You wake up with a jolt, a dull ache in the back of your head.
Cold sweat is sticking to your...
Cold sweat is sticking to your...
Nightshade & Gasoline, a write-in urban fantasy quest
- Thread starter Mourning Dove
- Start date
- Original Fantasy Modern
- Created
- Status
- Ongoing
- Watchers
- 14
- Recent readers
- 0
- Threadmarks
- 9
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Statistics (9 threadmarks, 5.8k words)
User Total Mourning Dove 9
Prologue - 1
- Location
- Switzerland
You wake up with a jolt, a dull ache in the back of your head.
Cold sweat is sticking to your temples. Your bedsheets are tangled around your ankles. Must have been another nightmare.
>look around
The room around you is dark, curtains drawn closed to block out the evening sun. There isn't much to see anyway. Just about what you'd expect from the apartment of an average college student: Mismatched furniture, old coffee cups, towering stacks of books on every available surface, a rusty old cauldron- Ah, right. You aren't exactly as average as you once used to be.
Coming from the bathroom door right beside the tiny kitchen area, you can hear a dull scratching sound. Did another stray cat get in through the window?
[] input command
Cold sweat is sticking to your temples. Your bedsheets are tangled around your ankles. Must have been another nightmare.
>look around
The room around you is dark, curtains drawn closed to block out the evening sun. There isn't much to see anyway. Just about what you'd expect from the apartment of an average college student: Mismatched furniture, old coffee cups, towering stacks of books on every available surface, a rusty old cauldron- Ah, right. You aren't exactly as average as you once used to be.
Coming from the bathroom door right beside the tiny kitchen area, you can hear a dull scratching sound. Did another stray cat get in through the window?
[] input command
Status:
no injuries
slightly hungry
Inventory (no bag):
-empty-
Objective:
find the source of the scratching noise
no injuries
slightly hungry
Inventory (no bag):
-empty-
Objective:
find the source of the scratching noise
Hi there! Thanks for joining me on this quest. Nightshade & Gasoline is an urban fantasy/supernatural/maybe romance adventure that mostly uses a write-in system, which means you can write your own commands.
Commands
⋅ Commands can be anything, from []look around the room to []attack the demon with a majestic war cry.
⋅ This, of course, leaves room for a lot of silly antics. While I'm happy to indulge you, I'd like to heave a good balance between silly and plot-advancing commands. I'd prefer not to spend five posts trying to eat a cactus.
⋅ I will take the liberty of ignoring commands if they're too extreme or simply nonsensical. Prompts like [] jump off a roof or [] become invincible will be ignored.
⋅ You can suggest up to 3 commands per person.
⋅ I encourage you to second other people's commands if you like them.
⋅ After a period of time has passed, I will follow the 3 commands with the highest number of votes and try put them in an order that makes sense narratively. If two commands are tied, it's first come first serve. If two commands directly contradict each other, I'll discard the one with the lower number of votes and the command with the next-highest number of votes will take its place in the Top 3.
⋅ This, of course, leaves room for a lot of silly antics. While I'm happy to indulge you, I'd like to heave a good balance between silly and plot-advancing commands. I'd prefer not to spend five posts trying to eat a cactus.
⋅ I will take the liberty of ignoring commands if they're too extreme or simply nonsensical. Prompts like [] jump off a roof or [] become invincible will be ignored.
⋅ You can suggest up to 3 commands per person.
⋅ I encourage you to second other people's commands if you like them.
⋅ After a period of time has passed, I will follow the 3 commands with the highest number of votes and try put them in an order that makes sense narratively. If two commands are tied, it's first come first serve. If two commands directly contradict each other, I'll discard the one with the lower number of votes and the command with the next-highest number of votes will take its place in the Top 3.
⋅ Whether a command actually works out the way you want it to or not depends very much on the situation, our protagonist's experience, how prepared they are, ect. I am not using a strict stat system here, but my best judgement. I'll try my hardest to keep it fair, fun, and narratively interesting.
Objectives
⋅ For now, I'll use objectives (found in the "status-inventory-objectives" spoiler right above this one) to guide you in a general direction. Once our introductory chapter is done, deciding on our objectives is up to you.
Our Protagonist
⋅ Right now, our protagonist is a nameless college student, with some secrets and a past you may find out about in the course of our adventure.
⋅ I'd really like to write them as non-binary using "they/them" pronouns. They simply don't identify with a gender. I hope that works for you. If not, this quest might not be for you.
⋅ Once we get to a mirror, you can customise their appearance and choose a name.
And that's pretty much everything for now!
This actually isn't my first time starting this quest. I started Nightshade & Gasoline a few month ago on another forum, just after I found out about Quest RPs, but their quest section was very, very small, so we only got a few posts in. But I really do like this world and the characters I made up for it, so I'd like to give it another try. I hope this'll be a fun experience for all of us.
Ah yes and lastly, this kind of modern/urban fantasy setting is largely inspired by bell,book,and candle, a wonderful (and incredibly long) Haikyuu!!AU by skittidyne. No knowledge of bell, book and candle is needed to understand this RP, and there are quite a few differences between our world and the world of bbac, but I hope to capture the same kind of feeling.
⋅ I'd really like to write them as non-binary using "they/them" pronouns. They simply don't identify with a gender. I hope that works for you. If not, this quest might not be for you.
⋅ Once we get to a mirror, you can customise their appearance and choose a name.
And that's pretty much everything for now!
This actually isn't my first time starting this quest. I started Nightshade & Gasoline a few month ago on another forum, just after I found out about Quest RPs, but their quest section was very, very small, so we only got a few posts in. But I really do like this world and the characters I made up for it, so I'd like to give it another try. I hope this'll be a fun experience for all of us.
Ah yes and lastly, this kind of modern/urban fantasy setting is largely inspired by bell,book,and candle, a wonderful (and incredibly long) Haikyuu!!AU by skittidyne. No knowledge of bell, book and candle is needed to understand this RP, and there are quite a few differences between our world and the world of bbac, but I hope to capture the same kind of feeling.
Also, a warning: this quest will include depictions of violence further down the line. It will never go into outright gore territory though, and I will put anything I deem too graphic behind spoiler bars.
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Prologue - 2
- Location
- Switzerland
>look inside the cauldron. Anything edible?
You reluctantly drag yourself out of bed and make your way across the room to your little kitchenette. It takes you a moment and a lot of squinting, but you can make out the shape of your cauldron – on the floor, of all places. You are momentarily irritaded at your past self for putting it there, then you remember the entirety of your counter is taken up by a mess of dried herbs and tree bark.
Sighing, you bend down and take a look inside the cauldron. Blackness stares back at you. It's far too dark to make out its contents. You are about to give up when a faint smell catches your attention. It's herby and familiar and far too delicious to be one of your failed attempts at magic.
Ah, yes. You finally gave up trying to cook up a spell yesterday evening and made yourself some herbal tea instead.
>skim the book names. Just what kind of stuff do we read?
You take a look at the nearest stack of books. You don't even need to get up to do so. There's one right there, sitting on the tiled floor beneath your dinner table.
You try to make out their titles in the darkness and have to resort to picking them up one by one, bringing them really close to your face like you're a 90-year-old on the brink of blindness. But hey, it works.
A History of Wendigo Sightings in the 20th Century, Glossary of Lesser Demons, "It's a prop for LARPing" – Convenient Excuses for your Hunter Equipment, Scientific Writing and Essay Stru– Ah, that one's a leftover from last year's coursework.
You flinch as you hear another dull scratch coming from your bathroom door. God, you hope that doesn't leave any marks.
[] input command
You reluctantly drag yourself out of bed and make your way across the room to your little kitchenette. It takes you a moment and a lot of squinting, but you can make out the shape of your cauldron – on the floor, of all places. You are momentarily irritaded at your past self for putting it there, then you remember the entirety of your counter is taken up by a mess of dried herbs and tree bark.
Sighing, you bend down and take a look inside the cauldron. Blackness stares back at you. It's far too dark to make out its contents. You are about to give up when a faint smell catches your attention. It's herby and familiar and far too delicious to be one of your failed attempts at magic.
Ah, yes. You finally gave up trying to cook up a spell yesterday evening and made yourself some herbal tea instead.
>skim the book names. Just what kind of stuff do we read?
You take a look at the nearest stack of books. You don't even need to get up to do so. There's one right there, sitting on the tiled floor beneath your dinner table.
You try to make out their titles in the darkness and have to resort to picking them up one by one, bringing them really close to your face like you're a 90-year-old on the brink of blindness. But hey, it works.
A History of Wendigo Sightings in the 20th Century, Glossary of Lesser Demons, "It's a prop for LARPing" – Convenient Excuses for your Hunter Equipment, Scientific Writing and Essay Stru– Ah, that one's a leftover from last year's coursework.
You flinch as you hear another dull scratch coming from your bathroom door. God, you hope that doesn't leave any marks.
[] input command
Status:
no injuries
slightly hungry
Inventory (no bag):
-empty-
Objective:
find the source of the scratching noise
no injuries
slightly hungry
Inventory (no bag):
-empty-
Objective:
find the source of the scratching noise
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Prologue - 3
- Location
- Switzerland
[X]Turn on lights: 3 votes
[X]Peek through keyhole: 2 votes
Everything else is tied with 1 vote, so it's first come first serve and we're going with [X]pour yourself a cup of tea.
[X]Peek through keyhole: 2 votes
Everything else is tied with 1 vote, so it's first come first serve and we're going with [X]pour yourself a cup of tea.
>turn on the lights
You decide it's about time you turn on the lights before you end up stumbling over a stack of books. This is an important day. A broken leg is just about the last thing you need.
You regret your decision the moment you hit the switch. The light is blinding and your room is just as much of a mess as you feared it'd be. You'd rather not see this, actually.
>pour yourself a cup of tea.
You drag yourself back to the cauldron and grab a cup from the counter, then spend a good minute trying to figure out how to actually pour the tea. You highly doubt you own a ladle, and you can't exactly lift up the cauldron. It's heavy and bronze, with several runes etched into it you don't really dare to touch. Sure, they look like little more than a collection of random strokes to you, but you know the things are supposed to do something.
You resort to just kind of... dipping the cup in there and wiping off the sides and bottom with a stray piece of paper. Belatedly, you take a look to make sure you didn't ruin any important notes, but it's just another failed attempt at replicating those runes.
The tea is just as delicious as it smells. For a matter of fact, you feel more awake almost immediately. Weird, tea normally doesn't really do anything for you.
>peek through the keyhole in the bathroom door. Better to be careful
You've put this off long enough, you decide, and walk over to the bathroom door, steeling yourself in case whatever you see in there isn't... well, alive. The scratching noise has momentarily stopped and you indulge the thought that maybe, the creature has escaped back through the window.
Carefully, you lean down to peek through the keyhole.
Two bright, yellow-white orbs stare back at you from the other end of the dim room, glinting in the dark much like cat eyes. In fact, they're about the right size and height to belong to a stray cat and for a moment, you want to let out a relieved breath. Then the creature starts to move forward, the bright orbs swaying from side to side in a sluggish, stuttering, entirely unnatural manner.
You reel back just as it leaps off the ground and crashes full force into the door. the old wood rattles, but doesn't budge.
Shit. Your mind starts reeling with names and terms and drawings on old parchment. Imp. Trow. Poltergeist. Redcap? No – those live in old ruins. Shit shit shit. You should have paid more attention when Maeve was giving her rundown of lesser demons.
You try to calm yourself. Whatever it's name is, the thing can't be too dangerous. The bathroom window at the back of the room must still be open, so you could probably just grab it and throw it out there. Then again, maybe there's a smarter way to go about this.
[] input command
Status:
no injuries
slightly hungry
finally fully awake. Thanks, tea.
Inventory (no bag):
-empty-
Objective:
get rid of the creature in your bathroom
no injuries
slightly hungry
finally fully awake. Thanks, tea.
Inventory (no bag):
-empty-
Objective:
get rid of the creature in your bathroom
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Prologue - 4
- Location
- Switzerland
Oh yeah, that's an Important question, thanks! Short answer: Sure. Long answer:
- Generally, yes. I'm not going to list every single object in a room. You can assume that certain common objects are there if it makes sense for them to be there. For example, our apartment definitely has a bunch of clothes and some basic kitchen utensils lying around, and probably a bunch of other old stuff. If an object you come up with is too far out there or actually can't be there for plot reasons, I'll try to let you know well before the update, so you can adjust your votes.
- I'll make sure to mention objects that are out of the ordinary, especially magical ones (at least ones our protagonist recognizes as magical). In this case, that'd be the cauldron, the books, the herbs, and our rune notes.
- You are always free to enter commands like >search the room for sharp objects or >go through the kitchen cupboards and see what you can find. You know what, I'm actually going to go ahead and automatically use the >look around the room command every time we enter a new location. That way, you don't have to waste any of your commands on looking around and you get a basic idea of your surroundings.
>look around the room
You live in an old studio apartment barely big enough to fit the little furniture you have. All in all, it's pretty standard fare: There's a tiny, embarrassingly underused kitchenette tucked into a corner, some cluttered bookshelves, a wardrobe, and of course your king-size bed. There's also a small desk by the window, where you technically put your phone and laptop yesterday night. They should still be there, if you can find them under the pile of notes and scribbles. On the wall facing the window, there's a wooden door leading out into the staircase, with your coat and backpack hanging next to it.
Nothing all too interesting – safe for, you know, the herbs, the leather bound tomes, the scribbled runes, and your eccentric new substitute for a teapot.
>sigh to yourself, and find your center. Not even two minutes into having to exist like everyone else, and you're already having a terrible day.
You close your eyes, take a long, deep breath, and ponder your existence. There's a lesser demon in your bathroom. A demon. You're supposed to be enjoying your summer break right now. What did you do to deserve this?
Pulsing lights flash before your eyes. Bodies moving. Spilled beer on the pavement. A flickering streetlight, metal pole bent. Blood on black leather. So much-
Ah, yes. Not the most pleasant topic to think about. Back to the demon.
>check the glossary of lesser demons for anything that looks like that thing
Ok. Ok, you got this. You stumble over to the kitchenette and grab the book in question, glad you didn't have to search for it first. It's thick and solid. If worse comes to worst, you can probably squash the thing in your bathroom with this.
For a moment, you're worried you'll be spending the next 30 minutes browsing through a list of barely familiar names, then you see them: Illustrations. Great.
You find those glowing eyes near the middle of the book. The inscription next to it reads:
Imps
Lesser demons with glowing eyes and animal-like features, most notably fur. Other features can include: tails, horns, paws, hooves, claws [...]
Very common in both urban and rural areas. Aggressive towards other spirits and any human with magic perception. No magic abilities. Not venomous.
ACoC: Loneliness, feeling of isolation.
There's a scribbled old note in the corner. Must be Maeve's. Lesser demons with glowing eyes and animal-like features, most notably fur. Other features can include: tails, horns, paws, hooves, claws [...]
Very common in both urban and rural areas. Aggressive towards other spirits and any human with magic perception. No magic abilities. Not venomous.
ACoC: Loneliness, feeling of isolation.
Will go for throat. Claws fucking sharp. Sensible eyes, no light. Salt! Ask A. abt herbs
>grab a stool, or anything else that could really work as a makeshift shield
Still processing the information you got from the book, you let your eyes wander around the apartment. Might as well start with something basic. Protection.
You do own a stool. It's round, made out of some kind of plastic, and surprisingly light when you pick it up. You try holding it up in front of yourself like a shield. It feels kind of awkward and clunky, sure, but you think you can work with this.
>check your rune notes for anything useful
Ah, well...
The biggest part of your notes is lying on your desk in one big pile. Many of them are from your desperate cramming session last night. They're a mess of question marks and drawings of the same rune you copied from the cauldron over and over, trying to find some way, some secret, to make it work. You dig further down until you find something halfway legible.
Wendigo book p.122 mentions rune for "Dissolve". GoLD p.7 mentions "Banish". No pictures of the runes themselves. Nowhere. Why?
If all magic is cast through runes, is there a rune for every possible spell? Can you combine-
The paper's stained there. Tea, probably. It continues a bit further down.If all magic is cast through runes, is there a rune for every possible spell? Can you combine-
-means that brewing herbs/plants/maybe other stuff somehow aids casting. Why brewing? Do they drink it?? Before drawing the runes or after?
Rune on cauldron bottom left means "Heat", "Fire", or sth similar.
Ah yes. Your one success. The closest thing you've gotten to actually casting magic was when you tried to activate one of the runes in the cauldron. It took you a good hour of concentrated staring, improvised chanting, and trying to "find the power within you" to figure it out. Then, something happened. The rune flickered under your touch. You felt a pull somewhere deep in your chest, and very briefly, for just a second, you felt a sense of overwhelming heat radiating off of it.
Then, you blacked out.
You came to a few minutes later, the world still spinning around you. That's the last time you tried actually activating the cauldron.
You figure there are two explanations for that particular debacle:
A) You did something very, very wrong.
B) Activating that one rune was enough to drain all of your magic energy. You're weak as shit.
You really don't like B, but you get the creeping sense that there's something to it. That doesn't bode very well for you. You're kind of supposed to impress a bunch of people later today.
"Just figure it out! Something's bound to work," Maeve said last week, once you were done dragging all those books and the cauldron up the stairs to your apartment. Well, she might have been wrong about that one.
It doesn't matter now. You've got an imp to take care of, magic or no. You can at least do that much, right?
[] input command
Status:
no injuries
slightly hungry
finally fully awake. Thanks, tea.
Inventory (no bag):
Left hand: Improvised stool shield
Objective:
get rid of the imp.
no injuries
slightly hungry
finally fully awake. Thanks, tea.
Inventory (no bag):
Left hand: Improvised stool shield
Objective:
get rid of the imp.
Magic power:
Very low
Runes known:
"Heat" (you do not know how to write this rune)
Very low
Runes known:
"Heat" (you do not know how to write this rune)
>Sigh to yourself actually didn't make the vote, but I figured I'd include it anyway because it fits nicely and doesn't actually have any bearing on our little imp encounter! I won't do that too often, but I really wanted to give you a bit of a longer update. A sot of apology for how long this took. Life got busy.
However, I'll have a bunch of free time this weekend, so look forward to that!
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Prologue - 5
- Location
- Switzerland
>lay a line of salt down in front of the bathroom door.
Right, salt. You think you've seen this in horror movies.
It takes some digging, but you find a bag of cheap cooking salt in the back of one of your cupboards and set to work. Once you're done, you set the now nearly empty bag down next to you and take a step back to survey your handiwork. It's a thick, nearly even line of salt going from one end to the door to the other.
Ah. That'll be a real pain to clean up later.
>switch the lights on before you open the door. It has sensitive eyes, yes? Blind it!
You stare at the wall net to the bathroom door. It's off-white with a few old marks and scratches and its very, very empty.
The light switch to the bathroom light is inside the bathroom, so there's no way to press it as long as the door is closed. It is right next to the door, so maybe you can reach in real quick and press it once you've opened the door. Then again, maybe it's best to keep your fingers far far away from that imp thing.
You wonder if there's some kind of Light rune. God, you really wish you had magic at your disposal. It sounds so nice to be able to just conjure up whatever.
>carefully open the bathroom door.
You clutch the stool tighter and take a last glance down at the line of salt before your feet, hoping it'll actually do something. Maeve knew what she was writing, right? She was really good at this, after all.
Yeah, this'll be fine. Your hand is shaking a little bit as you grab the door handle. Treacherous thing.
"Here goes nothing", you murmur and push.
The imp is staring at you from under the sink, its blazing, lifeless eyes tightened to slits as the light from your room streams in through the door. Its small, bony body is covered in black fur, and that's about all you can make out before the thing lets out a low, unnatural gargle and comes running at you.
You lift your stool reflexively, bracing for impact, but it never comes.
You hear a pained hiss instead. The thing has stopped at your line of salt, drawing it's deformed claw back in pain. You see it retract a step, and for a moment, you want to let out a sigh of relief.
Then it looks up, its eyes burning and hungry. You see its muscles tighten. It's getting ready to jump.
[]input command
Right, salt. You think you've seen this in horror movies.
It takes some digging, but you find a bag of cheap cooking salt in the back of one of your cupboards and set to work. Once you're done, you set the now nearly empty bag down next to you and take a step back to survey your handiwork. It's a thick, nearly even line of salt going from one end to the door to the other.
Ah. That'll be a real pain to clean up later.
>switch the lights on before you open the door. It has sensitive eyes, yes? Blind it!
You stare at the wall net to the bathroom door. It's off-white with a few old marks and scratches and its very, very empty.
The light switch to the bathroom light is inside the bathroom, so there's no way to press it as long as the door is closed. It is right next to the door, so maybe you can reach in real quick and press it once you've opened the door. Then again, maybe it's best to keep your fingers far far away from that imp thing.
You wonder if there's some kind of Light rune. God, you really wish you had magic at your disposal. It sounds so nice to be able to just conjure up whatever.
>carefully open the bathroom door.
You clutch the stool tighter and take a last glance down at the line of salt before your feet, hoping it'll actually do something. Maeve knew what she was writing, right? She was really good at this, after all.
Yeah, this'll be fine. Your hand is shaking a little bit as you grab the door handle. Treacherous thing.
"Here goes nothing", you murmur and push.
The imp is staring at you from under the sink, its blazing, lifeless eyes tightened to slits as the light from your room streams in through the door. Its small, bony body is covered in black fur, and that's about all you can make out before the thing lets out a low, unnatural gargle and comes running at you.
You lift your stool reflexively, bracing for impact, but it never comes.
You hear a pained hiss instead. The thing has stopped at your line of salt, drawing it's deformed claw back in pain. You see it retract a step, and for a moment, you want to let out a sigh of relief.
Then it looks up, its eyes burning and hungry. You see its muscles tighten. It's getting ready to jump.
[]input command
Status:
no injuries
slightly hungry
kind of freaking out
Inventory (no bag):
left hand: Improvised stool shield
Objective:
get rid of the imp
no injuries
slightly hungry
kind of freaking out
Inventory (no bag):
left hand: Improvised stool shield
Objective:
get rid of the imp
Magic power:
very low
Runes known:
"Heat" (you do not know how to write this rune)
very low
Runes known:
"Heat" (you do not know how to write this rune)
Last edited:
Prologue - 6
- Location
- Switzerland
Huhh this one's a tricky one. Slamming/shutting the door got two votes, so that one's in for sure. Since Nevill's last two commands are an either/or situation, only one of them makes it (>pound on it with the stool). Which leaves a spot for one of Silver's commands. I kinda mushed your last two together, since there's still some salt left in the bag we previously used. Let me know if that's ok with you two. It's the best solution I could come up with and works pretty well encounter-wise.
Warning for (somewhat) graphic depictions of violence. I wouldn't say they're graphic enough to warrant a spoiler tag, but feel free to correct me on that one.
>slam it with the door as it jumps at you. You literally can't miss!
You grab for the handle in panic and slam the door shut with all your might just as the imp pounces. You can feel the impact in your fingertips as the creature crashes into the wood at full force. It lets out a high-pitched screech.
Then, Silence.
Shit, that was cool.
>grab more salt and throw it at the imp until it stops moving.
You snatch the bag of salt you used earlier off the floor. There's only about a fistful left, but you can't risk giving the imp any time to recuperate while you go back to the kitchen and search for more.
You don't really want to open the door again, but you know you have to, and you know you've got to be quick.
The smell of rot hits you as soon as you've pulled it open. The imp is there on the ground, leaving a trail of black, tarry liquid as it drags itself towards the back of the room. It snaps around the moment you open the door and lets out another screech, its eves quavering with ire. It seems ready to throw itself at you again, whether its bruised body will let it or not.
You don't hesitate. You dump the remains of salt over it, watching as it hisses in pain and curls inward.
>if you manage to stun it, pound on it with the stool.
You bring your stool down on it's head.
You don't like to admit it, but you find yourself pressing your eyes shut at the last moment. You know you hit though. There's a series of sounds you can't really find the words to describe as the stool connects with the creature's skull.
It's chilling, but...
But there's also a sense of satisfaction to it. You remember the nights turning restlessly in your bed, kept awake by sounds only you could hear. You remember your classmates laughing at you when you flinched in the middle of the street, snapping around only to find nothing there. You remember their stares, your parent's looks of worry when you told them about the "invisible monsters" as a little kid, long before you learned to just shut up and ignore.
You're done ignoring. You're done thinking you are crazy. You can see them now. You can-
You still, stopping the stool in mid-air as you're about to bring it down again. The creature on the ground is well beyond the point of moving.
You set the stool down, slowly, as you watch the imp's body disintegrate.
It's almost a beautiful sight. You watch it come undone at the seams, thousands of little particles of light breaking loose just shortly before they're pulled inwards. Before long, there's nothing but a ball of clear, bright white light left.
You watch the soul drift up, coming to rest right at eye-level. This used to be a person once, you think. You're not sure what happened to twist it onto becoming that miserable thing. Maeve wouldn't tell. But you get the sense that whatever it was, it's all gone now, evaporated with the rest of the creature's body.
This isn't a being anymore. This is nothing but pure, unfiltered magic energy.
The exact magic energy you lack.
You wonder if you could...
[]input command
No need for three commands this time. One or two will do. Just decide what you want to try doing/don't want to do with the light.
We reached a point where the information you have as a player is pretty much on par with the information our protagonist has, by the way.
Status:
no injuries
slightly hungry
out of breath
Inventory (no bag):
empty
Objective:
decide what to do with the soul.
no injuries
slightly hungry
out of breath
Inventory (no bag):
empty
Objective:
decide what to do with the soul.
Magic power:
very low
Runes known:
"Heat" (you do not know how to write this rune)
very low
Runes known:
"Heat" (you do not know how to write this rune)
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Prologue - 7 Character Creation
- Location
- Switzerland
>think back to Maeve - did she ever say anything about this? What would she think of you... consuming.. a soul? Mentally curse her for throwing you into the deep end.
You decide to start off with the cursing Maeve bit. It's become one of your favorite pastimes in these last few days. You know she means well, probably, but God what was she thinking. You're in way over your head.
She hasn't told you anything about this, that's for sure. Maeve's approach to teaching you has been very...hands-off. After she made you break into her old apartment and get all those books and the cauldron (an absolutely terrifying experience, by the way), she's only dropped in a couple times.
You kind of figured she'd be here today though - with it being the day of your big meeting with the Coven and all that. Isn't she going to check up on you?
>see if there's anything in our book about this... If you're going to start eating spirits, you should see if there are any side effects.
You're pretty sure there isn't. At least not in the ones you've read. That kind of thing would be hard to forget about.
You briefly contemplate checking anyway, but...
Doesn't it seem like the light is getting just a little bit dimmer around the edges?
You make a mental note to go consult your books later, should the opportunity present itself.
>eat it, you've always wanted this.
You bring your attention back to the light. It's about the size of your fist and it's pulsing lightly, still incredibly beautiful.
...It's too early to get your hopes up. This might not even work.
You reach for it, half expecting your hand to just faze through. It doesn't. Instead, you find yourself with a handful of soul.
This definitely ranks among the Weirdest Experiences You've Had in Your Life. And that bar has become pretty high recently. The feeling the soul inside your grasp is almost unreal. This intense, vibrating energy; tangible, but just barely. Your fingertips tingle with arcane power.
It kind of tickles, actually.
What now? You tentatively move your hand. The light stays firmly in your grasp. You bring it up to your chest, right where your heart is, and press. Nothing happens.
Figures. You think you know where this is going. Might as well get it over with before you can chicken out.
You bring the soul up to your mouth, and swallow.
>...
You look down at your hand. It's empty. The soul is gone.
You don't feel any different.
Did it not work?
You drag yourself over to the sink and splash your face with cold water. The feeling is oddly intense. You realize you're probably still high on adrenaline from that fight.
The fight, right. You actually did it. You won. Who even cares about souls. You destroyed that imp. Looks like you're not such a failure after all.
You look up to find your reflection staring back at you, a smile slowly spreading across their face. Heh, you look like a mess.
>CHARACTER CREATION
>what do you look like?
Hit me up with some descriptors. As many as you'd like. Feel free to second other people's suggestions. Once the voting period is over, I'll try to incorporate as many of them as possible into our protagonist's description, favoring the ones with a high count of votes.
>what is your name?
[]Arden
[]Avery
[]Moriah
[]write-in
Pick a name, or suggest one yourself. Since our protagonist is non-binary, I'd prefer if it was an unisex one.
>what are your strenghts?
Pick two traits. These aren't going to break or make the game for you, but they'll definitely influence how certain situations play out and how I write the character. Maybe you can even use them to your advantage?
Magic Sense and Magically Dense cancel each other out and can not both be picked, of course.
You decide to start off with the cursing Maeve bit. It's become one of your favorite pastimes in these last few days. You know she means well, probably, but God what was she thinking. You're in way over your head.
She hasn't told you anything about this, that's for sure. Maeve's approach to teaching you has been very...hands-off. After she made you break into her old apartment and get all those books and the cauldron (an absolutely terrifying experience, by the way), she's only dropped in a couple times.
You kind of figured she'd be here today though - with it being the day of your big meeting with the Coven and all that. Isn't she going to check up on you?
>see if there's anything in our book about this... If you're going to start eating spirits, you should see if there are any side effects.
You're pretty sure there isn't. At least not in the ones you've read. That kind of thing would be hard to forget about.
You briefly contemplate checking anyway, but...
Doesn't it seem like the light is getting just a little bit dimmer around the edges?
You make a mental note to go consult your books later, should the opportunity present itself.
>eat it, you've always wanted this.
>be ready to use your willpower. There is little chance that imp will try to possess you, but better safe than sorry.
You bring your attention back to the light. It's about the size of your fist and it's pulsing lightly, still incredibly beautiful.
...It's too early to get your hopes up. This might not even work.
You reach for it, half expecting your hand to just faze through. It doesn't. Instead, you find yourself with a handful of soul.
This definitely ranks among the Weirdest Experiences You've Had in Your Life. And that bar has become pretty high recently. The feeling the soul inside your grasp is almost unreal. This intense, vibrating energy; tangible, but just barely. Your fingertips tingle with arcane power.
It kind of tickles, actually.
What now? You tentatively move your hand. The light stays firmly in your grasp. You bring it up to your chest, right where your heart is, and press. Nothing happens.
Figures. You think you know where this is going. Might as well get it over with before you can chicken out.
You bring the soul up to your mouth, and swallow.
>...
You look down at your hand. It's empty. The soul is gone.
You don't feel any different.
Did it not work?
You drag yourself over to the sink and splash your face with cold water. The feeling is oddly intense. You realize you're probably still high on adrenaline from that fight.
The fight, right. You actually did it. You won. Who even cares about souls. You destroyed that imp. Looks like you're not such a failure after all.
You look up to find your reflection staring back at you, a smile slowly spreading across their face. Heh, you look like a mess.
>CHARACTER CREATION
>what do you look like?
Hit me up with some descriptors. As many as you'd like. Feel free to second other people's suggestions. Once the voting period is over, I'll try to incorporate as many of them as possible into our protagonist's description, favoring the ones with a high count of votes.
>what is your name?
[]Arden
[]Avery
[]Moriah
[]write-in
Pick a name, or suggest one yourself. Since our protagonist is non-binary, I'd prefer if it was an unisex one.
>what are your strenghts?
Pick two traits. These aren't going to break or make the game for you, but they'll definitely influence how certain situations play out and how I write the character. Maybe you can even use them to your advantage?
[]Magic Sense
Yeah, you can see spirits and magic energy now, but there's something more to it.
If you concentrate enough, you can sense magic in your immediate surroundings - if its bearer isn't trying to conceal it, that is.
However, magic also affects you more.
[]Magically Dense
Magic aura? What magic aura?
Your magic nose is perpetually stuffy, but it turns out that actually makes you pretty resilient towards spells and other types of magic energy directed at you. Resilient, not immune.
[]Light on your Feet
You used to be on the track team.
You're a fast runner and pretty agile. Your reflexes are nothing to scoff at, either.
[]Sturdy
You can take a hit or two. If you're knocked down, you get back up again.
[]Combat Enthusiast
You were pretty handy with that stool, right?
You've always been into martial arts. You never stuck with one thing long enough to actually master it, but you can throw a decent punch and you know how to handle a basic weapon.
[]Good Visual Memory
It's not exactly photographic memory, but you're surprisingly quick to remember images, symbols, and movements you see, especially if you pay close attention to them.
[]Cool Head
Ok, that imp encounter got you kind of riled up, but once you've actually gotten used to the thought of fighting magic demons, you should be pretty good at keeping your cool. That also applies to other stressful situations, of course.
Yeah, you can see spirits and magic energy now, but there's something more to it.
If you concentrate enough, you can sense magic in your immediate surroundings - if its bearer isn't trying to conceal it, that is.
However, magic also affects you more.
[]Magically Dense
Magic aura? What magic aura?
Your magic nose is perpetually stuffy, but it turns out that actually makes you pretty resilient towards spells and other types of magic energy directed at you. Resilient, not immune.
[]Light on your Feet
You used to be on the track team.
You're a fast runner and pretty agile. Your reflexes are nothing to scoff at, either.
[]Sturdy
You can take a hit or two. If you're knocked down, you get back up again.
[]Combat Enthusiast
You were pretty handy with that stool, right?
You've always been into martial arts. You never stuck with one thing long enough to actually master it, but you can throw a decent punch and you know how to handle a basic weapon.
[]Good Visual Memory
It's not exactly photographic memory, but you're surprisingly quick to remember images, symbols, and movements you see, especially if you pay close attention to them.
[]Cool Head
Ok, that imp encounter got you kind of riled up, but once you've actually gotten used to the thought of fighting magic demons, you should be pretty good at keeping your cool. That also applies to other stressful situations, of course.
Magic Sense and Magically Dense cancel each other out and can not both be picked, of course.
Status:
no injuries
slightly hungry
Inventory (no bag):
empty
Objective:
Character creation!
no injuries
slightly hungry
Inventory (no bag):
empty
Objective:
Character creation!
Magic power:
average
Runes known:
"Heat" (you do not know how to write this rune)
average
Runes known:
"Heat" (you do not know how to write this rune)
Last edited:
Prologue - 8
- Location
- Switzerland
>what do you look like?
Well, considering you just fought a demon, you could look a lot worse - judging from the part of your reflection you can actually see, at least, which is roughly everything from your chin on up. People should really start hanging their mirrors lower.
You take yourself in: Messy black hair, brown skin, black eyes with an impressive set of dark bags under them. The usual. You try running a hand through your hair and splash some more water in your face for good measure. It doesn't really do much, but you still feel a little more presentable.
You should probably put on some clothes as well. Should you dress up? At this point, you're honestly not sure if you do own anything besides oversized T-shirts and hoodies in various shades of black, but maybe you could try foraging through the depths of your closet. Your meeting with the Coven is a sort of job interview, right? Unless it is more of an exam.
God, you hope it's not an exam. Maybe you should go through your notes again just in-
You sense her presence mere seconds before you hear her voice; she's quick like that. It's just enough time to turn around.
"Hi, Cam."
Maeve is sitting on the rim of your bathtub, hands buried deep in the pockets of her leather jacket. It's black with an excessive amount of silver studs, and it looks ridiculously out of place in this tiny old bathroom. If Maeve's aware, she doesn't let on.
You're not sure if she could take it off, actually.
You don't really know how ghosts work.
Maeve doesn't seem aware of your musings. She's watching you with a frown, eyes never quite meeting yours. You don't really think much of it. You haven't known her for all that long, but bitter has been her default expressions in these last few days. Ever since she… you know. Died.
Due to you.
You really owe her for that one.
"…You probably shouldn't have done that," Maeve says, and you feel a chill run down your spine. Oh. You're pretty sure you know what she's talking about.
[]Input command
Campbell: Confused college student, imp slayer, in way over their head. That's You.
Perks: Magic Sense, Good Visual Memory
Maeve: Formerly a demon hunter for the Coven, currently very dead. That last one's on you. She has a Plan, and you probably owe it to her to go along with it.
You have entered a conversation. Normal command rules apply. Conversation commands can be anything from >say hi to Maeve, or >say hi to Maeve in a cheerful way to a more precise >"Sup Maeve. Haven't seen you in a while."
Feel free to ask questions, make jokes... you know, whatever humans do when they talk. But be aware that characters will remember your interactions, and character relationships will be an integral part of this quest. Doesn't mean everyone has to be your best friend. Being nice might not always be the best way to get what you want.
Also, I wasprocrastinating feeling motivated so I guess there's illustrations now. And a new Characters tab (should be the last one).
Well, considering you just fought a demon, you could look a lot worse - judging from the part of your reflection you can actually see, at least, which is roughly everything from your chin on up. People should really start hanging their mirrors lower.
You take yourself in: Messy black hair, brown skin, black eyes with an impressive set of dark bags under them. The usual. You try running a hand through your hair and splash some more water in your face for good measure. It doesn't really do much, but you still feel a little more presentable.
You should probably put on some clothes as well. Should you dress up? At this point, you're honestly not sure if you do own anything besides oversized T-shirts and hoodies in various shades of black, but maybe you could try foraging through the depths of your closet. Your meeting with the Coven is a sort of job interview, right? Unless it is more of an exam.
God, you hope it's not an exam. Maybe you should go through your notes again just in-
You sense her presence mere seconds before you hear her voice; she's quick like that. It's just enough time to turn around.
"Hi, Cam."
Maeve is sitting on the rim of your bathtub, hands buried deep in the pockets of her leather jacket. It's black with an excessive amount of silver studs, and it looks ridiculously out of place in this tiny old bathroom. If Maeve's aware, she doesn't let on.
You're not sure if she could take it off, actually.
You don't really know how ghosts work.
Maeve doesn't seem aware of your musings. She's watching you with a frown, eyes never quite meeting yours. You don't really think much of it. You haven't known her for all that long, but bitter has been her default expressions in these last few days. Ever since she… you know. Died.
Due to you.
You really owe her for that one.
"…You probably shouldn't have done that," Maeve says, and you feel a chill run down your spine. Oh. You're pretty sure you know what she's talking about.
[]Input command
Status:
no injuries
slightly hungry
Inventory (no bag):
empty
Objective:
Talk to Maeve. Get ready to head out to the coven.
no injuries
slightly hungry
Inventory (no bag):
empty
Objective:
Talk to Maeve. Get ready to head out to the coven.
Magic power:
average
Runes known:
"Heat" (you do not know how to write this rune)
average
Runes known:
"Heat" (you do not know how to write this rune)
Campbell: Confused college student, imp slayer, in way over their head. That's You.
Perks: Magic Sense, Good Visual Memory
Maeve: Formerly a demon hunter for the Coven, currently very dead. That last one's on you. She has a Plan, and you probably owe it to her to go along with it.
You have entered a conversation. Normal command rules apply. Conversation commands can be anything from >say hi to Maeve, or >say hi to Maeve in a cheerful way to a more precise >"Sup Maeve. Haven't seen you in a while."
Feel free to ask questions, make jokes... you know, whatever humans do when they talk. But be aware that characters will remember your interactions, and character relationships will be an integral part of this quest. Doesn't mean everyone has to be your best friend. Being nice might not always be the best way to get what you want.
Also, I was
Last edited:
Prologue - 8
- Location
- Switzerland
>Say hi
"Uhm. Hey, Maeve," you say, remembering somewhat belatedly that greetings are a thing. "Long time no see."
It hasn't been long, 4 days at most, but it sure felt like it. Left alone with nothing but old books, a rusty cauldron, and a series of nasty nightmares, time really tends to drag.
"Yeah, well. I was busy." Maeve gives a shrug, refusing to elaborate further. "…And I would have been here a few hours ago, if it hadn't been for…" She trails off and her frown deepens. She doesn't bother to finish the sentence, just makes a vague gesture towards the bathroom floor.
You stare for a second before you get it. The imp? What about it? Maeve used to be a demon hunter, right? A really good one at that, if she's to be believed. She surely knows how to handle an imp.
>"Why not?"
You try to ignore the expanding pit of worry at the bottom of your stomach as you ask the question. It's weirdly intense, just sitting there, waiting to swallow you up.
Maeve let's out a wry laugh. "Why not?"
You watch her pinch the bridge of her nose between two fingers as she slowly shakes her head. "It's not exactly allowed, Cam. Pretty much the opposite, actually. What were you even- Why would you just-" Her voice is getting pretty loud. It carries through the air in a weird way, just slightly off, and you realize it probably doesn't reverberate off the walls. It's just as unhinged from physicality as the rest of her. "…You should have waited. You should have asked me."
Yeah, sure. You should have asked her. You should probably have asked her a lot of things these last few days. Maybe you would have if she had been around. You're getting fed up with this.
>"I guess you'd be the authority to ask on things-to-not-do. Look where talking to me got you." Gesture at Maeve and her... incorporeality.
Maeve blinks up at you, mouth slightly open as if she was about to say something. She seems too surprised to take offense.
You're surprised yourself, actually. These last few days – especially this morning – have been one big disaster. But you normally don't snap like that. The pressure must really be getting to you.
>Run a hand up to the corner of your forehead, take a deep breath, and let out the rest of the adrenaline that a morning filled with Imps and Ghosts is causing you. "…Sorry, that wasn't fair. How boned are we?"
Maeve takes a second to catch herself. When she does, her voice is oddly quiet. "…A manageable amount, I think. You're feeling fine, right?"
It's your turn to shrug.
She sighs. "Just. Don't tell anybody about this." Ah. more shit to keep quiet about. Maeve falls silent for a minute, and you think that's the end of that particular discussion. Then, she speaks back up.
"Look, for all it's worth, this might not have been such a terrible idea. You probably didn't get anywhere with those runes, did you." It's a rhetorical question. You feel a pang of irritation as you realize she expected you to fail. "I'm pretty sure that soul will add to your magic power. Somehow. I'm not saying you should have done it, but if we want them to take you in as a magic user and not a hunter, this might be our best shot." She pauses. "So you didn't do that terrible." It's the closest thing to an apology you'll get.
"Which brings me back to why I'm here. Remember, when you meet the Coven don't-"
"Don't tell them how we met. Don't tell them where you are. Don't tell them about the wendigo." You know all about that last one.
That wendigo, you see, is going to be your problem. That's the deal.
"And don't tell them I'm dead," Maeve finishes. There's an odd look on her face, but she turns away before you can make it out.
You half expect her to just… float away again, back through the bathroom window, but she doesn't. This might be your chance to ask some questions. Or maybe you should be getting ready to head out to the Coven.
[]input command
Campbell: Confused college student, imp slayer, in way over their head. That's You.
Perks: Magic Sense, Good Visual Memory
Maeve: Formerly a hunter for the Coven, currently very dead. That last one's on you. She has a Plan, and you probably owe it to her to go along with it.
"Uhm. Hey, Maeve," you say, remembering somewhat belatedly that greetings are a thing. "Long time no see."
It hasn't been long, 4 days at most, but it sure felt like it. Left alone with nothing but old books, a rusty cauldron, and a series of nasty nightmares, time really tends to drag.
"Yeah, well. I was busy." Maeve gives a shrug, refusing to elaborate further. "…And I would have been here a few hours ago, if it hadn't been for…" She trails off and her frown deepens. She doesn't bother to finish the sentence, just makes a vague gesture towards the bathroom floor.
You stare for a second before you get it. The imp? What about it? Maeve used to be a demon hunter, right? A really good one at that, if she's to be believed. She surely knows how to handle an imp.
>"Why not?"
You try to ignore the expanding pit of worry at the bottom of your stomach as you ask the question. It's weirdly intense, just sitting there, waiting to swallow you up.
Maeve let's out a wry laugh. "Why not?"
You watch her pinch the bridge of her nose between two fingers as she slowly shakes her head. "It's not exactly allowed, Cam. Pretty much the opposite, actually. What were you even- Why would you just-" Her voice is getting pretty loud. It carries through the air in a weird way, just slightly off, and you realize it probably doesn't reverberate off the walls. It's just as unhinged from physicality as the rest of her. "…You should have waited. You should have asked me."
Yeah, sure. You should have asked her. You should probably have asked her a lot of things these last few days. Maybe you would have if she had been around. You're getting fed up with this.
>"I guess you'd be the authority to ask on things-to-not-do. Look where talking to me got you." Gesture at Maeve and her... incorporeality.
Maeve blinks up at you, mouth slightly open as if she was about to say something. She seems too surprised to take offense.
You're surprised yourself, actually. These last few days – especially this morning – have been one big disaster. But you normally don't snap like that. The pressure must really be getting to you.
>Run a hand up to the corner of your forehead, take a deep breath, and let out the rest of the adrenaline that a morning filled with Imps and Ghosts is causing you. "…Sorry, that wasn't fair. How boned are we?"
Maeve takes a second to catch herself. When she does, her voice is oddly quiet. "…A manageable amount, I think. You're feeling fine, right?"
It's your turn to shrug.
She sighs. "Just. Don't tell anybody about this." Ah. more shit to keep quiet about. Maeve falls silent for a minute, and you think that's the end of that particular discussion. Then, she speaks back up.
"Look, for all it's worth, this might not have been such a terrible idea. You probably didn't get anywhere with those runes, did you." It's a rhetorical question. You feel a pang of irritation as you realize she expected you to fail. "I'm pretty sure that soul will add to your magic power. Somehow. I'm not saying you should have done it, but if we want them to take you in as a magic user and not a hunter, this might be our best shot." She pauses. "So you didn't do that terrible." It's the closest thing to an apology you'll get.
"Which brings me back to why I'm here. Remember, when you meet the Coven don't-"
"Don't tell them how we met. Don't tell them where you are. Don't tell them about the wendigo." You know all about that last one.
That wendigo, you see, is going to be your problem. That's the deal.
"And don't tell them I'm dead," Maeve finishes. There's an odd look on her face, but she turns away before you can make it out.
You half expect her to just… float away again, back through the bathroom window, but she doesn't. This might be your chance to ask some questions. Or maybe you should be getting ready to head out to the Coven.
[]input command
Status:
no injuries
slightly hungry
Inventory (no bag):
empty
Objective:
Talk to Maeve. Get ready to head out to the coven.
no injuries
slightly hungry
Inventory (no bag):
empty
Objective:
Talk to Maeve. Get ready to head out to the coven.
Magic power:
average
Runes known:
"Heat" (you do not know how to write this rune)
average
Runes known:
"Heat" (you do not know how to write this rune)
Campbell: Confused college student, imp slayer, in way over their head. That's You.
Perks: Magic Sense, Good Visual Memory
Maeve: Formerly a hunter for the Coven, currently very dead. That last one's on you. She has a Plan, and you probably owe it to her to go along with it.
Last edited: