> Heroes
He Who Breathes (Leader)
Str 0 (-1 Necromancy, -1 Silent Whirlwind
End 2
Mag 10 (+2 Necromancy)
Res 10 (+1 Silent Whirlwind, +1 Leader)
Spd 8 (+2 Leader, +1 Silent Whirlwind)
Luck 5

Kelt
Str 6
End 4
Mag 1 (-1 Necromancy, -1 Silent Whirlwind)
Res 3
Spd 10 (+2 Necromancy, +1 Silent Whirlwind)
Luck 8 (+1 Silent Whirlwind)

Echril
Str 7 (+1 Silent Whirlwind)
End 9 (Enigmatic Riddle)
Mag 0 (-1 Necromancy, -1 Silent Whirlwind)
Res 3
Spd 10 (+2 Necromancy)
Luck 8 (+1 Silent Whirlwind)

Ieru
Str 3 (+2 Duality, -1 Silent Whirlwind, -1 Necromancy)
End 7 (+2 Duality, +2 Necromancy)
Mag 8 (+2 Duality)
Res 6 (+1 Silent Whirlwind)
Spd 7 (+1 Silent Whirlwind)
Luck 8

So to sum it up, we have: a necromancer that trusts nobody, an amnesiac gunslinger that trusts nobody, an assassin that trusts nobody, and an impulsive, overly-trusting illusionist that also houses the soul of a powerful spirit.  None of them even wear anything that could be classified as 'armour', even by the most liberal of classifications.  Thank god for Enigmatic Riddle, or else we would have been screwed the second a melee enemy turned up.

Somehow, this party manages to get 10 IP from Camaraderie and 9 from Efficiency, despite the fact that they hate each other and that the enemy "Person with Club" could oneshot 3/4 of them.  I'm not going to ask how.

>Form
So, let's go over my options here.
Dream Apparition: While Natec might believe that I'm not a figment of his imagination, since he's used to hearing the dead, and Ieru might believe him, Kelt and Echrill are just going to think he's insane.  Further, Natec is probably going to assume that I'm just some random dead spirit rather than a helpful omnipotent god, so that's a no-go.  Granted, I could theoretically persuade him into believing me eventually, but I'm also well aware that I'm so terribly uncharismatic that doing so would probably take longer than the adventure itself.

Enigmatic Figure: If a random hooded figure with dubious intentions shows up in front of this group defined by mistrust, somehow, I doubt that said hooded figure won't end up ignored at best.  Maybe stabbed/shot if I try to be too persistent.  I'll pass.

Possession: Yes, I'm sure that (temporarily) taking away a party member's free will in front of a bunch of people that already don't trust them will work out just fine.  See above, replacing 'hooded figure' with 'party member'.

I think I'll just stick to being an observer.  Besides, I'm sure that they don't need that much of a push to get going - Natec is vehemently against evil already, and the Dark Overlord is presumably very evil, ergo his goal should already be to defeat the Dark Overlord.

>Boons
You All Meet In An Inn [18] - Let's face it, unless I force the issue, there is no way that these people are all going to team up together.  Ieru can follow Natec in the hopes that his necromancy could be repurposed to give Eminea a proper body.  Echril and Kelt could stick together naturally, with the former trying to figure out why she knows him and the latter hoping to uncover a part of his memory out of it.  Natec might put his mistrust aside in order to gain allies to take town the Dark Overlord, while Kelt might take advantage of his ability to speak with the dead to try and learn more about his past...maybe.  It's a pretty contrived scenario.  Hopefully it'll last long enough for them to start to trust each other though, at least.

Character Development Arcs [17] - If any party needs it, it's this one.  Ieru is literally sharing her mind with a spirit and she's the only one *without* emotional issues.

100% Completion [14] - Considering that one party member is a wanted criminal and another is literally a murderer, it might be best to stock up on supplies outside of towns.  Additionally, while the optional dungeons might be objectively harder, they could be easier for the party to complete than the Overlord's - since everyone in the party is so hyperspecialized, they would crumble if the Overlord takes advantage of their weaknesses ahead of time unless they're overleveled.

Intensive Training x3 [11] - There is no way that this party is surviving without all the help it can get.  +2 Spd/+1 End for HWB, +2 Luck/+1 End for Kelt and Echril, and +3 Res for Ieru, just to make sure everybody can actually take more than one hit before dying.  The only one that's actually somewhat protected against both physical and magical damage is Ieru, so we're pretty much banking on the rest being able to dodge everything that comes their way.

Deus Ex Machina [8] - Maybe I'm just paranoid, but I get the feeling that they'll need it.  If not, all the better, but a safety net is always a good idea.

>Associates
Gizmo, Travelling Merchant [7] - Again, the party can't really visit towns, so this is pretty much necessary for them to get...anything.

It That Speaks [6] - Someone to give advice to the party in my place.  Since it can speak more freely than I could even if I had a physical body, it should have an easier time getting the party to trust it.  It might even be able to help Kelt out with his memories, leading into his Character Development Arc.

Isaya, Scion of the Dark [4] - Not only will the fights with her give the party with a rough idea of the Overlord's strength, but once she inevitably comes to the party's side, her information will be priceless for the endgame.  Plus, Natec was lacking a love interest, and everybody knows that the protagonist needs a love interest.  This way it works out perfectly to three pairs - Natec/Isaya, Echril/Kelt, and Ieru/Eminea once the latter gets a physical body.

Independent Heroes: Leron, Isero, Aemee, Sulkal [0] - See, this is what a proper party looks like.  A nice, balanced team, their strengths complimenting each other's, full of personalities that easily get along, with just enough tension to keep things interesting.  Unfortunately for them, this is not their story - ultimately the ragtag group of glass cannons save the world this time, albeit with the help of the proper heroes.


And so, there are happy endings for all.  Natec gets a group of friends he can trust, opening up just a bit, and hopefully being excused for his crimes on account of saving, well, everyone.  If not, he'll probably at least get a country where he isn't an outlaw, considering Isaya will presumably be in power after the Overlord is defeated.  Echrill finally gets to break away from the Trigger Society, and join a group she feels she can belong in.  Kelt gets to learn about his past, and hopefully to move beyond it.  And with any luck, Ieru gets to find a way to give Eminea a physical body.  After all that, if she hasn't, then I'll use the Deus Ex Machina boon to make sure it happens - she deserves it, I'm sure.  I do wonder though, what happens to me after all of this is over?  I hope that I'm not just stuck as an observer watching the daily lives of the heroes after all is said and done.  That would be a bit of an unfortunate fate for the one that guided the heroes to their happy ends.