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The Maid of the Comet: A Tale from Azeroth

What should the next Quest be?

  • Paths of Rhun (Middle Earth East Quest)

    Votes: 5 31.3%

  • By Your Will (Dungeon Keeper 1 Quest)

    Votes: 5 31.3%

  • Another Legend Quest (Gilgamesh, Lucrezia, Mordred, etc)

    Votes: 5 31.3%

  • None of the Above

    Votes: 4 25.0%
  • Total voters
    16
  • Poll closed .
Reader mode
Sorry about this everybody, but the update will probably come tomorrow. I've been learning about a threat to our minds that we must-

....

{◕ ◡ ◕}

Be happy...
 
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Chapter 3.7
  • Threadmarks
    • Well. The dark horseman who made deals with at least two devils wanted to talk. That was unexpected. But if you could get some information from him, then…

    "All right. I'm willing to talk." A risk? Of course. But the possible gains were more than worth it. Salanar might have been grinning under his mask.

    "This way, then." He swept his hand outward, and one of the obscure paths was revealed. "There are a few things to discuss." bowing slightly, he motioned for you to go ahead. He followed close behind. As you walked, the path opened, and you found yourself on the shores of a vast, scenic river. A bridge crossed some ways down, at a narrower point, and behind you were carefully tended trees.

    "Is there something special about this particular place?"

    "Would I have stopped here if there wasn't?" Salanar chuckled. It sounded like glass scraping against slate. "Look around. What do you see?"

    "A river, a forest, a bridge and a path. I see the sky and the wind." What was he trying to say?

    "And what else?" At your suspicious expression, he sighed. "Look harder, as though something is obscured by mist. Try pulling your sight over yourself like a sheet, and focus less on what you can see as a mortal than what you might see when sleeping."

    Huffing, you accommodated him, but something was different. You felt a clouding fall at your feet, rising up and climbing over your head. Your eyes were closed in focus, and you didn't know if you wanted to open them and see what might have appeared. But you had to know, and your eyes opened, expecting nothing due to your experiences. Expectations were there to be broken.

    All around you were figures. Some were human, many wearing common clothing and fleeing the shades of another force behind them. Others were only outlines, giving the vague impression of tall, pointed ears. The force giving chase, you recognized. There, in stark clarity, was the butcher you had seen in the memory. Next to him stood an enormous skeleton, hands wreathed in magic. To his other side stood a woman in perhaps the least protective leather armor you had ever seen, also bearing the tall ears.

    Among the humans, you saw three paladins and a mage riding a horse.

    "I assume by your wonderment that you see them?"

    "Yes." You saw everything, right down to the fact that the undead were running down the ghostly images like some macabre hunt. "I can only assume that these are more images of what was? That's what I saw before."

    "What was, and what should have been." Salanar gestured to the empty outlines. "The images that you can see are those that have already passed through this place, and are still here in some way, leaving an echo of themselves to mark their passing. Those that are not filled will never be, for they have gone beyond the paths laid down for them." His voice gave the impression of a smile. "They've been thorns in our side ever since." He sounded far too happy to say that.

    "And what's the significance of that?" He had some reason for this, you were sure.

    "Nothing really." What. "It was a fun distraction, and you might actually have some new ideas thanks to it, but I was stalling to prepare for the real reason you're here."

    "And what," You could hear your teeth grit together, "is that?"

    "Threat assessment!" He waved cheekily at you, and with a scream of rage only rivaled by the one you gave at Compiegne, you fell into the sky.


    The fall was far longer than you had anticipated, even with the knowledge that you were somehow falling up. After a while, the rage subsided and was replaced by a familiar sense of calm. It was contemplative, even serene. You felt as though you were nearing some great truth…

    And then you were broken out of it again by the landing.

    You found yourself in the midst of a vast, dark forest. The sky above was pitch-black, broken only by the ragged, bare branches of the towering trees. The earth was bare and uneven, and there was no wind or other sound.

    "Damned demon-servants, always using tricks and shadows…" You coughed, but something wet and hot and dark came up. That was not good.

    "Demon-servant?" Salanar's voice echoed down from somewhere above you. "Hardly a fair epithet, miss! I strongly dislike demons of all kinds. Proud, insufferable creatures, I assure you!" There was the sound of clapping, and a sudden rush of pressure. "But enough of that. Let the games begin!"

    In an instant, lights appeared in the dark of the forest. Gleaming eyes and glowing mouths, lurching forward as though on all fours. Drawing your sword, you spat out the thick, iron-tasting fluid coming up your throat and waited for one to come near.

    They were utterly silent as they approached. The closer they came, the more clearly you could see their shapes, hunched and distended as they crawled closer with a sense of slow, deliberate purpose. One came into range, and you swung your sword.

    It passed right through, but the creature did not falter. Rather, dark mist that had been dislodged by your swing simply returned to the creature, filling in the space that had been left by the blade's passing. Desperately, you swung again. And again.

    Your throat burned and your breath was wet with the liquid that you were now certain was blood. Prayers were a subconscious action to you by nature, but it seemed of late that your truest prayers came in the midst of battle and peril. You would probably have to offer a few extra tonight. That was a good idea on principle.

    Reaching for the Light, you felt the burning subside, and the blood did not come as quickly. Around you, the creatures halted, staring in their gaping, unblinking way.

    Why did they stop now? The thought plagued you as your mind came to countless conclusions, each more horrible than the last. You intensified the Light that flowed through you (thanking God for giving you a piece of His power would be good too, come to think of it), trying to quicken the healing. As the holy power grew in brightness, the creatures backed away.

    They were afraid of the Light? Experimentally, you intensified the Light further, opening the metaphorical floodgates even more. Those creatures nearest you scrambled away, and the rest shifted uneasily. Now, there was a space of about ten feet all around you that was devoid of the monsters.

    "Oh, you clever little girl," Salanar's voice came from the shadows, sickly-sweet despite the rasp behind it, "that was a lovely show. Simply splendid! Too bad then," he was smiling again, and you could hear it, "that it only means things will get - hm?" There was a moment of silence. "Oh, I don't hear you very often? How go things in that little shack you call a consciousness?" Another moment. "Stop the sarcasm? But without the sarcasm I would be boring!" Another pause. "Oh? That is interesting…. All right. But don't gloat. I don't want this blown yet."

    The creatures scrambled aside to your right, and Salanar fell to the ground feet-first, with barely a flinch at the impact. A burst of blue light formed in the forest, and he drew a cruel-looking axe.

    "Change of plans, Jeanne." He rolled his shoulders, testing the heft of the weapon a few times. "I just got some orders from upstairs, and this little test is going up a notch." He pointed at the light. "That is a portal that will take you back to the Great Dark, back to wakening and what you call reality. All you need to do is reach it, going through me or the dear little soul-eaters all around you."

    "And the catch?" You were nearly healed now. "There always seems to be one with you." He shrugged.

    "None. If you fall to the soul-eaters, your body's a husk with no consciousness. If you fail against me, I lay claim to whatever's left and maybe get to make a new Rider. I get the feeling you'd look good in dark iron." He ran a finger along the axe's edge. "Your choice, and your move."

    Well. No pressure.

    Pick one:

    [] Go through the soul-eaters. With Salanar here, they might have been braver, but they were still likely weaker individually. (Players can specify plans)

    [] Go through Salanar. The soul-eaters were small pickings as long as the light remained to repel them, and you wanted to give him a few hits for good measure. (Players can specify plans)

    [] Rush for the portal. There was no reason for you to waste time here by fighting either. You just wanted to leave this place. This was your chance    .

    [] Write-in


    Jeanne Status: Cracked ribs, healing lung, major bruising


    And here you go! I hope you all like it!
     
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  • Threadmarks
    • [X] Rush for the portal. There was no reason for you to waste time here by fighting either. You just wanted to leave this place. This was your chance.

    As much as it galls me to do so, Salanar can wait for his comeuppance after we come back with 4/9/24/39 of Jeanne's new friends. ;X
     
    Oh hey, casual soul/mind rape threats. >.>

    Rush through leaves enemies at your back, which is... Also trying to rush past enemies is... *waves hands vaguely* Let's go with calling them bad ideas most of the time and leave it at that.
     
    ShadowAngelBeta said:
    Oh hey, casual soul/mind rape threats. >.>

    Rush through leaves enemies at your back, which is... Also trying to rush past enemies is... *waves hands vaguely* Let's go with calling them bad ideas most of the time and leave it at that.
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    I mean, no matter what, all the options end in her rushing past one or the other of the enemies, the rush now option just had the benefit of not losing energy beating down one of the foes before Jeanne books it.
     
    ShadowAngelBeta said:
    Oh hey, casual soul/mind rape threats. >.>

    Rush through leaves enemies at your back, which is... Also trying to rush past enemies is... *waves hands vaguely* Let's go with calling them bad ideas most of the time and leave it at that.
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    Okay. So while already injured you want to try and force past the Death Knight while bleeding resources to keep all the other threats off. She's on a timer, if she stops glowing, she gets jumped and insta-dies.

    What does she gain for beating him, if her objective is to leave?
     
    Spectrum said:
    Okay. So while already injured you want to try and force past the Death Knight while bleeding resources to keep all the other threats off. She's on a timer, if she stops glowing, she gets jumped and insta-dies.

    What does she gain for beating him, if her objective is to leave?
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    No, I'm saying it's a bad idea to try and run right past an enemy. That's like putting a "Kick me" sign on your back basically.

    I mean, it could work, but he's going to be expecting it. We need to fight past him, not run past him.

    A large, large chunk of the problem right now is everything is being laid out like this is an unwinnable boss fight and we blundered into it in one of the worst ways we could have.

    Everything in me is doubting we're coming out of this intact if at all.
     
    ok write in time

    [X] Hold position for a moment to heal up while talking to distract salanar and then go full offense against the crowds of little dudes to push through them towards the portal.
     
    [X] Rush for the portal. There was no reason for you to waste time here by fighting either. You just wanted to leave this place. This was your chance.

    He said it, this whole thing is threat assessement. He wants us to show him how well we fight so he can adjust for that.
    I say fuck that.
     
    ShadowAngelBeta said:
    No, I'm saying it's a bad idea to try and run right past an enemy. That's like putting a "Kick me" sign on your back basically.

    I mean, it could work, but he's going to be expecting it. We need to fight past him, not run past him.

    A large, large chunk of the problem right now is everything is being laid out like this is an unwinnable boss fight and we blundered into it in one of the worst ways we could have.

    Everything in me is doubting we're coming out of this intact if at all.
    Click to expand...
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    This isn't D&D. Jeanne doesn't automatically trigger AoOs for bullrushing past.

    And -even if she did-, it would still work out better for taking one hit and moving on to the portal than slugging it out against what even you admit looks like an unwinnable boss fight.
     
    [X] Rush for the portal. There was no reason for you to waste time here by fighting either. You just wanted to leave this place. This was your chance.

    No shame in retreat when it means you can win tomorrow.
     
    [X] Rush for the portal. There was no reason for you to waste time here by fighting either. You just wanted to leave this place. This was your chance.

    Even assuming they'll be attacking us constantly, fighting is what he expects us to do. We'll probably take some major hits, but even so I think its our best chance of getting out of this alive.
     
    [X] Rush for the portal. There was no reason for you to waste time here by fighting either. You just wanted to leave this place. This was your chance.
     
    As much as i agree with him that we might look good in black armor, that is a somewhat rude recruitment attempt.
     
    [X] Rush for the portal. There was no reason for you to waste time here by fighting either. You just wanted to leave this place. This was your chance.

    Well if everyone thinks rushing is a good idea then I don't mind.
     
    Vote will end either tonight or tomorrow morning, everyone.
    Adhoc vote count started by King Tharassian on Apr 22, 2018 at 8:52 AM, finished with 818 posts and 7 votes.
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    Xexilf said:
    As much as i agree with him that we might look good in black armor, that is a somewhat rude recruitment attempt.
    Click to expand...
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    Salanar isn't much for... Well politeness. He's like one of those guys who can't keep his mouth shut when he's talking about or to other people, and doesn't bother trying to filter what he says.
     
    [X] Rush for the portal. There was no reason for you to waste time here by fighting either. You just wanted to leave this place. This was your chance.
     
    Hrrm...In all honesty I'm inclined to try our luck with the soul-ghoulies, since if we lose Jeanne just dies. Beats the gigantic bummer fest that would be getting Altered into a Death Knight.
    Bailing outright is also possible but with those injuries...I can't decide if I want to try running? But fighting's also worse for that thought as well...
    I think we should either try to blast past the soul ghoulies, since The Light is with us so much, or just bail out...
    [X] Rush for the portal. There was no reason for you to waste time here by fighting either. You just wanted to leave this place. This was your chance.
    Frankly if we can just keep the Light going long enough to run while the Soul hunters fear us, we'll be in the clear I think. And even if we're caught it'll probably be the Soul ghouls that catch us and thus we just end up with a corpse of a body. An unfortunate loss but at least we don't make things spectacularly worse for Azeroth.
     
    [X] Rush for the portal. There was no reason for you to waste time here by fighting either. You just wanted to leave this place. This was your chance.
    now running ain't always fun!
    but better to run than be done!
     
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