Can't blame the man for adopting some russian party practices. Drop some long ladders into the cauldron and enjoy the fruits of my labor.
And then they drink and drink and drink, and then they drink some more! Quantity over quality is the word of the day, and though it takes more effort than usual, everyone gets where they want to be, which is to say passed out face down on an open field, their trousers having gone missing.
You behold this battlefield of wasted gods, and declare yourself the winner of the day by default.
Across the river we go (went?) then.
[I Came, I Saw, I Went: 1]
Well, you tried at least. It didn't quite work out. Turns out the river's a bit faster than you bargained for. And also far more turbulent. Perhaps looking for a boat would have been more prudent, you think as the stream pulls you under during another unpredictable turn, a confused and drowning Nately kicking at the water in your wake as the raging river carries you onward.
[I Hear A Voice Calling: 4]
You do make sure to hold your breath at the appropriate moments, which does protect you from drowning as long as you manage to rise back up to the top, which you almost invariably do. You have, however, migrated to the center of the river in your efforts, and are just about to unceremoniously enter the rather noticeably ruined town of Anglefork.
[A Blacksmith's Destiny: 2]
Nately, meanwhile, seems to be having a lot more trouble staying, in order and consequentially, afloat, oxygenated and alive. Maybe you should help him with that. Guess he's not a terribly confident swimmer at the best of times.
"...kinda? Look, if you're gonna ask me questions, do me a favor: look about and tell me if you see a ... well, since you wouldn't know who they are, a crazy-looking kid and someone like me. Are they anywhere nearby?"
Resting resting 1 2 3
[I Do Not Know This Man: 1]
There unfortunately don't seem to be any boneless naked worm people in the area trailed by solidified murderous thoughts, the woman mentions after a careful look around. As for the crazy-looking kid, she ran off into the woods to the east. What a strange direction to go in. Doesn't she know about the night creatures? It's almost like they never taught her about the eastern uprisings of the Interregnum, and she is almost perfectly certain she mentioned those in her own lectures on the subject.
Crap. Uh. Why isn't there water here?
I reach around for the central dais. If I find it I start circling it to look for a way up.
It'd stand to reason that there wouldn't be any - the pool of water seems very much artificial. Perhaps it served a ritual purpose. Of course, that's not quite as much your concern as getting back up to it.
[Fumbling In The Dark: 6]
You feel around, but find no sign of the dais. What little you do manage to feel just points to a great deal of floor. You feel for the wall, but that seems gone as well. Where have you found yourself? How far did you fall? Not very far, you should think. But somehow everything seems to have profoundly changed during your fall, and you almost immediately would begin to suspect you've turned around somewhere if it weren't for the obvious fact that the chamber can't possibly be as large as the distance you try to go every which way.
However, with time your eyes begin to adapt. It slightly hurts to look out into the dark now as it shifts around you, breathing softly, mocking you with its inscrutability as darker shapes snake through it, leaving traces of oblivion in the overall sightless dark. You follow one such trail, tracing a finger over absolute nothingness briefly as you head in the direction that it leads. What such exploration avails you is larger splotches of the same, little holes in the dark, some on the ground, some at eye level, some far too high for you to reach. All of them, however, seem to very much exert a certain voiceless pull on you. Alien to your sensibilities, perhaps, but familiar in spirit.
Right, much better. Now... where were we? Thomas wondered if he had missed the show.
Assess situation.
Right, so you're out here, on the road. The earthquakes and storms appear to have calmed down, and most of the people about have left with very little ceremony, which you suppose is perfectly fine. You walk around a little, hoping to catch sight of anybody who might be able to explain to you what's happening.
[Do You Know The Way To The Airport: 4]
You're about to head north, but you notice that the good doctor appears to be standing next to a Mr. Daniels in repose. Neither of them seem like they'd be helpful, so you head southward, where you notice two things. First of all, in the distance the residents of the castle seem to be heading through the town, encountering little to no resistance to their armed column of royal guards, castle guards, one knight, two and two thirds of a minder and a whole lot of really hungry people with sticks and sharp objects. And then in the river you see Mr. Daniels and one of the several youths you've seen following his example. Both of them appear to have fallen in the river, but the youth is having an unquestionably worse time of staying afloat and breathing, shrieking for help as he kicks and flails in the water helplessly. Oh dear. Perhaps it'd be a good idea to help him.
Leif Erikson, Miner
- A Word: INEVITABLE
- A Word: APOCALYPSE
- Body Count: 228
- Mead of Poetry (5 shining revelations remaining)
- Enders' Friend: The Grave of Red Clouds Parting
- 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: Not In Her Wildest Dreams
- An Ancient Sea: The Hedonist's Inspiration
Eileen Minett, Vinyl Collector
- In Living Memory: Yeah She's Probably Dead Isn't She I Think She's Dead Yeah
- Traces of Mischief: Drowned
- The Mirror-Fisher: White Mermaid
- 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
- Naked
- Red and gold vest and breeches combo
- Leather boots
- Traces of Mischief: 90% Boneless
- Wounds: 1
- 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
- Uncoupled: Strength
- Wooden Door (held)
- The Winding Path of Inspiration: Back To The Drawing Board
- 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 Worm
- 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 Medical Curiosity
- Body Count: 3
Thomas Minstep, Insurance Agent
- Troubles In Anglefork Town: Bearer of the Sword
- A Word: ABSENCE
- A Word: GOODBYE
- 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
- The Flip Side: One of Them
- Body Count: 2
Oscar Wilde, Chemistry Teacher
- A Word: REVELATION
- Wounds: 1
- The Serpent's Egg: Dissemination
- Body Count: 4
- Time-ender's measure (wrapped, yawning)
- 10 m of rope
- Half a candle
- 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 Doom Guard: The Inquisition Moves On
- Tower of the Mind: Get Away
- The Winding Path of Inspiration: The Less Dangerous Friend