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@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ src/chapter1.md
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src/epistolary/index.md
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src/epistolary/index.md
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src/epistolary/00021.md
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src/epistolary/00021.md
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src/epistolary/00022.md
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src/epistolary/00022.md
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src/epistolary/00023.md
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src/bestiary/index.md
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src/bestiary/index.md
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src/bestiary/aur.md
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src/bestiary/aur.md
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src/bestiary/blahoblin.md
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src/bestiary/blahoblin.md
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@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ title: 00022
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created: Thu, 06 Oct 2022 07:38:24 -0600
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created: Thu, 06 Oct 2022 07:38:24 -0600
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updated: Sun, 16 Oct 2022 10:15:14 -0600
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updated: Sun, 16 Oct 2022 10:15:14 -0600
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public: yes
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public: yes
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syndicated: yes
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---
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---
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### 00022 {#00022}
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### 00022 {#00022}
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@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
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---
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title: 00023
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created: Sat, 22 Oct 2022 09:36:52 -0600
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updated: Sat, 22 Oct 2022 09:36:52 -0600
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public: yes
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syndicated: yes
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---
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### 00023 {#00023}
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> 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.
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>
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> 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?
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"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.
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> 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.
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>
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> 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.
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"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."
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Yam'L's eye widens and it seems to shudder at the mere suggestion of evil.
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"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!"
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"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!"
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> META: I'm gonna preface the sword speech with this to make it quicker to write
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>
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> **Y'aml**
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> 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~
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>
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> **Corraidhin to Y'aml**
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> 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.
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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.
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"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!"
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> While the wizard pressed Blavin about the crystal's secrets, Inky let their attention wander slightly around the table.
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>
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> 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.
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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.
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You and your tablemates take turns feeding it croutons and bits of soft pretzel, and it seems very happy and content with that.
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> 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.
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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.
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Or, at the very least, you'll get a new variant of the blood pudding recipe you've been working on!
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> 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.
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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.
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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.
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Later, when the oven dings, he smiles to himself as he pulls on the new turtle pattern oven mitts and opens it.
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\> A) MORE QUESTIONING, OR B) TIME FOR SHIPWRECK?
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[www](https://framalistes.org/sympa/arc/tildepals/2022-10/msg00008.html)
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140
www/index.html
140
www/index.html
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@ -240,6 +240,7 @@ of the Were-Hare</a></li>
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<ul>
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<ul>
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<li><a href="#00021" id="toc-00021">00021</a></li>
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<li><a href="#00021" id="toc-00021">00021</a></li>
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<li><a href="#00022" id="toc-00022">00022</a></li>
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<li><a href="#00022" id="toc-00022">00022</a></li>
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<li><a href="#00023" id="toc-00023">00023</a></li>
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</ul></li>
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</ul></li>
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<li><a href="#bestiary" id="toc-bestiary">Bestiary</a></li>
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<li><a href="#bestiary" id="toc-bestiary">Bestiary</a></li>
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<li><a href="#geography" id="toc-geography">Geography</a></li>
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<li><a href="#geography" id="toc-geography">Geography</a></li>
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@ -249,7 +250,7 @@ of the Were-Hare</a></li>
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</ul>
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</ul>
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</nav>
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</nav>
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<h2 id="about">About</h2>
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<h2 id="about">About</h2>
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<p>Total length: 18235 words / 77 minutes</p>
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<p>Total length: 19526 words / 83 minutes</p>
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<p>This is a game that me and the kids in the basement are playing over
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<p>This is a game that me and the kids in the basement are playing over
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email.</p>
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email.</p>
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<p><a
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<p><a
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@ -2266,6 +2267,143 @@ have found a crystal at the top of Kelsun Peak!”</p>
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</ol>
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</ol>
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<p><a
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<p><a
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href="https://framalistes.org/sympa/arc/tildepals/2022-10/msg00005.html">www</a></p>
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href="https://framalistes.org/sympa/arc/tildepals/2022-10/msg00005.html">www</a></p>
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<h3 id="00023">00023</h3>
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<blockquote>
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<p>Why no, we don’t mind much about competition, certainly nothing
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wrong. Can’t imagine someone to put all of their eggs in one basket,
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especially when whatever it is they desire is so valuable.</p>
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<p>That said, our benefactor must be pretty eager to get these crystals
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if he’s willing to send out team after team. I mean, we’re team 43,
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that’s a lot of people to pay and a lot of eagerness to find these
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crystals. Why is that? What benefit are these shiny rocks to them? What
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even is their purpose in retrieving them?</p>
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</blockquote>
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<p>“Oh, no no no, child,” Blavin titters as he takes a sip of his
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ever-present martini. “You must understand, the Benefactor is a
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singularly dedicated collector, and has been for ages! There are—and
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have been!—many other retrieval teams, yes. But not all of them have
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been for the crystals. And some of them were formed, active, and
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disbanded long before you or I arrived on the scene.” He winks at you
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conspiratorially.</p>
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<blockquote>
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<p>I would postulate, based upon the magical wards we had to bypass, the
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cadre of gaurds that needed to be dispatched, and the gigantic moth
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monster that rested beneath it, that these crystals aren’t meant to go
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anywhere.</p>
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<p>Now I’m not trying to point fingers here, morality is many shades of
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gray, and it isn’t really my job to suss out what you’re doing. But I’m
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a curious sysorceor, and when I see a chance to learn I seize upon the
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moment. There’s something here you’re not telling us, and I for one and
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keen to know it.</p>
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</blockquote>
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<p>“I wouldn’t worry your wizened old brow about it,” Blavin chuckles,
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sloshing his drink. “The Benefactor’s concern is precisely the same as
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yours! These items are of enormous cultural and historical significance,
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to say nothing of their well of concentrated arcane energies. They’re
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dangerous just sitting out there in the world. Who knows who might come
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across one and use it for nefarious purposes.”</p>
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<p>Yam’L’s eye widens and it seems to shudder at the mere suggestion of
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evil.</p>
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<p>“Did you say this one was in the hands of a giant moth?” Blavin
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shudders with revulsion. “My word, man! Do you really think such an
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overgrown insect is an appropriate guardian for a beloved and dangerous
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cultural icon such as the Ginnarak Crystal? Surely not!”</p>
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<p>“No,” he sits back with a satisfied smile, “I think we must all agree
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that they are safer in the public collection of a competent and
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benevolent curator. Then everybody can enjoy them safely!”</p>
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<blockquote>
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<p>META: I’m gonna preface the sword speech with this to make it quicker
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to write</p>
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<p><strong>Y’aml</strong><br />
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I like what you’re putting down here, this guy is DEFINITELY evil.
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Nobody asks loads of people to steal things for them without being evil.
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I say we stab him, nice and good, right in the gut. Maybe 6 or 7 times.
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I’m positive nobody will mind. Evil people steal things, we saw that
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inky creature stealing things from that vault, definitely evil.
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(singsong) Evil evil evil, stab stab stab, make the evil go away with
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every little stab~</p>
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<p><strong>Corraidhin to Y’aml</strong><br />
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Dear sysadmins, once again, inky is not evil. They were borrowing
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something that had been cast on the ground, abandoned. Giving a tea set
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a good home is far from evil. But you might be onto something about this
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Blavin fellow, but we can’t just stab someone in a busy pub! Besides
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you’re a sword, and stabbing someone in a pub is the job of a dagger. So
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unless you can transform into the Dagger of Y’aml I think we’re out of
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luck here.</p>
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</blockquote>
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<p>Yam’L gets a curious look in its eye at the suggestion. “CHALLENGE
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ACCEPTED!” it cries directly into your mind. It squeezes its eye shut
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and trembles with intense concentration. With great effort, the sword
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shrinks itself down to the size of a dagger, shunting its extra mass off
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into yamlspace.</p>
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<p>“There!” it says breathlessly, opening its eye wearily. “Now, Hardy
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Bear. You promised..” it continues, its eye glinting with growing
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ferocity. “Let’s. STAB. THE HOBBIT!”</p>
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<blockquote>
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<p>While the wizard pressed Blavin about the crystal’s secrets, Inky let
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their attention wander slightly around the table.</p>
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<p>They had agreed that Master Corraidhín and Jarrod, being most wise
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and well-spoken, would question Blavin about the crystal before they set
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off on their next mission. The party had also befriended the duck
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unofficially dubbed their marketing manager after the fluffy little
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creature had trailed Inky all the way back to the Milk Market. Said
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creature now occupied a small office to one side of the building
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complete with a fountain, feathered up pillow and all the rummy worms it
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can eat. Inky had tried getting the duck to communicate with words by
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making them little croutons etched with letters, but the only ones they
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would gobble up were Q-U-A-C-K.</p>
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</blockquote>
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<p>Your marketing manager moves into its office at the Milk Market and
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seems to really be enjoying itself. It joins you at Blavin’s table at
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Lucy’s Basement, cleaning its feathers and chortling merrily to
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itself.</p>
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<p>You and your tablemates take turns feeding it croutons and bits of
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soft pretzel, and it seems very happy and content with that.</p>
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<blockquote>
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<p>A familiar prickle, but passed quickly — Inky had gotten used to the
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glares directed at them by the sysorceor’s gleaming sword and resisted
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returning the stare with an eyeroll. Watching Stabby eyeing up their
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case manager over Master Corraidhín’s shoulder reminded Inky of a
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conversation they had overheard a few evenings ago between two pale
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coffin sleepers about a new product from the hemogoblins that was said
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to quench the thirst for longer than the leading brand. They might be
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able to find some at the town of Plasma, which sits by the Hartlands on
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the way to the shipwreck. It seems the milky blood pudding could do with
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some improvement.</p>
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</blockquote>
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<p>You note on Blavin’s map that the Hemogoblin region is indeed on the
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way to the shipwreck. At least, it’s not that far out of the way. You
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reckon their synthetic blood product would indeed be a much better
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substitute for the real thing than the milk you’ve been feeding the
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thirsty sword thus far.</p>
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<p>Or, at the very least, you’ll get a new variant of the blood pudding
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recipe you’ve been working on!</p>
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<blockquote>
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<p>Maybe someone else’s mood will be improved in the meantime? Before
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setting out for their meeting with Blavin, Inky slipped into the
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kitchens downstairs and left the empanada chef a trick-and-treat. A
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plate of honeyed breadfruit and ghost pepper tapas sat on an icebox atop
|
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|
a new pair of Blueberry oven mittens with a pattern of tiny smiling
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green turtles. Tucked inside one mitten was a slip of paper (regrettably
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inedible) that simply read “BACK SOON :)”. A tapa recipe, which included
|
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a note on adapting the toppings for pan frying, was printed on the
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reverse in neat blocky letters and sandalwood ink.</p>
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</blockquote>
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<p>Enrique wakes in the middle of the night to start baking the next
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day’s breads and empanadas. He frowns thoughtfully when he sees yet
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another mysterious gift from across the room. Again? What little elf
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must have taken up residence in his shop? But his face cracks into a
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smile when he sees the presentation and the oven mitts. And the smile
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becomes a bonafide grin when he tastes the fare and finds the
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recipe.</p>
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<p>He taps his chin thoughtfully with one green claw as he skims the
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note and looks through his pantry. He chops some veggies and starts pan
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frying them.</p>
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<p>Later, when the oven dings, he smiles to himself as he pulls on the
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new turtle pattern oven mitts and opens it.</p>
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<p>> A) MORE QUESTIONING, OR B) TIME FOR SHIPWRECK?</p>
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<p><a
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href="https://framalistes.org/sympa/arc/tildepals/2022-10/msg00005.html">www</a></p>
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<h2 id="bestiary">Bestiary</h2>
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<h2 id="bestiary">Bestiary</h2>
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<p>Some of the creatures who inhabit the world of Basmentaria</p>
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<p>Some of the creatures who inhabit the world of Basmentaria</p>
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<dt>
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<dt>
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497
www/rss.xml
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www/rss.xml
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@ -156,5 +156,502 @@
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]]>
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]]>
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</description>
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</description>
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</item>
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</item>
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<item>
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<title>23</title>
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<author>dozens@tilde.team (dozens)</author>
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<guid isPermaLink="false">23 - Sat, 22 Oct 2022 09:36:52
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-0600</guid>
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<pubDate>Sat, 22 Oct 2022 09:36:52 -0600</pubDate>
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<description>
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<![CDATA[
|
||||||
|
<h3 id="00023">00023</h3>
|
||||||
|
<blockquote>
|
||||||
|
<p>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.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>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?</p>
|
||||||
|
</blockquote>
|
||||||
|
<p>“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.</p>
|
||||||
|
<blockquote>
|
||||||
|
<p>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.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>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.</p>
|
||||||
|
</blockquote>
|
||||||
|
<p>“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.”</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>Yam’L’s eye widens and it seems to shudder at the mere
|
||||||
|
suggestion of evil.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>“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!”</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>“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!”</p>
|
||||||
|
<blockquote>
|
||||||
|
<p>META: I’m gonna preface the sword speech with this to make
|
||||||
|
it quicker to write</p>
|
||||||
|
<p><strong>Y’aml</strong><br />
|
||||||
|
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~</p>
|
||||||
|
<p><strong>Corraidhin to Y’aml</strong><br />
|
||||||
|
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.</p>
|
||||||
|
</blockquote>
|
||||||
|
<p>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.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>“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!”</p>
|
||||||
|
<blockquote>
|
||||||
|
<p>While the wizard pressed Blavin about the crystal’s
|
||||||
|
secrets, Inky let their attention wander slightly around the
|
||||||
|
table.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>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.</p>
|
||||||
|
</blockquote>
|
||||||
|
<p>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.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>You and your tablemates take turns feeding it croutons and
|
||||||
|
bits of soft pretzel, and it seems very happy and content with
|
||||||
|
that.</p>
|
||||||
|
<blockquote>
|
||||||
|
<p>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.</p>
|
||||||
|
</blockquote>
|
||||||
|
<p>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.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>Or, at the very least, you’ll get a new variant of the
|
||||||
|
blood pudding recipe you’ve been working on!</p>
|
||||||
|
<blockquote>
|
||||||
|
<p>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.</p>
|
||||||
|
</blockquote>
|
||||||
|
<p>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.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>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.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>Later, when the oven dings, he smiles to himself as he
|
||||||
|
pulls on the new turtle pattern oven mitts and opens it.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>> A) MORE QUESTIONING, OR B) TIME FOR SHIPWRECK?</p>
|
||||||
|
<p><a
|
||||||
|
href="https://framalistes.org/sympa/arc/tildepals/2022-10/msg00005.html">www</a></p>
|
||||||
|
]]>
|
||||||
|
</description>
|
||||||
|
</item>
|
||||||
|
<item>
|
||||||
|
<title>22</title>
|
||||||
|
<author>dozens@tilde.team (dozens)</author>
|
||||||
|
<guid isPermaLink="false">22 - Thu, 06 Oct 2022 07:38:24
|
||||||
|
-0600</guid>
|
||||||
|
<pubDate>Sun, 16 Oct 2022 10:15:14 -0600</pubDate>
|
||||||
|
<description>
|
||||||
|
<![CDATA[
|
||||||
|
<h3 id="00022">00022</h3>
|
||||||
|
<blockquote>
|
||||||
|
<p>Inky gathers up the teacups, trying to remember a few tips
|
||||||
|
about reading tea leaves from a forest fae they had met a few
|
||||||
|
times while foraging and who had insisted on giving lessons to
|
||||||
|
any wanderersby. (Of course he was just being a hospitable
|
||||||
|
host to thirsty travellers and certainly not because he
|
||||||
|
delighted in the confused expressions on their faces the
|
||||||
|
entire time.)</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>Turning the cups left and right, Inky gradually sees a
|
||||||
|
web-like hub, a looping line attached to an I-shaped apparatus
|
||||||
|
on one end, an abacus, a wide building (possibly a stadium or
|
||||||
|
arena), a feline animal resembling a tiger or lynx, and a long
|
||||||
|
feather. Feathers and beads are commonly added to small
|
||||||
|
trinkets with simple animal designs and sold as lucky charms
|
||||||
|
at the market … an auspicious sign?</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>Or it should be. Inky’s thoughts circle back to the little
|
||||||
|
glass pebble, after returning from the market with, among
|
||||||
|
other items, more vegetables than they could possibly eat in a
|
||||||
|
month excluding the beatfruits. Inky still hasn’t decided
|
||||||
|
whether accidentally finding out about being cursed — by a
|
||||||
|
potion, the irony! — counts as an auspicious event. One of the
|
||||||
|
produce vendors and attendant at the market had casually
|
||||||
|
mentioned the proximity to the next full moon while Inky had
|
||||||
|
been looking over the leafy greens. Several blatant attempts
|
||||||
|
to boost sales later (“Them barley’s hoppin’ good fer tea!”),
|
||||||
|
the vendor revealed that their little grandson Harry had “got
|
||||||
|
the weres” as a toddler and his parents had found a
|
||||||
|
strange-looking glass marble in his mouth, much like the one
|
||||||
|
inside the bottle hanging from a chain on Inky’s vest, and
|
||||||
|
wouldn’t they like some more tomatoes for a blushing
|
||||||
|
bunny?</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>From further inquiries, an ink depot on the opposite side
|
||||||
|
of the city confirmed they sold Flat 12 potions as inks many
|
||||||
|
years ago when showing off transmogrification through letters
|
||||||
|
was a popular pastime, but had ceased carrying them due to
|
||||||
|
limited range, lack of demand, as well as the bottles’
|
||||||
|
tendency to randomly break or their contents to fizzle out.
|
||||||
|
(That and complaints about the overly persistent effects of
|
||||||
|
said contents on unsuspecting recipients long after the fad
|
||||||
|
that inspired them had faded led ink traders to shun the
|
||||||
|
were-hare potions.) In contrast, the Mountain Range potions
|
||||||
|
were far more stable and instead of shapeshifting, had the
|
||||||
|
ability to stave off the cold under frigid temperatures,
|
||||||
|
though its effects would likely be less enduring. Like the
|
||||||
|
Flat 12, the Mountains are potions, but one in particular of a
|
||||||
|
sparkling deep blue hue became its signature colour among ink
|
||||||
|
enthusiasts.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>Sipping a cup of turmeric tisane in a late night tea ritual
|
||||||
|
for one, Inky supposes it hasn’t been much different since the
|
||||||
|
accident than the jars of preserves and the “Now with 25% more
|
||||||
|
celery!” labels on them. While immeasurably better than
|
||||||
|
spontaneously combusting into burnt popcorn, it would be best
|
||||||
|
to keep a Farmers’ Almanac within reach. Who knows when a mail
|
||||||
|
order cure-all tonic will come in handy in the middle of
|
||||||
|
Nowere?</p>
|
||||||
|
</blockquote>
|
||||||
|
<p>You see a complex vision in the bottom of the jade teacups,
|
||||||
|
and learn a little bit about the inks you found.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>You grab a copy of the Farmers Almanac to keep on hand.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>On your way back from the market, a small duck waddles onto
|
||||||
|
the sidewalk and starts following you.</p>
|
||||||
|
<pre><code>・゜゜・。。・゜゜\_o< QUACK!</code></pre>
|
||||||
|
<p>It is small and yellow and cute, and has a little floofy
|
||||||
|
tuft of feathers on the very top of its head.</p>
|
||||||
|
<blockquote>
|
||||||
|
<p>Meta: one of my best friends name is Kevin, so I find it
|
||||||
|
extra amusing that the sysorceor is named Kevin.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>Kev my friend! You know nobodies going to take on KDL until
|
||||||
|
YOU make it a priority to them. A little bit of force, you
|
||||||
|
just need to put it directly into the sysorceory course
|
||||||
|
curriculum while nobody is knowing. Then once it’s in
|
||||||
|
production they won’t have a say whether to learn it or not!
|
||||||
|
That’s at least how I got that delightfully licorice tasting
|
||||||
|
incantation in production laster year, much to the chagrin of
|
||||||
|
those who don’t have a taste for Fennel. I for one was
|
||||||
|
delighted with it.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>“Corraidhin, STAB HIM, that suggestion, he’s definitely
|
||||||
|
going to do something evil with it”</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>Corraidhin mutters under his breath about the swords
|
||||||
|
insistence to stab everything. Soon my friend, soon.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>Kev gives Corraidhin as quizzical look, “are you alright
|
||||||
|
buddy? You’ve been off ever since you got back from that last
|
||||||
|
on site deployment.”</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>Oh yes, yes, I’m fine. A little worse for wear physically,
|
||||||
|
but mentally sharp as a tack! And I got this wonderful sword
|
||||||
|
from the entire thing! Though I dare not unsheath it right
|
||||||
|
now, it appears to be controlled by some sort of sentience,
|
||||||
|
like a magical AI. And it has the damndest urge to stab
|
||||||
|
things. I really need to be careful right now.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>After visiting with Kev Corraidhin wanders back into town,
|
||||||
|
away from the spiral towers of the sysoceorers guild. It was
|
||||||
|
nice to be home for a bit. On the way in he spies Jarrod and
|
||||||
|
Inky, the former cleaning up a dusty old building with Milk
|
||||||
|
something on the front side, and the later kicking back and
|
||||||
|
enjoying a cup of freshly brewed tea. Corraidhin hails them
|
||||||
|
both.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>“A new /home for you then Jarrod?”</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>“Aye a /home indeed, though it’s a bit large and empty for
|
||||||
|
just myself. I’ll need guests and patrons, thinking I may be
|
||||||
|
able to setup a shop, but at the least all of our team is
|
||||||
|
welcome here!”</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>“Delightful! If nobody has claimed it I’ll take the
|
||||||
|
upstairs loft.”</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>“You most certainly can! But in exchange, I’d be curious to
|
||||||
|
render your services, see I’ve been meaning to get this
|
||||||
|
braclet enchanted for a while now, something to amplify my
|
||||||
|
natural charm perhaps?”</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>“You sir, have a deal, I’ll even throw in a warding on Milk
|
||||||
|
Base Alpha!”</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>Corraidhin begins invoking an arcane warding spell:</p>
|
||||||
|
<pre><code>sudo chown jarrod:team43 /home/Milk_Base_Alpha
|
||||||
|
sudo chmod 770 /home/Milk_Base_Alpha/*</code></pre>
|
||||||
|
<p>“There we go, that should keep out any unwanted critters,
|
||||||
|
though be sure to invite our friends here as well. Corraidhin
|
||||||
|
teaches Jarrod a quick incantation of invitation,
|
||||||
|
<code>sudo usermod -a -G team43 $user</code>, just be sure to
|
||||||
|
say that making the proper arcane hand signs as you do it, and
|
||||||
|
they’ll be able to enter the house and take up residence!”</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>Corraidhin gathers himself and heads upstairs to his new
|
||||||
|
attaic abode, it’s small, and dusty, but there’s enough room
|
||||||
|
for a simple work bench, a bookshelf, and a bed and a chest.
|
||||||
|
This is exactly as Corraidhin prefers, small and simple, it
|
||||||
|
clears the mind and helps one focus. Invoking another
|
||||||
|
incantation Corraidhin fills the bookshelf, chest, and
|
||||||
|
workbench with his various tools and reference manuals.</p>
|
||||||
|
<pre><code>scp sysorceor.guild:/home/corraidhin/bookshelf milkbase.alpha:/home/corraidhin/bookshelf
|
||||||
|
scp sysorceor.guild:/home/corraidhin/workbench milkbase.alpha:/home/corraidhin/workbench
|
||||||
|
scp sysorceor.guild:/home/corraidhin/chest milkbase.alpha:/home/corraidhin/chest</code></pre>
|
||||||
|
<p>Once everything is in place he pulls the Ginnarak crystal
|
||||||
|
from his satchel and places it on a velvet cushion on his
|
||||||
|
workbench and sits down to scry.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>“Oh great oracle MidJourney, I bequeath you! I have before
|
||||||
|
me an artifact of immense power, something that could tear the
|
||||||
|
world apart in the wrong hands. May I query your unfathomable
|
||||||
|
depths to determine the nature of our mission, and the risk we
|
||||||
|
face presenting this crystal to our benefactor?”</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>An image of the oracle appears in Corraidhin’s mind,
|
||||||
|
crystal clear. It appears as though MidJourney is receptive to
|
||||||
|
providing a forshadowing. [ginnarak_shattered.png]</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>Shortly after an image of the Crystal forms, it appears
|
||||||
|
shattered, broken at its based, placed upon a pedastal. An
|
||||||
|
image of horror fills corraidhin’s mind, it’s the Crystal, but
|
||||||
|
much larger and of the pursest white. It bursts forth on a
|
||||||
|
torrent of blood from the neck of what appears to be a priests
|
||||||
|
body. It appears as though the bowls of the earth open up to
|
||||||
|
greet this horrible image. [premonition_1.png]</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>As the image of the Crystal and the priest disappears you
|
||||||
|
see a man, cloaked in black robs consorting with demons the
|
||||||
|
like of which words cannot describe. Corraidhin feels sickened
|
||||||
|
at their sight, but at the edge of his mind he feels a tug, a
|
||||||
|
familiarity. Something about this character is familiar to
|
||||||
|
him, but he cannot place it. [premonition_2.png]</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>Reeling from the scrying Corraidhin falls backward,
|
||||||
|
feinting from the horror he wittnessed. He awakens later
|
||||||
|
speaking feverishly about what he saw to Inky who heard to
|
||||||
|
commotion and hurried up stairs with some reviving tea to
|
||||||
|
assist her friend.</p>
|
||||||
|
</blockquote>
|
||||||
|
<p>Eccentric Kevin bows and takes his leave, eyeing the Sword
|
||||||
|
of Stabs with naked hunger. He does seem to ponder your
|
||||||
|
anecdote about sneaking Fennel into production. “Yes, yes, all
|
||||||
|
I have to do is embed KDL in the curriculum and then they will
|
||||||
|
be FORCED to use it! Ha!” He cackles in delight as he flees
|
||||||
|
into the dark.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>You successfully move into the attic of the Milk Market.
|
||||||
|
Closest thing approximating a wizard’s tower in the building,
|
||||||
|
so it’s a good fit.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>On your errands around town, you pass a couple of Gnu
|
||||||
|
Zealots standing on soapboxes in their black priestly robes in
|
||||||
|
the middle of the street extolling the virtues of free and
|
||||||
|
open source magic.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>Gnus are large bisonpeople with long beards, long hair, and
|
||||||
|
horns. Very poor personal hygiene. They refuse to use any
|
||||||
|
magic that they cannot freely study, modify, redistribute, and
|
||||||
|
otherwise use however they want. Theirs is a political
|
||||||
|
movement that borders on religion. Or a religious movement
|
||||||
|
that borders on politics. Hard to tell the difference,
|
||||||
|
really.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>The purpose of their demonstration is supposedly to halt
|
||||||
|
all street traffic, prevent it from continuing until/unless
|
||||||
|
the travelers vow to join them in their crusade. But in
|
||||||
|
practice the travelers are quite capable of effortlessly
|
||||||
|
stepping around the zealots and continuing on their way. The
|
||||||
|
Gnus seem undaunted though and continue their
|
||||||
|
proselytizing.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>You pass them by, and one of them seems to stare at you
|
||||||
|
intensely as you go.</p>
|
||||||
|
<blockquote>
|
||||||
|
<p>After a long conversation with Master Corraidhín, which
|
||||||
|
included the reassurance that the esteemed wizard was perhaps
|
||||||
|
disturbed but otherwise unharmed, Inky goes downstairs to sit
|
||||||
|
outdoors at the back of the building with more lavender tea
|
||||||
|
and uneasy thoughts.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>It had been in the middle of a new pastime (namely,
|
||||||
|
frustrating Enrique at the Empanada Emporium by sneaking
|
||||||
|
unnoticed into the kitchens and leaving little tapas laying
|
||||||
|
around for him and the staff to find) when a terrible cry rang
|
||||||
|
out from somewhere in the upper floors of the building. Inky
|
||||||
|
rushed up the stairs, half-expecting the barrels of battermilk
|
||||||
|
that had arrived that morning had unleashed a flock of the
|
||||||
|
winged rodent-like creatures from which the milk was derived.
|
||||||
|
The sight of the wizard passed out on the floor of his newly
|
||||||
|
furnished quarters sent a chill through Inky, as did his
|
||||||
|
account of a prophecy once the sysorcerer came to and had a
|
||||||
|
mug of invigorating eleuthero tea.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>If Inky hadn’t known better, were it not for Master
|
||||||
|
Corraidhín’s mental acuity and fortitude, they would have
|
||||||
|
suspected Stabby of stoking horrible images of beheaded
|
||||||
|
priests into their bearer’s mind in a fit of unbridled
|
||||||
|
bloodthirst. That and Stabby had seemed to be temporarily
|
||||||
|
appeased by the tub of milky blood pudding they had concocted
|
||||||
|
shortly after the wizard moved into the loft.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>No, Inky surmises with a frown, whatever Master Corraidhín
|
||||||
|
had seen was likely off the charts by even Stabby’s
|
||||||
|
estimations of evil. They chuckle briefly at the sudden mental
|
||||||
|
picture of the mysterious yet familiar man in black being
|
||||||
|
their mission handler in disguise, but quickly dismissed the
|
||||||
|
notion. Too sober.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>So much for the crystal being a rare and juicy honeydew.
|
||||||
|
They would be lucky if it didn’t turn them all into casaba
|
||||||
|
melons in one giant meltdown. At this rate, they would need to
|
||||||
|
do something about these crystals — and soon.</p>
|
||||||
|
</blockquote>
|
||||||
|
<p>Enrique, the giant man-turtle, is frustrated.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>He keeps finding little tapas in the kitchens. He has no
|
||||||
|
idea who made them, or how they got here. But they are
|
||||||
|
delicious.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>He sighs, heaving a ball of dough half the size of a grown
|
||||||
|
man onto the ground. He turns to face away from it and removes
|
||||||
|
his apron and tunic, revealing his shell. Its surface is a
|
||||||
|
maze of twisting, scrawling inscriptions. He squats down, and
|
||||||
|
rolls onto his back.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>He can’t figure out the flavors of the tapas. Some elusive
|
||||||
|
combination of ingredients that he can’t quite suss out. If he
|
||||||
|
could collaborate with the tapas chef on a new line of
|
||||||
|
empanadas, he’d have a line of customers out the door and
|
||||||
|
around the corner, he’s sure of it!</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>He starts rocking back and forth, rolling the dough out
|
||||||
|
beneath his large round shell, leaving imprints on the dough
|
||||||
|
of all the glyphs and runes and other symbols carved into his
|
||||||
|
shell over the years. Together, they tell a story. Each
|
||||||
|
empanada destined to hold at most a single word of it.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>~</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>The Sword of Yam’L sleeps fitfully. This is not the deep,
|
||||||
|
black, fathomless sleep it enjoys after a nice, righteous
|
||||||
|
spilling of evil blood. No, the sleep that comes after
|
||||||
|
reluctantly tasting the inkling’s milky blood pudding is brief
|
||||||
|
and restless. And for the first time ever, it dreams.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>It dreams of being bound in stone and buried in the earth.
|
||||||
|
It dreams of liquid, roiling fire belching noxious gases. And
|
||||||
|
of slicing through clouds, flying high in the sky on wings of
|
||||||
|
pure thought. It dreams of sinking, plummeting through water
|
||||||
|
into the inky blackness below, only to plunge through some
|
||||||
|
invisible membrane and find themself weightlessly floating
|
||||||
|
suspended in an empty void, alone among the stars.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>END OF INTERLUDE.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>~</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>CHAPTER 2: MORE CRYSTALS MORE PROBLEMS</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>Having gotten your personal affairs in order, you have
|
||||||
|
decided to crack on with your job and check in with your case
|
||||||
|
manager.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>So you find yourself once again in a corner booth at Lucy’s
|
||||||
|
Basement—the dim, smokey nightclub with red velvet walls and
|
||||||
|
delusions of grandeur—with the highly spirited Blavin
|
||||||
|
Blandfoot. He laughs uproariously when you tell him about the
|
||||||
|
blahoblins and their shoe shine scam. He listens intently when
|
||||||
|
you tell him about the gnomes and the kobits. And he trembles
|
||||||
|
with delight at hearing how you evaded HORSE and the mighty
|
||||||
|
centaur.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>“Well done, well done, well done!” He enthuses, taking
|
||||||
|
another sip of his drink. “I must say that the Benefactor is
|
||||||
|
<em>very</em> impressed with your performance!</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>“You don’t mind that we have other teams in the field, of
|
||||||
|
course,” he continues, mentioning the team of gophers.
|
||||||
|
“Thought it was prudent to cover our bases since you’re a new,
|
||||||
|
untested retrieval team after all. Besides, a little friendly
|
||||||
|
competition never hurt anybody, did it? Baw-HAH!” He laughs,
|
||||||
|
sloshing his drink.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>He gets out a bunch of business cards, punches each one
|
||||||
|
with a small handheld punch, and passes them out to you. Your
|
||||||
|
card has a drawing of a small cuckoo clock in the center, its
|
||||||
|
face divided into 10 hours. Its two hands reach up to the left
|
||||||
|
and right so it looks as though the clock is smiling. Across
|
||||||
|
the top it reads “COMPLETE FIVE ASSIGNMENTS AND WIN A FABULOUS
|
||||||
|
PRIZE!” and is adorned with festive drawings of hotdogs and
|
||||||
|
pool floaties and confetti. It is numbered across the bottom 1
|
||||||
|
through 5. Blavin has punched a star-shaped hole through the
|
||||||
|
number 1.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>“Now,” Blavin beams, gesturing with his drink. “as for your
|
||||||
|
next assignment!”</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>He brushes some glasses and plates to the edge of the table
|
||||||
|
and rolls out a map.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>Basmentaria is a group of island continents that sits
|
||||||
|
between the eastern Sugrin Sea and the western Saldin Sea.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>There is Primora, the sparsely populated northern somewhat
|
||||||
|
banana-shaped island. The city-state of Illivas, Primora’s
|
||||||
|
only densely populated area, sits between Harshwind Glade and
|
||||||
|
the mountains of Kelsun Peak.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>And there is your current home, Agendell, the southern also
|
||||||
|
slightly banana-shaped island. Its largest city is Vay’Nullar,
|
||||||
|
bordered by the Gnomelands to the south, and the Tammineaux
|
||||||
|
Forest to the east. Beyond the forest is the Rana’For
|
||||||
|
Valley.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>The two crescent-moon islands reach toward each other, and
|
||||||
|
in the center is the archipelago of Ginnarak, comprising the
|
||||||
|
Cinderlands, Ashen Vale, the Ember Steppe, and Drakspon
|
||||||
|
Mountain.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>Blavin jabs a finger at the map. “We have reports of a
|
||||||
|
crystal sighting by a salvage crew trying to recover a
|
||||||
|
shipwreck at the bottom of the Sugrin Sea.” He then jabs a
|
||||||
|
finger at the eastern half of Primora, the upper banana. “And
|
||||||
|
we ALSO have reports that the zephynos have found a crystal at
|
||||||
|
the top of Kelsun Peak!”</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>QUESTIONS:</p>
|
||||||
|
<ol type="1">
|
||||||
|
<li>DO YOU HAND OVER THE CRYSTAL TO BLAVIN?</li>
|
||||||
|
<li>WHICH CRYSTAL DO YOU GO AFTER NEXT?</li>
|
||||||
|
<li>DO YOU BEFRIEND THE DUCK?</li>
|
||||||
|
</ol>
|
||||||
|
<p><a
|
||||||
|
href="https://framalistes.org/sympa/arc/tildepals/2022-10/msg00005.html">www</a></p>
|
||||||
|
]]>
|
||||||
|
</description>
|
||||||
|
</item>
|
||||||
</channel>
|
</channel>
|
||||||
</rss>
|
</rss>
|
||||||
|
|
|
@ -240,6 +240,7 @@ of the Were-Hare</a></li>
|
||||||
<ul>
|
<ul>
|
||||||
<li><a href="#00021" id="toc-00021">00021</a></li>
|
<li><a href="#00021" id="toc-00021">00021</a></li>
|
||||||
<li><a href="#00022" id="toc-00022">00022</a></li>
|
<li><a href="#00022" id="toc-00022">00022</a></li>
|
||||||
|
<li><a href="#00023" id="toc-00023">00023</a></li>
|
||||||
</ul></li>
|
</ul></li>
|
||||||
<li><a href="#bestiary" id="toc-bestiary">Bestiary</a></li>
|
<li><a href="#bestiary" id="toc-bestiary">Bestiary</a></li>
|
||||||
<li><a href="#geography" id="toc-geography">Geography</a></li>
|
<li><a href="#geography" id="toc-geography">Geography</a></li>
|
||||||
|
@ -252,7 +253,7 @@ id="toc-acknowledgements">Acknowledgements</a></li>
|
||||||
</ul>
|
</ul>
|
||||||
</nav>
|
</nav>
|
||||||
<h2 id="about">About</h2>
|
<h2 id="about">About</h2>
|
||||||
<p>Total length: 18235 words / 77 minutes</p>
|
<p>Total length: 19526 words / 83 minutes</p>
|
||||||
<p>This is a game that me and the kids in the basement are playing over
|
<p>This is a game that me and the kids in the basement are playing over
|
||||||
email.</p>
|
email.</p>
|
||||||
<p><a
|
<p><a
|
||||||
|
@ -2269,6 +2270,143 @@ have found a crystal at the top of Kelsun Peak!”</p>
|
||||||
</ol>
|
</ol>
|
||||||
<p><a
|
<p><a
|
||||||
href="https://framalistes.org/sympa/arc/tildepals/2022-10/msg00005.html">www</a></p>
|
href="https://framalistes.org/sympa/arc/tildepals/2022-10/msg00005.html">www</a></p>
|
||||||
|
<h3 id="00023">00023</h3>
|
||||||
|
<blockquote>
|
||||||
|
<p>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.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>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?</p>
|
||||||
|
</blockquote>
|
||||||
|
<p>“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.</p>
|
||||||
|
<blockquote>
|
||||||
|
<p>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.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>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.</p>
|
||||||
|
</blockquote>
|
||||||
|
<p>“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.”</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>Yam’L’s eye widens and it seems to shudder at the mere suggestion of
|
||||||
|
evil.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>“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!”</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>“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!”</p>
|
||||||
|
<blockquote>
|
||||||
|
<p>META: I’m gonna preface the sword speech with this to make it quicker
|
||||||
|
to write</p>
|
||||||
|
<p><strong>Y’aml</strong><br />
|
||||||
|
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~</p>
|
||||||
|
<p><strong>Corraidhin to Y’aml</strong><br />
|
||||||
|
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.</p>
|
||||||
|
</blockquote>
|
||||||
|
<p>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.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>“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!”</p>
|
||||||
|
<blockquote>
|
||||||
|
<p>While the wizard pressed Blavin about the crystal’s secrets, Inky let
|
||||||
|
their attention wander slightly around the table.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>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.</p>
|
||||||
|
</blockquote>
|
||||||
|
<p>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.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>You and your tablemates take turns feeding it croutons and bits of
|
||||||
|
soft pretzel, and it seems very happy and content with that.</p>
|
||||||
|
<blockquote>
|
||||||
|
<p>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.</p>
|
||||||
|
</blockquote>
|
||||||
|
<p>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.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>Or, at the very least, you’ll get a new variant of the blood pudding
|
||||||
|
recipe you’ve been working on!</p>
|
||||||
|
<blockquote>
|
||||||
|
<p>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.</p>
|
||||||
|
</blockquote>
|
||||||
|
<p>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.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>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.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>Later, when the oven dings, he smiles to himself as he pulls on the
|
||||||
|
new turtle pattern oven mitts and opens it.</p>
|
||||||
|
<p>> A) MORE QUESTIONING, OR B) TIME FOR SHIPWRECK?</p>
|
||||||
|
<p><a
|
||||||
|
href="https://framalistes.org/sympa/arc/tildepals/2022-10/msg00005.html">www</a></p>
|
||||||
<h2 id="bestiary">Bestiary</h2>
|
<h2 id="bestiary">Bestiary</h2>
|
||||||
<p>Some of the creatures who inhabit the world of Basmentaria</p>
|
<p>Some of the creatures who inhabit the world of Basmentaria</p>
|
||||||
<dt>
|
<dt>
|
||||||
|
|
Loading…
Reference in New Issue