Question 18

[The Swan Dragon he/him]

In the spirit of St. Patrick's Day, I am giving everyone who posted today a little green arrow.

 

Oops. First time I've ever hit my quota. I'll get you tommorow, Blackhoof.

Eh, happy Irish Holiday Day. [insert insanely happy leprechaun picture here to offset my bad mood]

[Voidus]

So no one else wanted to try my writing suggestions?

[Mrs. Voidus she/her]

Short post up in Portland from Mr. Voidus and me. Sorry it's been a while since I've posted, just been a bit slow so I haven't had much opportunity. I hope the new book helps things pick up.

[Blackhoof]

I'll have a try, I think

 

 

 

Introduce some insanity - What would happen if at this point in the story your character suddenly got a call informing them that Funtimes is their long lost sister?

 

 

Iconoclast ripped his clawed talon out of a screaming guard, listening to an old song with earbuds.

 

I'm a barbie girl, in a barbie world!

Slashes someone across the face.

Life in plastic, its fantastic!

 

Breaks someone's neck, twisting it with a brutal twinge of his large muscles.

 

You can brush my hair, undress me everywhere!

Imagination, life is your creation!

 

Iconoclast grabbed a soldier by the scruff of the neck, pulling him within inches of his face. He smiled. "Come on barbie, lets go party!"

 

Uh uh oh yeah!

 

"Come on barbie, let's go party!" The guard's eyes, and then brain, were impaled with twin claws.

 

Turning to his phone, he raised it to his face. "I just wanted to say thank you for this mobile, sis! It makes my work so much more entertaining!" He laughed, alone in a room of dead bodies.

From the other end, came the reply of Doctor Funtimes. "No problem Ricky! I am so happy we found each other! I didn't even know you EXISTED! What do you do for a jobby-wob by the way?"

The mad Epic smiled, teeth glinting. "Oh.... Nothing important. I'm just a... gardener."

"Oh, so you plant FLOWERS!? I LOOOOVE FLOWERS!"

"Well mainly..." He looked down at the eyeless, disembodied head he held in his hand. "I exterminate weeds."

 

Fin

[Voidus]

I'll have a try, I think

 

 

 

 

 

Iconoclast ripped his clawed talon out of a screaming guard, listening to an old song with earbuds.

 

I'm a barbie girl, in a barbie world!

Slashes someone across the face.

Life in plastic, its fantastic!

 

Breaks someone's neck, twisting it with a brutal twinge of his large muscles.

 

You can brush my hair, undress me everywhere!

Imagination, life is your creation!

 

Iconoclast grabbed a soldier by the scruff of the neck, pulling him within inches of his face. He smiled. "Come on barbie, lets go party!"

 

Uh uh oh yeah!

 

"Come on barbie, let's go party!" The guard's eyes, and then brain, were impaled with twin claws.

 

Turning to his phone, he raised it to his face. "I just wanted to say thank you for this mobile, sis! It makes my work so much more entertaining!" He laughed, alone in a room of dead bodies.

From the other end, came the reply of Doctor Funtimes. "No problem Ricky! I am so happy we found each other! I didn't even know you EXISTED! What do you do for a jobby-wob by the way?"

The mad Epic smiled, teeth glinting. "Oh.... Nothing important. I'm just a... gardener."

"Oh, so you plant FLOWERS!? I LOOOOVE FLOWERS!"

"Well mainly..." He looked down at the eyeless, disembodied head he held in his hand. "I exterminate weeds."

 

Fin

A terrific blend of whimsy and something I hesitate to even call horror because it's so horrible not even horror can be in the same genre as it. 

[Blackhoof]

Why thank you haha that was the exact effect i was going for

[Blaze1616 he/him]

So: Brutally end your character - write the end of your characters story, mid finale and assuming you've already set everything up perfectly.

 

Bubbles sat in the corner of a room in the university. Corvallis had fallen. Her sisters, dead. The other Queens, dead. She was alone. All alone in a small bubble in the corner of a classroom, and just outside of that bubble, horrible monsters of nightmares awaited. 

 

They were not patient monsters though. For the past 33 hours Bubbles had sat here, listening to their cries of hunger, hearing the pounding of their clawed hands against her shield. At first it had been terrifying. Then it had grown annoying. Finally, she was simply numb, the terrible noises a soft hum to her ears as her brain raced with thoughts of death. 

 

What was the best way to go? Starvation, suffocation, or being torn limb from limb? She had hoped that waiting in this little bubble of hers would allow her to outlast the creatures, given how much energy they were expending to try and claw their way through the impenetrable bubble. Yet the things didn't quit. They were rabid animals, and their energy seemed limitless.Meanwhile she had grown hungry quite some time ago, and the uncomfortable nature of a growling stomach did not seem like something she wanted to experience on her way out of this life. 

 

She'd already ruled out being torn limb from limb as well. That was how Buttercup and Blossom both had gone, and she had watched every minute of it. Their screams of horror and pain as they were eaten alive still ringing in her ears.

 

So that just left suffocation. It wouldn't be too hard to do, she'd just make a new bubble, barely smaller than the one she currently had erected, but this time she'd intentionally not allow air to pass through. She'd then slowly breath all of the oxygen in the air trapped within the new bubble, leaving her to suffocate as the air saturated with CO2 and nitrogen. 

 

At this point she was merely trying to build up the courage. It was difficult to think about, knowing that her actions would directly result in her own passing. How did one do it? It was a harrowing thought process. 

 

That's when the lights flickered. Bubbles's heart skipped a beat, terrified that the decision would be made for her. She had been trapped by these things in a room with no windows. She cursed the name of the Epic who was responsible, a name they had learned mere days before, Iconoclast. 

 

The lights went out. Bubbles shed a tear. All she could see was black. All she could feel was pain.

[Edgedancer he/him]

So no one else wanted to try my writing suggestions?

I'll definetly get something up. Just was a bit bussy yesterday.

 

Short post up in Portland from Mr. Voidus and me. Sorry it's been a while since I've posted, just been a bit slow so I haven't had much opportunity. I hope the new book helps things pick up.

And it was a highly entertaining return.

[Voidus]

Just had a thought for the Wastelands, I was just thinking about how all three cities visited in the books are significantly altered by the powers of the ruling Epics but we don't really get many of those huge, city-wide effects in game other than Corvallis. Then I also thought that it's weird that we have no flying cities either in-game or in canon and then I remembered that we have a few cities spare in the Wastelands and thought I might try to bribe someone into taking one by establishing the ruler as a gravity-manipulator capable of affecting an entire city.

So the city of Hobart is now home to a gravity manipulator who has reversed gravity for the entire city, leading to all citizens of the city being functionally weightless as the city floats around Australia.

[Edgedancer he/him]

Just had a thought for the Wastelands, I was just thinking about how all three cities visited in the books are significantly altered by the powers of the ruling Epics but we don't really get many of those huge, city-wide effects in game other than Corvallis. Then I also thought that it's weird that we have no flying cities either in-game or in canon and then I remembered that we have a few cities spare in the Wastelands and thought I might try to bribe someone into taking one by establishing the ruler as a gravity-manipulator capable of affecting an entire city.

So the city of Hobart is now home to a gravity manipulator who has reversed gravity for the entire city, leading to all citizens of the city being functionally weightless as the city floats around Australia.

I'll have to disagre on the bolded part. Astoria has dimaonds covering large parts of the city, an illusionist that's turning the sky into a painted canavas, and a giant ice castle/bridge.

 

Still a flying city sounds like a good idea, so probs on that.

 

As an offering here's my take on your prompt.

 

Everything was prepared perfectly. Shiny Sparkle had prepared food, decorated, dressed up, organized romantic music, laid out her best pillows. They’ll be used by more than one person tonight.

 

Her date finally appeared in her dining room, a whole six minutes and forty-three seconds before date time. The wait almost made Shiny go crazy in anticipation. Shiny and Funtimes proceeded to hug each other at the same time, even their hug timing synchronized. The two of them were simply meant to be.

 

“I am so happy to see you, Funtimes,” Shiny said while gazing into her lovely hazel eyes.

“So am I, this will be a superydupery funtaculous family reunion!”

“What?”

“We are sisters! Don’t you know, silly?”

“Ah, sure… wonderful,” Shiny said barely keeping her mournful tears back, as Funtimes gave her an affectionate squeeze. No steamy action tonight, because her date turned out to be her sister. Again!  

“Say, how did you find out that we are… sister.”

“Oh some black haired Epic on a horse told me.”

She knew it. Shiny’s advances had again been foiled by her mortal nemesis, Moral Guardian!

                                                                                                                                                                

 

Somehow they ended up practicing a puppet show. Furthering Shiny’s dismay, the sock puppets weren’t an innuendo, just when they reached the part where the leprechaun puppet set fire to its green master puppet someone bursted through the doors.

 

“I’m so sorry to disturb you, dear but we have a problem,” said the redhead, who was holding what looked like a full body suit with lots of black on it.

“Oh don’t worry about it. Here let me introduce you. Smoochie bear, this is my sister, Shiny Sparkle. Sister, this is my smoochie bear, Nathan,“ Funtimes explained as she happily skipped over to the redhead.

She even has a thing for redheads; the world was just taunting her at this point.

Then Funtimes picked at the thing that Nathan was holding and crumpled her face up. “Why would you want to dress up like that meanyface, smoochie bear?”

“It’s not that I want to dress up as him but-“

Two small shapes tackled Funtimes and her boyfriend but before they could do much Funtimes turned the ceiling into boiling maple syrup that landed on the two attackers.

 

Now even her house was getting destroyed.

Worst. Date. Ever.

 

And my last point for this post. Kobold, would you mind if I take Shiny out of her conversation with Vondra with a vague comment of their conversation going no where and the current crisis distracting him?

Edited March 18, 2016 by Edgedancer

[Master Elodin]

Yeah, I'm kind of suspicious of Kobold as well. Even if he's not an eliminator his alignment gives quite a bit of information.

So that's

(2) Kobold: Elodin, Edgedancer.

I'm also mildly suspicious of Funtimes. And Nighthound should already be dead. What are you doing, people? We're never going to win this game of Reckoners SE if we don't kill the obvious eliminators!

[Kobold King he/him]

And my last point for this post. Kobold, would you mind if I take Shiny out of her conversation with Vondra with a vague comment of their conversation going no where and the current crisis distracting him?

 

 

Not at all.

 

And great fanfics, everyone.

 

 

 

Yeah, I'm kind of suspicious of Kobold as well. Even if he's not an eliminator his alignment gives quite a bit of information.

So that's

(2) Kobold: Elodin, Edgedancer.

I'm also mildly suspicious of Funtimes. And Nighthound should already be dead. What are you doing, people? We're never going to win this game of Reckoners SE if we don't kill the obvious eliminators!

 

 

...it took me way too long to figure out what this comment was trying to communicate to me.

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles she/her]

I'll have to disagre on the bolded part. Astoria has dimaonds covering large parts of the city, an illusionist that's turning the sky into a painted canavas, and a giant ice castle/bridge.

 

Still a flying city sounds like a good idea, so probs on that.

 

As an offering here's my take on your prompt.

 

Everything was prepared perfectly. Shiny Sparkle had prepared food, decorated, dressed up, organized romantic music, laid out her best pillows. They’ll be used by more than one person tonight.

 

Her date finally appeared in her dining room, a whole six minutes and forty-three seconds before date time. The wait almost made Shiny go crazy in anticipation. Shiny and Funtimes proceeded to hug each other at the same time, even their hug timing synchronized. The two of them were simply meant to be.

 

“I am so happy to see you, Funtimes,” Shiny said while gazing into her lovely hazel eyes.

“So am I, this will be a superydupery funtaculous family reunion!”

“What?”

“We are sisters! Don’t you know, silly?”

“Ah, sure… wonderful,” Shiny said barely keeping her mournful tears back, as Funtimes gave her an affectionate squeeze. No steamy action tonight, because her date turned out to be her sister. Again!  

“Say, how did you find out that we are… sister.”

“Oh some black haired Epic on a horse told me.”

She knew it. Shiny’s advances had again been foiled by her mortal nemesis, Moral Guardian!

                                                                                                                                                                

 

Somehow they ended up practicing a puppet show. Furthering Shiny’s dismay, the sock puppets weren’t an innuendo, just when they reached the part where the leprechaun puppet set fire to its green master puppet someone bursted through the doors.

 

“I’m so sorry to disturb you, dear but we have a problem,” said the redhead, who was holding what looked like a full body suit with lots of black on it.

“Oh don’t worry about it. Here let me introduce you. Smoochie bear, this is my sister, Shiny Sparkle. Sister, this is my smoochie bear, Nathan,“ Funtimes explained as she happily skipped over to the redhead.

She even has a thing for redheads; the world was just taunting her at this point.

Then Funtimes picked at the thing that Nathan was holding and crumpled her face up. “Why would you want to dress up like that meanyface, smoochie bear?”

“It’s not that I want to dress up as him but-“

Two small shapes tackled Funtimes and her boyfriend but before they could do much Funtimes turned the ceiling into boiling maple syrup that landed on the two attackers.

 

Now even her house was getting destroyed.

Worst. Date. Ever.

 

And my last point for this post. Kobold, would you mind if I take Shiny out of her conversation with Vondra with a vague comment of their conversation going no where and the current crisis distracting him?

 

Wait—not again?  

 

Here's my take. 

 

Nathan had seen some strange things in his short life. An illusionist, caught by her weakness, discovered to be wearing octopus-patterened pajamas instead of business casual. An Epic with super strength whose jewelry consisted only of spoons bent around his wrists. A dream that made him wonder if he really had seen Fortuity eating butter that one time. 

 

But there was nothing, in this world or in a parallel universe, that could have prepared him for this.

 

"Don't. Say. A word." 

 

It was hissed from the mouth of the smaller child, seated atop another child's shoulders. Nathan couldn't tell if they were related or not, though with the twin glares they shot him, he supposed it didn't matter. 

 

"Not. A. Word." 

 

He knew he ought to obey. They could be Epics, after all; at the very least, they'd managed to impersonate one of the more unsettling Epics he'd met. But confusion and revulsion and plain old surprise blended together in Nathan's mind, rising and rising until they shorted out his common sense. 

 

"DOCTOR? I NEED YOU!"

 

A giggle announced Doctor Funtime's approach; he heard her skipping down the hall a second later. "Ye-e-es?" she sang. "What is it, my smoopy-woopy—" 

 

Her characteristic smile vanished when she saw what Nathan did. 

 

Nighthound's coat lying on the floor. Two boys, one on the other's shoulders. The smaller one holding a metal pole. Nighthound's head—a complex bit of animatronics—seated atop the pole, eyes closed but ready to open at the push of a button. 

 

"Nighthound….? They….?" 

 

"Yeah," Nathan said, answering her unfinished question. ​Is Nighthound really two kids in a coat?

 

Yes. Yes, he is. 

 

"Now we'll have to kill you," said the older boy. The glare matched his words. 

 

"Yeah, about that….." 

 

"Don't tell me—the motivators?" 

 

"Broken. Yeah. Traveler took care of that." 

 

Nathan didn't even think about apologizing. 

 

"So what now?" asked the younger boy. 

 

There was a pause. 

 

There was a silence. 

 

And then Funtimes skipped forward, snatched Nighthound's head from the younger boy, and took Nathan's arm with a giggle. 

 

"We're off to Thoughttown, that's what's now!" 

 

The duo making up Nighthound vanished in an instant.

[Edgedancer he/him]

Wait—not again?

 

Here's my take. 

 

Nathan had seen some strange things in his short life. An illusionist, caught by her weakness, discovered to be wearing octopus-patterened pajamas instead of business casual. An Epic with super strength whose jewelry consisted only of spoons bent around his wrists. A dream that made him wonder if he really had seen Fortuity eating butter that one time. 

 

But there was nothing, in this world or in a parallel universe, that could have prepared him for this.

 

"Don't. Say. A word." 

 

It was hissed from the mouth of the smaller child, seated atop another child's shoulders. Nathan couldn't tell if they were related or not, though with the twin glares they shot him, he supposed it didn't matter. 

 

"Not. A. Word." 

 

He knew he ought to obey. They could be Epics, after all; at the very least, they'd managed to impersonate one of the more unsettling Epics he'd met. But confusion and revulsion and plain old surprise blended together in Nathan's mind, rising and rising until they shorted out his common sense. 

 

"DOCTOR? I NEED YOU!"

 

A giggle announced Doctor Funtime's approach; he heard her skipping down the hall a second later. "Ye-e-es?" she sang. "What is it, my smoopy-woopy—" 

 

Her characteristic smile vanished when she saw what Nathan did. 

 

Nighthound's coat lying on the floor. Two boys, one on the other's shoulders. The smaller one holding a metal pole. Nighthound's head—a complex bit of animatronics—seated atop the pole, eyes closed but ready to open at the push of a button. 

 

"Nighthound….? They….?" 

 

"Yeah," Nathan said, answering her unfinished question. ​Is Nighthound really two kids in a coat?

 

Yes. Yes, he is. 

 

"Now we'll have to kill you," said the older boy. The glare matched his words. 

 

"Yeah, about that….." 

 

"Don't tell me—the motivators?" 

 

"Broken. Yeah. Traveler took care of that." 

 

Nathan didn't even think about apologizing. 

 

"So what now?" asked the younger boy. 

 

There was a pause. 

 

There was a silence. 

 

And then Funtimes skipped forward, snatched Nighthound's head from the younger boy, and took Nathan's arm with a giggle. 

 

"We're off to Thoughttown, that's what's now!" 

 

The duo making up Nighthound vanished in an instant.

Yes again. It happened under the will of the great noodly one (aka a Noodle Incident .

 

Who could create an animatroic as ghastly as Nighthound? (and if they were using motivators, then did they kill the original Nighthound?)

Edited March 18, 2016 by Edgedancer

[Master Elodin]

I just realized.. We have to kill Nighthound twice! I hate it when evil people are actually two evil kids who originally just dressed up like Nighthound to get into an R-rated movie! Why did this have to happen again?

Edited March 18, 2016 by Master_Elodin

[Edgedancer he/him]

I just realized.. We have to kill Nighthound twice! I hate it when evil people are actually two evil kids who originally just dressed up like Nighthound to get into an R-rated movie!

You're thinking about it the wrong way. We don't have to, we get to kill him twice.

[Master Elodin]

You're thinking about it the wrong way. We don't have to, we get to kill him twice.

Of course. I can just imagine him pretending to be Mitosis though. I would definitely be convinced.

[Vikro he/him]

If we still need an idea for the Salem Death sub-plot, I have an idea.

So, remember a week or two ago when I brought up an Epic I was creating who's name was Vandal? You know, wall running guy who can blacken stuff. Likes to vandalize stuff, hence the name.

What if he entered Salem, and upon seeing all of Sentry's posters, couldn't resist put draw on some? Of course, this depends on whether or not his blackening can block Sentry's sight(I have no clue).

Thoughts?

Edited March 19, 2016 by Vikro

[Blackhoof]

If we still need an idea for the Salem Death sub-plot, I have an idea.

So, remember a week or two ago when I brought up an Epic I was creating who's name was Vandal? You know, wall running guy who can blacken stuff. Likes to vandalize stuff, hence the name.

What if he entered Salem, and upon seeing all of Sentry's posters, couldn't resist put draw on some? Of course, this depends on whether or not his blackening can block Sentry's sight(I have no clue).

Thoughts?

 

funnily enough, if the drawings he does are designed to mock her (like giving her a mustache) that partially triggers her weakness and the poster loses its power.

[Quiver he/him]

If we still need an idea for the Salem Death sub-plot, I have an idea.

So, remember a week or two ago when I brought up an Epic I was creating who's name was Vandal? You know, wall running guy who can blacken stuff. Likes to vandalize stuff, hence the name.

What if he entered Salem, and upon seeing all of Sentry's posters, couldn't resist put draw on some? Of course, this depends on whether or not his blackening can block Sentry's sight(I have no clue).

Thoughts?

 

Please do this.

 

I like playing her as a smug, condescending chull... but it's the kind of characterisation that could really get one-dimensional and needs someone to play off of. Having someone who takes away her power would give plenty of reasons tof roce her to do other stuff.

 

As for how it would affect her, I'd say yes. Blackening her posters would absolutely cause them to stop working. Or rather,they'd still work... but all they would see is the marking covering them, rather than seeing anything "through" it.

And yeah, if he's mocking her, it would absolutely trigger her weakness. Which is pretty neat paranoia fuel for an epic, really: "Does he know my weakness, or is this just his M.O? What do I do?!" kind of thing.

[Voidus]

Please do this.

 

I like playing her as a smug, condescending chull... but it's the kind of characterisation that could really get one-dimensional and needs someone to play off of. Having someone who takes away her power would give plenty of reasons tof roce her to do other stuff.

 

As for how it would affect her, I'd say yes. Blackening her posters would absolutely cause them to stop working. Or rather,they'd still work... but all they would see is the marking covering them, rather than seeing anything "through" it.

And yeah, if he's mocking her, it would absolutely trigger her weakness. Which is pretty neat paranoia fuel for an epic, really: "Does he know my weakness, or is this just his M.O? What do I do?!" kind of thing.

Seconded, it'd be nice to see some more plot developing in Salem and Sentry's one of the few characters who could really drive a plot and pull some others into it too. Then there'd be the other plot of the murders which I do like so I'll have to pick out a few cannon fodder Epics to kill off.

[Quiver he/him]

Seconded, it'd be nice to see some more plot developing in Salem and Sentry's one of the few characters who could really drive a plot and pull some others into it too. Then there'd be the other plot of the murders which I do like so I'll have to pick out a few cannon fodder Epics to kill off.

 

...damnation. Now I'm imagining her trying to machiaveli her way into devoting resources to kill Vandal under the pretense that he's the murderer, just in case he DOES know her weakness... and trying to balance that with finding the REAL murderer because, seriously, Soulcaster is gonna be mad...

Edited March 19, 2016 by Quiver

[Voidus]

...damnation. Now I'm imagining her trying to machiaveli her way into devoting resources to kill Vandal under the pretense that he's the murderer, just in case he DOES know her weakness... and trying to balance that with finding the REAL murderer because, seriously, Soulcaster is gonna be mad...

That sounds awesome. Setting up a kind of subterfuge based political story instead of Corvallis' more open political warfare. 

Kind of makes me want to make a thief/assasin Epic for Salem now though.

[Quiver he/him]

That sounds awesome. Setting up a kind of subterfuge based political story instead of Corvallis' more open political warfare. 

Kind of makes me want to make a thief/assasin Epic for Salem now though.

 

I admit, it maybe goes against the spirit of what Salem was set up as -Two Epics Enter! One Epic Leaves!- but the diea of really subtle politics strikes me as a very interesting possibility. I mean...

 

On the surface, Salem has the biggest, flashiest, most attention-grabbing thing in Oregon right now in the Collesium. It's the sort of thing that people are going to pay attention to... which means that it's also got a built-in distraction. Not having at least one Starscream-type in that mix would be criminal!

 

But... wow. An assassin epic? That... is a terrifying concept. And very different from most epics, at least in canon.

I approve wholeheartedly.

[Voidus]

 

I admit, it maybe goes against the spirit of what Salem was set up as -Two Epics Enter! One Epic Leaves!- but the diea of really subtle politics strikes me as a very interesting possibility. I mean...

 

On the surface, Salem has the biggest, flashiest, most attention-grabbing thing in Oregon right now in the Collesium. It's the sort of thing that people are going to pay attention to... which means that it's also got a built-in distraction. Not having at least one Starscream-type in that mix would be criminal!

 

But... wow. An assassin epic? That... is a terrifying concept. And very different from most epics, at least in canon.

I approve wholeheartedly.

Well it's kind of got the perfect set up for it. Soulcaster is powerful enough to create a big stable area and attract a lot of people but too lazy to pay too close attention to what happens outside the arena, his attention is distracted which provides motivation and opportunity for other Epics to get up to all sorts of mischief. The arena is a distraction and also a pull to attract all kinds of Epics to involve in plots.

I'm thinking something like having a weakness that forces them to work in relative obscurity to justify it.