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The Tinpot Princess and Her Many Travels
- Thread starter Chandagnac
- Start date
- Original
So, I've really been enjoying this quest even if I only pop in every once in a while. I'm actually a bit curious as to whether you've put thought into writing in a more conventional narrative format. And I fully admit that that's partly out of a selfish desire to see more of the world and characters that you've built.
Art - Elys' and Jana's faces
Chandagnac
Broken Robot
- Location
- Nowhere
All right, so...
1. Yslena's first attack: 2d6+20 = 27 (2x dmg)
2. Yslena's second attack: 2d6+19 = 31 (2x dmg)
3. Elys' Stealth: 2d6+2 = 13
4. Elys' Awareness: 2d6+3 = 9
Okay, I'll post the next chapter as soon as I can.
Anyway, it's been a long time since this quest got any fanart, so I decided to draw my own. I'm not a very good artist, but I've tried to draw Jana and Elys as I imagine them to look. Their faces, at least. Please excuse the wonky eyes and the shadowy images of whatever was printed on the other side of the piece of scrap paper I used. Also, I used a brown pencil crayon for their skin colour and – even with a 'honey' filter over the top – they still don't look as tanned at they should. Oh well.
Here's Elys:
And here's Jana:
Hope you like!
1. Yslena's first attack: 2d6+20 = 27 (2x dmg)
2. Yslena's second attack: 2d6+19 = 31 (2x dmg)
3. Elys' Stealth: 2d6+2 = 13
4. Elys' Awareness: 2d6+3 = 9
Okay, I'll post the next chapter as soon as I can.
After she's finished her duel with Pebelstien, Yslena will be able to use Ritual Magic to cast a healing spell which should at least stabilize Gareth.
Hmm. Well, I still want to write the story of how Teryn became the Lord of the Land of Ghosts at some point, but part of the reason I started writing quests was because I found it difficult to knuckle down to writing a novel. I've got a terrible habit of writing about 30,000 words, thinking to myself 'this earlier plot point doesn't make sense' and then restarting the whole thing. And then I lose interest. At least when it comes to writing quests, the constant feedback keeps me interested.
Anyway, it's been a long time since this quest got any fanart, so I decided to draw my own. I'm not a very good artist, but I've tried to draw Jana and Elys as I imagine them to look. Their faces, at least. Please excuse the wonky eyes and the shadowy images of whatever was printed on the other side of the piece of scrap paper I used. Also, I used a brown pencil crayon for their skin colour and – even with a 'honey' filter over the top – they still don't look as tanned at they should. Oh well.
Here's Elys:
And here's Jana:
Hope you like!
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117. In Search of a Deus Ex Machina
Chandagnac
Broken Robot
- Location
- Nowhere
Here's the next chapter:
*
In Search of a Deus Ex Machina
With a single decisive action, you could end the Aspiti invasion. If you could find and deactivate the ritual which temporarily prevented any gods from entering Ismar, Mishrak would be free to use his divine powers to help your parents. Given free rein, no doubt he would smash the Aspiti fleet before they could summon Zanaster to oppose him. It appeared that he'd made a start already: in the distance, you saw that at least one of the Aspiti ships had run into difficulties. Judging by its relative position, you would guess that it struck a hidden rock and was holed beneath the waterline. It seemed to be slowly sinking.
Encouraged, you moved on, padding softly through the no-longer-sleeping town. In several of the nearby windows, you saw a faint glow of candlelight. It seemed that the people of Fishbigh had been roused from their beds. Some of them staggered out of their homes and in the direction of the town bell. With their shambling movements and the layers of warm clothes they were wrapped in, as if they'd been mummified, they reminded you of a story you'd once heard. That story was about Teryn the Ghostlord and some of his minions. From it, you best remembered the disquieting image of ragged phantoms rising from their graves to answer a necromancer's call.
None of them were paying much attention to their surroundings. You were able to sneak past them unnoticed. With catlike tread, you crept through the dark and shadows until you reached the inn. The front door was unlocked.
Inside, it wasn't difficult to figure out which of the rooms had been occupied by Pebelstien and his men. There were only ten guest rooms in the inn and six of them were empty: the inn probably wouldn't exist at all if your parents hadn't agreed to subsidize it.
You were aware that one of the rooms served as a retirement home for an elderly couple who… well, you weren't entirely sure of the details, but you'd heard that the old man had been born on Ismar and decided to return after the Sea Ghoul cult had been ousted. Apparently, at one time, they'd talked of building a house of their own; but, finding the inn's rates to be very reasonable, they'd moved in and never left. You were familiar with them, so you knew which room was theirs. The door was ajar and it seemed that they weren't home. Presumably they'd gone to join the gathering by the town bell; you might have passed by them on your way to the inn.
Another room was occupied by a trader who occasionally made the short trip from Flotsam to Ismar in the hope of persuading your parents to buy some of his merchandise. His door was slightly ajar. When you poked your head through the gap, you saw him hurriedly packing his case and muttering swear words under his breath.
There were only two other rooms people had been staying in recently. On the main corridor, they were side-by-side near the entrance, and both were locked.
Including Pebelstien, six men arrived in that small boat yesterday. Even if they'd had no intention of sleeping, but it would have been suspicious if they'd taken only one room that wasn't big enough for all six of them to sleep in. So, those two locked rooms were probably where Pebelstien and his men had set up their temporary base, where they'd been resting and preparing to launch a night attack. You didn't doubt that they'd set up their arcane circles in one of those rooms. But which one? And how were you going to get past those locked doors?
What did Elys do next?
[] Knock on one of the locked doors.
[] Call out to anyone who might still be inside: "Hey! Are you in there? Open up!"
[] Attempt to pick one of the locks.
[] Use Dragon Breath to destroy one of the locked doors.
[] Use Ritual Magic to open one of the locked doors.
-[] Quickly devise an unlocking spell.
[] Sneak around the outside of the inn. Look for a window.
-[] Use Mastery of Sound to shatter the window.
--[] Climb inside.
[] Leave the inn. Meet up with Jana and Catharne.
-[] Ask Catharne to serve as a dragon-shaped battering ram.
[] Do something else (write in).
Thick clouds of oily smoke filled the air. Her flaming sword had ignited the shredded remains of his clothes. Patches of flesh were seared, scalded, or charred black. He was burning.
He flailed wildly at her, trying to force her to back away, to give himself space to recover. But his meaty fists rebounded off her force field. While he was caught mid-transformation, he wasn't strong enough to smash through her shield.
Coolly, she ignored his thrashing about. Within her protective bubble, she had no need to fear; she was insulated from anything he could do to her. Instead, she struck with startling speed, efficiency, and economy of motion; her blade whipped past his upraised arm, cleaved through his neck, and sent his severed head flying off in a different direction to his body, which was still on fire. Even after he fell to the ground in two pieces, he continued to burn. The stench was horrific.
By then, Yslena had ceased to pay attention to him. She ran over to Gareth, to where his body had fallen. He was dying. On the verge of death. Even if she could delay his final journey to the Halls of the Dead, he was grievously injured. He might be crippled: forced to live out the rest of his life in a broken body, wracked with pain. For a moment, she was frozen by indecision. Could she do that to him?
And yet... in her heart, Yslena knew that Gareth loved her. He would want to be with her, to share his life and love with her, for as long as possible. He would want to see their daughter grow up, to see what would become of the family they had built together. It might cost him, but he would still want it. No matter how much it hurt. Their love would prevail.
She took a deep breath, sketched a circle in the dirt, and prepared the most powerful healing spell she knew.
This is what Yslena did:
[x] Ritual Magic (healing spell): 2d6+12
*
In Search of a Deus Ex Machina
You decided to leave the safety of Mishrak's temple. Instead, wandering out on your own, through the darkness, over to the other side of town, you moved stealthily towards the inn where you suspected a group of vicious mercenaries might have set up a temporary base. Surely this was a mature and responsible decision that would have no negative consequences in future! No… even at the time, you didn't believe that. You knew that this course of action was foolish, but you were committed to it. You couldn't bear to sit and wait while your loved ones were risking their lives; you were determined to do something to help!
With a single decisive action, you could end the Aspiti invasion. If you could find and deactivate the ritual which temporarily prevented any gods from entering Ismar, Mishrak would be free to use his divine powers to help your parents. Given free rein, no doubt he would smash the Aspiti fleet before they could summon Zanaster to oppose him. It appeared that he'd made a start already: in the distance, you saw that at least one of the Aspiti ships had run into difficulties. Judging by its relative position, you would guess that it struck a hidden rock and was holed beneath the waterline. It seemed to be slowly sinking.
Encouraged, you moved on, padding softly through the no-longer-sleeping town. In several of the nearby windows, you saw a faint glow of candlelight. It seemed that the people of Fishbigh had been roused from their beds. Some of them staggered out of their homes and in the direction of the town bell. With their shambling movements and the layers of warm clothes they were wrapped in, as if they'd been mummified, they reminded you of a story you'd once heard. That story was about Teryn the Ghostlord and some of his minions. From it, you best remembered the disquieting image of ragged phantoms rising from their graves to answer a necromancer's call.
None of them were paying much attention to their surroundings. You were able to sneak past them unnoticed. With catlike tread, you crept through the dark and shadows until you reached the inn. The front door was unlocked.
Inside, it wasn't difficult to figure out which of the rooms had been occupied by Pebelstien and his men. There were only ten guest rooms in the inn and six of them were empty: the inn probably wouldn't exist at all if your parents hadn't agreed to subsidize it.
You were aware that one of the rooms served as a retirement home for an elderly couple who… well, you weren't entirely sure of the details, but you'd heard that the old man had been born on Ismar and decided to return after the Sea Ghoul cult had been ousted. Apparently, at one time, they'd talked of building a house of their own; but, finding the inn's rates to be very reasonable, they'd moved in and never left. You were familiar with them, so you knew which room was theirs. The door was ajar and it seemed that they weren't home. Presumably they'd gone to join the gathering by the town bell; you might have passed by them on your way to the inn.
Another room was occupied by a trader who occasionally made the short trip from Flotsam to Ismar in the hope of persuading your parents to buy some of his merchandise. His door was slightly ajar. When you poked your head through the gap, you saw him hurriedly packing his case and muttering swear words under his breath.
There were only two other rooms people had been staying in recently. On the main corridor, they were side-by-side near the entrance, and both were locked.
Including Pebelstien, six men arrived in that small boat yesterday. Even if they'd had no intention of sleeping, but it would have been suspicious if they'd taken only one room that wasn't big enough for all six of them to sleep in. So, those two locked rooms were probably where Pebelstien and his men had set up their temporary base, where they'd been resting and preparing to launch a night attack. You didn't doubt that they'd set up their arcane circles in one of those rooms. But which one? And how were you going to get past those locked doors?
What did Elys do next?
[] Knock on one of the locked doors.
[] Call out to anyone who might still be inside: "Hey! Are you in there? Open up!"
[] Attempt to pick one of the locks.
[] Use Dragon Breath to destroy one of the locked doors.
[] Use Ritual Magic to open one of the locked doors.
-[] Quickly devise an unlocking spell.
[] Sneak around the outside of the inn. Look for a window.
-[] Use Mastery of Sound to shatter the window.
--[] Climb inside.
[] Leave the inn. Meet up with Jana and Catharne.
-[] Ask Catharne to serve as a dragon-shaped battering ram.
[] Do something else (write in).
That is to say, like a cat who was trying to be stealthy, not like the monstrous ginger tom who came into my room last night and mewed at me while I was trying to get some sleep.
Yslena said nothing. She regarded him with an expression of cold contempt. Then, her sword was her reply: ablaze with magical flames, it struck like the rage of an elder god, like the heavenly fires that had razed ancient Os. A furious two-handed blow that almost cleaved Pebelstien in twain despite his attempts to back away. Despite his superhuman toughness and powers of accelerated healing which knitted his flesh back together almost as quickly as it could be torn apart, he was sorely wounded.
Thick clouds of oily smoke filled the air. Her flaming sword had ignited the shredded remains of his clothes. Patches of flesh were seared, scalded, or charred black. He was burning.
He flailed wildly at her, trying to force her to back away, to give himself space to recover. But his meaty fists rebounded off her force field. While he was caught mid-transformation, he wasn't strong enough to smash through her shield.
Coolly, she ignored his thrashing about. Within her protective bubble, she had no need to fear; she was insulated from anything he could do to her. Instead, she struck with startling speed, efficiency, and economy of motion; her blade whipped past his upraised arm, cleaved through his neck, and sent his severed head flying off in a different direction to his body, which was still on fire. Even after he fell to the ground in two pieces, he continued to burn. The stench was horrific.
Yeesh. I remember, earlier, someone called Yslena "the Mominator". She thoroughly deserves that nickname.
By then, Yslena had ceased to pay attention to him. She ran over to Gareth, to where his body had fallen. He was dying. On the verge of death. Even if she could delay his final journey to the Halls of the Dead, he was grievously injured. He might be crippled: forced to live out the rest of his life in a broken body, wracked with pain. For a moment, she was frozen by indecision. Could she do that to him?
And yet... in her heart, Yslena knew that Gareth loved her. He would want to be with her, to share his life and love with her, for as long as possible. He would want to see their daughter grow up, to see what would become of the family they had built together. It might cost him, but he would still want it. No matter how much it hurt. Their love would prevail.
She took a deep breath, sketched a circle in the dirt, and prepared the most powerful healing spell she knew.
This is what Yslena did:
[x] Ritual Magic (healing spell): 2d6+12
I don't think I need a vote on that. I'm pretty sure I already know what the result would be.
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I know it will take more time than dragon breath but I don't want to risk murdering someone innocent or getting caught if we screw up and dragons make excellent cavalry.
[X] Leave the inn. Meet up with Jana and Catharne.
-[X] Ask Catharne to serve as a dragon-shaped battering ram.
[X] Ritual Magic (healing spell): 2d6+12
[X] Leave the inn. Meet up with Jana and Catharne.
-[X] Ask Catharne to serve as a dragon-shaped battering ram.
[X] Ritual Magic (healing spell): 2d6+12
Flashkannon
Aqua Iconographer
- Location
- TM 91
Mmmm, this is just... really satisfying. I know the victory won't last, but that instant karma is just wonderful.
[x] Leave the inn. Meet up with Jana and Catharne.
-[x] Get Jana to pick the lock
Jana has the Thieving skill, right? So that probably covers lockpicking.
Else,
[] Use Ritual Magic to open one of the locked doors.
-[] Quickly devise an unlocking spell.
One presumes a spell to simply unscrew the doorknob would be easy enough.
Also, let's not forget too much about Layna. She's... not dead yet, right?
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- Location
- Somewhere.
[X] [Elys] See if the innkeeper is still there
-[X] If he(/she) is, report the situation and ask for help. Even if they're not there, there might be a ledger? And/or spare keys? If we know where they're kept, we should check.
-[X] If not, try the door handles.
-[X] Have some magic ready to beat up any bad guys. Dragon Breath?
[X] [Yslena] Ritual Magic (healing spell)
-[X] If he(/she) is, report the situation and ask for help. Even if they're not there, there might be a ledger? And/or spare keys? If we know where they're kept, we should check.
-[X] If not, try the door handles.
-[X] Have some magic ready to beat up any bad guys. Dragon Breath?
[X] [Yslena] Ritual Magic (healing spell)
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Flashkannon
Aqua Iconographer
- Location
- TM 91
Be that as it may, that's a plan with a lot of moving parts. One, it requires that the assassins didn't steal the master key, two, that we can actually find the owner, and three, that we can convince him of our plight.
And mind you, even if we accomplish this, it still takes time. A good deal of time, most likely. We could just steal the key instead, but... that has its own problems.
Hye
Reader of The Long Words
- Location
- In the middle of a story
[X] Leave the inn. Meet up with Jana and Catharne.
-[X] Ask Jana to pick the locks.
-[X] Ask Catharne to serve as a dragon-shaped battering ram.
I said that we should have met up with Jana and Catharne before coming to the inn. I still agree with that. So let's go pick them up.
Edit: Also, I really don't want to roll for the healing spell. I rolled fairly high the last two times, so I am bound to roll fairly low next time.
-[X] Ask Jana to pick the locks.
-[X] Ask Catharne to serve as a dragon-shaped battering ram.
I said that we should have met up with Jana and Catharne before coming to the inn. I still agree with that. So let's go pick them up.
Edit: Also, I really don't want to roll for the healing spell. I rolled fairly high the last two times, so I am bound to roll fairly low next time.
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- Location
- Somewhere!
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[x] Sneak around the outside of the inn. Look for a window.
-[x] Break the window with a rock, then unlock it.
--[x] Climb inside.
[X] Ritual Magic (healing spell): 2d6+12
When do you want the roll?
Edit: Got it. 6 and 12 makes 18.
-[x] Break the window with a rock, then unlock it.
--[x] Climb inside.
[X] Ritual Magic (healing spell): 2d6+12
When do you want the roll?
Edit: Got it. 6 and 12 makes 18.
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- Location
- Earth
Anytime is good.
Most of the readers in this thread are fairly superstitious or unwilling to roll the dice. There's not a timing thing though.
Oh I am slain!
Wynaut?
- Location
- Tatooine
Hrm. A mean part of me just wants to see a chat between Gareth and Bellona as he passes into the afterlife. Can she do something like that yet?
Or, if Gareth lives, maybe Bellona says hi and goodbye to Brus as he passes by.
[x] Sneak around the outside of the inn. Look for a window.
-[x] Break the window with a rock, then unlock it.
--[x] Climb inside.
Makes sense to me. Probably no need to use Mastery of Sound?
Or, if Gareth lives, maybe Bellona says hi and goodbye to Brus as he passes by.
[x] Sneak around the outside of the inn. Look for a window.
-[x] Break the window with a rock, then unlock it.
--[x] Climb inside.
Makes sense to me. Probably no need to use Mastery of Sound?
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Chandagnac
Broken Robot
- Location
- Nowhere
Heh, glad you liked it.
That's fine.
Possibly, yeah.
Bellona and Brus weren't exactly close, so that would be an awkward meeting.
Here's the vote tally so far:
Hmm. Elys will either 'fetch Jana and Catharne' or 'break into one of the locked rooms through an outside window'. Whichever of these options you choose will result in significant changes to the next scene. For that reason, I'm going to leave the vote open for another day. So... choose carefully.
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- Location
- Earth
I'm not sure what my vote was, but the failed awareness check commentary has me suspicious.
I'm going to be flightly and impulsive in my voting for once
[X] Leave the inn. Meet up with Jana and Catharne.
-[X] Ask Jana to pick the locks.
-[X] Ask Catharne to serve as a dragon-shaped battering ram.
I'm going to be flightly and impulsive in my voting for once
[X] Leave the inn. Meet up with Jana and Catharne.
-[X] Ask Jana to pick the locks.
-[X] Ask Catharne to serve as a dragon-shaped battering ram.
118. And Your Little Dragon, Too!
Chandagnac
Broken Robot
- Location
- Nowhere
Hey guys, I hope you're having a good weekend.
Here's the latest chapter:
By the time you reached the plaza, the meeting was breaking up. The crowd slowly drifted apart. Drowsy and befuddled, some of them returned to their homes; you hoped they were only going to grab some of their possessions before leaving. Others didn't bother; with nothing more than the clothes they were wearing, they shuffled towards Mishrak's temple, going there to wait for evacuation.
Your handmaiden and trusty steed were standing on the little stage next to the town bell. Jana grimaced and rubbed her hands over her ears. Catharne looked bored and irritated; she'd come out tonight expecting some action, but she hadn't been able to do much before she'd been captured, tied up, and knocked unconscious. You hoped that you could offer her a useful way to vent her frustrations.
'Hi Elys!' Jana shouted when she saw your approach. In the silence of the night, her voice was raucous and overly loud.
'Shh. A little quieter, please,' you said, wincing.
'Sorry! Nearly deafened myself when I rang the bell! But I'm getting better!'
'I've been to the inn and found out where Pebblestone and his men were staying. But the doors are locked. I need some help to open them,' you said.
'How?' asked Catharne.
'I thought Jana could try to pick the locks. Or you could smash open the doors.'
'The innkeeper won't like that, will he?'
You gave a little shrug. 'If we're going to evacuate the island anyway, it probably doesn't matter. Maybe we shouldn't leave behind anything intact for the Aspitis to use.'
With a bloodthirsty grin spread across her face, Jana cried, 'Burn down the town on our way out!'
'That might be advisable,' you allowed.
'All right,' said Catharne. She yawned and stretched, arching her back and spreading her leathery wings. 'Shall we go?'
Looking out to sea, you noticed that the Aspiti invasion fleet seemed to have temporarily halted. As you'd seen before, one of the ships was sinking; several others were clustered around it, trying to rescue as many people from it as they could. Was that Mishrak's doing? Would he be able to buy enough time for the Ismari people to make their escape?
By the time you got back to the inn, Jana's hearing seemed to have mostly recovered. She was back to her old self. In fact, you began to suspect her of exaggerating her condition so that she'd have an excuse to shout inappropriate things and pretend that she couldn't hear anything she didn't want to hear.
'I know you like to imagine me as some kind of master thief, but I've never picked a lock before and I don't think this is a good time to start practising,' she said, examining one of the locked doors. 'Sorry, Elys.'
'No problem,' you said, turning instead to your dragonling friend. 'Catharne, break down that door for me, please.'
'With pleasure,' she said, stepping forth. Powerful kicks from her taloned feet dashed the door to pieces in less than a minute.
Inside the room, you saw several dribbly candles, a couple of beds that had been pushed to one side, a cheap rug that had been rolled up and set aside, and an arcane circle drawn in black ink over the uncovered floorboards. That was what you came here to find: it must be one of the rituals Pebelstien's mages set up to disable Ismar's ethereal defences!
Before you could do anything to disturb the circle, a hideous creature appeared in front of it, blocking your way. It looked like a dead cat, horribly twisted and reanimated by foul magic. On the shadowy recesses of its mangled body, you saw something moving: a suggestion of black tendrils and needle fangs. Something demonic.
'Who… are you?' it said in a harsh voice.
How did Elys respond? (Choose one)
[] Truth – "I'm Elys Allardyne and these are my friends, Jana and Catharne."
[] Lie – "I'm Sera Delyle and these are my friends, Moira and Iphigerne."
[] Lie – "I'm Hela Highwater and these are my friends, Egwene and Livyatharne."
[] Lie – "I'm Constance Ragwell and these are my friends, Luane and Ambergrys."
[] Demand – "Tell us your name first!"
[] Question – "Why do you want to know?"
[] Say something else (write in).
It seemed likely that one of Pebelstien's mages had summoned this creature to guard the ritual circle. However, you had several other questions that were not so easy to answer. For example, if this demon was summoned into the body of a dead cat, where did they get the cat from? Did they bring it with them across the ocean? Or did they send someone to catch one of the local cats? One of the many feral moggies who helped keep the island's rodent population in check, perhaps? Also, how had it managed to resist the spell that had banished Mishrak and other powerful gods from the island? It was clearly some kind of demon or familiar spirit, so it should have been affected by the spell, unless…
You considered three possibilities: perhaps it was immune to the spell because it was inside the area of effect when it was cast, perhaps being bound into a flesh-and-blood body enabled it to resist a spell that was designed to ward against ethereal beings, or perhaps it was so powerful that it could simply shrug off the spell. Of these possibilities, you considered the third to be the least likely, but you couldn't dismiss it without due consideration.
Meanwhile, Jana bent down and picked up a wooden door wedge. She hefted it in one hand, testing its weight, and then moved as if to throw it into the arcane circle.
'If you do that, I'll have to kill you,' said the bound demon. 'And your friend. And your little dragon, too.' It laughed unpleasantly. 'Then, I'll display your mutilated bodies on the roof of this building. Impaled on spikes. As a warning to others.'
Jana wavered, looking very uncertain.
How did Elys decide to resolve this standoff?
[] Try to persuade the demon to leave peacefully.
-[] "Your summoners are dead. Why bother to stay here?"
[] Threaten the demon.
-[] "You're just bluffing! We're more than strong enough to defeat you!"
--[] "Then we'll summon my big sister! She's… uh… Teryn's girlfriend! She'll bind your soul in the Pits of the Underworld, forever!"
[] Offer to free the demon from its bindings.
-[] "If we release you from the spell that's keeping you here, you can go home and not have to guard this place anymore! Wouldn't you like that?"
[] Attempt to bribe the demon.
-[] Write in: with what?
[] Charge into battle!
-[] Generate an Invisible Shield to protect yourself, first.
--[] Tell Jana to summon her cold iron dagger.
[] Run away!
[] Do something else (write in)
Trying not to aggravate his back injury, Yslena snapped off as much of the crossbow bolt as she could, leaving only the head. For a moment, she wondered where she'd find a skilled surgeon to remove these leftovers without doing any more damage. But then she remembered: their ally, Mishrak the dragon-god – Elys' adopted uncle – was a master of life magic. Perhaps the greatest there had ever been. If it was at all possible to heal Gareth's wounds and restore him to perfect health, surely Mishrak could do it. Although, at the same time, it might be a good idea to keep a careful watch on him to make sure he didn't try to "improve" her husband by giving him claws, gills, scaly skin, or anything of that sort.
Yslena heaved a sigh of relief. She was glad she hadn't hesitated; she had healed Gareth as well as she possibly could and he was no longer in any immediate danger. Now, she needed a way to safely transport him down the hill to Fishbigh, where Mishrak's temple was.
Unlike the various branches of magic which could be used to control the fundamental forces of the world, the 'Invisible Shield' wasn't very versatile. It was basically a cantrip writ large; it did one thing very well, but it couldn't be used for anything else. At least, that was what most wizards assumed. However, Yslena knew differently. Unlike most wizards, she didn't have a large arsenal of spells and magical techniques; she only knew a few tricks, but she knew them very well. Over the years, she'd taken some time to experiment with her Invisible Shield, figuring out different things she could do with it: changing its shape, its consistency, and its position relative to her body. She knew she could use it to create a sort-of transparent cocoon or shell around Gareth. Then, she'd use a fairly simple ritual to lift it into the air, carrying Gareth on top of it, and make it float behind her. Better than carrying him on a stretcher or a cart, it would enable her to transport his unconscious body without jostling, bumping, or shaking him out of his current position. She believed that by doing this she could move him without risk of reopening his wounds or worsening his condition in any way.
That was probably a good idea, she knew, but maybe there were some other things she should do first? Gareth was in no immediate danger, so… who else needed help? There were a few bodies scattered around; she recognised Brus and one of the maids. Should she should check to see if they were still alive, first? Also, she thought she saw silhouettes and flickering candlelight moving around inside the castle. Some of the servants who'd been woken by the noise? If so, she should tell them that they needed to evacuate the island. There wouldn't be any time later.
What did Yslena do next?
[] Create a floating cocoon with which to carry Gareth's unconscious body.
-[] Create a magical leash so she can drag it behind her.
[] Investigate the bodies.
-[] Brus
-[] Layna
[] Alert the remaining servants inside the castle that they need to evacuate.
[] Do something else (write in)
Here's the latest chapter:
*
And Your Little Dragon, Too!
And Your Little Dragon, Too!
Having no way of knowing what nasty surprises Pebelstien and his mercenaries had left behind in those locked rooms, you made the sensible decision to go to get some backup. You left the inn and scurried along the street to where many of the townsfolk were gathered around the town bell. From somewhere thereabouts, you heard Jana's voice raised to a shout, but you were too far away to distinguish more than a few words: 'We… out of here… invasion… temple… escape!'
By the time you reached the plaza, the meeting was breaking up. The crowd slowly drifted apart. Drowsy and befuddled, some of them returned to their homes; you hoped they were only going to grab some of their possessions before leaving. Others didn't bother; with nothing more than the clothes they were wearing, they shuffled towards Mishrak's temple, going there to wait for evacuation.
Your handmaiden and trusty steed were standing on the little stage next to the town bell. Jana grimaced and rubbed her hands over her ears. Catharne looked bored and irritated; she'd come out tonight expecting some action, but she hadn't been able to do much before she'd been captured, tied up, and knocked unconscious. You hoped that you could offer her a useful way to vent her frustrations.
'Hi Elys!' Jana shouted when she saw your approach. In the silence of the night, her voice was raucous and overly loud.
'Shh. A little quieter, please,' you said, wincing.
'Sorry! Nearly deafened myself when I rang the bell! But I'm getting better!'
'I've been to the inn and found out where Pebblestone and his men were staying. But the doors are locked. I need some help to open them,' you said.
'How?' asked Catharne.
'I thought Jana could try to pick the locks. Or you could smash open the doors.'
'The innkeeper won't like that, will he?'
You gave a little shrug. 'If we're going to evacuate the island anyway, it probably doesn't matter. Maybe we shouldn't leave behind anything intact for the Aspitis to use.'
With a bloodthirsty grin spread across her face, Jana cried, 'Burn down the town on our way out!'
'That might be advisable,' you allowed.
'All right,' said Catharne. She yawned and stretched, arching her back and spreading her leathery wings. 'Shall we go?'
Looking out to sea, you noticed that the Aspiti invasion fleet seemed to have temporarily halted. As you'd seen before, one of the ships was sinking; several others were clustered around it, trying to rescue as many people from it as they could. Was that Mishrak's doing? Would he be able to buy enough time for the Ismari people to make their escape?
By the time you got back to the inn, Jana's hearing seemed to have mostly recovered. She was back to her old self. In fact, you began to suspect her of exaggerating her condition so that she'd have an excuse to shout inappropriate things and pretend that she couldn't hear anything she didn't want to hear.
'I know you like to imagine me as some kind of master thief, but I've never picked a lock before and I don't think this is a good time to start practising,' she said, examining one of the locked doors. 'Sorry, Elys.'
'No problem,' you said, turning instead to your dragonling friend. 'Catharne, break down that door for me, please.'
'With pleasure,' she said, stepping forth. Powerful kicks from her taloned feet dashed the door to pieces in less than a minute.
Inside the room, you saw several dribbly candles, a couple of beds that had been pushed to one side, a cheap rug that had been rolled up and set aside, and an arcane circle drawn in black ink over the uncovered floorboards. That was what you came here to find: it must be one of the rituals Pebelstien's mages set up to disable Ismar's ethereal defences!
Before you could do anything to disturb the circle, a hideous creature appeared in front of it, blocking your way. It looked like a dead cat, horribly twisted and reanimated by foul magic. On the shadowy recesses of its mangled body, you saw something moving: a suggestion of black tendrils and needle fangs. Something demonic.
'Who… are you?' it said in a harsh voice.
How did Elys respond? (Choose one)
[] Truth – "I'm Elys Allardyne and these are my friends, Jana and Catharne."
[] Lie – "I'm Sera Delyle and these are my friends, Moira and Iphigerne."
[] Lie – "I'm Hela Highwater and these are my friends, Egwene and Livyatharne."
[] Lie – "I'm Constance Ragwell and these are my friends, Luane and Ambergrys."
[] Demand – "Tell us your name first!"
[] Question – "Why do you want to know?"
[] Say something else (write in).
It seemed likely that one of Pebelstien's mages had summoned this creature to guard the ritual circle. However, you had several other questions that were not so easy to answer. For example, if this demon was summoned into the body of a dead cat, where did they get the cat from? Did they bring it with them across the ocean? Or did they send someone to catch one of the local cats? One of the many feral moggies who helped keep the island's rodent population in check, perhaps? Also, how had it managed to resist the spell that had banished Mishrak and other powerful gods from the island? It was clearly some kind of demon or familiar spirit, so it should have been affected by the spell, unless…
You considered three possibilities: perhaps it was immune to the spell because it was inside the area of effect when it was cast, perhaps being bound into a flesh-and-blood body enabled it to resist a spell that was designed to ward against ethereal beings, or perhaps it was so powerful that it could simply shrug off the spell. Of these possibilities, you considered the third to be the least likely, but you couldn't dismiss it without due consideration.
Meanwhile, Jana bent down and picked up a wooden door wedge. She hefted it in one hand, testing its weight, and then moved as if to throw it into the arcane circle.
'If you do that, I'll have to kill you,' said the bound demon. 'And your friend. And your little dragon, too.' It laughed unpleasantly. 'Then, I'll display your mutilated bodies on the roof of this building. Impaled on spikes. As a warning to others.'
Jana wavered, looking very uncertain.
How did Elys decide to resolve this standoff?
[] Try to persuade the demon to leave peacefully.
-[] "Your summoners are dead. Why bother to stay here?"
[] Threaten the demon.
-[] "You're just bluffing! We're more than strong enough to defeat you!"
--[] "Then we'll summon my big sister! She's… uh… Teryn's girlfriend! She'll bind your soul in the Pits of the Underworld, forever!"
[] Offer to free the demon from its bindings.
-[] "If we release you from the spell that's keeping you here, you can go home and not have to guard this place anymore! Wouldn't you like that?"
[] Attempt to bribe the demon.
-[] Write in: with what?
[] Charge into battle!
-[] Generate an Invisible Shield to protect yourself, first.
--[] Tell Jana to summon her cold iron dagger.
[] Run away!
[] Do something else (write in)
Choose two options. Decide which of them is your first choice and which should go second. Number them accordingly.
Basically, Elys gets two attempts to resolve the situation peacefully before the demon gets fed up and decides to attack. If she fails both attempts, this will end in a difficult fight. (However, if you choose 'Charge into battle' as one of your options, the ensuing fight will be slightly easier.)
Basically, Elys gets two attempts to resolve the situation peacefully before the demon gets fed up and decides to attack. If she fails both attempts, this will end in a difficult fight. (However, if you choose 'Charge into battle' as one of your options, the ensuing fight will be slightly easier.)
Burning through her reserves of magical energy, Yslena used her magic to restore Gareth to some semblance of health. His wounds stopped bleeding and began to knit back together. However, he still had an arrowhead in his chest and a crossbow bolt embedded in his back. Yslena had no way of knowing how bad his internal injuries were, or if getting shot in the back had damaged his spinal column, or… Shaking her head, she resolved not to worry about problems she couldn't solve. Instead, she'd devote her energies to doing everything she could to save him.
Trying not to aggravate his back injury, Yslena snapped off as much of the crossbow bolt as she could, leaving only the head. For a moment, she wondered where she'd find a skilled surgeon to remove these leftovers without doing any more damage. But then she remembered: their ally, Mishrak the dragon-god – Elys' adopted uncle – was a master of life magic. Perhaps the greatest there had ever been. If it was at all possible to heal Gareth's wounds and restore him to perfect health, surely Mishrak could do it. Although, at the same time, it might be a good idea to keep a careful watch on him to make sure he didn't try to "improve" her husband by giving him claws, gills, scaly skin, or anything of that sort.
Yslena heaved a sigh of relief. She was glad she hadn't hesitated; she had healed Gareth as well as she possibly could and he was no longer in any immediate danger. Now, she needed a way to safely transport him down the hill to Fishbigh, where Mishrak's temple was.
Unlike the various branches of magic which could be used to control the fundamental forces of the world, the 'Invisible Shield' wasn't very versatile. It was basically a cantrip writ large; it did one thing very well, but it couldn't be used for anything else. At least, that was what most wizards assumed. However, Yslena knew differently. Unlike most wizards, she didn't have a large arsenal of spells and magical techniques; she only knew a few tricks, but she knew them very well. Over the years, she'd taken some time to experiment with her Invisible Shield, figuring out different things she could do with it: changing its shape, its consistency, and its position relative to her body. She knew she could use it to create a sort-of transparent cocoon or shell around Gareth. Then, she'd use a fairly simple ritual to lift it into the air, carrying Gareth on top of it, and make it float behind her. Better than carrying him on a stretcher or a cart, it would enable her to transport his unconscious body without jostling, bumping, or shaking him out of his current position. She believed that by doing this she could move him without risk of reopening his wounds or worsening his condition in any way.
That was probably a good idea, she knew, but maybe there were some other things she should do first? Gareth was in no immediate danger, so… who else needed help? There were a few bodies scattered around; she recognised Brus and one of the maids. Should she should check to see if they were still alive, first? Also, she thought she saw silhouettes and flickering candlelight moving around inside the castle. Some of the servants who'd been woken by the noise? If so, she should tell them that they needed to evacuate the island. There wouldn't be any time later.
What did Yslena do next?
[] Create a floating cocoon with which to carry Gareth's unconscious body.
-[] Create a magical leash so she can drag it behind her.
[] Investigate the bodies.
-[] Brus
-[] Layna
[] Alert the remaining servants inside the castle that they need to evacuate.
[] Do something else (write in)
You're probably going to want to do more than one of these (or all of them). Therefore, please rank them in order of priority.
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Hye
Reader of The Long Words
- Location
- In the middle of a story
No! I don't like this! This is waaaay too cheerful! You have something horrible planned, I just know it! My weekend is actually good, so don't you dare ruin it!Hey guys, I hope you're having a good weekend.