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The Tinpot Princess and Her Many Travels
- Thread starter Chandagnac
- Start date
- Original
Hye
Reader of The Long Words
- Location
- In the middle of a story
[X] Nothing (instead, encourage Mishrak to buy something for Jana)
O...kay? Are we just gonna ignore that guy going all Aladdin in Oz here? I mean, for all I know, it could be a perfectly normal thing. Or maybe we were just the only one who could see it.
O...kay? Are we just gonna ignore that guy going all Aladdin in Oz here? I mean, for all I know, it could be a perfectly normal thing. Or maybe we were just the only one who could see it.
- Location
- St. Petersburg
Eh, as far as Elys is concerned, she can fly, her sister-slash-mount can fly, as well as her Mom and her Uncle. And without any crutches (or as it may be, carpets), too!
This encounter made me wonder where Nimble Jack could be now. Would be hilarious to actually meet him some day, and doubly so to pull a con on him.
This encounter made me wonder where Nimble Jack could be now. Would be hilarious to actually meet him some day, and doubly so to pull a con on him.
Skewfiend
The Corruptor of All Things
- Location
- The Darkness Behind Your Eyes
I believe he did so already.
[X] Encourage him to buy the two of you small, relatively inexpensive things, to avoid your mother's wrath.
I would be a lot more keen on this:
[] A pot of coffee beans (which you planned to sell for a hefty profit in Truinon)
If it read more like this:
[] Ask Mishraak for a loan of some seed capital in lieu of a present, and buy some coffee beans to sell for a hefty profit in Trunion.
I still prefer just asking him for something small, though.
There's bound to be tons of cheap stuff here that would interest the two girls, and it would help Mishraak get a feel for what makes an appropriate gift.
62. Responsible Knife Ownership
Chandagnac
Broken Robot
- Location
- Nowhere
Catharne was designed to be Elys's steed. Mishrak wanted her to be very dragon-like, but he also wanted her to look a bit like a horse.
Elys already knows how to fly (well, levitate, for now – she only has Flight 1). It's a magic trick she was taught by her mother.
Oh, uh... Nevill'd.
So yeah.
That could be arranged.
That was what I intended when I wrote that option. Maybe I worded it badly, sorry.
*
Responsible Knife Ownership
Responsible Knife Ownership
'I don't want you to buy me anything, uncle,' you said. 'I'd like it if you bought a present for Jana instead.'
'That's sweet of you, Elys,' said Mishrak. 'Very well, Jana, can you see anything you want?'
With gimlet eyes, Jana glanced around the marketplace until, at last, her gaze settled on the arms seller who earlier had been showing off his cold iron daggers. She edged closer, examining the weapons on display: in particular, she looked at the daggers, with their shining silvery-grey blades and rounded wooden handles. 'They're not going to go rusty all of a sudden, are they?' she asked suspiciously.
'Probably not. Cold iron weapons are intensely magical,' explained Mishrak. 'You see, in the beginning, before anyone knew any smelting techniques, the Elder Gods made cold iron tools by using magic to extract the metal and shape it into whatever they wanted. When they were making living creatures – powerful servants such as the elves – they gave some of them a specific weakness to cold iron. They wanted to make sure their servants would never be able to rebel against them; they used cold iron weapons to keep them in line.'
'Of course, the weapons I have for sale weren't created with the mighty magic of the Elder Gods but by a human wizard,' said the merchant, bowing his head. 'Even so, they are sharp, durable and... very deadly.' He looked down at Jana, a sceptical look on his face. 'They are not toys, little girl. If you're looking for something to play with, try one of the other stalls.'
'I don't want a toy. This is for my job,' Jana said fiercely.
'Your job?'
'Yeah, I have to protect Elys. I need the right tools for the job.'
The arms seller looked at Mishrak. 'It's up to you. I assume you're the one paying.'
'How much?' asked Mishrak, pulling a large handful of silver coins from seemingly nowhere.
'Fifty silver shards.'
'Done.'
As Mishrak handed over the money, you hissed at him, 'Uncle! You were supposed to haggle!'
'Oh. Too late now.'
Jana selected the dagger she wanted. It came in a little lacquered sheath, which she affixed to her belt. She turned and was about to walk away, but you took the opportunity to speak to the merchant, asking him, 'Who was the man on the flying carpet I just saw? Why was he being chased by winged monkeys?'
'Oh? Him?' said the merchant, rolling his eyes. 'That was Izamak the Thief, a minor god in these parts. Those winged monkeys are servants of Lasharielle the Green Sorceress, a daughter of Anyssar the autumn-goddess. He keeps stealing things from her, she sends her monkeys to recover her possessions, and so on. They've been squabbling for... er, longer than I can remember. Centuries, probably.'
You pursed your lips and tried to make sense of that. 'Why? What's the point?'
'He fancies her. He's like a little boy who's too embarrassed to talk to the girl he's attracted to, so he pulls her hair and calls her nasty nicknames instead.' The merchant gives a derisive snort. 'They should just f–' His eyes focus on you and, after a moment, he seems to remember who he's talking to. 'Er... I mean, they should just kiss and get it over with.'
'Do boys often behave like that?' you asked.
He grins. 'I suppose so. Why? Is that something you've experienced?'
You remembered how Tamlan Bakkara was flirting with you earlier and couldn't help but blush. 'No, uh... I've met a boy who was rather less subtle in expressing his attraction to me.'
'You're a bit young for that, aren't you?' said the merchant, taken aback. He gave Mishrak a nod. 'Take good care of her. Carry a big stick and threaten to break the kneecaps of any boy that doesn't treat her properly. I find that... er...' He hesitated and seemed to change his mind about what he was going to say. 'Well, no, my wife usually handles that sort of thing.'
'Thank you for your advice,' said Mishrak, amusement seeping into his voice. 'Shall we move on, girls?'
'Yes, let's,' said Catharne. 'I don't like these tight spaces. Too many people. No room to stretch my legs.'
She loped off and you scampered after her.
*
You went to look at Lulltown, a walled district where the goblins of Marhanah made their homes. Because you had never seen a goblin before, you were intensely curious. From a distance, you could see rickety multi-storey buildings poking into the sky; with limited space in which to build, the goblins had built upwards.
'Isn't that a fire hazard?' you asked worriedly.
'The goblins have kept it from burning down so far,' said Mishrak. 'They have powerful magic of their own.'
Looking through the open gate, you could see houses packed tightly together. The older ones were well-built, strong and sturdy; the newer ones were ramshackle, apparently constructed out of whatever came to hand, and some of them already looked on the verge of tumbling down. The narrow streets were crammed with filth and rubbish. In fairness, it wasn't as bad as it could have been; there were too many goblins living in too tight a space, all of them needing somewhere to put their waste, and it didn't seem like the city's rubbish collectors were especially diligent in cleaning it up.
'Come to gawk?' asked the goblin girl who was sitting atop one of the gateposts, smoking a long pipe. 'Take a good long look. Go away feeling smugly superior for the rest of the day, go on.'
She looked like a young teenager, with spindly limbs, stringy hair and green skin. Well, it was green, but such a subtle, earthy hue that you couldn't be sure that it wasn't a trick of the light or the way the shadows danced over her skin.
'Good day to you,' you said, trying to be polite. 'I'm just visiting this city. Everything here is new to me.'
'Dreamweed,' said Mishrak, wrinkling his nose at the smell of her pipe. 'Filthy habit.'
'Yeah, well... to get through a hard day... we all do what we must,' the goblin girl said wearily. She took a puff and looked bleary-eyed at you and your companions. 'What have we here? Big dragon, little dragon, dead girl, and sparkly girl. I've seen stranger things, but only in dreams. Strange...'
'When you look at us, is that what you see?' you asked uneasily. Mishrak was still in human form, nobody should know how close Jana had come to drowning a few years ago and... why did she think you were "sparkling"? Had she somehow learned your secret name? 'How?'
The goblin girl waved a hand in the air vaguely. 'I've got amazing powers of observation. And that... that is how I know...'
'Goblins are children of Zora-Alishanda the dream goddess,' said Mishrak, after a moment, when it became clear that she wasn't going to finish that sentence. 'Their connection to the Dream Realm gives them some peculiar insights.'
'Yeah. What he said.'
'I'm Elys Allardyne. What's your name?' you asked.
'Shanti Konasdiak.'
'Is it possible...? Uh, can you show me what you see?'
She offered you her pipe, but you shook your head. 'I'd rather not.'
'Oh. Suit yourself.' She shrugged, reached down with one long-fingered hand, and tapped you on the forehead. 'Try this.'
For a few moments, everything around you seemed weirdly distorted. The buildings around you seemed oddly squashed or stretched. Perched on the gatepost above you, Shanti Konasdiak looked much the same as she did a moment before, except that somehow she seemed stronger and more solid. When you glanced back, you were surprised to see Mishrak's vast bulk take up the entire street: he looked like an enormous dragon-turtle, encrusted with barnacles and trailing seaweed, with eyes like dinner plates awash with dark liquid, and a mouth large enough to swallow a dozen men. Catharne was still a small dragon-like creature, but she'd taken on an oddly humanoid shape. Jana... was a bloated corpse, swelled with seawater and putrescence, with bloody gouges where her eyes had been pecked out. You gasped and put your hands over your eyes, wishing the vision would go away and that everything would go back to normal. Your hands... they were glittering with golden sparks that seemed to shine underneath your skin.
The vision faded. You rubbed your eyes and then threw your arms around Jana, hugging her tightly, pinning her arms to her body, and trying not to burst into tears.
'You got what you wanted,' said Shanti Konasdiak. 'Congratulations.'
'Are you all right, princess?' asked Jana, nudging you with her forehead. 'Not that I mind, it's just I don't like seeing you upset.'
'You were dead,' you said, blinking back tears.
'I'm not dead. That was just some weird goblin trickery,' she said dismissively. 'I think we've had enough of that. Let's move on.' She craned her neck to look back. 'Right, uncle?'
'That's fine by me,' said Mishrak.
*
You visited the Bhiran townhouse. It was getting quite late in the day and you were getting tired, so you found it quite overwhelming. The Bhirans were evidently a very wealthy family and much of their wealth was on display. The house was built of polished marble which seemed to glow with a rosy light. Inside, there were plush carpets and velvet drapes, silver candlesticks and antique vases; there was finely-carved furniture made from rare wood, and other things you were too dazed to notice.
They were not unkind; in fact, you were welcomed into the home with great fanfare. Many family members queued up to meet you and to shake your hand. There were perfumed servants in gaudy livery who acted like they'd be only too happy to carry out your every whim. Again and again, they brought trays of new delicacies for you to try: sweetmeats, pastries, exotic fruits, glasses of sweet cordial, and other things you couldn't even name. You weren't hungry or thirsty, so you tried to refuse as politely as you could, but you felt guilty for refusing. Even Jana, who was normally a bottomless pit that could never be filled with enough food, got sick of sweet treats and started to refuse them.
You felt like an interloper. The Bhiran family tree was large and had many spreading branches. Although you could sense some of their tangled relationships and alliances, old quarrels and disputes and scores waiting to be settled, you had no way to navigate them. Komal was one of three older women who seemed to rule over the family with authority that bordered on tyranny; they all seemed to fear the lashing of her sharp tongue. However, she didn't do anything to discipline the children: the entire family seemed to dote on those squalling brats and – horror of horrors – you were expected to play with them.
A plump, curly-haired boy approached Jana and said, 'Gimme your sword.'
'No. It's not a toy,' she said, holding her new dagger in its sheath and hooking her thumb around the cross guard.
'You gotta share!' he cried, trembling with rage. 'Don't be mean!'
'Kid, I said no. No means no,' Jana said sternly. 'Anyway, you can't go up to someone and demand that they share. If they want to share something with you, that's their choice. You don't have a right to it.'
The boy threw back his head and wailed. You made a hasty getaway after that, claiming you were exhausted after the long day you'd had and begging the Bhirans' forgiveness.
*
When you got home, your mother and father were waiting.
'Did you have fun on your day out, Elys?' your mother asked.
You cast your mind back over the day's events. 'Yeah... I suppose so. It was interesting.'
'Glad to hear it,' said your father. He raised an eyebrow at what Jana was carrying. 'That's a big knife. Why do you have it?'
'I need it to protect Elys,' Jana said determinedly.
'You bought her a weapon? Honestly... in her hands, it's like a sword!' Your mother huffed exasperatedly, shaking her head at Mishrak. 'What if she hurts herself with it?'
'Well... I imagine she'd learn a valuable lesson from the experience,' said Mishrak.
'Can I see it?' your father asked.
'All right,' said Jana, handing over the dagger.
Your father drew it a little way out of its sheath so he could inspect it. 'Cold iron?' he mused. 'Huh. Nice.'
Jana nodded. 'I thought so.'
'Hmm. Jana, if this is your weapon of choice, I'll start training you in how to use it and how to conceal it about your person,' your father said. 'For now, I'd rather you didn't carry it around with you. We'll keep it safely locked up somewhere.'
'But what if I need it?'
'I'll make sure you know where the key is so you can get to it if you truly need it,' your father promised.
'You're a lucky girl,' said your mother. 'I hope you said "thank you" to Mishrak,'
Jana paused, thinking about that. 'No... I don't think I did. Sorry, I should have said... uh... thank you, Mishrak!'
'You're welcome,' said Mishrak. 'Good night, all of you.'
Well, the birthday arc is finally over. I'm glad I got that out of the way.
I'm going to be very busy over the next month and a half, so I won't be able to update either of my quests nearly as much. For The Tinpot Princess and Her Many Travels I plan to write a series of interludes to fill in the gap between this and the next arc. I'll post some vote options later on, when I've got time. For now, I hope you enjoy this chapter.
I'm going to be very busy over the next month and a half, so I won't be able to update either of my quests nearly as much. For The Tinpot Princess and Her Many Travels I plan to write a series of interludes to fill in the gap between this and the next arc. I'll post some vote options later on, when I've got time. For now, I hope you enjoy this chapter.
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- Location
- Earth
I enjoyed the chapter and will be waiting patiently for the interludes.
I found the goblin magic particularly interesting.
Is some magic species specific, or even just naturally species favored?
This is a very, very modern thought process, just so you know. And really only applies to firearms, and only modern firearms at that, since muskets require some prep work that's kinda hard to miss - you can't just keep 'em loaded on your wall.
For knives, specifically - knives are a tool, in addition to being a weapon. They're ubiquitous. There is absolutely no reason to be locking up a knife, unless it's cursed or heavily enchanted.
Hye
Reader of The Long Words
- Location
- In the middle of a story
Wait, as in feet feet? Like, human feet? Or was it just to say she jumped up. Does she actually have hooves or talons or something? Because I simply can't imagine her with feet.
Edit: Memo to myself. Remember to actually read the rest of the story, before just posting whatever pops into your mind
I like this guy! Merchants are always the best.
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Flashkannon
Aqua Iconographer
- Location
- TM 91
Now that Jana has her own weapon, I'm kind of curious about her combat statistics... Come to think of it, I don't think we've seen her character sheet. Or Catharne's, for that matter. I know we're not going to get them into combat anytime soon, but I can't help but be curious to see their skills and such.
Hex Machina
Magitechnician
- Location
- Out of Sight and Out of Mind
Very nice chapter.
The visions from the goblin are intriguing and concerning. If we assume that Elys sparkled because of her "true" name, and Uncle Mishrak appeared as a dragon because that's his "true" appearance, then Jana appearing as a corpse has some... troubling implications. I know her resurrection was far from standard procedure when it comes to magic and gods, but the possibility that whatever force drives these dreamweed visions considers Jana's life as artificial as our uncle's human guise worries me a bit.
The visions from the goblin are intriguing and concerning. If we assume that Elys sparkled because of her "true" name, and Uncle Mishrak appeared as a dragon because that's his "true" appearance, then Jana appearing as a corpse has some... troubling implications. I know her resurrection was far from standard procedure when it comes to magic and gods, but the possibility that whatever force drives these dreamweed visions considers Jana's life as artificial as our uncle's human guise worries me a bit.
Chandagnac
Broken Robot
- Location
- Nowhere
None of the magical powers in this setting are really species-specific. However, because of their connection to the Dream Realm, goblins find it easier to use dream magic, illusions, and so on. Elves tend to be magically powerful because of how they're created; they're basically biological robots designed to be powerful servants and guardians. Half-elves usually inherit some of their elven parent's gifts (but half-elves are very, very rare). Among humans, different cultures tend to have their own magical traditions and worshippers of certain gods will find it easier to use magic related to that god (for example, worshippers of Strashan the storm god find it easier to use weather magic).
Yeah, you're right, but there are a number of reasons for that:
1. In the tiny hands of an eight year old, Jana's new dagger looks more like a short sword. It's long, sharp, and magically enhanced (because all cold iron weapons are). There's nothing obviously magical about it – it doesn't glow, drip venom, or burst into flame, for example – but it's harder, sharper, and keeps an edge better than a non-magical weapon would. For that reason, it's not very useful as a tool: you can't use it for chopping vegetables unless you're willing to accidentally cut the chopping board in half or slice your own fingers off, for example. There aren't many things you can use it for which don't involve hurting or killing something.
- I will edit the latest chapter to make that clearer.
2. In terms of the game mechanics I've been using for this quest, Jana's new dagger is a +3 weapon. That's a useful weapon, but it's the kind of thing other people are likely to get very worried about. Better keep it safely locked away.
3. Gareth and Yslena are a bit overprotective. They don't want either of their little girls getting hurt. Oh, they'd be okay with Jana having a small pocket knife (in fact, she already has a small pocket knife), but they don't want her running around with a magical dagger that almost looks big enough to be a short sword.
- Elys is currently banned from having a knife because of what happened in Chapter 49: Jana gave her a small folding knife as a birthday present. Before long, Elys nearly cut her own fingers off. Her parents confiscated the knife, telling her she could have it back when she was older and could be trusted with it.
4. Quellonian society has some quite sexist attitudes. Gareth and Yslena are strong-minded and independent people, but they can't help but be influenced by the prevalent attitudes of the country they've spent their entire lives in. So... they'd probably think nothing of little boys running around with knives, but they're leery of little girls doing the same thing.
5. The comparison with modern gun control was intentional (hence the title of the latest chapter). I meant it facetiously, as a joke. As I was writing the chapter, the subplot involving Jana's new dagger became the thread which linked disparate sections together, so I kind of focussed on it and tried to be humorous about it. Maybe it isn't very funny, but it made me smile at the time.
6. Almost invariably, literature reflects the attitudes of the place and time period it's written in, even if the setting of the story is different. I mean, I could try to write a story which accurately reflected the attitudes of people in a sort-of medieval kingdom, but you'd probably think it was morally repugnant (particularly with regards to attitudes towards women, foreigners, and LGBTQ people). This is because stories are written to appeal to readers in the present time period (i.e. whenever the writer happens to be writing it) even if the story is set in different time. Even if a writer tries to accurately convey what it was like to live in the time period in which the story is set, it's really only a representation, seen through the lens of modern attitudes and beliefs about that time period, some of which may be erroneous or exaggerated.
- Or, to make the same point much more succinctly: I'm not claiming that this story is in any way historically accurate.
7. Although The Tinpot Princess and Her Many Travels is set in a pseudo-medieval kingdom, it's not really medieval. The fact that magic is fairly common in this fantasy setting means that magic is used in place of some advanced technologies (e.g. it's used for fast travel, long-range communications, and various other things which make life easier) which have altered their society quite significantly. Their attitudes are not supposed to be the same as those of people in the real life medieval period.
- Basically, it's fantasy. Expecting it to be realistic is... well, maybe "realistic" is the wrong word.
So yeah, I'm going to make a few changes to the last chapter to make Gareth's and Yslena's reaction seem more reasonable. (Sorry, when I wrote that bit I was tired and in a hurry and I didn't make myself as clear as I should have done.)
I can also change the title if people are bothered by it, in which case I'll need to give the chapter a new title. Any suggestions?
No, I was using the word "feet" as the generic name for... uh... feet. Those things on the end of your legs. The things you stand on. The lower extremities of the legs below the ankles. Fish don't have them, but most animals do. Uh... what else should I call them?
(Note: I just looked this up. Apparently, all four of a lizard's feet are called feet, even the ones which look like hands. I imagine Catharne having feet like a lizard.)
And now I've written "feet" so many times that the word looks wrong to me.
One reason why I haven't shown you Jana's character sheet is that she's a child. Right now, her character sheet isn't very interesting. All of her stats are level 1 except for Insight and all of her skills are level 1 except for Stealth/Thieving (which she has combined as a single skill, at level 2).
I haven't bothered to come up with a character sheet for Catharne because it will be out of date by the time I need to use it; she's still growing and her stats are improving rapidly.
Heh. That's one possible interpretation.
*
Anyway, I've got a lot of ideas for interludes, but I can only write so many. Some of these interludes will be written from the point of view of some of the NPCs we've seen so far in this quest. Others will be bedtime stories told by Gareth, Yslena, or Mishrak (possibly), with Elys, Jana, and Catharne providing MST3K-style commentary.
Which NPCs would you like to see more of? (Choose two)
[] Mishrak (i.e. his confrontation with Azoth Halmaunder)
[] Teryn
[] Kari Vandion
[] Roylott Flawse
[] Kaerina
[] Brus Warrence
[] Someone else (write in*)
*Please note: I reserve the right to veto any write-in options I think are unsuitable.
Which bedtime stories would you like to hear? (Choose two)
[] Nimble Jack and the Beanstalk
[] Gaharys Allardyne sets out to join King Entar's court
[] The Battle of the Taronian Fields
[] The Dolorous Stroke
[] How the Dolorous Stroke was Healed (or, "Why we decided to call you Elys.")
[] The King Who Made War on the Animals
[] How Death was Banished from the Sunset Lands
[] The Dragon War
[] How Quellonia Was Riven by Civil War (or, "The Last High King")
Please vote!
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Kyrina
A Simple Merchant of Mirrors
- Location
- England
Which NPCs would you like to see more of? (Choose two)
[X] Teryn
[X] Kaerina
I am very biased here, obviously
Which bedtime stories would you like to hear? (Choose two)
[X] How the Dolorous Stroke was Healed (or, "Why we decided to call you Elys.")
[X] The Dragon War
I think telling your kids why they're named whatever their named is a traditional parental past time? Mine bring it up any time they can anyway so Elys can share my suffering Also I like dragons! And Catharne might find the story useful or instructive
[X] Teryn
[X] Kaerina
I am very biased here, obviously
Which bedtime stories would you like to hear? (Choose two)
[X] How the Dolorous Stroke was Healed (or, "Why we decided to call you Elys.")
[X] The Dragon War
I think telling your kids why they're named whatever their named is a traditional parental past time? Mine bring it up any time they can anyway so Elys can share my suffering
Also I like dragons! And Catharne might find the story useful or instructive 
Oh I am slain!
Wynaut?
- Location
- Tatooine
[x] Mishrak (i.e. his confrontation with Azoth Halmaunder)
[x] Teryn
[x] Kari Vandion
I'm bad at following instructions. I really want to see all three of these.
[x] How the Dolorous Stroke was Healed (or, "Why we decided to call you Elys.")
[x] How Quellonia Was Riven by Civil War (or, "The Last High King")
Name + Quellonia Civil War origins. The latter seems relevant to this quest's original title?
Miscellaneous responses while reading previous update:
[x] Teryn
[x] Kari Vandion
I'm bad at following instructions. I really want to see all three of these.
[x] How the Dolorous Stroke was Healed (or, "Why we decided to call you Elys.")
[x] How Quellonia Was Riven by Civil War (or, "The Last High King")
Name + Quellonia Civil War origins. The latter seems relevant to this quest's original title?
Miscellaneous responses while reading previous update:
Elys savvy++
Wait a minute... ^_^
Elys, asking the important questions. She'll be a great queen someday!
That's...worrisome. Especially for Jana. I wonder if these can change over time.
Aw, not much happened. I guess not every option pans out. And I'm sure everything is a teachable moment for Elys & Co.!
Hex Machina
Magitechnician
- Location
- Out of Sight and Out of Mind
[X] Mishrak (i.e. his confrontation with Azoth Halmaunder)
[X] Kaerina
[X] The Dolorous Stroke
[X] How the Dolorous Stroke was Healed (or, "Why we decided to call you Elys.")
Name origins are enticing, but it feels improper to skip right to the sequel.
[X] Kaerina
[X] The Dolorous Stroke
[X] How the Dolorous Stroke was Healed (or, "Why we decided to call you Elys.")
Name origins are enticing, but it feels improper to skip right to the sequel.
Flashkannon
Aqua Iconographer
- Location
- TM 91
[x] Kaerina
[x] Jana
I'd vote Mishrak, because he's great, but we see a whole lot of him already. Plus, I want to see what Kaerina's doing between the ticks of the clock!
[x] The Dolorous Stroke
[x] How Death was Banished from the Sunset Lands
These events have only been danced around by narration, and I am dying to know about both of these Occurences.
As for Jana, I'm of the opinion that the dream mist sort of showed the most significant hidden aspect of a character thus far. It showed Mishrak's godhood, Elys's shining potential, and it honed in on the very unusual occurrence that is Jana's very close brush with death. Alternately, and possibly in addition, I expect her soul took wounds that day that have either scarred over, or simply haven't finished healing yet. I'm doing my level best to pretend there's no chance that her soul is slowly ripping away again and going back to the Wheel where it thinks it belongs.
[x] Jana
I'd vote Mishrak, because he's great, but we see a whole lot of him already. Plus, I want to see what Kaerina's doing between the ticks of the clock!
[x] The Dolorous Stroke
[x] How Death was Banished from the Sunset Lands
These events have only been danced around by narration, and I am dying to know about both of these Occurences.
As for Jana, I'm of the opinion that the dream mist sort of showed the most significant hidden aspect of a character thus far. It showed Mishrak's godhood, Elys's shining potential, and it honed in on the very unusual occurrence that is Jana's very close brush with death. Alternately, and possibly in addition, I expect her soul took wounds that day that have either scarred over, or simply haven't finished healing yet. I'm doing my level best to pretend there's no chance that her soul is slowly ripping away again and going back to the Wheel where it thinks it belongs.