Cliffheart: New Peaks

Operator Record New Peaks
Cliffheart spends every waking moment thinking. What she can[sic] do for her brother and sister? And what can she do for Kjerag? Unlock conditions Raise Cliffheart to Elite 2 Level 60. Have 200% Trust with Cliffheart.

Characters
Cliffheart Velliv Notarial Hall Executor Sarkaz Hunter
Backgrounds
1 2 3 4

Summary: Cliffheart meets an executor of the Notarial Hall while mountaineering. She offers a helping hand, and, in the process, earns a surprising reward.
Cliffheart	Hah! One more! Jump!
<Background 1>
[Cliffheart pulls herself up.]
Cliffheart	Safe! That was a hard cliff. Almost halfway to the top. I'll take a break here. Is that... smoke? Why would someone start a fire out here in the middle of nowhere, in broad daylight to boot? Could it be a distress signal?
<Background fades out and in>
???	Hard to gather firewood with my leg like this. Hope a hunter passes by and sees it... Better be a human and not some wild beast...
[Some bushes rustle nearby.]
???	Who's there?!
[Cliffheart steps out.]
Cliffheart	Don't worry, I'm just a mountain climber. I saw the smoke and thought it might be a distress signal.
???	Oh... thank goodness. Someone actually came.
Cliffheart	Is your leg hurt?
???	Yeah, I took a fall off a steep slope.
Cliffheart	What's a Sankta doing on this mountain?
Notarial Hall Executor	Ah, I'm from the Notarial Hall, and I'm executing a will of the deceased. The instructions were to seek out a Sankta who left Laterano many years ago. I learned that he's living on one of these mountains. I was searching around these parts, and, well... you can guess the rest.
Cliffheart	The Notarial Hall sure works you hard, huh.
Notarial Hall Executor	You know of the Notarial Hall?
Cliffheart	Yeah. I'm with Rhodes Island. Have you heard of it?
Notarial Hall Executor	Rhodes Island—ah, Federico. My sympathies.
Cliffheart	Haha. It's okay. We call him Executor, I think he's fun.
Notarial Hall Executor	As long as you're not on a mission with him. Could you help me get down the mountain? I'll rest and recover in the town there before proceeding to execute the will.
Cliffheart	You're continuing your mission?
Notarial Hall Executor	Yes.
Cliffheart	... Alright, grab my hand.
[As Cliffheart brings the Sankta out of the forest, somebody is spying nearby.]
???	... So the Sankta came after all.
<Background 2>
Cliffheart	Samara, is it? I've been wondering... you Notarial Hall people seem just as busy as our operators, always on the move. Why do you go so far for someone who left your city?
Notarial Hall Executor	The law binds us, even if they've left Laterano.
Cliffheart	The law...? You mean like in Kjeragandr?
Notarial Hall Executor	Kjeragandr? Ah, you're from Kjerag, aren't you? I should have realized.
Cliffheart	Yes, faith in Kjeragandr binds the people of Kjerag together.
Notarial Hall Executor	Hm... there are subtle differences. From what I know, followers of Kjeragandr believe that Kjeragandr protects the people of Kjerag in subtle and mysterious ways. For us, our faith is in the law of Laterano itself. We believe that there is a set of rules that binds us together. We care for each other, understand each other, and hold ourselves accountable to each other. That's how the Notarial Hall came to be, because we believe that all of us have a duty to do what we can for our people.
Cliffheart	Kjeragandr's faithful care for each other too, but we're more subtle about it, because we believe that Kjeragandr has a plan for everything.
Notarial Hall Executor	That's what you believe? Interesting. This is my first real exposure to the Kjeragandr faith. I'd love to sit down and have a chat with you, if I had the time. Unfortunately, I have a mission to complete, but thank you for helping me here, Ensia. Once I've executed this will, maybe we could catch up—
Cliffheart	Would you mind telling me more about the will? I might be able to help more.
Notarial Hall Executor	Oh?
Cliffheart	The mountains around here are steep, and dangerous for novice climbers. My mountaineering experience could be useful. Of course, if it's classified or something, I won't push it.
Notarial Hall Executor	Well, there's nothing particularly confidential about it. Are you sure you want to do this, though?
Cliffheart	It's no trouble. My field assignment is already done, and I've got some time before I have to return to base. I wouldn't be climbing here otherwise.
Notarial Hall Executor	... In that case, I don't think I have the luxury of turning you down. A renowned gun-knight, Reverend Regis, passed away recently. In his will, he asked the Notarial Hall to find his brother, a scholar by the name of Legis, who left Laterano forty years ago after a rift between them.
Cliffheart	A rift?
Notarial Hall Executor	It occurred so long ago that it's unlikely anyone other than the two brothers know what happened. All we know is it had something to do with conflicting views on war. His Holiness the Pope supported Reverend Regis's position, and Reverend Legis chose to go into exile. Reverend Regis knew that Reverend Legis would not return to Laterano as long as he was there, so his hope was that Legis might return after his death.
Cliffheart	If Reverend Legis is already...
Notarial Hall Executor	He included instructions to bring back a token of Reverend Legis's, so that the brothers may be interred together.
Cliffheart	... To reunite a pair of estranged brothers... I'm totally on board! Any other details to go on?
Notarial Hall Executor	I asked around and nobody had much contact with Reverend Legis, with the exception of a hunter by the name of Tiana. I wasn't able to find her, so I started searching the nearby mountains.
Cliffheart	A hunter? Ah... that explains a lot.
Notarial Hall Executor	Oh?
Cliffheart	(Whisper) Maybe you didn't notice because you were injured, but we were followed.
Notarial Hall Executor	(Whisper) What?!
Cliffheart	(Whisper) I thought it was bandits looking for their mark, but now it seems likely it's the hunter you were talking about— (Whisper) Head down.
[Just then, a crossbow bolt flies over their heads.]
???	Tsk.
[The hunter flees.]
Cliffheart	Wait here. I'll go after her!
[Cliffheart chases after the hunter]
Notarial Hall Executor	... Is there a signal here? Oh, thank goodness, I can reach one of the nearby nomadic cities.
[The executor turns on her transceiver.]
Notarial Hall Executor	Executor Samara reporting in. I need assistance. Oh... Your Eminence?
<Background 3>
Cliffheart	She's a fast climber. But I'm not too shabby myself!
<Background fades out and in>
Cliffheart	Stop right there!
???	Hmph.
Cliffheart	You're Tiana, aren't you?
???	Just a hunter passing by.
Cliffheart	Drop the act. You wouldn't have tailed us for so long if you were just passing by. You know why Samara is here.
???	...
[The hunter reveals herself.]
Cliffheart	You're Sarkaz?!
Sarkaz Hunter	So what if I am?
Cliffheart	Why would a Sarkaz— Whoa—
[Cliffheart narrowly dodges a crossbow bolt.]
Sarkaz Hunter	You can move, I'll give you that.
Cliffheart	Well, you sure can't shoot!
Sarkaz Hunter	You think so?
[The hunter fires two more bolts.]
Cliffheart	(Wait, she's not aiming for me.) (Could it be—!)
Sarkaz Hunter	Too late.
[Cliffheart falls into a pit trap.]
Cliffheart	Crap—! Ouch— Well, this is a deep pit. You were luring me into a pit trap from the beginning, weren't you?
Sarkaz Hunter	Not just that. I also saw how good you were at mountaineering and took your climbing gear.
The Sarkaz hunter pokes her head out and shows Cliffheart her backpack.
Cliffheart	When did you...?
Sarkaz Hunter	Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you. I'll go into town and tell them to send help. I'll leave your backpack there. Once the rescuers arrive, take your stuff, and scram.
Cliffheart	Why are you doing this?
Sarkaz Hunter	My demands are simple. Tell the Notarial Hall that Legis is not going back to Laterano.
[The hunter walks away.]
<Background Black>
Cliffheart	... I really should be more careful. Ugh, this is a spiked cage... Looks like it was a beast trap, the kind that poachers use. But the spikes have been removed. I guess she really didn't want to kill me. She probably removed them, in preparation for a day like this. And in that case...
<Background 2>
Sarkaz Hunter	That Feline looks like she's tough enough to survive for a while. I'll get the old man's stuff, then report to the town. What a bother.
[Cliffheart suddenly appears in front of her.]
Sarkaz Hunter	What?!
Cliffheart	You left enough of the trap's mechanisms for me to climb out.
Sarkaz Hunter	...
Cliffheart	My hook's faster than your bow at this range.
Sarkaz Hunter	Gah.
Cliffheart	I just want to see Reverend Legis.
Sarkaz Hunter	He doesn't want to see you. Get lost.
Cliffheart	Take this, then!
Sarkaz Hunter	Hmph—
[The hunter starts running...]
Cliffheart	Huh? Look out! That rock isn't stable!
Sarkaz Hunter	Wha—
[...and tumbles downward, barely saved by Cliffheart's grappling hook.]
Cliffheart	Grab my hook!
Sarkaz Hunter	Let go! I'm too heavy!
Cliffheart	No! I'm not leaving you behind! If I can't pull you up... brace for impact!
[The rocks beneath them collapse...]
<Background 3>
[...and the two fall onto the ground.]
Sarkaz Hunter	Ghh—
Cliffheart	Are you okay?
Sarkaz Hunter	You should have let go.
Cliffheart	You spared my life. One good turn for another.
Sarkaz Hunter	That's not how it works.
Cliffheart	I didn't mean anything by it when I mentioned you were Sarkaz. I was just surprised.
Sarkaz Hunter	...I don't blame you. Anyone would be.
Cliffheart	You might know that he has a brother—
Sarkaz Hunter	Regis. Let me guess, he's dead, and now he wants his brother to go back to Laterano, is that it?
Cliffheart	Yes.
Sarkaz Hunter	He's not going back. You're looking for him now? After so many decades?
Cliffheart	It's Reverend Regis's last wish. Plus, no matter how big their differences, settling these differences is what family is all about.
Sarkaz Hunter	What makes you say that?
Cliffheart	My brother and sister aren't on good terms. B-But they're still siblings at the end of the day. All they need is the chance to open their hearts to each other.
Sarkaz Hunter	You're trying to convince me when you don't even sound sure yourself.
Cliffheart	Because if I give up, we'll never sit together again as a family. And I know that, deep down, they care about each other.
Sarkaz Hunter	... There's nothing you can do.
Cliffheart	Why's that?
Sarkaz Hunter	Because... Legis is dead.
<Background 4>
[The two enter a dilapidated house.]
Cliffheart	*cough* Ugh, the dust.
Sarkaz Hunter	I haven't been here since he died.
Cliffheart	What was he to you?
Sarkaz Hunter	I didn't know my parents. I was raised by a beggar in town. I guess you could call him my dad. The townsfolk were okay, but no one was willing to take in a Sarkaz. I started to hunt for a living, after my dad died. On one of those hunting trips, I ran into a big one and almost died. It was a passing Sankta who saved my life. He shared some meat with me and told me I couldn't shoot worth a damn.
Cliffheart	Ha.
Sarkaz Hunter	I still remember... he froze for a moment when he saw me up close for the first time. It took me a long time to realize it was because he realized I was Sarkaz, and thought about killing me. But I was just a wild child who grew up in the middle of nowhere. I didn't know any of that. I still don't really understand it, even now. I had never seen a Sankta. I don't know why I should hate the halo heads. Plenty of worse people in town.
Cliffheart	History is complicated.
Sarkaz Hunter	Hey, that's what the old man said. I didn't take you for a scholar.
Cliffheart	I'll take that as a compliment.
Sarkaz Hunter	Well, I asked him to teach me how to shoot a bow. But he didn't want me anywhere close. He chased me away with his gun whenever I went near. It's funny, now that I think about it. He probably wanted to kill me many, many times, but I didn't get that. I thought it was all fun and games. Maybe he got tired of chasing me away, but we eventually reached a kind of understanding. I would hide near his house, and he would show a move or two, pretending not to notice me.
Cliffheart	What happened to him?
Sarkaz Hunter	A bunch of Sarkaz bandits came three years ago. They tried to recruit me when they saw I was Sarkaz and could handle myself. When I refused, they kidnapped me and tried to coerce me into joining. The old man came to rescue me alone. I survived. He didn't.
Cliffheart	...I'm sorry.
Sarkaz Hunter	He never considered me his student. I don't think he would've wanted a Sarkaz student. Without the skills I learned from him, though, I would have been dead long ago. He never left this place, and no one ever came to look for him. Now, his brother wants him to go back to Laterano? No way, not even if it's just his stuff. He doesn't belong to Laterano. He belongs to this place.
Cliffheart	...
Sarkaz Hunter	Give up and leave, if you get it. Or you can die here.
Cliffheart	Can I take a look around?
Sarkaz Hunter	Suit yourself.
[Cliffheart approaches a bookshelf.]
Cliffheart	What are these books?
Sarkaz Hunter	The old man liked to read. He tried to teach me, but gave up when he realized I was hopeless at it.
Cliffheart	Histories of the Sarkaz and Sankta... A lot of notes and annotations... Hm? There's a piece of paper here. A letter?
[Cliffheart opens the letter.]
Dear Regis. It is precisely because we were brothers that we were never able to come to a compromise through our empathy, for it would be insult to one another. Was leaving the only option, though? Thinking back on it, perhaps there was a better way. But we should not regret our choices. Just because we made a choice does not mean the path not taken has lost its meaning. That was why I chose to leave Laterano. I do not think I shall ever return. I will miss your strawberry milkshakes, though. Cura ut valeas, Legis.
Cliffheart	... Look at this, Tiana.
Sarkaz Hunter	...
Cliffheart	Legis didn't hold a grudge against Regis or Laterano. He just made a choice, and chose not to return to Laterano because of it.
Sarkaz Hunter	So what? Either way, he doesn't want to go back to Laterano, does he?
Cliffheart	It's not about going back to Laterano. The brothers didn't have any bad blood towards one another. It's that simple.
Sarkaz Hunter	...
[A purple-haired female Sankta walks in.]
Velliv	People believe there is no conflict between the Sankta because they share emotions through empathy. The reality is rather different. Sharing emotions may help you understand why the other side thinks a certain way, but it doesn't mean you must accept it. On minor matters, the Sankta can certainly reach a compromise through empathy. But there are certain things even the Sankta fail to agree upon. The only consensus they can reach is that they do not agree.
Cliffheart	Who are you?!
Velliv	Velliv, Sanctae Lateranae Eccliesiae Cardinalis, Cardinal of the Holy Lateran Church.
Sarkaz Hunter	Cardinal?!
Cliffheart	Why—
Velliv	Reverend Gun-knight Regis was highly respected. I happened to be visiting a nearby city, and when I heard there were difficulties executing his will, I felt it was my obligation to get involved. I didn't expect someone else to take care of the problem before I could intervene, though.
Cliffheart	...
Velliv	No need to be nervous. I overheard your conversation from outside the door. It seems everything's been resolved with a nice little bow, yes?
Sarkaz Hunter	Who told you—
Velliv	The split between the gun-knight Regis and his brother, the scholar Legis, occurred over their attitude towards war.
Velliv raises her gun and points it at the Sarkaz.
Sarkaz Hunter	Bitch. I won't let you have your way, Sankta!
Tiana returns the favor, pointing her crossbow at the Sankta.
Velliv	Reverend Regis and His Holiness approached war with a moderate attitude, while Reverend Legis believed in one that was more proactive and radical. That was the cause of the split between us. In his will, Reverend Regis requested the return of Reverend Legis's personal effects, in the event that Reverend Legis became deceased. Those effects do not include a Sarkaz.
Cliffheart	Wait!
Velliv	This is no business for a mountaineer.
Cliffheart	I can ask Rhodes Island to take her in!
Velliv	If I recall correctly, Rhodes Island has a policy against interfering with a country's internal affairs. The extent to which that policy is followed is debatable, but I doubt they would want to get involved in this one.
Cliffheart	I... I can send her to Kjerag!
Velliv	Kjerag? I hope you understand the effect that deploying the Silverash name here will have, Ensia, my child.
Cliffheart	You knew who I was from the very beginning, didn't you?
Velliv	I won't deny it.
Cliffheart	... If you know my family name, then you also know my siblings.
Velliv	Enya, Saintess of the Vine-Bear Court. Enciodes, CEO of Karlan Trade. It's becoming difficult to find someone who wouldn't know them.
Cliffheart	At the end of the day, though, just my brother and sister. My brother and sister who haven't sat down at the same table for a decade, because of a choice my brother made. Deep down, I understand. It's not that my brother and sister don't understand each other, same as these two brothers. It's the opposite: They understand each other's position, and understand that it's not something they can move past. They understand there are certain things that only the other can do. That's why they'll never go back to the way they were. I get it, but I can't give up on the idea. I just learned that there was a pair of Sankta brothers in the same boat. They understood that there could be no understanding. They chose to part ways. But they had each other in their hearts, all the way to the very end.
Velliv	A touching tale, but what does it have to do with stopping me?
Cliffheart	The understanding between my brother and sister isn't about simple acceptance of the other's actions. The most important thing is that they believe there is something about the other's choice that's correct. They believe that their choice can affect the other. Most importantly, when all is said and done, they'll stand at the same goal line.
Velliv	... A fine speech, Ensia.
Velliv lowers her gun.
Sarkaz Hunter	Why you—
Velliv	I was just planning to scare you away and let you go. After all, I can't very well let a Sarkaz cross my line of sight and do nothing about it. But if Ensia has a better plan, I'm happy to go along.
Sarkaz Hunter	You were sure you would win and planned to spare my life from the beginning?
Velliv	Did you think otherwise? Consider it an act of magnanimity, even if it might be a little hard to accept.
Sarkaz Hunter	Sankta bitch...
Velliv	As Ensia said, Reverend Regis didn't necessarily think that Reverend Legis was wrong. However, right versus wrong has never been the only factor in anything. I won't take it all, just a little token. A book, or some manuscripts. Is that acceptable?
Sarkaz Hunter	...Suit yourself.
Velliv	I should say, your sincerity was touching, Ensia my child. You have strengthened my belief that, even though we follow different faiths and live in different environments, we still have much in common with respect to the problems we face.
Cliffheart	I can agree with that. I thought all Sankta were like Exusiai, but now I know there are all kinds of problems between Sankta too.
Velliv	Understanding that is the first step to understanding Laterano. By the way, if I recall correctly, the Kjeragandr statue three years in the making is nearly complete. You should be traveling to Kjerag for the unveiling ceremony, shouldn't you? I could give you a ride, if you want.
Cliffheart	... Actually, I have a different request. A rather brazen one, I should say.
Velliv	Oh?
Cliffheart	I would like to travel with Samara and learn more about Laterano and the Sankta. Is that okay?
Velliv	Are you not planning to go back?
Cliffheart	Not yet. This whole thing has given me a lot of food for thought. Maybe there's no real point trying to force them back together. Maybe they've already sat down together while I've been away. If they understand each other, if both of them have Kjerag in their hearts, if they're headed for the same goal, just by different paths... Then I should cast my eyes forward, too.
Velliv	...
Cliffheart	You came looking for me, didn't you?
Velliv	Yes. I had made up my mind to come personally when I heard your name from Samara, and what the two of you talked about. While formal relations were established between Kjerag and Laterano at the Summit of Nations, the Kjeragandr and Lateran faiths have lacked a catalyst for dialogue.
Cliffheart	I'll be the catalyst.
Velliv	... Kjerag is certainly in need of cultural dialogue, and there is no doubt that His Holiness will welcome such dialogue with open arms. But I must ask you again, one last time. Do you understand what you're doing, Lady Ensia Silverash?
Cliffheart	... Yes.
Velliv	In that case, I welcome you on behalf of Laterano.
Cliffheart	Thanks. Oh, but I'll need to visit the nearest Rhodes Island branch office first. I'll need them to help me find a home for Tiana, and ask the Doctor to deliver a message to my brother.