I blacked out and wrote the SoL and forgot what and how I wrote 12 pages in 2 hours… oh well ship it.

Stories of Lore 28

It’s not my fault when things explode, not my style. Though you guys seem to cause explosions to just gravitate towards you.

As for using the Winter to clear out the pirates, yeah they don’t really appear where it would be most convenient for you to just ‘clear that out’. They’ll lie low until you deploy elsewhere and then come back, they tend to be very opportunistic. Case in point, as soon as you sent everyone to Zenaka – suddenly Kyven. The real issue you’re having is out in the travel paths is where they can intercept unguarded ships.

I’ve been having a spectacular time reading all these classified files to figure out what is going on around here. To which end I feel I should point out if you keep trying to engage Nelta in diplomacy I’m going to own this station by the end of the year at best. Realistically a month or two. It appears the phantoms tend not to fuck around with this. I feel your Renjala already cautioned your fish in a tube about this very problem.

So I sent the starship out to talk to Nelta. Two hours later the radar techs detected a titan-class battleship was en route to the station from Moncayo. I’m sure it’s here just to help us fend off Nelta.

Nah I’m just messing with you, the starship was blown up by the Nelta fleet. They’re still not terribly open to talking it appears, can’t imagine why.

As for the station security, Aryn points out the answer is ‘kind of yes technically no’. Something something computers something something reactive something something found more remnants of Jicho sneaking around the systems and still chasing after those.

I had the security forces arrest Khymin even though he had reported in himself to see how everything’s going, apparently he didn’t know you were mad at him now. The interrogation reveals that he generally acted in your favor though not so much as to give him no excuse to avoid immediate death at the hands of Kyven who he kind of thought was already dead so never got around to looking back into that whole plot as he got carried away working on golems. I gather he’s always been a bit of an eccentric and aloof character. So…airlock?

The Selona Cybernetics arrived and so I’ll see you once you wake up from surgery.

Also we can’t build the Zenaka space station, finances.

We’re at the point I can’t tell if I’ve read some of these comments twice this month or if you said it before in a previous update. Though I’ve had it submitted to Villena to make sure Enohas is registered as our capital world.

Also our version of triple checking for Nelta presence is asking Haziel three times, so now she is annoyed that I keep asking.

Nelta aside, the Revenants are here and that’s a whole thing that happened. We’ll all pretend Valadeus didn’t give you a nudge nudge wink wink when Barachiel was the only major Phantom to die in the raid. That aside, Akuhiko is missing and we think they took him, Eerihild is fine more or less but cranky, Reika is a torso on life support, and you are wandering around Eden after getting curb stomped by Sarden. All in all, not that bad actually. Though the protective dome around Jamalia’s original colony was quite literally torn off by a giant metal dragon and the street below the hole is practically a crater.

Ankathi is currently in a power struggle with Kanika as they argue over who is the biggest baddest bitch this side of the galactic core. The rival candidate, Haziel, went to go get ice cream while they argued about it and Vasia went back to studying necrocarnum.

In regards to Ankathi as a religion, Alexander does most of the quantifying on what she is whether or not she likes science more than faith. Speaking of which he found the most important method of classifying a true deity. The main element is that gods have weird rules from pandem binds, the more they bind with the more powerful they can become as basically all of their binds end up sending their power to the deity in question rather than a sort of back and forth unless said deity opts to enact a conduit of some sort. The effect can be replicated through brute force but it has a problem of being dramatically less efficient and taking a lot more upkeep for a non-deity.

Abacus man’s second theory is that Ankathi’s domain is actually determined by what abilities her personal plane gives her, and that plane is a manifestation of her creation by mixing planar rifts until it came into existence. This has another important part of the theory, Alexander thinks the other domain realms might still exist but just have no one controlling them. Meaning should sufficiently powerful pandem casters gain the ability to find and use them they might take over the vacant positions the old pantheon left behind. As your advisor I will state that this is one of his wild excitable theories, and this is also the kind of thing we should be reaaaally careful on talking to anyone else about. Which leads to a problem, Vasia was the first person he told while they were just talking shop in the cafeteria since she humors his ramblings. I’m sure this will in no way come back to haunt us.

Theory number three is actually a somewhat bold statement by Kanika in that she has figured out a measure of how Ankathi’s powers work. Ankathi can see fate but fate has been measured now to be a combination of intent and the odds of chance. Something about the level of convoluted that Arkaric’s plans can reach renders him able to operate outside the bounds of Ankathi’s powers. Haziel said ‘I told you so’. Something something god of our own making, great peril, chaos incarnate, ya-da-ya-da. Alexander says Ankathi’s abilities are still beyond impressive for any one person to have, but the fallacy of them in the modern era stems from the advancements of civilization. As her powers are largely planar and during the reign of gods such things were much more important, an entity like Arkaric exists based on math which is arguably a step higher. Though all this is an ongoing argument between Kanika and Ankathi with a lot of weird factors in play. I’m just giving a summary of where we’re at now. We’ll see how it all shakes out.

As for inviting Ankathi to be a master of the order her response was to ask what your title is, and obviously Kanika is pulling to offer her a position in the Phantoms council as well to compete with you. So far no one is making any progress, Vasia pointed out this has happened many times in the past. She doesn’t really join teams very easily ever since she was ‘advised to retire’ by the last queen she served under. Ever since then she has just been wandering around causing problems for everyone equally. I also asked Vasia if they had any other ancient friends we should know about. She said she’s unaware of any that are still alive and important. Though one of them was just as vicious as Ankathi and probably just as problematic if she were to pop back up again, of specific interest because they’ve hibernated for centuries once before so it’s not unreasonable to assume they could still be out there somewhere.

When it came to how she navigated all the temporary planes her response boils down to “just do it”. Worth remembering she is the most advanced pandem caster known to Sol history, for her walking through them all was at least feasible. We’re still down here trying to figure out how the fuck Halaestra survives the void. It’s like that, just a thousand times crazier.

Speaking of Halaestra, she’s been working on teaching the knights how to do planar boarding action. It turns out that it’s really hard, so progress ongoing on that one.

Salvage operations on Nelta ships are underway and as for sending the First Lance to Zenaka…Reika’s kind of…not in a state to go anywhere. I don’t think she’s going to walk this one off.

 

For some reason my notes today say that Vasia wants me to buy ‘the most uncomfortable kitty carrier you can find on wish’. I’m…not sure what that is about but I assume it does not bode well for you. She is also with the knights currently so she should be as safe as she’s realistically getting…except for the whole part where that is exactly where the Revenants are now as well.

I’m starting to get nervous about holding this position now.

As for the carrier, it turns out I can control the creatures. Please do not read the mission report, just take my word for it. Also new problem…they won’t leave me alone. I can’t leave the carrier because they get mad if I don’t stay nearby. I am making this report while they are still CRAWLING ALL OVER ME. They aren’t fluffy and cute like you and I’m kind of nervous about how many teeth, claws, and spikes they have. Though holy shit if they aren’t good back scratchers.

As for Vasia’s plans, yes that would work on Que’s moon but the expenses are still the issue at the moment. Net worth aside mr money bags, it still effects any ability to push for new construction projects. I did have the old smaller ships sold off though.

Also Adryn was never on the list of people who knew you were a cat. It’s just me, vasia, and Cassir. Peter doesn’t even know. I suppose Seiyomi does now too. I think the only reason I know is because you’re my kitty hehe. Yes I read that part of the report on the ichor. I’m sorry don’t cut my pay I was just joking!

As for the rest of his strike team, no they still work for us. Just shifted squad leader to the second in command and so on.

Speaking of Cassir, she’s hanging around the Koura temple and Somnus to maintain affairs there and be on hand if anyone needs her.

40th Day has slowed the shipment of refugees leaving most of them stranded on Moncayo which is pretty full at the moment. Apparently They’re starting a new city in Cayetano to place some of these people.

Also yes you took Salied out and about on Somnus before with rather dull results. However, she’s only back to normal while at the Ash colony. If removed from its ‘protective’ atmosphere she becomes…Salied again.

Also Renjala sent a knight to ‘help you out’. He put the quotations in not me, and was snickering last I was on a call with him. Oh he sent a succubus…I see…one of those kinds of gifts. I mean I guess they wouldn’t mind that you’re a cat but…I’m just not going to ask any more questions. Enjoy your present and don’t get anywhere near the synapse until you’re done.

Allison has been added to the main roster at the ‘recommendation’ of Aryn.