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 Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2019 12:36 pm Post subject: |
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I'd let Gideon take the lead in dealing with the monsters. If he's familiar with them he should know how they're usually handled.
I really like the name "Charity" for the horse.
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| Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2019 4:17 pm Post subject: |
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| Key wrote: | I'd let Gideon take the lead in dealing with the monsters. If he's familiar with them he should know how they're usually handled.
I really like the name "Charity" for the horse.
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Can I say I love the fact that (presumably because of some autocorrect) you got Ginneon's name wrong while complimenting what he named his horse?
I'm giving someone who requested I wait a little more time, but I'll be putting a poll up sometime within the next few days.
| Emperor wrote: |
DP
Ginneon-- I guess its time for Charity to work off those apples, lets get some speed up and see if we can at least spot what we are getting into.
Etta -- Ask G what we might have for protection. |
I hadn't even thought of it before, but I love the callback to Charity's extra snack earlier today. I'll probably end up incorporating that! and thanks as always for the specific lines you pointed out, I appreciate it.
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| Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2019 8:51 pm Post subject: |
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The new poll is up! For those curious, the third suggestion, "Ginneon wields a hidden weapon against the monsters, while Etta dodges them and thinks of strategies." was submitted off-site by Adryrn, who was unable to comment but messaged me their reactions. This is probably going to be a regular thing, so just trust me on this guys, I'm not throwing random options into the poll. 
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| Posted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 11:50 am Post subject: Re: Let your nose be your guide |
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| Lebrenth wrote: | | Voted not with the heart, but with the nose. |
XD So I see. Currently you're the only person that voted, and If seems to be slowing down again. Wonder how long I should wait for.
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| Posted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 12:30 pm Post subject: |
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Sorry for being late...
Anything with the word 'foul' in gets my vote. So, voted...
And winning. 
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| Posted: Thu Aug 22, 2019 4:22 pm Post subject: |
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Gonna give the poll like 16 more hours, guys!
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| Posted: Tue Aug 27, 2019 2:04 am Post subject: |
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Chapter Five
‘Monster’, he’d said, not ‘animal’. There was a frightening and very clear difference between the two. Animals, at least, only lashed out when desperate, and often would leave things well enough alone so long as they weren’t bothered either. Monsters weren’t quite so content to let things lie. Born of animals and plants, monsters were a twisted creation of enraged nature spirits. The same nature spirits that would grant humans with magical energy access to their domains if they impressed them. Such fickle, invisible things, it was impossible to guess their desires. Burning a forest might earn you fire magic, or might make beasts of the flaming trees.
Damnit! Etta forcefully cut off her train of thought.
Here she was, on a new road with a new life, letting her brain drift away with the teachings of the Mage Collective. Now was not the time to contemplate the cause of the monsters, or the nature of the spirits. This was the time to prove her worth, and solve a problem. Or at least make an attempt.
She twisted around, bracing her knees on the seat and her belly along its edge, and leaned over it. She dragged her pack towards her. At first she fumbled, the bumping road dislodging her hands. They were going faster. Ginneon meant to outrun them.
“What are you doing?!” Ginneon called out, as Etta got her pack open.
“This region’s known for its wolves,” Etta said, gritting her teeth as another bump dug the backrest of the seat deeply into her belly. “If they’re wolf-based, I have something to try!”
~*~*~
Ginneon kept his eyes forward, on the road. Not only because Miss Etta’s current posture had her derriere up in the air, but because the path was winding. It was safer to follow the natural slopes of the mountain, except in times like this. Rushing was as much a danger as the monsters behind them. Miss Etta was right, they likely were harrow-wolves. Slowed slightly by the malice that formed them, he and Charity had a better chance of outrunning harrow-wolves than regular ones.
But a far worse outcome if they were caught.
Leaning forward, Ginneon snapped the reins again, urging Charity faster. Damn, he’d forgotten that Miss Etta’s extra weight meant they’d go slower. Besides, harrow-wolves usually acted at night, precisely why he’d picked her up at midday. Rounding a curve, they faced down a long stretch of straight, slightly inclined road. Ginneon sent Charity to top speed, then reached under his seat with one hand, never moving his eyes from the road. Good, it was there. He pulled out a whip, uncoiling it with one hand even as the other maneuvered the reins.
“Got it!” Miss Etta twisted, plopping back into her seat the right way around, something clutched in her hands. He couldn’t look at her to check. “What is— a whip?!”
“Not for Charity,” Ginneon said quickly, used to this misunderstanding. “For the monsters.”
It’d come with the purchase of Charity, and while he had no intention of touching his horse with the foul thing, it was the perfect weapon for him. It was long distance, but didn’t have ammo he needed to retrieve. Ideal for the mailman on the go. Practice hadn’t quite made perfect, but he was getting there.
“Well, hopefully we won’t need it,” Miss Etta said surprisingly cheerfully, lifting her voice over the clatter of the cart and thud of Charity’s hooves. Had she no sense of danger?
“Why not?” he started to ask, but he was interrupted by a foul smell so sudden it made him gag. “What—” His stomach lurched again, and for one deranged moment, he debated letting go of the whip to cover his nose.
“Wolfrot Syrup!” Miss Etta answered, her voice slightly nasally. Oh sure, she gets to cover her nose. He didn’t look to verify his guess, but it seemed most likely. “Oh look, they’re— wait, no, don’t look, keep driving.”
If things hadn’t been so tense, Ginneon might have laughed. “Tell me instead.”
~*~*~
The harrow-wolves, snarling beasts that emanated a distinct miasma even at this distance, were backing away. They were still keeping the cart and it’s occupants within their maddened sight, but they were no longer approaching. Had they been regular wolves, this scent would have sent them running. Fascinating! She’d had no confirmation, of course, that the syrup would have any effect on harrow-wolves at all. It made her wonder, how much of the beast remained after the spirits changed them? Their nature changed, growing more hostile and aggressive, but not, perhaps, all of their physical attributes?
“They aren’t following anymore, though they’re still keeping us in sight,” Etta said, answering Ginneon.
“Are they calm?” He asked.
“No, they’re pacing and lunging.” It was like the smell was an invisible wall they couldn’t broach but were butting against nonetheless.
“We’ll see if that lasts when we turn the next bend. We’ve got another hour of travel, at least.” He said.
Etta hadn’t realized how much time must have passed, before and during the attack. Was Charity going to be okay at this pace? “Do they usually follow you the whole way?”
“No, but when they reach the end of their territory they calmly turn back.”
Which meant that it had likely been the syrup, not that they’d happened to leave their territory right as she’d opened the ceramic jar. She was still gripping it tightly in her hand, the cork topper shoved hastily in a pocket so she could plug her nose. The guild listing had mentioned frequent wolf attacks being part of their reason for an herbalist, but not that those wolves were ever harrow-wolves. Seemed she’d been on the money about Axes Rest stretching the truth to look more appealing.
“What’s in that stuff?” Ginneon asked, breaking her line of thought. “It smells horrific.”
“That’s why it works, wolves hate it even more. It’s made of everrot and wolfin tree sap.”
Etta was excited to have someone asking questions, and wished she could go into more detail, but instead glanced back over her shoulder to check on the wolves. They turned a bend, Ginneon slowing Charity down for the winding roads.
“Are they following again?” Ginneon asked after a moment.
“No, I don’t see them.”
“Charity is starting to calm down, too.”
They kept a brisk, alarmed pace up for another fifteen minutes to be sure, before Ginneon relaxed back to the moderate speed they’d begun with. He still sat focused, whip at the ready and reins gripped in only one hand. Etta didn’t know much about horse riding, but surely it was skillful to steer a horse and cart with one hand? After another few minutes passed, he relaxed enough to look at her.
“... Having second thoughts?” He asked, voice soft.
“Not even slightly,” Etta replied firmly. “I haven’t even gotten to Axes Rest and I’ve already learned something new.”
“Weren’t you scared?”
“I probably should have been,” Etta allowed, “but you had things in hand, and I had an idea. Panicking can come when the wolf is at our throat, if you’ll pardon the too apt idiom.”
“Certainly,” Ginneon said, smiling. “Especially if you’re staying.”
“Certainly,” Etta quipped, returning his words once more.
~*~*~
Unlike its neighbor Peltagrow, Axes Rest didn’t have fancy archways, or a wide road welcoming in tourists and customers. Its road was wide enough for two carts, maybe three. There was a no-frills wooden wall, built of logs, that stretched around it’s entrance and presumably around the rest of the village as well. Reasonable, if they suffered from wolf attacks, and even more so if it was a leftover from the war. The gate seemed to have a basic watchtower built beside it, but as it was behind the wall, Etta couldn’t be sure of its quality from here. Their gate was left open, presumably there were people on the ground to close the gate at the watchman’s call. Despite the gate being open, and Axes Rest being Ginneon’s home, he still paused his cart outside the village. The watchman leaned out and grinned, clearly recognizing him.
“Ho, Ginneon! Is that young thing truly the herbalist?”
“Ho, watchman!” Etta called back, before Ginneon could answer, “It is!”
He burst out into laughter, shaking his head. “Well now, you’ve more spark than Odelron, that’s for certain! C’mon in, then.” He motioned them inwards.
The cart moved forward, passing through the gate, and Etta got her first good look at the town that would be her home for her foreseeable future. The mountain path had been made of dirt, but once within Axes Rest proper, the road was made of stone. It wasn’t quite a tightly fitting proper cobblestone path, but someone had hammered flat slabs of stone into the ground in a pleasing pattern, at least, with the grass gaps between small enough for even a child to step over. Most of the buildings looked the same, simple square affairs built of wood, though a few were larger than others. She wasn’t surprised to see their windows lacked glass, instead there were wooden shutters built into the wall to close out the elements.
“Well, rudimentary tour time,” Ginneon said, lifting a hand to point towards buildings as he pulled his cart to a stop just inside the village. “Most of our buildings are just homes. The big exceptions are the tavern, the Offices, the lumber mill, and the herb warehouse. Though, uh, don’t get any grandiose ideas about that.”
“Don’t worry, your father was clear in his letters,” Etta reassured him, “I already know it’s small.”
“Well, that’s Axes Rest for you.” Ginneon smiled affectionately, though, even as he spoke ‘disparagingly’ about his home. “It’s small. It’s plain. But for us, it’s home. Hopefully— hopefully you like it. On its own merits.”
Etta smiled at him, then glanced back towards the buildings he’d pointed out. The tavern was closest, a large two story building situated close to the front gate. She could hear some idle chattering pouring out of its open windows, even though evening had yet to fully set in. She could even smell the beginnings of dinner being prepared drifting on the wind. At least, she supposed that roasted meat smell was coming from the tavern.
‘The Offices’ was a large, square building farther into the village, situated in what Etta would guess was roughly the center of town. She knew from her letters with the Village Head that this building held the post office, the guild office, and the Office of the Village Head, as well as the records storage for the town and the guild. With so many purposes crammed under one roof, no wonder the town was simply calling it ‘the offices’. She had accepted the long-term quest position of In-town Herbalist from the guild hub in the capital, but she won’t have officially taken the job until she registered herself at Axes Rest’s Guild Office. Until she did so, the quest was open and she was under no obligation to remain.
The lumber mill was actually out of sight, from here only a small edge of its roof visible. Axes Rest processed and exported the rare-growing wood from this mountain forest, and used the river to send it downstream to Peltagrow for sale. That was likely the major hub of work and activity, when the lumberjacks weren’t out gathering the wood in the first place.
And the herb warehouse. Her herb warehouse. She hadn’t even been inside and she was staking a mental claim. From what the Village Head had described, it was separated into two small, connected buildings. One was a kitchen with a loft bedroom, the ‘home’ portion. The other was the room where the previous herbalist had stored his records and herbs, and taken patients.
Plus there was a farm in the distance, the houses of the villagers themselves, surely somewhere was a blacksmith, and a handful of artisans that specialized in working with the lumber Axes Rest produced. The town was small, but it was full of new places to explore.
“Where would you like me to take you first?” Ginneon asked, and Etta glanced over at him. “I am your escort, after all.”
DP: Unleash Etta upon Axes Rest! Where does she go first? You can throw out suggestions that seem reasonable for a small mountain town, even if I didn’t explicitly list them. ^^
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| Posted: Tue Aug 27, 2019 9:43 am Post subject: Breezy |
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Well done! I enjoyed the bumpy ride and a look at the dangers we have to worry about around here. While we have Ginneon around to help introduce us, seems like the tavern would be a good place to get acquainted. I'm also tempted to take a peek at the graveyard to see if there are a lot of fresh graves so we know what we're getting into.
As a suggestion for the writing, I would like to get a better feel for the land. We're in a forested mountain area with a winding slightly-inclined dirt road and a small mountain town with a palisade and there's a river somewhere. I'm hungry for more details than that. As a lover of nature, I am inspired by descriptions of majestic peaks, misty waterfalls, green glens, and such. I like to imagine grazing deer and hawks floating on updrafts. Talk about wildflowers crowded with butterflies and seeds caught in the breeze. Help us fall in love with this place. Especially as an herbalist, we're going to need to know a lot about the wild areas.
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| Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2019 6:20 pm Post subject: |
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Let's visit the places where we'll see the most people. Thats probably the tavern, but also maybe the offices or the mill? Where do people get their food in this place, anyway? Does each household grow, find, and catch most of it themselves, or is there a store they get it from?
Great chapter by the way, this story is really coming into its own, and Etta's characterization is quite good, both hinting at personal depth while still leaving future development wide open.
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| Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2019 6:36 pm Post subject: |
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I'll be completely honest with you Lebrenth- somehow, 'where they put their dead' is one of the few worldbuilding things I completely forgot about. XD thank goodness for your suggestion.
Thanks Ten! I really like Etta, and I'm hoping to reveal the big dramatic things she's hinting at sloooowly, but it's also hard. Glad it's at least having a good effect!
That's a few options so far, probably gonna give it another two days before I put up a poll~!
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| Posted: Sat Aug 31, 2019 12:40 pm Post subject: |
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| The tavern sounds good. But for the sake of variety, another good possibility would be to go to the Offices first and officially accept the job. Doesn't seem like anything is going to change our mind, and you never know if something might change theirs.
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| Posted: Tue Sep 03, 2019 5:06 pm Post subject: |
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So it's overdue because life comes at you fast and sucker punches you hard, apparently, but ta da! The poll is up~! I'd like to keep it up for 48 hours, but if anyone would like me to wait I shall.
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| Posted: Wed Sep 04, 2019 7:55 am Post subject: Take it! |
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Voted to officially accept the quest. Unlikely as it might be, I'm too worried that somehow someone else will snatch it up and uproot us.
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| Posted: Tue Sep 17, 2019 9:54 am Post subject: |
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Sorry I'm late Noni
| Quote: | | Such fickle, invisible things, it was impossible to guess their desires. Burning a forest might earn you fire magic, or might make beasts of the flaming trees. |
I enjoyed this tease about how the magic and monsters work. I really liked the part of the possibility of making beasts out of trees just by conjuring a fire, it captured my imagination.
| Quote: | “Ho, watchman!” Etta called back, before Ginneon could answer, “It is!”
|
A nice small moment to very clearly highlight her personality.
| Quote: | | And the herb warehouse. Her herb warehouse. She hadn’t even been inside and she was staking a mental claim. |
This made me chuckle! Nice.
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| Posted: Tue Sep 17, 2019 12:34 pm Post subject: |
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Not late at all! Thank you! I'm being beaten with a finely crafted RL stick, so it's been hard to make my creative juices run. This was just what I needed! I'm so glad you enjoyed the magic teasing! It's been literally killing me not to tell you guys all about the magic one glorious info-dump, and instead trickle it out bit by bit.
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| Posted: Sun Oct 06, 2019 8:28 pm Post subject: |
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Soon, hopefully! Been struggling both with hefty writers block and also to make rent.
((by the by, edited in poll stuff))
Where does Etta go first in Axes Rest?
Tavern, to meet the most people!
33% [ 1 ]
Offices, to officially accept the quest.
66% [ 2 ]
Lumbermill, to examine the most common injuries she'll be treating.
0% [ 0 ]
Graveyard, to see how many fresh graves there are.
0% [ 0 ]
Total Votes : 3
Who Voted: Lebrenth, Sapphire_Rayne, ten11
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Last edited by Novelest_Ninjagirl on Mon Oct 14, 2019 1:36 am; edited 1 time in total
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| Posted: Sun Oct 06, 2019 9:30 pm Post subject: |
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| Lebrenth wrote: | I'm really feeling the affection these adventurers have for each other. Pity we're getting to know them just to leave them behind.
DP-wise, graciously accept it and when she's out of sight of the others, tuck it away. Keep it secret, keep it safe... sorry couldn't help myself... but seriously, I don't think she wants a high profile where she's going, but she may need it if she gets into trouble.
Nice chapter! Looking forward to more! |
I'm such a failure as a nerd. I'm re-reading stuff, and only JUST realized this is a bloody Lord of the Rings reference, isn't it?
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| Posted: Mon Oct 14, 2019 1:35 am Post subject: Chapter Six |
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Chapter Six
“To the Offices.” Etta said firmly, capping the wolfrot syrup with a decisive gesture.
“Really?” Ginneon glanced skeptically at her. “You’re ready to commit five years of your life to a village you’ve only seen a glance of?”
“Absolutely.” He had a point, of course. She should make sure the house was livable, as Sabella would. She should check the stores in the warehouse, make sure the herbs weren’t all rotted, like Praxton would suggest. She should check the defenses of the village, take a page out of Holden’s book. She should meet at least a few villagers, that would be Jaetyn’s first action.
All these things she should do. The wise things, the careful things, the cautious things. The things her friends would do, the steps they would take if they were all together. They weren’t, though. Etta was on her own, and just because she knew what they would do didn’t mean she had to do it too. She’d joined them by mistake, committing herself to a battle she hadn’t understood. She’d left the Mage Collective at thirteen without more than the clothes on her back and hastily grabbed papers. Even earlier than that, a whimsical search for restricted herbalism books had led her to the records containing those very papers.
The thing Etta would do, what she would do, was trust her gut. She was where she was supposed to be, in this moment. Which meant she couldn’t give the fates that be even the slightest chance to put her somewhere else.
“Alright,” Ginneon mumbled, flicking the reins. Charity walked sedately towards the Offices. “I’ve got mail to deliver, so this works well.”
“Have a thought to spare?” Etta asked gently, wondering if she was reading him wrong.
“Huh? I… I suppose—” He grimaced, like he’d sucked on something bitter, then sighed. “I shouldn’t be discouraging you. Axes Rest needs you here.”
“... But?”
“But you’re… aren’t you being rash?”
“Sure,” She looked away. “I do that.”
~*~*~
She wasn’t looking at him, or at anything else. He couldn’t see much of her face from this angle, not with her hair hanging in the way, but she looked… sad. Distant. There was a wall there, for all she spoke of honesty and openness. Then she blinked, and it was gone. She smiled at him, and he jerked his gaze away, hoping she hadn’t realized he was staring. Hadn’t realized he’d been trying to understand the bleakness he’d just seen. Ginneon pulled on the reins, bringing Charity to a sudden stop.
“Let me show you something, first.” Crap, now he was acting rash?
“What?” Miss Etta actually looked confused, mouth agape and everything.
“I won’t have it said, if something goes wrong later, that you jumped into this with your eyes closed.” He took a deep breath, then turned in his seat to meet her eyes directly. “I want to show you a reason to leave, and a reason to love Axes Rest. Then I’ll take you to the Offices.”
This wasn’t the plan. His father had been very clear, when he’d assigned this task to Ginneon. He was supposed to downplay the dangers of Axes Rest, and enthuse about anything even slightly positive. It was his job to make sure that the herbalist didn’t leave, that no matter what they decided to stay. Miss Etta’s decision to go straight to the Offices was all that his father could have wished for. He couldn’t let her.
Axes Rest was worth more than that, and so was she. His town was a wonderful place to live, with dangers and flaws, and for all that they needed any herbalist, what they deserved was one who would see everything and still love them. He thought that could be Miss Etta. She deserved the chance to be that person, not to be known as a reckless young woman. Not even to herself. She’d gone as far as researching common threats and prepared a jar of syrup in advance. What other eventualities did she have solutions for, tucked away in that pack?
“Let’s return the mail, first,” she finally said.
“... What.” Ginneon blinked, then tilted his head.
“I’ll stay in the cart, if you’re concerned I’m going to vault a desk and start signing papers,” Miss Etta said, clearly teasing him with the light note in her voice.
“No, I—” Ginneon stopped, and then asked in a soft, wondering voice, “Is… Is that the kind of thing you would do?”
“If it is, today isn’t the day we find out,” she said. “I want to see what you’d like to show me.”
That was a good sign, right?
~*~*~
When Ginneon stepped into the Offices, Etta took that chance to return the jar of wolfrot syrup to her pack. Back there, he’d stared at her so directly she’d felt frozen in place. Not just because his eyes were pale blue, either. His eyes had conveyed in one look the sheer measure of importance he placed on Axes Rest. It was just one little town, on one little mountain, but he’d looked like it was a matter of life and death. She couldn’t dismiss that. To see someone that impassioned and then belittle it with a statement like ‘I’ve got a good feeling’ would be the height of insults. Especially when he was going against someone’s wishes, likely his fathers.
Oh. Etta turned abruptly, glancing back at the closed door to the Offices. He was offering her an honest look at Axes Rest. Not the blind optimism of her gut, or the dour realities that his father wanted to hide, but the truth. When she’d asked for honesty, she hadn’t expected this. Had she even expected honesty? With a thump, Etta dropped back into her seat. Startled by the sound, Charity swiveled her head back to look at her.
“Oh girl, I don’t think I took him seriously,” she mumbled to the horse, bracing her chin on her palm.
As if on cue, Ginneon stepped out of the Offices. He glanced back into the doorway and said something she couldn’t make out to the person inside, then walked over. With a practiced grace, he hefted himself onto the seat and picked the reins back up. He wasn’t looking at her. Perversely, she leaned forward, breaking into his line of sight. He jolted, looked away, then slowly glanced back at her. Satisfied, she leaned back.
“So where are we heading first? The reason to leave or the reason to love?” Etta asked.
“... Leave,” he answered. “To the northern cliffside.”
Etta fell silent, not willing to ask questions. If this was a sight that would scare her off, she suspected it was something painful for Axes Rest. As such, something Ginneon wouldn’t wish to speak of.
The northern cliffside was at the top of the village, east from the entrance they’d arrived at earlier, nearly all the way to the river. She could hear it now, nature’s melody serenading them, beckoning them closer. It wasn’t their destination, though. Ginneon stopped the cart at the base of the cliff, next to a staircase that had been dug out of the cliff and set with light grey stones. At the edge of the steps were candles, unlit now but all showing signs of having burned for many nights. She reached towards one, then pulled her hand back. Candles weren’t difficult to make, but they were hardly something a small town could afford to throw away. That meant this place was likely a place of reverence.
Oh no. What would scare an herbalist away from a small, quiet town? Etta glanced over at Ginneon, who pointedly ignored her gaze. He kept his own firmly on the ground as he got off the cart, unhooking Charity and releasing her to graze. He intends this to be a long visit, then. Etta swallowed, glancing up the stairs. She couldn’t see the top of the cliff from here, but suspected she knew what she’d find.
Etta got out of the cart, took one step towards the stairs, then looked over at Ginneon. He stood watching her, one hand resting on Charity. When their eyes met, he lowered his gaze, but stepped towards her. She breathed an unanticipated sigh of relief. At least whatever he had to show her wouldn’t be seen by her alone. Holding her breath now, she took the first step. He fell into pace behind her, following her up the staircase.
The northern cliff was a wide plateau, an expanse of green grass and wildflowers ruffling in the mountain breeze. Directly in front of them the grass and wildflowers were abundant, a rippling sea of color. In the far distance, along the edges of the cliff and side of the mountain, she could see towering trees, grown densely together in a uniform pattern. And in the middle of the two was a wide stretch of saplings, planted in the same pattern, tied to wooden posts with names carved into them.
“This is a graveyard,” Etta whispered, shivering as a cool breeze blew over her.
“Yes,” Ginneon said, walking slowly to a sapling that Etta thought was two years old. The post it was tied to had the name ‘Leighton Woodensworn’ carved into it. “It is.”
“These… these are all new graves.” Funny, where had all her bravado gone? Death was one thing, a familiar possibility, but to be faced with the evidence of the pain left behind was another. How much must you care for someone, to leave a monument to their existence when they left? How much had Axes Rest lost, to have this many gone?
“Nearly all,” Ginneon corrected, resting his hand on the top of the waist-high post he stood next to. “The majority are within the last five years. Odelron, our herbalist, died. The closest medical care was Peltagrow, at best three hours away. Then we had two years of war with Ospor.”
A war that had only officially ended five months ago, when Praxton signed the peace treaty he and Jaetyn spend a month hammering out with Ospor. A month she’d spent locked in memories of the last battle they’d fought, the one that won it all. It hit her again without warning. The sensation of her hands, tightly gripped around a dagger as blood poured over her hands and lightning dashed painfully through her veins. Deep breaths. She had to get out of the memories, Ginneon was still talking. She flexed her hands, reminding them that they weren’t gripped around a daggers hilt. Her ears echoed with the sounds of battle, but faintly enough she could focus on Ginneon’s words instead. She had to.
“Our warriors left, and by the time they, those that returned, came back… The forest had grown more wild. The animals are angrier, the spirits have made more monsters than we can handle. We’ve broken men and untrained boys to defend ourselves. Our way of life relies on venturing into the forest for lumber, and traveling frequently to Peltagrow to trade. So we still go, and this,” Ginneon bitterly waved a hand over the graves. “Is the cost. For every successful trip, we have one where someone is injured. And sometimes… sometimes worse.”
“You think this is more than an herbalist can handle.” It might even be right. Even if a healer couldn’t operate in Axes Rest without a source of purity, a fully trained physician might be a better choice.
“It’s all we can afford. We’ve been trying to get a guild affiliation since before Odelron passed, so we could replace him.”
Wait, Odelron hadn’t been a guild herbalist? That raised more questions than it answered, but Etta shoved them aside. This was hardly the place or time. She stood in the wildflowers, unable to approach the imposing graves. She managed one step towards Ginneon, then sank to her knees.
“I… feel like I’m trespassing.” Etta murmured, her gaze riveted on the grave nearest to her, a post with a mound of dirt and a two month old sprout. ‘Daisy Dewhammer’. The latest to die of many, apparently. She would be holding the hope of a town, they’d all look to her to keep more trees from growing on the northern cliff. A reason to leave, she mused, sadly. This kind of pressure would definitely be a reason to leave.
“I do, too,” Ginneon admitted, kneeling next to her and staring at Daisy’s grave. “This isn’t a place meant for the living. Now,” He reached for her hand, Etta noticed, before hesitating and pulling back. “A reason to love Axes Rest—”
“Wait,” Etta murmured, reaching out and taking Ginneon’s hand. “Thank you. This… this had to be painful, showing me this. I think you were right, though. I needed to see it.”
“You need to see this, too.” Ginneon stood, using their clasped hands to lift her to her feet. “The reason we bury our ancestors on this cliff.”
He turned her around, so that her back was to the graves, and she looked out to the south. Below her, the village stretched around the curve of the mountain, and to the east the river sparkled vivaciously as it cascaded down, partially flowing through a large building that must be the lumber mill. Past the lumber mill was the farmland, settled into another cliff plateau. She could make out the shape of a few villagers, hard at work. Below the village she could see rolls of hills and cliffsides, covered in the lush green of the forest. Even the plains at the base of the mountain were visible, just barely, through the leaves.
“From here, they can watch out for us. They see the sunrise in the east, and watch it ‘til it sets in the west, and see all that we do underneath it’s glow.” Etta felt Ginneon looking at her as he spoke, even as she kept looking out at Axes Rest. “A reason to love Axes Rest. If you’re one of us, they’ll look after you too. And so will the rest of us.”
“... If I’m one of you.” Etta murmured, wondering if such a thing were possible.
DP: It’s fairly open ended, and I’m sorry bout that, but the DP for this (LONG overdue) chapter is: What does Etta do next?
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Last edited by Novelest_Ninjagirl on Tue Oct 15, 2019 6:13 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Lebrenth
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| Posted: Tue Oct 15, 2019 3:05 pm Post subject: Ruffling wildflowers |
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Beautiful chapter. I was there, enjoying the sights of nature, holding a hallowed candle in my hand. I could see the lay of the land, and feel the piercing memories. The gravity of what she was involved in became more real. Fantastic chapter, worth the wait.
I might have missed something, I didn't know we were signing up for a whole five years! I definitely would have chosen to look around more first... an obligation like that doesn't get snapped up in a day. Say, if they're so desperate, what makes them think they can dictate the number of years we stay? I'm still thinking we should go accept the job, but I'd be tempted to negotiate some kinder terms. Some kind of exit clause, or just a limit to say 3 years instead of 5 would make me feel better about the situation.
Nonetheless, this is a place she can definitely learn and be useful. We should still take the job.
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| Posted: Tue Oct 15, 2019 6:34 pm Post subject: |
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Thank you! Most of this chapter was written after midnight, in between whining messages about writers block being sent to anyone awake and willing to listen, but I'm still really proud of how it turned out. I really do owe you, Lebrenth, for that comment earlier about checking out a graveyard.
No spoilers about negotiations and all, but remember Etta has been in correspondence with the Village Head.
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| Posted: Wed Oct 16, 2019 1:03 am Post subject: |
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As a long time D&D nerd this tickled my fancy. Thinking about the things my characters do AFTER the campaign is over is half the fun. The world isn't defined but the little details clue us in on the important, the characters are the focus and so far they're rounding out nicely.
There is one thing though, Etta clearly suffers from PTSD and she signed on for five years in a remote location her gut told her had something wrong. That's a desperation move. So I have to agree with Lebby on this one: five years is too long. She's doing something incredibly rash and foolish and she's just trying to paper over the cracks in her mental health doing it.
My suggestion is certainly, take the job, but don't be surprised when your first letter back to your friends brings a certain someone up all by their lonesome to 'check' on you. After all, Jaetyn has part of their heart set on you and was the group's people person. Etta's bluff ain't getting past their sense motive.
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| Posted: Wed Oct 16, 2019 12:30 pm Post subject: |
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| First let me say, great job and brilliant writing. I'm hooked already! While my instinct is that she would stay, perhaps now that she knows that her gut was right, and how desperate they truly are, she might ask to be shown 'one more thing'. Or perhaps even rather attempting to shorten her term there agree to an unofficial trial period of say a month before officially taking the position, meanwhile she writes to her friends.
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| Posted: Wed Oct 16, 2019 6:48 pm Post subject: |
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I know the worlds not defined yet, I'm trying very hard to avoid info-dumping with exposition, but I might be going too far the other way to compensate.
Thank you! I really appreciate that. It's funny, I'm getting so much praise on a chapter that gave me so much trouble. Maybe writers block isn't all bad.
I really like the being shown one more thing suggestion, so that's def. going in the poll, but your second suggestion, about the month trial period, doesn't really work with the way I have the guild system set up. (And I know that's my bad for not yet fully explaining that.)
That means that right now the suggestions are:
Take the Job. (With the implication that Jaetyn may be in town soon)
Take the Job, negotiate for shorter stay.
Ask to see one more thing.
Ask for specific info on how the villagers died. (A suggestion from Adryrn!)
Gonna give it another day or two, but the poll will be out soon!
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| Posted: Sat Oct 19, 2019 3:40 pm Post subject: |
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Yes, very nice chapter, and I agree with all the DP suggestions so far. But I wonder if there's something else we could negotiate for in addition to/instead of a shorter stay. Maybe an assistant? A guaranteed of herb supply? A place to stay?
I'm just thinking it would be good to ask for something that would make the villagers feel like we want to be closer to them, instead of something that makes them feel like we have one foot out the door.
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| Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2019 8:54 am Post subject: |
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Caught up! Nicely done.
However, I'm afraid my poor, sober, brain can't think of any additional ideas, so I'll just hang on to Lebby's shirttails and say the same, if that's okay. 
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| Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2019 8:34 pm Post subject: |
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Thank you Key, Chinaren!
Poll is officially up! Gonna run it for at least 24 hours, maybe longer if it doesn't seem like mostly everyone got a chance to vote.
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| Posted: Fri Oct 25, 2019 5:12 am Post subject: |
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Usually I check the poll votes so I can identify ties and break them, but I didn't this time so it appears you have a 4 way tie. Sorry about that.
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| Posted: Fri Oct 25, 2019 7:33 am Post subject: |
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| Lebrenth wrote: | | Usually I check the poll votes so I can identify ties and break them, but I didn't this time so it appears you have a 4 way tie. Sorry about that. |
XD It's... okay. I'll just wait a lil longer and hope for a tiebreaker. Thanks for voting!
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| Posted: Sat Oct 26, 2019 12:42 pm Post subject: |
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OK, broke the tie (though I was tempted to make it a five-way tie instead  )
Just to be clear, my suggestion of negotiating for additional benefits wasn't meant to suggest we couldn't negotiate for a shorter stay also.
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| Posted: Sat Oct 26, 2019 8:07 pm Post subject: |
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| Key wrote: | OK, broke the tie (though I was tempted to make it a five-way tie instead )
Just to be clear, my suggestion of negotiating for additional benefits wasn't meant to suggest we couldn't negotiate for a shorter stay also. |
I decided to separate them out because of Etta's personality— doing both would be a little out of character for her. Thanks for breaking the tie! Genuinely torn between leaving it to see if I get more votes, since it'll be a day before I can work on the next chapter, or closing it now while the tie is broken.
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| Posted: Sat Nov 02, 2019 4:25 pm Post subject: |
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Alrighty, finally got around to closing the poll! Admittedly while I lazed around it looks like I went and got another vote, but this time the tie is something I can work with!
What does Etta do next?
Take the Job. (With the implication that Jaetyn may be in town soon)
28% [ 2 ]
Take the Job, negotiate for shorter stay.
14% [ 1 ]
Ask to see one more thing.
14% [ 1 ]
Ask for specific info on how the villagers died.
14% [ 1 ]
Take the Job, negotiate for additional benefits.
28% [ 2 ]
Total Votes : 7
Who Voted: Adryrn, Chinaren, Kalanna Rai, Key, ladyinatower, Lebrenth, ten11
I hope to have the new chapter up in the next day or so!
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| Posted: Fri Nov 15, 2019 2:25 am Post subject: Chapter Seven |
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Chapter Seven
Ginneon held his breath, watching Miss Etta. She was still staring out, looking upon Axes Rest from the feet of their ancestors. There was something wistful and distant about her, but it wasn’t the yawning chasm of unidentifiable emotion she’d had earlier. No, this wasn’t the bleak desperation of someone acting rash. She was thinking, now. By the spirits, he hoped that that was a good thing. She squeezed his hand, jolting Ginneon out of his thoughts and reminding him that he was still holding it. He let go hastily, and she pulled her hand back, holding it in her other one.
“I’m staying,” She said, and Ginneon internally quaked with relief, but she wasn’t done speaking. “Honesty for honesty, though. This might be more than I can handle. I’ve not been a village herbalist before.”
“No?” The single insufficient word slipped out despite himself.
She nodded, and looked back to the graves. “No. I’m new to the guild, ranked well because of recommendation letters, good testing, and experience during…” She swallowed, a flash of pain and panic rocking over her expression as she fought for words. “During the war with Ospor. I’ve battle experience, and experience traveling with a party and treating them. I know war wounds and travel sores best.”
Ginneon tried to think of something to say, but the words froze in his throat. What could he say? Trying to encourage Miss Etta without actual knowledge of her skills would ring hollow. He couldn’t try to reassure her without words, either, not so soon after he’d just let go of her hand. The breeze ruffled the hair hanging in her face, pushing and pulling at it daintily. Oh. The mark of the war lingered there, written into her face.
~*~*~
As Etta stared at the graves, she was consumed with questions. Who had these people been, who now rested on the Northern Cliff? It had only names, not ages. Had Daisy been someone's grandmother? Or a sweet little girl, clinging to the legs of her family? Leighton Woodensworn, how were they related to Ginneon? A sibling? A grandparent? Etta gripped her intertwined hands so hard they began to numb. She needed to know them, these people that had been lost. She needed to know what was lost before she could begin to protect what remained.
She couldn’t just ask the townspeople. It wouldn’t just be rude, it’d be cruel. A stranger waltzing into your home, demanding to know things about your loved ones that had passed away? It would be like Etta was personally ripping open their wounds to store her salt supply. No, she needed to be kinder about it. Perhaps… Perhaps if she did what she did best. Read, and remember. She could fill in the rest as she went, with personal experience.
What to read, though. The previous herbalist— Odelron, Ginneon had called him Odelron— might have left records, might not. Even those would end five years ago with his death, though, so that wouldn’t help. Records were a good thought, though. An idea sparked, and she whirled around to face Ginneon again.
“I have a request.” She asked, eagerly, as she took a step towards him.
“Oh, u-uh,” Ginneon stammered out, taking a step back, “What is it?”
“I’d like to read the town records. I want to know these people, not just their graves. Who do I ask for that?”
“Uhm,” Ginneon paused, thoughtfully. “My dad would definitely have the power to approve that, but Lehla, my sister, might too. She’s the guild affiliate and the clerk responsible for town records.”
“So back to The Offices it is, then?” Etta asked.
“If you’d like. I’ll go hook Charity back up to the cart.”
“Thank you. I think I’d like to stay here a moment longer while you do, if that’s alright.” Etta turned back towards the graves.
“Of course.”
~*~*~
Ginneon headed back down the steps, feeling relief and nervousness rush into him in twin currents. Relief because Miss Etta had decided to stay. Axes Rest was one signature away from having a formal herbalist again, and despite what she’d said, Ginneon had faith in her abilities. Nervousness because now that his rash actions were done, he wasn’t sure what to do next. Well, beyond the obvious of getting Charity hooked back up to the cart. He whistled softly, and she ambled over towards him, butting her head against his chest. He laughed, the tension in his belly unwinding, and he looped his arms around her neck for a quick, loose hug. Such an aptly named horse, always so generous with her affections.
When Miss Etta’s voice drifted to him on the breeze, he turned to call out to her, let her know he could hear her. At the last second, his intention died on his lips. What words did Miss Etta have for the dead? Ginneon was overcome with the desire to know. He’d promised honesty, and so if she later asked if he listened in, he’d tell her the truth. That he did.
~*~*~
Lehla Gael Woodensworn was a woman of many hats. She had trained under her mother as a postworker, was taught by her father to be a town clerk, had earned access to the domain of communication magic and gone through the testing and training to become a guild affiliate, but first and foremost, she was a sister. A worried older sister, to be specific. Hopefully Ginneon was doing alright. Their father had picked him for this task because of his genuine love for Axes Rest, if there was anyone that would make their village shine its brightest it was him. That didn’t mean anything, though, if the herbalist wasn’t willing to listen.
Lehla was nervously adjusting the guild paperwork on the right desk when the door opened. The sight of her brother, shaggy black hair hanging in his eyes in that way she hated, was a relief. He wouldn’t have been able to mask his emotions, if things had gone wrong. Which meant…
Sure enough, as he stepped inside, a young woman followed him in, setting her pack down by the door. Lehla had already known Etta Burnes was only 23, 3 years older than her but young for an herbalist, and yet reading the guild paperwork hadn’t prepared her for the actual sight of her. She couldn’t help but compare her to Odelron. He’d been tall, but constantly stooped, with straight dingy grey hair and a matching listless beard. She, in contrast, stood at least half a head shorter than Lehla, with ginger brown hair. Her eyes were the biggest difference, though, and the only similarity, all at once. Odelron’s had been brown too, but a dull, dirt-colored thing, tired beyond even his advanced years. Etta Burne’s were the deep reddish brown of fresh Thauye clay, and lit bright with a curious vitality. Lehla bit her tongue, though, about the marks on the right side of her face.
“Lehla, this is Miss Etta, our herbalist.” Ginneon said, with a hopeful smile and a gesture towards her.
“Pleased to meet you, Lehla!” Etta said cheerfully, bracing her hands on Lehla’s desk and leaning forward slightly in excitement. “I’m told you might be able to help me with a request.”
“Oh? I thought you’d already done the negotiations with father through your letters—” Lehla began to reach for the contract, already all written up and waiting on the desk.
“Yes, but I wanted to ask for one more thing. It’s really simple, and no, my answer isn’t contingent on it. I’m signing that paper today either way.”
“Then… What is it?” Lehla wasn’t sure what else Axes Rest could offer her.
They’d set up the contract as fairly as possible. Axes Rest was getting a five year ` commitment from Etta Burnes to be their town herbalist, backed by the Guild to ensure both her skills and that neither party would back out of the contract before the five years were up. Etta Burnes was getting a small monthly wage, paid mostly by the guild out of the fee Axes Rest paid them to commission the long-term quest, with the remainder issued by the town of Axes Rest itself. To supplement a wage that was lower than the average for this sort of profession, Axes Rest was also providing firewood, without limit but within reason, and a set amount of food from the farms and hunters.
Not to mention that for more serious medical matters, she would be compensated in a case by case manner by the villagers themselves. Her lodging, the warehouse, and Odelron’s possessions within each were hers for the duration of her stay, as well. She even had, as the guild required, a small budget for restocking herbs she couldn’t grow herself. What could Etta ask for further?
“I’d like to be able to read the records of the townspeople. Especially the ones that have passed on.”
Lehla blinked. Once, slowly. Then she looked over Etta’s shoulder at Ginneon and said in a clear, impassive voice she reserved for keeping calm, “What did you do?”
“I took her to the northern cliffs.” Ginneon said, and though his voice was small, Lehla recognized a bit of steel within it. He stands by that decision.
She closed her eyes, sighed, tilted her head, then sighed again, straightened her head, and opened her eyes. Rested both her hands, palm down, on the desk in front of her. “Miss Etta, something like that would possibly be an invasion of our townspeople's privacy. May I ask what you wish to do with that information?”
“In order to protect those that remain, I wish to know more about the ones who were lost,” Etta said, “And I want to learn it without digging into memories that may still be too raw to discuss.”
‘Protect’, she’d said. How odd. Lehla didn’t know many healers, herbalists, or physicians, but she’d met a few when she’d studied in Peltagrow. They didn’t refer to their practices as ‘protecting’ their charges, they said ‘treating’. Perhaps Etta was already invested in Axes Rest, then. She had said that she was signing the contract, whether or not Lehla agreed to this request. She had the power to do so, after all. Her father had said he trusted her to do whatever was within the towns means to entice Etta Burnes to stay. This was entirely up to Lehla.
And by that I mean, up to you! The DP: Does Lehla agree? Does she not? Do you have a reason why? (Does she drag her father in and make him decide?)
_________________
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Kalanna Rai
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| Posted: Fri Nov 15, 2019 2:48 am Post subject: |
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It's a reasonable request and as a reader I'd love to say yes, to dig into that juicy history.
But that's why I think the answer should be no. To the people of Axes Rest, these were human beings. To Etta, no matter how compassionate her heart, they're words on paper. It'll mean more to her to hear it from the survivors...and it'll force her to get closer to these people and earn their trust to the point they volunteer it or give her the opening to follow a gentle line of questioning to its end.
The best way to learn the secrets of a community is to become a real part of it. There's only so much records can tell you.
_________________
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Key
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| Posted: Sat Nov 16, 2019 3:44 pm Post subject: |
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Yeah, I kind of agree with Kalanna. Etta clearly has good intentions, but getting to know the townspeople by reading through old records seems a little misplaced. If she's looking for more technical information about the course of illnesses, effects of herbs, etc., that's different, but it seems like the best way to handle that would be on a case by case basis, and after starting with Odelron's records, if there are any.
I'd put her off gently, and suggest she get to know the townspeople personally first. If the need for specific records comes up as she has those conversations, she can ask again.
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Novelest_Ninjagirl
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| Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2019 8:43 pm Post subject: |
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Thank you both! I was hoping to get more options for this and kept putting it off, but for now I'm going with the three (Don't forget my off-site beta reader, Adryrn!) options I have so far, with 12 hours from this post before I put up a poll, in case there's any last minute additions.
Right now the options are:
A blunt no, because these are people, not words on paper.
A gentle no, as well as advising her to get to know the townspeople personally first instead.
Offer a redacted version, if given the time to compile it, that only has age of death and cause of death, as any more is irrelevant to Etta's job and likely an invasion of privacy.
I am amused that allowing Etta access to the records hasn't become an option, as were this a regular novel, I think that's the route I'd've been most likely to take! I'd also like to add that the result of the poll is going to have an influence on Lehla's personality and initial relationship with Etta. Thank again for your input! 12 hour countdown til poll, and then likely a short 24 hour poll after that, starting now~!
_________________
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Novelest_Ninjagirl
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| Posted: Mon Nov 25, 2019 11:53 am Post subject: |
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And with that the poll is (belatedly) live! Gonna give it 24 hours to run, so I can hopefully get working on it soon.
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Lebrenth
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| Posted: Tue Dec 10, 2019 5:56 am Post subject: Missed the suggestion phase |
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I would have made the "Yes, of course" suggestion. If this village is as desperate as it seems to be, I don't think privacy is that high on their list of needs and the records were already shared with someone that wasn't involved in their care if some guild affiliate has access to them. I'm also not excited about the suggestion to redact them because this is an age where everything has to be written by hand... can't photocopy them and mark out the bits you want to keep secret, someone will end up putting in days of work and likely valuable materials in terms of paper and ink just for the formality.
Perhaps a compromise that is a combination of the two, since I'm about the tie the options up anyway? A gentle no to getting access to any record that belongs to anyone living that she hasn't treated yet. She can access their records when a relationship of care has been established or if they have died.
Looking forward to the next chapter! I would like some idea of where we're going with the job, and the idea of getting sort of forensic style reports is exciting.
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| How does Lehla respond to Etta's request to see town records? |
| A blunt no, because these are people, not words on paper. |
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0% |
[ 0 ] |
| A gentle no, as well as advising her to get to know the townspeople personally first instead. |
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50% |
[ 3 ] |
| Offer a redacted version, if given the time to compile it, that only has age of death and cause of death, as any more is irrelevant to Etta's job and likely an invasion of privacy. |
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50% |
[ 3 ] |
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| Total Votes : 6 |
| Who Voted: Adryrn, Chinaren, Kalanna Rai, Key, Lebrenth, ten11 |
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