Avatars busted for me as well as of this time.
Ashgan
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- Last Seen: 4 yrs ago
- Old Guild Username: Ashgan
- Joined: 11 yrs ago
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- Ashgan 11 yrs ago
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Yo. I'm around once again. I'll try my very best to get the next set of replies in faster than these last ones - one-month waits are far too long to be made a habit out of. At least I'm not halting anyone's progress aside from Jack, and he has multiple characters. Still, sorry man!
Also, six-barreled revolver sounds kind of awesome in its own right Shien. ^^
Edit: Also, yeah, new avatar to conform to the 150x150 pixels rule; my old avatar isn't great for this since it's fairly low resolution, and has the wrong dimensions.
“He wants to be sure that he profits, even if we fail,” Gerald muttered to Jillian in a hushed tone under the curious and watchful gaze of the Grand Master. The witch did not reply, but her face contorted in a disapproving grimace. It was clear that Jillian did not value raw information as much as the greater demon before her, or indeed Gerald did, and so she gave up on further arguing her point. Perhaps her attitude was a result of growing up in a largely materialistic household, one that quite literally heaped piles of gold, if only to sell it again. Or perhaps it was due to her naturally reckless nature that favored impulsiveness and the taking of risks over careful premeditation and the gathering of information before acting. The latter at least showed itself very clearly in how she chose to exercise magic: with the most dangerous and volatile spells she could get her hands on, while foregoing the studious habit of keeping records in a magician’s tome.
The Grand Master confirmed that Gerald was right, and that he was unwilling to consider Jillian’s proposition. He also voiced his doubts as to Jillian’s confidence and commitment in the quest ahead, seeing how their chances of success were apparently quite slim – unlike her necromancer friend, who would go to the ends of the earth if it promised even a sliver of salvation, for even that was more than enough to be worth risking everything for. Of course, Jillian knew; Gerald was a cornered man with nothing to lose. He was already forced to bury his pregnant wife, had lost his home just like she had, and was now inflicted with a mortal disease that knew no cure. Yes, she would also risk everything if there was a chance to save herself, no matter how implausible it might be.
In the small pause that followed, a pair of viridian eyes cast a wary glance at the dark robed sorcerer, but only for a moment before a snap of the fingers forced Jillian to return her attention to the demon lord once more.
“I have an idea!” he exclaimed with great enthusiasm which, ironically, caused a very opposite reaction in the witch before he even voiced it. Somehow she knew that if he would deem something a good idea, she was not going to like it.
Two weeks! It was all Jillian could think of, arms crossed underneath her chest and nervously tapping her right foot on the ground. Preposterous! If the Withering was bound to a demon then chances of ‘curing’ the ailment were abysmal as it stood, but to accomplish such a feat in two weeks? Outright impossible. And the losing consequence? Oh, by the Planes, really? She almost wanted to laugh in the demon’s face. Her soul? He could not have possibly named a more predictable prize for winning this bet of his. On a less amusing note, he seemed very insistent on acquiring Gerald’s staff of all things. Jillian took a brief peek to the side in hopes of catching a glimpse of the alleged artifact; up to this point she had failed to notice anything particularly interesting about it. In fact, if asked to remember what it looked like she would be unable to describe it at all. The Grand Master may or may not part with the information they wanted by the end of the day, but he most certainly told her very much about Gerald – far more than he would have shared with her to be sure.
“Terribly generous, yes,” Jillian affirmed with a hint of sarcasm in her poisonous tone, “but I’m not liking it. I have gambled before, and if the dice aren’t loaded on this one then I’m the duchess of Zerul. Two weeks to banish the Withering is ridiculous, and you know it too. You made it very clear that our chances of accomplishing this at all are close to none. If you think I’m willing to give you my soul for this, then you’re mistaken. And really, my soul? At least you made a creative request of Gerald. Besides, as a sorceress, you must know that it’s the most precious thing I have.”
“Ugh, Gerald,” she sighed as she turned to her companion, “I don’t know if this is going anywhere.”
Having been in the exact same position a couple years (?) ago, let me be the first then to welcome you back. Enjoy your stay, mang; you just won't find many RPs that have you coming back like that, especially ones that still live at the appointed time.
It's fine Shien; concise and to the point. I would only, perhaps, change the word "departed" to "escaped" in reference to her leaving Zerul City. She was outlawed and killed the enforcers who came to take her into custody, making her an illegal magician _and _a murderer; she was lucky to leave the city alive in the first place.
You can also reformat the posts all you like, sure.
Jillian made a mental note about, and found it interesting that Hazzergash – and, presumably, the other demon lords as well – did not act under the directive of the Grand Master and instead pursued their own goals with their own methods. Of course, she imagined that the entity before them could, if the need would arise, give a direct order to one of his subjects but ordinarily, as it would appear, they were left to their own devices. Just like the Rodorian duchies schemed and bickered between one another even when there was still a king on the throne; now that he was gone, it had only become worse. Considering that Gerald’s and her future seemed heavily intertwined with demonkind, it felt noteworthy that they might be able to play the demon lords out against one another, as humans liked to do. And speaking of Hazzergash, Jillian was reminded of the fact that she and Gerald had promised to banish him in the near future. Was the Grand Master aware of this as well? She felt as if that should have some impact on their dealings, considering that they were striking a mortal blow against one of his allies. Perhaps the term ally was even more loosely defined amongst demons than she had first assumed, for the way that the Grand Master just talked about Hazzergash, it sounded as if he hardly wanted to be associated with the latter. He might not even care about Hazzergash’s fate. They really were an amalgamate of purely selfish creatures, bound together by necessity instead of sentiment, were they not?
“Yes, you are rather insightful for a mortal,” the Grand Master surprisingly praised Jillian in response to her rejection of making an offering to him and why. He then specifically explained the difference between himself and Kreshtaat, and the witch could not get rid of the impression that the demon before her was not at all an abstract concept of evil, too powerful and enigmatic to ever comprehend; no, quite the contrary, she found that he sounded more and more like merely a very nasty man, drunk with his own power. And being one such, he would not be the first she would have come across, for he embodied very human sentiments that were all too common in this world.
Still, he insisted that his knowledge was too valuable to give away freely. _Why?_ she thought. They had already established that he could only gain by them possessing this knowledge, and he had absolutely nothing to lose; sharing his secret with them would not rob him of the knowledge, or force him to give anything up. Why be so insistent on getting something? And what could they offer anyway? Jillian, for her part, had lost practically everything she had ever possessed in a matter of days, and not even the clothes she wore at the time, if they could be called that, were technically her own. What else could she offer? Her soul? Some kind of favor? That would only lead to more and more debate, which she was not looking forward to.
Of course, the Grand Master had a point insofar that the odds were not in the two exiles’ favor. They had proven that they were indeed capable of some amazing feats, but they were nonetheless only two mortals, and a long shot from being exemplary representatives of their kind. Realistically, they simply would not defeat a demon like Hymith in open confrontation. If they were to stand any chance, they would have to rely on intrigue and wit, and even then fortune would need to favor them. Still, they did not truly know who they would have to face – Hymith was only a good guess, after all. What if the truth was even more horrifying, even more implausible to ever have a favorable outcome? If it was so hopeless that they would not even attempt to stop the demon? The irony of it, if they were to give something up for knowledge that they would ultimately not even act upon. Yet this thought gave her an idea.
“That’s true, they’re most likely not, but to be honest, we do not know what the odds are since you’re too greedy to tell us whom we’re even talking about. I make you a proposition, if you’ll indulge me,” she replied, her left hand against her hip while gesturing with the other, “As I see it, the information we’re talking about consists of two parts: the identity of whomever is causing the Withering, and the whereabouts of them. How about you give us the identity for free so that at least we know whom we’re dealing with, and then Gerald and I can decide if we feel there is a point to even finding out where they are. If yes, then we’ll give you something for the second part of your little secret, even if I can’t imagine what you could even want from us. So, sounds fair?”
“Fine,” Jillian dispassionately sighed with a shrug, shifting her gaze back to the Grand Master who confirmed Gerald’s assumption. If he knew everything already, why did they bother talking at all? He might as well just spit out his answer and be gone, saving them the trouble. However, he would not be a demon if he so easily cooperated with puny mortals such as the witch and the necromancer, and in an exemplary display of fiendishness, he chose to openly reveal rather sensitive information about both of them, in a way forcing the two to get to know one another better in an unexpected way.
“I didn’t!” Jillian hissed in protest, stomping her foot in the cold grass. It wasn’t my fault! her mind’s voice rang in her head. I had no choice! I couldn’t control it! Vincent was dying before I even cast the damn thing! I did not kill him!
The mere thought of Vincent and the accusations that came with it was enough to force a handful of small tears into her scornful, poison-colored eyes. Not satisfied with only spiting Jillian, however, the Grand Master continued with unveiling similarly unwanted knowledge about Gerald and his own past, forcing a similar reaction in the necromancer – Jillian had not seen him this angry thus far. Being the person that she was, the little witch could not help but listen with great interest to all the things that the demon had to share about her newfound companion. She felt conflicted between her own curiosity and a feeling of guilt for acquiring all of this information without Gerald’s consent. While perhaps not relevant at the moment, she could easily foresee awkward moments later on when they had only each other to talk to, knowing what the other knew about them. At the very least, however, this knowledge gave her a more definitive picture of who Gerald was, and would allow her to better understand him in the future.
Having observed the two magicians for a while, the Grand Master then changed the subject to the more relevant matters at hand, guessing at why he had been called here. Clearly, he underestimated their efforts, for when Gerald explained the state of their quest, the old demon almost appeared surprised – though, with his kind of behavior it was difficult to tell if it was fake or not. After a brief back and forth the latter then admitted that he in fact knew who was causing the Withering and even where they were, in turn surprising the Zerulic outcasts. Only now the Grand Master began asking for something in return if they wanted to know more, old serpent that he was. As a witch, Jillian felt perhaps more kinship with the denizens of the lower realms than most, yet even she knew very well that any kind of trade with a demon, especially one such as he, was seldom a good idea, and she was not willing to make that kind of exchange. Pushed by the remnants of her spite from before and this bit of wisdom, she stepped forward and confidently exclaimed:
“Nothing at all of course! You’re as much as a winner as we are if we manage to banish the Withering. Your minions are already trying to do the same, and I’m sure you are aware of how miserable they are at it.”
“Let’s be honest,” she continued, a sly grin creeping up on her thin lips, “this world would be terribly boring even for one such as yourself if humans ceased to exist, wouldn’t it? The only thing stopping that from happening is us. You want to help us, and you don’t need a special reward for doing so.”
“I didn’t!” Jillian hissed in protest, stomping her foot in the cold grass. It wasn’t my fault! her mind’s voice rang in her head. I had no choice! I couldn’t control it! Vincent was dying before I even cast the damn thing! I did not kill him!
The mere thought of Vincent and the accusations that came with it was enough to force a handful of small tears into her scornful, poison-colored eyes. Not satisfied with only spiting Jillian, however, the Grand Master continued with unveiling similarly unwanted knowledge about Gerald and his own past, forcing a similar reaction in the necromancer – Jillian had not seen him this angry thus far. Being the person that she was, the little witch could not help but listen with great interest to all the things that the demon had to share about her newfound companion. She felt conflicted between her own curiosity and a feeling of guilt for acquiring all of this information without Gerald’s consent. While perhaps not relevant at the moment, she could easily foresee awkward moments later on when they had only each other to talk to, knowing what the other knew about them. At the very least, however, this knowledge gave her a more definitive picture of who Gerald was, and would allow her to better understand him in the future.
Having observed the two magicians for a while, the Grand Master then changed the subject to the more relevant matters at hand, guessing at why he had been called here. Clearly, he underestimated their efforts, for when Gerald explained the state of their quest, the old demon almost appeared surprised – though, with his kind of behavior it was difficult to tell if it was fake or not. After a brief back and forth the latter then admitted that he in fact knew who was causing the Withering and even where they were, in turn surprising the Zerulic outcasts. Only now the Grand Master began asking for something in return if they wanted to know more, old serpent that he was. As a witch, Jillian felt perhaps more kinship with the denizens of the lower realms than most, yet even she knew very well that any kind of trade with a demon, especially one such as he, was seldom a good idea, and she was not willing to make that kind of exchange. Pushed by the remnants of her spite from before and this bit of wisdom, she stepped forward and confidently exclaimed:
“Nothing at all of course! You’re as much as a winner as we are if we manage to banish the Withering. Your minions are already trying to do the same, and I’m sure you are aware of how miserable they are at it.”
“Let’s be honest,” she continued, a sly grin creeping up on her thin lips, “this world would be terribly boring even for one such as yourself if humans ceased to exist, wouldn’t it? The only thing stopping that from happening is us. You want to help us, and you don’t need a special reward for doing so.”
Since we're casting votes I suppose I should chime in. My call ultimately depends on Mahz's efforts and future factors; if RPG stays in its current state (merely talking about stability), then I would absolutely vote to move, because the downtimes are ridiculous. If, however, he can fix them (and especially if maybe we get a few more luxury features down the line), then I would probably be in favor of staying, as it makes things easier, and I've always liked RPG. In practical terms, you could sign me up as neutral or staying, for the time being. If we experience another wave of downtime in the coming days/weeks, I would revise my choice.
At this point I think it's safe to say that we are not going to see any additional participants unless the intchk keeps getting bumped, and even then. Additionally, I'm sure you've taken notice of the ever more ridiculous downtimes that RPG is going through, further antagonizing the potential of a roleplay happening. Maybe you'd like to try hosting this on a different website? You'd get the benefit of a fresh chance of garnering interest as well as a new audience, and you'd also get a more stable platform to run it on in the first place. Just a suggestion. Either way, whatever you decide to do, please let me know when/if decide to do this again. I am not often this enamored with an RP concept, and I want to see it go places.
Should RPG be down for whatever reason, you could reach me via e-mail under [tyball@pt.lu] or find me on skype as [northwind-hero], if you'd like.
Should RPG be down for whatever reason, you could reach me via e-mail under [tyball@pt.lu] or find me on skype as [northwind-hero], if you'd like.
Yup, happy new one.
You're right, RPG is currently not a viable platform for roleplaying. I could deal with the absence of any kind of text formatting (barring extremely basic tools), but these downtimes only seem to be getting worse. We should probably consider alternative sites, temporarily or permanently.
You're right, RPG is currently not a viable platform for roleplaying. I could deal with the absence of any kind of text formatting (barring extremely basic tools), but these downtimes only seem to be getting worse. We should probably consider alternative sites, temporarily or permanently.
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