Deciding the Future/Bastian: Crimea's Keystone

Bastian: Crimea's Keystone - C

Fae	Hurry, Eir! You gotta see this guy. His tricks are the coolest thing EVER!
Slow down, Fae, or you’ll trip over the carpet. You wouldn’t want to get injured, would you? We’re almost—		Eir
Midori	Oh, hello, Princess Eir! Have you come to see what the street performer has up his sleeve today?
So you’re interested as well, Midori? What could be so enthralling about this street performer?		Eir
Bastian	Well now, who do we have here? Skin as pale as the shimmer of water illuminated by moonlight... Do my eyes deceive me, or are you the hauntingly beautiful maiden of death, Princess Eir? Though my heart already belongs to my beloved Lucia, I would be remiss to ignore your loveliness. Pray allow me to dedicate this meager-but-earnest display to your ethereal beauty. Ta-daaah!
How did you produce a bouquet of flowers out of thin air?		Eir
Nowi	Oh, wow! This guy’s hands are practically a bed of petals!
I am Bastian, the count of Fayre, come from Crimea at the behest of 【Summoner】. May these flowers serve as a symbol of our newfound friendship, ever and always in the fullest of bloom.		Bastian
Eir	Thank you. I must confess, that is quite the mesmerizing trick.
I am pleased beyond words to have earned such high praise. Alas, I am unworthy of your honeyed plaudits! Oh, but do not think that I have forgotten about my excitable little audience. Perish the thought! For you, mere flowers will hardly suffice. Watch my hand carefully, and you will soon behold...a treat!		Bastian
Fae	Hooray! I love candy! Gimme, gimme! Oh, and thanks!
Phew. I see that my performance skills are as sharp as ever, even in this strange new world. Well, I did toil endlessly to ingrain those tricks into every fiber of my being...and there they remain. Forgive me, but has the gentleman skulking in yonder shadows come to witness my spectacle as well?		Bastian
Volke	Hmph. You’re pretty popular for a guy who’s just arrived.
Well, well, if it isn't the Fireman himself. What a coincidence that we should reunite in Askr. With the Greil Mercenaries together, it’s little wonder that you, General Ike’s very shadow, are here as well.		Bastian
Volke	You know more than you let on, pal. Guess you’ve been sniffing around here from the start.
What do you take me for, a hound? Gathering intelligence is only natural. Does your own trove not run deep?		Bastian
Volke	Pay me ten thousand and I’ll answer that question. The information itself will cost you ten times that, though.
Alas, you haven’t changed a bit. Even in Askr, the Fireman operates under his own set of rules.		Bastian
Volke	Look who’s talking. It’s clear that you already have a big bag of tricks at your disposal... But you may just learn something from a guy I know. As a jester, he’d give even you a run for your money. Don’t judge a book by its cover, though... He’s a lot sharper than his getup would suggest.
A clown on the inside AND out is merely that: a clown. However, if what you say is true... I do hope that you will be generous enough to proffer a name, at least?		Bastian

Bastian: Crimea's Keystone - B

Bastian	According to the Fireman’s intel, he should be loitering somewhere in this vicinity... Aha, you there!
Huh? Ain’t seen you around before. Must be a new Hero, right? Gotta say, diggin’ the ‘stache and hairdo.		Xane
Bastian	Oh ho, what a splendid costume! You are the spitting image of the traditional trickster, my boy! I am Bastian, the count of Fayre. Under the guise of a traveling performer do I ply my trade. But how better to demonstrate such than with a surprise show! Fly free, my pretties!
Ooo... The old doves-from-the-cloak bit, eh? Not bad, not bad at all! The name’s Xane. I only put on this getup for a festival. I ain’t some pro entertainer or nothin’. That said, I guess I can’t deny I like to clown around every now and then. Kinda like this!		Xane
Bastian	What is the meaning of this?! It is as if I were staring into a mirror of the purest glass!
I am Bastian, the count of Fayre. I do hope the three of us—me, you, and my mustache—get along.		Bastian
Bastian	Hoho, a perfect imitation, down to my vocal chords! I must say, I am beyond impressed. Bravo!
Thanks, though it ain’t some kinda act. It’s just somethin’ I’ve got a bit of a knack for.		Xane
Bastian	Aha, then shape-shifting comes naturally to you? Most intriguing. Even so, I should think it takes great skill to imitate someone with such authenticity. I wonder... Is this unique talent of yours not wasted in a sideshow? It belongs on the battlefield! Why, think of how much discord you could sow by impersonating an enemy commander or two!
Discord... Right... You humans are all the same. Power’s gotta be used. Wars gotta be won. Thanks, but I’ll pass.		Xane
Bastian	Pardon? Where are you— Wait, friend! Blast. Perhaps this bears further investigation...

Bastian: Crimea's Keystone - A

Bastian	My good Sir Xane, I humbly beg your pardon for such a callous appraisal of your considerable talents.
No need to apologize, pal. I’m not about to bite your head off for the thoughts that go through it.		Xane
Bastian	You should know that I inquired of Commander Anna, Princess Sharena, and Prince Marth about you.
You did, did you?		Xane
Bastian	Their stories reminded me of the laguz dragon tribe from my home, the continent of Tellius. You are a manakete, one who possesses the power to change their form into that of a dragon.
Technically, yeah. But I ditched my dragonstone a long time ago. There’s no turnin’ scaly for me now.		Xane
Bastian	I was informed that in your world’s distant past, there transpired a war between humans and manaketes. In the midst of that conflict, you refused to take a side, and instead simply watched events unfold.
Well, I was rootin’ for both human and dragon at first. That’s what the Divine Dragon Naga wanted, actually. Problem was, the human population just kept growin’ and growin’, along with their arrogance and greed. Eventually they decided they didn’t want to share with us anymore, and that’s when the blows started flyin’.		Xane
Bastian	Yes, indeed...
Don’t get me wrong... It’s not like every human was out huntin’ down manaketes, and vice versa. In fact, Naga believed that humans were the future, and that we should guide them on their journey. That said, I can’t really blame Medeus for the fight he and the other Earth Dragons picked. He was just actin’ in self-defense. In the end, a decent option never came my way, so I stayed out of it.		Xane
Bastian	That may be so, but I also heard that you aided Prince Marth long after that war came to a close.
Eh, princey’s special. Too straightlaced for his own good. Had to make sure he stayed outta trouble, y'know?		Xane
Bastian	Then he was the rare exception to the rule... May I take this to mean that you yet abhor humanity?
Well now, who can say? Only thing I know for sure is I’ll never get tired of teasin’ the Order of Heroes and their friends.		Xane

Bastian: Crimea's Keystone - S

Bastian	I see. So that is why you yet don the outfit of a jester so long after the festival has passed.
Speak for yourself, buddy. There are two jesters here. Right side up, upside down, the authentic and the fabricated... We wear many deceitful faces. The more layers you peel away, the harder it becomes to know where our true faces are.		Xane
Bastian	A pointed observation indeed. I daresay your experience ever so slightly overshadows mine.
You’re the complete opposite of princey. Heart’s too hard. But that’s fine... Keeps things interesting.		Xane
Bastian	Tricksters operate on the fringes of society, making their living from sideshow performances. The multitude of conflicts that Askr faces, however, demand the earnest and dedicated effort of all involved. We would certainly welcome the contributions of a stalwart ally such as you to this noble cause.
Hate to break it to you, but how much I get involved depends on how you humans decide to act.		Xane
Bastian	The Order of Heroes has managed to build a roster of allies whose power defies traditional measure. Working out a way to put that talent to use would do wonders for our battlefield performance. Ah, but listen to me... Yet again my thoughts turn toward the sordid endeavor of warcraft. Sir Xane would surely twist his face in disgust again were he to hear me. I must focus on peace. But even then, it is no easy thing for the powerful to manage their own power. That being the case, it falls to tricksters like me to support them from the shadows. Should we each play our part, our mutual support may yet bear fruit in due time...

Scenario
← Geoffrey		Caineghis →
Deciding the Future
Lucia	Elincia	Bastian	Geoffrey

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