[Dalvyserran]

Arkeo looks like a horse! Quick, give Chigusa a jousting spear. Too bad she doesn't meet Kane'ohe; that would have been nice...

[Pitdragon]

Does Koil even care though? To me it seems like if Ariel asked she'd back her as heir. She didnt care to take up the fight against the way things have been going because Quain killed her mom & dad, but she doesnt strike me as someone who would hold that grudge against Ariel if Ariel proved herself worthy. Nah, its Sang and/or Rosof she has to worry about.

I still think it'll be Koil'dorath, Koil seemed to change after her mother died so she may harbor some hate for Ariel as a proxy. Rosof is too old challenge Ariel's leadership and besides he's one of the more honorable ones, Sang likely would stand against Ariel but as a combatant I'd say she's below Koil and Koil likely is the face of the clan these days anyhow while Sang has perhaps taken a role of leading behind the curtains. If anything, it'd be who would make Koil duel Ariel even if Koil doesn't want to, Sang because she's proven to be manipulative and Rosof because he honors tradition.

I'm wondering if Koil is even part of the equation now. Kyo'nne talked about how Ariel missed a gathering in Chel and when Ariel asked if Koil attended and described her Kyo'nne responded that the representative was "small and white-haired." Which doesn't describe Koil at all, but Sang totally. So Sang is likely more of a face than Koil is. Koil was upset that her mother was dead, killed by her leader and a woman she looked up to, but it didn't seem to signal that Koil was going to become an opponent (I remember Kern mentioning on the forum post how both she and Ariel looked at each other with the burden neither really wanted hanging in the air). If anything, Sang making a move to "secure" Ariel and the mention her people were supposedly extracting the kids (but the kids were being murdered and it appears the group that came upon Jivv sent by Suu'be weren't aware of the murderers) shows Sang was the one making a power play and is now more in the position of opposition. She tried to capture the beacon of Quain's bloodline, with comments like "Saaaay, Ariel ain't much of a Val name, ya know..." to feel out if Ariel was hoplessly like the "rest of the Val" and then tried to talk like a mentor boosting Ariel's confidence in taking charge... while steering Ariel toward the goal she wanted. She's been mentioned as the one that sat in on a recent Council meeting, implying she is now the one that the Alliance will see as "the Sarghress." And we know from the advertisement for this chapter's cameo call that she's heading the Legion hunting the "Machike renegades."

Koil I worry is either preoccupied somehow and not in Chel (making Sang de facto ruler as her house likely outnumbers Rosof's and Mae'yukir likely has joined the Duts fully), or was deposed completely and either is locked up to keep Nori'fu in line or dead. She could also be a hostage of the Alliance or Snadhya to keep the clan in line too, but that seems less likely. Sang looks to be the one that Ariel will have to overcome. All that setup with Koil being willing to hand the reins over to Ariel when the time came didn't seem like it would be swept away with Suu'be's death - I'd say her mother's death at the hands of Quain and Quain's subsequent end would probably make Koil want to wash her hands of leadership and maybe the clan all together. So either she's out of the picture entirely or something else is up to have Sang be the one to show up for the gathering and to be heading the hunt.

Given the demon we were left with in the Sargh fortress before the time skip, I do wonder if Koil even made it past the time skip or died leading people against the fallout of that. That comment about not hearing from her in a while was very ambiguous about how long that time frame was.

[Whizzard]

Or maybe Sang turned Koil into a subordinate and chooses Koil to champion her in a duel for leadership that Ariel demands. I just see Koil as more comparable to Sarghress last boss than Sang.

[Moric]

1. Only a fool would start a military conquest without an objective. Ariel can have strategic myopia due to her youth, but Kel'noz does not. Whether Ariel's myopia clears up as quickly as her innocence did (thinking Miir'kin) is a big question mark.

2. Kel'noz has probably witnessed and participated in the pacification of a number of hostile districts over the centuries. I doubt that he hasn't taken this into account. That said, this is the easy part.

3. Koil may very well be bitter. Had her parents not been killed by Quain'tana, things would be easier between the two, but then Suu'be would be a problem. Sang is close to Koil, but may very well be persuaded to turn - we just don't know enough of her motivations right now. Rosof would be pissed to see what happened to Machike, and I doubt that he will march with that back of his. Mablevi was a follower of Leale, so he would be likely to turn easily. With all that, the rank and file are yet another issue. Who is loyal to whom or what? Sorting this out may be the delay, and even then, there's no guarantee. The chapter title is Unity after all....

4. Bae is something of a surprise. I suppose that when the pond met the sea, and found the sea gracious, worldview had to change.

[SzordrinZaphresz]

Bae working with Faen is not really a surprise. Faen not only utterly stomped Bae, but made Bae actually feel something, and made Bae realize that maybe being a sadistic bitch wasn't cutting it when Faen offered her mercy.

Bae working with Ash'warren, on the other hand, is a MASSIVE shock, considering how much she really, really hated and wanted to kill the latter.

Either

1.) Bae is biding her time to kill her from the shadows (likely, but difficult considering how both Faen and Ash can sense her emotions).

2.) Bae learned something that directed her rage elsewhere. (Very likely. Snad is the mistress of lies and half-truths.) But would that overcome the "perfected" tainting? We've learned from Shinae that it can be overcome, but not completely.

3.) Bae's given up and is just going along so she gets to stay alive. (The most likely so far.)

[Moric]

Well, I think that the merging mind control has limitations. That said, Snadhya'rune has some things in her favor for most of our encounters with the merged:

1. Years of feeling a parasitic alien eating you away on the inside, deforming your baby within you, then a sudden release from all that tension and anxiety can be a tremendous factor for gratitude.

2. Drow love propaganda even more than humans.

3. Drow love being on the winning team even more than humans, well, it's close.

[Margirita]

Demons are always unpredictable. Snad thinks she has a handle on them. She merges a bunch of people that are mostly faithful to her with a bunch of demons that she raised to be 100% faithful to her and she gets really faithful super solders. However she fails to factor in that drow and demons do have minds of their own.

That being said I think Bae is faithful to Faen. Faen probably showed her kindness and reasoned with her rather then just telling her what to think. Both Faen and Bae are not keen on Ashie. Don't think Ashie gives a shit though, she is only doing something cause she has to. Most likely Kel asked it of her and there is snu snu involved.

[Sarah]

As much as I'm loving Ariel's attitude here, I feel like she's jinxing herself by going, "Nobody here but us!" XP

[Moric]

The vast majority of nether summons are of limited intelligence, often with no other impulse than consuming more. As such, fidelity is rather moot. Snadhya is a summoner of unparalleled skill (now that her mentor is dead). I would think that her ability to manipulate auras of all three varieties of summons allows her to manipulate the emotional underpinnings of her subjects when merging them. Add in her relationship with Khaless, and there is no telling what she can really do to demons, merged, or tainted. Of course, what happens out of her immediate scope can degrade her grip.

P.S. This is about the only way that I see that she still has a (tenuous) grip on Zala.

[Junglefowl26]

Eh, once again I don't think things will be that easy -

1) Meta wise, Kern has been building up the legion as a big threat for a while now, and made them a separate cameo spot. I doubt that would be the case if he was just going to have them switch sides without a fight.

2) The whole reason Ariel came to Machtike was because there was a conspiracy of hundreds to kill her and her family. So plenty in the clan don't like her and won't be loyal to her. (Plus, I bet any force assembled specifically to go after Ariel would handpick such people, or at least not pick anyone with any obvious Ariel loyalties)

3) Other members of the clan are just mercenaries in it for money and power. And Snad has plenty of money and the Sarghress have a lot of power in the new system. They wouldn't want to jeopardize it.

4) Others yet just want to fight. These might chafe the most at the peace of the alliance, but they also might to just be eager to crush some colonists.

5) Even the idealists would be the most likely to like Ariel might hesitate at the idea of plunging Chel back into a nightmarish war that just ended.

6) Since Mimians and Chelians are old rivals, she might be seen as a traitor for allying with Mimians while a war between the two cities is brewing.

7) Most damning, in my opinion, is the fact that Ariel left. For three years Ariel has had pretty much no contact with the wider clan. Three important years where the world is turned upside down and the Sarghress had to adjust to their new place in the world. Do you really think a clan that fallows action above all else would obey such an absentee leader? Such a cowardly one that ran and hid when the clan needed her most?
7B) Plus, three years is enough time to get used to taking orders from someone else.

So, all things considered, Ariel getting most or all of the Sarghress on her side easily is far from guaranteed.

Plus, given how the theme of the last few chapters has been the total breakdown of the clan system, I am expecting a final severance between Machtike and the Sarghress, and a move for colonial independence.

Too bad she doesn't meet Kane'ohe; that would have been nice...

Hm? I am curious, what is their connection?

I'd say her mother's death at the hands of Quain and Quain's subsequent end would probably make Koil want to wash her hands of leadership and maybe the clan all together.

Very true.

Actually, it would be pretty interesting to find that Koil quit the clan and became a freelance relic hunter or something.

As much as I'm loving Ariel's attitude here, I feel like she's jinxing herself by going, "Nobody here but us!" XP

Yeah, that is just begging for some dramatic irony.

Hero or villain, monologing about how everything is going to plan is not a good idea...

(Though, on the other hand, I get the feeling Kern wants to wrap this up quickly so we can get back to the present day and have Ariel recruit Chiri. I think the Legion might end up retaking Ys later on, but I think this scene is either done or will be in the next page or two)

[Najah]

Its so wonderful seeing how much our little wolf has grown! [sniffle]

[sunhawk]

Where is Quill'yate?

Why doesn't Faen paint her face?

prejudice aside. Why does Ash'waren still make people think she is drow?

[Moric]

Eh, once again I don't think things will be that easy -

I don't either. We should get to see some killing, some intrigue, reversals of fortune, etc. I'm expecting another 100+ page chapter, and let me be clear, much of it will not be pretty or easy. That said, I think that by chapter end, Ariel will have gained the allegiance of hundreds, perhaps thousands of followers. Most near the end.

All lined up, as it is, the situation as presented is bad, very bad for Ariel. Even with the airship, this is a Kobayashi Maru type bull---- challenge. She needs a big win right now just to make things sporting.

Even so, I think that the Sarghress leadership, as a whole, have been happy not to deal with the Machike situation for three years, and were hopeful that they wouldn't have to. Aaaand... now they have to. So, yes, Ariel gets a head start, perhaps a moon's worth. Sorting who to send, putting together strategy, getting recon, etc. is going to take time.

Where is Quill'yate?

A continent away? Dead? Who knows?

Why doesn't Faen paint her face?

Afraid Ariel wouldn't like it?

prejudice aside. Why does Ash'waren still make people think she is drow?

Pretty good reason to be paranoid. And better paranoid than dead.

[PoignardAzur]

Awesome.

Still a war crime, but awesome. Ariel is finally badass again!

[Smokehammer]

P.S. This is about the only way that I see that she still has a (tenuous) grip on Zala.

I seriously doubt tainting or merging has any effect on a person's loyalties. Someone very high up in the Sarghress is Nidraa'chal. Zala needs the Sargs to behave. If Snadhya can make that happen, then Snadhya's necessary to Zala. Quain'tana wouldve murdered her just as fast as Snadhya will when she gets a chance and I dont think Zala was wise enough to see that coming. At least when it comes to Snad Zala has her eyes wide open. Im not sure Snadhya has hers open though. If it is indeed Sang then once Snad's solidified her destruction of the Clans, Snad's got a date with the pointy end of something sharp.

Eh, once again I don't think things will be that easy -

Its not like Ar has any great aspirations to rule the world so she doesnt really need the support of anyone. She's just trying to cause enough chaos for the people who do that they leave her and her friends alone. It wont work in the long run, but it didnt for Diva either. Perpetual, stable societies are unicorns.

Arkeo looks like a horse!

He needs to eat more!

Quick, give Chigusa a jousting spear.

That would fix it