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Board & Conquest 21: The Talk
🕑 Added 2025-02-04 08:53:45 +0000 UTC------
Since Icefall lacked a bar of any kind—or any alehouse for that matter—Wepwawet ended up sending Victoire back to Alpine’s inn in Narc.
The place had been mostly restored since Jasper’s attack and even slightly expanded to host the constantly increasing flux of newcomers. Alpine had kindly cleared the bar area for her god and commander’s exclusive use before leaving them alone with enough beer bottles to sicken Dionysus himself. True to her word, Victoire had emptied a dozen cups already and showed no signs of stopping.
Wepwawet’s spirit sat next to her, his own cup untouched. He had no need for sustenance and mortal alcohol paled in potency compared to the brew gods used at their parties, so he only asked Alpine to pour him one for moral support.
“You are taking all of this way too much to heart, Victoire,” he told his Champion.
Her glare had all the venom of Apep, Tiamat, and half a dozen snake deities combined. “If you had a solid neck, I would be strangling it right now.”
Oh great, she’s a mean drunk. At least she was answering him now instead of giving him the silent treatment. Wepwawet had been warned that mortals rarely took the truth about their reality well, but he thought Victoire’s stoic demeanor would make her the exception. I guess I misread her.
What was he supposed to do? Lie and take everything back? His mother used to say that the truth dispelled all doubts, but his dad also insisted that mortals should constantly be put in their place. Should Wepwawet tell Victoire to shut up and get on with the program?
Argh, this was why gods needed priests! To delegate crises of faith to the populace!
Victoire set aside her cup and exhaled a breath full of alcohol. “You’re eighteen.”
“Wait, that’s the part that bothers you?”
“Yes, because it means we’re around the same age!”
“Hey, let me make myself clear,” Wepwawet protested. “I’m not one of those shameless gods who fool around with their female worshipers!”
Victoire choked on her drink. “Because that is a thing?!”
“You would be surprised.” Wepwawet could quote hundreds of such stories, half of which came from Artemis’ family, and a few weird kink cases like that ‘immaculate conception’ fad… “I’m only interested in a professional god-worshipper relationship, with no place for messy entanglements!”
Victoire stared at him for a moment, before focusing back on her glass. “You said gods…” she blurted out. “Classmates.”
“Yeah, I hoped to wait another day to tell you this,” Wepwawet admitted. “But no, Victoire, I’m not the only god active on Elphion. The witch we fought at Icefall served another.”
“That giant shadow…” Victoire’s expression darkened into a scowl. That event had shaken her to her core. “It was either one of your ‘classmates’ or ‘titans,’ whatever that means?”
“She was probably on the latter’s side, though I can’t confirm it yet.” Wepwawet hoped that Miss Athena would provide more information soon. “She’s a mere prelude to the disasters that my classmates and I were sent to prepare you for. They’re already active in other nations as we speak.”
Victoire immediately caught on to the implications. “Including Lavaland?”
“Yes,” Wepwawet confirmed. “I’ve heard that one of my classmates has taken command of the magmorians.”
“But they’re still going to invade Verglane? Can’t you just talk things through?” Victoire glared at him. “If this is a lunch money dispute, I swear to you–”
“H-Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?” Did she take him for a bully magnet? “Our school teaches us to manage planets and create life! We learn responsibilities!”
“Then why is your classmate warring against us?” Victoire argued. “Why don’t you stop them?”
“It’s…” Complicated? Wepwawet almost said that before realizing Victoire wasn’t in a good state of mind to listen about all the intricate laws and covenants that bound the Heavens.
He needed a different approach—something down to earth enough she could visualize.
“Have I been good to you and Narc, Victoire?” Wepwawet asked. “Have I helped Verglane prosper? Have my gifts and presence improved your life?”
Victoire clenched her jaw, and then nodded. “Yes, they did.”
At least she wasn’t ungrateful. “You didn’t see me helping the magmorians take over Narc when all the odds were against us either.”
“What are you getting at?”
“My classmates and I were tasked to guide and protect a different civilization each,” Wepwawet explained. “My loyalty is to Verglane and its people, so if I had to choose between wiping out Lavaland and saving you, I’ll always pick the latter. Your prosperity comes first.”
Victoire quickly caught on. “And the same goes for your god classmate?”
“Yes,” Wepwawet confirmed. “She must think she needs your resources for her people to prosper. We’ll put our differences aside when the titans come calling, but until then, we’ll always put our worshipers’ well-being first.”
“Why bleed each other out if the titans are the real enemies?” Victoire glared at her god. “You’re just like us, aren't you? You have tribes and factions that don’t get along.”
“That…” Wepwawet suppressed the urge to cough in embarrassment. “That would be a gross oversimplification of the intricate politics unfolding in the highest of hea–”
“Don’t bother,” Victoire cut in with annoyance. “I got the message at ‘politics.’”
“Sorry.” Wepwawet sighed. “I am trying to contact other friendly deities and form an alliance, but the person in charge of Lavaland may not be friendly to me. We’ll put our differences aside when the titans come calling at least.”
“So it’s the same as before,” Victoire grumbled. “Except we have gods instead of kings to tell us what to do.”
“Yes… and no?” Wepwawet tried to find the right words to break the news. “My group’s goal isn’t to rule over mortals, but to train you Champions for the real conflict against the titans. We just have different approaches on how to whip you into shape.”
Victoire didn’t look entirely convinced, but she didn’t argue either. Wepwawet guessed that all the help he provided for Narc at least gave him the benefit of the doubt.
“Those titans…” Victoire cleared her throat. “Who are they? Gods like you?”
“Yup,” Wepwawet said. “The only difference between our pantheons and theirs is that they don’t want you around.”
Victoire frowned in dread and confusion. “Don’t want who around?”
“Mortals,” Wepwawet explained. “You know, the whole creation of the universe and filling it with life things we have going on upstairs? Well… the titans believe it was a big mistake.”
“Why?” Victoire protested. “What did we do to them? Most of us don’t even know that they exist!”
Wepwawet scratched the back of his head. How could he put it simply enough for a mortal to understand? He guessed he should start with the root of the issue.
“You remember the mana fount we built my Altar on?” Wepwawet asked. “That raw magic rising from the earth?”
Victoire raised an eyebrow. “Yes?”
“Your entire world arose from mana, as did all life on it; and we gods can use it to shape reality to our liking.” Wepwawet fondly remembered the day he created his first wolf-spirit from nothingness itself. “Mortals give some of it back through prayers, but it’s always less than what they take. The more worlds that mortals spread on, the less mana there is for us gods to draw upon, and the titans don’t like that.”
“The titans hate us for existing?” Victoire’s eyes burned with genuine anger and outrage. “That is insane!”
“Why do you think we’re at war with them?” Wepwawet replied. “They’re the Interdimensional Federation of Godly Assholes!”
Wepwawet wouldn’t deny that his side’s pantheons had a few creeps and selfish bastards among them, but even the worst of the gods at least tolerated the existence of mortals. The titans wouldn’t even concede anything on that front.
“The good news is, we’re more numerous than the titans,” Wepwawet said, “The bad news is that they’re not afraid of collateral damage, so both sides had to settle on a compromise where they would fight with proxies while following certain rules. Hence the board and cards.”
“You’re starting conflicts where we are the proxies,” Victoire guessed, her hand tightening its grip on her cup. “Couldn’t you fight each other and leave us out of this?”
“Well… my parents and grandparents did that in the early days.” Wepwawet scratched the back of his head. “But when you fight by smashing moons and stars in the other party’s face, few mortals linger around to enjoy the aftermath.”
Victoire didn’t answer. Her eyes searched Wepwawet’s face for any hint that he was joking or trying to deceive her, only for her face to pale when she realized he meant every word he said.
Victoire had seen his true form looming over her like a mountain over a molehill, witnessed him summon the rain and create life out of thin air. Only now did she understand just how powerful his kind was… and how much they held back.
It distressed her. How could it not? Nobody liked feeling weak in the face of grand and terrible changes beyond their control.
“If the gods care, why send students?” Victoire asked, the fire in her heart all but snuffed out.
“Because we’re overseeing thousands upon thousands of worlds, many much more populated than Elphion, and there’s only so many of us,” Wepwawet replied. “We young gods have to start gaining experience somewhere.”
Victoire’s scowl only deepened further. “So we’re just not important enough to warrant your superiors’ personal attention?”
Ugh, she’s even more depressed than before, Wepwawet thought. Now he felt guilty. And yet, she’s nowhere near as powerless as she thinks she is.
“Victoire, I promise you that all I want is to see Narc and the rest of Verglane prosper in peace,” Wepwawet reassured her. “And you have power of your own. You can be the spear and shield that protects your people.”
“I couldn’t even scratch Grudu and that undead monster,” Victoire replied with a low, barely audible tone. “What can I do against a shadow the size of a mountain?”
“I know the likes of Apep can eat your sun for breakfast, but–” Wepwawet caught himself before he said something very stupid. “What I mean to say is that you will fight different battles than mine. You’ve only taken your first step on a very long journey as a Champion, Victoire; and one day, you will grow strong enough to fight the titans’ servants and save your world.”
Victoire bit her lower lip. “You’re pulling my leg.”
“I swear I’m not,” Wepwawet replied without hesitation whatsoever. “You’re the first Champion I met in Elphion, and I don’t think that’s a coincidence. You have a destiny, Victoire. I’m just here to guide you along.”
Victoire studied him for a moment. Her doubt remained written all over her face, but she desperately wanted to believe in his goodwill. “You swear it’s not a game to you?”
“No,” Wepwawet replied. He had a duty to his worshipers caught in the struggle. Their lives and future depended on his decisions, and he wouldn’t let them down. “Yes, from our divine point of view, mortal wars are little more than movements of pawns on a board… but I don’t find your existence inconsequential either. I truly want you to enjoy long and happy lives.”
That was Wepwawet’s duty as a god, and he wouldn’t betray it.
“If all goes well, we shall repel the titans together and ensure the good people of Verglane can prosper for centuries to come,” Wepwawet insisted. “I will do everything in my power to protect you.”
“And if we fail?” Victoire asked with a dark look. “What happens if the titans win?”
“Well…” Wepwawet tried to find a good way to put it before deciding a picture was worth a thousand words. “You see that bottle of alcohol on the counter?”
Victoire frowned at it. “Yes?”
“This is your world. Verglane, Lavaland, the ocean, everything.”
Wepwawet cast a Smite Miracle on the bottle and shattered it to pieces.
He immediately regretted wasting a point of mana on a private demonstration, but from the horrified look on Victoire’s face, it did get his point across.
“Just like that?” she asked.
“Just like that.” Wepwawet crossed his arms upon realizing it was only partly true. “Although, I guess that’ll depend on which titan we’ll encounter. Tiamat will probably eat you all, but some will probably skip that step and simply smash your moons on the planet’s surface… and I guess Apep would likely settle on eating your sun and watching you all freeze to death in eternal darkness.”
Victoire didn’t say a word. Her pale skin had gone so white Wepwawet briefly wondered if she had died on the spot.
“But that’ll only happen if we really, really mess up!” Wepwawet tried to reassure her. “We have a whole process with chances for comebacks at every step!”
Victoire listened in silence, closed her eyes, and then let out a long deep breath.
“Lord Wepwawet,” she said, very calmly. “I would like a power-up, please.”
“Yes, that’s very sensible!” Wepwawet raised his hand at her. “So, you want to rank up in Snowheart? Or do you want to try the path of the holy paladin?”
Much like Renarde, Victoire chose to assess her options before choosing. “What are the pros and cons of each choice?”
“It depends,” Wepwawet replied. “The further you progress in a given path, the stronger your existing abilities will become, but starting another can provide new and potent synergies.”
“I need power,” Victoire decided after a short moment’s consideration. “I shall continue down the Snowheart’s path.”
“A wise choice,” Wepwawet replied as he imbued her with his light and power.
Victoire Fleuret has ranked-up in Snowheart! +3 STR, +3 AGI, +3 VIT, +4 SKI, +3 MAG, +3 INT, +4 CHA, +3 LCK! She gained the Ice Mirror I Perk!
Ice Mirror I: You take half damage from magical attacks. If targeted by a spell, you gain a chance equal to CHA/2 to reflect it back to the sender as a Frost elemental attack.
Oh, awesome! The reflection effect would likely rarely trigger considering Victoire’s balanced Charisma stat, but a blanket damage reduction on most incoming magical attacks would make her the bane of spellcasters everywhere.
“I need to change one of your Perks for your new ability,” Wepwawet asked Victoire. “Would removing Longstrider work for you?”
“Perks?” Victoire scoffed. “Is that what you gods call your blessings?”
Oh right, he hadn’t told her that. Wepwawet felt a little embarrassed about missing that. “Pretty much,” he confessed. “Longstrider is the speed boost blessing I granted you earlier. I can always apply it again later, and truthfully it pales compared to your newest ability. No other mage will dare attack you!”
“I see… very well.” Victoire nodded and Wepwawet followed through with the switch. “I don’t feel particularly slower than before.”
“That’s because the power you gained naturally compensates for the blessing I removed,” Wepwawet explained. “For me, it looks like you have numbered stats increasing in various areas. I’m still figuring out how they all work together.”
Victoire scoffed at the concept. “Do gods have numbers too?”
“You have no idea.” System Mathematics was a key part of the Mytholo High curriculum. “Suffice to say, you’re doing well for yourself. The likes of Grudu, Renarde, and Wintresse beat you in their area of expertise, Victoire, but you’re good everywhere.”
“That is… that is nice, I suppose.” Victoire rose from her seat, the alcohol losing its hold on her. “The others… I don’t think they’re ready to learn the truth yet. They won’t take it well.”
“Agreed.” Wepwawet had the intuition Goreville would probably react violently to the truth. “You’re fine playing along?”
“For now,” Victoire replied. Her icy stare had regained some of her confidence. “Your people deserve to learn the truth one day, Lord Wepwawet; especially if they are to die in your name.”
I suppose they do… Wepwawet’s lessons insisted that the less mortals that knew about the truth of their existence, the better. Yet Victoire had a point; asking people to risk their lives for him on half-truths and false premises didn’t sit right with him. If Victoire could understand, others should once they’re ready.
“That day is still a long time ahead,” Wepwawet decided. “Have I regained your trust?”
“No.”
The response was so quick and blunt that it startled Wepwawet. “No?”
“Sorry, I…” Victoire cleared her throat. “I trust your words, Lord Wepwawet, and I cannot deny that all of Narc and I owe you our lives. I believe these titans are indeed a threat to my homeland and we must work together to repel them, whatever the cost. I’ll do as you ask as the god of Verglane.”
Wepwawet’s ears fell down in disappointment. “But you don’t believe in me.”
“I want to believe in you, Lord Wepwawet,” Victoire replied with a heavy sigh. “But I… I can’t shake the feeling you see us as pieces on a board to dispose of as it suits you, and I don’t like that.”
His first Champion had lost faith, and it would take a miracle to restore it.
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Comments
Jasus
But it works. Yes he is a distand god but as seen here if you see your god as a tenager fresh out of school there also goes the trust in a wise powerful god.
BelligerentGnu
This, Set, is why your approach is idiocy.
George R
Great chapter loved it
