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Between the Shadow and the Light (Updated February 26, 2023)
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<blockquote data-quote="The Shadow" data-source="post: 8879688" data-attributes="member: 16760"><p>[Sorry for the long absence! I kind of wrote myself into a corner and wasn't sure how to get out, so I took a break from this game for a while. And then a bunch of Real Life happened, and I just plain forgot about it! Then something reminded me of it, I pulled up the file, and a way forward presented itself - I guess my subconscious mind had been thinking it over the whole time.]</p><p></p><p>[It'll take a while to get to that point, though. I've got a bit of backlog to post yet. I'll try to put something up at least once a week.]</p><p></p><p>New Scene: Last leg of the journey.</p><p></p><p>Pete got his bearings through Ryan again and the group ran, eating up the ground.</p><p></p><p>Q(Unlikely): Are we attacked again? EXCEPTIONAL NO.</p><p></p><p>It was... easy. Too easy. Nothing barred their way, everything beckoned them on. The darkling, dripping forest they'd been in gave way to plains of razor-sharp purple grass... but it almost seemed to bend away from them as they advanced.</p><p></p><p>During one of their short rests, Sir Robert shook his head. "I don't like it. It's as if he wants us to come." Paddy shrugged. "So long as we're agreed. Why break concord between such good friends?" But he sharpened his sword as he said it.</p><p></p><p>Hezekiah grinned. "'Faith, lad, I think I may like you, Papist or no." Paddy shrugged again. "If you help me kill Shadows, then I like you too. Otherwise, go bugger yourself." Hezekiah only laughed.</p><p></p><p>Q(Unsure): Any other perils? YES.</p><p></p><p>ComplexQ: Like what? Spy/Animals. [Weird that I've rolled a 92 for 'Animals' several times now. But it fits.]</p><p></p><p>Pete shook his head. "He's watching us; I can feel it. Probably through the eyes of beasts. Azazel's no fool; we've forced him to change plans several times, but he doesn't repeat his mistakes. The direct approach failed, now he has something more subtle in mind."</p><p></p><p>Ryan said morosely, "We probably won't like it, will we?" "What, you've been enjoying yourself thus far?" Ryan shook his head.</p><p></p><p>Jon mused, "Maybe we should try something subtle as well...?" Pete pondered that. "Like what?" "I don't know, I was thinking out loud. Jacob? Any stratagems in mind?"</p><p></p><p>Jake said, "Well... What do we want from this guy, ultimately?" Paddy said promptly, "Arrrrrgh, gurgle, splut." "Right, but... we're here to free people from his curse. That's all we really care about right now; killing him is secondary." "Speak for yourself."</p><p></p><p>Pete sighed. "I don't think Azazel will deal in any case; this is personal for him. He's going to try to hit us wherever he thinks we're weak."</p><p></p><p>[Ohboy. Just had an idea: ]</p><p></p><p>Q(Likely): Paddy is the weak link now, isn't he? NO.</p><p></p><p>Q(Very Likely): But his (and Pete's) hatred of vampires figures into Azazel's next move? YES.</p><p></p><p>As they made ready to move on, Jake said, determined, "Then we'll just have to prove him wrong."</p><p></p><p>NPC List: Mark, Ryan, Goat, Billy, the illusionist/Azazel, Thomas, Fr. Leo, Jake, vampire, Jamie's memory, Teresa, Paddy, Jon, Kate, Brother Hezekiah, Sir Athanasius, Sir Malcolm.</p><p></p><p>Thread List:</p><p></p><p>Free Ryan and Jake from the darkhound curse.</p><p>Free myself, for that matter.</p><p></p><p>Chaos Factor: 5 -> 6</p><p></p><p>New Scene: Arrival. [It's weird how I'm not getting much in the way of Interrupts, or Random Events generally, lately. This is the place where I was expecting them! Fickle dice!]</p><p></p><p>ComplexQ: So what's Azazel's lair like? Malice/the Mundane [Oooh, nifty!]</p><p></p><p>Azazel's place of strength was a twisted mockery of the Shadow Keep - its proud battlements not merely warped, but bearing dark stains that looked to be blood. Those stains seemed to twist into lurid shapes - leering faces, hungry beasts. Corpses hung all about the walls.</p><p></p><p>As they studied it in dismay, Paddy punctured the mood: "Edvard Munch would be so proud." Pete barked out a single laugh: "More like Hieronymus Bosch. But yeah."</p><p></p><p>Ryan asked, "How the heck are we getting in <em>there?</em>" Jon shook his head. "I don't think getting in is going to be the problem."</p><p></p><p>Q(Somewhat Likely): Are the gates open? YES.</p><p></p><p>Indeed, the gates stood wide open, though none would call them inviting - a dark maw that suggested an unpleasant gullet. Jake said, "Right. Well, let's not do the expected thing. Let's look for another way in." Pete shook his head. "You're the boss... but I don't hold out high hopes."</p><p></p><p>Q(Very Unlikely): Are there any other options? NO.</p><p></p><p>A thorough reconnoitering of all sides of the castle did not yield much in the way of hope. Jake ground out, "Then we'll scale the walls." Sir Robert asked, "With what? We left the trees behind hours ago." "We have plenty of rope. We'll not just march in through that hole." Hezekiah nodded. "Agreed."</p><p></p><p>Paddy was the steadiest hand of the group, so he tossed a grapple into the battlements. It seemed to have difficulty in catching, however; the stone seemed almost to shrug it off.</p><p></p><p>Q(Unsure): Does it ultimately work? YES - and a Random Event!</p><p></p><p>New NPC. [Oh, this can't be good.]</p><p></p><p>ComplexQ: So what sort of guy is this? Refuse/Nature [Hmmm.]</p><p></p><p>Eventually, Paddy managed to catch the tines behind a battlement. He tugged on it firmly, and it held. "That's the best we're going to get, gentlemen."</p><p></p><p>Jon tested the line, then started to climb up... when one of the blackened corpses hanging above them called down, "You're going about this the wrong way, you know."</p><p></p><p>NPC List: Mark, Ryan, Goat, Billy, the illusionist/Azazel, Thomas, Fr. Leo, Jake, vampire, Jamie's memory, Teresa, Paddy, Jon, Kate, Brother Hezekiah, Sir Athanasius, Sir Malcolm, the corpse.</p><p></p><p>Thread List:</p><p></p><p>Free Ryan and Jake from the darkhound curse.</p><p>Free myself, for that matter.</p><p></p><p>Chaos Factor: 6 -> 7</p><p></p><p>New Scene: Dealing with the mysterious stranger. Interrupt!</p><p></p><p>NPC Negative: Jake</p><p></p><p>ComplexQ: Huh, need an idea here? Activity/Art. [Huh! Well, they WERE just joking about Munch and Bosch!]</p><p></p><p>Jake abruptly put his hands to his face and howled in apparent agony - looking for all the world like Munch's <em>The Scream</em>. The corpse above them said sadly, "Told you."</p><p></p><p>Pete yelled, "Jake!" while Paddy shouldered his rifle, aiming at the dead man. "Art criticism can be a real bitch, let me tell you!" He fired once, then twice. Hezekiah and Ryan joined him. Jon and Sir Robert were more skeptical however; they scanned the horizon anxiously while Pete saw to his brother.</p><p></p><p>Mental suggestion was of only limited use: Jake stopped screaming but still panted and sweated uncontrollably; he clung to Pete's hand like a lifeline. The dead guy for his part just said, "Bullets? Really?"</p><p></p><p>Pete called with controlled fury, "Okay, you did give us a slight warning. You get exactly one point for that. Who are you?"</p><p></p><p>The dead thing said, "Sir Reginald de Crecy. A Knight of St. Michael."</p><p></p><p>Q(Very Likely): Is that much actually true? [I confess, I want it to be. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" />] YES.</p><p></p><p>NPC List: Mark, Ryan, Goat, Billy, the illusionist/Azazel, Thomas, Fr. Leo, Jake, vampire, Jamie's memory, Teresa, Paddy, Jon, Kate, Brother Hezekiah, Sir Athanasius, Sir Malcolm, Sir Reginald.</p><p></p><p>Thread List:</p><p></p><p>Free Ryan and Jake from the darkhound curse.</p><p>Free myself, for that matter.</p><p></p><p>Chaos Factor: 7 -> 8</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="The Shadow, post: 8879688, member: 16760"] [Sorry for the long absence! I kind of wrote myself into a corner and wasn't sure how to get out, so I took a break from this game for a while. And then a bunch of Real Life happened, and I just plain forgot about it! Then something reminded me of it, I pulled up the file, and a way forward presented itself - I guess my subconscious mind had been thinking it over the whole time.] [It'll take a while to get to that point, though. I've got a bit of backlog to post yet. I'll try to put something up at least once a week.] New Scene: Last leg of the journey. Pete got his bearings through Ryan again and the group ran, eating up the ground. Q(Unlikely): Are we attacked again? EXCEPTIONAL NO. It was... easy. Too easy. Nothing barred their way, everything beckoned them on. The darkling, dripping forest they'd been in gave way to plains of razor-sharp purple grass... but it almost seemed to bend away from them as they advanced. During one of their short rests, Sir Robert shook his head. "I don't like it. It's as if he wants us to come." Paddy shrugged. "So long as we're agreed. Why break concord between such good friends?" But he sharpened his sword as he said it. Hezekiah grinned. "'Faith, lad, I think I may like you, Papist or no." Paddy shrugged again. "If you help me kill Shadows, then I like you too. Otherwise, go bugger yourself." Hezekiah only laughed. Q(Unsure): Any other perils? YES. ComplexQ: Like what? Spy/Animals. [Weird that I've rolled a 92 for 'Animals' several times now. But it fits.] Pete shook his head. "He's watching us; I can feel it. Probably through the eyes of beasts. Azazel's no fool; we've forced him to change plans several times, but he doesn't repeat his mistakes. The direct approach failed, now he has something more subtle in mind." Ryan said morosely, "We probably won't like it, will we?" "What, you've been enjoying yourself thus far?" Ryan shook his head. Jon mused, "Maybe we should try something subtle as well...?" Pete pondered that. "Like what?" "I don't know, I was thinking out loud. Jacob? Any stratagems in mind?" Jake said, "Well... What do we want from this guy, ultimately?" Paddy said promptly, "Arrrrrgh, gurgle, splut." "Right, but... we're here to free people from his curse. That's all we really care about right now; killing him is secondary." "Speak for yourself." Pete sighed. "I don't think Azazel will deal in any case; this is personal for him. He's going to try to hit us wherever he thinks we're weak." [Ohboy. Just had an idea: ] Q(Likely): Paddy is the weak link now, isn't he? NO. Q(Very Likely): But his (and Pete's) hatred of vampires figures into Azazel's next move? YES. As they made ready to move on, Jake said, determined, "Then we'll just have to prove him wrong." NPC List: Mark, Ryan, Goat, Billy, the illusionist/Azazel, Thomas, Fr. Leo, Jake, vampire, Jamie's memory, Teresa, Paddy, Jon, Kate, Brother Hezekiah, Sir Athanasius, Sir Malcolm. Thread List: Free Ryan and Jake from the darkhound curse. Free myself, for that matter. Chaos Factor: 5 -> 6 New Scene: Arrival. [It's weird how I'm not getting much in the way of Interrupts, or Random Events generally, lately. This is the place where I was expecting them! Fickle dice!] ComplexQ: So what's Azazel's lair like? Malice/the Mundane [Oooh, nifty!] Azazel's place of strength was a twisted mockery of the Shadow Keep - its proud battlements not merely warped, but bearing dark stains that looked to be blood. Those stains seemed to twist into lurid shapes - leering faces, hungry beasts. Corpses hung all about the walls. As they studied it in dismay, Paddy punctured the mood: "Edvard Munch would be so proud." Pete barked out a single laugh: "More like Hieronymus Bosch. But yeah." Ryan asked, "How the heck are we getting in [I]there?[/I]" Jon shook his head. "I don't think getting in is going to be the problem." Q(Somewhat Likely): Are the gates open? YES. Indeed, the gates stood wide open, though none would call them inviting - a dark maw that suggested an unpleasant gullet. Jake said, "Right. Well, let's not do the expected thing. Let's look for another way in." Pete shook his head. "You're the boss... but I don't hold out high hopes." Q(Very Unlikely): Are there any other options? NO. A thorough reconnoitering of all sides of the castle did not yield much in the way of hope. Jake ground out, "Then we'll scale the walls." Sir Robert asked, "With what? We left the trees behind hours ago." "We have plenty of rope. We'll not just march in through that hole." Hezekiah nodded. "Agreed." Paddy was the steadiest hand of the group, so he tossed a grapple into the battlements. It seemed to have difficulty in catching, however; the stone seemed almost to shrug it off. Q(Unsure): Does it ultimately work? YES - and a Random Event! New NPC. [Oh, this can't be good.] ComplexQ: So what sort of guy is this? Refuse/Nature [Hmmm.] Eventually, Paddy managed to catch the tines behind a battlement. He tugged on it firmly, and it held. "That's the best we're going to get, gentlemen." Jon tested the line, then started to climb up... when one of the blackened corpses hanging above them called down, "You're going about this the wrong way, you know." NPC List: Mark, Ryan, Goat, Billy, the illusionist/Azazel, Thomas, Fr. Leo, Jake, vampire, Jamie's memory, Teresa, Paddy, Jon, Kate, Brother Hezekiah, Sir Athanasius, Sir Malcolm, the corpse. Thread List: Free Ryan and Jake from the darkhound curse. Free myself, for that matter. Chaos Factor: 6 -> 7 New Scene: Dealing with the mysterious stranger. Interrupt! NPC Negative: Jake ComplexQ: Huh, need an idea here? Activity/Art. [Huh! Well, they WERE just joking about Munch and Bosch!] Jake abruptly put his hands to his face and howled in apparent agony - looking for all the world like Munch's [I]The Scream[/I]. The corpse above them said sadly, "Told you." Pete yelled, "Jake!" while Paddy shouldered his rifle, aiming at the dead man. "Art criticism can be a real bitch, let me tell you!" He fired once, then twice. Hezekiah and Ryan joined him. Jon and Sir Robert were more skeptical however; they scanned the horizon anxiously while Pete saw to his brother. Mental suggestion was of only limited use: Jake stopped screaming but still panted and sweated uncontrollably; he clung to Pete's hand like a lifeline. The dead guy for his part just said, "Bullets? Really?" Pete called with controlled fury, "Okay, you did give us a slight warning. You get exactly one point for that. Who are you?" The dead thing said, "Sir Reginald de Crecy. A Knight of St. Michael." Q(Very Likely): Is that much actually true? [I confess, I want it to be. :)] YES. NPC List: Mark, Ryan, Goat, Billy, the illusionist/Azazel, Thomas, Fr. Leo, Jake, vampire, Jamie's memory, Teresa, Paddy, Jon, Kate, Brother Hezekiah, Sir Athanasius, Sir Malcolm, Sir Reginald. Thread List: Free Ryan and Jake from the darkhound curse. Free myself, for that matter. Chaos Factor: 7 -> 8 [/QUOTE]
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