Total length: 39588 words / 169 minute read. (Mind you, that’s the +
Total length: 40358 words / 172 minute read. (Mind you, that’s the length of this entire page, including all the extra bits and bobs. Not just the story.)
-There have been 142 messages posted over 154 days since the first -post on July 13, 2022 for a daily post rate of .92.
+There have been 143 messages posted over 156 days since the first +post on July 13, 2022 for a daily post rate of .91.
This is a game that me and the kids in the basement are playing over email.
@@ -4578,6 +4579,81 @@ you will take posession of the Ginnarak Crystal.WHAT DO YOU DO
+++Alex grips the encoded message he received in reply to his last +request firmly in his coat pocket. It was simple, curt, impactful. +“Trust no one”. Which begged the question, could even it be trusted? Was +HQ compromised? His informants in danger? His allies and leads awash in +the dark grey mist of uncertainity. Or had his message been intercepted, +cracked, and a farsical response been sent in its place. Alex wasn’t +certain which, but the strange format and unusually speedy response had +him on edge.
+This anxiety didn’t boil up to the surface, not a line of worry or +hint of the inner turbulence broke his cold blue eyes. Outwardly he was +just as composed as ever, but between these uncertainties, the loss of +his uncle, and now this utterly strange dagger he’d found amongst his +uncle’s belongings, he wasn’t certain how long that composure would +last. It didn’t held that he felt this gnawing at the back of his mind, +as though something was probing, attempting to communicate with him, +somewhere between telepathy and utter magic, and not in any sense that +Alex understood.
+And here he stood, a stranger amongst amidst his uncle’s allies, and +very little intention to change that situation at the moment.
+As the gondola touched down and the Toques rushed to greet them Alex +jumped blithely off the ship and onto firm, but fluffy, ground. He cast +a look around him at what appeared to be an ordinary port of entry, +noting the crowds of people passing by. As the Toques arrived Alex spoke +curtly to them, “Who sends you to greet us, and where do you wish to +take us, and by what means do we travel?”. Short, cut, information only. +There’s too much unnerving in an unknown situation like this.
+
~
+++Inky greets the toques in turn politely, then turns to the second +toque and says, “A little bit of bread and no cheese.”
+
“Cheese?” Bread cocks their head looks at Inky with a touch of +embarrassment. They start patting at their pockets, presumably looking +for a morsel of cheese to share with the travelers, but finding none. +They groan miserably. Confidence butts in apologetically, “There will be +plenty of food at the hotel if you want some! Some delicious fondue +perhaps? Kelsun Peak’s famous liquid gold!”
+“Blavin Blandfoot arranged for us to meet you,” Bread answers Alex. +Confidence nods enthusiastically in agreement. “But I suppose +technically the hotelier sent us.” Bread points up at the sky, in the +general direction of the summit of Kelsun Peak. “We are to escort you to +Palace Runesocesius.” They thumb over their shoulder in the general +direction of the stairs. “By way of the cloud steps. On foot.”
+Confidence leans in close and lowers their voice. “A Ginnarak +Crystal! I can’t hardly believe it! Thought they had all been lost to +the ages. I hear it’s complete dumb random luck that this one turned up. +Story is, an aetherwael beached itself on some wide zephynos boulevard. +Happens sometimes. Poor things can’t distinguish between clouds and +cloudstuff. I don’t blame ’em! At a distance, you and me can’t either! +Anyway, this aetherwael has got a harpoon stuck in its side. Dratted +poachers. May they all fall out of the sky and be dashed to a thousand +pieces on the rocks below. But it had a harpoon in its side and was +trailing behind it a float bag tethered to the harpoon. And you probably +already guessed what was inside of it!” By the time Confidence finishes +their brief story, they are trembling and nearly breathless with +excitement.
+“Anyway,” Bread interrupts their excited companion in an attempt to +restore decorum. Both of the toques have been gently herding you toward +the base of the stairs this whole time. “You know how the zephynos are. +You could give them all the coin in Basmentaria, or something priceless +like a Ginnarak Crystal, and they’d just as quickly misplace it out of +carelessness. If it’s not a cloud they can sculpt into the shape of +seussomorph or the likeness of some fantasy creature, they just don’t +give a fig. Luckily the hotelier caught wind of the aetherwael and found +out about the crystal before they managed to lose it, or bury it inside +of a sculpture or something silly! He has it safe and sound in the +library up at Runesocesius now.” Bread climbs the first step, his foot +sinking barely a centimeter into wispy cloud before striking the solid +cloudstuff. “Come! The hotelier will be very excited to greet you!”
+WHAT DO YOU DO
+Some of the creatures who inhabit the world of Basmentaria
++Alex grips the encoded message he received in reply to his + last request firmly in his coat pocket. It was simple, curt, + impactful. “Trust no one”. Which begged the question, could + even it be trusted? Was HQ compromised? His informants in + danger? His allies and leads awash in the dark grey mist of + uncertainity. Or had his message been intercepted, cracked, + and a farsical response been sent in its place. Alex wasn’t + certain which, but the strange format and unusually speedy + response had him on edge.
+This anxiety didn’t boil up to the surface, not a line of + worry or hint of the inner turbulence broke his cold blue + eyes. Outwardly he was just as composed as ever, but between + these uncertainties, the loss of his uncle, and now this + utterly strange dagger he’d found amongst his uncle’s + belongings, he wasn’t certain how long that composure would + last. It didn’t held that he felt this gnawing at the back of + his mind, as though something was probing, attempting to + communicate with him, somewhere between telepathy and utter + magic, and not in any sense that Alex understood.
+And here he stood, a stranger amongst amidst his uncle’s + allies, and very little intention to change that situation at + the moment.
+As the gondola touched down and the Toques rushed to greet + them Alex jumped blithely off the ship and onto firm, but + fluffy, ground. He cast a look around him at what appeared to + be an ordinary port of entry, noting the crowds of people + passing by. As the Toques arrived Alex spoke curtly to them, + “Who sends you to greet us, and where do you wish to take us, + and by what means do we travel?”. Short, cut, information + only. There’s too much unnerving in an unknown situation like + this.
+
~
+++Inky greets the toques in turn politely, then turns to the + second toque and says, “A little bit of bread and no + cheese.”
+
“Cheese?” Bread cocks their head looks at Inky with a touch + of embarrassment. They start patting at their pockets, + presumably looking for a morsel of cheese to share with the + travelers, but finding none. They groan miserably. Confidence + butts in apologetically, “There will be plenty of food at the + hotel if you want some! Some delicious fondue perhaps? Kelsun + Peak’s famous liquid gold!”
+“Blavin Blandfoot arranged for us to meet you,” Bread + answers Alex. Confidence nods enthusiastically in agreement. + “But I suppose technically the hotelier sent us.” Bread points + up at the sky, in the general direction of the summit of + Kelsun Peak. “We are to escort you to Palace Runesocesius.” + They thumb over their shoulder in the general direction of the + stairs. “By way of the cloud steps. On foot.”
+Confidence leans in close and lowers their voice. “A + Ginnarak Crystal! I can’t hardly believe it! Thought they had + all been lost to the ages. I hear it’s complete dumb random + luck that this one turned up. Story is, an aetherwael beached + itself on some wide zephynos boulevard. Happens sometimes. + Poor things can’t distinguish between clouds and cloudstuff. I + don’t blame ’em! At a distance, you and me can’t either! + Anyway, this aetherwael has got a harpoon stuck in its side. + Dratted poachers. May they all fall out of the sky and be + dashed to a thousand pieces on the rocks below. But it had a + harpoon in its side and was trailing behind it a float bag + tethered to the harpoon. And you probably already guessed what + was inside of it!” By the time Confidence finishes their brief + story, they are trembling and nearly breathless with + excitement.
+“Anyway,” Bread interrupts their excited companion in an + attempt to restore decorum. Both of the toques have been + gently herding you toward the base of the stairs this whole + time. “You know how the zephynos are. You could give them all + the coin in Basmentaria, or something priceless like a + Ginnarak Crystal, and they’d just as quickly misplace it out + of carelessness. If it’s not a cloud they can sculpt into the + shape of seussomorph or the likeness of some fantasy creature, + they just don’t give a fig. Luckily the hotelier caught wind + of the aetherwael and found out about the crystal before they + managed to lose it, or bury it inside of a sculpture or + something silly! He has it safe and sound in the library up at + Runesocesius now.” Bread climbs the first step, his foot + sinking barely a centimeter into wispy cloud before striking + the solid cloudstuff. “Come! The hotelier will be very excited + to greet you!”
+WHAT DO YOU DO
+ + ]]> +Total length: 39588 words / 169 minute read. (Mind you, that’s the +
Total length: 40358 words / 172 minute read. (Mind you, that’s the length of this entire page, including all the extra bits and bobs. Not just the story.)
-There have been 142 messages posted over 154 days since the first -post on July 13, 2022 for a daily post rate of .92.
+There have been 143 messages posted over 156 days since the first +post on July 13, 2022 for a daily post rate of .91.
This is a game that me and the kids in the basement are playing over email.
@@ -4581,6 +4582,81 @@ you will take posession of the Ginnarak Crystal.WHAT DO YOU DO
+++Alex grips the encoded message he received in reply to his last +request firmly in his coat pocket. It was simple, curt, impactful. +“Trust no one”. Which begged the question, could even it be trusted? Was +HQ compromised? His informants in danger? His allies and leads awash in +the dark grey mist of uncertainity. Or had his message been intercepted, +cracked, and a farsical response been sent in its place. Alex wasn’t +certain which, but the strange format and unusually speedy response had +him on edge.
+This anxiety didn’t boil up to the surface, not a line of worry or +hint of the inner turbulence broke his cold blue eyes. Outwardly he was +just as composed as ever, but between these uncertainties, the loss of +his uncle, and now this utterly strange dagger he’d found amongst his +uncle’s belongings, he wasn’t certain how long that composure would +last. It didn’t held that he felt this gnawing at the back of his mind, +as though something was probing, attempting to communicate with him, +somewhere between telepathy and utter magic, and not in any sense that +Alex understood.
+And here he stood, a stranger amongst amidst his uncle’s allies, and +very little intention to change that situation at the moment.
+As the gondola touched down and the Toques rushed to greet them Alex +jumped blithely off the ship and onto firm, but fluffy, ground. He cast +a look around him at what appeared to be an ordinary port of entry, +noting the crowds of people passing by. As the Toques arrived Alex spoke +curtly to them, “Who sends you to greet us, and where do you wish to +take us, and by what means do we travel?”. Short, cut, information only. +There’s too much unnerving in an unknown situation like this.
+
~
+++Inky greets the toques in turn politely, then turns to the second +toque and says, “A little bit of bread and no cheese.”
+
“Cheese?” Bread cocks their head looks at Inky with a touch of +embarrassment. They start patting at their pockets, presumably looking +for a morsel of cheese to share with the travelers, but finding none. +They groan miserably. Confidence butts in apologetically, “There will be +plenty of food at the hotel if you want some! Some delicious fondue +perhaps? Kelsun Peak’s famous liquid gold!”
+“Blavin Blandfoot arranged for us to meet you,” Bread answers Alex. +Confidence nods enthusiastically in agreement. “But I suppose +technically the hotelier sent us.” Bread points up at the sky, in the +general direction of the summit of Kelsun Peak. “We are to escort you to +Palace Runesocesius.” They thumb over their shoulder in the general +direction of the stairs. “By way of the cloud steps. On foot.”
+Confidence leans in close and lowers their voice. “A Ginnarak +Crystal! I can’t hardly believe it! Thought they had all been lost to +the ages. I hear it’s complete dumb random luck that this one turned up. +Story is, an aetherwael beached itself on some wide zephynos boulevard. +Happens sometimes. Poor things can’t distinguish between clouds and +cloudstuff. I don’t blame ’em! At a distance, you and me can’t either! +Anyway, this aetherwael has got a harpoon stuck in its side. Dratted +poachers. May they all fall out of the sky and be dashed to a thousand +pieces on the rocks below. But it had a harpoon in its side and was +trailing behind it a float bag tethered to the harpoon. And you probably +already guessed what was inside of it!” By the time Confidence finishes +their brief story, they are trembling and nearly breathless with +excitement.
+“Anyway,” Bread interrupts their excited companion in an attempt to +restore decorum. Both of the toques have been gently herding you toward +the base of the stairs this whole time. “You know how the zephynos are. +You could give them all the coin in Basmentaria, or something priceless +like a Ginnarak Crystal, and they’d just as quickly misplace it out of +carelessness. If it’s not a cloud they can sculpt into the shape of +seussomorph or the likeness of some fantasy creature, they just don’t +give a fig. Luckily the hotelier caught wind of the aetherwael and found +out about the crystal before they managed to lose it, or bury it inside +of a sculpture or something silly! He has it safe and sound in the +library up at Runesocesius now.” Bread climbs the first step, his foot +sinking barely a centimeter into wispy cloud before striking the solid +cloudstuff. “Come! The hotelier will be very excited to greet you!”
+WHAT DO YOU DO
+Some of the creatures who inhabit the world of Basmentaria