"Well, perhaps if we manage to successfully help ferry the villagers to the capital, we'll get enough leeway for them to pardon us." Taliyah leans against the wall of the shack, trusting in the probable good nature of the guards and they'd speak up for them.

"Prisoners... wait, what!?"  Signeta gasps, "You all seem like nice folk, what in the world did you do?"

After hearing your explanations, she nods along. "I see... yeah, laws can be stupid sometimes. I'm not the judge, though, but from what you've done, you have a high chance of not being punished—as long as you don't badmouth—" That's when it clicks for her, Signeta gasps... hard, and she eyes Maya, her hands shaking. 

"Oh... Oh God, there is one very important but extremely obscure law you might be breaking, miss." She gulps, "I don't think an ordinary guard or even an officer would know, but a lawyer and the judge will definitely take notice of this." 

She breathes out "When the United States of Lancea was in power, they had a constitution, it's a law of laws, something which is used as a basis for other laws out there—but as expected, most of what's written is extremely biased and unfair. After its collapse, the Provisional Government of Lancea based their new constitution on the old one, they removed all the unfair laws, but a few of them were left over—including the one which states that speaking any language other than Lancean or the four major secondary languages are prohibited.

"The reason why every single civilised being on this planet speaks the same language, even though we've been here for thousands of years, was because of that law. In order to accelerate cultural globalisation, they execute anyone who doesn't play by the rules: tribal people—dead, intellectuals—dead, other races that don't fit their ideals—dead, history that doesn't fit their agenda—destroyed, old art and literature—destroyed. It was part of their Year Zero programme: wipe out everything and restart from a clean slate, where the state is above all and everyone on Lancea is united as one."

She points to the painting with her and Paulis in it, "I remembered that one time when I was having tea with him and he began lamenting about his mate." Not wife, mate. Back then, bestial races used 'mate' to refer to their lovers. But times have changed, and the beastfolks now use 'wife,' 'husband,' or 'partner.' "She was the last Undercommon speaker in Lancea, which itself is the last surviving pre-Unification language. Female Tortles have a much longer lifespan than males, not to mention she was a Druid too—when they're powerful enough, they gain the ability to slow their ageing. She wanted to preserve the language for the next generation, but when the government found out about it, they executed her and tortured Paulis until he revealed the location where her Undercommon document was stashed—they then burned down the papers, wiping the last trace of pre-Unification language from the face of the planet."

"Five thousand years later, the United States of Lancea collapsed, and the Provisional Government of Lancea took its place. They decided to leave the 'no speaking pre-Unification languages' law intact because they thought there was no way any language other than the 'Big Five' would survive Year Zero. Paulis tried to protest this, but they ignored him and after four thousand years... he was right, some language did survive." She crosses her arms, "Once Cezars realise this, he will definitely use it against you—assuming the dragon doesn't keep him locked in forever. But judging from his behaviour, he'd probably opt for trial-by-combat anyway."

Historically, trial-by-combat was one of the most common ways to settle disputes in medieval times, particularly among Germanic tribes. It's much more straightforward than a traditional court, with no need for endless paperwork and waiting, the prosecutor and the defendant just fight in the arena and whoever survives wins the case—still, it's entirely up to the judge, after all, they have supreme authority in a courtroom, surpassing even leaders and grand priests.

"Right now, I'd suggest you talk with the guards first, ask them when the trial will start and when you should come to the court." The guards are still not in your view, but you can find them in the base camp not too far away. "After that, find Paulis and ask him for Lancean teaching material. You have the right to remain silent, but if you can speak, you'd have more chance to stand up for yourself—whatever you do, don't speak that language in the court at all, you'd pretty much get life imprisonment immediately, as much as the judge hates handing out that sentence, it must be done because the law said so—as nonsensical as it may be." She says to Maya.

"Paulis will pay for whatever artefact you find, you'll get to meet him and you'll also earn some cash, hit two birds with one stone." Jedwiga clears her throat loudly from the door, and Signeta nervously chuckles. "I mean... two opportunities in one place. You can use the money you earn to get yourself a lawyer, that way, you won't lose the case immediately if someone decides to press charge against you." Says the halfling.

She turns to Shugo and Taliyah, "You should send a message to your country's embassy in Varti first. They will be able to provide you with more information on what needs to be done for foreigners, but that can't happen right now, since there is a storm brewing." She drums her finger on the table, "You can try asking for Elmars to grant you pardon, but that should be your last resort because that means you'll owe him a favour and he can force you to work for him at any given moment. Like I said, he will try to use every opportunity to get you to work for him." Since you're in his jurisdiction, he's the only one who can grant you pardon, the other option is Vladimirs XII, but that's completely out of the question since he's so sick he can't even sign his name on the paper. That's how hierarchy in the monarchist system works, total power in the hands (or in this case, claws) of one person, they have the right to decide everything, they can either ruin an entire nation or turn it into an utopia with one decision.

The 'speak Big Five only law' can also be repealed by Vladimirs XII too... and that's also out of the question due to the reasons above.

*Renar lets off a shocked, yet annoyed expression as the old lady faints* Seriously?! Come on, lady! Don't just act all drama-like where you end up falling unconscious and embarrassing yourselves in front of strangers you don't even know! Urgh... is she even awake at this point? "You guys go deal with her. I'm going outside..." *Renar leaves the building only to find...* Hmm? Wait... Okaa-san! Alex! They're back! "Guys! They're alive! Alex and Maya-san! They're back oh my gosh! And they brought our weapons too!" *He runs over to Alex and notices his battered state underneath his armour* Geez what happened to Alex? Okaa-san seems fine but how did he end up with these gashes? These ones looked really fresh to me... Oh right. "Uh... our hostage um... well... a dragon wanted to take him with her. I mean, so long as he doesn't cross paths with us again, that, I guess, should be fine with all of us. This mean we only have one more hostage to with as of this moment. As for Wolfy... well... I have a feeling about him when he's with that girl with two eye colours..." *He rolls his eyes in annoyance as he then notices Maya striding towards him with his katana* Oh right. Okaa-san. She's here too. And she has my katana, Inazuma! Thank goodness! I'm sure Shugo-kun would be proud to have his sword back too. *He also notices some mushroom guys following behind her though as his sense tingle*

"Ah! Maya-san! Inazuma! Daijoubu-de...su... What hell are those things?!" *His claws crackle with electricity as he snarls* What the-?! Who are those mushroom people?! "Did they try to control you or something?! Did you bring enemies to our place?! Why are they- *He gets slapped across the face as his mother scolds him for both the bridge and accusing the myconids about being their enemies* Nanishiteruno?! Ittai naze watashi o hirateuchi shita nodesu ka? Karera ga ushiro ni iru no ga miemasen ka- (なしてるの?! 一体なぜ私を平手打ちしたのですか？彼らが後ろにいるのが見えませんか- What are you doing? Why the hell did you slap me?! Can't you see that they're behind-) *But then he feels the massive force of his mother's giant hug and feels her soft body in the process, causing him to blush in embarrassment* Uh... Maya-san... Arigato... shikashi... (ありが...としか... Thank you... but...) Not... w-w-when there's people around..." Okaa-san... please... don't get all too- NO! PLEASE LET GO! THEY'RE NOT THE WILDLAND SHIFTERS! ARGH! GET OFF ME I'M NOT A CUB ANYMORE! *As Maya lets go she promptly hands Inazuma and its sheath back to her son before he quickly fastens the sheath onto his left hip* Sigh... but... thanks I guess. It's great to have our gear back after this near disaster. "Well, we're glad that you're both alive and have kept each other mostly safe. Welcome back you two. And besides, what was on the other side?" *But then he notices Maya's concerned expression as she unloads the box* "D... doshitano (どした, what happened), Maya-san? Is something wrong?"  Did Okaa-san perhaps encounter something dastardly whilst she fell down..? Oh... I see. The path to Madura is blocked huh? We need to obtain amethyst and another ice-like crystals to get potions huh? It's kinda interesting to hear that you can brew these mystical liquids using these precious gemstones alone; In the Sword Coast you gotta have a circle of wizards or sorcerers at most plus having some other expensive stuff that people have died searching for in the past, I can't really remember. I noticed Okaa-san gesture those weird mushroom people a 'hush' though. She's already seen through my disguise hasn't she? *His fox ears droop unnoticeably* Ugh... pulling my leg like that... now what? Do we go and find those specified crystals to make enough potions for us six and everyone else crossing the lava chasm where they came from huh? But... *He pulls out and glances at the weird looking map* That Threat Level 6 area... "If you guys want to progress I assume the stuff we need is in the purple and blue caves. The thing is... one of them is a threat level 6 area, let alone acting as a gateway to what I presume is the amethyst cave, as in, the purple one. Unless if we cross the threat level 4 area first to get to the purple cave... that where Alex and Maya-san came from, right? We don't have many options other than the ones I suggested. And we can't stay here forever. Those people need to seek refuge somewhere else once they've recovered too you know."

*He overhears Shugo and Venet talking about Paulis but scoffs* Honestly I've swarmed by so much misinformation throughout my time in this world I don't even know who to believe anymore... So is he just plain antisocial like me or does he actually enjoy newcomers who share his interest? "You guys pick whatever suits you when the time comes. I'd rather not barge in and complicate things any further." *He hears the old lady gasp when Maya speak Japanese* "Oh pardon her weird manner of speaking but she can't really-" *He hears the stupid rule about not being able to speak any language other than Lancean and widens his eyes in shock* WHAT?! YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO SPEAK ANY OTHER LANGUAGE? ALL BECAUSE OF- WHAT THE- WHAT KIND OF DUMB RULE IS THAT?! You guys just don't want to give us kitsunes a break don't you? So what...? My best bet right now is that Okaa-san needs to stay silent during the stupid trial... but... *He stares at the myoconids as they release spores and sends Maya into panic* Huh? Okaa-san can understand them? Or can they understand her? Because if she reacts then... what are they even realisng into the air? *He approaches his mother*  "Uh... Maya-san... Ano... Kinoko... Dōshite karera wa anata no koto o rikai dekiru nodeshou ka? (あの...キノコ...どうして彼らはあなたのことを理解できるのでしょうか?, Those... mushrooms... how can they understand you?) *He turns to the others* Also, does anyone else know where the other guards are? I forgot when our stupid trail is suppose to happen..."

To her son: "Hai. Watashitachi ga ikubeki basho e no michi ga fusaga rete imasu. Mitsukenakereba narimasen... E tto... Ameji... suto? Watashi wa... Sore ni kōri mo... Min'na ni mo. (はい. 私たちが行くべき場所への道が塞がれています。見つけなければなりません...えっと...アメジ... スト? 私は...それに氷も...みんなにも. Yes. The path to where we need to go is blocked. We need to find... um... ame... thyst? I think... plus an ice one... for everyone too.)"

"Hmm? Doshitano, oba-san? (どうしたの、おばあさん?, What's the matter old lady?)" Maya asks her as soon as her massive fox ears pick up the lady's exaggerated gasp. And then she hears a wall of unrecognised language being thrown at her youthful face whilst she morphs into confusion and turns to the myoconids and her son. "Renar-kun... Kinoko-tachi... tasukete..." She complains. Kono kawaii ko-tachi no namae mo kangaenakereba narimasen. Moshika shitara, karera o yori yoku shikibetsu dekiru nanika o ataeru kamo shiremasen. (この可愛い子たちの名前も考えなければなりません。もしかしたら、彼らをよりよく識別できる何かを与えるかもしれません... I'll have to think of names for these cute little guys too. Maybe give them something to identify them better...) She further adds on in her thoughts. Luckily for her, the mushrooms beat her son and translate the not-so-pleasant news for her, causing her to wear a shocked gasp as she tightly clutches her large chest. "AH?! Nihongo o hanashitara korosareru?! Naze?! (日本語を話したら殺される?! なぜ?! 黙っていなければいけないのでしょうか?!, They'll kill me if I speak Japanese?! Why?! Do I have to stay silent then?!)" Ironically, Maya's normally a silent, reserved woman herself, so this task shouldn't be that of an issue. But even so, the threat of speaking a foreign language spelling death? This never happens in the Sword Coast at all; If there was such a law she wouldn't have even gave birth to her two children and survive to this day. This trial really seems messed up to even her vivid imaginations...

Quote from PyromaniIsDeadThankGod >>

*He approaches his mother*  "Uh... Maya-san... Ano... Kinoko... Dōshite karera wa anata no koto o rikai dekiru nodeshou ka? (あの...キノコ...どうして彼らはあなたのことを理解できるのでしょうか?, Those... mushrooms... how can they understand you?) *He turns to the others* Also, does anyone else know where the other guards are? I forgot when our stupid trail is suppose to happen..."

Maya giggles before turning to face her somewhat gullible son on her tippy toes and points to the camps. "Bakana. Anchisukiru wa asoko no kyanpu ni iru yo. (馬鹿な。警備員はあそこのキャンプにいるよ, Silly. The guards are over there at the camps.) Ano kawaii yatsura ni kanshite wa… (あの可愛い奴らに関しては… As for those cute little guys...)" She nods at them to demonstrate to the rest on how they communicate with a simple clawed hand gesture. Sate... Obāsan ga hanashite iru ma, watashi no musuko ga nani o kangaete ita ka wakarimasu ka? (さて...おばあさんが話している間、私の息子が何を考えていたかわかりますか?, Now then... can you guys pick up on what my son was thinking whilst the old lady was talking?) She thinks as she smirks. Renar will definitely have to watch out what he yells out in his mind from now on if they could recap what he screamed in his thoughts. She's so thankful to have allies on her side to aid not only herself, but her entire team too. Even if it's just a temporary measure, it's still better than nothing. In fact, if telepathy can be bypassed, then maybe she could convey in her head what she really want to say through her son; All she needs to do is have those mushrooms hide somewhere safely but in close proximity of her and the others whilst she communicates her reasoning if possible, before it relays to her son or anyone else speaking up via its spores (without letting the judge see it of course). That way she won't have to speak up but also stand for her case through someone else speaking a language that she cannot yet understand. It sounds very finicky, but that's what she has in her mind, and it's also what she has yet to relay to everyone else, maybe before when the time of the trial comes.

Wait, so Maya was breaking the law just by not knowing Lancean? Alex's eyes bulge for a moment... he hadn't even realize that! His head swivels to where Maya is talking to Renar, and he wonders again how she managed to stay secluded enough to not know the common tongue. He shakes his head, "I guess we really should go see Paulis then shouldn't we?" He gives a start when Renar says he doesn't want to go see Paulis, and then... Wait, will their party split over this?!

"Hey uh... I get what you're saying Renar, but Paulis is a neutral party. If we meet him this way then we won't be tied to either side! Plus we could potentially get some books to help Maya learn Lancean. Doesn't that sound worth it to you?" He pauses, lowering his head for a moment as he thinks. Then he says, "Though, we do have to worry about these prisoners too, and we don't want to miss our trial. Perhaps it would be best if we asked the guards first..." He looks around, suddenly remembering that Cezars was gone again in spite of just having been told... which, in that case, did they even need to worry about Cezars being a challenge during their trial? It felt wrong having a trial without him... wait, is that even legal? The half-elf is still with them though, so there's that but... He shakes his head. No time to worry about that yet. The guards will have to figure that out for them. 

"Honestly, if we can get away with it, I think that seeing Paulis would be beneficial for all of us. Plus if we can make some money, it would be good to be able to pay our own lawyer instead of letting them give us one. Then we know that ours is really on our side and not just doing it because he has to." 

Then he catches sight of the Myconids releasing spores again, and quickly retreats a safe distance away... well, as quickly as he can without looking like he's retreating. He instead goes to talk to Talyah, "Hey! Thanks so much for sending Pixel! Even though things turned out to be alright, and we didn't have too much trouble finding you all again, it was a comfort to have him there to let us know that you guys were alright." He pulls out her weapons, "Here! We got these back while we were down there. There were some nice fire newts who offered to help us... uh, well me make potions for getting past the boiling lake. But, I'm not sure if we want to do that yet, gotta figure out where everyone wants to go and... what to do about the refugees." 

Shugo blinks. Wow if HE had passed out like that he certainly wouldn't be up and chatting again that fast. That lady sure is an interesting woman. He listens to what she says, all while gripping his sword as if to remind himself that yes...he does really have it back. Uuuuuugggggh. So they do really have to go to court even though that jerk got to play hooky. WHY! How does he keep getting tangled into these things?! He came here for ONE reason, and now he's getting tangled up in every person's problems that he runs into.

His eyes bulge when Signeta recommends that he contact the embassy. WONDERFUL. Now his whole family will find out about this. He'd been trying so hard to keep his little escapade under wraps. Not only that, someone from the other clans will definitely find out about this as well. He sinks back in his chair, looking ill. Why did it have to come to this. Well...so long as the court rules that he is innocent they can't really hold it to much against him. Right? Plus no one expects much from him...so it's not like he's putting a dent into his family's reputation...well...maybe he's scratched it...but it wouldn't be the first time...he'll just have to buff it out with a little elbow grease.

Even thinking about that doesn't help him feel any better...or look any better for that matter. Well all he can do at this point is face the music, and suffer through the boring court meeting. "I think..." he starts, "I think the refugees can stay here." He mumbles. "Then we go to court...and then we see the turtle guy..."

Venet sighs, it seems at every turn they gain some ground only to lose some again. Would the guards really want to pursue this when they lost Cezars? That's not even counting the bridge collapse and them almost being beat up by a mob of angry citizens. 

She nods in agreement with Shugo when he says the refugees should stay here. "Maybe we can get the mushroom people to ask the fey if its okay for them to?"

"We should ask the guards first to see if we have to do a trial still at least, but I think giving Paulis an artifact would be the best way to meet him. I don't want to take sides with anyone."

Taliyah lets out a hiss after Signeta finishes speaking, irritation clear on her face. "Well isn't that just great. Renar, how long do you reckon it'd take for you to teach Maya Lancean? I wouldn't be against helping however I can, and I'm sure the others would agree on this." She turns to Alex. "It was no problem, I figured it'd be more useful for us to stay connected then for me to have his help."

"Ma'am, you forgot to lock the door." Right on cue, Kristians and Altairs appear at the front door, with Jedwiga behind them. The bugbear, Altairs, has a stack of paper in his claws. When they see the sight of your party, though, both of them smile. "I'm glad to have you back, everyone... Sorry that I couldn't find better paths without bottomless chasms, like I've mentioned, this place isn't exactly easy to travel; everyone would just live here for the rest of their lives. The surface world can suck sometimes, you know." He scratches the back of his head.

Kristians looks down and sees a bunch of myconids... with a strange-looking wooden spear thing strapped to their back. Alex and Maya have seen it first, but now it's your turn too.

"Oh... my sweet God in Heaven... Give me that!" He snatches the thing from a myconid, "How in God's name did you find a bunch of myconids running around with a rifle!?" So... that's what it's called. He inspects the rifle thoroughly, flipping it upside down at every angle possible. He points the rifle's metal tube thing at his face and pulls the trigger, and the rifle makes a few mechanical clicks inside the metal tube. "Hmm... seems empty."

The myconid that Kristians snatched their rifle from releases their spore at him. 

"Uh-huh." He responds to the myconid's question out loud, because spores can be selective, a private conversation between a myconid and someone else would feel like a one-way conversation, since you'll be able to only hear one side of it.

"Yeah, the war ended. There is a bit of pollution here and there, but you'll be fine."

Kristians tilt his head, "Bombs that were made out of plutonium and uranium, aren't both of them just a bunch of glowing rocks people put on glass to make it glow in the dark? How could it—"

Kristians lets out the second loudest gasp you ever hear, "The bomb made mushroom clouds and poisoned the ground!?" He gasps harder. "What!? Is it not magical? Not a volcano either? You can't make a mushroom cloud artificially!" He goes quiet for a while, before calming down and nodding along. "I see..."

Eventually, the drow turns toward the party. "They say they want to give this gun to you as a thank-you gift for leading them outside." He holds the gun flat with his two hands, presenting it to you. "This is LR 6532-8, a copy of a human-made Mosin Nagant M95/30. It uses 6.8x60mm ammo... which I have no idea where to find one. Guns like these are already extraordinarily rare, you might find one or two of them in a mass grave during the First Planetary War, but to see one in such a perfect state is nothing short of a miracle itself..."

He rubs the gun, "According to my mother's mother, who served in the First Planetary War, she said that younger generations with less advanced technology levels will never grasp how powerful these things can be. You point at someone, you pull the trigger, and that person will die. The bullet fired from this thing will pierce through even the strongest magically enhanced armour, and spells won't do anything to stop it either—but it won't function until you find 6.8x60mm ammo to load this thing with." Without the 6.8x60mm, LR 6532-8 is essentially a glorified stick. Paulis probably won't accept it as it doesn't tell much about the history of Lancea... and it doesn't even function properly.

Once someone in the party accepts the rifle, he dusts himself and continues. "It seems like these myconids arrived after the bombs dropped during the First Planetary War. We've always thought that it was some kind of highly advanced magic, but that doesn't seem to be the case, and I have no idea how a bunch of random minerals can create an explosion either." Mushrooms can absorb radioactive elements, maybe that's why they were the first to figure out what the bombs were made out of. "But let's focus on the present, for now, Altairs."

The bugbear walks toward you and hands each of you a stack of papers. It's a bunch of legal jargon and overcomplicated language, at the end of the last page, there is a line for your signature and a date—10th April -1C 4983 CY. It's a court summon, and you have to be there by the date that's listed, or else there will be an arrest warrant for all of you.

For the four foreigners of the party, there is an extra line on the last page too, which says 'signature from the embassy here.'  The embassies of each nation aren't located in the duchy capital but in the kingdom capital. In Kerwos' case, it's Varti, which is quite a distance from here.

Kristains walks forward and clasps his hands. "You six have proven that you have no intention to escape, and you've saved both us soldiers and the villagers from their doom. I don't even want to imagine how ugly things will get if we rub that dragon in the wrong way... by the way, dragons aren't considered to be 'civilised,' so the law doesn't apply to them. All I can do is hope that she will release him, or else things might get ugly on her side." He glances to the side, then back at the rest of the group. "You are free to roam now, just make sure to show up at the Madura court by the 10th of April, or else there might be additional charges. Make sure you find a lawyer too, you should press charges against Cezars considering what he'd done to you.

Right now, it's 22:00. You can see the diurnal animals outside lying down and preparing to sleep, and the villagers far away are getting their bedrolls out and making a bed. You too should probably sleep, Altairs and Jedwiga wave goodbye to the halfling lady and they walk back to the base camp, you should probably follow them and get some rest too

Snapping out of his sick spell which the guards walk in, Shugo quickly swipes the gun as soon as the other elf offers it to them. He has no idea why they would just give them something that's apparently super rare, but he's not about to turn down that offer. Maybe his father would like this thing? Maybe? Only after he has the gun in his hands does he realize that swiping it without approval from the rest of the party was probably rude. "Ahheheh," He laughs oddly smiling at the others, "It's alright that I hold onto this isn't it?" He points to the long rifle.

When the guards mention lawyers, he seems to melt again. Ugh. At least they aren't being held under lock and key anymore. Shaking himself, determined not to think about it anymore, he rushes after the guards. "I don't know about you all but I need some rest."

She frowns at the paperwork she is handed. They could just.. not make us go to court?

Venet isn't interested in the rifle thing. She hardly uses her weapons as is. "It's fine with me." 

She's pretty tired as well, following Shugo out and setting up a place to rest. She thinks about playing something on her viol but ends up fast asleep on her bedroll cuddling the instrument instead.

Alexander's eyes go wide in excitement over the rifle, and he lifts his hands as if to take it--only for his enthusiasm to deflate when Shugo swipes the ancient weapon. But, just as quickly as it left, he resumes his smile and excitement (though not to the previous extent) as he says, "Oh... ok. I'm not really great with ranged weapons anyways... could I maybe... take a look at it sometime though? I... well, I kinda like old things." He's not sure about the whole, point, shoot, insta-kill someone, but he likes history. "But... shouldn't Maya have first dibs? She was the one who led the Myconids here in the first place..."

He trails off, reading the papers carefully after receiving his copy. He was always taught to read everything before signing--even if it felt like the documents were designed to encourage people to just... sign without reading. He nods as Kristans talks, and then slowly signs the paper. "Thanks," he says somberly. "We'll find a lawyer. I'll make sure we get a good one." He has no idea where to start looking, but maybe the Church can help them out. 

Quote from Aroc_of_Eaf >>

Wait, so Maya was breaking the law just by not knowing Lancean? Alex's eyes bulge for a moment... he hadn't even realize that! His head swivels to where Maya is talking to Renar, and he wonders again how she managed to stay secluded enough to not know the common tongue. He shakes his head, "I guess we really should go see Paulis then shouldn't we?" He gives a start when Renar says he doesn't want to go see Paulis, and then... Wait, will their party split over this?!

"Hey uh... I get what you're saying Renar, but Paulis is a neutral party. If we meet him this way then we won't be tied to either side! Plus we could potentially get some books to help Maya learn Lancean. Doesn't that sound worth it to you?" He pauses, lowering his head for a moment as he thinks. Then he says, "Though, we do have to worry about these prisoners too, and we don't want to miss our trial. Perhaps it would be best if we asked the guards first..." 

What-? I... *Renar gazes at Alex with confusion* Did I say something wrong? I just... what the... "Um... I meant I whichever decision you guys make with seeing that tortle guy I uh... I'll follow. I did... um... I-I-didn't say I don't want to s-s-see him or anything! Did I say something wrong?" *He whips his head away and grits angrily* What I also meant was we get this stupid trials done and over with, get the rest to safety then we can go mind our own business and go see Paulis. Or maybe get the items for the potions first then we plan what to do next! Ugh! Why is it that every time I try to come up with something practical for everyone I end up causing a major misunderstanding instead?! What the hell is wrong with everyone?! *Clenches his fists slightly* I swear to... So what? You want me to break the law next and get ourselves killed?! Honestly if I wasn't losing a war on my end I would... but unlike here, I have others in another world that rely on me; They need me and my knowledge. They need Okaa-san too... her power is slowly waning, but I can tell she's giving her all even as of now... she's got incredible mental willpower that I can confirm myself. *He relaxes and glances at Maya when...*

Quote from Ace0fLuck >>

Taliyah lets out a hiss after Signeta finishes speaking, irritation clear on her face. "Well isn't that just great. Renar, how long do you reckon it'd take for you to teach Maya Lancean? I wouldn't be against helping however I can, and I'm sure the others would agree on this." She turns to Alex. "It was no problem, I figured it'd be more useful for us to stay connected then for me to have his help."

"Funny enough if we weren't caught in this stupid mess of all things I would have instantly taught her from the very beginning after we had woken up!" I scoff back with zero trace of humour or optimism in my voice. She is right though. This isn't time to play games anymore; Somehow Okaa-san's not speaking Eng- Uh I mean... Lancean... as much as she was in the Sword Coast. Has she really forgotten everything too? Does the portal come with a side-effect of wiping out the knowledge you had gained after years of dedication? I really cannot tell. Rubbing salt onto the wound is that Okaa-san is also a very slow learner, so I won't be so sure if she can properly regain what she had learnt even under my watch. And they say mothers have to teach their offspring too... *Notices Maya eyeing him and rolls his eyes* Well look who's gonna be the one teaching once we find somewhere private...

Quote from ACNSuphalak >>

Kristians looks down and sees a bunch of myconids... with a strange-looking wooden spear thing strapped to their back. Alex and Maya have seen it first, but now it's your turn too.

"Oh... my sweet God in Heaven... Give me that!" He snatches the thing from a myconid, "How in God's name did you find a bunch of myconids running around with a rifle!?" So... that's what it's called. He inspects the rifle thoroughly, flipping it upside down at every angle possible. He points the rifle's metal tube thing at his face and pulls the trigger, and the rifle makes a few mechanical clicks inside the metal tube. "Hmm... seems empty."

 

Kristians tilt his head, "Bombs that were made out of plutonium and uranium, aren't both of them just a bunch of glowing rocks people put on glass to make it glow in the dark? How could it—"

Kristians lets out the second loudest gasp you ever hear, "The bomb made mushroom clouds and poisoned the ground!?" He gasps harder. "What!? Is it not magical? Not a volcano either? You can't make a mushroom cloud artificially!" He goes quiet for a while, before calming down and nodding along. "I see..."

Eventually, the drow turns toward the party. "They say they want to give this gun to you as a thank-you gift for leading them outside." He holds the gun flat with his two hands, presenting it to you. "This is LR 6532-8, a copy of a human-made Mosin Nagant M95/30. It uses 6.8x60mm ammo... which I have no idea where to find one. Guns like these are already extraordinarily rare, you might find one or two of them in a mass grave during the First Planetary War, but to see one in such a perfect state is nothing short of a miracle itself..."

He rubs the gun, "According to my mother's mother, who served in the First Planetary War, she said that younger generations with less advanced technology levels will never grasp how powerful these things can be. You point at someone, you pull the trigger, and that person will die. The bullet fired from this thing will pierce through even the strongest magically enhanced armour, and spells won't do anything to stop it either—but it won't function until you find 6.8x60mm ammo to load this thing with." Without the 6.8x60mm, LR 6532-8 is essentially a glorified stick. Paulis probably won't accept it as it doesn't tell much about the history of Lancea... and it doesn't even function properly.

A gun? I never knew they existed here; Ethan's little brother would love to play with this dangerous weapon of some sort- *Jolts as Shugo instantly takes the gun away from the dark elf* That was fast... I never knew he was into this kind of stuff. Welp... I mean... not that either of us especially me or Okaa-san can use one properly. But... *He again stares at the mushroom myconids with curiously as his tail wags* Those living, headless fungi... they lived since whatever the first planetary war was... they had survived since then? And were they hiding underground all this time, getting used to the darkness for eons, losing their sight and developing other things like their... spores... I think... and did not know what was happening up on our end all this time until now? Sheesh. Maybe we might have to teach these poor fellows a thing or to if they trust Okaa-san that badly. Maybe there's more to them than meets the eye... they don't seem hostile to us yet. I wonder what they think of Okaa-san? Don't they release that the last of her kind, let alone mine, went down years ago?

Quote from ACNSuphalak >>

 The bugbear walks toward you and hands each of you a stack of papers. It's a bunch of legal jargon and overcomplicated language, at the end of the last page, there is a line for your signature and a date—10th April -1C 4983 CY. It's a court summon, and you have to be there by the date that's listed, or else there will be an arrest warrant for all of you.

For the four foreigners of the party, there is an extra line on the last page too, which says 'signature from the embassy here.'  The embassies of each nation aren't located in the duchy capital but in the kingdom capital. In Kerwos' case, it's Varti, which is quite a distance from here.

Kristains walks forward and clasps his hands. "You six have proven that you have no intention to escape, and you've saved both us soldiers and the villagers from their doom. I don't even want to imagine how ugly things will get if we rub that dragon in the wrong way... by the way, dragons aren't considered to be 'civilised,' so the law doesn't apply to them. All I can do is hope that she will release him, or else things might get ugly on her side." He glances to the side, then back at the rest of the group. "You are free to roam now, just make sure to show up at the Madura court by the 10th of April, or else there might be additional charges. Make sure you find a lawyer too, you should press charges against Cezars considering what he'd done to you.

Right now, it's 22:00. You can see the diurnal animals outside lying down and preparing to sleep, and the villagers far away are getting their bedrolls out and making a bed. You too should probably sleep, Altairs and Jedwiga wave goodbye to the halfling lady and they walk back to the base camp, you should probably follow them and get some rest too

 Oh great. Rubbing salt on the wound for a second time?! Seriously?! How did I end up in this barrel of disaster again other than the portal ceasing to function properly? "Thanks... I guess... I'll deal with this tonight when we all rest." Great... I don't even know where the stupid embassies are, let alone what they mean. They don't have this in Japan do they, this embassy thing? No wait... *He whips his head around scouting for danger and making sure Maya isn't causing anymore trouble* 10th April... that's a tight stretch. How are we supposed to see that Tortle guy and make it back to face our stupid-looking scenario? Oh wait... the potions. If it's blocked then... *He feels his head spinning after trying to juggle so much information* I probably need to rest. Maybe... if I scamper off to somewhere where I can seclude myself... would Okaa-san follow me? As my mother she's always desperate not to lose me out of her sight. So maybe that could be the case, now that everyone's feeling super drowsy. 

Quote from Rynn_Elocin >>

When the guards mention lawyers, he seems to melt again. Ugh. At least they aren't being held under lock and key anymore. Shaking himself, determined not to think about it anymore, he rushes after the guards. "I don't know about you all but I need some rest."

"Need some rest?! I need truckloads of rest AND air! I'm going to bed!" I scowl as I instantly retreat in the opposite direction of my teammates when we all reached the camp together. After again causing a misunderstanding that I never even wanted to rile up, I just can't seem to think of something bright. It's as if my words will never be able to save a life when the time calls for it. But then again... *He turns to Alex and his mood lightens a little* "But still... welcome back. I'm glad you and Maya-san are ok. We were all worried sick for both of you."

*He then whips his head forwards and scowls again* But also... deep down... I was hoping that Okaa-san... would follow me somewhere... so that we can have our quiet reunion... *He glances back to make sure Maya's on his tail, before ducking into a secluded corner inside an unoccupied tent* "Is it ok if I stay inside here by myself? Thanks. I appreciate it." Now then... if I recall... Okaa-san's gonna split off from the rest and wonder what I'm up to... right?

If Maya chooses to follow:

For Renar and Maya:

The place where the camp of the villagers is located is on top of a hill, and all of you can see where the village's livestock rests. They built a small pen, where sheep, cows, and swine sleep together.

And then there is the gryphon which belonged to Cezars a few days earlier. Animals and some semi-civilised beings have no name at birth, but they will adopt a name any civilised being gives them during their lifetime. If the name-giver dies or (in the case of a tamed animal) abandons them, they will revert to having no name again. From now on, we will refer to Felića as 'black gryphon' or 'gryphon' until someone else gives her a new name.

The gryphon is lying in a small cage, it's so small that she can barely spread her wings or even walk around. When she sees the party, she looks at you and claws at the lock on the cage's door. Cezars' saddle is nowhere to be seen.

"Faminé..." ("Hungry...") She sits down, fatigued, and looks at the sleeping livestock. She looks back at you and claws at the lock again, "Ẽ qwere liber, este xãla aparta... favõr" ("I want to be free, this cage is too tight... please.") Here's the thing, though. There are a lot of unicorns in the area, and gryphons prey on unicorns, letting the gryphon loose means she could wreak havoc on the cave's ecosystem and anger the fey if you can't control her. Since none of you are Druid or Ranger, you don't know how to tame a gryphon, but at least this one has some degree of trust toward you. It's not much, but it's a start.

Then... the greedy half-elf that attempted to rescue Cezars this morning steps into the view. Her hand is shackled, but her legs are free. "Nice gryphon, isn't it? She's tame and her feathers are well-cared for, she'd make some good money on the mounts market, and I know you all need money more than ever." The half-elf smirks.

"How about a deal: you keep this gryphon in a cage, find a wagon large enough to transport her with you, you go to any stable in any village and sell her—after that, we share the profits, win-win for both of us. So... deal?" She tilts her head.

Maya just stares at the weird-looking interactions between her son and the rest of the group, though she's extremely irritated at this whole stack of paper that she needs to handle upon receiving it. She seems unfazed when Shugo hastily snatches the gun away from the drow, not that she'll be able to wield one in the first place anyways. But... just eyeing at the aggravated and tired faces of Alex and the hooded boy Renar respectively was enough to make her fur shiver. From her assumptions, she thinks that the former is doing his best to become the hero that everyone needs but it's obvious that the odds are against his favour and he just needs some extra support. The latter meanwhile, is clearly becoming more and more distrustful as time passes. She too understands how much pain and misunderstanding that poor boy has gone through before she wasn't around, but if anything, she had almost fared worse on her first three weeks here. How she managed to navigate through an unfamiliar world all the while speaking a forbidden language without getting captured and killed for three whole weeks is an absolute mystery she has to figure out herself at some point. Right now she needs to learn the language of this world... and fast. She can't just rely on the weird-looking mushroom people for any longer...

All this time as she imagines what might happen to the safety of this group however, she was slow to pick up that the group have already left for the camps as were several metres ahead of her. "Ah! Chottomatte kudasai! (あ！ちょっと待ってください！Ah! Wait up!)" She gasps as she swiftly runs over to the group... and clumsily trips over her own dress before facing flat on the ground. She remains so for three second before the myconids poke her back to reality and she staggers on her feet as the group close the distance on the camp. She first notices Shugo sprinting like the wind, then Venet passing out like a light and then... Renar running in the opposite direction of where everyone is going?! What is he up to now? The kitsune woman needs to know... but then again, if she wanders off on her own then there's a good chance that she might have followers. So... just in case, she turns to the rest of the others who are still awake. (Thank you. Please help watch my friends before you sleep as well.) She sends a message in her head "Um... I go... somewhere... alone... Oyasumi (おやすみ, Goodnight)" She tries to speak up with a broken accent as she gently pats the mushrooms as thanks for helping her before splitting from the group and entering the tent that Renar is currently in, fearing that he might be planning something rebellious... or worse. She needs to find out, before chaos might erupt again just because he is... 

Quote from PyromaniIsDeadThankGod >>

If Maya chooses to follow:

As expected, who else would have followed me into the empty tent just to see if was about to misbehave? And now that I think of it, not only I get to spend some time alone, but I could also assist her with her Lancean. Like killing two birds with one stone. After all, we both gain energy from spending time in seclusion, but not necessarily in silence.

"It's been a while since we've talked to each other. I wonder how long has it been since we initiated this quest Maya-san..." *He removes his hood, revealing his white, fluffy fox ears with a greyish tint in the inner parts; Under his jacket, he lets his tail swing loose as it unfurls downwards and towards his ankles* "No... Okaa-san." *He feels a true strength of his mother as she finally embraces him like a true-mother and son reunion* "Ok, ok... Okaa-san! Yamete, yamete! (やめて, やめて! Stop it! Stop it!) I understand that you busted down my disguise instantly at the hut and how much you hate me for leaving you at the bridge but... Sumi masen (すみません, sorry)... those people were... they misunderstood what I said; I meant I'd go with the flow rather than not see that tortle guy. That's why I... That's why I got so mad..." *After they release each other he hears his mother expressing her difficulties in trying to understand this new language* Man... the portal must have heavily affecter her memories too. Luckily if it weren't for me she'd be a sitting duck in this foreign world, let alone amongst the last of her kind...

"Lancean is the same as Common in Sword Coast and English in Japan. But I guess the portal must have done something to your memories huh? Can you not remember anything?" *He smirks as he watches Maya read another dictionary* "Well I know this sounds weird, a son teaching his mother, but even so... if it means avoiding death and the destruction of this world plus ours... I'll be more than happy to." *He sits down besides her and wraps his tail around her curvaceous waist whilst he eyes his own document* "Hajimemashou? (はじめましょう, Shall we begin?)" I noticed Okaa-san was quivering though... so I gave her the chance to speak. "Um... Daijoubu, Okaa-san? Doshitano? (大丈夫ですか、お母さん?どうしたの?, Are you ok, mother? What's wrong?)"

Taliyah doesn't protest Shugo claiming the gun. After everything in Signeta's hut is settled, she wanders over to the gryphon's cage. She'll dig into her pack, digging out a days worth if her rations, offerring them to the gryphon. "I'm sorry Cezar abandoned you like this. Such a fine creature like yourself doesn't deserve to be treated so cruelly." When the half-elf approaches, Taliyah stands up to meet her. "Just about everything you've done so far has run counter to getting us to trust you..."

Shugo spares Renar and Maya a slightly confused look as they run the in the complete opposite direction as he is headed. Why is the guy angry? He doesn't think he did anything to make him upset, and Alex's words didn't seem like they should do so either... Eh, he'll get over whatever it is later.

He cocks his head at Alex and responds, "Oh, uh. Yeah, sure. You can look at it whenever you want."

Continuing on his way to figure out a good place to rest, he pauses when passing the gryphon. He does feel a bit bad for the animal, and doesn't hold her accountable for her actions when under Cezar's care. Buuuut, he's also not entirely sure if he can trust that she won't try to run back to him or cause some other sort of trouble. However, when the half-elf approaches with her proposal, he has half a mind to let the gryphon run loose just to spite her. 

Slinging the gun over his back, he puts on hand on his hip and glares down at her. "You aren't in any position to be making such offers girly. You don't even have any rights to the animal either. If anyone did it's Maya since she was the first to befriend her. So even if we were to sell her you wouldn't get any share of the coin." He turns a smile back to the gryphon, "Not that we are planning to sell you." Then he fixes the half-elf in another hard stare, "Not to mention, just like my friend here said, we have absolutely no reason to trust you. Hah! And I'm not about to waste my breath explaining the various reasons we have to NOT trust you. All in all, you should be more worried about your upcoming trial then making some quick coin."

Alex blinks when Renar seems to get angry... Had he said something wrong? Or... was it just the stress getting to the 'changeling'. Either way, he doesn't get a chance to speak up before Renar and Maya make their way away from the rest of the company. 

When Shugo says he can look at the gun Alex's mood brightens, "Thanks! I'll take you up on it later!" He really wants to look at it now, but it seems there are other things he needs to take care of first. 

Seeing Felica in a state of distress, Alexander moves towards the cage. Even though he can't understand the gryphon's language, it's pretty clear to him what she wants. "You're hungry aren't you..." He looks around, noticing the unicorns and the livestock around them. Yet, he doesn't like seeing her in this cage. It isn't right, and she did help them get Cezars to safety during the storm. 

Alex might not know about gryphon's specifically, but he does know a thing or two about animals (+2 animal handling). He'd hoped to get a mount of his own in the future after all, considering his dreams of becoming like the knights of legend. 

Unfortunately, his thoughts are interrupted by the half-elf and then Taliya and Shugo step in  as well. Alex nods, finding himself a little irritated at this... mercenary. "Yeah, why would you even ask that?" He shakes his head, turning his attention back to the gryphon and pulling out some of his own rations to offer her. 

"I'll ask Kristians or one of the other guards if we can let you out, okay?" he says to the gryphon. "But you have to promise not to go hunting. We have food here for you, and if its not enough then I'll see if we can find more. We don't want to disturb the peace around here by hunting... it's uh... not our territory if you understand." He waits to see if he can get any sort of response from her, hoping for some sort of positive signal. "Does... that sound good to you?"