Furious Scribe

51. Basil - Sharing Souls

Chapter 51

Sharing Souls

By the time I recovered my wits, Hull was nowhere to be seen. I didn’t have the energy to chase after him or any idea as to where he had gone, so I rested on the steps to the match platform he had recently vacated. Some thoughtful sp...

50. Hull - The Little Death

Note: The Top 8 bracket from a few chapters back has been updated with an addition that gets mentioned later in this chapter, just in case anyone wants to go back and take a look.

Chapter 50

The Little Death

“Oh, it’s you,” Lustra said as I mounted...

49. Hull - Burning Bridges

Chapter 49

Burning Bridges

“Ah, it’s Hintal’s little pet again,” Throice said when I approached his family shop, squinting through some head-mounted device that magnified his eyes. 

I didn’t rip the thing off his head and beat him with it,...

48. Basil - Pincushion

Chapter 48

Pincushion

My match with Losum began on a high note and quickly devolved thereafter.

The crowd was smaller than usual but boisterous, and Fortune blessed me with a Water Source in my opening draw. Praying he’d favor me again at the end of the match, ...

47. Basil - Culling Cards

Note: Water Source Explosion has been adjusted slightly. The updated description can be seen here https://i.imgur.com/selI5u9.png?1

Chapter 47

Culling Cards

Watching Hull take Plut...

46. Hull - Mouthing Off

Chapter 46

Mouthing Off

Plutar was waiting for me on the boards, arms folded and face smug.

“I thought yoo might run away eenstead of face me,” he laughed. “Eet would have been ze smarter thing to doo.”

He’d have looked so much better with a blood...

45. Hull - Back to Basics

Note: Sorry it's a later in the day post than normal. Hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 45

Back to Basics

I spent the early part of the morning wandering from level to level, convinced that Gerad had bought up all the decent Healing Potions from every trader and shop in...

44. Basil - Gifts

Chapter 44

Gifts

I awoke with a slight headache, but otherwise refreshed and clear-eyed, none of the invasive visions I had experienced the night before clouding my sight. I was relieved, but also rather surprised that the Tears of Les hadn’t left me worse for wear, ...

43. Hull - Turnabout

Chapter 43

Turnabout

Basil dismissed his Order and sat bolt upright, clutching the Microburst card. “Hull, you can’t.”

“I can,” I said, crossing my arms.

“Hull,” he pled, holding it out to me. “This is more money than you’ll see in a year ...

42. Hull - Tears

Chapter 42

Tears

Esmi knocked again at Basil’s door. Her brow was creased with worry, but what really gave away her state of mind was the fact that her knuckles were leaving little round burn scars on the door. Her control of her soul ability was slipping, and that s...

41. Basil - Growing Pains

Chapter 41

Growing Pains

“What occurs when two duelists summon opposing Sources during the opening gambit of a match?” Tipfin asked. The trainer rested on the edge of a wide desk, a cup of tea poised near his lips to take sips from in-between his questions.

B...

40. Hull - A Little Experiment

Chapter 40

A Little Experiment

I wrenched my eyes away from dear old dad and his weird diamond-colored eyes to see Warrick pulling ineffectually on Afi’s arm. He was such a weedy thing that the ramrod straight girl didn’t budge in the slightest. The ruffles of his ...

39. Basil - Dinner for Ten

Chapter 39

Dinner for Ten

I walked arm-in-arm with Esmi through the halls of the Colosseum. We had gotten ready separately and then convened at Hull’s, who had managed to put himself together in a respectable fashion without the help of kobolds, impressing us both. W...

38. Hull - Smarter, Not Harder

NOTE: Here's the Source power list, for anyone that wants it: https://imgur.com/1loo0Ov

And here's the abilities list: https://imgur.com/7GJtMOf

C...

37. Basil - Soulless

Chapter 37

Soulless

The walk from Hull’s match platform to mine was a boisterous affair. I both could and couldn’t believe the wily scrapper had managed to pull out yet another win with a deck that had started with a mere two cards. All he needed was one more victo...

36. Hull - Fowl Play

NOTE: I continue to balance the cards as I make them, and sharp-eyed readers will notice that one of the Souls you've seen in an early battle shows back up here. Your eyes aren't deceiving you; it's been retconned to better match newly-existing cards. I went back and made sure the change doesn't alter the plays in the earlier match.

Here's the keyword sheet for anyone who wants it. https://imgur.com/7GJtMOf Enjoy!

<...

35. Basil - Resolutions

Chapter 35

Resolutions

A Source Explosion was when a Summoner chose to sacrifice whatever undrawn Source remained in their heart, destroying it for a time. Just as all Source Powers were unique, each had a different effect when spent in a singular burst. None were weak...

34. Basil - Earth vs Fire

Chapter 34

Earth vs Fire

After completing a few errands, I passed an updated bracket board in the Colosseum’s halls on my way to Esmi’s duel and immediately paused to inspect it.

2024-02-03 23:38:07 +0000 UTC View Post

33. Basil - Mindset

Chapter 33

Mindset

By the time the sun had fully risen I was already gone from my room.

Much like the night prior, my rest came in only a few short bursts interspersed with wild thoughts and planning of how to raise myself to previously unfathomable heights. Atre...

32. Hull - Practice, Practice

Chapter 32

Practice, Practice

“I hate you all over again,” the hustler sighed when I finished showing him my cards. “I’d kill my kid sister for a haul like this.” We were working our way through the honeycomb network of hallways tunneled into the recesses of ...

31. Hull - Juggling Act

Chapter 31

Juggling Act

The Mess Hall was a buzz of morning activity, and every server and functionary that hurried past in my peripheral vision made me flinch and jump. My stomach was in no shape for breaking fast, but I wasn’t so rattled that I’d forgotten the ba...

30. Interlude

Chapter 30

Interlude

Urgal stood on the cliff edge, looking at the expansive valley below him and even higher peaks in the distance. He was an honored forerunner to the Great Host, and just like all the days since the title had been bestowed upon him, he could see noth...

29. Hull - Old Friends

Chapter 29

Old Friends

I woke up in total darkness and felt a complete sense of dislocation. Something was on top of me, and I grappled it in desperate panic for a breathless moment before I realized it was only the soft, shapeless coverlet I was sleeping under. I was ...

28. Basil - True Wishes

NOTE: If you're reading this close to when it was first posted (Jan. 13), please be aware that I made a few changes to the previous chapter to better align the details of the Flinch Test with the rules of how damage works.

Chapter 28

True Wishes

The evening had t...

27. Hull - Like Father, Like Son

Chapter 27

Like Father, Like Son

My father the King strode back and forth on the stage like a peacock, the smug son of a bitch, and everyone in the crowd dropped to their knees with held breath, waiting for something amazing to happen. This is a Legendary Soul! 2024-01-10 01:39:54 +0000 UTC View Post