(Vol 2) Chapter 59: Rewards and Incentives

Samantha was sure to ‘betray’ Crow’s exit to the sleeping Dax so that she could wake up and say goodbye to him — with of course another unappreciated hug, lots of teasing, and difficulty adjusting to the name situation. After that, there were a few tears shed, assurances he’d be back professed to yet another sad woman, and he was gone, already under a disguise as a human minstrel. Dart scouted for him, to minimize any noticing of his route — just in case.

Dax was of course beside herself. She found the wine and began drinking it without watering it down at all.

“I know it’s hard,” Samantha sent to her with a consoling mental hug, “but it really is for the best. Your relationship will be better for it, and he’ll learn how to handle things on his own. We have every reason to believe in him now. I’m proud of him and you should be too. I’m also proud of you for not resisting this harder.”

Dax accepted the hug gladly. “Your words in the past have stuck with me. I knew you were right, but I didn’t think there was anything I could do. Now there’s this solution… this new him, this tempered confidence and capability… and I couldn’t deny it for what it was. Even if it terrified me and I wanted so bad to reject it.”

“We have to accept that bad things can happen, but he must be free to see them through. Face the battles himself without knowing — even if subconsciously — he always had his big sis to bail him out of his bad behavior. Hopefully he makes the right calls with his new perspective, but if he makes mistakes, he’ll learn from them.”

“Yeah… he’ll always be in contact with you, though, right? And I’ll get updates?”

“If he agrees. Occasional, I’m sure. But yes, I will be as with him as I am for all of you.”

Dax sighed and took a glug right out of the wine bottle. “Look, I’ll be alright, Goddess. Just gonna get piss-sad-drunk and sleep it off. I’ll wake up ready for business. And thank you. I know you’re trying to set him up to be a healthy adult. I can’t hardly believe that is happening… feel like a rug should get pulled out from under me any minute. Hopefully he comes back and marries Estara and settles down… they could get some land…”

Sammy’s eyes bugged out. “W-wow, Dax! Simmer down a bit on those dreams. At best you’re talking years down the line with that craziness. They’re important components of an underground resistance, here…”

“Eh, well, maybe it’s a bit overboard, but love does that kind of shit, you know. A week or two in and bam, you are sure you’ve found your soulmate. I had my near misses here and there. You?”

Suddenly the conversation was unnavigable. Relationship talk was easy peasy as discussed about other people. “Ehh, well, um… yeah. A near miss or two.”

Fortunately, Dax was not one to make a big deal about it. She just gave a mental nod. “Yep. What can ya do, right? The past is the past. But mark my words: don’t let it slip by if you stumble on it. Take the chance or you’ll regret it. Words to live by.”

“I appreciate the advice, Dame Dax.” With that, Sammy disconnected, leaving the Crusader to her sorrows and the drink to drown them in.

Daily activities wore on for her organization. In Mot Mekess, Pashett gained another Follower — Sir Oliver, a local veteran knight and Captain of over a hundred elite fighting men loyal directly to the Marchioness. Bob had recommended him, and Agatha approved also.

1 FE gained due to user belief/acknowledgment. Note: not yet a Follower.

Follower conversion successful. 1 FE gained. 1 Daily FE gained (total: 69).

Many of Oliver’s men had died in the ambush Sir Thaddeus had conspired. He did not know the truth yet, though it was said he was suspicious and curious about the official story. The Marchioness cleared him for being told the truth, but Sammy told them not to spoil his first day. He could be sat down the following day, preferably with Agatha there.

This is another bridge member that can secure more for the Order in the future. Eventually, I should get more Crusaders out of this equation. I think the class even still exists… I should ask!

Pashett confirmed they did exist, but were exceedingly rare as the Dominion frowned on any not funneled through their Heavenly Orders, with unique requirements and oaths. Crusaders did not need a deity — were simply empowered more through them — but it aroused suspicion all the same. It was more common in the farthest borderlands.

Carlisle actually knew more — even knew three of them personally. One was a fairly accomplished hero known as Beikiar Darkhunter, who got around suspicions by cultivating being a ‘solver of ghost and spirit issues’. The stretched-thin Dominion tended not to care about ‘how’ when people were doing their job for them. They looked the other way with such independents.

Beikiar specialized in finding the nasty and malignant things in the Wildlands, or so it seemed. It was said he’d prevented dozens of Dominion campaigns to eradicate infestations by preemptively dealing with them.

Well, technically it is helping most ghosts to allow them to pass on, I’d assume, so that might be a win/win for everyone. But fuck if I know how it really works.

Sammy expressed interest in the hero, and Carlisle agreed it was logical, as he had something to hide, would benefit massively from a deity (who had the Light domain no less), and was vouched for as a good man. He would seek him out when he next rode south, which he did quite commonly due to border issues in allied Marches.

On the heels of Sir Oliver becoming a member, another Agatha loyalist was sworn — Yenebelle, Agatha’s most relied-upon lady-in-waiting and minor nobility. She’d been at the ordeal of Carlisle’s estate and Sammy recalled her as one of the ‘servants’ (her mistaken designation at the time) that had sobbed and lamented her liege’s kidnapping.

Samantha got quite solid vibes from her and she also happened to be the 50th Follower!

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1 FE gained due to user belief/acknowledgment. Note: not yet a Follower.

Follower conversion successful. 1 FE gained. 1 Daily FE gained (total: 70).

The quest “Minor Deity: A Clan of Souls” is complete. 550 FE granted. +500 Maximum FE added. 3 exp gained in [Goddess]. 1 free Priestly Ordination use granted, 1 free Create Servitor use added.

New Quest unlocked: “Minor Deity: Filling the Church” — Reach 100 total Followers.

● Rewards: +750 FE, +1000 Maximum FE, +5 exp in [Goddess], 3 free Priestly Ordination uses granted, 1 Free Minor Divine Enchantment (Weapon, Armor, or Accessory), Consecration unlocked, 1 free Consecration granted, Service Blessing (via Consecration) unlocked.

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Fuck yeah! 950 FE now! And so much shit from the next quest, yeesh. Consecration… right, that would be for a temple or church. Service Blessing is probably an incentive to go to church. Heh. Okay, makes sense, but large gatherings are fucking dangerous. That is definitely something the Dominion looks out for.

Getting free stuff for it seemed a bit backhanded. She could see how nascent deities, or whatever the equivalent was for rising spirits, would be tempted by the extra benefits and risk exposure. She had to strongly consider resisting and not doing it at all, to increase her chances of remaining clandestine. In any case… it was a bridge to cross when it was gotten to.

This makes me think of that Inquisitor and his undead-like appearance. Does the Dominion use some sort of negative energies to fish out the positive as well as the negative? It would be just like them to be ironic in their supposed ‘heavenly’ and ‘of the light’ themes. Deities are very frequently healers, cultivate such, and are positively aligned. I’m no exception. Especially now…

“Alright, System, I’m saying this out loud, but I am planning on making a Stillwater-Greenleaf avatar, though I have to save up a heaping portion to do it.”

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New Quest unlocked: “To Ultimately Be Another” — Make an entirely separate Avatar under a different deity identity, reveal it to at least 3 Followers therein, and make them Devouts.

● Rewards: 250 FE, +15 FE (Illusion), 3 exp in [Goddess], 3 exp in [Bard], 2 exp in [Rogue].

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“Wooooow… Now that’s what I call an incentive. With extra risks, of course. Now is the question… which goes where? Technically Stillwater-Greenleaf is much more logical in the Southlands, but I did claim interests in the Borderlands, too.”

Constance was suddenly there, apparently just projecting her psyche rather than dematerialized. She was air-lounging with her hands behind her head as she mused, her image similar to one of the dryads of Redberry, though in a dress of leaves. “The inevitable preggers ladies would be easy as pie to appear to and make Devout.”

Sammy’s mind couldn’t help but go to recent events related to Constance. She raised an eyebrow at her. “You’re not preggers, are you?”

The Servitor laughed with gremlin glee and turned her body face down to regard her goddess propping her cheeks with her hands. One leg curled up behind her. “Impossible, I’m afraid! Without Life domain shenanigans or something, anyway. But wouldn’t that be an experience?! Ooooh, perhaps I could prank him on it!”

Sammy rolled her eyes. “Tch! I put a little too much of my evil in you, I think.” That’s what he gets for entangling himself — literally — with a Faerie Dragon!

The ultimate Cheshire grin answered her. “Oh, I think you put just the right amount, Your Majesty Darling. And by the way, he was-”

Samantha cut her off with an admonishing finger and warning wide eyes. “Don’t you dare finish that sentence, young lady! I don’t want to know about those particular escapades!”

Ugh… ‘young lady’… why did that come out…

Constance smirked. “Suit yourself, Madam. But you are always welcome to share my experiences, whatever they are. I am, after all, just an extension of you!”

“I really don’t want to hear that line right now, Constance…”

In Geirkos, Aedis added another crew member, which Samantha oversaw personally with everyone tied up with the Traveler’s Club. Being at ‘50’ Followers hadn’t lasted long.

1 FE gained due to user belief/acknowledgment. Note: not yet a Follower.

Follower conversion successful. 1 FE gained. 1 Daily FE gained (total: 71).

She flashed through mirrors set up on the ship to see how the crew was shaping out. They’d included tons of angles for her, from shiny polished metal surfaces like shields hanging up, ‘signaling mirrors’ arranged just so, and so on. The ship still needed a lot more crew — possibly a dozen more.

It was otherwise a rather beautiful, clear day full of sunshine. The harbor and the sea were picturesque.

The ships were so crowded that many had dropped anchor off from the docks, whether to wait their turn for a crane or just deal with transport by rowboat — that or one of the rather large ferry boats constantly weaving around that could load up more.

In gazing at the to-and-fro on the dock, a fairly nondescript man’s eyes flashed across her mirror. He was walking a bit slow as if bored, and his eyes were certainly noting what he was seeing. He gazed at each crew member he could in his path down. It was one thing not to be obvious to eyes that could note you back, and another to avoid eyes such as hers that you didn’t know were there.

I’m getting a really shit vibe here. He is not a random sailor.

Sammy popped over to Captain Aedis mentally to have him come atop the deck on some pretense and lay eyes on the man without being obvious about it. She asked if he was known, maybe someone from the docks, but Aedis said he definitely wasn’t. He immediately offered to have the man followed but Sammy declined, fairly confident an actual random sailer would not be very skilled at that and would probably get detected.

“Jeeves, Alfred, follow that man in the mirrors and memorize his face. I don’t like him. I smell bad news.”

Her itch to be in Geirkos intensified.

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Note: Need to update Quests post soon I know. :P