Angelcynn: The Myrcian Conflict - Act 5 Magonsaete Route

[Moblin Major General]

Astaroth dismounted his horse. "Ulfure, allow me to formally apologize. I am Astaroth, chief of the Asarai. Our goal is to defeat Malaphar, because he is a fiend in human form, a man who desires nothing less than being a living god, who's own malice will outstrip any that nature or other men will give to Magonsaete, or anywhere, for that matter. Siding with him means being the first to die once he begins his conquest. In truth, you are in no better position allying with him than opposing him, as the Aega found out. His man Emmet came to chief Hera with similar promises of power, and she also was practical and took his offer. Now she and her people are tattered, forced to rebuild with only young children, all because she fought for him. For the sake of your clan, I beg of you, if you do not wish to help, at least do us no harm, and do not let the words of Emmet reach your ear, for that will only bring you ruin. I am unarmed and on foot. If you do not think me sincere, strike me down as I stand." Astaroth once again waited for death, almost wishing it to come to him, as unlike with Cassandra, he wanted to be free from his mistakes, especially his recent ones. 

[Nanami Touko]

Yes, tell them facing Malaphar is a fool's journey, that'll help. Gods please relieve me of this man, Medeina strike him down as he asks. Cass withheld another sigh, one of many she'd have to save for when she had a moment to herself... What was she going to offer this Ulfure? "Your lives," Cass put bluntly, not faltering in the face of Ulfure's pressure. "Malaphar is not here to be a graceful leader that will bring prosperity to Magonsaete, he is here to use your people to further goals and ambitions the likes of which could ruin Angelcynn entirely. He controls with fear and power, he will not respect your people, your culture, things you hold dear. He will use you all until you burn out and he has acquired that which he wants. If that is the life you wish, the life of a dog bending its knee to a master that cares nothing for it, then by all means."

She ended up folding her arms again, perhaps not the best move, she knew that some people back home would take it as a show of defiance. What about here? "But he is not some unstoppable force... He once offered my brother and I the same power. We denied him, and immediately he attempted to kill us... But my brother managed to wound him. If he bleeds, we can kill him, no matter the strength behind him. That is what I would like any talks to come to. Alliance, negotiations, a way to rally ourselves together so that this force in the south doesn't crash upon the rest of us and take us for his whims. But before any of that can happen, you need to not kill us. What say you, son of Lobos? Can I bring my fancy words and clothes into your abode and entreat upon you?" A bit of snark, but perhaps a touch of levity was needed. This was dreadfully heavy conversation.

[Shin]

Friend or Foe

Ulfure smirked, listening to Astaroth's case patiently. He left Cass for the time being, squaring himself up against Astaroth. "If Malaphar is so powerful, then joining you people would be suicide. If it's a choice between being a servant of the devil or being wiped from the face of the earth... the choice is simple to make." he replied, a remorseless judgement present in his eyes. "The Aega were weak, it would have taken little to end them. It was a prospect that my father was tempted by on many occasions, but decided against the effort."

He leaned forwards, his gaze fixed on Astaroth. "You seem to know a lot about Hera and the end of the Aega. My senses say that you people might even be responsible. Are you saying that if I side with Malaphar that you will kill me and my tribe for opposing you?" he growled, looking back at his men. He rejoined his group, visibly displeased by the words he'd heard.

"Leave the pink haired one unharmed... kill the rest on my command. I have no interest in those who try to buy my favour with threats." Ulfure ordered, his men priming their weapons once more. "She has information that will help us prepare for this Malaphar, and whether to accept his offer or not. If he is as merciless as described we'll kill him with her advice."

Sebastian shook his head, shrugging his shoulders subtly. "It appears that we've made a poor first impression." Sebastian remarked, keeping his sword sheathed for the time being. None of the Medeina had initiated an attack, but they were all primed for battle. "Our chances of winning a direct battle are rather low, princess. It would be simple for me to escape alone, but I feel I would not be quite fulfilling my job requirements."

Aurelio groaned, clenching his fist as he glared at Astaroth. "Anyone else you want to piss off, Clip-clop? You seem to have a knack for it." he complained, his eyes darting around the group facing them. "We're outnumbered at least three to one, this ain't gonna be good."
 

[Balcerzak]

Naimanzuunnadintsetseg had accepted the decision to travel to the Medeina, Alain's informant had cemented the choice. But she could not help but have some misgivings. Misgivings which unfortunately bore fruit sooner than later. Surrounded, outnumbered, and once again causing understandable agitation merely by the fact of their consorting with underworldly summons--Alain's minions had, despite her doubts, proven repeatedly useful, but were certainly a double-edged sword. The situation looked grim, and deferring to her earlier stated concerns, that she might inflame matters further upon being recognized, the plainswoman opted to take a back seat during the initial stages of negotiation.

That choice was perhaps a mistake. Astaroth proved himself poor at reading the mood, and offered repeated offense, with one slight added on the next. A dark thought crossed her mind for a moment, a vision of herself stepping forward and silencing him in the middle of his next ill-conceived attempt at defusing the situation by slitting his throat, but Naimanzuunnadintsetseg forced herself to dismiss the notion. While it may bring a brief satisfaction, it would do nothing to resolve the current powderkeg. 'So that is how you deal with your allies? What a convincing argument to join with you. Archers, loose your arrows.' She could hear the taunting jeers in her head without any effort at all.

There was however, no point in waiting further. The princess had dropped the name of her clan, and it had not provoked... well, not worse than anything else that had been said at least. Stepping forward, she pulled upon the insult levied at her, trying to turn it into strength. "It is true, I am desperate. Have been ever since I returned from hunt to find Malaphar had destroyed my clan, nearly to the man. But I am not so desperate as to pick reckless fights. I advised against intruding on your lands, specifically because the history between our tribes, but our hands were tied as our quarry was scented in this direction. You say you recently chased off another with monsters doing his bidding? Surely that was him. If he is no longer in your lands, we have no need to be either. We shall leave without a fight, but if you are intent to kill us, we will not die for free. There is no need to make any widows today."

[Nanami Touko]

Damn you Astaroth! If we live through this, I'll kill you myself! You useless fool! She had to bite back her anger, calm down, think of some way to get through this so that no one else died... Perhaps save for one worthless Asarai, but that would take some real tinkering. No, they just had to live, for now... Niaman finally spoke, offering some more words of peace, mixed frighteningly in with a word of warning, but her tact was there where Astaroth's had not been. Perhaps it wouldn't worsen things... Where to start from there?

"His speaking out of line is my fault entirely, and he shall be punished for it, but please Ulfure, take heed of my words! Malaphar is no specter of death, no vile plague wiping over Magonsaete, he is a mage with fancy parlor tricks. He can bleed, he can die, he can be defeated by us! But only if we work together. I know you must not think a force this size worthwhile, but we stand here today because we have faced what this country has offered us and come out on top. We can help your tribe win, we can stop him, but only if you don't kill us!" Cass stepped ahead of everyone, facing down his archers.

"If you need someone to punish for his words, then I shall take the blame. It is my inexperience as a leader that's lead us to this point... But do not kill us over a fool's words! Trust in what I am saying! I have stood face to face with that man and watched him bleed, and my men are worth at least ten on the field. Let us work together! None of us came here today to fight!" It was a rather desperate plea, it shouldn't have gotten this far, but that was what it was. Hopefully he would listen, and be willing to stay his peoples' arrows.

Edited October 11, 2018 by SnakeMomMelissa

[Ether]

Well this had gone right from bad to worse. Now Cassandra, being one of the few people who were making an attempt to keep things civil, was offering herself as a scapegoat for the whole thing. Trying to imagine this ragtag band in her absence, headed by a... most likely well-intended loon and a cobra with tongue doused in honey, well... it certainly didn't appeal. Moving behind the Princess with hand on her piece, readied to draw, the other hovered nearby to Cassandra. Even were she ready to offer herself up as tribute, without the rosette they seemed to have little chance to succeed. Were any arrows to fly the Princess' way, she could only hope herself quick enough to move her out the way and riposte the offense with her Culverin.

"Oi, Cass. Iffin' I might make a suggestion, y'should try'n back up, make some space. Live t'foight another day, n'all that. Seems we've right guffed this'n up beyond repair... just gotta hope that at least hearin', they'll foight back 'gainst the bastard n'steada joinin' up. Throwin' yer life away ain't gonna solve shit, look at where oi're other... voices a' reason got us 'ere."

[Nanami Touko]

"I refuse," Cass snapped, taking a further step forward. "We came here for a reason, this is our best shot, and I'm not going to let misunderstandings and lacks of tact ruin this. If they need a target for these transgressions, I'm right here!" Cass could only hope that Ulfure had more sense in him than Hera had, blinded by Malaphar's promises.

[Shin]

Death by Democracy

Poll Results
 

Spoiler

It was another SOCIAL EXPERIMENT, I wasn't going to listen to any of your answers!

Ulfure grinned, all of his men itching to begin slaughtering Cass' group. He watched in amusement as Cass' party made their cases, readying themselves for the worst. He lowered his arm, signalling for them all to fire. A flurry of arrows hurtled towards the group, peppering the ground around their feet. They had been spared, Ulfure had shown mercy.

He approached Cass again, almost impressed with her bold declaration. "Interesting, despite your own guaranteed safety, you choose to forgo it in an attempt to let your allies live. That makes quite the statement." he commended, a glimmer of pride present in his eyes. "And your allies would face death to give you a chance to escape. All of you have your own goals, but appear willing to work together to achieve them. A curious group you all are. Remnants of dead clans, foreigners from afar and the living dead... you've gotten my attention."

Uuliinyagaantsetseg was taken aback by her leader's boldness. Revealing their clan's death to one of their enemies? It was a serious blow to their pride, but they needed to do all they could to try and avoid an untimely end. 

"If you came looking for this servant of Malaphar, I can confirm he is already at the Medeina camp. He arrived a few days ago and is in talks with my father. The information you have shared shall be useful to me, if my father is being played like a fool it should be simple to remedy the situation." Ulfure added, motioning for Cass' group to follow him. "Know your place when within the Medeina. We do not discriminate by class or status... simply whether we tolerate your presence or not. Step out of line and you shall face death as you nearly have today."

[Moblin Major General]

Astaroth hung his head. His rashness had almost cost the entire group both their lives and potential allies. He grabs the reigns of his horse, but does not mount him. He says nothing, as his words have done enough damage this night. He knew he could not dwell on his failure for long, as the risk of fighting was, in fact, far from over. He prepared to move on Cassandra's order, as she had proven she wasn't as rash as she seemed, and he wasn't good at negotiation as he certainly thought he was. Damn my shameful foolishness! What had I to gain from that?! Engel above, what a disaster! I cannot make this same mistake again. Otherwise... I can't even fathom the consequences of such. 

[Nanami Touko]

Cass flinched, shutting her eyes, as the sting of arrows shrieking through the air approached... And hit the ground in front of them all. Her heart had almost leapt out of her chest, what a tense situation. Ulfure was impressed with her? If this was what it took, she didn't know she had it in her to do it several other times... It was good that this time, it worked out. But...

"... Your praise is appreciated, Ulfure," she managed, then sighing, trying to regain some modicum of composure. Things were always going to be tough here, weren't they? "If Emmet is already in talks with your father, then we should hurry, before his ears are poisoned by lies. Hopefully he's willing to listen to his son, and then us." Emmet... They couldn't afford to charge in and begin a battle right there, surely Lobos would turn on them without explanation. Just... Take your anger out elsewhere. Where it's deserved. Cass turned towards the rest of her group, legs wobbling a moment, before she could walk normally again. With grit teeth and a heavy fist, she clenched it around Astaroth's  clothing, pulling him close.

"You, foolish, useless, waste of a chief. If you ever speak up, if you ever try to play at negotiations in my presence again, I'll kill you first. You nearly ended all our lives because you have no idea what you're doing here-- less so than I, and I've been stuck in a fucking castle my entire life." Cass kept her voice low, she didn't want to invite the curiosity of Ulfure's men, and so quickly let go of the Asarain leader. "That was your last mistake. I am certain in what I said before... Let us be off, everyone. We've talks to make, and a clan to try and help." With that stress off of her chest, Cass spun back around to follow after Ulfure.

Edited October 14, 2018 by SnakeMomMelissa

[Balcerzak]

Cassandra's refusal to pick the better part of valor, and live to fight another day was frustration itself. When it had more and more become apparent that retreat was going to be the only way to salvage a situation turned sour, and the princess insisted on attempt to stay and win converts, well if that didn't get them killed, Naimanzuunnadintsetseg was sure it wouldn't be for lack of trying on all their parts.

The look of surprise on her clanswoman's face didn't make her feel any better about how things were turning out, either. It was hard to blame her reaction, really. The revelation was not a move Naimanzuunnadintsetseg had made lightly, even though hiding the news of the destruction was something that would be impossible to maintain forever. She just had to trust that Uuliinyagaantsetseg would understand her reasons. Given how her warrior had supported her thus far, she had reason to be hopeful.

When Ulfure lowered his arm, Naimanzuunnadintsetseg crouched downwards, lowering her profile and twisting her body, all instinctive moves to present as little area as possible to the oncoming hail of arrows. But she did not turn her back, nor did she move to flee, though her hand did come to rest on the hilt of her dagger, in case the enemy foolishly rushed them before making sure their superior range had done its work. When there was a break in the volley, maybe she would draw her bow then and fire back... but when the break came, it was too obvious the whole thing had been a ruse, a show of force. An unhappy grimace spread across her face, for having been played the fool, but the position they found themselves in meant accepting such abuses, for the moment. Not only that though, if she put herself in his position, what would she have done? That was certainly worth a moment's thought.

Leaving the chastening of Astaroth to the princess, she gave a nod and a wave to her contingent, to Uuliinyagaantsetseg and Sylvia, then stepped forward to follow after Ulfure. Close enough for conversation, but not so close as to cause offense... hopefully.

"It seems to me you have quite the makings of shrewd chief some day," she somewhat slowly, begrudgingly began by complimenting him, before loosening into the full thoughts she wished to convey. "Not only have you looked beyond the affronts of today, but you have refused to be ruled by grudges from the past, keeping your eyes trained like a hawk upon the future. I swear to you, such kind favor will not be repaid with ill." Then she prepared to fall back with the others, doing her best to be incredibly mindful of her current situation, not desiring in the least to overstep.

[Ether]

Just a test, was it? Sylvia had half a mind... well, closer to an eighth, to introduce Ulfure's skull to the concept of hot lead for such a slight at their expense simply to see what they would do, but doing so would have made her the most detrimental part of their peace talks by a country mile... an impressive feat to be sure, but not one she wanted hanging over her head. Cassandra's... stubbornness was also something to potentially be addressed, but was she really the one to do so? Either way, it was a consideration for another time. For now, time to get moving.

[Vestige]

It was a bit surprising given how nonchalant Ulfure was being about the presence of the living dead, but with Emmet confirmed to already be in their encampment he supposed they'd had some time to acclimate. Their next task was figuring out how to quickly dispose of him before he could pull off any tricks and slip himself away. And that was assuming the Medeian chief was going to give them custody of Emmet in the first place.  

[Shin]

No Games

"There is no rush, he has been present for two days, a few more hours are unlikely to cause further harm." Ulfure replied, beginning the journey back towards his camp. He glanced over his shoulder at Naimanzuunnadintsetseg, not stopping to make his remarks. "Just know that I was fully prepared to kill all of you. There was no wisdom or leadership, I simply desired to benefit most from this encounter. Make of that what you will."

Ulfure and his men lead Cass' group through the forest, their path seemingly deliberate as they turned periodically after a couple of trees. Ulfure's men weren't particularly good company, they were more than happy to mutter among themselves and sneer at the group. Kelbara walked alongside Alain, the woman having kept an incredibly low profile during the attack.

"That was resolved better than I expected, it would have been troublesome to return home alone after travelling this distance." Kelbara muttered, glancing over at Ulfure's henchmen. "If your Princess feels that she can trust these pepole, then I shall oblige. Winning over the rest may be more difficult if Ulfure is considered relatively reasonable."
 

Later the same day - Medeine Camp

The forest soon thinned, opening out into a clearing among the trees. Dozens of crude tent-like structures stood in a circle around a large smokey campfire. The tribe was relatively busy, dozens of people populated the camp, going about their business. Their attire was simple, mostly patches of fur and fabrics sewn together into makeshift Only a few even looked in the direction of Cass' group, most were uninterested by their leader's son escorting in a group of foreigners. Even Alain's skeletons didn't attract a large amount of attention, much to Mr Bones' disappointment.

"mAYBE tHEY wOULD hAVE lIKED bROTHER bONES bETTER. hE hAD nICER sKIN tHAN mE, iT's a sHAME hE dIED aGAIN." Mr Bones lamented, leaving his incomprehensible companion completely stumped.

Ulfure lead the group to a larger tent towards the middle, the leather smoother and better decorated than the rest. He turned back to Cass' group, his eyes resting on Cass in particular. "Speak out of line and you shall find yourselves on the fire. Is that understood?" he barked, very much aware of the group's differing views. "If you wish to speak with my father, you shall speak as one. If he tires of your bickering he will simply throw you on the fire."

[Nanami Touko]

What an odd little camp... Cass was quite pleased that no one had tarnished what good they had done after the standoff, Naiman's words had seemed to earn her a rather harsh reply, but not a damning one... Ready to kill them all, was he... That sort of resolve was impressive. If things continued to go well, the Medeina would make for great allies.There was still one more important trial to go, though... "We'll be just fine." I hope. Cass could hopefully trust Astaroth to not step in again, and as long as she followed Alain's way of thinking... Or tried to, they could hopefully fall in line. What had he tried before, it felt like an appeal to their nature... It was a rather good idea, too, but... This hanger on... She could trust Alain and Naiman, and despite her worries, Sylvia seemed to have a solid head for when to speak up. Things would... They had to go fine. They couldn't die here, or afford to wipe another clan off the map.

[Shin]

Papa Wolf

"We shall see, my father is less forgiving of insolence than myself. A few arrows to the feet will seem like nothing in comparison." Ulfure warned, leading the group into the tent. 

The interior of the large tent was decorated with patterns and symbols not unlike the ones present on the tribesman. A large man sat in a crude throne at the back of the tent, one that was likely to be Lobos. His physique was hulking, he was far taller and wider than his son - perhaps even enough to contend with Baleros. His hair was a pale grey, more like a lion's mane than a man's hair. His attire was not dissimilar to his son's, but his physique meant that he gave off a greater sense of might and authority. He looked down at Cass and her group, his expression neutral as he began to form his opinion.

"Ulfure, you bring foreigners to me? Do you wish for all the whispers in my ears to be from afar?" he asked, displeased at his son's guests. "I have much to speak to our current guest about, but tell me foreigners... what do you wish to bring before Chief Lobos of the Medeina? What puzzles me is why you all still remain alive, let alone walking freely escorted by my son. What possibly could a stray group bring to my mighty people?"

"Modest, isn't he?" Kelbara muttered, her words barely audible to her companions. Her sour expression made it very clear that she wasn't happy with their vulnerable position. "Princess, I hope you are sure that this is what you want."

[Moblin Major General]

Astaroth was totally paralyzed with fear. This was the fearsome Lobos he had heard about, and the legends were more true than anyone was able to recount. He could not speak, and dared not, for he seemed terrible enough to want to eat men. He just stared ahead, away from anyone in the tent already, with a stern look that hid his crippling terror.

[Nanami Touko]

It was now or never, wasn't it? "We're here to save you from dooming your tribe, by listening to the whispers of your other guest. He's a man named Emmet, is he not? He speaks nothing but lies, lies I can show other tribes have fallen for. We're here to stop him before he manages to bring the whole of your tribe under the wing of the man he serves... Pardon me if I've assumed you able to be persuaded so easily, but we've been fighting against his master for quite some time, now. The Medeina would not be the first tribe coaxed by the empty promises offered to them." Months was quite some time, no? Hopefully... "Malaphar is a plague upon Angelcynn that no one should ally with. We must act together else he'll sweep all under his cloak of deceit until he no longer needs them!" It was a moderately abridged version of what was going on, but it was the truth... Hopefully Ulfure's father was as wise as he was when it came to taking warnings.

Edited October 28, 2018 by SnakeMomMelissa

[Shin]

Devil's Offer

Lobos smirked, looking down at Cass as she made her case. He was a difficult man to read, but it was clear that he believed to be the one holding all the cards. "An all powerful wizard looking to recruit the tribes to further his empire, who will dispose of the weak when they serve their purpose?" Lobos asked, grinning sadistically. "The Medeina are one of the most powerful tribes in all of Magonsaete, the other tribes would fall long before us. If Malaphar needs us to further his campaign, he lacks the strength to do it alone. If he needs we Medeina, then he shall be reluctant to lose such a powerful ally."

Sebastian leaned towards Cass subtly, whispering in her ear. "I feel that our friend Emmet may have already presented quite a case to Chief Lobos." he warned, his eyes half watching the bandit chief. "We may need to offer a more appealing option."

Ulfure watched carefully, not interjecting once into the conversation between Cass and his father. Lobos sat back in his throne, eyeing Cass' group as a predator would its prey. His eyes fixed on Alain and his undead entourage.

"Tell me, foreigner. What unholy power grants you the ability to walk with the dead?" Lobos asked, leaning forwards with intrigue. "A man such as yourself hails not from Magonsaete, what is the source of your power?"

Mr Bones nodded his head, letting out a cackle. "hAVING lEGS hELPS mASTER a lOT. wITHOUT tHEM hE wOULDN'T wALK wITH aNYONE." he replied, having missed the point once more. "hE's tHE bEST oF tHE mEATBAGS."

Edited November 5, 2018 by Shin

[Vestige]

So this was Chief Lobos. Upon first glance, he seemed more bear than man. How on earth Astaroth had managed to confuse this sort of man with some run-of-the-mill grunt would perplex him to the end of his days. But perhaps having taken Astaroth's words at face value was the more egregious error to begin with. He stole a sideways glance at the man as Cassandra spoke.

There wasn't even so much as a quiver of his lip. 

Lobos on the other-hand was all smiles. It was a bit unnerving to see a man such as him with such a jubilant look. It was clear he cared little for Cassandra's plea, and he wasn't sure how she was going to assuage him. It came as a bit of a surprise then, that Lobos decided to turn attention towards him. He had been trying not too stand out too much and let Cassandra do as she needed.

Granted, an entourage of skeletons could hardly be considered clandestine, but with the sheer disinterest Lobos' clansmen had showed, he'd fallen into the impression that someone else had already come along with the same trick. 

It took him a moment to compose himself--doubly so after Mr. Bones' intelligent commentary. 

"...I am surprised Chief Lobos would exert such curiosity in one such as myself," he began, curious himself as to the intent behind the man's question. Unholy powers tended to stem from unholy sources, and if Lobos already had that figured out then it seemed likely he had at least some passing knowledge on arcane matters. 

"To make mockery of death, I act with the authority granted by Belial himself. If the wise Chief Lobos recognizes the name, then perhaps he might begin to question the extent of Malaphar's abilities," he said. 

"There is after all, no plague upon man greater than death. Not even Malaphar would be able to convince you to the contrary. And I am he who holds the cure. If the Medeina are so eager to be led by an all powerful wizard, then I see no reason why we cannot come to terms," he said, calculated hubris dotting his every word.

It was a sure gamble to speak with such arrogance, but there was little else he could think to do. Gracious humility would just concede the truth of their dire position, and Cassandra's honest appeal had already fallen upon deaf ears. 

Edited November 7, 2018 by Vestige

[Shin]

Servants of Evil

"Belial, you say... interesting. One who openly follows evil in exchange for power, something that mirrors my current situation. Malaphar's pawn spoke of the immense power of his master, but you can demonstrate it for yourself." Lobos replied, a satisfied admiration creeping into his glare. The man smirked, putting a hand to his beard. "Belial and Engel mean very little to the land of Magonsaete, a select few may care but you have piqued my interest. Do you believe that your power is such to contend with Malaphar? Is your mastery of the undead a deciding factor in war... or simply a parlour trick to amuse those around you?"

"eL mAESTRO cONVOCA bIEN, pERO nO hABLA mI iDIOMA." Señor Bones sighed, shaking his head.

Aurelio nudged Astaroth, giving him a taunting look. "Looks like your love of the good book is considered unusual out here. Not surprised, can't imagine too many of the people here can read." he whispered, leaning in discretely. "Where's your army of angels? Engel don't seem to be too fond of you."

"The Medeina would benefit greatly from an allied sorcerer, especially if this Malaphar is as treacherous as he seems." Lobos remarked, his eyes drifting to the other members of the group. "However, that cannot be said for the rest of you. I require to know why I should keep the rest of you alive."

[Nanami Touko]

It seemed as though Alain's talents had caught the eye of the chief in a positive manner... Perhaps he would be that more appealing option. It was a dangerous case, Cass had certainly seen... At least, she'd thought she'd seen Alain struck dead, only to be breathing moments later. Cass had simply assumed he was more resilient than she'd given him credit for, but... If he was going to claim this, now, then... Whatever the case, it was more than true of his entourage, the creatures he summoned could speak and think, spirits brought back from the beyond. Whether that extended to their more fleshy allies remained to be seen.

And thus, with Alain's case made clear, and the chief interested in him, he turned to them... Cass could use a staff and swing a sword, nothing as grand as what Alain could manifest. All she had to play was... "I've faced Malaphar in person and survived. I've seen the man bleed, I know he can be hurt. All of us here are as strong, if not stronger than any one of your men. Two other tribe leaders and a group of strong warriors from across the continent, I'm sure you can see the worth in that... And if not, then put us up to the test. I'm not afraid to back up my claims." Perhaps Alain's suggestion from before, a test of strengths, was the right avenue to go here.

[Moblin Major General]

Astaroth snapped back as Aurelio shoved him. "Why do I need an army if all I need is faith?" Astaroth uttered a prayer under his breath before stepping somewhat forward. "I can speak for myself, Princess. Chief Lobos, surely you are aware of Abeloth of Asarai? I am his son, and I strive to be every bit the warrior and leader he was. He taught me all that he knew, and more. My father would marvel at these who are here, as I do. Surely, something worthy of him is worthy of you. " He hoped Cassandra would at least let him say his piece on that. If not, surely she would see that killing him here and now would only diminish her standing, if not her chance of survival. What would she do? Did she value survival over authority? Even at this moment, Astaroth wasn't fully sure.

[Vestige]

Despite the nature of his precarious position, it still irked Alain to be spoken to in such a subordinate manner. Even more vexing was the clear disregard Lobos had for the lives of his companions. The singular fact that they were his companions should have superseded all other necessary reasoning. That it did not seemed to identify that Lobos' primary reason for even considering their case was simply the mistaken impression that he would be the one calling the shots in the arrangement. Another annoyance, but as things were, he wasn't exactly in a hurry to be correcting that assumption.

"We would not have come in pursuit of Malaphar's disciple if the extent of my power was merely... parlour trickery," he scoffed. "That we even knew he was here to begin with is a detail I would deeply reflect upon," he added, leaving the way for Cassandra to make her statements. She made a few salient points, but whether or not Lobos would be satisfied was another matter altogether. 

"The unfortunate truth of the matter is that for all the might and power of your clan, Chief Lobos, the legacy of the Medeina starts and ends right here," he said, outlining the perimeter of the tent. "Those beyond the borders of this land know not of the Medeina, and care not for the Medeina. So consider the value in those who might sing praises of your people when all is said and done."

 

[Shin]

Be Prepared

"Interesting, so very interesting. So the continent know not of the Medeina... perhaps they know not the names of the other tribes. Our knowledge of Raewald and Wyke only extends to the best locations to plunder, I can't imagine that people would care to differentiate between so called savages." Lobos muttered, grinning intently as he marvelled at Alain's claims of power. His eyes drifted to Cass, her claims perhaps even bolder than Alain's own. Lobos gave a hearty laugh, leaning forwards from his throne.

"Power is not just the strength of individuals, it's about the collection of might. If Malaphar were all powerful, then he would not need to try and win my favour through his pawn." Lobos replied, Cass' suggestion intriguing him further. "Testing your claim would be an entertaining exercise, as well as showing me proof of your resolve. I shall take up your offer, five of your own shall face five of my men. You shall face them tomorrow. Be warned, I will not take kindly to a lacklustre performance... The Asarai... I thought your attire was familiar, young Astaroth."

Aurelio shrugged his shoulders, leaving Astaroth to deal with Lobos, there was little more that he needed to, or could, say.

"Your father and I have clashed on several occasions. I cannot say that I would call him a friend, but his voice is one I would take seriously." Lobos replied, crossing his arms defiantly. "The Asarai are a force that need to be taken into account. Tell me, young Astaroth, where do the loyalties of the Asarai lie?"