Cast Spells or Pray (Pick Up To Two Options):
[X] Cast Healing Circle on your hand again. It still hurts a little.
[X] Pray
-[X] Pray to Solios.
Father (Pick One Option):
[X] Dig him a grave
-[X]Cast Undead Puppet on Father and have him dig his own grave. What? Think of efficiency!
Run (Pick One Option):
[X] Run into the forest. You've heard tales of the magical beasts that live in it, but you have magic too.
-[X] Run North, towards the mountains.
I need someone to roll a 1d2 for Remember Your Dream. I need someone else to roll a 1d100 for Healing Circle (-15). Finally, I need someone to roll a 1d100 for Gatekeeper and a 1d4 for Friend or Foe.
A/N: So… I may be a little later than I said. I was going to update on time, I swear. I was on my way to my computer to post the chapter, when a black cat crossed my path and I was forced to take a very circuitous route. I suspect Witchcraft to be involved.
I may also have been rereading Bungle in the Jungle by Jbern lately and realized half way through my writing session that I wrote the chapter in 2nd person. Nothing like tediously slogging through a chapter and changing pronouns to kill inspiration.
EDIT: The character and world building sheets have been updated. Beware of spoilers.
Chapter 2: Into the Wild
Spells and Prayers:
[X] Cast Healing Circle on your hand again. It still hurts a little.
[X] You kneel to pray, but you are struck by a strange sensation.
Father:
[X] Bring him with you. You might not be able to resurrect him right now, but you will find a way.
-[X] Cast Undead Puppet on Father and have him follow you.
Run:
[X] Run into the forest. You've heard tales of the magical beasts that live in it, but you have magic too.
-[X] Run South, deeper into the forest.
1d2 – 2 – Remember Your Dream?
1d100 – 67-15=52 – Cast Healing Circle
1d100 – 11 – Gatekeeper
1d4 - 4 - Friend or Foe
I awoke from a vivid and strange dream, but it slowly slipped through my mind like sand through my fingers.
I sat up, confused for a moment. Where was my bed? Why was I outside? Then my memory returned to me, and my stomach clenched into a painful knot. I turned to look at my Father's corpse beside me.
I remembered. I killed him. I killed him, Gerald and the Fist. I broke my vow of pacifism to Solios. I might not have struck the blow, but I was careless with my magic, in front of a Fist, no less. There was no other outcome that could be expected, someone had to die. It should have been me.
Except, my wonderful Father, the kind and foolish man, had tried to save me. It was heresy, but he loved me more than the Gods it seemed. I scooted over to his body and placed my hand on his cheek. His skin was cold and hard. It seemed the spell I cast last night had frozen him in some way.
He had saved me, putting his own soul at peril. I would have to do the same. According to the priests of Lellissa, Necromancy was an ultimate sin. Death was Lellissa's domain, and mortals were not to meddle with it. Some part of me had expected Her to strike me down when I had animated the boy and Gerald's corpses. She hadn't though.
Perhaps using a corpse didn't violate her teachings. I wasn't truly reversing death when I did it. However, resurrecting my Father was clearly disregarding the Commandments. It would damn me to hell for all eternity, and when I succeeded, my Father would be seen as a monster by the Duplex. We would both be damned, but did that really change anything?
Father had committed heresy and I was a demon according to the teachings of the Duplex. I had always doubtful of that. I didn't feel like a demon. I was dutiful in my religious duties. I revered the Gods. Surely no demon would worship their mortal enemies, right?
Demon or no, damned or not, nothing changed. I would bring him back. I might not be able right now, but I would find a way. I would travel to hell myself and wrench his soul from its torture if necessary. I rested my hands on his chest. "I swear it by my soul, by my life, by… by my magic. I will bring you back, Father." As I made my oath, I felt a stirring in deep within my soul.
In the meantime, however, I had to stay alive. That meant I had to run. The camp was empty of the living. My servants had fled, and they would doubtlessly report my use of magic to a priest. Soon, the Fist would hunt me down. In the stories, only the most powerful and dangerous Witches managed to evade the Fist. Only the monstrous ones survived to terrorize the world.
I would never kill someone. Have I not already? I would never kill someone intentionally, but beyond that, I would do whatever it took. I would run, and become strong. I would survive the Fist. I had to if I wanted to save Father.
I felt terrible. My stomach was twisted with anxiety and guilt. I was exhausted. It was still day; I likely hadn't slept long. I felt terrible, but I had to carry on. I had a purpose, a goal. No matter how awful I felt, I had to keep moving. I had leave. For all I knew, the local priest had rounded up a mob and was headed this way to kill me right now. That was unlikely, but possible, and the faster I got out of this camp, the better.
I moved to stand using my right hand to push myself up, but as soon as I pressed it against the ground, a flash of pain caused me to quickly retract it.
Oh. I examined the red mark on my hand. I had forgotten about that. I decided to try the healing spell I had created the night before. Perhaps a second application would completely remove the wound.
I closed my eyes, and concentrated as hard as I could. I reached deep within myself… well actually, not so deep. That cold, dark energy seemed to be swirling closer to the surface than it ever had before.
I decided to ignore that. It didn't matter, it just made things easier. I drew the energy out in its natural thread form and began to strip away the cold, green smokiness. I twisted it until it warmed up and began glowing with a soft, pale light. Then I looped the end of the thread into a circle.
I opened my eyes and looked at the glowing circle of energy floating above my left palm. I could have sworn it was a bright yellow color last night, but it was a pale off-white now. Perhaps it just looked different in the daylight? I pushed my palms closer together, pressing my burned right hand into the circle of light. It felt oddly cold, hadn't I tried to make it warm? I held my palm to light for several moments before the circle snapped open into a thread and retreated into my palm.
I examined the burn. It was a little lighter red, right? It stung a bit less, at least. Well, perhaps there was a limit to how much a wound could be healed, or perhaps the healing spell was only effective on major wounds. Perhaps I had just failed at the spell. Either way, I didn't have time to keep fiddling with it. I could try again later. I'd just have to bear with it for the time being. I'd use my left hand more. The Gods gave me two for a reason.
I used my left hand to push myself up and stood. I walked towards the center of the camp, trying to ignore the dead. As was customary, the camp had been set up around one of the many shrines that all roads were littered with. This one was a shrine to both Gods.
I… I felt ashamed. I had done something wrong. Even if magic wasn't a sin, I had killed three people.
I had always found solace in prayer. It was comforting, knowing that something greater than myself was listening. Maybe the Gods had forsaken me. Maybe I had forsaken them by deciding to bring my Father back, but when I was little a priest of Solios had told me something that had always stuck with me. 'We are small, foolish and fallible creatures, but the Gods know this. They made us that way. Ask for Solios' forgiveness. He is more understanding than some would lead you to believe.'
Of course, it was Lellissa I should probably be asking forgiveness from, but I had always felt much closer to Solios. I walked to the shrine. It was an odd one. Instead of two separate altars, there was only one. It was simple, even for a road shrine, just a stone slab. The right half had a variety of flowers growing around it and the left had gravel around it to prevent growth (with limited success) and animal skulls, likely sacrifices to Lellissa.
Their names had been roughly carved into their respective halves. I knelt in the middle. I was having trouble deciding which I would pray to. Perhaps both since they shared an altar here? That seemed a little edgy, especially since I was going to be asking for forgiveness. I was leaning towards asking Lellissa for forgiveness and guidance, when I felt something strange.
A tingle worked its way up my spine to the top of my head. I let out a gasp of surprise. In the center of the altar, between and slightly higher than the Gods' names, was a word. It seemed much more worn than the names, almost illegible. It was carved in some strange version of the classical runic style that made it even harder to make out. Hillan, Hieean? A sudden gust of wind blew my hair into my face, obscuring my vision. When it died down the word was gone.
My mouth opened in shock. What? How? I stood and looked around the clearing. It was still empty. Was this some kind of sign? What did it mean? The knot in my gut tightened. To carve a word above the names of the Gods? Heresy. The fact it had only been visible for a moment? That was magic or miracle, and there were no priests present.
I needed to leave. I could pray later. Suddenly, the strangeness of the single altar seemed more than odd. Something was wrong here. I quickly began walking towards the wagons. I needed supplies before leaving.
There were only three wagons left in camp. The servants had likely taken the other four. One was full of my Father's books, another was packed with miscellaneous goods, and the last was my wagon. I suppose no one wanted to take something a Witch slept in.
Taking the books was tempting. They'd be heavy, and require care to keep them dry and insect free, but my Father had loved to read and he had passed that passion on to me. It would be nice to have something of Father's, and some entertainment. I entered the book wagon.
Books (Select One Option)
[] [Book] Take a copy of the Commandments. You know them by heart, but reading the word of the Gods has always comforted you, and you need it now more than ever.
[] [Book] Take a copy of The Wilderness Volume XIII: The Unbekannt, a book about the forest you're in. Knowing more about the forest could help you protect yourself, should you run into trouble.
[] [Book] Take a copy of Demonic Protection, a book about how to defend oneself from demons and Witches. The stories say the wilderness is full of both. This could be useful.
[] [Book] As much as you'd love to, a book would be too heavy and take up too much space in your pack. Leave them behind.
The book wagon also had some maps in it. I grabbed one of the Southeastern corner of Auda. I set it on the floor and opened it up. Saldia, home, was west, but the Fist were as well, and traveling that direction would be dangerous. East was the town of Calder, where we had been heading, and it was close, but it was possible some of the servants who knew I was a Witch had gone there for that very reason.
North and south both took me into the wilderness. There were dangerous creatures in there. Demons and other Witches too if the stories were to be believed. North took me to the mountains, but there were towns up there too, and right now I wanted get away from civilization. I decided to head south, deeper into the Unbekannt. I folded up the map and wrapped it in leather to keep it dry.
I moved on to my wagon. I quickly changed into another pair of riding leathers that didn't have blood all over them. Then I packed my mirror, comb, pillow and a few changes of clothes. As much as I wanted to bring some of the new dresses my tailor had make for this pilgrimage to the Shimmering Lake, I packed practical clothes instead, pants, blouses, cloaks and boots.
I debated for a moment about whether or not to bring my mask for the Lunarian festival that was coming up in a few months. It was a simple one, ivory with curling silver vines around the edges. I decided it might be useful if I needed to hide my identity and for the festival of course, so I took it. I also grabbed my change purse, some jewelry and my waterskin. Then I rolled up my bedroll and attached it to my bag.
Lastly, I moved the third wagon, which was mostly full of tents, and set my bag down. (It was getting heavy). The wagon had some food and wine, as well as a small pot which I grabbed. I wasn't hungry, but I forced myself to eat. I needed the nourishment.
After leaving the last wagon I picked up my bag and slung it onto my back. It was extremely heavy now. I had never had to carry something this heavy before in my life, but I didn't have servants to do it for me anymore, and I needed all of it.
Finally, I walked over to Father. He was the last thing I needed. If I was going to bring him back, I needed his corpse. I let my thread loose and directed it to his body. I felt it enter him and split into each of his limbs. I had him stand. A thought occurred to me. I could have him carry my pack…
Pack (Select One Option)
[] [Pack] Have Father carry it. His body is basically just an extension of you. Technically, you're still the one carrying it, it just won't tire you.
[] [Pack] No. That thought was wrong. You're bringing him with you to resurrect him, not as a pack mule. You'll carry it yourself.
I turned towards the back of the campsite. There was what looked like a trail leading south, into the forest. Huh, I hadn't noticed it before. A trail would be easier than just blindly walking through the forest. Before I entered the woods, I turned to take one last look at the campsite.
Gerald and the Fist were still lying on the ground. I considered using my thread on them, and bringing them with me, but no… I had used the spell on the boy accidentally. I had used it on Gerald to save my life. I was bringing Father with me so I could save him, but I wouldn't use corpses arbitrarily. I wouldn't cast Undead Puppet it unless I had to. Besides, either the priest from Calder or the Fist would come to get their bodies. Gerald would likely be burned on holy ground and the Fist would be taken back to Saldia to be laid to rest in a Lunarian temple.
I turned away from the road and headed into The Unbekannt with Father beside me.
XXX
The forest was louder than I thought it would be. The bird song wasn't unusual, but occasionally I could hear something else. Sometimes there would be a high pitched whine, or some kind of humming that definitely wasn't a bird. Once, I had even heard some clicking that seemed to be getting louder and louder, as if whatever was making the noise was getting closer. I'd sped up to almost a run and it had eventually faded.
It was unnerving. I could feel the change in atmosphere. It was like a pressure or moisture in the air. I could feel it inside as well. My magic seemed to thrum right beneath the surface. Maybe I shouldn't have come this way. I had never been in the wilderness before. This was not the Gods' realm. I had thought that was a good thing; I was not the Gods' creature, but maybe…
No. No, I had to come this way. There wasn't another option. My servants had definitely headed east and/or west. That meant it was either north or south for me, and both led into the wilderness.
It didn't help that I was tired. The strange noises, and the oppressive feel were the only things keeping me moving. I hadn't exerted myself this much in Gods know how long, maybe ever. My whole body was covered in sweat; my blouse was practically soaked.
Father remained cold, and occasionally I rested in his arms before moving on again. The trees blocked Solios from sight, so I had no idea how much time had passed, but it had to have been hours. It was definitely getting darker, slowly.
Then it started raining. It was just a light sprinkle. At first, that made me nervous. Gray clouds were a bad omen out here, on the edge of civilization. They blocked Solios and Lellissa from view. The trees already did that, though, so what was the difference? I was already soaked in sweat, so what was a little rain? It kept me cooler, so it wasn't all bad.
The path wasn't even really dirt, just grass pushed down. Sometimes, if I didn't pay attention, I'd find myself wandering off it, and I'd have to back track until I found it again. I was kind of afraid that eventually I wouldn't be able to find my way back.
I needed to keep my mind off the forest, but every time I started thinking about something else, my mind drifted to the events of last night and this morning. That was worse.
"I was really looking forward to seeing the Shimmering Lake," I whispered to Father. "Once I bring you back, maybe we can finish our pilgrimage. Or maybe I should start heading that way now. I could bypass Calder through the forest and find my way back to the road, head west."
I looked at Father, and subconsciously had him turn his head to look back at me. "What would you say? 'That is too dangerous, Clausa,' or, 'That is a good idea. Shouldn't stray too far from civilization.'
"I kind of want to wait until you're back, so we can see it together, but the Lake is a long way away. Perhaps I'll have this figured out by the time we get there."
Father, of course, remained silent.
XXX
Eventually, the light shower rapidly developed into a storm. The pitter patter of droplets became a ferocious roar. Thunder boomed across the heavens. The grey clouds darkened, blocking Solios's light. Lightning occasionally lit the darkened forest for a moment before fading. The tree Father and I had taken shelter under was better than nothing, but we were still getting wet. I considered heading back to camp to take shelter in one of the wagons and maybe grab one of those tents, when I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye.
I turned and flinched in surprise at seeing the outline of a huge man standing only a few feet from me. He was hard to make out in the darkness of the storm, but a flash of lightning gave me a quick glimpse of him. He was terrifying.
He stood at least seven feet in height, taller than any man I had seen. His body was thick with inhuman amounts of muscle. He wore dark, practical clothes, a green wool vest that covered little of the scar riddled, bulging muscle and deep brown pants and cloak. His face was nearly covered by messy, black hair and an equally dark, curly beard. The little skin that wasn't hidden behind his bushy hair bore intense scarring, and his nose was bent at a strange angle suggesting it had healed that way after being broken.
I quickly backed away from him, bumping into Father, but the man didn't even seem to acknowledge my existence. His dark eyes were fixated on the storm.
"Who are you? Where did you come from?" I asked him, shouting over the roaring rain and wind.
He was silent for a long moment, just staring into the storm, but then he spoke softly in a deep voice that, strangely, I could hear quite clearly over the noise of the storm. "The city folk and the farmers tell stories of the days of old, when men first came to Auda. I'm sure you've heard them. They say that Hell would nurse awesome storms and hurl them up at Auda, trying to finish off humanity. These storms hid Solios and Lellissa from you, allowing monsters to leave the wilderness and enter civilization. They say the winds were enough to lift houses from the ground. They say that it rained not just droplets of water, but chunks of ice big enough to kill a grown man.
"The frontiersmen tell it differently. They say that when man came to Auda, it was one great storm. They say that only through their hard work that the storm was pushed back. They say that one day, when humanity has become weak and complacent, the storm will return and wipe away all you have built."
He turned his head away from the storm and looked straight into my eyes. "Both are correct." Then he vanished into thin air.
I ignored the rain as Father and I ran as fast as we could without falling.
XXX
It was huge. In fact, it stood so tall above all the surrounding trees that I wondered why I hadn't seen it from the road. It was certainly as tall as Castle Vita, my home in Saldia, but it was no castle. It was a tower like none I had ever seen before. It seemed impossibly thin. It looked like a strong breeze could knock it over.
A large, haphazard garden was out front, like a Solar temple, but Solios' colors were bright. This needle was black as onyx, with the gray clouds behind it. It curled in strange swirls and its edges were sharp like a blade. It all seemed strangely familiar, the chaotic garden, the unnatural shape of the thing. Which was strange, because I certainly had never seen anything like it before in my life.
It was mesmerizing, in a way. Following the edges up as they twisted, split and reformed sent a chill up my spine. The sensation was not unpleasant.
Father and I walked along the winding muddy path that made its way through the garden, craning my neck to look up at the tower's unnatural beauty. I was paying so much attention to the tower, that I almost ran into a stone block. It was a big stone cube, taller than me. On top of it stood a featureless statue. It was a smooth outline of a person, missing any clothing or features. It's face lacked eyes, a nose and a mouth. It was just blank. Creepy. I continued on, feeling strangely calm.
Eventually, I reached the base of the tower. A black ramp curled around the base, leading to a large wooden door reinforced with iron. Above the door a familiar word had been painted in red. It was the same that I had seen carved into the altar. It was still in that odd style of classical runes. Unlike the worn carving, however, I could read it fairly easily.
HIDDEN
Before I had time to ponder what that meant, I heard someone clear their throat behind me. I whirled around to see a man standing in the garden path. He was very average looking, brown hair, brown eyes, plain face. However, he was dressed like a player in an ancient drama. He wore leather sleeveless armor and a matching skirt with gray wool underneath. A short sword hung at his belt. Unlike a player, his armor was plain and worn with use.
He bowed low, and said, "Necromancer." The way he spoke the word was unlike anyone I had ever heard. He didn't say it with disgust, he said it with… respect? As if it weren't a curse, but a title?
He stood. His face betrayed no emotion and he spoke in a flat monotone. "You didn't heed my warning, Necromancer. I shall repeat myself, but this is the last time. Leave. Now. And do not return."
Then, like the giant in the storm, he vanished.
XXX
The Hidden (Select One Option):
[] [Hidden] What warning? You were given no warning. Enter the tower and find out what the hell is going on here.
[] [Hidden] Get the hell out of this place. Whatever is going on here is probably dangerous.
Hey guys. I have discovered the miracle of task tags. They make tallying the vote much less of a pain. They look like this "[] [Task Tag] Vote vote vote." Please be sure to include the tag in your vote to make the process run smoothly. Also, I'm kind of torn on having votes in the middle of the chapter. It seems like it breaks immersion, but makes for a more interactive experience. If you have any strong feelings one way or another, please let me know.
[X] [Book] Take a copy of the Commandments. You know them by heart, but reading the word of the Gods has always comforted you, and you need it now more than ever.
[X] [Pack] No. That thought was wrong. You're bringing him with you to resurrect him, not as a pack mule. You'll carry it yourself.
[X] [Hidden] What warning? You were given no warning. Enter the tower and find out what the hell is going on here.
I looked at Father, and subconsciously had him turn his head to look back at me. "What would you say? 'That is too dangerous, Clausa,' or, 'That is a good idea. Shouldn't stray too far from civilization.'
[X] [Book] Take a copy of the Commandments. You know them by heart, but reading the word of the Gods has always comforted you, and you need it now more than ever.
[X] [Pack] No. That thought was wrong. You're bringing him with you to resurrect him, not as a pack mule. You'll carry it yourself.
[X] [Hidden] What warning? You were given no warning. Enter the tower and find out what the hell is going on here.
[X] [Book] Take a copy of The Wilderness Volume XIII: The Unbekannt, a book about the forest you're in. Knowing more about the forest could help you protect yourself, should you run into trouble.
We are going into the forest and right now survival is our first priorty, for that the first book is useless and the last one probably isn't perfectyl accurate, thus this is the better choice.
[X] [Pack] Have Father carry it. His body is basically just an extension of you. Technically, you're still the one carrying it, it just won't tire you.
We are on the run, the heavy pack being carried be our weak and untrained body or be the strong and untiring undead would be a major diference between life and death, and the same could be said to getting acostumed to using magica towards practical problems.
[X] [Hidden] What warning? You were given no warning. Enter the tower and find out what the hell is going on here.
[X] [Book] Take a copy of The Wilderness Volume XIII: The Unbekannt, a book about the forest you're in. Knowing more about the forest could help you protect yourself, should you run into trouble.
[X] [Pack] No. That thought was wrong. You're bringing him with you to resurrect him, not as a pack mule. You'll carry it yourself.
[X] [Hidden] Get the hell out of this place. Whatever is going on here is probably dangerous.
[X] [Book] Take a copy of The Wilderness Volume XIII: The Unbekannt, a book about the forest you're in. Knowing more about the forest could help you protect yourself, should you run into trouble.
[X] [Pack] Have Father carry it. His body is basically just an extension of you. Technically, you're still the one carrying it, it just won't tire you.
[X] [Hidden] Get the hell out of this place. Whatever is going on here is probably dangerous.
Fairly easy votes. The most important book to take will be one that helps us to survive the wilderness, which we have zero experience in regardless of witch status. We can't elude the Fist if we don't have either a rudimentary survival skillset or a proper knowledge of where we are, so I'd grab hold to the latter while we seek to gain the former for later so that that gap may be bridged.
The shambling corpse we have with us is not father, it's a mindless sack of bone and gristle animated by our magic to serve us. We want to change that to make it Father again, yes, but being too sentimental and unwilling to accept what it presently is will only serve to tire us at a time when we need all our energy available to avoid getting slaughtered. Should it come to that, what benefit have we given Father? Dignity? His shambling corpse walking alongside us would appear to suggest otherwise by the fact that it's in that state to begin with.
Lastly, that guy didn't stutter. He wants us out, this is his final warning. Fair's fair even if we didn't catch that first one, the guy was kind enough to warn us so that we figured out so let's blow this popsicle stand before he gets mad.
