December 2012
2 posts
S5E6 - Awake
You awaken on cold tile with a splitting headache. Dragging your hands to your face, you go through a mental checklist of parts. Nose? Still there. Chin? No damage. It’s not until you work up the courage to explore the left side of your face that your fingers brush over the hard crystal embedded there. Your eye is gone, pulverized by the crystal eye that drilled its way into your skull. You...
S5E5 - Bad Intel?
Trusting that your information is good, you lift the crystal eye to your head and press it against your left eye. At first it feels as if nothing is happening. You can feel the cold weight of the crystal on your skin, but nothing more. Just as you are about to resign yourself to bad intel the eye starts to resonate. A sharp ringing fills the air and, while you feel no pain, blood begins to pour...
November 2012
5 posts
S5E4 - Inquisitor Sotirios
The very sight of the man fills you with white-hot rage. You close the distance between the two of you in an instant, reaching for his throat. He dodges you deftly and slams his scepter into your back, forcing you to the ground.
“It seems that you are. Maybe another few months of stasis will cure you of this compulsion to trespass. If not, well, there are always more permanent...
S5E3 - A blinding flash
A blinding flash illuminates the temple. You shield your eyes and leap towards the entrance. The pulse of light lasts only a few seconds, but you can already hear the cries of confusion left in the spell’s wake. Nirox demonstrated the spell for you while the two of you were hunched over maps of the temple painstakingly recreated by memory and eyewitness accounts. Anyone touched by the...
S5E2 - 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
The clerics and their paladin dogs have grown sloppy over the infinite years. Nobody has so much as tried to peer in the windows of their little church since you landed in this place. The temple was fat with wealth and power, a fact your felonious brain honed in on once you recovered from stasis. Things might be different on the surface of the Nexus, but an experienced criminal mind like yours...
S5E1 - 5 years...
…or at least they would have been five years if time moved in a sensible direction at the Nexus. It doesn’t. Move in a sensible direction, that is. Here in the Nexus time moves wherever it wants, or at least wherever the Clerics of Chronos and their tight-lipped enforcers let it move. You have seen it go forwards and backwards. Hell, once you even saw it go sideways. It’s...
S5 Setup
Vote For Adventure S5 is starting now! I know it has been a longer break than expected, but I am back and ready to go.
This time around I am trying out a new website called Anon-kun to manage the game. Check it out here.
I’m not sure how easy it will be to post updates here while using Anon-kun as I’m still figuring out the website. As far as I can tell it isn’t possible to...
July 2012
1 post
S4E31 - Sludge
You slip on the slick remains of the Watchers on your way to the gnome’s side. The creamy violet sludge slurps between your fingers as you push yourself back up. You proceed more carefully after that, the jelly drips from you as you go. Once you reach the gnome’s side you have to turn him over. Fearing that he might have drowned in the waste you rest your head against his chest and...
June 2012
11 posts
Four-way tie.
Loyal Vote for Adventurers, S4E30 has a four-way tie going right now. I could break that tie and just choose the option I like best, but I’m not going to do that. Jump in there and vote a second time if that’s what it takes to break this tie!
S4E30 - Implosion
The Watchers have pinned the white gnome to the earth with their combined weight. You can hear the gnome’s muffled cries of anger through the eerie silence. You stand and watch the struggle, refusing to aid either side. The wrestling match continues for what seems like a long time. The end is signaled by what can only be described as implosion. There is a sudden rush of power that crashes...
Update Postponed
I’m postponing today’s update because voting is trickling in very slowly for E29. I think it is best to let voting continue through the weekend to make sure everyone has their say for update 30.
Have a great weekend everybody. Maybe I will see one of you during Global Reddit Meetup Day (June 23rd).
S4E29 - The Watchers Act
“If you have the power to fix them, then you should do so. No creature deserves that.” You wave your hand at the gnomes for emphasis as you speak. “You mercy surprises me, but I shall restore their minds as you request.” The white gnomes walks over to each of the gnomes and closes their eyes. You can see that their chests still rise and fall as they draw breath. They look...
S4E28 - Watchers
You eye the third gnome and reply, “I didn’t have a choice. It was either I stop them or they would capture me again, or worse.” “Imprisonment? Yes. You made the right choice. I too was imprisoned by these creatures, or ones like them. Fitting that now I imprison one of them.” The gnome speaks with a unusual an unusual prosody, the rhythm and pitch all seem slightly...
S4E27 - Unexpected results.
Violet patterns drown the gnomes in swirling maelstrom. Shapes twist in the air, almost becoming something recognizable before they collapse into noise. The gnomes stand transfixed. Their eyes glaze over, the machine falls harmlessly from their hands and clatters to the ground. The purple light dances onward, completely beyond your control. You were able to channel the violet energy with the help...
S4E26 - Action
You don’t give the gnomes a chance to gas you a second time. In one movement you reach into your robe and grab one of your enchanted cakes of paint. You don’t even bother to check what color it is before you drain it and wrap the gnomes in a complex illusion. The now-white cake falls to the ground, already behind you as you close the gap between yourself and the gnomes. Your staff is...
S4E25 - The heart of the ruins
The stone clatters harmlessly in the center of the ruins, just another in a growing pile. You have spent the last couple of minutes throwing rocks and other bits of debris into the area looking for some kind of reaction. You’ve traced the edges and even drained a little color in hopes of finding something. You didn’t. Whatever caused that gnome to disappear is either gone or too well...
S4E24 - Blinding light.
The figure bearing the lantern heads into the center of the ruins, the lantern casting angular shadows as it sways. Then, without warning, a brilliant flash of azure light blinds you. By the time you are finished rubbing the dots out of your eyes the lantern bearer is gone. You clamber down from your ruins make a beeline to the center of town. In your haste you leap over debris, wind around fallen...
S4E23 - Ruins through the eyeglass.
All of the buildings have collapsed outwards, as if some powerful force blew them over that originated from the center of the ruins. You slip your eyepiece on and pass your gaze over the ruins a second time. In this distance you can make out the form of the Watcher, a presence that you had manged to forget about in the excitement of your kidnapping. Even though it is too far away to make out in...
S4E22 - The ruins
You slip away into the nearby brush and pick your way towards the ruins. In the distance you hear shouts of alarm, no doubt the gnomes have discovered your escape. You pick up the pace and continue weaving through foliage in an attempt to remain undetected on your way to the ruins. The metal cog you picked up keeps swaying awkwardly in the pocket you tucked it away in. The ruins are larger than...
May 2012
15 posts
S4E21 - The Wagon
You decide that the gnomes probably stashed all of your gear on the wagon when they brought you here and it’s probably still there. You dart over to the wagon and lift up the canvas to see what is there. You’re in luck! You see the familiar reds of your ribbon pouch as well as glint of moonlight on your lens. You rummage around some more and find the rest of your equipment, along with...
S4E20 - Snap
There is only one surefire way of getting out of these ropes and that is by force. You picture the the ball of floating crimson energy in your mind and breathe in deeply. You imagine that the the wisps of red energy are brought into your body with each inhalation. The energy courses through your body, building to such a point that your muscles feel as if they will explode into action. Then, in one...
S4E19 - Tied up.
Your ribbons seem to be gone, but you are still fully garbed. You should be able to wring some magic out of the fabric if only you can ignore the headache and concentrate. You screw your eyes shut and envision the deep red color of your vibrancy. The pain in your head fades to a dull cloud as you mentally tease the color away from the fabric it is confined in and is floating free in front of your...
S4E18 - Yellow Gas
Glass shatters at your feet and a noxious yellow gas billows out from the impact and seeps into your clothing. There is no scent to the gas, but the fumes sting your eyes and leave you gasping for breath. The world around you spins in a yellow haze and you feel a moment of pure terror as your muscles turn to jelly and you fall sideways from your mount. Your world turns black before fall far enough...
S4E17 - Gnomish discourse
ou can talk these gnomes out of this situation and you do not need magic to do it. You address the gnomes, “I’m sorry. Magic is a natural reaction for me, like breathing. I can’t help but use it in situations like this.” You hold your hands out, palms facing upwards, in a gesture of peace. “Let’s just talk about this.” The lead gnome bares his teeth and...
No update, Google Docs not working
I’m sorry to say that there will be no May 21 update. Google Docs is giving me a server connection error whenever I try and create the form. Support says that it is a temporary issue and should be resolved soon. Unfortunately I can not stay up until the wee hours of the morning to see if this is true.
I will hopefully be able to post the update on May 22, so please keep an eye out for it.
S4E16 - This hasn't happened before.
Not wanting to risk a conflict with the gnomes you decide to use a touch of vibrancy to make them more interested in what you have to say. You finger one of the strips of crimson cloth in your satchel and coax the power out. You sense the power twisting out and grasping towards the gnomes only to be interrupted. “You think to touch me with your red magic a second time, witch?”,...
S4E15 - An impatient horse.
You ride down to see what the gnomes are up to. They hear your approach and turn away from the manipulations of their device to watch as you draw near. You reign in your horse and it lets out a soft whinny and stamps the dirt road a few times. Now that you are closer your suspicions are confirmed, the gnome holding the contraption does look familiar. He’s the one from the cavern, the only...
S4E14 - A trio of gnomes
Ammestead lies behind you. It disappeared behind rolling hills a couple of days ago, but if you look hard enough the smoke from the city’s chimneys can still be spotted hanging in the sky. You have been following a well trod road away from the city and towards the ruins marked on your map. You’ll have to leave the road at some point to get there as this road continues on to Blackbeach,...
S4E13 - On the road again
Since the Watcher doesn’t seem threatening, at least not immediately so. You keep your eyepiece on, just in case it decides to make a move, and return to your stash to withdraw the remaining items. There isn’t much, a few coins kept as an emergency fund and some spare clothing make up the majority of the stash. You dig through the clothes until your finger bump up against something...
S4E12 - The Watcher
You try and open a dialogue with the pale humanoid that is watching you so intently. You try words, gestures and even drawing signs in the earth but never even receive so much as an acknowledgement from the creature. It just keeps watching you with its slightly too large eyes. You try walking away until you are out of its sight only to turn around to find it standing somewhere nearby, its...
S4E11 - Through the eyeglass
The violet lens colors the world in shades of mauve. A world of brown and purple is revealed through the eyeglass, along with something else, something that shouldn’t be there. Standing not to few yards away is a nude human-like figure. It is neither a man nor a woman, having no visible organs that would define it as such. Not a single hair graces the androgynous creature and it has pale,...
S4E10
Tall grass and haphazard groups of bushes surround your stash. It was a good location for hiding your things, but it’s also good at hiding whatever is out there. Your eyes dart across the brush and fail to detect anyone or anything lurking. You know what you heard, though. Not for a moment taking your eyes off your surroundings, you reach behind you with one hand and paw around in your...
S4E9 - The Stash
The morning air is sharp. You have been riding North, away from the Ammestead, for the last hour. You could have could have headed straight for the ruins that the preacher had marked on the map, any gods that are watching surely know you were curious enough. The preacher obviously wanted to go straight there to “guide the Newborn”, whatever that means. The years you have spent on the...
S4E8 - Preachers gonna preach
It is dawn. The rising sun only just peaking out from behind the horizon enough to bathe the roads in a dull orange light. You spent the last night telling your tale of recurring dreams, impossible caverns, and mysterious beings to the preacher at the bar. He was convinced that what you had seen really was a new deity, a newborn god released from a cruel imprisonment on the world. The...
April 2012
7 posts
S4E7 - Sensitive
“What do you see on me?” you ask. “His touch.” With each word this guy is looking more and more like one of ‘those’ preachers. You decide to give him a little more rope, “Touch?” “Or remains, or essence or whatever you want to call it. I can see that the you have been in His presence.” You have a nagging feeling you know what he’s...
S4E6 - The Robed Man
The robed man that you saw preaching by the fountain has taken a seat next to you. His robes are filthy with dust kicked up by a day spent speaking amongst the city’s commerce. The hood that had previously obscured the mans head now rests on his back and you can see he is a man in his late thirties with gray hair and more worry lines than most. He turns and looks at you with disarming brown...
S4E5 - Restoratives
You order a raspberry gimlet and get back a strong clear drink splashed with a raspberry liqueur. You watch as the liqueur spreads in a murky red cloud and then sample the drink. It’s strong and nowhere near as sweet as you expected. You sip from the cup and each time the drink reaches your lips you work a little vibrancy on the liqueur to aid in washing away your weariness and fatigue. You...
S4E4 The Dancing Dog
You make your way along the main street, paying little attention to the noisy men and women pitching a variety of services while you search for suitable lodging. You opt to stay at the same tavern that you did the last time you were in Ammestead. A modest joint which, for some reason, was named The Dancing Dog. Inside The Dancing Dog is a well lit dining hall complete with bar and a number of...
S4E3 - Ammestead
Realizing that you are worn out and in need of a good rest you collapse beneath a tree with thick branches, perfect for keeping you dry in even the worst weather. You don’t have a tent packed, but it’s a warm night and your bed roll will be more than enough to give you a good night’s sleep. You clear the area of stones and other uncomfortable objects and then roll out your bed....
S4E2 - And into the forest.
You decide to head towards the last town you visited. You can get a solid night’s rest there and think about your next move. If your memory can be relied on, Amesstead is at least a day’s walk from the cavern door. It had taken you about three days of searching the forest to find that door, but you think that you can find your way back to Amesstead without nearly as much trouble. A...
S4E1 - Out of the dungeon.
I have gathered my thoughts, tallied the votes and finally put together the first update for S4 of VFA. You lot voted to start a second chapter in the tale of Kamala. We left off with her/your escape from a dungeon where a powerful entity was imprisoned, at least until you came along
Great branches blot out the night sky above you. Where the limbs are less thickly entwined moonlight filters down,...
March 2012
10 posts
S3E17 - A light in the dark.
You drain more color from your clothing, the rich red fading away into splotches of white, and focus on improving your sight. You can’t make yourself see in the dark, but you can make existing light seem brighter and detect things that share your taste in color. Your enhanced eyes can now see the faintest glimmer in the distance. A line of light breaking the flat black murk that makes up...
S3E16 - On the run.
The clamor of Grayson’s workers draws closer and you know that you need to move or be blamed for what is left of their leader. Luckily, you remembered to pack up that rope and hook. You pull both out and connect them to the platform surround the grisly chamber. After making sure your hook is secure you let the coil of rope slip from your fingers and unravel its way down into the blackness....
S3E15 - Within the sphere.
The easiest way into that sphere is to trick Grayson into opening it. You conjure an image in your mind of a crack on the side of the sphere and then tap you magic to make it appear. Grayson notices it almost immediately as he moves around the sphere admiring his work. The colour in his face drains away and the words, “No, it couldn’t have.” tumble from his lips. Playing dumb,...
S3E14 - Back at the sphere.
You realize that in order to get anywhere you first need to get back to the sphere. The easiest way to do that is to have Grayson take you. You turn up the charm and tap into your color reserves, draining red from your clothing. A few ego stroking comments and fluttered eyelashes later and you have Grayson leading you down the hallway and across the pipeway. Grayson chatters on as you draw closer...
S3E13 - Men like him
“Unbelievable isn’t it?” Grayson says, voice rasping over the words. “Yes… it is. I don’t know much about this kind of magic, is it really possible?” You try not to let on to Grayson your true feelings on the subject of his insane research as you sift through options of getting away from the man. “Oh, I didn’t expect you would. There’s...
S3E12 - Q&A
You are momentarily stunned by how transparent and forthcoming Grayson appears to be being with you. Not one to pass up a chance to get to the bottom of things, you unleash some of the questions that have been gnawing at you. To start things off you reach into your bag and bring out the drawing of the vulture-god Cerrai. “What can you tell me about this?” “Wherever did you find...
S3E11 Grayson's office
The gnome leads you along one of the pipeways. He leads the way with confidence that can only come from countless trips along the same path. Having a companion along seems to shorten the traveling time, even if nether of you speak a word as you clamor along the pipe towards wherever and whoever Grayson is. Some time later you reach the end of the pipeway. To the immediate right is a small rock...
S3E10 - Jargon attack
Realizing that you’ve been caught, you step out with your hands in the air and smile disarmingly at the gnome. “So… do you know what this thing is?” The gnome looks even more startled after hearing you speak, but it pulls together and takes an aggressive posture before answering. “That’s the central chamber and you shouldn’t be near it! How did you get...
S3E9 - Creeeaaak.
You slide along the sphere towards your new companion. Soon you are peaking around the the sphere so that you can just make out a small figure sitting with their legs hanging off the side of the platform. You slide closer to get a better look and one of the boards making up the platform creaks, piercing the silence like a scream. The figure in front of you starts and moves to face you. Over-sized...
