SN-ST-4: Seaside Street

SN-ST-4 Seaside Street	Stultifera Navis: Gran Faro Previous SN-3 Next SN-ST-5
On the long road beside the ocean, the representatives of two civilizations speak herein.

Characters

Elysium Gladiia Inquisitor Irene Jordi Kal'tsit Skadi Specter Ulpianus Alty Aya Dan Frost High Inquisitor Dario Mon3tr Saint Carmen Sea Terror

Backgrounds

1 2 3 4

“

In this town of special significance, the Inquisition and Abyssal Hunters must negotiate face-to-face and reach a conclusion. They search once again for the Eye of Iberia, with time at their heels.

”

<Background 1>
"I arrived in this new land from my maritime home. There is no end to ghastly shock here, not a break in the tragic weave." "The clouds are far from as fine as told in legend, and both the land and sky are wrathbitten and hurting. Cities comparable to Ægir are all but prey to Catastrophe." "Moreover, the people of this dry land are plagued by an inscrutable sickness. I had learnt of Oripathy, of Originium, from many an academy record. Seeing it firsthand, though, the truth of how it has become an integral part of the land, its roots deep and stubborn, is made witheringly apparent." "Nevertheless, they still tenaciously live, pursue both technology and truth through their unique means, and seek to leave the mark of their continued existence." "Though I am lambasted a traitor, I do not regret my decision to come ashore. The Seaborn swarm is expanding; within a decade, Ægir will find itself besieged with no quarter. But someday, I will complete my travels and return to Iberia." "I will leave this memoir behind, for the Ægir to seek and decipher. I have no faith in the nobility; I am certain that those Ægir termed "Islanders" today will find Iberia withdrawing its respect for them soon enough, whatever the reasons may be." "The Golden Dreadnought, the Eye of Culture, the Jurisprudence of Evolution, the Stele of Life. The Ocean and Land must form a united front to withstand the billowing waves." "It was never my intent to serve as a pioneer. All I am is one step ahead of fate."
–From a copy of the notes of Breogan, famed Iberian architect and chief shipwright, written in cryptic Ægirian.
Ulpianus	This is a matter between the Ægir.
High Inquisitor	So long as you stand on Iberian soil, the law is watching you. And so am I.
Ulpianus	Hmph...
High Inquisitor	What is the relation between you and those three Abyssal Hunters?
Ulpianus	You've harmed Skadi. Strange. Surely she intended to avoid combat.
High Inquisitor	......
Ulpianus	Her blood is a special sort, more special than the rest of ours. I hope you've been diligent in cleaning your weapons.
High Inquisitor	I'm the one asking questions here.
Ulpianus	And I'm the one who decides whether to answer.
High Inquisitor	I gather the only Hunters granted freedom of movement by Lord Carmen were those who declared their interests during the Sal Viento conflict.
[Ulpianus strikes at the High Inquisitor, who parried it with his rapier.]
Ulpianus	...Mm. Seems it wasn't a coincidence you crossed swords with her then.
High Inquisitor	She was hardly weak.
Ulpianus	...Weak? What a naive appraisal. She's just unaccustomed to dry land. She lacks flexibility.
[The High Inquisitor countered the attack at Ulpian, ending in a deadlock until another Inquisitor holds him at swordpoint from behind...]
???	Don't move, Ægir.
[...who is revealed to be Irene from the Sal Viento affair, but has matured since.]
Inquisitor Irene	Comply with the High Inquisitor's investigation. The Inquisition has already concluded negotiations with the Hunters. Your every move merely undermines the basis of our cooperation.
Ulpianus	...Cooperation?
Inquisitor Irene	I advise you to rethink your actions.
Ulpianus	Inquisitor, how many soldiers like you does Iberia have?
High Inquisitor	That is none of your business.
Ulpianus	Enough to amass an army three thousand strong?
High Inquisitor	......
Ulpianus	Then Iberia is still unqualified.
[Ulpianus dashes away.]
High Inquisitor	You're going nowhere!
Sea Terror	(Sharp chafing sounds)
High Inquisitor	What? Where did they come from?
[The High Inquisitor cuts down the Sea Terrors.]
Inquisitor Irene	High Inquisitor! Are you alright?
High Inquisitor	I'm fine. That Ægir...
Inquisitor Irene	This was my fault, sir!
High Inquisitor	He could easily have used that chance to take an arm from me, yet he chose to flee.
[Sea Terror cries are heard from the distance.]
High Inquisitor	It seems we can't afford to give chase just yet.
Inquisitor Irene	They're headed for the city! They're hiding in the soil!
High Inquisitor	No. This entire swathe of earth has been polluted.
Inquisitor Irene	H-How can that be?
High Inquisitor	Take a good look at that gray land, and the sinister miasma filling it.
Inquisitor Irene	Yes, sir!
High Inquisitor	Gran Faro is not being infiltrated by the Church of the Deep. It has already fallen to them. Prepare to fight head-on. Ensure Lord Carmen is safe, ASAP.
<Background 2>
Saint Carmen	This fluorescent nethersea brand... It's akin to their own city. It beggars belief. They're born from it, they proliferate and migrate through it...
Sea Terror	(Ominous slithering sounds)
Saint Carmen	Not all lives thirst for independence. It's no wonder these filthy things were able to hide in this town. ...But who brought them ashore?
<Background 3>
Alty	Welp, this is just perfect. And here we thought we could find a little inspiration on our beach trip. Talk about a total wash.
Frost	(Riffs in agreement)
Dan	The sea's caressing the land. I can tell. This is bad gone badder.
Aya	Kal'tsit once said the Ægir won, and that the Abyssal Hunters are the orphans of that battle. But with how things look now, I'm starting to doubt there was ever a win. Oh, speaking of Kal'tsit, did she give us the thing?
Alty	Yep.
Aya	Way to beat around the bush. Why didn't she just give it straight to that Ægir? Gladiia. That would've been faster.
Frost	(Riffs in doubt)
Alty	She wanted to use the key to draw us into this. And from that view, she definitely succeeded.
Aya	Or maybe, she was originally planning to make us retrieve or help out with something. And then she changed her mind.
Alty	Huh? Hasn't she always been, like, three hundred steps ahead? What could possibly force her to change her mind?
Aya	...I'm just saying it's possible. Sure, she knows a lot of things, but more than that, she's cautious. If not, how many times would she have died by now? Uh, what are you dancing around for? Dan?
Dan	This chapel would work great for a concert!
<Background 4>
Gladiia	Skadi, Shark.
Skadi	We wiped out every enemy we could see.
Specter	...Formless wisps of waves are spreading here, as the tide on sandy shores. An inauspicious omen. We–We should not be here.
Gladiia	It seems cleaning up some trash wasn't enough to bring her back to her senses.
Skadi	What do we do?
Gladiia	Once this area is spotless, we borrow the Iberian's assistance in finding that ship.
Skadi	There are things we don't recognize on their bodies.
Gladiia	Perhaps a part of the Sea Terrors themselves.
Skadi	...I've been wondering for a while now. How can they still evolve so fast? How are they still so full of life? Even though we've already...
Gladiia	That's precisely the question we intend to shed light on. It is also the reason I was willing to cooperate with Kal'tsit.
Skadi	Dr. Kal'tsit...
Gladiia	A fine woman, to be sure. Rouse yourself, Hunter. End this before the sun sinks below. Sea Terrors who cannot hear the ocean's call are but inferior lifeforms.
Skadi	Understood.
Specter	You... Gladiia? You've come. I will listen, then.
Gladiia	...Shark. Do you find it unwieldy in your hands?
Specter	This? I often forget the weapon is in my grasp. As if I'm dancing with it.
Gladiia	That is your past, and it has almost caught up to you. We'll be waiting.
<Background 2>
Sea Terror	(Shuddering gargles)
[St. Carmen finished off the Sea Terror...]
Saint Carmen	You lead a punctual march, Dario. Have you arranged what I asked of you?
[...as Dario, the High Inquisitor from the Sal Viento affair, walk towards him.]
High Inquisitor Dario	Yes, Lord. The Penal Battalion has readied a ship to leave for the Eye of Iberia. They've also evacuated the coast and surrounded this town by now. Those misguided fools have nowhere to flee.
Saint Carmen	There's nothing to fear in those petty villains, but the new threat they've brought forth is an astonishing one.
High Inquisitor Dario	Our technology is able to treat this much pollution.
Saint Carmen	Which is only a temporary victory, Dario. And this is "Ægir technology," not ours. If for every second of every minute, every droplet and every grain of the tides beating against our sandy shores spreads the Sea Terrors and their ecology, how are we to defend our homeland then?
High Inquisitor Dario	We will find an answer before that happens.
Saint Carmen	Yes, most assuredly.
High Inquisitor Dario	The Inquisition is also prepared to do battle with the Abyssal Hunters. We will throttle them to death on this remote shoreline.
Saint Carmen	A fitting cemetery. We can only hope they make the wise choice, and that Kal'tsit can accomplish what she's pledged to.
[Irene joins in.]
Inquisitor Irene	......
Saint Carmen	So this is your apprentice, then. I'm familiar with her from her work.
Inquisitor Irene	Y-Yes! Inquisitor Irene, reporting in, Lord Carmen!
Saint Carmen	They say that when Dario found you in the ruins, a thick tome of classics had lodged itself in the beams of the caving roof. A miraculous equilibrium that saved your life.
Inquisitor Irene	Yes, sir!
Saint Carmen	Young one, you are here only because Dario has determined that you have the will to rush onto the frontline.
Inquisitor Irene	Yes, sir!
Saint Carmen	There is an immaturity to you, but you are eager to prove yourself. Your body is filled with vigor and tenacity. But your duties in Gran Faro will be no easier than in Sal Viento. From here on, you will only be plunging ever deeper into the heart of evil. Are you prepared?
Inquisitor Irene	For Iberia's orderliness and integrity, I shall raise my sword and my lantern. To me, this motto is more than just a rallying cry.
High Inquisitor Dario	She will be prepared.
Saint Carmen	Mm... I trust your judgment, but fate does not often give its people time to prepare. Dr. Kal'tsit and I have matters to attend to still. The mission of guiding the Abyssal Hunters back to the Eye of Iberia is now yours.
Inquisitor Irene	The Eye of Iberia... High Inquisitor, what exactly is our task?
High Inquisitor Dario	...Establish a camp, safeguard the route, and ensure that our maintenance teams can safely reach the lighthouse.
Saint Carmen	The last piece of the Eye of Iberia is fifty nautical miles out from the nearest coast to Gran Faro.
High Inquisitor Dario	Assuming, of course, that it's still where the maps indicate.
Inquisitor Irene	Fifty nautical miles...
Saint Carmen	Once, our fleet could gaze far across the surface of the tranquil sea. But since the Profound Silence, the ocean has become like a boiling poison, melting all who touch it. This is a daunting mission. But recapturing this final lighthouse is of tremendous importance to our people.
Inquisitor Irene	U-Understood, sir!
Saint Carmen	It is for this that we require the Ægirs' assistance.
Inquisitor Irene	......
Saint Carmen	You are skeptical.
High Inquisitor Dario	She has been to see the Inquisition's underground cages.
Saint Carmen	So, you have witnessed the truth of the Inquisition's search, in spite of the fact it cannot obtain an answer. Go, young Inquisitor. Time will not wait. But if necessary, I will have you put time itself on trial.
<Background 4>
Sea Terror	(Pronounced slithering sounds) –!
Elysium	Watch out!
[Elysium pushed Jordi out of the Sea Terror's way.]
Elysium	You okay there?!
Jordi	I-I'm fine. Sorry, Mr. Elysium, I'm being a drag on us again...
Elysium	Uh, haha, don't you mind it.
Jordi	Those Sea Terrors...
Elysium	(Identical wounds, pounded into holes in twos and threes. This style has to be Skadi and the girls.)
Jordi	This town's been wrecked through and through.
Elysium	Haha... yeah...
[Elysium and Jordi tries to stand, but...]
Elysium	Whoa–hold it! Jordi!
Jordi	Ngah! Wh-What is this?
Elysium	–Fluorescent... creepers? Floating creatures? Or is it... uh, coral?
Jordi	This stuff is covering the whole street ahead... Hold on, something's coming out of the roofs–
Elysium	–! Move!
[A number of Sea Terrors showed up from the roofs.]
Elysium	Wait, wait–
Elysium	–No way, they already have nests here?! I thought the Church of the Deep guys just sicced them on the town! (And wait, could they seriously have just been born? This many?! How fast does it go?) Jordi!
Jordi	Oh, I'm here, I'm here!
Elysium	Ditch! Take a 180 and run for it!
Jordi	But they're behind us too, Mr. Elysium!
[The Sea Terrors surround Elysium and Jordi.]
Elysium	–Ugh, these monsters build nests faster than the freaking undertide gloompincers did– Then it's do-or-die. Hey, Jordi, find something, anything. You gotta weaponize.
Jordi	W-Will an umbrella do?
Elysium	...Yeah, sure looks like we're in for some rain. Hold onto that thing like you mean it!
Sea Terror	(Pronounced slithering sounds)
Elysium	–! Get ready!
[As Elysium and Lumen ready themselves, the Sea Terrors are suddenly vaporized one by one, which turned out to be done by Mon3tr...]
Mon3tr	(Self-satisfied braying)
[...as Kal'tsit reveals herself.]
Kal'tsit	–Burn it all. Together with the buildings.
Mon3tr	(Delighted hisses)
[Mon3tr cleared the Nethersea Brand in the vicinity with its powers.]
Kal'tsit	It would seem Ægir technology isn't necessary to treat the nethersea brand.
[Elysium runs toward Kal'tsit...]
Elysium	Dr. Kal'tsit!
Kal'tsit	Good, you're in one piece. What happened?
[...who noticed Jordi with him.]
Kal'tsit	...And who is this somewhat despondent-seeming Ægir?
<Background 2>
[Accompanied by Dario and Irene, St. Carmen praises the Abyssal Hunters trio...]
Saint Carmen	Outstanding strength, Hunters.
[...as they gather in the square.]
Gladiia	Spare us your remarks. Let us hasten to the topic at hand.
Saint Carmen	Kal'tsit has recently suffered quite the ordeal on your behalf.
Gladiia	The aid she has given us will be forever carved into my memory. While what you've done... I will likewise never forget.
Skadi	......
High Inquisitor Dario	......
Gladiia	But this present situation is by her arrangement. A small coastal town, a simple meeting.
Saint Carmen	Then in honor of her efforts, may we set aside our grievances and begin the discussion? What you seek is Breogan's legacy. You want to find the Stultifera.
Inquisitor Irene	–! (Stultifera Navis, the "Ship of Fools?" Wasn't that the flagship of the fleet wiped out in the Profound Silence? But how many years has it been?!)
Saint Carmen	What most piques my curiosity is how a foreigner can be so sure that it remains afloat.
Gladiia	Then, from the Iberian point of view, do you believe it to be sunk or not?
Saint Carmen	Hmm... In all likelihood... it isn't.
Inquisitor Irene	–!
Saint Carmen	However, it has not once returned to port.
Gladiia	A ship, unsunk for over sixty years, yet never returning to dry land's harbor. Can your people determine its position?
Saint Carmen	We could once. But not now.
Gladiia	In other words...
Gladiia looks to the statue beside them. She has no recollection of such buildings. Perhaps they had already died their silent deaths before she came ashore.
Saint Carmen	The "Eye of Iberia." These wonders were once the cornerstone of a magnificent project, but most of the lighthouses that form the Eye perished in the Profound Silence. Only one remains.
Gladiia	It does not belong to you. It belongs to Ægir.
Saint Carmen	...Breogan was indeed an Ægir, and he came from the ocean, but his devotion was selfless. He made ample contribution to Iberia's sea explorations.
Gladiia	After the disaster, you let your citizens pour their rage upon the Ægir–upon him. Indulging such folly paints you in an untrustworthy light.
Saint Carmen	Yet are the Ægir able to swear no implication in the Profound Silence?
Gladiia	......
Saint Carmen	......
[Kal'tsit joins in.]
Kal'tsit	Walls will be the death of us all. If the two of you are so determined to continue this conversation, then both Iberia and Ægir are as good as destroyed. Civilizations do not die, they are merely endlessly replaced. But the next time it happens, humanity will have no hand in it.
High Inquisitor Dario	Dr. Kal'tsit, please mind your tongue with Lord Carmen.
Saint Carmen	I do not mind; we've certainly known each other long enough. But is this your usual method, Kal'tsit? Surgically extracting the key individuals from the gargantuan body of fate, sitting them down in front of you, and convincing them of the rightness of your idea?
Kal'tsit	My idea is simply to save you. Iberia is free to refuse, as is Ægir.
Gladiia	......
Kal'tsit	If we count the untested young lady, then there are six at the table: three each for both the Inquisition and the Hunters. The town square itself is an Iberian marvel constructed by an Ægir. It could not be more appropriate for such a conference. At this very moment, the nethersea brand is still spreading. The Sea Terrors have built a nest in town, and their existence takes a vastly different form than before. A difference drastic enough to cause alarm. If none present yet recognize the scale of this oceanic threat, then perhaps we really should adjourn. We can watch as the precious time bought by the sacrifice of the Abyssal Hunters is whiled away for nothing.
Skadi	Was our victory... meaningful?
Kal'tsit	Of course. Without it, then after the Profound Silence, Iberia would not even have a deathbed to struggle upon. As for you, Lord Carmen, I hope you can put aside your prejudices against the Ægir. Use your–
Saint Carmen	–I'm so very old now, Kal'tsit. Let's get to the point, shall we?
Gladiia	......
Saint Carmen	I've aged past the inclination to win every argument, as well as the strength to uphold glory through speeches. There is no greater glory than survival, and no one sees the situation clearer than I. You may rescind your words. The Inquisition is willing to fully cooperate with the Abyssal Hunters in finding the lost dreadnought.
Specter	The golden... dreadnought.
Inquisitor Irene	......
Gladiia	I have no objections.
High Inquisitor Dario	I would've thought contact between Ægir and Iberia would give you pause.
Gladiia	Contact? Ah... if you could breathe underwater, if you could visit our cities without the aid of equipment, then I would not mind showing you a true display of Ægir's technology.
Saint Carmen	We look forward to it, Madame Consul. A Tercio of the Penal Battalion will immediately shore several dual-use warships at Gran Faro, establish a camp, and clean up the harbor in preparation. Dario, Irene, go with the Abyssal Hunters. Prioritize securing a sea route to the Eye of Iberia. Pass your judgment on arrival.
High Inquisitor Dario	As you command.
Gladiia	Kal'tsit, should... Should time be of the essence, I will prioritize reestablishing contact with Ægir.
Kal'tsit	A voyage to the deep sea is a treacherous affair to us all, but for you, it will simply be a trip back home. You will find that ship, and you will find a way back to Ægir. I leave the details to your discretion.
Gladiia	Perhaps it will be far in the future when next we meet.
Kal'tsit	So long as you remember our words. We hope that once you've returned, you will be able to reevaluate all that Ægir has suffered.
Gladiia	......
Saint Carmen	Then let us make haste. We will–
[Elysium and Jordi shows up.]
Jordi	Ah–
Elysium	Sorry, Dr. Kal'tsit. Uh, ever since the part about the lighthouse, Jordi's been–
[Dario walks toward Jordi.]
High Inquisitor Dario	The Ægir, perfect. I have much to ask you.
Kal'tsit	Wait.
High Inquisitor Dario	Who are you?
Jordi	I... I'm a resident of this town, my name is Jordi.
Inquisitor Irene	There shouldn't be any Ægir in Gran Faro! Our dossier says there are records of collusion between the Ægir and the Church of the Deep!
High Inquisitor Dario	Who are your parents?
Jordi	My... my parents were lighthouse technicians. They gave their lives for the Eye of Iberia. My house is filled with dusty blueprints, I... I may have never actually seen the lighthouse, but... I want to. The meaning of my homeland... the meaning of my parents' lifelong struggle... I, uh...
High Inquisitor Dario	You may not. The Inquisition must first interrogate you.
Gladiia	And why should I consider protecting a feeble civilian in a melee?
Kal'tsit	What if he were a descendant of Breogan?
Gladiia	What? But he looks nothing like the photographic records of Breogan.
Inquisitor Irene	Even if it's true, we should be demanding he turn over what's left of his family's legacy, and let the Inquisition take over the research. High Inquisitor!
High Inquisitor Dario	......
Saint Carmen	What is your name, Ægir?
Jordi	...Jordi. Jordi Fontanarossa. My uncle told me that–
Saint Carmen	Then you should know what awaits you for voluntarily appearing before the Inquisition.
Jordi	I... I know.
Saint Carmen	Irene.
Inquisitor Irene	Yes, sir!
Saint Carmen	Seize him. ...And take him with you.
Inquisitor Irene	Yes... Er, what?
Saint Carmen	That was what you wished for, was it not?
Kal'tsit	Thank you, Lord. Nevertheless, my greatest hope is to see true, enduring cooperation between Ægir and Iberia.
Saint Carmen	Even the longest journey starts with a single step.
Kal'tsit	Then we don't have a moment to lose. We will let the Eye of Iberia gaze upon the desolate sea once again.