Hmm... seeing as these are all older students, that presmuably means they're all far more powerful and experienced, and there's just as many of them as there are of us, before taking into account how Isolia is already disabled. So directly fighting them with our own power isn't really an option. At best, we could briefly distract them or assist something else in fighting them. Since we're currently in an out of the way part of the school, there are no teachers or other more powerful allies nearby; we'd have to escape from and run away from these guys, then find a teacher, then explain the situation, then run back (assuming they haven't moved somewhere else by then), all while they're still holding at least one of our friends hostage. This strikes me as a really bad plan, unless we can get Isolia away first.
Newday's Plan Dickshot Combo could potentially do this, but it would be extremely risky, and would just piss them off a lot regardless of its success.
Trying for diplomacy or otherwise appealing to their better nature, against racist classists who take one girl hostage in order to steal another girl's blood, strikes me as... good only for maybe distracting them briefly as part of some bigger plan. On it's own, it ain't gonna work. These aren't mere schoolyard bullies, they're legit evil. And the fact that they're going after us specifically here, where the teachers aren't nearby, means threatening to tell on them isn't gonna help much either; they already know, and have taken that into account
Chandagnac's suggested Plan Throw Archironaeus strikes me as the best option (though with some addendums to improve chances of success); though we don't know Archironaeus that well, he's a being of unknown power, who is the only one here other than us and the older students, and between offering him mice and him apparently suddenly appearing on our arm, he's potentially kind of an ally?
So, I suggest:
[X] Throw Archironaeus the owl at them.
-[X] Attempt to rescue Isolia and run away while the older students are still confused.
As we throw the owl, remind him that the girl who is caught here is the one who can get mice for him. Not sure if he alone will be quite sufficient, so combine this plan with elements of Plan Dickshot Combo (or any other plans anyone comes up with for how to force them to drop Isolia). Once we're a decent distance away, call for Archironaeus to follow us; if this actually works out, they've certainly earned their mouse-based reward. Use illusions, glowing lights, speed, and any other potentially useful cantrips to assist in our escape; we're not actually going to be able to get away from them, but we just need to slow them down for long enough to find a teacher (preferably Green Flame).
If we throw the owl, we should do the funny "Wait how did he get here" option. Actually, suiting action to words:
[X] Throw Archironaeus the owl at them.
-[X] Wait a minute… Where did he come from?
--[X] You weren't holding him a moment ago, were you?
---[X] Attempt to rescue Isolia and run away while the older students are still confused.
Yeah, I don't think the owl would be sitting there for ages if it was in good shape.
I think mentioning the teachers is honestly the best line of thought. If stealing blood is acceptable, the school would become a bloodbath. The "plan" of the older students is probably two parts desperation and one part hoping intimidation keeps the younger students quiet.
[X] Attempt to persuade the older students that what they are doing is wrong and that they should be ashamed of themselves.
-[x] "Hold! What you are doing to us is wrong. Why do you do this thing?"
-[x] Remind them that their actions have consequences (mention teachers)
[×] If this fails, attack them
-[×] Telekinetically push the ones who have Isolia to break their grip, grab her, and book it
I'm going to leave the vote open until tomorrow. As far as I can see, there isn't an outright majority in favour of any particular course of action. If a majority doesn't emerge by the time I'm ready to write the next update, I'll try to hodgepodge all of the votes together like I usually do.
Anyway, here's the beginning of my new quest, Chosen by the Dragon God:
Chosen by the Dragon God said:
The Mirror Monster (Part One)
You are Elys Allardyne, daughter of Yslena and Gareth. When you were a tiny baby, you were kidnapped by Sea Ghouls, evil spirits from under the sea, who planned to steal your soul and turn you into a mindless puppet. You were rescued by your parents, former adventurers, who made a deal with Mishrak the Dragon God in order to reach the deep-sea palace of the Sea Ghouls.
From then on, Mishrak took an interest in your wellbeing and you adopted him as an honorary uncle: you would later find out that he had unwittingly given you a tiny fraction of his power, granting you various supernatural abilities and making you develop more quickly than any normal child. Eventually, he made you his Chosen: his champion among mortals, empowered to act on his behalf, which might be more impressive if you weren't only eleven years old.
Until recently, you were the Princess of Ismar and Windskil, two small islands in the Sea of Squalls. Now, you are princess of nothing. The great slaving Empire of Aspitolm conquered your home islands, planning to use them as stepping stones from which to launch their eventual invasion of the Quellonian mainland. You, your family, and your subjects fought valiantly but were forced into exile. Having taken refuge in your divine patron's underwater halls, your parents are gathering allies and preparing to strike back against the Aspitis. You had hoped and expected to be asked to help them with that. Instead, they sent you away to boarding school.
After nearly two months, the Engelram Academy of the Magical Arts feels less like home than ever. You have made no new friends, you have been put in a class full of class full of fifteen-and-sixteen-year-olds who treat you like a toddling child, and some of the teachers seem to resent the fact that you are already a more accomplished mage than they are. It's almost as if they look down on you for being the Chosen of a god, as if they're assuming you gained your knowledge and powers by unsavoury means, and they treat you poorly because of it.
Your new classmates are irritating and condescending. Initially, some of the boys tried flirting with you, but they were abashed and humiliated when they found out your real age; afterwards, they took to calling you by the unpleasant nickname of 'Princess Jailbait'. The others seem envious of your abilities, or they see you as a ridiculous figure to be sneered at, or they refuse to acknowledge your presence in any way whatsoever. None of them are willing to give you a chance to befriend them.
It wouldn't be so bad if Jana, your handmaiden and best friend, was with you. She is loyal and brave, but has much less magical power than you do; therefore, she has been placed in one of the less advanced classes, with fellow pupils who are around her own age. For most of the day, almost every day, you are separated from her. As far as you can tell, she seems happy, although she feels a bit guilty about not being able to accompany you and carry out her duties.
Also, after only a few weeks, your noble steed, Catharne the dragonling, went home to her father, Mishrak. She didn't like being cooped up in the stables all day and her scent was making the horses very nervous, and so you were persuaded that it would be better for everyone if she was sent away. You didn't like to do it, since she is almost like a little sister to you – actually, since Mishrak is your honorary uncle, she is basically your cousin – but she has grown too large to fit through a normal-sized doorway and you didn't want to leave her in a place where she would be bored all the time. Instead, you've given her a chance to spend time with her dad and his collection of sea monsters, so she's probably having more fun than you are.
You're bored and lonely. None of your teachers know how to teach an eleven-year-old girl who already knows more magic than most adult mages do. Some of them seem to take it as a personal affront that they had nothing to do with your becoming so skilled and talented: they assess your work more harshly than that of any other pupil, they dismiss anything you have to say without even considering it, and they glare at you as if they think that your coming to this school was meant as a deliberate insult to them.
Unable to bear any more of this treatment – especially after you found out that one of your classmate's homework was given a better grade than yours even though he did nothing more than copy out of a textbook – you march to the office of one Professor Elthonar, intending to remonstrate with him. However, just as you are about to knock on his door, you hear an agonized scream and a thud.
You burst into the room and find a monster standing over the professor's disembowelled corpse. Vaguely humanoid in shape, the monster has weirdly elongated limbs, claw-like fingers, and a wide mouth filled with multiple rows of sharp teeth. Its bearded face resembles that of the man it just killed, but with dark eyes like shiny black beetles crawling out of the sunken-in holes in its head.
When it sees you, it takes a step back and a glance behind. It appears to be gazing into a large mirror with an ornate gilt frame, which is affixed to the wall behind Professor Elthonar's desk. Your eyes are drawn to it as well: you expect to see the contents of this office room reflected back at you, but instead you see a distorted landscape of jagged hills and twisted pillars rising up out of a dusty plain that glistens like starlight. The mirror is actually a portal, you realise.
What will you do? (Choose one)
[] Shoot first, ask questions later. Dragon breath!
[] Ask questions first, shoot later.
-[] "Where did you come from? Why did you kill the professor?"
[] "You killed the professor!"
-[] "That's not fair! I wanted to do that!"
[] Attempt to destroy the mirror before the creature can escape.
Please let me know if you have any thoughts, criticisms, or if there is anything you think I should change. Otherwise, I will probably turn this into the first post in a new thread, starting whenever I think that I'm ready to give this a shot.
It's a crossover between HameFura (a cute shoujo anime with a surprisingly deep backstory) and Game of Thrones/ASoIaF (a dark fantasy series that was extremely popular a few years ago, dunno if you've ever heard of it), which fuses the two settings together and uses characters from both series. Somewhat surprisingly, it's not complete crack, but still I hope that you will find it amusing. I'd be extremely grateful if you'd let me know what you think of what I've written so far.
So I wonder, does throwing the owl at them rank above or below throwing the book?
[x] Throw Archironaeus the owl at them.
-[x] Wait a minute… Where did he come from?
--[x] You weren't holding him a moment ago, were you?
---[x] Attempt to rescue Isolia and run away while the older students are still confused.
It's just like Bladderwrack, except with an owl instead of a ball, and with you running away from the other team instead of towards them! The shape of the old owl is irrelevant so long as his aerodynamics is fine.
But more importantly, an owl needs a grip to cling to something, and their claws while not life-threatening to a human are still very intimidating while their wings are wide and very good at obscuring the vision while an owl stretches them out for balance.
And it's hard to shake off an owl who doesn't want to let go.
Sorry, Mr. Archironaeus, I know we promised you rats and not brats. We'll double the amount of mice next time we meet.
Well, my reason for supporting Plan Throw Archironaeus is because I am hoping he will attack them on his own once thrown. Preferably with magical powers, but I'd settle for just talons to the face as long as he can resist whatever counterattacks they might have. If I thought he'd be just a fancy living projectile... we'd probably be better off doing literally anything else.
is voting still open, turns out i forgot to 'watch' this thread. also can we kill students? would we get in trouble. i dont remember what the ground rules are for the headmasters social darwinism. (mans should read fantasy kropotkin)
i dont care how desperate these kids are, they need to get a bloody nose for this. nobody messes with our team.
Leaving aside whether school shootings are a proper answer to bullying...
Students is what brings money to the school. Regardless of whether individual lives are valued, the loss of revenue likely won't be overlooked.
But it's the people who pay that money we need to watch out for. We are in a city where nobles can destroy a commoner's life on a whim, and we have no backers other than "Madam Zyn".
Changadnac hasn't posted a close notice yet, so I think so! I composed plan "extracting blood from students is an idiot idea" because I feel that's our most sensible option, short of yelling for a teacher.
[X] Attempt to persuade the older students that what they are doing is wrong and that they should be ashamed of themselves.
-[x] "Hold! What you are doing to us is wrong. Why do you do this thing?"
-[x] Remind them that their actions have consequences (mention teachers)
[×] If this fails, attack them
-[×] Telekinetically push the ones who have Isolia to break their grip, grab her, and book it
From the corridor outside, you hear Isolia cry out in pain and fear. Rushing to her aid, you find her caught in the grip of a pair of older students. There are four of them in all: three young men and one woman, about fifteen or sixteen years old, all of them with the same expression of sadistic glee on their faces. Two of the men have grabbed hold of Isolia and twisted her arms behind her back.
"She bit me!" one of them cries out indignantly. "Filthy little beast…"
"Well, what else do you expect from a street rat?" asks the other, grinning at him.
Their apparent leader, a young man who appears very finely dressed, in much grander clothes than are normally permitted as school uniform at the Tyrepheum Academy of the Magical Arts, gives you a mocking bow and says, "We want to make an exchange: this girl will be returned to you safe and sound in exchange for your goblin."
"What do you want with me?" asks Phil, putting on an indignant face. You're not sure whether he's joking or not. "And, I must say, I resent being called a goblin! Even if they are very fine people, I'm sure–"
"Not you," says the dandified teenager. He jabs a finger in Venta's direction. "We want her."
"And… what do you want with me?" asks Venta, making a visible effort to be brave and speak without faltering.
"Just a few pints of your blood," says the dandy with a wicked grin. "We need it for a ritual."
"Hold! What you are doing to us is wrong!" you protest. "Why are you doing this?"
The four older students laugh derisively at you. Their apparent leader, the young man clad in finest silks, says, "Because we can."
"It's fun," says one of the others, who has rather more scars and pockmarks than any of his friends: although he is almost as well-dressed as any of them, you suspect that he had a rougher upbringing and has had a hard life so far. But before you can feel any pity for him, he smears an expression of gleeful cruelty across his face.
The two others, a young man and a woman, look like they could be fraternal twins: they look almost identical, with delicately feminine facial features, pale skin, and long dark hair. "Because we need her blood for a ritual," they say, pointing at Venta, who looks as if she wants to hide behind you.
"You won't get away with this," you say, ignoring their jeering at you. "You must know that you'll get into trouble for doing this, otherwise you wouldn't have ambushed us here, so far away from everyone else. Still, even if you get the blood you want, what do you think will happen when we tell one of the teachers? You'll be expelled!"
"They won't expel us just for extracting a few drops of blood from a gobbo," their leader scoffs. "I'd be surprised if they say anything at all."
"Do you really think anyone cares about the four of you?" asks the pockmarked youth, giving you a shrewd glance. "There must be a reason why Prentigold put his elf slave in charge of the four of you, right?"
"Probably needed to give her something to do when he isn't railing her nightly," says their leader, with a piggy snort of laughter. A moment later, his friends remember to laugh as well.
"You laugh a lot, don't you?" Philander takes a step forward, challenging them. "But it's not because you're happy: as far as I can tell, it's to hide that fact that your jokes aren't very funny."
"What? You little streak of–"
Realising that your attempt to be diplomatic is getting you nowhere, you try violence instead: using your Telekinetic Push, you strike at the almost effeminate-looking young man who is one of the pair holding on to Isolia. You hope to loosen his grip just enough that she will be able to escape. Instead, he shrugs off your attack seemingly without effort and then strikes back with an invisible fist that lifts you off your feet and smashes you into the ground.
"Did you really think that would work?" he sneers at you.
In a daze, with blood trickling from your broken nose, you struggle to reply. There is… something… You are holding on to something… in your arms… Coarse and matted fluff… that wasn't there before. What… and where did it come from?
"Brave of you, lad," says Archironaeus the owl, making himself comfortable on your chest, pushing his way into a little nook formed by the position of your bent arms. "Of course… I always preferred your kind, not theirs. Friends willing to fight for each other, not bullies. Hoo hoo."
"Lotsa mice," you whisper. "As many as you want. Just help me… help her."
Meanwhile, Venta has raised her arms in surrender. "I agree to the exchange," she says, seemingly in a panic. "You can take some of my blood, sure. Just don't hurt my friends!"
She lets the dandy and the pockmarked youth grab on to her, waits until the twins release Isolia from their grasp, and then uses her unique magical talent. Now, there are two Ventas. The two who thought they'd caught her suddenly find themselves clutching an illusion, which swiftly dissipates.
"You can't escape!" cries the dandified young man, chasing after her.
Philander gets in his way. He sneers and is about to shove your friend aside, but then there is a silvery flash, a spray of blood, and an outraged shriek.
"You want blood, don't you?" says Philander, brandishing a bloody knife – and not just any knife: you recognize it as the one you took from the cutthroats who were threatening Anthikares Neroth, the one that Green Flame reshaped to look like a cold iron dagger; Phil must have 'borrowed' it from you without asking for permission first. "Here's some of yours."
"Bastard! You absolute bastard!" The apparent leader of your assailants presses both hands against the wound in his side. Blood seeps through his fingers, staining his expensive silks.
"Yeah?" Phil puts on a bored expression and shrugs. "There's an old saying I think is particularly appropriate for this situation: 'It takes one to know one.'"
"All the mice you want!" you cry, stumbling to your feet and hurling Archironaeus at the already stricken young man.
The owl is tossed through the air like a partially-deflated Bladderwrack ball. Thumping into your silk-clad enemy, he proceeds to peck him, slash at him with his talons, and flap his tattered wings at him. Under other circumstances, it would have been an amusing and somewhat pathetic sight: right now, you can't spare the time to watch the dandified young man fall over on the floor, flailing his arms and shouting for his friends to save him. What a shame I can't stay…
You see, this is why I love quests: it makes me snigger to think that, in this case, 'throw an owl at someone' is actually the best option.
You flee. Philander is with you. Isolia and Venta are a way ahead. Behind you, the other members of the cadre of older students that attacked you seem unsure of whether they should pursue you or rescue their apparent leader from being attacked by a motheaten-looking owl. That gives you a decent head start.
However, before long, they give chase. One of them must be using mind magic to confuse you. Try as you might, you can't seem to stop wandering in circles, through an endless maze of corridors, all of them exactly alike.
Finally, you step into one of the storerooms to the side, hoping to catch your breath and maybe find a place to hide for a few minutes. "I recognize that," you say, pointing at the mirror with the ornately decorated gold frame, which you see propped up against one wall. "I know we must be close to the main part of the school; I just can't think where…"
Your voice trails off into silence when you notice that the mirror isn't showing your reflection. Instead, it shows you a vision of another world: a landscape of grey slopes, spiky mountains, crystals that seem to have grown into the shape of tall pillars, and swirls of sparkling dust that drift this way and that, blown by the wind.
"Where is that?" you ask, pointing. "It's a magic mirror showing us… what, exactly? Why has it activated now when we couldn't get it to work before?"
"Wherever that is, I'd rather be there than here," says Philander with a shrug. "Right now, at least."
"Maybe that's it," says Venta. "It could have activated because we're desperate and trying to escape."
"So… does it offer us a means of escape? Or is it just taunting us?" you want to know.
Pressing your finger against the surface of the mirror causes the image to change, zooming in closer. Now, you can see a young woman dressed in wizard robes much like yours, surrounded by books, papers, various writing implements, and fragments of shattered wreckage that appear to have been strewn all over the place. She appears to be searching through the objects that have been scattered all around her, purposely looking for something, but you don't know what.
"Do you think she's a goddess?" asks Isolia.
Philander gives her an amused glance. "Why would you think that?"
"Well… she's beautiful," says Isolia, squirming and shuffling her feet. "I don't think I've ever seen anyone quite as beautiful other than… uh, Green Flame. Wouldn't you agree?"
For a moment, Phil looks like he wants to tease her, but he evidently decides better of it. "Divinely beautiful, huh?" He scratches his chin, looking thoughtful. "If she's a goddess, hmm… maybe she'd be willing to help us?"
"I've prayed to Zora Alishanda for aid," says Venta. "I don't think that's her – or one of her masks – but right now, I'll accept help from wherever I can get it."
"What if she's a demon?" you ask.
"Does she look like a demon?" Venta asks, raising an eyebrow at you.
"Well, no… but there are demons that can change their appearance in order to tempt, corrupt, or seduce mortals," you say, remembering the words from a book you once read.
"'Seduce', huh?" says Phil, unable to resist the temptation any longer. "I think Isolia would like that."
"No, I wouldn't!" Isolia cries, throwing up her hands. "I just said she's beautiful! It's a statement of fact! Can't you see that?!"
"I think you're making too much noise," you chide her.
She instantly falls silent, running a nervous hand over a spot on her other arm where one of the hostage-takers held onto her too tightly. You listen anxiously for the sound of footsteps outside. Those older students are still out there, hunting you, even now…
What will you do?
[] Call out to the young woman in the mirror.
[] Tap the mirror again, trying to zoom in closer.
[] "Hey, maybe there are some other things we can do with this magic mirror?"
-[] "Perhaps we can use it to open a portal to the other world we can see?"
--[] Experiment with using the magic mirror.
[] Do something else (write in).
(I may veto your suggestions if they make it more difficult to tell the story I want to tell, sorry.)
[] Leave the room and continue to run away.
(Sorry, in this final crossover arc, getting all of the pieces into position is going to require a certain amount of railroading.)
Ha, poor Isola. Protesting only makes her look more guilty.
Still onto serious matters: the coming reader insurrection against QM railroading.
Sorry, I couldn't help myself;-)
Right, onto actual matters. I think calling out would be a mistake. Just a gut feeling that it won't work.
Tapping feels too 'tech'. I think trying to do an illusion through the mirror has the best chance of success.
What will you do?
[] Call out to the young woman in the mirror.
[] Tap the mirror again, trying to zoom in closer.
[X] "Hey, maybe there are some other things we can do with this magic mirror?"
-[X] "Perhaps we can use it to open a portal to the other world we can see?"
--[X] Experiment with using the magic mirror.
[X] Do something else (write in).
-[X] Before trying to open up a mirror portal, try to push an illusion through it. Aiming for communication to understand the goals of the woman.
(I may veto your suggestions if they make it more difficult to tell the story I want to tell, sorry.)
[] Leave the room and continue to run away.
(Sorry, in this final crossover arc, getting all of the pieces into position is going to require a certain amount of railroading.)
[X] "Hey, maybe there are some other things we can do with this magic mirror?"
-[X] "Perhaps we can use it to open a portal to the other world we can see?"
--[X] Experiment with using the magic mirror.
[X] Do something else (write in).
-[X] Before trying to open up a mirror portal, try to push an illusion through it. Aiming for communication to understand the goals of the woman.
[X] Tap the mirror again, trying to zoom in closer.
[X] Do something else (write in).
-[X] Before trying to open up a mirror portal, try to push an illusion through it. Aiming for communication to understand the goals of the woman.
Well Archironaeus sure showed that bully who's who.
[X] "Hey, maybe there are some other things we can do with this magic mirror?"
-[X] "Perhaps we can use it to open a portal to the other world we can see?"
--[X] Experiment with using the magic mirror.
[X] Do something else (write in).
-[X] Before trying to open up a mirror portal, try to push an illusion through it. Aiming for communication to understand the goals of the woman.
Oh well! I didn't think about counterattacks! But it did get us owlproval for throwstractions, so it's not all bad! Never do a fastball special without approval, folks!
[x] "Hey, maybe there are some other things we can do with this magic mirror?"
-[x] "Perhaps we can use it to open a portal to the other world we can see?"
--[x] Experiment with using the magic mirror.
---[jk] Press the home button to see the desktop
"Bastard! You absolute bastard!" The apparent leader of your assailants presses both hands against the wound in his side. Blood seeps through his fingers, staining his expensive silks.
"Yeah?" Phil puts on a bored expression and shrugs. "There's an old saying I think is particularly appropriate for this situation: 'It takes one to know one.'"
Ok, you were a shoe-in for a party thief before, but now you even act the part.
Hmm, Gareth and Yslena were a brigand and a hero-knight, huh? But who is more knight-like and heroic, Elys the adventurer or Jana the squire?
...he'll probably hit on both anyway.
[x] Tap the mirror again, trying to zoom in closer.
Magic mirror tablets. With webcams. Is the sound on?
[x] Do something else (write in).
-[x] Try to direct a Telekinetic Push inside a mirror, tapping the woman on the shoulder to get her attention.
OOC we know that casting a spell on a mirror makes it soak up both the spell and the caster, though it might have been just Elys' luck.
Philander gets in his way. He sneers and is about to shove your friend aside, but then there is a silvery flash, a spray of blood, and an outraged shriek.
"You want blood, don't you?" says Philander, brandishing a bloody knife – and not just any knife: you recognize it as the one you took from the cutthroats who were threatening Anthikares Neroth, the one that Green Flame reshaped to look like a cold iron dagger; Phil must have 'borrowed' it from you without asking for permission first. "Here's some of yours."
Haha, rock on Philander. I say we let him keep the knife; seems like he can use it to better effect than us.
Hmm... not sure what course of action to take here, since with the amount of information our protagonists have available, everything basically boils down to "try random shit with the mysterious magical artifact and hope something works".
I guess, start with:
[X] Call out to the young woman in the mirror.
and then, depending on how/if she responds, if necessary move on to contacting her via projecting Illusions and/or Telekinetic Push through the mirror, and then finally just sorta tapping it with our finger and hoping she's not like a fish in an aquarium.
Pressing your finger against the surface of the mirror causes the image to change, zooming in closer. Now, you can see a young woman dressed in wizard robes much like yours, surrounded by books, papers, various writing implements, and fragments of shattered wreckage that appear to have been strewn all over the place. She appears to be searching through the objects that have been scattered all around her, purposely looking for something, but you don't know what.
"I wonder if this mirror has any other functions," you mutter under your breath. "For instance… can we use it to travel to that strange landscape it's showing us?"
"Open a portal, you mean?" Philander gives a thoughtful nod. "That'd be useful."
"How do we use it?" asks Venta. "When we found it before, it didn't seem to do anything, no matter how much magic we channelled into it."
"Evidently, something has changed," you say. "As you said before, maybe it's activated because of us: because we're desperate and trying to escape. Or maybe there's some other reason."
The four of you stare at the image displayed on the mirror's surface: the beautiful young woman has picked up one of the discarded books and is gazing intently at it, with a puckered brow and staring eyes. It is as if she thinks that, if she looks at it hard enough and for long enough, she can force it to reveal its secrets.
You take a moment to examine her (and not 'admire' her, no matter what Phil might say). She is tall, with tanned nut-brown skin and a delicately sculpted face that looks as if it could have been the work of a master artisan. Her hair is long, dark, and has a glossy sheen. You estimate that she could be fourteen or fifteen: there is something about the set of her face and her slender figure that suggests to you that she is not a fully-grown adult. But she's got to be at least a few years older than you, right? And she might be a goddess. So, she's probably powerful enough that she should be able to help you... right?
"Maybe I can send a message to her," you say, attempting to create a simple illusion inside the otherworld shown to you by the mirror. But it seems to have no effect: the mirror absorbs your magic and then nothing happens.
Trying again, this time you create the illusory image of a vague shape hovering in the air next to you. Then, you send it forth, into the mirror, hoping that it will be able to get through to the young woman whom you can see on the other side. Again, the mirror absorbs your magic and there is no visible effect.
Your broken nose is dripping blood into your mouth, down your chin, and all over the front of your shirt. Absentmindedly, you try to wipe it away. Then, before you can think not to, you reach out and tap the magic mirror with a bloodstained hand, trying to adjust the image.
There is a sound like something ripping, tearing, and being rent apart. The image displayed on the mirror seems to expand beyond the mirror itself: it becomes a doorway, hanging in mid-air, with squared outer edges that look curiously solid and incredibly sharp.
"Blood and magic," says Phil, clapping you on the back. "A potent combination. Well done, Dory."
"That's a portal," says Isolia, looking worriedly at it. "Dr. Hygmalion showed me something similar."
"Really? I thought he preferred to disappear with a flash of light and a puff of smoke," says Phil. "You know, showbiz trickery."
"Well, yes," says Isolia with a nod. "But just because he's a… uh… he's a confidence trickster… well, that doesn't mean that he's not a powerful mage. He knows a lot of obscure magic."
"What shall we do about that?" asks Venta, indicating the portal. The girl on the other side doesn't seem to have noticed it yet. Or maybe it's only one-way.
What will you do? (Choose as many options as make sense)
[] Call out to her.
[] Send an illusion to give her a message. (Write in: what message and what form should the illusion take?)
[] There is plenty of rubbish in the old storeroom. Throw some of it through the portal.
[] Hold on to a piece of rubbish while poking it through the portal.
[] Step through the portal.
[] Suggest that one of the others should step through the portal. (Write in: who? Isolia, Philander, or Venta?)
[] Do something else (write in).
A short update, this time. I'm sorry, it's my birthday tomorrow and I don't have time to write more.
Right, blood. I feel foolish for not guessing that. I'm not sure I would've tried it if I had thought of it though.
[X] Send an illusion to give her a message. (Write in: what message and what form should the illusion take?)
-[X] simple words, "Hello, we found a mirror and can see you. Who are you?"
Start by trying to send an illusion through, and if it gets absorbed again, write a message on a bit of rubbish and throw that through (if we don't have any writing implements right now... use more nose blood, I guess. And hope that doesn't also get absorbed.). Tascion's suggestion for what to write sounds good to me.
[X] Send an illusion to give her a message. (Write in: what message and what form should the illusion take?)
-[X] simple words, "Hello, we found a mirror and can see you. Who are you?"
