I know something you don't know

[Visla Eraclaire]

So, as of my last update, Visla has a book that can answer lots of questions, when it wants to, and if it's asked correctly.

I've wrapped up most of her personal story for the time being and I was hoping to get involved with some newer members and do something cooperatively rather than huddling myself in a corner and writing solos from here to eternity.

I'm fine to write with anyone who's interested in writing with me, but my preference would be for a newer member. I'm not looking to write an epic either. My threads generally range between 10 and 20 posts as solos. Group quests naturally move at a slower pace because of the alternation, but I'd like to do things at a decent clip, but by no means Duffy-style speed posting.

Tell me if you're interested. If you would like to discuss ideas, PM me or catch me on AIM (Windows Visla).

[Duffy]

I...am not sure why I am even considering making a request, but, would you be interested in a fairly slow speed (by my own standard) thread to continue with the events of I Want To Cage Your Canary? I know you don't approve of my writing, or, for that matter, much of the style, or lack there-of, but I have proven I can reach 60's relatively easily and heavens, there's a 76 in there somewhere.

I would be more than willing to perfect a post as much as I am able and post when I'm happy with it to the Christoph level of nuance we all possess. If that doesn't float your boat, then perhaps one of the more magical characters, Abhorrash or Cydnar.

Naturally, I'm expecting you to flip two fingers at me and tell me to get lost, but I've got your chain still, and I'll be damned if it's not hankering for use.

[Visla Eraclaire]

This isn't really the sort of thing I'm looking for, since I was hoping for a more friendly interaction, but I think it's worth considering.

This time, no giant NPC clusterfuck with two of your characters and their entire theatre troupe.

[Duffy]

Amen to that.

I do utterly register your comments, you know. I just enjoy writing and the challenge of snappy replies but I also need to learn to take time and plan threads more. If you'd be up for something, and some constructive criticism applied to steer in a new direction, that'd be cool for me. I need to slow down my writing (although I'm going to maintain post momentum for current threads) and work out the kinks over the summer.

If Friendly is what you want, then perhaps a fresh slate with a different character. Your call. Your pace, your rules.

[Visla Eraclaire]

Deal. My offer remains open for some sort of quest with a new player, but I'll do this with you Duffy.

I'm going to start writing an introduction. I'm not entirely sure how Visla would deal with you at this point. It's been a long time since she lost that chain and I don't know how bitter she'd still be about it. I'm going to start writing with an open mind and see what comes out. Maybe it's just a little reconciliation quest, maybe I try to electrocute you to death.

I look forward to finding out.

[Duffy]

If anyone else fancies getting something going in the meantime, feel free to do so. That'd give me time to finish off my 2...3...4 ongoing battles (I lose count) and settle thread posts so that I can give you the attention you deserve.

[Paragon]

I'm not new but I'd like to do something as well.

[Visla Eraclaire]

Can you be any more specific?

[Nayeli]

Am I new enough to possibly be eligible for this? :P

[Visla Eraclaire]

Yes. As someone who's been on this board for longer than I like to think about much less admit, I have a very liberal definition of "new"

[Knave]

Room for one more?

[Visla Eraclaire]

Well, the only thing that's been decided so far is the thread I started with Duffy. I'm still open to proposals from the other three people who have posted here. If you just aren't sure, that's fine. We can figure something out, but do give me a general idea what you're thinking of, either in this thread, via PM or IM.

Thanks for a surprising amount of interest. I was actually just betting someone that I wouldn't actually hear from anyone. I have been made to look very foolish for that bet.

[Knave]

I'd like to make this work.

Right now, Lawrence is making his alias Ace famous and doing a lot of other things which will most likely end in heaving mountains of teeth.

Your character is chilling with a book of untold wisdom with a lot of her exciting times behind her.

End case scenario would be Lawrence trying to divine the future and read reality like a script. Of course, that means he'll have to find out about it.

Short of Visla advertising, these two meeting is somewhat unlikely without some odd circumstances. Circumstances you are free to suggest.

PS. The Power of Christ, that is a lot of magic.

EDIT: I have never done a thread involving hordes of the undead. This must change.

[Visla Eraclaire]

This seems promising. I will brainstorm reasons they could meet.

At present the priority is:
Duffy, whose thread has begun
Nayeli's alt Eva, whose thread I have some pretty solid ideas on and I will probably make a first post of tonight
Knave, who gave me a good outline that I'm going to try to work with
Paragon who expressed general interest

I can multitask so this is by no means sequential order, I just didn't want to leave anyone in the dark.

[Silence Sei]

I'd love to do something with you sooner or later, Visla. If we could collaborate on how our two characters could meet, that is.

I know you said low-levels, but I can't help myself. I require multiple things to do XD

[Visla Eraclaire]

Think it over Sei and if you come up with anything, we can try to get it going. I think we're both pretty busy at this moment, but I definitely won't rule it out in the future.

[Paragon]

After looking at your profile, I've come up with a scenario: There's a tribe of Dragon-esque creatures, such as dragonets or drakes, that has come down with a plague. Dorian needs an alchemist to go find and mix up a cure for them.

I'm not too hot on the details of where they have to go to get what they need, and what sort of challenges there are in store, but with that basic concept it's good enough to start.

[Visla Eraclaire]

That sounds fair enough. I've written all the starting posts I can manage today. If you want to put something together, put word out for an alchemist or otherwise contact my character in a starting post of a thread, I'll follow up as soon as I am able.

I'm sorry if I'm not terribly quick on these. Demand was much higher than I thought. I shall do my best.

[Paragon]

I don't have much time now but if you don't decide to post it up yourself before tomorrow night, I'll make it.

[Visla Eraclaire]

Alright. I'm not quite sure where to begin on that one and I have a few things I need to get done today, so I suspect it won't be up by tonight. It's possible though, if something comes to me. In any event, I look forward to it.

[Visla Eraclaire]

Update: I still haven't been able to come up with a suitable way of dealing with knave finding out about the book.

I think once the three threads I'm juggling get a bit further on I'll have a sense of something. It's an interesting character you have but not one particularly easy to connect with.

I didn't end up coming up with anything to start Paragon's thread, since I have just written three starting posts and I'm beginning to worry that they'll all look the same. I'm considering something in medias res but I'm still unsatisfied with what I've come up with thus far. In any event, I'm going to sleep for the time being.

[Paragon]

No problemo. I'll get one up shortly. It would be sort of my third intro post in a short amount of time as well so I gotta remember to make it different too.

[Paragon]

Okay, it's done. It's a bit uninspired since it's my third intro post in a short amount of time, so if you have any suggestions I'll gladly take them.

[Visla Eraclaire]

I skimmed it over and I don't think it's going to be as hard to write my first post as I thought. I'll try and get a reply up tonight once I'm back at my apartment. Another hour of civil procedure review, a quick stop off for happy hour (which is less happy since I have to drive right after), and an hour on the interstate, then I should get to it.

Thanks for taking the initiative.

[Visla Eraclaire]

Hm, I was quite concerned this would get overwhelming, but Duffy's burried under a dozen threads and Nayeli's vanished. Such is my luck with completing threads with others.

Knave, have you come up with any further ideas? I'm afraid I've spent most of my day drilling boring procedural matters into my head so I'm less than inspired.

[Knave]

Oh, I can come up with something, thats not a problem.

Does Visla do vigilante work? If a horrific event were to happen, and she saw it coming, what would she do?

[Visla Eraclaire]

It would have to be against the small handfull of people she cares about, all of which live on an isolated island off the coast of Corone that virtually no one cares about. Basically, minor things don't bother her, and major things she considers beyond her power to stop.

It's a difficult character to get involved with others... I apologize.

I'm tempted to use the intro I wrote for my thread with Eva (The Shadow That Speaks to the Darkness) as the hook for our thread, since it almost seems to fit just as well. I'm just concerned that the instant I do that, she will reappear.

[Knave]

No, no, all the better. I mean sure, I'd love to think of Lawrence's monster lumbering through valleys, and lurking behind mountains, but I prefer the daikaiju feel. Being by the water is perfect.

Can you give me details on this small number of people? Lawrence is above all else a parasite, and a lure, so him just showing up is not enough. He has to be involved.

[Visla Eraclaire]

Let's see. I'll give you a list of three people and I can flesh out the details for you if one looks promising. Much of my backstory is no longer on the site and, given my level, there is a lot of it.

There are three women Visla would probably bother with if they were endangered.

Her sister, Allistia, who is currently Baroness of a majority of a small island off the coast of Corone. Visla hasn't seen or spoken with her sister for years, but she is going to gain the ability to scry on people in her current solo, so she might be tempted to check in on Alis and see how she's doing. If it's not well, she'd go investigate.

The leader of Uiria, Elenore Mephisto, has a kind of complicated arms-length relationship with Visla. She's somewhere between older sister and mother, and she's not particularly thrilled with the things Visla has done, especially in her town, but they still identify with one another. I've done a bit too much with Elenore lately and she's fairly capable on her own, so this isn't the best option.

Finally, Visla severed her connection with her demon companion Aelva a short time ago but still thinks about her from time to time. Like Elenore she's fairly capable, but she could easily become embroiled in something that would warrant Visla's notice.

[Knave]

While their relationships would prove useful in the thread, can you tell me about them as characters in their own lives. Location. Job. Family. Religion. Wealth. Power. Goals. Education.

Not all of that for all of them, but where it applies. While Lawrence would certainly be willing to use connections when possible, he's got to meet them first... or he could impersonate Visla... but, to what end? What could he gain?

[Visla Eraclaire]

Uh... what could he gain. Well...

Allistia has some money and a significant amount of power, but only over the small estate and scattered villages of the island. The title Baroness really overstates her importance. She's the sovereign of someplace that almost no one cares about. Then again, you're lvl 0 so maybe you should start small. She's a follower of the island's minor deity, a light-based demi-Thayne, but he's dead... whether or not she's aware of that is undetermined. Her ambitions are few and she's been happy to wile away her life on her small island home. Her mother and father are both dead, all she has is Visla and she hasn't seen her in years.

Elenore has virtually no traditional wealth, but controls one of the most extensive libraries in Althanas. Uiria has records from across many planes of reality, including our own (i.e. "the real world"/Earth). She venerates no deity though she recognizes that there are some entities of significant power in the cosmos. She's well educated and an accomplished psion, so fooling her could be difficult. Her town is in a bit of a crisis at the moment as they have lost the source of the electrical power that let them maintain a strange and elevated quality of life. She has a brother but they're estranged, and this is involved in why her town doesn't have power.

Aelva is a succubus from the infinite layers of the Abyss. She can cast a variety of damaging and shadow-based spells and can enchant individual mortals and crowds of commoners. She's prone to flights of fancy, and the only constant in her life up until recently was Visla. Without her she's as likely to be found sulking about as murdering random innocents, as her moods swing. As a demon she has no occupation or family and finds little use for traditional wealth.

[Knave]

I like the last two, and going by what we've got so far, the plot would look something like this.

Lawrence is attracted by the high levels of technology and innovation that Elenore's town provides, he is seeking knowledge/souls as well as meat and I do believe getting one or the other will do, if not both. Entering the town he learns of our dear lady and her sister. Cue transformation and impersonation.

Then again impersonating a character so thoroughly entrenched in the ways of magic would be hard, Lawrence could adopt Visla's thoughts if he could lay hands on a journal or something along those lines.

The reward would include an introduction for an ability I forgot to give him on the get go. It involves absorbing information directly in a manner thats best left unsaid, but would be appropriate for use on a psion. Gaining an encyclopedic understanding of several things would be welcome.

Now for that demon familiar. I like it! A dejected, lost infernal soul wandering the earth after what I can only assume was a brutal rejection. It would make for a bit of randomness, or a three way stand off...

My only problem is that opposing Visla, or pissing her off, would not end well in a direct conflict. Make no mistake, Lawrence is not afraid to run, but the question is whether or not he could make it. If magic was nuclear power everyone who looks at her profile would go sterile.

[Visla Eraclaire]

Hm... I think Elenore makes some sense, but I think she's got enough problems at the moment. Also, she's involved in my solo and I don't want to get my wires crossed. Still it's probably the best option. Throwing Aelva in is optional, but she's unlikely to be hanging around Uiria since she killed one of Elenore's guardsmen and she's not terribly fond of her (see Circumstances Leading to the Conclusion)

Visla's actually left a few notes and journals at different times in different places. She rented a room in Radasanth for a while, and the rent should finally have run out fairly recently. I can see a landlord dumping a book he found inside into the trash and giving you an in for finding out about any of this.

I think as long as you don't do anything egregious you could probably get away with running from Visla. She's a powerful spellcaster, but she's slow. You can just outrun her. She can teleport and fly, but it takes a long time to cast either of those spells and you'd be long gone. Her scrying, if she even has it in the thread, requires a connection to the person being scryed on, either personally or via some belonging or item connected to them. As long as you don't leave something behind that you can be tracked by, I can see a brief confrontation that ends with your successful escape at the end...

[Knave]

as long as you don't do anything egregious

Oh... thats funny.

Alright, I won't touch Elenore.

With that being gone, I suppose I could work out something. I don't think impersonation would be a good means to execute any other plan. I am at a loss for what he would try to gain from Allistia beyond simply her identity. He would probably start by working his way up through servants gradually getting closer or steal into her room in the night. Either way Visla could be paying a visit at the time.

This could work out to be a murder mystery. And if that is not to your tastes the hordes of undead offer still stands.

Then again... the target could easily become Visla, but there would be no medium ground. If Lawrence fights, he loses. If his mistress fights, everyone loses. There is no sport in that.

[Visla Eraclaire]

If you're intent on seriously harming people Visla cares about, you really just aren't going to come out of it alive. She'll hunt you to the ends of the earth. Perhaps its best to forget about.

A partial or failed attempt is one thing, but if you managed to get much of anything you seem to want, it would not be pretty.

[Knave]

Its a shame, but I'll have to agree. This is more my fault though, this just isn't the character that would sit around, drink tea, and talk banter.

If you think of something, let me know.

I'd like to mention that I don't particularly mind the idea of Visla chasing him across the earth, or trying to kill him.

[Visla Eraclaire]

Earlier in my character's history that might have interested me more, but Visla's already kind of done the bloody revenge thing. I'm going for a kindler gentler angle...

I think any interaction between us at this point is just going to be a fight and not a very interesting one. Maybe in a few levels it'll be more colorful and we can think about something.

[Silence Sei]

Uh... what could he gain. Well...

Allistia has some money and a significant amount of power, but only over the small estate and scattered villages of the island. The title Baroness really overstates her importance. She's the sovereign of someplace that almost no one cares about. Then again, you're lvl 0 so maybe you should start small. She's a follower of the island's minor deity, a light-based demi-Thayne, but he's dead... whether or not she's aware of that is undetermined. Her ambitions are few and she's been happy to wile away her life on her small island home. Her mother and father are both dead, all she has is Visla and she hasn't seen her in years.

Elenore has virtually no traditional wealth, but controls one of the most extensive libraries in Althanas. Uiria has records from across many planes of reality, including our own (i.e. "the real world"/Earth). She venerates no deity though she recognizes that there are some entities of significant power in the cosmos. She's well educated and an accomplished psion, so fooling her could be difficult. Her town is in a bit of a crisis at the moment as they have lost the source of the electrical power that let them maintain a strange and elevated quality of life. She has a brother but they're estranged, and this is involved in why her town doesn't have power.

Aelva is a succubus from the infinite layers of the Abyss. She can cast a variety of damaging and shadow-based spells and can enchant individual mortals and crowds of commoners. She's prone to flights of fancy, and the only constant in her life up until recently was Visla. Without her she's as likely to be found sulking about as murdering random innocents, as her moods swing. As a demon she has no occupation or family and finds little use for traditional wealth.

Knave might not be able to, but I think I could find a way for Sei to connect with any of these three people. As long as they don't interfere with what you have planned. Lemme know which one of these ideas sounds good, k?

Allista - Sei is trying to establish some outposts for the Ixian knights. As a result, he could come to this island essentially requesting of Alli that he be allowed amnesty. Or he could be there to maybe learn a trick or two from someone he seems to think is (or maybe was is a better word) a prodigy. While he's there something bad could happen, I actually have a Dr. Who-esq monster in mind if you want to go with it.

El- You said the electricity is down in her town, right? Well Sei could be attempting to visit the library in order to find out who exactly enchanted Anita's backpack (it has infinite holding, in case you were wondering). While there, he could possibly try to find some way to restore the power to the city. Once again, if this interferes with something you have planned, let me know.

Aelva- Simple enough. Sei is just on the island by coincidence. Anita in all her hapless victim actions gets attacked by Aelva. Sei naturally goes to protect his daughter, but his morals oprevent him from killing the succubus. As a result, Sei tries to find a charge for her.

So yeah, lemme know if any of those sound good to you or not. It's cool if they don't, I just thought I'd take the moment to shoot some ideas that fluttered around.

[Visla Eraclaire]

The first and second are most interesting. I'll get back to you on Monday after my final exam, but I think we can make it work.

[Silence Sei]

Works for me. Look forward to it.

[Silence Sei]

I take it you've been wrapped up in your work? Or were you waiting on me to contact you?

[Visla Eraclaire]

I was relaxing instead of looking at Althanas, but I'm back now.