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Worms of the Wasteland, Ch. 12: Final Execution
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PostPosted: Mon Oct 17, 2011 6:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Desperate need for a tiebreaker here... and I can't do it myself Sad
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CHAPTER 25: Near-Light Speed (NEW CHAPTER! (12/4/2011))
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PostPosted: Mon Oct 17, 2011 6:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The poll expired, actually, so anyone who wants to vote while I'm still trying to catch up should just do a write in (just post your vote as a message).
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 05, 2013 9:23 am    Post subject: Chapter 9: The King's Wizards Reply with quote

Chapter 9: The King’s Wizards
Time graced me with a moment of clarity that seemed to last for years. My memories, and all of their horror, returned to me. I was aware of everything around me, including the worms stealing magic, breathing fire, and killing everything in sight. We perched upon a broken piece of the city of Grysell, which weakly hovered on failing magic. I was riding with Jareb, a strange nomad that I was forced to trust, on a hungry and fearless hlathlu spider. This moment was elicited, no doubt, by the arrival of two of the king’s wizards, each of them channeling unspeakable power.

“Let’s get closer! I want to see this!” I said to Jareb and pointed. He understood well enough to cautiously proceed. They were on the next floating piece of the bridge city. I could see Zinfury clearly, he was often considered the most dangerous, but if his rage was directed on the worms, all the better. A little closer, I could see Galdernum casting his most famous of spells. As though every star in the cosmos descended upon us, shining lights converged into a bubble that surrounded the large island, and as more lights streaked down, it grew.

“That’s a protective spell, Jareb. Even the worms won’t be able to get us through that!” I said. “Two wizards! What luck! I thought those two hated each other. I wonder if it’s safe to get any closer.”

“Of course not!” a cranky old voice said from behind us. We turned to see an old man in peasant clothes. As old as he looked, he carried himself with strength, standing upright and his exposed arms were tense as though he carried a heavy load. “If you’re done staring at the king’s pets, do you mind going back to what you’re supposed to be doing?”

“What?” I asked, a little dumbfounded.

“Getting people off the bridge!” he yelled. His face was getting red, not just from anger. He was exerting his strength on something I couldn’t see.

“You’re Lysus,” I said incredulously. That’s three of the king’s wizards… well, Lysus used to be the king’s wizard.

“Move! I don’t want to crush anyone!” he said. I knew better than to argue with a wizard.

The islands were getting closer together, making it easier to bridge the gaps. The Galdernum’s barrier continued to grow, overtaking us and filling the entire gap between the mountains. It was large enough to surround all of the worms below too.

“That doesn’t make sense,” I said to myself. “The barrier is supposed to keep the worms out… isn’t it?” But who was I to question the tactics of wizards? Clearly they had work to do, so we would just get everyone we could as far away as possible…. Only the barrier wouldn’t let us out. “No. What-- They’re trapping us in!”

It was too late to escape, we were inside the barrier with the worms. Some of us beat our fists helplessly against the barrier. Nearby, two children were separated from their parents only a few yards away.

“So… that’s Galdernum’s spell. What is Zinfury’s?” I asked myself.

“He’s calling upon the powers of darkness,” a refugee responded. “He’s going to destroy the city.”

This simple man, a craftsman perhaps, was probably right. A large black vortex opened before us, sucking in the air and anything close to it…. If the king wanted Grysell destroyed enough to send two wizards, that’s what would happen. And what of Lysus, the disgraced wizard? What did he intend to do? He at least seemed to care about the survivors.

The floating islands were moving in strange ways in response to Lysus’ spell. They were putting themselves together to form something that looked like a statue. When it was fully formed, with Zinfury and Galdernum now floating midair in the same place they began their incantations, and every remaining floating piece of Grysell now assembled, the statue came to life. Its arms swung above its head, and with a mighty swing, they both came crashing down on the nearest worm, crushing it and causing its entrails to burst out.

The other worms breathed fire, but it did nothing to the golem that was mostly stone. A short battle raged between them, the worms whipping and chomping, and the golem swinging its fists. The black vortex grew, and started tearing large pieces off of the golem. Its right fist swung too far and went into the vortex. It pulled but it could not get its fist out. The worms took the advantage, tearing the golem down till it fell to the ground, sending an enormous and furious dust cloud swirling within the barrier.

“At least the worms will die with us,” the shopkeep beside me said grimly.

“No, I’m not ready to die,” I said.

DP: How does the protagonist escape destruction?
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 05, 2013 9:27 am    Post subject: Poll Results for Ch. 8 Reply with quote

Below are the results of Chapter 8 polls, so we're ready for Chapter 9 suggestion phase! It's been nearly two years, but I couldn't let another SG be left in such a state. As you could see, we had a three way tie, so I combined them.


What kind of magic spell to use?
Impenetrable barrier protects until worms give up and leave
33% [ 2 ]
Massive magical explosion kills everything close to the city
33% [ 2 ]
Resurrection of Bardo the White. "You Shall Not Pass!"
0% [ 0 ]
Raise a massive golem from the ruins of the city that kills a worm
33% [ 2 ]
Total Votes : 6
Who Voted: Chinaren, Muaddib, Shillelagh, Thunderbird, Tikanni Corazon, Vishal Muralidharan


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PostPosted: Mon Oct 14, 2013 2:29 pm    Post subject: Suggestionless Reply with quote

I completely understand, no worries. I'm still interested in finishing this SG, nonetheless, so I'm going to make my own suggestions. Hopefully someone will come along and vote on one.

Option 1: Protagonist is saved by Lysus and a wizardly conspiracy is revealed.

Option 2: Protagonist mysteriously survives, but is permanently altered by the magical blast.

Option 3: Protagonist jumps into a very deep well to escape blast

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PostPosted: Sat Oct 26, 2013 5:32 pm    Post subject: Chapter 10: Darkest Dungeon Reply with quote

Chapter 10: Darkest Dungeon

The dust cloud and the very air that held it was sucked into the vortex. My chest heaved in vain to try to draw in a breath. I pushed at the barrier with the others, hoping for some momentary opening to let us out. However, the barrier was unwavering. The ground trembled as Lysus’ golem dragged itself toward us with its remaining arm. I could see Lysus within the cracked head. He was bleeding and his face was stretched by anguish.

Then the vortex abruptly stopped sucking in. I saw Lysus’ eyes widen with fear, and with a final effort, he threw the golem around the survivors… as many as he could…. The void exploded, shooting all of the mass that it had consumed back out. The protective wards on the golem glowed brightly as it endured the thrashing, then in quick succession the wards flickered and died. Lysus was torn away and the golem crumbled, burying some of the few who were saved by his sacrifice.

“That’s enough,” Galdernum said. I withdrew my hand from the glowing orb that showed the images of the past events, of the watchtower and the sandstorm and the city of Grysell…. It was so real, I forgot where I was and I thought I was there, living the moment after Zinfury and Galdernum destroyed the city. As the orb faded back to a clear ball, I remembered where I really was.

After the explosion and the barrier vanished, the worms were dead and I was somehow alive. Lysus was gone. The remaining two wizards found me, and before I could say a word, everything went black. Somehow, they brought me to that dungeon of black stone, with a large room filled with arcane paraphernalia. They demanded to know the whole story. I saw no reason to deny them, though I did not know how they intended to extract the story from me till they made me touch the orb.

“What will you do with me?” I asked, unable to hold back a little quiver in my voice. They spoke to each other in an ancient language I could not understand, but there was darkness in the tone and violence in their eyes. I glanced around at implements of torture that had been outlawed a long time ago, and I realized this couldn't be a legal inquisition. They were hiding something, perhaps from the King himself.

DP: What is the conspiracy?
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 26, 2013 5:33 pm    Post subject: Chapter 9 Poll Results Reply with quote


Here are the poll results for Chapter 9. Yep, I just voted myself.

How does the protagonist survive?
Protagonist is saved by Lysus and a wizardly conspiracy is revealed
100% [ 1 ]
Protagonist mysteriously survives, but is permanently altered by the magical blast
0% [ 0 ]
Protagonist jumps into a very deep well and into a strange cavern
0% [ 0 ]
Total Votes : 1
Who Voted: Lebrenth

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PostPosted: Thu Dec 05, 2013 5:01 am    Post subject: Skipped November Reply with quote

Looks like I skipped November for updating this story. Sorry about that. We didn't get any suggestions, so I'm going to make the suggestions myself.

1: The wizards deliberately let the worms in to remind everyone why wizards are needed.

2: The rogue wizard, Lysus, has been attempting to destroy the kingdom that rejected him. The wizards knew and kept it a secret when they should have warned everyone (side note, I'm aware of Lysus' sacrifice and it doesn't invalidate this option)

3: The worms are actually the source of the green paradise's power, and atrocities are committed to extract it.

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PostPosted: Fri Jan 17, 2014 11:53 am    Post subject: Huh? Votes? Reply with quote

Oh hey, how sneaky! I have three votes now... One on each... figures :S Well I am glad there is some activity here. I probably would have posted another chapter had I known. I'll get back to this soon.
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 04, 2014 10:27 am    Post subject: DP Results, Ch 10 Reply with quote

Ah ha! A vote appears and a tie is broken!

What conspiracy?
The wizards deliberately let the worms in to remind everyone why wizards are needed.
50%
50% [ 2 ]
The rogue wizard, Lysus, has been attempting to destroy the kingdom that rejected him. The wizards knew and kept it a secret when they should have warned everyone.
25%
25% [ 1 ]
The worms are actually the source of the green paradise's power, and atrocities are committed to extract it.
25%
25% [ 1 ]
Total Votes : 4
Who Voted: PopeAlessandrosXVIII, Seraphi, sheik, Tikanni Corazon

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PostPosted: Fri Jul 04, 2014 12:07 pm    Post subject: Chapter 11: Shame and Conspiracy Reply with quote

Chapter 11: Shame and Conspiracy

“What will we do with you?” Galdernum repeated, and spent a moment in thought. A wicked smirk appeared as he said, “You must answer for your crime, of course, but first we must ensure no one forgets what happened to Grysell. Why don’t you stay here a while, and revisit the atrocities that occurred because of your actions.”

The crystal ball responded to his touch, obeying its master and showing the scenes from my memory of the horrible things that happened. Galdernum left the room through an iron door, the only way out of the strange room. I could hear him arguing with Zinfury, but I couldn’t concentrate. The crystal ball kept sneaking into my mind, turning my attention to memories I wanted to forget.

The wizards would not let me forget anything. They made me see and hear and feel it all over again and again. I was unable to maintain a grasp of reality, staggering through the memories, even when the crystal ball was far away. I became the wizards’ mad man, and I don’t know how I survived… who took care of me when I could not even feed myself? Either Zinfury or Galdernum would take me to various cities. I had only a weak awareness of them, for I could perceive nothing, and speak of nothing but the horrors: men, women, and children, being crushed, eaten, falling to their death, or burned alive.

And each time, after sharing my story, the wizards would have the last word. It would be something along these lines, though I can only piece it together from what little I can remember from numerous occasions:

“These terrible events could have been prevented! The barriers can hold for a thousand years, but only if we, the Royal Order of Wizards, are given the resources we need to maintain them! You, who have withheld your taxes, or your wheat, or your lumber, or your ore… you may share the fate of Grysell in your folly!”

The people unleashed their hatred on me with curses and stones, and rose up cheers for the wizards. I had only one ambition: to beg the king to execute me and end my misery. But they would not bring me to him. I must have visited every city except the capitol. Then we went to the outskirts of the kingdom, where the barriers kept out the worms. They gloated over me, mocked me, and they said something I doubt they expected me to remember:

“You sniveling pawn! You still think it was all your fault? You pathetic wreck!” Zinfury spat. “We control everything within the green paradise! We let them in, then we destroyed them like we destroyed you!”

“That’s enough, Zinfury!” Galdernum yelled. “Your recklessness will be our undoing. We still have to bring him to the King.”

“Look at him, Galdernum! There’s nothing left of his mind but what we burned into him. Give him to the King now.”

At last, I would have my chance for peace, when taken in an iron cage to the capitol. We drove through angry streets, and I felt lower than ever. Zinfury’s confession had not lifted my guilt, nor did I really comprehend the gravity of his words, not that it would matter. The ramblings of a mad man would not convince a king.

It was a relief when we entered the palace. The drawbridge over the dark chasm was lifted, and the gates were closed. Here, at least, I would be reviled with a little civility, and with a little luck, my tragic life would be ended.

DP: What happens within the royal palace?
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 05, 2014 7:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hey, its great to see this up and running again!

I must warn you though, it's been really long since this came out, I've forgotten almost everything about this SG. No worries though, I'll read this again and have a suggestion for you in a few hours at the most Smile
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 05, 2014 7:31 am    Post subject: 3 years ago Reply with quote

Heya Vishal! Yeah, I don't really expect anyone to remember this story. It was started nearly 3 years ago. I just feel like I should finish what I start. I'm happy to hear you're planning to read through it again. I hope you enjoy it!
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 05, 2014 8:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thoroughly enjoyed it, Lebby, though I must say I found myself really confused as to what was going on in the later chapters of the SG and had to re-read them a few times in order to have a clear mental picture of the sequences. I'm guessing that really short chapters aren't my cup of tea, but I must say it's fantastic how you've managed to weave so much information in very few words, without overwhelming your readers. Really well done! Smile

Ah, well, so we have a confession, but we probably will not be able to convince anybody. Either way I think the protagonist would've realized that this is far too serious, and that keeping quiet is not an option. Incorporate that into all of the suggestions please Razz

Three suggestions:

1) The king doesn't even listen to the wizards cuz he is pretty pissed that the wizards destroyed the city, when he clearly only ordered them to make a protective barrier around the city, and then unleash a destructive force on the worms. He sends the wizards into exile, and the wizards somehow take the protagonist with them.

2) A giant hlathlu jumps into the palace out of nowhere, eats one of the wizards and causes massive disarray. The protagonist rescues the king and gets away.

3) The king sentences the protagonist to death, but the wizards protest because they need a scapegoat for any further actions they may have to take.

4) Bardo returns, and provides evidence that corroborates with what the protagonist says he heard.
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 06, 2014 9:47 am    Post subject: Broken perspectives Reply with quote

Groovy, thanks Vishal. Yeah, I suspected the sudden change of perspective would be confusing in an ungood sort of way. I suppose the delirium of our protagonist also doesn't lend itself well to good description, but I want it to seem deliberate, not clumsy. I'll see if I can do better in future chapters.

The short chapters are actually a bit of an experiment. I'm attempting to give the players more control of the story by offering DP's more often. Ideally, more often in RL too, hoping for a chapter a week... but that totally fell apart. :S Looking back at the experiment now, I think 1000 - 1500 words is better. It takes longer to write and read, but it gives plenty of room to address the DP and set up a new DP. Plus, if we're waiting so long for new chapters, it's nice to have something substantial to dine on.

Good suggestions, by the way. I'll wait, just in case, to see if others want to chip in, but it's nice to already have enough options to vote on.

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PostPosted: Mon Jul 14, 2014 7:22 pm    Post subject: Re: Broken perspectives Reply with quote

Lebrenth wrote:
Looking back at the experiment now, I think 1000 - 1500 words is better. It takes longer to write and read, but it gives plenty of room to address the DP and set up a new DP. Plus, if we're waiting so long for new chapters, it's nice to have something substantial to dine on.



Totally agreed! I also think longer chapters are more effective because it allows writers to have more control in 'pacing' the chapters and how the plot develops. Shorter chapters tend to move forward in a more breakneck speed, because, each chapter necessarily has to have substance, so I think longer chapters work that way. Smile

Anyhow, Tell me if I've missed this, but the protagonist reaaaally needs a name lol
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 5:23 pm    Post subject: Re: Broken perspectives Reply with quote

Quote:
Anyhow, Tell me if I've missed this, but the protagonist reaaaally needs a name lol


That's funny... he doesn't have a name, does he? Well we've gone this far without one. Why don't we just keep calling him "protagonist"?

The poll is open, by the way. Which one did you like best Vishal?

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PostPosted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 12:48 pm    Post subject: Chapter 12: Final Execution Reply with quote

Chapter 12: Final Execution
It seemed fitting to be left in the dark, in the cage that was my home now. What happened now wasn’t up to me, and I didn’t matter to myself, so I simply laid there and awaited my fate. My former self would have been very excited to be in the royal palace. It is the safest place in the entire kingdom, with the most powerful of enchantments warding off danger, champions riding magnificent griffons guarding it day and night, impenetrable walls, and it floated freely over a very deep chasm. Even if a worm managed to reach the capitol, it couldn’t reach the palace.

Royal guards retrieved me from my cage after an incalculable time in haunted reverie. They yelled at me if I so much as raised my head. I stared at the floor and shuffled toward my doom. From only the corners of my eye, I could see many splendid things. Halls dedicated to the beauty and wonder of the Green Paradise. I’ve heard stories of the gardens and galleries… of the libraries and armories. I found myself creeping out of my madness, ever so slightly, to take sideways glances at the marvels that all the stories told of.

The only thing that stood as strange was the raucous peeling of distant bells. Some remarkable thing was happening in the capitol, beyond my sight. Perhaps it was the people celebrating my arrival, and that I would soon be shown the kind of justice they were all so hungry for. It reminded me of my crimes. I no longer wished to see the marvels of the palace, so I looked back at the ground until I came to the High Court.

The doors of the court were enormous… perhaps two stories high and 16 feet wide, and each carved from a single enormous tree, so they say. Many officials were present, and there wasn’t a single empty chair in this hall. The King sat on his judgement seat which was gilded with gold and shaped into many elaborate designs. The grandness of the throne immediately drew the eye to his majesty sitting 8 feet above the witness stand. His bejeweled robe almost blended into the throne, as though the man and his accouterments and seat were one.

The room jeered and booed me as I entered. The King allowed it for a minute before raising his scepter, ordering silence enforced by a loud minister.

“Bring the prisoner forward,” spoke the King. I walked among the cruel stares to the judgement seat, where I was thrown down on my knees. I noticed the wizards Zinfury and Galdernum were nearby. “Am I going to ask you simple questions and I expect direct answers, do you understand?”

“Yes, your majesty,” I said.

“Are you Tallus of Elden?”

“Yes, your majesty.”

“Were you honor bound and sworn to keep watch for danger at the Ammon Watchtower, beginning in the first of this year and continuing until the first of next?”

“Yes, your majesty.”

“And were you in dereliction of duty at the beginning of the recent tragic events when worms broke through the barrier?”

“Forgive me, your majesty, for it is still my duty to warn the kingdom, and I have something to say that will upset you… if you believe it, which I respectfully doubt you will….”

“Proceed.”

“The barrier was not broken. The wizards let them in.”

A mixture of gossip and laughter filled the hall. The King let it die down naturally.

“I see,” the King said. “And do you have proof of this?”

“It was something I heard Zinfury say. I have no other proof.”

“Your majesty,” Zinfury cried out. “This man would say anything to relieve himself of his guilt.”

“You will mind your tongue, Zinfury!” The King commanded. Zinfury folded his arms and kept his mouth shut. “You will not find yourself capable of educating me about lies I hear from this seat. I have heard so many now, I can detect one from a mile away. I will redirect you, Tallus of Elden, to answer the question I asked.”

“I was,” I said with a moment of pause. Coming to it now, I was not as certain that I wished to die. “I was in dereliction of duty, your majesty.”

“Very good,” the King said through the din of the crowd. “You accept responsibility for the calamities that befell the kingdom, then.”

“…I do.”

“Then there is but one just fate for you, Tallus of Elden. Let the weakness of your head no longer betray the loyalty of your heart. I hereby sentence you to death by beheading.”

“Your majesty!” Zinfury began again during the applause of the audience.

“Your majesty!” Galdernum joined in. The King quieted the crowd by outstretching his hands. “If we could have just a private word with you about the fate of the prisoner, I think perhaps you might reconsider.”

“Very well, you may approach,” The King allowed. Hushed murmuring came from the crowd and I began to tremble. I knew the wizards had no love for me, if anything they wished a worse fate. Perhaps I would not be granted my death wish, or perhaps only after suffering a great deal more. “I see,” the King said audibly with a nod as the wizards continued to whisper to him.

My chest felt like it had collapsed and I felt like I was sinking into the ground. It took me a moment to realize the latter was literally true. Where had all the sand come from? Was it just my own crazed mind, or were others seeing this?

“I have seen the wisdom of the wizards’ words,” the King spoke, addressing the audience, not me. “Death is too kind a punishment for such a terrible—”

Then the King saw me up to my waist in sand. He could see it. Now everyone had noticed, a panic began. The walls and the roof were sprinkling down sand. A fierce and hot wind blew through the palace and blasted the mighty doors off their hinges, and a wave of sand was carried in, enough to bury us all. The whole palace rocked to and fro. They all looked at each other in horror and confusion, but I knew what it was. The wizards had tempted fate, and now fate was here to collect its toll. I never imagined I would be happy about the arrival of a worm, but all I wanted was a quick death. I was certain the worm would oblige me.

We could not stay on our feet as the palace jerked and shook. The roof and half of the court was torn away by an enormous force. Those of us who survived so far could see the worm clearly then. It was larger than any worm ever spoke of in the Green Paradise, large enough to not mind the chasm that was supposed to protect the palace. And behind it was a trail of ruin and the land all around was no longer lush and green, but a vast wasteland as far as we could see.

The worm drew in a mighty breath, and I knew what would follow. Preferring a less painful death, I finished burying myself in the sand, but I could feel the heat of its fiery breath above me and I was certain that the king and all his vassals were dead. As I broke through the glassy melted surface of the sand, I saw the truth of it. Even the wizards were unprepared and burned to charred black masses.

Like it was in Grysell, the magic that held up the palace was failing. The worm’s fire consumed the palace again, and I could hear the screams, but we were descending away from the worm. We went deeper and deeper into the dark chasm, till the worm turned its attention to the rest of the capitol.

I lived. The doomed were now free and the free were now dead. I crawled out of the burning palace, now resting at the bottom of the chasm, far below the surface. Ancient architects had built tunnels out of the bottom of the chasm as a last desperate escape route should the king need it. The king was now dead, and truly so was his kingdom.

The worms overwhelmed everything. All of the green vanished in a few days, and when it was gone, the worms left. The survivors would either die in the wastelands, or become part of the tribe, The Halaea Tribe, that ventured in to save people, who had saved me once already.

That is how I came to wander the wastelands with these nomadic people, and I tell the story to any who will listen as penance for what I had done to make a beautiful thing die. We live a hard life, but we live, and in this tale, there is still hope. For if we once had a Green Paradise, we could have it again. And if we are diligent and without greed, we will find it and we may have a chance at keeping it.


The End
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Lebrenth
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 12:58 pm    Post subject: Final poll results Reply with quote

So we've come to an end to this story. I hope you've enjoyed it... I'm sorry it took so long. There was a time when I could expect 200 Fables as a reward from the treasury for completing a storygame, but that was a more active age, when the City of IF was like the Green Paradise instead of the desert wastelands. Like our completed tale, this is something we could have again, with diligence. Greed is probably not a problem though. Chinaren owned the greedy persona really well, actually. Smile

Here are the results of the last poll. I was excited to see 3 votes in so short of a time and that there wasn't a tie, so I went for it:

What happens next?
The King exiles the wizards for their reckless destruction [ 0 ]
The hlathlu attacks! Protagonist saves the King [ 1 ]
The protagonist is sentenced to death, but the wizards protest [ 2 ]
Bardo returns, with evidence to support the protagonist [ 0 ]
Total Votes : 3
Who Voted: Emperor, sheik, Vishal Muralidharan



Oh, and Vishal, I luckily figured out in time that our protagonist did have a name after all. Smile

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Vishal Muralidharan
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 8:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Clapping

Truly well done, lebby! So happy I took part in this SG, really well written. I also like the parallel you drew between the wasteland and the City in your comment, completely agree with you on that.

Oh, and Tallus. I really DO NOT remember that name. Was it mentioned before in the story? Im not sure lol xP
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Lebrenth
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 08, 2014 6:32 am    Post subject: Talking about Tallus Reply with quote

Thanks, Vishal. Yeah, the name was mentioned in Chapter 3, back in August of 2011. Smile I'm the author and I didn't even remember, so don't sweat it.
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