Freyd

Reading the final inscription reminded him of the countless others he'd journeyed with over time. Those first trailblazers had forged a path forward, paid for in blood and anguish none of them could ever repay. Part of him hoped it was just another of Kayaba's lies: that death in game meant death in the real world. They had only his word it was true, yet people were terrified by the prospect alone. They lived their lives, and even ended them, according to its merest possibility. Watching those willing to stand in the front ranks of the raid teams' vanguard, he'd always wondered how they

Ronbaru boasted a number of hidden garden glades sprinkled about its city centre like gems waiting to be discovered, preferably in pairs. These secluded islands of solace often attracted couples of all ages. Some came to fondly recall first visits while others forged fledgling bonds into burgeoning relationships to match the wide assortment of flowers, some of which inexplicably always seemed to be in bloom. Freyd was down to his last two lanterns as he wandered into the area, completely unaware that such a place even existed. It wasn't exactly the type of demesne on his usual list o

The last of Cedrig's guardians fell before they could even nock another set of arrows, the benefits of range being less than they might have imagined. A heavy boot smashed through the locked door, showering splinters beyond as its remnants slammed against the side wall to reveal a gruesome seen. "Cedrig, I presume?" Slumped over the foreman's desk, strewn with scribbled machinations come to naught and empty coin bags with proceeds spent on an ill-timed gambit. "Ronbaru was crawling with heroes this week. Did you really think this sort of thing wouldn't attract the worst possi

Pulling drawstrings from the booth's outer balcony caught Freyd's attention. "Right. Guess what's good for the goose is good for the mob? Not sure that works, but we'll run with it." Eight archers stood with bows aimed at him, arrows ready to take flight. "Leave. Now. Last chance." His hands were shaking so vigorously that he nearly loosed just from the sweat building on his fingertips. "Ah. But, whose last chance, I wonder..." Veritas, held in a high guard, dared them to attack, though they would never get the chance. Saved as a trump card, Freyd called forth

Watching their captain's sword flee while still attached to his arm, but nothing else, broke the others' morale. Dropping their weapons, one among them was bold enough to posit switching allegiance. "We surrender! Please... we could... work for you? Yeah. Captain always said how important it was to find powerful clients, and you look like you have lots of coin." The others nodded, dumbly, too desperate to realize how poor a sales tactic it was to try to demonstrate your worth by betraying your previous employer. "Sorry. Your captain was also right about loyalty. A merc who d

"Do you know how many of you I've cut down just to get here?" They might have thought he was boasting, but dozens of their fellows from this building alone had not returned. Having once again donned his faceless mantle, Freyd's earlier efforts paid off as these mercenaries questioned the merit of their pay. "This isn't worth it, boys. Let's cut our losses and leave this cur to his own mess." "The Red Blades do not abandon their contracts! Try finding work if you do. We got paid. We're staying. End of story." Their captain's words stiffened the soupy steel in their spines en

What loot and pillage the brigands had already taken was stockpiled loosely in the space. There was enough to provide cover, but still sufficient gaps to swing a wide arc with his blade, when the time came. "Not a bad balance, given the likelihood of more trouble." As if bidden, another dozen thugs spilled from their hiding places to encircle him, hoping to blindside a solitary fighter. They had no way to know the depth of his vision, nor house their very presence armed him with options. A flick of his wrist sent their shadows flying away from him to engulf the lanterns scattered

Clearing out all remaining resistance from the outskirts, he knew that Cedrig's best warriors would be kept close. The man was a coward, based on everything revealed to date; a small and petty man paying others to do what he could or would not do himself. None of those assumptions were guaranteed, but the picture had been painted clearly. It just meant mopping up a bigger mess before getting to the core of the problem. Wading through a failed ambush at one of the warehouse entrances, the Whisper feigned being one of their own then turned on his would-be assailants from behind. His arm

Returning to Cedrig's not-so-discreet warehouse, Freyd charged from the shadows to decimate the main guard presence at the door. Drawing the others out, rather than getting swarmed inside a cage, seemed like the better plan. Dragging the battle out just long enough to let the alarm be raised, he retreated to favourable terrain and waited for the enemy to come to him. It didn't take long. "Your predictable compliance is appreciated. Please accept this complimentary sword slash as your reward." The quizzical expression on the mob's face was precious. "Don't worry, lads. I brou

"No. Probably not. Unless he's a very precautious twelve-year-old, or something." "He is not, though he may sometimes act like one. I'd Elgar, by the way. Thank you, on behalf of my house. We might have been decimated without your timely intervention. Rest assured that you'll be well-rewarded for your troubles." Freyd nodded, absentmindedly, checking on the petal count in his inventory, preferring not to have to explain why. The NPC would not have understood, leaving that awkward hanging gulch that occasionally developed in the AI processors when the system was reminded that

Allowing himself a brief detour to explore the local festivities confirmed that the chaos hadn't quite reached them yet. Whatever kerfuffles had been set off were still limited to dark alleys, seedy bars and other places of ill repute. Finding the contact the merchant in Ronbaru had described to him, he filled the rather startled man on the plot against him and his family. "Seems like you have some bad blood in the lineage," he began. Mention of Cedrig quickly connected the dots. "I can't say I'm surprised. The man's always had more ambition and money than brains. I just never t

Ordsea's criminal underbelly was already popping Pepto before he even got close, panic setting in as the locals fretted that others were coming to steal their turf. By the time Freyd actually entered the City, the guard were in a tizzy, wondering what could possibly have set the streets afire. "They say some big crime boss is moving in. Some sort of hostile takeover thing? Sounds like we might have a nasty turf war heading out way." "Not great with the festival going on," replied his partner, as he waved a normal-looking Freyd through the gates. It seemed his mischief might have g

By the end of the afternoon, the original mob had been whittled down to stragglers. Groups were turned into solitary survivors, left to find their way back to Lichten in disarray. When the last of the ambush group had been dealt with, Freyd interrogated the rest and found his way to a nearby barn that had been used as a staging area. The lot inside had a few more brains, which were quickly scattered into the stalls to keep the mess in check. Tongues loosened considerably towards the end, several mentioning the name Cedrig, and associating it with a particular emblem he's already spotted ar

Racing through the woods, full bore, another gaggle broke the tree line and cut through a low, narrow gorge cut through the countryside by a shallow creek. Their hopes of escape were soon dashed when they realized how they'd funneled themselves into a route with no escapes. Rounding a bend, they met Freyd's blade, his judgment delivered without hesitation or regret. He was alone, and while a few stragglers would be permitted, today was meant to sent a message to the local underworld. One our of every ten would be allowed to live. "You know who I am, yes?" Truth's tip danced a fraction

"You two stay right there where I can see you. Not another step or we'll cut you down!" Madness swirled about the edges of the speaker's eyes, his three companions just as unhinged and tainted by desperation. "Geoffrin, it's me: Karl. Come on. We can't stay here. If we make a break for Ordsea now, the rest can serve as dec..." Karl's head chose an early departure, but left the rest of him behind. Having resumed the guise of the hooded black samurai, his face concealed by a shroud of roiling shadows, Freyd stood there a moment to let the mobs ponder their fates. The black sword in

Another group gathered in a glade, brandishing weapons in an outward circle like some rag-tag tortoise formation. "Can you see where he went? Is it just the one? Oh, gods... what the hell is happening?" Every creaking branch and snapping twig, every pained cry in the distance became a source of panic rising in their throats, wondering from which direction death would come. Too late, they discovered it already in their midst. Shifting appearances once more, Freyd turned from ally into foe before their eyes. Nowhere was safe. No one to be trusted. He let two live and flee, so th

Dashing for the treeline wouldn't help them. The paths through shadow traveled by the Whisper knew no true distance. He could overtake them with little effort, springing at them from behind boughs and trunks alike. Nowhere was safe, no shelter deep or dark enough to hide in. Batman would have been proud, if he was a villain. Freyd wasn't exactly proud of all this. Diwali hardly proved a proper backdrop for this sort of thing, and at least some of these men likely had families. Poor life choices indeed. With rumours swirling about dark influences spreading in the corners and recesse

Just for kicks, the darker side of his sense of humour taking over, Freyd allowed his disguise to slip a few times. But rather than his normal guise, he deliberately revealed the face of the merchant who'd put him up to this in the first place. Well... kinda. He'd done most of the talking, and scheming, and pretty much everything else. But she'd been super-grateful, and that was something. Darting into one of the few remaining groups still flailing about to organize, a whirling slice cut most of them down at the knees. So many bursts of light were pulsing about the melee that it was

"Form ranks!" At least one had some sense, and probably a smidgen of military experience in his background. He had the look of Braso about him, and had likely joined this crowd as a result of poor life choice. A deft cut and cleave ensured that wouldn't be a problem for him any longer as his head sailed past his fellows. Not great for their morale. But they'd have bigger problems in a moment. "It's the Faceless Lord! Oh shit, we're completely fu.... arrrrgh..." Freyd grinned from the depths of his cowl, that ever-present persona having been held in reserve for months, just wait

Chaos erupted. These weren't true soldiers, but merely street thugs and hooligans enlisted by the prospect of cheap coin and no risk. Their numbers had made them brave, and those were already winnowing downward at an alarming rate. Seizing advantage in the form of sheer boldness and lethality, the Whisper's cowl found itself back in place as he carved a bloody path through the startled throng still struggling to comprehend precisely what was happening. "Ey? Wot? Man said this was an easy job. Wut's dis about then?" "Get the blighter! On me boys, we'll... Aarrggghhh..." "'

It didn't take much convincing to get the merchant to reveal her standard routes, especially after Freyd reminded her that she should be changing them anyway. The dozens of men now surrounding him outside of Ronboru were clearly not asking for his catalog. Stepping down from his decoy wagon confirmed that her suspicions had been correct, though the level of effort on display seemed a tad excessive for a single cart. "Uh... guys? Doesn't all this seem like a bit much for a single little old lady?" Judging by the gruff chuckling, baring of blades and gaping grins, they probably concurr

"I will not be blackmailed just to do business in my own city! Now get yourselves out of here and let good people be!" The highly agitated merchant dressed in southern garb wilted the gaggle of men gathered around her, each of them at least a hand's length taller than her, and burlier by far. Her sheer audacity at drawing attention to their bluster attracted unwanted that such ruffian tactics are rarely able to withstand. Freyd happened to be wandering near enough to overhear the exchange. "Trouble in Ordsea's paradise?" "Heh. You might say that. Those goons were sent by m

Something about Ordsea gave Freyd the creeps, like the entire region carried a palpable veneer of benevolence it hadn't earned and didn't deserve. Sure, the various churches and academies were all impressive, but they felt pompous and arrogant in their decor. Maybe it was just his father's preference for sterile modern aesthetic being channeled through unpurgeable indoctrination, but his spy-dey senses were tingling just as strongly. There were threats here, sinister and insidious. The type that would smile at you while their agents lined up their custom order daggers to stab you with the g

"What happened to you guys last night?" Freyd had spent most of the night by the fire, swapping stories with the Braso Bros, unexpectedly finding them a friendlier bunch than their reputation had suggested. Foyle was still looking pretty rough in the morning, leading them all to speculate that his marriage fever dream might have involved post-nuptual celebrations. No official records had been filed, no ring or other bindings found, suggesting he might have gotten lucky, in every way. "Just be grateful you didn't break any bones. Those ladies had more meat on their bones than half the

At first glance, Torgok itself might have been a bandit camp. Braso's polar welcome already left much to be desired, including the freak and sporadic blizzards that ended as suddenly as they began, often with a bonus cold snap to freeze any potentially lingering moisture. Combined with the ever-present, ambient winter's dark, it made for quite the cozy hellhole. "People actually live here by choice? It makes Snowfrost look like a summer paradise." What might have otherwise elicited a chuckle barely garnered a shivering clatter of teeth from his traveling companions. "Wow. To