Black Hole: The Book of Iratus, Episode 63

Chapter 621

Iratus: "So, what is this groups plan? Do you all want to keep wandering forever or would you like to see what we have to offer?"

Stina: "And what's that going to cost?"

Victoria's raccoon tail swished in a motion that betrayed annoyance.

Victoria: "And what are you talking about? No tribute, no tyranny, and no strings."

Iratus: "My love, don't go in so hard. Look, we have a community here. I don't know how any of you would perceve us, but we have something here and would like you to respect our tribe here and if you feel like it, we will accept you."

Foxfolk: "Sorry, but I'm pretty sure we all agreed to get out of this place."Iratus: "So, what is this group's plan? Do you all want to keep wandering forever, or would you like to see what we have to offer?"

Stina: "And what's that going to cost?"

Victoria's raccoon tail swished in a motion that betrayed annoyance.

Victoria: "And what are you talking about? No tribute, no tyranny, and no strings."

Iratus: "My love, don't go in so hard. Look, we have a community here. I don't know how any of you would perceive us, but we have something here and would like you to respect our tribe here, and if you feel like it, we will accept you."

Foxfolk: "Sorry, but I'm pretty sure we all agreed to get out of this place."

Confodere: "Tropics?"

Sharkfolk: "I wouldn't call this tropical; er, maybe down south, but over here it's just hot and humid."

Over the next few minutes, the two groups exchanged information and talked about the world they were in and Nexus Prime as well. Then they headed for a large building to get out of the sun and continue their conversations. From one room,

Venatio: "Interesting. There is only a specific time when people could be pulled in here. You are truly the earliest I've seen from Providence."

Malignitas: "I sometimes forget that you were not pulled in here like the rest of us." Turning to the leopardfolk, "Uh, your name was Virtus, right?"

Virtus: "Correct."

Malignitas: "Have you been able to follow what everyone has been talking about?"

Virtus: "I am not stupid. You have said that we are in a building floating among the stars, which houses many small stars and the top half of the world. It is simple enough to follow."

Malignitas: "Yeah, well, I've seen a lot of old-time people not take this place very well."

---

Chapter 622

Off in another room,

Victoria: "Then you are from the same time and place as Resonantia."

Loquor: "What is her full name?" The shark man rubbed his chin.

The raccoon girl was a bit hesitant as her senses felt something off, but Iratus watched the naga woman not even notice.

Leitmotif: "Resonantia Diamond Heart Steel."

Loquor: "Oh. I see." His tone was a bit negative.

Iratus listened and wasn't too happy about the tone, but then his focus changed to another conversation.

Salvos: "Venatrix, was it? Well, let me tell you again that your problems are not with me."

The fox woman huffed and was slowly starting to raise her voice.

Venatrix: "Your people destroyed everything. I will not forgive your kind."

Salvos: "I fail to see how the people of my time and beyond deserve to be hated by you. You could blame the people of your time who were at fault for all those wars. Really, you should blame the whole Martial System for the problems."

It was getting heated enough that everyone else was starting to stare.

Victoria: "I don't think that was ever going to work. The people..."

She and the Tanuki woman stopped and turned to see the debate.

Venatrix: "You profited off my people's blood and land; therefore, you are to blame!"

Salvos: "I have already explained that our nations united with the wedding as their respective monarchal heirs."

Venatrix: "And did my people have a say in it? No!"

Salvos: "Technically, neither of us were there to ask any of the people there, but considering your people benefit just as much from my people's blood and land, I'd say we are even."

Venatrix: "My nation no longer exists."

Salvos: "It does. Our nations are one, and if you mean the name of your nation was gone, technically, mine was too because our two nations joining together made a completely new nation."

Venatrix: "You are missing the point. My nation is gone, and your monarch was the cause of it."

---

Chapter 623

Salvos: "First off, both monarchs decided to unite the countries. Secondly, the people benefited greatly from the unification."

The tanuki girl spoke up.

Ambitio: "Monarchs can't make good choices; they are all just greedy elitists who are only out to benefit themselves."

Confodere: "Unless you get a monarch who is actually trying to help the people." The hyena man retorted.

The priest stood next to Iratus.

Deficio: "A most useless conversation, isn't it?"

Iratus: "I'll agree that it is all godlessness."

Back to the conversation:

Loquor: "Why are you defending monarchy? It's bad."

Confodere: "I view it as a lesser form of governance, sure, but you are just insulting it instead of giving actual facts."

Salvos: "It does not matter what government one has; you will either have someone making good decisions or worthless idiots."

The leopardfolk stood by Iratus and the priest.

Virtus: "Forgive my traveling companions, but they have their own made-gods they believe in."

Deficio: "The One and Only ever gave us the knowledge to ascend; he never said anything about how to conduct ourselves. All of this is just people doing people things."

Iratus: "It's not the first time my group has met with people with strange opinions."

Venatrix: "Strange opinions? Do you hate democracy? Are you a fascist?"

Iratus: "I don't even know what that word even means."

Victoria: "It is a human word. Fascismo describes a government that uses private corporations to aid in the betterment of the nation. If voting on a certain subject is illegal because you cannot mess with the private sector, then just make a speech on how doing said thing would be for the betterment of everyone. The corporations will do the thing of their own will, and it won't be illegal. I don't know what it evolved into, but Venatrix should be using Dravketh, basically an authoritarian ruler that massively suppresses freedoms and what not."

Venatrix: "So we do have our own word for it."

The snake lady, Leitmotif, yawns and leans against the wall with the others.

Leitmotif: "Classic, he who is not with me is against me, mind set. Prepare for all the insults for not agreeing with them."

---

Chapter 624

Ambitio: "Stina, back us up here; these guys have the wrong beliefs."

Stina: "Considering our lives in this death world, I don't see how any of this matters; civilization isn't even possible because of the monsters."

Malignitas: "Oh no, quickly, don't tell them how big our society is."

Victoria: "A little late for that."

Salvos: "Wrong beliefs? And you think we are the authoritarians."

Venatio: "It is a common thought in ideologies that believe in the right to vote; they don't like people voting 'incorrectly'."

Venatrix: "And there it is. You people are just Dravkeths! You are all far too dangerous to hang around. I'd kill you all if we weren't outnumbered."

As the three strangers, not including Stina or Virtus, nodded their heads in solidarity, the tower folk became a bit more tense.

Iratus: "Enough. No one here is for Dravketh or the suppression of freedoms and speech. Ask anyone here, and they will tell you that democratic-like nations are better than monarchies. There is nothing wrong with pointing out the strengths and weaknesses of monarchies and democracies, and most importantly, pointing out a strength or weakness of said government type does not mean you are for it."

Salvos: "Seriously. All I said was that our two monarchies ended a war that began with the birth of our two species and created the greatest nation in our world."

Venatio: "For a long while sure, but with all nations, it fails; they all fail, no matter the species or culture, no matter what government they had, it always fails because sometimes people, people."

---

Chapter 625

Venatrix: "Injustice and oppression must always be fought. Not doing so is the same as supporting it."

Victoria: "Honestly, she does not sound any different from the folk from my time. Take it from someone who has lived under a monarch and the Will of the People, they are all the worst. The king killed half my family, and the people killed the other half."

The air seemed to lighten up as others joined in.

Confodere: "You should see my nation. Man, those guys looked at the bill that was basically self-destructing society, and the idiots online all said, This is for the greater good. Two years later, everyone rioted because they had no food."

Victoria: "My people voted to steal the land of farmers."

Malignitas: "I don't even believe democracy is real; it is just all fake, and all elections are pre-set. Any sort of revolution or overturning of laws is just replacing one oppressor with another. I don't see any point in taking part in fake elections."

Venatrix, Ambitio, and Loquor were quite insulted.

Ambitio: "You can't just insult us like this."

Victoria: "We are not. We simply have had bad experiences with the right to vote."

Loquor: "Clearly it was done right then."

Iratus: "We are getting off track. The other thing I wanted to talk about is that you basically threatened us."

Venatrix: "So you're just another villain, huh?"

Iratus: "I don't know what your time period was like, and I don't know how long you have been in the Nexus Prime, but you don't make statments like we would have killed you if X."

The fox woman opened her mouth again, but Iratus raised his hand to stop her.

Iratus: "I for one do not feel safe with the five of you around, and I respectfully ask you to move along."

---

Chapter 626

Stina: "Hey, what did I do?"

Venatrix: "I see how it is. Fine, we are leaving then."

Stina: "You can't do this; you don't own any of this."

Iratus: "The silver hell we do!"

Stina: "You can't own things; hech, you are not even a government."

Iratus: "And what would constitute owning a place? We have already worked on repairing this town and built a crap ton of other things. How does none of that count?"

Stina: "Like, you can't stop us from living here if we want."

Malignitas: "She has lost her mind."

Iratus: "We would eject you."

The pale purple woman crossed her arms and gave a mean look, but Venatrix was clearly deep in thought, and then something like inspiration hit her.

Venatrix: "Uh, I am sorry about all the fuss we have been making."

Iratus raised an eyebrow.

Venatrix: "I threatened your life, and I admit that was wrong. If we can, may we still be on talking terms?"

Iratus was quite annoyed; his logic and self-preservation were being eaten alive by his religious morality, which was actually painful.

Iratus: "Right. I guess we should start over then. I still don't trust you, but if you want to stay around, I won't say no."

Malignitas: "Lame."

---

Chapter 627

Confodere: "So, where will you all go?"

Leitmotif: "I still think it is a bad idea to have them around."

Malignitas: "I know, right."

The wolf man shook his head and then said,

Salvos: "It isn't a problem, and them being nearby could work like the farm, giving us more people to trade with. I personally hope they take the beach because of all its resources."

Venatrix: "Silver hell no."

Virtus: "Not even always being drenched would help."

Ambitio: "The heat is like death, no way."

Loquor: "It's not that bad."

Stina: "I am literally from a cold boreal forest land."

Iratus: "Well, you got north or south."

Confodere: "Unless they want to travel beyond our village's use."

Venatrix: "We will think about it."

After a few more minutes of chatting, the traveling strangers headed out. They followed Iratus and his group home to the tower, but the travelers only kept walking.

Iratus would spread the news around about the new strangers and the apeman to the farmers east of them. Two days later, on day 70, Iratus was home doing maintenance on the group's weapons, ensuring that they were clean and sharp. With a knock on the door, he would open the door to see Venatrix and Loquor.

Venatrix: "Greetings, stranger, would you mind helping your neighbor out?"

---

Chapter 628

After a few hours, a combat force was created.

Iratus and Victoria were in their normal combat kit.

Iratus: "Are you sure you are up for combat duty?"

Victoria: "Yeah! I feel like I am ready to join in on these expeditions again."

Ignis: "Sorry for the inability due to my condition to join this party."

Venatio: "Condition? You're just working."

Studium: "Chronic working is the worst illness to have."

Salvos: "Speaking of conditions, Venatio, are you up for the journey?"

The old fox woman gave a chuckle.

Venatio: "I am still as fit as can be. Also, I finally found a way to make some makeshift bullets for my rifle. It's not pretty, and the reload time is awful, but we have a functional rifle once again. What we should really be asking is, Why is the rabbit here?"

Commercium: "I could use some scavenge loot for once."

Procella: "You can just trade all that. You owning that farm has made you the king of wealth because the tower folk have to give you everything for milk, cheese, and beef."

The weasel woman gave a chuckle.

Confodere: "Forget the rabbit; I am more concerned with the one-eyed cat."

Malignitas: "I haven't even killed anybody yet."

Confodere: "I've interacted with you enough to know you are just a psychopath."

Malignitas: "I have emotions too, you know."

Iratus: "If everyone is ready, our neighbors have a grand city for us to pillage, and I don't want to get caught out in the darkness."

---

Chapter 629

The large group of heavily armed people marched north, past the train tracks and a large hole. The environment was a green forest with all signs of ash from years before.

North still, and the party came across a large wooden cabin with the travelers waiting for Iratus's group.

Stina: "Ah, you are finally here."

Venatrix: "And with a small army by your side."

The leopard man and tanuki woman gave their nods of greeting to the party, and Iratus noticed the shark man wasn't around, but it was Victoria who spoke first.

Victoria: "Where is the scary shark man, Loquor?"

Stina: "He chose to move along, leaving us behind. It seems like he knows of your Resonantia and won't suffer being near her in any way."

Malignitas: "Sounds dangerous."

Iratus: "You promised a large city. I'd like to see one of these megacities for myself."

Venatrix: "Let us show you the way."

The travelers group led Iratus's group around a winding path up and down until they were on a stone walkway and through a hiking path that ended with everyone looking over a hill and at a city nestled inside a large crater. The vast and jagged hole in the ground was colossal, and it seemed to form the heart of the city, though from here Iratus could clearly see the wilderness overtake the buildings surrounding the city and the city itself, housing many buildings that were just as ruinous.

From the outskirts were a chaotic sprawl of mismatched structures and shantytowns, with tightly packed buildings shoved into precarious positions into the crater's steep slopes and spilling outwards onto the surrounding plains. Makeshift homes made from scavenged materials such as corrugated metal, wooden planks, and tattered tarps are haphazardly assembled, creating a patchwork of rust and decay.

Above it all, perched on the more stable ground at the edge of the hills, were a few sturdier, more permanent buildings. They would have a nice look about them if they were not out here abandoned for so long.

Venatio: "Ah, I wonder if this is Crater Haven."
---

Chapter 630

The group started to walk towards the city.

Iratus: "Is this a familiar place to you?"

Venatio: "I have read about it somewhat. From what I can see, this is when it was at its worst."

Studium: "Alright, another history lesson!"

Malignitas sarcastically: "My favorite!"

Venatio: "It is a city from planet Harmony."

Procella: "Mine and Aestus's homeworld."

Venatio: "Yup. It was truly a city of misfortune. It started off as a grand and prosperous city, but the same reason it became wealthy made it sick and poor. No matter what policies and economies the people used, it only made everything worse. Eventually, most people abandoned it and left only criminals and crazy people to dwell in it. It was one of the first cities from such a technological time to be abandoned."

Venatrix: "Surely there must be someone to blame for its fall."

Venatio: "Just people being people. There isn't anything more to say than that, because not one of their ideas was ever meant to cure it. By those who lived there, the education, or politicians, everyone was more concerned about winning politics than people's lives. This city is a common callback when talking to people about mundane politics and the economy."

Venatrix: "Surely if the people came together, they would have come up with something."

Venatio: "The more technological the nation, the more they turn politics into religion, and there is not a soul who would give up ground in their made god, and even more so if it would empower their political rivals. Everyone in this city agreed, Better to die in starvation than dirty the name of their made god, whichever policies and ideologies it may have been in the day."

Eventually, the group finally made it to the edge of the city.

Iratus: "Alright, time to clear this place out."

---

EPISDOE 63: END

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Episode 63 End Character Sheet
Name: Iratus Lionheart
Species: Mousefolk
Age: 16
Coverings: blonde fur, white gambeson (many repairs, some leather patchwork), leather gloves, tactical vest, tailorcraft backpack, leather plate helmet, delicate gold chain with a small pendant shaped like a lion's glare, flashlight, bronze breastplate
Weapons: long sword, 3 knifes, short sword, hammer, 1 dagger
Equipment: belt, belt bag, water skin, leathercraft backpack, 2 bags, 5 copper coins, 1 small silver bricks, 20 silver coins, 30 gold coins

Wounds: none

Relevant Community Stash: a fire starter, whetstone, several leather items, 2 glass jar, 12 bottles, 1 fish net, primitive sewing kit, a bunch of small wooden figures, wooden dice, metal scrap, lots of rusted metal, several small fish nets, sextant, some bedrolls, a tent, a large barrel, writing material, 68 cloaks and other clothing materials, some fabrics, 4 carts, 4 stitched tents, skin drum, beautiful arts of tropical scenery, floatation devices, wildlife figures, lots of tropical clothing, ancient era hyenafolk clothes, gas generator, four flood lights

Armory: 40 short swords, 34 knifes, 19 daggers, 26 metal spears, 4 arming swords, 4 long swords, 2 extra gambeson, semi-automatic rifle (no ammo), 3 hunting traps, 6 snares, 12 backpacks, 3 katanas, 3 short katanas, crossbow, several pounds of C4
Aestus: gambeson, bronze breastplate, leather helmet, metal spear, 2 knives, short sword, bronze long sword.
Victoria: bronze breastplate, gambeson, leather helmet, metal spear, short sword, crossbow, 2 daggers, flashlight
Resonanita: steel breastplate, gambeson, metal helmet, metal spear, short sword, 1 knife, compound bow, flashlight
Ignis: bronze breastplate, gambeson, leather helmet, metal spear, crowbar, 1 knife

Treasure: 13 copper coins, 2 silver coins 12 iron coins, a tarnished silver brooch, a small ornamental figurine, a few antfolk tapestries, some antfolk art, bronze lantern, bronze idol, some jeweled trinkets, iron lantern

Home Base, Tower: Large Storage Area (many crates, clay pots, and wooden chests), Basic Workshop Area (lots of tools, woodcarving tools, glue, sandpaper), Kitchen Area (many tools, many cutlery items, pots&pans, makeshift grill), Library, Armory, Infirmary Room (surgery tools, first aid kit, plenty of medicine and equipment), Children's Quarters, Master Bedroom (proper bedding, sensual antfolk sculpture), Six Bedrooms (proper bedding), four portable solar panels

Outside Base: Butchering Hut (modern butchery kit, smoking rack), Tannery Hut, Underground Storage Area, Garden Area (fenced in), Tool Shed (fishing gear and supplies, trowel, woodcutting axe, woodworking tools, lots of rope, rope ladder, plows, hoes, sickles, rakes, shovels, scythes, chisels, anvils), Wooden Wall, Small Cabin (Venatio), Large Cabin (Winter Winds), Large Cabin (Dark Sky Family), Gravestone, Rabbit Hutches.

Books: 3x woodworking books, weathered leather-bound journal, war game booklet, sketch book (from warband), Bathhouse Reviewers (entire 80 book series), cards, Fractura's Notes, Tempestas's Notes, 12 survival guides, 3 technical manuals, 46 fiction novels, 11 encyclopedias, 4 dictionaries, 22 cookbooks, 2 gardening guides, 3 crafting books, 20 educational textbooks, 5 religious texts, 4 diaries

Year 2, Day 70

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TOWER FOLK:
Iratus of House Lionheart
mouse, male, blonde fur, blonde hair, gold eyes, 6'6, age: 16, b day 350
-
Victoria Mother of House Lionheart
raccoon, female, gray fur, black hair, brown eyes, 6'3, age: 16, b day: 5
-
Aestus of clan Riversinger
otter, female, red fur, red hair, blue eyes, 6'1, age: 15, b day: 99, (preg 75 days)
-
Ignis Yang
red panda, female, reddish-brown/white fur, black hair, golden eye, 6'4, age: 16, b day: 344
-
Resonantia Diamond Heart Steel
shark, female, blue-gray hue skin, white hair, blue eyes, 6'5, age: 16, b day: 2, (preg 102 days)
---

CHILDREN:
Negligere Lionheart
shark, male, steel gray skin, white hair, gold eyes, age: 1, b day: 2
-
Ruina Lionheart
otter, female, orange fur, vibrant orange hair, blue eyes, age: 1, b day: 330
-
Gula Lionheart
red panda, male, brown fur, dark brown hair, gold eyes, age: 1, b day: 340
-
Tenacitas Lionheart
raccoon, female, silver fur, dark blonde hair, amber eyes, age: 1, b day: 345

Frustra Lionheart
raccoon, male, gray fur, blonde hair, gold eyes, age: 0, b day: 338
---

NEIGHBORS:
Venatio of Wise Storms, Mother of House Black Jewel
fox, female, red fur, red hair, brown eyes, 6'6, age: 72, b day: 299
---

WINTER WINDS CLAN:
Studium of Winter Winds
fox, male, gray fur, black hair, blue eyes, 5'8, age 13, b day: 190

Fuligo Leaf Shadow
otter, female, black fur, blonde hair, blue eyes, 5'6, age 13, b day: 245, (preg 4 days)

Bellum of House War Knuckles
cheetah, female, blonde fur, blonde hair, blue eyes, 5'11, age 14, b day: 91, (preg 40 days)
---

DARK SKY FAMILY:
Salvos Dark Sky
wolf, male, black fur, white hair, copper eyes, 6'8, age 27, b day: 66

Leitmotif Schlange
snake, female, yellow and red scales, naga bodied, gold  eyes, age 24, b day: 229, (preg 115 days)

---

(farm)
UMBRA OCEAN FAMILY:
Procella Ocean Drinker
weasel , female, blonde fur, black hair, green eyes, 6'5, age 22, b day: 207, (preg 19 days)

Iter of Sanguinem Umbra
goat, male, white fur, blonde hair, brown eyes, 6'7, age 20, b day: 334
---

(farm)
THE COBALTS:
Commercium Jade Blue Cobalt
rabbit, male, white fur, black hair, gray eyes, 6'8, age: 25, b day: 221

-
Abrasione
hyena, female, tan fur, blonde hair, gold eyes, 6'5, age: 20, b day: 4, (preg 158 days)

-
Kuxatura
hyena, male, tan fur, black hair, gold eyes, age: 1, b day: 284

---

LAST MISTAKE
Deficio
lion, male, gray fur, rich gray hair, green eyes, 6'6, age: 46, b day 111

Confodere Oculi Acuti
hyena, male, dark brown fur, black hair, gold eyes, 6'9, age 26, b day: 239

Malignitas of House Brokensand
feline, male, light black fur, light black hair, brown eyes (single eye), 6'7, age 29, b day 343