<div class="floatright">(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/e/e2/8B39CC2A-1000-4A6D-8442-80198BA60F8F.jpeg)</div><br/><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote"><a href="https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=342867.msg16227035#msg16227035">Quote from: RedKnight on 06-07-2022, 22:05:56</a></div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">At the end, The Hobgoblin Leader stood silent. Finally, the leader spoke, <strong>"I'm no Noble, no ruler, just a soldier trying to perform his mission as best he can. However, I do know that when rulers make mistakes, soldiers like myself usually bear the brunt of those mistakes."</strong><br/></blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br/>The words got a gentle smile from Alisandra, one of respect.  In her experience, those leaders who made no real claim to the title and offered no empty bravado made the best leaders, especially when they understood the true weight of a crown.<br/><br/>His piercing stare and mention of recommendations and bystanders.  Her own judgment would not fall upon him if he felt the need to execute the two men of dubious virtue for the sake of trying to save the town, and her expression made her thoughts clear.  Leaders who took into consideration their town and innocent lives, who understood that their troops should never be wasted but might need to be spent, like currency, for the sake of others were worthy of respect in her eyes.<br/><br/>Somehow, though, she continued to show no preference between the two groups.  Nothing about her suggested anything about the orcs, simply recognition that the hobgoblin leader had been a good leader so far.  She held no preference for the factions beyond that of the individual, and of the wisdom and worthiness of whoever held the top of the hill at the moment.<br/><br/>Cassandra's words got a brief look of surprise.  Alisandra had expected little from the girl, after all, but a fourth magic user with power all her own was a welcome addition.  It wasn't a certainty, but in all likelihood, a town saturated with orcs and hobgoblins would be strong on muscle but weak in magical acumen.<br/><br/>As the staff came upon her, she said, "I'm also a Celestial Warlock, tasked with using the power granted to me to do good in this world.  If you feel that these two need to be executed for the good of this town, I don't know enough about the situation to speak against it.  However, if you know where people are unfairly and unjustly enslaving people for nothing more than evil and personal gain, that's exactly where I want to be, certainly so if there's reason to believe it's coming to this city."<br/><br/>The combination of blue silk finery and her studded leather armor cut quite a contrast, but gave people some hint as to the kind of person she was.  Even if she didn't dive headfirst into battle or relish the destruction of any but the truly depraved, she was no stranger to battle or its necessity.