#a moment of panic realizing that theyre alone without Lea in the city

[northern-passage]

I'm in the middle of playing The Northern Passage, and I've noticed that throughout it there are various options to *attempt* to leave Lea. I've never clicked any of them, so I don't know what actually happens if you try... but I'm confused by the sheer quantity of such options that come up, since I was under the impression it's not legal to leave Lea. Especially the ones after meeting Duncan. They give the impression I'm trying to be *friends* with Lea by staying with them, even though I'm pretty sure I legally have to stay with them whether I want to be friends with them or not. Is my impression incorrect?

no, it's not "illegal"!

technically, Duncan (or anyone else for that matter) doesn't really have the power to "arrest" the hunter or anyone in the Order. The Order is self-regulating, and exists as its own political entity. this is why the hunter and Lea are supposed to be politically neutral, and why the Black Iron's interference during the Siege of Blackwater was such a big deal.

however, none of that will necessarily stop people like Duncan. and there are definitely instances where hunters and handlers have been jailed before and had to wait for someone else (like Commander Hadrien) to come bail them out. they can't really arrest them, but they'll put them in a cell to waste their time, and it's best for everyone just to comply to avoid any kind of escalation. if we use Keld as an example, a lot of the people in that town felt that Lea and the hunter had just killed a man, and if they hadn't booked it out of there, there was a high likelihood that they would have been thrown in a cell, and then Commander Hadrien would have had to come out and either argue a really good case or grease some palms, and it would have been a real bureaucratic nightmare. they would have had to let them go eventually, but they'd put them through as much bullshit as possible before then.

there's also a big difference between the Order in the south and the Order up north, which we will learn in the next update; that difference also makes Duncan more comfortable with treating Lea & the hunter however he likes.

when it comes to hunters & handlers, the handlers are actually there moreso for the protection of the hunter. people don't like hunters, and seeing one all alone will freak people out, but it's not illegal or anything for hunters to be out and about without their handlers. it's just better for everyone involved for there to be someone as a "buffer" that keeps the public comfortable and the hunter safe. handlers also tend to be the "leads" during jobs, so Lea will be the one that will engage with the common folk and ask questions, and function as a point of contact between the Order/stronghold and whoever is requesting the Order's services.