Father and Son

Campaign: Trek to the Aquapolis

Chapter 7 / 3-4

Father and Son

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Waterside Cleanup

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King of the Old Marsh

Summary

Ranzal and Zacharias catch up, and an offer is made: If Ranzal will return to Saint Lotier, his father will accept an alliance with New Alberia. Before he answers, Ranzal departs to the Davian Wetlands to hunt the fiends there.

Dialogue

...The hunt is done. The fiends' nest is clear. Now we can— Wait, Elly. What's that fence over there? That's the border of the Davian Wetlands. Place has been sealed off since forever. It's an old battleground littered with dangerous ruins. Even fiends can't get in there. Now let's hurry up and get back to Saint Lotier already. What is the meaning of this? You claim to have cleared out the nest, yet I've just now received word we're still beset by fiends! Hey, that's not OUR fault! We did our job! Maybe one slipped past us? But I'm certain there wasn't so much as a mouse left anywhere around that nest. So where...? Could they have come from the wetlands? The place Ranzal said was closed off? The Davian Wetlands? Impossible. A potent ward seals that place. And yet that's the only remaining possibility. We can't let those fiends have free run of Saint Lotier. We'll go see for ourselves where these fiends are coming from. We have to keep the people of the Aquapolis safe! Ain't no tellin' what'll happen if we enter that forsaken place. You're going to want to evacuate the north side of town, Pops. Have the city guard issue the order. The sooner the better. My, my. Look who's learned to think of the welfare of others. I've only ever known you to worry about your own amusements. Yeah, well, thousands of innocents dyin' don't strike me as a good time. Very well, then. Pray continue your hunt. Your actions have yet to earn my trust as a potential ally, but your dedication is noted. Ranzal, remain with me a moment. What do you want, Pops? Heh heh. That prince of yours is quite the enthusiastic helper. Though the fact he actually believes his efforts might earn him an alliance with Saint Lotier is laughable. Still, he'll be of use—I've a long list of errands he's welcome to complete for me. Wait, so ya never intended to help?! Such is politics, my boy. But I COULD be convinced to stop using him as my errand boy, if it pleases you. My terms are quite generous, as I think you'll agree. Whaddya want? Come home, Ranzal. Leave that joke of a kingdom to flounder on its own and return to the city that raised you. I could even be persuaded to sign an alliance with New Alberia if you accept. Wait, ya want me back? And ya'd make an enemy of Dyrenell to see it happen? I hear tales of Empress Zethia's cruelty on a daily basis. She won't ignore Saint Lotier forever. Perhaps a preemptive strike is our best move—with you at the head of my army. But... Think on it. Think on what you—and only you—can do in this situation. The sons of Saint Lotier are meant to live by the sea and with it. So it has always been, and so it will always be. There they are, Euden! The Davian Wetlands. That's gotta be where those fiends are coming from. Um, is something wrong, Ranzal? You haven't said a word since we left. Er, yeah. Actually, there's somethin' ya oughta know, Euden. ...What? He wants you to return? AND he's been lying to us the whole time! He is SO getting char-grilled when we're done out here. So what are you going to do? Not sure. But one thing I AM sure about is that it don't make a bit'a difference what ya do—he ain't gonna treat ya fair. Ain't no reason to do this, so we should turn back and— No. Regardless of Zacharias's intentions, we'll go to the wetlands. It's clear at this point that fiends are coming from inside it. If we don't deal with them, the people of Saint Lotier will continue to suffer. The schemes of their lord are irrelevant. Heh. You really are a piece of work. ...Huh? What's that sound? It came from up ahead. It was like "GRRRK KZZZZT!" What kind of fiend makes a noise like that? It sounded like no fiend I've ever heard. It was more like the metal contraptions built in the Rokkan smithies. Hate to say I told ya so, but this place is seriously bad news. Let's go. This is just proof we were right. Something IS in there.