Swarming Sovereignty -
Chapter 177: Forumites
Fae sat on a couch in Lia’s living room, holding a small orb in her hands. The Queen was out talking with Zara, and she had invited Fae to watch the recording of her battle with the Lord of Monsters that Ophelia had given her.
“Alright you guys, I’m turning TTS back on now, behave.” She instructed, setting the orb down and willing it to play. Immediately, it projected an image of what appeared to be the bridge of a modern ship, complete with computer screens and all. It was a jarring sight, given the rest of the tech level of this plane, and it took Fae a moment to realize that the outline of a cave was visible through the walls.
“Huh, a ship?” Fae muttered. “They’re on land, though.”
“Are they in a shipgirl? Fae’s text to speech asked.
“Probably.” Fae replied. “I didn’t stop to think that they could work on land, though.”
Amelia snapped her fingers and the interior of the cave was illuminated, revealing a hideous abomination in the center, a centipede of heads and arms that reared up and let out an awful scream as Lia and Izumi rushed in to meet it.
“Disgusting.” Fae observed. “Definitely the creepiest monster I’ve ever seen.”
As the fight progressed, Fae was surprised to see that she recognized one of the abilities Lia was using. “It’s not just me, that’s the Stairway to Heaven, right?” She asked her chat. “I guess it’s not a shock to see some abilities stay the same between systems, but that’s a very high-level Skill, did she get that from Rose or did she learn it herself? Either way, that’s not a Skill you want to be up against.”
“We have the Stairway to Heaven on my plane, too.” Fae’s text to speech added.
The fight progressed onwards, and after the Lord of Monsters took control of the Stairway to Heaven from Lia, she quickly changed tactics, a faint purple aura appearing around her as she called for buffs and no doubt began activating a bunch of Skills of her own.
“I think that’s Psychic Dominance?” Fae’s text to speech said. “I’ve seen it on TV, it’s one of the most powerful Skills Psychics can use, you can tell by the aura.”
“I don’t think we have that one on Lim.” Fae said, watching in fascination as Lia absolutely obliterated one of the two segments of the Lord of Monsters that was scurrying about. There was another short exchange, then Lia retreated and began to cast a spell. Immediately, Fae paused the playback, leaning forward to study the magic circles that appeared as Lia cast intently.
“Are you guys seeing this?” She asked, straining to make out details of the circles. “This spellwork is…insane.”
“Full disclosure, Amelia built this spell, not me.” Lia said, sitting down across from Fae. “I couldn’t make something like this on my own. Don’t bother trying to learn anything from that vantage point, you can’t see all the tiny details that are really important.”
Fae jumped, having been so absorbed in the video that she hadn’t noticed Lia walking back into the room. “I believe it.” She said, squinting at the spellwork in front of her. “This is complex stuff.”
“All of Amelia’s spells are.” Lia replied. “She’s entirely self-taught, and doesn’t use traditional methods. Her spells are far more efficient and far more powerful than normal spells, though, so if you get the opportunity to learn a spell she’s made, I would try it. Just, uh, don’t try and get creative with it; do it exactly as you’re told or things could go wrong. And with a spell like this…you really don’t want it to go wrong.”
Fae unpaused the video, watching in fascination as the video became effectively unwatchable. First it was the bright flash of light, followed shortly by a whirl of colors and a complete cessation of light as the black hole formed. Then, finally, light returned, the point of view having shifted to meters behind Rose and Amelia, a massive crater all that remained of the cave.
“I…might have put a bit too much juice into the spell.” Lia admitted. “I put everything I had left into it, including some of that power that Amelia gave me that I mentioned in our interview. I wanted that thing dead. And before any of you get the wrong idea about me being permanently weakened or something, that power will come back to me soon enough; it’s not the kind of thing that can be lost by just spending it.”
“Well, this will certainly make people think twice about messing with you.” Fae remarked, putting the recording orb into her inventory as it shut off.
“This is never being used on people.” Lia said emphatically. “I asked Amelia to make something incredibly lethal for the sake of defeating the Lord of Monsters, and, well, she delivered. My goal is to keep as many people alive as possible during the transition of power, and this does the exact opposite of that. Anyway, everything’s ready for you, are you ready to go?”
Fae nodded. “I think I am.”
“Perfect.” Amelia said, walking into the room.
“I’ll see you later, Fae, it was fun talking with you.” Lia said, standing up and walking over to shake hands with Fae.
Fae shook the offered hand. “Likewise.”
The moment Fae let go of Lia’s hand, she found herself in some sort of office, a short human standing in front of her. “I’m Zara, Duchess of Ilex.” The woman said. “You would be Fae, right?”
“Yes, Your Grace.” Fae said.
Zara rolled her eyes. “We don’t do titles like that here.” She said. “My position is administrative and not much else.”
“Understood.” Fae replied. “So…what now?”
“Now, I give you this.” Zara said, holding out a small card. “It marks you as a member of my intelligence agency, which should serve to grant you passage to any city in Ilex without question. Griffinkin are rare around here, since they’re the final form of eaglekin, but no one should ask too many questions. If they do, show them that card, it’ll explain why you’re not recognizable as one of the country’s top fighters.”
“What does being a griffinkin have to do with being a top fighter?” Fae asked.
“I don’t know how it works wherever you’re from, but as you grow stronger here, your race evolves. Not in the way we do in the swarm, though; it’s always the same and is basically just a way of signifying what level bracket you’re in.”
“I see.” Fae replied. “Do you have a map I can use to plan my route?”
Zara handed Fae a roll of parchment and a small sack. “There you go, a map and some coin for living expenses. I have a maid ready to lead you to the entrance. When you’re done exploring Ilex, come back here and the staff will know to let you in.”
“Thank you.” Fae said. “I won’t take any more of your time.”
Zara nodded and walked Fae over to a door on the far side of the room. She opened it to reveal a dogkin woman waiting patiently outside. “Maya, this is the guest we discussed earlier. Will you take her outside?”
“Of course.” The maid replied. “This way, if you will.”
Fae obediently followed her out, and she soon found herself walking down a street of a properly medieval town. Well, guys…what say we see how fast I can make it to the nearest town outside of here without flying? I’ll bet you all fifty gifted that I can make it within a day of leaving this town.
“Can you even gift to most of us?” Fae’s text to speech asked.
No clue, guess we’ll find out if I fail, but I don’t plan to do that! Now…let’s get going!
World Saviors Forum Aaron Brown (Ironbrown) (Logout) | |
Topic: Elven Explorations | |
Ironbrown (#02) (Paradisia) | 03/15/4430 at 13:02 |
So, what do you all think of this channel? The Church of Hearth has been promoting them for some reason, and it looks like they’re streaming from some plane called Lim? Anyone have any idea why that is or how they’re doing this? And do you think that announcement is real? | |
“If I don’t have my back, then who will?” | |
Rose’s Footstool (Lim) | 03/15/4430 at 13:05 |
Do you mean Elvish Explorations? The one with Faelyn? If so, then yeah, he’s pretty big here on Lim, and he did mention streaming to other planes recently. I heard he was working on the Goddess of Hearth’s quest a while back so I’m guessing it has something to do with that? Also, what announcement? | |
…Look, we all know she’s hot, okay? | |
Ironbrown (#02) (Paradisia) | 03/15/4430 at 13:07 |
Yeah that’s the one. He said the Goddess of Hearth is allowing him to stream as part of the swarm or something. Also, what is that username??????? | |
“If I don’t have my back, then who will?” | |
Rose’s Footstool (Lim) | 03/15/4430 at 13:09 |
Did you not read my flair? Come on, if you’re attracted to women you have to admit that letting her step on you is an attractive proposition. | |
…Look, we all know she’s hot, okay? | |
Swarm Slayer334 (Lim) | 03/15/4430 at 13:13 |
I didn’t realize degeneracy could be actively dangerous until now. Reported. | |
Deus vult! | |
Rose’s Footstool (Lim) | 03/15/4430 at 13:15 |
You wouldn’t be the first to try. I’m not being rude, hurting anyone, or being too sexual, so it won’t work. Maybe if we were on a subforum that allows kids, that report would work, but we’re not. | |
…Look, we all know she’s hot, okay? | |
Donut Devourer08 (Romoti) | 03/15/4430 at 13:30 |
None of you actually watch him, do you? If you did, you’d know that just an hour ago he released a video documenting becoming part of the swarm, he’s legit. And, obviously, the Goddess of Hearth wants us to see what life is like as part of the swarm, which is why her church is promoting him and helping him stream to other planes. He literally said so. | |
Everybody loves donuts~ | |
Swarm Slayer334 (Lim) | 03/15/4430 at 13:34 |
Preposterous. You saw the promotional material, she hates the swarm. | |
Deus vult! | |
Ironbrown (#02) (Paradisia) | 03/15/4430 at 13:37 |
Uh…was this not in the news cycle on Lim? The whole reason behind her quest was because the promotional material misrepresented her stance on the swarm. She kinda released this video that was all anyone talked about over here for weeks. | |
“If I don’t have my back, then who will?” | |
Swarm Slayer334 (Lim) | 03/15/4430 at 13:41 |
I’m too busy training to check the news. | |
Deus vult! | |
Rose’s Footstool (Lim) | 03/15/4430 at 13:45 |
But not too busy to browse and post on these forums? Whatever the case, I’m going to go watch that video now, thanks for telling me about it, Donut. | |
…Look, we all know she’s hot, okay? | |
Swarm Slayer334 (Lim) | 03/15/4430 at 13:41 |
I check every once in a while to see what the meta strategies are. I thought this was going to be about a quest, but instead I found a nest of simps. You all disgust me. I’m out. | |
Deus vult! | |
Donut Devourer08 (Romoti) | 03/15/4430 at 13:44 |
Good riddance, I say. Only one person was really even being a simp here. Anyway, what do you all think about the video? I thought it was interesting to see their capital, it seems so…normal. Faelyn had been talking about how he was sure things weren’t so cut and dry and I’m starting to think he’s right. | |
Everybody loves donuts~ | |
Ironbrown (#02) (Paradisia) | 03/15/4430 at 14:02 |
Finished the video (yes, I was on 3x speed). Are we sure this isn’t some big charade? Things are going to be better in the capital than they are elsewhere. | |
“If I don’t have my back, then who will?” | |
Donut Devourer08 (Romoti) | 03/15/4430 at 14:11 |
Did you miss the part where he talked about going to visit random villages? Be patient, we’ll find out what things are like eventually. Just remember that Ratha isn’t as advanced as we are. | |
Everybody loves donuts~ | |
Ironbrown (#02) (Paradisia) | 03/15/4430 at 14:16 |
I did miss that bit, yeah. Guess I’ll be tuning in more regularly now; if nothing else, then his streams will be a good way to snoop on our enemies. | |
“If I don’t have my back, then who will?” | |
Rose’s Footstool (Lim) | 03/15/4430 at 14:58 |
Okay, freaking out a little, this is craaaazy. Can we meet up somewhere to talk about it? I mean…you all are nearby, right? I mean, this is the subforum for the Kumashi Precinct, can you even access those from outside the area? | |
…Look, we all know she’s hot, okay? | |
Donut Devourer08 (Romoti) | 03/15/4430 at 15:07 |
If you’ve participated in the topic before you can find it under your conversation history. And, yeah, do you want to meet in an hour at Kumashi’s capital? Send me a friend request and I’ll give you the location of a really nice eatery I found there. Also, Ironbrown, why did you make this in a regional forum? You’re not going to get that many replies here. | |
Everybody loves donuts~ | |
Ironbrown (#02) (Paradisia) | 03/15/4430 at 15:10 |
I’m down to meet up, I sent a friend request. And I made it in a regional subforum because the main forums are way too fast-moving for my tastes. I can barely keep up with the conversation. | |
“If I don’t have my back, then who will?” | |
Rose’s Footstool (Lim) | 03/15/4430 at 15:10 |
I sent the friend request, see you soon! | |
…Look, we all know she’s hot, okay? | |
Ironbrown (#02) (Paradisia) | 03/17/4430 at 12:43 |
Gonna necro this post because it’d be weird to have two posts that are about basically the same thing. But…have you all been watching the past couple of days? What do you think? | |
“If I don’t have my back, then who will?” | |
Swarm Slayer334 (Lim) | 03/17/4430 at 12:51 |
I think you should all seriously reconsider watching this person. He’s clearly fallen victim to their “conditioning” if he thinks this is a good thing. | |
Deus vult! | |
Ironbrown (#02) (Paradisia) | 03/17/4430 at 12:53 |
I wasn’t asking you. Go back to whatever “meta strategies” (lol) you were working on and stop bothering us. | |
“If I don’t have my back, then who will?” | |
Donut Devourer08 (Romoti) | 03/17/4430 at 12:55 |
Just ignore them, they won’t contribute anything useful to the discussion. And yes, I’ve been watching, it’s pretty clear how much Faelyn likes the body, and everyone in the swarm seems nice enough. I’m surprised how much they’re willing to show us, to be honest. | |
Everybody loves donuts~ | |
Rose’s Footstool (Lim) | 03/17/4430 at 13:00 |
They’re trying to sell us on the concept of the swarm. And it’s working. If they can deliver half of what they claim then I think it’s worth it. | |
…Look, we all know she’s hot, okay? | |
Ironbrown (#02) (Paradisia) | 03/17/4430 at 13:03 |
I should have figured you’d say that lol. We still on to do that dungeon, BTW? | |
“If I don’t have my back, then who will?” | |
Donut Devourer08 (Romoti) | 03/17/4430 at 13:06 |
I’m still down. And I wouldn’t go as far as Footstool but I think there’s potential here. I think we’ll just have to watch Fae carefully for signs that the conditioning is going farther than we think. It’s only barely at the acceptable limit for me, any more and I’m going to have to hard pass on thinking about working with the swarm. | |
Everybody loves donuts~ | |
Rose’s Footstool (Lim) | 03/17/4430 at 13:10 |
I’m still down too. And I guess you’re right, Donut, but, I mean…I don’t know, I can’t imagine there being any support amongst the gods if it was any worse than we’re seeing. | |
…Look, we all know she’s hot, okay? | |
Championess of Good (#05) (Paradisia) | 03/17/4430 at 13:15 |
I am a theologian, and that’s correct. The gods have been known to have to make tough choices for the people, and this is a topic that is clearly a divisive matter for them. It is all a matter of if the god in question thinks the benefits outweigh the unethical manner the swarm goes about things. Anyway, I will leave you to it, I do not want to intrude, I just wanted to give my two cents since I saw there was something I could weigh in on. | |
In the gods I trust. | |
Donut Devourer08 (Romoti) | 03/17/4430 at 13:20 |
You’re not intruding! I’d love to hear more about what you have to say, want to join us in our dungeon run? We’re leaving in like three hours for a new one we found near Kumashi’s capital. | |
Everybody loves donuts~ | |
Championess of Good (#05) (Paradisia) | 03/17/4430 at 13:21 |
If your companions have no complaints, then I would be happy to join. | |
In the gods I trust. | |
Rose’s Footstool (Lim) | 03/17/4430 at 13:22 |
As long as you don’t mind us watching Fae’s stream while we fight! | |
…Look, we all know she’s hot, okay? | |
Ironbrown (#02) (Paradisia) | 03/17/4430 at 13:23 |
^ | |
“If I don’t have my back, then who will?” | |
Championess of Good (#05) (Paradisia) | 03/17/4430 at 13:21 |
I have been watching myself, so I have no issues with that. I have sent a friend request to the three of you. Shall we take this to a private chat? | |
In the gods I trust. | |
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