"Well, yes, I suppose that would make sense. There was a lack of available clothing, but I'll see what I can manage."
See if we can find some appropriate clothing. Ask around; maybe the lord of the keep knows something?
[I Need Your Clothes: 1]
You decide that there is nothing to it - have to go straight to the highest echelons of power for this particular request. So you walk back into the keep past a few busy servants, then head up to the second floor, where the lord of the keep is standing around looking worriedly at servants packing most of his earthly possessions and family heirlooms into quite a few bags.
Hello, you say, startling the lord somewhat. You were wondering about the possibility of securing a quality dress from around here somewhere, you tell him as he stares at you. He raises an eyebrow at you and tilts his head. Uh, you want... a dress? You look down at the dress you're wearing and chuckle. Oh no, it's not what he thinks. It's for his mother.
Wait, the lord says, his mother? Why does she need a dress? Well, you say, she seems to have been released and would really prefer not to wander about in an immodest state of dress, so-
She's
released? Hold on! How did this happen, the lord asks. And when? Did she get out of her cell? Oh my, nobody looked at her, did they? Oh dear. This is terrible. This is worse than terrible! This may be the worst, in fact!
"This APOCALYPSE is not living up to its name."
Third time's the charm. Sit down on the so called holy ground and mediate my little personal world. What's up dudes, new world here yet?
C'mon baby, world's gotta end someday. Why not sooner? Why not right now?
APOCALYPSE
[Word: 3]
You feel the fire start up once more, but this time in a less mystical fashion, your words setting sparks among dry leaves, the bush starting to smoke gently as a little orange flame starts to spread along its surface.
[Only You Can Prevent Brush Fires: 4]
It's a humble beginning, you suppose. But you do notice the rest of the brush is quite dry as well. Maybe setting things on fire around here isn't the best idea.
It's still alive once seperated. Interesting.
"Daniels, if you would care to press enough gold around this join here to seal the thing inside before it can escape and start eating thoughts or something, I'd be eternally grateful."
Either assist in the sealing if necessary or start swearing at Daniels (as appropriate).
Mr. Daniels fortunately decides to not fuck around and just get to it after telling the other two to step away, something Deirdre does with extraordinary efficiency.
It's quite something to behold, a man working gold like it was Silly Putty in his hands, wrapping it around and around the pot a few dozen times until you can almost no longer sense the serpent within, covering its improvised egg with a protective metal shell.
Before all goes quiet, though, there is one last thing. Should the container be opened, open it in a secluded place. Preferably a dark one, where a well may grow with fewer restrictions. Most importantly of all, this place should be near people - many of them. Do this and you will receive seven answers of your choice. After these, one fulfillment.
"You went and trapped a bit of it in there, didn't you? Allow me to warn you ahead of time, not a super idea - this will almost inevitably end up converting whatever place you bring it to into a new access point for the well. What are you planning to do with it anyways?
Oh, and you normies go get some distance. Me and Wilde will be alright, but if this is released here and it gets you I don't quite think you'll continue to exist."
Seal the join with some of my plentiful gold, I suppose.
NONSENSE, says the blacksmith. If he is to cease existing, then let it be in the name of science! Deirdre, meanwhile, has split even before you finished your sentence. Smart girl.
So you get out your big bag o' gold and grab a few handfuls of coin, the gold feeling like plasticine when you flex your fingers around it. Heh. Fun! Now to try and get this around the vessel.
[The Golden Egg: 5]
You scoop several handfuls of gold and work them into a single several pound wad of metal, which you then laboriously stretch out with your bare hands, then very carefully start bending it all around the clay pots, the much more fragile things nearly breaking at several points as your fingers run across their rough surface. The serpentine well-fragment withing prunes your thoughts as you work with utmost care, wrapping the entire thing in a thin film of metal until it becomes nearly impossible to feel its influence anymore - the sign of a job well done, you think.
You step back to admire your handiwork. It looks a little bit like a golden mummy, the curves of the pots resembling those of a human being. It's just about the most expensive-looking thing you've beheld for a long time. And all with a very conservative expenditure of your own gold.
I find an unoccupied crevasse or opening in the rubble and rest in it for a minute. Probably not an ideal place to stop, but it seems quiet enough for now.
Also, does it seem like morning is soon?
[Nooks To Live By: 3]
There is a bit of rubble nearby that does keep you out of sight, so you lay down on the hard stone and try to curl up in peaceful sleep, hoping morning comes soon, though you have a very strong feeling the sun is not about to come up for a long while yet. Your shredded and pierced gut starts to hurt in earnest as the adrenaline wears off completely, and you do your best to let your wounds knit together and clear your mind of any troubling thoughts. Eventually you lose consciousness, only to wake up later when you twist in your sleep, some of your wounds flaring up in pain again. Man, you got really fucked up back there, didn't you? Your robe's turned partially brown with your dried blood, and while it's held up better than some of your other clothes of the past few days, it's going to need some heavy repairs when you get back to town.
[Just Another Night In The Forest: 3]
Over the next hour you think you hear a few more distant gaunts, but they appear to be heading away from the area, their disastrous gathering scattering them to the four winds as they head for dens even further in the untamed wilderness.
Leif Erikson, Miner
- A Word: INEVITABLE
- A Word: APOCALYPSE
- Mead of Poetry (6 shining revelations remaining)
- Enders' Friend: The Grave of Red Clouds Parting
- Small brass box
- Body Count: 1
- Reappropriated, Clean Skirt
- Inscribed Wooden Stylus
- Iron spear
- 1.03 gp
- The Box: ?
- Induced Lucidity: the Aftermath, or the New Beginning
- Compatibility: Minding
- Tricks of the Mind: Perception, Memory
- Tricks of the Mind: Engagement, Negation, Abstraction, Prestige
- Tricks of the Mind: the Self, the Other
- Gods of the Underground: Did You Just What
- A Visit From The Stork: Is What You Yes
- The Voracious Dark: Two Deals Made
- The Voracious Dark: The Promised Sixth
- Moth's Flight: Quest for the North
Eileen Minett, Vinyl Collector
- In Living Memory: Yeah She's Probably Dead Isn't She I Think She's Dead Yeah
- Wounds: 3
- The Doom Guard: Consorting With The Enemy
- Exotic serrated zweihander
- Reclaimed Hooded Robe (worn, torn, partly shredded, covered in dried blood)
- Inauspicious Day: Off Into The Horizon
- Giant White Mushroom
- A Word: SEA
- A Word: HUNGER
- A Word: CHAOS
- A Weapon: Explosive Cysts
- The Voracious Dark: Three Connections Given
- Tower of the Mind: There's Something To Remember
- The New Queen: And Something To Forget
- Body Count: 1
- The Impromptu Prophecy: ?
- Sweet Little Children: Fond Farewell
Jack Daniels, Karate Man
- Red and gold vest and breeches combo (worn)
- Leather boots (worn)
- 14033 gp (in sack)
- The Flip Side: Uh, Yeah
- The Queen's Guard: Unusual Troublemaker
- Powers of the Beyond: Gardener of Thoughts
- Dusty Wooden Speaking-Trumpet
- Crossbow Bolt (in throat)
- A Word: REND
- A Word: SILENCE
- A Weapon: Murder-Thought
- Traces of Mischief: A Bisected Left Kidney
- Traces of Mischief: Ruined Left Hand
- Uncoupled: Strength
- Wooden Door (held)
- The Winding Path of Inspiration: An Adapted Method
- Tower of the Mind: Endless Well of Mystery
- Induced Lucidity: A Garden Well-Tended
- Elongated Affairs: Enemy of the New State
- A Place In History: Vastly Unreliable
- Anglefork Castle: the Great Serpent
- The Obsolete Class: Suggested Victims
- 2 rats, crushed
- 1 rat, strangled
- 1 rat, live
- Travels In The Fourth Dimension: Sunday ± 2 Days
- The Impromptu Prophecy: There's A Mountain Higher Than We Knew
- Doomstones: So High Up But Such A Bitter View
- The Majordomo: A Great Divide Between Us Now
- The Voracious Dark: Decreasing Demand
- The Voracious Dark: More Specific Requests
- The Good Doctor: A Recommendation
- Body Count: 3
Thomas Minstep, Insurance Agent
- Troubles In Anglefork Town: Bearer of the Sword
- Wounds: 2
- A Word: ABSENCE
- A Weapon: The Sword They Fear
- Traces of Mischief: Nausea's Depths
- A Bowl, Black and Knobby
- Anglefork Castle: From Another Time, Another Land
- Gross Incandescence: Partly Illuminated
- Tight Leather Pants (worn)
- Incredibly Tight Blue Dress (worn, mutilated, mildly provocative)
- Travels In The Fourth Dimension: Sunday, July 25th, 409 S.D.
- The Majordomo: Busy Morning
- The Good Doctor: House Call
- The Queen's Guard: A Reward Well Earned
- Make A Man Out Of You: A Crowning Achievement
- The New Queen: Lasting Gratitude
- Tower of the Mind: Advice Given
- The Obsolete Class: Let Them Be
- The One They Fear: A Satisfactory Contract
- A Place In History: A Worthwhile Associate
- The Box: Terribly Underdressed
- Body Count: 2
Oscar Wilde, Chemistry Teacher
- A Word: REVELATION
- The Serpent's Egg: Dissemination
- Time-ender's measure (wrapped, yawning)
- 10 m of rope
- Half a candle
- This Is The End: A Grim Prophecy
- 1 rat, skinless and smoked
- 6 gp
- Poor Misshapen Dice
- Lock of Hair (unidentified)
- Iron nail, unused
- An Inauspicious Key
- Burlap Foot Wrappings (worn)
- Burlap Hand Wrappings (worn)
- Moth-Eaten Hat (worn)
- Respectable Brown Skirt (worn)
- Old Brown Waistcoat (worn)
- Bright Yellow Tunic (worn)
- A Wealth of Burlap Ribbons
- An Obsolete Class: Trustworthy Individual
- The Flip Side: the Denouement
- The Doom Guard: The Inquisition Moves On
- Tower of the Mind: An Interruption
- The Voracious Dark: Backed Away
- The Winding Path of Inspiration: Future Hopes