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The Tinpot Princess and Her Many Travels
- Thread starter Chandagnac
- Start date
- Original
Hex Machina
Magitechnician
- Location
- Out of Sight and Out of Mind
[X] You were hungry, so you went for lunch with Mishrak's worshippers.
Omake - Poetic Chastisement
Skewfiend
The Corruptor of All Things
- Location
- The Darkness Behind Your Eyes
Well, look what the Catharne dragged in. Hasn't been seen around here since Rynn lost his soul, and comes strutting back in like he owns the place.
He's even talking about himself in the third person, the bastard!
It always greatly amuses me that the way you characterised him inspires feelings of almost protective affection in me, like he's an adorkable younger brother or something.
Classic Telthalus!
Daddy's little girl, I see.
[Q] You wanted to show off your own skills as a poet, so you flew across over the stage, and busted a rhyme.
-[Q]Recite Poetic Chastisement:
Serious time now.
[X] You wanted to show off your own skills as a poet, so you ran downstairs and climbed onto the stage.
-[X] Recite The Birth of Knighthood
Edit: I don't even know if I want this to win or not.
It's gotta be better than a bunch of twats wanking off to their god queen and spewing childish insults at each other, though.
Edit2: I just realised that that is not really consistent with Elys' characterisation and what she knows.
End of poem changed to fit.
He's even talking about himself in the third person, the bastard!
Who want to bet that that decision damaged their relationships?
Run! It's Gojira!
Oh, Mishraak, you've really got to love him.
It always greatly amuses me that the way you characterised him inspires feelings of almost protective affection in me, like he's an adorkable younger brother or something.
7200 years ago - In Anakwaan, the Empire of Os became very wealthy by conquering, robbing, and enslaving their neighbours. Telthalus told them to stop. They grew very indignant, accusing him of trying to take away their freedom (yes, they argued that freedom meant they should be free to enslave others). In reply, Telthalus said, 'You're right. As the god of freedom, I can't stop you doing anything you want. On the other hand, you can't stop me doing anything I want. And right now, what I want to do is this!'
Classic Telthalus!I wonder where he put that bit of Rynn's soul, or what he did with it. He sure as fuck didn't throw it in the ocean. After all, why give your enemy a 0.00000001% chance when you could give them a 0% chance?
Dun dun dun!
Because he is in league with the demons, and maybe, respectively.
Oooooo, the shit's on now, son!
I completely lost my shit at that bit.
Daddy's little girl, I see.Transylvania, obviously.
[Q] You wanted to show off your own skills as a poet, so you flew across over the stage, and busted a rhyme.
-[Q]Recite Poetic Chastisement:
Gather 'round, you wretched scrubs!
Hark unto my tasty dubs!
Let eight-year-olds teach you to verse!
I've heard your shit, you could do worse!
You swan about, you fancy fops,
Subject us to your verbal slops!
Knowing not your heinous crime:
Not one among you spoke in rhyme!
Hark unto my tasty dubs!
Let eight-year-olds teach you to verse!
I've heard your shit, you could do worse!
You swan about, you fancy fops,
Subject us to your verbal slops!
Knowing not your heinous crime:
Not one among you spoke in rhyme!
Serious time now.
[X] You wanted to show off your own skills as a poet, so you ran downstairs and climbed onto the stage.
-[X] Recite The Birth of Knighthood
Come gather 'round and let me recite you a tale,
Of wanton wickedness, and men who made it fail,
An ancient time ago, long ere your sire was born,
When all the golden men had left the world forlorn,
Demonic banners from old Bertru were unfurled,
Their tainted forces marched out to unmake the world.
And on the bidding of the demon lords of hell,
They did descend upon the verdant lands of Quel.
With fighting fiercer than a man should ever take,
They forced the Queli back to stand at Solace Lake.
Heroes and champions, they knew right well their roles,
Because the demons sought to mutilate all souls.
A sacred vow they made, within the lakeside mist,
To safeguard souls and to atrocities resist.
Their righteous passion did a goddess there impress,
With rest and healing did she each among them bless.
And on the morrow was the lake dyed richest red,
The price of victory: The heart of Queli bled.
They won the day, although a half their number fell,
'Til other heroes did defeat the Lords of Hell.
Their oath, a legacy for knights in every age,
From shining lancers to the unassuming page,
And in their image is the essence of a knight,
Compassion, virtue, and the might to put things right.
Of wanton wickedness, and men who made it fail,
An ancient time ago, long ere your sire was born,
When all the golden men had left the world forlorn,
Demonic banners from old Bertru were unfurled,
Their tainted forces marched out to unmake the world.
And on the bidding of the demon lords of hell,
They did descend upon the verdant lands of Quel.
With fighting fiercer than a man should ever take,
They forced the Queli back to stand at Solace Lake.
Heroes and champions, they knew right well their roles,
Because the demons sought to mutilate all souls.
A sacred vow they made, within the lakeside mist,
To safeguard souls and to atrocities resist.
Their righteous passion did a goddess there impress,
With rest and healing did she each among them bless.
And on the morrow was the lake dyed richest red,
The price of victory: The heart of Queli bled.
They won the day, although a half their number fell,
'Til other heroes did defeat the Lords of Hell.
Their oath, a legacy for knights in every age,
From shining lancers to the unassuming page,
And in their image is the essence of a knight,
Compassion, virtue, and the might to put things right.
Edit: I don't even know if I want this to win or not.
It's gotta be better than a bunch of twats wanking off to their god queen and spewing childish insults at each other, though.
Edit2: I just realised that that is not really consistent with Elys' characterisation and what she knows.
End of poem changed to fit.
Come gather 'round and let me recite you a tale,
Of wanton wickedness, and men who made it fail,
An ancient time ago, long ere your sire was born,
When all the golden men had left the world forlorn,
Demonic banners from old Bertru were unfurled,
Their tainted forces marched out to unmake the world.
And on the bidding of the demon lords of hell,
They did descend upon the verdant lands of Quel.
With fighting fiercer than a man should ever take,
They forced the Queli back to stand at Solace Lake.
Heroes and champions, they knew right well their roles,
Because the demons sought to mutilate all souls.
A sacred vow they made, within the lakeside mist,
To safeguard souls and to atrocities resist.
Their righteous passion did a goddess there impress,
With rest and healing did she each among them bless.
And on the morrow was the lake dyed richest red,
The price of victory: The heart of Queli bled.
And in their image is the essence of a knight,
Compassion, virtue, and the might to put things right.
For all their victory, their prospects still seemed grim,
The hordes were endless and their victory seemed slim,
The final blow that would defeat them never fell,
For other heroes did defeat the Lords of Hell.
Kolhinion, he had his avatar unmade,
It met its end upon Red Ruin's bloody blade!
The wicked Daevos was defeated, bound in chains,
No further portals sent the fiends to battle-plains.
Without their portals, and of leadership bereft,
They were divided, and could not help but be cleft.
Smote by the righteous, they returned blackest hell,
To plot obscenities no living man can tell.
E'en as we prance about, and speak upon this stage,
We're still the targets of a deep and ancient rage.
E'en as we tussle for a coxcomb for our head
Our foes aren't sleeping, nor can they be counted dead.
Of wanton wickedness, and men who made it fail,
An ancient time ago, long ere your sire was born,
When all the golden men had left the world forlorn,
Demonic banners from old Bertru were unfurled,
Their tainted forces marched out to unmake the world.
And on the bidding of the demon lords of hell,
They did descend upon the verdant lands of Quel.
With fighting fiercer than a man should ever take,
They forced the Queli back to stand at Solace Lake.
Heroes and champions, they knew right well their roles,
Because the demons sought to mutilate all souls.
A sacred vow they made, within the lakeside mist,
To safeguard souls and to atrocities resist.
Their righteous passion did a goddess there impress,
With rest and healing did she each among them bless.
And on the morrow was the lake dyed richest red,
The price of victory: The heart of Queli bled.
And in their image is the essence of a knight,
Compassion, virtue, and the might to put things right.
For all their victory, their prospects still seemed grim,
The hordes were endless and their victory seemed slim,
The final blow that would defeat them never fell,
For other heroes did defeat the Lords of Hell.
Kolhinion, he had his avatar unmade,
It met its end upon Red Ruin's bloody blade!
The wicked Daevos was defeated, bound in chains,
No further portals sent the fiends to battle-plains.
Without their portals, and of leadership bereft,
They were divided, and could not help but be cleft.
Smote by the righteous, they returned blackest hell,
To plot obscenities no living man can tell.
E'en as we prance about, and speak upon this stage,
We're still the targets of a deep and ancient rage.
E'en as we tussle for a coxcomb for our head
Our foes aren't sleeping, nor can they be counted dead.
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- Location
- Somewhere!
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[x] Skewfiend
More poems!
More poems!
Chandagnac
Broken Robot
- Location
- Nowhere
Well, thanks.I can't say anything about poetry since I don't really know anything about it but it didnt bore me to read it ? I mean that in a good way
It's a reference to the idea of bishōnen from Japanese anime and manga, which I think clearly demonstrates how standards of attractiveness can vary between different cultures. (I.e. Here in the west, it's usually assumed that effeminate men are gay; "real" men are excessively muscular and hypermasculine. Whereas, in the world of anime and manga, bishōnen are usually androgynous and effeminate and yet they're considered to be extremely attractive and manly and all the women lust after them; excessively muscular and hypermasculine men are usually assumed to be gay.*)
*Yeah, I'm generalising horribly, but I hope that I have at least the glimmerings of a point.
In the fictional universe of The Tinpot Princess and Her Many Travels, the Kambu people of the Avanni Empire have a somewhat similar aesthetic.
Transylvania, obviously.
But... how did you know that he's just a sweet transvestite from Transexual, Transylvania?It's a slight possibility.Who want to bet that that decision damaged their relationships?
Hmm. Is that what you think he is? I'm tempted to ask you guys to do a bit of detective work: from the clues I've given you so far in the story, figure out who Azoth Halmaunder really is. (His true identity is someone who was mentioned in A Hedge Maze Is You a few times. I'm curious as to whether you can figure out who.)
D'aww.
Hmm...
Ehh, well, I tried my best.
Also, I was more concerned with metre than with getting the rhymes perfect.
But that's the whole point of Avanni poetry duels!
Whoa...I only regret that I have but one like to give.
EDIT: Actually...
I'll award you a bonus 2xp which you can use to upgrade Elys next time she levels up.
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Kyrina
A Simple Merchant of Mirrors
- Location
- England
After deep consideration I have decided thus....
[X] Skewfiend
Good to see you again @Skewfiend and nice poetry skills
[X] Skewfiend
Good to see you again @Skewfiend and nice poetry skills
- Location
- St. Petersburg
He talks as if he witnessed the war firsthand, which would put him at about ~7000 years at a minimum, before the demons even came to visit. But it would be hard to pin his exact identity, because most entities of note around that time were Elder Gods, and thus dead.
Also, no one but Vlakoroth's children supported him in his war efforts, and few care about dragons mingling with mankind but dragons themselves. But I dismissed him being one because surely Mishrak would have recognized his kin?
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[X] Skewfiend
This is pretty damn good.
..We're not dealing with Agon goddamn Hurondus, are we?
I mean, the appearance doesn't quite fit, but maybe he looked better before running off to the underworld, or alternatively he's just altering his appearance with magic to disguise himself. Could also be one of his Mystic Path cronies, maybe that Borrakul guy that helped him with portals, but his name has the same initials and, at least how I pronounce it, syllables as Agon Hurondus.
Of course, he might be in the underworld already, not sure precisely how many years there are to the birth of Hedgy right now, and I'm also not sure how well Agon fits with Azoth chastising Mishraak for 'abandoning' his kind and hanging around with humans, but maybe he just thinks that powerful beings shouldn't try to act as equals to ants.
This is pretty damn good.
Okay, let me try this. Arrogant and/or powerful enough to shit-talk a powerful dragon-god, major asshole, seen events that transpired around 7000 thousand years ago, apparently human and Azoth Halmaunder's (initials AH) not his real name.
..We're not dealing with Agon goddamn Hurondus, are we?
I mean, the appearance doesn't quite fit, but maybe he looked better before running off to the underworld, or alternatively he's just altering his appearance with magic to disguise himself. Could also be one of his Mystic Path cronies, maybe that Borrakul guy that helped him with portals, but his name has the same initials and, at least how I pronounce it, syllables as Agon Hurondus.
Of course, he might be in the underworld already, not sure precisely how many years there are to the birth of Hedgy right now, and I'm also not sure how well Agon fits with Azoth chastising Mishraak for 'abandoning' his kind and hanging around with humans, but maybe he just thinks that powerful beings shouldn't try to act as equals to ants.
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- Location
- St. Petersburg
Very likely. The name alone is telling, and he has to be a time-traveler... not a lot of those are around.
I know his handprints are all over the time-space continuum, but was he ever based in Marhannah?
Edit:
Eh, that part is easy at least. Someone who put effort to distance themselves as far from humanity as possible in order to achieve immortality/godhood is unlikely to be understanding of the opposing process.
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Skewfiend
The Corruptor of All Things
- Location
- The Darkness Behind Your Eyes
In my defencce, your honour, It was around 2:30 AM at the time.
Then Avanni Poetry Duels are silly!But that's the whole point of Avanni poetry duels!
*bows*
I only regret that I have but one like to give.
EDIT: Actually...
*Rubs hands together.* Eeexcellent!
It's good to be back.After deep consideration I have decided thus....
[X] Skewfiend
Good to see you again @Skewfiend and nice poetry skills
Chandagnac
Broken Robot
- Location
- Nowhere
Maybe. It's been seven thousand years. That's a long time in which to forget things. And Azoth (whoever he is) would have to be wearing a pretty good disguise.
Interesting theory. Yes, the names Agon Hurondus and Azoth Halmaunder sound very similar. There is a reason for it. In a way, they are linked.
I'm not going to tell you any more than that at the moment.
Yes, they are. That's the point.Then Avanni Poetry Duels are silly!
Anyway... Vote closed.
Elys will climb onto the stage and recite 'The Birth of Knighthood'. After that, she and the others will go to have lunch with Mishrak's worshippers.
Someone roll a Social Skill checks for me, please:
Social Skills: 2d6+3*
*Charisma+Social Skills+Cuteness
If you want to succeed, you're gonna need to roll well. Really, really well.
If you fail... well, it might be funny. For me, at least.
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- Location
- scrabbling
Well, my poetic failures aside, I can still roll dice.
Hex Machina
Magitechnician
- Location
- Out of Sight and Out of Mind
A pretty good roll!
And thus, our aspirant dragon warrior princess begins her path to becoming a dragon warrior-poet princess. Lo, the lands shall tremble before her might and her rhymes!
And thus, our aspirant dragon warrior princess begins her path to becoming a dragon warrior-poet princess. Lo, the lands shall tremble before her might and her rhymes!
59. A True Artist Is Unappreciated in Her Own Lifetime
Chandagnac
Broken Robot
- Location
- Nowhere
Sorry, it's taken a while for me to get back into the groove. Hopefully I'll update a couple more times over the next week.
This is what you said:
'Come gather 'round and let me recite you a tale,
'Of wanton wickedness, and men who made it fail,
'An ancient time ago, long ere your sire was born,
'When all the golden men had left the world forlorn,'
'Demonic banners from old Betrur were unfurled,
'Their tainted forces marched out to unmake the world.
'And on the bidding of the demon lords of hell,
'They did descend upon the verdant lands of Quel.'
'With fighting fiercer than a man should ever take,
'They forced the Queli back to stand at Solace Lake.
'Heroes and champions, they knew right well their roles,
'Because the demons sought to mutilate all souls.'
'A sacred vow they made, within the lakeside mist,
'To safeguard souls and to atrocities resist.
'Their righteous passion did a goddess there impress,
'With rest and healing did she each among them bless.'
'And on the morrow was the lake dyed richest red,
'The price of victory: The heart of Queli bled.
'They won the day, although a half their number fell,
'Til other heroes did defeat the Lords of Hell.'
'Their oath, a legacy for knights in every age,
'From shining lancers to the unassuming page,
'And in their image is the essence of a knight,
'Compassion, virtue, and the might to put things right.'
Where did those words come from? In some unused portion of your brain, was there some hitherto undiscovered genius? Or were you divinely inspired: did a god put those words in your mouth? Mishrak was your dear friend, but he wasn't particularly eloquent; you doubted that the poem came from him. So... was Kaerina trying to mould you into the hero she wanted you to be? Was someone else trying to give you a special birthday? You didn't know. At the time, you had no idea.
Afterwards, for a moment, there was silence. Everyone was staring at you. Someone started to clap. And then, you were...
Utterly humiliated.
'A heroic poem from your homeland? Well-memorised,' said one of the would-be poets.
'Yes, a remarkable memory in one so young,' said the silver-haired poet. 'Well done, child.'
'Impressive,' the burly, bare-chested poet rumbled.
Someone else said snidely, 'A cute kid with a good memory. And presumably a carefully-honed sob story as well. Thats usually all it takes to impress an audience.'
There were mutters of agreement from the crowd. You saw them staring at you as if you were a performing monkey who'd been taught a clever trick. Everyone agreed that your poem could not possibly be original. Of course, they said, you must have learned it by rote until you could recite it word-for-word. That was worthy of praise, maybe, but hardly miraculous.
At the time, you did not protest. You were too unsure of where the poem had come from; you were filled with doubts and misgivings. Had you heard it somewhere before? Had you seen it in a book, perhaps? You could not recall. Faced with so many people who were convinced that the poem could not possibly be your own, you didn't try to argue. Instead, you let them heap condescending praise on top of you until they'd buried your feelings. Hidden behind a bland smile, you allowed them to lead you upstairs and introduce you to the elderly Satrapess who pinched your cheeks and said, 'What an adorable child.'
Though you were seething with rage, you didn't let them see it. Someone said, 'If you want to perform here, you need to create some poems of your own. Maybe in a few years.' You just smiled at him. You kept smiling until Mishrak, Jana, and Catharne came to take you away. In the end, you never found out who had won the poetry duel.
Mishrak led you by the hand, out of the palace and its grounds, along the main thoroughfares, and towards the harbour. It was a long walk, which gave you plenty of time to think and to swallow your anger. Your friends could see that you were sulking. After a little while, Catharne said anxiously, 'I think you're a great poet, Elys. I bet you came up with that poem all by yourself!'
'Never thought you had it in you,' said Jana. 'Yeah, I was impressed.'
'You don't think I just copied someone else's poem?' you asked.
'Did you?'
'No!' you shouted, stamping your foot for emphasis.
'Whatever you say, princess,' said Jana, raising her hands placatingly. 'I believe you.'
Near the harbour, Mishrak took you to a house belonging to some of his worshippers: a middle-aged couple, Anandak and Rutreda. When you arrived, they were setting up a table outside on a shady veranda where you could sit and eat. Anandak had tanned, leathery skin, a neatly-trimmed grey beard, and thin scars all over his hands. Rutreda was a plump, matronly woman with long grey hair nearly tied up in a bun. In honour of their god's visit, they were wearing their best and only slightly-faded clothes. With them was their grown-up son, Hiran, and his fiancée, Pirisha.
'Welcome!' Anandak cheered when he saw you'd arrived. 'Glad you could make it!'
'Come and sit down,' said Rutreda. 'I bet you're hungry.'
They'd prepared a meal consisting mostly of seafood: oysters, mussels, and other things that seemed comfortingly familiar to you since you'd lived your entire life by the sea. In addition, there were exotic fruits, vegetables, and spicy sauces you were more hesitant to try. You were hungrier than you'd realised and you ate heartily, as did Jana. Catharne lay down next to the table and munched on a plate of oysters, shells and all. Mishrak ate nothing and was quiet.
'Does this humble food not please you, master?' asked Anandak, looking worried.
'I have no need to eat,' said Mishrak. 'Your worship sustains me well enough. Thank you.'
'I'm a fisherman,' Anandak explained to you. 'Shellfish, mostly. I spend most days digging for clams, diving for oysters, and so on. Mishrak has been good to me. I've found several valuable pearls thanks to him.'
'Thanks to your own skill and hard work,' said Mishrak.
'The gods help those who help themselves,' Rutreda said philosophically.
'I've certainly helped myself to a lot of this lovely food,' said Anandak with a wink.
After the meal, they served cups of strong coffee – you and Jana were each given a tiny cup more suitable for a doll than a real person – and the young couple asked Mishrak to bless their marriage. 'I want lots of babies,' said Pirisha with a flirtatious glance at Hiran.
'You don't need my help with that,' Mishrak said. He blinked and looked more closely at Pirisha. 'In fact... I can see you're already well on the way.'
This provoked a great deal of excited shouting and squealing. You were rather confused by it.
What did you do after lunch? (Choose one)
[] You talked to Mishrak and asked why he was acting so gloomy.
[] You explored the city to see what other interesting places you could find.
[] You urged Mishrak to confront Azoth Halmaunder.
[] You talked to Anandak and Rutreda some more. (Write in: what did you want to talk about?)
[] You talked to Hiran and Pirisha some more. (Write in: what did you want to talk about?)
[] You went to visit the Bhiran family in their townhouse.
[] You were tired and you'd had enough. You asked Mishrak if you could go home.
[] You asked Jana and Catharne what they wanted to do.
[] You did something else (write in).
*
A True Artist Is Unappreciated in Her Own Lifetime
A True Artist Is Unappreciated in Her Own Lifetime
You dashed down the stairs before anyone could stop you. Climbing up onto the stage, you stood blinking before an audience of hundreds. While would-be poets jostled each other and spoke their well-rehearsed lines, you opened your mouth and unleashed a stream of pure inspiration like the words of a prophet.
This is what you said:
'Come gather 'round and let me recite you a tale,
'Of wanton wickedness, and men who made it fail,
'An ancient time ago, long ere your sire was born,
'When all the golden men had left the world forlorn,'
'Demonic banners from old Betrur were unfurled,
'Their tainted forces marched out to unmake the world.
'And on the bidding of the demon lords of hell,
'They did descend upon the verdant lands of Quel.'
'With fighting fiercer than a man should ever take,
'They forced the Queli back to stand at Solace Lake.
'Heroes and champions, they knew right well their roles,
'Because the demons sought to mutilate all souls.'
'A sacred vow they made, within the lakeside mist,
'To safeguard souls and to atrocities resist.
'Their righteous passion did a goddess there impress,
'With rest and healing did she each among them bless.'
'And on the morrow was the lake dyed richest red,
'The price of victory: The heart of Queli bled.
'They won the day, although a half their number fell,
'Til other heroes did defeat the Lords of Hell.'
'Their oath, a legacy for knights in every age,
'From shining lancers to the unassuming page,
'And in their image is the essence of a knight,
'Compassion, virtue, and the might to put things right.'
Where did those words come from? In some unused portion of your brain, was there some hitherto undiscovered genius? Or were you divinely inspired: did a god put those words in your mouth? Mishrak was your dear friend, but he wasn't particularly eloquent; you doubted that the poem came from him. So... was Kaerina trying to mould you into the hero she wanted you to be? Was someone else trying to give you a special birthday? You didn't know. At the time, you had no idea.
Afterwards, for a moment, there was silence. Everyone was staring at you. Someone started to clap. And then, you were...
Utterly humiliated.
'A heroic poem from your homeland? Well-memorised,' said one of the would-be poets.
'Yes, a remarkable memory in one so young,' said the silver-haired poet. 'Well done, child.'
'Impressive,' the burly, bare-chested poet rumbled.
Someone else said snidely, 'A cute kid with a good memory. And presumably a carefully-honed sob story as well. Thats usually all it takes to impress an audience.'
There were mutters of agreement from the crowd. You saw them staring at you as if you were a performing monkey who'd been taught a clever trick. Everyone agreed that your poem could not possibly be original. Of course, they said, you must have learned it by rote until you could recite it word-for-word. That was worthy of praise, maybe, but hardly miraculous.
At the time, you did not protest. You were too unsure of where the poem had come from; you were filled with doubts and misgivings. Had you heard it somewhere before? Had you seen it in a book, perhaps? You could not recall. Faced with so many people who were convinced that the poem could not possibly be your own, you didn't try to argue. Instead, you let them heap condescending praise on top of you until they'd buried your feelings. Hidden behind a bland smile, you allowed them to lead you upstairs and introduce you to the elderly Satrapess who pinched your cheeks and said, 'What an adorable child.'
Though you were seething with rage, you didn't let them see it. Someone said, 'If you want to perform here, you need to create some poems of your own. Maybe in a few years.' You just smiled at him. You kept smiling until Mishrak, Jana, and Catharne came to take you away. In the end, you never found out who had won the poetry duel.
Mishrak led you by the hand, out of the palace and its grounds, along the main thoroughfares, and towards the harbour. It was a long walk, which gave you plenty of time to think and to swallow your anger. Your friends could see that you were sulking. After a little while, Catharne said anxiously, 'I think you're a great poet, Elys. I bet you came up with that poem all by yourself!'
'Never thought you had it in you,' said Jana. 'Yeah, I was impressed.'
'You don't think I just copied someone else's poem?' you asked.
'Did you?'
'No!' you shouted, stamping your foot for emphasis.
'Whatever you say, princess,' said Jana, raising her hands placatingly. 'I believe you.'
Near the harbour, Mishrak took you to a house belonging to some of his worshippers: a middle-aged couple, Anandak and Rutreda. When you arrived, they were setting up a table outside on a shady veranda where you could sit and eat. Anandak had tanned, leathery skin, a neatly-trimmed grey beard, and thin scars all over his hands. Rutreda was a plump, matronly woman with long grey hair nearly tied up in a bun. In honour of their god's visit, they were wearing their best and only slightly-faded clothes. With them was their grown-up son, Hiran, and his fiancée, Pirisha.
'Welcome!' Anandak cheered when he saw you'd arrived. 'Glad you could make it!'
'Come and sit down,' said Rutreda. 'I bet you're hungry.'
They'd prepared a meal consisting mostly of seafood: oysters, mussels, and other things that seemed comfortingly familiar to you since you'd lived your entire life by the sea. In addition, there were exotic fruits, vegetables, and spicy sauces you were more hesitant to try. You were hungrier than you'd realised and you ate heartily, as did Jana. Catharne lay down next to the table and munched on a plate of oysters, shells and all. Mishrak ate nothing and was quiet.
'Does this humble food not please you, master?' asked Anandak, looking worried.
'I have no need to eat,' said Mishrak. 'Your worship sustains me well enough. Thank you.'
'I'm a fisherman,' Anandak explained to you. 'Shellfish, mostly. I spend most days digging for clams, diving for oysters, and so on. Mishrak has been good to me. I've found several valuable pearls thanks to him.'
'Thanks to your own skill and hard work,' said Mishrak.
'The gods help those who help themselves,' Rutreda said philosophically.
'I've certainly helped myself to a lot of this lovely food,' said Anandak with a wink.
After the meal, they served cups of strong coffee – you and Jana were each given a tiny cup more suitable for a doll than a real person – and the young couple asked Mishrak to bless their marriage. 'I want lots of babies,' said Pirisha with a flirtatious glance at Hiran.
'You don't need my help with that,' Mishrak said. He blinked and looked more closely at Pirisha. 'In fact... I can see you're already well on the way.'
This provoked a great deal of excited shouting and squealing. You were rather confused by it.
What did you do after lunch? (Choose one)
[] You talked to Mishrak and asked why he was acting so gloomy.
[] You explored the city to see what other interesting places you could find.
[] You urged Mishrak to confront Azoth Halmaunder.
[] You talked to Anandak and Rutreda some more. (Write in: what did you want to talk about?)
[] You talked to Hiran and Pirisha some more. (Write in: what did you want to talk about?)
[] You went to visit the Bhiran family in their townhouse.
[] You were tired and you'd had enough. You asked Mishrak if you could go home.
[] You asked Jana and Catharne what they wanted to do.
[] You did something else (write in).
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Kyrina
A Simple Merchant of Mirrors
- Location
- England
[X] You talked to Mishrak and asked why he was acting so gloomy.
Why is best dragon-god-uncle gloomy!? Does best dragon-god-uncle want a hug!?
Ahem, what I mean is, I wonder what Mishrak will reveal to Elys about the confrontation he had with Azoth Whathisface if anything or if a mortal noticing something's up might encourage him to go talk to someone else about it. Someone with a flaming skull for a head perhaps
Why is best dragon-god-uncle gloomy!? Does best dragon-god-uncle want a hug!?
Ahem, what I mean is, I wonder what Mishrak will reveal to Elys about the confrontation he had with Azoth Whathisface if anything or if a mortal noticing something's up might encourage him to go talk to someone else about it. Someone with a flaming skull for a head perhaps
