>>40157883
>>Go tell Liama what Veles told you about male lamias.

>>40157883
>Check in with Mari, then go to tell Liama about what Veles said.

>>40157943
Also, take a nape if at all possible by the time we're done with that.

>>40157964
Its rather early, nap would have to be before you go talk to them, unless you want to wake them up.

>>40158216
Then we go back to sleep.

If we can, it might be good to try and get a bit of sleep out of the way now, and then maybe move on to
>>40157943
once we wake up again and everyone else is up as well

>>40158455
We are in agreement. We go back to sleep, wake up at noon, then stay up until 3 am. Just like in real life.

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Leaving the coffee on slow boil, you head back upstairs and duck underneath the covers. You can't quite go fully to sleep, but at the very least you can lie back with your eyes closed and listen to the quiet crackle of the stove. After some time you hear Tai enter, and shortly after that the smells of food begin wafting up to you. You last nearly a half hour before you skulk back downstairs, mumble a wordless greeting to the man, who returns it with a nod, and make off with a plate of purloined sausages and eggs. You really ought to find out what that stuff Veles had you drink was. You ate so much yesterday, but you're still a little hungry.

A while later you hear Marie and McCain file in, going down to join them, you have a smaller portion of the same breakfast as you make smalltalk with them before they go about their business. Asking Marie if there's been any problems with her old friends. Outside of a shrug and a muttered 'Nothing much.' She remains tight lipped on the issue. You can tell its a sore subject for her, but you don't think she's going to cause a fuss over it like last time.

Letting them go about their business, you make your way outside and slither over to Liama's camp. Managing to pick out the shape of one of the guards in the gloom, you catch the other lamia exiting the tent rifle in hand.

"Everything go all right Miss Masterson?" She says adjusting a strapping a bandolier over her clothes.

>?

>>40158823
Yeah I Talked to Veles About the male issue. Apparently Lamia gender is heat sensitive, if you want a boy the egg almost has to freeze to make it so. Which makes since the only other on record male was a stillborn male in the northern wastes. Died from exposure.

>>40158823
>>40158861
^this works

>>40158861
>Which makes since the only other on record male was a stillborn male in the northern wastes. Died from exposure.
Do you happen to remember when that was mentioned? Because I don't quite remember it

>>40159071
When we told the area commander about Veles.

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"Yeah. everything went fine. Asked Veles about the whole male things." You say,

"And?"

"Its temperature based. Something about the egg cooling during incubation."

"That seems far too simple." She says, pausing from her strap fiddling to look at you.

"Well, it seems that in order to get a boy the egg gets almost cold enough to die."

"Oh."

"Makes sense, Nitor said they had a report of a male in a clutch up near the northern wastes. That'd account for it."

"Huh." She responds, slinging her rifle back over her shoulder. "Well, I suppose that answers that. Might be worth it to know, at the very least we know why now. I can see why they are uncommon to, but makes me wonder why it happened to him. You'd think a dragon would watch over her brood a bit more, if he is as you say."

"Seemed to be a touchy subject, and I didn't want to push it to much. Especially since he was helping."

"I can't imagine him being sore about a subject like that after all this time. Anything else you figure out?"

"Outside of magic and me being a regular glutton? Not really. Even the magic is just minor things." You say, producing the matchstick flame.

She seems impressed, "Saves you having to carry a flint and tinder at the least. I'd chat more, but I've got to relieve Eli." She slithers off in the direction of the workmen.

>What now?

>>40159641
>See how Tatiana and the other Centaur are doing

>>40159641
>>40159721
backing

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Heading over to the bunkhouse, you catch Tatiana with a pair of plates of what looks to be the remains of breakfast.

"Extra hungry?" You ask the centaur.

[Not at all. The other plate is for our guest. He has been wanting solid food and looks to be about ready for it.]

[You mean he is awake?] You ask in Casimiran.

[For some time yes.]

[Why didn't you say anything.]

[You appeared busy, and awake is not the same as healthy. He was still in grave danger for a while I did not wish to make it worse.]

[How about now, is he healthy now?]

[For the most part. The burns are still the worst but his jaw is on the mend. We heal quickly.]

[How about information, has he told you anything about what happened?]

[Not in as many words no. He has mostly been asking short questions. I have been answering them.]

[Well, suppose I can ask him some then?]

[I do not see why not.]

Following her into the bunkhouse, you slip into the room she has appropriated for recovery to find the other centaur sitting, or laying, you're not sure which it is with them. In the back corner against the wall. His face and body is largely a swath of bandages as the attempt to keep infection out of the burned half continues. By and large it makes him look far worse than he probably is.

[What is this?] You hear the centaur rumble, taking the plate from Tatiana faintly jerking his head you way.

[This is your savior and host, Artyom. Szlachta owner Sasha Masterson.]

The burned centaur faces you, expression unreadable behind the wrappings.

>Leave him be for now.
>Ask him questions. (Specifics?)
>Other/

>>40160496
>Questions
[Greetings, Would you mind if I asked you some questions about what happened?]

>>40160496
>>40160595
This.

>>40160595
That kinda goes without saying, where there any other questions you wanted to ask? This one's freely multi-option so don't hesitate to throw stuff out there.

>>40160884
Well, some people wouldn't enjoy being asked questions about almost being burnt/eaten alive.

>question
[What happened at *insert town name I forgot here*?]

>>40160940
Backing.

Eesh, dead right now...

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[Greetings, Would you mind if I asked you some questions about what happened?] You begin, pausing when the horse man jumps, turning to Tatiana.

[She knows Casimiran?] He asks, to which Tataina simple nods. He then turns to you again. [So be it. I will answer what I can.]

[What happened at Purobka?]

[They came under guise of transport. Bringing their shipments of wax to be turned into the treatment. They came into our house under hospitality and then stabbed us in the flank.]

[Who was it?]

[House Krasick, the beekeepers. We were tasked with protecting our advisor. Safely removing him from danger. We didn't make it.]

[What happened to your advisor?]

[I do not know. They had a large group of their hussars with them, protection from the fallen they said. Lies. Tatiana tells me the town has become little more than a troll hive now.]

You're not too familiar with Casimiran tongue, but you can recognize impotent rage when you hear it. [If you don't wish to talk about it anymore that's fine. I simply wished to know the truth.]

[Its is fine.] Says the clearly not fine soldier. [I just wish to find the smug pig fucker who led them and avenge my comrades.]

You blink at that epithet, its a literal if awkward phrase, almost as if the centaur not inclined to swear. [What will you do until then?]

A resigned sigh. [Stay here.]

>Anything else you wish to ask him?
>Ask Tatiana anything?
>Other.

>>40162050
Ask Tatiana why House Krasick might do this. Ask them both what's likely to happen and who we could war profiteer from.

>>40162050
[Thank you for your time. I can assure you that, if you are well enough, we will take you with us back to your lands to try and figure out the whole situation. We will likely require your aid in battling the Trolls.]

>>40162050
>Ask Tatiana anything?
Could this have been why you were sent here? Any idea why they would do this?

>>40162241
^ This and this:
>>40162264
, then:
>>40162251

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>>40162241
>>40162251
>>40162264
Roger roger, writing now

Mostly testing captcha, thing is being less than agreeable at this time. Throttled Satellite being terrible, apologies.

>>40162241
>war profiteering
How exactly? I don't think we have any contacts who can or would smuggle crates of weapons onto the continent. Centaurs wouldn't have a need for foreign labor or mercenaries. The only material they might want that I can think of is iron and steel. We don't have any connections trading in those commodities, it may ultimately be a waste of time and money getting some if the scale and intensity of whatever conflict isn't enough.

Viability kind of depends on things we don't know, I think at least. We'll have to look into it.

>>40162767
It does bare looking into, at least.

If nothing else, we can loot battlefields and sell the begotten weapons, though, that's not a good idea, would probably piss off the Centaurs, and should only be done if we become TRULY desperate.
>Read: looting the dead is a bad Idea.

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[Any particular reason House Krasick would do something like this?] You say, focusing on Tatiana.

[Not that I would know. I do know they make a big show of their troops. Funny given they are largely beekeepers. My uncle had no end of trouble with them overstepping into the Kozak's lands.]

[Could this have been why you were sent here?]

She pauses, [Maybe, but I doubt it is a direct reason. Move here was mostly intended for my safety. Uncle gets worried about things and, despite what the Szlachta nobles think, is very well versed in politics. His foresight is incredible.]

[You seem pretty unperturbed by these events, is this common?]

[No, this is the first I've ever heard of the Szlachta openly raising blade to one another, but my stake in this is one of my people. I have not lost like what Artyom has.]

You wait for her to go on, when she doesn't you gesture, causing her to switch from Casimiran. "You probably cannot tell, but he is Kozak-born. Gave up that life to be a hussar. Many of the Kozak youths do so. To have lost his patrons and his house. It is far worse than I think you can think. It is unlikely he can return to the kozaks either. He has no vouchsafe, and as far as they are concerned he may be a bandyta infiltrator. They do that sometimes, when not hiding in the ruins deep in the fallen lands. Szlachta raiding a village like they are bandyta is unheard of. Purobka will likely be written off as their doing not Krasick's."

Pausing for a second, you turn to the centaur who was left out of this conversation. [Thank you for your time. I can assure you that, if you are well enough, we will take you with us back to your lands to try and figure out the whole situation. We will likely require your aid in battling the Trolls.]

He for the most part seems content at the moment to pick at the plate of food. Tatiana meanwhile follows you out of the room.

>What do?

>>40163664
We need to end this conflict one way or another. It's thrown a wrench into our business and it makes us rather uncomfortable to be surrounded by two wars. Ask Tatiana when she thinks her patient will be well enough to fight, because we'll need to form a new expedition and his first-hand account may be very valuable.
Also ask where this expedition should go. She doesn't have to come.

>>40163664
>>40163855
^this
[When do you think he'll be ready?]
>Make a mental note to get him a weapon. He's a soldier, and is probably not happy not having a weapon. He'll need one when we go back anyway.

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"We need to get to the bottom of this quickly." You say the instant she closes the door. "I'm not comfortable stuck between two wars, and I can't have business interrupted like this. When do you think Artyom will be well enough to travel?"

"Probably within a few days, why, what do you have in mind?"

"The sooner this conflict ends, the better. I think its time we made another trip into your homeland." Seeing her hesitation you add. "You don't have to come, hence why I was asking about him."

"How do you think you will stop it?"

"Take his testimony to someone who can do something about it. Who do you think would be best?"

"I do not think many of the szlachta houses think to kindly of Krasick. Actual proof would likely cause them to act. However, lest you are a royal, or have some influence with them, getting an audience will be difficult. The Kozaks are an idea as well, if you are in good standing with them. That said, Krasicks have a tendency to create a crater out of a molehile."

"A what?"

"Saying that Marie uses."

"Are you sure its not mountain out of a molehile?"

"No, they don't leave anything left."

You're going to have to explain how sayings like that work at some point it seems.

"Also, I'll need to find him a weapon. Think you can figure out what he's good at? I don't want to promise too much."

"I suppose I can try. In the meantime, I will tend to him." She says.

>Anything else?

>>40164648
Thank you for your time.

>>40164648
>Go check on how the rest of the ranch is doing
>If all is well, go to see Veles about more training.
We're going to want to be able to reliably use our fire-magic (and hopefully have some combat capabilities with it) within three days.

Rolled 6 (1d20)

>>40164731
>>40164846
Alright, lemme just check a thing real quick.

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"Thanks for taking care of him Tatiana, really." You say to the retreating form .

Heading back into the house, you catch McCain on the porch, leaning against the house.

"Everything alright Miss?" he starts

"Pretty much. We'll likely have to go to the other side of the mountain again. Our centaur friend woke up, and it looks like a szlachta house is the one causing problems."

"Who all you thinking of taking?"

"Well, me for one, the centaur, Artyom, you since you won't let me leave otherwise, and then whoever else wants to go, maybe Veles. Things might get hairy."

"You sure the ranch will be fine without us. Don't fancy coming back to phoenix boys overrunning the place."

"What's the chances they'll hit here. Especially with the nitor and our new guards keeping watch. Heck, I'd imagine Serrak's got a few boys in with the workmen. He's been very up to speed with goings on. Prolly has someone watching the place."

"You think?" McCain asks, considering this for the apparently the first time.

"Can't imagine he didn't. He's got a lot invested with us, be foolish not to keep an eye on it. Besi-" You pause as McCain holds up his hand.

"You hear that Miss?"

You make to say no, then you hear the unmistakeable whipcrack of gunfire.

>Calling it here for tonight. A bit earlier than usual but this is probably the best stopping point. As always, I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading.

>>40165651
Thanks, canid.