Alcides/Adolf

21(x2) Reason, 12(x2) Class Mastery, 7(x2) Faith

[Reason: C C!

[Faith: F E!

Intermission II (Cassandra von Charon)

Stomp! Stomp! Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!

A flash of green was highlighted by sunlight, it masked the grey stone wall that I was hiding behind while I waited for the patrol to pass. The scene lingered longer than any other ever had, a halo of light with words woven like silk that I couldn't quite make out. I finally released a breath when it seemed that the guards had lost interest in the alley that I had taken refuge in.

The same sight had been plaguing me for close to a week now, and I had decently good guess on what my visions might've been alluding to.

Rife with death, everything I saw led back to disaster, and over time I had largely learned to ignore them. Christophe would have approved of what I saw, but that was exactly why I had declined his offer. Though now as I stood amidst the trash with rats staring up at me while I was hiding from the knights, the other path was tempting. Even more so if I'd never know what it would inevitably lead to.

I kept seeing her shocked face appear in front of my eyes while I left the safety of the alley, always with a blade embedded into her chest. Sometimes it was silver, and others it was forged from bone.

The future was fickle like that, Sothis knows that I tried to avoid the worst of it, but I had long since learned how it worked. I had over a dozen roads that I could take out of this town, but there we're only two roads out.

"Ah," I stumbled and fell against the wall to my left as pinpricks transformed into hot spikes of pain as another series of premonitions assaulted my mind. Things we're busy enough that hardly anyone paid any mind to the woman losing hers while busy shopping. A small mercy, and a rare one at that.

None of them ever made any sense, but then life would've been to easy if they did.

The dead rose to life, refused to stay, and clung to the still living like a disease. Dark magick gave birth to monsters, men in shadow coveted the most holy of relics, and made a mockery of the goddess. I knew that nothing good would come of it. Christophe was dying now, flickering between pleading before my eyes and hanging from a rope.

There was a city in ruins, smoke and dirt filled the air while choking out the sun's light. Thousands lay dead, and flags from all three nations lay abandoned. Fhirdiad?

It was the last bit of the future that made sense, but that didn't mean the visions stopped.

Dinner in bed with a man that I had never seen before, with wild eyes that shone with inhuman awareness just like mine. Sitting around a campfire with Christophe's merry men, a beast woman that I didn't recognize and that same man. I was in Garreg Mach again, busy teaching, fighting to protect it and dying in the effort.

Someone dragged me out of the worst of it, the familiar tendrils of divine power poured ice water over my soul.

"-As much as the goddess's blessing are a gift. They are a burden only a few are fit to bare," A older woman's voice recounted, echoing a tone as if she were reciting a lesson. Breathing easier as the healing magiks severed the pounding headache that had nearly brought me to my knees.

I only wish that I didn't perfectly understand the qoute's origins as I replied, "Seiros' Journal; The Age of Repentance, page hundred and thirty seven."

She smiled, goddess how I wished that I could simply live in that moment for the rest of my life with her smiling at me.

"You're a hard woman to find, oh Scion of Charon."

She didn't ask, and refrained from pushing the subject even though I could see the curiosity clearly apparent in her eyes. I did not deserve the kindness she showed, but I was grateful for it regardless.

We had a sort of understanding, when it came to my unorthodox abilities and how they were to be addressed. Useful, but highly circumstantial at the best of times. I had certainly gotten my friends into plenty of trouble back in the academy, and even if I had gotten wiser now. My gift of prophecy continued to taunt me about the consequences that would be waiting in the future.

It was convenient then, that Rhea had gone out of the way to seek me out, but her request had been. . . strange. Though as I now traveled through the Brionac plains, the point of reaching out to a third party was starting to make sense. The monks of the Western church had been courteous, but once I had brandished the central church's seal, the atmosphere had grown tense. Politics wasn't something that I cared much for, but I now wished that I had paid better attention to Christophe's rantings.

Better knew better than, as one of the three archbishops I imagine that being informed was a responsibility that came with the job. Definitely wasn't something I'd jump at.

"Chufff," My horse kicked at the rocks underneath our feet, his ears slightly tilted back as he seemed to know something I was unaware of. Since my own power didn't react I bent down and pat Arnold's neck in an effort to calm the nervous equine.

Unlike the rest of the empire, the south western territories had sparse vegetation that was only starting to crop up again once we left the plateau. It was a shitty place to travel through, dangerous and open for banditry. We had once made plans with Henm to cleanse the land of its evils, but had never gained traction. I should've done more.

"Come on. The sooner we get to the bottom of this," The environment had creeped me out enough that continuing to stay out in the open left a bad taste in my mouth. Scratching behind his ears while I gave one last long look to our flanks before we continued, "The sooner you can have a bucket full of fresh apples all to yourself."

My steed chuffed at my offer, shaking his head as I kicked us up to a light trot. I ignored the following false memory that flashed before my eyes that displayed a possibility.

Sometimes I wondered if I needed to close the distance for my power to trigger, or if the goddess was sleeping on the job. Couldn't blame her, it wasn't like I was making the most out of what she afforded me.

Nuvelle was a little oasis amongst this icy hell, only matched by the capital's ability to stand out against the winter. The birds seemed to have started returning, a bit strange and a bit earlier for such a thing, but it was welcome. I wasn't aware of them until Arnold had swung his head over in their direction, silent but watching from their place in the trees.

There were a couple of half picked through bushes of winterberries, and I filled in that I must've interrupted their meals. Receiving no warning at the intrusive thought, I set a mental reminder to go berry picking if time allowed.

It was a quiet town, and while great scars ran through the city from the invasion with Brigid. Repairs were already in full effect, with the dockyards sounding busier than they had been in months I suspected. A good sign that allowed me to give the local nobles the benefit of the doubt. I'd loathe for Rhea to be wrong, a thing almost akin to blasphemy by itself, but it would do wonders if I had good news to bring back.

"Hello young sir," The teenager carrying a bag of flour jumped at the sound of my voice while my horse chuffed in amusement. I jumped down from my steed help him pick up the supplies that he'd dropped, "I- Apologies."

"We're not open ye-," His tone changed from one of exhaustion to nervous awe tinged with that very same tiredness around his eyes, "Ah! Thank you kindly ma'am."

The 'Ma'am' did kill me a little inside, I wasn't that old.

"As I was saying," I started all over again with his full attention now, giving Arnie a light smack before he could steal an apple. Handing over a stack of coins so that I could just buy the fruit from the young man at the stand, "Could you kindly point me in the direction of the Von Nuvelle estate?"

With a question on direction asked, I received an answer, and a map on how to navigate the ancient city streets. Apparently it was a common issue foreigners faced, something about it being rebuilt on top of its own ruins so many times. Eventually I came across the residence that I was looking for, a mansion in severe disrepair with scars from fire and barricades.

The guards out front were reluctant to allow me entry, appearing on edge and quickly assembled to block my path. Refusing to respond even when I asked for an audience with the local lord or lady. Dragging their feet on the matter even when I decided to brandish the church's seal, and set a hand on my sheathed blade.

Rhea wouldn't approve, but she'd understand. She was good like that.

"Peace, Talos! Please," A young girl came out of the building with a bang, one of the maids holding the door, and had a butler chasing after her. She held an umbrella above her to shield her from the already cloudy winter sky above us. Though I could even begin to imagine the reason why, "Holy knight, you stand before Constance Von Nuvelle. If I may, I'd like to know the name of who sought me out and for what purpose?"

She stood tall as on her approach, much more practiced in the ways of hospitality than I had ever been as a child. Even now, putting on such a show would've tested my patience.

"Cassandra Von Charon, on behalf of the Church. Your house stands accused of heresy," The situation we were caught in stunk of something awful, and even my steed was nervously tapping the floor with one of his front legs. The guards were calm now, confident and emboldened by the sudden appearance of their sole remaining leading lady. No visions came and I remained undeterred in the presence of the young marchioness, "Charged with the crimes of necromancy, and of the mutilation of the innocent flock to accomplish such a thing."

"In that case. You are here to," I had to steel myself and instead focus on the dilapidated home behind her to keep my nerve, "-Well, kill me I suppose?"

She was too young to be asking such a thing, the self awareness had leveled a certain amount of regret into my soul. I had read the reports, heard the news like anyone else in the kingdom when it came to the insurrectionists overstepping. Of every pie they had a finger in, acting in place of the emperor as they used his age to excuse it away. Christophe had been downright furious, and if it weren't for the Brionac plateau he would've brought his personal crusade over the border.

Noble blood didn't always promise a noble heart.

"I'd rather not," Arnold was left tied to a post, and I approached the young girl with a letter in my hand stamped with the church's jade seal. The contents weren't for me to know, but the gist covered the testimonies from members of the Varley military. More than a dozen villages had fallen apart after playing host to Nuvellen merchants, "But the church has questions, and the head of your house must answer them."

Trier had been the first to be able to repel the unknown threat, and thus prevented the assailants from being able to attribute the random attacks to their foreign threats any longer. It had become Rhea's primary focus beyond the threat that Almyra no doubt possessed after their recent invasion. Allowing the dead their final respite was quite high on the Church's priorities, especially as the plague insisted on lingering in imperial territory.

"Then I'm afraid that you will find my ho- house lacking. As there is no available head of house for your needs," Her voice cracked in the midst of her explanation, tilting her umbrella high enough while she spoke that I could make out her intricate blond curls. At the look of my confusion she sucked in a breath to clarify what was said, "My older sister passed this morning, her fever, along with her prior injuries surpassed what aid we were able to rend."

That's- Godddess, fuck me sideways.

"My deepest apologies," It was my deepest shame that I couldn't meet her gaze, appearing strikingly similar to my own siblings. My normal detachment had formed an uncomfortable lump in my throat at the treacherous thoughts that crossed my mind, "In that case- I-"

A deep sigh left my lips while I pondered what to do next, and Constance at least had it in her to dismiss her guards for the most part. Rhea had allowed me quite a bit of flexibility with this assignment, but this was worse than either of us had suspected. Regardless, she'd probably have to speak to the archbishop in person rather than through a letter or take my own testimony.

"You'll have to come with me post haste to Garreg Mach for your emancipation. At this point," I eventually settled on a compromise that would benefit Constance's precarious political system to the best of my understanding. Guiding her to the rationalization that I thought would lead toward the Church being lenient with her case, "Your ignorance is as good as any shield and you'll be free to exonerate your house of any wrongdoing. While I can't guarantee you'll face no repercussions, I insist that you claim your birthright with the blessing of the church."

The young woman engaged in a furious debate with her butler who had finally caught up to her. I tuned out their conversation, they deserved some privacy to discuss my proposal and moral obligations. My sword thrummed appreciatively against my hip, while my hand traced the boney pommel of my house's ancient blade.

Hero's Relic: Thunderbrand

Mt 8 Crit 25 Rng 1 Wt 9 Lv E Enables the user to unleash 2 consecutive hits when initiating combat for any wielder bearing the Crest of Charon. Designed to deliver devastating lacerations with its various bladed outcroppings along the blade made for slicing through and rending flesh.

"My constituents have been waiting for an opportunity like this since the invasion began," Constance spoke the silent implication of my plan aloud, seeming having aged a few years with dark rings under her eyes. Her gaze briefly flickered down to the extensive letter in her offhand that I had given her, "I will not be allowed to return if I leave my post, as they already think of my family as unworthy and will contest my claim."

"In the long term it would be safer to reclaim your lands with the support of the church. Worse will undoubtedly follow if you stay," There was a vile after taste to the words I spoke, and I had to shove the ever defiant part in my soul. No visions assaulted my mind as I voiced my promise to the future marchioness, "Of this you will have my word, for whatever it is worth."

"I only hope you are right," Her staff was already setting plans as she agreed, and the guards around us finally seemed to relax. Though I wasn't sure if it we're due to resignation or being satisfied with the deal that had been struck. Constance pulled out a golden pocket watch as she sought some clarification, "When do we leave?"

"When you are ready, but generally enough time to gather supplies and a steed of your own."

Lv. 20 Swordmaster; Cassandra von Charon

HP: 42 Mv: 2

Str: 26 Lck: 14

Mag: 11 Def: 17

Dex: 18 Res: 10

Spd: 27 Cha: 10

Personal Skill: Rewind - When foe initiates combat, unit still attacks first if HP is 60% or lower.

Active: 1: Blade Prowess, Lv C. 2: HP 5. 3: Hit and Run. 4: Fighting Spirit. 5: Astra. 6: Empty.

Available: [Blade Prowess, Lv C] - Grants 15% to land a crit while using bladed weapons. [Noble Mastery: HP 5, [Myrmidon Mastery: Hit and Run] - Unit gains 1 Mv after launching an attack, and is allowed to move after doing so before their turn ends. [Mercenary Mastery: Fighting Spirit] - Unit takes 5 less damage when no battalion is assigned or when battalion endurance is 0. [Swordmaster Mastery: Astra] - Every attack launched has a DEX% chance to be replaced by Astra, and subsequently trigger 5 consecutive strikes that deal half of the damage of a normal attack. None of these attacks can crit.

"REPENT FROM THE GRAVE!"

The once innocent soul turned into a monstrosity didn't even get the chance to scream as it crumbled to the floor. Falling apart like the strings holding the corpse up had been as the rapid series of blows were imparted. A flash of my own blood appeared before my eyes, the color surrounding me had diminished greatly while the only shade unaffected was the bright crimson.

"GRaa-!" CRACK!

My sword trapped hands as my left hand then snapped to the runner that had snuck up behind me. Losing an arm as my golden blade shattered the bone and severed the limb at the elbow. The insult to her grace released a tortured howl, a hint of its previous life glowed from within the young woman inflamed eyes. I already knew, it's heavy breathing contrasting against my steady breaths and my charge's nervous hyperventilating.

"Shit," Damn thing was too fast for me to dodge its next lunge, claws dug into my breast plate while emitting noxious gas that I had to hold my breath for. Fortunately it wasn't smart enough to have the self preservation to not impale itself on my blade as it rushed me. From a mere glance the young noble remained seated atop her steed but it never hurt to check, "Constance, are you hurt?"

"No cuts or bites my lady," Arnold snorted in pain as we formed a pair again, the orange glowing sigils around Constance's tome fragmented as she turned to meet my gaze. A friendly spell caster was always a boon and fire had proven to be quite effective throughout these attacks, "Though I am sure that I'd be much worse off without you."

"Uuggghhhh. It's just getting worse," I held up a hand to placate the girl once the holy blade in my hands had been safely stowed, and a silent prayer of thanks offered to Sothis. Constance just slipped her book back inside of a custom satchel that must've been worth more than I made in a month, "This is the second attack we've weathered in a week."

"I hadn't wanted to believe what you said about the dead rising," The young woman had a terse expression on her face as we passed the corpses of the creatures she had burned. While it was no true ambush by any means. The relative lack of vegetation had been essential in engaging the monsters before they could close the distance, "But even simple necromancy doesn't explain everything that we've seen."

The first few battles were always the hardest, but I considered this a blessing in comparison to my own introduction to war during my time attending Garreg Mach. It was either take the northeastern path and slaughter these monsters, or force her to kill bandits by going back through the plateau. She seemed to be deep in her own thoughts even after I fished out the bottle that I was searching for in my pack.

"Mark for your thoughts," I asked after gulping down the last dregs left within the vulnerary with the aches across my body fading in a few seconds. Though the taste isn't something that I think I'll ever truly grow accustomed to, "Because it seems fairly simple to me, but magic was never my area of expertise."

"Not even the Thunderbrand?"

"I'm a magical yes," The question caught me off guard, but it was a good point all things considered. While rolling around how to possibly explain the extent that my magic had on my fighting prowess, and the added layer of my prophetic ability. I came across a half decent interpretation, "But that only really manifests as far as enhancing my physical capabilities. Using it requires my total focus, and that leaves little room for anything more complex like channeling the elements."

"Interesting. . . I suppose satiating your curiosity would only be fair," Temporarily stowing her umbrella against her shoulder, Constance began explaining the intricacies involved in necromancy. An issue in their continued existence unfortunately posed more questions than her explanation answered, "True undead are mindless, in a way that prevents them from being a danger to anyone without a master to command them. What we face now are, strange to say the least, and closer to monsters or animals."

"So we are either facing some new curse brought on from the Empire's rampant warmongering," A series of nigh incomprehensible visions of war town hellscapes chose to flash across my eyes in the middle of speaking. Innocents turned into animalistic monsters surpassing even Dire beasts, and a siege conducted by monochrome skinned humanoids against a dozen battlefields. It was a blatant warning from the goddess herself I had received in years, "O- or the sort of threat not seen since the age of Liberation."

"Hhaha, as terrifying of a thought that is. It is incredibly unlikely," If only she knew how wrong she could possibly be, as the brief splash of freezing premonitions washed over me. And I was lucky that she was too distracted to notice my brief lapse as I digested the information, "The random assortment of spikes and other mutations suggest something more natural, akin to werewolves or, well. . . Vampirism."

Her voice trembled at that last word, and I spotted a hand absentmindedly reaching toward the back of her own neck. Odd, but imperial nobles were a notoriously secretive lot, and I dared not pry. Dealings with those sapient monsters weren't entirely unheard of even amongst the elites back home, though court life wasn't something I was well versed in. Though it was slowly starting to feel like something I would come to regret.

'We are men and women of action,' As Christophe would often posit, 'Not champagne, or niceties.'

"Oh Goddess," Constance shouted while pointing at a town ahead of us where guards were pushing back against an encroaching horde of the undead. Even as we raced down the meager defence by the town's people was starting to fall apart even as I dismounted to join the battlefield, "We have to do something!"

"Already on it!" Their inhumanity made them blind to my sudden assault on their ranks. My blade flashed through the air as it cut one of the undead in half from shoulder down to the waist, "Hiya!"

Even as we managed to take some of the pressure off, the damage had been done and a hunking behemoth approached the frontlines. SMASH! The earth shook, and several of the creature's own brethren died as both of its fists slammed against the ground. Somehow the sound of a pair of young girl's screams hit my ears once my hearing returned from the debilitating shockwave.

"You goddamn brats! This is all your fault," A grizzled older man barked, pushing aside his own troops and opened up a hole in their formation that the surrounding undead responded to. I caught a glimpse of them while cutting a vicious path through the temporarily dazed mutants, "If it's these two little shits that the demons want, then I say they can have them!"

The man was insane, but clearly desperate, though I had no way of knowing in which direction he leaned. I wouldn't get there in time, a flurry of visions made that clear to see, but I still fought on like it'd make a difference. Just a drop in the bucket, enough of a racket to draw the big one to turn around and face me. But no matter how many of the corrupted I slew, IT ignored me even as the rest reacted how I expected.

"No! We didn't do anything wrong! Tell them Edelgard," One of the sisters clung to the other that was trapped in the tight grasp of an armored captain welding a massive mace. Meanwhile the young girl's sister, 'Edelgard' was wearing a downright murderous expression on her face while dragging her heels into the dirt. Her sister was on the brink of bawling as trying to save her sibling was the only thing keeping her focused, "Please! Please, we're sorry, please!"

"In the name of the Goddess," I finally got my chance once I managed to break past the blockade that two particularly stocky undead blocked the path ahead. Their spikes left great cracks in my armor, but the pain was worth it if I could stop the future from coming to pass. Despite clearly being in range that we would be able to hear me over the undead he seemed to ignore me, "Stop this madness! Return to your men and draw them away from the townspeople-! Hey, listen to me!"

"Ah, hello lady knight! Your reinforcements are right on time," His previous rage improved at my presence, caving in the chest of one undead while he traded words with me. Throwing the young girl in front of the boney abomination that held the appearance of a man fused with a black bear, "While the creatures are distracted with these two, we will be free to mop up the stragglers."

I'd never quite figured out how Christophe was so good with people without knowing the future could possibly bring. Maybe that was what made him so good at it. If I jus-

fffffllluuuSsssSpPPLUS!

"Burn," A great cone of flames scorched a dozen of the undead, the intense heat forced me to back up until the stream faded. In spite of the close proximity the Firenado had missed everyone, only directly striking the mutants that had lined themselves up along the frontline. Looking out at the damage that had bought us another moment of respite, I turned expecting to find that Constance had pulled some trick out her bag.

Instead there was the haunting sight of a bloodied mage crossing the battlefield, marching past the corpse with a limp that should've slowed him more than it was. The only thing of his that didn't appear to be in tatters or caked with blood, and dirt was a crimson tome that was held loosely in his right hand.

The rest of the horde instantly strung into action with a renewed sense of vigor, while the largest one seemed to struggle. Shaking its blocky head widely back and forth before deciding to kick the children before me. And I saw the future change at the same pace that the air cracked from the series of five strikes that took place nearly simultaneously, "Hah, ugh, ack. . . Are you kids alright?"

The remaining guards seized on the opportunity without needing to be ordered to, and charged once the undead broke ranks. A battlefield that had once been a slugfest devolved, and I stood my ground to cut anything done that ran by or wandered to close. Constance was out there somewhere, I could make out her posh voice as the bright fire balls at the edges. While the mysterious stranger made steady progress to us, a mixture of orange flames and light blues shards logged in any walking corpse that engaged him.

On the upside it seemed to bring the captain back into being useful to the actual battle with the rest of us. But the approaching mage didn't see it the same way that I did, and even if I could do something about what was about to happen. I was running on fumes, and spite. Catching the older man off guard while thinking that he was one of mine, that the unexpected haymaker took him so off guard that he dropped his mace. His blackened hands took hold of the guard's captain head, bringing back up from when he had been punched down to the floor. I knew what he was going to do, "Shut."

"Wait," The amount of fire that the future promised if I intervened caused me to hesitate for a brief moment. But a mere moment was all that was required, "We can-" "The." "-be reasonable about thi-!"

Crack!

"Fuck," Despite carrying the physical frame that leant itself better to prolonged magic use that he clearly specialized in. The man's head crumbled like a helmet shattered under the grip of a dire bear's feral paws, a thought given the manner that the mage growled while speaking his native tongue. Christophe would've considered it a fitting end if a bit gross, "Up."

One of the girls, the one that had been holding onto the other being dragged ran over to their savior as he discarded the captain's corpse. Not 'Edelgard', but the . I crouched down to take a look at the older girl's bruised wrist while she gazed impassively at me before glancing in her siblings direction.

". . .Hey kid, I told you that I'd be back. . . No need to worry," Upon closer inspection the mage looked like he was tiptoeing the line between life and death, his low voice clearly straining itself. My combat instinct shot straight right back up as his gaze hardened when it flicked up to meet mine, "Are you going to be an issue?"

I wonder if he knew. That he was a Magical, just like me.

Constance and Cassandra's bond has been raised to D!

Both bonded individuals will now benefit from 1 to their might during combat when close to one another, and 3 to their Crit/Dodge bonus.

Chapter 8 Note: (Jan 28th)

- Not me completely forgetting to tally up the class and weapon exp that Alcides earned in chapter 9, didn't happen, and if it did? It was intentional, and your gay for noticing.

- I've started using https/average_stats when it comes to doing the math behind stats,

- I also forgor to give Alcides exp for practicing healing magic on the days that Bernie was supposed to be I'll, so I'm retroactively fixing that. Faith is deficiency so 1 per spell, let's say he cast Soothe like once per day over the course of a week, and since the Knowledge gem doubles gains that should be 14 points toward his faith.

- Originally I was going to give Catherine access to Astra, but I changed it do to plot/lore, she's already pretty op as is. No need to weigh her down with an ass load of skills.

- Weapons draw from a pool of points given to the item by its various components and attributes. With an increased weight or weapon rating, the object's other attributes can increase in turn. Special materials can increase or decrease the weight for combat purposes, but wont impact the object's attributes unless specified otherwise. Weapon points(or WP) will directly increase Mt by a 1:1 ratio, Crit by 1:5, Rng by 1:1, while increased Wt will add 1 WP per point. Lv lowered below C adds 1 WP, and takes 1 WP if raised. (Originally I was going to keep track of weapon uses, and I was going to use Ratings to do that, but fuck that) These are the standards for weapons that I'm trying to stick by, but my story isn't so focused on combat like an actual video game is. So don't worry about it too much.

- Not me re-working all of the mechanics into something that'll be more interesting to read, and right for while the caffeine running through my bloodstream is still fresh.

Shit man I fucking hate combat arts so fucking much, someone needs to tell the devs to scrap the whole system and replace it with something worth a damn.

- I fucking loath the bitch ass 2 strength junk skills, what a waste of god damn time.

- Class abilities are stupid, and don't help in a writing setting. To make up for this, all skills that can be equipped are being made available in one pool with 6 open slots.

- I'm just going to call Fire emblem currency Marks again, if it works for Echoes it works for me. Can't believe I initially defaulted to marks without knowing that Echoes used that name too.

- I need to put down HD 2 and fucking finish the chapters I have planned lol.

- A lot of work in the background has gone into reworking all those classes as I mentioned given more human v human combat is going to be present. However, there is now a desire in me to build craft armies and tech trees, and I must resist the urge to start collecting 40K models.

List of Currently Relevant Factions, more will be added as the story progresses. Stages of reputation: Nemesis Monster Villain Scoundrel Rival Mixed Collaborator Ally Patron Champion Idol

Monarchists: Regardless of nation, they support their respective royalty.

Populists: The common man, smallholders, agricultural, and physical laborers of low social status.

Insurrectionists: Mostly made up Fódlan's self serving nobles, with particular emphasis on Adrestia.

Nobility: True Nobles in the best sense, those who take their position seriously to take care of those under their protection.

Poachers: Various merchants brought together in the collective desire to pursue greater riches at any cost, except for their own.

Investors: Far more philanthropic of a group that puts money into projects that would lead to the collective good, and or their own.

Adrestian Merchant Company: A mercenary company well known for their ability to acquire human merchandise

Church of Serios: The Church of Seiros is a religious organization that holds power over the continent of Fódlan. It is served by the Knights of Seiros.

Traditionalists: Men and women of faith hailing from the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, they make up the majority of the Church of Seiros' Purifiers.

Revisionists: Men and women of faith hailing from the Adrestian Empire, they make up the majority of the Church of Seiros' Healers.

Aspirants: Men and women of faith hailing from the Leicester Alliance, they make up the majority of the Church of Seiros' Scholars.

TWSITD: A hidden organization operating throughout Fódlan, remnants of an ancient civilization working against the Church of Seiros.

Transhumanists: A varied mix of recruits and 'naturally' born Agarthans. Highly focused on their continued technological superiority over mankind, they use advanced technology within Agarthan society to overcome their biological limitations. Largely located within Alliance territory.

Perpetuals: Incredibly old Agarthans, but despite their age they are some of the most competent as many we're around since their foundation. They are the most dedicated to resurrecting Nemesis, and resuming their original ambitions. Largely located within Kingdom territory.

Theophagists: Most of the recently converted, they are often the most determined to cut ties with their past lives. Of the three primary factions they are the most aggressive, often butting heads with their colleagues when their plans come into conflict. Largely located within Imperial territory.

Choices (optional to participate in) Reputation Stages: Nemesis Monster Villain Scoundrel Rival Mixed Collaborator Ally Patron Champion Idol.

NEW!

1) Available until Chapter 13~14 ish.

This revolves around project Homeward Bound, which will lead to Alcides returning to 'Earth' in some form or another. Depending on the progress made certain different outcomes will occur. Regardless of choice, Alcide's personal skill will undergo a change to reflect the plot. Note: Alcides will soon become one of TWSITD's subject of interest, the following choices will influence what from that takes.

be alerted to Alcides' existence.

Universal Consequences: Reputation with Revisionists will reach Patron. Reputation with Nobility will reach Collaborator. Reputation with Insurrectionists will reach Rival. Reputation with Theophagists will reach Villain.

] [Past] 3 Homeward Bound completion. Improvements to relationships with Cornelia, Lambert, and Hapi. Factions: Reputation with Monarchists will reach Ally. Reputation with Transhumanaists and Perpetuals will reach Collaborator. Reputation with AMC will reach Rival. Finally, the creation of the Heretic faction will be delayed.

] [Present] 2 Homeward Bound completion. Improvements to relationships with Cassandra, Shamir, Christophe, Anselma, Lonato, Ashe, Edelgard, Bernadetta, Dimitri. Factions: Reputation with Monarchists will reach Ally. Reputation with Perpetuals will reach Scoundrel. Reputation with AMC will reach Nemesis. Finally, the Heretic faction will be created.

] [Future] 1 Homeward Bound completion. Improvements to relationships with Ingrid, Dimitri, Felix, Sylvain, Glenn, Gilbert, Ashe, Anna, Edelgard, Mercedes, Annette, Christophe, Lambert, Anselma. Factions: Reputation with Monarchists will reach Patron. Reputation with Perpetuals will reach Scoundrel. Finally, the creation of the Heretic faction will be delayed.

2) Available until Chapter 10.

- Pick one deficiency and proficiency for Alcides to adopt, alongside the proficiencies and deficiencies he already possesses. If they coincide or contradict what is already present then a proficiency will be negated or a deficiency will be converted into a weakness. (I will decide what that means later)

] [Proficiency/Deficiency] Write in.

3) No Time Limit.Available until Chapter 15.

- Once in a lifetime opportunity, a character's canon rewrite. Be warned! I have many terrible things in store for multiple characters, plus you already know what happens in canon, so you are only getting this once. You can comment complex conditions under which this will activate as in saving it for later to keep certain characters alive longer, like if you'd keep a character alive even if they should've died. No retcons. This is not comparable to Sothis's time reversals, most character deaths will just be downgraded to mortal wounds etc.

] [Rewrite] Write in.