What happened last time on RotA
>Mog and Gorilla Ursus go to prison after starting a riot that could potentially cause a war.
>Ursus escapes and goes on to find the Nimh dealer who turns out to be Eugene, who was mentioned a long time ago.
>Mog talks with the queen, who doesn't want him to suffer so banishes him.
>Mog then escapes Jail thanks to Ratsus and Maggie.
>Ursus, Mog, with an implied sleepy Kinny have a discussion with Dr Wallace and inform her that Maggie is coming with them and swear to ptotect her.
>After a long long rest, the team finally wait in line to go to the summit.
Will they be able to convince the council to be on their side. Find out on this thread.

To Join In
https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2025/6211990/images/1741869321401817.pdf

I'm here, just waiting on Kinny and Ursus. Might not be able to be here all day though.

>>6361504
Alright.

>You wait in the lobby of the kingdom for your turn.
>You see the pig you were talking to look curious.
"Untowards? What could that possibly mean? Oh are you talking about the Apes? The ones who are making this place, while more convenient, a mockery of what it should be? A traditionalist kingdom led by a queen who had a... not so great of a line compared to Apes and Pigs but still better than Forktongues."

>>6361510
"Careful pig, you are in the very court of the one who's line you say does not equal that of the apes and pigs. For such a supposedly lackluster lineage, the queen sure does attract all manner of supplicants begging to suckle on the kingdom's teat, for her might, of which they lack. She descends from the line of great mammal leaders who were once known as Knights, who slew the first dragon, same as Clayton and your own leaders. But yes, in the case the apes or the Czar cause trouble. Or more subtle actors, moving behind the scenes. Though I suppose you know nothing about that." Mog matched the pig's curiosity with an even tone, moderating his rebuke with feigned placidity, as if he were carrying out a perfunctory obligation to preserve the queen's image.

>>6361518
"My my boy. You really are enthusiastic in helping out the queen. Even speak highly of her, despite her previous lineages mistakes of thinking they should be the ones conquering all of the animal kingdom. When really it should be us pigs. No offense."
>He then looked onto the line.
"My turn shoild be coming up soon. I should prepare for my speech. I suggest you do the same."
>With that he continued to wait for his turn.

>>6361521
"Of course," the wolf replied easily, before interjecting as the pig turned around, "And I would ask you the same question you first asked of me; why are you here, what do you want?"

>>6361522
>The pig looked over to the wolf for a bit.
"Well the same as any fellow mammal and forktongue here. Mostly to support their cause. Mine of course being more righteous. You could say it's the same as the forktongues but mine is more sophisticated. It is the eradication of Old One relics. But not to remove their history. No no. But to make for better resources."

>>6361524
"That seems quite in line with the lizard's line of thinking. I have to ask why? And how would that 'make for better resources'?"

>>6361525
"Their giant buildings alone take too much space and consist of material that can be used to make better houses and maybe even better armor and weapons. If we destroy their landmarks we could make new homes for animals with the new amount of land we have. Doesn't that sound like something to invest in?"

>>6361527
"Perhaps. I'll admit, their buildings are...not to my taste. But, they provide a lot of sheltered space, in a very dense package. Were they not breaking down as we speak, they would be very efficient. Either way, I don't see why you feel the need to petition the queen regarding this. What our two peoples do in their respective territories surely has nothing to do with each other, at least in this respect. If you want to knock down buildings on your land, surely you do not need our help to do so. I don't see why you would want to knock down Old One buildings in our territory." Mog replied, having a sneaking suspicion that the pig knew more than he was letting on.

Perhaps he was aware of the humans, like the other factions. Maybe he just wanted the technology within for himself.

>>6361531
"True... but you must admit that old church is an eyesore."

Rolled 19 + 8 (1d20 + 8)

>>6361536
"Ah, let me stop you right there friend. That temple is a church to the Goddesses, not some Old One building. I'm afraid you'll find no luck getting it torn down, the queen descends from a line of high priestesses, if you recall. And contrary to your insistence, it is quite beautiful. Besides, you should leave lupine internal zoning policy to the wolves. We do not interfere with your porcine affairs, so you should leave us be as well." Mog countered, trying to be proactive now that he was sure the swine had a deeper agenda.

This pig surely had knowledge of what was inside the temple. But why was he doing this. If need be, Mog would escalate to intimidation, perhaps worse, to stop this. He didn't really have a subtle way to deal with the pig short of words. Perhaps if he gave the pig some food as a gift, the swine would follow his natural instincts and devour the gift right away, but that might be stereotyping too hard. He did have that bottle of poison he'd bought back in Plato a long time ago, maybe now was the time to use it.

>Mog will try and Persuade the pig not to go through with his petition to the queen.

>>6361539
"Well... I guess if it had some historical or religious significance it should stay. I guess that would make your church a safe zone."

Going to call it a night. Hope the rest of you arrive next week.

I won't be available next Thursday, except perhaps at the tail-end of the session. Sorry about this.

Not going to be available. Power problem.

Ah, I had a change of fortune. I'll be able to make it tomorrow afterall, short of the winter winds knocking out my power all of a sudden. Though it seems like QM might not be able to make it.

I'm here. Not sure any of you are available though.

Should be available tomorrow.

>>6366953
Will probably only be available for the last couple hours of the session.

Will be on later.

Here now. Sorry for the long wait Ursus, Kinny, and Mog

>>6361540
>>6361539
"Well I should go do my speech. Hope you three have a speech for the queen."

>>6367432
I LIVE! (Heavy. mp3)

>>6367447
Hell yeah!

>>6367432
"Good luck!"
>>6367447
>>6367448
As do I.

>>6367447
>>6367449
What would you like to do as you wait for your turn?

>>6367450
>>6367447
"We should go over the keynotes we want to touch on, real quick."
I might not have long, since my internet is cutting in and out for some reason. Still, whether we give our speeches now or next time, we should have a good idea of what we wanna say.

>>6367453
>>6367447
>You go over notes on what to address.

brb gonna try and fix internet

>>6367454
Ursus addresses first the rabbits he wanted to represent in order to get that out of the way, the next is to bring up the various problems that have been occurring and his team has encountered with raw physical evidence, laying out every dirty piece of evidence, every data point every single piece and the many schemes upon schemes playing out in this council, the attempt at peppering government through outside entities, the Nihm squid who have been invading peoples minds.

>>6367456
>You write down these points.

>>6367456
>After a while a wolf soon arrives.
>He looks at the trio.
"Name of your troop?"

>>6367463
>looks at the rest of the party and thinks for a moment

My internet is fixed (I think). Though I'm obviously too late. Really sorry about this guys. Been having trouble ever since an electrical socket caught on fire (I mentioned this in another quest).

As for the name, maybe a nod to the title of the quest or a subtle hint towards us travelling with old ones? Something like Mog's band or Ursus's crew sounds perhaps a bit too egotistical, not to mention it could get outdated if one of us dies. I guess we can discuss it on the way to next session, over the week.

I'll be available tomorrow, from quite early on, barring sudden emergency changes in schedule.

So, what do you think the name of our group should be?

>>6370044
Will be on in a couple of hours.

>>6370314
I'm here, will be busy for about an hour and change, but will be generally around. After that, I should be able to sit down and write properly.

>>6367494
>>6370044
"Are you three awake? I asked for a name. I don't care if you three if you three use your real names just tell us how to refer to your group."

>>6370331
>>6367494
"J-just give us a moment, this has never come up before!" Mog stammered back, before turning to the group huddle.

Sheepishly facing Ursus, he awkwardly brushed his snout with the underside of his foreleg.

"How did we never come up with a name for our group before?" he asked in dismay, "I'm drawing a blank in the moment. There's lots of good descriptors based on our deeds, or our hidden knowledge of the past, but we can't go advertising that. I'm gonna throw a pair of dice to decide, then we can discuss the final choice."

With care, the wolf took out an ancient, yellowed set of carved bone dice. Whether they were some ancient wolven ancestor's remains, or a trophy from a conquered foe, he wouldn't say.

"2d6, two is The Awoken, or The Awakened. On the nose I know, we aren't even the true awakened ones, but it sounds good, it's vague enough, and no one will know the truth. Maybe it can be multiple dice results if we can't think of that many names. Anyways, help me think up some monikers for our little group. Maybe something to do with the fact that we are looking into Old One ruins, or something about Xenarus, something that reflects our deeds or how we've conducted ourselves so far, maybe something to do with the Goddesses, or one of our own personal names. I dunno, help me out here, spitball."

>>6370337
Would you like for me help get some suggestions?

>>6370347
"Uh, sure. If it's just for official purposes, our on-paper name doesn't need to match what we'd call ourselves in the wild, I guess. Just in case we aren't satisfied with the name. This could take a while though, it is a private affair."

>>6370350
"What about Wolf, Cat Bear or Three Mammals of Varying Sizes?"

>>6370352
"Very...uh, descriptive, in a funny way. Doesn't really make for quick and easy saying though, if you know what I mean. Awkward on the tongue, for a group. I'll talk it over with my friends, maybe add it to the dice pool. Keep 'em coming, if ya got 'em."

>>6370355
"I mean Wizard sounds pretty good... heard someone say it once on a movie.... it was pretty wizard."

>>6370357
"Yeah, well, if the pig ahead of me gets his way, the Old One movie theater is gonna get demolished. Cherish those memories while they last. Lotta extremists around nowadays," Mog groused, "Now where were we? Oh, right, Wizard. I mean, it sounds cool, but wizards are an actual thing, and none of us are wizards."

I gotta go out for a bit, but I should hopefully be back before our session ends, to continue.

>>6370358
"Thanks for informing me. Hope the queen doesn't take that suggestion."

Sorry guys but I must go.

Will be available tomorrow, but only for a few hours during the morning. If Ursus doesn't show up until his usual time, then we'll probably struggle to have a proper session with all of us together. In which case we'll have to wait until next week.

Should be available today. But going to sleep.

Update. Something happened at home. Gotta fix it. Sorry guys.

>>6373502
Alright. I hope it is nothing serious. Take care, and stay safe buddy.

Should be available tomorrow, around the time Ursus usually gets here, about 3-4 hours after you first post QM.

>>6376312
Should be available as well.

>It seems as though there is some commotion in the conference room.
>Would you like to listen in?

>>6376558
Sorry for the delay. I've been fixing up one of our bathrooms all morning. Both the sink and toilet got clogged (the sink was my fault).

Kinda exhausted right now. I'll be around to write something up in maybe an hour or so. Doesn't seem like Ursus is here, so not much point in having a long session anyways.

>>6376558
"What in tarnation is goin' on in there? 'Scuse me, we'll get back to you on that name in a sec, just gonna eavesdrop, nonsuspicious like. Honestly you better head on in there yourself and see what is goin' on in there." Mog's head perked up from the dice set and to the side.

He motioned for the guard to check it out, approaching himself to listen in at the door to what was going on.

I'll be busy until the afternoon tomorrow, so the session will have to wait another week unless both Ursus and Kinny show up. Probably best wait for a date when either of them are available rather than continue on solo.

I just got called in. Going to be busy.

I'm available tomorrow.

>>6379390
Roll me Perception with advantage.

Rolled 16, 2 + 1 = 19 (2d20 + 1)

>>6382166

>>6382256
>You hear some shouting from the council.
"TEAR DOWN THE CHURCH?!"
"HERETIC!"
"KILL THE BLASPHEMER!"
>Seems like no one is on the pig you just met side.
"Wait! Allow me to explain myself! This is for progress!"
>You can only hear growling and barking at this point.
>Not a good sign.
>At this point they are ready to tear him limb from limb.
"Silence!"
>You calmly from one voice you recognize.
>It's the queen.
"We are better than this. We are not going to kill him over a simple disagreement. However sir, we will not be liatening to anymore of your rabble on destroying ancient relics from the old ones that we use as not only homes, but even places of worship. For that we deny your request to allow you to destroy or demolish structures from the Old Ones. Any objections?"
>You hear none.
"Then this hearing is finished. Leave our presence now."
"But your majesty! I-..."
"I said leave."

>>6382263
Mog backed away from the door, moving an appropriate distance away, as if still in line.

A very satisfactory outcome. No unnecessary death, and a firm stance taken against demolition. The pig had been foolish not to heed Mog's advice. It gladdened the old wolf's heart that the queen still had faithful advisors around her, and that she had a temperate soul, with which to navigate around the passionate cries of her council.

OOC: Sorry, was eating an early lunch. Plus I wasn't sure if you were still typing more.

>>6382291
"Seems the Queen is ready for you. Got a name?"

>>6382293
"Sorry pal, haven't sorted that out yet. My party seems to have taken advantage of the complimentary benches and decided to take a nap. Just say it is...uh...Gom, here to see the queen. It'll be pretty obvious to everyone in that room who I am."

OOC: I say we just push ahead and get the summit over with by next session, finish the arc. Then everyone can come back to a fresh start, without having to try and remember everything that has gone on so far. Or we can declare indefinite hiatus and end on a high note, have a "And the adventure continues" sort of ending. If any of us wants this to continue, then anyone can just start the next thread whenever, to try and get the band back together again. But continuing as is, seems non-viable. Ursus and Kinny haven't shown up in awhile, so it seems like a good time to end it. Thoughts QM?

>>6382298
I think so. I think indefinite histus is the best route.

>>6382303
Alright. Well, lets try and finish by next session then. It has been a good run. We can end up, come back when we aren't all burnt out.

>>6382308
I got called in last night. Sorry.

>>6384940
No worries. Guess that means no session today? Next week then, hopefully. Take care friend.

Probably not gonna be available this Thursday. Will try and let you know if that changes, but I don't think it will. Sorry.

I'm here. Have to go out to take a sample to the lab soon, then pick up some groceries, but I should be here until five or six hours from now.

I'm not gonna be here tomorrow. Sorry for not being there last week. Something personal happened.

>>6395515
Alright. Take what time you need, just try to give me a heads up a day before you're ready to wrap things up. I should be available most Tuesdays/Thursdays, though I'll let you know if I'm not. Take care.

While I'm technically available tomorrow, it won't be until the last couple hours of what is our typical session. Probably better to put it off until another day. That being said, I do want to finish off our quest before this thread expires. If this Friday is good with you, then I should be available. If not, then next Monday, or Tuesday. Our usual Thursday is also fine, I'm just not sure the thread will last that long, so I want to try for an earlier date. Let me know what works for you.

Just a heads up that posting is pretty bad right now on 4chan, seems the servers are bad or there is a hack going on. You just have to click post and wait it out, then refresh to see if it posted or not. If it didn't, you just have to retry.

>>6398627
Should, key word being SHOULD, be available tomorrow.

>>6398651
Unfortunately I won't be free today after all, one of my appointments had to be moved around. What day aside from our usual Thursdays are good for you QM? I'd like to try and wrap things up before this thread expires.

>>6398975
Next Tuesday or Wednesday works for me.

>>6398983
I'll be there this Tuesday, and Wednesday. Won't be available Thursday, or the next one. So if we don't wrap up this week we'll need one more thread unfortunately.

>>6400680
Will enter in an hour.

>>6382298
"Gom it is then."
>The guard said to the wolf before turning to the crowd.
"A party of three wish to enter and speak. They are called Gom. They will now speak to the council."
>He then turned back to the party.
"Enter."

>>6401499
>>6401488
I'm here, gimme a minute.

>>6401499
Mog shook his party awake from the benches they were napping on, then lowered his head for Maggie to clamber up unto his back. It wouldn't do to have chief Cottontail dismissed so easily on account of his stature, so he came up with this idea to emphasize the rabbit's importance in one of the issues they were about to bring forth, but that was before the queen had promised to see Len ahead of them. Now he was just doing it because it felt wrong to leave an idea unused.

The wolf approached the door, then did a double take at the guard, having just realised that the wolf had announced their party's name as Gom, instead of it just being his pseudonym. How embarrassing.

Schooling his face back into that of a righteous warrior, he pushed open the door and entered.

>>6401551
>The council of canines watched as the old wolf entered with his party.
>The queen sitting at the very middle.
>Her eyes staying focused on the very familiar party.
>Especially the wolf.
"So.... you chose to attend Mog? Brave of you to do so."
>She then decided to change her gaze at the whole party.
"You may be allowed to speak of anything you wish. Ideas, grievances, and wants are all welcomed. But remember that you only have 10 minutes to do so. So be wise with your words."

>>6401561
I'll be back in a bit, just having an early lunch.

Alright, I'm back. I'll probably spend the rest of the session, if not the day writing up a speech. Unfortunately I feel like I can only write in the moment, I tried prewriting a speech yesterday, only to end up suffering from writer's block and procrastinating, likewise for many days in the past. It doesn't help that my creative juices are dry and I'm burnt out at the moment. If all goes well, I'll post Mog's speech sometime later today, then if you're available tomorrow, we can go over the queen's responses and our party's back and forth. Sorry for requesting the whole session to write this.

Oh, and in case we don't manage to finish by Wednesday, it turns out I will be available on the 30th after all.

>>6401561
The wolf paused in thought for a moment, trying to maintain his poise while thinking quickly. He had already discussed the issue of war with the factions and been refused. Lincoln had to represent his own case, it was not Mog's place to intervene on his behalf. The issue of the squids had already been brought up privately with the queen. He could reveal the existence of humans amongst them, that the old one's were still here, but he had sworn to Lanesboro that he would protect Maggie. Until a sufficient population of humans had thawed, he didn't dare reveal their existence until they could protect themselves, in case more extreme voices on the council moved to erase them from history. Then what he could do instead was bring up Xenarus instead! The dangers of the ruins and the wonders of unveiling the past were worth discussing.

But first, there were a couple of smaller things to get out of the way. The party had reacquired their guns from the Forest Guardians, and the paladin was eager to sell them to the nation so that the wolves wouldn't be overtaken in the arms race between them and the apes. If anything, they at least needed to prevent them from funding thieves and scavengers in their desperation for old one weaponry. The other issue was confirming Adler as warden of the temple, to safeguard the human's secret.

The elder wolf straitened, speaking clearly "First, we have come to understand that the so called 'Forest Guardians' had promised to sell Old One weaponry to the state, I am here to inform you that these weapons, 'guns' as they are called, were stolen from my group in the first place. We have since reacquired these weapons, and are willing to discuss their sale to you, so that the nation need not suffer the indignity of laying down and suffering the whims of the apes."

Sorry, change of plans, this first. Better to address some of these issues first, before the inspirational speech. I'll still do one later, but it is better to actually have a back and forth first, I think.

>>6401585
>The council murmured among themselves.
>One of the wolves then spoke.
"The ancient weapons known as "guns" are of no use to us. Since wolves cannot carry them like the lizards and apes can. You are better off to sell those weapons to them rather than to us."
>Most of the group agreed.
>The Queen then spoke.
"While it is true we have gained favor with the apes for them giving us technology, we are not under their control or whims. The nation of Canis Lupin is still within our grasp. Despite what the apes think."

>>6401590
'Hmm, odd. Why had Sage intended on selling the guns to Canis Lupin then? Did she also intend to sell her raccoon's service as gun-toting mercenaries?' he thought to himself.

"My heart is gladdened to hear that, your majesty," Mog bowed his head in acknowledgement as he said this, "next is the issue of the next warden of the temple. Arsene's soul has passed onto the Moon Above, but his position now lays empty. Before he passed, he had been training one of my companions, Adler. Adler is a former forest guardian, before seeing the light of the moon and leaving that life in the cult behind. He has familiarized himself with our rites, can heal, and by his side is his friendly comrade Harold the slime, who can also heal. Given that he was groomed for the position and possessed potent healing capabilities, I believe he is the best person for the job as priest and warden of the temple."

>>6401602
"It seems our good friend has a good eye for picking clerics. Especially for ones to tend to the old church. I'll be sure to interview him after I am done with the summit."

>>6401605
The paladin nodded once more.

"Just so, your majesty. Next, of major importance is the discoveries my party has made while delving into the Old One ruins. We discovered a...technology company, of the old age, called...Xenarus. The ruins were guarded by a soulless intelligence called 'AI', as well as deranged golems made entirely of steel that pose as harmless shopkeepers, but can burrow through meters of rock, earth, steel and concrete. They fight by strangulation and powerful thunderwave spells, guarding vaults of untold wealth and technology. In these ruins, we discovered the truth of the old ones, the fall of their civilization, and the nature of how the draconians, whom we know as the lizards, came to be intertwined with theirs."

Mog paused, to gather his thoughts. He intended to reveal much of what they knew about the ancient past, without revealing Maggie or the other humans in their midst. Ideally he'd pin all their knowledge that they'd gleaned from various sources onto their one dungeon delve, shortly after meeting Maggie. It gave more credence to the truth, than the real scattershot method of how they actually came to possess all this info, the talks with the rabbit tribes, Swift, the various humans, Arsene, Superman, the video in the bunker, Lincoln, etc.

Having grounded himself in what to do, he continued...

Part (1/2)

We usually end here, so I'll stop for now. Are you free tomorrow? I'll continue then, and hopefully post my speech, and then we can wrap up. If not, like I said, I'm not available this Thursday, but it turns out I will be free the Thursday after this one, the 30th. I was worried the thread would drop off the board, but taking a look at page 10, we actually have another 20 or so days before we have to worry about that.

>>6401620
Should be free tomorrow.

Here

>>6402076
And as soon as I posted I got a call for help. Sorry Mog but I got to go.

>>6402076
>>6402081
Ah, darn. Unfortunate. I'll see you on the 30th then, or if you can't make it then, then on the 29th, or the week after that if you can't make either of those dates.

Stay safe buddy.

I should be available tomorrow.

>>6405760
Likewise, I should be as well.

>>6405760
Sorry to do this to you again QM, but something came up. I still have a sliver of the morning to myself, so I'll try and finish the second part of my post above. If not, then I'll post it later tonight or later tomorrow. As for when I'll be available next, I should be free next Tuesday through Thursday, though I'll try and fill you in closer to those dates so we can finish this.

>>6405948
Fair Enough Mog. Sorry for all this mess.

>>6405954
It's no issue, most online collaborative projects eventually peter out and die, roleplays especially. If there's enough life in the thread before it dies, I'd like to give my last thoughts/a review before we go to indefinite hiatus, but we'll see.

>>6405957
Here.

>>6408154
Oh shit, I didn't realise you were available today. My bad. I'll be here tomorrow, and Thursday. Just thought you were busy, cause you didn't say anything the day before, or in the morning, so I left on some errands.

>>6408204
Here.

>>6408490
I'm here. Am free, but feeling extremely under the weather. Gonna have to ask for a raincheck on today's session, until tomorrow. Sorry for being so unreliable.

>>6408581
It's OK. I feel like I am more unreliable.

Should be available today.

>>6408942
I'll be available in four hours. Slept poorly, gonna try and get another hour, then do some errands, then I'll be ready.

Here, writing...

>>6401620
>>6401605
"208 years ago, in the human year 1947, the Draconians, who we know as the Lizards, arrived on Earth as refugees from the Outer Dark. They let the Old Ones, who we now know called themselves 'humans', learn the secrets of their technology. The first organization to take advantage of that was the Xenarus corporation. Their leader Tyler Xenarus, brokered the first deal, promising to provide homes for the Lizards. Hand in claw, they advanced the world, socially and technologically. A period of great abundance followed. Even this was not enough for them though, they sought to become immortal. A great project was started some 15 or 20 years later, after a new leader, Ashton, gained control over the company after Tyler's death. The project was simply known as the Life Program. They studied fruitlessly for a while. It wasn't until a scientist-leader Oswald found what he thought was the answer. The holy, yet wretched material he discovered and dubbed Nihm, a mystical rock that in small concentrations brought intelligence and consciousness to all of us, all mammals. We were dumb unthinking beings before this, according to the historical record we found. In high concentrations, solid, the size of a curled paw or fist, it has horrid physically mutative and mentally distortive effects, the same for its liquid form, though from my understanding the solid form is worse. We've seen the material in action ourselves, in this very city, a drug dealer was peddling it, before we put him down. Persephone, the 'goddess' of the Forest Guardians, was one such mutated Old One. Anyways, Xenarus tested Nihm on everything and everyone they could get their hands on, all in pursuit of immortality. They tried fish first, the fish died immediately. Reptiles seemed immune to the substance, but seem to be able to sense the malice from it, and so hid from it. Next came mammal testing. Mice and rabbits, they were the first. The first successfully created conscious creatures aside from humans, the first magicians, who taught the rest of us. The eldest amongst them, the immortal archwizards are still alive today, all these years later, I've met one in fact. They learned at the feet of the human scientists, Doctor Farris, many others. War eventually broke out between the lizards and the humans, the old ones feared overpopulation and being replaced. It isn't clear if the first incident was an independent actor, or the actions of a state, but they smashed lizard eggs, then in turn a lizard retaliated and ate a human child. From there cycle of hatred spun, and eternal war followed. Thus the present hatred of the lizards for the past, and the old ones, began with such a tragedy."

2/3 Essentially recapping what we've learned for our royal audience, editing what we let her and the council know, to serve our interests.

>>6409035
"What madness does this wolf speak?!"
"He speaks of heresy."
"A stone?! A stone caused our intelligence?!"
"Claiming to meet an original arcanist?"
"Did he claim to meet an old one?"
>The council was really howling with anger.
>That was until the queen growled.
"Let him speak."
>The queen ordered.
"Continue Mog."

>>6409035
>>6401605
"Achem," Mog cleared his throat, took a breathe, "for clarification's sake, Oswald was a lizard. A human scientist named Doctor Niklas was the one who first had the idea to sew Nihm stones onto rabbits."

The elderly paladin slowly panned his head around his audience, gauging for how his story was being received.

He continued, "This mad scientist, Niklas, amidst the war, even as his own palace-laboratory residence came under fiery attack, experimented yet further, sewing Nihm stones onto twelve humans. With this demonic act, he created twelve megalomaniacs archwizards, who became convinced they were gods. The first dragon, Cornelius was a lizard who also followed this path, though of his own accord, after the rabbit archwizards rallied the apes, then the pigs, then all of us against the lizards, which begat our own familiar Faction War. All this came to an end though, one day. For humanity had blind faith in their science, and one day in the year 2055 Xenarus gave nearly every human in existence liquid Nihm, in the hopes of creating a magical species obedient to authority, yet as strong as the lizards. Instead, the old ones became red and sick with anger, regressing in intelligence to the bestial levels of our own forefathers, before liquid Nihm raised us up. This is what spelled their doom, they nearly all died soon after. The only survivors who live 'til this day are those who didn't take the liquid Nihm. Some still survived until modern times, in underground bunkers, like the one we entered that day, though they've since all left, hiding from the hateful lizards, and the controlling apes on the surface. There was a map, in that bunker, that showed the humans chose to live in OUR territory, the realms of the wolf. This is why the apes intervene in our politics, I have the word of an auxiliary scout that worked directly for Emperor Clayton before turning his coat to my party's side in return for mercy, a fox named Jenkins, the Emperor hopes to tame and master a population of surviving humans with which to breed an ultra strong army of obedient slaves. I can attest that humans are extremely physically gifted in all respects, stronger than me even. I've met several in person, in that bunker. He hopes to scour our territory for them, though I think they live further north, in the frozen tundra, for secrecy. Likewise, Czar Dhalsim terrorizes us, not only to stop Lincoln from pursuing a path of non-aggression, but to finally be able to finish off the human race once and for all. These are long term strategic imperatives of both leaders, it won't stop unless they are killed, or the fate of the old ones is resolved such that they can no longer be controlled or exterminated. If they were to rebuild their population and form an identity around which to rally, then such objectives would no longer be feasible, and war between us would in fact diminish. Hence my anxiety to kill the two, or support these humans.

3/4?

>>6409040
>>6409048
Mog hesitated for a moment as the council interjected, but found his footing again as the queen supported him.

He gave her a grateful look, nodding to her majesty "Thank you, your eminence. As an aside your grace, the creatures I mentioned before, the squids, I think they have a connection to the alleged werewolf bandits that have been plaguing our borders and attacking the rabbits and blaming it on us. I heard one can hear telepathic whispers in their presence, a trait they share with the squids. Once I take my leave, I'll probably pursue them, if I don't end up investigating Xenarus bunkers further. I think they, or if not them then someone with connections to the squids found some of Relm's old notes. Someone hired me a little while ago to find humans hidden in underground bunkers, the employer was a trio of pigs, but I think they were a mere proxy for either these werewolves, or some other hidden actor moving behind the scenes. One would be wise to keep an eye out for such overtures, it is a poison pill to be sure."

A devotee of the Goddesses could not end an address of the Queen and her privy council on a dry information dump, he needed to present a call to action!

Gathering his wits, he spoke clearly as he ever had "I tell you all this today, not out of hatred. Not as a call to war to wipe out the offending factions that interfere with us. Such has already been rejected by our wise queen. Rather, I tell you this because the past is the engine of the future. It shapes our present moment, our woes and triumphs. Our human forerunners made terrible mistakes in the vain pursuit of greatness, but also in the earnest love of happiness and hope of a brighter world. We can be better than them, wiser than them, if only we listen to the past, and endeavour to not make the same mistakes. To not give in to paranoia, malice and hate! We can be stronger than that, but we must earn that strength! Through compassion, empathy, obedience to truth, and will. Now armed with knowledge, you need only imagine a better future and act towards it! I have presented my case for peace, as war has been rejected. Please, I implore you, where you find these humans, once they pull aside the veil and step into the limelight, welcome them as equals, so that we might step into a better world together. I leave the future to you."

With this, Mog bowed deeply. He awaited a response.

4/4 I completed the recap, and got my speech in at the end too. Wasn't quite as elegant as I'd like it to be, given all the time I had to write it, but I have trouble pre-writing, and can only really write in the moment, so I just wrote it now. Still, I like to think it is a hopeful call to action and a good ending for the arc and the quest if we don't end up continuing in the future.

>>6409055
>The council murmured among themselves.
>The queen then rose.
"So... you want us to help these humans that are still sleeping but someday will wake up again?"
>She asks Mog.

>>6409060
"Essentially yes. I've received signs from the Moon that they shall soon rouse from their slumber soon. Within the next two years, they shall walk the sacred Earth once more. Call it a prophecy."

Eating lunch, will be gone for somewhere between half an hour to an hour. We're almost done, I've given my speech. All that's left is to get the queen's response, and wander off into the sunset for that "And the adventure continues..." ending.

>>6409061
>The council speaks with the queen.
>She then thinks deeply.
>It then becomes nothing but rabbles.
>Mostly of Mog possibly being a blasphemer or has gone off the deep end.
>Everyone within your party hopes this comes to a good outcome.
>The Queen then raises her paw.
>Ready to give her verdict.

>>6409068
Mog raised his head, listening intently.

Still eating, but don't wait on me QM.

>>6409068
>>6409055
"Mog. I knew you would escape from prison. I was expecting you to go into exile once you did. But I see you here now spouting things I know you wouldn't have dared speak so many moons ago. But given the circumstances and the testimonies of what we heard from others about your party's exploits. I will assume you are speaking the truth. So if these "humans" are to arise. We will keep them safe from the pigs and the apes. You have my word. But I must ask one thing... are they dangerous as they were before?"

>>6409075
For the briefest moment, the old wolf warred with indecision, torn between the truth and softening the facts to appeal to the queen's heart. The tension vanished as quickly as it came.

"Always, your majesty. I've attested as to their strength, and that some now know magic. You know what they are capable of creating, their cities, their guns, their follies. The same flaws they possessed then, they continue to possess now. That speaks to their character. It is their nature," he paused, then added, "as it is ours. We are capable of much the same, good and bad. Given the excesses of some of the other factions, I wouldn't say for certain whether they were better or worse than us."

He stood up, saying "The worst of their flaws were most visible at their civilization's peak, then its nadir. They are obviously do not pursue such lofty goals such as immortality, for when they awaken they will have more practical things to worry about. So we will likely not see their worst impulses of that time period. So long as we don't push them, I doubt we'll see the same mistakes of their nadir repeated either, those that survive will be unable to avoid the truth that their blind faith in science and authority, in Xenarus doomed their entire species. They have no reason to pursue the weaponization of Nihm. All I would caution is to be careful of their military members, and any survivors from Xenarus or other corporations."

>>6409091
>The Queen stares at Mog.
>She then looks at the council all of which are somewhat agreeing to say yes with a few naysayers.
>Some saying yes to sympsthize and connect with humans.
>Others... for selfish reasons.
>And it was really obvious why some said no.
>But the queen had the final word.
>That was always the rule.
>She then looked back at Mog.
"Mog. We will listen to your plea and welcome the humans as brothers and sisters of Canis Lupin."

>>6409094
"My heart is gladdened, thank you my queen." He bowed once again.

"That is all. I have no further issues to bring before this council."

He waited to be dismissed.

>>6409097
"You are dismissed. And I will personally see to it that a rabbit will have a seat in the next hearing."

>>6409098
Mog rose, then bowed again "Thank you my queen. You are most gracious."

After the formalities he quickly left.

With a sense of deep nostalgia, he wandered the streets he used to know. They were familiar, yet different. Older, the people different as their lives moved on. New faces he didn't recognize. A feeling of alienation crept over him, the recent memory of being called a blasphemer to his face by the council members. His paws ached to walk the earth, to move on. This would always be his home, but it didn't feel like it right now. There was so much to do.

He went back to the temple and gathered his party, speaking to them each in turn.

To Adler he said "I told the queen about you taking over the temple, there will be someone along the way to interview you. If all goes well, this place and its secrets should be safe with you."

To Jessica he said "I know you'll protect this place and its people. Make sure to keep Eugene on a very short leash. At the summit I revealed the past and the truth about Xenarus, though I kept this place a secret. At the end I made a prophecy that within two years, humans would again walk the earth. The queen said that she would accept humanity into Canis Lupin society as equals. When the time comes, you'll need to scout things out, make sure the squids or politicians aren't working to sabotage your introduction into society, but otherwise you should have a clean entry into society. My gift to you."

To Doctor Wallace he said "Please continue to look after June and Hogar and search for a cure. I'll look after Maggie."

To Superman he seemed at a loss for words, before eventually settling on "Keep on keeping on...Super...man. Try to keep the volume down though, you'll irritate the neighbourhood."

He left the temple party with a hundred platinum, handing off to Jessica his last invisibility potion to assist with scouting. Then he went before the altar to pray to the Goddesses. He wasn't sure where to go next, so he sought solace in the familiar. Time brought calm, then clear thought. They'd hunt down Canaan and the werewolves, looking for clues regarding their connection to the squids and whoever employed Mog and Kinny in Xana. After that, they'd look for Xenarus bunkers.

With a sense of confusion and whimsy at what was to come, he gathered his party: Kinny, Ursus, Maggie, Bobby, Ord, Potato, and Caramel, before saying goodbye to those they were leaving behind and venturing forth out of the city, marching out west into the sunset to meet the adventures that would come.

Well, there we have it, a clean ending. Not many RPs get even that. Like I said, I'll try and gather my thoughts and give a review of how I felt about the quest sometime before the thread falls off the board. Regardless of whether I gather my thoughts in time to put them to the page, I'll archive this later. Thank you so much for running this QM, while it was a big burden on my time, this has been a memorable part of two years of my life and I did enjoy spending it with you and Kinny and Ursus.

Kinny, Ursus, if you're reading this, feel free to start a new thread whenever if you want to continue the adventure. Likewise for you QM, or any lurkers/archive readers. I'll be happy to continue, albeit after a substantial break since I'm a bit burnt out and would like to enjoy the freed up time from this ending.

Until then, take care everyone!

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Good ending Mog.
I think I will step away from being a QM but I want to say this to everyone. You guys have inspired me to be a better DM for my IRL group and even helped me come up with good plot points as well. Unfortunately I just don't have time for you guys anymore and I wish I did. But you guys were the best players I have been with. I know I'm not the best, but you guys made me better.
Mog, Kinny, Ursus, and yes even you Simon, you guys were fun to hang out with. I hope you guys have a Blessed Lifetime.