Marissa

  As [Scathach] moved to sit down on one of the stumps across from where Hibiscus had sat, Marissa eyed her dialogue options. There was no shortage of questions she could ask, many of them relatively inconsequential for her. She knew enough of the basic story of the game through osmosis thanks to Kieran, and what she had picked up throughout her time playing.

  The new information on the [Other World] and the like though - that intrigued her.

  She figured she would start small and work her way up to the stuff she wanted to know most. In the back of her mind, she knew that she had the party waiting on her in some ways, although she was pretty sure that at least Kieran would probably click through all of the available options for every bit of lore. Firo and Nyx might too, as they seemed like lore enjoyers as well, but she wasn’t sure to what extent yet. Surely she had time.

  “Can you give me a general breakdown of the current…situation?” Hibiscus asked.

  “Yes, yes, I suppose starting there is good.” [Scathach] said, leaning back on her stump-seat. “What part would you like to begin with?”

  “How about what caused [áine] to “lock away” flight?”

  “Right. That’s important information for you to have, and it’s been lost to time in some ways, hasn’t it?”

  A prompt that made Marissa chuckle came up, so she clicked it, interrupting [Scathach]. “Just how old are you?”

  “How -?” [Scathach] laughed. “Well, let’s just say older than I look. I’ve stopped keeping track for the most part, especially with the travel between worlds. I would guess…a little more than a thousand?”

  Hibiscus nodded as [Scathach] continued, “Now then, around…well, I don’t actually know exactly when, to be honest, but well over a thousand years ago, the [Aes Sídhe] left the [Other World] in favor of coming to this one. It was directly in opposition to [áine], who had wanted the Fae to live primarily on their side. Interference in the human world was one thing, but living there entirely was going to far.”

  While [Scathach] hadn’t elaborated on it, Marissa’s understanding was that the [Aes Sídhe] consisted of all of the non-human playable races. The introduction of Mag Mell had been pretty clear about that much at least. The story was taking place in “Mag Mell”, which was the name of the “human world”. They had also been clear that all of the races, except for humans, had come to “Mag Mell” at some time in the past, but they didn’t dwell on that. If anything, the story had barely ever mentioned it again.

  “There was a fairly small fight that broke out between the [Aes Sídhe] that wanted to leave, and the rest of the Fae beings that wanted to listen to [áine]. The battle wasn’t particularly nasty, all that full of bloodshed, or anything like that. However, as I’m sure you’re aware, many traditional Fae are…spiteful. [áine] was unhappy with how things went, but allowed the [Aes Sídhe] to leave.”

  “Some time after that, the Fomorians began to bridge the gap to the [Human World] as well, and that set off all sorts of battles and war. It was not a pleasant time, and while [áine] was still not on great terms with her people that left, she fought alongside them and the humans to control the Fomorian threat.”

  “The battles were scattered over a wide swath of land and islands; [áine] didn’t realize it until later on, but she was being used. The Fae have always been able to come and go to the [Human World], but they rarely stay long, and they often play tricks on the humans that they meet. It’s something supposedly built into their very nature, but the humans weren’t exactly pleased by it.”

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  “With the help of some of the [Aes Sídhe], the humans were able to manipulate the Fae that were helping them against the Fomorians. They sent them to defend places that were doomed to fall, or to battlefields to be used as fodder. They were used and manipulated in ways that the humans thought of as recompense for the way they had been tricked over the years.”

  “While the humans and [Aes Sídhe] managed to fight off the Fomorians, when [áine] finally found out what had happened, she was angry. She wanted remuneration for how the Fae were used, but the human side was adamant that it was fair.”

  “The [Aes Sídhe] at the time had ended up losing some of their leaders in the war, and that was around when the [Dagda] became their leader. He had shown great strength and wisdom during the war, but he had never been a supporter of the way the Fae had been used, and offered to talk with [áine] about the situation.”

  “They eventually settled on the agreement that is currently in place. [áine] would remove the Fae’s magic that allowed flight in the [Human World], as well as the ability for the [Aes Sídhe] to travel freely between the [Worlds]. In return, the [Dagda] would watch over those that remained on the human side.”

  “Then, why does no one ever mention any of this?” Hibiscus asked. “Surely the [Aes Sídhe] that remain here would want to know?”

  [Scathach] smiled sadly, “My understanding is that most of the common folk that remained on this side took it poorly. One way or another, [áine] had been their Queen, and they took her acting against them personally. It also didn't help that the way the Fae were used drove a massive wedge between the [Aes Sídhe] and the rest of the Fae.”

  [Scathach] sighed. “Whether there was a purge of knowledge, or they simply chose to not share as their children grew up, I don’t know. But I imagine if you looked hard enough, you could find evidence of everything.”

  Marissa sat back in her chair, looking over the dialogue options while thinking about [Scathach’s] story. She could understand the basics of it all, at least. And it mostly tracked with what she knew of Fae in other stories, too - they were always portrayed as tricksters, with a bit of a mean or even evil streak.

  “So, what makes you think [áine] would return the magic we lost to us now?” Hibiscus asked.

  “To be completely honest with you, I’m not sure she will.” [Scathach] said. “However, there is enough reason to try. If we fail to push back the Fomorians, they will eventually try to invade the [Other World] as well, so it is within [áine’s] own interests to stop the Fomorian army from growing too powerful.”

  “That makes sense.”

  “That is the main reason, of course. In addition, giving the [Aes Sídhe] that remain on this side the ability to fly once more is simply the most direct and useful way for us to respond to the incoming flying threat. Of course, we’ll need a back up plan just in case [áine] refuses.”

  “Finally,” [Scathach] continued, “it would be wise on both sides of this rift to try to mend our ties. The Fomorians are no laughing matter. And while it is entirely understandable that [áine] would not want to subject her people to the abuse from this side again, it seems reasonable that she would be willing to start by granting us our natural power back.”

  Hibiscus nodded on Marissa’s screen as the next set of choices popped up. There were still a fair number of things Marissa wanted to know, but the second option drew her interest the most.

  “What do you think our chances are, realistically? Of convincing [áine], I mean.” Hibiscus said.

  “Honestly? I think you have a fair shot. The [Dagda] has remained on good terms with [áine] for however long he has been in power, which is no short stretch of time. I believe sending a group like yours, who has no real memory of the time before flight was locked away, and is mostly innocent of your ancestors’ crimes, might be to our advantage as well.”

  “You’re hoping that [áine] will see that the newer generations don’t need to be punished any longer.”

  “In a sense.” [Scathach] sighed. “I think this generation at least deserves a chance to choose their sides for themselves. And a chance to reject the choices of those who are no longer a concern.”

  Marissa definitely agreed with that much, at least. It seemed that was the end of that branch of conversation, so she moved on to the next thing that interested her.

  “You’ve mentioned that you’re very old, and were even alive before [áine] locked away flight. How is that…possible?” Hibiscus asked.

  [Scathach] chuckled. “Just couldn’t leave my age well enough alone, could you?” She paused a moment before continuing, “Surely you know that Fae naturally have very long lives, yes? That longevity comes from a connection to the magic of the [Other World], and while [áine] has generally locked that connection away for the vast, vast majority of people living on this side, people who are strong enough with magic find ways to make their own connection to it.”

  As she spoke, [Scathach] opened her palm in front of her, making a wisp of shadow dance on her palm. “I was born near the tail end of the first Fomorian War, and was very….dedicated to learning warcraft - just in case things ever went badly again. I’ll save you most of my story, but suffice to say my connection to [Shadow Magic] is strong enough to allow me a link to the [Other World].”

  “Are there many others like you among the leaders of our side?” Hibiscus followed up.

  “As in those with a connection to the [Other World]? There are some. The [Dagda], of course. You’ve also met [Cu], and perhaps you’ve met [Lugh]?”

  “So the people that are generally referred to as gods or demigods, then.” Hibiscus said.

  “Yes, though many of them don’t like that term.” [Scathach] said. “Still, you aren’t wrong. Those that live significantly longer lives are often given that title, even when they act far from god-like.”

  Marissa snorted in her chair. She found she rather liked [Scathach], and wished that she had had the opportunity to sit down with more NPCs like this. Though she also had to admit to herself that she wasn’t sure she would always be this interested. But this sort of lore was right up her alley.

  “So, given the mission we’re about to accept, is there anything you can tell us about the [Other World] that we should know?” was her next question.

  “The [Dagda] said he’ll be able to transport you straight to the [Seelie Court], which should keep you about as safe as possible. The [Other World] is very confusing and disorienting for most people on their first visit, and the Fae aren’t exactly welcoming all the time, especially in the wilds. I don't necessarily believe him, but I suppose it would be wise to mention that the [Dagda] continually assures me that [áine] is not an enemy as well.”

  “That said, the [Seelie Court] isn’t in the wilds. You’ll end up in [áine’s] actual palace, and will probably be directed straight to her, as I imagine the [Dagda] will have let her know to expect you. The only real advice I can give to you is to be careful what you say, what you agree to, and don’t make anyone angry.”

  “Hopefully it’s as easy as you make it sound.” Hibiscus said.

  “You should be able to recognize any real danger, I think. It’s also likely that [áine] will test you in some way - the Fae love their riddles and ordeals. It may be in the form of a quiz, but she’s just as likely to test your fighting strength herself.”

  “[áine] can fight?” Hibiscus asked, surprised.

  “Oh, she can do more than that. But yes, she is a talented fighter in her own right - though she mostly fights through magic. If she chooses to test you all herself, be wary of mental magic. She typically uses [Nature Magic] to fight, but will supplement it with mental or illusion attacks.”

  Marissa made a mental note of that. It was very good to know. And the way that [Scathach] was giving her this sort of information about it, Marissa suspected that [áine] herself would indeed be the next boss they would need to fight.

  She looked over the remaining dialogue options to see if there was anything else she wanted to know. She could ask more specific questions about the [Aes Sídhe], and the individual races that were part of it. She admittedly didn’t care too much about individual race lore too much, but there was at least one other question that caught her eye.

  “If we do manage to convince [áine] to allow us to fly again, how would it work? I have wings, but would you need them?” Hibiscus asked.

  “Ah, that is an interesting question,” [Scathach] mused, as she resituated herself to lean in toward Bisky. “I actually don’t know for sure. My limited understanding of it is that anyone will be able to make use of limited flight with some training. It’s ultimately just utilizing a particular type of ambient magic.”

  [Scathach] leaned in a little bit further then, almost conspiratorially, “Those of the [Aes Sídhe] with wings will be able to fly much more easily, and will be able to do so more or less without limit.”

  She leaned back then and then laughed. “I’m honestly jealous of those of you with wings! I had to make my own in the end, and they still don’t work all that well.”

  When she was brought back to the line up of questions again, Marissa looked over the rest of her choices once more. There wasn’t much more that she felt she wanted to know at this point. She was sure that most of the information would get gobbled up by Kieran at least, if not the others.

  She scrolled down through the sizable list of remaining options, passing questions about the races, more about the [Other World], the [Human World], and even a few questions about [Scathach] herself. Marissa hesitated on those, because she was a little bit curious about the woman warrior’s backstory, but she was also getting antsy to get moving. With a deep breath, she selected the final option, hoping that she might get the chance to talk with [Scathach] again at some point.

  “I think we’ve covered everything I need.” Hibiscus said, putting her hands on her thighs as if preparing to stand up.

  [Scathach] smiled. “Very well, then. Let’s hope this little gambit of ours pays off.”