Location: Deep Nest
Herra was looking at report after report, news about the strange beings seems to have stalled, save for one source. Above Deepnest in the Fungal Wastes, three of the tall beings clad in white, a moth, and three vessels, including the former Hollow Knight had been spotted by various spies and informants that had been placed to keep tabs on the various goings on outside Deepnest.
They were rather important for even knowing basic information that the Pale King did not directly divulge in one of their meetings. Aside from her daughter, Deepnesters were not particularly welcome in anywhere other than Deepnest itself. So the informants and spies had to try and stay out of sites at all times. It made traveling to new areas difficult, as well as establishing a new lookout area, however, Deepnesters were adept in the art of concealment, and her agents were among some of the greatest Deepnest had to offer.
Said agents had informed her that after entering the Fungal Wastes and resting for a while, they had been surprised by some weird floating bug, who demanded that they come to a performance in exchange for an artifact valuable to the Moth Tribe. This had confirmed earlier suspicions that these things were affiliated with them.
She had a hunch on why the vessels were there, from the information Hornet had gathered from the Abyss, the vessels thought these things were family, so it is likely that the Shade Lord had sent them to keep an eye on the tall beings. Although it does make things more… difficult.
Almost every use of arms against these creatures was now off the table, as it would invoke the wrath of the Shade Lord himself. Even if they weren't, their immense physical strength meant that they were almost guaranteed to win a stand up fight against all but the most powerful of bugs, and that was only if they didn't have those 'death tubes' with them. However, her spies reported that they in fact did.
Even if by some miracle, assassins were able to down the tall ones, the risk of the Shade Lord finding out was too great. She would be putting the very existence of her kingdom and people on the line just to kill three individuals who for the time being, have taken no action against Deepnest. However if that was to change, the damage they could do would be very… severe to say the least.
The best option seemed to be one of not provoking the creatures, they have not done anything to Deepnest, and as far as they know, have no reason to. Still though, plans should be made in order to find ways to incapacitate them non-lethally, so that they do not draw the ire of the Shade Lord.
Herra heard lite footsteps behind her, when she turned around, she saw her daughter walking towards her. Hornet tended to walk more lightly so that she isn't heard, but with her own mother, she felt she had no need.
"Hello Mother" Hornet said as she approached.
"My daughter, have you found any additional information?" Herra asked.
"Unfortunately no, I apologise mother, but the tall ones have been mostly quiet save for the three Moth affiliated ones"
"There is nothing to be sorry about my daughter"
"I know mother… Do you have a moment?"
"Of course Hornet, what is it?"
"Is… is it alright to be… somewhat afraid?"
"About what my dear?"
"The tall things mostly, its just… you have always taught me to find a solution to problems, or how to avoid them… with these… things, what solution could there possibly be?"
Herra paused, in truth she didn't really know, the best she could do was keep tabs on them. Beyond that… they could… reason with the beasts, one of her agents in the Crossroads mentioned how they were not outwardly hostile, this implied they required provocation for violence.
However, if, say the Mantis Tribe made an unwise decision and gave the tall ones that provocation, would they recognize that Deepnest had nothing to do with it? It is very possible that the Moths up to this point had been bribing the creatures with something, so the at least knew that they were separate…
Now that was an idea… all they had to do was present themselves as friendly to these creatures. Then they could stave off any hostility that the other factions might invoke from them… maybe even enlist them if they are lucky, that would allow them to tip the balance in their favour when dealing with the Mantis Tribe.
Her agents observed from conversation that apparently the Moth they travel with is responsible for their ability to communicate, if they were to have a 'diplomatic agent' sweeten them up with honeyed words...
"What better way to get rid of an enemy, then to make them an asset?" Herra said out loud.
"What? Mother do you mean to… ally these creatures?" Hornet asked in mild disbelief, the plan sounded insane.
"Well Hornet, if the Moths could do it, I see no reason why us Deepnesters, masters of subterfuge, could not find a way"
Location: Grimm's Tent
Xym ushered the Scouts, Seer, Hollow, and Lost into the stands of the circus tent, waiting for them to all be seated before running off to who knows where. The seated group was not long after joined by more of those 'grimm kin' as Xym had referred to them. They quickly found that the smaller ones were rather childish, while the larger ones acted more… mature, but also rather edgy.
The grimm kin all seemed to just stare at the group, at the Scouts in particular. Their gaze bore into them, they seemed to be anticipating something involving them, it was making them rather uncomfortable. The vessels appeared to be indifferent though, the Scouts were not sure, their faces were unexpressive to say the least.
While waiting for the so called show to start, Chris looked at his communications device… still nothing? Damn it, the comms were still down, when they were back up he was probably going to be bombarded with a bunch of different notifications. Chris sighed, put his elbow on the seats armrest, and rested his head on his hand, and just stared at the empty stage.
Matthew was looking around curiously at the red fire, he decided to tap the 'grimm kin' in front of him on the… well it wasn't quite a shoulder, more like the top of their arm.
"Yes dear he- I mean, guest" the grimm kin said, turning around after feeling the tap. The grimm kin was larger than the one that stole the crystal, but appeared to be smaller than the ones in bright red clothing, perhaps it is a sort of rank of age system?
"Sorry for bothering you, but I was wondering, where did you get so much strontium chloride?" Matthew asked curiously.
"Hmm?" the grimm kin said in confusion.
"You know, strontium chloride, the stuff you burn to make red flames, where do you get your supply of it?"
"Uhm… dear… guest, we do not have any of this… strong… tium Clore-Ide. The flames you see are nightmare fire, produced by the troupe's special kind of magic" The grimm kin explained.
"Ah…" Matthew said somewhat disappointed, while magic was interesting, it always appeared to have no explanation behind it other than it just works. Like it was some sort of fundamental force of nature that just is, yet if that were the case, it probably would have been observed and documented a long time ago. Did the laws of physics change while they were asleep for two hundred years? If so, how? If not, how were these seemingly natural forces only now affecting the world?
David was just sitting there humming a tune, sometimes singing the words softly.
"When johnny comes marching home again hurrah, hurrah…"
David felt a small tap on his leg, he turned to find Seer staring up at him in her seat.
"That is a rather pleasant tune my friend, where is it from?" Seer asked.
David thought about it for a moment, what would be a good way to respond to this without giving anything away?
"Its a song that was created by my kind during a civil in one of the more major factions" David explained, giving enough but not too much.
A few grimm kin heard this, and began listening in on the conversation closer.
"What was the war fought over?" Seer asked curiously.
"Slavery mostly, the faction that broke away fought for it. Later though the faction fighting them changed their war focus from just preserving the nation, to that, and the abolition of slavery. It was mostly a diplomatic move to keep other factions out of it, after all, who would want to go to war over helping a faction preserve the practice of slavery"
Seer just looked at David, a look of shock on her face, did she hear him correctly.
The grimm kin were equally surprised, but also rather interested.
"Y-you mean to tell me that, there was a war that was fought, over the practice of slavery? A civil war no less?" Seer asked.
"Well… yea, the faction that didn't want slavery to end relied on slavery's cheap labour to pick cash crops. However, the faction against it had more industry, infrastructure, higher population, and grew foodstuffs instead of cash crops."
"Whats a cash crop?" Seer asked
"Ah.. it refers to agricultural produce that isn't food, for example, things you would use to make cloths" David explained
"Oh"
It was because of those advantages that the… union, as they called themselves won over the other faction that called themselves the Confederacy."
"What's a Confederacy?"
"Ah… it's a type of national governance structure but… well if I started talking about those, we could be here all day" David said, he had to be more careful, the wrong line of questions here could lead to revealing something sensitive.
"You seem to be quite knowledgeable on a wide range of subjects despite just being a wandering band of warriors my friends. How did you come to acquire such knowledge?" Seer asked.
The grimm kin began listening closer, this was some juicy information they were getting.
Seer was currently wondering what in the Radiance's name is wrong with her friends' kind. From what series the Radiance had told of other lands, slavery was a rare practice, the kingdom's partaking in, tending to have a specific kind of bug as the designated slaves. Apparently this 'Confederacy' also took part in the practice… it was strange, she had never heard of such a kingdom before. Different kingdoms all had various forms of governance, be that feudal or absolutism, but she has never heard of a Confederacy system.
Though, apparently there was a civil war over the practice, the Radiance had never mentioned that ever happening. Was it some sort of uprising? Did David's kind have a slave species, but later decided that it was wrong?
"Excuse me, but I do not appreciate others eavesdropping in on conversations" David said to a startled grimm kin, snapping Seer out of her thoughts.
Various grimm kin snapped into a different position, trying to make it look like they weren't listening in.
"How rude," Seer stated.
Location: Appalachian Mountain Range, Former State of Virginia
A noble was rushing with her stag beetle in the general direction her informants had told her that the escaped human was gone. She had managed to call in some favours and get access to the armory where the escaped human's equipment was stored, and then began the chase. Her hope was to deliver the weapons to the escapee to increase his chances of escape.
Bug nobles were becoming less and less influential with every human that gets converted. If she could slow it down, her family could remain influential. She cursed the power that these giants held, sure they may have powerful souls and all that, but they were not even bugs! How could the White Queen promote these beasts to such positions of power? While she adored her Queen, everyone can make mistakes, this was one of them. Of course she didn't have the means to make a more permanent solution… The last bug noble to raise the issue got torn limb from limb by a particularly sadistic human noble. So this little bit of treason never officially happened, and the Queen and human nobility will never know about.
Or… at least she hopes they don't.