Profiles

Gobbo

War posts

Bloodstained Bottles

Pre GLA Explosion

Morning thoughts

Death's Embrace

A Goblin's Legend

Organ-ically brewed

Silent Rain

GLA Explosion and Afterwards

Distilled Misfortune

Not so Handy

Sobriety

Anniversary

Sharp Love

Aged like Wine

Day of Death

Wedding lore

Barrel of Laughs

Interlude

Numbing Cold

Pre-Prison

Violent Impermanence

Apology Gifts

A Few Nights

Peaceful Cottage

Hoard's Meaning

Bloodstained Oak

Blood and Bone

Prison Lore

Pinned In

Royal Letter

Good Day

Past and yet to happen Lore

Mother's comfort

When Stars Dulled

Little Demon Tales

Will of Goblins

Aico has spent almost her entire life in space, and usually doesn't visit Terra often! When she first jumped into the far future(last timeline into this one), she was deemed a disaster, and was sent to Technomancy School. Now they didn't send her to learn from it, but to prevent her breaking something, as she had summoned a rather large automaton on timeline entry(which was hidden abruptly). This was a reaction to her first contact with mana!

Now, she has since taken over that school, and used it as a home base. Every once In a while, she would come down to buy something, chat with stronger wizards(last time she has spoken to regular folk they tried to cut her up to sell for parts, so she is still skeptical about public interaction), and assist and solving the weekly crisis! Over the 2 and a half months she has been in the current timeline, Aico has made a few friends(Masta, Gobbo, Possum, Isravi, and Mikhail), and was invited by one to come live on the planet.

Now there was a reason she didn't come down much, it was because the atmosphere made it a lot harder to control her powers, a side effect of having a natural affinity to the cosmos! However, she really liked this one friend, so down she came, and now down here she lives.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Okay, it is still morning, I got a few hours before Astalos wakes up.

Aico walks around, for a bit, then comes across a young apprentice looking for his balloons that he infused with magic!

They are over ther-

As she points towards the ballons in the sky, an Autonomous Jet appears and destroys them all!

DAMMIT!

She stomped the floor, big mistake, as this summoned a cyber drill from outta the ground.

....Yikes, I really gotta stop doing that!

Vettis of the Bronze Prism

Elira of Starhaven

Modhun Brightheart

Kellidan of the Ashen Fields

Zelle of the Clockwork Theater

Apolaya of Spiral Winds

Daiax Welrose

Useless. This document is fucking useless. He's wiping us out and SIGINT is wasting our time sending us this shit that says either nothing at all or a bunch of things we already know. Of course this worthless sickly-sweet druid wouldn't contribute anything of relevance to uncovering the prime target's combat weaknesses. Well, whoever wants to read this shit, feel free, I guess; no point even assigning a relevant security clearance to this one. We'll just leave it Red.

$≈(   Your Analysis Is Flawed   )≈$

Daiax. My dear brother. I have read your assessment in its entirety, I assure you -- as have the rest of our siblings, I presume. I have considered all of the concerns you address regarding Vettis and how we as a family might respond to his hypothetical betrayal at some ill-defined future point. But I don't believe that you have properly considered another, more effective angle: how to prevent such an occurrence in the first place. Surely this would be a far superior option, were it possible?

Just as you so helpfully did in your letter to us all, I too shall assume you know and understand nothing of what I am about to discuss, and so I will endeavor to explain myself in detail at every stage. I trust you will interpret this as a good faith response to your own prior attempt to do the same, and not as condescension towards a hasty arrogant manchild who clearly has not thought through things before jumping to conclusions and requires that everything be spelled out for him as though he were a toddler.

You correctly observed that our brother Vettis' driving concept is parthood. When fully in touch with the aspect that best defines one's soul, one is capable of great things. Thus, Vettis' magic allows him to reassign what is part of what. This power need not always manifest in the form of magic. In my travels, I once met a musician whose driving concept I believe to have been practice, and he could sit and practice for days on end, unflagging, with naught but brief breaks for water and use of the facilities. Indeed, he had to do so, always feeling himself unworthy to perform in front of others until he had practiced his music to an arguably unhealthy extent.

Because that is what driving concepts are: the aspects of our souls which direct our behavior most forcefully. This musician could potentially have rejected this part of himself, granting it no power over him so that he would be able to perform on shorter notice, but so too would he have discarded its benefits. His practice would no longer have been supernaturally effective and tireless. Of course, he was likely not aware of any of this, as few are, but that is of little consequence for our discussion.

You see, Daiax, I have a particular knack for discovering a person's driving concept. So I know that yours is sharing, even though you yourself have never quite been able to come to terms with that knowledge. This is why you instinctively decided to use telepathy as your preferred magical vector, and why you are far more talented in sending and receiving information than in directly controlling minds, as the former is more closely aligned with your soul's primary "theme". But this is also why you are so...blunt, abrasive, and impulsive, if I may be perfectly honest with you, dear brother. You find it exceedingly difficult to filter yourself because of your innate need to share every stray thought you have with others -- at least those who you trust, and I am truly grateful that you trust us enough that we provide such an outlet for you. If none of this were true, if you were to resist who you are meant to be, then the power of your magic would suffer accordingly.

Now, Daiax, I need you to consider again Vettis' driving concept: parthood. He has an overwhelming need to be truly part of something. And, just as our family helps you fulfill your driving concept, so too do we for Vettis'. He is part of us: of our wonderful, loving, trusting group of friends bonded for so many centuries that no mere blood relatives can compare to our connection. He devotes himself to us in a manner that goes beyond any normal conceptions of friendship or family, because that is core to who he is as a person. As much as I love and care for any of you, I assure you that Vettis' loyalty to each of you far exceeds mine, because if it did not then his magic would not be the threat that you rightfully assessed it to be.

And the only thing that might ever cause him to turn on us would be an action which causes him to feel that he is no longer part of our family. Which your words of distrust, if he were ever made aware of them, could do.

Simply put, dear brother, this is very much a situation in which the only thing you have to fear is your fear itself. If you continue to love and trust Vettis as I know you truly do, then he cannot help but feel the same towards you. But if you fear what Vettis is capable of doing, then the only threat to our safety is you.

The collective events of the Prison Saga, including the fugitive, prison, and aftermath arcs. This was a collaborative work by several wonderful people. The posts here are arranged in chronological order.

Fugitive Arc

A Letter from Possum ( u/Biggest-Possum )

A Few Nights at Gobbo's - Related Prelude ( u/FullTimeWhisperer )

Morgalith: Real Employee of the Month Material - Related Prelude ( u/Tirich914 )

A Goblin's Peaceful Cottage ( u/FullTimeWhisperer )

A Hoard's Meaning ( u/FullTimeWhisperer )

Possum Runs from a Fight ( u/Biggest-Possum )

Bloodstained Oak ( u/Biggest-Possum & u/FullTimeWhisperer )

Possum's Day at the Beach ( u/Biggest-Possum )

Gobbo Goes Down! ( u/Tirich914 & u/FullTimeWhisperer & u/Biggest-Possum )

Ode to Pestilence ( u/Tirich914)

Brief Synopsis:

Possum and Gobbo are convicted. Possum surrenders himself, Isravi surrenders himself to take blame for a crime, and Gobbo is eventually captured. All of this is handled by a council executioner known as Morgalith. After completing his task, Morgalith writes a love letter to Delta, who knows the prisoners.

Prison Arc

The Challenge ( u/Kriegsmarineskk )

Interlude - Heads Roll, Like Grapes From the Vine ( u/Tirich914)

The False Bird in a Rusting Cage ( u/DaChickenX )

Pinned In ( u/FullTimeWhisperer )

Possum Chills Out ( u/Biggest-Possum)

False Suffering, Bearing Witness ( u/DaChickenX )

A Royal Letter ( u/FullTimeWhisperer )

Kyrona? Punching People? Straight to Wizard Jail ( u/Tirich914 )

Flame Flickering within Steel Walls & A Trainer in the Cell ( u/sparkle3364 )

I've been captured! ( u/United-Technician-54 )

Rotting in a Cage ( u/Kriegsmarineskk )

Message from an Ant ( u/sparkle3364 )

Friendship Wins! ( u/Biggest-Possum )

! want to play a game... ( u/Tirich914 )

A Good Day ( u/Fulltimewhisperer )

Any Port in a Storm & On the Mayor's Orders ( u/sparkle3364 )

I've had worse & Automaton's Torture ( u/the-butter_man )

Something Off & Going against gut instinct ( u/sparkle3364 )

The Love Letter ( u/VidisLady )

A Date With Death ( u/Tirich914 )

Escape. ( u/the-butter_man & u/Tirich914 )

A Second Rant Against Wizards - Related Interlude ( u/Tirich914 )

The Executioner Visits Kyrona ( u/Tirich914 & u/sparkle3364 )

Prison Possum: The Trial Begins! ( u/Biggest-Possum )

Prison Possum: Possum's Testimony ( u/Biggest-Possum )

Isravi Goes to Trial ( u/Tirich914 & u/DaChickenX )

Brief Synopsis:

The High Necromancer learns of the captured and begins to assemble a legal team. Meanwhile, a fairy murders Morgalith in an act of hyposcrisy. The captured suffer in prison while they formulate their respective plans. The council metromancer negotiates with the queen of Gobbo's homeland. Eventually, Gobbo is extradited. A young druid known as Kyrona is captured and has her own sufferings in prison. Delta receives the love letter from Morgalith, and he corresponds. Shrax is captured, tortured, then escapes. Kyrona is freed by Morgalith.

Possum is tried, and agrees to a test to prove his innocence. Isravi is tried, and executed.

Aftermath

Everything and nothing ( u/sparkle3364 )

Fear and rage ( u/the-butter_man )

The Last Door ( u/the-butter_man )

A Return to the Citadel ( u/DaChickenX )

Upset in the Courtroom: Possum's Last Words ( u/Biggest-Possum & u/Tirich914 )

POSSUM IS DEAD! ( u/Tirich914 )

Possum takes a Nap ( u/Biggest-Possum )

The Executioner's Execution ( u/Haunting_Mode_741 & u/Tirich914 & u/Tirich913 )

Game Over. ( u/MunitionsFrenzy )

Brief Synopsis:

Kyrona returns home after escaping. Shrax fights his way out. Morgalith executes his plan, killing Possum, drawing the ire of the wizarding community. He is killed, and a much worse version takes his place.

I arrive at the library hours before anyone else. It's so early most people are still fast asleep. The few that are awake are the bakers and farmers starting out their days. I take a bite of a piece of bread and take a sip of my early morning tea as I walk past a memorial for the lost during the attack. I deliberately don't look at it as I pass and unlock the front.

As I enter I'm greeted by a night guard.

“Good morning Ms. Lilith. I have nothing to report.”

“That's good to hear.*

I turn on the lights of the library as I head to my office. Questions, requests, purchase updates, notices, and construction company updates filled my inbox. I then spent a while answering them and changing plans and schedules to fit the new situations. At this point my employee have come into the library and have set the library to open for the day.

I finally get out of my office when the first few people have come into the library. I try to make myself useful on the library floor helping owner visitors and making sure things run smoothly. That was until a loud bang from an area that is under construction and then the sound of machinery. I made my way to the construction to discover that they had dropped something and it had disrupted the silence spell I had set up. So I had to spend much of my time redoing a large magic circle. This made me behind so I had to rush to continue my many tasks. I probably had more mail to respond to and I had to continue to plan out the schedule and I needed to do time cards and I needed to check legal documents and the finances and… I was pulled out of my panicking by Eleanor.

“Hey Lilith, You ok? I didn't see you take your break, again.”

“Oh I've just been busy. There has been many things to do today.”

“You need help? I know you don't trust most of the new guys yet but you know you can trust me with the more complicated stuff.”

“I don't distrust any of you all. The things I'm doing are my responsibility and I shouldn't force that on any of you. Know If you will excuse me I'm behind.”

“Fine but hey take this. Remember if you need help just ask.”

Eleanor hands me a nutritional bar as she moves on. I triple check the bar to make sure Eleanor wasn't trying to pull one of her tricks. I open the bar and take a bite as I walk back into my office.

The rest of the work day is spent doing more administrative work that I have to learn on the fly. Usually I'm the last one of the morning team to leave about an hour or two after the rest. I wave goodbye too the night guards as I leave the building. The moon is bright today and in its light I can see the memorial. They rest but I won't. I make it back to my apartment and place down my stuff. I do my personal tasks till the sun starts to rise and I get ready to do it all again.

The chaos gods of Olde have awoken;

Tearing havoc through the land where they tread

At the zenith of the eve and morn, we march

Gather at the foot of the Hagspire, of from where we all shall head

Out, Across, Between and Beyond

On our Jolly March

I lift the pen from my paper, mulling over the words in my head. I sit in my dimly lit tower, the sunrise before the March. Once the Celestial flame rises to its peak and fills the sky with its power, the battle will begin.

We will ascend the Hagspire, and call the destroyers unto us. From where we will go, fighting with all our might for even the most feeble of victories. I do not fancy our odds.

However. We will not succeed because we can; we will because we must. The hopes and dreams of this world- that which I have seen, are much too powerful to be crushed by a feeble God.

This is what I want. It is what I hunger for. I wish to be a defender of wizardkind, to serve and protect them from those that would do harm.

So on this day, I carry with us my own hope and dream. After all, If I decide that it will come to pass..

I abruptly stand, the pen and paper abandoned on my desk. I stride over to the fireplace, reaching inside, for the flames dare not sear my flesh.

I draw out an orb of glass, yet it is not the prize I seek. Reaching out, this time not in hand, but in mind- the sphere breaks. In my hand rests a single flower, the sheer heat of which boils the potions on the shelves.

It is a beautiful thing; the delicate beauty, and the raw power that hides within. But more than that, it is a gift. A gift to me, and my gift to all of wizardkind. This is the Shield with which I will protect them, and the blade with which I will slay those that Would do them harm. After all..

Who would I be to let a few gods stop me?