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Drinkslinger posted:Was it a normal farmhouse, or did it have doors in the roof as well, as with the other buildings in/near Venefax? Oh yeah it was actually a normal one, oddly! From the description it was a way up the main road (direction we're heading now) so perhaps it's a little way outside the usual range of the scorpions? Either way, I suspect this isn't the last we've heard of the scorpion men... there's probably a quest somewhere, about going in there. Seems like it might be a risky proposition though EDIT: But yeah, it is an interesting town design. Makes me think of those north African towns and cities with similar flat-roof buildings and entrances up top. (Like in Morocco, I think?) But just... in some dreary wartorn European country, instead. It'll be interesting to see what any artwork for it is like, once the books arrive! Major Isoor fucked around with this message at 23:45 on Apr 25, 2023 |
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Apr 25, 2023 22:56
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Great thread, major! Never heard of these particular books before but I loved those kind of half-dice half-CYOA books as a kid - I had a whole series of Star Wars ones back in the day. e: found them, hadn't thought about them in years, they were called Star Wars Missions https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Wars_Missions
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Apr 26, 2023 05:53
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Autisanal Cheese posted:Great thread, major! Oh, interesting! Can't say I've heard of those books, unfortunately. (Young me probably would've played the hell out of 'em!) Seems like the mid- to late-'90s were a real hotbed of releases, for CYOA books! Hopefully they go through a bit of a renaissance at some point, since modern CYOAs would probably be real good. Who knows, though - once I eventually go through each of the Fabled Lands books, I might need to look into a new series to delve into at some point
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Apr 26, 2023 06:35
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Ableton continues his trek north, towards Blessed Springs. From what he's gathered from talking to the locals at Venefax during his stay, this route is frequented by pilgrims and other religious types, along with sickly folk who hope the holy spring water will help with whatever ails them. While walking however, Ableton hears a loud jabbering sound from behind some bushes - sounds like someone yelling jibberish. Not overly concerned about what people get up to in their free time, Ableton continues walking past. But then - out bursts what looks to be a pilgrim! A... very much insane pilgrim, at that. The pilgrim, with his matted hair and unkempt beard rushes towards Ableton, swinging his staff wildly! Live, somewhat disturbed by this occurrence, had enough sense to dodge the man's swing - aimed at his head, no less! Highly annoyed by this, Ableton decides that mincing words won't help and draws his dagger, then lunges forward and slashes the man's throat as he raises his staff to swing it a second time. After cleaning his dagger on the ex-pilgrim's body, he examines the body. Not seeing anything wrong (and nothing of value, either. Just a heavily frayed robe and the old staff he was wielding) Ableton shrugs and decides to move on. What an odd man...hopefully there aren't many other lunatics about. At last, Ableton arrives at the village of Blessed Springs, nestled between the foothills at the southern end of The Farmlands. Walking through the main street of the town, Ableton sees that this place looks to be something of a hotspot for travellers and pilgrims. Everything about the town seems to revolve around the supposedly sacred springs. Somewhat dubious of this, but very much curious about this yellow powder he's carrying, Ableton approaches a gateway to the fenced-off springs. There are two militiamen standing by the entrance, as well as a priest in fine blue robes, sitting at a desk in front. "Thirty-five Shards to enjoy the divine spa, good sir or madam," the priest says, without looking up. Damned grifters, extorting people into seeing water of all things! Ableton grumbles to himself, as he tosses the shards onto the desk. "This better be worth it..." After entering the spring, Ableton had to admit that it looked quite impressive - beautiful, even. There's a find a wide pool of bubbling, bright blue water. It gives off a strong invigorating scent, almost like crushed pine leaves. Unable to deny that he's somewhat nervous now, he glances around, pulls out the vial of powder and removes the cork stopper, then tosses the contents out over the water. With a startling flash and some smoke, Ableton finds himself face to face with an old white-beared, bespectacled man dressed in long ornate robes - and he's levitating over the water, at that! Before Ableton can do more than stare in shock, the old man speaks. "Thank you, thank you. That worthless apprentice of mine. Pah! Can you imagine - I clearly instructed him to throw the dust into the holy waters but the idiot couldn’t even be trusted to do that!" The old man then explains the situation further, advising that he is known as Oliphard the Wizardly. He can be found in the (now-razed) city of Trefoille. What's more, as a reward for Ableton's services, he's willing to use magic to enhance one of Abe's attributes!  So, which attribute should be increased? Here are the attributes at present: Charisma - 7 (including +1 from the mandolin) Combat - 4 (including +1 from the +1 Dagger) Magic - 4 Sanctity - 3 Scouting - 3 (including +1 from compass) Thievery - 5 (including +1 from lockpicks) Major Isoor fucked around with this message at 06:29 on Apr 29, 2023 |
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Apr 26, 2023 12:15
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As a min-maxer, I vote for charisma
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Apr 26, 2023 12:59
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scouting seems super important and it's pathetically low
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Apr 26, 2023 13:24
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Scouting's been fairly useful, it's true - same as charisma. We've been lucky with scouting rolls so far, but that could always change... I don't think sanctity or magic are likely to be too useful for Ableton, but any of the others should be good picks
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Apr 26, 2023 14:44
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Scouting!
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Apr 26, 2023 14:49
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+1 for Scouting. Sanctity and Magic won’t make any difference if you have no idea where you’re going 
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Apr 26, 2023 15:07
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herculon posted:As a min-maxer, I vote for charisma voting for this too. need to be able to fool rubes into trusting us
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Apr 26, 2023 17:07
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Looks like scouting is winning out, atm! One more question though: which way should Ableton travel, to reach the mountains said to be Damor's home? Follow the road on a slight detour notlrth east along the forts, or go cross country?
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Apr 27, 2023 00:23
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Major Isoor posted:Looks like scouting is winning out, atm! One more question though: which way should Ableton travel, to reach the mountains said to be Damor's home? Follow the road on a slight detour notlrth east along the forts, or go cross country? Lets follow the road IMO
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Apr 27, 2023 00:53
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Go to Damor's home
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Apr 27, 2023 00:54
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Fair enough! From what I gather after hearing that old has-been's story, Damor should be somewhere up between the Citadel of Velis Corin and Disaster Bay. Unless anyone has other thoughts, once I get home from work Ableton will finish up at Blessed Springs and follow the road to the north east, then follow it around the bay to the mountains Damor calls home. I've performed a thread search to refresh my memory - it seems like these forts are blocking off a peninsula the old man mentioned in his tale. The 'manbeasts of Nerech' live there... presumably the forts are there to keep the creatures fenced-in
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Apr 27, 2023 01:22
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Deciding to ask for his observation and navigation abilities to be improved, Oliphard casts a spell and then departs the springs. Deciding to make the most of his time here, Ableton strips off and takes a dip in the springs - for what is possibly the best bath he's ever had! The water is hot and feels amazing. He immediately feels completely rejuvenated - all his aches and pains from the past couple of weeks' trek gone in a flash! After getting out and dressing a short while later, Ableton hits the main street again, looking around in case there's anything but religious and spring-related goods on sale. (Seriously, these people are merchandising like it's going out of fashion!) Spotting the Blessed Ale tavern nearby, Ableton decides to wet his whistle and listen to some rumours. As luck would have it, after putting a few shards on the counter for a drink he overhears some nearby villagers discussing a monster of some sort. "Say, what are you two fine fellows talking about? Is a creature on the loose? You're not referring to the Man-eating Blood-Thursday Gob-gobbler, by any chance? Used to roam these parts until I caught the cretin a just yesterday." Ableton boasts, as nonchalantly as possible. "What? What sort of stupid name's that? No, it’s a gorlock," says the man. "And it’s amassed quite a bit of treasure, by all accounts. Taken from its victims, you see. A brave adventurer like yourself could get rich if you killed it. You’d be doing us a favour as well." Slightly taken aback by their initial response, Ableton quickly surmises that this might be a fine opportunity for an enterprising man such as himself. He asks a few follow-up questions like where it can be found and what this 'gorlock' looks like, however Live doesn't receive much information in return. It's allegedly located in the hills right nearby, however nobody has witnessed the gorlock and survived, so the villagers don't know what it looks like. Hoping that this is merely another case of monster fraud, Ableton downs the last of his drink. "If you'll excuse me, sirs, I need to go hunt a gorlock... whatever the gently caress that is!" Ableton states, as he picks up his pack and marches out of the tavern. Creeping up the hill, Ableton eventually spots some odd tracks - looks like they're from a three-toed bipedal creature. Hmm, looks promising, Ableton thinks, as he slows his pace and quietly follows the tracks over a crest. As Ableton reaches the top, he notices a cave set into the hillside, a little further up. Judging by the human bones dumped outside near the entrance, this is the lair of a dangerous beast... or hopefully just an elaborate ploy... Fresh tracks lead from the cave into some nearby trees. It would appear that whatever it is, it's not home at the moment. Ableton examines the tracks again, uncertain about something. "Wait a minute..." He racks his brain for a minute or two, before remembering where he remembers reading about this kind of footprint! The gorlock - of course! Ableton remembers now - he read about them a long time ago. Supposedly their feet face the wrong way (compared to humans at least) so when it appears that they've traveled in one direction, in actual fact they've traveled in the opposite! So it's inside after all, if my memory serves, Ableton thinks to himself, as he draws his dagger and hides behind a bush. So with the knowledge that this is indeed a real creature, Ableton settles into position and waits a couple of hours. At dusk, something emerges. It is the gorlock! A beast with legs like a bird, a body like a reptile, with two short forelimbs and a beaked, lizard-like head. Ableton sees that its two legs do indeed have backward pointing feet. Should Ableton fight this legendary beast for fame and glory? Or should he try and wait for it to depart, so that he can hopefully slip inside its cave and take what treasures it possesses?
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Apr 27, 2023 13:40
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Not to be a chicken but are we sure Ableton is ready for this fight? I say we either try to sneak in and loot the cave without the beast seeing him, or come back later.
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Apr 27, 2023 14:24
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Try to land a sneak attack and fight the beast. Keep that moonstone handy, though
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Apr 27, 2023 14:32
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KILL. KILL!!
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Apr 27, 2023 15:14
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Apologies if I seemed like a killjoy earlier - I just don't want Ableton to end up as Sokara's bravest-ever pile of bones and gorlock poo poo
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Apr 28, 2023 03:33
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Hey now, no need to apologise! It's a perfectly valid concern - I think it's a tough call, between ambushing the gorlock for glory, versus waiting for it to disappear and then robbing it blind  We'll see if there are any other votes I guess - I'll aim to get the ball rolling when I get home tonight. (Unless the updates are happening a bit quickly, anyway - I've been trying to keep to a regular schedule, but definitely let me know if updates every 1-2 days are too frequent! It's no trouble either way, especially with shorter updates - it's very easy to slot FL in, between other stuff in life) EDIT: Also, I've received an update that one of the books has arrived! Not sure which yet, but it looks like they're coming to me piecemeal... Hopefully the others will all arrive on Monday-Tuesday. Major Isoor fucked around with this message at 04:33 on Apr 28, 2023 |
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Apr 28, 2023 03:44
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Deciding that the fame for killing a rare and feared beast is worth the risk -especially as he has a moonstone and a resurrection deal- Ableton slinks into a more advantageous position. As the gorlock stops in its backwards tracks and raises its head to start sniffing the air, Ableton realises he might be on a timer, here. Jumping out from concealment, Ableton runs past the creature, slashing one of its inverted legs! Before Ableton can duck beyond its reach though, it quickly bites him, causing no end of pain! Staggering and falling over, Ableton doesn't have any time to react before the gorlock is upon him. But before it could deal the killing blow, Ableton plunges his dagger into the creature's eye - poking a hole straight into its brain! The gorlock lets out a horrid screech, before collapsing on top of our wounded wanderer. After struggling out from beneath the gorlock, Ableton gives it a sharp kick to the neck, before staggering off towards the cave. Inside, he finds 500 shards, a silver nugget, as well as various scraps, mundane weapons and tools, which Ableton has no ability or desire to lug around at present. Once he's had a minute to check his wound (it ain't good, but he'll survive), Ableton makes his way back to town. Deciding to spend some time, as well maybe as a little of his newly acquired riches in town to recuperate, Ableton spends a couple of days staying at the tavern. During this time he regales (not to mention embellishes) the story of how he rapidly tracked down the infamous gorlock and managed to kill it, after a duel that lasted several hours. Along with the story about foiling the plans of a criminal mastermind who impersonated a monster called the Gob-gobbler and enslaved hundreds (if not more) of people near Venefax. Ableton, now having stayed at the town of Blessed Springs for a couple of days and is very much tired of its limited sights, (although the endless praise he receives is very much tolerable) decides it's time to continue his journey north. The initial leg of the trip was rather uneventful, thankfully. Ableton travels the well-worn road up to Fort Brilon, which was apparently named after a Sokaran King of the kingdom's first dynasty. After arriving at the fort, he immediately notices the large military presence here. Seems like despite the civil war, what passes for the government in this backwater country still takes the threat of the manbeasts seriously. The soldiers Ableton sees while walking the road following the wall all appear to be quite nervous, despite the fact that there are many soldiers and they're all holed-up in their fortifications. Those Nerech beasts clearly have these people spooked. I wonder if there's much substance to it, or if they're just scared of old wives' tales, Ableton wonders. Continuing along to Fort Estgard, the middle fort, Ableton notices a soldier spotting him on the walls above. They then call out to someone else on the walls and run off. With a shrug, Ableton continues. After arriving at Fort Estgard however, the fort commander (flanked by a pair of soldiers) rushes out to greet Ableton! However, Ableton quickly realises that this isn't merely a warm welcome given to strangers. Word has spread quickly in these parts over the last couple of days, regarding his recent deeds. Ableton realises he hasn't been paying attention to the commander, due to wondering about how the hell he got into this mess. "...my daughter, Alissia, has been kidnapped by the manbeasts!" he says. "They are asking that I let one of their raiding parties through, to attack the farmlands. I’m delaying my response as long as possible, but if I don’t do something soon, they will kill her! Please, I need a brave adventurer to rescue her!" Ableton's interest is piqued now, though... A damsel in distress? A whole region potentially at stake? It sounds like a risky proposition to say the least, but if he managed to pull it off he would likely be quite renowned around here - and hopefully he'll be much richer, too...
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Apr 28, 2023 15:40
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We should help but we should probably finish our personal quest and get some better equipment before stepping across the border.
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Apr 28, 2023 18:55
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Use that charisma to get some better equipment for free. A little down payment for rescuing his daughter
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Apr 28, 2023 19:07
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OK, so one of the two books that arrived covers Sokara, the region we're in. So I've added some scans to most of the posts - other than the very early ones in Golnir, anyway. (Hopefully that book will arrive on Monday, but we'll see) While I was adding the images, I also noticed that we were asked to go into the Scorpion Bight to recover an artifact for one of the city temple's priests. I'll add that to the OP in a minute, but obviously it's very low priority - only something to do if we go down that way, anyway Also, the garrison unfortunately don't have any extra gear to provide. Ableton will be able to receive some specialist training however, if he succeeds in his mission
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Apr 29, 2023 06:55
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Major Isoor posted:OK, so one of the two books that arrived covers Sokara, the region we're in. So I've added some scans to most of the posts - other than the very early ones in Golnir, anyway. (Hopefully that book will arrive on Monday, but we'll see) nice! the books finally came lol! and good luck to Ableton!
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Apr 29, 2023 07:11
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Thought this might be about the video game adaptation, but you've got the original game books. Neat.
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Apr 29, 2023 08:28
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Yep - old school all the way! They're actually a LOT thinner than the original editions though, as they've put multiple 'pages' (i.e. the numbers used for 'turn to page XXX') on the same physical pages as other short 'pages', to condense the book. I'll have to take a photo of the stack, once the rest get here.
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Apr 29, 2023 10:29
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hell yeah we got books! these illustrations are loving rad!
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Apr 29, 2023 13:02
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super sweet best pal posted:We should help but we should probably finish our personal quest and get some better equipment before stepping across the border. I like this plan, if it’s possible to return and revisit quests later on
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Apr 29, 2023 13:05
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Sub-Actuality posted:I like this plan, if it’s possible to return and revisit quests later on Oh yeah, for this one we can definitely accept it and come back later, despite how urgent the commander leads us to believe the mission is. Probably best to sort out this Damor nonsense first as you say anyway, in case we get anything handy in the process.Also, apologies about the scan quality. It's not perfect because I'm using the Adobe Scan(tm) app on my phone, rather than using a proper scanner. Hopefully none of 'em are too blurry. The biggest shame is that there doesn't seem to be a pic for the gorlock, sadly.
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Apr 29, 2023 13:11
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"Alright, alright, alright!" Ableton replies to the commander, speaking over the man and raising his hands in an attempt to calm him down. "I'll go in there and figure out how to get your daughter out of Nerech. But first, I have another urgent matter I must attend to without delay, further north." Before the commander could object, Ableton continues explaining, smoothing the situation over and reassuring the commander that he'll return and venture beyond the Eastern Marches into the wildlands of Nerech as soon as possible. All the commander needs to do is hold out and not succumb to the manbeasts' demands. So with that, Ableton promptly heads off north-west via Fort Mereth, hoping that there are no disasters regarding the commander's daughter in the meantime. Passing beyond the walls and onto the road to the Citadel of Velis Corin, Ableton immediately notices that this road is in a state of severe disuse. It's nothing more than a dirt track which seems to be becoming gradually overgrown in some places. Clearly, it's not patrolled very often. Luckily though, Live spots a man traveling in the opposite direction, who hails him and offers to play cards. Relieved at finally meeting someone who appreciates the finer things in life after many days without gambling, Ableton gladly accepts! After a few mixed hands however, he finds himself down ten shards. Happy to have had the opportunity to play at all though, Ableton doesn't mind. He bids the stranger farewell, then continues his journey. Before long, Ableton decides to go cross-country to the north, in order to follow the coast of Disaster Bay and reach the mountainous region he believes Damor resides in. (According to that old troubadour, anyway) After arriving at Disaster Bay a while later, Ableton spies a small community of fishermen. Approaching and asking about whether anyone knows Damor, Ableton receives only shrugs. Someone offers to take him up to the northern port of Yarimura for 50 shards, however as this is out on the Great Steppes, Ableton doesn't think going so far north should be necessary on his quest. Continuing further into the foothills of the Spine of Harkun, Abe pauses for a few minutes at a cool, clear stream. After resting, drinking and refilling his water skin, the traveling troubadour admires the great mountains. They rise up majestically before him, with their snow-capped peaks wreathed in clouds.  Deciding to not waste more daylight hours than necessary, Ableton continues forth - up into the mountains. The climb is arduous (especially with the limited equipment he possesses, for the task) but after a couple of hours and a few breaks he makes it up to a narrow trail. Upon taking another swig of water however, to Ableton's horror he realises the water has somehow gone bad! Suspecting sorcery at play here, Ableton utilizes some of the few divinations that he knows. By doing so, he is able to ascertain that the path has a simple yet enduring curse upon it, which magically fouls the water anyone walking the trail possesses. After determining this, Ableton hugs the cliff alongside the trail and finds that his water is again drinkable. After continuing along the path, Ableton eventually reaches a small, bubbling spring beside the entrance to a cave. He refills his water skin, then warily steps into the cave. The interior of the cave is cool - very refreshing, after becoming quite warm due to the climb. Towards the rear of the cave, Ableton notices a man - who happens to be floating cross-legged in the air! He is dressed only in a loincloth, and he's incredibly thin and frail-looking. His face is shrouded in a great luxuriant growth of glossy black hair, a truly magnificent beard like nobody else Ableton has ever seen. At the sight of the intruder, he gives an exasperated sigh, and says, "I am Damor the Hermit. A HERMIT. That means I like to live alone - got that? Alone! So go away!" "Hey! I nearly died getting here, old man!" Live replies, quite annoyed at this rather poor reception. "Hmm, yes, I suppose you’d have to be pretty tough to get through the curse I put on the path," the hermit replies, somewhat apologetically. Ableton approaches and sits down in front of the hermit, (albeit on the cave floor and not in the air above it like the hermit!) before speaking of the bard who's tale he listened to, so long ago. Then finally, bringing up the purpose of his visit - hearing about the so-called Greatest Story Ever Told. "Ahh," says Damor - all annoyance from his face gone in a flash. "I have waited for one such as you. Well, my young adventurer, destiny beckons! The old man you spoke to wasn't quite accurate, regarding his recollection of the events. Specifically, I cannot tell you what the Greatest Story Ever Told is, itself." Ableton noticeably deflates at this - for his time has seemingly been wasted. Damor continues, "I can only tell you its secret. For it is fated that it is your life that will be the Greatest Story Ever Told. The god Sig himself gave me this duty and prophesied that whoever successfully seeks me out hunting for the secret will lead a life that will, in the future, be declared to be the Greatest Story Ever Told. So go forth and write your destiny!" Feeling somehow enlightened by this revelation (not to mention the ego-stroking), Ableton can't help but feel invigorated*. "Right, we that’s that," says Damor, abruptly bringing Ableton crashing back to reality. "Now leave me in peace - and whatever you do, don’t come back!" * Meaning, he's now gained some additional stamina/HP and he's leveled up to third rank! So where to next? Straight back to the forts in the south-east, or go elsewhere first? Both the Citadel of Velis Corin and the town of Caran Baru are nearby to the west, too. Major Isoor fucked around with this message at 03:49 on May 5, 2023 |
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Apr 29, 2023 14:01
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that specialist training sounds nice, let's get this dudes kid back
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Apr 29, 2023 16:55
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After descending the mountains and heading south to the road, Ableton decides to attend to the pressing matter of rescuing the commander of Fort Esgard's daughter from the manbeasts. Since not only will this potentially net him some friends in high places, it'll also make for one hell of a tale - with hopefully one hell of a reward, to match! Reaching Fort Mereth, the northern-most fort, Ableton speaks to the men guarding the gate and asks them to allow him access to the peninsula of Nerech. He speaks to the guards about an important mission for the men of Fort Esgard, but they don't seem to care - the fact that he's willing to set foot into Nerech alone appears to be enough to make them uncertain of his sanity! "Alright then, I suppose there's no harm in letting you through. For us, anyway - I'm not so certain about yourself," one guard says, as he gives the order to open the gate. After Ableton walks through and the gate begins to close, another calls out. "Goodbye, then! Forever!" To the sound of faint cackling and laughter, from some of the other men. Determined to prove himself after being treated to this ridicule, Ableton doesn't slow his pace - nor does he look back at the cowardly soldiers on the walls, who are intent on believing that Ableton Live is merely a madman with a deathwish. Pah! As Ableton treks deeper into beastman territory, the flora becomes increasingly sparse. Nerech is a barren peninsula of wind-blasted rolling heathland. The sky is a dismal grey, perfectly setting the mood. A lone crow circles overhead, cawing mournfully over the craggy clifftops overlooking the sea in the distance. Inland, Ableton sees a tall hill in the distance. Deciding to make for the hill in order to get a better view of the surrounding area, Ableton walks on. But as he draws nearer to the hill, something quietly steps out into his path! It looks like a man, but its limbs are strangely twisted, and its hands end in long black talons. It is covered in matted grey fur, and wears little except an ornate iron helm that's been fashioned to resemble the head of a bird, which covers the creature's head completely. Two red specks glint from within the helm. The manbeast howls at the sky and rushes at Ableton! Always prepared for action, Ableton ducks beneath its arm as it lashes out at him, dodging its attack while slicing it in the side with his dagger. Then before it can recover, he springs up behind the creature and stabs it repeatedly between the ribs! The manbeast collapses with a howl. Its body immediately begins to smoke and burn, and then suddenly vaporizes in a flash of incandescent flame! All that is left is its bird-helm.  Wondering what the deal is with the helmet (and suspecting that there's likely more to it than meets the eye), Ableton bends down and takes a closer look. However unfortunately, he then hears the howl of more of these creatures from further up the hill! Cursing to himself, Ableton decides that he needs to take a plunge here, for fear of being overrun. So he slips the helmet on over his head, just as dozens more of the manbeasts appear on the scene! But then Ableton's vision blurs for a moment, and his head begins to pound intensely. The helmet is doing something to his mind - and it loving hurts! Thankfully though, whatever mental or magical fortitude Ableton possesses proves to be enough to make the headache subside to a dull throb. Ableton suspects that there's likely a powerful enchantment on the helmet which evidently tries to seize control of the wearer's mind, in some way. (On the plus-side, it seems like because he survived against this, his magical defences/abilities have improved, slightly!) More importantly though, the manbeasts! Ableton remains crouched by the body of the manbeast he slew, slowly looking around at the others who arrived and are swarming the area. Ableton examines himself - he seems to look normal to him. But... these creatures are ignoring him entirely, now that he's wearing one of their helmets... they're too stupid to realise he's not actually one of them! Hah - excellent! What luck! Deciding to continue with this disguise for now, (despite the headache...) Ableton continues up the hill. With a feeling of dread he quickly realises that this is the lair of the manbeasts - he's been climbing up a hornets nest, without realising! Since, peering down the other side, he can see that the hill is honeycombed with countless cave entrances, leading to tunnels and their dens within. After taking a moment to psych himself up, Ableton cautiously walks down into one of the tunnels. Aside from having to pass by a couple of manbeasts walking in the opposite direction, he doesn't encounter anyone patrolling the underground network. The tunnels periodically widen or split off into small chambers filled with scraps of material and bones. These must be what passes for the manbeasts' living quarters... The smell is awful, but otherwise Ableton is unmolested by the manbeasts. After a little while of navigating deeper through the passages, he comes to a large cavern. At the far end, about twenty people are locked up behind a steel-bar cell door. One of the male prisoners has been strapped to a table in the main chamber, and a woman dressed in black and yellow silken robes is fastening a dog-shaped beast helmet over his head, oblivious to her victim’s cries for mercy. As the helmet slides into place, he begins to shudder. To Ableton's disgust, his limbs contort and twist in a horrific and gruesome way, before settling into their new positions. Then grey fur begins to sprout all over him! Soon he will become a mindless manbeast, his mind destroyed and his body enslaved. At this sight, Ableton can't help but feel both repulsed and... also somewhat relieved, if this is the fate that he avoided, when he put on his helmet. He really missed an arrow there, if that's what was in store for him! But, denying Ableton additional time to ponder the situation, the woman turns around and notices our indomitable intruder! "Y-You have not been processed!" she says in surprise. Upon hearing her accent, Ableton ascertains that this woman is from Akatsurai. What is a woman from the Isles doing over here, turning men into monsters? Ableton wonders, as he draws his dagger with a flourish. "We’ll see who gets 'processed' here, you she-devil!" She smiles evilly at this comment and takes up a long-bladed spear, spinning it about her head and body in a display of breath-taking martial skill. So, who will win? Ableton Live, grifter and monster-hunter extraordinaire, or the mysterious woman from Akatsurai?? (Also, apologies for no pics. Nerech is technically in the far north book for some reason, which hasn't arrived yet. I'll update this post with any available pics, once the book arrives) Major Isoor fucked around with this message at 11:03 on May 8, 2023 |
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May 1, 2023 10:36
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Ableton and the strange woman, weapons drawn, stand off for what feels like hours. Slowly starting to circle one another, Ableton starts wondering how the hell he's going to get out of this. This woman isn't some common bandit - judging from her stance and look of confidence, she must know her stuff. And to top that, she has the range advantage, seeing as she's using some kind of polearm... Then in the blink of an eye, the woman lunges at Ableton! He manages to avoid the worst of her attack, then closes in and cuts her leg before darting back out beyond the reach of her weapon. Both wounded now, the Akatsuraian woman lets out a shriek of pure rage, as she charges Ableton. Managing to roll beneath her bladed spear, Ableton sticks out his arm as he springs up out of the roll, plunging the dagger into her side! With the clatter of her weapon and a look of pure shock, the woman collapses against the rocky wall of the chamber - clutching at her latest wound with one hand. Not wanting to take any chances in case the woman is a spellcaster, Ableton quickly closes the gap between them and slashes her throat with one deft movement. Turning around, he then does the same to the newly-minted manbeast still strapped onto the table. After pausing to listen in case he hears any manbeasts rushing down the tunnels to the woman's assistance, he then kneels by his adversary's body and cleans his dagger on her sleeve. Then, seeing if he can find anything on her to help identify this woman - and whoever her employer is, assuming she isn't working alone - Ableton looks through her pouches. Finding the key to the cell and a strange seal resembling a Black Pagoda (which Ableton vaguely recalls as being one of the religious groups in Akatsurai), he pockets the seal in case it comes in handy during his travels. Ableton figures; who knows? Maybe he might take it with him to Akatsurai some day in order to get to the bottom of whatever these religious nutjobs are doing, if he ever travels that way. With the woman dealt with and her possessions pilfered, Ableton turns his attention to the cell. He unlocks the gate and the surviving prisoners rush out to thank him. Spending a few minutes speaking to them, he figures out which is the commander's daughter - a young woman by the name of Alissia. Alissia informs him that the woman's name is Chizoka, then confirms what he suspected about how she was trying to make a small army of manbeasts under her thrall. He... also discovers that the man who's throat he slit was the husband of another prisoner, who is now even more distraught. Ah great. After calming the widow down and reassuring her that it was the kindest thing to do, Ableton then slowly leads the group of prisoners out through the tunnels. (But not before grabbing Chizoka's fancy naginata) Sneaking quietly as he's expecting trouble they slowly approach the entrance. (Seeing as getting these prisoners to wear the manbeasts' helmets probably isn't the best idea, judging from what happened to the other guy...) Much to the surprise of Ableton however, now that Chizoka is dead, it looks like many of the manbeasts have dispersed! And the ones who have lingered here are either wandering aimlessly or are returning to their dens in the other tunnels. It would appear that, somehow, the hold over these creatures has receded. So it looks like they've returned to their more... base instincts. Whatever their instincts might be anyway, seeing as they're magically-mutated people, as it turns out. Ushering the group out of the tunnel and moving as quickly as they can without making a ruckus, Ableton leads the group past the unnerving gaze of a couple of nearby manbeasts and away from the hill. After the walls marking the safety of the Eastern Marches come into view, Ableton casts off his helmet and runs to catch up with the group of prisoners - as they had all broken into a sprint at the sight of Fort Esgard's gates. Upon reaching the gate, Ableton sees that it's already opening. The commander and some guards are coming through now to greet the escaped prisoners, over the din of guards cheering from atop the walls. After a few minutes of being congratulated by the soldiers and ex-prisoners, Ableton is whisked away by the commander. He then spends around an hour going over what happened a couple of times with the commander, as he's in a state of disbelief over the revelations Ableton brings. Although they can't be certain as to when this nefarious plot began, it does make sense - since although the manbeasts have always been ferocious, they've been getting worse and worse over recent years. Missing people have also been reported more frequently here and there, too. Ableton soon finds that the commander is true to his word, however. After a night of rest in the fort, Ableton is treated to several days of hard training. Some reward this is, Ableton thinks to himself. But even Ableton has to admit that it paid off in the end - he's definitely learnt a thing or two! (And stat-wise, his combat skill has gone up) Feeling that his time here is over, Ableton bids farewell to the commander, Alissia, as well as a couple of the soldiers he'd been training with. Hitting the road again, Ableton wonders where to head to next. He's got a bunch of stuff he wouldn't mind offloading (+1 naginata, a silver nugget and a chainmail shirt) somewhere, whether that's at Yellowport or perhaps one of the towns he hasn't visited yet - the Citadel of Velis Corin in the mountains to his north-west, or Caran Baru to the west. There's also the matter of whether he should simply travel around western Sokara perhaps, or tackle a quest. He kind of sorta agreed to recover an old book from the scorpion men at some stage, plus the royalist rebels are supposedly hiding in Coldbleak Mountains somewhere... 
Major Isoor fucked around with this message at 13:08 on May 4, 2023 |
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May 2, 2023 14:38
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I think we ought to stop by Caran Barv to sell some loot and see what's happening in town, and then maybe head off to the mountains nearby and see if we can track down those rebels.
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May 2, 2023 14:44
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our stash is in yellowport right? might make sense to sell there so we cn drop off the money there and then roll to caran barv
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May 2, 2023 14:57
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Wondering which way he should go, Ableton flips a coin. Caran Baru it is! So with that, he travels along the wall to the north. While he was traveling the well-worn path beside the wall however, a soldier emerges from one of the small towers peppering the length of the wall. Noticing Ableton, the (apparently rather drunk) man staggers over and throws his glass bottle down onto the road. "You reckon you're just so fuckin' good, eh? Just waltzing through Nerech and makin' the rest of us look fuckin' pathetic!" The man yells, slurring his words. "Look, I didn't intend to make you look incompetent," Ableton reasons, "since it looks like you've got that covered well enough, yourself!" At this, the soldier draws his axe and takes a swing at Ableton, after yelling an incomprehensible slur. Ableton tries dodging, but the oaf grazes his arm! "Right, that's it!" Ableton yells, as he draws his dagger. With a slash, he sends the man reeling. But the stupid bastard swings again - and misses! Ableton takes this opportunity to duck around the man's side, then plunges his dagger through a gap in the soldier's armour under his armpit, then deep between his ribs. With a bloody cough, the man looks down at Ableton's now-red dagger and then up at Ableton's annoyed expression, with a dumb look of realisation in his eyes... right before collapsing onto the road. Unfortunately for Ableton, by throwing the half-empty bottle of booze onto the ground, the idiot got rid of the only item of value he possessed. After looking around to make sure nobody witnessed the fight, Ableton slashed the soldier a few times in a row across the face (to try and make it look like a manbeast may have scaled the wall and killed him), then cleaned his dagger and pressed on. Aside from this hiccup, Ableton's journey west to Caran Baru was uneventful. As he approaches arriving the town, he notices that Caran Baru is actually a pretty large and well-fortified town. Not as big as Yellowport or Marlock City, but it's still quite big - and has large walls, to boot. Clearly, this is something of a garrison town... so he'd probably be unwise to cause too much trouble here. After passing the gates, Ableton looks around and sees that this is a bustling town indeed. Most of the facilities and shops here look to be in service to the military - however there is also a large mining community, looks like. Must be some mines in the Bronze Hills nearby, judging from the name of the place. What's more, it would appear that there's a slave market in town.  Opting to visit the conventional market, Ableton sells off his silver nugget, chainmail and the naginata, bringing him up to just over 1100 shards total. After this, Ableton decides to hit up the Blue Griffin Tavern to have some drinks, listen to rumours, tell some tales of his own and rest the night. It was a quiet evening however, so Ableton doesn't hear much. Apparently there's some Baroness named Ravayne in the neighbouring nation of Golnir, however. Supposedly some of her knights are plotting against her. Sucks to be her, Ableton thinks as he shrugs and heads off to bed, to lick his wounds after that damned soldier attacked him on the road. So now that it's the following morning, should Ableton continue the plan and head into the mountains to look for the rebels? Although either way, should he bank some of his cash first, perhaps? (Keeping in mind that the bank takes a 10% cut on withdrawals. He can do so at any major town in the country, however - not just here) Also, there's the question of the slave market. Should Ableton take a look and see if there are any good options, or is engaging with slavers beneath him? (Alternatively, he could potentially pay for the freedom of whoever comes up for sale, if desired) Major Isoor fucked around with this message at 06:18 on May 5, 2023 |
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May 4, 2023 13:41
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Having a slave, er.. companion, might be a good idea. Always nice to have someone else carry the loot and soak up damage. And I vote for continuing the plan and heading into the mountains.
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May 6, 2023 14:52
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Figuring he might as well stop off by the local slavers in the morning before heading south, Ableton walks over and wanders around slave market - which is a large, canvas-covered square. The poor downtrodden slaves consist of people from all over Harkuna - people from the Feathered Lands, Golnir, criminals of Sokara, nomads from the steppes, are all paraded in chains on a dais. Merchants and nobles bid for the slaves they want. An unusual sale has just come up, which piques Ableton's interest - a little, furry, bat-winged humanoid. It is one of the Mannekyn People from Sky Mountain in the north and it is going for 50 Shards. Deciding to buy the fellow on a whim, Ableton hands over the shards and is handed its leash. Before he can get far however, a fancy sedan chair being carted around by four burly men cuts him off, before being set down. The man sitting on the chair then leans over and yells at Ableton with a glower. "Eurgh, you there! I’ve come to buy that flying monkey but I see I am too late. Nevertheless, I will give you 75 Shards for it." Looking down at the pathetic-looking creature, Ableton sees the look of fear in its big eyes. "Please, don’t sell me to that popinjay - free me instead," chitters the Mannekyn. Ableton, admittedly somewhat moved by the poor creature's plight, refuses the man's offer. (He was awfully rude, anyway...) Instead, he and the Mannekyn walk out of the covered square and Ableton sets the creature free. "I figured you'd be more trouble than what you're worth anyway," Ableton gruffly mutters to the creature, trying not to look like a big softie as he unties its bonds. "Thank you, large one!" it chatters, "My name is Pikalik the Wing-warrior! We never forget - one day I will repay my debt." With that, he (and the 50 shards he represents) flitters away into the clouds. Seeing nothing else of interest at the markets, Ableton heads out of Caran Baru and towards the Coldbleak mountains to the south-east. Upon arriving at the base of the Coldbleak Mountains after an uneventful walk, Ableton sees that they look about as inhospitable and forbidding as their name implies. Their frozen flanks climbing high into the icy clouds. Pushing aside thoughts about whether or not helping the local monarchy is worth the trouble, Ableton gets to work hiking up the mountain range. It's an arduous walk, but eventually Ableton reaches a narrow mountain track, which makes his progress easier. After some more walking along the track however, a man steps out from concealment a short distance in front of Ableton. He is clearly a soldier, but his uniform is rough and ready - as if he had been living in the wild for some time. The soldier gives Ableton a look-over, before signaling that he wants to parley. "Who is the rightful ruler of Sokara – General Grieve Marlock, or the son of the old king, Nergan Corin?" The soldier asks, warily. Knowing full well that this is very much a loaded question and there are no doubt more soldiers about, Ableton puffs up his chest and dutifully reples, "why, Nergan Corin of course!" "That is good response, for your sake," says the soldier with a smile. Several archers then stand up from their hiding places behind the rocks overhead. Another soldier, a captain, walks over to Live and introduces himself as Captain Vorkung. He is a member of the old aristocracy; the nobles loyal to the king and the old regime, before General Marlock seized power and executed the old king. "I'm glad that we have a friend in you, traveler. But this isn't the place for someone like you to be walking around. Leave the mountains immediately - it's a dangerous place," Vorkung orders with a stern gaze. At this, Ableton spends the next few minutes explaining that, to the contrary, this is the perfect place for him - working alongside the loyalists! Aiding the rightful king of Sokara! After listening for a while, it's clear that Captain Vorkung is rather impressed Ableton's claims of loyalty to the rightful king. After speaking to another soldier briefly, he declares that Ableton might be useful to their cause after all - so he's blindfolded and led through a secret pass to a mountain stockade. Once his blindfold has been removed, Ableton looks around and sees that he's in a makeshift throne room - with King Nergan, no less! He is a young, and handsome man, who seems committed to his country. He leads Ableton aside, into a private chamber. "I have need of one such as you," he says in a serious tone. "Yellowport groans under the yoke of Governor Marloes Marlock, the brother of General Grieve Marlock. If you can get into the palace at Yellowport and assassinate Marloes, I will be eternally grateful! You will then of course be rewarded, in turn. With shards, fame and a title." Is this enough to entice Ableton into a dangerous mission to help the rebels come one step closer to retaking their kingdom? Or is this too risky for our hero?
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May 7, 2023 05:13
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Major Isoor posted:Figuring he might as well stop off by the local slavers in the morning before heading south, Ableton walks over and wanders around slave market - which is a large, canvas-covered square. The poor downtrodden slaves consist of people from all over Harkuna - people from the Feathered Lands, Golnir, criminals of Sokara, nomads from the steppes, are all paraded in chains on a dais. Ableton should take the risk. He seems like a man who would love fame.
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May 7, 2023 05:18
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