My god, that is amazing! Forum of Thrones on the front page of the site, it's beautiful. With that, the update officially won me over. I'm still not at all liking this new clinical white design, which is the last colour I'd associate with Telltale and of course the current bugs still need to be fixed, but I can't deny that the new features make up for it. The Emojis, the thing that we (theoretically) get to show our choices on our profiles and FoT on the front page, I'm liking that a lot. Got to take my earlier statement back, the update is not totally terrible.
My god, that is amazing! Forum of Thrones on the front page of the site, it's beautiful. With that, the update officially won me over. I'm s… moretill not at all liking this new clinical white design, which is the last colour I'd associate with Telltale and of course the current bugs still need to be fixed, but I can't deny that the new features make up for it. The Emojis, the thing that we (theoretically) get to show our choices on our profiles and FoT on the front page, I'm liking that a lot. Got to take my earlier statement back, the update is not totally terrible.
That would be something I highly appreciate and fully support, since the Forum Games section is really in dire need of some love. However, given the current number of problems still present, I think there are other things on higher priority at the moment. The notifications are still not working properly, as do private messages and I'm still unable to edit the main post. Maybe once these things are fixed you have a higher chance of being noticed by the staff, but currently I'm sure they are too busy to think about such a suggestion.
Personally, I think combining the Forum Games with the Telltale Talk, therefore essentially getting rid of a special, but almost inactive subforum for anything related to Forum Games would be by far the best and fairest solution. That way, the creative work over at the Forum Games would get the recognition it deserves without needing any special gimmick to be represented. Such a gimmick would probably be hard to implement anyways. The daily amount of activity in the stories over at the Forum Games is so low that it is highly unlikely it would prevent any discussion if it would be combined with the Telltale Talk. Such a suggestion might actually have a chance to succeed, since it should be a lot less work than your idea.
I'm campaigning for better representation of Forum Games in the Community (page)
please show some support
https://telltale.com/community/discussion/comment/2544414#Comment_2544414
but it is also important to give such suggestions in time, so they can schedule it, take it into consideration, that is why now that they actively read that thread I made the additional suggestion
edit: and the knowledge to add a number of square images with links is part of basic webdesign teaching, any of the coders should be able to make it in about 2 hours or less
That would be something I highly appreciate and fully support, since the Forum Games section is really in dire need of some love. However, g… moreiven the current number of problems still present, I think there are other things on higher priority at the moment. The notifications are still not working properly, as do private messages and I'm still unable to edit the main post. Maybe once these things are fixed you have a higher chance of being noticed by the staff, but currently I'm sure they are too busy to think about such a suggestion.
Personally, I think combining the Forum Games with the Telltale Talk, therefore essentially getting rid of a special, but almost inactive subforum for anything related to Forum Games would be by far the best and fairest solution. That way, the creative work over at the Forum Games would get the recognition it deserves without needing any special gimmick to be represented. Such a gimmick would probably be hard to… [view original content]
Hey friends, sorry for the longer wait, but here it is, I hope you enjoy. Also, because of the technical difficulties the site currently has, I am unable to answer to your PM's. If you're waiting for me to answer, I'll get back to you as soon as this is fixed. By the way, once again, make sure you're still following the story when you make a comment here; it seems you currently have to manually click the box that keeps you followed whenever you make a new comment.
Ellena
The bed! In the dimly lit room, Ellena was sure that she would be almost invisible underneath it. At least she hoped so. Hearing a heavy knock on the front door, she bit her lower lip, before she rushed towards it. She had to hide, she had to escape!
As she already went on all fours to crawl under the bed, Ellena threw a look at the sleeping girl in it. She was at her age at most, a thin-faced child with dull, brown hair. Up close, she looked more unconscious than asleep, her chest barely raising as she breathed, her face stained with sweat and a dark spot on the blanket that covered her, just slightly above her stomach.
Even though she averted her eyes, to focus on crawling under the bed, Ellena had to furrow her brows at this. Otis had said his daughter was sick, though she could swear that the girl lying in this bed was wounded and not just sick. Why would he lie about such a thing?
Ellena had just finished crawling under the bed, as she head the door getting opened. “What is it?”, Otis gruff voice sounded. Through the thin walls, she heard him as if he would stand right in front of her. “I'm looking for the girl”, another, deeper voice explained and Ellena recognized it as the voice of the red-haired man. “Uh, good evening”
“Who are you?”, Otis growled with an angry tone in his voice. “You do not belong here. I want no trouble, alright?” Ellena heard him rising from his chair. “I'm not going to give you trouble if you're honest with me”, the red-haired man explained, his voice jovial, but still threatening. “The name's Marak. I'm working for the kind of person you don't want to piss off and I'm looking for a girl”
“Girl?”, Otis asked. “You mean my daughter?” Silence followed, until the red-haired man continued to speak. “The girl is your daughter?”, he asked in a dumbfounded tone and for a moment, he did not sound threatening at all. “Yeah, I have a daughter”, Otis answered. “She's sick though, so lower your voice”
“Sick?”, the red-haired man repeated. “But... but, she just ran away. She can't be sick!” Finally, he seemed to realize something. “Wait... no, I'm not looking for your daughter!”, he said. “I'm looking for another girl. She has to be here. Tall for her age, like this, with tanned skin, dark hair”
“Don't know what you're talking about”, Otis answered. “There's only me and my daughter here and unless you're a healer, get the fuck out” With a creak, the front door got fully opened and heavy boots found their way into the house. “Wait, I said get...”, Otis protested.
“Listen man, I'm doing this the polite way”, the red-haired man said in a low tone. “That's not how I usually do things, but if you really have a sick daughter, then you better start to fucking appreciate how polite I am” The footsteps came closer. “She in there?”
“My daughter, yes”, Otis answered and Ellena heard a sigh. “Don't mean your daughter”, the man said. “You know whom I mean. The girl. She has to be here, so don't try to fool me” He paused for a moment. “Her name is Ellaria, I think. I know she ran this way and she can't be anywhere else”
“Don't know any Ellaria”, Otis insisted and the red-haired man sighed. “Look, for your daughter's sake I don't want to do it, but if you don't tell me where she is, I have to thrash that place and have to fuck you up so damn bad...”, he growled. “She's in there, isn't she? Wonder if you even have a daughter”
“No!”, Otis yelled and Ellena tensed up. “You can't...” With these words, the door got pushed open and Ellena saw the thick leather boots of the red-haired man. He stopped walking in front of the bed and she feared that he would hear the thundering sound of her heartbeat, which was almost deafening to her.
“So...”, he stated. “You have a daughter” Otis shambling feet entered the room as well. “Told you so”, he growled in return. “You have to leave now, whoever you are. I don't have your Ellaria. Here is just my own little girl”
The heavy footsteps retreated from the bed again and Ellena suppressed the urge to sigh in relief. “Bullshit”, the red-haired man said. “Just because you have a daughter doesn't mean Ellaria is not here. Maybe in that closet” He walked over to the large piece of furniture and once again, Ellena shivered with relief. He would have found her by now if she would have hid in there...
“AHA!”, he yelled loudly, as he pushed the closet open. “Uh... what is that and why is it smelling so bad?” Otis mumbled something Ellena could not understand and apparently, the red-haired man did not understand him either. “What?”, he asked impatiently. “Clothes!”, Otis barked. “Her clothes”
“Is that blood on the skirt there?”, the red-haired man asked and Ellena could almost hear Otis gasping. “It's dirt!”, he protested. “Sorry if I don't get to clean as often as you fancy folk do” Marak chuckled. “Sure”, he said. “It's an awfully large amount of clothes for a single girl. You have any other hidden?”
“No!”, Otis snapped loudly, though he immediately stopped yelling, when a pained sigh came from the bed. Ellena held her breath, as both men turned towards the bed. “Look at what you did...”, Otis whispered. “She had just fallen asleep and you had to come and wake her up”
“Eh, it has been you who did the shouting”, the red-haired man protested, though Otis did not answer. Hastily, he moved towards the bed. “What...”, the girl mumbled weakly, her words barely audible for Ellena. “Where...”
“Shhhh...”, Otis calmed her down softly, as he hectically searched through the cupboard next to the bed. “You shouldn't be awake, sweetie... Ah, there it is” With these words, he pulled something out of the cupboard, while Ellena heard soft movement from the bed above her. “Don't move”, Otis said. “Just drink”
“No...”, the girl mumbled. “I don't...” She gasped, as Otis leant above the bed. “Drink”, he ordered her again. “That's my good girl. It will help you sleep” He moved away from the bed again, putting the object he had just pulled out of the drawer back in. “Is that Milk of the Poppy?”, the red-haired man asked. “Isn't that a bit too expensive for people like you?”
“It isn't”, Otis explained. “It's a homemade recipe. In regions like these, it had always been important to do something to help wounded against the pain. Every family has its own way of brewing it. Milk of the Poppy is more fancy, but this one works faster and stronger. My girl will be sound asleep for the next hours. She won't notice a thing”
“I see...”, the red-haired man mumbled. “Let's go then” The two pairs of boots started to walk to the door and Ellena failed to suppress a smile. He did not notice her. It was a small wonder, but he did not notice her.
“So...”, he said and stopped. Ellena's smile faded. “That means she won't notice a damn thing, right? No matter what I'm going to do, she's going to stay asleep?” Otis stopped as well. “What do you mean?”, he growled. “Are you threatening me?”
“Depends...”, the red-haired man answered. “I mean, I told you that you don't want to piss me off. By lying to me, for example” Otis gulped audibly. “What... what do you mean?”, he asked, his voice shivering with nervousness. “Why would you say such a thing?”
“What is your name, farmer?”, the red-haired man asked. “O... Otis Shiff”, Otis introduced himself. “Shiff, I see...”, the red-haired man growled. “And the name of your daughter?” Slowly, his feet started to approach the bed again. “Leave her out of this!”, Otis yelled. “What is her name?”, the red-haired man asked again.
“Rachel...”, he answered with a shivering voice. “Her name is Rachel. Please, don't do anything to her...” He tried to approach the red-haired man, though he stopped after two steps. “That's quite close enough”, the red-haired man stated. “And you should try to be less nervous. I might start to think that you're hiding something. Another little girl for example”
Otis did not answer and for a few seconds, there was only silence and the sound of Ellena's furiously beating heart. Perhaps she shouldn't have stopped at the farmhouse at all... oh gods, this was not good, not good at all. “She's under the bed, isn't she?”, the red-haired man asked and now, Ellena tensed up.
She did not wait for him to make his move. As fast as she could, she crawled out from underneath the bed, past the red-haired man, in the hopes that she could surprise him. She failed miserably, as he immediately grabbed her by the throat, lifting her up in the air. Finally, she saw his face. There was less rage in it than before and his voice was almost calm, though the look in his blue eyes was somewhat annoyed.
“Girl, you done fucked up”, he said. “Now the Archmaester is dead because of you and you have won nothing. Be a good little girl and...” The rest of his sentence got suppressed by his loud and surprised scream of pain, as Ellena used all of her strength to kick him between the legs. Groaning, he went on his knees and let go of her. She started to run past him, while he spun around. To her horror, he managed to grab one of her legs and he pulled her back towards him, which caused her to heavily fall to the ground.
“You... cunt!”, the red-haired man screamed. “Can't believe I fell for that again!” He put a knee onto her back, preventing her from standing up, though as Ellena looked up, she saw the concerned face of Otis Shiff. “Don't kill her!”, he urged him. “Not in here!”
“Killing her?”, the red-haired man spat. “I'm not going to fucking kill her, I need her alive!” He sighed, his voice still twisted with anger. “But I'm going to make sure that she won't run away again”, he growled. “For now, I have decided that I like her far more when she's unconscious” Ellena widened her eyes, as she tried to squirm out of his grip. And just a second later, a sharp pain flashed through the back of her head, as everything turned to black.
No Choices for this part
Marak
With a grim expression, Marak looked down on the unconscious girl. He had cleanly knocked her out and knowing his punches, she would stay that way for hours. Slowly, a grin formed on his face. He didn't need Milk of the Poppy to send others to sleep.
Now he was sitting in Otis' farmhouse, eating Otis' watery soup, watching Otis tying up the girl. It was surprising how quick and eager the farmer was to help after Marak had threatened him and his daughter. Of course, he probably wouldn't have gone through with these threats, but there was no reason to mention this little detail.
“So, that sleeping girl in there is really your daughter?”, he asked and Otis sent a glare into his direction. “Of course”, he said. “Why would you even ask such a thing?” Marak shrugged and took another sip from the bowl with the soup. It tasted bad, but it was warm and it drove the hunger away. Or any kind of appetite, really. “I'm bored and have nothing else to talk about”, he answered. “Besides, how old are you? Isn't she a bit young to be your daughter”
“My sixth winter is approaching”, Otis mumbled and Marak gave him a nod. “So you're fifty at least. The girl? Barely ten, eh? Most men in your age have grandchildren” A dark, bitter look flashed across Otis' face. “Just shut up, will ya?”, he growled, as he turned back to the unconscious girl, continuing to tie her up. “You're getting on my nerves”
“Have I hit a sore spot?”, Marak asked in a jovial tone. It was clear that Otis was upset, but he knew, his natural charm would be able to win him over, probably rather sooner than later. “Didn't want to do that. I'm sorry”, he apologized and Otis gave him a quiet nod. “So, what happened to your girl anyways?”
“She's sick”, Otis answered. Immediately, Marak shook his head. “Sorry mate, but I think I told I don't appreciate you lying to me”, he stated calmly. “That girl of yours, she's not sick. I've seen sick people and I've seen injured people. That stain on her blanket, that's barely dried blood. I'm sure if I were to lift that blanket, I'd see some pretty severe wounds, isn't that right?”
Otis met his glare and both men locked eyes for a moment, before the farmer looked away first. “She was attacked by wolves”, he answered. “I've been living in the area since the day I was born, but I have never seen them that aggressive before” He shook his head. “It's as if they got smarter and more vicious”, he explained. “The local ranger suspect a new alpha that leads the pack” As he looked down at the unconscious Ellaria, he sighed and a look of pure sorrow appeared on his face. “My girl, she loved to play in the woods”, he mumbled. “She was so innocent, my little Sara...” He stopped and the hard, grim expression on his face returned.
“But she's still alive, isn't she?”, Marak asked. “I mean, a bit roughed up, but she seems stable. Was able to speak, even if she had obviously no idea where she was” Otis glared at him again. “She knew exactly where she was”, he snarled. “Do you want to imply anything?”
His sudden, unnecessary hostility caught Marak off guard and he presented his open palms, to show that he meant to threat. “Not at all”, he told him. “I never imply anything” He looked to the front door and to the small window next to it. “Have you ever tried to bring her to a healer?”
Otis shook his head. “The old maester, he's dead”, he answered. “There's a new healer in town, but she's a woman, young enough to be my daughter. You need experience to save a life and I don't trust hers, not enough to take the long journey to the town” He looked up, with sudden hope in his eyes. “Why do you ask? You know a real healer? A man with experience?”
Marak's grin grew slightly smaller. “Well, technically yeah”, he said. “I suppose she can heal” Otis head hung low again, strongly highlighting his hunched back. “So, another woman”, he growled and Marak gave him a nod. “Yeah, but trust me, I'm sure she can heal” Actually, Marak wassure there was little Noelle couldn't do. And if the Archmaester was still alive, he could try to help as well.
Once again he glanced towards the window and this time he saw someone outside. A pleased smile formed on his face, as he recognized the bright red dress in the moonlight. He had a feeling she'd arrive just when he was speaking about her. And he noticed that she was alone, the Archmaester nowhere to be seen.
A few moments later, a soft knock was heard on the door. Otis tensed up, though Marak simply walked to the door and opened it widely. “Noelle!”, he said cheerfully, before he noticed the tired look on her face. “What happened to the girl?”, she asked, as she spotted the unconscious Ellaria on the ground.
“She tried to run”, Marak answered truthfully. “I prevented her from running. She's sleeping deeply, won't be a problem for us” He looked past her and towards the forest from which she came. “Wulvren?”, he asked and Noelle shook her head. “I dealt with him”, she said quietly. “He won't be a problem either”
Impressed, Marak raised an eyebrow. “Hells, never thought you'd personally kill a man”, he complimented her with a cheeky smile. “Maybe there's still hope for you yet” His smile faded as he realized she wasn't going to laugh at his joke, no matter how funny it was. “I can't believe he would betray me like that”, Noelle mumbled.
“It's calming to know that there's something your fire didn't show you”, Marak remarked in a serious tone, before he pointed at Otis, who stood there, staring at Noelle as if he had never seen a woman in his life. Given his looks, Marak wouldn't be too surprised if that was actually the truth. “Noelle, this is Otis Shiff. He's a farmer and he owns this house. Otis, this is Noelle, priestess of rollmop and a healer”
“It's a pleasure to meet you, good Ser”, Noelle greeted him politely, while Otis only gave her a silent nod and a glare. “That is your healer?”, he snarled. “Doesn't look much older than that lass that styles herself the healer over in Raylansfair. You sure she's any good?”
Marak gave Noelle an apologetic smile, before he gave the farmer a nod. “Aye, she is. Best damn healer you're going to get”, he said, before he quickly and urgently looked back at Noelle. “Please, tell me you're a healer”
With a slightly confused look, Noelle gave him a nod. “I know the basics”, she answered. “Other red priests are gifted healers, but the Lord of Light had other plans for me...” Marak cut her off by grabbing her by the shoulders. “Perfect!”, he said. “I mean, that has to suffice. Otis here has a daughter and she's injured, badly so”
“You, of all people, want me to help her?”, Noelle asked, not any less confused. Marak smiled. “Not for free of course. In exchange, Otis will give us shelter for the night, as well as supplies for the rest of our journey”, he answered. “I mean, if we need supplies. Perhaps a bit of oil couldn't hurt, or whatever people here use to start a fire”
Still taken off guard by his idea, Noelle shifted her attention to Otis. “Is that offer okay for you?”, she asked. Reluctantly, the farmer nodded. “You can heal my daughter?”, he asked. Noelle glanced towards the door to the girl's small room. “Maybe. What's her name?”, she asked in return.
“Sar... Rachel. Her name is Rachel”, Otis answered with a shivering voice as he opened the door. “Rachel, I see”, Noelle answered softly as she spotted the unconscious girl. Marak entered the room behind her, positioning himself in the doorframe, so that he was able to still keep an eye on Ellaria. She was knocked out, but after what she did today, he wouldn't put it past her to escape anyway, somehow.
“Otis, what happened to your daughter?”, Noelle asked, as she knelt down next to the girl. Otis gulped. “Wolves”, he whispered and focussed on the ground in front of him. “They attacked her. Bit her nearly to death before I was able to drive them off”
Carefully, Noelle lifted the blanket and looked down at the girl. She was wearing a thin undergarment, torn at the stomach area and Marak's eyes fell upon the deep wounds that covered her flesh at that spot. Noelle noticed them as well, she looked up and her widened eyes met Marak's. “You're not telling me the truth”, she said sternly. “Tell me what really happened to your girl”
Otis clenched his fists and Marak noticed that he slightly shivered. “What... What do you mean?”, he asked. “She was attacked by wolves...” Noelle cut him off by raising a finger. “Another lie”, she hissed. “R'hllor does not like lies. These are no claw marks. They are cuts, done with a thin, sharp blade. And they were given to her methodically, always deep enough to hurt, never too deep to kill her” She looked down at the girl and slightly lifted the undergarment. “And here are older ones. They have already started to heal...” She glared back at Otis. “What happened to your daughter?”
The farmer shook his head. “What does it matter to you?”, he stuttered. “She was attacked, do you need to know more? She was attacked, my sweet, sweet Sara...” By now he visibly shivered. “Do you really have to ask all these questions? Just help her!” By now, Marak had clenched his fists as well. The farmer was hiding something and Marak was certainly curious. At the same time, he wasn't sure if pressing him into an answer was the right thing to do here. Perhaps he, and Noelle, should just let it go...
[Press Otis into answering the question][Urge Noelle to stop questioning him]
Hey friends, sorry for the longer wait, but here it is, I hope you enjoy. Also, because of the technical difficulties the site currently has… more, I am unable to answer to your PM's. If you're waiting for me to answer, I'll get back to you as soon as this is fixed. By the way, once again, make sure you're still following the story when you make a comment here; it seems you currently have to manually click the box that keeps you followed whenever you make a new comment.
Ellena
The bed! In the dimly lit room, Ellena was sure that she would be almost invisible underneath it. At least she hoped so. Hearing a heavy knock on the front door, she bit her lower lip, before she rushed towards it. She had to hide, she had to escape!
As she already went on all fours to crawl under the bed, Ellena threw a look at the sleeping girl in it. She was at her age at most, a thin-faced child with dull, brown hair. Up close, she looked more unconscious than… [view original content]
Hey friends, sorry for the longer wait, but here it is, I hope you enjoy. Also, because of the technical difficulties the site currently has… more, I am unable to answer to your PM's. If you're waiting for me to answer, I'll get back to you as soon as this is fixed. By the way, once again, make sure you're still following the story when you make a comment here; it seems you currently have to manually click the box that keeps you followed whenever you make a new comment.
Ellena
The bed! In the dimly lit room, Ellena was sure that she would be almost invisible underneath it. At least she hoped so. Hearing a heavy knock on the front door, she bit her lower lip, before she rushed towards it. She had to hide, she had to escape!
As she already went on all fours to crawl under the bed, Ellena threw a look at the sleeping girl in it. She was at her age at most, a thin-faced child with dull, brown hair. Up close, she looked more unconscious than… [view original content]
[Press Otis into answering the question] It's not morally the right choice, but then again, I think it fits Marak's character. Maybe, I don't know, I just want to know what's the deal with this guy
Hey friends, sorry for the longer wait, but here it is, I hope you enjoy. Also, because of the technical difficulties the site currently has… more, I am unable to answer to your PM's. If you're waiting for me to answer, I'll get back to you as soon as this is fixed. By the way, once again, make sure you're still following the story when you make a comment here; it seems you currently have to manually click the box that keeps you followed whenever you make a new comment.
Ellena
The bed! In the dimly lit room, Ellena was sure that she would be almost invisible underneath it. At least she hoped so. Hearing a heavy knock on the front door, she bit her lower lip, before she rushed towards it. She had to hide, she had to escape!
As she already went on all fours to crawl under the bed, Ellena threw a look at the sleeping girl in it. She was at her age at most, a thin-faced child with dull, brown hair. Up close, she looked more unconscious than… [view original content]
[Press Otis into answering the question] I'm sure that's what Marak would've done.
Also, about the new design on the site. I did some fast and easy changes in the google chrome thingies, so now the '"background" is black again. Yeeey! I must find a way to always have the "Follow this discussion" button checked.
[Press Otis into answering the question] My guess is that Otis Shiff isn't this guy's real name and that he is actually some sort of brigand or something along the lines of being wanted, and that his real daughter Sara was killed by the guys who tortured Rachel, and Otis maybe worked for them but he ran away a broken man and kidnapped Rachel because he was broken without Sara so he tried to fill the void with Rachel. But who knows what's up with this wackjob, but sure do know I don't trust him.
Hey friends, sorry for the longer wait, but here it is, I hope you enjoy. Also, because of the technical difficulties the site currently has… more, I am unable to answer to your PM's. If you're waiting for me to answer, I'll get back to you as soon as this is fixed. By the way, once again, make sure you're still following the story when you make a comment here; it seems you currently have to manually click the box that keeps you followed whenever you make a new comment.
Ellena
The bed! In the dimly lit room, Ellena was sure that she would be almost invisible underneath it. At least she hoped so. Hearing a heavy knock on the front door, she bit her lower lip, before she rushed towards it. She had to hide, she had to escape!
As she already went on all fours to crawl under the bed, Ellena threw a look at the sleeping girl in it. She was at her age at most, a thin-faced child with dull, brown hair. Up close, she looked more unconscious than… [view original content]
Hey friends, sorry for the longer wait, but here it is, I hope you enjoy. Also, because of the technical difficulties the site currently has… more, I am unable to answer to your PM's. If you're waiting for me to answer, I'll get back to you as soon as this is fixed. By the way, once again, make sure you're still following the story when you make a comment here; it seems you currently have to manually click the box that keeps you followed whenever you make a new comment.
Ellena
The bed! In the dimly lit room, Ellena was sure that she would be almost invisible underneath it. At least she hoped so. Hearing a heavy knock on the front door, she bit her lower lip, before she rushed towards it. She had to hide, she had to escape!
As she already went on all fours to crawl under the bed, Ellena threw a look at the sleeping girl in it. She was at her age at most, a thin-faced child with dull, brown hair. Up close, she looked more unconscious than… [view original content]
Hey friends, sorry for the longer wait, but here it is, I hope you enjoy. Also, because of the technical difficulties the site currently has… more, I am unable to answer to your PM's. If you're waiting for me to answer, I'll get back to you as soon as this is fixed. By the way, once again, make sure you're still following the story when you make a comment here; it seems you currently have to manually click the box that keeps you followed whenever you make a new comment.
Ellena
The bed! In the dimly lit room, Ellena was sure that she would be almost invisible underneath it. At least she hoped so. Hearing a heavy knock on the front door, she bit her lower lip, before she rushed towards it. She had to hide, she had to escape!
As she already went on all fours to crawl under the bed, Ellena threw a look at the sleeping girl in it. She was at her age at most, a thin-faced child with dull, brown hair. Up close, she looked more unconscious than… [view original content]
[Press Otis into answering the question] I don't like this guy, something smells fishy here.
"There's a new healer in town, but she's a woman, young enough to be my daughter. You need experience to save a life and I don't trust hers, not enough to take the long journey to the town”
Shame on him! Now his Sara-Rachel "daughter" may actually die. If you really care about someone's health and life, you do impossible to get help, even if that means walking far to someone you see as not experienced enough. Better not experienced medic that no one at all.
Hey friends, sorry for the longer wait, but here it is, I hope you enjoy. Also, because of the technical difficulties the site currently has… more, I am unable to answer to your PM's. If you're waiting for me to answer, I'll get back to you as soon as this is fixed. By the way, once again, make sure you're still following the story when you make a comment here; it seems you currently have to manually click the box that keeps you followed whenever you make a new comment.
Ellena
The bed! In the dimly lit room, Ellena was sure that she would be almost invisible underneath it. At least she hoped so. Hearing a heavy knock on the front door, she bit her lower lip, before she rushed towards it. She had to hide, she had to escape!
As she already went on all fours to crawl under the bed, Ellena threw a look at the sleeping girl in it. She was at her age at most, a thin-faced child with dull, brown hair. Up close, she looked more unconscious than… [view original content]
Hey friends, sorry for the longer wait, but here it is, I hope you enjoy. Also, because of the technical difficulties the site currently has… more, I am unable to answer to your PM's. If you're waiting for me to answer, I'll get back to you as soon as this is fixed. By the way, once again, make sure you're still following the story when you make a comment here; it seems you currently have to manually click the box that keeps you followed whenever you make a new comment.
Ellena
The bed! In the dimly lit room, Ellena was sure that she would be almost invisible underneath it. At least she hoped so. Hearing a heavy knock on the front door, she bit her lower lip, before she rushed towards it. She had to hide, she had to escape!
As she already went on all fours to crawl under the bed, Ellena threw a look at the sleeping girl in it. She was at her age at most, a thin-faced child with dull, brown hair. Up close, she looked more unconscious than… [view original content]
Hey friends, sorry for the longer wait, but here it is, I hope you enjoy. Also, because of the technical difficulties the site currently has… more, I am unable to answer to your PM's. If you're waiting for me to answer, I'll get back to you as soon as this is fixed. By the way, once again, make sure you're still following the story when you make a comment here; it seems you currently have to manually click the box that keeps you followed whenever you make a new comment.
Ellena
The bed! In the dimly lit room, Ellena was sure that she would be almost invisible underneath it. At least she hoped so. Hearing a heavy knock on the front door, she bit her lower lip, before she rushed towards it. She had to hide, she had to escape!
As she already went on all fours to crawl under the bed, Ellena threw a look at the sleeping girl in it. She was at her age at most, a thin-faced child with dull, brown hair. Up close, she looked more unconscious than… [view original content]
I think Sara's her actual name and he accidently slipped up. He paused before saying Rachel which makes me think he was trying to think of a fake name.
I'm going to keep the voting open for at least one more day, so that everyone gets a chance to read and comment. However, I'm already writing the next part even though the voting for this one isn't closed. That's the good thing about having so many PoV's. I can easily write the next half dozen parts or more without having to wait for this voting to close, as the next parts will be from the PoV of completely unrelated characters, who won't be affected by this decision.
Wulvren's current status is definitely unknown. He might be dead and all I can say is, there will be a definite answer to his fate in this chapter. You won't have to wait long until you get clarity.
I've a very plausible theory about all the Rachel/Sara matter (but I'm not gonna say it for avoid spoilers)
I'd say send me a message, though with the current state of the site... Actually, wait, please send me a message about your theory. I have learned that sending new private messages works just fine. Answering to private messages however is currently not possible, so I won't be able to comment on your idea until the site is fixed.
PS:I still must adapt to the new site
Yes, yes, me as well. I slowly start to get used to it, but the fact that private messages don't work yet or that we don't get any notifications to responses yet, that still prevents me from fully enjoying the new features of the update. But the staff has said in another thread that this is not even the final design. There will be more elements added soon and the site won't remain all white, which is good. So, I guess in time the new site will be at least as good as the old one.
[Press Otis into answering the question] We want the Truth!
RT:
* I really found hilarious the part where Marak was trying to be pol… moreite (all the daughter/girl part was very cool!)
* Wulvren:Dead or Alive?
* I've a very plausible theory about all the Rachel/Sara matter (but I'm not gonna say it for avoid spoilers)
PS:I still must adapt to the new site
There is exactly one scenario where Ellena will be able to escape. Since it is very hard to escape people like Marak and Noelle, the chances for her to remain captive are far higher. But I can confirm that one specific set of choices in this chapter leads to her escaping. It's not impossible, but very, very hard and requires not only the right action from her, but also the (in-character) wrong action from Marak.
Hey friends, sorry for the longer wait, but here it is, I hope you enjoy. Also, because of the technical difficulties the site currently has… more, I am unable to answer to your PM's. If you're waiting for me to answer, I'll get back to you as soon as this is fixed. By the way, once again, make sure you're still following the story when you make a comment here; it seems you currently have to manually click the box that keeps you followed whenever you make a new comment.
Ellena
The bed! In the dimly lit room, Ellena was sure that she would be almost invisible underneath it. At least she hoped so. Hearing a heavy knock on the front door, she bit her lower lip, before she rushed towards it. She had to hide, she had to escape!
As she already went on all fours to crawl under the bed, Ellena threw a look at the sleeping girl in it. She was at her age at most, a thin-faced child with dull, brown hair. Up close, she looked more unconscious than… [view original content]
send me a new message if you can, copy-paste the part you reply to from older PMs, I didn't test it yet but if you're right then we can avoid the bug if you just start a new discussion
There is exactly one scenario where Ellena will be able to escape. Since it is very hard to escape people like Marak and Noelle, the chances… more for her to remain captive are far higher. But I can confirm that one specific set of choices in this chapter leads to her escaping. It's not impossible, but very, very hard and requires not only the right action from her, but also the (in-character) wrong action from Marak.
[Urge Noelle to stop questioning him]
It's interesting, there's a lot of truth and lies here.
We know there's some kind of beast roami… moreng around, that checks out somewhat. I kind doubt it's an alpha wolf though.
But at the same time he seems very old. Wonder if he's one of those people, you know?
I guess I might as well as vote this, because I have a feeling we might regret it.
Hey friends, sorry for the longer wait, but here it is, I hope you enjoy. Also, because of the technical difficulties the site currently has… more, I am unable to answer to your PM's. If you're waiting for me to answer, I'll get back to you as soon as this is fixed. By the way, once again, make sure you're still following the story when you make a comment here; it seems you currently have to manually click the box that keeps you followed whenever you make a new comment.
Ellena
The bed! In the dimly lit room, Ellena was sure that she would be almost invisible underneath it. At least she hoped so. Hearing a heavy knock on the front door, she bit her lower lip, before she rushed towards it. She had to hide, she had to escape!
As she already went on all fours to crawl under the bed, Ellena threw a look at the sleeping girl in it. She was at her age at most, a thin-faced child with dull, brown hair. Up close, she looked more unconscious than… [view original content]
Marak is going to press Otis into giving an answer
I think that might be the option more in line with Marak's character. Subtlety and tact are not exactly strong with him. Aside from that, Otis' reaction is going to be quite interesting. By now, you have probably realized that something is a bit strange with that guy and Marak might be able to gain some new information about him. At the very least, his reaction should give you some new information. Since Marak is among the PoV's with the most left to do in this chapter, his next part won't be far.
First however, there will be the Jaron part I promised, the continuation of his last part, and it will be out today. For a moment, I have played with the thought of giving the next part to Richard and Arthur, though I ultimately decided to give them the part after the next. Theoretically, Jaron's storyline should not be in need of a recap. The next part will show the aftermath of his confrontation with Samuel Harrington. It will also feature a choice.
Finally, I have surprisingly adapted to the new design of the forum. I still miss the old one, with all its working notifications, but the brightness no longer gives me a headache. I guess that's a result of my german genes. Because of our constantly dour and depressed outlook on life, we germans have, centuries ago, developed the fascinating ability to ignore anything bright by focussing on the darkness in our tiny hearts. That said, I still miss the private messages and hope they will be fixed soon. There are several of you who are currently awaiting an answer and I really want to answer, though I don't think it is practical to start a new PM for every single message. Bear with me, I'll get back to you asap
(Seriously though, those Emojis are as fine as... as a cupcake in the hands of a hungry guy who wants to eat a cupcake. Does anyone know if there's some sort of list of available Emojis? I have only found four so far, but I've seen more)
Oh, what I would give to have a Richard and Arthur chapter, two POVs with my characters involved, but I guess I can wait till next chapter. And the explanation of the German heart made me laugh.
The Voting is closed!
Marak is going to press Otis into giving an answer
I think that might be the option more in line with Marak's ch… morearacter. Subtlety and tact are not exactly strong with him. Aside from that, Otis' reaction is going to be quite interesting. By now, you have probably realized that something is a bit strange with that guy and Marak might be able to gain some new information about him. At the very least, his reaction should give you some new information. Since Marak is among the PoV's with the most left to do in this chapter, his next part won't be far.
First however, there will be the Jaron part I promised, the continuation of his last part, and it will be out today. For a moment, I have played with the thought of giving the next part to Richard and Arthur, though I ultimately decided to give them the part after the next. Theoretically, Jaron's storyline should not be in need of a recap. The next part will show the a… [view original content]
The Voting is closed!
Marak is going to press Otis into giving an answer
I think that might be the option more in line with Marak's ch… morearacter. Subtlety and tact are not exactly strong with him. Aside from that, Otis' reaction is going to be quite interesting. By now, you have probably realized that something is a bit strange with that guy and Marak might be able to gain some new information about him. At the very least, his reaction should give you some new information. Since Marak is among the PoV's with the most left to do in this chapter, his next part won't be far.
First however, there will be the Jaron part I promised, the continuation of his last part, and it will be out today. For a moment, I have played with the thought of giving the next part to Richard and Arthur, though I ultimately decided to give them the part after the next. Theoretically, Jaron's storyline should not be in need of a recap. The next part will show the a… [view original content]
Well,
- : )
- : (
- : D
- : *
- B )
- ; )
- : ' (
- : /
- : 3
- < 3
- : |
- : p
- D :
- = )
I need t… moreo write something before this one. Soo - > : )
Probably not all of them, but it is the most basic, and those who is easy to remember. Enjoy!
(If you want to use them, just delete the space I've put 'tween them.)
EDIT: Added the 3 others I got from Agent, Jorian and Liquid.
Edit again: Yet another from Agent is added!
“Can't wait to see what the Sphynx is going to do to them”, one of the Solvers chuckled, his voice echoing loudly through the labyrinth. Jaron walked closely next to Harpy and noticed that she focussed solely on the black ground in front of her. She wasn't looking up, or even reacting at all, as if she wasn't fully aware of what happened around her. Jaron couldn't hold it against her. Unlike her, he was visibly shaking the closer he came to his doom. Flanked by armed men and bound with heavy ropes, he couldn't even think about fleeing. He could take the easy way out by attacking his captors, but he refused to leave Harpy alone.
“You're not laughing, Harrington”, the same Solver remarked, noticing Samuel's dour expression. He looked up, his face still stony. “That's because it wasn't very funny”, he growled. The Solver raised an eyebrow. “What? It's you bringing them to the Sphynx after all”, he remarked and now, Samuel mimicked his expression, with a mocking streak. “Am I?”, he asked.
The Solver laughed, though Jaron noticed a hint of nervousness. “Ah, heh, knew you had a sense of humour”, he chuckled, though it sounded forced. “Always knew it. You're not that bad once people get to know him, ain't that right, friend?”
“Friend?”, Samuel asked calmly. “I don't even know your name” The Solver gave him a wide grin. “It's...”, he started, though he was cut off. “I don't care”, Samuel said and continued walking in front of the group. Lanford was staring daggers into the back of his head, as Jaron noticed, though the older man remained silent, his tied fists clenched.
“Fine...”, the Solver said, with a slightly shivering voice. He mumbled something else, though he kept his voice low enough to prevent anyone from understanding him. “You want to be my friend?”, Samuel suddenly asked, as they had turned around another corner. Surprised, the Solver raised a head, then he gave him a nod. “Can't be a bad thing to befriend the best swordsman in the city”
“I'm not the best”, Samuel clarified. “Hightower's bodyguard, Arryk Bulwer, he is at least my equal on his bad days and I consider the Tom to be better than me. And you've heard about Butterfly's killers, haven't you?”
“Yeah”, the Solver said and grinned. “The one-eyed guy is a beast and then there's the crazy broad. They are better than you?” Samuel gave him a nod. “The woman. She has her flaws, but in terms of sheer skill, she outclasses me”, he admitted.
The Solver shrugged and a grin formed on his face. “Well, the other girls were nice. That northern girl was quite something, if you like 'em cute”, he said with a sneer. “But man, when they first got here, they had the best one with them. Had her hood up most of the time, but once I caught her without. Valyrian bitch” His smile turned almost lecherous. “Blood of the Dragon”, he grinned. “Had work to do, or else I would have... yeah, talked to her” He slyly winked at Samuel, whose face showed no emotion at all. “Damn shame it never got that far. I could have been a dragonrider by now”
Jaron noticed a subtle, but severe expression of anger flashing across Samuel's face. “We should change the topic”, he remarked coldly and the Solver's grin faded. “What is it? You're not into Valyrians?”, he remarked and Samuel shook his head. “I can assure you, I'm very much 'into Valyrians'”, he answered decisively. “We should still change the topic”
Now, the Solver raised his eyebrows. “Ooooh”, he said slowly. “I see” He shrugged. “Well, that's okay for me. I mean, you never struck me as one of these, but if you're into men, totally fine” The look on Samuel's face switched from subtly angry to openly baffled. It was the first emotion he showed without holding back.
“Hey, I mean, it's not me to judge. We love whom we love”, the Solver continued. “If it's cocks you're into, it's cocks” Samuel sighed. “Do you ever stop talking?”, he asked in frustration. Merrily, the Solver shook his head. “Not if I want to make a new friend”, he answered, though his joyful behaviour only barely hid his nervousness.
“Then answer me a question”, Samuel said. “As a friend” The Solver smiled. “Sure. Ask freely”, he said in a jovial tone. Samuel himself wasn't smiling. By now, Harpy had noticed something off about his behaviour as well and she threw a quick, alarmed glance at Jaron. “What would you do to someone who betrayed you?”
The Solver shrugged. “Well, depends on the betrayal”, he answered. Samuel sighed. “We're talking about the worst betrayal possible”, he clarified. Now, the Solver seemed genuinely confused. “I'd... don't know, I guess there's only one punishment for that”, he stuttered.
“Hey, Harrington”, another Solver growled. “You're going the wrong way” He pointed down a hallway. “The Sphynx is that way” Samuel glared at him and the Solver raised his hands. “You know the labyrinth better than I do”, he admitted quickly and Samuel gave him a nod, focussing momentarily on the Solver he had just talked to. “Thank you”, he answered. “I fully agree with what you said. When someone betrays us, we just want to hurt this person, right?”
Nervously, the Solver nodded. “Yeah, sure”, he said. “Uh... if you don't mind me asking, but who betrayed you?” Samuel clenched his fists. “Butterfly”, he answered and Jaron noticed that the Solvers tensed up. Lanford's angry glare at Harrington grew visibly confused, Erik narrowed his eyes and Harpy held her breath. Then, Samuel broke the tension with a grin and a chuckle.
One by one, the Solvers joined in, with their own laughter, awkward and forced. Jaron saw them throwing glances at each other and he realized that they had no idea what was going on. “You are...”, the Solver said. “Quite a funny chap. Good jokes”
“Was I joking?”, Samuel answered with a smirk. “But let's change the topic. Are you religious?” The Solver gulped. “Well... I... I suppose so. Don't know what god I'd like to follow. One of them has to be true, but here are dozens that claim to be the real deal” Samuel gave him a nod. “Hundreds”, he corrected him in a casual tone. “But you do believe in something. How reassuring”
Just as he said these words, he stopped walking. The Solver stopped as well, throwing confused looks at him and each other. Jaron tensed up, as Samuel put a hand onto the hilt of his blade. Still with his back to the rest of the group, he slowly pulled it out. “Harrington?”, the Solver asked with a shivering voice and Samuel looked over his shoulder. “Now pick a god and pray”, he growled and attacked.
Thanks to their confusion, Samuel hit them by surprise. His blade cut across the stomach of the man he had just talked to. The Solver went to the ground, gasping in utter shock, as his guts spilled on the floor. With the same attack, Samuel's sword cut through the air in a soaring arch, hitting a second Solver at the jaw and taking half of the man's head off.
The remaining two Solvers had a moment longer to prepare, though it didn't help them. The third man had just drawn his blade, though he failed to cover himself, as Samuel lunged forward, his sword impaling the man's chest. Instead of a scream, the man was only capable of gurgling.
Only one Solver remained. Just as Samuel had finished killing the third man, he charged, trying to land a hit on him. Instead of parrying the strike, Samuel simply took a step back, grabbing his sword with one hand, the other hand around the hilt of his dagger. The moment the strike had missed him, he took a step forwards, while drawing the weapon and plunging it into the last Solver's throat.
He grabbed the man's sword and went on his knees with him, as he put the weapon onto the ground without making a sound. Then, he stood up and sheathed his sword, while still holding his dagger. Slowly, he moved to the Solver he had been talking to. The man was still alive, though badly wounded, gasping in shock and trying to prevent his guts from leaving his body. Samuel grabbed him from behind and placed the dagger at his throat. “I don't think you're going to ride a dragon in your lifetime”, he hissed with a voice that momentarily shivered with burning anger. Then, he cut the man's throat.
With the weapon in his hand, he approached Harpy, who looked at him out of large, dark eyes. “I'm sorry for hitting you”, he apologized in a sober tone as he cut her bindings. He approached Jaron next. “It had to look as real as possible though. Your pain, your hatred”, he explained, as he cut Jaron's bindings, followed by Erik's. “They would have noticed it otherwise”
It was Lanford who finally spoke, just as Samuel had cut his bindings. With a growl, he grabbed him by the shoulders. “What are you playing?”, he spat. Only then did he noticed the dagger that was pointed at his belly. Reluctantly, he let go of Samuel, who lowered his weapon. “I leave Butterfly”, he revealed. “He betrayed me and I plan to remind him why that is a bad idea”
“You... you saved my life. When Lanford shot at you...”, Harpy mumbled, she was the first to regain her composure after this revelation. Jaron was only able to look at Samuel Harrington completely baffled. This man was the last person in the whole city he would have seen as an ally.
Samuel gave her a surprisingly kind smile. “It seems you needed the help”, he said and his polite tone caught Jaron off guard. “I am not your enemy, no matter how my behaviour seemed. As a matter of fact, I would like to become your ally”
Harpy took a deep breath. “You're leaving Butterfly, to join us?” Samuel gave her a nod. “Only temporary. I'm done with serving anyone. From this day on, I'll be my own master again”, he answered. “But first, I plan to hurt Butterfly as bad as I can”
“You're going to kill him?”, Jaron asked and Samuel shook his head. “He's currently out of my reach. I don't know why the Tom continues to be loyal to him, but he guards him closely”, he answered. “No, I simply want to hurt him. I know Mullendore and the thing that hurts him the most is loosing his precious trophy”
Harpy shivered at his words. “So you're going to help us to free the Burned Man?”, she asked. Samuel looked at her quietly and almost softly, before he gave her a nod. “There are some problems though”, he said and she sighed. “Should have known it”, she mumbled, without looking at him.
“First of all, I'm not working for free”, Samuel revealed. “I'm not the bastard you thought I am, but that does not mean I'm a hero either. I'm a sellsword and I have my price” Erik raised an eyebrow, though before he could say anything, Harpy cut him off. “Any price”, she agreed. Samuel seemed satisfied by that answer. “I don't want coin”, he explained, to Erik's visible relief. “But I'm going to need your help soon” As he said this, he looked at Jaron. “I'm in this city to kill a man and I need backup for that”, he continued. “Actually, you killed my original backup”
Jaron narrowed his eyes, though he had an idea what Samuel was talking about. The Fang of Shadows sighed and all of a sudden, he seemed far more like an ordinary man, a hint of sadness visible on his face. “Jaylon agreed to help me a long time ago”, he answered. “I believe... in a way he was my friend. I don't blame you for it, but still...”
After a moment, Jaron nodded. “Whom do you wish to kill?”, he asked. Samuel sighed. “I'll explain that later. It's no one you know and he deserves to die, I can assure you of that”, he said. “On top of that, he is dangerous. When I last saw him, he has been twice as good as me”
“I'll do it”, Jaron said without hesitating, before Harpy could decline in his name. Her eyes widened with concern, though as she looked at him, there was something else inside of them and it meant the world for him. “The... the other problems?”, she asked, still focussed on Jaron.
“Getting to the Burned Man, it will be dangerous”, Samuel explained. “He's deep in cat territory. I think I'm able to get us in, but one mistake and we're all dead” Harpy gulped. “I'm willing to take the risk”, she assured him. “Can't speak for the others, but I'm doing it”
Jaron took a step closer to her. He gave her a nod and she briefly smiled at him. Words weren't needed. He'd be at her side, no matter what. Erik Inchfield gave them a sly grin, before he gave them a nod. “I'm still getting paid, right?”, he asked. Harpy smiled at him as a confirmation, after which he slightly bowed in front of Samuel. “And working together with a legend, that's not something you get to do every day”
Finally, Lanford just sighed, focussing on the dead Solvers.. “I agreed to support you for good reason. While I thought it would go down differently, I suppose I can't complain, for I'm still alive”, he said slowly, before he grimly smirked, showing his teeth, but no joy at all. “Never though I'd stand side by side with Samuel Harrington, but yeah, I'm doing it. I'm still your man”
Finally, Samuel looked at Harpy. Jaron saw concern in his eyes. “Are you really willing to do this?”, he asked again and she glared at him. “Ser, I appreciate your concern, though it is unnecessary”, she hissed. “If it helps the Burned Man, then I'm going to do it”
Samuel sighed. “That is the problem”, he said. “Because the Burned Man will not leave this labyrinth alive” Jaron saw Harpy clenching her fists. She stood there completely silent, just staring at Samuel When Jaron put a hand onto her shoulder, he noticed that she was shivering. “What do you mean?”, she asked.
Almost regretfully, Samuel approached her, though he stopped when she took a step back, away from him. “What do you mean?”, she asked again, louder and more determined this time. He clenched his teeth. “Very recently, Maron Mullendore lost a very valuable prisoner. Two in fact, but one of them was taken right from the labyrinth. He won't tolerate another humiliation like that”, he explained. “I don't know what they have done to him, but I know, as a matter of fact, that Butterfly and the Tom made sure that the Burned Man won't leave”
Harpy was glaring past Samuel and down the hallway, deeper into the labyrinth. “Is he dead?”, she asked and Samuel shook his head. “No”, he confirmed. “It would be far too early for that. The man in charge of... interrogating him, the Sphynx, he is specialized on keeping his victims alive as long as possible. He...”
“I have heard enough”, Harpy barked, as she reached down, picking up the sword of one of the dead Solvers. “I'm going down there, I'm going to find the Burned Man and I'm going to kill every single last one of these fuckers if they dare to stand in my way” She said this with a determined voice, though Jaron saw the hint of tears in her eyes. “And I'm going to help him, one way or the other”
“That's what I wanted to hear”, Samuel said, as he continued to walk, leaving four dead bodies behind and taking four new allies with him. “I just wanted to make sure that you can't expect any wonders” Harpy shook her head. “I have never expected any wonders”, she said and glanced at Jaron. “Doesn't mean there have never been any”
And with that, all had been said. Their unexpected ally led them through the labyrinth in silence, which was probably not only in his interest, but for their own good. Harpy was walking almost next to him, while Jaron struggled to keep up with her. Lanford and Erik, each of them armed with a Solver's sword, guarded their rear.
It wasn't long until Jaron heard something. Behind a corner, he saw a distant light. Samuel narrowed his eyes, raising a hand to signal the group to stop, as he approached the corner. Meanwhile, Jaron was able to hear laughter. It was only one man and he said something else, which Jaron was unable to understand. Carefully, Samuel took a glance around the corner, before he raised his head again, signalling the group to catch up with him.
As he sneaked closer, Jaron was able to understand some words of the conversation that went on. It was a one-sided conversation, with only one man talking, the same that had laughed before. He heard words like 'easier' and 'truth'. A second voice, in a far lower tone, mumbled something, which caused the first man to laugh. And then he was finally close enough to understand, as he followed Samuel around the corner.
“You can make this easier for you”, a man said roughly, his voice coming out of a small room to Jaron' right. The door was half-open and the bright light of a torch illuminated part of the hallway. “Just tell me what I want to hear” As the man said this, muffled screams were heard. His sword drawn, Samuel pushed the door open.
The room was small, illuminated by two torches and a coal pan. There was a small table, holding a nasty collection of knives, hooks and iron rods. A fat, bald man stood in front of a chair, his back turned towards them. And tied onto the chair, his chest and shoulders covered in burn scars...
“Ayden!”, Harpy exclaimed, as she realized the face of the sellsword underneath a lot of blood and bruises. The torturer, still holding a red hot iron rod, spun around as he heard them. He saw five people with swords, one of them being Samuel Harrington and he combined surprisingly quickly. “Oh, fuck me”, he exclaimed, as he dropped his swords and raised his hands. It was futile, as just a moment later, he was dead, when Samuel's sword slashed through his throat.
While Samuel dealt with the torturer, Jaron walked around the chair and quickly, he cut Ayden's bindings. The sellsword, almost unable to rise from the chair himself, had to be pulled up by Jaron, before he sank into his arms. “Taria...”, he mumbled and to Jaron's surprise he was able to stand on his own accord, despite the gruesome burn wounds his chest was covered in.
“She's safe”, Jaron assured him. “We're going to bring you to her” Underneath a particularly nasty bruise, a smile formed on Ayden's face. “You mean, she's...”, he said, before he shivered in pain and sank down back onto the chair he had been tortured on.
“We have to get him out of here”, Harpy decided, though she noticed a particular look on Samuel's face as she said so. “You disapprove?”, she asked. Samuel shook his head. “Not at all. If that is what you want, send someone to bring him out the way we came in”, he agreed. “I just want to make sure you know what this means. Down there, we might need every single one of us. Two people one of them wounded potentially won't make it far if a patrol finds them” He shrugged. “It's your call”
“Mylady...”, Ayden growled and Harpy looked at him. “Are you... saving the Burned Man?” Harpy gave him a nod. “We do”, she said, though her optimism sounded feigned. A brave smile formed on the sellsword's face, as he rose from his chair. “Then allow me to come with you. I've spent the past day in this chamber, can't wait to blow off some steam”, he offered, though as he put a step forwards, he immediately staggered backwards again and Jaron had to make sure that he wouldn't fall. “Or... perhaps I'm just going to wait here until you return...”, he sighed. “You can't send anyone away for me. Let me fight with you, or keep me here until you return, but don't send your men away just to help me”
“Another potential death sentence”, Samuel commented on this. “Keeping him with us means we get another sword... and a wounded, exhausted man down there. Leaving him... well, if anyone finds him here, he's dead”
“I'd do it”, Erik offered. “Taking him out of the labyrinth, I mean. As long as I'm still going to get paid, it's your call” Harpy gave him a nod. “Of course”, she said sharply, before she looked at Jaron. “What do you think?”, she asked. “It's a risk. All three of them sound risky. I would send him and Erik away, but I...” She paused. “Jaron, I don't want to make the decision alone”
[Send Erik and Ayden out of the labyrinth][Take Ayden with you][Leave Ayden behind]
Well,
- : )
- : (
- : D
- : *
- B )
- ; )
- : ' (
- : /
- : 3
- < 3
- : |
- : p
- D :
- = )
I need t… moreo write something before this one. Soo - > : )
Probably not all of them, but it is the most basic, and those who is easy to remember. Enjoy!
(If you want to use them, just delete the space I've put 'tween them.)
EDIT: Added the 3 others I got from Agent, Jorian and Liquid.
Edit again: Yet another from Agent is added!
Well,
- : )
- : (
- : D
- : *
- B )
- ; )
- : ' (
- : /
- : 3
- < 3
- : |
- : p
- D :
- = )
I need t… moreo write something before this one. Soo - > : )
Probably not all of them, but it is the most basic, and those who is easy to remember. Enjoy!
(If you want to use them, just delete the space I've put 'tween them.)
EDIT: Added the 3 others I got from Agent, Jorian and Liquid.
Edit again: Yet another from Agent is added!
[Leave Ayden behind] Damn Samuel isn't shy about admitting who's better than him. He just gets more badass every time. He defeated 4 people non lethally and killed 5 soldiers all in the same day. He's a true opportunist. I do believe leaving Ayden is the best option since we don't have to worry about protecting him and we can keep an extra sword with us.
Jaron
“Can't wait to see what the Sphynx is going to do to them”, one of the Solvers chuckled, his voice echoing loudly through the labyr… moreinth. Jaron walked closely next to Harpy and noticed that she focussed solely on the black ground in front of her. She wasn't looking up, or even reacting at all, as if she wasn't fully aware of what happened around her. Jaron couldn't hold it against her. Unlike her, he was visibly shaking the closer he came to his doom. Flanked by armed men and bound with heavy ropes, he couldn't even think about fleeing. He could take the easy way out by attacking his captors, but he refused to leave Harpy alone.
“You're not laughing, Harrington”, the same Solver remarked, noticing Samuel's dour expression. He looked up, his face still stony. “That's because it wasn't very funny”, he growled. The Solver raised an eyebrow. “What? It's you bringing them to the Sphynx after all”, he remarked and now, Samuel mimicked hi… [view original content]
Jaron
“Can't wait to see what the Sphynx is going to do to them”, one of the Solvers chuckled, his voice echoing loudly through the labyr… moreinth. Jaron walked closely next to Harpy and noticed that she focussed solely on the black ground in front of her. She wasn't looking up, or even reacting at all, as if she wasn't fully aware of what happened around her. Jaron couldn't hold it against her. Unlike her, he was visibly shaking the closer he came to his doom. Flanked by armed men and bound with heavy ropes, he couldn't even think about fleeing. He could take the easy way out by attacking his captors, but he refused to leave Harpy alone.
“You're not laughing, Harrington”, the same Solver remarked, noticing Samuel's dour expression. He looked up, his face still stony. “That's because it wasn't very funny”, he growled. The Solver raised an eyebrow. “What? It's you bringing them to the Sphynx after all”, he remarked and now, Samuel mimicked hi… [view original content]
Comments
The front-page do indeed look pretty cool. But that's about it.
it lacks stuff, like over half the Telltale games
InGen, how the heck can you survive so much white, even your browser is white o_O
My god, that is amazing! Forum of Thrones on the front page of the site, it's beautiful. With that, the update officially won me over. I'm still not at all liking this new clinical white design, which is the last colour I'd associate with Telltale and of course the current bugs still need to be fixed, but I can't deny that the new features make up for it. The Emojis, the thing that we (theoretically) get to show our choices on our profiles and FoT on the front page, I'm liking that a lot. Got to take my earlier statement back, the update is not totally terrible.
I still want my song playing option back, and the nicer design layers at the top
I won't close this tab, ever.
finally an improvement, there is now a distance between images if they are lined up, unlike earlier
I'm campaigning for better representation of Forum Games in the Community (page)
please show some support
https://telltale.com/community/discussion/comment/2544414#Comment_2544414
That would be something I highly appreciate and fully support, since the Forum Games section is really in dire need of some love. However, given the current number of problems still present, I think there are other things on higher priority at the moment. The notifications are still not working properly, as do private messages and I'm still unable to edit the main post. Maybe once these things are fixed you have a higher chance of being noticed by the staff, but currently I'm sure they are too busy to think about such a suggestion.
Personally, I think combining the Forum Games with the Telltale Talk, therefore essentially getting rid of a special, but almost inactive subforum for anything related to Forum Games would be by far the best and fairest solution. That way, the creative work over at the Forum Games would get the recognition it deserves without needing any special gimmick to be represented. Such a gimmick would probably be hard to implement anyways. The daily amount of activity in the stories over at the Forum Games is so low that it is highly unlikely it would prevent any discussion if it would be combined with the Telltale Talk. Such a suggestion might actually have a chance to succeed, since it should be a lot less work than your idea.
sure, priorities and all that
but it is also important to give such suggestions in time, so they can schedule it, take it into consideration, that is why now that they actively read that thread I made the additional suggestion
edit: and the knowledge to add a number of square images with links is part of basic webdesign teaching, any of the coders should be able to make it in about 2 hours or less
Internet Explorer?!?!?! GASP
ooh, I didn't even recognize that, I use Firefox now since ages
Hey friends, sorry for the longer wait, but here it is, I hope you enjoy. Also, because of the technical difficulties the site currently has, I am unable to answer to your PM's. If you're waiting for me to answer, I'll get back to you as soon as this is fixed. By the way, once again, make sure you're still following the story when you make a comment here; it seems you currently have to manually click the box that keeps you followed whenever you make a new comment.
Ellena
The bed! In the dimly lit room, Ellena was sure that she would be almost invisible underneath it. At least she hoped so. Hearing a heavy knock on the front door, she bit her lower lip, before she rushed towards it. She had to hide, she had to escape!
As she already went on all fours to crawl under the bed, Ellena threw a look at the sleeping girl in it. She was at her age at most, a thin-faced child with dull, brown hair. Up close, she looked more unconscious than asleep, her chest barely raising as she breathed, her face stained with sweat and a dark spot on the blanket that covered her, just slightly above her stomach.
Even though she averted her eyes, to focus on crawling under the bed, Ellena had to furrow her brows at this. Otis had said his daughter was sick, though she could swear that the girl lying in this bed was wounded and not just sick. Why would he lie about such a thing?
Ellena had just finished crawling under the bed, as she head the door getting opened. “What is it?”, Otis gruff voice sounded. Through the thin walls, she heard him as if he would stand right in front of her. “I'm looking for the girl”, another, deeper voice explained and Ellena recognized it as the voice of the red-haired man. “Uh, good evening”
“Who are you?”, Otis growled with an angry tone in his voice. “You do not belong here. I want no trouble, alright?” Ellena heard him rising from his chair. “I'm not going to give you trouble if you're honest with me”, the red-haired man explained, his voice jovial, but still threatening. “The name's Marak. I'm working for the kind of person you don't want to piss off and I'm looking for a girl”
“Girl?”, Otis asked. “You mean my daughter?” Silence followed, until the red-haired man continued to speak. “The girl is your daughter?”, he asked in a dumbfounded tone and for a moment, he did not sound threatening at all. “Yeah, I have a daughter”, Otis answered. “She's sick though, so lower your voice”
“Sick?”, the red-haired man repeated. “But... but, she just ran away. She can't be sick!” Finally, he seemed to realize something. “Wait... no, I'm not looking for your daughter!”, he said. “I'm looking for another girl. She has to be here. Tall for her age, like this, with tanned skin, dark hair”
“Don't know what you're talking about”, Otis answered. “There's only me and my daughter here and unless you're a healer, get the fuck out” With a creak, the front door got fully opened and heavy boots found their way into the house. “Wait, I said get...”, Otis protested.
“Listen man, I'm doing this the polite way”, the red-haired man said in a low tone. “That's not how I usually do things, but if you really have a sick daughter, then you better start to fucking appreciate how polite I am” The footsteps came closer. “She in there?”
“My daughter, yes”, Otis answered and Ellena heard a sigh. “Don't mean your daughter”, the man said. “You know whom I mean. The girl. She has to be here, so don't try to fool me” He paused for a moment. “Her name is Ellaria, I think. I know she ran this way and she can't be anywhere else”
“Don't know any Ellaria”, Otis insisted and the red-haired man sighed. “Look, for your daughter's sake I don't want to do it, but if you don't tell me where she is, I have to thrash that place and have to fuck you up so damn bad...”, he growled. “She's in there, isn't she? Wonder if you even have a daughter”
“No!”, Otis yelled and Ellena tensed up. “You can't...” With these words, the door got pushed open and Ellena saw the thick leather boots of the red-haired man. He stopped walking in front of the bed and she feared that he would hear the thundering sound of her heartbeat, which was almost deafening to her.
“So...”, he stated. “You have a daughter” Otis shambling feet entered the room as well. “Told you so”, he growled in return. “You have to leave now, whoever you are. I don't have your Ellaria. Here is just my own little girl”
The heavy footsteps retreated from the bed again and Ellena suppressed the urge to sigh in relief. “Bullshit”, the red-haired man said. “Just because you have a daughter doesn't mean Ellaria is not here. Maybe in that closet” He walked over to the large piece of furniture and once again, Ellena shivered with relief. He would have found her by now if she would have hid in there...
“AHA!”, he yelled loudly, as he pushed the closet open. “Uh... what is that and why is it smelling so bad?” Otis mumbled something Ellena could not understand and apparently, the red-haired man did not understand him either. “What?”, he asked impatiently. “Clothes!”, Otis barked. “Her clothes”
“Is that blood on the skirt there?”, the red-haired man asked and Ellena could almost hear Otis gasping. “It's dirt!”, he protested. “Sorry if I don't get to clean as often as you fancy folk do” Marak chuckled. “Sure”, he said. “It's an awfully large amount of clothes for a single girl. You have any other hidden?”
“No!”, Otis snapped loudly, though he immediately stopped yelling, when a pained sigh came from the bed. Ellena held her breath, as both men turned towards the bed. “Look at what you did...”, Otis whispered. “She had just fallen asleep and you had to come and wake her up”
“Eh, it has been you who did the shouting”, the red-haired man protested, though Otis did not answer. Hastily, he moved towards the bed. “What...”, the girl mumbled weakly, her words barely audible for Ellena. “Where...”
“Shhhh...”, Otis calmed her down softly, as he hectically searched through the cupboard next to the bed. “You shouldn't be awake, sweetie... Ah, there it is” With these words, he pulled something out of the cupboard, while Ellena heard soft movement from the bed above her. “Don't move”, Otis said. “Just drink”
“No...”, the girl mumbled. “I don't...” She gasped, as Otis leant above the bed. “Drink”, he ordered her again. “That's my good girl. It will help you sleep” He moved away from the bed again, putting the object he had just pulled out of the drawer back in. “Is that Milk of the Poppy?”, the red-haired man asked. “Isn't that a bit too expensive for people like you?”
“It isn't”, Otis explained. “It's a homemade recipe. In regions like these, it had always been important to do something to help wounded against the pain. Every family has its own way of brewing it. Milk of the Poppy is more fancy, but this one works faster and stronger. My girl will be sound asleep for the next hours. She won't notice a thing”
“I see...”, the red-haired man mumbled. “Let's go then” The two pairs of boots started to walk to the door and Ellena failed to suppress a smile. He did not notice her. It was a small wonder, but he did not notice her.
“So...”, he said and stopped. Ellena's smile faded. “That means she won't notice a damn thing, right? No matter what I'm going to do, she's going to stay asleep?” Otis stopped as well. “What do you mean?”, he growled. “Are you threatening me?”
“Depends...”, the red-haired man answered. “I mean, I told you that you don't want to piss me off. By lying to me, for example” Otis gulped audibly. “What... what do you mean?”, he asked, his voice shivering with nervousness. “Why would you say such a thing?”
“What is your name, farmer?”, the red-haired man asked. “O... Otis Shiff”, Otis introduced himself. “Shiff, I see...”, the red-haired man growled. “And the name of your daughter?” Slowly, his feet started to approach the bed again. “Leave her out of this!”, Otis yelled. “What is her name?”, the red-haired man asked again.
“Rachel...”, he answered with a shivering voice. “Her name is Rachel. Please, don't do anything to her...” He tried to approach the red-haired man, though he stopped after two steps. “That's quite close enough”, the red-haired man stated. “And you should try to be less nervous. I might start to think that you're hiding something. Another little girl for example”
Otis did not answer and for a few seconds, there was only silence and the sound of Ellena's furiously beating heart. Perhaps she shouldn't have stopped at the farmhouse at all... oh gods, this was not good, not good at all. “She's under the bed, isn't she?”, the red-haired man asked and now, Ellena tensed up.
She did not wait for him to make his move. As fast as she could, she crawled out from underneath the bed, past the red-haired man, in the hopes that she could surprise him. She failed miserably, as he immediately grabbed her by the throat, lifting her up in the air. Finally, she saw his face. There was less rage in it than before and his voice was almost calm, though the look in his blue eyes was somewhat annoyed.
“Girl, you done fucked up”, he said. “Now the Archmaester is dead because of you and you have won nothing. Be a good little girl and...” The rest of his sentence got suppressed by his loud and surprised scream of pain, as Ellena used all of her strength to kick him between the legs. Groaning, he went on his knees and let go of her. She started to run past him, while he spun around. To her horror, he managed to grab one of her legs and he pulled her back towards him, which caused her to heavily fall to the ground.
“You... cunt!”, the red-haired man screamed. “Can't believe I fell for that again!” He put a knee onto her back, preventing her from standing up, though as Ellena looked up, she saw the concerned face of Otis Shiff. “Don't kill her!”, he urged him. “Not in here!”
“Killing her?”, the red-haired man spat. “I'm not going to fucking kill her, I need her alive!” He sighed, his voice still twisted with anger. “But I'm going to make sure that she won't run away again”, he growled. “For now, I have decided that I like her far more when she's unconscious” Ellena widened her eyes, as she tried to squirm out of his grip. And just a second later, a sharp pain flashed through the back of her head, as everything turned to black.
No Choices for this part
Marak
With a grim expression, Marak looked down on the unconscious girl. He had cleanly knocked her out and knowing his punches, she would stay that way for hours. Slowly, a grin formed on his face. He didn't need Milk of the Poppy to send others to sleep.
Now he was sitting in Otis' farmhouse, eating Otis' watery soup, watching Otis tying up the girl. It was surprising how quick and eager the farmer was to help after Marak had threatened him and his daughter. Of course, he probably wouldn't have gone through with these threats, but there was no reason to mention this little detail.
“So, that sleeping girl in there is really your daughter?”, he asked and Otis sent a glare into his direction. “Of course”, he said. “Why would you even ask such a thing?” Marak shrugged and took another sip from the bowl with the soup. It tasted bad, but it was warm and it drove the hunger away. Or any kind of appetite, really. “I'm bored and have nothing else to talk about”, he answered. “Besides, how old are you? Isn't she a bit young to be your daughter”
“My sixth winter is approaching”, Otis mumbled and Marak gave him a nod. “So you're fifty at least. The girl? Barely ten, eh? Most men in your age have grandchildren” A dark, bitter look flashed across Otis' face. “Just shut up, will ya?”, he growled, as he turned back to the unconscious girl, continuing to tie her up. “You're getting on my nerves”
“Have I hit a sore spot?”, Marak asked in a jovial tone. It was clear that Otis was upset, but he knew, his natural charm would be able to win him over, probably rather sooner than later. “Didn't want to do that. I'm sorry”, he apologized and Otis gave him a quiet nod. “So, what happened to your girl anyways?”
“She's sick”, Otis answered. Immediately, Marak shook his head. “Sorry mate, but I think I told I don't appreciate you lying to me”, he stated calmly. “That girl of yours, she's not sick. I've seen sick people and I've seen injured people. That stain on her blanket, that's barely dried blood. I'm sure if I were to lift that blanket, I'd see some pretty severe wounds, isn't that right?”
Otis met his glare and both men locked eyes for a moment, before the farmer looked away first. “She was attacked by wolves”, he answered. “I've been living in the area since the day I was born, but I have never seen them that aggressive before” He shook his head. “It's as if they got smarter and more vicious”, he explained. “The local ranger suspect a new alpha that leads the pack” As he looked down at the unconscious Ellaria, he sighed and a look of pure sorrow appeared on his face. “My girl, she loved to play in the woods”, he mumbled. “She was so innocent, my little Sara...” He stopped and the hard, grim expression on his face returned.
“But she's still alive, isn't she?”, Marak asked. “I mean, a bit roughed up, but she seems stable. Was able to speak, even if she had obviously no idea where she was” Otis glared at him again. “She knew exactly where she was”, he snarled. “Do you want to imply anything?”
His sudden, unnecessary hostility caught Marak off guard and he presented his open palms, to show that he meant to threat. “Not at all”, he told him. “I never imply anything” He looked to the front door and to the small window next to it. “Have you ever tried to bring her to a healer?”
Otis shook his head. “The old maester, he's dead”, he answered. “There's a new healer in town, but she's a woman, young enough to be my daughter. You need experience to save a life and I don't trust hers, not enough to take the long journey to the town” He looked up, with sudden hope in his eyes. “Why do you ask? You know a real healer? A man with experience?”
Marak's grin grew slightly smaller. “Well, technically yeah”, he said. “I suppose she can heal” Otis head hung low again, strongly highlighting his hunched back. “So, another woman”, he growled and Marak gave him a nod. “Yeah, but trust me, I'm sure she can heal” Actually, Marak wassure there was little Noelle couldn't do. And if the Archmaester was still alive, he could try to help as well.
Once again he glanced towards the window and this time he saw someone outside. A pleased smile formed on his face, as he recognized the bright red dress in the moonlight. He had a feeling she'd arrive just when he was speaking about her. And he noticed that she was alone, the Archmaester nowhere to be seen.
A few moments later, a soft knock was heard on the door. Otis tensed up, though Marak simply walked to the door and opened it widely. “Noelle!”, he said cheerfully, before he noticed the tired look on her face. “What happened to the girl?”, she asked, as she spotted the unconscious Ellaria on the ground.
“She tried to run”, Marak answered truthfully. “I prevented her from running. She's sleeping deeply, won't be a problem for us” He looked past her and towards the forest from which she came. “Wulvren?”, he asked and Noelle shook her head. “I dealt with him”, she said quietly. “He won't be a problem either”
Impressed, Marak raised an eyebrow. “Hells, never thought you'd personally kill a man”, he complimented her with a cheeky smile. “Maybe there's still hope for you yet” His smile faded as he realized she wasn't going to laugh at his joke, no matter how funny it was. “I can't believe he would betray me like that”, Noelle mumbled.
“It's calming to know that there's something your fire didn't show you”, Marak remarked in a serious tone, before he pointed at Otis, who stood there, staring at Noelle as if he had never seen a woman in his life. Given his looks, Marak wouldn't be too surprised if that was actually the truth. “Noelle, this is Otis Shiff. He's a farmer and he owns this house. Otis, this is Noelle, priestess of rollmop and a healer”
“It's a pleasure to meet you, good Ser”, Noelle greeted him politely, while Otis only gave her a silent nod and a glare. “That is your healer?”, he snarled. “Doesn't look much older than that lass that styles herself the healer over in Raylansfair. You sure she's any good?”
Marak gave Noelle an apologetic smile, before he gave the farmer a nod. “Aye, she is. Best damn healer you're going to get”, he said, before he quickly and urgently looked back at Noelle. “Please, tell me you're a healer”
With a slightly confused look, Noelle gave him a nod. “I know the basics”, she answered. “Other red priests are gifted healers, but the Lord of Light had other plans for me...” Marak cut her off by grabbing her by the shoulders. “Perfect!”, he said. “I mean, that has to suffice. Otis here has a daughter and she's injured, badly so”
“You, of all people, want me to help her?”, Noelle asked, not any less confused. Marak smiled. “Not for free of course. In exchange, Otis will give us shelter for the night, as well as supplies for the rest of our journey”, he answered. “I mean, if we need supplies. Perhaps a bit of oil couldn't hurt, or whatever people here use to start a fire”
Still taken off guard by his idea, Noelle shifted her attention to Otis. “Is that offer okay for you?”, she asked. Reluctantly, the farmer nodded. “You can heal my daughter?”, he asked. Noelle glanced towards the door to the girl's small room. “Maybe. What's her name?”, she asked in return.
“Sar... Rachel. Her name is Rachel”, Otis answered with a shivering voice as he opened the door. “Rachel, I see”, Noelle answered softly as she spotted the unconscious girl. Marak entered the room behind her, positioning himself in the doorframe, so that he was able to still keep an eye on Ellaria. She was knocked out, but after what she did today, he wouldn't put it past her to escape anyway, somehow.
“Otis, what happened to your daughter?”, Noelle asked, as she knelt down next to the girl. Otis gulped. “Wolves”, he whispered and focussed on the ground in front of him. “They attacked her. Bit her nearly to death before I was able to drive them off”
Carefully, Noelle lifted the blanket and looked down at the girl. She was wearing a thin undergarment, torn at the stomach area and Marak's eyes fell upon the deep wounds that covered her flesh at that spot. Noelle noticed them as well, she looked up and her widened eyes met Marak's. “You're not telling me the truth”, she said sternly. “Tell me what really happened to your girl”
Otis clenched his fists and Marak noticed that he slightly shivered. “What... What do you mean?”, he asked. “She was attacked by wolves...” Noelle cut him off by raising a finger. “Another lie”, she hissed. “R'hllor does not like lies. These are no claw marks. They are cuts, done with a thin, sharp blade. And they were given to her methodically, always deep enough to hurt, never too deep to kill her” She looked down at the girl and slightly lifted the undergarment. “And here are older ones. They have already started to heal...” She glared back at Otis. “What happened to your daughter?”
The farmer shook his head. “What does it matter to you?”, he stuttered. “She was attacked, do you need to know more? She was attacked, my sweet, sweet Sara...” By now he visibly shivered. “Do you really have to ask all these questions? Just help her!” By now, Marak had clenched his fists as well. The farmer was hiding something and Marak was certainly curious. At the same time, he wasn't sure if pressing him into an answer was the right thing to do here. Perhaps he, and Noelle, should just let it go...
[Press Otis into answering the question] [Urge Noelle to stop questioning him]
[Urge Noelle to stop questioning him]
not today
(Press Otis into answering the question)
[Press Otis into answering the question] It's not morally the right choice, but then again, I think it fits Marak's character. Maybe, I don't know, I just want to know what's the deal with this guy
[Press Otis into answering the question] I'm sure that's what Marak would've done.
Also, about the new design on the site. I did some fast and easy changes in the google chrome thingies, so now the '"background" is black again. Yeeey! I must find a way to always have the "Follow this discussion" button checked.
[Press Otis into answering the question] My guess is that Otis Shiff isn't this guy's real name and that he is actually some sort of brigand or something along the lines of being wanted, and that his real daughter Sara was killed by the guys who tortured Rachel, and Otis maybe worked for them but he ran away a broken man and kidnapped Rachel because he was broken without Sara so he tried to fill the void with Rachel. But who knows what's up with this wackjob, but sure do know I don't trust him.
[Press Otis into answering the question] This has something to do with the beast I bet.
[Press Otis into answering the question]
[Press Otis into answering the question] I wonder why he calls Rachel Sara.
[Press Otis into answering the question] I don't like this guy, something smells fishy here.
Shame on him! Now his Sara-Rachel "daughter" may actually die. If you really care about someone's health and life, you do impossible to get help, even if that means walking far to someone you see as not experienced enough. Better not experienced medic that no one at all.
[Press Otis into answering the question] We want the Truth!
RT:
PS:I still must adapt to the new site
[Press Otis into answering the question] LIAR!
Fucking Marak. I'm beginning to think there's no scenario here where Ellena escapes.
heh, got easily outnumbered, I think Liquid you can already declare Press Otis as the winner and write the next part
I think Sara's her actual name and he accidently slipped up. He paused before saying Rachel which makes me think he was trying to think of a fake name.
I'm going to keep the voting open for at least one more day, so that everyone gets a chance to read and comment. However, I'm already writing the next part even though the voting for this one isn't closed. That's the good thing about having so many PoV's. I can easily write the next half dozen parts or more without having to wait for this voting to close, as the next parts will be from the PoV of completely unrelated characters, who won't be affected by this decision.
Wulvren's current status is definitely unknown. He might be dead and all I can say is, there will be a definite answer to his fate in this chapter. You won't have to wait long until you get clarity.
I'd say send me a message, though with the current state of the site... Actually, wait, please send me a message about your theory. I have learned that sending new private messages works just fine. Answering to private messages however is currently not possible, so I won't be able to comment on your idea until the site is fixed.
Yes, yes, me as well. I slowly start to get used to it, but the fact that private messages don't work yet or that we don't get any notifications to responses yet, that still prevents me from fully enjoying the new features of the update. But the staff has said in another thread that this is not even the final design. There will be more elements added soon and the site won't remain all white, which is good. So, I guess in time the new site will be at least as good as the old one.
There is exactly one scenario where Ellena will be able to escape. Since it is very hard to escape people like Marak and Noelle, the chances for her to remain captive are far higher. But I can confirm that one specific set of choices in this chapter leads to her escaping. It's not impossible, but very, very hard and requires not only the right action from her, but also the (in-character) wrong action from Marak.
[Urge Noelle to stop questioning him]
It's interesting, there's a lot of truth and lies here.
We know there's some kind of beast roaming around, that checks out somewhat. I kind doubt it's an alpha wolf though.
But at the same time he seems very old. Wonder if he's one of those people, you know?
I guess I might as well as vote this, because I have a feeling we might regret it.
send me a new message if you can, copy-paste the part you reply to from older PMs, I didn't test it yet but if you're right then we can avoid the bug if you just start a new discussion
could be an Alpha Murderer
[Press Otis into answering the question] Sara... Rachel... Two names, one girl. This guy is a delusional creep, and we need to know the truth.
The Voting is closed!
Marak is going to press Otis into giving an answer
I think that might be the option more in line with Marak's character. Subtlety and tact are not exactly strong with him. Aside from that, Otis' reaction is going to be quite interesting. By now, you have probably realized that something is a bit strange with that guy and Marak might be able to gain some new information about him. At the very least, his reaction should give you some new information. Since Marak is among the PoV's with the most left to do in this chapter, his next part won't be far.
First however, there will be the Jaron part I promised, the continuation of his last part, and it will be out today. For a moment, I have played with the thought of giving the next part to Richard and Arthur, though I ultimately decided to give them the part after the next. Theoretically, Jaron's storyline should not be in need of a recap. The next part will show the aftermath of his confrontation with Samuel Harrington. It will also feature a choice.
Finally, I have surprisingly adapted to the new design of the forum. I still miss the old one, with all its working notifications, but the brightness no longer gives me a headache. I guess that's a result of my german genes. Because of our constantly dour and depressed outlook on life, we germans have, centuries ago, developed the fascinating ability to ignore anything bright by focussing on the darkness in our tiny hearts. That said, I still miss the private messages and hope they will be fixed soon. There are several of you who are currently awaiting an answer and I really want to answer, though I don't think it is practical to start a new PM for every single message. Bear with me, I'll get back to you asap
(Seriously though, those Emojis are as fine as... as a cupcake in the hands of a hungry guy who wants to eat a cupcake. Does anyone know if there's some sort of list of available Emojis? I have only found four so far, but I've seen more)
Oh, what I would give to have a Richard and Arthur chapter, two POVs with my characters involved, but I guess I can wait till next chapter. And the explanation of the German heart made me laugh.
Well,
- : )
- : (
- : D
- : *
- B )
- ; )
- : ' (
- : /
- : 3
- < 3
I need to write something before this one. Soo
Probably not all of them, but it is the most basic, and those who is easy to remember. Enjoy!
(If you want to use them, just delete the space I've put 'tween them.)
EDIT: Added the 3 others I got from Agent, Jorian and Liquid.
Edit again: Yet another from Agent is added!
I prefer my own faces o.O
O_o
edit: but here you have another
Jaron
“Can't wait to see what the Sphynx is going to do to them”, one of the Solvers chuckled, his voice echoing loudly through the labyrinth. Jaron walked closely next to Harpy and noticed that she focussed solely on the black ground in front of her. She wasn't looking up, or even reacting at all, as if she wasn't fully aware of what happened around her. Jaron couldn't hold it against her. Unlike her, he was visibly shaking the closer he came to his doom. Flanked by armed men and bound with heavy ropes, he couldn't even think about fleeing. He could take the easy way out by attacking his captors, but he refused to leave Harpy alone.
“You're not laughing, Harrington”, the same Solver remarked, noticing Samuel's dour expression. He looked up, his face still stony. “That's because it wasn't very funny”, he growled. The Solver raised an eyebrow. “What? It's you bringing them to the Sphynx after all”, he remarked and now, Samuel mimicked his expression, with a mocking streak. “Am I?”, he asked.
The Solver laughed, though Jaron noticed a hint of nervousness. “Ah, heh, knew you had a sense of humour”, he chuckled, though it sounded forced. “Always knew it. You're not that bad once people get to know him, ain't that right, friend?”
“Friend?”, Samuel asked calmly. “I don't even know your name” The Solver gave him a wide grin. “It's...”, he started, though he was cut off. “I don't care”, Samuel said and continued walking in front of the group. Lanford was staring daggers into the back of his head, as Jaron noticed, though the older man remained silent, his tied fists clenched.
“Fine...”, the Solver said, with a slightly shivering voice. He mumbled something else, though he kept his voice low enough to prevent anyone from understanding him. “You want to be my friend?”, Samuel suddenly asked, as they had turned around another corner. Surprised, the Solver raised a head, then he gave him a nod. “Can't be a bad thing to befriend the best swordsman in the city”
“I'm not the best”, Samuel clarified. “Hightower's bodyguard, Arryk Bulwer, he is at least my equal on his bad days and I consider the Tom to be better than me. And you've heard about Butterfly's killers, haven't you?”
“Yeah”, the Solver said and grinned. “The one-eyed guy is a beast and then there's the crazy broad. They are better than you?” Samuel gave him a nod. “The woman. She has her flaws, but in terms of sheer skill, she outclasses me”, he admitted.
The Solver shrugged and a grin formed on his face. “Well, the other girls were nice. That northern girl was quite something, if you like 'em cute”, he said with a sneer. “But man, when they first got here, they had the best one with them. Had her hood up most of the time, but once I caught her without. Valyrian bitch” His smile turned almost lecherous. “Blood of the Dragon”, he grinned. “Had work to do, or else I would have... yeah, talked to her” He slyly winked at Samuel, whose face showed no emotion at all. “Damn shame it never got that far. I could have been a dragonrider by now”
Jaron noticed a subtle, but severe expression of anger flashing across Samuel's face. “We should change the topic”, he remarked coldly and the Solver's grin faded. “What is it? You're not into Valyrians?”, he remarked and Samuel shook his head. “I can assure you, I'm very much 'into Valyrians'”, he answered decisively. “We should still change the topic”
Now, the Solver raised his eyebrows. “Ooooh”, he said slowly. “I see” He shrugged. “Well, that's okay for me. I mean, you never struck me as one of these, but if you're into men, totally fine” The look on Samuel's face switched from subtly angry to openly baffled. It was the first emotion he showed without holding back.
“Hey, I mean, it's not me to judge. We love whom we love”, the Solver continued. “If it's cocks you're into, it's cocks” Samuel sighed. “Do you ever stop talking?”, he asked in frustration. Merrily, the Solver shook his head. “Not if I want to make a new friend”, he answered, though his joyful behaviour only barely hid his nervousness.
“Then answer me a question”, Samuel said. “As a friend” The Solver smiled. “Sure. Ask freely”, he said in a jovial tone. Samuel himself wasn't smiling. By now, Harpy had noticed something off about his behaviour as well and she threw a quick, alarmed glance at Jaron. “What would you do to someone who betrayed you?”
The Solver shrugged. “Well, depends on the betrayal”, he answered. Samuel sighed. “We're talking about the worst betrayal possible”, he clarified. Now, the Solver seemed genuinely confused. “I'd... don't know, I guess there's only one punishment for that”, he stuttered.
“Hey, Harrington”, another Solver growled. “You're going the wrong way” He pointed down a hallway. “The Sphynx is that way” Samuel glared at him and the Solver raised his hands. “You know the labyrinth better than I do”, he admitted quickly and Samuel gave him a nod, focussing momentarily on the Solver he had just talked to. “Thank you”, he answered. “I fully agree with what you said. When someone betrays us, we just want to hurt this person, right?”
Nervously, the Solver nodded. “Yeah, sure”, he said. “Uh... if you don't mind me asking, but who betrayed you?” Samuel clenched his fists. “Butterfly”, he answered and Jaron noticed that the Solvers tensed up. Lanford's angry glare at Harrington grew visibly confused, Erik narrowed his eyes and Harpy held her breath. Then, Samuel broke the tension with a grin and a chuckle.
One by one, the Solvers joined in, with their own laughter, awkward and forced. Jaron saw them throwing glances at each other and he realized that they had no idea what was going on. “You are...”, the Solver said. “Quite a funny chap. Good jokes”
“Was I joking?”, Samuel answered with a smirk. “But let's change the topic. Are you religious?” The Solver gulped. “Well... I... I suppose so. Don't know what god I'd like to follow. One of them has to be true, but here are dozens that claim to be the real deal” Samuel gave him a nod. “Hundreds”, he corrected him in a casual tone. “But you do believe in something. How reassuring”
Just as he said these words, he stopped walking. The Solver stopped as well, throwing confused looks at him and each other. Jaron tensed up, as Samuel put a hand onto the hilt of his blade. Still with his back to the rest of the group, he slowly pulled it out. “Harrington?”, the Solver asked with a shivering voice and Samuel looked over his shoulder. “Now pick a god and pray”, he growled and attacked.
Thanks to their confusion, Samuel hit them by surprise. His blade cut across the stomach of the man he had just talked to. The Solver went to the ground, gasping in utter shock, as his guts spilled on the floor. With the same attack, Samuel's sword cut through the air in a soaring arch, hitting a second Solver at the jaw and taking half of the man's head off.
The remaining two Solvers had a moment longer to prepare, though it didn't help them. The third man had just drawn his blade, though he failed to cover himself, as Samuel lunged forward, his sword impaling the man's chest. Instead of a scream, the man was only capable of gurgling.
Only one Solver remained. Just as Samuel had finished killing the third man, he charged, trying to land a hit on him. Instead of parrying the strike, Samuel simply took a step back, grabbing his sword with one hand, the other hand around the hilt of his dagger. The moment the strike had missed him, he took a step forwards, while drawing the weapon and plunging it into the last Solver's throat.
He grabbed the man's sword and went on his knees with him, as he put the weapon onto the ground without making a sound. Then, he stood up and sheathed his sword, while still holding his dagger. Slowly, he moved to the Solver he had been talking to. The man was still alive, though badly wounded, gasping in shock and trying to prevent his guts from leaving his body. Samuel grabbed him from behind and placed the dagger at his throat. “I don't think you're going to ride a dragon in your lifetime”, he hissed with a voice that momentarily shivered with burning anger. Then, he cut the man's throat.
With the weapon in his hand, he approached Harpy, who looked at him out of large, dark eyes. “I'm sorry for hitting you”, he apologized in a sober tone as he cut her bindings. He approached Jaron next. “It had to look as real as possible though. Your pain, your hatred”, he explained, as he cut Jaron's bindings, followed by Erik's. “They would have noticed it otherwise”
It was Lanford who finally spoke, just as Samuel had cut his bindings. With a growl, he grabbed him by the shoulders. “What are you playing?”, he spat. Only then did he noticed the dagger that was pointed at his belly. Reluctantly, he let go of Samuel, who lowered his weapon. “I leave Butterfly”, he revealed. “He betrayed me and I plan to remind him why that is a bad idea”
“You... you saved my life. When Lanford shot at you...”, Harpy mumbled, she was the first to regain her composure after this revelation. Jaron was only able to look at Samuel Harrington completely baffled. This man was the last person in the whole city he would have seen as an ally.
Samuel gave her a surprisingly kind smile. “It seems you needed the help”, he said and his polite tone caught Jaron off guard. “I am not your enemy, no matter how my behaviour seemed. As a matter of fact, I would like to become your ally”
Harpy took a deep breath. “You're leaving Butterfly, to join us?” Samuel gave her a nod. “Only temporary. I'm done with serving anyone. From this day on, I'll be my own master again”, he answered. “But first, I plan to hurt Butterfly as bad as I can”
“You're going to kill him?”, Jaron asked and Samuel shook his head. “He's currently out of my reach. I don't know why the Tom continues to be loyal to him, but he guards him closely”, he answered. “No, I simply want to hurt him. I know Mullendore and the thing that hurts him the most is loosing his precious trophy”
Harpy shivered at his words. “So you're going to help us to free the Burned Man?”, she asked. Samuel looked at her quietly and almost softly, before he gave her a nod. “There are some problems though”, he said and she sighed. “Should have known it”, she mumbled, without looking at him.
“First of all, I'm not working for free”, Samuel revealed. “I'm not the bastard you thought I am, but that does not mean I'm a hero either. I'm a sellsword and I have my price” Erik raised an eyebrow, though before he could say anything, Harpy cut him off. “Any price”, she agreed. Samuel seemed satisfied by that answer. “I don't want coin”, he explained, to Erik's visible relief. “But I'm going to need your help soon” As he said this, he looked at Jaron. “I'm in this city to kill a man and I need backup for that”, he continued. “Actually, you killed my original backup”
Jaron narrowed his eyes, though he had an idea what Samuel was talking about. The Fang of Shadows sighed and all of a sudden, he seemed far more like an ordinary man, a hint of sadness visible on his face. “Jaylon agreed to help me a long time ago”, he answered. “I believe... in a way he was my friend. I don't blame you for it, but still...”
After a moment, Jaron nodded. “Whom do you wish to kill?”, he asked. Samuel sighed. “I'll explain that later. It's no one you know and he deserves to die, I can assure you of that”, he said. “On top of that, he is dangerous. When I last saw him, he has been twice as good as me”
“I'll do it”, Jaron said without hesitating, before Harpy could decline in his name. Her eyes widened with concern, though as she looked at him, there was something else inside of them and it meant the world for him. “The... the other problems?”, she asked, still focussed on Jaron.
“Getting to the Burned Man, it will be dangerous”, Samuel explained. “He's deep in cat territory. I think I'm able to get us in, but one mistake and we're all dead” Harpy gulped. “I'm willing to take the risk”, she assured him. “Can't speak for the others, but I'm doing it”
Jaron took a step closer to her. He gave her a nod and she briefly smiled at him. Words weren't needed. He'd be at her side, no matter what. Erik Inchfield gave them a sly grin, before he gave them a nod. “I'm still getting paid, right?”, he asked. Harpy smiled at him as a confirmation, after which he slightly bowed in front of Samuel. “And working together with a legend, that's not something you get to do every day”
Finally, Lanford just sighed, focussing on the dead Solvers.. “I agreed to support you for good reason. While I thought it would go down differently, I suppose I can't complain, for I'm still alive”, he said slowly, before he grimly smirked, showing his teeth, but no joy at all. “Never though I'd stand side by side with Samuel Harrington, but yeah, I'm doing it. I'm still your man”
Finally, Samuel looked at Harpy. Jaron saw concern in his eyes. “Are you really willing to do this?”, he asked again and she glared at him. “Ser, I appreciate your concern, though it is unnecessary”, she hissed. “If it helps the Burned Man, then I'm going to do it”
Samuel sighed. “That is the problem”, he said. “Because the Burned Man will not leave this labyrinth alive” Jaron saw Harpy clenching her fists. She stood there completely silent, just staring at Samuel When Jaron put a hand onto her shoulder, he noticed that she was shivering. “What do you mean?”, she asked.
Almost regretfully, Samuel approached her, though he stopped when she took a step back, away from him. “What do you mean?”, she asked again, louder and more determined this time. He clenched his teeth. “Very recently, Maron Mullendore lost a very valuable prisoner. Two in fact, but one of them was taken right from the labyrinth. He won't tolerate another humiliation like that”, he explained. “I don't know what they have done to him, but I know, as a matter of fact, that Butterfly and the Tom made sure that the Burned Man won't leave”
Harpy was glaring past Samuel and down the hallway, deeper into the labyrinth. “Is he dead?”, she asked and Samuel shook his head. “No”, he confirmed. “It would be far too early for that. The man in charge of... interrogating him, the Sphynx, he is specialized on keeping his victims alive as long as possible. He...”
“I have heard enough”, Harpy barked, as she reached down, picking up the sword of one of the dead Solvers. “I'm going down there, I'm going to find the Burned Man and I'm going to kill every single last one of these fuckers if they dare to stand in my way” She said this with a determined voice, though Jaron saw the hint of tears in her eyes. “And I'm going to help him, one way or the other”
“That's what I wanted to hear”, Samuel said, as he continued to walk, leaving four dead bodies behind and taking four new allies with him. “I just wanted to make sure that you can't expect any wonders” Harpy shook her head. “I have never expected any wonders”, she said and glanced at Jaron. “Doesn't mean there have never been any”
And with that, all had been said. Their unexpected ally led them through the labyrinth in silence, which was probably not only in his interest, but for their own good. Harpy was walking almost next to him, while Jaron struggled to keep up with her. Lanford and Erik, each of them armed with a Solver's sword, guarded their rear.
It wasn't long until Jaron heard something. Behind a corner, he saw a distant light. Samuel narrowed his eyes, raising a hand to signal the group to stop, as he approached the corner. Meanwhile, Jaron was able to hear laughter. It was only one man and he said something else, which Jaron was unable to understand. Carefully, Samuel took a glance around the corner, before he raised his head again, signalling the group to catch up with him.
As he sneaked closer, Jaron was able to understand some words of the conversation that went on. It was a one-sided conversation, with only one man talking, the same that had laughed before. He heard words like 'easier' and 'truth'. A second voice, in a far lower tone, mumbled something, which caused the first man to laugh. And then he was finally close enough to understand, as he followed Samuel around the corner.
“You can make this easier for you”, a man said roughly, his voice coming out of a small room to Jaron' right. The door was half-open and the bright light of a torch illuminated part of the hallway. “Just tell me what I want to hear” As the man said this, muffled screams were heard. His sword drawn, Samuel pushed the door open.
The room was small, illuminated by two torches and a coal pan. There was a small table, holding a nasty collection of knives, hooks and iron rods. A fat, bald man stood in front of a chair, his back turned towards them. And tied onto the chair, his chest and shoulders covered in burn scars...
“Ayden!”, Harpy exclaimed, as she realized the face of the sellsword underneath a lot of blood and bruises. The torturer, still holding a red hot iron rod, spun around as he heard them. He saw five people with swords, one of them being Samuel Harrington and he combined surprisingly quickly. “Oh, fuck me”, he exclaimed, as he dropped his swords and raised his hands. It was futile, as just a moment later, he was dead, when Samuel's sword slashed through his throat.
While Samuel dealt with the torturer, Jaron walked around the chair and quickly, he cut Ayden's bindings. The sellsword, almost unable to rise from the chair himself, had to be pulled up by Jaron, before he sank into his arms. “Taria...”, he mumbled and to Jaron's surprise he was able to stand on his own accord, despite the gruesome burn wounds his chest was covered in.
“She's safe”, Jaron assured him. “We're going to bring you to her” Underneath a particularly nasty bruise, a smile formed on Ayden's face. “You mean, she's...”, he said, before he shivered in pain and sank down back onto the chair he had been tortured on.
“We have to get him out of here”, Harpy decided, though she noticed a particular look on Samuel's face as she said so. “You disapprove?”, she asked. Samuel shook his head. “Not at all. If that is what you want, send someone to bring him out the way we came in”, he agreed. “I just want to make sure you know what this means. Down there, we might need every single one of us. Two people one of them wounded potentially won't make it far if a patrol finds them” He shrugged. “It's your call”
“Mylady...”, Ayden growled and Harpy looked at him. “Are you... saving the Burned Man?” Harpy gave him a nod. “We do”, she said, though her optimism sounded feigned. A brave smile formed on the sellsword's face, as he rose from his chair. “Then allow me to come with you. I've spent the past day in this chamber, can't wait to blow off some steam”, he offered, though as he put a step forwards, he immediately staggered backwards again and Jaron had to make sure that he wouldn't fall. “Or... perhaps I'm just going to wait here until you return...”, he sighed. “You can't send anyone away for me. Let me fight with you, or keep me here until you return, but don't send your men away just to help me”
“Another potential death sentence”, Samuel commented on this. “Keeping him with us means we get another sword... and a wounded, exhausted man down there. Leaving him... well, if anyone finds him here, he's dead”
“I'd do it”, Erik offered. “Taking him out of the labyrinth, I mean. As long as I'm still going to get paid, it's your call” Harpy gave him a nod. “Of course”, she said sharply, before she looked at Jaron. “What do you think?”, she asked. “It's a risk. All three of them sound risky. I would send him and Erik away, but I...” She paused. “Jaron, I don't want to make the decision alone”
[Send Erik and Ayden out of the labyrinth] [Take Ayden with you] [Leave Ayden behind]
Thanks a lot, I'm going to use some of these a lot
I have also found this one
- D :
You didn't do the best one!
[Leave Ayden behind] Damn Samuel isn't shy about admitting who's better than him. He just gets more badass every time. He defeated 4 people non lethally and killed 5 soldiers all in the same day. He's a true opportunist. I do believe leaving Ayden is the best option since we don't have to worry about protecting him and we can keep an extra sword with us.
This line feels like the one where Dettalf tells Geralt in the Blood and Wine DLC during the final fight xD amazing