joined the group, not really being all that up to snuff on the details at the time.
 -Other Lloyd "Wes" (Wild Card) An amnesiac with a large scar along his neck, slightly different glasses, and no spirit charmer's mark on his left arm (he suspects one might be under his neck scar), taken in by Bolse. Was apparently found collapsed outside the Outrealm Gate. He took on the nickname "Wes" and traveled South with the party to Tarvos Valley. It turns out that he is, in fact, another realm's Nameless Advisor, having taken over the body of that realm's Lloyd, an immensely powerful necromancer without knowing it. For his own safety, he is staying in Rakche's court until Paula can be apprehended.
 -Bolse (Necromancer) Some kind of necromancer of importance, close to Paula. He is the father of Lupus, having been close to Prince Lars as Ahua, his mother, was, and having temporarily adopted a very philandering persona in his young adulthood. Nowadays, he has reverted to the passive, shy fellow he was as a child, and is not actually a part of Paula's plans, only having tolerated their existence until he decided to restore Riga.
 -Riga (Wyvern Lord) The niece of Dain's famed General Derrick, son of his slightly less famous and more unscrupulous brother Roderick. Apparently... Close with Marrius. Placed under a mind control spell by Lupus, she served as Esmer's right hand, even killing Lupus on her orders, though Bolse was able to break the spell when he convinced Esmer to let her bodyguard come protect him. This revealed that she is... rather passionate, but does have a thoughtful side to her, even if it can be swept to the wayside in moments of stress. Under orders by Duchess Victoria, she and some subordinates were sent to Odo to aid the Order.
 -Tomnus (Hero) See "clients" for basicmost details. It turns out his family was secretly supporting Princess Shea's investigation into her own family.
 -Kneil (Hero) See "clients" for basicmost details. He's just here to accompany Tomnus.
 -Romulus (Managarm) See "defeated bosses" for more details. He and his immediate family, and thus most prominent Garou leadership of Neir, support Shea's efforts.
 -Tobias (Managarm) The middlemost of Lyeim's siblings and Chief Dama/Stefyn's children. A self-styled explorer who has gotten into more than his share of trouble, he was once saved from his own cousin, Nail, by Marrius' Group.
 -Shea (Wyvern Lord) See "Clients" below for her earliest characterization. Upon gaining sufficient information, she reluctantly came to the conclusion that her mother, Queen Eva, was involved in this undead-related international conspiracy.
 -Yvette (Paladin) An elderly retainer for King Garrus, now tasked with accompanying his daughter, Shea. While famous for her exploits and of relatively sound mind, she has become bitter in her Autumn years, but she still loyally serves Neir. Was dearly close with the late Empress Alexia, having known her for at least sixty years, and has a bit of a reputation for training heroes since Ellen. Probably planning on retiring soon, and not at all fond of people she deems predatory. Only travels with the party when they're traveling with Shea.
 -Jolie (Halberdier) A green-haired bright young upstart in high spirits, honored to have earned the ability to work and travel directly alongside Shea and Yvette at her age. Generally excitable and ambitious, she sees herself and others as having endless learning and developing potential. Her mere visage could motivate a jaded bastard to act , as highlighted in her interactions with Ansi. At first, she doubted the genuineness of his motivations (is he ONLY becoming better for her sake?), but learning of some of his selfless acts has improved her standing on things. Only travels with the party when they're traveling with Shea.
 -Welles (Great Lord) See "Clients" section for further information. Long story short, he knows what Shea knows and wants to help, though many regard him as far too naive for this.
 -Cargia (Axe-Lord) Let into the same information as his elder sister, Shea, he was intercepted by a masked life-sucker of sorts on the way to a meeting with her. The assailant nearly killed him in front of everybody, draining him of a lot of blood and essence, but, just being that tough (and having immediate intervention), he managed to barely survive. Until he regains his strength, however, he needs to stay off the battlefield and walk with a cane, and only time will tell if he can return to his former strength.
 -Phineas (Lance Lord) The passive son of Duchess Phia of Noba, named after her late brother. He was captured by the Groznyi bandits, held in Ulir for awhile until he and Demeter were ultimately rescued. Carries the lance Dvaedn, an ancestral treasure his uncle once wielded. Currently out of the action.
 -Demeter (Sage) The hot-blooded daughter of Duchess Devon of Noba and her husband, the Late Miles. Adventurous and heroic-spirited, she took Phineas on an adventure, even hired some mercenaries to help slay a band of bandits... And was promptly defeated and captured by the Groznyi Group, though she was ultimately saved in Ulir by princess Shea. Carries the Cymbeline tome, an ancestral treasure of her father's lineage that was never so much as alluded to in gen 1. Currently out of the action.
 -Colleen (Villager class) See "clients" for more details. She joined up with Shea's group in Ulir.
 -Rema (Managarm) See "clients" for more details. She joined up with Shea's group in Ulir.
 -Jorden (Salamander Knight) See "defeated bosses" for more details. After Queen Eva's defeat, he reconsidered his priorities, his duties to protect Neir, and joined up with Shea.

Clients
 -Nicholas (Priest) See "Former Allies" below. Was only a client before Lloyd's time with Marrius' Group, but he ended up a part of the job he wanted done anyway.
 -Eyven (Ballistician, threads 3-4) The short and stocky son of the late Salia and Quidel, leaders of the Tarvosian nomads. Rather lazy, he still looks out for his brother Welles, and is able to teleport at will using a Witch's Pendant inherited from his mother, which only works on a single person due to its damages. Upon finding out that Neir was unable to spare an in-house escort to a funeral in Dain, he hired members of Marrius' group to accompany him the rest of the way. Irene trusts him to look after and manage Marrius' Group's headquarters on short notice on the rare occasions she gets involved in fieldwork. He also discovered the unpublished, just-barely-completed-before-death work his mother made on improvements to Ballistas.
 -Welles (Great Lord, threads 3-4) The tall and built son of the late Salia and Quidel, leaders of the Tarvosian nomads. An extremely friendly person with impeccable ability to bring out the best in all people, highlighted by his complete refusal to take a life with his immense swordsmanship skills. He managed to both subdue and befriend a group of bandits who attacked one night.
 -Cargia (Axe-Lord, threads 5-7) The big and intimidating prince of Neir, good friends with his gentler cousin Welles. He enjoys scaring people with his sheer presence, as well as using it as a means to formulate his first impression. Pretty much exactly what you would expect him to be. He asked to be escorted to Tarvos Valley alongside Shea and her guards, presumably to help defend against potential threats where he should be living and serving anyway. See his above section for further information.
 -Shea (Wyvern Rider at the time, threads 5-7) The crown princess of Neir, who's been on some secret but important mission with Yvette and Jolie all over the continent. Heroic, but doesn't have a lot of hobbies. She, her own guards, and her brother requested to travel with Marrius' Group to Tarvos Valley to lend their aid against potential threats. Later, they ran into her trio tailing the New Flight in Tordo. They helped them fight them. See her above section for more recent information.
 -Jay (Fighter, threads 5-7) A man living in Dagda village and a survivor of a tragic massacre in Orsin Village. With the recent state of worldly affairs, he figured hiring some extra security in case of Dracozombies would be wise, since the survivors reunite there annually. That's where Marrius' Group comes in.
 -Rema (Garou, threads 9-10) The second-oldest of Lyeim's siblings, beastly and strong and hot-blooded. Can be a bit rude or insensitive, but does care deeply about her family (ironically enough, she's the only one who openly admits to not abiding by "blood is thicker than water." She appreciates them all for them). She works on a ship with Colleen. After her brother, Tobias, discovered that their uncle Vaga had a son living in the Odo region, he went to meet them... Only for this son to turn out to be a bandit leader. Discovering this, Rema immediately saw to hiring Marrius' Group to save him. When the group headed to Ulir, she and her sister worked on the very ship Tomnus and Kneil had hired for their... Shipment.
 -Colleen (Villager class, threads 9-10) The youngest of Lyeim's siblings, tall yet frail, soft-spoken, passive, and easily-scared, but loving regardless, with an analytical mind and a bold side hidden away in there somewhere. She works on a ship with Rema, primarily following her lead in life. Same boat as Rema, no pun intended.
 -Tomnus (Mercenary, threads 12-15) The son of a swordsmith and enchanter in Neir, all-around friendly and grateful for his life. Travels the continent on behalf of his parents' store, selling wares they produce. He and Kneil hired members of Marrius' Group to protect the cargo of items his father enchanted.
 -Kneil (Mercenary, threads 12-15) A close friend and companion of Tomnus, a musical soul with a lot of talent... Which he deliberately squanders so to be Tomnus' yes-man. Described as a redheaded and immensely pretty young man, he could make a fantastic bard if he simply put forth the effort.
 -Mage General Yancy (Spirit Charmer, threads 16-20) See Noteworthy Non-party/non-client characters below. He's paying Lloyd and co. to investigate why the New Flight is in Tordo's capital while he's in the area, sending Irma along with him.
 -Victoria (Sniper, threads 22-25) Duchess of the duchy of Malva, a friend of Ellen's, and the one who sent Riga along with Phineas and Demeter. Wields the ancestral bow Ronan. She sent for Marrius' Group to meet her for something VERY secret, sensitive, and presumably difficult, ultimately turning out to be hunting down Vill.
 -Zlatan (Adventurer Class, threads 41-ongoing) A courier working for both the Order of Odo and the Groznyi Group, both of whom, at the behest of their respective outside allies, sent him to recruit Marrius' Group with a letter from Malva's Duchess Victoria and Dain's Empress Kia. An opportunist who openly cares only for his own survival and success, he didn't care which side of Odo's civil war our heroes supported. For a double agent, he's not very good at being secretive. It seems that his hands are far deeper into the pudding of both sides than he cares to admit, and he's also working in tandem with an incognito Paula to some end!

Former Allies (bar clients, defeated bosses, or Leigh's Party Members)

 -Nicholas (Priest, died in thread 1) A righteous-hearted healer and lover of a deceased Icewoman under Gyo who called for the aid of Marrius' company when his town was overrun by the Ymir Group. After mistaking Lloyd and Leigh for members of Marrius' Group, he was killed by one of Cane's lackeys, dying without learning the truth about his town's "saviors," but at least the real deal showed up soon after.
 -Mogall (Arch Mogall, "died" in thread 8) A floating eye monster that Ansi summoned to help woo Jolie. It... Didn't exactly work, and he just never really got around to unsummoning it for about three threads. It resists Dark Magic. Lloyd grew quite attached to the thing, only to accidentally cause Ansi to unsummon it when he misled Yone about its purpose as a joke. Its tragic loss in an instant will be mourned for a lifetime... Probably?
 -Captain Impostor (Pirate class, died in thread 14) The friendly captain of the Intelligent System, and thus the boss of Rema and Colleen. She was killed by subordinates of Helena's early on in the raid on her island, the fallout of which forced Tomnus and Kneil to turn back with a badly-wounded Colleen.
 -Yone (Priest, died in thread 14) A young man (he can't be older than 19) with short, dark hair and a fiery red heart. Having lost his younger brother Zine to an undead attack shortly before the story began, he blamed himself and his then-cowardice for this tragic loss. He himself was saved by an eight-fingered swordswoman and her crew, and from there was inspired to absolutely never back down from danger, no matter how ill-equipped he was. He ended up joining Marrius' Group after confronting Lloyd about his and Leigh's bandit past (he himself a former victim of theirs), and from there proceeded to annoy everybody, especially with his crush on Yancy (though he did get over that and seemed to have taken an interest in Sheena). He did, hhowever, manage to comically bumble his way into unraveling a smuggling empire offscreen. Ultimately, he proved his worth as a valuable ally only in the same mission which cost him his life. His healing was vitally helpful during the raid on Helena's island fortress, and ultimately an axe was buried in him by the captain herself just after he saved a dying ally just nearby. He took her down with him, however, by burying his freshly-broken staff in her head so Marrius could finish her off.
 -Marrius (Hero, died in thread 14) A famous mercenary company leader and the son of two other prolific sellswords. Despite not being particularly old, he has a mature air about him, and is by all reports a very nice guy. His father apparently trained one of the most famous heroes in recent Teege history, Ellen. Upon discovering that a Necromancer was involved in the capture and disappearance of Lord Phineas, Lady Demeter, and the wyvern-bound Riga, he took it upon himself to travel to Malva and inform Duchess Victoria before rejoining his group in Ulir to fight Helena. Not hours after Helena's defeat, Marrius himself was killed by the leader of the very "friendly" reinforcements he called in, the New Flight.
 -Irma (Mercenary class, died in thread 17) A bodyguard of Mage General Yancy's sent along with Lloyd and co to Tordo. Strong and silent. Was killed and replaced by Ymira before the group could travel to the Ice Authority capital, revealing herself just in time to screw them over and start a very difficult fight.
 -Gyo (Ice Dragon, left behind in chapter 19) Bearing a childlike, androgynous appearance, Gyo is, like most known manaketes, really several centuries old, but still considered an unworthy upstart by other Ice Authority representatives. Has only killed one Fire Dragon despite the authority's policy, and even that was in self-defense. All in all a pretty nice person, respected by settlers, and one of the few Ice Dragons to come to the Authority's capital in its time of need. Lloyd has no idea what the hell Gyo's gender is, and at this point he feels like he's known Gyo too long to risk the offense of a manakete by asking.
 -Kyure (Ice Dragon, left in chapter 19) An older Ice Authority representative. Somewhat jaded, she and her Icemen still fight for their country against overwhelming odds and numbers. Fond of Gyo in an "elder sister" sort of way.
 -Clint (Ranger, left Leigh's group in chapter 24, died in thread 26) See "defeated bosses" for information on him as a boss. Initially mind-controlled and sent after a Falcoknight and her cronies, also sent after Ansi in particular, he was tasked with leading Leigh and co. into an ambush by him and Romulus. Suffice to say, they were defeated and the spells lifted. When suspicions against Ansi were brought up by Queen Eva, he was quick to do the "lawful" thing and immediately tell her majesty the truth about his wantedness. This was generally regarded as a bad move by the characters whose faction we sympathize with. See "defeated bosses" for details about his being a boss.

Defeated Bosses

 -Cane (Warrior, died in thread 1) A cruel woman hailing from far-off islands who apparently knows the pain of losing loved ones and drawn-out deaths, preferring to avert both when possible, albeit knowing it's sometimes unavoidable. She was the leader of the Ymir Group bandits, but apparently until recently was only its second-in-command. After a onesided-in-her-favor fight with Lloyd, she was stabbed in the nick of time by Leigh and finished off by Yulea.
 -Barry (Berserker, did not die in thread 3) A big guy whose name happened to be dropped in his attempts to raid the campsite of the members of Marrius' Group escorting Welles. Losing an arm to Leigh was enough to convince the rest of his companions that maybe continuing along this path was a poor choice, and Welles was even able to prod Ansi into reluctantly saving his life. Had Welles not spoken out as he did, he and his entire group would have died of the wounds they'd received fighting his escorts, and several were already as good as such by the time the dust cleared.
 -Clint (Ranger, spared in thread 7, then in thread 21, died in thread 26) A bounty hunter dressed in what is easier described as cowboy getup than referred to writing around it. A noble archer and swordslinger of the Wild East with some personal grudge against Ansi. To the end of capturing him, he enlisted his former partner Une. While he's honorable and somewhat prone to melodrama, he's principled to a fault, insists on taking matters into his own hands. Ultimately, he and Ansi earned each other's respect after he saved him from a rule-breaking surprise attack by Une, and he left without reporting him to the knight right there in town. After his brainwashing was broken, he played a direct role in Ansi's capture anyway, only to challenge him to one last one-on-one duel after he escaped Rakche's dungeons.
 -Une (Bael Rider, presumed dead in thread 7) See one of the "party members" sections.
 -Nail (Winged Warg, died in thread 10) One of many illegitimate children of the Garou nobleman Vaga, he in particular resulting from a union between him and a Vautou. A hot-blooded bastard (no pun intended), he made his way to leading the ferocious Groznyi Group bandits in the newly-formed nation of Odo, at one point capturing his cousin Tobias and swiping his beaststone, learning that he could use it for himself to become an immensely powerful and fearsome bird. A gifted warrior by all regards, he had the potential to singlehandedly wipe out Marrius' Group in his transformed state, only undone by his lack of consideration that his own men might betray him. When "further support" finally got off its ass to help, six archers stuck him through, due to the machinations of Lloyd and Colleen. The six archers who shot him down became the Parthia, six snipers of modern legend, somewhat early on in a later civil war.
 -Jack and Sears (Berserkers, died in thread 14) The top enforcers of Captain Helena, placed outside of the fortress at the time of Marrius' raid. Jack was killed by the first wave before Lloyd could even glimpse at him, and Sears was ultimately killed as well, but Sears and his own men turned out to be quite the roadblock for Captain Impostor's wave, killing her and forcing Colleen to be returned to the ship with Tomnus and Kneil.
 -Helena (Berserker, died in thread 14) The daughter of Dolores Dory and pirate captain Arvo, Helena seeks to return the world to glorious days of piracy that ended during her infancy. To this end, and with her mother's rose-tinted narrative of what those days were like, she has become a vicious pirate in her own right, already a thorn in the side of countless good and innocent people. Perhaps, if allowed to continue, she would return the era of piracy to the Southern coast and beyond of Teege. Having stolen the Galeforce Axe, she was quite the combative force to be reckoned with, and was thankfully confronted on land, instead of the sea front where pirates are better-known for shining. Even still, she was able to match Marrius, Rema, and Lloyd in combat together, and even when grievously wounded, was only able to die when Yone took her down with him, freeing her up for a last several blows from Marrius.
 -Risa (Wyvern Lord, captured in thread 18) A somewhat high-ranking member of the New Flight who wields a Wind Sword. Loyal to a fault to the group, she reprimanded her underling, Kay, for failing to kill an Ice Dragon leading civilians out of the capital, and even killed an unarmed, wounded young man for planning to aid in a retaliation. She was then defeated and brought back to Princess Shea's camp. All of her actions, however, were discovered by Ansi and Lloyd to be the result of a mind control spell cooked up by Lupus, which they then worked to figure out a counterspell for.
 -Lupus (Necromancer, died in thread 20) Having recently become the leader of the corrupted New Flight mercenaries, this blond young man claims to be a grandchild of Chief Loba, most likely through the late Lady Ahua. Wielding the Fist of the Managarm, a magic-based alteration of Canis' creation, the Fist of the Garou tome, it is entirely likely that he was the necromancer who aided Nail and the Groznyi. He's killed Marrius at the drop of a metaphorical hat, as well as creating highly illegal and unethical Mind Control spells, which is what he uses to keep the New Flight in line. Ultimately, his vile nature and idiocy were his undoing, as he was defeated by Lloyd, Leigh, and Asra, captured, and ultimately killed by Riga, who he himself had placed under Esmer's control.
 -Romulus (Managarm, spared in thread 21) The eldest and proudest of Stefyn and Dama's sons. Very shortly after he and Clint became partners in the business of bounty-hunting, they were brainwashed and targeted Leigh's group, along with five other Garou warriors apparently friendly with Romulus. When the five of them were killed, it enraged Romulus to the point where, on top of stupid enraged mistakes, he was able to break out of his mind control long enough to call Leigh out on killing mind controlled minions, and his friends and fellow wolves at that! Though Leigh spared him (against her and Ansi's better judgement) and Ansi removed his mind-control spell, they have reason to believe he will eventually seek revenge of his own volition.
 -Vill (Wampyr, died in thread 25) A bombastic fencer of little talent and self-professed friend of Mahavira the Wulf, he turned out to be the one responsible for a string of draining-based killings in Ennase, having been gifted odd powers of the night by the power of a staff known as Wampyr. Through his recklessness, we learned that Wampyr are extremely susceptible to magic, despite absorbing essence (sometimes blood too, but only when they're hungry), and that said essence absorption could potentially fatally overload a Wampyr, if the source has enough Essence to do so, but it takes a LOT to do so (Lloyd, a spirit charmer, having been pretty much completely drained), which was ultimately his fate at the hands of... Himself, but the magic of Lloyd. Moreover, as he neared overloading, he became practically immune to damage and much stronger just before he started dying, so, again... Huge gamble.
 -Monique (Wampyr, defeated in thread 26) A swordswoman discovered half-dead and frozen by Ymira in Tordo, pegasus dead and amnesia-struck, only remembering the start of her name and apparently being skilled with a sword. She is actually the amnesia-stricken Monica, a Falcoknight from Neir. Though her memories are still gone, Yvette was able to convince her to return home... Which turns out to be less than wonderful, since she was at some point turned into a Wampyr, becoming a masked assassin and nearly killing Cargia. She was literally disarmed by Ansi, leaving her unable to suck essence out of people until she can reunite with her hand... Which was destroyed.
 -Esmer (Witch, died in thread 34) A member of the Wulf Company in her youth, she taught Esmer what she knows about magical combat, as opposed to Mage General Corneria's lessons in... Much other things she does. She quit being a mercenary after the death of Prince Lars, a very likely lover of hers. Apparently an excessively tough teacher, she is still remembered fondly by Irene, and at least gave her a Witch's Pendant. Nowadays, loyally serves the reclusive Princess Paula of Dain and Bolse, meaning she herself rarely appears either. Turns out that she was a superior to Lupus, and until the half-garou's actions disgusted her too thoroughly, Irene too was among subordinates to Paula, which Esmer was able to push her back into being. She was then captured, escaped once more, and was killed by Wes in a battle in Orsin Village.
 -Jorden (Salamander Knight, defeated in thread 35) Half-manakete, half human, all knight of Neir. He's not particularly friendly, but he is dutiful and immensely powerful, adept in fighting both in dragon and human form. Half-manaketes still age significantly slower than humans, but this slowing occurs in early adulthood instead of mid-late childhood. Overtly proud of his ancestry and his belief that it makes him physically superior, he strives to be the greatest warrior alive for the countless years he'll be in his prime. Despite his eagerness, however, he is hesitant to test his might against Neir royalty such as Cargia. As his father and the main forces of the knights of Neir were held back by Tarvosians, Garou, and Fire Dragons alike, and he was the first and most persistent threat our heroes encountered once the battle began. However, even he was worn down soon enough, and Queen Eva took his place after finding her trusty old Flame Lance.
 -Eva (Wyvern Lord, defeated in thread 36) Granddaughter of a deceased Dain emperor, elder sister to the current empress, and married to Neir's king Garrus, Eva commands a lot of respect from the Kingdom of Neir, ironically enough with her very friendly, conversational demeanor, albeit with a tendency to ramble on and on. She also has very strong might-makes-right mentalities, personally having led troops in at least one of the Dain Empire's campaigns in her youth (claiming Malva with her father). The exact point where she had Ansi arrested moments after learning of his developing an ability to reverse Lupus' homemade mind-control spells caused her daughter, Shea, to connect several dots, reaching the conclusion that she is complicit in the same attacks as Esmer's faction. Her personal leadership of the knights of Neir is expected to be a more harrowing hurdle than Paula and the Wulf Company, which is why they were ultimately faced first. Despite her training her Vantage skill into literal psychic powers, she was ultimately overwhelmed, only saved from death by Leigh's miracle sword, and captured. She was stripped of her military power and placed under house arrest in castle Rakche, king Garrus being too sentimental to severely punish her.
 -Mahavira the Wulf (Hero, died in thread 37) Leader of the Wulf Company, for decades Mahavira has been respected as a pillar of honor and strength among sellswords, his charisma and sweet beard inspiring his many mercenaries. Ultimately, he proved loyal to the wrong people and agreements, recalling his admiration of Prince Lars, vowing to protect his sister, and being slain by Lloyd.
 -Ymira (Chameleon, captured in thread 40) A shapeshifter who was (poorly) impersonating Ellen's appearance to inspire people towards her rebellion against the Ice Authority. Passionate, in her true form extremely androgynous and salmon-haired, she led the Ymir group until shortly before the story began, at which point it was an honorable group of freedom fighters as opposed to the bandits Cane led them to become. Apparently, she's the one who hired out the New Flight to head to the capital of the Ice Authority. Her noble goals and less-than-noble personality lead her to oppose the members of Marrius' Group. She was finally permanently captured when Paula succeeded in her attempt to use Ymira's abilities and the sheer distraction of her own Dracozombies to escape.
 -Pere (Sniper, died in thread 42) The leader of the Parthia, a group of six snipers widely considered the best shots in the entire continent of Teege, a long-haired fellow who was one of the prior-unnamed archers who killed Nail. Naturally a somewhat famous figure in the Groznyi Rebels' military, his named appearance had him training a seventh member, a young boy named Cailean. Suspicious about Zlatan's true intentions, he had Cailean speak to him in the forest, but the hot-blooded youth immediately turned the situation violent, requiring Lloyd to step in, survive being riddled with arrows, and thus reveal his Wampyrism to Pere. Pere held Lloyd off and ordered the rest of his men to bring the unconscious Cail to safety+find a certain magical bow called the Firebolt. While the purely-physical archer was drained very quickly against Lloyd, his dying words implored for him and Zlatan to break free of a mind control spell they were not actually under, being under the impression that Paula had taken over Marrius' Group.
 -Ruth (Halberdier, died in thread 43) The stubborn and newly-appointed captain of a Garrison of Dain soldiers posted in a town near Odo's Disler Outpost in order to aid the rebels. Her tactical decision to outfit her mages in heavy armor backfired horribly when they were exhausted and unable to properly fight, resulting in insufficient support and the prompt massacre of her and her soldiers, the sole survivor, a mage named Sabrina, being taken prisoner and left catatonic. A decent enough fighter, but "decent enough" doesn't really cut it 43 chapters in.

Noteworthy Non-party/non-client Characters

 -Mage General Yancy (Spirit Charmer) The current leader of Heim, operating out of Elza Oasis, specifically its Tower of Longevity, like most Mage Generals before him. Decades ago, he lost his arm in a war, though he has since learned to maintain a replacement with magic. In his time as ruler, he improved Heim's infrastructure pretty nicely, though some of that has been undone by the random undead. He's currently looking for viable candidates to become spirit charmers ever since rediscovering the lost arts with the aid of his predecessor and her daughter, and has even expressed interest in letting Lloyd become one, which he did. Is also, coincidentally, the uncle of Yancy, his brother having named his daughter after him.
-Garrus (Wyvern Monarch) The king of Neir, a noble-hearted fellow who dislikes how much violence the state of this world necessitates. In general, he's rather sad, but appreciates his life and family.
 -Paula (Necromancer) The youngest daughter of the late Empress Alexia. Apparently missed her funeral for some important offscreen business, sending a woman named Esmer on her behalf. She might be the driving force behind the plot, but she is eclipsed in threat and competence by many of her subordinates, who acknowledge that her usefulness will end with the fighting. She lost her hand in her first onscreen appearance. Escaping the apparent final battle, her conspiracy was left in shambles and she was barely able to warp away. Her suspected next move will be to find Wes, mind control him, and restore his memories while still under her influence. The continent is currently on high alert seeking her out, while she lives as an Advocate in the capital city of the Order of Odo, growing to understand law and the life of an ordinary individual/participant in government, just WHAT people's grievances with the world are, and generally become a more worthy future leader under the name of Limin.
 -Lyeim's Family (Varies) Garou, such as chief Dama, tend to give birth to litters of five or six at a time. While it's common and just sort of accepted that they don't all usually survive past infancy, Lyeim and all four of his siblings have reached adulthood relatively fine. Romulus, the oldest of the bunch, is very proud of his wolf-person heritage, compared to his deceased aunt in that way, and apparently is both a swordsman and a transformation-based fighter. Tobias is a traveling big silly with musical skills. Colleen and Rema work in the Ulir Archipelago, and Lyeim doesn't need an explanation. In order of age: Romulus, Rema, Tobias, Lyeim, Colleen, though this is by a matter of seconds at most. Lyeim also has a lot of cousins via his uncle Vaga's history of womanizing and suspects that Ahua had at least one, but has never met them, even after she died.
 -Natalie (War Cleric) A survivor of some tragic event in Orsin Village and the mother of Yancy. A skilled healer with a heart of gold and a stone face, but rather passive.
 -Reese (General) A survivor of some tragic event in Orsin Village, now a respected and well-known knight of Neir. He married and has a son with a Fire Dragon. Has the lawful heart he thinks is ideal of a knight.
 -Misheil (Fire Dragon) A former member of a once-nomadic group of Fire Dragons who banded together to protect themselves from the Ice Authority. While most of them settled down in the Cord region of Neir, she lives in Rakche, often visiting the nation of Noba to visit her younger brother. Lloyd hasn't actually met her, but... she exists, yeah.
 -Zoe (Falcoknight) The lover of Ellen, who's apparently had a rough year or so. The demise of Princess Salia and probably several other friends, one of her sisters being far away, the disappearance of Ellen and her other sister in turn... Basically, she's been very lonely and withdrawn lately. Apparently has private meetings with Yancy whenever she's around her, the details of which are between them. Hopefully she's doing better now that Ellen's been back awhile.

Noteworthy factions

 -Ice Authority: Ruling the Tordo mountains with a frigid fist, this group of Ice Dragons led the nation mostly-undisturbed for years... Until recently, when zombies and the like have been raised in the past few years. Since then, their authority has weakened, and unsavory groups of humans have picked up the slack where they've been hit the hardest. They have a policy of exterminating Fire Dragons and Chameleons on sight, sentiments which most, but not all human settlers share. There are human representatives of the Ice Authority, called Icemen or Icewomen, though they typically answer to a dragon representative instead of the Authority itself, and they have a stereotype of being dumb muscle.
 -Marrius' Group: A mercenary guild founded by the swordsman Marrius, quickly rising in fame. Typically only sending a few more members than deemed necessary on any given mission, they still have a very low mortality rate and generally report satisfaction. It's arguably more comparable to a mercenary's guild.
 -Ymir Group: A bunch of bandits who recently became led by Cane, though their former (and "real") leader has not been revealed. They were significantly weakened, cut up, and humiliated by their defeat in a settlement by members of Marrius' group.
 -Magical Senate: The governing body of the desert nation of Heim, headed by a Mage General approved by... Some means or another. Their actions are heavily responsible for the towns and cities of the harsh desert being surprisingly comfortable, secure places to live.
 -Undead: A type of monster that normally needs to be specifically summoned. Lately, however, they've been appearing literally at random throughout the nation, making travel a more dangerous thing once again. Despite the name, they do not appear to have ever truly been alive, only taking on forms resembling once-living things.
 -Garou Tribes: A race that is known for using beaststones to shift between a humanlike form and that of a large, menacing wolf in battle, currently led by a woman named Dama. People of mixed Garou ancestry sometimes can transform like this, but also sometimes can't. This integration, while surprisingly smooth, isn't necessarily as perfect as people like to pretend it is, since a centuries-long history of mutual animosity cannot truly be erased in a few decades.
 -Tarvosian Nomads: As a society, the caretakers of Tarvos Valley have been beloved and respected allies of the kingdom of Neir since its literal beginnings. Tarvos Valley alone is enough to qualify as the largest region of Neir, and it's also coupled with the valley in which the capital of Rakche is located to form the Johan region. Currently led by a man named Antiman, uncle of its recently-deceased former chief.
 -Kingdom of Neir: Founded by Queen Hauteclere centuries ago on the remains of the Gerxel empire, Neir is a mountainous nation on the Easternmost end of the continent of Teege, encompassing four massive valleys and their surrounding mountain ranges, officially designated as the Johan, Cord, and Darros regions, with Johan housing both the capital of Rakche and the aforementioned Tarvos Valley. Led by King Garrus and Queen Eva, considered all-around decent and respectable rulers. The leading families make a tradition of sending at least one of their non-heir children to live among and serve the other, as a show of continued mutual trust, goodwill, and connection. Turns out that Eva was in on that awful continental conspiracy, though.
 -Dain Empire: Just a few years ago, this name would have struck awe and fear into people's hearts. However, the reforms of its recently-deceased Empress Alexia have... Made the nation not what it used to be, in terms of size and intimidation. For the most part, though, people have agreed that this is still better than the whims of the infamously incompetent Emperor Elias II, whose senility and all-around insistence on playing the part of some cliche villain led to the ire of many people, as well as leading him to be manipulated by a still-unidentified (but now thankfully deceased) Necromancer with Outrealm-spanning aspirations. The niece of Alexia, Empress Kia, is in control of the nation now.
 -Spirit Charmers: Long thought completely lost to the world, the art of spirit charming traditionally involves inviting a spirit into one's body, forming a pact with it to amplify one's magical potential and essence, though the ritual can be fatally taxing on the soul unless the person is young and inexperienced, very skilled, or extremely determined. The creation of Deadlords, apparently, is merely a modified version of this, to the point where attempting to bring a Deadlord's spirit into a living host will create a mark similar to those on the bodies of spirit charmers, though they don't give the same improvement to essence.
 -Groznyi Group: Led by the garou-vautou Nail, this band of bandits operates out of Disler Outpost in Odo (formerly part of the Dain Empire). In the recent past, they killed Marrius' Group members Alice, Rune, and Tiamo, capturing their clients, Lord Phineas and Lady Demeter of Noba, and their bodyguard, Riga. They were briefly served by a Necromancer, who left alongside the captured nobles very shortly before the group was attacked by Marrius' Group once more. In the process, they were inspired by Lloyd to turn against their boss (all warriors loyal to him were killed already) and call a truce with Marrius' Group. Since then, their motivations changed to become a sort of rebellion openly opposing the Order of Odo, earning the support of Dain's empress Kia and agreeing with her that Marrius' Group could be trusted to work alongside them. Little did they know that a double agent for the Order of Odo was sent with this request...
 -Dory Trade Dynasty: A "trade empire" that was rather blatantly little more than a giant sea-gangster military. Harassing the coastlines for generations while based out of the Ulir archipelago, the Dories defined generations' worth of perception of the archipelago. The family's final patriarch was known as Ernest Dory, and also on their employment was the viciously famous mercenary and pirate captain Arvo. Though the bloodline survives through former Mage General Corneria, her twins Bolse and Katina, and the heroine Ellen, only the youngest of the family, Dolores' Dory's second daughter Helena, still acknowledges any ties to the dynasty, seeking to return the faction to its former infamy through piracy. As good as destroyed.
 -New Flight: A mercenary organization founded by apprentices and relatives of the ill-fated Emperor's Flight squadron of Dain. Considered an ally to Marrius' Group, Marrius trusted them enough to allow them to provide reinforcements for the raid on Helena's Fortress. Their new leader, Lupus, however, proved... Less than savory. High-ranking members of the group have, in fact, fallen under a mind control spell cooked up by Lupus. Their weakened numbers, freed from the grasp of the conspiracy in the wake of Lupus' defeat, vanished into obscurity shortly after.
 -Duchies of Noba: Noba has a... Complex and largely irrelevant history. Founded centuries ago by a king known as Augustus, an ambitious and young-dying king (he had the misfortune of existing during Hauteclere's War, made an example of by the Gerxel Empire for allying with her), the smallish nation pretty soon fell into a civil war of its own over who ought to be in charge, creating a powerful lance, bow, and tome in the process. In the end, none of the duchies were able to settle on who ought to lead, and... Nobody did. Though preferring the stability of saying they're a full country, Malva, Fathom, and Phile have only gotten along due to necessity since, sentiments of rivalry often sparking between them all. Recently, another empire had sunk its claws into Noba, namely Malva, but when Dain's emperor Elias was slain, his successor, Empress Alexia, returned much of Noba's land to its original independence. Duchess Victoria, of the now-most-powerful Duchy Malva, was only barely a woman at the time her duchy fell thanks to indifferent neighbors and her own paranoia/inexperience, passionately and immediately attempting to run a revolution to reclaim it. It was bloodily suppressed by Elias' son, Elias III, and military troops led by his daughter, now-Neir-queen Eva, and eventually she was captured by a weak and now-forgotten mercenary company called the Freeblades, though not after humiliating herself in the process of attempting to acquire more men for her cause. Fathom, formerly the most powerful and respected Duchy, lost much of this with the practices and passing of its patriarch, Duke Kilos, his bowing to the Dain Empire costing his on his life mere days after forgiving him/returning his birthright, stripped for his love for a common-born woman instead of duchess Victoria. That common-born woman, Devon, is currently the duchess, though her inexperience in the world of politics has... Certainly changed the power dynamic of the duchies, she and Victoria are quite good friends, and Devon and Miles' daughter, Demeter, shows promise as a leader. While Duke Philemon, the previous leader of the duchy of Phile, was a depressed and often-ill man, letting the lesser nobility of the land abuse their powers and people since he simply could not stand up to them, his daughter, Phia, has succeeded him quite well, though the transition has not been easy. She and her son, Phineas (named after her late brother), have been the target of many assassination attempts by disgruntled nobles, but they have been taught well in fights despite their meek demeanors.
 -Wulf Company: A powerful group of mercenaries which has primarily operated on the coin of the Noba duchies, though their earliest major success was ironically the suppressing of Victoria's rebellion at the behest of then-princess Eva, before Duke Kilos of Fathom brought them on full time.. Recently, their leader, Mahavira the Wulf, has opted to cut the country off, so to speak, in favor of honoring a decades-old alliance with the late Lars. Esmer was a former key member, and ultimately the group met its undoing defending Princess Paula's lair from princess Shea's assault.
 -Wampyr: With the ability to drain people of their magical essence or drink their blood through fingertips (though they do the latter much less), Wampyr are servants created by the staff of the same title. They are required to obey orders from their "creators" and are extraordinarily fast, physically resilient, and capable of extraordinary acrobatic feats at night. With enough essence, severed body parts can act on their own or even be controlled remotely. However, there are plenty of reasons that they are not more widely used than as lone agents. First off, for all their power, they are slightly weaker than their human self was in sunlight. For all the essence they can have coursing through their body, they are ironically exceptionally weak against magical attacks... If you can hit them. It is also possibly for them to "overeat" and explode with magical essence, but doing so is immensely dangerous. A spirit charmer can be drained and only just overload one.
 -Lars' Conspiracy: Decades ago, Prince Lars of Dain and Neir plotted to conquer the continent of Teege, unite it under the hand of him and allies and co-conspirators he could trust. The only thing these allies were able to do in his lifetime was turn the tide on Emperor Elias of Dain towards the end of the war that took his life by betraying the corrupt empire, but they remained in touch. The Wulf Company, its former key member Esmer, Eva, Queen of Neir and former princess of Dain, and several other assorted members are present throughout the continent, led by the now-adult princess Paula and her rather unethical streak.
 -Garou Tribes: Over 2 centuries ago, the garou of Tarvos Valley were powerful allies of the Gerxel Empire, notorious for their brutal mistreatment of the also-native humans to the region, in which part of the Tarvosian Nomads' tradition of riding around the valley originated. When the Gerxel were defeated by Queen Hauteclere with the Tarvosians' support, she agreed to drive them to a nearby mountain range. It remained illegal for garou to enter Tarvos Valley until the events of the first generation, when after Acting Chief Ahua, in support of Prince Lars, was defeated, King Garrus immediately took to improving relations between Tarvosians and Garou, as opposed to merely using their anger to conquer the valley/cause a diversion like Lars tried to. A lot can happen in 25 years, but there's still a way to go... Currently led by Chief Dama, who has been lovingly married to the very human Stefyn for decades.
 -Order of Odo: An oligarchy in control of the fledgling nation of Odo. Rising to power out of those who led a push for the area's secession from the Dain Empire, the friends and associates of the order live comfortably, while commoners further into the nation live rather strict if otherwise pleasant lives. Those living on the outskirts of the nation, however, very often find themselves under the thumb of banditry and poverty, to the point where groups such as the Groznyi have more sway in not-insignificant portions of the country. With such an imbalance of the nation's attention, it was only natural that the ex-bandits would start up quite the civil war, though the Order was able to gain Duchess Victoria's support... For a proxy war with Dain.