diff --git a/assets/groll.png b/assets/groll.png new file mode 100644 index 0000000..78631ae Binary files /dev/null and b/assets/groll.png differ diff --git a/assets/hemogoblin.png b/assets/hemogoblin.png index 3e54fc2..d2640e3 100644 Binary files a/assets/hemogoblin.png and b/assets/hemogoblin.png differ diff --git a/basement.order b/basement.order index 93ce756..2a4171a 100644 --- a/basement.order +++ b/basement.order @@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ src/epistolary/00022.md src/epistolary/00023.md src/epistolary/00024.md src/epistolary/00025.md +src/epistolary/00026.md src/bestiary/index.md src/bestiary/aur.md src/bestiary/blahoblin.md @@ -27,6 +28,7 @@ src/bestiary/cobit.md src/bestiary/egre.md src/bestiary/gnome.md src/bestiary/gnu.md +src/bestiary/groll.md src/bestiary/hemogoblin.md src/bestiary/kobit.md src/bestiary/torque.md diff --git a/src/bestiary/groll.md b/src/bestiary/groll.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..815c96e --- /dev/null +++ b/src/bestiary/groll.md @@ -0,0 +1,9 @@ +--- +title: groll +created: Tue, 25 Oct 2022 08:34:32 -0600 +updated: Tue, 25 Oct 2022 08:34:32 -0600 +public: yes +--- +
Total length: 21552 words / 92 minutes
+Total length: 21989 words / 93 minutes
This is a game that me and the kids in the basement are playing over email.
]]> @@ -423,6 +321,170 @@ ]]> +++Why no, we don’t mind much about competition, certainly + nothing wrong. Can’t imagine someone to put all of their eggs + in one basket, especially when whatever it is they desire is + so valuable.
+That said, our benefactor must be pretty eager to get these + crystals if he’s willing to send out team after team. I mean, + we’re team 43, that’s a lot of people to pay and a lot of + eagerness to find these crystals. Why is that? What benefit + are these shiny rocks to them? What even is their purpose in + retrieving them?
+
“Oh, no no no, child,” Blavin titters as he takes a sip of + his ever-present martini. “You must understand, the Benefactor + is a singularly dedicated collector, and has been for ages! + There are—and have been!—many other retrieval teams, yes. But + not all of them have been for the crystals. And some of them + were formed, active, and disbanded long before you or I + arrived on the scene.” He winks at you conspiratorially.
+++I would postulate, based upon the magical wards we had to + bypass, the cadre of gaurds that needed to be dispatched, and + the gigantic moth monster that rested beneath it, that these + crystals aren’t meant to go anywhere.
+Now I’m not trying to point fingers here, morality is many + shades of gray, and it isn’t really my job to suss out what + you’re doing. But I’m a curious sysorceor, and when I see a + chance to learn I seize upon the moment. There’s something + here you’re not telling us, and I for one and keen to know + it.
+
“I wouldn’t worry your wizened old brow about it,” Blavin + chuckles, sloshing his drink. “The Benefactor’s concern is + precisely the same as yours! These items are of enormous + cultural and historical significance, to say nothing of their + well of concentrated arcane energies. They’re dangerous just + sitting out there in the world. Who knows who might come + across one and use it for nefarious purposes.”
+Yam’L’s eye widens and it seems to shudder at the mere + suggestion of evil.
+“Did you say this one was in the hands of a giant moth?” + Blavin shudders with revulsion. “My word, man! Do you really + think such an overgrown insect is an appropriate guardian for + a beloved and dangerous cultural icon such as the Ginnarak + Crystal? Surely not!”
+“No,” he sits back with a satisfied smile, “I think we must + all agree that they are safer in the public collection of a + competent and benevolent curator. Then everybody can enjoy + them safely!”
+++META: I’m gonna preface the sword speech with this to make + it quicker to write
+Y’aml
+
+ I like what you’re putting down here, this guy is DEFINITELY + evil. Nobody asks loads of people to steal things for them + without being evil. I say we stab him, nice and good, right in + the gut. Maybe 6 or 7 times. I’m positive nobody will mind. + Evil people steal things, we saw that inky creature stealing + things from that vault, definitely evil. (singsong) Evil evil + evil, stab stab stab, make the evil go away with every little + stab~Corraidhin to Y’aml
+
+ Dear sysadmins, once again, inky is not evil. They were + borrowing something that had been cast on the ground, + abandoned. Giving a tea set a good home is far from evil. But + you might be onto something about this Blavin fellow, but we + can’t just stab someone in a busy pub! Besides you’re a sword, + and stabbing someone in a pub is the job of a dagger. So + unless you can transform into the Dagger of Y’aml I think + we’re out of luck here.
Yam’L gets a curious look in its eye at the suggestion. + “CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!” it cries directly into your mind. It + squeezes its eye shut and trembles with intense concentration. + With great effort, the sword shrinks itself down to the size + of a dagger, shunting its extra mass off into yamlspace.
+“There!” it says breathlessly, opening its eye wearily. + “Now, Hardy Bear. You promised..” it continues, its eye + glinting with growing ferocity. “Let’s. STAB. THE HOBBIT!”
+++While the wizard pressed Blavin about the crystal’s + secrets, Inky let their attention wander slightly around the + table.
+They had agreed that Master Corraidhín and Jarrod, being + most wise and well-spoken, would question Blavin about the + crystal before they set off on their next mission. The party + had also befriended the duck unofficially dubbed their + marketing manager after the fluffy little creature had trailed + Inky all the way back to the Milk Market. Said creature now + occupied a small office to one side of the building complete + with a fountain, feathered up pillow and all the rummy worms + it can eat. Inky had tried getting the duck to communicate + with words by making them little croutons etched with letters, + but the only ones they would gobble up were Q-U-A-C-K.
+
Your marketing manager moves into its office at the Milk + Market and seems to really be enjoying itself. It joins you at + Blavin’s table at Lucy’s Basement, cleaning its feathers and + chortling merrily to itself.
+You and your tablemates take turns feeding it croutons and + bits of soft pretzel, and it seems very happy and content with + that.
+++A familiar prickle, but passed quickly — Inky had gotten + used to the glares directed at them by the sysorceor’s + gleaming sword and resisted returning the stare with an + eyeroll. Watching Stabby eyeing up their case manager over + Master Corraidhín’s shoulder reminded Inky of a conversation + they had overheard a few evenings ago between two pale coffin + sleepers about a new product from the hemogoblins that was + said to quench the thirst for longer than the leading brand. + They might be able to find some at the town of Plasma, which + sits by the Hartlands on the way to the shipwreck. It seems + the milky blood pudding could do with some improvement.
+
You note on Blavin’s map that the Hemogoblin region is + indeed on the way to the shipwreck. At least, it’s not that + far out of the way. You reckon their synthetic blood product + would indeed be a much better substitute for the real thing + than the milk you’ve been feeding the thirsty sword thus + far.
+Or, at the very least, you’ll get a new variant of the + blood pudding recipe you’ve been working on!
+++Maybe someone else’s mood will be improved in the meantime? + Before setting out for their meeting with Blavin, Inky slipped + into the kitchens downstairs and left the empanada chef a + trick-and-treat. A plate of honeyed breadfruit and ghost + pepper tapas sat on an icebox atop a new pair of Blueberry + oven mittens with a pattern of tiny smiling green turtles. + Tucked inside one mitten was a slip of paper (regrettably + inedible) that simply read “BACK SOON :)”. A tapa recipe, + which included a note on adapting the toppings for pan frying, + was printed on the reverse in neat blocky letters and + sandalwood ink.
+
Enrique wakes in the middle of the night to start baking + the next day’s breads and empanadas. He frowns thoughtfully + when he sees yet another mysterious gift from across the room. + Again? What little elf must have taken up residence in his + shop? But his face cracks into a smile when he sees the + presentation and the oven mitts. And the smile becomes a + bonafide grin when he tastes the fare and finds the + recipe.
+He taps his chin thoughtfully with one green claw as he + skims the note and looks through his pantry. He chops some + veggies and starts pan frying them.
+Later, when the oven dings, he smiles to himself as he + pulls on the new turtle pattern oven mitts and opens it.
+> A) MORE QUESTIONING, OR B) TIME FOR SHIPWRECK?
+ + ]]> +Total length: 21552 words / 92 minutes
+Total length: 21989 words / 93 minutes
This is a game that me and the kids in the basement are playing over email.