Side Stories Spoilers - October 2018!

Alright! In my continuing theme of interludes, these stories are all meant to be proper interludes that don't immediately affect what's going on. With that said, one of them would be more pertinent...but why do I think Octavia's not going to win this one? Oh well. Spoilers ahoy!

A reminder. Don't tell anyone about the spoilers in this post. You can tell people in the poll what to vote for, but not why. Thanks!

A [Blacksmith] in the King of Destruction's court.

What exactly is Naq-Alrama steel? What happened after the King of Destruction's grandstanding? What does his kingdom look like now? And will he ever start a war? If any of these questions interest you, vote for this story! It won't all be through Nawal's eyes either. If you want to see what happens when a [King] goes monster hunting instead of adventurers, well...this might interest you.

A [Strategist] learning from the Titan.

Niers has a lot of great minds working under him. And he plays chess a lot. And Go. And he's a fan of mock battles. But did you ever think to ask what his poor students think of all this? Enter the political intrigue of Baleros, the power-grabbing, the squabbling, and all the shifting alliances and factions that go below the surface here! Niers' students aren't just poor; they have considerable influence and sometimes wealth of their own. And they scheme. One wonders if they might be a match for Wistram's [Mages] in their own way...

A BlackMage in the Isle of Mages.

Speaking of [Mages], yes. It's him. But what's he been up to in Wistram all this time. BlackMage talks a big game but the truth of his situation may surprise you. Or not. Find out how Wistram's been reacting to global events. They're not sitting on their hands. Mainly because they're busy smashing other people's hands with hammers when no one's looking. It's a cutthroat world and poor BlackMage might be in over his head. Yup, yup. Also we get to catch up with some familiar faces from Ceria and Pisces' pasts.

A depressed [Clown] sitting in a room by himself.

It's been a while since Tom killed the Fool. But some things don't go away. This chapter will be about processing, about dark thoughts and madness. He might not even leave the room. But if he does, what them?

An [Alchemist] with too much avarice in Celum.

Octavia wants gold. She sells matches, but ever since Erin told her about the story of the Matchstick Girl, she's had the thought that might not be a viable long-term source of income. How will she expand her business? Will she destroy her shop? And where does Mrsha fit into all this? Hmm~