Goddess Quest 108

[21:22] Knight the Wanderer: "What was that Karen?" Julius ask while his prime frame glides closer until he stands over you. "I am going to go investigate towards the area we saw the dragon at, to check and see if there are any nearby we need to worry about."
[21:26] Karen Aido sighs. "I got a vision, showed me a werewolf style golem, sparking and settling down, after having killed all the people here. I can't be sure if the golem was stuttering because it was a horrible thing to do, or because it was badly damaged. I'd need to actually look at the unit to determine that."
[21:30] Knight the Wanderer: The area were it fell is nearby, but there is no frame or core, just a child's corpse. "Your highness, a preventor found something strange, please come look." Derek says dashing towards your side with the Preventor waving an arm towards the area.
[21:31] Karen Aido sprints over to see what's going on. "Okay."
[21:32] Karen Aido: "What do we have?"
[21:36] Knight the Wanderer: Its a giant carved pit, full of dragon scaled bodies of men and women of various shapes and sizes, in the center are parts of what looks to be an egg. Upon-

You can see the golem weakened and damaged dragging the most transformed bodies into the pit and leaving them there. Time flashes about to show you how others would come to the pit to help or investigate before being slain. Eventually a large and final group arrives, with the golem giving chase towards the tunnel out. Time moves quicker then showing months or years as an egg slowly forms from the bodies only to hatch into a small male dragon. This was its birth site.
[21:37] Karen Aido: "The golem dragged these bodies here.... but which golem is the question."
[21:38] Karen Aido: "The one that killed all these people, obviously, but.... is it Hunter?"
[21:44] Knight the Wanderer: The Hunter is larger then the one you have seen in the visions, but golem's can change frames as easily as humans do a sword or clothes. You'll need more evidence. "The preventors are reporting massive tracks away from this area, along with smaller ones. they might be recent or ancient. unlike the rest of the world, this area doesn't grow over time and the dirt doesn't layer up to hide tracks."
[21:46] Karen Aido nods. "I'm aware. We'll have to keep an eye out for shenanigans. One of the sets of tracks is golem, right?"
[21:56] Knight the Wanderer: "No, it appears to possibly be human and lizard like, the largest ones are giant claws."
[21:57] Karen Aido shrugs. "Don't know then. Let's follow them, see where they lead."
[22:04] Knight the Wanderer: "Right, move out men." Derek says before the troops begin slowly advancing. "So, has the Hunter tried to contact you yet, or has he assumed the hunt begins when you get here?"
[22:05] Karen Aido: "I have no clue. He didn't say when it began, but I presume that if he went so far as to show me the target, then he'd let me know when it's going to start."
[22:13] Knight the Wanderer: He did say when you are ready, maybe you need to signal him. Still touring the land will help. From what you can see this place is a paradise, an escape from the urban world. Perhaps you can head to an environment you are used to and signal him from there.
[22:16] Karen Aido: "Hmm.... I think he wanted me to signal him, I'm not sure what the hell he meant by that, he didn't exactly give me a way of contacting him, but I figure I can be less subtle about it." she'll look for signs of people, smoke, movement, what have you, as she's following this trail.
[22:24] Knight the Wanderer: You can't seem to find anything, even as the tracks somehow end after a time. All evidence of the people here is missing after a time, as though they reached the trails end and vanished...[This is driller, the toy golem's have managed to find what looks to have been a building to your west, deeper into the woods.]
[22:25] Karen Aido: "Ah. Thank you, Driller." she'll head west.
[22:40] Knight the Wanderer: The woods eventually open up to soft pines, large oaks, and heavy spruce trees all randomly grown together to form the ideal temperate forest. After about two hundred feet you find an old wooden building, a log house that is very large in size so that a soldier can enter easily. The inside seems to have once been for something with maps along the walls, the ground though has been opened up to a large tunnel below the earth, with a great rock slab covering the entrance. Getting closer you find the rock to be very hot, and then you can feel hellfire behind the rock, as strange wolf like dogs with six eyes run about down there breathing their magma breath about each other.
[22:44] Karen Aido: "Ah, this is weird. Hellhounds methinks. We aren't opening this, because there's a pair playing around down there."
[22:45] Karen Aido looks for another entrance.
[22:48] Knight the Wanderer: As you exit you can faintly see something dashing away, it looks young and has a tail, but is definitely humanoid.
[22:51] Karen Aido speaks up a bit. "Hello?! Anyone out there? If you want to go grab an adult, that'd be fine. I'll wait right here, if that's the case."
[22:54] Knight the Wanderer: "Who were you talking too?" Derek ask while looking where at the area of forest you were addressing. Everyone else also seems to have missed what you saw.
[22:55] Karen Aido points at the point where she saw the child dashing away. "Saw a kid, at least I think it's a kid, sprint off that way. All I can tell you is that it also had a tail. Unless the visions are fucking with me more, at which point I'm going to have words with some people."
[22:59] Knight the Wanderer: <Ho ho...A bold idea siegemaster. Karen Andre recommends that everyone pulls back, and that you continue alone.> "That is a mad idea, I shall have to-" <Let me finish Derek, Karen has a tail, no other among us is blessed with such a thing. And she can attract less attention.>
[23:02] Karen Aido: "I don't think it's a bad idea, though I'd like you guys to keep looking around with the golems. This was a really good find. I wouldn't call the tail a blessing and if it is one, it's definitely mixed." she grumbles about doors "Besides, Derek, how fast can you move? I think that if you wanted to help me, you could be at my side in seconds."
[23:09] Knight the Wanderer: "Just call and I shall fall from the heavens to your location. Don't be afraid to summon me if needed."
[23:11] Karen Aido nods. "There's also that." she's not going to state that sometimes she can't summon people to her. "Now head on back and I'll go follow this up. Stay safe." she'll wait for them to start leaving before she follows after the child.
[23:21] Knight the Wanderer: You are able to move quicker and quieter without your host of troops. They aren't that loud, but enough sound does build up to drive the people you are looking for away. But was Andre's reasoning really to help you or to spare the men...
[23:23] Karen Aido hopes it was for both, frankly. I would think less of him if it wasn't for the men. That's why I agreed to it so easily.
[23:26] Knight the Wanderer: [Movement two hundred meters to your north, six large creatures wielding weapons and searching for something.
[23:27] Knight the Wanderer: Another thing you should think about...Do they even speak common?
[23:28] Karen Aido starts heading north. I'll have to chance it. I'm always concerned this might be an issue. "In retrospect, we should put recorders on those so we can hear things as well."
[23:36] Knight the Wanderer: They look to be like the one sent down the tunnel. You can see them through some bushes, they appear to be standing guard or looking about before human lloking women also bearing six eyes are ushered into the clearing when they are given an all green. The women begin to gather water in large clay jugs and attach the jugs to their backs or the flanks of their large guards. You can also notice a huge different between the men and women so far, the men appear more monstrous while the woman look more human, with the exception of their hands and feet which are deadly looking claws, but they aren't large enough to make the hole you saw earlier. A child runs up the the group and the guards react hostile for a second until they see its a child. It speaks quickly to them and you can't understand the word-

"I saw them, they were large and their scales covered their entire body! They had cloth over their chest and some had two eyes while others had a large single slit along their face. A couple metal men were with them and there was a strange lady, that had metal scales too but only two eyes!" "Stop gathering the water, we go to talk with the all father." The leader says before grabbing one of the women and placing her upon his back. The group quickly dashes off while the child sits down to rest near the water.
[23:39] Karen Aido announces herself "Hi! Can any of you understand me? I wish to talk. Perhaps open trade?"
[23:44] Knight the Wanderer: The others are gone, but the young one instantly perks up and rears back into a crouch, looking around for whatever just said those words. It slowly starts walking backwards while hunched over before going into a mad sprint back the way it came from.
[23:44] Karen Aido sighs. "Fine, be that way." she'll follow them.
[23:45] Knight the Wanderer: Which are you following?
[23:46] Karen Aido: Oh, I thought they went the same way, uh. The child. Keep them safe.
[23:51] Knight the Wanderer: The child runs back along the side of the stream at speeds that put your men to shame. After some time it leads you to a large lake with a water fall, the lake appears to be very shallow as the child wanders out to the center of it and begins to turn its head this way and that, looking at the water line instead of the tree line...Its dealt with invisible things before if you had to guess.
[23:53] Karen Aido slithers out and stops at the river. "Hi. I meant what I said earlier. Can you understand me?"
[23:56] Knight the Wanderer: The child looks at you before backing up towards the mouth of the waterfall. It balls up its fist and weakly growls at you while something starts to shine in the form of two red lines behind it. The small thing is growling weakly at you while the Hunter's silhouette emerges through the pouring water, a large claw attached to a tendril rises up...
[23:58] Karen Aido holds her hands up. "Woah, calm down now. I come in peace. Hello, Hunter."
[00:03] Knight the Wanderer: Hunter uses the distraction to strike, his claw punching through the child's chest with its core held in the claws hand. [Just because you assisted doesn't mean you get ay credit towards the hunt.]
[00:04] Karen Aido: "The hell are you doing!? We haven't started yet!"
[00:07] Knight the Wanderer: [You were ready, you managed to track and corner your prey. You simply let me strike first.] Hunter says, stepping over the small body with little care for it while the claw above crushes the core. His camouflage quickly vanishes revealing the black painted frame. You can see the resemblance of the golem in your visions and this one clearly now.
[00:07] Knight the Wanderer: The body under him goes still in the water, all heat and life leaving it.
[00:09] Karen Aido: "No, I wasn't hunting them!" she'll grab him with her tail and yank him over. "I'll let you know when I'm ready, I have a few things that need to be taken care of first. You'll know when I decide the hunt is on. Look to the sky." and she'll toss him away.
[00:11] Knight the Wanderer: The golem dodges your strike, vanishing into tree line with no trace of his landing, be it footprint or sway of the trees. [Very well, this one is just for a display of my power then.] It says before going silent.
[00:12] Knight the Wanderer: Andre was right, the golem meant to slay them for sport, and you let him strike down what looks to be a child...
[00:13] Karen Aido closes her eyes and picks up the body. "I'm sorry." she'll start digging a grave for the girl, which she'll mark. "I fucked up..."
[00:16] Knight the Wanderer: You can feel something press against your back, as well as something radiating hellfire too. Its shaking wildly a spear tip head by something with clawed hands.
[00:16] Knight the Wanderer: How did it sneak up on you.
[00:17] Karen Aido sighs and puts her hands up. "I'm here to talk and listen. You don't seem to want to fight or you'd have struck by now, so put that away before you hurt someone."
[00:20] Knight the Wanderer: Turning around you can see its one of the women, though she has four legs like the men you saw...These people are strange. She is afraid, hurt, and confused. She speaks but only after a few moments do you understand it. "Y-You killed my husband...A-And now you bury him! I-I'll kill you m-monster I-I'll do it!"
[00:23] Karen Aido looks confused. "... No, I didn't kill him. Hunter did. Had I known he was going to do that I'd have stopped him. I'm sorry for your loss, I screwed up, and it cost your husband his life. I want to make up for it, if you'll let me." the translation power seems to be struggling, me up in heaven will take a look at that and try to get it to smooth out somewhat.
[00:24] Knight the Wanderer: "It says here, you automatically translate them when listening, but in order to speak it you need to use magic or learn it." Marcus says to your divine self.
[00:26] Karen Aido: "Oh, bastard." Okay then the Avatar will use magic to translate what she'd said before. "Also, I apologize for the miscommunication, I've got magics that translate, but apparently it didn't work as I'd expected.
[00:26] Karen Aido: "*
[00:30] Knight the Wanderer: "Y-You aren't the hunter?" The woman says backing off before shaking her head and pressing the spear to your throat. "Thats something the hunter would say!" Burying a body though, that might be something to bring up. "Burying a body isn't though now is it?" Comes a familiar voice, Yarn-Spinner! He calmly walks forward with his hands up. "I bet the hunter drags them away or tears them to pieces only to toss them in that big hole." "T-Two strange things that speak out tongue...I-I am going mad in my grief..."
[00:32] Karen Aido uses magic to translate. "I am a hunter of sorts, but I don't kill what I'm hunting, in fact, what I'm hunting can't really be killed, but set aside for a time. If I am called on to hunt people, then I tend to capture them, rather than kill them. Hey, Yarn-spinner, what're you doing out here? Uh, do you think you can do anything with that... person?"
[00:33] Karen Aido is indicating the child.
[00:36] Knight the Wanderer: "The core is removed, he is dead and will one day be reborn." Yarn-Spinner says.

The woman looks at you with disgust. Why hunt and waste energy if its not to kill. That is the only reason to hunt."
[00:37] Knight the Wanderer: "Why*
[00:40] Karen Aido: "Damnit. I hunt the people who choose to make people their prey. I also hunt for a time and a world better than the one we have now. Where people can hunt for fun, instead of for their survival. What do you think of such a world?"
[00:41] Knight the Wanderer: "Such a world is wrong, it unsets the balance of harmony. I tire of this strange talk, you are not the hunter, but I will have my husband's body."
[00:45] Karen Aido nods. "Okay." she'll start unburying it. "Though, you're wrong. Such a world is what the goddess intended for us all and it's a world I fight for. I'm curious, do you have a chief?"
[00:46] Knight the Wanderer: "I don't want to speak to you any more blasphemer."
[00:46] Karen Aido: "Blasphemer? Who do you worship?"
[00:49] Knight the Wanderer: The woman is silent, her lower fanged mouth growls at you while her arms cross over her chest. "Do you mind talking to me?" "Short scaleless man is alright so long as he doesn't hate harmony." "I do not, please, tell me who you worship." "Nature and all father, the great true dragon that brought us all to life from the slain ancestors."
[00:50] Karen Aido: <Thanks.> I'll patiently and quietly wait as this conversation plays out.
[00:57] Knight the Wanderer: "The all father is the great dragon we saw then?" "Yes, he has a father too, the great all father. They don't talk though, something is preventing them from speaking. Great all father is angry, full of hate for life and tries to burn it all down. All father lived alone, fed from fish and wild animals. Learned all life sacred and never to be taken without reason. He brought children into world, the great mothers, from them the children, our parents were born. They each shape and change us into different roles. I am warrior or hunter, husband was scout or seeker. For two hundred years we lived in harmony and peace, then the hunter came, he slays for sport, never using the bodies for warmth or food, just letting them lay there uselessly. Lives end up going to great all father, full of rage and hate instead of to all father."
[01:00] Karen Aido scratches her chin. "I'd like to meet this All father, he seems like the reasonable sort."
[01:01] Knight the Wanderer: Have you finished digging out the body?
[01:01] Karen Aido did spend all that time digging out the body.
[01:04] Knight the Wanderer: The woman cradles her husband's body against her chest before turning her back to you and running off. You really did not make a great impression.
[01:05] Karen Aido sighs and follows.
[01:06] Knight the Wanderer: "Karen no." Yarn-spinner says while directing you towards himself. "We'll need to find a new group. She won't have kind words for you and they will be likely to attack when they find out you could have stopped the hunter but didn't."
[01:07] Karen Aido: "I didn't know he was going to strike. For all I know he was dropping by to say hello. Could you go with her and find out what I can do to make up for it?"
[01:11] Knight the Wanderer: "I won't leave your side. You need someone to keep hellfire from corrupting you. Hunter has his armor, you will have me. Besides who sneaks behind someone raising while a claw and remaining invisible. The signs were all there. I watched it happen."
[01:14] Karen Aido: ".... An asshole. I didn't see the claw, I saw him moving out of the water, and that was it." I also misread it, thinking it was the guy doing it, not Hunter.
[01:18] Knight the Wanderer: "You also didn't sense any malice from the hunter. It was simply doing its job. Come we'll head further west along where the tunnel should be until we see the peak the dragon was resting upon."
[01:20] Karen Aido sighs and starts slithering west. "Think if I deliver Hunter's head and broken core to them, they'll accept that as an apology for fucking up?"
[01:22] Knight the Wanderer: "They might hail you as a hero. Indeed the Dragon might come swoop to see you. Yet do you think you can fight it? It has a claw that is very sharp and has parted thing into pieces, or punches through them."
[01:25] Karen Aido: "Eh, from what I heard, we might not have to fight it, if we could possibly convert it using your powers, that would be best. Free it from the cycle of other dragons. Think you can make it Umbral?"
[01:25] Knight the Wanderer: "Yes I can. Is that what you want?"
[01:26] Knight the Wanderer: "Also I was talking about the hunter."
[01:26] Knight the Wanderer: "You fighting the hunter not the dragon."
[01:28] Karen Aido: "Again, this is based on innocence, he -sounds- like an alright creature. Oh. Hmmm..... I'm starting to agree with Andre. I'm also starting to think I'll hunt the golem, I hate using people as bait though, it's unacceptable." she'll scratch her chin. "Though, I think I have an idea of how I can resolve that."
[01:32] Knight the Wanderer: "Earlier you seemed to be fine with it. For the hunt anyway."
[01:35] Karen Aido: "I wasn't, because I didn't know exactly how he meant to conduct this hunt. What the rules were, anything. Now that I know, I'm really not okay with this hunt."
[01:38] Knight the Wanderer: "Your kindness and doubt are a curse and blessing. Do you think he is nearby? Listening to us speak?"
[01:39] Karen Aido: "I don't particularly care. He knows the score."
[01:44] Knight the Wanderer: "Lets head to the deserts then, you will have a terrain advantage. The sand should shift around at his presence."
[01:47] Karen Aido nods. "Yeah, we'll go there, he can't possibly miss my alert." she'll slither that way.
[01:49] Knight the Wanderer: It takes some time, but Yarn-spinner eventually hops off your back near the edge of the desert. "I'll go wander around for some Dragons, hopefully we'll arrive when you kill the golem."
[01:53] Karen Aido: "Ah, okay. Good luck." she'll spend a few minutes getting used to the sands out there, give herself a fair amount of distance from the woods, kick up a cloud of sand, and make it spread out in a sphere to see if there's anyone in the area.
[01:55] Knight the Wanderer: Nothing is caught in the sand sphere when you create it. Eventually the sand settles back down around you, seems as though the hunter isn't here yet.
[01:57] Karen Aido finds a nice spot to hide in the sand. I'll prepare a teleport spell and use the Eye to look over everyone in the area. Then I'll write 'the hunt is on' in the sky.
[02:02] Knight the Wanderer: You can hear hunter's voice through your comm. [What hunt is there in these desert waste? Ahh you are mad I killed the child thing. Understandable, you think with your heart. I just hunt down and destroy. I could have been good, but it looks like I am free from my pack, I will be my own master now.]
[02:03] Karen Aido: "Oh? Then wouldn't a Hunter seek the greatest prey in the area? Perhaps even, their old master?"
[02:07] Knight the Wanderer: [Right now thats you. Then Striker.] You can see the Hunter charge across the sands, its dual visors scanning in either direction as it charges past the area the sign popped up from.
[02:11] Karen Aido will create an eruption of sand to move him closer to me, preferably with his back turned to me, and then I'll pounce on him. Slashing horizontally with my double sword. I'll say "Oh? What tells you that I'm greater than Striker?" while I wait.
[02:14] Knight the Wanderer: The golem rolls into the explosion of sand, dashing through it as the blade of Darude kicks up a storm all around you, obscuring you from sight, you can see him easy enough though. [Proximity, and you know I intend to kill you. After all hunting is for blood, for death.] He is gone from sight now, having run to your left at a rising dune and never appearing at its other side-Wait you faintly saw a tail graze through the top of the sandstorm you are making.
[02:20] Karen Aido figures out which direction the sand was kicked and then swings her blade, extending it using the sand as a weapon. I'll glance up and dive back into the sand, to wait for him. "You are a poor hunter. What good is it to hunt for blood, for death, when it's really about the challenge? When it's about the hunt itself, not the end?"
[02:31] Knight the Wanderer: [Humans do not understand what it means to hunt, they have lost that primal connection. The hunt is a race to the end, your prey's life or your own. You talk big, but inside you are just a scared girl in a world full of larger hunters.] You managed to nick its tail with your strike, leaving the metal to twitch upon the ground before it burrows into the ground. [I don't hunt for the challenge, but to live. Needless challenges are useless.] You can feel a large chunk of your tail punched through by the claw while another rakes along your back. Teeth tear into your left arm before vanishing.
[02:37] Karen Aido heals her damage, she's kinda wondering how the hell he managed to find her in the sand, but okay. "Ha! How can you, a golem, who's never had to eat, who doesn't breathe, who's immortal, claim to hunt for your life? You don't know what it means to live, much less what it means to hunt. Useless challenges? No, these are for growing, becoming stronger, more efficient as a hunter." she'll use grab his tail. Is he using a ferrous material? "You don't even bother to learn about your prey before attacking them." start shifting the blade in a defensive pattern while I look over his tail.
[02:42] Knight the Wanderer: The sliver is wiggling about in your hands, it appears to be sky metal, or a strong form of it. [You are trying to kill me, killing you saves me. Striker will also try to kill me, Killing her will free me. My prey are simply prey. I learn their weaknesses and nothing else. I don't need emotional conflict making me hesitate in a fight. You can try and debate me or weaken my resolve about being a pitiful hunter, but you forget I am a golem.] Another swipe almost strike's your tail, seems he knows how you move about, plus its a very large target. Instead of continuing his assault he breaks off, having missed his mark only to vanish once more.
[02:48] Karen Aido hasn't worked with skymetal enough to know if she can magnetize it, but that's okay. "I didn't forget, but you're more than a typical dumb golem, otherwise you'd do as you were told. You wouldn't go against your master, you wouldn't disobey. You would do as you're told, nothing more, and nothing less. Instead, you're talking about hunting your master." she'll cause the sand to shoot up in spikes, in all directions, all aiming from the ground itself."With that comes the liability of choice and everything that goes with it. Hesitation, mistakes, and maybe even the realization that you're outmatched. You've been racing towards your end." she'll create an illusion of her tail in it's position, moving as she would generally move it, and switch to legs. Which is going to be a complicated illusion, thanks to all the sand.
[03:08] Knight the Wanderer: The sand spikes fire out, impacting into the sand with a few smashing against a large shield or-Oh thats a wave of force. The sand impacts against the field, only to be a distraction. [This is...The end!] The golem says from behind you, where a large round sails through the air...Right through the illusion's massive tail only to pass by your knees before tunneling into the sand and exploding...Holy shit that would have been bad.
[03:15] Karen Aido whips around, she'll draw her bow as a part of this action, focus for a second, she'll try the guided round, allowing the sand to guide the bolt, and release it. "It's not -the- end, but an end! Where there is an ending, there seems to be a beginning! You should embrace the beginning!"
[03:23] Knight the Wanderer: Your arrow follows the path the shot made, you can hear an impressive crunch as the golem's right legs are knocked off and crumpled. The golem lands on its side, the invisibility gone.
[03:27] Karen Aido focuses and looks for the systems controlling his gun, she'll then fire the arrow at that.
[03:33] Knight the Wanderer: The as soon as the arrow is loosed the golem's left legs eject and it suddenly rockets forward. The arrow hits the rear flank with only a grazing blow while the golem's mouth opens and its jaws close around your throat, tightening and you can't breathe theres blood in your mouth your spin is damaged oh god is your avatar dying its all going so fast.
[03:36] Karen Aido shapeshift away! Fix the spine, draw the sword, and slice off his claw arm while he's here!
[03:38] Knight the Wanderer: Its only got the main body and mouth it looks like right now.
[03:41] Karen Aido spits out the blood. I'll punch a hand into his chest and rip out his core. "Just another beginning." Get away, finish repairs, he probably had a reason for that.
[03:46] Knight the Wanderer: For anyone else, he would have dealt a killing blow, unfortunately you are unlike anyone else, still he did almost kill you. Scrabbling backwards you can feel the worry, the fear of death vanishing. The core is still in your hands...He was a simple golem with a simple core, yet over time he morphed and became altered...You can work with this, reprogram it, teach or overwrite it. Or you can destroy the core. [There were no survivors] Muna's words play in your head again...Along with the images...This core and Muna's look so alike, both were made by Brakis. Maybe, there is something wrong with how he made them. Maybe Muna was a dumb golem and time had him make a personality?
[03:52] Karen Aido frowns. "Damnit. This is getting irritating." She'll check out the frame, see if it's got anything else to it, any booby traps, anything she needs to be worried about. If not she'll start picking it all up and report in. "Andre, I've disassembled Hunter. As Sieg said, it is just a tool, and I will remake it as a tool for you to use as you see fit."
[04:00] Knight the Wanderer: The Frame is heavily damaged and yet its already repairing, and changing to a base shape while the core glows in your hands. You can improve it, and the soul within. "So you took my advice then and didn't take any risk?"
[04:03] Karen Aido: "...He killed a kid right in front of me. I didn't see his claw preparing to strike. I was trying to talk to the kid... and hunter killed him..." wait, there's a soul in this one?
[04:10] Knight the Wanderer: Like I said before, over time the dumb golem has gone from simply having mana to developing a soul based around its orders, like YT and possibly like Muna. They do have the same looking core after all, well almost the same, Muna's core has more glass while the Hunters was more brass.

"I'm sorry to hear that..." {HIS NAME WAS RIVER} Comes a powerful voice in your mind, as the ground shakes and shudders. Over you, you can feel a powerful force of something like hellfire, but tempered and changed with time. The six eyed dragon starts down at you, unblinking, but dragons never blink. {THE MAN WHO LOST HIS LIFE, LET YOUR WARRIOR KNOW THAT. I AM GLAD TO SEE YOU HAVE AVENGED HIM}
[04:13] Karen Aido prepares a teleportation spell, do not want to be here if he gets grumpy. "The, uh, man's name was apparently River. The one killed by Hunter. I was told by the dragon here, that. According to what I've learned of this particular dragon, he's alright, unlike that dickhead outside." she'll clear her throat and speak up. "Did Yarn-Spinner find you?"
[04:17] Knight the Wanderer: {HE IS SPEAKING TO SOME CHILDREN, AS I SHOULD SPEAK TO YOU BEFORE HAND. HE MEANS TO DESTROY US BOTH. NOT YOU IF YOU MISUNDERSTAND, BUT HIMSELF AND ME.} The dragon says while lowering down to coil around you. The six red eyes never leaving your own, even if he must move his head.
[04:19] Karen Aido: "Wait, Yarn-Spinner is seeking to destroy you and himself? Why?" she'll call him over the comms "Yarn-Spinner, this is Karen, what are you up to?"
[04:25] Knight the Wanderer: Before you can try the comm device breaks. I guess the Dragon doesn't quite care for it. {FOR A GODDESS YOU DON'T SEEM TO UNDERSTAND THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF YOUR PEOPLE. HE IS DOING IT TO SAVE MY CHILDREN AND GIVE YOU DRAGONS.}
[04:31] Karen Aido: "Hey! That was my comm device. Also, I'm new to the job, as in, I only became one a few days ago, so I don't exactly know all the ropes. Plus, I have never entirely internalized the 'you are a god' thing, it just seems so unreal to me.... which is a ludicrous sentiment, but while I try to be rational about these things, it's still not something I can always do. I can't let him sacrifice himself, not yet. I have plans and they involve him. Plus, I didn't drop a mountain on myself just for him to die here and now, before we've finished our work. Besides, what danger is your people in at the moment? They seem to be safe as long as they stay here."
[04:34] Knight the Wanderer: {MY FATHER WILL RECLAIM US, WHEN HE BREACHES THE SHIELD WE WILL REVERT, THE WEAK WILL BE EATEN BY THE STRONG AND WE SHALL ASSIST HIM IN HIS CRUSADE TI DESTROY ALL LIFE. THE FIRE I HAVE TRIED TO TEMPER WILL RAGE OUT OF CONTROL, CORRUPTING THIS BEAUTIFUL LAND AND ALL THOSE BEYOND IT. IF YOU ARE WHAT HE CLAIMS, TRY AND SEE INTO HIS SOUL, SEE HIS REASONING.}
[04:36] Karen Aido blinks and the her up in heaven does just that. Looking down deep into his soul, though she is aware that he uses the Umbra, this means he can likely defy her peaking. "There has to be a better way...."
[04:43] Karen Aido: <Derek, can you hear me? I need to ask your opinion on a matter of -grave- importance. Yarn-Spinner is looking to sacrifice himself and the benevolent dragon here. This means I'll no longer be able to create Black Knights like yourself. There will never be any White Knights either. In exchange, the people here will be saved from the really moon dragon. Jushur, could we seal this place off against the moon dragon's assault and power?>
[04:44] Knight the Wanderer: You can see his plan, for though he is embraced by Umbra, he worships you.

The plan is simple, sever the core and the dragon's soul, and instead take the umbra inside if him and force it into the dragon. The great beast will be rendered inert for at least several years, as well as in a greatly reduced size. But his children, his people will not radiate hellfire, they will be purified as they once were before hellfire took the dragons of this world. He will heal a great wound, with the second chance he had, granting the goddess dragons once more, enabling valkyrie, drake, and sentinel greater aid in combating the horrors. These dragons will be immune from hellfire forever more, and their dead will be reintroduced to a cycle of birth and rebirth instead of the cursed hateful existence. "My life is worth it, for these children to be free, for our men to no longer fear all dragons, to prevent an irrational hate that will span the ages...But the goddess can't know, she values each life with a name and face she can remember. I'll have to tell her when its too late, I only hope she will forgive me in time."
[04:49] Karen Aido: "I hear you... I want to save you as well. The dragon will not die and I do not wish for you to die either. I actually do need you to survive, these aren't the only people you can help, is there anything I can do? Anything at all? And, why didn't you say something earlier?" she doesn't want to repeat the Goddess' mistake, she will not damn the Black Knights to an existence without a legacy, she wants them to know, to trust, that she gave them the chance to grow as a people, to not just be dead cast-offs, merely hanging around with the others, awaiting their inevitable end.
[04:54] Knight the Wanderer: {HE CAN'T HEAR YOU, AND YOU CAN UNDERSTAND MY DESIRE TO MAKE SURE HE DOESN'T. I HAVE THOUSANDS HERE, SO MANY SOULS THAT DON'T DESERVE THE FATE WE ARE DESTINED FOR. SO I BEG YOU, ONE RULER TO ANOTHER, PLEASE ALLOW HIM TO SAVE MY KIND.}
[04:58] Karen Aido puts a hand out. "I want to save him and you as well, you see, in doing this action, in making this change, you will become one of my people, and I must do everything in my power to save you. Even if that means taking the burden into myself. I am alright with this, but only if both of you survive, then I'll be less alright with this. What can I do to make this happen?"
[05:00] Karen Aido: if not, then I'll be less alright with this, significantly less alright with this*
[05:01] Knight the Wanderer: {YOU CAN'T, THE UMBRA IS THE ONLY WAY. HELLFIRE THOUGH TEMPERED CAN STILL CONVERT, AND ANY HELLFIRE NOT EXTINGUISHED BY ITS RIVAL THE UMBRA WILL ONLY GROW BACK JUST AS STRONG.}
[05:02] Karen Aido: ".... Does that mean Yarn-Spinner will return? Just go dormant like you will, for a time? Because that is absolutely acceptable. I don't mind you and him taking a rest, as old as you both are, you deserve it, but so long as it's actually a rest, and not your deaths."
[05:04] Knight the Wanderer: {WE WILL BE AS ONE. THERE WILL BE CHILDREN THOUGH WHO MIGHT BE ABLE TO TAKE PART OF HIS CRAFT, BUT THE ART OF UMBRA SMITHS WILL NOT BE LOST FOREVER, OR THE ARTS TO MAKE THOSE BLACK OR DRAGON KNIGHTS THAT ONCE GRACED YOUR SKY.}
[05:07] Karen Aido frowns. "As long as you are one, who I can talk to, down here, rather than up there, I will allow this. You understand what it means to be a ruler and you understand my position on these matters. I don't want to lose any of my people and you are one of my people now. Just... come back, okay? That's all I ask."
[05:11] Knight the Wanderer: {I WILL BE UNABLE TO, FOR I SHALL BE DIFFERENT, CHANGED BY THE MERGING. BUT WE THE NEW ME SHALL RETURN TO YOU. I GO NOW TO RECEIVE YOUR DWARF, PLEASE SEND MY PEOPLE INTO THE TUNNEL, MY CHILDREN WILL BE WAITING FOR YOU RIGHT OUTSIDE OF IT. I DON'T WANT THEM TO HEAR MY PAIN WHEN I MERGE. AFTERWARDS COME AND FIND ME, WE SHALL BE WAITING FOR YOU UPON THE TOWER PEAK.}
[05:12] Karen Aido: "We all change.... I would have you take me with, to bare witness to this, because someone has to."
[05:15] Knight the Wanderer: {HURRY THEN, MEET WITH MY CHILDREN AND LET THEY SHALL KNOW YOU ARE THE GUARDIAN. THEY AND THEIR PETS WILL FOLLOW YOUR ORDERS. RUSH BACK ONCE THEY ARE IN THE TUNNEL.} And with that the Dragon takes to the skies, flying towards the east, only to swoop down and then lift off once more towards the west, at what appears to be the great central tower as a mountain instead.
[05:21] Karen Aido uses the teleport spell she prepared earlier to make her way back to the group. "We're evacuating the people here. Consider them civilians. Oh, here's what's left of Hunter, I'll reforge him into whatever you like later, Andre."
[05:23] Knight the Wanderer: "Are you sure Karen? Aren't they full of hellfire?" Julius ask, worried while Sieg steps up. <Don't be, a miracle the likes we have never seen will happen.>
[05:24] Karen Aido: "They won't be for very long. On that I can assure you. I'm going to help with evacuations. There's only one thing I need first." she'll grab Hunter's head, before sprinting off to visit the people that live here.
[05:32] Knight the Wanderer: The people are already crowding towards you all, stopping when they see you. You can hear them whispering to each other, rumors about you and the hunter, that you are the one sent by the all father. You see the woman from earlier, you can recognize her instantly. She is near the front, bearing a small bundle upon her back.
[05:37] Karen Aido slithers up to her and hands her Hunter's head. "I'm sorry for your loss, it was my fault, I should have intercepted Hunter, and all I can do is give you this. When you get out of here, tell a Sentinel that your husband died, and Karen wants to make amends. They will assist you."
[05:52] Knight the Wanderer: The woman looks confused before grasping the head tight in her hands, before moving along with the others, this must have been their entire population. Even normal dragons are there, moving along with their group at the very rear. "I have not felt like this in a long time, to see dragons reacting peacefully is astounding..." Derek says with some wonder in his voice.
[05:56] Karen Aido watches her pass. "Oh, shit. I forgot to use magic to translate didn't I?" I'll create a glamour of my voice, translated this time, for the woman, and provide visual aids. "You guys go ahead, I'll catch up. I have something that needs to be attended...." I'll sigh and teleport to the mountain. "Alright, where's this happening?" I'll use the eye to look around for them if I can't see them normally.
[05:58] Knight the Wanderer: (I assumed you wanted to auto translate)
[05:59] Karen Aido: (Oh, whoops. Yes.)
[06:02] Knight the Wanderer: Lucky that this fold allows such things, you reach the great peak, there you find the Dragon with its chest carved open, the Dwarf busy removing his clothes and cleaning himself up. "Goddess-" {I TOLD HER, AND WHILE SHE DIDN'T WANT TO SHE DECIDED TO FOLLOW HER FOLLOWERS FOR ONCE INSTEAD OF GOING HER OWN PATH AND MAKING OTHERS FOLLOW ALONG.} The dragon says, in some pain from its chest being torn open.
[06:07] Karen Aido grimaces, my hands clench sharply. "It wasn't just that. I take the best path I know, that I can find, I wish to make a better, less painful path, but... there isn't one to be found here, so all I can do is as I've always done: take the best path. Though, in this case, I'm not happy with the path, my followers suffer."
[06:07] Karen Aido: "They suffer for others, which is the only reason I will allow it at all."
[06:10] Knight the Wanderer: "I didn't tell you because you would have started out rejecting it before I could go further. You needed to see these people are people, and that though they are dragons they deserve freedom, more then a man does a very shiny suit of armor. And we all know you were going to drag your feet to make new knights."
[06:17] Karen Aido smiles and starts cobbling together a spell to reduce the dragon's pain. "I didn't see these people as anything, until I'd gotten a chance to actually see them, in person. To see how they acted. That was the most important factor of all. It took just that for me to decide they're genuinely people and that they deserve it. I just.... don't want to waste Morry's gift. I didn't know how to use your talents until just earlier today." she'll look to the Dragon "What is your name? I know your people call you All Father, but I suspect you have a name that you like."
[06:24] Knight the Wanderer: {I was named failure by my father, for I was kind and not cruel, merciful instead of blood crazed, wise instead of headstrong. Names are something I will reflect upon later, simply call me the Beating heart, the umbral dragon.} It says weakly, as Yarn-Spinner walks into the heart, with the dragon's body trying to reject the foreign element invading its core.
[06:28] Karen Aido provides magical assistance to Yarn-Spinner, healing him from the onslaught of Beating Heart's defenses. I'll nod. "Okay." I'll smile softly, trying to not look sad, or like I'm about to cry, but not very convincingly "Beating Heart. That's a terrible name, you know?" if she knew the tricks required to convince Beating Heart's body to accept him, she would use those, but, she doesn't, especially since she knows only the basics about Dragon biology.
[06:34] Knight the Wanderer: Your magic won't help here, the Umbra and Hellfire are reflecting it back towards you as the process continues, leaving the dragon and the mountain quaking with rage and fear... Then with a snap you see it, the hellfire rushes upwards to escape, before a large purple mouth devours it, destroying it and its power. The dragon shouts now, the air cracking along with the fold as its body morphs and changes, it growing smaller, changing from a red and black color to a blue and purple instead. Its harmful looking nature becomes softer, great spikes round out, the six eyes merge into two large ones, and the horrible vile heat becomes a cool pleasant flame. The dragon is now the size of Roy as well...He was not lying about the size change...Any attempt to warp is unsuccessful, seems you'll need to make the long way back-Wait a door has opened into the mountain, with numbers written fold two against it.
[06:36] Karen Aido: "The hell? Weird." Over the comm "Seems like those two merging complicated matters somewhat. I can't teleport back, however, there's a door here I can take, so I'm going through it. Also, the Dragon is a hell of a lot smaller than I thought he'd be." she'll slither over and scoop him up. "Thank you and good bye, Beating Heart. Yard-Spinner."
[06:37] Karen Aido slithers through the door.
[06:37] Knight the Wanderer: You don't have a comm anymore remember
[06:37] Knight the Wanderer: It Borked
[06:38] Karen Aido: Ah, damnit. Try to cobble one up if I can.
[06:41] Knight the Wanderer: The signal is weak. With the way things are its also not syncing with any network. You should get out of here islands are beginning to float and its raining upside down...
[06:43] Karen Aido: "Crap." time to bail, slither through the door and try to figure out how to close it and try to find another way through this.
[06:46] Knight the Wanderer: Carrying the tiny purple and blue Dragon, you come across a broken down golem frame, the one from before where a blade had pinned it to the ground. Wait this seems to be a makeshift bedroom, though the dust covers everything. Suddenly the door behind you slams shut. [K---n res----- He----ral----rep----ed-----ower]
[06:52] Karen Aido sighs, cleans the bed with a spell, sets the dragon down on it, and then has a duplicate cover it in blankets. That one will just stay with it, providing warmth. "Don't move, don't try to move, you've probably got more shorts in you than should allow you to operate at all." Another duplicate will be looking around as I sit here and start repairing the golem. These two duplicates are not going to be particularly powerful, I don't wanna waste energies on them, when they're doing menial tasks.
[07:15] Knight the Wanderer: As soon as you open the door a woman walks in, Sally, she isn't striker yet, she walks right through you and lays upon the bed, her face is red and eyes are puffy, she has been crying it seems. The light's aren't on, an oil lamp in the corner provides the only light. "When will they stop killing each other...The power is gone for a day and the fighting won't stop... what in the hell is wrong with us all..."

Tie accelerates, she is wearing some armor now and has weapons as well. There is a jacket in the corner of the room, it has human skin sown into it, skin that looks like Sally's. Her right arm is a golem limb, and her right chest also bears the same damage, with both her breast removed. The augment's go all along her right and too part of her left side, her left eye is augmented, but the work is fantastic, making it look real. She is dealing with a map talking about rebel golems, golems under Brakis's command, rebel humans, innocent humans, and access to fold keys among other things. "Core is toxic, have restored power through using golem cores in certain power stations... Fighting continues, all groups refuse to work together, even with my blood I am unable to access all the major systems-" The door you came from burst open, with the golem entering, already set to attack. The two fight a bit until it tears off her left hand, leaving her with the right one grabbing a spear and pining the golem to the ground. "Ah-ha-ahahhah...." Breathing heavily while blood spurts from her wound she begins to cry weakly, slamming her head against the door before a large group of picture books fall from behind a work schedule board. Many of them are pornographic in nature, but she notices one, it has two women on the front, one is dressed in all black, the other in white. The girl in black is clearly evil holding off the girl in white and all her allies. Sally begins to laugh while crying, the strange wolf like golem simply watches, still chewing her left hand up...
[07:19] Karen Aido: "Oh, son of a bitch." I'm going to get the thing talking again, shy away from giving it motor control. "Things really went to shit before then, huh?" the one that's wandering about will start bringing pertinent books back in.
[07:21] Knight the Wanderer: This was the Hunter, in its old frame before it earned a new one.
[07:22] Karen Aido: Yeah, but it's trying to talk, I'm wondering what the frame itself is trying to say.
[07:22] Knight the Wanderer: The only books here are stuff about service to Laputa, and how it was a gift to all, a way to defeat the grand enemy.
[07:22] Knight the Wanderer: The frame can
[07:22] Karen Aido: Or, at least that's what I thought you were saying....
[07:23] Knight the Wanderer: The Frame can't talk as it has no power source.
[07:23] Karen Aido: Ah.
[07:23] Knight the Wanderer: It was trying to eat the hand of Sally.
[07:23] Karen Aido: I meant the . [K---n res----- He----ral----rep----ed-----ower] thing.
[07:23] Knight the Wanderer: Let me give you a guess
[07:24] Knight the Wanderer: What starts with K, ends with n
[07:24] Knight the Wanderer: (I should have said your comm device suddenly starts making noise.)
[07:28] Knight the Wanderer: [07:24] Knight the Wanderer: (I should have said your comm device suddenly starts making noise.)
[07:29] Karen Aido: Oh. Then I'll combine myself and start looking around, carrying the dragon in some blankets. Looking for controls, comms, anything to see if I can't get into contact with the group.
[07:33] Knight the Wanderer: This is the second fold, the central tower. You are miles back from the area-Wait there is something behind the Frame's neck...Its a keycard! It has a large mountain on it with a forest below!
[07:35] Karen Aido: "Ah, got you." I'll see if I can't pull the comms out of the frame. If not, I'll disarm it, and put Hunter into it.
[07:43] Knight the Wanderer: Even with the comms its still static and hiss. You are near the top levels, all the keycard readers open the doors they are assigned as you draw near them. You enter a dim room where a circular table with many strange blue squares in its rim float and move about. Looking around you realize you are in the control room.
[07:44] Karen Aido: "Neat. I wonder if it takes voice commands. Power on." if not, I'll work to figure out what's going on outside, likely the security and communications console.
[08:05] Knight the Wanderer: The device doesn't respond to your voice. Getting closer you can see the squares are actually cubes, with each side representing a fold of Laputa. On all the Fifth sides, the cubes are broken and ruptured. At the very east you can see the train moving through the second fold towards the central tower.

"Like it?" Comes a voice from behind, its a woman you don't recognize, but thats because you haven't seen Striker without her mask on. All the anger, hostility, rage...Its not here right now, you couldn't lift a finger to harm this woman, hell attacking her would be a waste of energy and possibly harm the dragon. "This is the command center, its got a nullification field, very very strong one. World class mages worked here after all." She says while petting the tiny dragon. She then moves to sit down while staring down at you without any expression. This place feels like Limbo.
[08:08] Karen Aido: "Oh, hey, how'd they duplicate this effect? That's something I know I want, even if I can't effect it at the moment." I'll take a seat. "So, what are you doing here, instead of out there trying to kill someone that isn't who you think they are."
[08:08] Karen Aido: "Who also happens to be my friend, but let's be honest, you don't care about that."
[08:10] Knight the Wanderer: "My efforts are to drive you all out. I was right to assume you were with the church, as you managed to free the dragons and clear an escape route for them. You are now my main target, the chosen were acting as bait. Its easy to see now. Making the golem that felt like my brother in law was a nice touch, trying to draw me out and away from logical thought."
[08:16] Karen Aido: "Actually, you're wrong. I didn't really free the dragon. Except from it's existence. This little guy's all that's left of it. He's umbral now, not harmless, but also not going to turn psychotic, evil, and aggressive as fuck whenever the big one breaches the shield." she'll clear her throat and drag out her recording device, the one that has the summarized version of the story on it. "Truth be told, I'm actually against the Church. The faster you can bring them to heel, the happier I'll be. Speaking of the big dragon, I've been ordering my people to assist manning your weapons, since your people are leaving. Once we get some heavier weapons, I will be trying to repel it. Admittedly, nothing's ever that simple, but I'm not your enemy, except by your own making."
[08:18] Karen Aido: "This is a recording of my adventures up until the assault of Holais, the capital of the Church. The paladins are mind-controlled slaves and are not responsible for their actions, nor should they be punished for them."
[08:19] Knight the Wanderer: "Normally I would be swayed, however the church has tried this before. All I know is the Dragon is coming for us and I need to destroy it and Laputa." {She is sick Karen, do you not see it. Use the stone and free her mind.} The dragon says with a yawn.
[08:21] Karen Aido: "Ah. Thanks." she'll dig out the purification gem and cast a purification spell on her. "I doubt this is going to help change things any, but all I can do is try. I do apologize for this, but it needs to be done."
[08:28] Knight the Wanderer: You can feel Laputa surge against the gem, the core doesn't want this. It wants her mad, angry, confused. The field fails, with the gem cutting a beam through it and slamming into Striker-Sally. You can see a host of emotions play upon her face, her breathing growing heavy before she looks upon her hands and arms. [You did it for the good of the city Sally. You did it for the good of me.] A voice says, you heard that voice...Laputa herself... You can see her standing  in a hologram, she looks as good as she once did, beautiful and amazing. [Sally, don't cry. The people needed to be reduced in number, then they needed to be ruled by a monster you could control. After that they needed to know how to fight. Those god golems you killed-] "Were immune to your hellfire, meaning if they found the core they could destroy you..." Sally says while staring at the floor.
[08:32] Karen Aido snaps her fingers. "I fucking knew the core was responsible for this shit. That was the only logical explanation I could come up with. Something was driving you guys batty and then I learned the core was infested with hellfire. Once I heard that, it all made sense, but I needed confirmation, and this is it. I'm just surprised my purification magic managed to overcome it's control. Okay, does that help any? My intentions are genuine, my words are real, and to exacerbate matters, I know the Chosen are also under the affect of something that's causing them to act like this, they played with something, and it turned them into what they are now."
[08:32] Karen Aido: "This doesn't change the fact that they need to be stopped."
[08:40] Knight the Wanderer: The image of Laputa changes, her eyes quickly split into six slits that stare you down. You recognize the massive dragon she is quickly becoming. [Strange, you don't seem as tearful as Brakis was when he figured out the truth. But you have witnessed my might before, how are the worlds oceans doing with the hundred meters or so of water that was misplaced by my carving of the earth and evaporating of the water? Also how were those lovely people who managed to walk from the flames? Where they happy to see you?]
[08:47] Karen Aido shrugs. "You think to break me, you think that I wasn't smart enough to know what your damage would cause. You think a lot of things, dragon. You think poorly. I've born witness to your might. I know what needs to be done. Those people are not happy with me, but I don't need them to be happy with them. I need them to help me save their fellow people. Despite my mistake, they still joined up, even if only as an ally, rather than another state."
[08:50] Knight the Wanderer: {Plus you are a terrible leader. Thinking yourself more powerful then Aeons. You'll lose now, and cause him to lose in your greed.} The small dragon says before the display turns off. "The surface is yours. You need to finish the path you set aup and touch the beacon at the north and then south before retuning here." Sally says before slumping in her seat. "All those things I did..."
[08:56] Karen Aido looks at the dragon, dumbfounded. Then looks outside. Then back to the dragon and points a thumb outside. "Oh, I'm so very glad he doesn't know a damn thing." to Sally. "Sally, listen to me, you were being used by the dragon. Exactly like those paladins, the Chosen, and everyone else who spent an extensive amount of time here. Don't let him break you down. Do something about it, stand up again, fight, protect your city, and it's peoples. Help me save this world from the dragon and Aeons. See, here's the thing the Dragon doesn't realize: I didn't build the army, I didn't do all this work for my personal power. I did it because I knew I couldn't handle this alone. I cannot handle the dragon alone. None of us can, but together we might stand a chance. Please, forgive Muna of the trespasses of his father. He's a good man and doesn't deserve your hatred."
[09:00] Knight the Wanderer: "Why do you think Brakis built all this, did all this...Because Laputa told him it was needed. He placed her into the core and made her the city. Then he vanished, sent me away to live peacefully but I snuck in. He told me what had happened but I didn't believe him...I caused all those people to suffer because the dragon wanted me too..."
[09:00] Knight the Wanderer: "I hated him because he stole my sister, but I got over it...I thought he came back, made me turn into Striker
[09:01] Knight the Wanderer: All for nothing." Now it was my sister all along who was bad...Why couldn't I remember that!"
[09:03] Karen Aido: "Hmm... since you remember it now, I'm pretty sure the dragon did it. She had divination powers, didn't she?"
[09:07] Knight the Wanderer: "Yes, she could see the future and plan for it. Its how she went crazy...Brakis said she looked into the hellfire and found only despair, for the dragon's defeat is also its victory, for the dragon is a destroyer, made to exterminate all, even itself. If it dies or destroys it matters not it wins. Her kids...They also displayed the power, those who had it strongest were ordered to fight in an arena, Laputa forced Brakis to make them all do it. He cried the entire time while my sister barely shed a tear...He still lover her after that, and they ended up having a kid, even though she didn't want it"
[09:14] Karen Aido: "Yeah, Muna, that golem you were trying to kill, the one who only survived because of that local police unit? Yeah, he was the one who came out of that fight. He feels like Brakis, because he's Brakis' son. You can't beat the dragon, but you can make it go away for a time, and hopefully you'll be able to advance enough to put it down the next time it crops it's head up, but I do know that if Brakis could cobble this beast of a city together, my people will be able to handle it in the future. Putting her in the core was probably the only way to contain her, even for a time, but over time small amounts of the dragon were able to escape, to influence the people here."
[09:17] Knight the Wanderer: "The children, those that survived, they weren't made into full cores. Instead they had plans stored in them, to one day build greater and even more impressive Golems, or to reforge the first he made. There was a blue golem he had, its core is the first, made from a fire dancer he met and made his body guard. It can pilot that frame." Wait...She just said Muna isn't a real smart golem, but an highly advanced dumb one?
[09:19] Karen Aido frowns. "That first one was ace. Wait, then why does Muna have the memories?"
[09:22] Karen Aido: Ace*
[09:25] Knight the Wanderer: "Brakis's mana was irregular, his works and skills were far to impressive. Everything I have read of his notes or those he worked with said the same thing. He humbles even the divine, for his power is legendary. He entrapped fae so perfectly they could not flee, he didn't even notice it. A city of this size powered and altering gravity all at the same time with a small pool of mana, the creation of the folds and the precise way they operate. He was meant for something more, and if I can hate one thing, its that he somehow fell to despair." {Thats not a really good answer.} "Yt, the entire line of them, they were dumb golem's forged by Brakis's hand. Tell me then how they managed to develop personalities and power like they did." {I'm a little dragon...} "Helpful, but you see, its a mystery."
[09:32] Karen Aido: "Not really, it still doesn't explain how Muna remembers the actions of that day." she'll plop Hunter's core down. "Nor does it particularly explain why they've all got separate personalities. Though that could be environmental. The dragon could also be partially responsible for it, since it affects things like that, or maybe the design of the golems itself lends itself, inherently to growing a personality. It will be a very long time before that becomes readily apparent. The magic I've seen employed here has a lot of raw power, but not a hell of a lot of skill, it's the architecture, and technical workings that I've seen which have a great deal of skill." she scratches her chin, thinking. "At any rate. Will you help us?"
[09:36] Knight the Wanderer: "Yes...I'll turn everything I can over to you. If you'll have me that is. I did a lot of terrible things." {Striker did them. She died in a surprise attack when Sally returned from the shadows, freeing her people.} The tiny dragon says.
[09:41] Karen Aido quirks an eyebrow. "Who are you? Are you Striker? Does Striker feel remorse? No. Sally does. Sally killed Striker, with a small amount of help from me, just a few words. Sally, I welcome you to my alliance. Point of order: I got a message from my allies on the train, but it was garbled, as this little scamp wrecked my comms gear before being freed from the hellfire dragon's possible influence. I need to talk to my people on that train. We also need to work to keep your remaining allies from fighting with mine."
[09:52] Knight the Wanderer: The Dragon hisses and growls at you before calming down. "They told you to head toward the central tower if you could. I can open the portal ways for you if you want. It will enable to you to jump and sync with the locations you need before reporting back here. {The twin blade!} The dragon says.
[09:56] Karen Aido hushes the dragon "I'm teasing, you didn't know it would become pertinent this soon, and neither did I. What about the twin blade? I mean, it's pretty freaking hazardous to use if you didn't spend a ton of time learning how to use the thing, but isn't that how most things are?" she shakes her head. "I could use it to get around though, right?"
[10:08] Knight the Wanderer: You remember that the blade was Sigma's, and that Sally and Sigma used to be friends.
[10:11] Karen Aido: "Oh. That....  Fuck. Okay, so, I owe you an apology. The first of your allies I ran into was..." she'll sigh and smack her head into the table. ".... Sigma... I tried talking him out of it, but...." she'll roll her head as though shaking it. "I fucking hate this place and I don't blame you for going your own way once the dragon's dead."
[10:12] Knight the Wanderer: "I know he died, it angered me but I had to accept it when I sent him to defeat you all. I forgive you, and I am sure he would to knowing what happened to me."
[10:13] Knight the Wanderer: "After all we both killed friends we each made here, lets honor them by never fighting each other again."
[10:15] Karen Aido sighs into the table. "Agreed...." I don't even feel like arguing the point, I just want to kill the dragon, unfuck this place, save all the people, and never come back here again. Not until the techs and golems of Randagriz have finished remaking this place, and even then, blech.