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"Plainly, you can speak. But when will you act?" The An-Gho's hand hovered over a forbidden note-sheet.

Jeffrey de Wees of the western wind temple overheard the chatter of his pupils on the news of the GOAT. Intensifying his kani training on his mu ren zhuang

[!] A letter is returned posthaste! Yagi-Jin; I am pleased that you have found the Temple’s amenities acceptable; yet still, it is foolish to claim that a man, or structure, might lay claim ownership to any such thing. No man may force the blossoming of sweet fruit - He may only aid in its cultivation. And so it is that I may only aid in the cultivation of the Temple’s good will and pleasant aesthetic, regardless of what state it finds itself in. I thus pose a question: Is the undoing of cultivation, truly, a display of strength? The act of striking at stationary forms can be accomplished by a falling branch, or the rumbling of the earth. Yet still, these things are incapable of associating such an action as a display of strength - the act is devoid of this meaning. We of Nichi-Jin are sympathetic to your yearnings. It is a miserable thing to seek strength, yet be so misguided by desire that you need to destroy to be seen; it is a childish thing. If you wish to be heard, I have heard you, and I shall aid you in mastering what it means to be truly strong. As you are undoubtedly aware, you may find our people at Nichi-Jin. I would venture to Hallowcliffe to bestow my blessings, but those Voidally-inclined men have rendered you EVICT. I shall also provide the names and summaries of those who reside within Nichi-Jin, so that you need not feel lonely. Should you insist that your strength is strength, this information shall aid you in showing it in person! Ugokoyama Danzen The former Arch-Lector, Danzen is the author of the Bestia Conlectia and the Ars Bellica In retirement, Danzen has undertaken the role of Jūshoku of Nichi-Jin, with the charge of aiding the countless beings in tempering their souls in the pursuit of SOLACE. Ugokoyama Keiko The current GOAT of Koyo-Kuni and adopted daughter of Danzen, Keiko is the well respected Shrine Maiden and caretaker of the country. Recently she has taken to sparring with countless, pretty strong enemies to attain her center. It is said she can carry ten jugs of water at once. Ugokoyama Kintaro The automaton son of Danzen, Kintaro is the GREATEST HERO to ever live. Though soulless, Kintaro possesses far more SOUL than any man. He glistens beneath the Koyo-Kuni Sun per his well oiled joints and polished chassis. It is said that he has slain over two evildoers. Sen A Paladin of a bygone age, Sen has come to Danzen in search of a new way. Finding refuge within the confines of Nichi-Jin, Sen yearns to lead his Paladins in such a way that might accrue the most Merit and Goodwill, rather than the coveting of glory and ego. Richard A Paladin of Othaman lineage, Richard has proved himself a noble warrior throughout the many conflicts that he has found himself in. Though perhaps a bit antique in his views, Richard’s heart is great and vast, and would just as easily hug you as chop you down! Should you wish to speak with an audience, I have also developed an automaton device known as a “microphone” which may amplify your voice. I implore you to speak into it.

The Red Lich, Gashadokuro, himself saw this. A fire burns in the dead's stomach, whispers addling his hollow skull. The Oni-Lich took this as an insult, as opposition seeking to take his territory. "Invasion.. turns.. North.." Behind this hulking monster of an Archlich, a hellgate bled sinister lights.

"Waging war against good people is bad for the soul." Quoted Takemura, as he looked over the destroyed LIGHTSTONE nodes.

A newly embraced Centurion notes this track is topping the Immaculate Palace charts.

Bor of Hazum, Voice of Mugmar read over the missive, raising a brow as a metallic jaw clanged open "Bor thunk taht tis Goat ahm exactleh waht eht sounds loike - Loivestock readeh fer teh Baggis ohr Stew, HO-HAR-HO!" chuckled the Hill Giant Warlord and Spiritual Leader from within the Hazum Encampment, the lumbering fellow going to tend to his mammoth herd soon after, offering one of them a small loaf of Goat-Baggis, and strangely, the elephantine beast consumed it with great joy, an omen of victory perhaps, thought Bor. . .

When asked about the man named as Alicjo Veranna, the one known formerly as the Dark Lord had this to say.. "Alicjo the Wyrmtongue." He thought, placing one leg over the other. "The man has a rigid attitude, but above all else.. expels a flame from his breath more volatile than any dragon's."

“Yeah, I was a huge inspiration when he wrote it,” Elimar tells the elven babes at the festival.

The village already has a GOAT. Nezumi flexed her arms and went back to training so she may one day defeat Kani Hanma.

The Duke would recieve the letter and scratch his head in ponderance. He wondered how he could have fought against the azdrazi when they outnumbered by them, when they were 20 were metres away from the captives, with half his men being burnt by malflame, all his potions spent, the wizard being incapacitated. "A strategic blunder ea admit, to not have sent more men to their deaths. As if, ea made that choice due to their comments." He muttered irritadely, though with still with the inevitable guilt that came with any loss of life. It was relieved somewhat knowing there was no other strategic decision.

A languished, exhausted soul lingers in the penumbra of a blinding light. Perhaps once, in another life, I told you something I didn't truly intend. A promise I knew couldn't be fulfilled. But I've never regretted it all as much as I do now.

Luthriel sighs, "We really need to be trying harder to retain our vassals and citizens. This is becoming absurd."

[!] A strange, deranged parchment makes its way into libraries around Aevos. It lacks a name, a title, and everything save for the text between the illustrations. The Survival of the Fittest is nature’s most fundamental law. All progress is derived from it; it compels the wild creatures to be stronger, and it compels civilizations to be greater. It mercilessly culls what is weak and rewards what is strong. For all of existence, sentient life has been bound by this law. Because of this, reality is trapped in a never ending cycle of violence. What was weak becomes strong, and what is strong is made weak in the face of new strengths. And thus, even the strong will eventually fall victim to the cruelty of this world. Existence is filled with suffering, but it is also filled with beauty. If only we could break from the cycle of evolution and find a new way to progress - one that prioritizes beauty and minimizes suffering. The deities seem greater than us in every way, but they too are chained to this cycle. Verily, they are chained even more than we are! For they have fixed natures, and therefore can only progress their might and control. We, however, possess flexible natures, and are capable of rebelling against our own vices. Because of this, we alone possess the power to rebel against the cruelty that otherwise saturates nature. Individuals must first learn to forsake all desires save the desire for the greater good. Yes, they must not be selfish, but they must also give up their reliance on families and tribes and cultures. Dedication to one’s tribe leads to hatred against outsiders and irrational loyalty to insiders. The cycle of violence in descendants is primarily not promulgated by individual selfishness, but by the desire to avenge a “victimized” group. Read. Listen. Seldom are wars raged because “our nation is great and ought to control the world!” Instead, a nation will produce a list of the crimes committed against them by an enemy as an excuse to war with them. Citizens perceive their nations’ enemies not as merely weak, but as evil. Nonetheless, nations are crucial to the pursuit of progress. Through the enforcement of laws, governments are able to prevent individuals from hurting each other for selfish gain, thus forcing citizens to form symbiotic relationships. Governments are also capable of drastically influencing their citizen’s beliefs, and thus present a powerful mechanism by which faith in The Greater Good can be promoted. Ideally, a nation wishing to devote itself to The Cause will enforce strong laws against every sort of disadvantageous behavior, be it unauthorized meddling with darkspawn, physical violence, laziness, or harmful beliefs. The nation must not, however, use violence to enforce these laws. The reason for this is twofold; if violence is normalized, the state will not exercise discretion in using it, and the state will inevitably cause more suffering than blessing. Furthermore, violence leads to the people losing trust in their government, and it gives foreign nations fodder for negative propaganda. Thus, a nation should prioritize utilizing the forces of peer pressure, propaganda, and religious fervor to reshape the public’s belief system. Next, should an individual prove to be troublesome, drugging, verbal struggle sessions, Only when a citizen demonstrates that they are utterly uncontrollable should physical punishment, imprisonment, or execution be considered. Though again, violence should not be made a spectacle lest the public become outraged or foreign nations start to judge. The reason why the state must be so aggressive in promoting The Cause is that, despite it being the only good cause, it is a deeply unpopular cause. It seeks to upheave descendent nature. Thousands of years of natural selection has led to our natures being deeply short-sighted. We are most often selfish, caring only about the needs and wants of ourselves or our family and friends. Many are less selfish, but still tribalistic, caring only about the victory and glory of their country or religion. Even altruistic motives are flawed; we despise any amount of descendent sacrifice, even if it is required for long-term progress. The long-term process of creating a utopia in the distant future is too tedious to capture the instinctual hearts of descendants; the state must play a role in keeping these brutish desires in check, and in inspiring citizens to pursue the highest goal. Once such a government has been established, it must ensure that its nations’ internal affairs remain as close to utopia as possible. This will mean that the government does not merely focus on long-term goals, but that it also devotes a significant amount of energy towards strengthening its economy and military and increasing its population. Once strong, the nation must set its eyes on expanding its power, though not through direct wars of conquest. It should ally itself with other nations that are likely to go to war and win. Then, in fighting for foreign causes, it can win for itself land or resources. This allows the ideal nation to expand its borders without that expansion appearing as its only goal. Should the nation find itself an actual enemy, economic, information, and population warfare should be considered before actual violence. Eventually, we can hope that such a nation will provide a beacon of hope to reality. It shall set aside all morals and tribes and desires for the Greater Good. It shall be stalwart in its pursuit of eternal utopia, and it shall give those of us who long for a perfected world hope and peace.

"Who are you? It doesn't matter, just as this little note of yours doesn't matter." A loyal son of the Emperor above commented, as he penned a note back. "If you so willingly surrender now, which I would not appreciate as I like to savor the blood 'pon my steel with the ichor you all shall spill. But nonetheless A complete and utter surrender to escape your annihilation is up for an offer, choose wisely! " That drakaarling then finished, as it returned to its brooding; captivated by the life anew ovular sphere within its possession.

A depiction of The Nichi-Jin Temple To the ‘people’ of Nichi-Jin Temple. It should always be the goal to grow as strong as possible and climb the ladder - I suspect this is knowledge that you know to be true. In nature the key to growth is to consume, be it resources or others. It is for this reason that I - R E N - have consumed all of your forbidden shrines and pools in the name of The Goat. I am sure it will not be long before you rebuild, and I can only hope that you set them out in the open once more so that whenever a hungry goat wanders by, they may consume all that is around. It is The Goat’s right to consume what he wishes, after all. However, I am aware that life is not all take, and so I have graciously decided to leave you some gifts. In your temple I have left you many artworks of The Goat so that you may be set upon the correct path in life, and so you do not misinterpret His image. To those unrelated to The Temple, but who still hide from or oppose me, know this. I am ever closer to knowing where you are, what you look like, and your names. When there is uncertainty in the shadows at night, know that it is I - R E N - and my associates, merely waiting to strike. Your time runs ever lower. A singular drawing of a goat's head was left as the signature.

A Knight of Xan blasts the anthem in Sunbreak.

. . .