INEVITABLE out the possibilities where bad stuff would happen to me in near future, and relocate self to position (and a good guru pose) where they won't happen.
Hard to say what could happen, so why not try and hasten the unfolding?
INEVITABLE
[Word: 3]
You observe the party of Storks head on closer as if on fast-forward, talking to one another in hushed, sped-up voices as they come closer and closer. These are the open plains. You will be spotted regardless of what you do. You stand still in time as they come closer, mark you out and surround you, curious about the find.
[A Thing That You Don't Know What It Is: 3]
They converse rapidly, poke you with their weapons, give a good stab or two, not noticing your rather loud complaint when the extraordinarily sharp steel of one's spear goes straight into your liver, and after about ten more minutes of conference they agree that this is probably some kind of anomaly and they better not aggravate it. Perhaps on the way back. That said, they head out quickly. One of them looks back as they leave, blinking a little at you as any information about what you are fails to take, but seems to decry this as a figment of his imagination as the hunting party head on through.
Time slows down as it stops working double time, leaving you with a nasty wound in your side, but otherwise unmolested. Though you do get the feeling that sticking around here might not be the best idea.
[Clan Business: 3]
You don't particularly see Lee anywhere. You wonder how long she'll be in that camp, honestly. Hopefully not the whole night, at least.
Okay, now to find civilization again. If the old trail I followed to these ruins continues past them, I keep following it in case it meets up with a road. If the trail ends here, I trudge into the woods on the opposite side of the ruins.
[The Untamed Green: 2]
You resume your path, heading on deeper into the woods, the noises of the wilderness not abating as a variety of nocturnal birds sing and the woods twist and turn, with you walking on and on through them as you are serenaded by the occasional scattering forest creature. It's a long walk, and the woods get low and damp as you head on, the vegetation changing as mosses start to line the trees and a dank layer of green starts to squelch coldly under your bare feet. As you head onward the woods get wetter still as parts begin to sink lower and lower, the forested environs giving way to deep swampland.
You've been walking for many hours now. The sky is starting to get bright again as the sun begins to rise... in roughly the direction you've been going. Which means, you think, that you may be as much as 10 to 15 miles off-course. Crap. You rest your back against a nearby tree, the revelation taking a bit of the spirit out of you, and spend a few minutes looking into the sky. This really isn't going according to plan. Maybe you should-
-hm. Is that a smoke plume a little ways northeast? A bit thin, but certainly there.
Thomas flashes his best salesman's smile at the lord of the keep. It's not the best salesman's smile (Fred Lingis at the satellite office has one that's just amazing) but it's passable. "See? We solved this quickly and easily. I'll return these to her straight away and everyone will be happy."
Bring them back to the lady. What she does with them (and with herself) afterwards is up to her.
The lord nods intently and repeatedly as you leave. Yes, yes! Solving problems! Now solve this problem quickly! And that's exactly what you do, trotting back over to the dungeon's entrance. You're back! Did anything happen while you were gone?
[Terrible Incidents: 4]
Oh, not at all, says the lady of the castle. She's been quite fine in this corner. Suppose it's good the jail doesn't have rotating shifts, right? The joys of having a turnkey willing to live in a squalid basement. Poor fellow. She wonders how he doesn't catch consumption down there, the way he's carrying on.
Anyway, you have her clothes! Quite a few of them. The lady emits a very pleased noise at this. Wonderful! Slide them over, will you? She's honestly forgotten what it's like to have clothes. A strange thing, you must agree, a strange thing indeed - you head on over to the doorway and hand the bag around the corner, and the lady takes it readily. You hear the sound of the bag being rustled and searched. Ooh, you hear, she loved this gown! Oh, but this one! And that. So many ones to choose from!
Oh, but she's lost so much weight, could she - oh my, she could! She hasn't worn this since she was but a girl! And it fits! She nearly squeals with delight. So lovely! You hear the tapping of the lady's feet as she twirls around in her new gown before fetching a set of fine slippers to match it (similarly met with a few moments narration of an anecdote about her younger days - apparently she was quite the dancer).
Her excitement does not at all subside as she gets her things in order, hefting the bag audibly. Yes, she says. Yes! Are you quite ready, Mr. Minstep? She is about to come out.
"Of course you can! It'd probably be best if you can get enough provisions for a few days of journeying as well, while you're at it. I'll update the minders regarding what I've learnt about my creation in the meantime. Oh, and this thing's probably safe now. As long as I don't drop it or something."
Find the minders and return the favour. They could probably use the information.
Solid idea, Deirdre says, and she's even gladder to hear that she probably won't get eaten by horrible creatures from the beyond. She agrees to chase up some supplies - provided, of course, that the war camp hasn't been completely looted yet. You do your thing in the meantime.
And you do, heading inside of the keep to find the ever-convenient room of the minders, where the remaining children stand around the mistress of the tower, who appears to be floating up behind a stoatman chained up to a chair, her fingers on his temples. Her eyes are closed, and the stoatman is looking forward, eyes bugging out, sharp-toothed mouth slightly open. As you open the door, the children look in your direction all at once, and the stoatman jerks his head in your direction, tilting it slightly.
Why are you here, Mr. Wilde, he mouths, why are you here, why are you here? What are you doing here? Why are you here? No sound escapes his mouth, but the words ring out clearly in your mind.
"Welp. Sorry stone, but this edition of Weight Watchers is gonna get a little extreme."
See how well my murder-thought works at cutting the stone down to a manageable size. If it doesn't work all that well, carefully REND it down to a smaller size. Assist my efforts with my strength if need be.
[Think Sharp, Think Hard: 4]
You look at the stone, and glare at it intensely in pulses as you squeeze your mutilated hand, the sharp agony coupled with the thought driving into the stone at a massive speed. It chips, it cracks, it breaks under the incisive blows of your mind, large chunks falling off as it partially collapses amid a flurry of somewhat targeted strikes. You start to sweat as the pain begins to get to you, but the stone is cut well, sized down to about the proportions of a large coffin. You go up to it and start to heft it - you do need the strong support of the ground so as to not merely pull yourself toward it, and actually carrying it requires something of a counterintuitive stance on your part, but it does seems quite possible to carry, even if a bit of a tight fit.
Leif Erikson, Miner
- A Word: INEVITABLE
- A Word: APOCALYPSE
- Wounds: 1
- 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
- White silk bandeau and loincloth
- 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)
- A coffin-shaped stone slab
- 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: Absolutely Delightful
- 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