[Art/Writing] Jairus: Merry Christmas

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

Nuts. It's no fun taunting you when you're not here. :-(

[Jairus]

Well, I'm back... for the next twenty minutes until the Library closes, anyway. Okay, so now I'm going to post something I wrote last night...

Originally written on Friday, August 8th

Okay, so this would have been today's post, but since I don't have access right now I'm just gonna write it as if I was posting it normally... I think I have a problem, if you'll let me digress for a crossed-out moment...

You have no idea how bored I am right now. Given that I don't feel like plugging in my PS3 and I don't really watch much TV anymore (there's not much that's good on anymore), I've been watching my new Freakazoid DVDs and listening to some of my music that I haven't heard in a while (I had practically forgotten that I had Memory from Cats): ordinarily, I'd at least be looking up something on the TV Tropes Wiki or posting in the Ban Game. And I bet Boxy is having the time of his life without having to make sure I'm not driving people crazy. Aiyaiyai, I think I may be addicted to the Internet... or at least to the Clockwork Mansion Forums. Is there a twelve step program I can join? Internetics Anonymous or something like that?

... oh, it felt could to say all of that. Anyway...

Okay, tonight's topic is the Wyrm Species and the sub-races of the Saurians, Wyvern, and Low Dragons.

Wyrms
      Wyrms, in general, could be considered any warm-blooded lizard-like species. Their size ranges from only a few feet long to large enough to dwarf most other animals. Most of them are fairly intelligent. Offspring hatch from eggs, and most of them have family groups that they travel in or are at least affiliated with. Their sheer diversity makes it a little hard to pin them down, however. Their populations are also varied across worlds: some worlds only knew Saurians a long time ago, while others are practically ruled by Low Dragons, and yet others see a mix of the three. Please note that any similarities across worlds represent parallel evolution caused in part by the quasi-morphic field of the multiverse. Most Wyrms are little more than Beasts, though Creature Low Dragons are more common than Beast Low Dragons (more on this later). I think that they're still related closely enough to breed, or at least Saurians and Wyverns can still breed and Wyverns and Low Dragons can still breed (closer evolutionary pathways (like how humans are more closely related to chimps than they are to gorillas)).

Saurians
      The most common subspecies of Wyrms, the name Saurian should hint at what they are: dinosaurs. Really, do I need to go any deeper?
      Okay, fine. Essentially, a Saurian is a non-magical Wyrm that relies completely on natural physical abilities. Proto-avians tend to be lumped into the Saurian grouping, though this is variable. Most of them have some fairly impressive physical abilities, such as massive size or horns or claws or razor sharp teeth or incredibly speed. Incidentally, a few species have witchcraft-like abilities that some early witches may have learned to copy. They're tough to deal with, but normal weaponry can take them down with a little effort. On worlds without high-tech, magically-enhanced weapons and magic period are recommended to take them down. Most of them have certain loose "territories" that they stick to, and herbivores tend to have migration patterns while carnivores either hand out in families if they're small or are a little more sparse if they're big. They only attack when their territory is invaded in some way, or if they feel that something is a threat to them: cities and towns tend to be the ones with problems, while traveling groups also need to worry. Their breeding patterns also vary, but saurians mating for life is not unheard of. Saurians tend to be the first species of Wyrm to evolve on a world, unless something gets really screwed up.
      Pterosaurs and Ichthyosaurs and their ilk are cold-blooded lizards, and are not Saurians.
      Due to their relatively high-intelligence compared to most beasts, Saurians have proven capable of being tamed, and can work as mounts or steeds or farm animals with a little work. Some worlds use them completely in place of the horses and steer of other worlds: after all, there's not much more terrifying than a large Deinonychosaur in full armor with gleaming teeth and metal-sheathed claws rushing you with a saber-wielding armored knight on its back, though these tend to be specially bred for that purpose. Some people also keep them as pets, though it's advisable to go for the smaller omnivores or herbivores rather than the carnivores, even if they have been domesticated.
      Though sapient Saurians are rare, those that exist are considered Beings. I don't know if Saurians can use magic outside of sorcery. Actually, now that I think about it, that sounds about right. There might be some wizard sapient Saurians, but probably not.

Wyvern
      A general classification for a wyvern would be a Saurian that naturally can use some form of magical abilities. This might be a flame breath attack, or magically enhanced scales, or even the ability to fly. The flying variety seems to be the most common due to its advantages over its ground-bound relatives. Here, as with Saurians, the shapes and designs are incredibly varied, and it is here we start getting the more fantastical shapes. Aside from proto-avians, this is also where we start to see flying wyrms (after all, how easily can something the size of a building fly without some form of magic?). These are the guys where you really have to start breaking out the magical weapons - or at least the heavy firepower (can you say heat-seeking missile versus flame-breathing flying lizard?). They are formidable opponents, and battles over territory are very impressive... from a distance, anyway. Much like Saurians, they tend to have their own territories and roaming areas, with herbivores also following migration patterns (yes, herbivorous wyvern do indeed exist: they just tend not to make as much noise as the carnivores). To my knowledge, the most famous wyvern - the flying kind - do not have any members with six limbs: most only have their forelimbs as magic-enhanced wings with their back legs for walking. Wyvern are also dangerous beasts, and due to their slightly more erratic patterns compared to saurians, tend to cause more of a problem to towns and cities (well, an even bigger problem if you include their magical abilities). Wyvern are the more common type of "fantasy dragon," and show up on more magical worlds: they are believed to be the descendants of saurians raised in areas of high-magical energy. They tend to coexist fairly well with saurians, or at least as well as competitors for the same resources can. Part of the reason they haven't wiped out saurians yet is because Wyvern tend to have fewer offspring in a clutch, giving them a numbers disadvantage. Besides, one you get to close-range combat, and saurians - who rely completely on their physical abilities - have a major advantage over a race that is more used to using magic to attack.
      As for the whole domestication/taming thing... eurgh. These guys tend to be nightmares to tame, and to my knowledge only a handful of civilizations have actually domesticated a breed of Wyvern. Part of the problem is that they are every bit as stubborn as saurians, combined with fairly impressive magical abilities. They are extremely dangerous, and should only be approached by those with experience... or the suicidal. A tamed flying wyvern is the desire of many societies that deal with them, and those who have such a mount are typically regarded with great respect. As for the possibility of using them for farm work... hahaha, get serious.
      Though sapient Wyvern are rare, those that exist are considered Creatures. I don't think there are any Wyvern wizards, but I'm not certain. Go with any Wyvern mages being sorcerers, that just simplifies things.
      Nick's mecha-wyvern is of the winged forelimb type.
      Incidentally, I know that I'm talking about sapient saurians and wyverns, but they're about as rare as a sapient non-anthropomorphic dog. And yes, anthropomorphic animals (I use the general term Anthri, and most of them are Beings) exist in my multiverse, just not on Terra. They're legends on Terra to the point that a real-life anthropomorphic vixen leaves Nick slightly freaked out, while no-one believes the story told by a certain wandering mage that he actually met an anthropomorphic cat-boy. Basically, on Terra anthropomorphic animals exist only in cartoons, and not in real life. Sorry to all of my furry readers out there, if I have any. I'm not quite certain, to be honest. I know that I have a boxy reader (well, more like a "skimmer" or "lurker," but it's the thought that counts), but if anyone wants to confirm or deny... um, back on topic now. Hehe.

Low Dragons
      The distinction between Wyvern and Low Dragon is a tricky one (as is the difference between a Low Dragon and a High Dragon). A good method of measurement is the one that everyone else uses: sapience. Unfortunately, the existence of sapient wyvern (and the occasional appearance of a non-sapient vein of Low Dragons) complicates this definition, so we need to add to this a bit. Perhaps an even better definition would be the ability to use actual magic, but most Low Dragons are to be blunt terrible at it: sorcery is the vein of the day. (In a more meta-sense, the difference between a Wyvern and a Low Dragon is what I say it is.) Appearance-wise, Low Dragons are basically divided into western and eastern types, if that helps. In essence, Low Dragons (also known as Common Dragons) are the cliché fantasy dragon. All of them can fly, all of them have some form of breath or magic attack, all of them have some really impressive magical defenses... they're a nightmare to kill. Magical weaponry is needed to battle them, unless you happen to have the aforementioned ground-to-air heat-seeking missiles or some kind of aerial combat vehicle armed with air-to-air weaponry. Incidentally, the reason that most Low Dragons are sapient is because it proved to be a vital evolutionary aid: in essence, the sapient ones bumper their non-sapient cousins off.
      As for domestication... yeah right. Impossible. End of story. If a Low Dragon lets you ride them, it is because they allow it, not because you want to. You might have a few worlds where Low Dragons and Beings teamed up in a sort of dragon-rider thing, but the only thing a Low Dragon gains is someone on their back who can use real magic. They are loaded down with pride and egos bigger than they are, and they tend not to back down from fights. Low Dragons seem content to live in family groups or tribes, and have never really made any form of government. They also have a bit of a problem fitting into more normal society, in no small part due to their size and tendency to accidentally step on things... or people.

As for the difference between Low and High Dragons... High Dragons are all wizards, all gifted with shapeshifting and powerful magical abilities above and beyond Low Dragons, are practically immortal, can actually be killed and automatically be resurrected unless they... um, whoo, I almost gave away something with that last bit. Anyway, there's a few differences.

Okay, that looks like that's what I want to say... holy crud, it's like three and a third pages on my computer. Oh well. Hm, maybe for tomorrow's topic I'll talk about summoning magic, or enchanted objects, or maybe I'll have no idea and figure it out two minutes before I sit down to type it. That last one sounds good.

End Flashback
Okay, cool. That was last night's post, and tomorrow I'll post tonight's and that night's post. Lucky all of you...

Now, how do I change the tag?

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

Now, how do I change the tag?

Which tag? The one on the thread? Edit the first post.

[Jairus]

Yeah, I took care of it. Sheesh, another long one today.

Originally written on Saturday, August 9th

Same drill as "yesterday." This is being written Saturday afternoon/evening, and will hopefully be posted tomorrow (Sunday) afternoon, while I can write and post the real Sunday entry in the evening when I get back to my apartment.

Well, for "tonight," I was going to do a little short story involving a young woman who accidentally performs a dimension traveling spell and gets stuck on Terra and needs Nicks help her reverse-engineer the spell to figure out how to adapt it to work on Terra and then get her home, but since that's actually a part of Nick's past, I decided not to go into it. That, and aside from a few little segments I wasn't sure how I could do it. It was going to start...

It was supposed to be a dark and stormy night, but a miscast weather spell by a novice wizard earlier had left it clear and cloudless instead.

... but oh well.

Instead, I've decided to do a profile for my world's resident techno wizard and mad scientist, Nick. I figured that enough of his crap has been mentioned, I might as well talk about him for a bit. The profile template is still a modified version of Amber Williams.

Name: Nicodemus Justinian Cidney
nicknames: Nick, Nicky, Nick-Nick, Ninny, Nickles (Tarn's nickname for him), Nibbles
(another one from Tarn)
Age: 22
Family: Father (Elian Cidney)[Elf], Mother (Justine Price Cidney)[Human], older sisters (Katrina, Rosa, Margaret, Carol, Artemis, Cynthia)[Human], uncles/aunts/cousins/grandparents (lots of them, and they never show up in the story. Lucky for him.)
Marital Status: Single
Species: Hybrid Elf/Human Being
Type: Sorcerer
Hair color: Dirty blond/brown
Eye color: Blue/gray
Skills: Inventing, low-level sorcery, low-level witchcraft, high understanding of magic
Hobbies: Inventing, building, reading, research
Favorite Weapon(s): Cal/Caliburn; Omnidriver
Most known for: Being one of the foremost inventors on all of Terra. And wearing scarves.
Favorite food: Grilled cheese sandwiches.
Favorite color: Blue/Gray
Overview
Personality: Nick is practically the polar opposite of his best friend Cornelius. Whereas Cor is brash and in-your-face, Nick is shy and quiet, preferring to let his friends take center stage while he hides in the wings. The only times he comes out of his shell are when he is in the presence of those he feels comfortable with or when a particular subject has absorbed his attention. He can often be found hiding behind his friends (literally!) during situations that make him uncomfortable. On the other hand, this genius inventor truly cares for the friends that he has and is loyal to all of them. Inventing and gadgets are one of the things that interest him, and can often absorb all of his attention for days on end: his friends sometimes check up on him to make sure that he's still alive. To be fair, his sister's tend to suffer from this a bit as well. He also has a bit of an obsession with being recognized for his own inventions and accomplishments, and not for being related to his eight extremely successful and famous immediate family members: this also extends to his desire to not be seen as "cute." Besides his tendency of getting wrapped up in his latest project, he also tends to hide his feelings and insecurities behind his nerdy scientist act, and Cor has found that one way to encourage Nick to be more open and honest is to take his glasses off. He also likes scarves. A lot. That last bit might not be a fault.
History: Nick comes from a fairly large and well-meaning family that includes his six older Hybrid sisters all of whom take after their Human mother while he takes after their Elven father (I think I talked about Hybrid genetics at some point... crud, I might not have *adds it to the list of future topics*). All of them are - and were - successful in their chosen careers (all of which were either difficult or dangerous or highly technical), meaning that from a young age he's always somewhat measured himself against his family. On the other hand, he also had to deal with not only being the youngest of seven siblings, but also the only boy among them, especially a boy who for about half of his life has been smaller than most everyone he knows. All of this added up to a number of confidence issues that plague him to this day, and also means that he's only kept a few really close friends over his life. It was shortly after making his first real friend (Cor) that he started to apply some real attention to his hobby of tinkering with various gadgets and devices, which he managed to turn into a full-blown inventing career shortly after leaving the Academy: most of his friends are fairly confident that he is extremely wealthy by this point.
Trivia: (Just a warning: there's a bit of it)
• Only Nick's friends and family call him "Nicky." Everyone else calls him Nicodemus or Nick.
• Nick and his "company" N-Tech specialize in non-magical and magitek gadgets, all of which are designed to be used by anyone, regardless of magical ability. No gadget is more expressive of this mentality than the SCINs (already discussed).
• Nicky prefers to dress in blues and grays and blacks (kind of like me). The scarves that he wears, on the other hand, are much more colorful and tend to have repeating patterns of some kind. (Incidentally, I don't wear scarves)
• Nicky tends to tinker with and enhance his friend's weaponry, although he always gets their permission or is asked to do so by his friends first.
• Nicky's "thinking glasses" (Cor's term for them) are actually unneeded, since his eyesight is nearly perfect. They mostly exist so that he can put them on when he wants to look smart and take them off when he wants to say something dramatic. Cor talking him into doing both of those things. They do have a number of modifications, however, so they do count as gadgets.
• While Nick's understanding of magic is impressive, his problem is that he can't collect magical energy very well. What little witchcraft he knows is also more focused on defensive and healing abilities, rather than attacking.
• Nicky is a skeptic, and tends not to trust in prophecies or wild magic or stuff of that nature. This includes gods.
• He replaced his Multidriver with a gadget he calls an Omnidriver about four years ago.
• Cor is one of the only people who knows that Nicky lost his virginity when he was seventeen. To his chagrin, Nicky doesn't remember any of the event in question, in no small part thanks to the fact that he was drunk at the time. Coincidentally, this is also where he learned that he was not very good at holding his alcohol.
• When Nicky gets nervous, he tends to play with the end of his scarf. When he's really nervous, he'll also scratch the back of his head. Incidentally, how he wears the scarf is a good indication of his mental status: when he's confident he tends to throw one end over his shoulder, but when he's worried about something he tends to let both ends of the scarf hang down his front. Tying the scarf around his neck (sort of like an Ascot) generally means that he's about to pull out some gadget or another in a suitably dramatic fashion: one thing that he's picked up from Cor over their twelve years of friendship is an appreciation for the heroic flair.
• As an elf, Nicky - like his father - is blessed (though he would call it a curse) with a youthful appearance and short stature (at 3'9," Nicky is actually fairly tall for an elf). Despite his age, he looks a lot like an eight or nine year old. He hates it.
• Despite disliking being thought of as "cute," he still tends to give his inventions "safe" or "cute" names: see Skipper, the giant mecha-wyvern, or Bob (his nickname for the CPC).
• Nicky also has a friendly rivalry with his friend Tarn, a dwarf who seems to know exactly what buttons to press to get on his nerves. Then again, she knows everyone's buttons.
• On the few occasions that he has actually cooked, he's demonstrated a bit of skill for it: in his words "there's not much to it, it's just like building something."
• In addition to being a Modern Magic practitioner, Nicky has a solid working knowledge of his world's types of Arcane magic. Thanks to his experiences with an accidental dimensional traveler, he also has some knowledge of the workings of the Arcane magic of another world, though this has little practical value because that world's arcane magic doesn't work on Terra.
• His sister's nickname of "Ninny" for him comes from when he was a baby. They called him "Nick-Nick," and he could never pronounce the hard "k" sound, so it always came out "Ni-ni." They just abbreviated it to "Ninny."
Personal Quote: "Working on it!" or "Fantastic!" – generally said in connection to one another

Jeez, I need to organize that trivia a little better.

Meta trivia fact: he is named after two of my favorite characters from one of my favorite movies when I was a kid, The Secret of NIMH (it should be obvious which two). In-universe, he is named after the ancient ruler Emperor Nicodemus the First, and both of his parents (Justine and Elian). As for Cidney, as I mentioned under Elian's entry he's named after both Cid from Final Fantasy and Sidney, a name that I originally was using as his middle name. Also, "Cidney" looks like a fantasy spelling for a name, so I get to have fun with that. Incidentally, Nick and Cor are loosely based off of two older characters from another story idea of mine (I've got a few up here in my head). Obviously, the original Corey wasn't a four-winged adventurer with a five-foot-long greatsword, and the original Nick wasn't a twenty-two year old Elf. But Corey has always been the more confident one, and Nick has always been the inventor... though this version of Nick won't be building a time machine or founding a group called the Temporal Investigations Agency at some point in the future... ahem, moving on.

And yes, I'm poking fun at the whole the elf/dwarf rivalry from modern fantasy through Nicky/Tarn. Fear my childish pokes at Tolkeinian lore. Muawahahahaha.

Hm, I have no idea what to do for "tomorrow." Oh well, I'll figure it out. I should do another tech page soon, there's still a few more things he's invented or worked on to mention/talk about. Or maybe a species profile for elves, humans, and dwarves, or something like that. Or some more profiles, period. Or finally start talking about hybrid genetics. Or a breakdown of the six types of familiars... oi vey, I'm probably insane.

Four solid freaking pages. Sheesh. Okay, Q's? Ideas for Tarn's nicknames for Nicky?


And Boxy, I never knew that you cared.

*end flashback*

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

I thought you knew? I watch everyone, all the time. ;-]

[Fragmaster01]

I thought you knew? I watch everyone, all the time. ;-]

llearch is Santa Claus? It all makes sense!
Hmm, how about the hybrid genetics for the next one?

[Pagan]

No! I wanna know more about this Tarn person.
Oh, and I'm back.
I would try to comment on everything that you've said since I was out, but I don't think my brain could handle it right now, sorry, so I'll just say some stuff on your characters and Nick in particular.

You said that there were some striking parallels between the characters of your story and DMFA, I guess you weren't kidding. Are the characters as similar to their cross-multiverse twins, or will they be played a bit differently by your pen?
Nick looks like a kid? Jeez, bad draw. I have the impulse to say something about Nick's loss of virginity, but everything in my head seems to be in bad taste.

[Jairus]

I thought you knew? I watch everyone, all the time. ;-]

That makes me feel all warm and squishy...

Hmm, how about the hybrid genetics for the next one?

I'll get on it.

No! I wanna know more about this Tarn person.

In short, Tarn is the traditional fantasy dwarf reinterpreted for the modern era. Instead of hacking her way through things, she just terrorizes or blackmails. She figures out what buttons to press, and then presses them when she needs you to do something. Or for giggles. She might be evil, but at least she's evil on the good guy's side. At a certain level, everyone is afraid of her, but Nick is probably the only one who has figured out her button, and she knows it. She also knows that he'll never press it because it's such a sensitive issue for her. Which is probably why she heaps her abuse on him. I'll give her a profile at some point.

You said that there were some striking parallels between the characters of your story and DMFA, I guess you weren't kidding. Are the characters as similar to their cross-multiverse twins, or will they be played a bit differently by your pen?

Well, I guess it's because both Amber and myself needed similar characters. Corey is loosely based on another character called Treyl (he actually has his own story, and I'll get some info up about that as some point... I might post a quick thing tonight even) who has an older sister-like-figure that could be considered the ancestor of Franny (except Franny's "twin" is a sorcerer of no small skill and is much calmer and more sedate than her "twin"). He's also kind of based on the traditional video game character, so it's kind of an examination of what happens after one of these twenty-somethings saves the world and retires. A loose version of Nick actually exists in pretty much every world of mine: the shy timid inventor who does and builds what he can to help his friends out (To my knowledge, none except the original Nicodemus Foreman (his old original name back when he was a future time traveler) share his name of Nick) and who gradually grows into himself as the story goes along (or is a villain). These inventor characters also tend to be either older or younger than the rest of the cast, but I don't know why (and they wear glasses or goggles, but that's just a fashion statement). Ariel could be considered my big gun or GMPC or Deus ex Machina with self-imposed limits who is more than they seem (Dreksa is actually the one from that other story). Aside from the main characters (who I just sort of touched on), most of them are either substantially different or drawn from the traditions of fantasy literature or fantasy video games. In short, we're drawing on similar material, as far as I can tell, and some of the prototypes for these characters have actually existed since I was in fifth grade! Nick is also loosely based on the tag-a-long kid in a group of heroes that everyone hates (the "Scrappy," if you will), but so far I'm trying to avoid Scrappydom in terms of him: part of the trick is that he knows he's not a good fighter, so he stays behind at the city and works on his inventions to help them out (which is not to say that he's not working on ways to make him a better fighter...). Any helpful suggestions to avoid him becoming a Scrappy?
      The thing about my writing style is that it's a little bit subversive/parodic. Imagine a fantasy series with a retired half-dragon hero, a half-demon girl, an adopted boy with a mysterious past, adventures with demonic pirates and demonic ninja, and strange portals to weird worlds and all of the weird things that congregate around magic... except that ultimately it's about four people trying to live a "normal" life and the magical setting is just a part of everyday life for them. Or a world where the book ends with a peace treaty between the "noble" conquered kingdom and the "evil" empire and the "good" republic, while the "true" heir to the kingdom's throne that everyone from some mongrel on the street to the gods themselves have been looking for honestly doesn't care for the power and simply walks away from it all at the end without ever having claimed it in the first place. Or a story where the mysterious orphan with the ancient and mystical sword whose father is completely unknown turns out not to be related to the big bad after all and is really just some random kid who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or a story where the ancient and mystical blade that chooses it's one true master to wield and control it in an effort to save all of existence from some cosmic horror that would make Chthulhu put on pants so he could crap them is actually being wielded by the wrong chosen one...
      In this case, it's kind of a parody of video game plots and heroic literature and high fantasy. Most of the time we see the characters, they're not on some grand adventure, they're arguing about their bar tab. The noble angelic hero with the massive sword is constantly being browbeaten by his friends and saves the day because he's bored with the usual routine. The long prophesied seventh-child-of-a-seventh-child Wizard is actually a poor sorcerer who doesn't believe in folklore like that and prefers working with technology (you might want to forget that last sentence there). You've got super high-tech right next to swords and suits of armor (and Nick is part of the reason why). Heroes wander the wilderness looking for adventures and waiting for them to drop into their laps, rather than simply being there to start one. The elf and the dwarf are actually good friends, and their rivalry is based only on themselves, and doesn't represent some species-wide thing. The magical hammerspace hammer is actually stored in an artificial pocket dimension that only it's preset wielder can access. Most of the temples and tombs have been long-since emptied of anything of value (though a few still exist... in really dangerous places that no one has come back from alive or recognizable). Magical swords and weapons - complete with names - are everywhere. High-tech weapons are just as good of a way of dealing with rampaging monsters as a giant sword or lance. There's sort of this element of parody about the whole thing... and considering that the big overarching plot that some of the characters are in on actually has little to do with Terra itself, that might be the biggest parody of them all: after all, the world's important to these characters, but in the long run Terra's not even a crucial step in whatever is going on. Or is it...?
      Arguably, the biggest difference in the long-term plot is that while some of Amber's characters seem to be plotting the demise of the dragon race, my characters are plotting to somehow bring them back... or at least bring back the Knights of the Realm...

Nick looks like a kid? Jeez, bad draw. I have the impulse to say something about Nick's loss of virginity, but everything in my head seems to be in bad taste.

Well, somewhat. Basically, elves are about the size of a normal 8-10 year old human, puberty for them hits about that age or slightly above and somewhat, and it mainly alters their proportions. He is about the size of a nine year old, but if you look closer at him you can see that he's an adult, although if he's anything like his dad he won't be able to grow a beard until he hits thirty or so. However, like all elves he is also blessed/graced/cursed with a youthful appearance and good looks. If you've ever read/watched Negima!, then you have a good idea of what Nick (and his dad, for that matter) go through fairly often just by watching the main character. It really does suck, ultimately. But really, ask a few more questions about this if you want some more info.
      As for the virginity thing, to the two of them it never happened. To be blunt, both of them agreed the next morning that they wouldn't have had sex if they weren't drunk, and that despite their friendship they just didn't feel that way about each other. They mutually agreed that to them, it would be as if it never happened, and Nick only told Corey because the two of them have been friends for so long, and because Corey kept bugging him about what was bothering him. To my knowledge, she never mentioned it again. They also haven't seen each other since then. Sure, they probably didn't react well, but they were basically teenagers and really had no idea what to do. What were you thinking, out of curiosity? You can PM me if you want.

Hm, I might be a little too tired to post a big entry tonight. Oh well, at least I got something out. Yay. Hybrid genetics at some point, I promise. It's still being worked out, just a warning... oh, and more questions, please, this is fun!

[Pagan]

I wasn't saying anything bad in my earlier post, only noting, just to make my intentions clear. And now that you've said what you have, your characters do sound more interesting. You made Nick to be an annoyingless Scrappy? Very interesting, I wouldn't have thought of that. My characters, at the moment at least, are what the plot demands them to be. They have the necessary motivations and therefore the story progresses and such. How to avoid being annoying? I'm not sure, but you're a veteran troper, I'm certain you have a good idea of where the lines are.

I've kinda realized it's a bit difficult to comment on character profiles. At least for me, nothing really seems to jump out at me.

[Jairus]

I wasn't saying anything bad in my earlier post, only noting, just to make my intentions clear.

No worries.

And now that you've said what you have, your characters do sound more interesting. You made Nick to be an annoyingless Scrappy? Very interesting, I wouldn't have thought of that. My characters, at the moment at least, are what the plot demands them to be. They have the necessary motivations and therefore the story progresses and such. How to avoid being annoying? I'm not sure, but you're a veteran troper, I'm certain you have a good idea of where the lines are.

Well, more like set him up to be like that character, yet simultaneously save him from it and subvert it. Nick knows what he can and can't do, and doesn't feel the need to be the center of attention (always a bonus). Yes, he's working on a way (actually a few ways) in order to be more useful, but to be honest that doesn't pick up for a while and currently it's more of a "I might need this later" rather than an "I will need this later." He also did kind of go through that Scrappy-like phase of wanting to fight the monsters when he was younger, but by the time we've met him he's long grown out of it. He's just not an adventurer like his dad, and he knows it. To be fair, I do have a few Crowning Moments of Awesome in mind for him... let's just say that Skipper is involved in one of them and leave it at that. And I'm not sure, but I hope I catch the really annoying bits before I get to them, or at least have him learn from them.
      As for their flaws, they all start with some problems, and as they solve old ones or fix them they tend to gain new ones. Nick seems to attract the most trouble, unfortunately... maybe the universe never got the memo that he wasn't a wizard? As for the plot, I've got an idea of where it's going to go, but I have a feeling that they'll change something at some point...

I've kinda realized it's a bit difficult to comment on character profiles. At least for me, nothing really seems to jump out at me.

*shrugs* Just try. Ask questions, or for clarifications. If it won't give away the plot, I'll tell you. Or I'll say so. I've dropped a few hints as to what he's been up to...

... actually, how about I post something that I edited out of Nick's profile when I posted it. It's a list of some of the other things he's been working on (I didn't give you everything last time):

Wolkenritter 2.0, the Vulcan system, Massebrecher, the Switch-key, the CPC, Chernabog the Vorpal Fury, the Digital Encrypted Multidriver, the Omnidriver, the hover board, the Bonded Fuel Generator, the Transit crystal, Schwarz and Weiß and their cousin weapons, a bizarre hybrid Arcane magic system, his glasses... [etc.]

Does that help raise a few questions?

I'll hopefully get something up about hybrid rules later today... tonight. Hopefully. No promises.

[Pagan]

Yes, I do suddenly have questions. And they're oddly are tech related (I must be channeling Glitch tonight). His glasses, you said they do *something.* What? What are all these drivers you keep mentioning? Chernabog, you've never even mentioned that one, and the same thing goes for Schwarz. I've got an idea about the "Transit Cyrstal," but I want to hear it from your mouth. And why should I be interested in a hybrid Arcane system?

Gaah... but I've got one more.

Where did you get the name Massebreche and the other interesting ones?

[Jairus]

I'll answer the Massebrecher question tonight, and the rest tomorrow. It's late, and I've got class in the morning.

Massebrecher is basically German for "Mass Crusher," and it's supposed to be a joking reference to the "Gaia Crusher" attack used by the Bolt Gundam from G Gundam. It's also a reference to the anime hammer, the Banhammer, the Goldion Gammer/Crusher, Vita's Graf Eisen, Subaru's Mach Caliber, some old ideas from wanting to see dual wielding hammers after playing Super Smash Brothers on the N64, the Walloper and the Scorpion Flail from the Ratchet and Clank series... basically, Massebrecher is every big crushing weapon compressed into one thing. And I gave it to the one with anger issues.


The rest... tomorrow. Good night.

As for why you should be interest in a Hybrid-Arcane system... the short answer is that Nick's the first new person to do it in about four thousand years. The long answer is simply that Nick is aware of the existence of parallel universes before most of the other characters are. It's complicated... and plot-teaseriffic!

[Jairus]

Okay, let's do a new tech page! Some hybrid genetics tonight... hopefully!

And remember that these are his "big" inventions: the little ones don't generally warrant mention in lists like this (though I do mention one or two).

Wolkenschneider 2.0: A planned upgrade for the currently outdated Wolkenschneider to bring its tech more in line with Nick's current accomplishments. Currently, the designs are little more than planned specifications. Nick intends to include not only all of Wolkenschneider's current abilities, but also include the inter-dimensional component storage capabilities of Massebrecher and the other weapons of their type, including the powerful self-repair abilities that they share: Nick also has plans for something called "Lance Mode." Some of Caliburn's tech might be included as well. Nick is also considering adding AMP Tech to the design, but this is still in the concept phase. Cornelius is also being consulted on the new design. It is important to note that 2.0 is still barely in the design phase, and these specifications might change, including the 2.0 designation. It is also worth noting that the original Wolkenschneider has had a few upgrades over the years, but this will be considered the first major upgrade. 2.0 will also be compatible with the Vulcan system, thanks to a number of planned hardpoints.

Vulcan system: A planned upgrade for Wolkenschneider 2.0, Project SSS "Vulcan" draws it's codename from Cornelius' nickname for his sword. All information about the Vulcan is currently either classified or in a variable phase of it's design, but two things are known for certain. One, a piece of the Vulcan will incorporate Nick's new PermAMP system. Two, Nick has commented that it might be difficult for Cor to wield it in it's current planned configuration, given that Cor is at least four arms short of the necessary limbs to wield both Wolkenschneider and Vulcan...

PermAMP: A development from AMP Tech, all information on PermAMP is strictly classified.

Shell: Nick's term for the robots he had designed to help him in the lab. They are purely technologically driven, and are powered by a high-efficiency battery system that Nick is attempting to develop a replacement for at this time. All of them share an identical spindly inner frame design, which is then modified by the addition of specialized components. Generally, if Nick needs a new specialized function, he'll just build a new component set. The current set of humanoid Shells are the Mark 3 units: the Mark 1's were little more than mobile robotic arms, while the Mark 2's were basically robotic torsos and arms on wheels. Nick only has about six of them that he swaps equipment on, though he's designed an automatic system to do it for him. Currently, his primary units are Shell Basic (normal configuration: incidentally, able to collapse it's legs to use a built in set of wheels to improve stability), Shell Arm (designed to move heavy equipment), Shell Maintenance (designed to repair and maintain equipment), and Shell Constructer (a heavier subtype of Shell Maintenance, designed to help him build things), though he has about half-a-dozen more models. When activating, Shells state their current configuration and then their status: for example "Basic, online!" Nick is currently working on a modification called Goliath, information on which is strictly classified.

Massebrecher: A variable weapon developed for Francine Ran Sorato, Massebrecher was designed not only to replace Franny's destroyed War hammer, but also fit her own fighting style. Massebrecher is technically a proto-Familiar, though it incorporates a lot of tech that somewhat define normal Familiars. It is able to store its parts in an interdimensional pocket accessed through the core that always remains in this dimension. Like all Familiars, it powers itself by drawing a small amount of power from it's magical wielder (Familiars can be held and used as weapons by anyone, but only a magic wielder can actually assemble and properly wield a Familiar). While in storage, it is able to automatically repair itself through Fix spells to make it ready for the next use. Massebrecher has two main modes: Hammer Mode and Impact Mode, either of which can be summoned and assembled whenever Francine wants. Impact mode consists of a pair of waldo-like gauntlets (with the right gauntlet being slightly larger than the left) designed to let Franny handle or smash almost anything: it also includes a strength-enhancing spell to allow her to actually punch through concrete. The waldos are surprisingly maneuverable and gentle for all of their power, as Franny has demonstrated by doing origami with them. Hammer Mode has the gaunlets connect at the arms (with the fists outwards) and extend a large handle from the right gauntlet (which is why it's slightly bigger), making what is essentially a war croquet mallet. This mode also has a strength-enhancing spell, and is more designed for anti-installation and anti-armor combat rather than direct physical combat. Massebrecher also has a Limiter placed on it that prevents it from using it's third mode, Crusher Mode. Crusher Mode has never been used outside of testing.

Switch-Key: One of Nick's earlier gadgets, he made this before he ever met Cor. The multi-tool sized Switch-Key was based on his dad's lock picking kit, and is basically an automatic clockwork lock-pick that could handle most locks that existed when Nick was a kid. The name "Switch-Key" was given to it by Elian, who observed that the little cogs and bits of metal flippling into position looked like a switchblade opening: he jokingly suggested calling it a "keyblade," but Nick pointed out that it wasn't really a blade. The Switch-Keys Mark was eventually replaced in Nick's arsenal of gadgets by the Keydriver, and then the Omnidriver.

Keydriver: One of Nick's first multi-tools, the Keydriver used a combination of magnetics and force fields to unlock any kind of mechanical lock. The device wasn't very efficient, but Nick realized that he could reconfigure it into a multitool-like gadget, and replaced it with the Multidriver.

Digital Encrypted Multidriver: Nick's first real multitool, the Multidriver had about twenty-five different functions built into it, all of them dependent on a variety of mechanical functions without magic of any kind. In addition to acting as a key, it could also tighten or loosen screws, cut metal, weld (well, spot weld, but still impressive), freeze mechanical components in other gadgets, perform "percussive maintenance," act as a flashlight, and due to it's lack of magic could function in an anti-magic field. The device used a compact fuel cell to power it, and had enough charge for three hours of use and three days of standby charge. The device was about the size of a large pen, and Nick would actually keep it in his shirt pocket alongside his pen: on one occassion when Nick and Cor were captured on one of Cor's adventures, the guards missed the Multidriver and Nick was able to use it to help them escape. The Multidriver went through five versions before he replaced it with the Omnidriver: Multidriver Mark V was retroactively dubbed the Omnidriver Mark 0 after the Omnidriver Mark 1 was built. Nick has no plans to build further Multidrivers. Interestingly, one of Nick's nicknames (though he doesn't use it much) is "the Doctor," given to him by someone who said that the Multidriver reminded him of a TV show she had watched when she was a child.

Omnidriver: Nick's current multi-tool, the Omnidriver was designed to basically replace every one of Nick's tools under normal conditions. The Omnidrivers are powered by Bonded Fuel Generators, a recharcheable battery that constantly recharges itself whenever it's not being used: the invention and inclusion of this is what helped divide the Multidrivers from the Omnidrivers. The name Omnidriver comes from the fact that they have significantly greater functionality than the Multidrivers: as Nick notes an Multidriver only had about three dozen uses, while Omnidrivers have at least "101," including the ability to fix and repair mechanical components, perform a variety of different scans, and crack almost any kind of lock - even electronic ones. The sheer functionality of an Omnidriver cannot be underestimated, especially since Nick has basically replaced every tool in his collection with a single one (he still has all of his old tools, however, just in case). Moreover, Nick's inventiveness means that he can figure out new ways of using the little gadget. Nick has had some problems with the Omnidrivers over the years. The BFG core can run out of juice if it is used for too long, but more recent versions have somewhat fixed this, though it is far from having an "eternal" power source. It cannot work on biological material, and it cannot affect magic either. The Mark 1 was little more than a Multidriver, though Nick built it's components into a cylindrical tube rather than a box. The Mark's 2 through 4 simply added to the functionality of the Mark 1, while it steadily increased in size. The Mark 5 was an attempt to compact the design and make it easier to work with by making it slightly larger than the original Mark 1 but retaining all of the Mark 4's uses, but unfortunately this left it fragile and easy to damage: as Nick noted, any form of "percussive maintenance" would leave it broken. The Mark 6 was largened slightly in order to "harden" the design, although it didn't add any new features. The Mark 7 is the current unit that Nick uses, and he is currently developing a Mark 7-2 as a sort of "Mass-production" version, though it is functionally identical to the normal Mark VII (to be honest, all he's doing is giving it a color change). He also occasionally has mini-upgrades for his Omnidrivers: these are noted by the addition of a period and an extra digit at the end (e.g. 5.2).

Bonded Fuel Generator: An outgrowth of TF Reactor technology, the BFG is essentially a tiny fusion cell and battery. While the exact mechanism by which it works is unknown, if is a completely technological device and uses no magic whatsoever. Nick constructed it during one of his "episodes." The device currently only works at the small scale, and is not efficient enough to build up to scale. Moreover, any device using it only technically has enough power to work for twenty minutes or so, but since the system is constantly recharging itself it has a theoretically unlimited usage: anything using this system can be run down, however. Currently, only Nick's watch, the Omnidrivers, some of Nick's smaller gadgets, and a few subsystems in Roland are powered by BFGs, though he is currently designing larger units to provide backup power for Skipper, the lab, and also completely power the Shells. Nick constructed the original model in one of his "episodes," and spent a few weeks working out exactly how it worked. Unlike the TF Reactor, Nick is a little more willing to release this tech at some point in the future, though he's sitting on it for a few years until he can increase it's efficiency.

CPC: Nicknamed "Bob," all information on the CPC is strictly classified.

Chernabog the Vorpal Fury: Although all information on the project (codenamed Project Fluffy) is classified, some information can be gleaned from Nick's experiments and research. Whatever Project Fluffy is, it involves a fusion of Arcane Summon magic and Modern Summon magic, as well as research into the nature of phantoms, the soul, the nature of "stable" wild magic, and research into a long-deceased monster referred to as the Vorpal Fox. Outside of a single mention of "Fluffy" about two years ago, Nick has not mentioned whatever it is about or whether his research was fruitful.

Hover board: Minor tech at best, the Hover Board is basically a modern version of an enchanted broomstick. This bit of tech has been released to the general public. It's flight ceiling is no more than a few inches, and most models are essentially foot-powered, but it's one of Nick's earliest mass-released products and still one of his most popular.

Transit Crystal: A bit of lost technology that Nick's father Elian discovered about forty-five years ago but was unable to do anything with, Nick recovered the Transit Crystal about two years ago. All research indicates that the crysta was once a part of an array of some kind in order to power and run it. While the technology and magic backing the crystal up are far in advance of Terra, Nick has been able to gradually reverse engineer it, which has not only helped him with his own achievements, but has also allowed him to figure out how it works. As far as he can tell, it is a part of an interdimensional transport network that belonged to an ancient lost civilization. While most of the crystals seem to have been designed for planetary travel only with a well-hidden main crystal allowing it to link to other universes, Nick is figuring out how to boost the signal and connect to other transit crystals out there. Though the crystal and the rig he has designed to replace the original array is not yet working, Nick remains confident that he shall succeed in making a connection at some point in the near future... or at least to the point that he can communicate with other universes. Part of his interest in getting it working again is because he wants to once again meet the interdimensional traveler that he helped get back home four years ago, though he is also interested in learning more about other universes. Interestingly, Nick's friends know about this project, but secretly are worried that there might not be another crystal to recieve his signal.

Schwarz and Weiß: A pair of matched guns that Nick built as a gift for his father, Shwarz and Weiß are proto-familiars like a lot of his weapons tech. In addition to being able to fire normal and magic-charged bullets, they can also "fire" spells. The current version of the two also has three additional combat modes: Dagger mode, Shotgun mode, and Rifle mode, all of which specialize in different types of attacks. They have never actually been used in real combat, but Elian practics with them regularly in the event of them being needed.

Glasses: Nick's glasses are essentially a prop that he wears to encourage his "nerdy scientist" persona. However, due to his slight obsession with technology, he has made a few modifications to them. The wrap-around earpiece on the left temple piece is designed to link to Cal and allow Nick to access information covertly should he need it. The glasses also have a built in scan feature to help point out magic or flaws in material, but the Omnidriver is a far superior tool for scanning for flaws. The earpiece also acts as part of a mobile communications device, so he can contact almost anyone through Cal and his lab. The glasses can darken to the point that he can use them as welding goggles, though he prefers to wear real welding goggles when he has a chance. However, his favorite feature has to be that the lenses darken automatically upon exposure to bright sunlight, meaning that he doesn't need to worry about carrying a pair of sunglasses with him all the time. He actually doesn't use most of the built-in gadgets: he just feels better having them.

Hybrid Arcane Magic System: A truly bizarre example of Nick's talents, this hybrid system was developed in order to return an interdimensional traveler to her home. The problem was that the spell that brought the young sorcerer to Terra by accident was designed with her home world's arcane system, meaning that it didn't work on Terra (in Nick's words, it was like trying to run a gasoline engine with diesel: it just wouldn't work). Nick and the other sorcerer worked together for about a month or so using the grimoire she'd brought with her (that included a large collection of her world's spells) in order to reverse-engineer that magic system of her home world, and then construct an adaptor spell from Terra's arcane magic system in order to power the original teleportation spell. The hybrid system was succesful in returning her home, but the two of them agreed that it would be too dangerous to attempt that particular spell again. Nick's efforts with the transit crystal are partially based on a desire to find out what happened to her afterwards. As a result of this knowledge, Nick could theoretically adapt many of the spells of that world to fit his world, though since she took the grimmoire this is theoretical at best. One minor note about this is that the two of them are among the few individuals who have succesfully hybridized two different arcane magic systems together.

Oy, almost five solid freaking pages! That's a page longer than the last tech entry! And yes, the Multidrivers/Omnidrivers are a reference to the good Doctor. And I'm sorry Fragmaster, I thought I could write this up faster and get something on hybrids posted, but it doesn't look like it's gonna happen tonight. I'll try to get something up tomorrow. And there's still a few other weapons I could mention, but those'll probably get lumped in with a general tech page, and not a Nick Tech Page.

Okay, questions? Come on, ask 'em. Please?

[Pagan]

Oh jeez... you went all out, didn't ya? I think what I liked most was the progression of the keys and drivers.

So... I guess you can't talk too much about it, but great jeebity, how big is the finalized Vulcan supposed to be?

Just as a reminder, TF was the magic furnace correct? And AMP was the particle by-product of the TF?
I smell plot on the Transit Cyrstal and the Hybrid system.
And for all the lack of information on Chernabog, I'm more curious about it now. "Stable" wild magic?

[shadowterm]

I find the mixing of Jyrras' Personality and Doctor Who like gadgets to be slightly genius. Especially seeing as most of it is still unique enough to not be considered stolen. (If that sounded sarcastic, it wasn't. Sorry if it read that way.)

[Jairus]

I find the mixing of Jyrras' Personality and Doctor Who like gadgets to be slightly genius. Especially seeing as most of it is still unique enough to not be considered stolen. (If that sounded sarcastic, it wasn't. Sorry if it read that way.)

Ouch. I don't quite know how to take that.

Oh jeez... you went all out, didn't ya? I think what I liked most was the progression of the keys and drivers.

I feel that the important gadgets need a history behind them, to make it clear that Nick doesn't just pull this stuff out of his butt, and that most of these gadgets are works in progress. For example, I already know that the Mark 8 Omnidriver will include a Bio Lock (I'll talk about this in a second), while the Mark 9 will abandon the pen-like shape and become a glove/gauntlet thing that Nick wears on his right hand and activates by aiming his index and middle finger at whatever machine he's trying to manipulate. That's right: he'll fix machines and unlock doors and control machinery just by pointing at something.

So... I guess you can't talk too much about it, but great jeebity, how big is the finalized Vulcan supposed to be?

Well, Wolkenschneider is about five or so feet long (it's every stereotypical fantasy RPG giant sword), and Vulcan is designed to attach to it... let's just say that Vulcan is designed to allow Cor to completely alter his combat strategy and make up for Wolkenschneider's strategic weaknesses.

Just as a reminder, TF was the magic furnace correct? And AMP was the particle by-product of the TF?

Yep. Yep. Technically, it's called an AM Particle, while the derivatives of it are called AMP Tech.

I smell plot on the Transit Cyrstal and the Hybrid system.

The Transit Crystal is a bit tricky. On the one hand, it's his reverse engineering of it that allows him to make so many incredible advancements on par with the civilization that built the crystal in the first place. On the other hand, it might be the ultimate example of a little thing called Chekov's boomerang, which is a bit like Chekov's gun (if you know the expression) except that it gets fired twice...
      As for the Hybrid system... it just means that Nick understands a lot about magic and how it works, even though he can't do it very well. It also means that Nick is intimately aware of the existence of other universes (well, one other universe, but he can kind of guess from there) before most of the other characters are. It is notable that ever since that month or so of work to develop an adaptor for that spell, pretty much every single bit of magitek in his collection was designed using the modern magic system, meaning that it'll work anywhere that there's magic. The hybrid system was really only developed for that one particular spell, so it's not like it's of any practical value anymore.

And for all the lack of information on Chernabog, I'm more curious about it now. "Stable" wild magic?

More like a "bubble" of wild magic. It's what happens sometimes when there is an eddy or two or three in the flow of magic: little bits of magical energy get trapped and isolated and stabilized. They're really rare, but fairly stable, unless you disturb them in some fashion.

Okay, one last bit of tech that I forgot to add...

Bio Lock: A system that Nick uses to protect his more important gadgets, a Bio Lock is basically designed to shut a machine off unless the registered user is wielding it. There are a number of systems at work in a Bio Lock, including a mental scanner that detects if someone is being controlled or influenced in some way to prevent a device from being used. The biggest one seems to be a genetic lock, though it is only confirmed that this is necessary to set a lock. As a theoretical example, a Bio Lock placed on Wolkenschneider would shut the antigravity spells off if anyone except Cor held it, leaving it at its true weight making it almost impossible to wield. Nick's Bio Locks tend to be placed on doors or areas in his lab, though a few of his weapons and gadgets have a Dormant Bio Lock that he can activate from a distance. Roland has incorporated a Bio Lock since it's earliest versions, while most AMP Tech Weapons also have Bio Locks installed on them (though it is noteworthy that Nick's friends are all authorized to use his weapons). He is currently working on a version small enough to fit on his Omnidriver, which will be installed on the Mark 8.

[shadowterm]

I'm sorry if that still read wrong. I fully support the stuff you've writen, I mean if you weren't allowed to be inspired by something, it wouldn't be a very good story. All ideas come from somewhere right? Just a pointer, I would not have the Omnidriver not unlock wooden locks, or have a nemesis wield a tool that ages people. You might get angry letters.

[Jairus]

I'm sorry if that still read wrong. I fully support the stuff you've writen, I mean if you weren't allowed to be inspired by something, it wouldn't be a very good story. All ideas come from somewhere right? Just a pointer, I would not have the Omnidriver not unlock wooden locks, or have a nemesis wield a tool that ages people. You might get angry letters.

The Omnidriver really doesn't work on biological material, since it was designed as a tool first and foremost. Albeit, the welding function can do some nasty things, and the blade function can cut things, and the saw function... well, the Omnidriver is a tool, like my Dad's multitool, and some of those functions can be used as weapons, but it isn't meant for that. Basically, if something has gears or mechanical parts, the Omnidriver can do something to it. Even if it's as simple as breaking a few gears. The Omnidriver is basically Nick trying to save time in the workshop: the key function is a secondary feature in his mind. And to be honest I only first heard about the good Doctor about two or three years ago, and I didn't even see my first whole episode of Doctor Who until three weeks ago. Yeah, in the space of about three weeks or so I was exposed to two different amazing things that I'd never really learned anything about: DMFA and Doctor Who. I will admit that I loved the Fourth's scarves so much that I thought it would be cute if Nick wore them as a fashion statement. As for the Drivers, do you think I should I retitle them as "Tools," or does something called the "Omnitool" sound really really nasty? *brief visions of slash fiction/art involving Nick and Cor and an Omnitool...* Oh gods no.

And all Who nerds may now descend on me out of vengeance for my first Doctor being the Tenth one.

Besides, who ever heard of a wooden lock? And a tool to age someone? Nah: in my universe, if you want to torture and control someone in that sort of fashion, you should "just" rip out their soul and stick it in something. Or horribly torture them until they beg for death, except you never let them die until they're nothing more than a broken pile of flesh and bones who can't imagine anything except the horrible unending pain... I've thought this through too much, haven't I?

[shadowterm]

I've thought this through too much, haven't I?

God no, in fact a good story almost needs this much thought put into it. A good writer usually tries to make their story air tight. I currently fail at this, but I like to think I'm making progress. Slow progress, but progress.

----------------
Now playing: DOUG the Eagle - A Day at the People Factory
via FoxyTunes

[Jairus]

I've thought this through too much, haven't I?

God no, in fact a good story almost needs this much thought put into it. A good writer usually tries to make their story air tight. I currently fail at this, but I like to think I'm making progress. Slow progress, but progress.

Heh, slow progress is better than no progress at all. Part of the reason I plan all of this out is because I want to know what I can and cannot do before hand. And because I want to catch any potential stumbling blocks before I get there. And because I might be nuts. What's scary is when I realize that while I may not know how this story ends, I do know how the next one begins... and it ain't pretty.

[shadowterm]

Stop it, you're making me impatient to read the story.

----------------
Now playing: DOUG the Eagle - Chanticleer Ascendant
via FoxyTunes

[Jairus]

Stop it, you're making me impatient to read the story.

Maybe for my next post I should write a little teaser of some kind.

[shadowterm]

That's not a bad idea, if you're trying to drive people with WABS crazy because there is nothing after that yet.

----------------
Now playing: DOUG the Eagle - The Quest for the Sacred Jaguar
via FoxyTunes

[Jairus]

This is long. I mean really long. On my computer, the halfway point is at the beginning of page five. And it's... weird. I think I want this or something like this to be a prologue for the story. Just... read it through. It is going to sound silly and overblown for a bit, but it'll make sense by the end. Or not. I've split it in two parts so that it's easier to get through. Incidentally, if I could give you a bit of advice: don't take it seriously. At all. It's mostly a joke. Anyway...

The Cursed Castle of Stalcaire

   Dark clouds swirled in the sky above the cursed Castle Stalcaire, ancient dwelling place of the sacred Chalice of Rebirth. The castle had stood for centuries, and the elements and time had taken their toll on the crumbling walls. What plants grew near the castle were twisted and vile, nearly. Shambling beasts, mutated by the powerful and ancient magic surrounding the place, prowled the grounds, waiting to slaughter anyone who dared to cross their paths, some of them with the weapons and possessions of heroes still stuck to them: anyone who could slay them would get a nice set of loot, if they didn't mind it being "pre-chewed." Pools of stagnant fetid water dotted the landscape, and the moat itself was a soup of decaying flesh and reeking algae. The place smelled of the blood and undistilled hatred, if such a thing was possible: the blood of those who had failed to gain the chalice, and the hatred of the undead for those who were still alive. The wind itself smelled dead, and did little more than carry a warning to those who would approach the corrupted land. Guarded by cursed undead knights armed with weapons most fierce, none had entered the castle and emerged... well, alive, anyway. Only a great fool would dare attempt the challenge.
   That's where he came in.
   He was a young man, maybe twenty five years old, wearing a heavy traveling cloak over his body, with something beneath the cloak giving him a somewhat hunchbacked look. His long red hair had been pulled back and tied up to keep it away from his face and from covering his sea-green eyes. A massive sword - five feet long and a foot wide - rested jammed point-first into the dirt beside him. His arms were crossed beneath the robe, and the wind stirred the dust around him as his cloak flared outwards. His name was Cornelius Ran Sorato, and his blade was the mighty sword Wolkenschneider.
   He stared at the castle gates, knowing that the enchantments placed on them would cause them to open for those who approached: the place was a trap... and he knew it. None of the undead guards could be seen: they were hiding, waiting for someone... for him.
   They were going to get him.
   Cornelius' hand came up and undid the clasp on his cloak, smoothly drawing the flowing garment off of him as it caught the wind and unfurled it like a dark flag. Beneath the robe, he wore sandals, billowing pants, and a rust red great kilt: beneath the kilt, his chest was bare. A broad leather belt, studded with small weapons and pouches, was fastened around his waist. But what was most impressive was what else was hiding underneath the cloak: four glorious wings that grew from his back opened up, allowing the wind to flow through around white feathers with just a hint of golden-brown to their leading edges. With only a flap, he might have lifted off of the ground and taken flight. His right hand reached out to lift Wolkenschneider from its resting place, easily holding the massive blade with one hand.
   With Wolkenschneider in hand and wings open, Ran Sorato looked like some avenging angel descended to Terra to destroy the armies of evil.
      "Hear me, Stalcaire." The words were quiet, more to himself than to the world or the unheeding castle. "I am the warrior Cornelius. I am here to claim the prize that has claimed the lives of so many warriors, and in doing so shall free you from your curse. Whatever you throw at me, I do not despise you for it." With those words, he set off towards the doors across the half-rotted drawbridge.
   They creaked open with the ponderous air of hinges that had not moved in decades. The inner chamber was steeped in stillness, dust thick on the ground and silent as a grave... except for the screaming soldiers running at him.
   There are not many terms to described the horror of the sight of an undead. Though their bodies are essentially "frozen" in stasis, they still rot at a slower rate than almost anything else. Injuries and wounds remain fresh for decades. The things wore rusted armor and wicked weapons that seemed more corrosion than steel: several styles of armor and weapons were apparent, showing how many failed heroes had joined the undead guards. Some pieces of the armor had been knocked off by other adventurers, showing flesh centuries old and falling off. The screams coming from the throat were made by ancient lungs that had not "breathed" in centuries and by vocal cords long since torn bloody by the near constant cry. To those who heard it, it was a cry of loneliness and pain: the undead, with their souls sealed in their bodies long after they should have left them behind and died, lived lives of constant unending agony. To most people, the cry traveled down the spine and paralyzed those who heard it with fear, until the undead ripped them apart or made them one of their own.
   Cornelius was not most people. As it was, his wings did briefly flare outwards, but that was the extent of it.
   With a smooth motion, he pulled a flask filled with some strange fluid from one of his pouches and threw it overhand into the middle of the oncoming group. The glass shattered on the floor, and...
   BOOOOOM!!!!
   ... the contents flashed into a fiery explosion, tearing through the group and setting all of them on fire. The cries somehow became more desperate as the undead tried to both attack Cornelius and flail at the flames, attempts that failed on both accounts when Cornelius lifted Wolkenschneider and in three smooth cuts sliced all of them in half. As the body parts fell to the floor, the magic that held them together and whole faded as their souls left their bodies at last: by the time they hit the ground, they were already decaying into dust. A few skeletons - from more recent undead - remained afterwards, but soon the flames would consume them too. Wolkenschneider itself gleamed in the firelight, it's magically enforced blade unharmed by its master's enemies. Cornelius afforded the recently re-dead a moment's thought and a brief wish for their eternal rest, then continued on his way.
   His always aware eyes sought out and found the hidden trap stones set within the normal stones, and knew that they would only call more undead his way. He carefully avoided the traps, always aware for guards wandering the halls alone or in small groups. He would have preferred to avert extra battles, conserving his energy for what would inevitably be a hard fight on his way out. Even so, there were a few groups scattered along the route. It did not take him long to make his way through the castle's outer walls to the inner keep, where the chalice was sure to be kept.
   As it turned out, it was hidden in a chamber two levels underground, perhaps in what had once been a dungeon. A very large dungeon, more like a manmade cave really, with two small pools of water along the sides that kept the room moist and cool. The sound of dripping moisture filled the cavern with an tapping echo, and Cornelius' sandals splashed in pools of water that had accumulated on the ground. His echoes carried throughout the chamber, until a sound not unlike grinding rocks echoed back. The chalice had a protector.
   It was a giant winged wyvern, it's wings stunted from having never flown once, angered at having it's eternal slumber disturbed for the first time in decades. It stood in one of the pools: whether it had been resting or bathing or drinking, he did not know. Other skeletons, charred and broken and lying against the wall, told the stories of those who had failed to obtain the chalice before him. And yet... the wyvern's eyes betrayed its incredible loneliness: perhaps long ago it had been taken from its brothers and sisters when it was a tiny hatchling and contained down here in the lonely darkness, tortured until it knew only anger, then enchanted to keep it alive for as long as the castle stood. An anger that it would unleash on all who dared trespass into it's territory.
   Cornelius sensed a brief surge of magical energy, and the wyvern breathed a flare of fire breath at the hero. He flapped to the side, using his wings not to fly but to avoid the attack. The enchanted kilt gave him some protection from the magical flame: still, the heat was real. He would have to end this quickly or risk joining his unnamed colleagues.
   Unlike the wyvern, Cornelius had no magic spells or magical abilities to use against his opponent, aside from a few ready-made alchemical potions he had prepared before hand. He chose one now, and threw a glass vial in the general direction of the beast. The vial shattered, and instantly all of the water near it froze solid, trapping the wyvern's feet for a brief moment before it wrenched itself free by flapping its nearly useless wings. He hadn't intended to hold it for long, just long enough to get close enough that it couldn't use it's breath without risking hurting itself. The instinct for self-preservation still existed within the beast, and it resorted to its claws and fangs to attack the warrior.
   The duel between them was one of steel versus claw, neither of them losing or gaining foot on the other as they waged their battle across the floor. He slashed! He ducked! He stabbed! He got scraped by one of the claws: only a flesh wound. But the wyvern had energy to spare, whereas Cornelius had to use his brains to last the fight out.
   Finally, the moment he had been waiting for...
   He drew a second Ice potion from his pouch, and this time aimed for a spot on the belly just above the legs. He drew back, and threw it with unerring accuracy. Its legs and belly were soon covered in a layer of ice that grew towards the floor and up its body. Its natural defenses protected it from lasting damage from the ice, but it was enough to make it falter for a few steps. Long enough for this...
   Cornelius was one of the few winged beings he knew who could actually fly backwards. He gave himself enough room to properly maneuver with the sword, firmly grasped the hilt with both hands, spun twice in midair to build up some inertia, and flew straight at the wyvern's head.
   The enchanted blade slid easily into the beast's skull.
   Cornelius quickly flipped away from the now-stumbling beast as it began to breathe it's last. Finally, after nearly a minute, it stumbled forward, fell, and slid to a halt inches from Cornelius' sandals. A final rattling breath, and it died.
   He stood there for a second, catching his breath after the titanic battle, barely aware of his blood now flowing down his arm. He looked up from the beast and gazed at the other side of the room. There it was.
   Seated on a pedastal against the far wall, somehow illuminated by a hidden source of light, sat the Chalice of Rebirth. A cup seemingly made of solid gold, covered in precious stones: even by itself, it was a king's cup. But the magic sealed in the cup made it worth a whole kingdom...
   With his good arm, he lifted the heavy cup to give it an examination. It was free of dust and dirt, as clean as it had been when it would have first been presented to it's owner. A glorious treasure indeed. But was the legend of its magical powers real? He had a handful of potions in case it wasn't, but it wouldn't hurt to find out...
   He stepped over to one of the two pools, the one that the wyvern had not been in when he arrived, but the end of his addrenaline high now left him gasping in pain. He quickly dipped the chalice into the water, and then took a deep drink. For a few seconds, nothing happened. Then he felt a strange focused warmth in his left arm that drew his gaze downwards: his torn flesh was growing back and healing itself, leaving behind nothing more than clean pink skin behind.
   "So, it's real after all" he thought to himself smugly. "I wonder where I can put this..."
   Something was wrong. There was a weird sound in the air, something like a rising whisper...
   "Oh shit..." he knew that sound. That was the sound of hundreds of undead screaming at the top of their lungs.
   In a second, he knew what had happened. A dead man's switch... that's what it was. A switch set on the chalice to drive all of the guards into a full-blown fervor once the chalice was lifted up. All of them would be heading his way right about now...
      "Wolkenschneider!" he cried as he snapped his fingers. The sword disappeared from the wyvern's head and reappeared in its master's hand. The chalice got shoved into one of his pouches, and he ran.
   He didn't even care that he was stepping on the hidden switches set in the floor: each switch would act like a caller, telling the guards where he was at that moment. And they were coming: they kept coming out of doors or hallways, rushing as fast as they could towards them. The magically sharpened Wolkenschneider had no real difficulty in cutting through them, but each group slowed him down slightly: eventually he got to the point where he was dodging them and just kept running. He could handle a few of them at a time, but he didn't want to fight a large amount of them in a group in a tight enclosed space that restrained his movement somewhat. Still, the path was easy, and he had carefully memorized his route inwards: it wasn't hard to know how to get out. Almost there now...
   The young adventurer skidded around the corner, his blade drawing sparks where it drew across the stone floor, the cup still hidden in his pouch and ran through the closed doors at the end of the hallway...
   ... towards the waiting arms dozens, maybe hundreds, of waiting undead soldiers. They were armed to their rotten teeth, groaning in the horrible sound that only a centuries old undead could make.
   "One group in front, and one group in the back. Maybe a hundred all total. Long odds.
   He took a deep breath. "Maybe I should hold one arm behind my back."
   There was nothing to it: he had only one way out. With a battle cry that reverberated through the dusty hall, Cornelius raised his mighty blade to the ready position and charged straight towards the undead hordes. And...

Part 2 coming soon!

[Tapewolf]

Distracting as it was that Shadowterm programmed his signature to say that he's listening to my first album, I did read my way through your opening chapter.
It seems to be written in a clean, easy to follow style, and overall made an enjoyable read.
So, does Cornelius do this sort of thing often?  He put me in mind of a sort of winged Indiana Jones...

[Jairus]

It seems to be written in a clean, easy to follow style, and overall made an enjoyable read.

Thanks. That really means a lot.

So, does Cornelius do this sort of thing often?  He put me in mind of a sort of winged Indiana Jones...

Well... let's just say that I cut it off where I did because of the surprise in part two...

[Pagan]

Wow that was good. Give me a few minutes to process it and then I give you something more coherrent and specific, but right now all I can think is that I want to read part two right now and you suck for making me wait.

I liked it, very nice.

[Jairus]

Wow that was good. Give me a few minutes to process it and then I give you something more coherrent and specific, but right now all I can think is that I want to read part two right now and you suck for making me wait.

Oh dear... maybe I should have just written and posted both parts at the same time. I'm afraid of letting you down... and I think I might.

[Jairus]

Okay, here's part 2... just warning you, you may hate me afterwards... I was actually severely tempted to change what I had written already in order to match your expectations, but hopefully you'll like this too. It literally starts the line after Part 1, so here's the end to part 1 to help you get into the mood.

The young adventurer skidded around the corner, his blade drawing sparks where it drew across the stone floor, the cup still securely in his hand, and ran through the closed doors at the end of the hallway...
   ... towards the waiting arms dozens, maybe hundreds, of waiting undead soldiers. They were armed to their rotten teeth, groaning in the horrible sound that only a centuries old undead could make.
   "One group in front, and one group in the back. Maybe a hundred all total. Long odds.
   He took a deep breath. "Maybe I should hold one arm behind my back."
   There was nothing to it: he had only one way out. With a battle cry that reverberated through the dusty hall, Cornelius raised his mighty blade to the ready position and charged straight towards the undead hordes. And...

...

      "And then what happened?!"
   Whatever words Cornelius was going to say next abandoned him as the question abruptly derailed his train of thought. Considering that he had also been partially reenacting the fight scene with a broom while he had been narrating his story, he also stumbled over his own feet and successfully crashed to the floor. Well, at least it got a bit of a laugh from the people in the Cralatav Inn.
      "Kid..." Cornelius said from his position on the floor, his voice slightly muffled by his face being jammed into carefully polished wood, "if you had waited two seconds you would have found out!"
      "Sorry!" the kid called in an earnest voice as Cornelius flopped over onto his back, wincing as he realized that he was slightly crushing two his four wings, a problem that was fixed by quickly sitting up.
      "Look, Johnny...?" he asked with a bit of a glare at the six year old.
      "Yes."
      "When you ask your parents to tell you a story, do you interrupt them?"
      "Nooooo."
      "Well," Cornelius continued, choosing to ignore the slightly sarcastic tone in the kid's voice, "if you don't interrupt them, why are you interrupting me right in the middle of a story you asked me to tell you?"
      "Because."
   That answer got a laugh from the woman behind the inn's bar. Cornelius turned to look over at his big sister. "I remember how you used to be exactly like that, Corey. 'Corey, why did you play with daddy's sword when I told you not to?' 'Because.'"
      "Sis..." he pleaded to her, "Can you not tell stories like that when the inn has customers?"
      "I prefer the time when I asked you why you intended to throw yourself off of a cliff... 'Cornelius, are you insane?' 'Probably!'" This comment came from the childlike elf sitting with his legs crossed on top of the bar, smiling with his gray eyes half-hidden behind his glasses and lifting a tankard full of lemonade up in a salute to his best friend.
      "Nicky..."
      "Or when you tried to swing Wolkenschneider for the first time after Nickles here had told you to be careful and you almost dislocated your shoulder," chortled the dwarf sitting on the bar next to the elf as she slapped Nicodemus across the back and almost made him drop his lemonade.
      "Tarn, could you stop that?" Nick asked with the air of exasperation that only someone who has basically asked the same question a thousand times could pull off.
      "Both of you stop it," Francine commanded as she refilled Nick's almost empty lemonade and opened another bottle of beer for Tarn, her eyes briefly moving towards the large metal war hammer in the corner of her space behind the bar, a subtle move that the two of them caught.
      "Yes, ma'am," they both intoned.
      "Yeesh, all of you are trying to drive me nuts, aren't you?" Corey asked from the chair he had seated himself in. The fairy sitting at the other side of the table smiled at him.
      "Well, I'm already nuts, and let me tell you that it's fun!" Ariel giggled to him. She waved a hand and teleported a tankard of ale over to their shared table.
      "No thank you, I'm crazy enough as it is," he quipped as he lifted the ale up for a drink.
      "C'mon! Finish the story! Please!" begged Johnny, who sounded like he was starting to regret asking his earlier question. It looked like the rest of the bar's current denizens - Johnny's parents included - wanted to hear how this ended as well. Corey took a swig before he propped himself forward to continue where he'd left off in his best storyteller's voice.
      "Well, as I was saying, I raised my mighty blade to the ready position and charged straight towards the undead hordes..."
      "Oh, you're taking too long to tell it!" Tarn interrupted with a sadistic smirk. "Let me tell you how it ends, kiddo." She leaned backwards until she was almost in an opposite pose to Nick, her gaze directed up at the roof. "The noble warrior Cornelius slew the undead horde and freed their poor tortured souls from their enslavement, and walked out of the finally still and silent castle onto the rise before the gates. He then looked up at the sky as the clouds cleared for the first time in centuries, and lifted the golden chalice up to the heavens as the first beam of light stuck him and the chalice, and then the pure reflected light cleared away the gloom and doom and lifted the enchantment on the castle and the lands turned green again and the monsters were transformed back into their true form and flowers bloomed and butterflies flapped their little wings and a glorious chorus erupted from nowhere and the beautiful princess falls into your arms from the tallest tower..."
      "Okay, I get it!" Cor called out, who was starting to get annoyed.
      "But wait!" Now Nick was standing on top of the bar, and motioning to Tarn to stand up too. "Then the Princess said 'You have saved my kingdom, and I am now yours...' *erk!*" Tarn collapsed against Nick's side, almost knocking the shorter elf over, swooning over him like some damsel in distress: the fact that they were both only about four feet tall - Nick giving three inches and Tarn taking three inches - made this look a little ridiculous. Nick continued after recovering his balance. "But then you said, 'I cannot, fair Princess. For there are wrongs I must fight, and there is evil that must be vanquished. My life is the life of the solitary hero, and I cannot stop the never-ending fight against wrongdoing, even for true love!' At which point you passionately kissed, you set her on her feet, grabbed your cloak, and thwbtt... gyaahh!!! Tarn!"
   Johnny was laughing at the aftermath of one of the sloppiest kisses that he had ever seen. Nick, meanwhile, was trying not to go ballistic towards his friend while Corey was trying not to choke on the ale he had just accidentally inhaled. "What was that for?!"
   She sighed in the most sickeningly romantic fashion she could muster. "Why, that was our "passionate kiss," fair hero. Did you not enjoy it?"
      "Oh, shut up," he grumbled as he plopped back down on the bar.
   Cor took the resulting distraction and an inn full of laughter to draw himself up onto the barstool next to Nick. "Well, in a general sense, that's how it ended. Well, except for the butterflies and the Princess and all the monsters turning back to normal... of course, Tarn is no princess either... ouch!" he cried as Tarn leaned in front of Nick and socked Cor in the arm for his comment.
   Francine leaned forward now, gently separating the two and helping disentangle Nick from the coming scuffle by pulling him backwards slightly. "Guys, stop joking around. Even though that does sound like how it ends. And in a general sense, that's how the whole thing happened too."
      "Franny..." Corey frantically pleaded to his big sister in a tone of warning.
      "What? The real story is interesting too." She had that smile, the aggravating one. Well, most of her smiles were aggravating, but this was that particular aggravating smile.
      "The real story?" Johnny asked in that tone of voice kids get when they hear something is different from what they thought it was. It was the tone that drew everyone's attention and seemed to make Corey really uncomfortable for a moment, until...
      "Of course!" said Ariel in a honey-sweet voice as she walked over to Johnny. "Corey forgot to mention that he actually had two special magical swords when he went in there that day, because his real sword was so big and powerful that he couldn't use it unless he needed to get out."
      "Really?" And that tone was the disbelieving one.
      "Really. He had a more normal sized sword for fighting in the hallways and stairs, but he used the big one whenever he could. The big one is actually his favorite sword. Nick built it for him as a present." She then pointed at the elf on the bar.
   Nick smiled and nodded an affirmation at the boy's wide-eyed questioning stare, and then continued the line of thought. "He also forgot to mention the climactic battle between him and the mutated evil badger before he even got to the castle. And of course the fact that the whole castle was actually coming down around his head when he was escaping..."
   The hero-worship look was back in Johnny's eyes at this point.
      "And that's not even mentioning that weird group of undead knights that never attacked you but just kept yelling at you in some weird language and smacking their own helmets," Kyle the bouncer called out from his position near the door. "I think you finally started throwing oranges at them or something like that."
      "Excuse me, if I could possible finish telling my story..." Corey asked, and then waited for his friends - and Tarn - to give him their permission. And Cor finished telling his story, telling of the whole fight with the undead army, complete with grabbing and using his enemies' weapons against them, part of the roof falling in due to a sudden rain storm and catching some of the water in the magical chalice in order to heal his wounds, a large saurian bursting in through the front door only to be killed by Corey doing the exact same trick to it that he had done to the wyvern, and then finally leaving the crumbling castle thus "breaking" the curse on the land and basically doing the stuff that Tarn and Nick had talked about - except for the sudden greenery and the princess and the animals turning back into normal - finally ending it all with him reclaiming his cloak and then flying off towards the sunset.
   It was a great story, and the inn enjoyed it. The crowning moment for the whole thing was when Cor did his little summoning trick and called Wolkenschneider down from his room to show Johnny the magical greatsword, although Johnny's dad told him not to touch the edge. All in all, it was a wonderful show. And his friends kept their laughter to themselves. They had heard this story before... and they also knew what had really happened on that day.
   True, the story Corey had told the inn wasn't exactly what had happened, but then again the main bits were totally accurate. For one thing, Corey had actually been wearing a specialized suit of armor that Nick had built for him. The actual "curse" on Stalcaire was that it had once been the site of a massive magical explosion, which is what led whoever had built the place to place the chalice there and build the castle there in the first place: it was one of the Wilds, the places where magic was raw and untamed. There was no real way to lift the "curse," aside from destroying every center of power in the vicinity of the castle and waiting a few years. The "dramatic badger battle" had consisted of him being chased by a family of mutated badgers for three minutes until he succeeded in getting away from them. Corey also didn't have a habit of talking to himself or buildings, no matter how dramatic it might have been. He would occasionally remove a cloak or article of clothing in a suitably dramatic fashion, but really that was just because he felt like it. As for the undead...
   Well, every word of that was true. Fire was an excellent way of overloading the spell that kept an undead "alive," in addition to doing so much damage that their bodies would completely break down in little time at all. He had actually had a brief learning curve about the inset stones in the floor, and it had taken him a few minutes to pick them out and avoid them. The trick was when he was fighting and somehow had to avoid stepping on the stones. They hadn't been physical traps, but it was just easier to say that to his audience. They were actually spells that were activated by living matter stepping on them: an undead, which was not technically "alive," wouldn't set an alarm like that off. Corey had actually spent most of the corridor fights hovering and hopping using his wings to avoid the traps, which had also been set in no pattern at all, meaning he couldn't just walk a certain way to avoid them. And the second sword comment was completely accurate as well: the corridors had been too tight for him to use Wolkenschneider, so he had just used one of his normal magic swords for most of the fights.
   He had also gone to the top of the keep first - the area best protected and always intended for the castle's lord - only to discover that someone had already gotten their hands on the chalice and then accidentally set off a completely different trap and had ended up getting lost... which meant that Corey had spent about three hours or so wandering around trying to figure out where the other guy had gotten to. That was when he found the dungeon... and the wyvern that the other guy had already found as well. The battle between him and the wyvern had actually gone on for a bit longer than he had hinted, and his kilt had been slightly torn during the fight, but he had still won... with a total of three Ice potions - not two - and the second sword being used to put out one of the wyvern's eyes as well as Corey actually punching the wyvern at one point, an act that had lead him with bruised knuckles and screaming in pain for about two seconds. But the final head stab had actually happened. As had his quick experiment with the cup to heal his wounds.
   There hadn't actually been an alarm on the cup, but it was a lot easier to explain that what had really happened. The wyvern had been imprisoned for so long that it had become tied into the magic of the castle, meaning that its death had basically sent out a shock wave through the magic of the area, affecting every magical entity inside the area... including the undead. A good explanation would be a bug landing on a spider's web: the little movements of the bug trying to break free tell the spider that its meal is here. In this case, the undead - and by extension all of the creatures outside the castle - knew that something was going down. Corey also neglected to mention that the old castle's foundations had been damaged over the years, and the battle between him and the wyvern had done enough damage that part of the reason Corey was in such a hurry to leave was because the entire castle keep was coming down on top of him. He hadn't wanted to waste time fighting the undead: he didn't want to get crushed under tons of ancient rock! As for the climactic duel between Corey and a legion of undead soldiers and guards and former adventurers complete with rampaging Saurian and last-minute salvation from a magical chalice and some rainwater...
   ... well, sometimes you didn't need to exaggerate.
   It was Johnny's uncontrollable yawn that disrupted the reverie.
      "Bedtime, young man," exclaimed his mother as she walked over to him. "You've had a very exciting evening, and we've got a trip to finish tomorrow." She looked glad that Johnny seemed too tired to complain, as she thanked Corey for the wonderful story and she and her husband went up to their room... but not before Corey flapped his wings open one more time to Johnny's sheer amazement.
      "Crud, it's really late," Nick said upon looking at his watch. "I don't feel like walking home."
      "Awww, is widdle Nickles afwaid of walking home in the dawk?" Tarn asked in the exact tone of voice that one would use on a toddler.
      "Tarn, quit it. Nicky, you wanna crash on my sofa tonight?" Cor asked.
      "That'd be great! Thanks! See you later, Tarn!"
      "Yeah, yeah." Tarn leaped down from the bar with practiced grace, while Nick took the time to clamber down a stool to the floor. Other customers either realized the time and moved to grab coats and jackets or moved to head up the stairs to their rooms. Tarn waved to everyone, gave Corey a friendly punch in the arm, and mussed up Nick's hair before she walked out.
   Nick didn't crash on Corey's couch regularly, but he had planned ahead for such an occasion and always left a suitcase of spare clothes at the inn. In no time at all he was in his PJs and snoring on Corey's couch. Within about half an hour, the rest of the inn had gone quiet, and Corey was the only one up, listening to the cute little sounds his best friend made when he was asleep while thinking about the evening.
   Sometimes it was hard to believe that it had only been a year or so since the events he had just been telling, but at twenty-six Corey had already retired from active adventuring, preferring a somewhat slower pace of life to further risk to life and limb from his already strained luck. "A slower pace of life? Yeah right," he thought to himself as he opened the door to his room.
   It was filled with mementoes of his adventures: swords, bits of armor, flags, shields, artifacts. And there, in one corner of a shelf, was a cup seemingly made of solid gold, covered in precious stones that even by itself was a king's cup, but the magic inside it made it worth a whole kingdom... "Hm, I should dust that thing one of these days" he thought to himself as his gaze kept traveling. Little gadgets, things that he had found or been given, years of adventuring and training, dating back to when he was about fourteen or so... the culmination of his dreams, and he'd decided to retire.
   When he had been a kid, he'd never understood why his dad had retired from adventuring. Now, the look in that little boy's eyes, and knowing that he could never have told that story... sure, he'd stretched things a little, but still it was mostly true. The fact that he was here to tell it, and to know that he had done all of those things, well, it almost made up for the fact that that was a part of his life that he had basically put behind himself.
   "Lights off, weapons cleaned and stored..." Corey thought to himself as he did a last perusal of the room. He turned to his window overlooking the ancient meteor-crafted lake, and gave a contented sigh before going to bed.
   Well, tomorrow was just another adventure at Crater Lake.


Good sweet and terrible gods, it's even longer than the first part! Okay, questions, comments suggestions, helpful critique?

Now that I think about it, this little prologue is probably the first thing I've actually written in about a year or so, aside from notes and world-building stuff. Cool.

Oh, and before I forget...
*runs and hides until the backlash over the plot twist blows over*

[Pagan]

You were afraid I wouldn't like that? Jeez, man, that was sublime.
The twist really made it feel real, both the outer story and the inner tale. The bantering between the four friends made me giggle. And the last bit, in the head of Cor, gives a bit of insight into the character.

Bravo.

Oh! And even though the ending of the tale was kinda truncated, it was interesting. I can definitly see the subversive style you were talking about.