Rust, Sword and the Sun

Head to Solis Tavern

Abby: Ugh, muggy day... Sky's gloomy, air's all wet...

Abby: Oh, man! At least let me finish my sentence!

Abby: Oh right, I'm famished! We barely had a bite sprinting all the way here from Ragunna...

Abby: Whoa, pinch me! This is a feast and a half!

Abby: Hey, Rover... so, uh... we did bring enough money, right? I mean, we kinda rushed out without grabbing anything...

Rover: Oh, that... don't worry, money's not an issue.

Rover: Augusta made sure we're covered. All our food and lodging here in Septimont is billed straight to the Ephor's Palace.

Rover: But...

Rover: I think the owner might've overdone it a little...

Abby: Hah, better get used to it. You're the champ of the Great Agon!

Abby: And you know me. If food's on offer, I'll be a scoffer. No leftovers, guaranteed!

Abby: Mmmf, yum yum...

Abby: Free stay, free meal... This Ephor really knows how to treat guests. Maybe we should, you know, hang around a bit longer.

Abby: (Sniffs) This smells amazing!

Rover: Abby, what do you think Imperator wants me to find? If Cartethyia's right, the last clues should be somewhere on the Sanguis Plateaus.

Rover: We're so close to the finish line, just one step away. But our pace has slowed...

Abby: (Hiccups) Relax! We're already back in Septimont, what's the rush?

Abby: I remember Lupa said there's this weird Blightcloud hanging over the Sanguis Plateaus.

Abby: And when the "High Tide" or whatever rolls around, all the Gladiators go there to hunt Tacet Discords.

Abby: Wait, is the High Tide coming up soon? The Ephor's invite did say something about a big hunt.

Abby: Huh... that reminds me, aren't we supposed to meet her today?!

Rover: A messenger came this morning. Augusta is dealing with an emergency, so our meeting's postponed... looks like it'll be a while.

Rover: An unexpected change. It's throwing everything off course... I don't like the feel of it.

Rover: And why me for this hunt? If it's about the Great Agon... the messenger said none of the other Gladiators were invited.

Abby: Who knows? Maybe she just wants to test her strength against you. Typical Septimontian, right?

Rover: You think so?

Rover: I've only met her a few times, but I doubt she acts on such simple impulses.

Rover: And as the Ephor, is she really in a position to do whatever she wants?

???: Guest from afar, you possess eyes as clear as crystal.

???: But... what troubles you so, that eyes once bright as the highland sky now darken with rolling clouds.

???: ...A warrior who walks the blade's edge does not falter over trifles.

???: The clouds, if I may guess, are cast from the throne...

???: At the peak of Capitoline Hill, beneath the pale walls of the Ephor's Palace... secrets lie buried. And the most intricate among them are those born from the pursuit of power.

???: Even one as honorable as the Ephor must learn when to be ruthless.

Nestor: I am Nestor, a traveling poet.

Nestor: The rains in Septimont never seem eager to leave this season. So then...

Nestor: If you are curious about the Ephor... then allow me to say that nothing would honor me more than to offer even a modest service to the Champion of the Great Agon.

Abby: Wait, how do you know Rover is the Champion? And all that stuff about the Ephor, too...

Abby: ...Your eyes... hmm... Were we talking too loud?

Nestor: To see and to hear are but two of the many ways to perceive. Trusting the senses is a habit, a natural expedience, but not the only option.

Nestor: Truth be told, I've been gathering inspiration for my next epic, and its protagonist is none other than Augusta, the Ephor of Septimont.

Nestor: That's why I speak of her with some familiarity.

Nestor: Augusta—

Nestor: A girl of humble birth, a Resonator of modest talent, a commoner without noble patronage. And yet from the den of wolves that is Septimont City, she rose, and eventually claimed her place.

Nestor: Just like the burning sun was once a cloud of dust.

Talk with Nestor and learn about the Ephor's story

Nestor: Fail enough times, and you might eventually succeed. Should we call it resilience, or mere stubbornness?

Nestor: Or perhaps, for a girl who has lost everything, there was never a second option. She had no one to trust but herself, and naught but a blade to hold.

Nestor: And yet...

Nestor: As the first stanza of an epic, this is nothing extraordinary.

Nestor: Since the Lament, across the scorched lands of Solaris, I've heard this story repeat itself again and again.

Nestor: Greatness, yes, our era has certainly seen it. But true greatness is never found on the first page of a story.

Nestor: Courage, glory, and honor... such immortal virtues have been etched in tablet and stone. They are never forged overnight.

Nestor: Light as a thread, elusive as the wind, they weave themselves into every twist of fate, tangling with every "insignificant" choice we make.

Abby: I don't know, it's just unbelievable. The Augusta he's talking about and the Ephor we saw in the arena... No way they're the same person.

Nestor: Heh, a girl far from home, arriving in the city upon Capitoline Hill in pursuit of strength. No title, no status, no wealth...

Nestor: Do you mean... Cato?

Nestor: Then Cato must've been an idealist, to place his faith in a girl with nothing to her name.

Nestor: Now, why don't we keep this question in mind and see where the story leads us.

Continue chatting with Nestor, and learn about the Ephor's story

Nestor: Merely the rough shape of a short epic. This is all I can offer about the Ephor.

Nestor: I appreciate your kind words, my generous listener.

Nestor: I am only a humble wordsmith spinning verses and rhymes. The essence of poetry is granted by those who dare defy their fate.

Nestor: But there is one thing I must confess.

Nestor: Through my words, your knowledge of the Ephor is... partial, at best.

Nestor: Poetry can only offer a glimpse of the true story. The reality of people, events, and things slips beyond the grasp of words.

Nestor: I do not belong in the pages of the epic, so I remain confined to the observer's gaze. I can imagine events and emotions unfold, but I cannot truly recreate them.

Nestor: Here's some advice for you, though I hesitate to call it such...

Nestor: If you want the truth of a story, step into it. Become part of it. The opportunity stands before you now.

Nestor: It's not difficult to see. Fate flows like the stars tracing their course. Your destination is written in the steps you take.

Nestor: The rain is passing... I hear it ceasing its symphony upon the earth. It is time for farewells.

Nestor: Before I leave, may I ask you one last question? What is it that has lifted Augusta to the seat of power? What is it that makes a ruler?

Abby: Well... I'd say strength.

Abby: Let's be real. There's no way Augusta could've passed those trials without strength.

Nestor: Hehe, you needn't rush to answer now. Keep it in mind as you continue your journey.

Nestor: When the final chapter is written, the answer will reveal itself.

Nestor: Farewell, my friend. Our paths crossed by fate and by chance.

Nestor: Soon after this brief encounter, everything about me will be gone with the wind. But you... your epic continues.

The previous day...

Shrewd Senator: Your Excellency, you have indulged her too much.

Shrewd Senator: As the Priestess, Iuno is far too unruly in both action and word. It's a disgrace to her title.

Stern Senator: Indeed. She entered the Palace unannounced, uninvited, and with no decorum.

Stern Senator: A blatant affront to the authority of the Palace.

Augusta: Heh... same as always.

Augusta: Senators, all she crossed was a doorway. One too insignificant to carry the weight of our authority, or defend anyone's fragile pride.

Augusta: Let us not forget, it is not the walls of Capitoline Hill that command fear.

Augusta: It is my will, my sword, and our relentless conquest.

Augusta: I know your fear. You fear a Priestess's voice drowning yours, and a rebel challenging the Senate's rules.

Augusta: But listen well, power does not bow to sycophants cowering behind their traditions.

Augusta: If you seek power, then step from the shadows. Face me and prove yourself worthy.

Iuno: Took you long enough, Augusta.

Augusta: Handling the senators takes time. You know that.

Augusta: Well, to keep our esteemed Priestess from waiting, maybe next time I'll just leave them to their own devices.

Augusta: I'll make sure they record every detail of your "feat" and relay it word-for-word to Grandmother Lillibet.

Augusta: "Priestess Iuno: Unruly behavior, left Tetragon Temple without permission and trespassed into the Ephor's Palace."

Augusta: ...I wonder, who will lose it first, Lillibet or you?

Iuno: Let those old foxes report me all they want.

Iuno: If they step into the Tetragon left foot first, I'll shoot the left. Right foot first? I'll shoot the right.

Augusta: Heh, I'm with you on that one.

Augusta: The Senate should be reminded now and then that the Tetragon's kindness is not a reason to take Priestess Iuno lightly.

Augusta: Why didn't you wait there? I had everything handled. We depart for the hunting ground tonight.

Augusta: If anything changed, you could've reached me by my Terminal. You didn't need to come all the way here... I want you free of duty until that day arrives.

Iuno: You're overthinking it, Augusta. I'm here to see that person.

Iuno: Grandmother Lillibet said his fate is one of "unknowable void." Sounds intriguing enough to make time for.

Augusta: So that's it. Too bad. The ship from Ragunna won't dock until tomorrow morning, and we'll be gone by then.

Iuno: Ugh, what a hassle.

Augusta: Patience, Iuno. Rover has accepted the invitation, so you'll have plenty of time to meet during the hunt.

Augusta: Is there something else you want to say?

Iuno: ...

Iuno: I read Grandma Lillibet's Book of Prophecies. The hunt and our plan... neither end well.

Iuno: Are you sure... we should go through with this?

Augusta: Risk does not trouble me. Peril simply requires greater strength. But really, when did you start caring about the Temple's traditions?

Iuno: ...

Iuno: "O ye faithless of Septimont, the Divinity is enraged. Should your ruler defy Their will again, doom shall be your fate."

Iuno: Lately I've been hearing murmurs from the nobles again, about the ancient prophecy from Ragunna...

Augusta: I will admit, those words once carried weight.

Augusta: But when our ancestors crossed the waters and climbed these hills, Ragunna's "Divinity" didn't get a seat on the ship.

Augusta: And the Priestesses all said the prophecy was incomplete.

Augusta: "Only the Hero of Heroes wielding extraordinary power, risen from the dark tides, shall bring eternity to Septimont. Then shall the waters quiet, the tempest still, and glory return with the blood of the old king."

Augusta: Do not forget, this is the other half of the prophecy.

Augusta: Fabius, Atilius, Valeria... One after another, these heroes have saved Septimont from the brink of ruin.

Augusta: As long as a hero stands, no disaster can break this eternal city.

Iuno: What if… this time is different? What if ruin is our fate?

Augusta: ...

Augusta: Then I will sever that fate with my blade.

Augusta: Haha...

Iuno: What's so amusing?

Augusta: So the fearless Priestess Iuno can be frightened after all...

Augusta: But it's fine. If you're afraid, don't push yourself. I can handle this alone.

Augusta: Most Revered Priestess, wait for me in the Temple. I shall return victorious.

Iuno: Frightened? Me? If anything, it's you, trying to shut me out and face it alone.

Iuno: Fine. Go ahead. You'll come back to me sooner or later.

Augusta: That, I can't deny.

Iuno: Ha! I knew it. So you do need me for this hunt.

Augusta: Thank you, Iuno.

Iuno: ...Why are you saying this?

Augusta: The storm is coming...

Augusta: Come, Iuno, my friend. The best way to greet a storm... is to walk straight into it.