Wayward Refrain [Text]

[Marionette]

As you slip through the shadowy forest, grass tickles your feet, and the silken warmth of a summer night surrounds you. Spheres of pale fire crowd the air. One darts close enough to set your flowing gown ablaze – yet doesn’t. Instead, you feel a chill in its wake. The lights hover and dance around you, illuminating your path. Just where does that path lead? You cannot answer, but your feet continue to move.

Soon, you spy a clearing. The orbs, erratic as their individual paths may be, are steadily converging in the field ahead. You feel the tug. They are the moon. You are the sea. Your path is not yours to choose.

And yet…

A dull ache stirs within you. You try to continue, but it quickly blossoms into agonizing headache. A voice pierces your skull, and you grind to a halt.

“Is this the way?”

Perhaps your choice is not set in stone after all. You linger on the cusp of the clearing, clutching at your head, squeezing your eyes shut against the brightness of the congregating lights.

What will you do now?

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First adventure and all that, so please forgive me in advance, but I need something to do this summer. :,D It's text for now because I'm a much more consistent writer than I am an artist and prose is how I roll, but it may get the occasional illustration.

This first post will be expanded eventually. A basic magic guide, plus character designs if I can ever conquer them~

[Doopliss]

>Go counter-orbways.

[Whimbrel]

Strafe around the congregation of lights.

[Marionette]

Strafe around the congregation of lights.

A destructive impulse rises within you... but you discover you have nothing with which to strafe! You also have no apparent way of getting airborne. Perhaps you should check what you do have.

Compendium

Gossamer Gown <worn>
Silk Slippers <worn>

Very little, it would appear.

Instead, you settle for edging around the clearing and observing. You try to keep your eyes on the center, but by now the pain in your head is overpowering. Your eyes refuse to stay open in the face of the blinding light.

>Go counter-orbways.

Maybe this is not "the way" after all. What real reason do you have to pursue the orbs? All you know is that your head is screaming at you, and the light isn't helping. You stumble backwards. As you do, a twig snaps.

All of the lights freeze in place. They hover expectantly.

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I am sorry that strafe joke was so lame, but it was a good way for me to nudge inventory in there. >_>

[Whimbrel]

((I thought it was funny xD))

Keep walking backwards...slooooowly

[Doopliss]

>Stay very still. The orbs can't see us if we stay still.

[Marionette]

>Stay very still. The orbs can't see us if we stay still.

You freeze as well. Your chest barely heaves with each shallow breath you take. Moments roll by. No breeze disturbs the air; no creature stirs the brush. The orbs remain suspended.

Keep walking backwards...slooooowly

Someone must break the stalemate. You take a step backward, pause, and take another. Soon, you are making a slow but steady retreat. Your confidence swells with each inch you claim. However, you haven't gone ten feet before the orbs begin to swarm. No longer do they flit idly toward the center of the clearing. They tear through the air like a cluster of angry hornets. They have no clear path, but some are speeding toward you.

[Whimbrel]

DUCK AND ROLL!

[Marionette]

DUCK AND ROLL!

You duck as one of the orbs whizzes by your head. Dropping to the ground, you roll into some nearby bushes. The branches scrape against your skin, but you have bigger problems: through the leaves, you can see that the orbs are still in a frenzy. It's only a matter of time before one of them launches itself toward your hiding spot.

[Whimbrel]

Creep away through this shrubbery~

[Marionette]

Creep away through this shrubbery~

You're still not sure whether those things can actually see you or not, but you aren't taking any chances. You worm your way through the growth. It's slow going, but you're making progress, and you haven't been assaulted by any orbs so far.

"You made that choice again." The voice is back. You cringe as the sound reverberates through your aching head. "I can't blame you. You can't remember what it means, but with a little nudge, you use your instincts."

You glance about you, just to be sure, but you can't find a source for the voice. Of course, it doesn't help that you're buried in dense foliage in the middle of the night.

The voice chuckles. "If you're finished here, you really should return. Nothing good can come of staying. You know how: open your eyes."

[Whimbrel]

Well then~

> Eyes: Open.

[Miraculous]

> Wake up.

[Marionette]

> Eyes: Open.

Open your eyes? You're certain that they are open. You blink a few times, but you remain rooted to the spot. A frown spreads across your face. What did it mean, "You know the way"? You close your eyes and try to remember.

> Wake up.

That's it! You concentrate, and this time, you really do open your eyes.

At first, you wish you hadn't. The clock on your bedside table strikes 5:30, and pale sunlight filters through your window. You bury yourself beneath your comforter. Some of the ache has carried over from your dream.

You hate that dream.

You also hate rising. Your warm featherbed is much preferable to the rest of the manor. Groaning, you wrench yourself from its downy depths and wander across the room. The cold floor creaks with each step.

As you glance about your room, its main fixtures catch your eye: a desk, an armoire, and a vanity table. You head to the vanity first, studying your face in the ornate mirror.

What -- and who -- do you see there?

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Hopefully this isn't seeming too linear. It's not really, and there'll be a greater variety of apparent choices past this point. At least, I hope. xD

[Whimbrel]

Nothing! You have no reflection!

[Marionette]

Nothing! You have no reflection!

Staring back at you is... nothing! Nothing but the room around you. You jump, and your hands fly to your throat. Could you have been bitten by a rogue vampire in your sleep?

No. Of course not. There's only one vampire around here, and turning you in the night would be a grand way to lose a cushy job. You don't doubt his involvement, however -- you are always being "tested." Just once you'd like to wake up to a room completely free of enchantments.

[Whimbrel]

Get out yon enchantment-finding dowsing rod, or whatever tools are required to get rid of this kind of stuff.

[Miraculous]

> Check out the bathroom mirror and find a young male nobleman there.

[Airedar]

I beg to differ. A charming, if slightly ragged young lady is the sort of character this adventure needs.

I think Silvia is a nice name.

> Locate bedraggled young Silvia

[Marionette]

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FFFFUU- I either gotta learn to write these in Word or never, ever unplug my computer. xD The comp has decided that is going to stop recognizing its battery at inopportune moments, like when I was in the middle of writing this post the first time. Of course it was better before. =P

Get out yon enchantment-finding dowsing rod, or whatever tools are required to get rid of this kind of stuff.

You head to your desk and rummage. The drawers are full of tomes, scrolls, and various other supplies. You pass them over in favor of a simple wand - not strictly necessary but certainly helpful. After all, this should only require a simple banishment spell.

> Check out the bathroom mirror and find a young male nobleman there.

You raise your wand toward the mirror but pause. It is far too early for the exertion of casting when you can simply find another one instead. You trudge off to the bathroom. You spy the reflection of a young man and jump even harder - so hard you lose your footing. You get back to your feet and scowl. Looks like they got this one, too.

Having no other choice, you point your wand toward the image of the man. "Banish!"

[-2 Magic]

> Locate bedraggled young Silvia

The mirror gleams, and when the light dissipates, you finally get a look at yourself. That's right, you are Lady Silvia Frith, heir of the Countess Arieta Frith. There is no Count to speak of, for you are not Arieta's biological daughter. She discovered you during her travels -- a lost child with no memories of her own. Since then, you have been raised as the Countess's child, but you hardly set eyes on the woman. An unconquerable free spirit, she may spend years at a time abroad. You have been at her estate for twelve years. As far as anyone can judge, you are now between the ages of sixteen and eighteen. You like seventeen.

Dossier: Silvia Frith

Age: 17 (roughly)
Species: Human (?)
Magic: 18/20
Health: 30/30
Status: Normal

[You may now access your character's dossier at any time by using the command "Dossier" or "Status." Similarly, your compendium may be checked via "Compendium" or "Inventory."]

Enough reminiscence. It's time to get on with your day. You are looking awfully shabby right now, and that simply will not do. You wash your face and comb your hair.

[Whimbrel]

>Inventory

Check out your clothing selection. Choose something appropriate; but also something you wouldn't mind getting dirty/destroyed in whatever sort of activities we get up to today.

[Marionette]

>Inventory

Check out your clothing selection. Choose something appropriate; but also something you wouldn't mind getting dirty/destroyed in whatever sort of activities we get up to today.

Compendium

Nightgown <worn>
Simple Wooden Wand <wielded>

Having just woken up, there is very little on your person. You realize you're still in your nightgown, so you return to your room and open your armoire. A variety of finery awaits you, but your green dress catches your eye - lightweight linen, always good for a summer day. Besides, you like green. You pull it on and pair it with some sturdy leather shoes. You are now ready to face the world!

Well, almost. You're dressed, but you're still rather low on equipment. You grab your trusty satchel, throw it over your shoulder, and stow your wand inside. Things are always better off inside a bag. It's harder to lose them that way, and you can't be expected to carry everything in your hands. The bag already contains a pen, a leather-bound notebook, and a handful of peppermint candy. It is otherwise empty.

[Whimbrel]

Exit the room and go get some breakfast

[Marionette]

Exit the room and go get some breakfast

You descend the winding staircase and head for the dining room. It is 6 o'clock now, and breakfast will be waiting for you.

Of course, so will they.

"Ah, young Lady Frith. I trust you have had a good night's rest?" He is tall, almost impossibly slender, and always flashing his fanged grin. His face is young, but given his species, that tells you little. His skin is rather tan for one of the walking dead, and his black hair is tied back with carefully calculated abandon. Yes, tall and dark... but you'd have to have your arm twisted behind your back before you'd admit to the "handsome" part. No food rests before him, but he grasps a goblet filled with a suspicious red liquid.

He has been here for a little over a year, and in that time, you have developed a sort of comfortable irritation for him.

The woman beside him only waves a little. By contrast, she is rather short. Her skin is pale purple. Her limbs - all eight of them - are furry and the same shade of plum as her neatly pinned hair. A pair of spectacles rest on the bridge of her nose as she pores over a book. A half-eaten biscuit lies forgotten on her plate.

She has been with you as long as you can remember. You wouldn't admit it publicly, not as the Countess's heir, but this woman is the closest thing to a real mother you have ever had.

You sit down to your preferred breakfast - black tea and bread slathered with preserves, of course - and greet... what were their names, again?

[Whimbrel]

Man: Thelsdin
Woman: Elsinore