You open the book. Normally, you wouldn't be allowed to touch something valuable like this, but...
The Lighthouses and the Pit (Fantasy Mage Quest)
- Thread starter occipitallobe
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- Original Fantasy
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The Beginning
- Location
- Straya
You open the book. Normally, you wouldn't be allowed to touch something valuable like this, but today is different. Father Matthias is away, teaching the other children, and you finally have a chance to sate your curiosity. You mean, you know about the Lighthouses in theory. You've heard of The Final Emperor and his creation of the Eternal Pit, and Queen Amelgynn, who sought to rectify his mistake, stepping into the Lighthouse of Indigo, and destroying it, alongside her once-proud city of Orothia.
You open it, running your hands along the soft vellum of the pages and the hardened, cracked leather of the cover.
The first thing you see is a simple map of the continent, carefully drawn in an uneasy hand. You have never seen a map before, and this raises more questions than it answers. You turn the page, hoping to see more.
First, a brief history. All who read this should know what has transpired, but what else might humanity lose in these fading days? I will sketch out a brief history, for there is always the chance we have lost even more. First came the Seven Lighthouses of Colour, magical and glorious. In the days when the land separated from the sea, the Darkling creatures of the sea savaged at the land, tearing at humanity. The Empress of Light wrought seven Lighthouses to surround the land and keep back the Darkling Hordes. In the centre of the land was the Great Lighthouse, focusing the seven beams of colour into a great white light. Or so it is said, in any case. No records of these days truly remain, but this is what little we know and can readily believe. In this state humanity lived happily for thousands of years.
Then came the Last Emperor, and the Pit. I have heard no true accounts, only stories. One story states that the Last Emperor wished to ascend above the Empress of Light, and tried to seize the magics of the Great Lighthouse himself. The purity of the magics burned him, though, and the corruption in his soul darkened them. The powers of light and dark fought one another, and dark triumphed. Where once stood the Eternal City under the light of the Great Lighthouse, now there was only the Pit, foreboding and endless. It goes down further than any have ever travelled, and while riches can be found, the Darklings sit there as well, waiting. They clambered out of the pit, and the Age of Light came to an end.
Then came the Age of Shadow. Despite the loss, humanity turned the seven lighthouses in their favour. The Darklings rose from the Pit, ravaging cities and towns. Any city that grew too great was cast down, any region that grew too prosperous was savaged. The many cities of humanity became four, those furthest from the Pit. Madalgia, Everett, Rosolin, and Orothia. In time, the cities managed to build their defenses, and the Flame Walls were built around the Pit, confining the Darklings there. The Four Cities grew, and chief among them was Orothia.
Queen of Orothia was Amelgynn, greatest Queen of the Age of Shadow. Under her guidance and magics the Flames Walls were built and maintained, and the other cities paid homage to her. She grew in hubris, and sought to do something that no other had done since the Age of Light. In the Age of Light, mages of the Third and even Fourth Ascension were common, but in the Age of Shadow, none had passed beyond the Second. Amelgynn sought to ascend to the Third Ascension, and use that power to seal the Pit and rebuild the glories of the past age.
She entered the Indigo Lighthouse, seeking to join her command of Earth and Fire to another magic, that of the Indigo Lighthouse. What happened in the Lighthouse, none know, bar this: when Amelgynn left, the light in the Lighthouse went out. She returned to Orothia, and with earth and fire consumed the city and the land, killing every man and woman, every beast and child in the city. When finally there was no more death to be had, she turned her powers on herself and the land, lava welling up from the bones of the earth. Orothia was utterly consumed.
Thus ended the Age of Shadow. Finally, comes the present age. Named by some the Age of Despair, I do not find this label wanting. The Indigo Lighthouse once protected humanity against the Darklings of the sea and the Darklings of the Pit, but darkened as it is, those beasts roam the land there with impunity. Now named the Shadowlands, none can travel there and survive. Villages and towns recede, and the Three Cities stand, but only just. Perhaps it is an ending. I hope not, but I cannot see from where such hope might stem.
You hastily put the book down as you hear footsteps. You might be able to read it again later, but for now...
Where are you from?
[ ] You are an orphan of one of the Three Cities. Brought up in an fearful environment where many were kicked out of the city on their majority, sent to seek the nearest Lighthouse or die in the attempt. Your people have faced sieges by the Darkling Hordes in the past, and likely will again. As an orphan, you will gain few useful skills, but the Three Cities are the world's greatest concentration of mages, so you will know more about them. Unlocks city choice in the next post. Some basic knowledge about mages gained (lore only, no actual magic ability). Low combat knowledge.
[ ] You are a child raised in a village, a little place bordering the Shadowlands. You were brought up to learn a trade, as well as how to stand in your village militia. Next to the Shadowlands you do not dare to travel, however, and so know little of the wilds. Unlocks choice of trade in next post. Combat knowledge with spear and shield gained. Low survival knowledge.
[ ] Your parents are Pit Scavengers, descending into the Pit to find lost artifacts of the Age of Light to sell. You know well how to hide, to hunt with a bow, and you can identify Darklings of various sorts with ease. Your parents gifted you with a useful Artifact as a child, as well. However, your mother descended into the Pit when she was first pregnant with you, and the dark magics within suffused your body in the womb, weakening you greatly. Unlocks choice of Artifact (Age of Light) in next post. Survival knowledge, Darkling knowledge, combat knowledge with bow gained. You suffer from corruption, weakening your body and any future magics you acquire.
You open it, running your hands along the soft vellum of the pages and the hardened, cracked leather of the cover.
The first thing you see is a simple map of the continent, carefully drawn in an uneasy hand. You have never seen a map before, and this raises more questions than it answers. You turn the page, hoping to see more.
First, a brief history. All who read this should know what has transpired, but what else might humanity lose in these fading days? I will sketch out a brief history, for there is always the chance we have lost even more. First came the Seven Lighthouses of Colour, magical and glorious. In the days when the land separated from the sea, the Darkling creatures of the sea savaged at the land, tearing at humanity. The Empress of Light wrought seven Lighthouses to surround the land and keep back the Darkling Hordes. In the centre of the land was the Great Lighthouse, focusing the seven beams of colour into a great white light. Or so it is said, in any case. No records of these days truly remain, but this is what little we know and can readily believe. In this state humanity lived happily for thousands of years.
Then came the Last Emperor, and the Pit. I have heard no true accounts, only stories. One story states that the Last Emperor wished to ascend above the Empress of Light, and tried to seize the magics of the Great Lighthouse himself. The purity of the magics burned him, though, and the corruption in his soul darkened them. The powers of light and dark fought one another, and dark triumphed. Where once stood the Eternal City under the light of the Great Lighthouse, now there was only the Pit, foreboding and endless. It goes down further than any have ever travelled, and while riches can be found, the Darklings sit there as well, waiting. They clambered out of the pit, and the Age of Light came to an end.
Then came the Age of Shadow. Despite the loss, humanity turned the seven lighthouses in their favour. The Darklings rose from the Pit, ravaging cities and towns. Any city that grew too great was cast down, any region that grew too prosperous was savaged. The many cities of humanity became four, those furthest from the Pit. Madalgia, Everett, Rosolin, and Orothia. In time, the cities managed to build their defenses, and the Flame Walls were built around the Pit, confining the Darklings there. The Four Cities grew, and chief among them was Orothia.
Queen of Orothia was Amelgynn, greatest Queen of the Age of Shadow. Under her guidance and magics the Flames Walls were built and maintained, and the other cities paid homage to her. She grew in hubris, and sought to do something that no other had done since the Age of Light. In the Age of Light, mages of the Third and even Fourth Ascension were common, but in the Age of Shadow, none had passed beyond the Second. Amelgynn sought to ascend to the Third Ascension, and use that power to seal the Pit and rebuild the glories of the past age.
She entered the Indigo Lighthouse, seeking to join her command of Earth and Fire to another magic, that of the Indigo Lighthouse. What happened in the Lighthouse, none know, bar this: when Amelgynn left, the light in the Lighthouse went out. She returned to Orothia, and with earth and fire consumed the city and the land, killing every man and woman, every beast and child in the city. When finally there was no more death to be had, she turned her powers on herself and the land, lava welling up from the bones of the earth. Orothia was utterly consumed.
Thus ended the Age of Shadow. Finally, comes the present age. Named by some the Age of Despair, I do not find this label wanting. The Indigo Lighthouse once protected humanity against the Darklings of the sea and the Darklings of the Pit, but darkened as it is, those beasts roam the land there with impunity. Now named the Shadowlands, none can travel there and survive. Villages and towns recede, and the Three Cities stand, but only just. Perhaps it is an ending. I hope not, but I cannot see from where such hope might stem.
You hastily put the book down as you hear footsteps. You might be able to read it again later, but for now...
Where are you from?
[ ] You are an orphan of one of the Three Cities. Brought up in an fearful environment where many were kicked out of the city on their majority, sent to seek the nearest Lighthouse or die in the attempt. Your people have faced sieges by the Darkling Hordes in the past, and likely will again. As an orphan, you will gain few useful skills, but the Three Cities are the world's greatest concentration of mages, so you will know more about them. Unlocks city choice in the next post. Some basic knowledge about mages gained (lore only, no actual magic ability). Low combat knowledge.
[ ] You are a child raised in a village, a little place bordering the Shadowlands. You were brought up to learn a trade, as well as how to stand in your village militia. Next to the Shadowlands you do not dare to travel, however, and so know little of the wilds. Unlocks choice of trade in next post. Combat knowledge with spear and shield gained. Low survival knowledge.
[ ] Your parents are Pit Scavengers, descending into the Pit to find lost artifacts of the Age of Light to sell. You know well how to hide, to hunt with a bow, and you can identify Darklings of various sorts with ease. Your parents gifted you with a useful Artifact as a child, as well. However, your mother descended into the Pit when she was first pregnant with you, and the dark magics within suffused your body in the womb, weakening you greatly. Unlocks choice of Artifact (Age of Light) in next post. Survival knowledge, Darkling knowledge, combat knowledge with bow gained. You suffer from corruption, weakening your body and any future magics you acquire.
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Character Sheet
- Location
- Straya
You are Swallow, a female Bladebound.
You are short, red-haired, fair-skinned, and blue-eyed. Your hair is straight and thick, in a loose bobcut that resembles someone just taking a knife to it. You are very lean. Your eyes are large, your nose is tiny. You have sharp cheeks, long eyelashes, and large hands and feet.
You are Hopeful, Compassionate, and Stubborn.
You wield two shortswords, older blades with worn hilts wrapped in leather cord.
You are a Renowned Master of the Blade. Your skills with the blade are greater than any mundane human who has ever lived. Other Bladebound consider this the bare minimum to go into combat.
Your combat styles are Interception and Assassination. You trained primarily to survive, and assist others in doing so. You are less likely to kill or wound enemies in combat, but are also less likely to take wounds. You are also able to lower the risk of wounding or death for others as well. Afterwards, you trained to get in close and kill with single strikes, allowing you to either defend others or strike at individual enemies.
You know two Spells, the first is Severing Distance. By swinging your blade just so, you can cut away the distance between two points, but only about half a metre per swing.
The second is Infinite Sharpness. Your blade momentarily becomes sharp enough to cut through anything that exists, making even the most armored enemy nothing before you.
You are short, red-haired, fair-skinned, and blue-eyed. Your hair is straight and thick, in a loose bobcut that resembles someone just taking a knife to it. You are very lean. Your eyes are large, your nose is tiny. You have sharp cheeks, long eyelashes, and large hands and feet.
You are Hopeful, Compassionate, and Stubborn.
You wield two shortswords, older blades with worn hilts wrapped in leather cord.
You are a Renowned Master of the Blade. Your skills with the blade are greater than any mundane human who has ever lived. Other Bladebound consider this the bare minimum to go into combat.
Your combat styles are Interception and Assassination. You trained primarily to survive, and assist others in doing so. You are less likely to kill or wound enemies in combat, but are also less likely to take wounds. You are also able to lower the risk of wounding or death for others as well. Afterwards, you trained to get in close and kill with single strikes, allowing you to either defend others or strike at individual enemies.
You know two Spells, the first is Severing Distance. By swinging your blade just so, you can cut away the distance between two points, but only about half a metre per swing.
The second is Infinite Sharpness. Your blade momentarily becomes sharp enough to cut through anything that exists, making even the most armored enemy nothing before you.
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- Location
- Straya
A brief explanation for those who followed my last quest, as well. I hurt my hand and had to stop using it (infuriatingly), and in the month that passed I sort of lost interest in it. Not because I think it was bad or the characters were bad, but the worldbuilding was excellent for a written story, but not so much for a quest - excessively complex worlds have virtues, but one of their vices is that they make it hard to present interesting and meaningful choices to the players.
I sketched this world out a little prior, in part drawing on my experiences from the last quest, trying to build a world and magic system that allowed the players to do more cool stuff without long-standing political repercussions. Building a big magical economy is cool, but having well-developed universities and economies makes it harder to find ways to let the players have an impact.
This won't be as choice-diverse (I found having twenty choices in the end led to essentially the novel choice being taken as well as some 'optimal' choices every time, and made it a little too intimidating for new questers to participate fully), but I think with fewer choices it's easier to make them better and more interesting.
I sketched this world out a little prior, in part drawing on my experiences from the last quest, trying to build a world and magic system that allowed the players to do more cool stuff without long-standing political repercussions. Building a big magical economy is cool, but having well-developed universities and economies makes it harder to find ways to let the players have an impact.
This won't be as choice-diverse (I found having twenty choices in the end led to essentially the novel choice being taken as well as some 'optimal' choices every time, and made it a little too intimidating for new questers to participate fully), but I think with fewer choices it's easier to make them better and more interesting.
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ChildishChimera
A umbran summon
- Location
- New York
[X] Your parents are Pit Scavengers, descending into the Pit to find lost artifacts of the Age of Light to sell. You know well how to hide, to hunt with a bow, and you can identify Darklings of various sorts with ease. Your parents gifted you with a useful Artifact as a child, as well. However, your mother descended into the Pit when she was first pregnant with you, and the dark magics within suffused your body in the womb, weakening you greatly. Unlocks choice of Artifact (Age of Light) in next post. Survival knowledge, Darkling knowledge, combat knowledge with bow gained. You suffer from corruption, weakening your body and
- Location
- France
[X] You are a child raised in a village, a little place bordering the Shadowlands. You were brought up to learn a trade, as well as how to stand in your village militia. Next to the Shadowlands you do not dare to travel, however, and so know little of the wilds. Unlocks choice of trade in next post. Combat knowledge with spear and shield gained. Low survival knowledge.
Begin with knowledges in fight seem interesting for me.
Begin with knowledges in fight seem interesting for me.
- Location
- Australia
OK, so three options. The first sacrifices combat ability, the second survival ability, and the last renders you magically weak in exchange for a magical artifact (likely a short-term power boost). We don't want to be magically weak in a mage quest, so that option is out. And 'combat ability', based on the references to weapons training, seems to relate to physical combat not magical combat - so in the context of a mage quest I think that's probably the best sacrifice.
[X] You are an orphan of one of the Three Cities. Brought up in an fearful environment where many were kicked out of the city on their majority, sent to seek the nearest Lighthouse or die in the attempt. Your people have faced sieges by the Darkling Hordes in the past, and likely will again. As an orphan, you will gain few useful skills, but the Three Cities are the world's greatest concentration of mages, so you will know more about them. Unlocks city choice in the next post. Some basic knowledge about mages gained (lore only, no actual magic ability). Low combat knowledge.
[X] You are an orphan of one of the Three Cities. Brought up in an fearful environment where many were kicked out of the city on their majority, sent to seek the nearest Lighthouse or die in the attempt. Your people have faced sieges by the Darkling Hordes in the past, and likely will again. As an orphan, you will gain few useful skills, but the Three Cities are the world's greatest concentration of mages, so you will know more about them. Unlocks city choice in the next post. Some basic knowledge about mages gained (lore only, no actual magic ability). Low combat knowledge.
Gah, not sure what to vote for.
I know I'd prefer either the village or the scavenger, though.
Edit:
I know I'd prefer either the village or the scavenger, though.
Edit:
I wouldn't be surprised if there were some kind of dark magic that corruption actually helps with, not to mention that since there's pretty much no powerful mages left it might be easier to focus on utility magic and then just physically fight when we need to.
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[X] Your parents are Pit Scavengers
Shame about your prior quest, but I do think your critique of it is sound which says good things about your ability to reflect and analyse. Onto this quest, a pretty fantastic opening chapter that is immediately engaging with a small glimpse of the history of the setting, as well as what seem to be three different distinct choices which is also a major plus.
For me I'll go with the Pit Scavengers because the Darklings themselves interest me given they arise from both the Sea and from the Pit itself, and I'd like to find out more about them.
Shame about your prior quest, but I do think your critique of it is sound which says good things about your ability to reflect and analyse. Onto this quest, a pretty fantastic opening chapter that is immediately engaging with a small glimpse of the history of the setting, as well as what seem to be three different distinct choices which is also a major plus.
For me I'll go with the Pit Scavengers because the Darklings themselves interest me given they arise from both the Sea and from the Pit itself, and I'd like to find out more about them.
[X] You are an orphan of one of the Three Cities. Brought up in an fearful environment where many were kicked out of the city on their majority, sent to seek the nearest Lighthouse or die in the attempt. Your people have faced sieges by the Darkling Hordes in the past, and likely will again. As an orphan, you will gain few useful skills, but the Three Cities are the world's greatest concentration of mages, so you will know more about them. Unlocks city choice in the next post. Some basic knowledge about mages gained (lore only, no actual magic ability). Low combat knowledge.
- Location
- Canada
[X] You are an orphan of one of the Three Cities.
The Lighthouses
- Location
- Straya
Before we move on to the next choice, I'll talk a little bit about the magical system.
The footsteps move away, and you sigh. You reopen the book, flipping through to another chapter. Magic. Yes, you've heard about it, but perhaps one in a hundred gains the skill for magic, and you've never met a mage in anything more than passing. They don't exactly hobnob with your kind.
There are six Lighthouses still lit, where there were once seven. We know little about how they were made, but we know what they do. Anyone may enter a Lighthouse. Something happens inside. No preparation seems to make the difference, though childless women succeed much more often than men, though women who have born children succeed less often for each child they have born. Those who enter a Lighthouse invariably leave in one of three ways. A little over half simply die, their headless corpses flung from the top of the Lighthouse. One in three leave, missing a limb of one kind or another, and without magic. The lucky, one in ten, leave as mages. None remember anything that transpires within the Lighthouse itself.
It is this cold calculus that sees the poor and indigent of the Three Cities swept up and sent to the Lighthouses - if the Cities grow too much, the Darklings descend upon them, and so the population must be endlessly pruned. Most die, but some return as mages to serve their city. Among the country folk, mages are fewer, for if a village grows too large it may split off, or send some people to marry into a nearby village that may have suffered Darkling attacks.
Each Lighthouse grants different magics. For instance, the Blue Lighthouse gives to us Watersingers who can manipulate water in great amounts, reshaping rivers and sweeping away Darklings, Stormchasers who use their mastery of lightning to fight the Darklings outside the Cities and even descend into the Pit, and the Runesmiths, who forge useful items with various minor powers that they alone can use. The power an aspirant gains seems linked to their personality - it is not mere gossip to say that Runesmiths are patient and careful, while Stormchasers are easily angered and mercurial.
If an aspirant succeeds, this is what we call Ascension. In the Age of Light, it is said mages of the Fifth and Sixth Ascension existed, gaining powers from each Lighthouse in turn, their minor workings eclipsing the greatest magics of the modern day. Today, mages of the Second Ascension are vanishingly rare, and none of the Third Ascension exist.
The footsteps move away, and you sigh. You reopen the book, flipping through to another chapter. Magic. Yes, you've heard about it, but perhaps one in a hundred gains the skill for magic, and you've never met a mage in anything more than passing. They don't exactly hobnob with your kind.
There are six Lighthouses still lit, where there were once seven. We know little about how they were made, but we know what they do. Anyone may enter a Lighthouse. Something happens inside. No preparation seems to make the difference, though childless women succeed much more often than men, though women who have born children succeed less often for each child they have born. Those who enter a Lighthouse invariably leave in one of three ways. A little over half simply die, their headless corpses flung from the top of the Lighthouse. One in three leave, missing a limb of one kind or another, and without magic. The lucky, one in ten, leave as mages. None remember anything that transpires within the Lighthouse itself.
It is this cold calculus that sees the poor and indigent of the Three Cities swept up and sent to the Lighthouses - if the Cities grow too much, the Darklings descend upon them, and so the population must be endlessly pruned. Most die, but some return as mages to serve their city. Among the country folk, mages are fewer, for if a village grows too large it may split off, or send some people to marry into a nearby village that may have suffered Darkling attacks.
Each Lighthouse grants different magics. For instance, the Blue Lighthouse gives to us Watersingers who can manipulate water in great amounts, reshaping rivers and sweeping away Darklings, Stormchasers who use their mastery of lightning to fight the Darklings outside the Cities and even descend into the Pit, and the Runesmiths, who forge useful items with various minor powers that they alone can use. The power an aspirant gains seems linked to their personality - it is not mere gossip to say that Runesmiths are patient and careful, while Stormchasers are easily angered and mercurial.
If an aspirant succeeds, this is what we call Ascension. In the Age of Light, it is said mages of the Fifth and Sixth Ascension existed, gaining powers from each Lighthouse in turn, their minor workings eclipsing the greatest magics of the modern day. Today, mages of the Second Ascension are vanishingly rare, and none of the Third Ascension exist.
chocolote12
A Penguin Flailing Against The Keyboard Of Life.
[X] Your parents are Pit Scavengers, descending into the Pit to find lost artifacts of the Age of Light to sell. You know well how to hide, to hunt with a bow, and you can identify Darklings of various sorts with ease. Your parents gifted you with a useful Artifact as a child, as well. However, your mother descended into the Pit when she was first pregnant with you, and the dark magics within suffused your body in the womb, weakening you greatly. Unlocks choice of Artifact (Age of Light) in next post. Survival knowledge, Darkling knowledge, combat knowledge with bow gained. You suffer from corruption, weakening your body and any future magics you acquire.
Not because I expect corruption to be a good thing, but because I'm pretty sure that there'll eventually be a part of the story where we're stuck in some evil tunnels or something, and that's when this'll shine. Literally. It's probably going to be a flashlight.
Not because I expect corruption to be a good thing, but because I'm pretty sure that there'll eventually be a part of the story where we're stuck in some evil tunnels or something, and that's when this'll shine. Literally. It's probably going to be a flashlight.
Barondoctor
The things I chase come to me.
- Location
- The other side of the mirror
- Pronouns
- He/His/Him
Choice of artifact. Like we're getting choice of background now. Also, any mage going into tunnels is going to going to have some trick of mage-light, I'd imagine.
[X] You are an orphan of one of the Three Cities. Brought up in an fearful environment where many were kicked out of the city on their majority, sent to seek the nearest Lighthouse or die in the attempt. Your people have faced sieges by the Darkling Hordes in the past, and likely will again. As an orphan, you will gain few useful skills, but the Three Cities are the world's greatest concentration of mages, so you will know more about them. Unlocks city choice in the next post. Some basic knowledge about mages gained (lore only, no actual magic ability). Low combat knowledge.
[X] Your parents are Pit Scavengers, descending into the Pit to find lost artifacts of the Age of Light to sell. You know well how to hide, to hunt with a bow, and you can identify Darklings of various sorts with ease. Your parents gifted you with a useful Artifact as a child, as well. However, your mother descended into the Pit when she was first pregnant with you, and the dark magics within suffused your body in the womb, weakening you greatly. Unlocks choice of Artifact (Age of Light) in next post. Survival knowledge, Darkling knowledge, combat knowledge with bow gained. You suffer from corruption, weakening your body and any future magics you acquire.
I like that backstory the best for narrative purpose. Also I think SV seriously overestimates long-term benefits vs short-term given how deadly the world is.
I like that backstory the best for narrative purpose. Also I think SV seriously overestimates long-term benefits vs short-term given how deadly the world is.
- Location
- Lasha Tumbai
[x] Your parents are Pit Scavengers, descending into the Pit to find lost artifacts of the Age of Light to sell. You know well how to hide, to hunt with a bow, and you can identify Darklings of various sorts with ease. Your parents gifted you with a useful Artifact as a child, as well. However, your mother descended into the Pit when she was first pregnant with you, and the dark magics within suffused your body in the womb, weakening you greatly. Unlocks choice of Artifact (Age of Light) in next post. Survival knowledge, Darkling knowledge, combat knowledge with bow gained. You suffer from corruption, weakening your body and any future magics you acquire.
We picked the weak start last time, I'll be damned if we don't pick it again.
We picked the weak start last time, I'll be damned if we don't pick it again.
[X] Your parents are Pit Scavengers, descending into the Pit to find lost artifacts of the Age of Light to sell. You know well how to hide, to hunt with a bow, and you can identify Darklings of various sorts with ease. Your parents gifted you with a useful Artifact as a child, as well. However, your mother descended into the Pit when she was first pregnant with you, and the dark magics within suffused your body in the womb, weakening you greatly. Unlocks choice of Artifact (Age of Light) in next post. Survival knowledge, Darkling knowledge, combat knowledge with bow gained. You suffer from corruption, weakening your body and any future magics you acquire.
- Location
- USA
[X] You are a child raised in a village, a little place bordering the Shadowlands. You were brought up to learn a trade, as well as how to stand in your village militia. Next to the Shadowlands you do not dare to travel, however, and so know little of the wilds. Unlocks choice of trade in next post. Combat knowledge with spear and shield gained. Low survival knowledge.
Seems to have the least downsides to me. Sure we don't have survival knowledge, but does an orphan from the city travel the shadowlands? We get a trade and a spear, too. Seems like a good deal.
Seems to have the least downsides to me. Sure we don't have survival knowledge, but does an orphan from the city travel the shadowlands? We get a trade and a spear, too. Seems like a good deal.
- Location
- A Place Miserably Bereft of Cats
[X] You are a child raised in a village, a little place bordering the Shadowlands. You were brought up to learn a trade, as well as how to stand in your village militia. Next to the Shadowlands you do not dare to travel, however, and so know little of the wilds. Unlocks choice of trade in next post. Combat knowledge with spear and shield gained. Low survival knowledge.
Weak start last time was bolstered by HIDDEN SUPER MAGIC POWERS.
Corruption just sounds icky.
Weak start last time was bolstered by HIDDEN SUPER MAGIC POWERS.
Corruption just sounds icky.
Barondoctor
The things I chase come to me.
- Location
- The other side of the mirror
- Pronouns
- He/His/Him
I'm on board with @Epicrandom 's analysis.
Magical artifact is a short term power boost. The trade you get in exchange weakens you in both physical and magic. Pass.
Village and Cities are my preferences. Village gives you a skill, its related knowledges, and basic militia training. Cities gives more world-knowledge and less practical knowledge, but it's also the one most likely to get you an in to becoming a mage.
[X] You are a child raised in a village, a little place bordering the Shadowlands. You were brought up to learn a trade, as well as how to stand in your village militia. Next to the Shadowlands you do not dare to travel, however, and so know little of the wilds. Unlocks choice of trade in next post. Combat knowledge with spear and shield gained. Low survival knowledge.
Villages gets a skill, basic training, and makes us generally able to handle stuff. Not great, but an adequate start which will give us options without being orphan or drastically weakened.
Magical artifact is a short term power boost. The trade you get in exchange weakens you in both physical and magic. Pass.
Village and Cities are my preferences. Village gives you a skill, its related knowledges, and basic militia training. Cities gives more world-knowledge and less practical knowledge, but it's also the one most likely to get you an in to becoming a mage.
[X] You are a child raised in a village, a little place bordering the Shadowlands. You were brought up to learn a trade, as well as how to stand in your village militia. Next to the Shadowlands you do not dare to travel, however, and so know little of the wilds. Unlocks choice of trade in next post. Combat knowledge with spear and shield gained. Low survival knowledge.
Villages gets a skill, basic training, and makes us generally able to handle stuff. Not great, but an adequate start which will give us options without being orphan or drastically weakened.
- Location
- USA
We picked the weak start last time, I'll be damned if we don't pick it again.
I think this one is the strong start. We have it all but our future magic will be weakened as a trade off.
chocolote12
A Penguin Flailing Against The Keyboard Of Life.
I'm not choosing the artifact for some sort of hypothetical strong start. They never really are. I'm choosing to be this corrupted child because I'm fairly sure there's a story down that way that I'd want to see.
LucidProp
Pocky Eating MafiaDoka
Corruption is fun.
[X] Your parents are Pit Scavengers, descending into the Pit to find lost artifacts of the Age of Light to sell. You know well how to hide, to hunt with a bow, and you can identify Darklings of various sorts with ease. Your parents gifted you with a useful Artifact as a child, as well. However, your mother descended into the Pit when she was first pregnant with you, and the dark magics within suffused your body in the womb, weakening you greatly. Unlocks choice of Artifact (Age of Light) in next post. Survival knowledge, Darkling knowledge, combat knowledge with bow gained. You suffer from corruption, weakening your body and any future magics you acquire.
[X] Your parents are Pit Scavengers, descending into the Pit to find lost artifacts of the Age of Light to sell. You know well how to hide, to hunt with a bow, and you can identify Darklings of various sorts with ease. Your parents gifted you with a useful Artifact as a child, as well. However, your mother descended into the Pit when she was first pregnant with you, and the dark magics within suffused your body in the womb, weakening you greatly. Unlocks choice of Artifact (Age of Light) in next post. Survival knowledge, Darkling knowledge, combat knowledge with bow gained. You suffer from corruption, weakening your body and any future magics you acquire.