Ionia, a land of unspoiled beauty and tranquillity. The First Lands are not a single continent, but a vast archipelago of many great islands. Here, the barrier between the physical realm and the world of the spirits is thin. The people who dwell here do not plunder the land for all of its wealth, in an effort to satisfy their greed. Instead, the inhabitants of Ionia bend to the will of nature and make humble requests of it in return. They do not build their own houses, they petition the spirits of great trees to grow in such a way that they might shelter their families. They do not quarry for stone or mine for metal, instead they only take that which the land is willing to provide to them. By living in harmony with Ionia and the spirits that rule over it, the Ionians lead peaceful and prosperous lives, devoid of senseless violence and vice, free to pursue enlightenment and true mastery of themselves.Deva'le is a humble village, one of many that exist along the length of the great river of Navori, that flows through the province from the mountains in the north to the ocean to the south. The settlement rests in a lush and fertile valley, between towering hills that reach for the heavens, great crags that were sundered by an ancient conflict. Here, a hundred families enjoy the bounty provided by a tributary of the great river, and live truly tranquil lives. As long as they live in harmony with the spirits of the land, they shall never know suffering. This is what they believe with all of their hearts, as do most other Ionians.You are Nayen, a young man born and raised in Deva'le. You know almost nothing of life outside of the valley that the village calls home, and truly nothing about the wider world beyond the shores of Ionia. Yet out of all of the boys of your generation, you are the one of the few who possessed potential. The village elders identified your talents while you were still young and sought to train you, so that you might best serve your people and the myriad spirits of Ionia.Now that you are of age, what have you become?>A wind-weaver. You have been taught the graceful dances that please the spirits of the wind and allow you to bend the weather to your will, to bless your village with clear skies during the day and nourishing rain during the night.>A beast-speaker. You have achieved a oneness with the animals that call Ionia home. You are able to commune with them and earn their favour, to master them in a fashion that does not anger the patron spirits of these beasts.>A steel-shaper. You have studied the five elements and the bonds between them. By honouring these fundamental forces, you are able to forge truly marvellous tools that will stand the test of time and serve your people well.>A mischief-maker. You shunned your teachers and have no reverence for the spirits. You do not have the favour of Ionia, nor do you have any mystical abilities, but you are free, unbound by the dogma that shackles most Ionians.
>>6168864>A steel-shaper. You have studied the five elements and the bonds between them. By honouring these fundamental forces, you are able to forge truly marvellous tools that will stand the test of time and serve your people well.Oh yeah, heavy metal time.
>>6168864>A beast-speaker. You have achieved a oneness with the animals that call Ionia home. You are able to commune with them and earn their favour, to master them in a fashion that does not anger the patron spirits of these beasts.
>>6168864>A steel-shaper. You have studied the five elements and the bonds between them. By honouring these fundamental forces, you are able to forge truly marvellous tools that will stand the test of time and serve your people wellMagic tools are always kino
>>6168864>A wind-weaver. You have been taught the graceful dances that please the spirits of the wind and allow you to bend the weather to your will, to bless your village with clear skies during the day and nourishing rain during the night.
>>6168864>A steel-shaper. You have studied the five elements and the bonds between them. By honouring these fundamental forces, you are able to forge truly marvellous tools that will stand the test of time and serve your people well.
You have been taught to serve your village as a shaper of steel, and yours is a noble art. You sift the waters of the tributary for clay and iron sand. You collect the fallen branches of old trees and make charcoal out of them. You shape a furnace from the clay that harbours the iron sand and the charcoal. You heat and turn over the mixture over the course of days until the process is complete and the furnace can be broken. You take the resultant steel and heat it once more, to mould it into the tool that you desire and quench it with water before you apply the finishing touches. Throughout every step of this process, you pray to each of the elements for their favour, so that the final product might be well and truly blessed.It is a laborious process, but it is one that produces only the finest steel, a supple metal that keeps a keen edge for decades and flexes beneath great tension without breaking. Throughout Ionia, there are sites where terrible battles were waged, that are littered with swords forged using these techniques. One such site can be found not so far from your village, where the stony hand of a great titan reaches out from the earth, as big as a hill, impaled with a hundred glittering blades that refuse to rust, despite the millennia that have passed since that fateful battle. The story of the encounter has long been forgotten, but the people of Deva'le keep their distance from the titan's fingers, out of fear of awakening it.Yet it is not swords and weapons of war that you craft, for your village has no need for such cruel implements. Instead, you forge sickles for the land-fishers, so that they might reap the river-grasses. You craft knives that are used to peel the fruit that falls from orchard trees, and to prepare the carcasses of animals that have surrendered their lives to feed the village. Violence is not the Ionian way, and so you make nothing that is meant to be used with violent intentions.Your master and teacher, Sanao, is a hoary old man who has made many marvels. The metal that he works seems to never rust or break, no matter the passage of time or the strain that it is put under. He has gone to great effort to instil the importance of pacifism in you, yet his past does not align with his teachings. It is said that when Sanao was young, he abandoned the village and wandered the isles of Ionia, only to return when he was a grown man, with a number of scars and a sword by his side, a sword that he still wears to this day.
The old steel-shaper refuses to speak of his travels, no matter how much you pry. Sanao has no desire to corrupt the hearts of his student with tales of violence and cruelty, at least that is his excuse. But have his teachings had any impact, or do you long to follow in the footsteps of your master and carry a sword of your own, a device that has no purpose other than to shed blood?>You obey your teacher. You are a good student and understand the value of pacifism. Forging swords and other tools of war would only encourage violence for once a weapon is made, it must be used. For this reason, you gladly make nothing other than sickles and knives for farmers.>You demand a sword of your own. How are you to truly understand steel if your teacher does not allow you to explore all that it is capable of? You shall badger Sanao until he finally relents and teaches you how to craft a blade of your own, not unlike the one that hangs from his hip.>You have stolen a sword from the titan's fingers. The craftsmanship of ancient Ionians surpasses that of even Sanao, and you wish to learn from it. In order to do so, you have ripped one of the blades from the giant's hand under the cover of night, and it remains your greatest secret.>You speak of the importance of self-defence. You constantly argue with Sanao about the necessity of weapons, so that the people of Deva'le might protect themselves. The titan's corpse serves as a reminder that violence is a fact of life, and the village must be prepared to defend itself.
>>6169564>You have stolen a sword from the titan's fingers. The craftsmanship of ancient Ionians surpasses that of even Sanao, and you wish to learn from it. In order to do so, you have ripped one of the blades from the giant's hand under the cover of night, and it remains your greatest secret.
>>6169564>You speak of the importance of self-defence. You constantly argue with Sanao about the necessity of weapons, so that the people of Deva'le might protect themselves. The titan's corpse serves as a reminder that violence is a fact of life, and the village must be prepared to defend itself.
>>6169564>You obey your teacher. You are a good student and understand the value of pacifism. Forging swords and other tools of war would only encourage violence for once a weapon is made, it must be used. For this reason, you gladly make nothing other than sickles and knives for farmers.
About a year ago, on a moonless night, you sneaked out of your master's workshop while he was in the throes of slumber. You blindly stumbled through the river-grasses until you were far enough from the village that you could light a torch without being seen. From there, you made your way to the titan's hand, looming ominously out of the earth at a slanted angle, as though it was reaching for something. It took a moment for you to gather your courage but sure enough, you approached the giant's grasping digits to take a closer look.The stony skin of the titan was gouged with many deep wounds, where more swords had once been lodged. You were not the first person to think of stealing a blade from the giant's corpse, clearly – surely the titan would not awaken if you stole one more? Wrapping your hands around the leather-bound hilt of one such sword, you gave it a mighty tug. It didn't budge. Again and again, you tried to yank the weapon free, pulling with all of your strength, planting both of your feet against the stony finger as you strained to free the ancient sword.And at last, after what felt like an eternity of effort, the blade came free. Your persistence was rewarded with a double-edged sword, its blade straight and pointed and as long as your arm, etched with a series of ancient runes that were beyond your comprehension. A long white ribbon was tied around its ring pommel, easily as long as the blade itself, catching the wind as you held the weapon aloft. Despite the passage of time, nothing about the sword had decayed and it felt almost as light as a feather, in spite of its size. In that moment, you knew that you made the right decision. You would study this sword and you would learn how to make more like it, or so you swore to yourself.Yet you could not do so while your master still lorded over you. So you wrapped the blade in one of your winter robes upon your return to Sanao's workshop, and you buried it underneath the roots of his abode. With every day that passed, you lived in fear that he would discover the sword or that the titan might awaken, yet neither outcome came to pass. More than once, the old artisan walked right past the spot where you had hidden the sword, with no idea of what you had done. With the passage of time, you overcame your anxiety – you no longer worry that someone might discover your secret. All you need to do is wait, for your master to retire and pass the workshop down to you, and then you will be free to study the blade and learn from its steel.Yet before that day arrives, everything changes.It is a cool spring morning, and you are assisting your master with the preparation of charcoal – he prays to the spirits of wood and flame for their favour, while you feed kindling into the kiln. You keep your head bowed in respect and remain silent while Sanao chants, for the esteem of the elements is of vital importance.
It is for this reason that you cringe when you hear the pattering of feet and the voice of a boy, a few years younger than you. “Master Sanao, Master Sanao!”Your gnarled old mentor only raises a hand to silence the boy as he continues his chant, and then gestures for you to keep feeding the fuel into the kiln while he prays. The boy catches his breath as you place the last of the wood into the fire and seal the clay oven, finishing the process. Sanao then turns to the young man, his wrinkled skin as rough as tree bark and his eyebrows long, wispy and white, not unlike his beard.“Is there a reason for this interruption?” The smith's voice creaks like old leather as he speaks, a stern frown etched into his features.“A guest from another village has come with news, Master Sanao! Mistress Yanali wishes for the elders to convene, so that you might hear what he has to say.” Yanali – the eldest of the wind-weavers, too old to dance for the amusement of the sky, but still revered for the wisdom that she carries.“Very well. Let her know that I shan't be long.” The boy scampers off after a hurried bow, most likely to inform the other elders of this meeting. Once he has left, Sanao turns to face you. “Fetch my stick, Nayen. You will be coming with me. It won't be long until you are the master of this workshop, and you'll need to learn how to stand up to these windbags.”“Of course, master.” He's been saying that it won't be long since your tutelage began, but this is the first time that you've been invited along to a gathering of the elders. Once you've given Sanao his cane, you accompany him outside and through the village. The land-fishers are hard at work, reaping the river-grasses that have returned with the advent of spring. A brisk breeze causes the boughs of the tree-homes to sway as you pass them by, carrying with it the scent of flowers and dew.It doesn't take you too long to arrive at the shrine of the wind-weavers at the village's edge, an elegant archway formed from two white birch trees, their trunks bent and their branches bound together. Some of the other elders are already here, as is Yanali. Most of them look the same – age and exposure has made their skin tawny and hoary, while their hair is almost as thin and pale as your master's, with thick robes to protect their bodies from the morning's chill. They have already arranged themselves in a ring around a young man, not much older than you. Thanks to his ragged and filthy clothes, as well as the exhaustion etched into his face, it is easy to tell that he has come a long way. He's busy with a bowl full of sliced fruit and roasted nuts, sating the hunger that comes with a hard journey.
By the time that the other elders have arrived, the guest has finished his meal. Yanali signals for an apprentice of hers to retrieve the bowl from the traveller before she speaks, the sharpness and clarity of her voice cutting through the air. The old wind-weaver has remained elegant in spite of her age, with a willowy figure that refuses to stoop and snowy hair bound in a tight bun. Her lips seem to be permanently puckered, as though there is a sour taste that never leaves her mouth.“Forgive me for disturbing all of you on this fine day,” Yanali begins, her tone terse, “but I believe that the message that this young man has brought to Deva'le warrants your attention.” Her attention swivels to her guest. “Please, repeat what you told me earlier. It is important that they hear it from your lips, rather than mine.” “Well, uh, my name is Akane.” He clears his throat, in an effort to keep himself from stumbling over his words. He still seems haggard and haunted, despite the meal he was just given. “I come from the village of Anaju, down by the coast, far from here... I-I'm not sure if it's still there any more. It must've been about a fortnight ago, when we first saw great metal boats in the distance, out to sea, plumes of smoke rising from them. We watched as they came closer, only to beach themselves and vomit out hundreds of warriors. They claimed that the village belonged to them, that all of Ionia belonged to them, and killed anyone who didn't obey... I had to run, I have to keep running, nowhere is safe! I couldn't stop them, nothing can stop them!”“That is enough, Akane.” Yanali interrupts, lifting a hand and silencing the man before he can continue further. “If this man speaks the truth, efforts must be taken to keep these invaders from discovering Deva'le. My wind-weavers can entreat the spirits to enshroud this village in mist over the coming weeks, to hide it from any aggressors with ill intent.”“How are the land-fishers supposed to reap the grass if they can't even see it?!” Another haggard old elder interjects with a grumble. “We needn't do aught at all! These outsiders shall anger the spirits and earn their wrath. The land itself shall rid us of these invaders!”“What if we are discovered before the spirits put a stop to them,” Yalani asks in return. “Do you suggest that we allow these barbarians to slaughter us? It is best that they do not find us at all.”“Should they find our village and lay claim to it, then we should obey them.” You are surprised to hear these words come from Sanao, your master. “You heard the boy, these outsiders do not kill those who serve them. We must practise patience and submit to these invaders as long as the spirits deem it necessary. In time, they will take action and we will be rid of the savages.”
“How can you wear a sword by your side and say such things?!” This outburst does not come from an elder but from one of Yanali's wind-weavers, a lithe young woman about your age, clad in a flowing blue robe embroidered with silver clouds, her black hair bound in a long ponytail. “Someone has to stop them! We can't just stand by and wait for the spirits to help us of their own accord!”You can see that Yanali and several other elders about to open their mouths, to object to the youth's outburst... Yet a part of you is compelled to speak as well, though you are not certain what you want to say. Do you wish to voice your agreement, or do you wish to condemn her for speaking ill of your master? This is a chance for you to make an impression, in front of all of the village elders.>Stand by your master and his suggestion. He is your teacher, it is only right that you follow his lead. Patience is paramount, the spirits shall deal with these outsiders when the time is right. Until then, the people of Deva'le should do naught but wait.>Support Yanali and her plan to conceal Deva'le from outsiders. These barbarians disturb the peace of Ionia and bring violence with them from distant shores. They cannot be allowed to find your village and threaten the lives of the people who live here.>Voice your agreement with the other youth. The people of Deva'le can't afford to kowtow to invaders or hide from them beneath a shroud of mist. Action must be taken, something must be done, the people of Ionia must defend themselves from this threat!>Remain silent. This is a gathering of the elders and it isn't your place to speak out, no matter what your opinion on the matter might be. This young woman is in the wrong for voicing her opinion. All you can do is wait for the judgement of the elders.
>>6169743>Voice your agreement with the other youth. The people of Deva'le can't afford to kowtow to invaders or hide from them beneath a shroud of mist. Action must be taken, something must be done, the people of Ionia must defend themselves from this threat!We shouldn't just rely on the spirits to do literally everything for us.
>>6169743>Voice your agreement with the other youth. The people of Deva'le can't afford to kowtow to invaders or hide from them beneath a shroud of mist. Action must be taken, something must be done, the people of Ionia must defend themselves from this threat!To say nothing of asking too much of the spirits, who can say how many villages need to be conquered or burnt down for them to take umbrage?
>>6169743>Voice your agreement with the other youth. The people of Deva'le can't afford to kowtow to invaders or hide from them beneath a shroud of mist. Action must be taken, something must be done, the people of Ionia must defend themselves from this threat!
>>6169743>>Remain silent. This is a gathering of the elders and it isn't your place to speak out, no matter what your opinion on the matter might be. This young woman is in the wrong for voicing her opinion. All you can do is wait for the judgement of the elders.However, that means Fail at it, and...>Voice your agreement with the other youth. The people of Deva'le can't afford to kowtow to invaders or hide from them beneath a shroud of mist. Action must be taken, something must be done, the people of Ionia must defend themselves from this threat!
“She's right!”You are able to interrupt before anyone else can speak and all eyes fall on you, as you stand before this gathering of elders.“We need to defend ourselves from the barbarians! If the spirits allowed Anaju to fall into their hands in the first place, how long will it take before they decide to free it? How many months or years would we have to wait before the spirits would answer our prayers and rid us of them? We need to defend ourselves, we can't rely on the land to save us from this threat!”“Silence!” “That's enough, I say!” “Who gave you the right to speak?!” Before you are even finished, many of the elders are already crying out their objections and doing their best to silence you. It takes a long moment for them to notice the raised hand of Yanali and quieten down, so they might speak.“That is why I would ask the sky to shroud Deva'le and keep these outsiders from finding us. Action must be taken, though to answer violence with violence and shed the blood of these savages would be the height of foolishness.” The old wind-weaver looks upon her student with a frown, disappointment etched into her face. “That would make us no different from the barbarians that invade our lands, and the spirits would smite us just as readily as them.”“But how do you expect us to live in a land blanketed by fog? Many of the village would not be able to work, and it would not take long for the spirits of the sky to tire of your demands.” Sanao shakes his head, with a truly grim expression. You have no doubt that he is displeased by your outburst. “The best steel bends, it does not break. We must submit to these invaders when they arrive, so that they will spare us. All of you heard what Akane said, those who do not obey these foreigners are slain by them. We will survive and we shall pray, so that the spirits shall deliver us in time and send these brutes whence they came.”“But master, what if the spirits –” Before you are able to finish, the elderly steel-shaper gives you a withering glare and continues, his tone sharp and pointed.“There is nothing to be gained from violence, boy. I have lived that life and I have suffered for it. I have learned these lessons first-hand and I wear this sword by my side as a mark of shame, not as one of pride! There is nothing heroic about conflict or resistance. Should these invaders arrive at our village, we shall bow to them. They shall anger Ionia with their vile ways and the land itself shall rise up to cast them out. We must practise patience and we must practise serenity. If we do this, then Deva'le shall not suffer.”
Many of the other elders murmur their agreement. It seems that Sanao's suggestion of pacifism and surrender has won out over Yanali's plan to hide from this invasion. While the other patriarchs and matriarchs voice their opinions and declare their support your master, you look towards the young wind-weaver who voiced her dissatisfaction, who you strove to support. Her irritation is written on her face, and it is clear to see on the features of other youths who accompanied their teachers to this gathering. You aren't the only one who wants to fight back.Once it has been decided that the village shall submit to these invaders, most of the elders prepare to leave and call for their students to attend to them. As for the young woman who shares your disobedience, she has gone to the side of Akane, to offer the guest a cup of water. Though you know that you are supposed to accompany Sanao back to his workshop, you decide that he can wait – you wish to speak with the others and you feel a little rebellious, after being chastised by your master. As you approach the two of them, the wind-weaver offers you a weak yet grateful smile. “Thank you for trying to help,” she murmurs, while the traveller is busy quenching his thirst, “but I fear that they will never listen, they are so convinced of their own wisdom.”“Who is to say that the spirits won't be angered by our submission to these outsiders? What would make us any different from the invaders if we agree to serve them?” You shake your head in dismay, unable to see the wisdom in the decision of your elders. In that moment, you realise that you don't actually know that young woman's name – you spend so much time in the workshop that you rarely get to speak with other villagers. “But uh, I'm Nayen.”“Ralia,” she answers, before her attention shifts back to Akane, taking the cup from him once he has emptied it of its contents. “Will you be staying with us much longer?”“Not a chance,” Akane mumbles, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “You're fools if you can think you can fight back, you've not seen what I've seen. An endless army of warriors clad in black metal and wielding fire, there's nothing that can stop them. I've got a bicorn that I plan on riding as far as I can, all I can do is spread the word and flee as far as I can before they find me. If you've got any wits in your heads, you'll both do the same.”
Ralia studies your face, as she considers how she wants to answer that question. The elders of Deva'le have already decided that they shall surrender, but what are you going to do?>Follow the lead of your elders. You've voiced your objections, but now that the elders have reached a decision, you should obey their wisdom. To do otherwise would be folly.>Convince the other youths to defend the village. Surely the other young men and women of the village can be convinced to take up arms and protect their home for these savages.>Take the fight to the invaders. You will find anyone else who is willing to fight back and you will put a stop to these barbarians yourself, before they are able to attack the village.>Run away with Akane, to spread word of the invasion. Deva'le is already doomed, there's no use sticking around, but the rest of Ionia deserves to be warned of this incursion.
>>6170103>Follow the lead of your elders. You've voiced your objections, but now that the elders have reached a decision, you should obey their wisdom. To do otherwise would be folly.Better to fight than rely on the mercy of the world, but if we try to stir up the youth at this point, it could create internal tensions and endanger the village. The elders would want to declare surrender but the youth might go ahead of them and make the wrong impression, potentially dooming everyone in Deva'le. Any collective action ought to have support from all quarters.
>>6170103>Run away with Akane, to spread word of the invasion. Deva'le is already doomed, there's no use sticking around, but the rest of Ionia deserves to be warned of this incursion.Devale is too close to the shore were the invaders landed. And our the elders are useless, we should leave and see if we can gather warriors in other parts of Ionia.
>>6170103>Run away with Akane, to spread word of the invasion. Deva'le is already doomed, there's no use sticking around, but the rest of Ionia deserves to be warned of this incursion.We ronins now. Also, Akane must've skimped out on a lot of details on account of skedaddling on hour 1 of the invasion, but I imagine that the demand "obey or die" doesn't exactly entail human rights. We ain't no slave, we're as free as the spirits.
>>6170103>>Follow the lead of your elders. You've voiced your objections, but now that the elders have reached a decision, you should obey their wisdom. To do otherwise would be folly.
>Follow the lead of your elders. You've voiced your objections, but now that the elders have reached a decision, you should obey their wisdom. To do otherwise would be folly.I don't want to leave the village alone and the people there. We don't have any combat experience as far as we know.
>Locking the vote there so I can start a write-up.
Potential idea:If the invaders start killing people despite the pacifism, offer to join them in exchange for sparing the village. If a single recruit is not enough for them, perhaps more people from the village can be convinced to follow along. To clarify, joining them doesn’t inherently mean as a soldier. Any army requires supply lines to be maintained or labor to be performed.
“The elders have made their decision,” you say, with a little bitterness in your voice. “All we can do is abide by it. All we can do is hope that other villages will heed your warning and take action.” Ralia seems a little disappointed by your response, while Akane lets out a laugh that is tinged with hysteria.“Fat chance of that! Every day, I've stopped at a different village and all of you have been the same. 'The spirits will protect us!' I've seen their boats, I've seen their armour, I've seen how many of them there are. The spirits won't protect them against that, and they won't protect me either. All I can do is run, run for as long as I can, as hard as I can. As long as I stay one step ahead, I'll be safe...”All you can do is watch as the tired fellow stumbles off in search of his bicorn. Ralia shakes her head and turns to you, a troubled frown spoiling her features.“A part of me is tempted to go with him, but I don't think that it would do much good. Let's hope that the spirits will answer our prayers, like the elder says.” She glances over your shoulder and gestures past you. “I believe that your teacher is waiting for you.”You shouldn't test Sanao's patience more than you already have. After murmuring a farewell to the wind-weaver, you turn and trudge back to the old steel-shaper, to accompany him back to his workshop. The two of you are silent for most of the journey, with an uncomfortable tension in the air between you. Your teacher only breaks the silence once his abode is within sight.“I had hoped that you lacked the foolishness that so often accompanies youth,” he chides. “That was a gathering of the elders, of those old enough to know what wisdom is. That girl had no right to speak and neither did you, Nayen. I expected better.”“You are the one who parades around that sword of yours,” you snap back at him. It's difficult to contain your frustration, knowing how eager your elders are to surrender to the invaders. “When you were my age, you were wandering Ionia with a blade by your side and going on all sorts of reckless adventures! What gives you the right to judge me and call me foolish, when you did far worse?”“You do not know the life that I led beyond this village,” Sanao mutters in return, somewhat subdued after your retort. “I thought that I would find glory and earn fame, by fighting demons that dwell in the shadows and protecting the weak and needy. I was wrong. I lost everything that I gained, and there was only one thing that I brought back with me to this village – the knowledge that a life lived by the sword is a miserable one without a happy ending. Should you fight back against these invaders, your soul would suffer for it, as mine withered during my 'adventures.' The people of our village needn't lose their innocence, especially not you, Nayen.”
You aren't sure how you should reply. On one hand, you feel a little guilty for challenging the man who has given you shelter and shared his wisdom with you for so many years. On the other, he has to understand the importance of a human life – the people of Deva'le should know how to defend themselves, if the invaders decide to slaughter them.>Insist that he shares his knowledge of combat with those who are willing to learn. He should support those who are willing to defend themselves against this threat, no matter his views on violence. If he doesn't, their deaths are on his head.>Ask that he teaches you, and you alone, what he knows of battle. He is supposed to be your tutor and you are supposed to be his student. You have served him loyally for all of these years, the least that he can do is share his experience with you.>You want to learn how to make swords. Since he first took you, you've been making nothing but farming equipment and simple knives. These barbarians will want weapons – they will not be kind if you do not know how to make what they want.>Apologise and make no demands of your master. You are grateful for his tuition and you should not be challenging his wisdom. Ask him to forgive you for your outburst and insist that you will obey him henceforth. You do not wish to lose his favour.
>>6170495>Apologise and make no demands of your master. You are grateful for his tuition and you should not be challenging his wisdom. Ask him to forgive you for your outburst and insist that you will obey him henceforth. You do not wish to lose his favour.>but cross your fingers behind your back
>>6170495>You want to learn how to make swords. Since he first took you, you've been making nothing but farming equipment and simple knives. These barbarians will want weapons – they will not be kind if you do not know how to make what they want.
>>6170495>Ask that he teaches you, and you alone, what he knows of battle. He is supposed to be your tutor and you are supposed to be his student. You have served him loyally for all of these years, the least that he can do is share his experience with you.
>>6170495>Ask that he teaches you, and you alone, what he knows of battle. He is supposed to be your tutor and you are supposed to be his student. You have served him loyally for all of these years, the least that he can do is share his experience with you.Our elders are such pussies that it might have been better to have actual felines replace them.
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>>6170495>>Ask that he teaches you, and you alone, what he knows of battle. He is supposed to be your tutor and you are supposed to be his student. You have served him loyally for all of these years, the least that he can do is share his experience with you.
“What I do with my innocence is my choice, master. You cannot make the decision for me.” You speak carefully, for you have no desire to upset Sanao further as you help him into his home. “But you are my teacher, and I am your student. I have served you loyally for years now and I will continue to serve you to the best of my ability, all I ask in return is that you teach me all that you know – not only how to shape steel, but how to defend myself and this village.”“That knowledge serves no purpose,” Sanao grumbles. “To fight is to harm yourself, by endangering your body and by staining your soul with violence. It is no use to you, boy.”“Let me decide that for myself,” you insist. “Should these barbarians wish to kill us, I want to have a chance against them. I want to be able to save as many of our village as I can, should it come to that. Trust that I will only risk my body and my soul if I have no other choice, master. You know that I am not a fool, and that I will not act recklessly.”A defeated sigh comes from your old teacher as he slumps on top of a stool, weary from the journey to the shrine and back and tired of arguing with his own student.“If that is your wish. Every time the sun rises, I shall grant you my sword for a single hour and I will teach you how to wield such a tool. Yet I shall not give you a sword of your own, nor allow you to make one for yourself – I will only grant you my blade once I trust that you can carry it with wisdom and not stain its steel for foolish reasons. Am I understood, Nayen?”“Yes, master. Thank you for giving me this opportunity.” He doesn't know of the sword that you stole from the titan's fingers, buried only a dozen feet from where you are standing. You have no need for his blade.“Then once I have my breath back, let us begin.”Over the course of the next several weeks, you spend an hour each day learning the basics of swordsmanship from your master. It seems as though the five elements are as important to combat as they are to craftsmanship, for there is a stance for each element. Water, to be intangible and evasive, to flow around an attacker's assault. Wood, to bend without breaking, to parry without being overpowered. Earth, to remain unyielding, to push forward no matter what. Metal, to maintain a keen edge, to punish your enemy's recklessness. Fire, to lash out and destroy, when it is time to strike decisively.According to Sanao, all combat boils down to these five stances, though they may appear different at first glance and are known by different names throughout Ionia. To fight well is to know when to flow from one stance to the next, to know which stance counters another, and to know how to punish your foe for their choice of stance. Despite your master's words of caution, you find yourself enjoying every hour of training – there is something fulfilling, almost spiritual, about holding a sword in your hands as you stand at the ready.
But all good things must come to an end.Over a month after the day of Akane's warning, they arrive. You and your master are busy in the workshop when they arrive, forging a new sickle for one of the land-fishers. You are quenching the still-hot steel in water when heavy footsteps pound at the earth outside of the workshop. Sanao looks up and you glance over your shoulder to behold two figures standing in the doorway of your master's home, clad in suits of black metal that conceal even their faces and wielding wicked axes and heavy shields. All of their arms and armour are designed in a sharp, angular, aggressive fashion, no doubted intended to be intimidating. Yet you can't help but frown at the waste of metal, at the lack of elegance in the design.“You are subjects of Grand General Boram Darkwill and the Noxian Empire,” one of the brutes barks, his voice distorted by the heavy helmet he wears. His accent is thick and his words are stilted, as though he is simply reciting them and does not understand the Ionian language. “You will come with us to gather with the rest of your village for assessment. Resist and die.” They both understand that last bit, as their hands tighten around the hafts of their axes.You exchange a look with Sanao, but your teacher merely bows his head as he smothers the flames of the furnace. You know that he shan't resist, and neither shall you – you made up your mind when Akane had left, when you had the chance to escape with him or organise a resistance. All you can do is accept your fate and pray that the spirits will deliver Deva'le, when the time is right.Along with your master, you are marched out of the workshop and through the village. When one of the soldiers grows impatient with Sanao's pace and gives him a pointed shove, you go to his side to help him along, to move faster. Once more, it seems as though you are gathering at the shrine of the wind-weavers, where the graceful white archway stands.The savages have already hacked down one of the smaller trees of Deva'le, which once gave the villagers with an abundance of berries every summer. Now it lies on its side beneath the archway, roughly hewn into a crude desk that a black-clad woman sits behind. Your master is torn away from you and pulled off to join the other elders, sat on the earth to the side of the shrine, huddled together and surrounded by a score of armoured brutes. As for you, you are ordered in broken Ionian to join the long line of other able-bodied men and woman, who queue before the desk.One by one, you are processed, with other villagers lining up behind you as they are taken from their homes and from the river-grasses. Akane was right – these invaders are numerous. There are easily over a hundred of them. While the people of Deva'le are more numerous than them, you are all ill-equipped to fight back. Even if you chose to organise a resistance, you doubt that you would have stood a chance against them.
At long last, the queue is whittled down at your stand before the woman in black. Her sallow skin shows some sign of age, with crow's feet at the edge of her sharp, grey eyes. Her raven hair is tightly bound in a stiff bun, that doesn't allow a single strand to escape. The elaborate and layered black robe that she wears speaks of authority but even she wears armour of sorts, in the form of a wickedly sharp girdle worn over her midriff and a gleaming crest worn over her chest. She even has a sheathed sword hanging by her side – you cannot help but feel somewhat curious about its craftsmanship.“You are henceforth a subject of Noxus and a servant of Boram Darkwill,” she begins, not even looking up at you as she finishes writing a few notes. At least her Ionian is much cleaner and more practised, though her original accent can still be heard, thick and heavy. “You are to state your name, your former profession, and the name of the senior that you once served, so that your new role as a subject of Noxus may be determined.” At last, she looked up from her paperwork to meet your gaze with a steely stare.>You are a steel-shaper. You shouldn't hide the truth from her, as you have no wish to endanger the well-being of Sanao or cause any sort of trouble. There is no need for any sort of deception.>You are a defender of Deva'le. These invaders seem to value martial prowess, so you should make yourself seem more important, dangerous and deserving of respect by claiming that you are a warrior.>You are just a land-fisher, one of many farmers, and you have no master. Refrain from speaking of Sanao, as you want to protect your teacher by not involving him in this. They needn't know of your bond.>You are not going to tell her anything. Show your defiance by remaining silent and tight-lipped. Maybe you should even spit at her as a show of defiance, to make it clear that you will resist Noxus, forever.
>>6170825>>You are not going to tell her anything. Show your defiance by remaining silent and tight-lipped. Maybe you should even spit at her as a show of defiance, to make it clear that you will resist Noxus, forever.
>>6170825>You are a steel-shaper. You shouldn't hide the truth from her, as you have no wish to endanger the well-being of Sanao or cause any sort of trouble. There is no need for any sort of deception.Or, if anyone supports my idea>I'm Nayen and I have no master, I'm just a bum who the people of the village let live her and took care of meAn aimless bum like us would be put in any minimal, not important job. That way we protect Sanao and they put us in a shitty job here, or we're going to act like a mule following this bitch and her army while carrying stuff, maybe being an assistant The downsides is that we will likely never came back in the village until waaaay in the future (and rather possibly lose our sword in workshop), that Sanao will rebel and won't craft any weapon for Noxus and that end up in him getting killed, and maybe Ralia will eventually rebel and hell will break loose on this village, ending up in being torched.
>>6170825>You are a steel-shaper. You shouldn't hide the truth from her, as you have no wish to endanger the well-being of Sanao or cause any sort of trouble. There is no need for any sort of deception.It sucks to bend the knee, but Sanao trusted that we wouldn't use his sword for foolish reasons, and provoking the Noxians into making an example out of us, in exchange for no tangible reward, is foolish.
>>6170825>You are just a land-fisher, one of many farmers, and you have no master. Refrain from speaking of Sanao, as you want to protect your teacher by not involving him in this. They needn't know of your bondAs much of a sourpuss our master is, there's probably a tale of tragedy that he refuses to speak about when it comes to his past. I don't want to fuck him over. And if pacifism is the M.O. of our society, it'd be better to not let these guys force us to make weapons and armor and crap. Plus, this is the best kind of defiance where they don't even know they're being objected; we're not letting these ugly, filthy, smelly, slack-jawed and crook-faced savages benefit from OUR best work. Fuck you, we're fishermen.
>>6170825>You are a steel-shaper. You shouldn't hide the truth from her, as you have no wish to endanger the well-being of Sanao or cause any sort of trouble. There is no need for any sort of deception.We were retrieved from Sanao's home, they'll probably figure out that we're lying if we don't tell the truth.
“I am Nayen, a steel-shaper and a student of Sanao. He taught me everything that I know.” You tell her the truth and you hide nothing from her – you have no desire for anyone to be punished for insolence, not when the occupation has only just begun. Nevertheless, your statement seems to earn the woman's interest. There's not special about you – just a young man with tan skin, tawny hair and dark, almond-shaped eyes, with a lean and sinewy body honed by years of hardship. Not that different from any other man your age, but the interrogator watches you like a hawk.“A blacksmith,” she states, her eyes narrow as she considers you. “You must be the first person in this village who has a profession that is of any use to us. I look forward to seeing what you are capable of, Nayen.” Her quill flows across the parchment laid before her and a moment later, she barks out a single syllable. “Next!”The gauntlet of a soldier presses against your back and you guided away from the line, to join the other men and women of working age. It would seem that the invaders are separating you into two groups, the young and the old. The interrogator continues her questioning for what feels like an hour as you are forced to sit and wait in silence – anyone who dares to speak is struck by the gauntleted fist of a Noxian soldier. Once the queue has diminished and no one is left to be assessed, the austere woman rises from behind her makeshift desk and speaks out, her voice as loud and clear as a clarion.“Allow me to introduce myself as Assessor Gloroteia. From this moment onward, you may consider me the administrator of this village. It is my duty to ensure that the inhabitants of Deva'le serve Noxus to the best of their ability. To provide you with sufficient motivation, I shall take custody of the senior inhabitants of this village. I can promise you that they will be fed, sheltered and cared for, as long as you remain obedient.” Even as she speaks, the soldiers that surround the elders proceed to force them to their feet and begin the process of marching them off. You hear a few murmurs of discontent, but as soon as the assessor speaks once more, they fall silent.“I want each and every one of you to know that Noxus rewards those who can provide results. Nothing is sacred. Nothing is forbidden. Your traditions and your superstitions mean nothing. If your actions strengthen Noxus, you will rise. If your actions weaken Noxus, you will suffer. You have everything to gain, and so much to lose. My first order is that you return to homes and enjoy a day of rest. When tomorrow comes, your service to Noxus shall begin. You are dismissed.”
What follows is a moment of stunned silence from many of the villagers, but they are not allowed to linger for long. Soldiers begin to shove and kick at them to force them into motion, and you are not immune to this treatment. You grunt as you feel a Noxian gauntlet slam against your back and stagger to your feet. Though you stare after the elders who have been marched off, they are already too far off for you to make out any sign of Sanao – nor do you know where he and the others are being taken. All you know is that his safety depends on your obedience.The walk back to your master's workshop is surreal – you can't recall the last time that you made this journey alone, let alone the last time you had your teacher's home all to yourself. The old man isn't there to chide you, or to show you how to wield a sword. Already, you feel yourself somewhat missing him. Without him to instruct you, you're left a little lost and uncertain what to do. All you can bring yourself to do is tidy up the workshop and leave it in a decent condition, before you wait for darkness to fall.Once night has arrived, you leave your master's home to find the patch of dirt where you buried your sword – your master has been taken away, along with his blade. You need one of your own if you are to have any hope of defending yourself. You retrieve the sword that you stole from the titan's fingers, still wrapped in that old winter robe of yours, and you take it inside to hide it underneath your bedroll. There, it shall remain safe and within reach, even while you are asleep.You fall asleep before long, only to rise with the morning sun. Though you shouldn't be surprised, you can't keep your heart from sinking a little when you see that Sanao is still gone. It will take time for you to grow accustomed to his absence. You collect a little water to drink and prepare a meal for yourself – but before you can finish it, three soldiers barge into the workshop. One of them steps forward, devoid of a helmet, his scarred and bearded face with its bulbous nose and fat lips all too visible.“You are Nayen, yes?” His Ionian is clipped and horrid. “The assessors wants proof of work. Bring arms you have made, so she can judge. Be quick.”>Refuse. You aren't going to make anything for these invaders, no matter the cost. They can hurt you and make you suffer if they want, but you refuse to shape steel for these barbarians.>There should be a knife lying around somewhere that you have made with your master's aid. It's not something intended for combat, but hopefully it'll be enough to satisfy the assessor.>You'll take along that knife as proof of your work, but you'll insist that you can't make something of that quality with Sanao's aid. Gloroteia must know that without his help, you are useless.>Produce the sword taken from the titan's fingers. Though you did not make it, hopefully this ancient Ionian relic will earn the assessor's favour. You must make a good impression.
>>6171068>There should be a knife lying around somewhere that you have made with your master's aid. It's not something intended for combat, but hopefully it'll be enough to satisfy the assessor.we shouldn't advertise things we haven't made.
>>6171068>There should be a knife lying around somewhere that you have made with your master's aid. It's not something intended for combat, but hopefully it'll be enough to satisfy the assessor.
>>6171068>>There should be a knife lying around somewhere that you have made with your master's aid. It's not something intended for combat, but hopefully it'll be enough to satisfy the assessor.
>>6171068>You'll take along that knife as proof of your work, but you'll insist that you can't make something of that quality with Sanao's aid. Gloroteia must know that without his help, you are useless.Priority #1 should be springing our master out of whatever (no doubt poor) conditions the seniors are in. They'll let him out soon enough to make weapons, but every day we save is another day we can be sure of his safety and learn to make weapons. Eventually, we might even organize an armed revolt and escape to someplace safe.
It doesn't take you long to find something suitable, that your master has kept for personal use. It is nothing more than a simple knife, intended for the preparation of food and the whittling of wood, but it is an acceptable example of your craftsmanship. Its edge has remained keen despite months of use, there is no sign of rust or any other damage and it feels as light as a feather as it rests in the palm of your hand.When you present it to the Noxians, the soldier who speaks for the trio shares a laugh with one of his companions. You can't keep your cheeks from going scarlet with embarrassment and anger – do they see some sort of fault with your work? Shaking his head in disbelief, the speaker gives you a rough pat on the back as he guides you out of the workshop.“Come. The assessor shall judge your work.”After only the day, the invaders have made themselves at home. Tall tents made of bloody red canvas have been erected throughout the village and many sacred trees have been felled. It would seem like most of these soldiers also serve as craftsmen, as many of them are hard at work making crude furniture out of the fallen trees, or chiselling boulders into uniform slabs of stone.The assessor can be found in one of these tents, not too far from the wind-weaver's shrine, where the makeshift desk that she sat behind yesterday is being carved into a more pleasing shape. When you are ushered inside and presented to her by your escort, she does not even look up from the documents that she is perusing. She speaks without glancing in your direction, turning towards her rough-hewn desk to set down her paperwork. “Very well. Let us see what an Ionian 'shaper of steel' is capable of.”Gloroteia turns to you at last when you produce the knife that you have made, and much like the other Noxians, she is amused by the display. Her pallid lips curve into a smirk as she takes the blade from your hands and turns it over, inspecting it and testing its weight. As the assessor examines your craftsmanship, her expression gradually becomes more complex, less derisive and more thoughtful.“I had hoped for something more substantial,” she remarks as she hands the knife back to you. In that moment, you realise how vulnerable she is. There is nothing to stop you from lunging at her with the blade and sinking it in her heart, or slicing her throat. The trio of soldiers that surround you will surely punish you for such violence, but not before you have struck her. “Yet I must confess, you have some skill as a blacksmith. How did you go about forging this blade?”
At her bidding, you describe all of the labour and prayer that goes into creating every tool that comes out of Sanao's workshop. The gathering of wood and clay and iron sand, the making of charcoal and a furnace, the heating and folding of the mixture over the course of days and so on. Before you can even finish describing the process, the assessor shakes her head and raises a hand, signalling for you to stop.“I see room for improvement in your method, Nayen. You must learn how to work faster, and how to delegate. I shall assign one of my metallurgists to teach you more efficient methods, and a handful of villagers to serve you and condense the process. I cannot allow you to spend an entire month producing a single blade – Noxus demands efficiency from its subject and rewards those who can demonstrate it.”You can't help but feel exasperated – doesn't she understand that the time and the dedication that you give to each creation is directly responsible for that creation's quality? The spirits do not reward haste and apathy. Will you insist upon your traditional methods of steel-shaping, or will you follow her commands to the letter?>You will obey. You will allow this metalworker of hers to teach you and you will delegate various tasks to the assistants that shall be assigned to you. You don't wish to upset the assessor with any sort of disobedience.>Refuse to change your methods to appease Gloroteia. If the assessor wants high quality weapons from you, you will need to take your time and follow your master's teachings. You will not abandon Sanao's method.>Accept the offer of assistance, but deny the offer of a new teacher. You will instruct the villagers assigned to you to follow the old ways – this should speed up the process, without impeding quality. The middle ground.>You will intentionally introduce flaws into the weapons that you craft for the Noxians. You will need to disguise the shoddy quality of your creations, but you are determined to undermine the invasion however you can.>Spend your nights studying the titan's sword and see if you apply any lessons that you learn from it to your creations. Try to copy the runes, see if you can replicate the steel – you are eager to impress the assessor.>Stab her. You have a knife in your hand and the assessor is within arm's reach. You don't care how you will be punished, you want to make a show of defiance here and now, and show her what Ionians are capable of.
>>6171404>>Stab her. You have a knife in your hand and the assessor is within arm's reach. You don't care how you will be punished, you want to make a show of defiance here and now, and show her what Ionians are capable of.
>>6171404>You will obey. You will allow this metalworker of hers to teach you and you will delegate various tasks to the assistants that shall be assigned to you. You don't wish to upset the assessor with any sort of disobedience.Killing her is pointless, they'll just send another assessor. We're screwed either way.
>>6171404>You will obey. You will allow this metalworker of hers to teach you and you will delegate various tasks to the assistants that shall be assigned to you. You don't wish to upset the assessor with any sort of disobedience.
>>6171403>You will obey. You will allow this metalworker of hers to teach you and you will delegate various tasks to the assistants that shall be assigned to you. You don't wish to upset the assessor with any sort of disobedience.>Spend your nights studying the titan's sword and see if you apply any lessons that you learn from it to your creations. Try to copy the runes, see if you can replicate the steel – you are eager to impress the assessor.Can't we just do both? Get taught and work during the day, and learn about the runes during the night?
>>6171404>By day you will learn from Gloroteia's metalworker and train assistants as she demands, but under the moonlight you will study the titan's sword and learn its lessons in secret. Although you are forced to arm Noxian soldiers, the wisdom of the ancients shall not fall into barbarian hands.What >>6172194 wants, with the explicit proviso that we keep the sword a secret from the Noxians.
>>6172402Yeah definitely this.
Qm please come back... Don't be a fag like the other 3 quest that anons started and out of nowhere stopped updating, I was really happy there was a Runeterra quest
