Endless Radiance Quest 1

>>662555
A short amount of time passes, and the sprite can't help but smile as the two end their drama by slaying the other in an identical strike. After saying their final words, they collapse to the ground together with a gasp. The children burst out into laughter together. Before they could catch their breath, the sprite turns away and resumes his flight down the length of the chain. On a whim, he opens his pouch and looks at the contents within for the first time since receiving it. Four white envelopes catch his attention right away, so he activates the light on his wings with a mere thought of channeling the Glow into them.

"A white letter is given to a potential hero and that begins their journey, hm?" The sprite muses as he thumbs through the envelopes to read the names - each with a different type of paper, he notes - "I think I remember that tale. Look, all these human names and-“

The sprite pauses as he reads one of the names. “Oh, you’re getting one? I’d like to see that story.” He chuckles darkly to himself. The sprite channels Glow, a white light surrounding each letter before lifting it into the air and arraying them in a column. He rests his hand on his chin, thinking for a moment.

“I wonder which one of you will be the hero of your story?"

Who are you?
[] Jacob Rain (Pirate, “Fortune’s found on the winds.”)
[] Theodore Theoson (‘Heir’, “For honor, grow.”)
[] Emily Ander (Archeologist, “Knowledge justifies the means.”)
[] Marcus Silas (Courier, “The world fits within your home.”)

>>662574
[] Emily Ander (Archeologist, “Knowledge justifies the means.”)
Hey there Observer, how's it going?

>>662574
>[] Theodore Theoson (‘Heir’, “For honor, grow.”)

Retinue when
Animal companion when

>>662574
>Jacob Rain (Pirate, “Fortune’s found on the winds.”)
Raids, gold, women, oppressive regime hunting us, independent harbor cities, exotic encounters...

>>662574
Finally. Nice to see you here, my friend.

> [] Marcus Silas (Courier, “The world fits within your home.”)

>>662604
Goin' well, things have stabilized enough for me to actually be able to schedule time to write a quest. How're you anon?

>>662574
>[] Marcus Silas (Courier, “The world fits within your home.”)

>>662618
I'm in a lecture about algal lifecycles, so it's going pretty good.

>>662574
>[] Marcus Silas (Courier, “The world fits within your home.”)

>>662574
>Marcus Silas
We shall explore.

>>662617
It's nice to be here, friend.

On an entertaining note, just the other day my DM decided he wanted to take a break from DMing and opened the floor for someone else to take up the mantle. I was kinda sorta elected as the new DM to be. Questing and DMing for the first time? Why not do it all, right?

>>662724
Are you going to end every session with something terrible happening, or is that just for your quests?

>>662765
They are going to be conscripts/volunteers/new recruits for a brand new airship that'll be used to explore the New World, Spanish Era of Exploration style.

So, horrible things? It depends on what they do and how they do it, amongst other things. I don't intend to be as vicious, though.

>>662574
[] Marcus Silas (Courier, “The world fits within your home.”)

>>662574
>[] Jacob Rain (Pirate, “Fortune’s found on the winds.”)

>>662617
>>662660
>>662684
>>662812
Marcus

>>662615
>>662836
Jacob

>>662604
Emily

>>662609
Theodore

Intriguing. I think the initial vote being open for an hour is long enough.

As I write, I'm curious: What do you all think the quotes for the characters mean?

>>662923
>The world fits within you're home.
Either he considers the whole world his home or he is some entity that isn't stuck on just this world.

I'm probably wrong though.

>>662923
For Emily it's just "the ends justify the means" but the only ends in that case is knowledge. She might not be the most ethical archaeologist.

>>663026
so, the sort that breaks into sacred tombs and violates the holy ground of native peoples in pursuit of knowledge, the old British way?

>>663035
It's the only real way to do it.

>>663133
Quite so.

--

The sprite flies across the sandy banks of the river Lux, the primary water source for the island with the same name. He stops at the top of one of the sharpest inclines on the island, the spot where the roar of the white, foaming rapids downstream is barely tolerable for short periods of time. The sprite surveys the area surrounding the river, scanning through shattered structures made of Glow-baked mud bricks.

Between the remains of the crumbled building lie untended farmlands that extend acres on either side, though the sand on the edges is overtaking it. The Glow shines up over the downward edge of the surface of Lux and radiates an oppressive, dry heat that creates near-constant mirages amongst the sand dunes. The shadows cast by the remnants of walls and the rises of the taller dunes are pitch black, painting the landscape of orange sands and brown and green earth with splotches of black.

Upstream, the river appears to extend forever and on either side are various single floor buildings made either out of mud bricks or the occasional metal roof. The farmland also extends further on either side upstream, though not nearly enough to blot out the orange and black sands. To the right of the river far out into the sand dunes rises a large, sloping mountain, a literal shining beacon of light reflecting the Glow. Beyond and above the river and the mountain is a chain, curving upward towards somewhere shrouded by a large cluster of clouds.

The sprite spots the correct wall - a corner with just enough of its Glow-facing wall angled to block its light - and flies over, passing over various sleeping forms in shadows along the way.

"Hey Marcus!" The sprite calls out as he rounds the edge of the wall, hand rummaging through his leather pouch.

--

"I got a letter for you!"

The grating, squeaking voice of Sparkle, your handler of sorts, pains your ears as the Glow-damned blue sprite illuminates your perfect triangle of shade. His amused look turns into disgust as he looks down on you - lying curled up in the shadowy corner, clothes ragged and filthy from sand, mud, and you think blood. Probably your own blood, or maybe someone else's, you can't be damned to remember right now.

As Sparkle maintains his blissful silence, your attention returns to what you have been focusing on for an unknowable amount of time: the line where the shadow of your haven meets the scorching sand of the Glow outside - no, wait, inside your house. Your stiff and unmoving body aches with a vague dull emptiness as your eyes trace the line in the sand. You glare and stare and beg for the line to tell its secrets to you as time extends around you, but dammit the line keeps moving and the Glow keeps getting closer and closer and -

"Hey!" Sparkle slaps you with a white envelope, bringing you out of your trance. You blink rapidly as the sprite shows you the name on the letter: Marcus Silas, yes, that's your name, but -

> [Cont.]

>>663451
You notice Sparkle looking at your eyes. You turn your attention to him, and his widen in shock. "By the Glow Marcus, what did you take this time?"

When before you couldn't have moved a muscle if you tried, now words pour out of your mouth like a river's flood, "Happy, but I ran out of happy and had to get more, I had to find the vials that Luke keeps his experimental stuff in and I had to get in and get out quick, I don't think he saw me, wait, no, he saw me, he absolutely saw me, an-"

"Woah, Marcus, slow down!" The sprite pokes you with the envelope again - the edge of the paper sharp against your unfeeling, but now newly feeling and sweating, skin. Wait, you didn't notice you were sweating before.

"Do you have the vial still?"

"Oh, the joy?"

"Yeah, sur-"

Your eyes shoot open as you lunge a hand towards the sprite, grasping him in a swift motion. With a small shriek of fear from Sparkles, you bring him directly up to your right eye.

"Can you get me more?" You ask eagerly.

Sparkles coughs and sputters for a minute. "Fuck, Marcus, what-"

"Can you?" You whisper, eye darting around the features of the miniscule humanoid.

"Yeah, yeah, Glow-dammit." Sparkles grits his teeth.

"Now?" You ask. The sprite flinches back, much to your surprise. You are sure you asked that in a normal volume, what would he have against that?

"It's in my pouch." As quickly as you grabbed the sprite your hands pillage and empty the leather bag on the ground beside you, snatching up two crystal vials. You tear the cork off of one with your teeth, downing the clear, tasteless substance with a vigor unknown to you moments ag-

--

You blink. A smile spreads across your face as you feel perfectly elated. In front of you and rubbing his arms is one of your best friends, Sparkle. The humble walls of your wonderful house (this one is your favorite) sit protectively behind and beside you, projecting the perfect amount of shade for you to lay in.

Wait, Sparkles is here, and - why yes it is, a delivery pouch is sitting on the ground next to him!

"Hi Sparkles. You gotta job for me?" You say lightly as you push yourself up into a seated position. Oh, it appears that your clothes are dirty, looks like you'll need to clean those before long!

"Sure." The sprite states, "First, do you remember what you took?"

You tilt your head. "I took something?"

"Yeah." He nods. "It was something in a vial, from someone named Luke? Do you remember?"

You take a second to think. Sparkles is depending on you right now, and you need to try your hardest to make him happy!

"Nope!" You say proudly.

"Oh Glow," He mutters, placing a hand into his face before groaning. "You drank way too much Verve again."

"It'll be alright Sparkles, my friend!" You say gleefully. "I feel great!"

He looks at you from between his fingers. "I can see that, you airhead."

You smile at him. He gave you a nice compliment!

> [Cont.]

>>663462
Sparkles shakes his head. "It should die down a bit in a little while, what with your tolerance for the stuff." He glares distastefully at the emptied vial beside him.

"So do you have a job?" You chirp.

"What? Oh, right." Sparkles digs out a trio of letters, - all of them white - a tiny box wrapped in colorful paper, and an envelope made out of papyrus. "I think after that we'll.. split the load today. You'll get your usual payment, 5 clinkers, after you're done."

You nod, excited. "Which ones are we splitting?"

"Well," Sparkles looks at the trio of white envelopes. "I'll take two of these, 'cause the recipients are on a timeframe to leave from Tenebrous." He picks up two of them, though before he places them back into your bag you read the name "Theodore Theoson" on the top envelope.

"You can take this one." He pushes the envelope with the name "Emily Anders" towards you. "And the other two. The papyrus is meant for a Denise Whitewater here in Lux somewhere."

You nod. You recognize the Whitewater name: The head of the family, William Whitewater, is one of the head managers of the Glow Farm up on the Luxan mountainside. You haven't heard of Denise though, perhaps she's his daughter?

"And the little box," Sparkles continues in monotone, "That's headed to a Dr. Darkshadow over in Oakholm. Same place you're taking the Anders letter, actually."

You nod again. "Right, Darkshadow, she should be in the university like usual?"

The sprite shrugs. "I've never delivered to her, but it sounds like you know her?"

"Yep, the Doctor's had me run a few jobs over in Oakholm whenever I might be around."

"Mhmm." The sprite says distractedly. "Hey, Marcus," He asks, "Can you search your pockets for me?"

"Sure!" You open every one of your pockets and search through them - one of them was stuck shut, so you had to take out your obsidian knife to cut through the ruined fabric - before unvealing a vial from one of your coat pockets. "Oh," You tilt your head at Sparkles flutters up to examine the print. "I don't remember having this."

"Paranoia, hm?" Sparkles sniffs the top of the vial, then narrows his eyes. "That Luke is a nasty stormfucker if he's makin' potent vials of this."

You perk up. "Oh, Luke? Yeah, he's been dabbling in some dark stuff lately. In fact, I might just swing by and see if he can't restock some of my stock." You proudly pat a pouch on your hip, and as you look inside to see what it contains you not you have:

> 2 Panic Vials
> 1 Drowsy strip of cloth
> 3 Illusion dust shakers

The pouch is only a 1/4th full at most.

> [Cont.]

>>663472
"I'd suggest against that Marcus." Sparkles shakes his head.

"Why?" You ask, concerned that Luke must've done something bad.

"No reason. I just need to talk to him about something." The sprite makes eye contact. "Do you know where he is?"

"Yep!" You gladly give him directions before picking up all the deliveries and placing them into your messenger bag at your hip. You climb up to your feet, energy to get at the day flooding through your system, so you decide to first:

> [X] Wash/Replace your clothes (If you would like, feel free to debate what the “style” of clothes Marcus will have.)
> [] Seek out Denise Whitewater, you assume she's close.
> [] You can search for Denise later, traveling to Oakholm to see Dr. Darkshadow again will be fun! Probably!
> [] Emily Anders has a nice name, and her letter is in such a pristine white envelope, she obviously has to be first.
> [] Theoson? Why is that name so familiar? Follow Sparkles to see who it is, he might be leaving soon.
> [] Other! Anything you can think of, the time is yours to act upon it!

>>663480
>Wash/replace clothes
Something simple.
Like commoners.
Then let's visit Emily Anders.

>>663480
>Wash/Replace your clothes
Clothes that are good for walking long distances are probably a good choice, nothing too fancy.
> [] Emily Anders has a nice name, and her letter is in such a pristine white envelope, she obviously has to be first.

I did not expect that my average of 3 and a quarter posts per update would carry over to /qst/, huh.

Not every post will be this massive and cozy to read, so apologies if it appears a little.. well, insane at first.

Criticism along the way is always helpful, especially in these slower paced threads that can go on forever and ever. Or if you just want to ask me something as I wait for readers to read and vote, feel free.

>>663578
Does night actually exist in this world?

>>663586
No, the Glow is omnipresent. Darkness only exists in places that have their main living area underground, or they reside above other islands. That's why the shadows in the dunes of Lux and generally constant until a storm runs through.

Oh, and storms are something that are a thing. A definite thing.

And hey, even in pitch darkness life can exist. I wonder what might be in the shadowy places?

>>663625
How do people travel between islands? Airships?

>>663719
That'll be addressed in the next update actually, so I'll hold off on confirming for now.

Airships do exist though, just reasons are a thing about them.

File: Waifus on the Hunt.png (1MB, 1920x816px) Image search: [Google]

1MB, 1920x816px

While I'm waiting for my headache to fade, please roll me 3d100. For any lurkers, feel free to roll as much as you'd like - depending on how I end up determining the dice system down the line, rolls past the 3rd mark may affect the roll as a whole.

Think the Shadow Quest system, if anyone remembers that.

Rolled 54, 74, 27 = 155 (3d100)

>>663790

Rolled 84, 4, 93 = 181 (3d100)

>>663790

I completely forgot about my twitter: @ObserverQM

Apologies for the slow pace of today, I'm still rusty when it comes to questing all over again and a headache has set in that will not go away despite the pills and what have you.

If I feel better tonight I'll work on the next update, but regardless I'll be back tomorrow around 4 p.m. central to continue.

I have a feeling this is going to be one of those "Update a couple times every day or so" sorts of quests rather than a 50 update per day type. If that's okay with you, or if you'd rather I try to speed up, feel free to cast your opinion.

>>663894
Thanks for running what you have today Observer.

Rolled 39, 80, 1 = 120 (3d100)

>>663790

>>663480
Lots of secret pockets, you can never be sure what's a pocket and what's just an extra patch of cloth on the inner lining. Only Marcus knows, and by muscle memory, so he has to open them all out to remember what he has.
Military boots. Old, but they stand out in how well kept they are compared to the rest of the outfit.
>> [] Emily Anders has a nice name, and her letter is in such a pristine white envelope, she obviously has to be first.