Luckily, Rylenka seemed to have assessed the odds the same way. “Over there…one on each side” Ingrid gestured with the sword. As Miri scanned the room, she noticed Nimue taking a seat at the table, newly set with a meal, and that a rather extreme change had been made to the other half of the room, presumably by magic. A short wooden rail c...
2021-12-28 01:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post
The two spent the next hour or so pinned against the wall. But whether through eventual mercy on their captor’s part or the end of her concentration or spell duration, they were eventually freed. Miryala dropped to her knees, sobbing. Rylee came over and helped her up, then the two of them tried the door. Even Rylee’s strength couldn’t cau...
2021-12-21 23:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post
“My turn,” Ingrid said. “How do you FEEL about your travelling companion?”
Rylenka blushed, “What kind of question is THAT? She’s, um, fine I suppose.” “Fine, you SUPPOSE. I think I detect a lie. Let’s get rid of your armguards…and this restrictive corset.”
“Hey, let go of that!” the half-orc squealed as Ing...
2021-12-17 03:00:02 +0000 UTC View Post
“It’s just so hard, sometimes...to not live up to expectations.” Rylenka said. “Or to be judged harshly because you’re a halfbreed,” Miri commiserated. “Exactly.” “Wait…look at that.” Miri pointed off in the distance. Rylenka followed her gaze and saw a keep in the distance, rising above the trees. “I suspect we can arriv...
2021-12-12 03:00:02 +0000 UTC View PostI'm really enjoying rendering now. Let's say the "action" will step up throughout the course of the month.
2021-12-10 08:21:51 +0000 UTC View Post
The following day, on the road, it was Maddie’s turn to walk with the horse, as Minna guarded the supply wagon. “Why did we have to leave before the others?” Maddie whined. “Yer changin’ the subject,” Minna said, “Ya know damn well that the wagon tends to get stuck, and we need a head start to cover the same mileage. They’ll be h...
2021-12-05 10:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post
Minna was sitting by the fire, chewing through some tough trail bread when Lady Sivallien squinted her sharp eyes. Minna watched curiously, but didn’t get up. Sivallien stood up, and Choru was soon by her side.
“Hail!” the Elven Lady called out. “Hail!” said the familiar voice of Therliss. Minna stood up. Therliss had been sent t...
2021-11-28 10:00:02 +0000 UTC View PostHow much interest would there be in interactive story games with text, pictures, and perhaps an occasional input, like answering a riddle, or a simple minigame? The contents of the stories would not really be different, but there would be varied endings. This has recently come into my capability, but it wouldn't happen soon.
It...
2021-11-25 05:09:55 +0000 UTC View Post
Hundreds of miles away, in front of an elaborate shrine carved from a rocky crag, Archdeaconess Cafrune had assembled the force she would use to accomplish the mission given her. She stood before lieutenants Kerledre Morningsword and Layre Denholm, of the City guard of Ofusca, in their shining armor. Although their uniforms were entirely alike, ...
2021-11-23 07:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post
Amira rang the ship’s bell, and the crew gathered on deck to see Milisandia strutting in front of Laurala, whose hands were bound behind her back. “Sadly, it seems that we have a stowaway. We need to make it clear what it means not to follow orders on my ship. Since this is the first violation of the trip, I will be lenient. This…Laurala i...
2021-11-17 07:00:02 +0000 UTC View Post
The Peregrine’s Talonhad been underway for the better part of a day, w
hen Amira approached Milisandia. She saluted, but the captain impatiently gestured for her to speak.
“Captain, it seems we have a stowaway.”
“A stowaway? How?”
“One of Carlotta’s crew…she apparently wouldn’t take no for an an...
2021-11-12 04:00:01 +0000 UTC View Post
(Crew characters appear in the order mentioned)
Carlotta cleared her throat. She really wanted to use as much of her own crew as possible on this mission, she could already tell by the way Milisandia seemed to accept Gabbi’s assessment of her that she would need every ally on board that she could get. “My weather-witch, Laurala, is qui...
2021-11-05 08:00:00 +0000 UTC View Post
Carlotta frowned as she watched her mate secure the lines at the bow. Felicity Dragon was already docked, and hardly a hand could be seen onboard. Gabriela must have beat her to Gull Cove quite handily. On the other side of the quay, the Peregrine’s Talonwas tied up, and there was plenty of activity around her. She was a true...
2021-10-31 08:00:00 +0000 UTC View Post
Grulba tied the hands of the prisoners, then pulled them to their feet. Shelgrish bowed to the Jarl, then escorted the still-nude prisoners out of the hall, and out of the village. At the gate, they were met by Rylenka, who carried little but her axe, and Glasha, who had a pack of books. “I thought I was looking forward to leaving with you,”...
2021-10-26 06:00:02 +0000 UTC View Post
“Take them all. But when you return, you’d better have news of their allies. And you’d better not have my daughters with you.” “Agreed,” Shelgrish said, quickly, before Lazgar had a chance to change her mind. “Glasha? Rylenka? You knew this day was coming. Gather your things and meet me at the gate,” she ordered, then she looked ...
2021-10-21 05:00:00 +0000 UTC View Post
The Barbarian looked at the women, “The Banedash are orc-friends--” Lazgar cleared her throat, “You mean WERE Orc-friends. There are no Banedash, only Shelgrish now.” Miri’s mind was racing. She thought she was thinking, but she spoke out loud. “The famous Banedash brigands?” The barbarian turned her head sharply, fixing her gaze o...
2021-10-16 05:00:00 +0000 UTC View Post
The barbarian’s tone changed. The joviality had gone from her voice. “Yes, but I’d ask one last time for you to reconsider. They’re your daughters, after all.” “Bah,” Lazgar said, “born from a mistake. My clan has no place for such half-breeds. Look at this one….my eldest….eats like a champion, but swings her axe like a human...
2021-10-11 22:00:00 +0000 UTC View Post
How long the Orcs would have kept beating the elf and the ranger is a matter of conjecture; as it happened, they were interrupted during this activity.
A messenger ran into the hall, and bowed, “My Jarl, Shelgrish is here to see you.” “HaHA! Lazgar” beamed, “Let her in.”
Miri turned her head to see a tall, Red-headed barb...
2021-10-05 19:00:00 +0000 UTC View Post
I wanted to give a general idea where things are. Those pale white circles up north in the Realms represent the wardshells. You can see several cities with their own wardshells, but the biggest are Rynchus and Oniridge. Then, you have the Coastal Confederation to the south, with Portodorado as the biggest city. To the Sou...
2021-10-02 08:55:04 +0000 UTC View Post
“Well, get this human rat on her knees!” Therliss tried to resist, but the bodyguard pinched a pressure point near her clavicle, and she dropped to her hands and knees.
“Fiesty!” the Jarl laughed, “I like this one. Still, I think her cheeks could use the same treatment we were giving the elf.” Again, the bodyguard got right to ...
2021-09-30 18:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
“Did you think to harm me?” Lazgar laughed, “While our lands may be at the very limit of your Wardshells, my hall is fully protected by it. Bashuk, strip her, so she can enjoy the same treatment as her Elven ally.”
The bodyguard wasted no time. Soon, Therliss stood naked before the taunting Jarl, her pose still defiant.
2021-09-24 18:00:00 +0000 UTC View Post
There was an awkward moment of silence as each participant in the standoff took the measure of the situation. But suddenly, the silence was broken—by Lazgar, laughing loudly. “Shut up, or I’ll cut you,” Therliss said, unsettled by the reaction of her hostage. She added, “Just let her and I go, and we’ll never bother you again.”
... 2021-09-18 17:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
Suddenly, Miri heard a commotion. Looking op, she saw Therliss, standing in front of the throne with a knife to the Jarl’s throat. “Let her go,” she said, “I’ll let your jarl go unharmed once the two of us are outside your walls and no one follows.” The jarl’s bodyguards were caught completely unprepared, and took aggressive stance...
2021-09-13 04:00:00 +0000 UTC View Post
Grulba nodded, and grabbed Miri by the hair, pulling her forward onto all fours. Grulba knelt down beside her, keeping hold of her hair, and wound the sword up for a swing.
SMACK! The flat of the blade slapped resoundingly against the half-elf’s thick backside. SMACK! SMACK! Grulba was merciless, eliciting small moans from the chastised ...
2021-09-07 04:00:00 +0000 UTC View Post
“That’s not good enough. But you will stay until you tell us. In the meantime, I decree that this sword, that spilled so much orc-blood taste its first Elf-Flesh. Grulba?” The Jarl held out the sword, and a large orc stepped out from behind Miri to accept it. “Wait!” she whined, cowering.
“Will you tell us of your mission? The ...
2021-09-01 04:00:00 +0000 UTC View Post
“I apologize your, um, your grace, jarl, but I didn’t know I was in anyone’s territory. This was marked on our map simply as The Wilds.”
“Our?” so there are others? I knew those damn elves wouldn’t send a single scout. I don’t believe you. The Council knows of us. They have known about us for centuries. If I am rig...
2021-08-26 04:00:00 +0000 UTC View Post
With a slight groan, she climbed to all fours, then settled into a kneeling pose. Her head was still spinning. Lazgar seemed annoyed, “One should not make a Jarl wait.” Miri looked up, terrified. “Washing,” she said. The jarl looked at her advisors in disbelief. “Washing?” “Yes, I was washing up in the river, after a long day of tr...
2021-08-20 04:00:00 +0000 UTC View PostWho should win in an unarmed wrestling match? Don't assume that the situation will come up soon, it's a "down the road" sort of thing.
2021-08-14 16:24:23 +0000 UTC View Post
Her head was pounding. Something unpleasant-smelling, dried mud, perhaps, caked her skin. She was lying on something hard and flat. A wooden floor? Muffled voices filled her head. They seemed close, but sounded distant through the haze of her emerging consciousness. “She was…vigorously enjoying the beauty of our river, so I went closer to in...
2021-08-13 04:00:00 +0000 UTC View Post
There was no time to don her armor, or even get dressed. She’d have to run to keep up with the thief, so she followed as closely as possible. The branches and bushes of the lush forest scratched and slapped her skin as she charged through, trying to keep up with her alarmingly agile quarry. At least she knew where she was as long as they were ...
2021-08-06 04:00:00 +0000 UTC View Post