Storythread

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Just finished the first chapter and gotta say its pretty compelling but the lack of music and robo voice hurts it.

I've heard a lot of people talk about this site a lot in hushed whispers. Even in a small town like this where everyone knows each other, nobody likes talking about the Cursed Lake very much. Nobody even likes remembering the site much. Of course, this only makes a Paranormal Researcher like me more interested in the place.

My first real clue to the case of the Cursed Lake was when I ran into some schoolkids who were talking about going there on a dare. I stopped to ask them and unlike the adults, they were more than willing to answer, though the answers definitely sounded like the barest clues of an idea. Some of them thought that there was a ghost of a kid who killed herself years ago in that lake. One kid said that it was actually some nymph. Another said that something actually lived in the bottom of the lake and that the girl was actually some sort of lure. What they agreed on was how to find her: Apparently, on the full moon, when the moon was highest in the sky, someone would supposedly sing.

The next question on my mind was why this strange thing lived by the lake. The children had no clue, which meant I had to go do some research. It was curious how the area around the lake was entirely abandoned, like there was a whole bubble that just. All the buildings were in disrepair, and the streets were overgrown with weeds. Even the streetlights barely worked in this area. Put together, this made researching the area alone difficult. The hesitance of any local tour guides I asked only confirmed that this was a matter I could only do alone.

Course, the people of the town weren't going to take kindly to that. After all, I was bugging a lot of them about something they clearly had no interest in talking about and I was meddling in something I had no business in. Were it not for my dedication to finding these sorts of things that defied normal description, I might have taken heed and ran, but there was so much I needed to know about this lake.

...

...

Hello again weekly storythread, I'm here once again to hopefully finish off my story that I was still working on last week:

>pic related

It has been nearly a month since I have travelled from Chimax to a recently discovered land of Yazaki, also known as "The Land of Clouds and Mists." Indeed its true, the land of Yazaki is indeed rich in cloudy and misty weather and in my whole life as a four hundred and seventy-six elf that’s seen and witnessed many things in his life. Never had I seen a land with such cloudy weather and fog. The only country or place outside of Yazaki that I've seen having such a similar signature cloudy climate are the far and high northern provinces of recently assimilated Eustran. Though those places in Eustran are mostly gloomy and dark rainy weather, while here in Yazaki it’s all cool and even cozy cloudy days and fogs.

But Yazaki does have its sunny days and rainy ones too, but because of this foregin land's signature cloudy climate and cool winds. The brightest and usually hot sunny days are crisp and cool, so cool that you wouldn't be sweating while wearing wool layers. I definitely indulged in this land's cool climate, as a matter of fact. My fellow elves who're serving as escort guards, fellow dignitaries and companions thought we mistakenly went to the further top regions of Eustran where it is mostly winter and cold weather but were shocked to realize that we were indeed setting foot in the cloudy and misty lands of Yazaki. Even the Briastrinian Human personnel and soldiers who were coming along with us were unprepared and did not expect the land we were going to have such chilly climate with no snow at all. But we all managed to handle through unexpected coldness since while it was chilly; the coldness was neither that bad nor strong. And the magic users within our group and company helped keep us and themselves warm with little flames they project and emit from their palms.

As we were all closing in to the port of Kurosato, (the capital of the Yahakanai province, I’ll explain that by later) we saw the unique and different architecture of the land of Yazaki. The building’s style and aesthetic definitely would please any aficionado in architecture. Posts and lintels support a large and gently curved roof, while the walls are paper-thin, often movable and never load-bearing. Arches and barrel roofs are completely absent. Inner space divisions are fluid, and room size can be modified through the use of screens or movable paper walls. The large, single space offered by the main hall can therefore be divided according to the need. Such as some walls can be removed and different rooms joined temporarily to make space for some more guests. But enough of that, for I think it’s best to leave the gushing of architecture to an actual architect.

Kurosato, the capital of the Yahakanai Province, ruled by a feudal lord named Nanba Naokiyo and his sister, Lady Kisano. And it appears Yazaki is divided into three different feudal states: First is Yahakanai, primarily ruled by a human majority, though they are tolerant with non-humans so long as they obey and respect the laws of the land. Then there’s the Shakosato State, ruled also by a human majority. Though the Shakosato State is very pro-human and human supremacist and has viewed non-human races with disdain and even hostility, essentially they are racist against those who are not human. Then there is Kurozaki, unlike Shakosato and Yahakanai who’re mostly ruled by humans. Kurozaki is ruled by demi-humans and beings known as “Yokai” but these beings are also known as “Monstergirls.”

>continue to next page

Because while they are demi-humans, they are an all female race who boast monster-like features but are all attractive female humanoids who give birth to the females of their respective race, but they male offspring they give birth to are human males, for some reason we have yet to fully understand. Lord Nanba, the ruler of Yahakanai, advised that if we are to make envoys to the Kurozaki State. We must be prepared to bring along with us young, un-married men. Either human or elven who’ll serve as suitors for the monstergirls as a sign of peace and goodwill… I know it sounds very strange, disturbing and even barbaric to some degree, then again this is recently discovered lands we still know very little of. So different cultures can just take time to get, accustomed with for a lack of better term…

So far what I was able to gather about the lands of Yazaki:

-The nation consists of three archipelagos, the largest is Kurosato, Kurozaki which is ruled by the monstergirls is the second largest and the pro-human Yahakanai is the smallest archipelago of all the three.

-Technology-wise they are still within the 15th century, practically they just hit the renaissance. The fact that places such as Briastrin and Lastreyla (which so far are rivals with Briastrin and the only other nation in this world that is as technologically advanced and sophisticated as Briastrin but not versed in magic like we elves of Chimax) are two advanced nations with similar advancements. There are still lands out there in this world that have yet to be seen and heard, and also prove that the world we live is far bigger and greater than we all expect. Both in a metaphorical sense and literally.

>continue to next page

I'm agreeing with the title makes it feel like a game of thrones rip off, the grammatical use is sometimes offputting, don't over complicate the writing.
It's a simple follow though with the choices, but I know you can polish the story to have more outcomes and decisions.
For example:
>why can't I plan with Oswald a sneak and grab of his family to get them outside the capital?

I think with more images and music you can make a more immersive story.
I'm curious, have you read sun tzu art of war? I feel like the more you expose yourself to options a general has in battle, the more you can diversify your players options.
Other than that good start and keep writing and editing.

>protip the magic happens in the editing

...

...

>continued

-So far we’ve only managed to make communications and talks with the Kurosato leadership and nobility. Trying to establish talks with Yahakanai might prove tricky considering their pro-human stance and that they are implied to be borderline xenophobic. They tend to have hostilities with inhabitants of Kurozaki but have a neutral stance on the Kurosato state and sometimes even do some limited form of trading and bartering with each other. If we are to make a diplomatic envoy to the Yahakanai state and provinces, it is to be done with an all human personnel. Just to be safe and sure at least, so we would probably send Briastrinian or Eustranian diplomats and smooth-talkers who know things other humans can impress and please with one another. Because honestly, when it comes to having to choose the right words to “not offend” racist humans, an elf such as me would not be able to excel at such feat. So again, if we are to send a diplomatic envoy to the Yahakanai state and provinces we must do it with an all human company.

-As I mentioned about the Yokai, or “Monstergirl” state and provinces of Kurozaki. I and my team have been insisted to bring single, young, unmarried human men as an offering of good will to the Monstergirl and pro-monstergirl human inhabitants of kurozaki. So that said single and unmarried men being offered would be married of to Monstergirls with no mates yet.

And there are more details that I have listed within the rest of the typewritten documents that I have included in this package. I hope my reports, along with the reports of my colleagues who have accompanied me in this diplomatic journey in Yazaki is insightful and useful for any potential future travels to this land.

>end of introductory papers that briefly describes the reports of this elven diplomat

There I’m done with the introductory and exposition part(s). Now I can focus on the dialogue, which I’ll continue later on. Keep this thread up guys.

...

...

I had already spent more than a week here, and I was just getting more questions to ask about this place. However, without any help, I could tell that my investigation was going to hit a dead end.

My next breakthrough came when I was invited to the house of one of the town elders. He used to work in construction some years ago, and supposedly he knew about some massive scandal. Despite my eagerness for new breakthroughs, I was also skeptical. I decided to ask about why he retired. Turns out that when he was younger, a classmate of his drowned in that lake. He remembered something about how it was a friend's prank gone horribly wrong. Apparently, that was but the latest of several deaths in the area, and the youngest too. Some new laws were passed in her wake to prevent this from happening again.

Some time later, the old man was part of some construction projects. Apparently, a ghost looking just like that girl appearing in some weird areas in the neighborhood. Every time he tried to talk to her though, she just vanished. He wasn't the only one who saw the ghost either. It was something of a local legend among his crew to find that little ghost girl. They tried to ignore it, of course, but then the weird stuff finally happened. Construction vehicles suddenly seized up for no reason. Random wild animals suddenly stole food left out in the open. The old man even recalled a lamp post suddenly collapsing on one of his coworkers. He had to be hospitalized after that incident. Eventually, all these "accidents" began piling up for the company, and they decided to stop their projects. Ever since then, that part of town was considered cursed land, for the Lake held influence to the lands surrounding it. He personally switched jobs because he was afraid of some revenge the ghost would have on him if he had continued in construction.

I decided to ask the old man why he spoke up. Why was everyone else so silent about it?

...

Hey a bit off-topic, but there was a microfiction magazine that used to shill here a couple months back. What was the name of that? i already asked /sffg/.

Bard Quarterly.

I'm pretty sure it's been defunct for a couple of months. The facebook page is gone, and the twitter hasn't updated since last year. I remember some anons were talking a while back about how the new issue hadn't been released; I think it was only run by one or two guys, and they had to drop it because there was an argument over some of the submissions or something and they just couldn't handle dealing with all that shit.

>weebshit

>I'm pretty sure it's been defunct for a couple of months.
I can tell you almost precisely since when it was defunct. It's since September 2016. They collected the submissions for November issue (the second one), but never released the feedback letters and just went perfectly silent. We never heard what happened after all that time: there were still posting around being all cool in September around here, and then suddenly just went silent.
I had heard a rumor that they got threatened by a lawyer over one of the stories in the first issue, which was allegedly stolen from somebody else, but god knows if that is what really happened: I have never seen a single source, single explanation, nothing. And it's a shame, those guys were pretty cool. I'd expect them to at least a "whelp, this happened, we're done" post. Instead they just went completely silent. Makes me feel like something actually kinda scared the shit out of them.

>What counts as Veeky Forums-related? Anything someone could plausibly use in a campaign (which means basically anything if you have enough imagination).
Cool, time to start an atheism vs. religion debate thread because you can apply the finer points to a setting. Fuck off to Veeky Forums.

there are two threads on Veeky Forums right now that are about 'books Veeky Forums likes' and 'books you can use for campaign inspiration'
and a drawthread
And yet no one has felt the need to tell them to fuck off to Veeky Forums, or /co/. This thread clearly falls within the bounds of generally accepted thread topics on Veeky Forums, so why do some people keep getting their panties is a bunch about it? Or is it just the same bitter autist posting every time? I genuinely can not understand why it would matter to you if this thread exists. If you don't like it, no one is forcing you to be here.

yeah, it's a shame. Like I said though, I'm pretty sure it was just one guy, maybe one guy and his friend, who set it up. So it's not really surprising that it didn't last.

Is this a thread where I could get advice for storywriting a quest thread? I want to avoid writing boring quests.

sure. What are you writing about?

>I'm pretty sure it was just one guy, maybe one guy and his friend, who set it up. So it's not really surprising that it didn't last.
I'm pretty sure there were at least two in the main organization, and I think maybe two or three more doing the reading, because you'd always get at least two different feedback sets on one story. It was a non-profit project, but they did have some form of funding too. It wasn't a completely unprofessional one-man-show thing.
It is a shame. I'd love to see the guys turn up, at least tell us "we did not die or got sent to prison" or something. They were pretty kind and keep to communicate so the while "playing dead" gig was really rather worrying. Maybe tell us what to watch out in case somebody else decided to do something similar (since I have been thinking about setting up some kind of similar project myself, and I'd love to hear some advice).
But alas, seems like they don't visit these threads, and they don't reply to any emails or anything.

That was when the next big reveal was made: He wasn't the only case involved with that area. He recalled that there were other alumni from that same grade school who had gone here too, and had run across that ghost. The old man recounted a few tales he had heard, about some who walked into the lake but never came out, one person who was being called out by something that just happened to not exist. Supposedly, he claimed, one of the perpetrators even committed suicide the moment they realized who the ghost was when they went to this spot.

Already, I was starting to realize how deep I was getting. This wasn't just some paranormal activity, this was some scandal that had been haunting this town for decades now, and the fact that I was sticking my nose into business that wasn't mine was threatening to upend whatever stability this place had. Though the old man I talked to never really said it, I could get this feeling that he was warning me to back off.

That said however, I never made a living backing away from opportunities. If nobody was going to back me up, I was going to visit that lake myself. To my surprise, as I got to the forest where the lake resided, I found that old man again, holding a lantern with him. Guess he was expecting that I was too curious for my own good.

So it went that two guys walked into a dark spooky forest armed only with a flashlight, a lantern, and my camera. Despite the terrifying feeling of the situation, I felt...excited. This was the payoff of all my research, and I was going to help this guy settle his own debts. As we walked on down, he began asking me why this was so important to me.

See, I guess I was always somebody with the eye for the bizarre. Even as a kid, I was the first person to volunteer to hunt for ghosts or bizarre fairytale creatures among my lot. Sure, none of them showed up, but that never stopped me from looking. Even as an adult, I kept looking.

Summarized at a glance, I'm writing a story about a man from Ancient Baktria who recieves divine blessing from a god or goddess determined by the story. He goes on to do ***something*** that I haven't quite decided yet while fighting with his benefactor as a stand-like projection, much like Achilles and Athena in the Iliad. Others are chosen as divine champions as well. From the OP of the thread I wrote way back when:

"The year is somewhere around 300BC, and the glorious empire of Megas Alexandros is long dead, rotten and decomposed like the body of the great conqueror himself. Men who had once sworn undying loyalty have taken the opportunity to make sweeping claims to authority in his stead, of course meeting opposition from those who would also be king. Petty rulers have sprouted up in all corners, and war ravages half the known world.

The place is the thriving Greek kingdom of Baktria, located in modern-day Afghanistan, on the banks of the river Oxus. It is an ancient place, with ancient peoples, ruled by Greeks who were sent there by force or by the promise of riches beyond their wildest dreams. For some, those promises came true. The native Bactrians have been Hellenized over the many years, but native Greeks, as always, look upon others with suspicion.

Baktria is sandwiched between the massive and powerful Mauryan Empire to the East, in darkest India, the hordes of the great steppes to the North, and the Seleucid Empire to the West, the most powerful of Alexander's successors. They are ruled by a haughty and cruel house that has created a cult around their founder, Seleucus Nikator, who is worshipped as a god.

The land is culturally and religiously mixed, with Greek, Persian, and Indian languages, gods, and ways of warfare all blending to form something not found anywhere else in the world.

Wake up, son of Baktria. Your adventure begins."

Good night bump.

Firstly, on a simple historical basis I think your campaign is set far too early. In 300BC Alexander had only been dead for 20 years, and Bactria was still just a minor province of the Seleucid Empire. I think setting it sometime around 230BC, a hundred years after Alexander's death would work better.

You've got the outline of a really interesting campaign. I think you should give your players a choice of which paths they take. Bactria was a kingdom of mercantile cities, profiting off the silk road trade. Maybe offer your player the choice of becoming a soldier, a merchant, or an explorer.

The most interesting thing about bactria is the interplay of the different cultures. You have the Greek elite, the afghan-iranian people, a strong Indian presence, and traders and ambassadors from China. I think any campaign should definitely emphasise the interactions between these cultures, and you should offer your player the opportunity to follow different quest-lines relating to these cultures.

In 220BC the Seleucid Empire is was weakened, but it was on the rise again; still, many satraps were semi independent. Likewise, the Maurya were powerful, but on their western border the Rajputs operated more or less independently in their own fiefdoms. There are also the northern barbarians, mongol-like tribes to consider.

In short, your player could be decide to become a mercenary who heads south to serve the Indian princes, fighting Indians, Iranaians, and even his fellow greeks. Or he could choose to become a merchant prince, negotiating in the great bazaars of Bactra or Ai-Khanoum, and dodging the assassins of his rivals as he deals and betrays his way to power. Or he could be an explorer who goes north amongst the northern tribes, makes friends, makes enemies, earns the favour of a khan or falls into slavery, and maybe even eventually finds his way to China. Or any combination of these.

this would actually be an excellent scene-setting picture for this guy's campaign I'll also drop a good night bump with a suitable pic. It's past 1am here and I really ought to get some sleep

...

bump

...

Elven Diplomat Sharian Fengolor is just about done writing the introductory papers that he is including in the documents and reports he has about this foreign land of Yakazi. And not he is just writing up the final touches and a final note for his documentary report.

**

The documents and notes in this package is to be viewed by the President of Briastrin; Charlie Raymond, the Vice President of Briastrin; Kelly Slater, Briastrin’s Secretary of National and International Affairs; Anna Barker, Briastrin’s Minister of Defense; Dennis Holloway. And also for the Elven High Council of Chimax, these documents are also reserved for various authorized personnel throughout the government of Briastrin, Chimax and the Cedna Accord’s Chain of Command. These documents concern about the recently discovered lands of Yakazi and possible future operations to be done for improving foreign relations. And under no circumstances are you; the person(s) who’re delivering and holding this package, are to read this without authorization. Any tampering or loss of the documents held within this package will result in punishment including imprisonment under the law of the Briastrinian or Chimax Court of Law.

**

And so Elven Diplomat Sharian Fengolor finished writing the final touch and completing it with his signature and also a government seal.

“Ahh, another cloudy day for Yazaki. With slightly visible sunshine...” Sharian said as looked out from the open sliding door of his balcony and also gathered all the documents and notes he made into one box and sealed it with tape. He got off his chair and walked out to the balcony, with a cool breeze greeting his face.

>to be cont.

...

You enter a torch-lit tavern. The glow of the flames cast long shadows across the faces of the patrons, however the bard’s music and raucous laughter illuminate the place plenty. You seek lodgings for the night but first join the revelry to ease your aching bones from days on the road. You purchase a drink and sit at a table where people look to a weathered man. With attention on him, he begins to speak:

Horrible, strange, and wondrous things fill our world. Vile beasts, strange mists, and the people who struggle to survive. I have heard many stories, but tales of Lusitania the Grounder seem to find my ears no matter where I travel. Now I have only recently learned how she obtained that title, but I know of a Lusitania that matches your stories of a black haired and sullen eyed warrior. A distant kingdom marks her for death, claiming she murdered Duke Holiander. Although from what I know his death was caused by the return of Alveredo. You see, Alveredo was buried in the village he called home many years ago. Some years after his funeral, that’s when the trouble starts.

As it goes, the town of Holiander took up the name for the duke Holiander that saved the town from bandits and famine. Without requiring they swear fealty, the duke had provided a garrison led by the old warrior Alex Raf. For months the station had been quiet one where Raf could sleep late into the day. However that all ended the morning a young farmer girl slams on his door in those early hours where the sun has yet to rise.

I imagine the old man hobbling to the door, his stride improving by the time he arrives and opens it.
“Please, sir, we need you at Willian’s,” says the child.
The soldier rubs his red eyes. “Unless someone is dead, my men will sort it out.”
“It’s a wizard, sir. He commands the dead to move.”
At the mention of wizard, all exhaustion instantly leaves Raf. As with all of us he has heard of wizards and the despair they bring.
“What do you mean ‘moving dead’?” As he asks Raf has the girl help him don chainmail.
“The bones of men, sir, along with a stitched man tall as a house.”

The old soldier curses his fortune as he grabs his war pick and slides a knife into his belt. Now fully armed and armored, Raf Sets to rallying his troops. He moves through the town, hollering “Come! Brothers and sisters! Time for us to defend our homes!” The people respond quickly. They rally with heavy mallets, pitchforks, and other farmer weapons that have drawn the blood of bandits and arrogant soldiers that stray too far from their banner. Though murmurings of a wizard and the dead brought back to life shakes their resolve, they have courage enough to measure the wizard’s mettle. As they arrive at Willian’s inn at the outskirts of the town the band is forty strong. Ten men that form Duke Holiander’s garrison there and thirty villagers.

With the sun now above the horizon, Raf and the troops see their enemy. The cracked bones of people, bearing the rusted armaments from their kingdom’s battles. One of the villagers falls to his knees in tears when he recognizes a shield his daughter took to war years ago. A shiver runs down Raf’s spine as he locks eyes with one of the creatures. Thoughts of fear invade his mind.
“Surely this wizard must be a master of death to command bones to retake their form!” His hands begin to tremble. “Where is the stitched man? What other horrors can this wizard conjure? Does his magic have no limits?”
A firm grip seizes Raf’s shoulder and pulls him from the terror of his thoughts. A farmer leans close to his ear.

“Ought we tear them asunder?”
Raf does not look at her while breathing in deep and exhaling the madness.
“These are frightful creatures. I know not how we may fight them.”
“Richard, Grey’s son, says they are held together by fine, gold thread. I pray my eyes do not lie for I see them too, faintly glistening.”
Raf looks again with vision unclouded by terror.
“Yes, I see them! They wind around the skeletons and glisten slightly in the sun.”
The farmer nods. “I will trust our six eyes together. A thread is a thread and may be severed. A man who fashions unbreakable thread would attack and be done with it. He fears the quality of his work against our strength.”
Raf traces his tongue between his teeth and gently strokes the hilt of his dagger. He will make that wizard pay for bringing such fear to his mind.

The inn is torn asunder! The old wood shatters as a monstrosity tall as a tree rises from within. Shaped vaguely human, stitches hold flesh like tanned leather together. Bizarre proportions create a horrific visage that repels the defenders. A howl from the breach draws attention away from the creature. A man walks forth wearing a doe’s skull as a mask and a robe coated with bells that do not jingle as he walks.
The man howls again, rearing his head skyward and raising his arms as if to seize the clouds above him. The bells ring in unison, filling the air with jingling. The defenders know not how to react to this man and so stand with weapons at the ready. After a few seconds the howl subsides, his head now turns forward. The bells continue to ring until his arms return to his sides. A few more seconds pass with the only sounds to hear are one’s own heartbeat and the monster’s heavy breaths. The wizard removes his mask to reveal an unremarkable human face of thirty years.

“I am Gigamus, master of undeath. Know that only from the kindness of my heart do I offer you the chance to submit to my demands. Resist and you will all be slaughtered by my invincible warriors. Their ferocity along with my magic will make your deaths as swift as I desire. I do not wish for this. I ask only for your infants no older than a year and your pregnant women. Provide me these things then the rest of you shall keep your lives.”

As you can see, the wizard Gigamus is both cruel and cowardly, much like the knights of the double-eagle kingdom. However their villainy is tempered by interacting with their fellow man. They realize that not all are as cruel and cowardly as they and are all the wiser for it. Gigamus, being a wizard, has little time away from his incantations to find companions. Being vile, he forms no connections with the few he does meet. And being human, he cannot help but see himself in others. Through these things, Gigamus could reach no other conclusion aside from the villagers bowing to his demand when faced with the threat of death. For this reason does he feel comfortable as the old soldier in chainmail steps closer to him and his creations.

“Is that all you want, sir?”
He draws his war pick as he walks closer.
“Sounds like all I need to do is drive my pick through your skill.”
Gigamus laughs as his monstrosity steps forward.
“This child of mine has the strength of ten men. It will kill you and your rabble in an instant.”
When Alveredo had been alive he found himself in a similar position just outside Willian’s barn. He had to face a warrior famed for his spearmanship with only a dagger in his belt. Just as our hero, Raf, slowly approaches his enemy under the guise of conversation, so too did Alveredo. For both face enemies with great reach whether by spear or monstrous arms. Should they charge their opponent from too far away, they would risk being struck down before being close enough to deal a blow. So through words they close the distance. Their body trembles with excitement as they enter their opponent’s reach. Spearman nor monster attack, so confident as they are in their combat prowess. Too confident. And just as Alveredo had plunged his knife into the warrior’s throat, Raf slams his war pick into the monster’s heart.

With the creature’s scream a battle cry the rest of the defenders charge. Many villagers fought bravely that day against the minions of Gigamus. Orwen, son of Orwen, is the first to crash into the skeletons. A giant of a man he brought a wagon wheel into the fray, and with it, topples a third of the enemy in one charge. Shattered skeletons writhe at his feet while he reels back to swing his great weapon. Alas, these foes are not bandits who would be stunned by such a brazen display of strength. Fearless, the creatures set upon Orwen. From below, one of the toppled skeletons runs a rusted blade into his thigh. The hero cries out as blood flows from the wound and he loses balance. With his allies charging to his aide, another skeleton slices the hero’s stomach open and he dies soon after.
The rest of the defenders fill the wake of his charge, smashing the topples bones and trading blows with those that still stand. They fight desperately against merciless opponents. The young farmer Kelvin severs the head of one by slicing the neck as you would a man. The gold threads snap with a sound like metal being struck. He has no time to celebrate for from behind a spear pierces through his back. Grey, a farmer known for her love of music, slays thrice her number with a few swings of a heavy mallet. The first crashes into a skeleton’s chest, shattering the bones and leaving it a writhing mess. While recovering from her swing, another skeleton with a feathered helm raises an exe above its head. Grey quickly charges the creature with her shoulder, knocking it off balance. As she brings her hammer upon the tumbling foe, another skeleton tumbles atop its ally. The two are crushed in the single strike! She charges where the second skeleton fell from and fights side by side with the garrison soldier, Valen.

Amid the chaos of the battle, Gigamus pulls a crystal from his robe and draws rune upon its smooth surface. Hiding behind the body of his abomination he thinks himself safe from the defenders. However, Raf slinks through the battle, dagger in hand. He seeks the wizard who brought him to much strife. The old soldier could not pry his war pick from the monster’s chest and so retreated to his lines so to not face the horde with only a dagger. Now with the skeletons locked in combat, he spies a chance to slay their master. With a keen ear, he hears the wizard’s incantation through the monster’s breathing. Blade in hand he leaps over the massive body and lunges for the wizard’s throat. With a hiss, Gigamus casts burning pestilence from his mouth to the old soldier. Raf howls in pain as scorching miasma melts his flesh. In an instant, his head is reduced to a skull and he dies as such.

Gigamus does not revel in his victory for he hears the golden threads snapping and knows the battle turns against him. Cursing his misfortune, he completes a final rune that blinks him and his monster away. Shortly after this expeditious retreat, the last of the skeletons fall. The villagers lost nine of their number in all: five farmers, a carpenter, a shepherd, a travelling merchant, and a garrison soldier. They briefly celebrate with cheers, then collect the dead. Carrying her husband’s body, a farmer mentions that a wizard may have the power to raise another horde.

That night, some bury the dead, many set to building a wall, and one goes on the week-long journey to Duke Holiander.

...

Oh shit, it appears I've made a dumbass error by mistaking and mixing up some of the terms in my story... I'm gonna do a little reset for awhile just to fix some of the lil' errors I've noticed, then I can continued my story again with the dialogue parts.

I'll start over again by copy pasta-ing the parts I've done, but this time to fix the errors I've noticed. Here it goes, and again the pic I'm qouting from the post related.

##

It has been nearly a month since I have travelled from Chimax to a recently discovered land of Yazaki, also known as "The Land of Clouds and Mists." Indeed its true, the land of Yazaki is indeed rich in cloudy and misty weather and in my whole life as a four hundred and seventy-six elf that’s seen and witnessed many things in his life. Never had I seen a land with such cloudy weather and fog. The only country or place outside of Yazaki that I've seen having such a similar signature cloudy climate are the far and high northern provinces of recently assimilated Eustran. Though those places in Eustran are mostly gloomy and dark rainy weather, while here in Yazaki it’s all cool and even cozy cloudy days and fogs.

But Yazaki does have its sunny days and rainy ones too, but because of this foregin land's signature cloudy climate and cool winds. The brightest and usually hot sunny days are crisp and cool, so cool that you wouldn't be sweating while wearing wool layers. I definitely indulged in this land's cool climate, as a matter of fact. My fellow elves who're serving as escort guards, fellow dignitaries and companions thought we mistakenly went to the further top regions of Eustran where it is mostly winter and cold weather but were shocked to realize that we were indeed setting foot in the cloudy and misty lands of Yazaki. Even the Briastrinian Human personnel and soldiers who were coming along with us were unprepared and did not expect the land we were going to have such chilly climate with no snow at all. But we all managed to handle through unexpected coldness since while it was chilly; the coldness was neither that bad nor strong. And the magic users within our group and company helped keep us and themselves warm with little flames they project and emit from their palms.

As we were all closing in to the port of Kurosato, (the capital of the Yahakanai province, I’ll explain that by later) we saw the unique and different architecture of the land of Yazaki. The building’s style and aesthetic definitely would please any aficionado in architecture. Posts and lintels support a large and gently curved roof, while the walls are paper-thin, often movable and never load-bearing. Arches and barrel roofs are completely absent. Inner space divisions are fluid, and room size can be modified through the use of screens or movable paper walls. The large, single space offered by the main hall can therefore be divided according to the need. Such as some walls can be removed and different rooms joined temporarily to make space for some more guests. But enough of that, for I think it’s best to leave the gushing of architecture to an actual architect.

Kurosato, the capital of the Yahakanai Province, ruled by a feudal lord named Nanba Naokiyo and his sister, Lady Kisano. And it appears Yazaki is divided into three different feudal states: First is Yahakanai, primarily ruled by a human majority, though they are tolerant with non-humans so long as they obey and respect the laws of the land. Then there’s the Shakosato State, ruled also by a human majority. Though the Shakosato State is very pro-human and human supremacist and has viewed non-human races with disdain and even hostility, essentially they are racist against those who are not human. Then there is Kurozaki, unlike Shakosato and Yahakanai who’re mostly ruled by humans. Kurozaki is ruled by demi-humans and beings known as “Yokai” but these beings are also known as “Monstergirls.”

>continue to next page

Because while they are demi-humans, they are an all female race who boast monster-like features but are all attractive female humanoids who give birth to the females of their respective race, but they male offspring they give birth to are human males, for some reason we have yet to fully understand. Lord Nanba, the ruler of Yahakanai, advised that if we are to make envoys to the Kurozaki State. We must be prepared to bring along with us young, un-married men. Either human or elven who’ll serve as suitors for the monstergirls as a sign of peace and goodwill… I know it sounds very strange, disturbing and even barbaric to some degree, then again this is recently discovered lands we still know very little of. So different cultures can just take time to get, accustomed with for a lack of better term…

So far what I was able to gather about the lands of Yazaki:

-The nation consists of three archipelagos, the largest is Yahakanai state and the archipelago out diplomatic team traveled to and resided for the month. Kurozaki which is ruled by the monstergirls is the second largest and the pro-human Shakosato is the smallest archipelago of all the three.

-Technology-wise they are still within the 15th century, practically they just hit the renaissance. The fact that places such as Briastrin and Lastreyla (which so far are rivals with Briastrin and the only other nation in this world that is as technologically advanced and sophisticated as Briastrin but not versed in magic like we elves of Chimax) are two advanced nations with similar advancements. There are still lands out there in this world that have yet to be seen and heard, and also prove that the world we live is far bigger and greater than we all expect. Both in a metaphorical sense and literally.

>continue to next page

>continued

-So far we’ve only managed to make communications and talks with the leadership and nobility of Yahakanai, Lord Nanba Naokiyo and Lady Kisano and their court. The Shakosato state and archipelago might prove tricky considering their pro-human stance and that they are implied to be borderline xenophobic. They tend to have hostilities with inhabitants of Kurozaki but have a neutral stance on the Yahakanai state and sometimes even do some limited form of trading and bartering with each other. If we are to make a diplomatic envoy to the Shakosato state and archipelago, it is to be done with an all human personnel. Just to be safe and sure at least, so we would probably send Briastrinian or Eustranian diplomats and smooth-talkers who know things other humans can impress and please with one another. Because honestly, when it comes to having to choose the right words to “not offend” racist humans, an elf such as me would not be able to excel at such feat. So again, if we are to send a diplomatic envoy to the Yahakanai state and provinces we must do it with an all human company.

-As I mentioned about the Yokai, or “Monstergirl” state and provinces of Kurozaki. I and my team have been insisted to bring single, young, unmarried human men as an offering of good will to the Monstergirl and pro-monstergirl human inhabitants of kurozaki. So that said single and unmarried men being offered would be married of to Monstergirls with no mates yet.

And there are more details that I have listed within the rest of the typewritten documents that I have included in this package. I hope my reports, along with the reports of my colleagues who have accompanied me in this diplomatic journey in Yazaki is insightful and useful for any potential future travels to this land.

>end of introductory briefings that shortly describes the reports of this elven diplomat

Elven Diplomat Sharian Fengolor is just about done writing the introductory papers that he is including in the documents and reports he has about this foreign land of Yakazi. And not he is just writing up the final touches and a final note for his documentary report.

**

The documents and notes in this package is to be viewed by the President of Briastrin; Charlie Raymond, the Vice President of Briastrin; Kelly Slater, Briastrin’s Secretary of National and International Affairs; Anna Barker, Briastrin’s Minister of Defense; Dennis Holloway. And also for the Elven High Council of Chimax, these documents are also reserved for various authorized personnel throughout the government of Briastrin, Chimax and the Cedna Accord’s Chain of Command. These documents concern about the recently discovered lands of Yakazi and possible future operations to be done for improving foreign relations. And under no circumstances are you; the person(s) who’re delivering and holding this package, are to read this without authorization. Any tampering or loss of the documents held within this package will result in punishment including imprisonment under the law of the Briastrinian or Chimax Court of Law.

**

And so Elven Diplomat Sharian Fengolor finished writing the final touch and completing it with his signature and also a government seal.

“Ahh, another cloudy day for Yazaki. With slightly visible sunshine...” Sharian said as looked out from the open sliding door of his balcony and also gathered all the documents and notes he made into one box and sealed it with tape. He got off his chair and walked out to the balcony, with a cool breeze greeting his face.

>to be cont.

anyone want to make a story from this?

...

>mood music: youtube.com/watch?v=_a45EVLh8Ak&list=RDo4H3h2M-tm4&index=9

After gathering his reports and findings of what he can learn of the foreign land of Yazaki in his one month stay, he has compiled them in a package form to be read and reviewed by the Briastrinian Government, the Elven Council and High Council of Chimax and the rest of the Cedna Accord officials. He can spend the last three days of his diplomatic trip with some relaxation by taking in the view and sights of the Bay City of Kurosato, the capital of the Yahakanai state/archipelago. And essentially act like a tourist though some of the Cedna Accord personnel who have joined and accompanied him in this journey have already been like typical tourists.

He smelled the fresh air mixed in with the smell sea salt air of the ocean since the capital city of Kurosato is a bay-like area. He could slightly see many boats that are docked far off in the port area, including the ship he and his crew sailed in. Then looked down at the rest of the city, the sight of the city and all the buildings in it all while up in his temporary guest quarters the hill top palace of Lord Nanba and Lady Kisano. Indeed Diplomat Sharian Fengelor and his fellow Cedna Accord officials and personnel have been granted to stay at the palace of Lord Nanba along with personal quarters for the other human and elven diplomats that accompanied Sharian. While the soldiers who're tasked with escorting and guarding the Cednan Diplomats shared an unused barracks in the lower grounds of the palace.

"I take it you are enjoying your trip so far?" Came the voice of a woman, none other than Lady Kisano herself, the sister and co-ruler of Lord Nanba.

>will cont.

...

I was just too stubborn to stop, really. It didn't matter to me that Cryptozoology wasn't really a scientific field, just that it was what I wanted to do.

The old man laughed at me, said that young folk had just gotten more impetuous as time passed. Not sure if that was a compliment or mockery. He added that if he were that impetuous as a kid, maybe he could have stopped this all from happening. That made curious though - how did such a terrible thing happen? What was it that made a tragedy drag on for so many decades?

Perhaps the worst part of this was how some of the signs leading up to this were always there, but nobody really seemed to care. Perhaps it was the gift of hindsight, but apparently he always recalled something wrong with the girl in the days leading up to that prank. The perpetrators always felt a bit too much like bullies. Nobody else, not even the class representatives, seemed to care much by the situation and even after the incident, they seemed more worried about keeping things orderly than finding out why someone was in the lake at such a time and why nobody stopped her.

I was expressing my sympathies when we came across the lake, overgrown with weeds all around the coast. On the surface danced fireflies, lazily drifting about. It was all eerily quiet, as if time itself had slowed to a crawl.

It took us a few sweeps before we finally came across it, the thing we were looking for. There was a figure on the edge of the water, similar in appearance to a young girl, but emaciated and with pale eyes as big as dishes. Her hair covered her like this sticky cloak of seaweed. We were immediately frozen in fear, we had no idea how to react to this thing that was the cause of all this. Fortunately for us, the strange childlike being just stared right back at us with an unflinching glare.

The old man eventually muttered the dead girl's name. The thing's head jerks right at him. He goes on, hoping that it would somehow recognize him.

...

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bumo

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...

He asked if the strange figure recognized him at all. All the while, I had my camera trained right at her, recording every instant I could. I had no idea what would come. The old man stepped forward and I noticed the strange girl staying where she was. While he slowly waded through the lake, he confessed a lot of things. He apologized for not reaching out to her, for not stopping her death, from being able to live as he had without being haunted by her face. The old guy didn't seem very sad about it, but I could tell that this was eating him up. Eventually, he asked if the ghost could forgive him. He offered to do anything, which made me suspicious. To a hunter like me, this felt like a trap.

We were both shocked when the ghost finally said something.

>I forgive you. Thank you for apologizing.

The fact that she even said a thing was all it took for that old guy who always looked so serious to smile a little. He then began reminiscing about how he'd been since then, all while I was beginning to worry about my camera's battery since we'd been filming for almost an hour now. I only managed to get noticed when I decided to ask them what's supposed to happen now. Was there some reason that girl was bound here? What was the unfinished business she had? Sadly, the ghost was silent. I guess that she must have forgotten after staying here for so long with nobody to talk to.

Eventually though, the old man had finally started feeling the effects of being up all night as he began drifting in and out of consciousness. As I began carrying him out of the lake, I decided to ask the girl a question of my own, if she was still going to haunt this place. All the ghost responded with was a head leaning to the side and a very wide smile. I wasn't sure what to interpret that as and just thanked her.

The next day, I was invited to talk to the old man again. First thing he asked me was what I was going to do with last night's footage.

Truth be told, I was beginning to feel a bit conflicted. After all, this was a bit of a personal affair that I filmed, and even if he gave me permission to use this for my report, I had a hard time explaining why I felt invasive in doing this. Ironic considering how I got here, I know. Opposing that, however, was my pride as a researcher. This was perhaps one of the first times I ever personally came across the supernatural and I wasn't going to let anyone dismiss it. Sure, the old man tried to say something about how it doesn't matter if nobody believed, but...well, I still had my pride as a researcher.

Ultimately, I decided against sharing what had happened to the public. I felt that it was breaching too much into private matters and I had a bad feeling that the resurgent tourism from people eager to see this ghost would just lead to more "mysterious vanishings". The old man who became my confidant thanked me for helping him confront this mistake and extended an offer to come back again.

Now that I'm back home, I think I've got it pieced together. See, I'm assuming that the only reason she appeared before that man during the construction wasn't because she was trying to prevent anything being made. After all, the place was still running for a while before the construction project was halted. Perhaps it's why she showed up to the other members of her class too -- she wanted to reach out to someone, but being a ghost made it terrifying for anyone to stay as far as I know. I think that night might have been the first serious contact she had, and now I'm wondering more about what she'll do now. Hopefully, she'll still be around to visit next time I visit her town.

bump

Ambassador smiled and turned to see Lady Kisano who just entered his quarters as he took a sip of his tea, walked slightly back in to place his now empty warm cup back on the desk of his quarters and walked back out. And Lady Kisano followed Sharian to the balcony.

Sharian spoke. "Why yes m'lady, in my one month stay in this recently discovered nation I can say it has quickly grown on me. Even with the chilly and cloudy weather that is unique for your nation, I have gotten accustomed to it considering I've been to much colder places."

Lady Kisano stepped closer to Sharian. "I'm glad to hear that Lord Sharian, some of your men and women under your control have made. Honest opinions of my land-"

"Lady Kisano, I've told you I'm not really a lord but just an ambassador, despite a certain degree of power and command I have for the guardsmen in duty of escorting me and my colleagues."

"Ah, of course. I forgot your lands and laws work slightly differently than ours." Kisano said with very light chuckle to herself as Ambassador Sharian continued on.

"As for the men who've expressed their 'opinions.' I assume those were some of the guardsmen? I hope they did not offend you m'lady."

"None taken, just different people with different thoughts and cultural values after all." Lady Kisano now stood beside Sharian.

"So what other results will your findings and reports of Yazaki yield for your leaders? If I may inquire asides from learning about our lands, people and culture?" Lady Kisano asked while facing Sharian upwards due to his height.

"Normally I wouldn't disclose such information to anyone..." Sharian paused then faced Lady Kisano and looked down on her. "...But considering you and I have gotten to be close acquaintances. I can brief you with the short details. But please do not mention this to anyone else, and I know when someone lies to me. Especially when I asked if you find a previous set of silk robes provided to me made me look stout." Sharian said with a smirk while tapping the side of his head and also earned a smile from Kisano.

"Heh, yes I know the fact you do indeed have telepathy. In case anyone lies to you. But rest assured I won't disclose this to anyone."

> to be cont, again.

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Dank Heresy: Rogue trader Edition part 2 will be starting soon, for any who care to read

The wyrm came, and the land burned. When it arrived the sky turned black with smoke. Fields were scorched bare of their crops, barns and cottages were torched to the ground. Where livestock had once grazed peacefully, after it had passed by all that was left by its ravening hunger were charred bones. Rivers were choked by ash; streams and springs that had run pure and clear were blackened and spoiled. Everything was polluted by the debris and the death and the decay.

With every shuddering step it took the land blackened and suppurated like a blister. Wingbeats like crashing waves fanned the flames, and its great claws tore and gouged and crushed. A roar like thunder and madness reached down into the hearts of all who heard it, and smothered them in fear as black and dense as the smog that it laid over the land.

It was a wound upon the earth, and the people wailed and tore their hair. They knew it for what it was: the Great Death. Evil itself incarnate.

And the people despaired.

* * *

Mikel walked softly, but even soft footsteps were not silent on the smooth, stone floor of the shrine. The gentle *tap-tap-tap* of his sandals echoed quietly down the silent hallway, seeking out every nook and cranny of the cavernous space, reflecting off pillars and walls until finally getting lost somewhere up in the vaulted ceiling. Mikel's loose fitting robe rustled slightly as he walked; but apart from the sounds he brought with him, the shrine was silent. Peaceful.

There was not a speck of dust to be seen, and the precisely cut grey stones were not blemished by dirt or litter. They looked like they were mopped every day; in fact it was only every other day, for Mikel was only one man and the shrine was large. But it was sufficient. Mikel always did as much as he needed to. No more, and not the slightest bit less.

It was Mikel that changed the candles that burned with soft light in their sconces, wiping away the dripped wax and soot, and melted down the nubs to make new ones. It was Mikel that polished the marble altar, and made sure that the silver offertary plate was always mirror-clean. It was he who carefully dusted the stone statues of the saints; their wings were the hardest, the delicate little lines of their feathers seemed to be magnets for dust. It was Mikel who mopped and wiped and washed, and Mikel who patched the stonework when it needed it, and Mikel who repaired the broken front windows after a storm, and Mikel who changed the sacraments on the tombs, and Mikel who did every other job in the shrine that needed doing.

The shrine was immaculate. Mikel always did as much as he needed to. No less, and no more, for keeping the shrine in good condition was not his calling. It was merely his job, a job he was lucky to have, and he did it happily. It gave him peace. But he couldn't let simple chores get in the way of performing his real task.

Mikel didn't often have occasions to practice his calling, but it seemed like he might soon have the chance. He could hear them, halfway down the mountain still, but making their way up towards him, slowly and laboriously. Not many people made the hike up here; the land contained many shrines, and most of them did not lie halfway up a mountain, cut into the rockface. Whenever someone did, Mikel was there to greet them. Give them refreshment, lead them in their prayers, or simply take their offering. Whatever brought them closer to the God Of All Gods. This was Mikel's calling.

It would call him soon, for no one came this far up the mountain unless they were intending to visit the shrine. There were at least half a dozen of them. Maybe more, Mikel couldn't tell; his hearing was good, but it wasn't that good. But the path was steep, and from the querulous notes he heard among the voices, they didn't seem to be accustomed to the exercise. He still had some time before they arrived.

Mikel entered the main chapel and went to the altar. He knelt, and prayed. By the will of the God Of All Gods, when the pilgrims arrived he would have been granted the strength to give them whatever guidance their spirits required.

* * *

Harolphus Ordonius was bent double, trying to catch his breath. They should have had the sense to buy a donkey back the village; they'd been right to leave the horses behind, for the path was far too narrow and rocky, but they could at least have rented a mule or two. He was too old to go climbing mountains. Too old, and too much of a city man; even getting up the stairs to his bed was a chore at his time of life. But duty was duty, and no one could say that this wasn't a necessary journey.

Saints willing, it wouldn't be for nothing.

And at least they were here now. Harolphus looked back, down the mountain and out over the plain below, and even with his city sensibilities he could appreciate the sheer vast beauty of the scene, endless green fields dotted with villages, framed by the gigantic, snow capped mountains. Except, in the distance, he could see black clouds that he knew weren't clouds. He shuddered, and turned back towards the shrine.

'Right.' he said wheezily. 'Now that we're finally here, let's get on with...'

The door opened before he finished his sentence. Harolphus, and his nine companions, froze. The babble of their conversations stopped abruptly, and for a moment all Harolphus heard was the low, steady murmur of the wind as it swept over the side of the mountain. Then the figure in the doorway stepped out of the shadows into the afternoon sunlight. He wore a simple brown priestly robe, loose fitting, that hung down from his shoulders to his wrists and ankles. But though his dress was plain, there was a nobility to his face. Harolphus saw blond hair that was washed to almost pure white by the sunlight, and the man's features were strong, yet open and kind.

Was this the man they'd come all this way to see? Harolphus wasn't certain, but he supposed they'd soon find out.

The man called out to them cheerfully: 'Hail and well met, pilgrims. Please, enter - the God Of All Gods welcomes you to his shrine. I am the Brother here, and if you need sustenance or guidance you need only ask. May your prayers be fruitful, and may your spirits find peace.' And with that, the man turned and stepped back into the shadows of the shrine. Harolphus looked at his other companions, and shrugged. Together, they headed towards the door of the shrine.

The inside of the shrine was cool, but not cold, and once his eyes had adjusted Harolphus saw that it wasn't as dark as it first seemed. The the windows either side of the door cast beams of soft light into the chapel; the chapel was large, far larger than the exterior indicated, and the light did not reach all the way through the space. Up by the altar, candles burned into their gleaming sconces, and by their flickering flames shadows and glinting reflections played over the smooth stone surfaces and polished brass and silver. Harolphus saw the priest, standing to one side of the altar, head bowed respectfully.

'Well, what do we do now?' someone hissed; Adan, or maybe Luco.

'Maybe we should pray first. We don't want to seem impious.' That was Paulus, sounding nervous as always. Harolphus rolled his eyes, confident that in the dim light of the chapel no one would see.

'How do we do this? Do we just come right out and ask him?'

'Oh for Saints' sake.' grunted Harolphus. 'We came here to do a task. Let's just get on and do it. We don't even know if it's him we want, and we're not going to sort anything out by standing here whispering amongst ourselves.

'Well I don't think we can just...'

'Excuse me, pilgrims.' said the priest from across the chapel. 'If there is anything I can help you with, please, just come and ask. I am here to serve the needs of the faithful' The chapel must have great acoustics, Harolphus thought, for the priest to have heard their bickering from all the way over there.

Oh well, nothing else for it.

'Well, that's the thing of it. We're not really pilgrims, as such.' Harolphus began, before suddenly realising he'd just made himself the group's spokesperson by opening his big mouth before thinking, just like he always did. He ploughed on anyway. 'I mean, we didn't come to the shrine to pray. We're still faithful, don't get me wrong, and we'll leave an offering.' Harolphus was starting to sweat. 'But we have a task, you see. We came to find you. Maybe. Are you Mikel? Mikel of Kydon?'

'I am.' said the priest, inclining his head slightly. Harolphus couldn't read his expression, that blank, vaguely benign and incredibly penetrating look.

Before Harolphus could stop him, Paulus blurted out: 'The same Mikal of Kydon who fought at Sardika and Massalia?'

The priest paused before he answered. 'I was, once. Gentlemen, I do not know what it is you seek from me, but from the questions you ask I am afraid you will likely be disappointed. I am the Brother of this shrine now, and nothing else. If you wish to pay homage to the God Of All Gods then I will be more than pleased to assist you, but offering spiritual guidance is all I can do for you.' His voice was polite, but firm.

A murmuring started to spread among the group of visitors, but Harolphus waved his companions to be silent. 'Perhaps we should have introduced ourselves first.' he said, addressing the priest. 'We seem to have gotten off on the wrong foot here. My name is Harolphus Ordonius, and I am a citizen of Nikoria. Do you know it?'

'A fine city, renowned for its temples. About two weeks hard ride from here.' replied the priest. 'It has been many years since I last visited it, but I am always pleased to welcome its citizens.'

'Right. Well, with the wyrm approaching the city...'

'I'm sorry, the wyrm?' Mikel's brow furrowed.

This brought Harolphus up short. He hadn't even considered that he might have to explain their plight to the object of their quest. He'd just taken it for granted that divine providence would keep its servants up to date on current events. Oh well, apparently not.

'Yes, the wyrm. The Great Death. A great winged lizard that breathes fire. It has set upon the land and caused great devastation.' Harolphus said, trying to add as much gravitas to his voice as possible. He was completely certain that he didn't have the rhetorical skills to do it justice, but he gave it his best. 'The land is turned to ash where it passes. Everything it cannot eat, it burns, and everything that will not burn it crushes and tears down.'

'You must have seen it.' Luco spoke up. 'You must have seen the smoke on the horizon.'

'I had noticed black clouds on the far horizon.' Mikel began, then he hesitated. He looked away. 'I thought them to be simple storms.' There was something about the way he said it; Harolphus heard in the undertone the word 'hoped'.

'Oh, it's one hell of a storm all right.' spat Harolphus. 'Pardon my words, I shouldn't have spoken so in a shrine. But there's nothing simple about this. We've thrown everything we've got at the beast. Many brave men have tried to slay it, but none have come back. And the wyrm ever advances. We need help, and we need it soon. That's why we came here.'

'You want me to fight this Child of the Betrayer.' Mikel said flatly.

'The wyrm? Right. Yes. To be honest, I thought the last of your kind were long dead, but if you are... well, a Saint, then you might be the only hope we have.' It felt strange saying the word out loud. Saint. Harolphus still couldn't quite reconcile the image he had in his mind with this quiet, unassuming priest. But there was something... something about his manner that made Harolphus suspect that this might just be the man they were looking for. 'Rumour got around that you were out here, and a deputation of Nikoria's leading citizens was put together to come and request your aid.' Fine idea that was, thought Harolphus, sending a bunch of fat old men out on what was probably a wild goose chase. Better to send young men - young men on fast horses. But it had been decided a plea for help would have more weight coming the city's weightiest sons. And Harolphus was never one to fail to answer the call of his beloved Nikoria; although he reserved the right to grumble about it ad infinitum.

'Gentlemen, I am truly sorry, but my days of battle are long behind me.' the priest said, although Harolphus thought he detected a note of uncertainty there, breaking the priest's calm like a pebble being dropped into a still pond. 'My calling is here now.'

'But you can't just...' Paulus began, but Harolphus shushed him into silence.

'Please, at least consider our request. And in the meantime, since we're here we might as well pay our respects at the shrine.'

The priest looked at Harolphus. Harolphus almost felt like he was looking straight through him. Then the priest nodded.

* * *

They had probably been kneeling at the altar for twenty minutes. To Harolphus' knees it felt like several hours, but he was determined not to seem impious in front of the priest. Not while there was still the slightest chance he might help them, at least. So he knelt there and prayed in silence. The others were sitting back in the pews, or leaving an offering at the shrine itself. There was plenty of space up by the altar, but Harolphus was the only one who'd had the guts to take a place at the rail next to the priest. Funny, that. He certainly wasn't the most pious one of the party. Maybe that was the problem - maybe the others wouldn't approach because they only saw a Saint. Harolphus saw a man. Not a man like him, perhaps, but a man nonetheless.

A man who was having doubts.

'What do you pray for?' Mikel asked him, out of nowhere.

Harolphus was taken aback, and it took him a second to answer: 'To be saved from the wyrm, of course.'

'No, I mean, what do you pray for normally. What did you pray for before the wyrm.'

Harolphus shrugged: 'The usual. Good health, for me and my family. Prosperity, for myself and my city. I prayed for my wife to stop nagging me about my wine. I prayed for my children to stop nagging me about their allowances. I prayed for the poor, when I remembered to.' he added, a little guiltily. 'I'm sorry, I probably shouldn't be the one talking to you about this. I'm not a great example of why Nikoria deserves to be saved. I'm a man who likes his comforts, and not much more.'

'And yet you came all the way out here. The journey couldn't have been easy.'

'Well, you know. Duty calls and all that. When there's a wyrm bearing down on your home, what else can you do?'

'Send someone else. Pack your backs get your family on the first ship out of Nikoria, and only come back if the city is saved.'

'There's nowhere near enough ships to save everyone in Nikoria.'

'I didn't say you could save everyone. You could have saved yourself, and your family. I think you may be a better man than you think, Harolphus Ordonius. Do you know what I pray for?'

Harolphus hesitated for a moment, fearing this might be a trick question. After a few seconds, he answered simply: 'No.'

'I pray for peace. I pray that I never have to pick up a sword again. And in my faith, my prayers were answered. I was called here, to tend this shrine. And here, in the presence of the God Of All Gods, I have found peace.'

'I guess I can't argue with a divine calling.' said Harolphus despondently. 'But if the God Of All Gods has any plans to grant my prayers then he'd better act soon. If you're not going to help us then it won't be long before there isn't much left to save.'

'Don't lose faith, for He works in many ways.' Mikel looked up at the statues of the Saints behind the altar. Harolphus felt slightly uncomfortable; the intensity of Mikel's faith was something he wasn't used to. Then Mikel looked back to him and said, more casually: 'By the way, who brought the news that I was here to Nikoria?'

Harolphus shrugged. 'I don't know. How does any rumour start? One day, everyone knew that all the Saints were long gone; all looking down on us from heaven, now, rather than walking among us. The next, everyone was talking about that old shrine up in the mountains, and how someone should really go up there and ask the Saint there for help. Why do you ask?'

'Oh, no reason really. It's just that I am certain that absolutely no one knew I was here.' His eyes flickered upwards. 'Save one, of course.'

* * *