Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Community
Playing the Game
Talking the Talk
Nazareth Awakened [Mage: The Awakening] [OOC]
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Mosier" data-source="post: 6302032" data-attributes="member: 6776381"><p>The voice is always lurking, now. It's almost familiar. Orlando's initial terror has faded, and now only constant low-grade nervous hum remains, like a fever. With effort, he can push the voice down, suppress it like a thumb blocking a garden hose. But the effort of it is exhausting, and every now and then the voice overcomes him again. </p><p></p><p><span style="color: #ff0000"><em>She's coming. What will you do? What can you possibly say?</em></span></p><p></p><p>"Shut up," he says aloud, to his own annoyance. He has an uneasy feeling that responding to it makes it stronger. Better to ignore it. Pretend it isn't there. </p><p></p><p>The heat is unbearable. The Arizona sun is beating down on Rachel's single-wide trailer with merciless ferocity. A small, overworked swamp cooler miraculously hasn't broken down yet, and manages to keep the place barely habitable. A key turns in the door. A jolt of icy dread courses through him, as he realizes that once again the voice was right. </p><p></p><p>The door opens, and Rachel walks through. His mind slows the image down. She moves as if through a dream, slowly, sluggishly. Slower. He notices her name tag is askew. There are grease and tomato sauce stains on her work uniform. He smells a combination of sweat, food, cigarette smoke, and booze. Slower. She's turning to face him, the open door behind her, sunlight pouring in and casting her shadow across the opposite wall, along with another shadow. There is a figure behind her, who casually walks through the open doorway and stands before Orlando. Rachel doesn't notice the figure. How could she? It isn't real. </p><p></p><p><em><span style="color: #ff0000">"This is it,"</span></em> the new figure says to him. Its lips don't move. The thing is genderless. Without pity. Full of judgment. There's a message in its eyes, which are burning through him, melting away his defenses, and exposing his naked soul to himself. It will never lie to him. It will never protect him or help him. It cannot be flattered. It cannot be bargained with or tricked. It is the Truth, nothing more, nothing less. <span style="color: #ff0000"><em>"She has made her decision already."</em></span></p><p><span style="color: #ff0000"></span></p><p><span style="color: #ff0000"></span>"He told me everything, Lan," Rachel says. Her movement is back to normal, and Orlando wonders how he could have imagined she was slow before. "I trusted you. How could you?"</p><p></p><p>Orlando is standing now. When did he stand? She's looking at him. <em><span style="color: #ff0000">Hopeful.</span></em> Even now, she's almost willing to accept yet another lie. </p><p></p><p>"Anything," she says, her cracking voice nearly pleading. "Tell me anything at all, Orlando. At least try, you bastard."</p><p></p><p>"I'm sorry," he replies, walking past her, to the door. The pale figure follows. <em><span style="color: #ff0000">You don't mean it. </span></em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em></em>Of course he doesn't mean it. He's not sorry. She's nothing to him, and always has been. She's crying now, but he barely registers the sound as the door closes behind him. </p><p></p><p><em><span style="color: #ff0000">"You can lie to anyone,"</span></em> the figure remarks,<em><span style="color: #ff0000"> "except yourself." </span></em></p><p><em><span style="color: #ff0000"></span></em></p><p><em><span style="color: #ff0000"></span></em>Orlando looks behind him. The trailer park is so far away that he has trouble distinguishing it from the heat shimmering around it. He can't even remember taking the first step off Rachel's porch. He turns to look the opposite direction. Before him is a tower, expanding infinitely to the heavens. </p><p></p><p>"You alright, pal?" a hand is on his shoulder. Orlando shrugs it off. </p><p></p><p>"Yeah," he says absently, entranced by the majesty before him. He takes a step forward, and the tower beckons to him. </p><p></p><p><span style="color: #ff0000">"You're not ready," </span>the pale figure says to him. <span style="color: #ff0000">"Only when you can confront the truth, will you be allowed to enter."</span></p><p></p><p>Orlando breaks into a sprint, but with every step the tower seems to grow further away...</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Mosier, post: 6302032, member: 6776381"] The voice is always lurking, now. It's almost familiar. Orlando's initial terror has faded, and now only constant low-grade nervous hum remains, like a fever. With effort, he can push the voice down, suppress it like a thumb blocking a garden hose. But the effort of it is exhausting, and every now and then the voice overcomes him again. [COLOR=#ff0000][I]She's coming. What will you do? What can you possibly say?[/I][/COLOR] "Shut up," he says aloud, to his own annoyance. He has an uneasy feeling that responding to it makes it stronger. Better to ignore it. Pretend it isn't there. The heat is unbearable. The Arizona sun is beating down on Rachel's single-wide trailer with merciless ferocity. A small, overworked swamp cooler miraculously hasn't broken down yet, and manages to keep the place barely habitable. A key turns in the door. A jolt of icy dread courses through him, as he realizes that once again the voice was right. The door opens, and Rachel walks through. His mind slows the image down. She moves as if through a dream, slowly, sluggishly. Slower. He notices her name tag is askew. There are grease and tomato sauce stains on her work uniform. He smells a combination of sweat, food, cigarette smoke, and booze. Slower. She's turning to face him, the open door behind her, sunlight pouring in and casting her shadow across the opposite wall, along with another shadow. There is a figure behind her, who casually walks through the open doorway and stands before Orlando. Rachel doesn't notice the figure. How could she? It isn't real. [I][COLOR=#ff0000]"This is it,"[/COLOR][/I] the new figure says to him. Its lips don't move. The thing is genderless. Without pity. Full of judgment. There's a message in its eyes, which are burning through him, melting away his defenses, and exposing his naked soul to himself. It will never lie to him. It will never protect him or help him. It cannot be flattered. It cannot be bargained with or tricked. It is the Truth, nothing more, nothing less. [COLOR=#ff0000][I]"She has made her decision already."[/I] [/COLOR]"He told me everything, Lan," Rachel says. Her movement is back to normal, and Orlando wonders how he could have imagined she was slow before. "I trusted you. How could you?" Orlando is standing now. When did he stand? She's looking at him. [I][COLOR=#ff0000]Hopeful.[/COLOR][/I] Even now, she's almost willing to accept yet another lie. "Anything," she says, her cracking voice nearly pleading. "Tell me anything at all, Orlando. At least try, you bastard." "I'm sorry," he replies, walking past her, to the door. The pale figure follows. [I][COLOR=#ff0000]You don't mean it. [/COLOR] [/I]Of course he doesn't mean it. He's not sorry. She's nothing to him, and always has been. She's crying now, but he barely registers the sound as the door closes behind him. [I][COLOR=#ff0000]"You can lie to anyone,"[/COLOR][/I] the figure remarks,[I][COLOR=#ff0000] "except yourself." [/COLOR][/I]Orlando looks behind him. The trailer park is so far away that he has trouble distinguishing it from the heat shimmering around it. He can't even remember taking the first step off Rachel's porch. He turns to look the opposite direction. Before him is a tower, expanding infinitely to the heavens. "You alright, pal?" a hand is on his shoulder. Orlando shrugs it off. "Yeah," he says absently, entranced by the majesty before him. He takes a step forward, and the tower beckons to him. [COLOR=#ff0000]"You're not ready," [/COLOR]the pale figure says to him. [COLOR=#ff0000]"Only when you can confront the truth, will you be allowed to enter."[/COLOR] Orlando breaks into a sprint, but with every step the tower seems to grow further away... [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
Playing the Game
Talking the Talk
Nazareth Awakened [Mage: The Awakening] [OOC]
Top