These are the results of a few text RPs taking place between characters in my Psi-Wars campaign. Please note that a few of these interludes feature some disturbing content. These will be noted in the individual sections.
Young Aeila
About 6 years before Aeila came to Samsara, she attended a party on Persephone hosted by her mother’s house. While there, she ran into her cousin Lysenia, just turned 18 and soon to take her vows to the Akashic Order. The two had not seen each other since Lysenia’s 15th birthday, when the party was somewhat spoiled by Aeila’s refusal to consider any of the suitors brought before her. Lysenia bears no grudge, and the two step outside to the balcony to speak more privately.
Lysenia confides in Aeila a prophecy, that the giantess will rescue a luminous moon from three circling suns, but warns her not to touch the moon. Aeila grumbled at the vagueness of prophecy, but pivots the conversation to how Lysenia feels about joining the order.
The girl betrays some regret and the matter clearly makes her uncomfortable. In return, she brings up Aeila’s bachelorette status. The knight is not ashamed of it, being openly a lesbian despite the disapproval of their society, and makes a point of being true to who she is.
Stunned, Lysenia then asks if it hurts where Aeila’s cybernetic arms attach to her flesh. Aeila insists that it gives her no pain, only strength. When the future oracle pardons herself for being a bother, the knight instead asks her for a dance. Embarrassed, Lysenia accepts, and the two have a wonderful time dancing and enjoying each other’s company. Lysenia even mentions her love of Stratagem, and invites Aeila to play with her sometime. It all ends, though, when they pass another cousin, Hermione, surrounded by arguing suitors.
Valon Korenno, Luke Grimshaw, and Jasper Elegans argue fiercely amongst each other over who should have her next dance, not letting the extremely beautiful Hermione get away. Meanwhile, Lysenia freezes. Aeila steps in, bluntly insulting the other three knights and stealing Hermione away from them. The two dance for the rest of the evening, hitting it off, until the dancers begin to disperse.
Aeila’s mother Veronika approaches, greeting Hermione politely before the girl departs. After Hermione leaves, Veronika tells Aeila that she was considering a betrothal between Hermione and Ivor, Aeila’s half-brother from her father’s first marriage. This irritates Aeila, who feels anger at being the younger child and not getting the respect or inheritance she feels she deserves.
By then, Lysenia is long gone. Later, Aeila tries to reach out via Stratagem, but her direct messages are blocked without response. The next time the two meet, at the marriage of Ivor and Hermione, Lysenia is cold and distant, forever an Akashic oracle.
Private Calls Part 1
Content warning for use of genetic material to induce a surrogate pregnancy without the donor’s consent.
Using the long-range comms of Vargo’s ship, Aeila opens a hologram call with Lysenia. The cousins confront each other, laying their feelings bare. From the start, Lysenia is defensive, abrasive, and cold, trying to push Aeila away, while the knight is earnest and insistent on wanting to speak honestly.
Lysenia seems upset both about Aeila derailing the orders plans and about being stood up in favor of Hermione. Aeila disregards the prophecies, reiterating her belief in the freedom of her own actions. As their emotions rise, Lysenia reveals to Aeila that she has a daughter, one created from the genetic material she left behind in Alliance space.
Aeila reels from the revelation, as Lysenia explains that the child was fertilized by a Harrow aristocrat and implanted in the womb of a common woman from Persephone. Aeila demands her name and the oracle provides: Cynthia Harrow.
Lysenia begs Aeila to hate her, but Aeila refuses. She tells Lysenia that her daughter will be free to make her own choices in life, no matter what she has to do, but that despite this betrayal she still cares deeply for her cousin. In the heat of the moment, Lysenia slides into a vision, screaming as she sees something horrible, something she desperately does not want to do, but when it passes she solemnly informs Aeila that the two shall meet once more upon Karangbesi. There, Aeila will hold the power of a terrible weapon in her hand, and all of man’s future rests upon the choice she makes. She promises that if Aeila hands over the weapon to the Alliance, all that she has lost will be restored to her.
Once more, Aeila professes her love for Lysenia, and Lysenia begs for Aeila’s hatred. And so the two part once more.
A Game of Riddles
Vargo invites Lee to play Star Heroes together, but selects a curious deck as he does. It is a Yama-o deck, which Lee Yama-o is quite familiar with,but instead of the usual professional and stern Noelle the selected hero is instead an adorable young girl in Denjuku-lolita fashion, bearing only a passing resemblance to her namesake. Lee chastises Vargo for the mod, but he simply glosses over it. As they prepare to play, they discuss their favorite factions, and Vargo drops that he sees through Lee’s charade.
Lee insists that House Yama-o is a real house, though they admit it is one which died off. They insist that they are a true descendant of it, still.
Ira attempts to probe Lee’s mind, but the gambler is too slippery and makes note of the failed intrusion.
The game begins, and Lee is quickly surprised to find their Shinjurai deck getting outplayed by a whole suite of new units and options. They realize this must be the lost expansion, Sins of the Shadow House. Vargo gloats a bit about it, though Ira calls over from the couch that it is unfair to play with.
Vargo wins easily, but offers to sell the deck back to Lee in exchange for cash. Lee proposes they play a few more games as they think it over. Lee tries out the expansion, playing a few rounds with it, before the two switch to cards. Vargo starts to win big, even as he drinks more and more wine. Then Lee offers to play for the chip.
The Slaver accepts and loses handily, immediately realizing Lee’s ruse. He jokingly asks why Ira didn’t warn him, and the Keleni explains that he didn’t realize he was needed anymore and went to read a trashy romance. They all drink some more, but Lee does corner Ira and warn him never to try reading their mind again.
With chip in hand, Lee departs and heads for bed.
Their dreams are strange but pleasant, and become even more strange when the little girl appears. She introduces herself as being the real Noelle Yama-o, and calls Lee her ‘Cousin Leelee’. She offers them a lollipop and pulls them over to a couch to talk.
As Noelle speaks, she keeps changing back and forth, sometimes the little girl and sometimes the mature, professional woman. The girl seems perpetually glitchy as well, her words occasionally becoming distorted and graphics artifacts periodically intruding on her form.
The two speak long into the night about secrets, with Noelle confiding in Lee that she overheard the talk about Aeila’s child while on Vargo’s terminal. By the end, Lee is not entirely sure they can trust the dream apparition, but resolves to learn more.
Inquiring Minds
Lyra and Cero meet up with Trinity, who is doodling in the ship’s garden to keep herself entertained. They comfort her over feeling lost and scared. She has plenty of reasons to be frightened, after all. Their kind words help her, and she comes to a decision. She insists on wanting to do her best to help them, and they begin discussing their plans.
Lyra says she wants to build up a military force outside the Empire, to strike back against the ones who took her family from her. Cero is hesitant to fight, but he promises to at least guide them with his knowledge of Lithian cultures. Trinity says she can help there as well, and can also look into the past of an object with a touch or dream of the future, plus cooking and drawing. Lyra chooses not to be skeptical of her powers in favor of encouraging the girl.
Feeling better, Trinity asks them to pose for her to make a sketch of the two of them, which comes out beautifully.
Private Calls Part 2
After a few hours spent drinking, Aeila calls her lover, her brother’s wife Hermione, catching the young woman just as she prepares to take an aircar ride over the winter countryside of Graine, a forest moon orbiting the gas giant Coldburn IV. The beauty is delighted to see her, but clearly anxious. She confides that Ivor is on his way to kill Aeila, to avenge the humiliation of being cuckolded by his own sister. Aeila is angry at this, realizing that Lysenia must have provoked him.
Hermione confirms this, stating that their cousin did call a couple hours before, in obvious distress, and summoned him on an expedition to the Umbral Rim. Aeila’s rage deepens, but she convinces Hermione to accompany him, hoping to be reunited with her.
Hermione is both worried and happy at once. She agrees to try to join him, despite his disfavor towards her. Aeila detects an undercurrent of vanity as well, a well-hidden love of being the object of desire.
The two profess their love for each other, and the call ends.
Old Frenemies
The next ‘morning’, Lyra sees Julie eating breakfast in the cafeteria, wearing a slave collar and guarded by a Keverling, while the ship’s beautiful Ranathim captain watches from another table. The half-Asrathi saunters up and begins to taunt the Imperial. They reminisce about old times, before Lyra suddenly turns angry and takes Julie by the collar, hissing that the Empire has taken her family from her twice now. Julie counters that they were terrorists, but Lyra only promises to come back with a third family to tear down the Empire.
Getting angry herself, Julie promises that even if she dies, the Empire will win, will avenge her, and will end slavery and rebellion in the whole Umbral Rim. She calls Lyra a slaver, but screams when the Keverling pushes a button on the remote controlling her collar.
Lyra rips the remote from its hands, but the interruption has calmed her somewhat. She promises to deal with the Slavers as well, and that she’ll make something better, though Julie clearly refuses to believe her. They banter a bit, Lyra’s lascivious comments making Julie groan, but by the end the two seem to have a respect for each other as enemies.
Julie retires, but before Lyra can leave, she is stopped by Captain Sheni Rehat, who warns her not to double-cross Vargo. That is to say, she should wait to spring Julie free until after the Slaver has made his money. Lyra cheekily agrees.
Extracurricular Lessons
Content warning for implied child sexual assault.
Lee approaches Trinity as the girl practices her dancing in the ship’s empty gym. The gambler takes off their jacket and shoulder holster, and informs Trinity that they are there to teach her to defend herself. She seems unsure about the lesson at first, but quickly gives in. Some small talk reveals that growing up, Trinity always admired the way the Sefalina priestesses danced, which is why she still practices.
Lee leads her through stretches and pushups (among other exercises), the latter of which she struggles with a lot. Afterwards, Trinity thanks Lee again for helping her, and Lee says that they had no choice after Terrilee approached with her offer.
Trinity confides in Lee that she just wanted to live a normal life but that it seems impossible now that she has this destiny. She isn’t even sure if she wants kids in the first place. Lee reacts with uncharacteristic vehemence, telling her not to trust the Akashics or their prophecies. They try to cover for the outburst, but Trinity sees that they are shaken. She apologizes for angering them, but Lee assures her that it is not her fault.
The lesson begins as Lee teaches Trinity the basic stance for Advanced Survivalism, their favored martial art. She is a quick learner, which Lee comments on, but that makes Trinity sad as it reminds her of her psychic power of memory.
After the lesson, the two go to get some food from the ship cafeteria. They discuss Trinity’s powers, and she offers to try reading Lee.
The gambler is reluctant to accept but is eventually talked into allowing it with a vow of secrecy.
What she sees horrifies her: a young figure that resembles Lee, lying upon a bed; an old woman in the robes of an Akashic Oracle, her voice cold and cruel; a man in a red coat whispering sweet lies; an “unbearable wave of shame and fear, the feeling of being crushed, suffocated under a much larger body”.
Trinity turns, vomiting her meal of red smut all over herself and the floor.
She says that she knows Lee was younger than her, that she knows why Lee is protecting her from Lysenia and teaching her to defend herself.
Lee is clearly upset, but not at Trinity, and takes charge of the situation. Together, they clean her and the floor and get her back to the cabin so she can shower. The girl is deeply apologetic, but asks to sleep in Lee’s bed. Lee accepts, reassuring her that everything is alright.
In dreams, Lee finds themself back in that room, with its Akashic gargoyles in the corners of the ceiling. The woman and man are gone, but child-Noelle sits on the rumpled sheets of the bed. She tells Lee that she did not realize how bad things have become, nor how strong Lee is.
The gambler interrogates the computer program about how her knowledge of the world works. She explains that she gets some of what goes on in Lee’s head but not all of it, and can explore a bit on a computer while plugged in, but mostly it is like she just woke up from a six-century nap. This does not satisfy Lee, and the two bicker for a while about Noelle’s evasiveness.
She promises that there is a way to get her a real body, and Lee some resistance to psionics, but she is not sure of the details yet. Her goal is to rebuild House Yama-o, which Lee hesitantly agrees with.
They leave the little room of horror and step into Lee’s college apartment. They tell Noelle about living there, and about their roommate Cassandra Sho, with a hint of sadness. In the end, Lee decides that they cannot trust Noelle yet, and bids the girl come up with some kind of proof of her reality.
The rest of the dream is pleasant, but upon awakening Lee sees that Trinity is thrashing in the throes of nightmare. Suddenly the girl bolts upright, eyes wide, and says, “She is coming. Gods, Lee, she is coming.” This immediately alarms Lee, who on instinct grabs their gun and makes sure it is ready to shoot. For her part, Trinity curls up hyperventilating until they both calm down.
The two agree that they are going to kill the elderly oracle when she arrives.
Afterwards, Lee hands Trinity the computer chip, and she detects both the events of the fictional Noelle as well as the developer who designed the expansion and created the chip.
A Game of Passions
Vargo and Aeila sit down for a game of Stratagem, loaded into an instance to not permanently affect the canon game. Aeila brings her illegally modded custom Pirate deck, while Vargo relies on his preferred Mistral build. It is a grueling game of attrition, as bad RNG and distraction hinder either from playing particularly well. Vargo eventually triumphs, though, based on his superior base-building acumen.
As they play, they work out an arrangement for Aeila’s solicitor to purchase land and other assets in the Glorian Rim on behalf of the Temkorathim, allowing him to build up an alternative base of power while she obtains funds in currencies she can actually use, as her Alliance Credits are worthless in Lithian society.
Private Calls Part 3
Shortly before arrival at Karangbesi, Aeila makes one final call, this time to her father Holger Kain. He is pleasantly surprised and greets her warmly. The two catch up, with Holger informing Aeila that her mother Veronika has been to a specialist fertility clinic and may be able to have another child despite her age. This is mixed news, as Veronika always resented Aeila for how the giantess’s birth ruined her health.
Aeila is fine with that, but addresses the elephant in the room: the impending death battle between the siblings. Holger is aware of it, and feels that he failed both of his children. Aeila accidentally digs the knife in further by mentioning her daughter. His look of shame gives away his knowledge of the event. For all his faults, Holger Kain deeply loves his children.
Aeila thanks her father for letting her be who she is and salutes him, calling herself proud to be his daughter. He returns the salute and calls her a true daughter of Kain.
Holger then informs her of the other members of the expedition, numbering 9 aristocrats in all. Besides Ivor, Hermione, and Lysenia, they include: Marius Grimshaw, Count of Tyshe; Amatsuki Korenno, a knight of Persephone; Leonie Elegans, dispossessed Baroness of Ivalmarine; Lysander Sabine, a knight of Mourraine; Conrad Harrow, the heir of Vance (and Cynthia’s father; no relation to Vance Elegans); and finally Helena Mistral-Sabine, Lysenia’s mentor in the Akashic Order.
He warns her that Ivor recently got metacoltan implants, as well. He also clarifies that they are after a weapon, not her in particular, whatever game Lysenia is playing.
Aeila makes one last request of her father, that he find her childhood doll and bring it to Cynthia. He swears that he will, on his honor, and the two part with respect and affection.