In the previous episode...
1.1.6 An Innocent Profaned
The trap closes. Kafana is lured out to a lonely beach beyond the sight of the guards (lead by Lelio) of Torello’s watch, in an attempt to save Pierrot (a courier who used to be one of Vittoria’s orphans before being taken on by the enigmatic Dottore). Surrounded by The Brute Squad, she attempts to save Pierrot not by fighting, but by following the path of peaceful resistance. The other Wombles follow her lead and, as a result, all but Wellington are killed (and sent to respawn back at Cov’s sanctuary with the usual death penalties). Worse, Kullervo entraps Kafana’s spirit within his diabolic sword - a fate that has always resulted in the permanent destruction of a player’s character.
It’s a total disaster. Without Kafana, the attention of the livestream audience the Wombles are relying upon to publicise The Burrow’s launch, will fade away.
To make matters worse, the orphanage wasn’t even spared from sorrow - Antonio, the elder brother of the talented orphan Nicolo, was permanently killed by Grattelard (a member of the guild of assassins that’s controlled by the White Lily).
And that’s not mentioning all the quests the party keeps picking up, but never seems to find time for - even The Lovebirds, the quest they picked as the main story the party would focus upon, seems to keep getting edged out by other things. Not that crafting a cure for the Red Death (a plague some unknown group had deliberately released inside Torello) was a bad thing to do - it even resulted in yet another deity (Zer) taking notice of Kafana and gifting her with yet another astonishing gem artifact. However, unknown to Kafana, we discover via a cut-scene from a different viewpoint (that of the CEO of XperiSense, the company that created Soul Bound) that deeper forces are at work.
It turns out that each of the expert systems running the eight deities started off as a prototype Vessel used by the founders of the company, and the personalities and roles those deities take on in the game reflect those of the individual founders.
Mor:??Feng Akechi,????????CEO
Zer:??Zhou Ping,??????????next gen systems
Rac:??Wang Tianqing,??????cost management
Dro:??Li Yaya,????????????programming lead
Cov:??Wei Shigen,?????????user experience
Krev: Xu Kaixiang,????????combat balance
Lun:??Chen Rushi,?????????creative lead
Bel:??Hagiwara Satori,????quality control
Despite the safeguards added to her personal tiara (which Kafana has nicknamed her crown) by Wellington, the rewards for completing the Red Death quest were sent so fast that she narrowly avoids having her brain fried, and has to be rescued by Alderney (who is on a visit to Kafana’s rather conservative village, determined to find a way to aid Kafana with the custom drones she delights in fabricating without getting her shunned by the other villagers).
Akechi turns out to be a competent and charismatic leader, navigating between the private alliances and agendas of his staff with a deft hand. But he started off as a superlative software engineer and, despite his role as CEO, it seems he has retained his skills and root access to all the company’s machines. He casts his protection over Kafana and the other Wombles but is he doing it for purely business reasons, or does he have some hidden agenda and, if so, is it related to the mysterious source of XperiSense’s breakthroughs in expert system capable of emulating humans, Project Omega?
...now read on!
1??????????????Soul Bound
1.1????????????Finding her Feet
1.1.7??????????An Extreme Response
1.1.7.1????????Missal warfare
2 bells of the dog watch, Racday Wain, the 20th day in the month of KrevinRacember.
Nadine Sabanagic sat up on her bed and looked at her bedside. It was 9 o’clock in the morning. She’d been in the game for just over 4 hours today, and she’d gotten her friends killed. Well, their characters anyway. She still felt wretched about it. She still had 2 hours before she needed to go down and start preparing lunch for her Kafana’s customers.
She shoved her crown carelessly back in its box under the bed to recharge, then got up. Poor Heather! She hoped she was ok, after what that dung-heap shaped sadist had done to her character, Alderney. She went through to where Heather was staying in her guest room.
Heather sat up, with a big smile on her face:
“Nadine, you gotta see this, those Brute goons are getting creamed! Put your helmet back on, come to the viewing room in the private area of The Burrow and pick up the raw feed from Wellington starting from half an hour ago. You can alter the play speed, skip around, and get summaries. Whoops, I have to go, I’m respawning in the Sanctum.”
Then Heather gave her a thumbs up and flopped back down. Nadine was unsurprised to notice that Heather had made herself a custom tiara that had an attached pair of cat ears which twitched and oriented towards interesting sounds. Hmm, well, that wasn’t the reaction she’d expected. She guessed she should go see what was happening. Better than the alternative of sitting around in her room feeling depressed.
The Burrow (private area)
Wellington had just received the party chat from Bungo, detailing him to wait for the players from Fra Gamal while Bungo went down onto the beach with Kafana and the others. Wellington didn’t feel unhappy about it. If anything he felt a rightness about it, like when a jigsaw piece clicks neatly into place. He looked back down the road, with a very busy orglife overlay that he’d annotated with numbers which occasionally changed.
He entered a private chat with Nastya:
Wellington: {Local map shared. ETA?}
Nastya: {Likewise. five mins. Thoughts?}
Wellington: {Sitrep on map. I will sketch on sand. You brief others on plan.}
Nastya: {Agreed. Constraints & objective?}
Wellington: {Shared.}
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>
Neutral Force #1 (nf1) = Pierrot
Neutral Force #2 (nf2) = Carlo
Neutral Force #3 (nf3) = Columbina, Gregorio
Neutral Force #4 (nf4) = Blaze + backup from Torello
Neutral Force #5 (nf5) = Kraken
Allied Force #1 (af1) = Bulgaria, Tomsk, Kafana, Bungo, Alderney
Allied Force #2 (af2) = Wellington, Nastya, CrimsonMoon, Mary-Lynn, Char, ChocolateTrain
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
Enemy Force #1 (ef1) = Kullervo, Wibano, VamaKali, Jincan, FancyAnts, WraithLock
Enemy Force #2 (ef2) = FancyAnts’ tamed giant antlion
af1’s primary objective is to prevent permadeath of nf1
af1’s constraints are af1 will act only non-violently against ef1
af1’s secondary objectives are to demonstrate opposition to ef1’s actions
nf2’s primary objective is to bear witness
af2’s primary objective: Minimise permadeaths among af* & nf1
af2’s secondary objective: Minimise deaths & equipment loss among af*
af2’s secondary objective: Maximise losses among ef*
af2’s secondary objective: Reciprocate support received from nf*
af2 constraint: Remain undetected by ef* until “go” signal from Wellington
af2 constraint: Avoid violence against ef1 until authorised by Torello
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Wellington and Nastya started jointly constructing a branching event/task queue, while Wellington simultaneously used his Athame to sketch a very precise map on the ground once he’d reached a good assembly point, which he periodically kept in sync with reality by peeking at his own overlay showing where Kafana and the others were.
Kafana didn’t follow half of what Wellington was doing. He seemed to use set notation and Greek letters a lot. But hey, whatever worked for him. She understood why Alderney practically never used anything but visuals from him in the clips she edited for release. Experiencing his sense recordings was never going to achieve wide popularity, but she’d bet he’d gain a cult following among certain types of viewer.
She skipped forwards.
Wellington was watching the massacre take place via Columbina’s overlay. How had he managed to get that? Was it rune magic or did talking to System rather than the Voice at the Sanctum work for non-Vessel NPCs under some circumstances? She realised she was thinking about anything rather than living through her screw-up again. It was a relief that Wellington’s emotions about it were so clinical and objective. At least his thoughts didn’t have the feel they had when he was annoyed at someone for lacking reliability or efficiency. She couldn’t tell what he thought about the individual brutes. His focus seemed to be upon analysing every action they took, for what it helped him learn about their abilities or probable ways they’d react to situations in the future.
She skipped forwards.
A party from Torello has arrived on horseback, led by Captain Lelio. Wellington was playing the character of a dependable elderly merchant, but it felt like he was reading lines in a play that he was writing very fast, rather than his being ‘in character’ mentally. He introduced Lelio to CrimsonMoon and Nastya, who used Wellington’s map to briefly explain where the enemy was, who the friendlies were, and how she suggested deploying their joint forces and the role she’d like Lelio to take.
Lelio was leading his normal patrol of light cavalry, and with him there was also a captain of House’s Landi guard leading a second score - heavy lancers wearing Landi’s brown on gold colours. Along with them were a representative of the Messengers Guild, Blaze, and Fra Massimo, who was sitting uncomfortably on a dappled barrel-chested pony, carefully carrying a book.
Lelio asked Nastya a couple of questions, confirmed he could deputise them to act when he deemed it necessary, then made a snap decision:
“We’ll go with it. Landi, you have the left flank, don’t charge until I signal. You have three minutes to get into position. Move off now.”
“CrimsonMoon, you have the right flank, approach through the dunes and remain hidden if you can. Gregorio, look after them. Again, wait until I signal that combat is authorised. Move off now.”
“Everyone else, with me. Courier Giuseppe, Fra Massimo, if combat starts please move to safety behind my patrol. Patrol, look after the non-combatants.”
Wellington updated the plan as Lelio spoke, and even wrote down the text of what he wanted to say, with explicit prompts to himself on tone of voice and posture. Kafana couldn’t help but giggle, even as she felt sad for him. Then she scolded herself. She wouldn’t like it if others judged the way she thought, just because it was different to theirs and made her better and worse at different things to them. Whatever works. You play to your strengths, and you do what you need to do in order to work around your weaknesses, which included finding friends you could help and who, in return, would support you.
It was a bit like one of Nastya’s combat plans. A party of 6 fighters doesn’t generally do as well as a party made up from diverse talents in a mix that’s adjusted to the situation, which in one case might be 5 fighters + 1 healer and in another case might be 2 fighters + 2 healers + 2 mages.
Ah, Wellington was on the beach now, standing next to Massimo and Lelio who had both dismounted. They were facing off against the Brute Squad, who were standing near the water’s edge, grouped up behind their leader, the overly-pretty Kullervo.
Wellington: “Questing Spirits from the group who inaccurately call themselves The Immortals, I accuse you of unlawfully attacking and slaying the adventurers who lie dead at your feet, their bodies bearing marks matching your weapons, their blood still fresh upon your hands.”
Kullervo: “What this? A mere disagreement among Questing Spirits. Nothing ‘unlawful’ about it. Your laws offer no rights or protections for Spirits.” He pronounced “unlawful” in a mocking tone.
Massimo held up the book he was clutching: “I am Fra Massimo, sent here by the Sanctum bearing the Missal of the Spirits, in which is laid down the binding ruling of the Sanctum’s council, in whom Cov has placed authority in matters pertaining to Questing Spirits. It grants adventurers the right not to be attacked, physically or magically, directly or in proxy, by Questing Spirits who have not been authorised to do so by the legitimate secular authorities of the region.”
Kullervo: “That book looks rather new to me. I bet it has not been tested in court yet. Can you prove these Wombles didn’t start the combat or give their consent to a playful battle thereby voluntarily surrendering their right?” He sounded confident, like a criminal used to having an expensive lawyer, who’d been arrested and grilled by the police many times, but always released upon technicalities.
Lelio: “If there are any eye witnesses to what passed here, let them now step forth.”
A grey faced Carlo, shaking in rage, stepped down from the dune where he’d been watching, sketch pad in hand, splodges of tears visible upon the sketch of Alderney’s body which it was open to.
Carlo: “I swear before Cov and all deities that this Kullervo and his companions did torture a member of the Messengers Guild; that they did attack and slay these now dead adventurers, using weapons, poison and magic; and that the adventurers neither gave their consent nor caused harm. These things did I witness with my own eyes, and hear with my own ears.”
He added, in a different voice: “They went in unarmed, to save a child who wasn’t theirs, not seeking death but knowing they would almost surely die. And they did it without flinching. I have never before seen such a thing, nor imagined it possible. My words can not do it justice, but I swear before all here present that my art will.” And with that he turned to a new sheet and carried on sketching, driven, not sparing a moment, trying not to miss a single detail.
Kullervo: “A messenger? I see no messenger here. And in any case, Captain Lelio, your ‘secular authority’ ends at the walls of the city, does it not? I suggest you stand aside, for we are about to leave, and it would be such a shame if your pretty horses were damaged by measures we might need to use if miscreants force us to defend ourselves.” Jincan, in the group behind Kullervo, grinned widely and started preparing something, as though he’d just received a coded message.
Giuseppe: “I am a messenger. I bear a warrant signed by Torello’s council, authorising Captain Lelio to take any measures he deems appropriate to carry out an investigation of the market manipulation attempt that was reported earlier today. And if I am not mistaken, that bag on the sand near your feet is identical to the ones we issue to the messengers tasked with carrying privileged market information from incoming ships to the city.”
Herberto Landi, leading his lancers into sight: “I am of House Landi. Kafana Sincero is named a friend of House Landi, and by ancient right that gives us authority to avenge her death, no matter where it happens.”
Massimo also moved forwards, about to speak, but Lelio forestalled him:
“Enough!” he roared “I have heard more than sufficient to justify detaining you for trial on charges ranging from attacking an honorary Captain of the Watch to littering. I hereby officially call upon all friendly parties present to help detain these suspects or, if they resist, to execute them. Will you resist?”
Kullervo picked up the bag and looked at it as though considering the question, then made it disappear into his stash with a stylish snap of his fingers:
“Why yes, little boy, I do believe we will."
She watched the combat from Wellington’s perspective on fast forwards, having had enough violence for one day.
Carlo threw knives at Jincan while trying to dodge great spurts of poison that Jincan used magic to direct. Jincan dodged the knives, but couldn’t dodge the charging heavy cavalry from House Landi. He died impaled on a lance. Several horses died too, having stepped in puddles of greenish yellow slime.
Wellington approached Kullervo, cautious but unafraid, looking for an opportunity to use runic magic upon The Bone Sword. Gregorio ran fast but quietly towards Kullervo’s back.
Seeing that, Lelio switched targets and went for VamaKali who was delighted to oblige him. She must have underestimated his skill and level, or perhaps just how pissed he was, because despite having all her combat stats tripled by legacy skills, she ended up beheaded.
FancyAnts and Wibano took one look at Lelio and, rather than backing their leader up, they ran for the dunes where they knew WraithLock could help them escape. Wellington didn’t spare a look, but he could hear the resulting sounds as they found out the hard way that the gals from Fra Gamal didn’t like people who interrupted beach volleyball games.
Gregorio seized Kullervo’s head from behind, between his two enormous hands and started pressing them together. Wellington noted Kullervo’s calm as Kullervo vanished his sword and other items back into his stash.
Kullervo: “The spirits it traps never survive as long as a day. I win. Be seeing you, loser.”
Then Kafana learned how Gregorio earned his title. Kullervo’s head smashed in Gregorio’s inexorable grip like a ripe melon.