[X] Continue the Quest, with the risk that an ending isn't reached.
Blue Ash (Dark Souls III/PMMM)
- Thread starter RecurringExtra
- Start date
- Crossover Fantasy
Spectral Waltz
Scatterbrained Writer
- Location
- Walking the Endless Corridors
Oh what the heck, it's worth a shot.
[X] Continue the Quest, with the risk that an ending isn't reached.
[X] Continue the Quest, with the risk that an ending isn't reached.
[X] Continue the Quest, with the risk that an ending isn't reached.
RecurringExtra
Designated Background Character
- Location
- Out of Focus
Alright, continuation is a go. I actually had started the summary write up, but just having that is fine since it's just nice to actually have all of that written down for once rather than just being free floating ideas in my head. It also gives me something to more directly consult in terms of planning.
Anyhow, I'm going to try and return to my earlier style of shorter and more frequent posts. I think part of my issue was that I got too focused on trying to make posts so much lengthier that I just ended up trying to write a bunch of different events at once, and it just left me feeling overloaded. I'm hoping trying to keep things bite sized will help.
Anyhow, I'm going to try and return to my earlier style of shorter and more frequent posts. I think part of my issue was that I got too focused on trying to make posts so much lengthier that I just ended up trying to write a bunch of different events at once, and it just left me feeling overloaded. I'm hoping trying to keep things bite sized will help.
I'll say what I said in my voting post; Take this at your own pace and make sure you have fun with this. In addition to that, please know that I at the very least don't mind waiting however long it takes between posts because at the end of the day, so long as you still have the drive to continue the quest it honestly doesn't matter if you don't post for weeks or months, you'll still come back to it so long as you want to write this story and that's all that matters. I hope that makes sense, it's a little late on my end.
- Location
- The Frozen North
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Well the vote ended up swinging in the opposite direction since I looked last. Despite it not being entirely relevant anymore I figure I'll still say what I had thought to say.
In terms of the quest itself, I think despite the gaps in between updates I feel that you've done a good job with the quest overall. Probably like 80%+ of quests I follow that cease updating never come back at, so I think it's an accomplishment that you've been able to come back after large gaps multiple times.
Despite this, I do think it is worth noting that if Sayaka needs to get to the end of Dark Souls III for the quest to complete, realistically even with consistent updates it'll take a very long time for that to happen. Based on that I had thought of another middle of road type possibility. As I mentioned previously, now that continue has won the vote this suggestion isn't entirely relevant, but I figure I'll describe it anyway.
Basically my idea was that in the event of the quest ending and switching to summaries, you could write up some narrative bits to go along with them if you wanted. Specifically for large story beats you had planned that we wouldn't have got to for awhile. For example, if it was planned that Sayaka would eventually discover that Hawkwood was actually Kyoko is disquise the whole time, we could get that in summary, and then an update where we see how if may have actually played out had the quest got that far. I thought this could work as something of a middle ground, where the quest ends, but we still get to see some things that would've been a long way off.
In terms of the quest itself, I think despite the gaps in between updates I feel that you've done a good job with the quest overall. Probably like 80%+ of quests I follow that cease updating never come back at, so I think it's an accomplishment that you've been able to come back after large gaps multiple times.
Despite this, I do think it is worth noting that if Sayaka needs to get to the end of Dark Souls III for the quest to complete, realistically even with consistent updates it'll take a very long time for that to happen. Based on that I had thought of another middle of road type possibility. As I mentioned previously, now that continue has won the vote this suggestion isn't entirely relevant, but I figure I'll describe it anyway.
Basically my idea was that in the event of the quest ending and switching to summaries, you could write up some narrative bits to go along with them if you wanted. Specifically for large story beats you had planned that we wouldn't have got to for awhile. For example, if it was planned that Sayaka would eventually discover that Hawkwood was actually Kyoko is disquise the whole time, we could get that in summary, and then an update where we see how if may have actually played out had the quest got that far. I thought this could work as something of a middle ground, where the quest ends, but we still get to see some things that would've been a long way off.
Firelink Shrine 26: Questionable Decisions
RecurringExtra
Designated Background Character
- Location
- Out of Focus
[X] Take the Dark Hand. You have enough swords, but a literal hand-held shield might come in hand-y. Okay, that was dumb, but the thing might be dangerous, seeing how it almost turned you back into a witch...
Carefully, you reach for the glove. The moment your hand touches it, you suddenly find yourself back in the shrine, with everyone's eyes on you.
"...Well now." Ludleth says, a genuine smile on his face. "It would seem the art will not die with me."
Hawkwood lets out a light chuckle when he sees the confusion on your face.
"W-what was THAT?!" You sputter.
"It seems thou hath managed to perform Transposition on thine own." Ludleth explains.
Huh? You did that?
"But you were the one who did the whole thing!"
"Perhaps, but that was simply the initiation of the ritual. As I said, thou didst the rest on thine own."
You turn to Hawkwood, who is torn between amusement and bemusement.
"At this point I've learned to stop asking questions when you seem to accidentally stumble onto success." He explains as he notices your stare.
"I can do things intentionally too." You grumble, before you raise your hand out. "See, look what I can do now!" Out from your hand appears the circle of darkness that the Darkwraith had been using as a shield. You wave it around, as if presenting a magic trick to an audience, which, in your mind, is basically what you're doing.
You quickly realize that this was a mistake as any sense of cheerfulness vanishes from the room, as everyone present stares in horror.
"What?" You ask.
"Sayaka, do you even know what that is?"
"A nifty shield?" You say, waving it for emphasis.
Wha- No!" Hawkwood yells, before he catches himself, swallows, and returns to a state of forced calmness. "Well, okay I guess you can consider it that, but that's not what it actually is. That is a Dark Hand." Hawkwood explains. "The tool that Darkwraiths use to drain the very being out of their victims. It's not some fun little gimmick that you parade around."
"Well, I could've chosen either the glove or that sword."
"And you didn't pick the sword?!"
"I already have a sword. I have a LOT of swords, why would I need another one?"
"I don't know, more variety or something? At least it wouldn't be a Dark Hand!"
"I didn't know what it was! I just saw that it could make a fancy schmancy hand shield, and thought that'd be useful!"
Hawkwood stares blankly at you, before he sighs. "The worst part is that I actually believe you."
"Look, I'll just take it off if it bothers you so much." You say, moving to take the glove off before the situation deteriorates any further, only to stumble upon a new issue: there is no glove. It's just your hand.
"Wait, how do I take it off?" You ask as you search over your arm in confusion.
Hawkwood continues to just stare at you, unsure if you're being serious or not.
You quickly give up, realizing that, yes, there is in fact no glove anymore.
"Well, not much I can really do now I guess." You say. "I can just not use it I guess, although I was hoping to have the shield."
"Look, just... don't use Lifedrain on anyone, okay?"
"Did you really think I was planning on doing that?" You ask.
"No, but you probably would've done it by mistake without realizing what it is."
"Hey!"
"Just try and tell me I'm wrong." Hawkwood says, before he turns to glare at a chuckling Ludleth.
"What about this is so funny?" He asks.
"Truthfully? Everything." Ludleth says with a smile. "I must thank thee both. 'Tis nice to see signs of life in this shrine once more."
Afterwards, you decide to go to
[] Head out to the Road of Sacrifices. Time to get this show on the road. Heh, get it? Road...
[] Meet with the Shrine denizens: (Select one.)
-[] Check up with Greirat. The last time you saw him, he seemed... out of it, to say the least.
-[] See how Irina is doing in her little corner of the shrine.
-[] Yoel showed you how to do magic. The least you could do is stop by and say hello.
-[] Go meet with Cornyx. He seemed excited at the idea of students to teach, and you may as well indulge the old man.
-[] Go yell at Andre.
-[] Write in
[] Demon. Fight. Do it. What could go wrong?
Author's Note: Apologies for not including all of the previously voted bits to meet with people, but I'm going to try just writing posts one action at a time and see if that makes it easier for me. Feel free to vote for them again if you want to, of course.
Carefully, you reach for the glove. The moment your hand touches it, you suddenly find yourself back in the shrine, with everyone's eyes on you.
"...Well now." Ludleth says, a genuine smile on his face. "It would seem the art will not die with me."
Hawkwood lets out a light chuckle when he sees the confusion on your face.
"W-what was THAT?!" You sputter.
"It seems thou hath managed to perform Transposition on thine own." Ludleth explains.
Huh? You did that?
"But you were the one who did the whole thing!"
"Perhaps, but that was simply the initiation of the ritual. As I said, thou didst the rest on thine own."
You turn to Hawkwood, who is torn between amusement and bemusement.
"At this point I've learned to stop asking questions when you seem to accidentally stumble onto success." He explains as he notices your stare.
"I can do things intentionally too." You grumble, before you raise your hand out. "See, look what I can do now!" Out from your hand appears the circle of darkness that the Darkwraith had been using as a shield. You wave it around, as if presenting a magic trick to an audience, which, in your mind, is basically what you're doing.
You quickly realize that this was a mistake as any sense of cheerfulness vanishes from the room, as everyone present stares in horror.
"What?" You ask.
"Sayaka, do you even know what that is?"
"A nifty shield?" You say, waving it for emphasis.
Wha- No!" Hawkwood yells, before he catches himself, swallows, and returns to a state of forced calmness. "Well, okay I guess you can consider it that, but that's not what it actually is. That is a Dark Hand." Hawkwood explains. "The tool that Darkwraiths use to drain the very being out of their victims. It's not some fun little gimmick that you parade around."
"Well, I could've chosen either the glove or that sword."
"And you didn't pick the sword?!"
"I already have a sword. I have a LOT of swords, why would I need another one?"
"I don't know, more variety or something? At least it wouldn't be a Dark Hand!"
"I didn't know what it was! I just saw that it could make a fancy schmancy hand shield, and thought that'd be useful!"
Hawkwood stares blankly at you, before he sighs. "The worst part is that I actually believe you."
"Look, I'll just take it off if it bothers you so much." You say, moving to take the glove off before the situation deteriorates any further, only to stumble upon a new issue: there is no glove. It's just your hand.
"Wait, how do I take it off?" You ask as you search over your arm in confusion.
Hawkwood continues to just stare at you, unsure if you're being serious or not.
You quickly give up, realizing that, yes, there is in fact no glove anymore.
"Well, not much I can really do now I guess." You say. "I can just not use it I guess, although I was hoping to have the shield."
"Look, just... don't use Lifedrain on anyone, okay?"
"Did you really think I was planning on doing that?" You ask.
"No, but you probably would've done it by mistake without realizing what it is."
"Hey!"
"Just try and tell me I'm wrong." Hawkwood says, before he turns to glare at a chuckling Ludleth.
"What about this is so funny?" He asks.
"Truthfully? Everything." Ludleth says with a smile. "I must thank thee both. 'Tis nice to see signs of life in this shrine once more."
"Weapon" that reinforces the wielder with the primordial essence of mankind, allowing them to form a shield from their palm as well as evoke an art unique to Londor, the land of the Hollow. It is also said to be an ancient relic of a Primordial Serpent.
The Dark Hand mercilessly saps the very essence of its victims, taking from them that which defines them, and leaving naught but a husk filled with pain and misery. A convergent design, albeit painfully primitive in comparison.
Skill: Lifedrain
Embrace the victim and steal their HP. Can only be used against humans.
The Dark Hand mercilessly saps the very essence of its victims, taking from them that which defines them, and leaving naught but a husk filled with pain and misery. A convergent design, albeit painfully primitive in comparison.
Skill: Lifedrain
Embrace the victim and steal their HP. Can only be used against humans.
Afterwards, you decide to go to
[] Head out to the Road of Sacrifices. Time to get this show on the road. Heh, get it? Road...
[] Meet with the Shrine denizens: (Select one.)
-[] Check up with Greirat. The last time you saw him, he seemed... out of it, to say the least.
-[] See how Irina is doing in her little corner of the shrine.
-[] Yoel showed you how to do magic. The least you could do is stop by and say hello.
-[] Go meet with Cornyx. He seemed excited at the idea of students to teach, and you may as well indulge the old man.
-[] Go yell at Andre.
-[] Write in
[] Demon. Fight. Do it. What could go wrong?
Author's Note: Apologies for not including all of the previously voted bits to meet with people, but I'm going to try just writing posts one action at a time and see if that makes it easier for me. Feel free to vote for them again if you want to, of course.
Nottheunmaker
Altman be praised
- Location
- USG Ishimura
Right, when we last left off, P Y R M A N C Y was on the table. I'm getten' it now.
[X] Meet with the Shrine denizens: (Select one.)
-[X] Go meet with Cornyx. He seemed excited at the idea of students to teach, and you may as well indulge the old man.
[X] Meet with the Shrine denizens: (Select one.)
-[X] Go meet with Cornyx. He seemed excited at the idea of students to teach, and you may as well indulge the old man.
The Curious Fan
Perpetually sleep deprived
[X] Meet with the Shrine denizens: (Select one.)
-[X] Go meet with Cornyx. He seemed excited at the idea of students to teach, and you may as well indulge the old man.
-[X] Go meet with Cornyx. He seemed excited at the idea of students to teach, and you may as well indulge the old man.
Dark_River49
Randomly Generated Gremlin, Writes Walls of Text
- Location
- Somewhere in Sufficient Velocity
[X] Meet with the Shrine denizens: (Select one.)
-[X] Go meet with Cornyx. He seemed excited at the idea of students to teach, and you may as well indulge the old man.
-[X] Go meet with Cornyx. He seemed excited at the idea of students to teach, and you may as well indulge the old man.
She totally still will at some point, you know it's going to happen.
And the fallout will be glorious.
[X] Meet with the Shrine denizens: (Select one.)
-[X] Go meet with Cornyx. He seemed excited at the idea of students to teach, and you may as well indulge the old man.
These look like as good of options as any to me. Soon we shall fling swords, fire... and maybe some swords that are also on fire.
Spectral Waltz
Scatterbrained Writer
- Location
- Walking the Endless Corridors
The problem we see here, is that while Sayaka now knows what it is, she still doesn't know how to do it.
Which means she's still kinda at risk of doing it, since that means she also doesn't know how not to do it.
But hey, at least she's informed.
[X] Meet with the Shrine denizens: (Select one.)
-[X] Go meet with Cornyx. He seemed excited at the idea of students to teach, and you may as well indulge the old man.
Even if Sayaka doesn't end up using the Dark Hand much, as she's constantly going to be watched by the ex-Watcher she has a companion, it's still an interesting tool to have.
And who knows, maybe that's one of the ways she has to revert corruption.
I'm also interested in what this author does with the scattering of Darkwraiths that appear in the Swamp. And Hawkwood's thoughts on the demise of the legion he was once a part of.
Ah, just being able to talk to people opens up so much delicious drama and interesting story beats. Even if many are Hollow or mad.
[x] [] Head out to the Road of Sacrifices. Time to get this show on the road. Heh, get it? Road...
And who knows, maybe that's one of the ways she has to revert corruption.
I'm also interested in what this author does with the scattering of Darkwraiths that appear in the Swamp. And Hawkwood's thoughts on the demise of the legion he was once a part of.
Ah, just being able to talk to people opens up so much delicious drama and interesting story beats. Even if many are Hollow or mad.
[x] [] Head out to the Road of Sacrifices. Time to get this show on the road. Heh, get it? Road...
- Location
- Internet
[X] Meet with the Shrine denizens: (Select one.)
-[X] Go meet with Cornyx. He seemed excited at the idea of students to teach, and you may as well indulge the old man.
-[X] Go meet with Cornyx. He seemed excited at the idea of students to teach, and you may as well indulge the old man.
Nottheunmaker
Altman be praised
- Location
- USG Ishimura
Perhaps especially if they are Hollow or mad. After all, when has a sane mind produced anything of worth?
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Meet with the Shrine denizens: (Select one.)
-[X] Go meet with Cornyx. He seemed excited at the idea of students to teach, and you may as well indulge the old man.
-[X] Go meet with Cornyx. He seemed excited at the idea of students to teach, and you may as well indulge the old man.
- Location
- Bowling Green
[X] Demon. Fight. Do it. What could go wrong?
[X] Meet with the Shrine denizens: (Select one.)
-[X] Go meet with Cornyx. He seemed excited at the idea of students to teach, and you may as well indulge the old man.
-[X] Go meet with Cornyx. He seemed excited at the idea of students to teach, and you may as well indulge the old man.
Now, when you say "embrace", does this now mean Sayaka gives the worst hugs?
[x] Meet with the Shrine denizens: (Select one.)
-[x] Go meet with Cornyx. He seemed excited at the idea of students to teach, and you may as well indulge the old man.
RecurringExtra
Designated Background Character
- Location
- Out of Focus
Vote is now closed.
On an unrelated note, part of what I spent the past nine months doing was working on a story. It's Touhou related, so it has absolutely nothing to do with this quest, but, hey, may as well mention it. If you aren't remotely interested, feel free to just ignore this.
On an unrelated note, part of what I spent the past nine months doing was working on a story. It's Touhou related, so it has absolutely nothing to do with this quest, but, hey, may as well mention it. If you aren't remotely interested, feel free to just ignore this.
Very unpleasant; would not recommend.
Nottheunmaker
Altman be praised
- Location
- USG Ishimura
On the other hand, deathly embraces sound very fun to be the giver of. In the words of Gordon Freeman, "I'm a walking CDC nightmare, it makes me want to hug someone."
Firelink Shrine 27: Pyromancy
RecurringExtra
Designated Background Character
- Location
- Out of Focus
-[X] Go meet with Cornyx. He seemed excited at the idea of students to teach, and you may as well indulge the old man.
After Hawkwood has satiated his need to grumble about your poor decision making, you stand up and give yourself a quick dusting.
"Heading somewhere?" Hawkwood asks, absentmindedly polishing his sword.
"I'm going to go and meet with that old guy we met back at the Settlement. I think he said his name was Cornyx?" You say, annoyedly trying to brush off the last bits of ash clinging to you. Not like it makes much of a difference, since you'll just be covered in the stuff again if you stay around here for more than a few minutes.
"Ah, him." Hawkwood says, his voice having a hint of distaste. "Look, I don't want you to get the wrong idea. I don't have anything personally against people from the Great Swamp-" He begins.
"But?" You finish, to which Hawkwood narrows his eyes in mild annoyance.
"But be careful around him. That's all."
"If you're so concerned, why not come with me?
"I have other matters to attend to." Hawkwood says as an excuse. You could easily push him on this, because he very clearly has nothing better to do besides sit around and mope, but you doubt it'd be worth starting a fight over, so you simply give a short nod and start your search for the old man.
You find Cornyx to the right of Andre, down a small flight of stairs, which means that you unfortunately have to deal with the noise of his hammering as a sort of metronome of background noise. The first thing you notice, however, is the smell. It's unmistakable the scent of raw meat, but it's overpowering, and quite frankly making you feel nauseous. It's like the smell of the meat section at the supermarket, but much more extreme. What it's doing here, though, you have no idea.
Your curiosity is answered when you find a literal pile of skinned dead goats, as well as several bird corpses, scattered around Cornyx.
"Ah, there you are, Unkindled One." He says, looking up at you with a smile, although you doubt he's able to see anything with his eyes covered entirely.
"What's... happening here?" You ask, gesturing around at the animal caracasses that he's just left lying around him.
"Apologies, I got a bit ahead of myself." He says with a laugh. "This old crow hasn't had a pupil in so long, and well, I wanted to make something special out of it."
"But neither of us agreed to become your student." You say softly. On the one hand, the man is clearly overjoyed about the idea of teaching somebody, and you don't want to crush his spirits. On the other, there's no way any of this is sanitary in the slightest. That said, it is rather impressive how he's not covered in the slightest bit of blood despite the apparent carnage he must have inflicted. Come to think of it, where did he even get these animals, and did nobody notice him slaughtering them?
"Ah, but I know that at least one of you was sure to be interested, and I just couldn't help myself." He says, although you can hear a sudden strain in his voice. He's forcing himself to remain positive, and is, very successfully, guilting you into agreeing.
"Well, I guess it couldn't hurt?" You eventually say, although the carnage around you leaves you nevertheless rather hesitant.
"Excellent! Oh, I'm very grateful for this, Unkindled One." He exclaims, his excitement almost palpable.
"So, is all of this... necessary for Pyromancy?" You reluctantly ask, eyeing the meat warily.
"Huh?" He seems surprised by this first question, before he seems to realize that you're referring to the scene of horror he left on display around him. "Oh, no, not by any means. As I said, I simply got ahead of myself, and..." He pauses, seemingly embarrassed. "Let's just call it a surprise for later, shall we?"
"Uh, alright, I guess?" You say, a bit weirded out. There's an awkward moment of silence, before you realize you should probably clear the air.
"So what is pyromancy exactly?" You ask. "I mean, I get that it's flinging fire around, but is that all it is?"
"Oh no, not by any means." Cornyx says. "The heart of pyromancy lies in the manipulation of chaos; of the essence of life itself."
"So where does the fire come in?"
"All life comes from the flame, yet that flame hungers to devour all it encounters." He opens the palm of his hand, and a small fire begins to burn, yet it remains safely upon it, not setting the man alight. "One must fear the flame as much as one cherishes it, lest they be consumed."
"Pyromancy comes much more naturally to people than something like sorcery or miracles, as it relies upon something common to us all: the fact that we are alive."
"So would I need something like a staff to use pyromancies like with sorcery?" You hope not. The idea of having to carry a bunch of different implements around would get annoying quickly.
"Just as pyromancies rely upon the flame of life within us, so too does the catalyst of their usage." He says. "May I see your hand?"
"What for?"
"Think of it as another surprise." Cornyx says with a smile.
Reluctantly, you offer your right hand to the old man, who seems to inspect it, although you can't be sure as, with that blindfold on, there's no way he should be able to see anything. After around a half minute he nods, seemingly satisfied, and then he sets your hand on fire.
Instinctively, you let out a scream of surprise, waving your hand around in a panic in hopes of putting the fire out. You soon realize, however, that the fire doesn't hurt, and it's not because your pain receptors have been shut off. The fire isn't spreading, merely remaining in your palm, as it did for Cornyx as he demonstrated earlier.
"Sayaka, are you alright?!" You hear Hawkwood shout, as he comes running up from whatever corner of the shrine he had been holed up in, likely to mope about something or other.
Panting as the panic starts to wear off, you nod. "I'm fine." You grumble, before turning to glare at a cackling Cornyx. "What the hell was that for?"
"I-I'm sorry," Cornyx manages to get out between wheezes. "I couldn't help it."
"What were you doing to her?" Hawkwood asks tersely, his eyes narrowed.
"I was just having a little fun." Cornyx explains, still lightly chuckling. "By the flame, existence has been so dreary lately that I'd hesitate to even call it life."
"So what, you just mess with young girls for amusement then?"
"Take a look at her hand." Cornyx retorts. A small grin remaining on his face despite the heavy tension in the air.
"What?" Hawkwood asks, still glaring at the man. When he finds no further response forthcoming, he does as he's asked, and notices the flame within your palm. He blinks a few times in surprise.
"I was gifting her a pyromancy flame of her own, but I suppose the surprise of holding a fire within one's own hand overwhelmed her sense."
"You never said that you were doing that!" You yell.
"Yes, and you reacted exactly as I'd hoped you would."
"What, as a source of entertainment?" You shoot back.
"No, with surprise and fear." Cornyx explains. "To find flame within one's grasp should invoke such feelings. As I said, one must be sure to fear the flame. If you had simply accepted it, I would have been concerned. If you had been excited, I would have refused to teach you any further."
"So you're saying this was a test?"
"Yes, although I won't deny that it was also quite amusing." Cornyx says, his face splitting into a wide grin..
Hawkwood stares silently at the old man, before he groans, and glares at Corynx.
"You had best not do anything else to screw with her, understood?"
"Very well. I've had my fill of fun, so no need to be worried." Cornyx says, matching Hawkwood's gaze. Eventually, Hawkwood seems satisfied, and turns to leave.
"Bloody swampmen." He grumbles as he walks away, likely to go back to his usual sulking.
Once Hawkwood is out of earshot, you turn back to Cornyx.
"Earlier, Hawkwood mentioned that people from some swamp or whatever were usually exiles or something, and was warning me to be careful."
Cornyx lets out a wry chuckle. "Truthfully, your friend isn't completely wrong."
"It still feels wrong to just pre-judge people before they've done anything though."
"That is true, but beliefs such as that are usually built on half-truths and assumptions. You see, many of those who leave the Great Swamp are, as he says, the exiles; the dregs of our home that have either broken law or tradition and have been forsaken because of it." Cornyx explains. "However, just as many are those that have themselves forsaken their birthplace to seek out the wider world. It is understandable to have some reservations, and his are much more mild than what I've become accustomed to over my years of life."
"Worse than that?" So what... Then the realization that just because you're in a seeming fictional world does not mean something as common to mankind as racism would simply up and vanish into thin air. It isn't exactly a topic that you have much familiarity with. The closest thing you have to personal experience is that one half-Brazilian family who tried to move into the same apartment building as your family, only to be rejected, although it was only later that you learned the exact reason as to why.""Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean..."
"You're a kind girl, and I thank you for that." Cornyx says. "But in your friend's case, I suppose I am the one who has the last laugh. After all, our homes now have much in common."
"What do you mean by that?"
Cornyx simply smiles. "I can recognize a member of the Farron Legion easily enough. As for the similarities, well, if you're unaware, then I'll leave it as a surprise for you both."
"What's with you and surprises?" You ask.
"It's fun to keep people guessing." He says. "Now, before we get started, I should clarify now that, if you wish for me to teach you any advanced pyromancies, I will require pyromancy tomes. I doubt that you have the desire to learn pyromancies the hard way, after all."
"So is there anything that you can teach me now?" You ask.
"We can go over the most basic of pyromancies. For now, how about the most simple: the classic fireball." He smiles. "It's exactly what it sounds like, a ball of fire. There's no real trick to this one. Simply conjure the flames within your hand and toss them at your target."
You look at your now burning right hand, and focus. It takes some effort, as you aren't sure what you should be focusing on exactly, but after some trial and error you're able to get the flames within your palm to begin to ignite that much fiercer.
"Excellent work!" Cornyx says, a bit of surprise in his voice. "Now, focus on keeping the fires burning, and let them loose!"
You do as he says, and with a flick of your wrist, a glob of fire is sent tossing into one of the nearby puddles of water, quickly sizzling out on impact. It's... rather lackluster, truth be told, but seeing as it was your first real attempt, that isn't too surprising.
"Hm..." Cornyx seems to be thinking as he stares at your performance. "It was a good first attempt, but you need some practice. Here, let me show you how it's done." He lifts his palm, and the fire in his hand bursts into roaring life, and with a quick motion a ball of fire goes flying into a nearby puddle, throwing up a huge burst of steam into the air.
As you stare, silently impressed, he chuckles. "Now, let's have you try again, shall we?"
After your lesson, you decide to...
[] Head out to the Road of Sacrifices. Time to get this show on the road. Heh, get it? Road...
[] Meet with the Shrine denizens: (Select one.)
-[] Check up with Greirat. The last time you saw him, he seemed... out of it, to say the least.
-[] See how Irina is doing in her little corner of the shrine.
-[] Write in
[] Demon. Fight. Do it. What could go wrong?
So much for shorter updates. That said, focusing on singular scenes at a time is definitely much easier than the strange balancing act I was focused on before trying to throw in as much progress into an update as I could. That being said, I'm going to also try and open up more incentive for write ins, rather than including a bunch of options that are vague and I'd really have no idea what to write for, such as visiting Andre, the Shrine Handmaid or somebody else out of nowhere. If you'd like to go and see anyone not specified in the voting options, just provide a reason as to why to go with it. This isn't pressure to go and go and do that necessarily, just an explanation as to why some voting options are missing from before.
Also, Sayaka now has the Pyromancy Flame in one hand and the Dark Hand in the other, so that's fun.
After Hawkwood has satiated his need to grumble about your poor decision making, you stand up and give yourself a quick dusting.
"Heading somewhere?" Hawkwood asks, absentmindedly polishing his sword.
"I'm going to go and meet with that old guy we met back at the Settlement. I think he said his name was Cornyx?" You say, annoyedly trying to brush off the last bits of ash clinging to you. Not like it makes much of a difference, since you'll just be covered in the stuff again if you stay around here for more than a few minutes.
"Ah, him." Hawkwood says, his voice having a hint of distaste. "Look, I don't want you to get the wrong idea. I don't have anything personally against people from the Great Swamp-" He begins.
"But?" You finish, to which Hawkwood narrows his eyes in mild annoyance.
"But be careful around him. That's all."
"If you're so concerned, why not come with me?
"I have other matters to attend to." Hawkwood says as an excuse. You could easily push him on this, because he very clearly has nothing better to do besides sit around and mope, but you doubt it'd be worth starting a fight over, so you simply give a short nod and start your search for the old man.
You find Cornyx to the right of Andre, down a small flight of stairs, which means that you unfortunately have to deal with the noise of his hammering as a sort of metronome of background noise. The first thing you notice, however, is the smell. It's unmistakable the scent of raw meat, but it's overpowering, and quite frankly making you feel nauseous. It's like the smell of the meat section at the supermarket, but much more extreme. What it's doing here, though, you have no idea.
Your curiosity is answered when you find a literal pile of skinned dead goats, as well as several bird corpses, scattered around Cornyx.
"Ah, there you are, Unkindled One." He says, looking up at you with a smile, although you doubt he's able to see anything with his eyes covered entirely.
"What's... happening here?" You ask, gesturing around at the animal caracasses that he's just left lying around him.
"Apologies, I got a bit ahead of myself." He says with a laugh. "This old crow hasn't had a pupil in so long, and well, I wanted to make something special out of it."
"But neither of us agreed to become your student." You say softly. On the one hand, the man is clearly overjoyed about the idea of teaching somebody, and you don't want to crush his spirits. On the other, there's no way any of this is sanitary in the slightest. That said, it is rather impressive how he's not covered in the slightest bit of blood despite the apparent carnage he must have inflicted. Come to think of it, where did he even get these animals, and did nobody notice him slaughtering them?
"Ah, but I know that at least one of you was sure to be interested, and I just couldn't help myself." He says, although you can hear a sudden strain in his voice. He's forcing himself to remain positive, and is, very successfully, guilting you into agreeing.
"Well, I guess it couldn't hurt?" You eventually say, although the carnage around you leaves you nevertheless rather hesitant.
"Excellent! Oh, I'm very grateful for this, Unkindled One." He exclaims, his excitement almost palpable.
"So, is all of this... necessary for Pyromancy?" You reluctantly ask, eyeing the meat warily.
"Huh?" He seems surprised by this first question, before he seems to realize that you're referring to the scene of horror he left on display around him. "Oh, no, not by any means. As I said, I simply got ahead of myself, and..." He pauses, seemingly embarrassed. "Let's just call it a surprise for later, shall we?"
"Uh, alright, I guess?" You say, a bit weirded out. There's an awkward moment of silence, before you realize you should probably clear the air.
"So what is pyromancy exactly?" You ask. "I mean, I get that it's flinging fire around, but is that all it is?"
"Oh no, not by any means." Cornyx says. "The heart of pyromancy lies in the manipulation of chaos; of the essence of life itself."
"So where does the fire come in?"
"All life comes from the flame, yet that flame hungers to devour all it encounters." He opens the palm of his hand, and a small fire begins to burn, yet it remains safely upon it, not setting the man alight. "One must fear the flame as much as one cherishes it, lest they be consumed."
"Pyromancy comes much more naturally to people than something like sorcery or miracles, as it relies upon something common to us all: the fact that we are alive."
"So would I need something like a staff to use pyromancies like with sorcery?" You hope not. The idea of having to carry a bunch of different implements around would get annoying quickly.
"Just as pyromancies rely upon the flame of life within us, so too does the catalyst of their usage." He says. "May I see your hand?"
"What for?"
"Think of it as another surprise." Cornyx says with a smile.
Reluctantly, you offer your right hand to the old man, who seems to inspect it, although you can't be sure as, with that blindfold on, there's no way he should be able to see anything. After around a half minute he nods, seemingly satisfied, and then he sets your hand on fire.
Instinctively, you let out a scream of surprise, waving your hand around in a panic in hopes of putting the fire out. You soon realize, however, that the fire doesn't hurt, and it's not because your pain receptors have been shut off. The fire isn't spreading, merely remaining in your palm, as it did for Cornyx as he demonstrated earlier.
"Sayaka, are you alright?!" You hear Hawkwood shout, as he comes running up from whatever corner of the shrine he had been holed up in, likely to mope about something or other.
Panting as the panic starts to wear off, you nod. "I'm fine." You grumble, before turning to glare at a cackling Cornyx. "What the hell was that for?"
"I-I'm sorry," Cornyx manages to get out between wheezes. "I couldn't help it."
"What were you doing to her?" Hawkwood asks tersely, his eyes narrowed.
"I was just having a little fun." Cornyx explains, still lightly chuckling. "By the flame, existence has been so dreary lately that I'd hesitate to even call it life."
"So what, you just mess with young girls for amusement then?"
"Take a look at her hand." Cornyx retorts. A small grin remaining on his face despite the heavy tension in the air.
"What?" Hawkwood asks, still glaring at the man. When he finds no further response forthcoming, he does as he's asked, and notices the flame within your palm. He blinks a few times in surprise.
"I was gifting her a pyromancy flame of her own, but I suppose the surprise of holding a fire within one's own hand overwhelmed her sense."
"You never said that you were doing that!" You yell.
"Yes, and you reacted exactly as I'd hoped you would."
"What, as a source of entertainment?" You shoot back.
"No, with surprise and fear." Cornyx explains. "To find flame within one's grasp should invoke such feelings. As I said, one must be sure to fear the flame. If you had simply accepted it, I would have been concerned. If you had been excited, I would have refused to teach you any further."
"So you're saying this was a test?"
"Yes, although I won't deny that it was also quite amusing." Cornyx says, his face splitting into a wide grin..
Hawkwood stares silently at the old man, before he groans, and glares at Corynx.
"You had best not do anything else to screw with her, understood?"
"Very well. I've had my fill of fun, so no need to be worried." Cornyx says, matching Hawkwood's gaze. Eventually, Hawkwood seems satisfied, and turns to leave.
"Bloody swampmen." He grumbles as he walks away, likely to go back to his usual sulking.
Once Hawkwood is out of earshot, you turn back to Cornyx.
"Earlier, Hawkwood mentioned that people from some swamp or whatever were usually exiles or something, and was warning me to be careful."
Cornyx lets out a wry chuckle. "Truthfully, your friend isn't completely wrong."
"It still feels wrong to just pre-judge people before they've done anything though."
"That is true, but beliefs such as that are usually built on half-truths and assumptions. You see, many of those who leave the Great Swamp are, as he says, the exiles; the dregs of our home that have either broken law or tradition and have been forsaken because of it." Cornyx explains. "However, just as many are those that have themselves forsaken their birthplace to seek out the wider world. It is understandable to have some reservations, and his are much more mild than what I've become accustomed to over my years of life."
"Worse than that?" So what... Then the realization that just because you're in a seeming fictional world does not mean something as common to mankind as racism would simply up and vanish into thin air. It isn't exactly a topic that you have much familiarity with. The closest thing you have to personal experience is that one half-Brazilian family who tried to move into the same apartment building as your family, only to be rejected, although it was only later that you learned the exact reason as to why.""Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean..."
"You're a kind girl, and I thank you for that." Cornyx says. "But in your friend's case, I suppose I am the one who has the last laugh. After all, our homes now have much in common."
"What do you mean by that?"
Cornyx simply smiles. "I can recognize a member of the Farron Legion easily enough. As for the similarities, well, if you're unaware, then I'll leave it as a surprise for you both."
"What's with you and surprises?" You ask.
"It's fun to keep people guessing." He says. "Now, before we get started, I should clarify now that, if you wish for me to teach you any advanced pyromancies, I will require pyromancy tomes. I doubt that you have the desire to learn pyromancies the hard way, after all."
"So is there anything that you can teach me now?" You ask.
"We can go over the most basic of pyromancies. For now, how about the most simple: the classic fireball." He smiles. "It's exactly what it sounds like, a ball of fire. There's no real trick to this one. Simply conjure the flames within your hand and toss them at your target."
You look at your now burning right hand, and focus. It takes some effort, as you aren't sure what you should be focusing on exactly, but after some trial and error you're able to get the flames within your palm to begin to ignite that much fiercer.
"Excellent work!" Cornyx says, a bit of surprise in his voice. "Now, focus on keeping the fires burning, and let them loose!"
You do as he says, and with a flick of your wrist, a glob of fire is sent tossing into one of the nearby puddles of water, quickly sizzling out on impact. It's... rather lackluster, truth be told, but seeing as it was your first real attempt, that isn't too surprising.
"Hm..." Cornyx seems to be thinking as he stares at your performance. "It was a good first attempt, but you need some practice. Here, let me show you how it's done." He lifts his palm, and the fire in his hand bursts into roaring life, and with a quick motion a ball of fire goes flying into a nearby puddle, throwing up a huge burst of steam into the air.
As you stare, silently impressed, he chuckles. "Now, let's have you try again, shall we?"
Flame catalyst passed down from master to student since antiquity. Allows for one to harness the power of fire through the art of Pyromancy.
The chaos flame is now little more than smoldering embers, much like its parent. Nonetheless, its influence upon the world is still felt, as dim as it may be.
"This shall be a gift from my people to yours, for the old arts are dead, and now any who wish may learn to harness the flame."
Skill: Combustion
Creates a powerful flame in the wielder's hand. One of the most basic pyromancies, and for this very reason, the flame created is fierce. Works while equipped in either hand.
The chaos flame is now little more than smoldering embers, much like its parent. Nonetheless, its influence upon the world is still felt, as dim as it may be.
"This shall be a gift from my people to yours, for the old arts are dead, and now any who wish may learn to harness the flame."
Skill: Combustion
Creates a powerful flame in the wielder's hand. One of the most basic pyromancies, and for this very reason, the flame created is fierce. Works while equipped in either hand.
Elementary pyromancy that is often the first learned. Hurls a fireball.
Pyromancies originated from flame sorceries, and were seen by some as a bastardized form of the art. Yet it was that very bastardization that saw it supplant the original.
Pyromancies originated from flame sorceries, and were seen by some as a bastardized form of the art. Yet it was that very bastardization that saw it supplant the original.
After your lesson, you decide to...
[] Head out to the Road of Sacrifices. Time to get this show on the road. Heh, get it? Road...
[] Meet with the Shrine denizens: (Select one.)
-[] Check up with Greirat. The last time you saw him, he seemed... out of it, to say the least.
-[] See how Irina is doing in her little corner of the shrine.
-[] Write in
[] Demon. Fight. Do it. What could go wrong?
So much for shorter updates. That said, focusing on singular scenes at a time is definitely much easier than the strange balancing act I was focused on before trying to throw in as much progress into an update as I could. That being said, I'm going to also try and open up more incentive for write ins, rather than including a bunch of options that are vague and I'd really have no idea what to write for, such as visiting Andre, the Shrine Handmaid or somebody else out of nowhere. If you'd like to go and see anyone not specified in the voting options, just provide a reason as to why to go with it. This isn't pressure to go and go and do that necessarily, just an explanation as to why some voting options are missing from before.
Also, Sayaka now has the Pyromancy Flame in one hand and the Dark Hand in the other, so that's fun.