Heimurn Chronicles (No, SV, you're a young valkyrie in the middle of a bizarre and dangerous journey)

Teloch · Aug 16, 2017

your team of lunatics so far

Lucifina (aka you, aka Lu, aka Lucy, aka Sparkling, aka Gosling)

Race: the new nameless humanoid species
Gender: Female
Age: biological - around 21 in human years; actual(?) - almost half a year (?).
Background: protege of a natural science scholar, unknown origins
Status: Healthy

Perk(s):
"Follow the white cat" - you have a moody guiding spirit at your side who can boost your spirit aspect advancement should you get on its better side (+1 spirit arcane charge point after passing hard charisma attribute check (18)), expect its occasional interference.

"No one is an island" - you get 1 + n bonus to all social influence skills and CHA rolls when applied to teammates, where n is the number of steps of the target's affection tier beyond neutral (applies to both positive and negative affection dimensions). Additionally, get +3 to the mentioned bonuses if Amalia is around and can provide quick advice. Passive effect: unearth more insights on followers.

"It's in my blood" - you get a permanent +1 bonus to Intelligence and +1 to arcane skill. Actions that train arcane aspects have a 1/6 chance to double the yields unless the base earning equals or exceeds one full level. You are more prone to magic-related actions and thoughts. You might find it harder to resist the allure of magic in some situations.

Attributes	Base value	Modified value	Total value	Dice bonus
Strength	9		9	4
Constitution	16		16	11
Mobility	10	(+2 cond.)	10 (12 cond.)	5 (7 cond.)
Perception	11		11	6
Coordination	14		14	9
Micromotorics	13		13	8
Intellect	18(+1/3)		18	13
Wisdom	17		17	12
Charisma	20		20	15
Luck	4		4	4
Misfortune	2		2	2

Skill	Attribute value	Learned value	Modified value	Dice bonus
Melee combat	1	4		5
Ranged combat	2			2
Arcane skill	7	7	(+1 cnd.day)	14 (15 cnd.day)
Defense	3	4	1 (+2 cnd.w.)	8 (10 cnd.w.)
Objects usage	2			2
Mounted combat	3			3
Willpower	7	1		8
Balance	2		(+2 cnd.w.)	2 (4 cnd.w.)
Sneaking	3			3
Reconnaissance	5	1		6
Persuasion	10	2		12
Intimidation	6			6
Haggle	7			7
Performance	8			8
Seduction	8			8
Geography lore	7	2		9
Nature lore	7	1		8
Arcane lore	7	5		12
Social and cultural lore	9	2		11
Craft lore	7	2		9
Lingual lore	9			9
Daily craft	6	2		8
Pharma and treatment	7	3		10
Weaponsmithing	4			4
Armorsmithing	6			6
Tailoring	7	2		9
Art	7			7
Artificery	6	1		7
Burglary	5			5
Huntsmanship	4			4
Alchemy	7			7
Sorcery	7			7

Flight and wing-related traits

Wings skill level	13
Flight mastery level	advanced
Normal speed	above average, can forcefully accelerate to considerably fast
Maximum range	considerably far, anywhere up to twenty-eight kilometers.
Maximum height	considerably high (up to 250 meters)
Maximum extra lifting weight	low (10 kg)
Balance	above average, withstands weather and can try to regain without landing
Launching surfaces	solid grounds
Air feats	diving, gliding, hovering, thrusting, basic aerial spellcasting
Land feats	dodge extra propulsion, posing, enhanced balance, enhanced surface acceleration, shielding with wings

#1) Thaumaturgy level 7 (6/7 to level 8):

You can sense the activity of the entropic aspects within ~1000 meters radius, and unusual concentration/malfunction of other aspects within ~200 meters radius.
You have gained the permanent +1 bonus to constitution
You have gained the permanent +1 bonus to wisdom
You regain mental strengths a little bit faster during the daytime.
Using thaumaturgy during the daytime requires less mental and physical effort.,
You can allegedly see prophetic dreams
You can temporarily nullify magic in ~30 meters radius or in a 45 meters-long 30' cone a few times a day, or emit an anti-magic field up to ~15 meters radius a few times a day.
you can temporarily amplify the aspects power around you once a day
you can temporarily amplify or suppress the aspects power of a target up to two times a day
You can try to scan surrounding areas for traces of planar breaching with very high odds to succeed and sense the short residue of extraplanar entities.
You can conjure light on the basic level (sparks, flashes, rays)
You can shape light on the basic level (flash explosions, molding into orbs, luminal barriers, luminal domes, wedges of solidified light, sparks strike)
You passively gain +1 to arcane skill when exposed to the sun but also get -1 to arcane skill at night AND in dark places.

#2) Spirit level 7:

You are able of an advanced Nether-realm vision
You can assess the memory traces of objects and entities via nether-realm vision and tactile contact
You can sense soul sparks in ~75 meters radius
You can sense the sparks of the living, undead, minor spiritual beings, bound spirits, phantasms, genius loci, and some other spirits
You can sense concentrations of the Limbus energies, the thickness of the barrier, and traces of spirits from the material plane
You have gained the permanent +1 bonus to perception
You have gained the permanent +1 bonus to wisdom
You can scan the target's soul characteristics and receive advanced-depth results
You can try to smite a spirit
You can try to disperse a spirit
You can try to temporarily bind or scare off a singular lesser spiritual being
You can communicate with discovered spiritual beings

#3) ~Open affinity slot~

Your journal, a comfortable set of clothes, a plain dress, a custom-made set of lightened composite armor, an arming sword ("Holly"), a high-quality rondel ("Mercy"), a decorative blue ribbon, a silver necktie with a bounded spirit, superb leather harness.

Capable of crudely repairing clothes, making basic tailoring items like belts and patches, and producing low-effort/cost items like stuffed toys. Capable of applying first aid to prevent bleeding. Knows how to make and disinfect bandageware.

Ulren Kyres (aka Ren, aka Mountain boy)

Race: Bhiroth
Gender: Male
Age: 68
Background: mercenary, former soldier, outcast
Status: Healthy

Perk(s):
"Not on my watch, not again" - shields Lucy from considerable harm in combat situations at own expense.

"I promise you that" - when in the same group as Lucifina, will make the second set of saving rolls to avoid critical health conditions.

"Odd kind of friendship" - when Ulren and Sephorah are fighting crowd-controllable enemies (not giants, flying creatures, etc.) in the same team, the one who makes the lowest total offensive or defensive score out of two can reroll that offensive or defensive roll set (only the highest score counts).

Attributes	Base value	Modified value	Total value	Dice bonus
Strength	21	+1	22	17
Constitution	21	+1	22	17
Mobility	14	-1	13	8
Perception	12		12	7
Coordination	15		15	10
Micromotorics	13		13	8
Intellect	14		14	9
Wisdom	18		18	13
Charisma	9		9	4
Luck	2		2	2
Misfortune	2		2	2

Skill	Attribute value	Learned value	Modified value	Total value / Dice bonus
Melee combat	9	9		18
Ranged combat	5	5		10
Arcane skill	6			6
Defense	10	10		20
Objects usage	6	3		9
Mounted combat	8			8
Willpower	6		-3	3
Balance	7			7
Sneaking	4		-5	-1
Reconnaissance	5	4		9
Persuasion	4			4
Intimidation	9			9
Haggle	3			3
Performance	3			3
Seduction	5			5
Geography lore	6	5		11
Nature lore	6	3		9
Arcane lore	6			6
Social and cultural lore	5			5
Craft lore	6	6		12
Lingual lore	5			5
Daily craft	6	4		10
Pharma and treatment	5	2		7
Weaponsmithing	6	6		12
Armorsmithing	6	6		12
Tailoring	3			3
Art	4			4
Artificery	5	7		12
Burglary	4			4
Huntsmanship	5	2		7
Alchemy	6			6
Sorcery	6			6

Unknown, but he demonstrated feats of great balance, stability, and hardiness. Perhaps, he might have an undiscovered arcane aspect bound.

A very worn half-plate armor set, worn set of clothes, a glaive, mechanical mace with spare heads, heater shield, hand crossbow, one quiver of bolts, enchanted amulet (+1 STR +1 CON - MOB)

Semi-proficient in the daily craft. Adept in smithing (martial-level weapons and armor). Proficient in artificiery (lesser contraptions). Expert in picking/maintaining war gear, and capable of minor mechanical upgrades of such. Knows the basics of hunting and skinning.

Sephorah of house Terphor (aka Seph, aka Sephie, aka Princess)

Race: Daeva
Gender: Female
Age: Adult
Background: Rosaline's agent, former slave, voluntary expatriate.
Status: Healthy

Perk(s):

"Odd kind of friendship" - when Ulren and Sephorah are fighting crowd-controllable enemies (not giants, flying creatures, etc.) in the same team, the one who makes the lowest total offensive or defensive score out of two can reroll that offensive or defensive roll set (only the highest score counts).

Attributes	Base value	Modified value	Total value	Dice bonus
Strength	15		15	10
Constitution	15		15	10
Mobility	16		16	11
Perception	14		14	9
Coordination	18		18	13
Micromotorics	12		12	7
Intellect	14		14	9
Wisdom	12		12	7
Charisma	18		18	13
Luck	2		2	2
Misfortune	2		2	2

Skill	Attribute value	Learned value	Modified value	Total value / Dice bonus
Melee combat	7	6	1	14
Ranged combat	4			4
Arcane skill	4			4
Defense	6	5	2	13
Objects usage	4	5		9
Mounted combat	7			7
Willpower	4			4
Balance	8	8		16
Sneaking	7	8		15
Reconnaissance	4	4		8
Persuasion	6	5		11
Intimidation	7			7
Haggle	6	2		8
Performance	6	7		13
Seduction	8	7		15
Geography lore	4			4
Nature lore	4			4
Arcane lore	4			4
Social and cultural lore	5	6		11
Craft lore	3			3
Lingual lore	5			5
Daily craft	3	2		5
Pharma and treatment	4			4
Weaponsmithing	4			4
Armorsmithing	4			4
Tailoring	5			5
Art	5			5
Artificery	3			3
Burglary	4	6		10
Huntsmanship	6			6
Alchemy	4			4
Sorcery	4			4

Unknown if any. No signs of her having seeds of arcane aspects bound so far.

A set of clothes and undergarments, a superb set of compositive medium armor (manticore materials), a superb leather harness for bags and tools, a qualitative longsword "Ember", a parrying dagger, a quiver of tossing knives, a kit with burglar's tools.

You suspect she's incapable of legal manual labor aside from the bare basics of daily routines.

Karl Norskov (aka Mage, aka 'that' mage)

Race: Human (unknown heritage)
Gender: Male
Age: appears to be in the late thirties to early forties
Background: elementalist mage, major arcane enthusiast, disowned son of a noble family.
Status: Healthy

Perk(s):

"Old habits die hard" - when making an offensive arcane skill roll in combat and getting less or equal to four, reroll it (only the highest score counts). This perk also applies to combat rounds where Karl makes an arcane skill roll only for the defensive score.

Attributes	Base value	Modified value	Total value	Dice bonus
Strength	11		11	6
Constitution	11		11	6
Mobility	11		11	6
Perception	13		13	8
Coordination	10		10	5
Micromotorics	16		16	11
Intellect	20		20	15
Wisdom	16		16	11
Charisma	14		14	9
Luck	2		2	2
Misfortune	2		2	2

Skill	Attribute value	Learned value	Modified value	Total value / Dice bonus
Melee combat	1			1
Ranged combat	4			4
Arcane skill	8	9		17
Defense	1	2		3
Objects usage	5	5		10
Mounted combat	2			2
Willpower	7	6	-2	11
Balance	1			1
Sneaking	2			2
Reconnaissance	6			6
Persuation	7			7
Intimidation	2			2
Haggle	5	1		6
Performance	6			6
Seduction	3			3
Geography lore	7			7
Nature lore	7			7
Arcane lore	7	9		16
Social and cultural lore	8	5		13
Craft lore	8			8
Lingual lore	8	7		15
Daily craft	8			8
Pharma and treatment	9			9
Weaponsmithing	7			7
Armorsmithing	7			7
Tailorng	8			8
Art	6			6
Artificery	8			8
Burglary	7			7
Huntsmanship	3			3
Alchemy	9			9
Sorcery	8	3		11

#1) Conflagration and radiation level 7:

You have gained the permanent +1 bonus to strength.
You have gained the permanent +1 bonus to intellect.
Your casting in dry weather or nearby fire sources amplifies pyromancy.
You can regain mental strengths faster near the heat sources.
You can sense and read the heat sources in a vast area.
You can channel the arcane powers to temporarily amplify own physical strength.
Your spellcasting uses both mental and physical strengths or the varying proportions of such.
You can temporarily infuse objects (including tools and weapons) with pyromancy powers.
You can conjure heat on the intermediate level (sufficient to melt iron)
You can suppress and channel heat on the intermediate level (rays, waves, charges, orbs, tactile)
You passively gain +1 to arcane skill for every 3 points of STR above 10. This trait also applies -1 penalty to arcane skill for every 2 points of STR below 10. Does not apply in the case of arcane self-empowerment.

A worn set of travel clothes, a backpack, a grimoire (or a diary), an old pocket chornometer with a chain, an intricate smoking pipe

None you know about

Amalia Brant (aka Lia)

Race: Human (Eastlander)
Gender: Female
Age: Young adult
Background: Former maidservant
Status: Healthy

Perk(s):
"Shipper on deck" - +3 To all social skill rolls against the companions with positive affection levels (neutrality affection level excluded). If previously gossiped with about other characters that she knows, can provide a one-time boost of +3 to all types of social interaction skill rolls to the requester.

Attributes	Base value	Modified value	Total value	Dice bonus
Strength	12		12	7
Constitution	15		15	10
Mobility	11		11	6
Perception	16		16	11
Coordination	12		12	7
Micromotorics	18		18	13
Intellect	12		12	7
Wisdom	20		20	15
Charisma	11		11	6
Luck	2		2	2
Misfortune	2		2	2

Skill	Attribute value	Learned value	Modified value	Total value / Dice bonus
Melee combat	2			2
Ranged combat	7	3		10
Arcane skill	5			5
Defense	4	1		5
Objects usage	7	3		10
Mounted combat	4			4
Willpower	8	3		11
Balance	2			2
Sneaking	4			4
Reconnaissance	7			7
Persuasion	5			5
Intimidation	4			4
Haggle	5	4		9
Performance	6			6
Seduction	3			3
Geography lore	8	2		10
Nature lore	8			8
Arcane lore	8			8
Social and cultural lore	6	2		8
Craft lore	8	3		11
Lingual lore	6			6
Daily craft	8	10		18
Pharma and treatment	7			7
Weaponsmithing	6			6
Armorsmithing	6			6
Tailoring	5	9		14
Art	7	3		10
Artificery	8			8
Burglary	7			7
Huntsmanship	7			7
Alchemy	7			7
Sorcery	6			6

Uknown if any

Leather camisole of fair quality, compositive crossbow, a quiver of bolts, a bag of small tools, a rucksack, a set of road clothes, a plain cloak, a knife, a belt water bag.

Master of daily craft and inventory management. Fairly good cook (specializes in fried snacks) and knows how to correctly ration different foods. Good tailor, capable of qualitative repair of clothes and production of professional effort/materials goods like suits and dresses. Her designs lean towards practicality rather than fanciness.

Isaac

Race: Human (unknown heritage)
Gender: Male
Age: Young adult
Background: Healer apprentice
Status: Healthy

Perk(s):
"We are of one blood" - Any non-hostile actions towards animals or beast folk have +4 bonus to attributes or skill rolls. Can use WIS instead of CHA for interactions with animals and beast folk (aka empathetic approach).

Attributes	Base value	Modified value	Total value	Dice bonus
Strength	13		13	8
Constitution	15		15	10
Mobility	12		12	7
Perception	14		14	9
Coordination	10		10	5
Micromotorics	17		17	12
Intellect	15		15	10
Wisdom	14		14	9
Charisma	7		7	2
Luck	2		2	2
Misfortune	2		2	2

Skill	Attribute value	Learned value	Modified value	Total value / Dice bonus
Melee combat	2		-5	-3
Ranged combat	5		-5	0
Arcane skill	6	6		12
Defense	4	1		5
Objects usage	6		-5	1
Mounted combat	3		-7	-4
Willpower	5	7		12
Balance	2			2
Sneaking	2			2
Reconnaissance	5			5
Persuasion	1			1
Intimidation	3			3
Haggle	1			1
Performance	2			2
Seduction	1			1
Geography lore	5			5
Nature lore	5	2		7
Arcane lore	5	5		10
Social and cultural lore	3			3
Craft lore	6			6
Lingual lore	3			3
Daily craft	6	3		9
Pharma and treatment	6	7		13
Weaponsmithing	6			6
Armorsmithing	7			7
Tailoring	5			5
Art	4			4
Artificery	7			7
Burglary	7			7
Huntsmanship	3			3
Alchemy	6			6
Sorcery	5			5

#1) Body level 5:

You can sense breathing and blood pulse of living entities in ~100 meters radius.
You gain the permanent +1 bonus to constitution.
You gain the permanent +1 bonus to charisma
You can scan the detailed physiological state of a target in many details including sicknesses, inflammations, as well as the state of physical integrity.
You can make an attempt for a minuscule boost of the physical performance of oneself or a target at the cost of own mental strengths.
You can accelerate the metabolism (and so, often times, the recovery from ailments or traumas) of living creatures at the cost of own mental and physical strengths.
You can try to numb the minor pain of a target living creature at the cost of both mental and physical strengths or share it with yourself with the low transference loss ratio

A robe with a hood, a bag with bandages and medications, an old iron amulet, a belt with tincures

Good at applying and synthesizing remedies. Capable of providing first and complex medical aid. Has some skills in inventory management.

Jorgen Ostgard (aka Jory, aka Craven)

Race: Human (Lyflander?)
Gender: Male
Age: Young adult
Background: Alchemist assistant
Status: Healthy


Attributes	Base value	Modified value	Total value	Dice bonus
Strength	11		11	6
Constitution	11		11	6
Mobility	12		12	7
Perception	18		18	13
Coordination	12		12	7
Micromotorics	15		15	10
Intellect	16		16	11
Wisdom	13		13	8
Charisma	9		9	4
Luck	2		2	2
Misfortune	2		2	2

Skill	Attribute value	Learned value	Modified value	Total value / Dice bonus
Melee combat	2			2
Ranged combat	6	1		7
Arcane skill	5			5
Defense	2			2
Objects usage	6	4		10
Mounted combat	3			3
Willpower	6			6
Balance	2			2
Sneaking	5	4		9
Reconnaissance	7	5		12
Persuation	2			2
Intimidation	1			1
Haggle	3			3
Performance	2			2
Seduction	1			1
Geography lore	6			6
Nature lore	6	4		10
Arcane lore	6	3		9
Social and cultural lore	4			4
Craft lore	5	6		11
Lingual lore	4			4
Daily craft	5	3		8
Pharma and treatment	6			6
Weaponsmithing	5			5
Armorsmithing	5			5
Tailoring	5			5
Art	3			3
Artificery	6			6
Burglary	7			7
Huntsmanship	6			6
Alchemy	6	6		12
Sorcery	6			6

Unknown if any

A robe with a hood, a traveling cane, a bag with small instruments, a belt with glasses, a rucksack

Good at synthesizing remedies or other compounds from both organic and inorganic ingredients. Fairly good at understanding how chemistry works and has an eye for experimentation. Capable of locating and recognizing substances. Has basic skills in inventory management and knows a thing or two about craftworks.

General condition: High morale, everyone's healthy, two weeks worth of food supplies, sufficiently-budgeted, low on alchemic reagents.
Money: 1081 Talers
Food: 82 food units (9 full days of sustenance on Bloom 28)
Food consumption: 8.5 food units per day

Lucifina - 1
Ulren - 2
Sephorah - 1.5
Karl - 1
Amalia - 1
Isaac -1
Jory - 1
Mount(s) - n/a (pasturing season)

Medication: 5 medicine units
Alchemy stash: 4 reagent units, 5 blank alchemical basis compounds (crafting boosters & subsidizes)

Free stash space: up to 130 kg

1 Incindiary bomb (great)
1 Regeneration potion (superb)
1 Regeneration potion (weak)
1 Stimulator/painkiller potion (weak)
1 Potion of momentum (Temp: +3 STR +3 SPD +3 COOR - 1 INT - 1 WIS - 1 CHA) (standard)

A bundle of books from Dalgaard's library, Yvie's ulchaar (Morinth's parcel)

Mounts: 1 workhorse (Softie)
Team's reputation:
Kheree hunters (Tevon-Talab militia) - CELEBRATED
The Lyf Kingdom (Lyflanders) - WELCOMED
Eastern Freelanders (Baathorians) - CELEBRATED
Central Freelanders (Tevons) - UNKNOWN
Western Freelanders (Ertanghalians) - UNKNOWN
Nyth-Rhathon (Bhiroths) - UNKNOWN?
Olfadir (Westlanders) - UNKNOWN?

Ship-o-meter

Lucifina

Ulren

Sephorah

Karl

Amalia

Isaac

Jorgen

Lucifina

X

Devotion (96)

Comradery (82)

Amiability (12)

Friendship (70)

Sympathy (44)

Neutrality (10)

Ulren

Devotion (96)

X

Friendship (58)

Amiability (13)

Sympathy (38)

Amiability (20)

Neutrality (4)

Sephorah

Comradery (82)

Friendship (58)

X

Suspicion (-11)

Sympathy (34)

Amiability (16)

Neutrality (0)

Karl

Amiability (12)

Amiability (13)

Suspicion (-11)

X

Neutrality (9)

Amiability (13)

Amiability (14)

Amalia

Friendship (70)

Sympathy (38)

Sympathy (34)

Neutrality (9)

X

Sympathy (47)

Sympathy (32)

Isaac

Sympathy (44)

Amiability (20)

Amiability (16)

Amiability (13)

Sympathy (47)

X

Friendship (51)

Jorgen

Neutrality (10)

Neutrality (4)

Neutrality (0)

Amiability (14)

Sympathy (32)

Friendship (51)

X

Tier	Relative numeric scale	Description
Devotion	91 to 100	You would likely self-sacrifice for each other if necessary
Comradery	71 to 90	You are deeply loyal to each other
Friendship	51 to 70	You have each other's trust
Sympathy	31 to 50	You have common interests, views, or simply find each other nice
Amiability	11 to 30	You are polite and good-willing toward each other
Neutrality	-10 to 10	You are strangers or largely indifferent towards each other
Suspicion	-11 to -30	You question each other's views and values
Distaste	-31 to -50	You avoid and distrust each other, but remain rational
Intolerance	-51 to -70	You dislike and disrespect each other
Scorn	-71 to -90	You avert and loathe each other, even if irrationally
Hatred	-91 to -100	You are at each other's throats

Teloch · Mar 24, 2020

Okay, 'ere we go.

Verdict: oh wow. She actually pulled it off. SHE GON TRANQ HIM! Gently

lots of thematic artwork flooding the internet due to the release of the new Doom game iteration. And thus, your poor QM stumbled at... this

It oddly reminds me of the first chapter of this quest, somehow...

Varder · Mar 24, 2020

By the skin of her teeth, but she succeeded. Go Lucy.

Also, heed @Teloch 's warnings. I didn't and I regret it so much.

Teloch · Mar 31, 2020

Anger. Anger was the first sensation that erupted from within you when your nerve got struck. And it indeed was: not only you were forced to flee what essentially became your home, not only you had to endure encounters both violent and confusing, not only you risked to lose those few who are the closest you have for a family, but this knave was now also blaming it all on you. For a moment, you wished to give as much substance to his groundless fears of you as possible, to force him to eat his words, and then, to toss him back into the unveiling nightmare which you barely survived the previous night. But as searing as your spark of rage was, it didn't last long. After a forced deep breath, you closed your eyes and attempted to assess the situation rationally. Yes - the lad was raving at the moment, and no - the last thing you wanted to do was to give any proof to his accusations via your conduct. But, what was the most important, you had to be nimble in executing your rebuke as just a few meters to your right, Amalia's redded face indicated her fierce rebuke of the fool growing dangerously imminent.

You had to think quick and hard, which wasn't exactly easy due to your inexperience of picking the right words in such peculiar situations, the need to pack your answer into a shell that would pierce through his currently obscured perceptions. But the worst part was the deficit of time to think of such a reply until dealing with Jory would become someone else's problem. And so, by the time Amalia hissed "You..." with a voice most unsettling and prepared to launch the barrage of adjectives which she would otherwise blushingly admit knowing of, you stood up and dramatically flapped your wings, half-unfolding them for the visual menace's sake.

"Do pardon me, Lia, but bear witness that I tried not to aggravate this problem in hopes that it would pass. Admittedly, I was naїve, and have little choice but to rectify it." Maybe, no one simply expected you to display initiative (in as such brazen way), or, perhaps, it was just because of the way you kicked off this interception that glued everyone's eyes on you; one wild-eyed stare, one mildly anticipating, and the rest either dumbfounded or curious.

"You do what, now?!" Jory nearly shrieked, leaning backward under the creeping sense of danger, "Leave me be, you..."

"I'm afraid it's impossible - not after your outburst made a dent on this group's already damaged morale and certainly not after you made it my problem." Even though a part of you still wanted to snap back at him, you refrained from doing so, landing your words in a calm yet confident manner, simultaneously conjuring a trio of circling light orbs and having per one under your still-aching palms, "after this night, this issue will resurface no more."

As you were slowly but unavoidably closing the distance with Jory, it was at this moment that he knew he copped it. With a half-wail and half-whine, he jumped up from his bum and attempted to run away from the campsite. This dramatic attempt of his was, however, stopped by the inner surface of the radiant barrier that you conjured. "Now, please, after so much effort of getting heard, you would not leave us without any mention of me acting against our best interests or safety, wouldn't you?" you maintained the quiet - even somewhat gentle voice while closing more with the lad and preventing him from outflanking the barrier. With some little effort of barrier-shifting, you made him back away from you towards the camp's center and his lying rucksack in particular.

"Everything was fine until you appeared! It all started with you!" he cried out half-sobbingly while continuing his futile attempts to make some distance from you.

"Oh? Hammering the consequences to fit into the particular causes, aren't we?" you replied, adamantly maintaining your voice tone and slowly approaching the poor sod. "But, following your logic, is it possible that a part of the reason the group went back to break you free from the bandits was that I urged not to leave you behind? Or a part the fact we are all sitting here tonight, tired, unnerved, but still alive and in full headcount might have something to do with me not abandoning everyone and flying away when the circumstances became risky?"

You could've continued, but it was unnecessary: the lad was rendered unable to find any counter argumentation. Well, he wasn't particularly able to do anything at that point as you had him standing in the light circle of the campfire, shaking, teary-eyed, facing his fear (you) standing at a stretched arm's distance, and confined to whatever you reserved for him. You had him exactly where you wanted, feeling the wholesomeness of his focus on what you have to say or do next. Perhaps, the lad's only saving grace was the fact he had his back turned towards others, so they could not eye-witness his miserable state.

With everything set for a metaphorical takedown, you held a theatrical pause, staring Jory in the eyes with the most confident look as you could muster. As a side note, it wasn't particularly easy to maintain such a fleur of seriousness since, below this shell, you struggled not to laugh from the inner monologue, during which you were mocking Jory's possible inner voice detailing how scary your wings, your manners, and you are in general.
But before this suspense lasted for too long... you sighed, blinked tiredly, and stretched your hand to fix his messy forelock. This sudden change of dynamics chiseled a weak shiver and a whimper from the lad.

"You may be many bad things, Jory," you changed your voice, shifting it to more gentle - almost motherly - tone, "but being a moron isn't one of them." You saw his posture shaking as if his knees were about to completely mellow, so you shift your hands to his collar, guiding him to sit on top of his backpack. "You know that what you said tonight has little - if anything - to do with the real state of matters." Having him utterly surrendered to your initiative, you sat on one's haunches against him, subsequently folding your wings and dispelling the arcane effects as they were no longer needed to guarantee his attention.

"And I am not even bringing up the argument that those people behind your back are all I have for a family, meaning that jeopardizing them can't be any further from my interests. No: the reason we have this talk is that your habit of initiating blame games and seeking any explanation behind the lack of control over circumstances is what appears to be your ingrained reaction to challenges." Just as you predicted, he provided with no answer except for a fish-eyed stare.

"It is much easier to blame something or someone you fear or not comprehend for situations you end up against your wishes than to adjust oneself in response to the said situations. This way, you trick oneself into believing having at least a symbolic say in what's going on while simultaneously being able to do nothing in terms of resolution. This way, you cling to where you used to be, are you not?" You could see in his puppy eyes that, even if not entirely precise, you weren't far away from the truth.

"If it would make you at ease, do know that at least half of us, including myself, had little if any say in where we winded up. Yet, we all accepted the changes and assumed our stances against them. And this is the main reason why you find it hard to find peace in our company." You sighed and briefly combed the campsite with your sight before refocusing on cathartic Jory. From the looks of it, you managed to both pacify (or maybe neutralize) him and to deliver your message without actually breaking him into a marginal state of mind. "With this squabble out of the way, I think we are inclined to wait for you coming to terms with the reality and oneself for a bit wee longer." You smiled faintly, "You would not give all the past and current doubters of yours the luxury of being right on your account, no?" With these words and a small head pat, you finally ceased your onslaught, leaving the lad to the consequences of his redirected inner turmoil and walking past him.

Expectedly, the rest of your group observed the educational process with unhidden interest. Isaac was visually relieved, Karl faintly amused, Amalia awestruck, Sephorah grinning awkwardly and slowly giving you two little thumbs-ups, and Ren appearing mildly entertained. Only your party's horse seemed to be unphased by the evening's doings of your two-legged bunch.

"Sorry for causing a scene, everyone," you shrugged apologetically before turning around to reassure oneself of Jory's enduring tranquilization and then heading back to your "nesting" spot. The awkward silence accompanied your thread. It held for a few moments longer.

"We are due to arrive Tevon-Talab by tomorrow's evening or night." Whatever little amusement your performance brought, Ulren regained his grumpy tone unexpectedly fast. It appeared like he was getting grumpier each passing second.

"To the relief of most of you, we won't be seeking out the Tchonun contacts," he sighed while everyone hushed down, "in our current state, no reward would be worth risking our lives for. We are understaffed and exhausted, which is what we will have to address as soon as we reach the town. If we have any hope of moving further westwards, we will have to get additional manpower and gear up properly, as there won't be any realistic opportunity to resupply until we reach Volgoth, which is as far from Tevon-Talab as Baator. And, it is only in the case if the hostilities between Baathorians and Ertanghalians won't flare-up before we even approach the western part of the right shore. That saying, there is a chance we will have to plan to cross Tzuh-Aran and seek a boat on the left shore, or if things get way too sour, to conduct a single throw from Tevon-Talab to Oinur-Nyr."

In noticeable contrast to the tone of Ren's instructions, at least half of the party failed to hide the signs of their relief. It was especially evident from Sephorah's face, which hasn't seen as much hope since you broke away from the cursed glade. The newly-regained light in her eyes made it feel like she just considered her lease on life renewed.

"But before you cheer, do know that everything has consequences. The Tchonun's hunting party may or may not know that we are their reinforcements, meaning we will have to keep the low profile. And if they, by some chance, find out that we essentially conned them and their war chief... I'd just say that mercy isn't among Turanians' virtues." You noticed that Ren nearly spat out the word "conned" in addition to the overall effort of taking and voicing this decision. You could understand the rationale of prioritizing the well-being of the group. Still, it did not elude you that your companion felt almost physically uncomfortable about breaking the promise given to Aela. It somewhat reminded you of that long-gone night in a Beilford's abandoned chapel. You tried to remember this observation diligently, storing it for the next opportunity to talk with Ren without redundant ears around.

No one seemed to have anything to add or ask Ulren out regarding the news - not vocally, at least. Thus, the night in the camp returned to its mundane furrow. Using this fleeting trend of (almost) everyone's morale stabilization, you decided to catch a chance to have an extra bit of conversation with a target you picked quite a while ago.

"Hey, how are you doing?" you sat nearby Isaac, speaking in a soft voice. He was resting nearby Softie, farthest away from the campfire compared to the rest of your teammates, so the light barely reached him. From his facial reaction, it appeared that you took him by surprise, and, after a faint awkward grin, he gestured you to conjure something.

With a quick wit, you figured out that he was asking you to produce a source of light, and so you channeled him a tiny orb glowing as brightly as two or three candles. After this, he took out that wooden plate from his belt and a coal piece from his pocket, starting scribbling the message.

Worrisome, tired, but mostly wary.
Except that - I'm fine.

"I think we all had a good scare yesterday. Doubt that there is much of a chance for a sound night sleep today due to the recurring shivers. Yet, thinking of it, I'm just happy that, with everyone's effort, we all made it out."

He only weakly shrugged in a reply. Not entirely sure what you were trying to make out of it.

"Are you feeling alright after Softie's fall on you?"

The lad wiped out the previous message to write the new one.

Yes. I think he did not want to hurt me much, after all.

With one hand displaying you the wooden tablet and with the other one giving a gentle pat to the sleepy mount, Isaac grinned lopsidedly. You also smirked. Softie grunted indignantly, outraged by the straight-walkers' interference with his sleep.

"You did your part remarkably well yesterday. And before that, too. It appears to me that we all often overlook the chances to speak to you, so I just want to say thank you from the rest of us - those whom you struggle to keep intact."

Even in the pale light, you could see Isaac blush.

You shouldn't. He wrote on the reverse side of his wooden board, somewhat embarrassed to look you in the eyes. While you were thinking of how to re-approach him while he was visibly flustered, he wrote again.

Thank you for intervening with Jory.
It all struck him hard. Still worried about him.

"Just did what seemed appropriate at the moment. Although, I can't say the emergence of that situation was entirely unforeseen. What caught me was how quickly it all went down."

It is much more dangerous outside than I thought. No wonder it did.

"Outside? Have you never been anywhere beyond Kirhol?"

Isaac shook his head at you before starting to write the next reply.

No. Not past the suburbs. Claudius said that my
birth parents were outlanders, though.

Isaac paused for a long moment before turning the sufficiently dirtied plate of wood and slowly cribbling: I don't have many recollections of them.

Something in the way he did it implied that it might a bit too early for you to venture into this territory of his past, which is why you rubbed his shoulder and said in an attempt to steer the conversation: "You are holding up well, given all the novelty. I'm sure Claudius would've been proud of you if he had means of knowing about our progress." Your interlocutor seemingly understood your intent and gave a little smiley nod with some air of finality. As limited in expressing himself as he was, his ability to be a good listener and capture the details seemed only better for it. And with that, you bid him goodnight.

As you passed by Karl, you felt the sensation of your sleeve being grabbed. It wasn't a forceful pull or anything else equally rude, but it was sudden, which ultimately startled you.

"Did you feel it?" Karl asked out after parting his lips from his pipe and making a small cough, still holding to your sleeve.

"Feel what?" You shot back with a specifying question, failing to register how your wings slightly unfolded in their elbows.

"The call and the pulse of your thaumaturgy aspect, of course," he replied with a slight hoarseness in his throat, "when overwhelmed by the conceptually hostile arcane powers, the one's innate surges beyond conscious attempts to control it. What did you feel back then?"

This situation was starting to get creepy as the Karl you knew would have never acted with such utter disregard to etiquette and bluntly ask out such strange questions.

"What I was sure about experiencing was being afraid. Afraid of what was going on and even more afraid of failing others and myself," you made a couple feeble attempts to pull your sleeve free without any sign of the man budging, "and I feel that sensation is starting to resurface right now..." you added. The mage finally unclenched his fingers, bursting into a short series of grunts interwoven with hushed laughter. You did not doubt that something was wrong about him, yet you questioned that this was caused by whatever weeds he profusely smoked for an entire day.

You made a few steps away from him and combed the campsite with your glance, registering no one else paying much attention to what just transpired due to either inattention or carelessness. Well, almost no one: Mia - your ghostly sort-of-pet - was making invisible to others circles around the weirded-out man for an entire evening. After a hasty consideration, you made your way to the nearest bushes in search of some privacy, yet not for a reason which your companions might have had in mind.

What is wrong with him? You transmitted a telepathic message to the smug ball of ghostly fur after engaging the nether vision state for this exact purpose.

He got worms. Your inner voice decoded the cat's reply, which right away made you doubt your current state of ability to communicate with spirits via arcane linking.

What? You specified, not exactly knowing what does she mean by the term "worms" or if you even deciphered it correctly.

Look yourself. Deeply. The answer came with little to no pause.

Even though you would've been otherwise skeptical, the previous night might have developed differently should this hoity-toity feline not alert you in the first place. So, after curbing your skepticism, you made a deep breath and focused on Karl's soul spark. In mere moments of concentration, you began to register abnormalities: his soul spark, usually somewhat dimmed, was now comparatively brighter, trembling and weaving like a candle fire struggling against a gust of wind. It felt like something was interfering with the flow and burn of his very essence and causing the atypical behavioral symptoms as a result. Following this lead, you scanned beyond his soul's outer blaze, double-checking after you sensed the possible cause. There, just under the photosphere of his soul spark, you detected a tiny yet already evident spec of dark nothingness. It came down unto you: Karl's very soul got infected by the Void during previous night's events.

What would happen to him? You channeled another unspoken question to Mia.

When these are concerned, they either deform, destroy, consume, or do nothing. It depends on how tasty they find him. Not like you could read into Mia's emotions from the deciphering of her answer, but you doubted she was all that concerned about him.

Can we cure him of it? You produced another message, disregarding the risk of annoying the recipient with yet another question.

The glowing shape of the feline stared at you for a moment, twitching its right spectral ear and wrapping her tail around one's paws while sitting straight. After about fifteen seconds, your internal voice received yet another message, decyphering it as: "I don't, but you maybe can, if you know how to interact. Or if you care to. Still some time."

You wouldn't mind helping me to learn to, don't you?

The cat tilted her head clockwise a few degrees.

If I like how you use it and if you walk me in a territory of two-legs when there's no midnight sun. Grew sick of the wilds.

From your experiences in Limbus, you could translate this as her request to have you carry her locket-bound with you around a town at night. You also figured out that this wasn't exactly a term for a bargain as the cat's projection melt into the night without waiting for your reply of any kind. Fluffy extortionist!

Disquieted with the new predicament, you made your way back to the campsite. The rest of the girls were already crawling into their designated tent. Jory was still sitting motionless atop of his rucksack and with his back turned towards the campfire. Ulren, contrary to Jory, crawled a bit-wee closer to the fireplace, stretching his hands to warm them up. Isaac was busy tying Softie (just in case) and throwing sideline glances at the second salvaged tent. And Karl... he just dozed off where he was half-sitting, prostrating under the open skies. You could barely blame him for doing so: among you all, he got the most of the beating on the route to Tevon-Talab, and that is without even mentioning the void contamination.

Concerned, you silently reached inside the tent where Lia and Seph were animatedly discussing the first things they would do when in town. While you were quietly reaching for a spare blanket, you heard the word "bath" at least three times. Then, after you took the wrap, you beelined towards Karl, cautiously covering him. Contrary to your misgiving, he did not jump up to throw another wild antic. If anything, he was already having a troubled sleep. With that done, you retrained your attention to another person who did not yet get his share of your time this evening.

"Hey, Ren," you spoke while sitting nearby him, "there is something important I need to tell you." He silently turned his face towards you, a bit alarmed eyes betraying his average rock-faced looks.

"It's about Karl," you hesitated for a moment before showering him with the information that most of the people would consider a mental product of an absinthe abuser. "You do remember some of the info you've read me from the spiritology book a couple of days earlier? Well, Karl's soul got infected with the Void yesterday. This wild behavior of his is likely a reaction to it. He doesn't seem to be immediately endangered. Still, Mia told me that it might progress in many ways, from passing without any long-lasting symptoms to killing him or, even, taking over and essentially turning him into a devil. She also said that I could try to cure him, but until I do, please, keep an eye on him."

He took a short stare into your eyes before stealing a glance of the covered Karl. "Will do. Thank you for informing me, Sunny." As he said that, you found his left hand reclaiming its earlier spot on your left shoulder. Even though you would feel shy to admit it, the feeling of having someone who trusts you even when you say something as wild as you did warmed you from the inside.

"And, please, don't be upset about the change of plans regarding that monster hunt: we will devise something once we arrive. It is but the most reasonable thing to do given the state of our party. Maybe, we will even have a chance to take out that abomination further down the road, if not with the help of Tchonun hunters, then, maybe, with the locals."

The man silently gave you a half-skeptical and half-teasing face.

"Now, drop it! Or I swear I'll give you a squeeze like that one I gave you in a Beilford chapel and draw everyone's attention so they would see it!"

The man's hand slid up to your crown to give a pat first and then to gently pull your head close enough to have a soft bump with your differently-sized foreheads. "Nay, you won't - you have grown so much since then," was all he said while retracting his hand from the bewildered you. It was easy to realize that it was his way of saying that he is proud of you, but why does he always have to find a trick to make you feel like a child?! B-baka! Duh! >_<

Then, after a few more moments filled with your awkward noises, you bid each other good night, and you made it back inside the girls' tent. The ensued with your help trio chatted a bit longer in a manner that would suggest that it wasn't like roughly a day ago, there might have become a few fewer people to share your time with. You, however, knew that the elevation in liveliness wasn't instead but rather because of what you survived through - a celebration of sorts. This thought was only confirmed when Lia gave both you and Seph a squeeze, justifying herself as catching an opportunity since no one knows what awaits you tomorrow. Sephorah, however, managed to squeeze into a jolly banter a request that has had some hints of seriousness. She asked you to give her thanks to Ulren for saving her rear yesterday. To your interrogation of why she wouldn't do it herself, she said that he visibly wasn't in the mood to hear her out - a lie which you could easily see through and which she didn't even bother to camouflage hard. To that you...

[] Agreed to deliver her gratefulness when an opportunity pops up
[] Told her to do it herself as she is a girl big enough to manage her own connections.

But even after the banter died out, neither of you were sleeping. Each of you just lain silent, contemplating and managing own thoughts. As a yet another part of the way was behind, you did not find the loot you expected to encounter along the way and neither the stretch from Baathor to Tevon-Talab was a tranquil one. These couple-and-some weeks changed you, scarred you in some ways, even. There, with both of your wings covering your companions and your eyes staring upwards, you reflected in silence.

[] The only main reason that brought you this far was your unconscious proclivity to change. You might not have a chance to enjoy the company of those you care about this night should you not bend under the kicks of this world. Ultimately, Amalia was right in her advice for you to take control over how the world shapes you, and Ulren did indicate that you already set on this path. As sad as it was to register more and more differences between the present and the older - the innocent - version of yourself, it all boils down to you either taking the steering wheel of your fate or indirectly calling it quits.

[] Contrary to the earliest week that imprinted in your memory, your salvation was not entirely due to the workings of the external factors. Yesterday, in the dark and peril, you had to face not only the otherworldly entities, the dysfunctional laws of physics, and the unknown as a whole, you faced the fear itself. And the main reason why you made it through, pulling out others as well, was because you raged. You raged against the dying of the light and against own fear and inadequacy In the face of that. Tonight, you might have finally synthesized a clue of how to live one's life, possibly making it even longer.

[] During this half of a month that felt like a half of a year, you had to kill, suffer, see misery, witness the horrors, and fend for your own life. But what was more importantly - you had a chance to do it all along with others. Thus, in such a simple yet natural way, you saw their struggles. And if there is a perk to finding oneself in dire straits of uncertainty along with others, it is a chance to see who is who in the dark. You learned how to peek into the true contents of other's characters, and for the better or worse, you think it will stick with you from now on.

Indeed. In the end, you grew stronger.
________________________
[] Bonus attribute point #1
-[] STR
-[] CON
-[] MOB
-[] PER
-[] COOR
-[] MICR
-[] INT
-[] WIS
-[] CHA

[] Bonus attribute point #2
-[] STR
-[] CON
-[] MOB
-[] PER
-[] COOR
-[] MICR
-[] INT
-[] WIS
-[] CHA

Varano · Mar 31, 2020

[X] Agreed to deliver her gratefulness when an opportunity pops up

[X] Contrary to the earliest week that imprinted in your memory, your salvation was not entirely due to the workings of the external factors. Yesterday, in the dark and peril, you had to face not only the otherworldly entities, the dysfunctional laws of physics, and the unknown as a whole, you faced the fear itself. And the main reason why you made it through, pulling out others as well, was because you raged. You raged against the dying of the light and against own fear and inadequacy In the face of that. Tonight, you might have finally synthesized a clue of how to live one's life, possibly making it even longer.

[X] Bonus attribute point #1
-[X] CON

[X] Bonus attribute point #2
-[X] STR

uiopion · Mar 31, 2020

Lesson going to have to think a bit. All seem nice in their own way. Leaning 1 or 3.

[X] Agreed to deliver her gratefulness when an opportunity pops up

For stat ups, it's generally efficient to double down (guarantees breakpoint for major influence skills, and might push a bunch of average skills up). Also, speed of attribute training (during training sessions) is slower ≥14 and ≥17, so we want to raise the higher ones here.

INT major influence on Arcane, also used in training magic
WIS major influence on Willpower, also used in training magic

Doubling down either gives a +1 Arcane or Willpower and a bunch of +1 to different misc lore skills.

CON major influence on Defence / minor influence on Arcane

+1 Defense with 2. Needs an additional point in INT to breakpoint Arcane. Worth another look

STR major on Melee / minor on Defence, and doesn't impact much else

+1 Melee with 2. Needs an additional point in CON to breakpoint Defense.

[X] Bonus attribute point #1
-[X] WIS
[X] Bonus attribute point #2
-[X] WIS

Varder · Mar 31, 2020

That verbal beatdown was glorious. Ulren spoiled it with his no-nonsense attitude though.

[X] Agreed to deliver her gratefulness when an opportunity pops up

[X] Contrary to the earliest week that imprinted in your memory, your salvation was not entirely due to the workings of the external factors. Yesterday, in the dark and peril, you had to face not only the otherworldly entities, the dysfunctional laws of physics, and the unknown as a whole, you faced the fear itself. And the main reason why you made it through, pulling out others as well, was because you raged. You raged against the dying of the light and against own fear and inadequacy In the face of that. Tonight, you might have finally synthesized a clue of how to live one's life, possibly making it even longer.

[X] Bonus attribute point #1
-[X] CON

[X] Bonus attribute point #2
-[X] WIS

Raptor580 · Mar 31, 2020

[X] Told her to do it herself as she is a girl big enough to manage her own connections.

[X] Contrary to the earliest week that imprinted in your memory, your salvation was not entirely due to the workings of the external factors. Yesterday, in the dark and peril, you had to face not only the otherworldly entities, the dysfunctional laws of physics, and the unknown as a whole, you faced the fear itself. And the main reason why you made it through, pulling out others as well, was because you raged. You raged against the dying of the light and against own fear and inadequacy In the face of that. Tonight, you might have finally synthesized a clue of how to live one's life, possibly making it even longer.

[X] Bonus attribute point #1
-[X] CON

[X] Bonus attribute point #2
-[X] WIS

veekie · Mar 31, 2020

[X] Told her to do it herself as she is a girl big enough to manage her own connections.
[X] During this half of a month that felt like a half of a year, you had to kill, suffer, see misery, witness the horrors, and fend for your own life. But what was more importantly - you had a chance to do it all along with others. Thus, in such a simple yet natural way, you saw their struggles. And if there is a perk to finding oneself in dire straits of uncertainty along with others, it is a chance to see who is who in the dark. You learned how to peek into the true contents of other's characters, and for the better or worse, you think it will stick with you from now on.

[X] Bonus attribute point #1
-[X] WIS
[X] Bonus attribute point #2
-[X] WIS

I think it might be better for her to just tell him rather than play telephone.

Teloch · Apr 1, 2020

uiopion said:
Lesson going to have to think a bit. All seem nice in their own way. Leaning 1 or 3.

Those are not just lessons but partial personality shifts. And perks with technical benefits. Speaking of, some other companions also got some.

Now, this being said, you might have noticed at which times I give you an opportunity to get some bonus stats. Aye - this is the last vote in the third chapter. This means:
- no hurry to vote this time around as the start of the fourth chapter would take some time (but voting is still heavily encouraged (with meows and karma));
- gotta update the information page with the absolutely messed-up in engine transition bb code;
- some regular formatting and maintenance is in order;
- it might be a good time for me to reread the earliest updates and make editions if necessary as my writing style has changed greatly over the course of this quest. It might also be a timely thing to do as advertising sprees are best made during chapters transitions;
- the rundown analysis of the third chapter is in order, and ho boy, 'tis gon be big
- gotta feed you with some side stories and codex updates 'till the start of the 4-th chapter *looks at the codex backlog*, *man-cries*;
- *looks at this to-do list* Lord have mercy on me...

Genesys · Apr 1, 2020

[X] Told her to do it herself as she is a girl big enough to manage her own connections.
[X] The only main reason that brought you this far was your unconscious proclivity to change. You might not have a chance to enjoy the company of those you care about this night should you not bend under the kicks of this world. Ultimately, Amalia was right in her advice for you to take control over how the world shapes you, and Ulren did indicate that you already set on this path. As sad as it was to register more and more differences between the present and the older - the innocent - version of yourself, it all boils down to you either taking the steering wheel of your fate or indirectly calling it quits.
[X] Bonus attribute point #1
-[X] WIS
[X] Bonus attribute point #2
-[X] WIS
Hopefully Sephorah and Ulren make up faster this way, I like change better than rage/drive or insight into people's characters, double-down wis seems fine with me.

Teloch · Apr 3, 2020

Hmm... the "FedEx" part seems to be a tie

@Emanyzal @x0Nothing0x @VagueZ @EternalObserver
Care to nudge the vote into more clarified grounds?

x0Nothing0x · Apr 3, 2020

[X] Agreed to deliver her gratefulness when an opportunity pops up

[X] During this half of a month that felt like a half of a year, you had to kill, suffer, see misery, witness the horrors, and fend for your own life. But what was more importantly - you had a chance to do it all along with others. Thus, in such a simple yet natural way, you saw their struggles. And if there is a perk to finding oneself in dire straits of uncertainty along with others, it is a chance to see who is who in the dark. You learned how to peek into the true contents of other's characters, and for the better or worse, you think it will stick with you from now on.

[X] Bonus attribute point #1
-[X] CON

[X] Bonus attribute point #2
-[X] WIS

EternalObserver · Apr 3, 2020

[X] Agreed to deliver her gratefulness when an opportunity pops up

[X] During this half of a month that felt like a half of a year, you had to kill, suffer, see misery, witness the horrors, and fend for your own life. But what was more importantly - you had a chance to do it all along with others. Thus, in such a simple yet natural way, you saw their struggles. And if there is a perk to finding oneself in dire straits of uncertainty along with others, it is a chance to see who is who in the dark. You learned how to peek into the true contents of other's characters, and for the better or worse, you think it will stick with you from now on.

[X] Bonus attribute point #1
-[X] CON

[X] Bonus attribute point #2
-[X] WIS

Teloch · Apr 4, 2020

Okido folks!

I've updated the sheets and the ship-o-meter. The changes were not all that significant, but rather peculiar (especially in the ship-o-meter). Amalia and Isaac got new perks.

Also, it seems like we're now having the "lesson" tie. @uiopion seems like you're having the golden ballot in this part (unless someone casts a new vote).

I'd like to get to writing analysis and a bonus side-story soon, so I would be grateful if we have a clear winning set in two days.

And a bit IRL stuff: just got the results of med examinations. That liver condition I mentioned earlier, even if pesky, does not seem to be life-threatening. In a hugsies mood atm XD Dear Lord! 31 y.o. slab of animated meat in a cuddly mood! Outrageous!

PS: and don't forget the poll above! The next chapter gonna have quite a few new potentially recruitable character and I'm using your feedback in designing encounters and interactions.

uiopion · Apr 4, 2020

[X] Agreed to deliver her gratefulness when an opportunity pops up

[X] The only main reason that brought you this far was your unconscious proclivity to change. You might not have a chance to enjoy the company of those you care about this night should you not bend under the kicks of this world. Ultimately, Amalia was right in her advice for you to take control over how the world shapes you, and Ulren did indicate that you already set on this path. As sad as it was to register more and more differences between the present and the older - the innocent - version of yourself, it all boils down to you either taking the steering wheel of your fate or indirectly calling it quits.

[X] Bonus attribute point #1
-[X] WIS
[X] Bonus attribute point #2
-[X] WIS

Teloch said:
@uiopion seems like you're having the golden ballot in this part (unless someone casts a new vote).

Well, excepting for the fact that my final choice ends up not affecting the tie at all xD

Teloch · Apr 4, 2020

uiopion said:
Well, excepting for the fact that my final choice ends up not affecting the tie at all xD

What a positively malicious tease you are XD. Non-bandwagoning is a dank thing, tho.

Oh well. Gonna do the chapter analysis tomorrow. Would not be surprised if the winning layout would change after that

Teloch · Apr 5, 2020

*Inhales*

And here we go.

3.0.1 Narvic, Iceskirr 21 of the year 1469
3.0.2 Narvic, Iceskirr 21 of the year 1469

In this chapter, I attempted to change the tone a little bit, knowing that the second chapter ended on a dark-ish one (but not as grim-dark as it possibly could should you make the wrong decisions). So, your regular "dialogue" with a diary and a pub brawl to kick things off in a more light-hearted way (Now, counting the number of cliches, I wonder how exactly did this quest evade the sewer level trope so far).

The essential choices in this chapter's voting were: higher risk & complete pacification VS taking one side for half of the consequences VS taking minimum risks in exchange for delayed consequences. Some new options might have popped, but as I see, write-ins are quite rare occurrences. In any case, I recall drafting a hilarious scene of Lucy playing on the troublemakers inflated egos and using public shaming to defuse the hostilities. You went for the short-term safest option with the most delayed consequences, so I had to re-package the hilarity charge into Seph's infamous "chair-to-the-face" waltz.

As for the concluding update of the sequence, your earliest plan of action resulted in a souring of attitude between Ren and Seph. Also, you have picked the more lengthy route (the alternative was going through the marshy part and encountering a trading carriage stuck in a bog and assaulted by the wildlife, with me putting you before a choice either to save riches and get profit or to save live(s) and get a minor non-monetary benefit). Additionally, you seem to rekindle interest in Lucy's "medium" magic ability, pushing her back from the more popular modern archetype of angel towards the more dated Valkyrie one.

3.1.1 Near the eastern Tzuh-Aran riverbank, Hearthwind 4 of the year 1469
3.1.2 Near the eastern Tzuh-Aran riverbank, Hearthwind 4 of the year 1469

Yeah, I threw a spook at you. Not all that dangerous, though (whacking players in the very start of the adventure is a bat tone, IMHO). And then, there was a choice between doing an arguably less moral thing to do (perpetuating the suffering of the void-corrupted soul, endangering your party member, but getting a substantial arcane aspects learning boost) to leave, everything as it was, or doing the selfless thing with no further benefits or risks. You did the latter, ye lovely players <3. It also cheered me to see @Raptor580 recounting this particular encounter much later on in a comment to a vote, which makes me think that the scene was sufficiently memorable.

3.2.1 Near the south-western bridge from Baathor, Hearthwind 5 of the year 1469
3.2.2 Near the south-western bridge from Baathor, Hearthwind 5 of the year 1469

The slight ambiance-filled intermission after the skirmish scene, some minor opportunity for characters affections shifts, and, most of all, a chance to get a unique mascot character, which you did. Once again, I played with your sense of curiosity/looter instinct VS your morals. Although, this time around I made it less morally-charged as in there were less arguments for not taking Mia's collar medallion. And this is how you, after rather divided voting, ended up with an ectoplasmic smug menace. I am absolutely itching to spoil a bit more of this character's conception (which those perceptive of you might have already guessed out), but I'll keep it until much later. As of now, I'll just say that you haven't missed out on one of the two pre-designed unique mascots (the other one was a gargoyle telepath and would've been available should you pick the route to Rabenia Dukedom at the end of the second chapter).

3.3 Baitszun bridge, Hearthwind 6 of the year 1469
3.4.1 West-southwest from Baathor, Hearthwind 10 of the year 1469
3.4.2 West-southwest from Baathor, Hearthwind 10 of the year 1469

A relatively easy sequence of updates used for some worldbuilding, showing you some hints of how your inter-group dynamics are developing and testing your social side. To my little surprise, you went the neutral-good way. Although, I hoped you would vote for Seph to do her "about to give birth" scene. You did play it back to a degree in a followed interactive dialogue phase. Must confess, writing "The Talk" trope was hilarious, even more so after Lucy's first unfortunate encounter with the topic of lewd. You do realize that our girl now has a complex about this stuff, do you?

3.5.1 At the gates of Baathor, Heathwind 13 of the year 1469
3.5.2 At the gates of Baathor, Heathwind 13 of the year 1469

This is where I decided to put you up for the first serious combat encounter, letting you either skip it with some losses, go moderate, or go reckless. You went moderate, initiating a mini-boss (although, I doubt that a mutated rabid manticore fits the "mini" prefix all that well). Even though the closing crisis of the third chapter also had some interesting rolling sessions during the camp defense & evacuation phase, I still think that the manticore boss fight combat rolling session was the most intriguing one in the quest so far. Much drama, some action scene writing, Sephorah wondrously evading the critical state of struggling for her life and the beast going down. Yeah, this sequence was a high-octane fun to roll and write. Considering the number of comments with considerations and analysis, here's my hope that you all enjoyed it as well.

3.6 Baathor, Hearthwind 21 of the year 1469

A fat-ish mid-chapter respite update during which you sent Lucy to develop her combative side, pushing her further the "Valkyrie" stereotype. Lots of exposition, some downtime with Seph (back then, I thought she is your favorite character, but the ongoing poll does not exactly seem to confirm that). Overall, all the support party members did unexpectedly well (MEIDO POWA!), and you had an episode of thriving. The end of the update hosted path-deciding and high-consequential choices. You've made your picks and "successfully" avoided a new companion. Back then, I just shrugged, thinking that you probably grab at least one extra body a little bit further. Little did I know... But anyway, you decided to go a bit lengthier path with more sequences packed.

3.7.1 Near Zogun, Baathor region, Hearthwind 24 of the year 1469

A minor party banter scene with the first part of the consequences of the choices made in the chapter's first update came to bite your pinky butts. A low to medium threat encounter with options to disgracefully buy yourselves out of this predicament or to double down and go lethal. Here, I played with your "plank" of pacifism but failed miserably after making the assaulters who have just had a skirmish... umm... let's say display an unhealthy degree of libido. Predictably, you went for no mercy at all. Do be sure that the encounter and its resolution left a permanent dent on Lucy as a person. She will always remember that she has blood on her hands. But from the writing point of view, that's a good pile of food for character development and extra drama potential.

3.8.1 North from Turan-Shuroh, Hearthwind 27 of the year 1469
3.8.2 North from Turan-Shuroh, Hearthwind 27 of the year 1469

The resolution of the skirmish with briarites and the start of the new crisis. The support squad did well to locate the threat, but Jory did not get out with others. You going to get Jory's arse out of peril was something I pretty much anticipated, but you all surprised me by playing it over-cautious and not joining the storming group. In short, you decided to minimize the short-term risks and skipped a sequence of mini-events, which ended up with your group barely clawing Jory out and running away while receiving some beating. This was the point where your overall "success" decline in this chapter began, with the first "damage control" sequence. Oh, and should your party roll 2-3 points better or should Lucy take part in an assault, you would've gained some loot, opportunities, and came across a potential recruit who had been enslaved. Second possible recruitment opportunity denied by the dice gods. Happens to anyone, and it's not like you would dodge the third chance, I thought back then. But...

3.9.1 West from Turan-Suroh, Hearthwind 29 of the year 1469
3.9.2 West from Turan-Suroh, Hearthwind 30 of the year 1469

The campfire evening of "spiritual healing" episode after two sequences of violence and tension. @veekie steered away from my expectations of whom you would decide to initiate a larger dialogue, though. The dialog went normal, but at the point when you voted for Lucy to call Amalia strange, I sincerely believed that you are going to bully the poor meido. Good thing I was wrong in my suspicions shortly. Overall, you got some info on Jory, which Lucy used in the last update's "verbal beatdown", and laid the foundation of Amalia's new perk of a team relationship assistant manager. However, you missed to open up her another perk by not choosing the option of asking about her role model and picking Morinth as such. Still, it went rather well. PS: why are some still suspicious about Amalia? (ಠ_ಠ) No bulli meidos, ok?

Oh, and the ghost cat made its entry. Have I told you that she is essentially your guide through Limbus (aka purgatory)? In this regard, she is the only one from your party at the moment who can and will follow you there. In addition, she is pretty much your spiritology mentor, even if a smug and quirky one. A good find, right? You can even try to search for a way to get on her better side (I did not include her to the ship-o-meter sheet because the relationships between felines and people are not that easily measured & estimated)

3.10 South-East from Tevon-Talab, Bloom 2 of the year 1469

*brews some more tea*, *sips obnoxiously loud*. Four. Four companions missed. Like, you had an option to either enter one of three instances, launching a subsequent series of mini-updates instead of the last crisis chain of this update, with potential recruits in each instance, but you decided to skip em all. All of them. Just to count the alternative routes: the river shore village had an exotic non-humanoid companion and some minor loot should you go through minor investigational tasks and get out from the ambush of amphibious predators. The lonely fortified hut hosted no loot but an almost warranted survivalist companion with her pet after a sequence of the crazed wildlife siege. And ruins could've been your typical dungeon crawl run made out as an exploration - puzzle - combat situations triangle with good loot and a possibility to get not one but two companions. You dodged em all and rushed forth towards the chapter's last crisis sequence. *gulps all the tea*. This decision to push forward, though, resulted in some extra leeway in the coming chapter and a little bit more freedom in actions due to... ehm... you'll see it soon-ish™.

3.11.1 South-East from Tevon-Talab, Bloom 6 of the year 1469
3.11.2 South-East from Tevon-Talab, Bloom 6 of the year 1469
3.11.3 South-East from Tevon-Talab, Bloom 6 of the year 1469
3.11.4 South-East from Tevon-Talab, Bloom 6 of the year 1469

Now, before I deconstruct this one, I must mention the poor luck in getting this crisis at all. When you picked the riverside valley path, it was stated that the paranormal risks are rather low, meaning that the chances to stumble at anomaly shenanigans were outnumbered by the odds to end up in any other type of crisis. But the gods of random decided that they would like some more of the low-probability misfortunes comparable to the OHK of HMS Hood. So, in the end, you had to face one of the three worst possible situations that Blugd-Tur can throw at you.

So, it all began from the reconnaissance phase, during which you had an option to investigate, a chance to get what's going on earlier or to stay alert until the poop hit the fan. During this phase of the ultimate crisis, Lucy managed to cause more problems for everyone by getting Seporah misconceived of your intentions, unwittingly putting her at risk. Then, Lucy gracefully failed the chances to find similarities with the abandoned fortress haunting incident and to raise the alarm before the things got violent. It all ended up in you pushing the first phase to the limit and then deciding to back down. Should I tell you how screwed you would have been in this situation, should you not invest time in learning how to fly and should you not take Mia's collar medallion with you? Also, for fairness sake, I must mention that you would have had a chance of averting the detonation of the crisis into its second part should you only went for a spiritualist mage build during chapter 2, but that was not to be.

3.11.5 South-East from Tevon-Talab, Bloom 6 of the year 1469
3.11.6 South-East from Tevon-Talab, Bloom 6 of the year 1469
3.11.7 South-East from Tevon-Talab, Bloom 6 of the year 1469

And so, there was a cry "havoc" and the dogs of war slipped loose [/dramaqueen]. Lucy's stats and resilience against arcane shocks carried her thorough the escalation part (do you still remember that decision to brace yourself against the arcane storm before recovery of Mia's token, eh?). And yet again the flight capability granted to at least some time before the onslaught began. But alas, Lusy failed to guide Seph back. Should she fail her speed check too, she would have been lost and it would've been your fault (you really should have informed Ren about your intentions to investigate instead of her). But she was speedy enough to end up not far away.

The course of the escalation path was majorly decided by the rolls of the first turn. No one seemed to notice, but Ren got just enough scores to pass the checks by the skin of his teeth. Should he not, you would have lost both him and Sephorah. Then, Amalia's daily craft came in handy (not as much from rolls as from her trained skill values). Isaac pulled out a "humble hero" card twice. Speaking straightforward, you decided to go for the best course of action available during the escalation and the dice gods, apparently, decided to reward you by not screwing up the rolls. The second turn resulted in Karl's affliction, resolving (or ignoring) which lies on you in the following chapter. Isaac got the foundation for his new trait due to his performance and smooth recovery from misfortunate development. Generally speaking, you salvaged the situation during the escalation phase, and even managed not to lose much in the material sense. Some proper damage control that was.

3.12.1 South from Tevon-Talab, Bloom 7 of the year 1469
3.12.2 South from Tevon-Talab, Bloom 7 of the year 1469

The last sequence in the chapter, which was meant to drop down the tension and to get some form of conclusions to what happened before. From noticeable developments, it is worthy to mention you success in using Jory's meltdown to softly reboot him. The lad is up for some painful self-searching now. Also, as you might have noticed, the result of the group's last crisis handling has led to the change of plans, so the fourth chapter would start differently from what it moved towards all this time. This will affect the development of the story, as mentioned before. Oh, almost forgot to mention that another side-effect of Lucy and the company surviving through that department of hell on earth is that Ren and Seph are currently on the best terms they ever were. Neither of them internalized that yet, but you might have your own ideas about what to do with that (or maybe not).

*sighs out*

And here we are, about to start a new chapter in this journey, even though I'm tempted to spoil it right now, I'd just say that, from the systemic point of perspective, it will look like a set of interconnected mini-adventures which you would be able to pick from. It would somewhat be reminiscent of the stay at Dalgaard mansion but now with more evident risks, benefits, and autonomy. This playing field would likely take from half of the fourth chapter to its entirety, depending on how entangled would you get and which decisions you would make.

Overall, I would rate your performance in chapter 3 as B or even B+ on a scale with S as a maximum score. You took off rather well, peaked closer to the middle, flatlined right after the Baathor, and then went into the lengthy phase of mistakes, misfortunes, and damage control. Still, you held out quite well, and your situation at the beginning of chapter 4 would be rather empowering.

But before I would launch it, please, solve the ties in the ongoing vote :3

Now, that being said, I would like to make a little remark unrelated to the narrative.

Keeping things short and concise, I want to thank all of you: from those who guided Lucy from the day one, like @veekie and @Raptor580 , to those who just joined, as the math wizard @uiopion , @Genesys , those who were in for a while, like @Mother Nyx , @Zaealix , @Martenzo , everyone else, and even to all the lurkers who never voted but still invested their time into following this quest.

It is one thing to see a story getting a decent mileage, having a story to continue its run after a hiatus is a league a bit higher. The development of this fictional world would not have been possible without you, so...

Now, with this done, I'm up to proceed to the preparations maintenance/editions phase. But don't think I would leave you without content! POV side story is coming as soon as we finalize the last 3-rd chapter's vote. New codex content drops are in order regardless.

Varder · Apr 5, 2020

Teloch said:
You've made your picks and "successfully" avoided a new companion. Back then, I just shrugged, thinking that you probably grab at least one extra body a little bit further. Little did I know...

Honestly, I feel like there's too much we don't know about people that are already with us. Like, we know a lot about Ulren and something about Seph and Amalia. We know very little about Karl and Isaac and jack shit about Jory. So getting brand new characters is bad atm.

Teloch said:
why are some still suspicious about Amalia?

Teloch, look, she's a skilled maid who's suspiciously good at talking and seems interested in the MC. She' obviously a spy and an assassin.

Teloch · Apr 7, 2020

Varder said:
seems interested in the MC

Uhh...

Varder said:
She' obviously a spy and an assassin

...huuh...

I'll just say that Amalia is not anime enough to be a yuri meido assassin who develops a crush on her mark. (not the worst tropes combo, though) God, please, don't make em ask me to list the "preferences" of the cast, please no >_<

Anyhow, if we don't get the experience internalization part untied in 24 hours, then I'll have to ask RNGeezus whether Lucy gonna shift towards being a Team Mom or a Moe Determinator

Also, glued up the character sheets to the top, so you no longer will have to switch to the first page to check the statuses n else. Ergonomics ho!

Adhoc vote count started by Teloch on Apr 7, 2020 at 10:03 AM, finished with 15 posts and 8 votes.

7 people have voted
[X] Bonus attribute point #2
-[X] WIS
- Varder
- Raptor580
- veekie
- Genesys
- x0Nothing0x
- EternalObserver
- uiopion
5 people have voted
[X] Agreed to deliver her gratefulness when an opportunity pops up
- Varano
- Varder
- x0Nothing0x
- EternalObserver
- uiopion
5 people have voted
[X] Bonus attribute point #1
-[X] CON
3 people have voted
[X] Contrary to the earliest week that imprinted in your memory, your salvation was not entirely due to the workings of the external factors. Yesterday, in the dark and peril, you had to face not only the otherworldly entities, the dysfunctional laws of physics, and the unknown as a whole, you faced the fear itself. And the main reason why you made it through, pulling out others as well, was because you raged. You raged against the dying of the light and against own fear and inadequacy In the face of that. Tonight, you might have finally synthesized a clue of how to live one's life, possibly making it even longer.
- Varano
- Varder
- Raptor580
3 people have voted
[X] Bonus attribute point #1
-[X] WIS
- veekie
- Genesys
- uiopion
3 people have voted
[X] Told her to do it herself as she is a girl big enough to manage her own connections.
- Raptor580
- veekie
- Genesys
3 people have voted
[X] During this half of a month that felt like a half of a year, you had to kill, suffer, see misery, witness the horrors, and fend for your own life. But what was more importantly - you had a chance to do it all along with others. Thus, in such a simple yet natural way, you saw their struggles. And if there is a perk to finding oneself in dire straits of uncertainty along with others, it is a chance to see who is who in the dark. You learned how to peek into the true contents of other's characters, and for the better or worse, you think it will stick with you from now on.
2 people have voted
[X] The only main reason that brought you this far was your unconscious proclivity to change. You might not have a chance to enjoy the company of those you care about this night should you not bend under the kicks of this world. Ultimately, Amalia was right in her advice for you to take control over how the world shapes you, and Ulren did indicate that you already set on this path. As sad as it was to register more and more differences between the present and the older - the innocent - version of yourself, it all boils down to you either taking the steering wheel of your fate or indirectly calling it quits.
- Genesys
- uiopion
1 people have voted
[X] Bonus attribute point #2
-[X] STR
- Varano

Varder · Apr 7, 2020

Teloch said:
God, please, don't make em ask me to list the "preferences" of the cast, please no >_<

L O L

I honestly didn't mean romantically. She just seemed to be interested in helping Lucy out from the first moment. Helpful maid? She's evil, what more proof do you need?

Teloch · Apr 8, 2020

*looks at puppy-eyed Lucy*, *looks at the RNG machine*, *sighs*

Kden...

1 - "The only adult around. Send help"
2 - "DeterMOEnator"

Edit:
So, the winning votes are:
1) Lucy intermediates whatever is going on between Ren and Seph at the cost of keeping up the turbulence between them until she solves it herself. It also means that Seph ain't gonna crawl out from the tent to snatch a POV side story from Jory.
2) +1 Wis & +1 CON
3) Lucy gets a composite fat perk that grants her 1 + n bonus to all social influence skills and CHA rolls applied to her teammates, where n is the number of steps of target's affection tier beyond neutral (applies to both positive and negative affection dimensions). Additionally, she gets +3 to the mentioned bonuses if Amalia is around and can provide quick advice. Passive effect: Lucy will be unearthing more insights on her companions.

Trivia: the "change" perk option would have granted Lucy 1/6 chance to double earnings from training/studying attempts, and the "rage" option would've allowed her to make second attribute roll(s) in recognized life-threatening situations should her initial bare roll(s) be from 1 to 3 inclusively. Your "performance" in Jory's tranquilization case was the foundation for the winning perk's opening, so you can now imagine how it would look on practice.

Bottom line: I hope you have ideas on how to utilize this new perk of hers.

Varder · Apr 8, 2020

Damn, the other perk would have made valkyrie build so much easier...

Teloch · Apr 12, 2020

Dem turbulence roll.

Hmm... noice. Seph and Ren gon get +2

Teloch · Apr 26, 2020

Some minutes after the winged creature's retreat from your sights and the continued banter on the actions due at the time of arrival to the Tevon-Talab, the campsite behind your back became peaceful and quiet; without the previous knowledge, one would not suspect everyone present surviving thorough the peril and terror just a day ago which most of the Heim's inhabitants would not encounter in their lifetimes. It feels like everyone was desperate for this sense of tranquility and normality. And, from what it sounded like, everyone obtained it — everyone except you.

Still sitting with your back towards the campsite, you can't even flinch. Not because you found yourself dead-tired or paralyzed by the internalization of what transpired yesterday, but because under the shell of your dumbstruck appearances, there is a storm of emotions raging on. Frustration, fear, hurt, and embarrassment were like rampant waves crashing against each other, accompanied by the sporadic questions cracking akin to bolts of lightning in this innermost storm of yours.

Why did you end up intimidated and chided by a creature that was unable even to talk new pherinian some months ago? Why were you thrown into this journey of diversion and damage control like some pawn without a say or any semblance of self-determination? You tremble like an autumn leaf without even noticing it. These questions breached your pride and hurt you deeply, making you bleed out more of the likes of them.

How come your very own blood sisters did the same to you, effectively robbing you of your birthright and conning your family to disown you? Why it was you who had to endure being an errand boy not even to a noblewoman but to her commonfolk assistant of about your age just to get by? You want to weep, but the best you could do is sobbing pathetically, not strong enough even to let it all out.

Why is it you who always ends up kicked in the junk and ejected out of whatever flimsy isle of stability you managed to scramble together? Why does the world still find a way to reduce you to nameless, statusless, broke nothing that has to struggle for your own life? What did you even do to deserve all this? Why is it you and not someone else? Why? Just why? You want to scream - to yell at the top of your lungs into the indifferent nothingness, wishing for whatever higher power that is would spare a moment to avalanche down at you and smite you to giblets with the answer to this ever-recurring "why" question. But, to no surprise, the answer never comes, and all that you produce is a series of whines and miserable squeals instead of the heavens-shaking roar from your imagination. Still twitching and sobbing like a mess you are, your frame slowly lands on the scarcely-grassed ground.

Too shaken and exhausted, you prostrate on the early spring's natural carpet, finding the only support in the rucksack under your head. Your eyes stare up into the sea of starry blackness as the waves of emotion begin to recede after what felt like the peak of your innermost calamity. As they do, a single thought remains, protruding like a carcass of an old shipwreck on a beach that reappears from under a low tide. This thought is the unwilling recognition of just how ultimately ineffectual the answer to your most dire "why" question would be even if there were one. And this is how you seamlessly fall into the catatonic stupor.

It eludes you how much time you spent staring into the nocturnal abyss as you lose the sense of time for the duration of this discharge. The only thing which you carried out from this peculiar state is a vague, almost ethereal sense of relief that came with being utterly numb. But, eventually, the gentle lukewarm atmosphere, the fragrance of the wild apricot trees blossoms, and the nocturnes of the night birds and insects make it to you, bringing you back to the world of here and now. For an awkward minute, you attempt to get back into the now-faded state of insouciance, but it only proves to be impossible. Some moments after, dissatisfied with the inability to have some more of that serenity, you begin to pick up and think over the shambles that is your situation. It is not like you have a variety of alternatives, anyway.

As much as you'd like to dim down the hues, you are relatively safe for now. In essence, the group you ended up in, even though tasked with crossing lethally dangerous terrain in a bid to win some time and find some answers, appears to be at least capable of staying alive and intact. Thus, you still have your body parts intact and the heart beating. Moreover, if the winged thing was telling you the truth, it may also be that the group went beyond what you would've expected from them back in the day when you ended up captured by the bandits. This notion rubbed against you in a weird way: it was slightly comforting of a feeling, but it still did not change your perceptions of the company you ended up in.

And, admittedly, there were reasons for that. A whole lot of reasons, in fact. Most obviously, the situation with the briarites, which culminated in the worst way possible, exposed just how dangerous in a wicked sense of the word they are. And even if you could discount the extreme tolerance of violence by the bhiroth and daeva on their races, the lack of any hesitation shown by Karl and - more importantly - the Lucifina being severely disheveled you. You just did not expect Karl - the decadent arcanist whom you knew and was on good terms - to kill fellow men with no compunction at all. And as for this Lucifina...

You think longer about her, but there is no clear-cut conclusion to be made. For once, she does not instill any trust. Inherently she poses herself as a vulnerable and oblivious to the degree of being lost outlander, but at the same time, she managed to assemble an entourage of people who would do her bidding, including Rosaline Dalgaard herself. The notion of her going from a test subject to a pseudo-sibling in a matter of two months only makes you believe that this creature is much like Eleanor - your older sister - masterful in manipulating others. And what is more rueful is that she is now turning Amalia and Isaac - those two people who are still remotely friendly towards you - to her side. It goes without saying that her being able to take other lives and being a possible puppetmaster is enough to deem her dangerous without even taking into account her capability to manipulate with others' souls.

However, as much as you would like to deem her a threat and to distance oneself from it, there is just something that doesn't add up. This "talk" she had tonight with you, for example. As displeasing as it was, she obviously tried to make you face the fear you harbor for her, and when she made you do so, she opted to have a "deep talk" instead of acting on malice. You sigh and weakly shake your head: none of your parents ever talked with you in a manner this creature did. Also, de-facto, she was instrumental for the survival of your group members, as evident from yesterday's night. Whether she did so for the sake of preserving supporters or because of the sentimental reason that she told you tonight is unclear, but as it stands, you don't have any solid proof of her perpetrating against you. For now, at least, which is irritating on itself.

This leads you to think of your place and role in this entire venture. You still can't comprehend why did they demand you to be taken on this journey while there were people more capable of combat and other skills around. Could it be that they chose you for the sake of making a company to Amalia and Isaac? Or is it because they count on the - speaking frankly - intermediate expertise in alchemy that you have? You can only wish you knew this. But regardless, it is not like you have much of a maneuver in this matter if you intend to follow with the flow and, ideally, return with the rest of the group back to Kirhol once the goals are done.

Thinking of the goals and the whole venture, it is clear to you that misfortune follows this Lucifina creature. Discounting all the menaces that you encountered on the way so far, the biggest threat appears to be a group that assailed Dalgaard's mansion and can now be trying to track down this winged creature for whatever reason. Unmistakably, everyone, including yourself, is in peril for a long as the spirifier being is around. You would've considered fleeing, but there are two problems. First - you know neither the terrain nor the local people, meaning that your chances of survival on your own are quite slim even before considering the inventory issues. And second - given how impudently the bhiroth and daeva slaughtered the biarites who witnessed Lucifina's true nature, it takes nothing for you to imagine the Ulren merc dragging you to some bushes and low-key snapping your neck to prevent a potential leak of information. Also, even if, in all the sincerity, you can't call Isaac and Amalia all-that-close friends, they are the last two persons who have at least some care for you, and abandoning them does not feel right by any stretch. One way or another, it seems that you are stuck with this group. At least, for as long as it is intact. But what to make of it and which goals to pursue except merely surviving? Is this what this creature meant by "coming to terms with reality"? This question sticks to you, but you no longer have the strengths for analysis.

Sore from lying on the solid ground for hours and slightly shaky from the emotional overload, you crankily lift yourself on your feet, turning back and observing the campsite. It appears that everyone except Karl, who presumably passed out outside the tent and thus was covered with a blanket, and the bhiroth brute, which traditionally took the first night watch shift, did not have a chance to witness you breaking down. You begin to tread towards one of the tents from where Isaac's sneezing is sounding, but the bhiroth turns his face and gives you a blank, infuriatingly neutral stare. For once, you glad that this man has zero care for you and your issues: this way, he saved you from at least some disgrace. When you get in under the tent flaps, you find Isaac deep asleep. Something within you urges to push him awake and to demand an answer to the question whether he believes in all of you returning to Kirhol safe and sound to continue your old lives, but, at the last moment before poking the healer, you stop yourself. A quick consideration tells you that even if he says that, this answer would serve no other purpose but to indulge your crumbling hope of everything just getting normal. Slightly frustrated, you lay down in your bedroll, accompanied to sleep by the last question that eluded you for the duration of the entire introspection: what if there is something you can make for yourself or out of yourself on this journey? What if? This new question - even if flabbily - sweetens your last seconds before falling into the sleepy oblivion.

Varder · Apr 26, 2020

"Winged creature". What an ass.

Heimurn Chronicles (No, SV, you're a young valkyrie in the middle of a bizarre and dangerous journey)

Who is the bae? (Yes, we know that it's Lucy, but still - who's your favorite character)

Ulren, because he's a big bro I never had

Sephorah, because of the floor-chair-face dance

Karl, because smug

Amalia, because a cinnamon roll determinator

Isaac, because kuudere

Jory, becuase...

Rosaline, because I miss her

Mia (the ghost cat), because smug^2

Dunno - I need more party members

Dunno - I want more character interactions

Dunno - Where are the shipping battles, QM?

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Tired Cultist

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(Discrete Mokona)

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eYe Gaze baCk

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Tired Cultist

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Tired Cultist

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Tired Cultist

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Tired Cultist