The Tinpot Princess and Her Many Travels

[Chandagnac]

I've just discovered the 'adorable protagonist' tag and knew I had to add it to this quest. After all, being adorable is Elys's main character trait.

The most famous chosen of the Forgotten God is Teryn, who is easily in my top three most fun deities in the Hedge Maze/Tinpot Princess universe.

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Heh. Who else is in your "top three most fun deities in the Hedge Maze/Tinpot Princess universe"?

...Hmmm. I was kinda hoping for FG because I like the narrative arc it creates, but if it doesn't work out it doesn't work out. There's plenty of other things to try.

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I dunno, we'll see how things turn out. In his relatively few appearances so far, the Forgotten God has shown that he's got a very dry, sardonic sense of humour. Maybe Jana would like that.

I have mixed feelings on Amber, on one hand I like her, on the other hand she seems to have absorbed some toxic classism, but is somewhat aware of it and is helping us. Also wow this place is grim and I find Amber's snippy "Treasured pet" stuff intriguingly like Jana's old view on how the nobles and deities viewed her.

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Those who climb out of a lower class are often the most classist. They know the gap is small and don't want to go back

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I kind of sympathize with both points of view (Jana's and Amber's). On the one hand, the Sprawl is a dangerous place. You can't afford to show any signs of weakness around there. Desperate people are gonna do desperate things. On the other hand, seeing starving children on the street, listening to them beg for help, and then ignoring them takes a special kind of hardheartedness.

Yeah... in many ways, Amber isn't a very nice person. (That's part of why Jana is attracted to her. She likes bad girls.)

Anyway, there's a conversation between Jana and Amber that I wanted to include in the last chapter but couldn't find a good place for it. So, I left it out. It's a bit of worldbuilding that might eventually be important. Maybe it'll make it into a later chapter. For now, consider it a deleted scene:

Spoiler: Deleted Scene

JANA: 'What you said… about how most nature gods don't like humans… is that why so few of them joined the fight against the Demon Lords at the end of the Second Age? Always wondered about that.'

AMBER: 'Exactly, yes. From a human perspective, the Demon War was a catastrophe. The great kingdoms of Gavidia, Ecnoth, and Borthaigne were utterly destroyed. The Betrurian Empire was torn apart. Tatserai lost its almighty dragon emperor. It took centuries for human civilisation to begin to recover. On the other hand, many nature gods thought it was the best thing that could possibly happen. They rejoiced in mankind's suffering. In the years that followed, many of them greatly increased the size of their domains and became very powerful by expanding into areas that had been reclaimed by wilderness. For a time, they fought and squabbled amongst themselves, vying for territory. Centuries later, they once again came into conflict with humans building new farms, towns, and cities in place of the old ones that had long-ago been destroyed. Little by little, the nature gods were driven back. Even now, they dream of a time when humans will be wiped out by a new demon invasion, the demons will be driven off by the greater gods, and the earth will be theirs.'

JANA: 'What if the greater gods aren't able to drive off the demons? What if, by wiping out humanity, the demons have become so powerful that they can't be stopped? What'll happen then?'

AMBER: 'They don't think about that.' (Sighs) 'If all the gods of this world united against the Demon Lords, they would easily defeat them. The Demon Lords' greatest weapons are discord and disunity; they know that their only chance of winning is by splitting apart their enemies and fighting them a few at a time.'

JANA: 'So… what would you say the moral is of this story? Nature gods are a bunch of assholes, is that it?"

AMBER: 'Gods are people, too. Just as flawed, greedy, and selfish as any of us. I suppose that's why the Cunning Women exist. We act as mediators between gods and humans, to try to bridge the gaps between us, and to reach a compromise that everyone can live with.'

JANA: 'Wait, if gods are basically just people, why bother to worship them? Why treat them like they're better than anyone else?'

AMBER: 'Uhh… well, they are very powerful. It's like the old joke: a three-hundred-pound gorilla can sleep where it likes.'

JANA: 'What's a gorilla?'

AMBER: 'Like a monkey, but larger, heftier, and with a more muscular physique."

JANA: 'Hmm. Right.'

Obviously, I'd need to edit it a bit more.

I'm going to try out the forum vote counter which Nevill mentioned. Here goes nothing.

EDIT: Okay, that works out pretty well. Yeah, I like. Next update coming tomorrow, I hope.

Adhoc vote count started by Chandagnac on May 19, 2018 at 1:06 PM, finished with 16 posts and 11 votes.

• ---

  4 people have voted

  [X] Be polite: "Good afternoon, sir. Are you a priest of the Forgotten God?"

  • Tascion
  • NemoMarx
  • Zam
  • Undead Martyr

  3 people have voted

  [x] Defer to Amber: "Amber, do you know this man?"

  • Nevill
  • Flashkannon
  • Hye

  1 people have voted

  [X] Shout: "Argh! It's a monster! An undead monster!":lol

  • Zoxabels

  1 people have voted

  [X] Ask: "Uhh… what's going on here?"

  • veekie

  1 people have voted

  [X] Be on guard but wait for someone else to initiate.

  • STOP

  1 people have voted

  [X] Shout: "Argh! It's a monster! An undead monster!"
  -[X] That's so awesome!

  • Bommelom

 

[Nevill]

On the other hand, seeing starving children on the street, listening to them beg for help, and then ignoring them takes a special kind of hardheartedness.

Click to shrink...

You get used to it. Especially after having been taken advantage of.

There is an entire industry built upon preying on the feeling of compassion, and whatever good intention people may have, if all they do is throw money at a problem, the results rarely reach the ones who need help most. An effort to help requires dedication, commitment and constant feedback, to know that your actions actually do help rather than harm. Look at what Elys' parents did for street urchin Jana: they isolated her from her alcoholic mother, adopted her, gave her the education and training required for the job, then went as far as to help fix the relationship between the mother and the daughter. It took years, and the process is still ongoing.

If all you are going to do is throw a coin, don't even bother. That's not a kindness, that's just conceit and trying to feel better about yourself.

To me, Amber comes across as a very sensible person.

 

[Zam]

Anyway, there's a conversation between Jana and Amber that I wanted to include in the last chapter but couldn't find a good place for it. So, I left it out. It's a bit of worldbuilding that might eventually be important. Maybe it'll make it into a later chapter. For now, consider it a deleted scene:

Click to shrink...

A very neat and informative conversation, Amber certainly is a realist about the nature of divinity XD

If all you are going to do is throw a coin, don't even bother. That's not a kindness, that's just conceit and trying to feel better about yourself.

Click to shrink...

I mean, I imagine having some extra money to potentially buy food would be better than not so I can't really agree that its better to do nothing, even if all you can do is very small.

 

[pantherasapiens]

(That's part of why Jana is attracted to her. She likes bad girls.)

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ELYS NO

 

[Chandagnac]

Amber certainly is a realist about the nature of divinity XD

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The nature of gods in this setting, yes. (It should be obvious that gods are not the same in every fictional setting, but I don't want to be misinterpreted.)

ELYS NO

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Er… I beg your pardon?

Here's the next chapter:

*

The Flayed Man​

One of the inside doors opened. A terrifying figure lurched into view: a tall, muscular man with horrific scars over one side of his face. He looked as if he'd been partially flayed. One of his eyes was gone, apparently gouged out. His scars were old and sealed-over, but he was still an unnerving sight. Especially since he was wearing a bloodstained leather apron and holding a scalpel in one hand.

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In that moment, I nearly surrendered to fear. I wanted to take to my heels and flee, screaming about undead monsters. And yet, at the same time, another part of me was thinking, 'Isn't this thrilling? It's just like one of Elys's adventures!'

Thus, I wavered between panic and excitement; neither side could gain the upper hand. I forced myself to be calm – or to fake it well enough that no one could tell – put on a smile, cleared my throat, and said as politely as I could, 'Good afternoon, sir. Are you a priest of the Forgotten God?'

'Among other things,' he said with a nod. 'What can I do for you, young ladies?'

Seeking confirmation, I turned to my friend and whispered, 'Amber, do you know this man?'

'By reputation,' she admitted. 'Sir Moridan Ambros, a former Death Knight.'

'You have the advantage of me,' he rumbled. 'Yes, I was a Death Knight, serving Teryn the Ghostlord, until a few years ago. Then, I had to leave because…' A grimace. 'For reasons of ill health.'

I caught myself staring at him. He was fascinatingly ugly. Maybe it wasn't always so. Before someone sliced off one side of his face, he might have been handsome. I wouldn't know. When I saw him, he was a horror. Half of his face was a scarred ruin: the other half was so twisted by pain and suffering that it was terrifying to look upon. His remaining eye was deep and dark, like… uhh, there are some old legends about travellers in a faraway land who drank from a sacred pool. Some of them were mysteriously rejuvenated, some were blessed with ancient knowledge, and some were killed instantly. Sir Moridan's eye reminded me of that story: it was like a sacred pool of knowledge and death.

'How does that work?' I asked. 'You served one god, but now you serve another? Can you do that? I mean, don't the gods get offended if you do that?'

'Those who worship the Forgotten God tend to worship the rest of his household as well. Teryn is his favoured servant. As a Death Knight, I served Teryn Valharek as a warrior. As a priest, I worship the Forgotten God and serve the needs of this community. Different jobs, but there's no conflict between them. Either way, I've been serving my gods, doing what they need me to do. Because... one of the fundamental tenets of my religion is that life has value. Unfortunately, the local people have very few opportunities to make something of their lives. I help them as much as I can.'

'Is that why you're holding a scalpel?' Amber asked, smirking.

Sir Moridan glanced down at the scalpel, examining it with his good eye. It was as if he'd forgotten he was holding it. 'No, but it's related. Two other gods who serve the Forgotten One are Valurhiag, god of justice for the dead, and Lacuna, goddess of mysteries. I worship Valurhiag by seeking justice for those who have been murdered or… hmm, sometimes, ghosts are unable to move on through the Wheel because they suffered a great injustice while they were alive. I do what I can to make things right. Also, at the same time, I worship Lacuna by investigating strange deaths. By uncovering the truth, I gain her favour. That's what I was doing before you came: carrying out an autopsy.'

'So, as well as being a priest and a knight, you're also a detective and a coroner?' I said, raising an eyebrow. 'That seems like a lot of work for one man.'

'It's not a burden I have to carry alone. There are two other priests who serve this temple, just like me, but at different times. We split our workload between us.' Sir Moridan put the scalpel away in his belt pouch, drew himself up to his full height, and said, 'Why did you come here, ladies? Just to ask questions? Or is there something I can do for you?'

'Jana here has a… uh, a special request,' said Amber, glancing at me. 'She knows the Forgotten God. She's met him before. There's something she wants to ask him.'

'And you don't want to tell me what she wants?'

'Uhh… Jana? It's up to you.'

I wasn't sure if I wanted to tell him. I felt like it'd be very embarrassing to tell a priest of the Forgotten God that I was gonna ask his god to make me his Chosen One. Especially since I don't even worship him. Uh, no more than most ordinary people do. You see, the majority of people in this world are polytheists. They pray to Lissa for healthy children, to Nyssa for good harvests, to Strashan for protection from storms, and so on. Most of the time, people don't think about the Forgotten God. Except at funerals. The rest of the time, they forget about him. Which I suppose is appropriate, considering that he has no name other than "the Forgotten God".

While I hesitated, Sir Moridan gave a derisive snort and said, 'By all means, pray to the Forgotten God. You don't need me for that. If he thinks you're worthy of his time, he'll answer you. Otherwise…' He gave a shrug, wiped his hands on his apron, and turned to leave. 'Good day to you.'

What did Jana do next? (Choose as many options as make sense)
[] Ask Sir Moridan some more questions about…
-[] his backstory.
-[] the Death Knights.
-[] his scars.
-[] how he became a priest.
-[] the Forgotten God.
-[] his detective work.
-[] autopsies.
-[] living conditions in the Sprawl.
-[] the local people.
-[] something else. (Write in: what do you want to ask him?)

[] Tell Sir Moridan that she wants to become the Forgotten God's Chosen One.
-[] Ask him to send the Forgotten God a message on her behalf.

[] Pray to the Forgotten God, asking to speak to him.
-[] Tell him that she wants to become his Chosen.
-[] Say something else. (Write in: what else do you want to say?)

[] Talk to Amber some more.
-[] Ask about Sir Moridan's reputation.
-[] Ask about the work the Forgotten God's priests do in the Sprawl.
-[] Ask her if she wants to go on a date after this.
-[] Say something else. (Write in: what else do you want to say?)

[] Do something else (write in: what do you want to do?)

Spoiler: Notes

You know how I tend to recycle and reuse a lot of my old fantasy story ideas? Well, Moridan Ambros was one of the first fantasy characters I ever created, back when I was an angsty young teenager. He's changed surprisingly little over the years. (Except, back then, being a sort-of-detective was his main job.)

 

[NemoMarx]

[X] Ask Sir Moridan some more questions about…
-[X] living conditions in the Sprawl.
-[X] the local people.

[X] Talk to Amber some more.
-[X] Ask about the work the Forgotten God's priests do in the Sprawl.

I think we want to help out, or see if that's possible? It at least shows the proper spirit, right?

 

[Tascion]

Different jobs, but there's no conflict between them Either way, I've been serving my gods, doing what they need me to do.

Click to shrink...

missing a period between 'them Either'

[X] Ask Sir Moridan some more questions about…
-[X] his detective work.
-[X] autopsies.

[X] Pray to the Forgotten God, asking to speak to him.
-[X] Tell him that she wants to become his Chosen.
-[X] First, thank him again for his help with the drowning.

I think it's better to keep Jana focused.

 

[veekie]

[X] Ask Sir Moridan some more questions about…
-[X] his detective work.
-[X] autopsies.

[X] Pray to the Forgotten God, asking to speak to him.
-[X] Tell him that she wants to become his Chosen.
-[X] First, thank him again for his help with the drowning.

 

[Zam]

Thanks for the info and a great update!

I'll hang back for a tad and cast my vote in a bit, need some more time to think.

 

[Nevill]

Hm. On one hand, I don't want to become the Chosen of TFG. On the other, that's how the vote turned out, and I don't really mind if we do... I just don't want to vote for it. Still, this is what we came here for.

I think I'll sit this one out.

 

[Flashkannon]

[x] Thank Moridan for his time, casually
[x] Pray to the Forgotten God, asking to speak to him.
-[x] Tell him that she wants to become his Chosen.

...I don't know why I'm voting for Jana being so polite. We can talk to Amber more later, and ask her on a date treat her to lunch or something for her efforts?

Moridan's pretty interesting, though. If it wasn't a shiny object distracting us from our goal, I'd definitely say talk to him. Maybe on the way out?

 

[Bommelom]

[X] Ask Sir Moridan some more questions about…
-[X] living conditions in the Sprawl.
-[X] the local people.
-[X] his detective work.
-[X] autopsies.

[X] Pray to the Forgotten God, asking to speak to him.
-[X] Tell him that she wants to become his Chosen.

 

[Zam]

[x] Thank Moridan for his time, casually
[x] Pray to the Forgotten God, asking to speak to him.
-[x] Tell him that she wants to become his Chosen.


[X] Talk to Amber some more.
-[X] Ask about the work the Forgotten God's priests do in the Sprawl.

 

[pantherasapiens]

Er… I beg your pardon?

Click to shrink...

Jana likes bad girls.
Jana likes Elys.

Elys is a bad girl? D:

 

[Chandagnac]

missing a period between 'them Either'

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Ugh. Yet another mistake introduced by my last-minute editing. (Originally, those sentences were "Therefore, there is no conflict. As a Death Knight, I served Teryn Valharek as a warrior." I swapped things around and made some changes after I'd already posted that chapter. Because I thought the new version sounded more natural.)

Shoulda left well alone.

Jana likes bad girls.
Jana likes Elys.

Click to shrink...

I don't want to debate semantics with you (or anyone), but... "likes" has more than one possible meaning. Jana doesn't like Elys in the same way that she likes Amber.

(Jana likes Elys as a friend and as her adoptive sister. She likes Amber as someone she finds very attractive and wants to be romantically involved with.)

Mind you, I'm quite sure you knew that already, since you structured your last post like a well-known logical fallacy.

Elys is a bad girl? D:

Click to shrink...

Nah, Elys is pretty much the opposite of a bad girl. She's a bit mischievous, but most of the time she's a goody two-shoes.

(Which is why Jana wouldn't be attracted to Elys even if they didn't already have a sisterly relationship.)

*

All right, let's have a look at the vote tally so far.

EDIT: I'm going to start writing the next chapter, but if anyone else has anything they'd like to add (ideas of things you'd like to talk about with Moridan, Amber, or the Forgotten God, maybe), feel free to vote.

Adhoc vote count started by Chandagnac on May 22, 2018 at 6:27 PM, finished with 11 posts and 6 votes.

• ---

  3 people have voted

  [X] Pray to the Forgotten God, asking to speak to him.
  -[X] Tell him that she wants to become his Chosen.

  • Flashkannon
  • Bommelom
  • Zam

  2 people have voted

  [X] Talk to Amber some more.
  -[X] Ask about the work the Forgotten God's priests do in the Sprawl.

  • NemoMarx
  • Zam

  2 people have voted

  [X] Ask Sir Moridan some more questions about…
  -[X] his detective work.
  -[X] autopsies.

  • Tascion
  • veekie

  2 people have voted

  [X] Pray to the Forgotten God, asking to speak to him.
  -[X] Tell him that she wants to become his Chosen.
  -[X] First, thank him again for his help with the drowning.

  • Tascion
  • veekie

  2 people have voted

  [x] Thank Moridan for his time, casually

  • Flashkannon
  • Zam

  1 people have voted

  [X] Ask Sir Moridan some more questions about…
  -[X] living conditions in the Sprawl.
  -[X] the local people.

  • NemoMarx

  1 people have voted

  [X] Ask Sir Moridan some more questions about…
  -[X] living conditions in the Sprawl.
  -[X] the local people.
  -[X] his detective work.
  -[X] autopsies.

  • Bommelom

 

[Chandagnac]

EDIT: I'm going to start writing the next chapter, but if anyone else has anything they'd like to add (ideas of things you'd like to talk about with Moridan, Amber, or the Forgotten God, maybe), feel free to vote.

Click to shrink...

That's a no? All right, then.

*

A Good Shepherd Tends His Flock​

I wasn't sure if I wanted to tell him. I felt like it'd be very embarrassing to tell a priest of the Forgotten God that I was gonna ask his god to make me his Chosen One. Especially since I don't even worship him. Uh, no more than most ordinary people do. You see, the majority of people in this world are polytheists. They pray to Lissa for healthy children, to Nyssa for good harvests, to Strashan for protection from storms, and so on. Most of the time, people don't think about the Forgotten God. Except at funerals. The rest of the time, they forget about him. Which I suppose is appropriate, considering that he has no name other than "the Forgotten God".

While I hesitated, Sir Moridan gave a derisive snort and said, 'By all means, pray to the Forgotten God. You don't need me for that. If he thinks you're worthy of his time, he'll answer you. Otherwise…' He gave a shrug, wiped his hands on his apron, and turned to leave. 'Good day to you.'

Click to shrink...

As he walked away, I called out to him: 'Wait! I have some more questions, if you don't mind!'

He turned slowly. For a moment, all I could see of his face was the ruined half. Again, I couldn't help but flinch: it was the snarling face of a demon or an undead monster. However, I was reassured when I saw his other half: grizzled and grimly impassive, but definitely human. 'Ask,' he said curtly.

'The Sprawl is… uh… not a very nice place,' I said. 'In fact, it's ghastly! How do people live here?'

Moridan considered the question. 'They live. As well as they can, under the circumstances.'

'But… what do they eat? Where do they buy the things they need? They can't all be thieves, so where do they get the money to buy things?'

'There are a few shops hereabouts. You must have passed them on your way here, but they're not very well signposted. I'm not surprised you didn't notice them. And…' He grimaced, closed his good eye for a moment, and took a deep breath. 'Most of the men living in the Sprawl have regular jobs. They work very hard. Or, if they don't have jobs, they go to one of the main city squares and try to get themselves hired. At least temporarily. The women work just as hard as the men. Harder, maybe. Even after they've finished work, you'll find most of them go home to yet more cooking, cleaning, and looking after their own children. It never ends.' He shook his head sadly. 'Only a small percentage of the local people are thieves, but they give the rest a bad name.'

'How do they get past the gate? And the guard?'

'Most of the time, the gates are open. The guards don't usually stop anyone going through unless it's obvious that they're fleeing the scene of crime, in the process of committing a crime, or tooled-up and ready to commit a crime in the near future. However, if they're bored or just feeling vindictive, they can always find excuses to harass my people as they go to or from work.' Moridan's lip curled: an expression of distaste. 'I've often thought that the gates, the guards, and the high walls around this part of the city are all meant to intimidate the people who live here, to make them feel unwelcome, like they're being imprisoned. Elsewhere in the city, they call it "the Sprawl", like it's an untidy mess scattered haphazardly about by people who're just too lazy to build anything better. Around here, we call it "the Oubliette".'

'Were you born near here?' I asked, impressed by his strength of feeling. It was obvious that he deeply cared for and sympathized with the local people. I just wondered where that feeling came from: why had he adopted these people as his own?

'No. I was born into nobility. As much wealth, luxury, and indolence as I could possibly want.'

'And you gave it all up, for this,' Amber drawled. 'Was it a fair exchange?'

Moridan shrugged his brawny shoulders. 'You may think I'm a fool, but I'm happy with my choices. Can you say the same?'

'Why did you make that choice?' I asked. 'What made you decide to become a holy knight, a priest, and then everything else?'

'There are more important things in life than comfort, or pleasure, or finery. I realised that long ago. You see… I was raised to follow the Path of Transcendence and study the Nine Mysteries. They taught me to think about my life, my place in this world, and the purpose of my existence. I was encouraged to ask questions like "Why do we suffer?" and "Can there ever be an end to suffering?"' He paused. 'In Quellonia, at least, there is no orthodox version of the Path. There are many different Paths to Transcendence, each with different answers to those questions and others. But… ah, in the end, people believe what they choose to believe. I chose to believe that I can attain transcendence by doing good, by caring for my fellow man, and fighting for a good cause. I was inspired by legendary heroes such as Joram and Entar Queldrake, Elyssar Dulaq, and so on. That's why I joined the Death Knights. You see, there are creatures in this world who'd destroy our souls, mutilate them, or bind them in eternal slavery. I wanted to fight against such creatures and prevent them from harming any more innocents.' He gave a crooked smile. 'That's how it began. I've come a long way since then.'

'Can you worship the Forgotten God and follow the Path at the same time? I thought they were separate religions,' I said dubiously.

'The Path is all about improving your soul by making the right choices in this life. That's something the Forgotten God approves of. I think he'd prefer it if there weren't so many disagreements as to how exactly one should follow the Path, but… on the whole, he doesn't mind.'

There was a moment's pause. I decided to change the subject. 'What can you tell me about your detective work?'

Moridan frowned. 'People turn up dead around here all the time. The city authorities don't usually care unless there was something especially unusual about one of the deaths: if the corpse was someone they wouldn't have expected to turn up dead in a slum alleyway; or if it was a particularly gruesome murder with salacious details they'd be excited to gossip about. So... most of the time, they don't care. But I figure someone has to. I'm a priest. People come to me all the time, looking for someone to confide in, or for a shoulder to cry on. I get to hear all kinds of things that aren't common knowledge. Because I serve the Forgotten God, people expect me to serve as an undertaker, coroner, and medical examiner all-in-one. As you said, it's a lot of work, but it means I have plenty of time to examine the bodies and find out everything I can about how they died. I have an advantage over most of the detectives I've ever heard of in that I don't often have to go out looking for clues: people usually bring them to me.'

I would have asked him some more questions. I wanted to know what he did with the information he gathered. If he discovered that someone was a remorseless murderer, what would he do about it? Would he inform the city authorities, even though they seemed indifferent to the plight of people living in the Sprawl? Would he enact some vigilante justice? Or… uhh, what would he do?

However, before I could say anything else, the front door opened behind me. Someone shoved into it so hard that it slammed against the wall. A gangly young man staggered into the hall. He was tanned and weather-beaten, his face gaunt and pockmarked, with bulging eyes, long greasy hair and a wispy beard. When I saw him wringing his hands, I saw that they were scratched and bleeding. 'Sir, I need help!' he cried. Ignoring Amber and me, he gazed imploringly at Moridan. 'Please. I've no one else to turn to!'

'All right, Niklas,' the former Death Knight said calmly. 'Come with me. We'll discuss it in private.'

Moments later, they were gone, through one of the inside doors, deeper into the temple. The door clicked shut behind them.

In the tone she used when she thought she was being funny or insightful, Amber said, 'You know, I've heard about the Forgotten God's priesthood. Guiding lost souls is one of their most important duties. I didn't realise that applied to the living as well as the dead.'

'Uhh… I might as well do what I came here to do,' I said. Sitting down on one of the pews, I began to pray. Amber sat down next to me. I tried not to get too distracted, even though she was tantalizingly close. Instead, I focused on my prayer, on what I wanted to say.

'Hey, Forgotten God, it's me, Jana. Heh, I felt a bit awkward saying your name like that. It's a bit of a mouthful, isn't it? Do you have a nickname, maybe? Something a bit shorter? Could I call you Forgy? Forgo? FG? Or do you insist on people saying your full name every time? Although… it's not really a name, is it? It's a title. Yeah, I've heard the story about how Telthalus tricked you into getting rid of all your names, and how you were erased from existence. But have you ever considered getting a new name? Or two, or three, or more? I know Lissa has many names: she's Lyzani in the West; Belissan or Shelinande in the South; she was Elyssar to the Queli of old; some call her Yanis the Fairest; and no doubt she's got dozens of names I've never even heard of. Have you ever considered following her example in that regard? Just a thought. Uhh… I'm gabbling, no? Please excuse me, I'm nervous. Let me start again.

'I… I hope you remember me. I remember you. When I nearly drowned, you… uh, I'm not entirely sure what you did, but I'm not dead. Thank you for that. Thank you for my life.'

After that, I hesitated. I was about to ask him to do me a big favour. I needed to ask in a way that would get him to take me seriously, make him consider my request and not immediately reject me, and I couldn't do that if I kept blundering around like a blind elephant. I had to be subtle about this. Yeah, I can do subtle, all right?

But it didn't matter. Before I could continue my rant, I heard a faint, raspy voice in my mind: 'Hello, Jana.'

Spoiler: Notes

All right, you've already voted on and decided the main topic of conversation between Jana and the Forgotten God. Now, I just want you to vote on the window dressing. And maybe a few extra things to talk about in the next chapter.

In the next chapter, the Forgotten God will set up a mindscape where he and Jana can talk more comfortably. What should this mindscape look like?
[] It should be formed from Jana's wistful memories of "home" (back in Ismar).
[] It should be constructed out of Jana's recent memories (of Truinon and the people she's met there).
[] It should be a model of Creation during the First Age, when everything was pristine and new.
[] It should be a blank, featureless white plain stretching off into infinity.
[] It should be an image of the Halls of the Dead, filled with ghosts waiting to rejoin the wheel.
[] It should look like something else (write in).

Also, is there anything else you'd like Jana to talk to the Forgotten God about?
[] Moridan
[] The Death Knights
[] Suffering
[] The Path of Transcendence
[] Bellona
[] Teryn
[] Valurhiag
[] Lacuna
[] Souls
[] The Chosen
[] Something else (write in).
(Btw, if you choose any of these options, please include a brief explanation of what you hope to find out.)

 

[STOP]

[X] It should be constructed out of Jana's recent memories (of Truinon and the people she's met there).

 

[Hye]

A Good Shepherd Tends His Flock

Click to shrink...

Oh crap. I forgot to vote on the last chapter :O Damnit. Alright, it's late now, so I will go to bed and look at this in the morning

 

[Tascion]

[X] Landscape - The beach where Jana and the forgotten god first interacted
[X] Souls - I wasn't told you asked for anything for helping me, but I suppose I owe you a favor. If you need something I can do, aside from gratitude, cause you got that, just uh let me know
[X] The Chosen - Explain reasoning for wanting to be a chosen: that Elys needs watching over, but that she tries to do the right thing. Since doing the right thing is also the forgotten god's thing, maybe this could work out well for the both of you?

 

[veekie]

[X] Landscape - The beach where Jana and the forgotten god first interacted
[X] Souls - I wasn't told you asked for anything for helping me, but I suppose I owe you a favor. If you need something I can do, aside from gratitude, cause you got that, just uh let me know
[X] The Chosen - Explain reasoning for wanting to be a chosen: that Elys needs watching over, but that she tries to do the right thing. Since doing the right thing is also the forgotten god's thing, maybe this could work out well for the both of you?

 

[Zam]

[X] It should be constructed out of Jana's recent memories (of Truinon and the people she's met there).
I feel like this is the least likely to put Jana off.

[X] Souls - I wasn't told you asked for anything for helping me, but I suppose I owe you a favor. If you need something I can do, aside from gratitude, cause you got that, just uh let me know
[X] The Chosen - Explain reasoning for wanting to be a chosen: that Elys needs watching over, but that she tries to do the right thing. Since doing the right thing is also the forgotten god's thing, maybe this could work out well for the both of you?

 

[Undead Martyr]

[X] Landscape - The beach where Jana and the forgotten god first interacted
[X] Souls - I wasn't told you asked for anything for helping me, but I suppose I owe you a favor. If you need something I can do, aside from gratitude, cause you got that, just uh let me know
[X] The Chosen - Explain reasoning for wanting to be a chosen: that Elys needs watching over, but that she tries to do the right thing. Since doing the right thing is also the forgotten god's thing, maybe this could work out well for the both of you?

 

[Nevill]

[X] Landscape - The beach where Jana and the Forgotten God first interacted
[X] Souls - I wasn't told you asked for anything for helping me, but I suppose I owe you a favor. If you need something I can do, aside from gratitude, cause you got that, just uh let me know
[X] The Chosen - Explain reasoning for wanting to be a chosen: that Elys needs watching over, but that she tries to do the right thing. Since doing the right thing is also the Forgotten God's thing, maybe this could work out well for the both of you?

Edit:
[X] Teryn
-[X] Specifically why he made Teryn his Chosen.

 

[Hye]

[X] It should be a blank, featureless white plain stretching off into infinity.
As opposed to @Zam I feel like this would be the most likely to put Jana off and therefore provide greater entertainment for the Forgotten God and us. I mean, she might expect their first encounter or a hall filled with souls, but just a blank canvas, where you can't see anything but white anywhere is really off-putting.

[X] Souls - I wasn't told you asked for anything for helping me, but I suppose I owe you a favor. If you need something I can do, aside from gratitude, cause you got that, just uh let me know
[X] The Chosen - Explain reasoning for wanting to be a chosen: that Elys needs watching over, but that she tries to do the right thing. Since doing the right thing is also the forgotten god's thing, maybe this could work out well for the both of you?

 

[Flashkannon]

[x] It should look like something else (write in).
-[x] A comfortable sitting room, with two large chairs, some tea, and a lot of bookshelves.

The Forgotten God seems like a kindly sort from all descriptions, and I feel this would be in his character, to set her at a sort of ease, as well as informing the color of the conversation to follow.