The six adventurers stood opposite Montgomery Dahlia, who sat casually in his chair behind a modest desk. To the four who had began this adventure together, this was an unpleasant reminder of the time they'd stood across from the woman at Versal, and that came married with a whole slew of questions they'd had ever since they returned there. But now, the aura was completely different. The homey wood furnishings of Montgomery's office, the numerous large windows that filled the room with desert sunlight, the shelves and walls littered with trinkets and trophies from his time as an adventurer; where the woman's room was mysterious and secretive, it seemed as though Montgomery wanted nothing more than to let people in, both metaphorically and literally.

"Did you get yourselves situated nicely?" the man smiled.

"Yeah," Simon rotated his arms to stretch out his shoulders, "was a bit of a walk, though."

"Could've rented a carriage, no?"

"...Didn't think of that," Simon responded blankly.

"I did," Dianna said smugly.

"Why didn't you say anything?!"

"I was going to, but then a nice man offered to be my own personal carriage."

Simon remained silent, unsure of whether to be furious or charmed.

"A step ahead of you, it seems," Montgomery laughed. "I don't believe we've met," he said as he stood up and stretched his hand out towards Dianna.

"We have not," she took his hand, "I was one of the two that remained in the ship."

"Not a fan of crowds?"

"Please, I'm not so easily disturbed."

"The why didn't you come out of the ship?" Lawrence chimed in.

"That's for me to know, and me alone," Dianna blew him off.

"Whatever you say (freak)," Lawrence mumbled.

"So why have you asked to speak with us?" Mina asked the man, eager to let the conversation move on.

"Well, it's about the ship you're flying," Montgomery began.

"Don't worry," Simon replied, "we'll have someone guarding it whenever they don't have class. And we'll keep it outside of the city."

"That's not what this is about," Montgomery shook his head, as a grim look crossed his face.

"What is it, then?" Alphonse seemed disturbed.

"Well, it's just... how do I put this..." Montgomery sighed, then swallowed painfully. The other six hung with baited breath onto what he would say next, the tension filling the room to bursting.

"...Are you yet blind, to the way of the world?"

"What does that mean?" Simon immediately asked.

"Ah, I see." Montgomery nodded solemnly. "Then I've got to hold my tongue."

"The hell does that mean?" Lawrence shouted.

"Dagon asked us that same question!" Dianna added. "You're not working with him, are you?"

"Far from it," Montgomery quickly took to defending himself. "It's just... there's a lot of things I can't tell you."

"Why not?" Simon asked.

"It's not my place."

"GAH!" Lawrence threw his hands in the air. "The lady from Versal, Dagon, our stupid fucking ship, and now you?! What's the deal with all these god-damn secrets?!"

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"It's hard to explain," Montgomery sighed, "but I'll do the best I can with what little privilege I have."

"But you're a hero!" Mina jumped in. "Who's stopping you?"

"The Praetors," Montgomery shook his head and sat back down. He gestured to a rack of stools in the corner, clearly not meant for professional company or serious discussion, and the six of them took those stools and sat down.

"Dagon called himself a Praetor," Simon leaned in, eager for some answers at last. "I remember learning that ancient Rydelsphere followed a 'praetorian' government system, where an elite ruling class was decided by combat. Is the same true for Dagon?"

"Not even remotely," Montgomery answered. "As a matter of fact, it used to be a point of great contention that the Rydellian Praetors named themselves after the title held by the original, true Praetors. It was seen as a sign of disrespect, which was part of the reason Rydelsphere was ravaged by natural disasters throughout much of its history. Not that you'd find that explanation in any history book."

"So then what are the Praetors?" Mina asked eagerly.

"They are... our rulers," Montgomery sighed. "They are the nineteen most powerful living things on this planet, and they rule the world from behind the scenes. Most of them do, at least."

"What do you mean?" Dianna asked. "I thought the gods were the most powerful force on Hoenheim. Or, is it because the gods aren't technically 'living?'"

"No- the Praetors outclass even the gods."

Dianna gasped.

"It's a hard truth, but truth is what it is. The nineteen Praetors- eighteen now- are the rulers of nineteen of the most simple forms of life. Dagon, whom you've met already, rules over all life that exist underwater."

"So that title wasn't just for show," Simon said, taken aback. "He really does rule over everything in the ocean?"

"Indeed," Montgomery nodded grimly, "though you must refrain from using gendered pronouns with the Praetors."

"Is it really a problem?" Lawrence scoffed.

"To them, it is. They view themselves above biology itself- and they aren't entirely wrong."

"So what are they?" Mina asked curiously.

"Somewhere between alien, god, and whatever life-form they rule over."

"Alien?" Simon cocked his head.

"Unfamiliar with the term?" Montgomery asked. "It means something not from Hoenheim. You've probably heard of them from the Starbreakers, warning people not to open meteors."

"Starbreakers?" Mina asked, "what are those?"

"The international organization responsible for opening meteorites," Simon answered, "they were the second option to get a global travel license, after adventuring college. They travel wherever meteorites fall, break them open, and collect the rare minerals from within. Since meteorites are so common, the organization has gained quite a massive following."

"Indeed," Montgomery nodded. "We know that planets and life exists outside of Hoenheim because of these meteorites, and because of them..." Montgomery paused, as if deep in thought. "...We know that the Praetors may not have originated on this planet."

Perception Check: 22

Dianna passes.

Dianna quickly noticed Montgomery's vision dart to the back-left corner of the room. Wary of tipping him off to her noticing, she decided against following his gaze.

"So they're aliens? That's it?" Chix seemed unimpressed.

"You ever fought an alien, Chix?" Lawrence scoffed.

"No, but it can't be that different from fighting a non-Yeumux, or like fighting a Yeumux for one of you guys."

"That's where you're wrong," Montgomery sighed. "Aliens are vastly different from us. You have to throw aside everything you know about biology in order to fight them. Things like vital organs, senses, even the concept of blood itself might not be present in an alien. Each one demands an entirely different approach to battle. Fortunately, since the Praetors have adopted traits of the creatures they rule over, they follow more or less our own definitions of mortality."

"You mentioned earlier, that the nineteen Praetors had become eighteen. Is that related?" Dianna sharply inferred.

"Good guess," Montgomery smiled. "You'll make it far here. Yes, back in the era of Braemon and Necrona, Braemon had actually slain one of the Praetors in battle. Praetor the Seventeenth, who ruled over all things that were made of stone, was bested by him shortly before he disappeared."

Intelligence Check: 1

Everyone passes.

Everyone knows the Epic of Braemon, the mythical and real tale of the titular hero Braemon, born Silas, who was dubbed "The Hero to Save Us All." Braemon was blessed with unparalleled control over electricity, which pushed him leaps and bounds ahead of other adventurers in terms of power. With time and effort, Braemon's heart of gold reversed the tide of terrible occurrences throughout Hoenheim that threatened to permanently alter the balance of good and evil. Braemon slew countless fiends, liches, and evils, until at last he suddenly disappeared underground, never to be seen again. The Epic of Braemon, recorded by Braemon's party member Eibon the Bard, told Braemon's story in twenty-two chapters, ultimately resulting in the twenty-two major arcana now used by fortune tellers throughout Hoenheim.

"You're telling me... Braemon killed someone as strong as Dagon?!" Mina cheered, clapping her hands together.

"'Course he did!" Lawrence cheered with her. "It's Braemon, after all!"

"Yes, yes, a feat only Braemon could achieve," Montgomery smiled, "but he's not the only hero that squared off against a Praetor."

"Really?" the whole group leaned forward in anticipation, brought right back to their childhoods listening to legends of heroes and villains.

"That's right. Dhrukash, the Hero of Dreams, subdued Praetor the First, and sealed it away somewhere lost to time." Montgomery stood up, and let a smug smile fall on his face. "And then someone else managed to capture another Praetor."

"No way," Simon gasped in awe.

"You're kidding!" Mina cheered.

"Come on," Montgomery boasted. "There's someone you need to meet."