*I'm doing okay. People around me are upset though, for a multitude of reasons.*
It notices a sound. A staccato rumble in the air. It sounds like the clacking of bones, a common sound in Ghoul Country, but multiplied a thousandfold. Then it notices a light in the distance. No, many lights. Hundreds of skulls, each with a Continual Flame within. A skeleton army. Then a small voice calls out, amplified by magic.
"Make way! His Lordship arrives swiftly! Remain indoors and do not be alarmed! If you have done no harm, none shall come to you! Do not be afraid!" A small, hooded creature drives a carriage in front of the throngs of undead, pulled by spectral steeds. There is no flash of armor or weapons. No clanking of steel. All that can be heard is bones.
*I'm sorry about that- at the very least, it's good that you're doing alright.*
The star-eater looks at the oncoming army, watching all the hundreds of magical flames with hunger before it dismisses the thought and proceeds slightly forward towards the marching horde. It's more curious than anything, watching the carriage and its gargantuan following to see if it can deduce more.
The entire army suddenly stops in unison, as if on cue. They weren't marching in perfect lines before, but they all stopped at just the right time, and without the rattle and clatter of bones, the silence is suddenly deafening. The carriage keeps moving a little bit longer than the rest of the crowd, taking the time to slow down before the draft spirits fade away. The driver hops down and uses a mage hand to open the door, letting out a towering being with glowing purple eyes and beautiful, black-and-silver armor. The diminutive servant speaks once more, though without amplification. "Hail! His Lordship wishes to converse with thee, O God-Swallowing Vine!"
The god-swallowing vine in question nods in response, seeing that it's likely best it remain formal for this meeting, and its thorn-laden roots carry it over to about five feet away from the armored lord. It bows its flower heads when it stops. "Greetings. Who do I have the honor of meeting tonight?"
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Former Spider Queen of the Spider Guild, and friendly neighborhood scheming creature.
"Made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders."
My pronouns are she/her.
Web Weaver of Everlasting Narrative! (title bestowed by Drummer)
Helianth is continuing its journey to the necropolis, quickly following the flickering embers on its way to meet with the Harvest Prince. The god-eater has dimmed its own flames somewhat to better hide under the cloak of night.
Adeline is on the outskirts of the Silken Sanctuary, continuing to knit her strange silken project into shape in an almost trance-like state. It's still not even a quarter of the way finished, but judging by the length of the piece she has completed, whatever it is she's making is as big as herself.
*Hello, my dearest Yvonne! I’m doing pretty well. Found a pdf of crooked moon and, uh, I’m obsessed.*
Helianth soon finds their way to a miles-wide field of graves, tombs, and the occasional mausoleum, with a dark river running through it. The entire area is half-buried in snow, but the embers illuminate a set of hoofprints making its way to the center of the necropolis, which seemed to have melted the surrounding snow. From afar, they see the shadow of Julius, perched atop a tombstone, ashen brambles snaking their way around the area, creating a heated spot in the cold winter. All they can see of him is his candlelit eyes, but that’s enough to confirm it’s Julius.
Mother Moth sits down next to her, being careful not to make a sound, just watching her work. Her wings are wrapped close to her body to conserve warmth.
*That's great- I haven't seen much of the crooked moon setting, but I'm already hooked as well!*
The once-godly ghoul looks up at the candlelit eyes, bowing its heads slightly. "Greetings, Julius. Were it not for the circumstances of our meeting, I would have brought some tea for us, but time is of the essence." It starts, hoping to seem more amicable despite being a major reason the Autumn Country is in this mess to begin with. "Would I be correct to assume the 'thing' your letter mentions is the Ravenous Flame?"
She doesn't notice her sitting down nearby, so thoroughly engrossed in her work. She doesn't even hum as she knits like she normally does. This lattice of silk, and the shape it's oh so slowly forming, reminds the moth matriarch of something. Something she's seen her children weave countless times before. It's too early to tell for certain, but it almost looks like the makings of...
...of a cocoon.
*Crooked Moon is just… one of the most interesting settings I’ve ever read about. Its own demiplane between life and death, between dusk and the Witching Hour, where the pale, crooked light of a crooked moon shines upon a crooked house, where there lives a crooked man. Most of the people who live in the plane, Druskenvald, are people who reincarnated after dying, into one of thirteen unique races, or, just as common, their original race. Like 15 new subclasses, 85 monsters, I just love all of it.*
he nods. “It-… tried to kill me. We need to get rid of it as soon as possible, or it will consume-… all of Autumn Country.”
she stifles a gasp, catching the very sound of it with spectral silk, and silencing it. She looks into Adeline’s eyes, unsure if she should interrupt the process or not-… her Antennae flicker, and Adeline hears something speak to her directly within her mind. Adeline. Adeline… are you alright? Mother Moth asks telepathically.
*Oh wow, that sounds like a lot of fun! I'm happy you find it amazing, and I'll probably look into finding the setting myself!*
"Hmmm... we might not have time for our plan of trapping it on an isle, then..." It thinks to itself for a few seconds, before its flames brighten just the faintest bit. "I have an idea. I don't imagine you'll like it much, but given how little time we have, it may be our best shot." A brief pause as it organizes its thoughts. "The Ravenous Flame, from what I've observed of its behavior, doesn't simply destroy or consume- it incorporates what it devours into its being. That intellect it has, since I've been separated from it by Amina, is taken from the Frenzied Flame's own cunning. Therefore, if I were to let it consume me... there's a good chance I could take control of it."
Adeline's eyes focus somewhat upon hearing her telepathic question, her knitting paused for a moment- it's almost like she just woke up from sleepwalking. "I- I think so, why?..." She looks down at the partial cocoon and the needle and silk in her hands. "...Ah, that's why. It happened again, didn't it?"
He considers this, his candlelit eyes flickering. “And if you can’t?”
she nods. “This…. Has happened before?”
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
This is TheFriendlyArchfey’s Alternate Account! “Your Dream Girl’s Dream Girl, Your Favorite Artist’s Favorite Artist.”
_-She Don’t wanna be anybody else, she’s a woman in total control of herself-_
_-certified Villainous Kitty Queen-_ _-somewhere in the gray area between an eldritch horror and a Disney Villain-_ _-Duchess of Dark Fey Vibes-_
“I believe the greatest act of rebellion in this world is staying soft.”
*Oh wow, that sounds like a lot of fun! I'm happy you find it amazing, and I'll probably look into finding the setting myself!*
"Hmmm... we might not have time for our plan of trapping it on an isle, then..." It thinks to itself for a few seconds, before its flames brighten just the faintest bit. "I have an idea. I don't imagine you'll like it much, but given how little time we have, it may be our best shot." A brief pause as it organizes its thoughts. "The Ravenous Flame, from what I've observed of its behavior, doesn't simply destroy or consume- it incorporates what it devours into its being. That intellect it has, since I've been separated from it by Amina, is taken from the Frenzied Flame's own cunning. Therefore, if I were to let it consume me... there's a good chance I could take control of it."
Adeline's eyes focus somewhat upon hearing her telepathic question, her knitting paused for a moment- it's almost like she just woke up from sleepwalking. "I- I think so, why?..." She looks down at the partial cocoon and the needle and silk in her hands. "...Ah, that's why. It happened again, didn't it?"
He considers this, his candlelit eyes flickering. “And if you can’t?”
she nods. “This…. Has happened before?”
It is silent for a while. "...I have an escape hatch in mind for if that's the case. I'd never go into a plan without preparing for if it goes wrong."
"...A few times, yes. When I try to sleep... I just wake up and start knitting, but I don't really wake up." She seems more confused than anything, slowly continuing her knitting as she thinks, though she doesn't re-enter that trance. "It's... I don't know. It scares me... and yet... I... I almost feel like I need to do this... but I don't know why..."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Former Spider Queen of the Spider Guild, and friendly neighborhood scheming creature.
"Made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders."
My pronouns are she/her.
Web Weaver of Everlasting Narrative! (title bestowed by Drummer)
*Howdy! I agree- it's awesome to see people breathe life into this setting once more. I truly do think the Autumn Country is one of the most fun and engaging rp threads I've ever had the honor of partaking in.*
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Former Spider Queen of the Spider Guild, and friendly neighborhood scheming creature.
"Made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders."
My pronouns are she/her.
Web Weaver of Everlasting Narrative! (title bestowed by Drummer)
*Howdy! I agree- it's awesome to see people breathe life into this setting once more. I truly do think the Autumn Country is one of the most fun and engaging rp threads I've ever had the honor of partaking in.*
*That means a lot coming from you! I would really like to carry out some of the old plot stuff but I'd have to make sure I can be on regularly for that. I'm not sure if I can do that yet.*
*Do you know what has happened over the last few pages or has it mostly been casual role-play?*
*Howdy! I agree- it's awesome to see people breathe life into this setting once more. I truly do think the Autumn Country is one of the most fun and engaging rp threads I've ever had the honor of partaking in.*
*That means a lot coming from you! I would really like to carry out some of the old plot stuff but I'd have to make sure I can be on regularly for that. I'm not sure if I can do that yet.*
*Do you know what has happened over the last few pages or has it mostly been casual role-play?*
*There's been a handful of things happening over the last few days of pages- I'll do my best to summarize here, but y'all can feel free to tell me if I've missed anything!*
*Helianth escaped the Library with the notes about the Flame of Fawkes, but not without sustaining grievous injury- it's meeting with Julius about how to best stop the Ravenous Flame. The Ravenous Flame in question has been busy reducing towns to cinders, and in a fit of impatient rage it attempted to kill the Harvest Prince, but couldn't get into the secret pumpkin patch. Baal introduced a new character- Goto, a gingerbread witch with lungs full of soda and an uncanny sense of prediction- as well as the recent arrival of a skeletal lord and their army. Adeline's been grappling with the fact that she's losing her humanity, becoming more and more fey as time goes on, and she's not taking it too well. Mother Moth now knows about Adeline's condition and is understandably concerned. Both Mother Moth and Adeline have interacted with Goto, as Mother Moth saved Goto from the cold when their soda-filled lungs started freezing, and he met Adeline at the Sanctuary.*
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Former Spider Queen of the Spider Guild, and friendly neighborhood scheming creature.
"Made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders."
My pronouns are she/her.
Web Weaver of Everlasting Narrative! (title bestowed by Drummer)
The entire army suddenly stops in unison, as if on cue. They weren't marching in perfect lines before, but they all stopped at just the right time, and without the rattle and clatter of bones, the silence is suddenly deafening. The carriage keeps moving a little bit longer than the rest of the crowd, taking the time to slow down before the draft spirits fade away. The driver hops down and uses a mage hand to open the door, letting out a towering being with glowing purple eyes and beautiful, black-and-silver armor. The diminutive servant speaks once more, though without amplification. "Hail! His Lordship wishes to converse with thee, O God-Swallowing Vine!"
The god-swallowing vine in question nods in response, seeing that it's likely best it remain formal for this meeting, and its thorn-laden roots carry it over to about five feet away from the armored lord. It bows its flower heads when it stops. "Greetings. Who do I have the honor of meeting tonight?"
"Lord Braafheid." Replies the small creature. Much like Felix and Atticus, this is a Strugel, although clearly not as powerful as the other two were, given that they're working as a servant. Their markings are green, which is not a color that Honkachu culture ascribes any meaning to. "He wishes to greet you and the Autumn Court, as well as provide some much-needed relief in these times. His Lordship is known as He Who Draws Blood From Stone in his country. He has brought a good many undead servants to act as hunters, farmers, builders, and soldiers. Would you like to take some, as an act of goodwill from His Lordship?"
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
May each word that I speak be backed by each of my teeth.
*Howdy! I agree- it's awesome to see people breathe life into this setting once more. I truly do think the Autumn Country is one of the most fun and engaging rp threads I've ever had the honor of partaking in.*
*That means a lot coming from you! I would really like to carry out some of the old plot stuff but I'd have to make sure I can be on regularly for that. I'm not sure if I can do that yet.*
*Do you know what has happened over the last few pages or has it mostly been casual role-play?*
*There's been a handful of things happening over the last few days of pages- I'll do my best to summarize here, but y'all can feel free to tell me if I've missed anything!*
*Helianth escaped the Library with the notes about the Flame of Fawkes, but not without sustaining grievous injury- it's meeting with Julius about how to best stop the Ravenous Flame. The Ravenous Flame in question has been busy reducing towns to cinders, and in a fit of impatient rage it attempted to kill the Harvest Prince, but couldn't get into the secret pumpkin patch. Baal introduced a new character- Goto, a gingerbread witch with lungs full of soda and an uncanny sense of prediction- as well as the recent arrival of a skeletal lord and their army. Adeline's been grappling with the fact that she's losing her humanity, becoming more and more fey as time goes on, and she's not taking it too well. Mother Moth now knows about Adeline's condition and is understandably concerned. Both Mother Moth and Adeline have interacted with Goto, as Mother Moth saved Goto from the cold when their soda-filled lungs started freezing, and he met Adeline at the Sanctuary.*
*Dang, that all sounds so cool! I love the sound of Goto.*
The entire army suddenly stops in unison, as if on cue. They weren't marching in perfect lines before, but they all stopped at just the right time, and without the rattle and clatter of bones, the silence is suddenly deafening. The carriage keeps moving a little bit longer than the rest of the crowd, taking the time to slow down before the draft spirits fade away. The driver hops down and uses a mage hand to open the door, letting out a towering being with glowing purple eyes and beautiful, black-and-silver armor. The diminutive servant speaks once more, though without amplification. "Hail! His Lordship wishes to converse with thee, O God-Swallowing Vine!"
The god-swallowing vine in question nods in response, seeing that it's likely best it remain formal for this meeting, and its thorn-laden roots carry it over to about five feet away from the armored lord. It bows its flower heads when it stops. "Greetings. Who do I have the honor of meeting tonight?"
"Lord Braafheid." Replies the small creature. Much like Felix and Atticus, this is a Strugel, although clearly not as powerful as the other two were, given that they're working as a servant. Their markings are green, which is not a color that Honkachu culture ascribes any meaning to. "He wishes to greet you and the Autumn Court, as well as provide some much-needed relief in these times. His Lordship is known as He Who Draws Blood From Stone in his country. He has brought a good many undead servants to act as hunters, farmers, builders, and soldiers. Would you like to take some, as an act of goodwill from His Lordship?"
It considers his offer for a while, before it gets another one of its terrible, awful, wonderful ideas. If it had the biology to, it would be smirking to itself. "I would greatly appreciate that, yes. Many thanks, Lord Braffheid." It looks over the skeletal horde behind the carriage for a moment, thinking. "If I can, I would like to take thirty-six among those whose undead souls are the strongest, please."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Former Spider Queen of the Spider Guild, and friendly neighborhood scheming creature.
"Made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders."
My pronouns are she/her.
Web Weaver of Everlasting Narrative! (title bestowed by Drummer)
"Lord Braafheid." Replies the small creature. Much like Felix and Atticus, this is a Strugel, although clearly not as powerful as the other two were, given that they're working as a servant. Their markings are green, which is not a color that Honkachu culture ascribes any meaning to. "He wishes to greet you and the Autumn Court, as well as provide some much-needed relief in these times. His Lordship is known as He Who Draws Blood From Stone in his country. He has brought a good many undead servants to act as hunters, farmers, builders, and soldiers. Would you like to take some, as an act of goodwill from His Lordship?"
It considers his offer for a while, before it gets another one of its terrible, awful, wonderful ideas. If it had the biology to, it would be smirking to itself. "I would greatly appreciate that, yes. Many thanks, Lord Braffheid." It looks over the skeletal horde behind the carriage for a moment, thinking. "If I can, I would like to take thirty-six among those whose undead souls are the strongest, please."
"What are you planning?" The minion asks, but is silenced by Braffheid's raised hand. Exactly thirty-six skeletons, no, tangles of humanoid and animal bones, loping with feral power in their strides. One might think they had the muscles of tigers judging by their movements alone, but their frames ached with the kind of coldness and intellect that only humans could have, at a level so low that only an animal could have, the kind of intellect that commanded flesh to crawl and pimple, that causes stomachs to turn and bowels to void themselves. The rest of the skeletons seem tame, gentle in comparison. These things, these beasts are evil. Curated malice and cruelty, surely scraped from the dregs of execution chambers and the graves of politicians. The kind of evil that insists upon itself, the kind of evil that powers genocides and ethnic cleansings. Purposeless, boundless, and insatiable hatred, chained into these charnel materials by black magic.
"...It seems, as always, that His Lordship is a step ahead of me."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
May each word that I speak be backed by each of my teeth.
"Lord Braafheid." Replies the small creature. Much like Felix and Atticus, this is a Strugel, although clearly not as powerful as the other two were, given that they're working as a servant. Their markings are green, which is not a color that Honkachu culture ascribes any meaning to. "He wishes to greet you and the Autumn Court, as well as provide some much-needed relief in these times. His Lordship is known as He Who Draws Blood From Stone in his country. He has brought a good many undead servants to act as hunters, farmers, builders, and soldiers. Would you like to take some, as an act of goodwill from His Lordship?"
It considers his offer for a while, before it gets another one of its terrible, awful, wonderful ideas. If it had the biology to, it would be smirking to itself. "I would greatly appreciate that, yes. Many thanks, Lord Braffheid." It looks over the skeletal horde behind the carriage for a moment, thinking. "If I can, I would like to take thirty-six among those whose undead souls are the strongest, please."
"What are you planning?" The minion asks, but is silenced by Braffheid's raised hand. Exactly thirty-six skeletons, no, tangles of humanoid and animal bones, loping with feral power in their strides. One might think they had the muscles of tigers judging by their movements alone, but their frames ached with the kind of coldness and intellect that only humans could have, at a level so low that only an animal could have, the kind of intellect that commanded flesh to crawl and pimple, that causes stomachs to turn and bowels to void themselves. The rest of the skeletons seem tame, gentle in comparison. These things, these beasts are evil. Curated malice and cruelty, surely scraped from the dregs of execution chambers and the graves of politicians. The kind of evil that insists upon itself, the kind of evil that powers genocides and ethnic cleansings. Purposeless, boundless, and insatiable hatred, chained into these charnel materials by black magic.
"...It seems, as always, that His Lordship is a step ahead of me."
Helianth looks over these horrible undead beasts with a sense of contentment- these will work wonderfully for what it has in store. "These are wonderful. Again, many thanks. I shall not squander this blessing- you have my word." It bows slightly again to He Who Draws Blood From Stone, before turning one of its flower heads to address its newly-acquired horde as one of its crooked hands points to an old tombstone nearby. "Head through the ghoul gate here, and travel down the old cobblestone path until you find the second gate by the half-broken archway. Through that gate you will find my ship- wait there until I return. Do not kill any before I arrive- you will get your feast soon enough."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Former Spider Queen of the Spider Guild, and friendly neighborhood scheming creature.
"Made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders."
My pronouns are she/her.
Web Weaver of Everlasting Narrative! (title bestowed by Drummer)
*I just had a random idea not really related to this but I wanted to write it down before I forgot and see if y'all had any ideas.*
*I'm currently DMing a campaign in the Hades Hollers, for any who don't know it's a Huckleberry Finn style riverboat adventure on the River Styx in an Appalachian and intensely Southern version of Hades. So Greek mythology mixed with rural American folklore. I've been trying to figure out how to fit the Greek gods into the world since that's a pretty big part of the Greek mythos. But I didn't want glowing skinned, shiny, fancy, gods in the clouds. I wanted something down to earth to the point where they got dirt under their finger nails, broken bones, but still over proportionate power over reality.*
*What if the gods, Zeus, Here, Poseidon, Aphrodite, Ares, etc., had immense power but were still mortal. You point a gun in their face and they will start to shake in their boots. They don't tell people who they are because they realize anyone who kills them can hold their power. Zeus draws zig zags in the dirt and a lightning bolt streaks through the sky for each one, but he doesn't exactly control where they hit. Ares is drunk soldier who can rile a lynching mob to satisfy his blood lust with his mere muttering but he's careful never to stand on his own. Athena can turn you into possum or mockingbird with a touch, but she keeps her head low when there is a huntsman around asking about any missing persons. Poseidon is a good boatsmen and the waters are always in his favor, heck, he could sail up river if he wanted, but he is always careful to keep a crew who won't mutiny.*
*The gods remember their former splendor and glory and that could be their undoing. They are old now and not up to their old shenanigans. Heck, Hades, the one about death and all, died two summers ago. You can go visit his grave. No one's sure who has taken his magic.*
*The party could go and kill all the gods and become the new pantheon, but I would make that extremely unethical. Apollo is a dad. He's settled down and has a wife and kids now. Aphrodite has settled down and is the sole supporter of twelve grandchildren. One of them is two years old. You gonna kill a toddler's Memaw? But there are people who would in a heartbeat. You also have to factor in the realization that the gods powers may have given them a few thousand years of glory, but it also what has caused them to become the decrepit wretches most are now. Now the party has to decide whether to kill these monsters and inherit their curse, save them despite many of them being despicable people, or allow them to receive their just desserts and risk their powers falling in the wrong hands.*
*This would become plot changing though. Maybe once they finish this arc with the Mothman and UFOs.*
"What are you planning?" The minion asks, but is silenced by Braffheid's raised hand. Exactly thirty-six skeletons, no, tangles of humanoid and animal bones, loping with feral power in their strides. One might think they had the muscles of tigers judging by their movements alone, but their frames ached with the kind of coldness and intellect that only humans could have, at a level so low that only an animal could have, the kind of intellect that commanded flesh to crawl and pimple, that causes stomachs to turn and bowels to void themselves. The rest of the skeletons seem tame, gentle in comparison. These things, these beasts are evil. Curated malice and cruelty, surely scraped from the dregs of execution chambers and the graves of politicians. The kind of evil that insists upon itself, the kind of evil that powers genocides and ethnic cleansings. Purposeless, boundless, and insatiable hatred, chained into these charnel materials by black magic.
"...It seems, as always, that His Lordship is a step ahead of me."
Helianth looks over these horrible undead beasts with a sense of contentment- these will work wonderfully for what it has in store. "These are wonderful. Again, many thanks. I shall not squander this blessing- you have my word." It bows slightly again to He Who Draws Blood From Stone, before turning one of its flower heads to address its newly-acquired horde as one of its crooked hands points to an old tombstone nearby. "Head through the ghoul gate here, and travel down the old cobblestone path until you find the second gate by the half-broken archway. Through that gate you will find my ship- wait there until I return. Do not kill any before I arrive- you will get your feast soon enough."
The vile things follow the orders with the excitement and loyalty of large, highly-trained dogs. His Lordship and his manservant watch the departing entities. The strugel seems unsure, but the death knight(?) shows no such worry. "Your Grace," begins the servant, nervously addressing Helianth, "have you any requests... or-or questions? If you are to attack Ghoul Country, some knowledge from a grand necromancer such as His Lordship would surely be of value to you." They fidget with their paws, clearly unsettled by the bonebeasts, their master's unspoken foreknowledge, and Helianth's willingness to use them,.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
May each word that I speak be backed by each of my teeth.
*I just had a random idea not really related to this but I wanted to write it down before I forgot and see if y'all had any ideas.*
*I'm currently DMing a campaign in the Hades Hollers, for any who don't know it's a Huckleberry Finn style riverboat adventure on the River Styx in an Appalachian and intensely Southern version of Hades. So Greek mythology mixed with rural American folklore. I've been trying to figure out how to fit the Greek gods into the world since that's a pretty big part of the Greek mythos. But I didn't want glowing skinned, shiny, fancy, gods in the clouds. I wanted something down to earth to the point where they got dirt under their finger nails, broken bones, but still over proportionate power over reality.*
*What if the gods, Zeus, Here, Poseidon, Aphrodite, Ares, etc., had immense power but were still mortal. You point a gun in their face and they will start to shake in their boots. They don't tell people who they are because they realize anyone who kills them can hold their power. Zeus draws zig zags in the dirt and a lightning bolt streaks through the sky for each one, but he doesn't exactly control where they hit. Ares is drunk soldier who can rile a lynching mob to satisfy his blood lust with his mere muttering but he's careful never to stand on his own. Athena can turn you into possum or mockingbird with a touch, but she keeps her head low when there is a huntsman around asking about any missing persons. Poseidon is a good boatsmen and the waters are always in his favor, heck, he could sail up river if he wanted, but he is always careful to keep a crew who won't mutiny.*
*The gods remember their former splendor and glory and that could be their undoing. They are old now and not up to their old shenanigans. Heck, Hades, the one about death and all, died two summers ago. You can go visit his grave. No one's sure who has taken his magic.*
*The party could go and kill all the gods and become the new pantheon, but I would make that extremely unethical. Apollo is a dad. He's settled down and has a wife and kids now. Aphrodite has settled down and is the sole supporter of twelve grandchildren. One of them is two years old. You gonna kill a toddler's Memaw? But there are people who would in a heartbeat. You also have to factor in the realization that the gods powers may have given them a few thousand years of glory, but it also what has caused them to become the decrepit wretches most are now. Now the party has to decide whether to kill these monsters and inherit their curse, save them despite many of them being despicable people, or allow them to receive their just desserts and risk their powers falling in the wrong hands.*
*This would become plot changing though. Maybe once they finish this arc with the Mothman and UFOs.*
*Hmmm...*
*I was originally thinking "I don't really have much input on this" and then I remembered how much I love the Hades Hollers and what the setting was actually like.*
*Yes, that sounds epic. Send them your hillbilly Greek deities. Engage in the punishment of the gods and those who would punish them.*
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
May each word that I speak be backed by each of my teeth.
*I'm also trying to figure out how to write a story with each chapter devoted to a different tense and person. So I'd have to figure out how to do second person past tense "You did that" and first person future "I will." While also setting up work meetings, teaching children how to swim, asking a girl out, and planning a move to another country.*
*I was originally thinking "I don't really have much input on this" and then I remembered how much I love the Hades Hollers and what the setting was actually like.*
*Yes, that sounds epic. Send them your hillbilly Greek deities. Engage in the punishment of the gods and those who would punish them.*
*Plenty of punishments to go around and everyone's deserving of them. It would also mean there are more opportunities for political deals and bargaining which I've really enjoyed.*
*Oh wow, that sounds like a lot of fun! I'm happy you find it amazing, and I'll probably look into finding the setting myself!*
"Hmmm... we might not have time for our plan of trapping it on an isle, then..." It thinks to itself for a few seconds, before its flames brighten just the faintest bit. "I have an idea. I don't imagine you'll like it much, but given how little time we have, it may be our best shot." A brief pause as it organizes its thoughts. "The Ravenous Flame, from what I've observed of its behavior, doesn't simply destroy or consume- it incorporates what it devours into its being. That intellect it has, since I've been separated from it by Amina, is taken from the Frenzied Flame's own cunning. Therefore, if I were to let it consume me... there's a good chance I could take control of it."
Adeline's eyes focus somewhat upon hearing her telepathic question, her knitting paused for a moment- it's almost like she just woke up from sleepwalking. "I- I think so, why?..." She looks down at the partial cocoon and the needle and silk in her hands. "...Ah, that's why. It happened again, didn't it?"
He considers this, his candlelit eyes flickering. “And if you can’t?”
she nods. “This…. Has happened before?”
It is silent for a while. "...I have an escape hatch in mind for if that's the case. I'd never go into a plan without preparing for if it goes wrong."
"...A few times, yes. When I try to sleep... I just wake up and start knitting, but I don't really wake up." She seems more confused than anything, slowly continuing her knitting as she thinks, though she doesn't re-enter that trance. "It's... I don't know. It scares me... and yet... I... I almost feel like I need to do this... but I don't know why..."
“Oh? And what’s that escape?”
”well-… chances are, I could… figure out a way to stop this. If you-… if you wanted it to stop.”
*random question, did we ever decide if Adeline was her original name, or if Mother Moth had taken it when she had adopted her? Either could work, and if it isn’t her original name, it could lead to something really cool, where Mother Moth could reverse the transformation by giving Adeline’s name, her humanity, back.*
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
This is TheFriendlyArchfey’s Alternate Account! “Your Dream Girl’s Dream Girl, Your Favorite Artist’s Favorite Artist.”
_-She Don’t wanna be anybody else, she’s a woman in total control of herself-_
_-certified Villainous Kitty Queen-_ _-somewhere in the gray area between an eldritch horror and a Disney Villain-_ _-Duchess of Dark Fey Vibes-_
“I believe the greatest act of rebellion in this world is staying soft.”
*stealing the magic of Hades? That sounds like something Baron Kremni might do.*
*That does, doesn't it? You may have just found the answer for the mystery. It would explain a lot about where he gets his powers because right now it's been kind of nebulous.*
The god-swallowing vine in question nods in response, seeing that it's likely best it remain formal for this meeting, and its thorn-laden roots carry it over to about five feet away from the armored lord. It bows its flower heads when it stops. "Greetings. Who do I have the honor of meeting tonight?"
Former Spider Queen of the Spider Guild, and friendly neighborhood scheming creature.
"Made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders."
My pronouns are she/her.
Web Weaver of Everlasting Narrative! (title bestowed by Drummer)
He considers this, his candlelit eyes flickering. “And if you can’t?”
she nods. “This…. Has happened before?”
This is TheFriendlyArchfey’s Alternate Account! “Your Dream Girl’s Dream Girl, Your Favorite Artist’s Favorite Artist.”
_-She Don’t wanna be anybody else, she’s a woman in total control of herself-_
_-certified Villainous Kitty Queen-_ _-somewhere in the gray area between an eldritch horror and a Disney Villain-_ _-Duchess of Dark Fey Vibes-_
“I believe the greatest act of rebellion in this world is staying soft.”
It is silent for a while. "...I have an escape hatch in mind for if that's the case. I'd never go into a plan without preparing for if it goes wrong."
"...A few times, yes. When I try to sleep... I just wake up and start knitting, but I don't really wake up." She seems more confused than anything, slowly continuing her knitting as she thinks, though she doesn't re-enter that trance. "It's... I don't know. It scares me... and yet... I... I almost feel like I need to do this... but I don't know why..."
Former Spider Queen of the Spider Guild, and friendly neighborhood scheming creature.
"Made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders."
My pronouns are she/her.
Web Weaver of Everlasting Narrative! (title bestowed by Drummer)
*Howdy y'all! It's cool to see folks around!*
*Howdy! I agree- it's awesome to see people breathe life into this setting once more. I truly do think the Autumn Country is one of the most fun and engaging rp threads I've ever had the honor of partaking in.*
Former Spider Queen of the Spider Guild, and friendly neighborhood scheming creature.
"Made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders."
My pronouns are she/her.
Web Weaver of Everlasting Narrative! (title bestowed by Drummer)
*That means a lot coming from you! I would really like to carry out some of the old plot stuff but I'd have to make sure I can be on regularly for that. I'm not sure if I can do that yet.*
*Do you know what has happened over the last few pages or has it mostly been casual role-play?*
*There's been a handful of things happening over the last few days of pages- I'll do my best to summarize here, but y'all can feel free to tell me if I've missed anything!*
*Helianth escaped the Library with the notes about the Flame of Fawkes, but not without sustaining grievous injury- it's meeting with Julius about how to best stop the Ravenous Flame. The Ravenous Flame in question has been busy reducing towns to cinders, and in a fit of impatient rage it attempted to kill the Harvest Prince, but couldn't get into the secret pumpkin patch. Baal introduced a new character- Goto, a gingerbread witch with lungs full of soda and an uncanny sense of prediction- as well as the recent arrival of a skeletal lord and their army. Adeline's been grappling with the fact that she's losing her humanity, becoming more and more fey as time goes on, and she's not taking it too well. Mother Moth now knows about Adeline's condition and is understandably concerned. Both Mother Moth and Adeline have interacted with Goto, as Mother Moth saved Goto from the cold when their soda-filled lungs started freezing, and he met Adeline at the Sanctuary.*
Former Spider Queen of the Spider Guild, and friendly neighborhood scheming creature.
"Made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders."
My pronouns are she/her.
Web Weaver of Everlasting Narrative! (title bestowed by Drummer)
"Lord Braafheid." Replies the small creature. Much like Felix and Atticus, this is a Strugel, although clearly not as powerful as the other two were, given that they're working as a servant. Their markings are green, which is not a color that Honkachu culture ascribes any meaning to. "He wishes to greet you and the Autumn Court, as well as provide some much-needed relief in these times. His Lordship is known as He Who Draws Blood From Stone in his country. He has brought a good many undead servants to act as hunters, farmers, builders, and soldiers. Would you like to take some, as an act of goodwill from His Lordship?"
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
May each word that I speak be backed by each of my teeth.
*Dang, that all sounds so cool! I love the sound of Goto.*
It considers his offer for a while, before it gets another one of its terrible, awful, wonderful ideas. If it had the biology to, it would be smirking to itself. "I would greatly appreciate that, yes. Many thanks, Lord Braffheid." It looks over the skeletal horde behind the carriage for a moment, thinking. "If I can, I would like to take thirty-six among those whose undead souls are the strongest, please."
Former Spider Queen of the Spider Guild, and friendly neighborhood scheming creature.
"Made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders."
My pronouns are she/her.
Web Weaver of Everlasting Narrative! (title bestowed by Drummer)
"What are you planning?" The minion asks, but is silenced by Braffheid's raised hand. Exactly thirty-six skeletons, no, tangles of humanoid and animal bones, loping with feral power in their strides. One might think they had the muscles of tigers judging by their movements alone, but their frames ached with the kind of coldness and intellect that only humans could have, at a level so low that only an animal could have, the kind of intellect that commanded flesh to crawl and pimple, that causes stomachs to turn and bowels to void themselves. The rest of the skeletons seem tame, gentle in comparison. These things, these beasts are evil. Curated malice and cruelty, surely scraped from the dregs of execution chambers and the graves of politicians. The kind of evil that insists upon itself, the kind of evil that powers genocides and ethnic cleansings. Purposeless, boundless, and insatiable hatred, chained into these charnel materials by black magic.
"...It seems, as always, that His Lordship is a step ahead of me."
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
May each word that I speak be backed by each of my teeth.
Helianth looks over these horrible undead beasts with a sense of contentment- these will work wonderfully for what it has in store. "These are wonderful. Again, many thanks. I shall not squander this blessing- you have my word." It bows slightly again to He Who Draws Blood From Stone, before turning one of its flower heads to address its newly-acquired horde as one of its crooked hands points to an old tombstone nearby. "Head through the ghoul gate here, and travel down the old cobblestone path until you find the second gate by the half-broken archway. Through that gate you will find my ship- wait there until I return. Do not kill any before I arrive- you will get your feast soon enough."
Former Spider Queen of the Spider Guild, and friendly neighborhood scheming creature.
"Made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders."
My pronouns are she/her.
Web Weaver of Everlasting Narrative! (title bestowed by Drummer)
*I just had a random idea not really related to this but I wanted to write it down before I forgot and see if y'all had any ideas.*
*I'm currently DMing a campaign in the Hades Hollers, for any who don't know it's a Huckleberry Finn style riverboat adventure on the River Styx in an Appalachian and intensely Southern version of Hades. So Greek mythology mixed with rural American folklore. I've been trying to figure out how to fit the Greek gods into the world since that's a pretty big part of the Greek mythos. But I didn't want glowing skinned, shiny, fancy, gods in the clouds. I wanted something down to earth to the point where they got dirt under their finger nails, broken bones, but still over proportionate power over reality.*
*What if the gods, Zeus, Here, Poseidon, Aphrodite, Ares, etc., had immense power but were still mortal. You point a gun in their face and they will start to shake in their boots. They don't tell people who they are because they realize anyone who kills them can hold their power. Zeus draws zig zags in the dirt and a lightning bolt streaks through the sky for each one, but he doesn't exactly control where they hit. Ares is drunk soldier who can rile a lynching mob to satisfy his blood lust with his mere muttering but he's careful never to stand on his own. Athena can turn you into possum or mockingbird with a touch, but she keeps her head low when there is a huntsman around asking about any missing persons. Poseidon is a good boatsmen and the waters are always in his favor, heck, he could sail up river if he wanted, but he is always careful to keep a crew who won't mutiny.*
*The gods remember their former splendor and glory and that could be their undoing. They are old now and not up to their old shenanigans. Heck, Hades, the one about death and all, died two summers ago. You can go visit his grave. No one's sure who has taken his magic.*
*The party could go and kill all the gods and become the new pantheon, but I would make that extremely unethical. Apollo is a dad. He's settled down and has a wife and kids now. Aphrodite has settled down and is the sole supporter of twelve grandchildren. One of them is two years old. You gonna kill a toddler's Memaw? But there are people who would in a heartbeat. You also have to factor in the realization that the gods powers may have given them a few thousand years of glory, but it also what has caused them to become the decrepit wretches most are now. Now the party has to decide whether to kill these monsters and inherit their curse, save them despite many of them being despicable people, or allow them to receive their just desserts and risk their powers falling in the wrong hands.*
*This would become plot changing though. Maybe once they finish this arc with the Mothman and UFOs.*
The vile things follow the orders with the excitement and loyalty of large, highly-trained dogs. His Lordship and his manservant watch the departing entities. The strugel seems unsure, but the death knight(?) shows no such worry. "Your Grace," begins the servant, nervously addressing Helianth, "have you any requests... or-or questions? If you are to attack Ghoul Country, some knowledge from a grand necromancer such as His Lordship would surely be of value to you." They fidget with their paws, clearly unsettled by the bonebeasts, their master's unspoken foreknowledge, and Helianth's willingness to use them,.
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
May each word that I speak be backed by each of my teeth.
*Hmmm...*
*I was originally thinking "I don't really have much input on this" and then I remembered how much I love the Hades Hollers and what the setting was actually like.*
*Yes, that sounds epic. Send them your hillbilly Greek deities. Engage in the punishment of the gods and those who would punish them.*
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
May each word that I speak be backed by each of my teeth.
*I'm also trying to figure out how to write a story with each chapter devoted to a different tense and person. So I'd have to figure out how to do second person past tense "You did that" and first person future "I will." While also setting up work meetings, teaching children how to swim, asking a girl out, and planning a move to another country.*
*stealing the magic of Hades? That sounds like something Baron Kremni might do.*
This is TheFriendlyArchfey’s Alternate Account! “Your Dream Girl’s Dream Girl, Your Favorite Artist’s Favorite Artist.”
_-She Don’t wanna be anybody else, she’s a woman in total control of herself-_
_-certified Villainous Kitty Queen-_ _-somewhere in the gray area between an eldritch horror and a Disney Villain-_ _-Duchess of Dark Fey Vibes-_
“I believe the greatest act of rebellion in this world is staying soft.”
*Plenty of punishments to go around and everyone's deserving of them. It would also mean there are more opportunities for political deals and bargaining which I've really enjoyed.*
“Oh? And what’s that escape?”
”well-… chances are, I could… figure out a way to stop this. If you-… if you wanted it to stop.”
*random question, did we ever decide if Adeline was her original name, or if Mother Moth had taken it when she had adopted her? Either could work, and if it isn’t her original name, it could lead to something really cool, where Mother Moth could reverse the transformation by giving Adeline’s name, her humanity, back.*
This is TheFriendlyArchfey’s Alternate Account! “Your Dream Girl’s Dream Girl, Your Favorite Artist’s Favorite Artist.”
_-She Don’t wanna be anybody else, she’s a woman in total control of herself-_
_-certified Villainous Kitty Queen-_ _-somewhere in the gray area between an eldritch horror and a Disney Villain-_ _-Duchess of Dark Fey Vibes-_
“I believe the greatest act of rebellion in this world is staying soft.”
*That does, doesn't it? You may have just found the answer for the mystery. It would explain a lot about where he gets his powers because right now it's been kind of nebulous.*