Khenal

Chapter Three-Hundred Fifty-Three

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Pul

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In the hauler’s barracks, the disguised changeling stares at the ceiling while laying in his bunk, wondering where he messed up.  Nothing immediately sticks out to him, so he goes over the day in his mind, desperately trying to figure out how things could have gone so off track.

Maybe he shouldn’t have let them escort him back to the bunk house?  If he could have stopped them, it might have worked, but what was he...

Chapter Three-Hundred Fifty-Two

While Teemo expands the space in the Lecture Hall, I take the chance to watch Rocky as he carefully experiments with gravity.  He’s wary of it, but I’m not worried.  He’s not likely to go making black holes any more than he’s likely to punch the planet out of orbit with kinetic affinity.

Still, it’s interesting to watch.  Gravity has always felt like one of those forces that cheats.  It doesn’t seem like planets and moons are actually spending any energy ...

Peek: Ripples

Sometimes, Laermali envies Order and the Shield. Not having the responsibilities and distractions of a pantheon sounds nice, occasionally. She hasn't had a chance to pursue Magic much these last several centuries.

She still wants to expand her domain to include affinities in general, but she hasn't made any progress on that in even longer! Pestering Order is a dead end, no matter how tempting it is to bother him, nor how interesting it is to hear his own insights into them. ...

Chapter Three-Hundred Fifty-One

It doesn’t take Teemo long to get to the new Sanctum where Aranya is helping direct people, but even in that short time, I’m tempted to play around with my new affinity/domain.  It’s just so shiny and new!  I wanna play with it!

But business before pleasure.  If I don’t ask Aranya about the legend now, I’ll probably forget and get distracted by the newest thing, or have to deal with some problem that’s cropped up.  No, I really do need to ask her about th...

Chapter Three-Hundred Fifty

Order is eager to get back to his work, and I’m eager to try to deliberately break something for once, so we make our farewells and I head back.  I can’t immediately get working on the quest, though.

There’s a lot of confusion among my scions and denizens, and not just because I was about a mile sideways, as Teemo described it once.  I don’t need to look too hard to figure out what has everyone concerned.

When Order said he fixed the bug about dungeon-me and deit...

Peek: Two New Crewmates

Warnd nervously eyes the fire elementals, hoping they don't notice him and his friends hiding around a large rock in the volcanic area. For once, Lem is as apprehensive as he is, with only Marle looking eager. "There's definitely a couple of them out there. You're sure these fire Resist potions are going to be enough?" whispers the elf, not liking their chances if the potions aren't up to snuff.

Marl nods. "Old Staiven said it's a tried and true formula that he hadn't had a chance to di...

Chapter Three-Hundred Forty-Nine

I didn’t expect gravity to blow Teemo’s mind like that.  I mean, I know it’s capital F Fundamental, but he’s been taking to a lot of big concepts without much problem.  I take a closer look at his status while he’s respawning, but clues are pretty sparse.  I wonder if there was a bit of a feedback loop between him being my Voice and also my Herald?  Not only did he get gravity affinity, but I got it as a domain.

Error

That’s probabl...

Chapter Three-Hundred Forty-Eight

With the hold preceding apace, I take the time to work on the details of the Forest of Four Seasons, as well as the Tree of Cycles.  I’ve been wanting to make the entire area be a place for high level adventurers to delve, but I think I should change things slightly.

A realization hit me while watching another group of delvers struggle through the encounters on the forest floor.  It seemed weird for spirits to still be so high, considering the injuries the group suffered, at...

Peek: Wherever the Wind Blows

Ah, look at them go. You know, when I was your age, we had to be wary of tumbleweeds. You never knew if they were going to try to eat you. Don't believe me? Well, settle into the shade and listen to the tale of a dungeon I'm glad is gone.

Our Wanderlands are no strangers to dungeons. Apparently, our nomadic nature makes the mana flows even more unstable than usual, which is a great way to get more dungeons. With the wide open spaces, we have a lot of turnaround on dungeons, too, a...

Chapter Three-Hundred Forty-Seven

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Pul

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Life isn’t easy for a changeling.  If nobody knows you’re one, things get easier, but they get much more difficult once discovered.  Most of the race tries to quietly blend in, and they actually have a higher average of civilian classes than other races.  It’s just that the ones that do stand out tend to do so with great infamy.

Thieves who effortlessly blend into a crowd, burgle...

Chapter Three-Hundred Forty-Six

While Teemo grins, watching those two leave, I start not-so-subtly poking through his status.  “What’re you doing, Boss?” he asks, confused.

I’m looking for an acting title.  You deserve one after that performance.

He laughs and I join him, both of us feeling pretty good about pulling the wool over the Earl’s eyes.  Not only that, but we might have a Kaiser Soze after all.  Teemo nods along as I think through what to do with the new opportunity.

Peek: Perfect System, Imperfect Admin.

Order sits in his realm, musing on the system as he tends to a few prayers from his followers. Sometimes, he wonders if he's the right being for his position. Things had been stable for a long time, even by his standards, but the advent of Thedeim has him reexamining his work and his understanding of what came before him.

His attention shifts from the prayers to his work, his worshipers are generally responsible enough to not ask for frivolous things, so answering their requests is mo...

Chapter Three-Hundred Forty-Five

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Earl Paulte Heindarl Bulifinor Magnamtir if'Gofnar

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In the luxurious Guildmaster’s Quarters of the Calm Seas Guild, the Earl scowls, gripping his glass of brandy tightly.  A lesser elf would be pacing, tugging at his ears like he means to pull them off!  But he is no lesser elf, letting setbacks make him so distraught.

Jondar Helmsplitter may techn...

Chapter Three-Hundred Forty-Four

We might need to make a level 0.

I don’t think my wolves are that sneaky, but maybe they are?  Either way, the army guys are really bad at spotting them.  Leo even watched a couple wolves follow right behind one of their night guards while on patrol, and the elf had no idea.  It’d be hilarious if it wasn’t so sad.

I’d be worried for the kingdom if their actual camp wasn’t so well organized.  The troops get up early, do a kinda group work...

Peek: The Taste of Victory is Not so Sweet

Lechula and Merrik stand in silence with Dergol, the three looking at a fresh tombstone. Very few things could still be considered fresh after several months, but the loss of a friend will always be a wound that never quite heals. Jayle was a good friend, and though Merrik and Lechula had hoped he would see the evil of the Maw before the end, Merrik at least was not surprised to hear his friend didn't lay down his arms, but rather his life.

It may be more accurate to say it was taken, b...

Chapter Three-Hundred Forty-Three

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Nimis Julour

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The lead scout does her best to contain her nerves as she follows the Knight-Captain, alongside the other lieutenants.  If it weren’t for the confident figure of Olander WIdeblade, the Crown Inspector himself, walking with them, she’d be trying to talk the Knight-Captain out of this.

Instead of going to the Dungeoneers to get the full information packet on the dungeon Thedeim, they want her and h...

Chapter Three-Hundred Forty-Two

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Knight-Captain Ross

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Atop a well-groomed pristine white horse, sits an elf with longer hair than most, and piercing blue eyes.  His armor is immaculate, his posture perfect, his lance gleaming and deadly sharp.  He is Knight-Captain Ross, and he takes to his new orders as he does with all things: with dignity, grace, and precision.

He’s aware his company is not the largest, nor the most elite,...

Peek: The Unseen Blade

The young elf tries not to think about what lead him here, but there is precious little else to distract him while he tries to ignore the hunger and the cold. He almost wishes it was snowing instead of raining. At least snow can be shaken off before it soaks you to the bone.

The most galling part is that he ran away to try to avoid situations just like this. His teeth clench as his hand tightens around the hilt of his dagger. No, he's going to be a thief, not an assassin.

Chapter Three-Hundred Forty-One

I don’t like it.

It’s been a couple days, and the thieves guild hasn’t done anything.  No, they’ve done something, just not something that makes them look strong, which sets off warning bells for me.  I wish we had been able to get a foothold into their headquarters before it happened, but wishing won’t help it now.

A big chunk of the guild left town.  Karn says it looks like a schism, but it looked to me like he also felt something’s up.  As much a...

Chapter Three-Hundred Forty

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Boss Toja

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“S-So that’s why I didn’t approach, Boss…” stammers the elf, withering beneath the dispassionate eyes of the spiderkin behind the desk.  Boss Toja gives nothing away as she weighs the future of the elf, the orb weaver resisting the urge to twitch her spinerretes as she thinks.  He’d never see them, but she’s been in this business long enough to know better than show any sign of weakness.

...

Peek: From the Shadows

There's so much... everything! Vanta's first moments may have been of terror, but after securing his core, things have gotten much more interesting and less scary. It helps, he thinks, to have a lot of things to rely on. That was one of the first things he learned, even before he met his mentor, Southwood. There's a lot out there, so it takes a lot to keep it at bay.

He also learned there are some out there who are friendly. The rat guided him to safety while dealing with ...

Chapter Three-Hundred Thirty-Nine

Teemo doesn’t elaborate for the three, mostly because I’m still deciding exactly what to do.  He just thanks them for me and sends them on their way, letting me focus on what I actually expect and can accomplish with some vigilantism.

It’s definitely something to be really careful about.  The Punisher or Rorchach might be cool in comics, but trying to do that in reality doesn't end well for anyone.  Any sort of interference in criminal activity will need to be non-l...

Chapter Three-Hundred Thirty-Eight

Now that’s new.  Most of the strong delvers go to the Forest of Four Seasons, but there’s a trio awkwardly standing in front of the manor right now.  I don’t recognize them, so they’re almost certainly part of the Earl’s guild.  Most of them act like troublemakers in class, glancing around and thinking the teacher doesn’t know what they’re up to.  But these three look more like a kid who learned of a bully’s plan and don’t know how to tell the teacher. 2025-03-04 02:35:38 +0000 UTC View Post

Peek: The Games Gods Play

Mortals know the gods are interested in them, though they can only guess as to why. Some believe the mortal world is a stage, with the gods as the audience, enjoying the unscripted play of life, cheering or booing as they see fit. Others say the gods are the highest of gossips, eagerly sharing scandals and trying to subtly influence mortal lives to produce something even juicier.

One of the more popular metaphors to explain their interest is that mortals are a game of chance and sk...

Chapter Three-Hundred Thirty-Seven

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Noynur

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A large orc sits in his room in the Calm Seas guild, dearly wishing he could calm his mind.  From the outside, he appears to be scowling at a large tome, perhaps the brute is frustrated at not being able to read the book he got off some unfortunate wizard.  From his perspective, he’s going over his meticulous notes, wondering how he could have missed so much.

He is no mere brute, only smart enoug...

Chapter Three-Hundred Thirty-Six

As much fun as I have designing deathtraps, I think the actual security measures will be pretty simple.  Convoluted puzzles, tight timers, and the like are fun, but at the end of the day, a door that only unlocks from the inside is still one of the most secure places out there.  The only real problem with a panic room is getting there when the panic hits.

I think it’ll be a lot easier for me, though.  I don’t need to go running down the halls and slip through the secr...

Peek: New Recruits

Karn's spring is busy, and he wouldn't have it any other way. Not only are the more experienced adventurers becoming even more experienced thanks to Thedeim, but the strange dungeon has created a new market to be served!

With hindsight, it probably should have been obvious. Thedeim fits the term 'cooperative' to a T. Even Karn, who is in the camp the Dungeoneers should either rename or break up the category, can't come up with a better way to describe how he runs his en...

Chapter Three-Hundred Thirty-Five

I’m glad to see the Earl seems to be on the back foot, even if that doesn’t mean he’s out of this fight.  Judging by the people he brought, and how quickly he’s getting his delving guild going, I think he meant to stomp in like he owned the place and change things over a couple days.  But the stunt with the tree seems to have thrown his plans out of whack, so he’s being a lot more subtle.

Which makes it all the more fun for me to not be subtle.  Pe...

Chapter Three-Hundred Thirty-Four

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Zorro

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The fox scion thanks his luck that he is spending his time outside rather than in right now.  The tree is awe inspiring, but the amount of work involved makes him very glad to be more involved with the subtler details of setting up an information network.

He’s even lucky enough to not need to try to figure it out all on his own.  It seems odd to learn from a scion of Thedeim’s protege, but the fungal spyma...

Peek: Conspiracy Theories

Noynur tries to keep the scowl off his face as he jogs his patrol around the Earl if'Gofnar's carriage. He's not trying to hide his displeasure for its own sake, but rather he's been told he looks positively murderous when he lets it show. Being practically the definition of an orcish barbarian makes a lot of people uneasy enough even without him looking actively unhappy.

He's just glad he's not here on his own. Both Jana, the foxkin archer, and Driough the elven mage agreed to come wit...