[center][img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/aa5c0d11068f10de92c1e34daaefd766/tumblr_o1zrsv44JN1ufdm5xo1_400.png[/img]
[font=constantia][size=6]WHAT LIES WITHIN[/size][/font][/center]
[center][font=garamond][i][size=5]"But cruel are the times, when we are traitors, and do not know ourselves."
- Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”[/size][/i][/center]
[columns]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/S86UJy5.png[/img]
[nextcol][font=cambria][size=4]On the run, Wendell knows one thing: that he’s shade-touched, corrupted by nothingness itself. He only has so much time before he loses himself. There is hope for him in the Viridian Labyrinth, where a cure is; and so, with that in mind, he finds a trader and forces her to take him there.
Left distrusting by past events, Thimba is well aware she’ll always be alone. That is, until a strange dragon lands in her boat and demands she take him to the Viridian Labyrinth. Their encounter will have them going to places they've never been before, seeing dragons never seen, and faces from both their pasts. Enemies will stalk them at every turn and secrets will show themselves when least expected. All the while, time grows short, as the Shade slowly twists Wendell’s mind.
In the end, the greatest foe may be what lies within.[/columns]
-----
[center][b][font=cambria]10/01/23 - WLW is still on hiatus.[/b][/center]
[font=cambria]Welcome to [u]What Lies Within[/u]! This is a Pinkerlocke focusing on the journey of Wendell and Thimba as they travel to the Viridian Labyrinth to find a way to free Wendell of his ailment.
Unlike other Pinkerlockes, this one focuses less on the Nuzlocke aspect and more on the plot, hence why nearly every drop will involve some writing. Here, the rules have been heavily altered. It is my hope that you find the abundance of lore engaging, and inspiring.[/font]
[center][img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/aa5c0d11068f10de92c1e34daaefd766/tumblr_o1zrsv44JN1ufdm5xo1_400.png[/img]
"But cruel are the times, when we are traitors, and do not know ourselves."
- Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”
On the run, Wendell knows one thing: that he’s shade-touched, corrupted by nothingness itself. He only has so much time before he loses himself. There is hope for him in the Viridian Labyrinth, where a cure is; and so, with that in mind, he finds a trader and forces her to take him there.
Left distrusting by past events, Thimba is well aware she’ll always be alone. That is, until a strange dragon lands in her boat and demands she take him to the Viridian Labyrinth. Their encounter will have them going to places they've never been before, seeing dragons never seen, and faces from both their pasts. Enemies will stalk them at every turn and secrets will show themselves when least expected. All the while, time grows short, as the Shade slowly twists Wendell’s mind.
In the end, the greatest foe may be what lies within.
10/01/23 - WLW is still on hiatus.
Welcome to What Lies Within! This is a Pinkerlocke focusing on the journey of Wendell and Thimba as they travel to the Viridian Labyrinth to find a way to free Wendell of his ailment.
Unlike other Pinkerlockes, this one focuses less on the Nuzlocke aspect and more on the plot, hence why nearly every drop will involve some writing. Here, the rules have been heavily altered. It is my hope that you find the abundance of lore engaging, and inspiring.
[center][img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/aa5c0d11068f10de92c1e34daaefd766/tumblr_o1zrsv44JN1ufdm5xo1_400.png[/img][/center]
[center][font=constantia][size=5]RULES[/size][/font][/center]
[center][font=cambria][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/2743206/1#post_2743206]Intro[/url] | [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/2743206/1#post_40405606]Rules[/url] | [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/2743206/1#post_40405609]Cast[/url] | [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/2743206/1#post_40405614]Pinglist[/url] | [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/2743206/1#post_40405615]Story[/url][/center]
[size=4][b][u][font=cambria]GENERAL[/u][/b][/size]
[list=1]
[*][font=cambria][b]All Pinkerlocke activity corresponds with the loot obtained from Pinkerton’s Plundered Pile.[/b]
[*][font=cambria][b]All loot gathered in the coliseum/during gathering will not be counted in the Pinkerlocke.[/b]
[*][font=cambria][b]Every dragon - with the exception of Thimba and Wendell - starts with 10 HP points.[/b] Each time they faint in the coliseum, they will lose 1 point. Once they’ve lost all their HP, they will either die or leave the Pinkerlocke permanently. Whichever fate they meet depends on the circumstances.
[*][font=cambria][b]The lowest level dragon in the coliseum team can avoid losing an HP point the first time they die.[/b] The second time, they must lose a point according to normal coliseum rules.
[*][font=cambria][b]Minor health potions and regular health potions can be used in the coliseum.[/b] Each dragon can only use three of the former and one of the latter for each battle.
[*][font=cambria][b]Thimba and Wendell cannot be killed via coliseum death until level 25.[/b] At level 25, the two will get the standard 10 HP points every other dragon has.
[*][font=cambria][b]If a dragon has a familiar and is killed in the coliseum, flip a coin:[/b]
[list]
[*][font=cambria]If the result is heads, the dragon loses an HP point like normal, and the familiar escapes unscathed.
[*][font=cambria]If the result is tails, the familiar dies and the dragon loses an HP point. The dragon cannot get another familiar unless they receive one in the story.[/list]
[*][font=cambria][b]Every time Wendell is defeated in the coliseum, instead of dying, he will gain one point of corruption.[/b] Wendell will succumb to the Shade when his corruption count reaches 20. He can only gain one point per food pull.
[/list]
[size=4][b][u][font=cambria]DROPS[/b][/u][/size]
[size=4][b][u][font=cambria]Common Drops[/u][/b][/size]
[font=cambria][b][u]Food[/u][/b] - Obtaining a food item will force the dragons into the coliseum. They will fight a number of matches according to modified Coli rules based on the chart below:
[indent][font=cambria]Plants: 10 matches
Insects: 15 matches
Seafood: 20 matches
Meat: 25 matches[/indent]
[font=cambria]The venue they enter must correspond with the level of the highest level dragon on the coliseum team.[/font]
[font=cambria][b][u]Materials[/u][/b] - A written entry will be posted, furthering the plot and highlighting character relationships.
[b][u]Trinkets[/u][/b] - Either art or miscellaneous content (fun facts, playlists, etc.) will be posted. This drop can be treated as a Materials drop if so desired.
[size=4][b][u]Rare Drops[/u][/b][/size]
[u]Familiar[/u] - Acquire a new character to add to the cast. A random item picker will determine what breed they are. If you’d like, the familiar dropped can be given to them. The dragon has to be an adult site-wise.
[columns][list]
[*][font=cambria]Fae
[*][font=cambria]Guardian
[*][font=cambria]Mirror
[*][font=cambria]Pearlcatcher
[*][font=cambria]Ridgeback
[*][font=cambria]Tundra
[*][font=cambria]Spiral
[*][font=cambria]Imperial
[*][font=cambria]Snapper
[*][font=cambria]Wildclaw
[*][font=cambria]Nocturne
[/list][nextcol]
[list]
[*][font=cambria]Coatl
[*][font=cambria]Skydancer
[*][font=cambria]Bogsneak
[*][font=cambria]Gaoler
[*][font=cambria]Banescale
[*][font=cambria]Obelisk
[*][font=cambria]Aberration
[*][font=cambria]Aether
[*][font=cambria]Sandsurge
[*][font=cambria]Undertide
[*][font=cambria]Veilspun
[/list][/columns]
[font=cambria][b][u]Apparel[/u][/b] - A scatterscroll/gene scroll/skin/accent can be applied to a dragon, or a dragon will get that piece of apparel. This can be canon to the story or not, owner's choice.
[b][u]Battle items[/u][/b] - Flip a coin. If heads, a deathstreak will occur. If tails, choose one dragon to restore 1 HP point to.
[list]
[*][font=cambria][b]Deathstreak rules[/b] - Randomly select three dragons using a random item picker. Fight in the coliseum for 25 matches consecutively (i.e. you cannot leave that arena) quitting midway if a dragon dies. If you make it through the matches, you get 4 HP points to distribute as you please.
[/list]
[center][img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/aa5c0d11068f10de92c1e34daaefd766/tumblr_o1zrsv44JN1ufdm5xo1_400.png[/img][/center]
All Pinkerlocke activity corresponds with the loot obtained from Pinkerton’s Plundered Pile.
All loot gathered in the coliseum/during gathering will not be counted in the Pinkerlocke.
Every dragon - with the exception of Thimba and Wendell - starts with 10 HP points. Each time they faint in the coliseum, they will lose 1 point. Once they’ve lost all their HP, they will either die or leave the Pinkerlocke permanently. Whichever fate they meet depends on the circumstances.
The lowest level dragon in the coliseum team can avoid losing an HP point the first time they die. The second time, they must lose a point according to normal coliseum rules.
Minor health potions and regular health potions can be used in the coliseum. Each dragon can only use three of the former and one of the latter for each battle.
Thimba and Wendell cannot be killed via coliseum death until level 25. At level 25, the two will get the standard 10 HP points every other dragon has.
If a dragon has a familiar and is killed in the coliseum, flip a coin:
If the result is heads, the dragon loses an HP point like normal, and the familiar escapes unscathed.
If the result is tails, the familiar dies and the dragon loses an HP point. The dragon cannot get another familiar unless they receive one in the story.
Every time Wendell is defeated in the coliseum, instead of dying, he will gain one point of corruption. Wendell will succumb to the Shade when his corruption count reaches 20. He can only gain one point per food pull.
DROPS Common Drops
Food - Obtaining a food item will force the dragons into the coliseum. They will fight a number of matches according to modified Coli rules based on the chart below:
The venue they enter must correspond with the level of the highest level dragon on the coliseum team.
Materials - A written entry will be posted, furthering the plot and highlighting character relationships.
Trinkets - Either art or miscellaneous content (fun facts, playlists, etc.) will be posted. This drop can be treated as a Materials drop if so desired.
Rare Drops Familiar - Acquire a new character to add to the cast. A random item picker will determine what breed they are. If you’d like, the familiar dropped can be given to them. The dragon has to be an adult site-wise.
Fae
Guardian
Mirror
Pearlcatcher
Ridgeback
Tundra
Spiral
Imperial
Snapper
Wildclaw
Nocturne
Coatl
Skydancer
Bogsneak
Gaoler
Banescale
Obelisk
Aberration
Aether
Sandsurge
Undertide
Veilspun
Apparel - A scatterscroll/gene scroll/skin/accent can be applied to a dragon, or a dragon will get that piece of apparel. This can be canon to the story or not, owner's choice.
Battle items - Flip a coin. If heads, a deathstreak will occur. If tails, choose one dragon to restore 1 HP point to.
Deathstreak rules - Randomly select three dragons using a random item picker. Fight in the coliseum for 25 matches consecutively (i.e. you cannot leave that arena) quitting midway if a dragon dies. If you make it through the matches, you get 4 HP points to distribute as you please.
[center][img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/aa5c0d11068f10de92c1e34daaefd766/tumblr_o1zrsv44JN1ufdm5xo1_400.png[/img][/center]
[center][size=5][font=constantia]CREDITS[/font][/size][/center]
[center][font=cambria]Adjustable Length Dividers by [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/cc/2210659]WolfprintsSC.[/url]
Shade-tainted banner by [url=https://crowefr.tumblr.com/post/133292664280/free-to-use-shade-tainted-banners]Crowe.[/url]
Modified summer vista asset by [url=https://thewindbloom.tumblr.com/post/146295483796/the-newest-vista-asset-plus-variations-summer]Hazeledpoppy.[/url]
[/font][/center]
[center][img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/aa5c0d11068f10de92c1e34daaefd766/tumblr_o1zrsv44JN1ufdm5xo1_400.png[/img][/center]
[center][img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/aa5c0d11068f10de92c1e34daaefd766/tumblr_o1zrsv44JN1ufdm5xo1_400.png[/img]
[size=4][font=times new roman]"He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster."
-Frederich Nietzsche[/font]
[img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/66f1ea2144256f9b0d236709d9876715/tumblr_o95tvaQl9V1tv56zio6_250.png[/img]
[img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/aa5c0d11068f10de92c1e34daaefd766/tumblr_o1zrsv44JN1ufdm5xo1_400.png[/img]
[center][img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/aa5c0d11068f10de92c1e34daaefd766/tumblr_o1zrsv44JN1ufdm5xo1_400.png[/img][/center]
[center][font=times new roman][size=5]PROLOGUE[/size][/font]
[item=crystal quartz][/center]
-----
A lone figure was trudging through the rain.
It lashed down hard upon Abel, a thousand blows from the heavens above, trying to keep him from his goal. The soggy ground squelched beneath his feet everytime he stepped. Thick mud rose, gripping his toes in a disgusting embrace. One foot got stuck hard, and he ended up tripping, falling to the wet soaked ground. Cursing, the Wildclaw got up and stared into the distance.
Why was he even doing this? Abel never bothered with risking his hide - there was no reason for him to. Destinies and magic; that sort simply wasn’t for him. He was merely a nobody tanner, the dragon everyone went to for normal everyday things. And with weather this intense, this was pure idiocy! Why, why, why wasn’t he turning around and heading back home?
Because he knew he couldn’t. Not after what he’d found in his workshop.
And so he forged onward. He had no time to stop. This was urgent business.
The town of Rainfall - too aptly named, thought Abel - was a quiet place, and one that had only a couple hundred inhabitants. Trade was only a trickle that flowed in and out of Rainfall, and everyone here was closer than peas in a pod. That was about it for them. Other than that, they weren’t special; nothing special ever happened to a backwater town.
Until now.
All the houses above him were quiet, their windows tightly shuttered to guard against the weather. As Abel walked, he thought of the precipitation plaguing the settlement. Rain wasn’t uncommon to the residents of the Viridian Labyrinth, but rain of this degree? Definitely rare. It must’ve a sign of something to come, a harbinger of bad news. That was the only reason.
The homes dwindled in number the further he went, until soon there was only jungle all around him, plus the tiny dirt path at his feet. He shivered. Not much further now, not much further, and then he could go home to his loving wife and forget all of this ever happened.
One step, two steps, and there it was.
Soaring out of the ground like some twisted fang was a giant grotesque trunk. Deep black bark covered its surface, broken in places by equally dark pipes and an occasional window. It must’ve been beautiful once, this trunk, back when it was still a tree. But fate had been cruel to it, and brought it down. Now, it was home to the strangest dragon in all of Sornieth.
This entire place reeked of [i]stay away,[/i] but Abel couldn’t. So he bounded over to the door and began to pound on it.
“Doctor! Doctor Gaius!” He cried, rapping his fist hard against the wood. [i]Bang bang bang,[/i] it echoed through the rain. “Doctor! I need to speak to you! It’s- It’s urgent! Doctor Gaius-”
[i]SLAM.[/i] The door flew open, and light poured from the building and into the darkness beyond. A tall thin dragon slowly emerged from the radiance.
“No need to knock so hard, Abel,” Gaius said coldly, “I got the message.”
“Doctor! There’s- er- there’s been something that I- I found, in my workshop, you see, so I came to you,” The Wildclaw was perfectly aware of how idiotic he seemed. Well, that was just how off-putting Gaius was, with his emotionless stare and unnatural poise. Why was it that he had to settle here, of all the places in Sornieth?
“In your workshop? I’m surprised anything does happen to your little store.”
Abel bit his lip at his comment. Not to mention Gaius’s sharp tongue, the Skydancer was a rightful horror show. “Well, something did, I’m afraid. Doctor, please hear me out, you’re the only dragon I know who- who knows about this sort of thing.”
“Mocking my expertise, are we?”
“What?! No! No, no, of course not. Doctor, it’ll be worth your time, I promise.”
“Well, spit it out then,” Gaius snapped. Abel shrunk back at his briskness.
“It’s- er- It’s this thing I found. I don’t know what it is, but it’s dark, black in shade.”
“How black?”
“Black beyond belief,” Abel shivered. He could remember just how frightening it’d been, seeing the mass in his workshop. How it had twisted and squirmed. How the very sight of it screamed [i]wrong wrong wrong.[/i]
The Skydancer crossed his arms. “What did it look like?”
“When I first saw it, I thought it might’ve been some sort of liquid, but- it wasn’t. It wasn’t solid either, or a gas. And it [i]moved,[/i] Doctor, like it was [i]alive.[/i]”
“...’Alive?’”
Was it Abel’s imagination, or did Gaius suddenly sound much more interested? Good, oh, very good! The sooner the doctor came, the better. “Yes, yes it was! Like a snake, or a lizard. And it thrashed like one too. I don’t know what it is exactly, but judging from its, er, [i]behaviour[/i], I figured you’d know something about it.
“Doctor, you’ve [i]got[/i] to come. This is your sort of stuff, after all.”
A moment of silence passed, the water coming down around them in sporadic rhythm, drumming against the wood of Gaius’s home and the leaves of the jungle. Abel found himself wondering what the doctor was thinking. And doctor of what, exactly? Nobody knew. They just called him “Doctor Gaius” because that was what he wanted to be called. He was the one they went to for anything strange or macabre. He was what he did.
Gaius straightened and held back his wings.
“Leave me a moment to gather my supplies, Abel,” He said softly, his dark eyes glittering in the rainy gloom, as black as black can be. “Then lead the way.”
-----
And so it begins...
@RosaDiaz @Charias @Midwinter @Ellapinky @Orodruin @VeniVidiVici @DootTheBang @amble @FallenEclipse @Razatharia @Umaroth @RadioReprise
[center][img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/aa5c0d11068f10de92c1e34daaefd766/tumblr_o1zrsv44JN1ufdm5xo1_400.png[/img][/center]
This crystal catches the light and reflects it in a scattering of color. Octarine is not present.
70
A lone figure was trudging through the rain.
It lashed down hard upon Abel, a thousand blows from the heavens above, trying to keep him from his goal. The soggy ground squelched beneath his feet everytime he stepped. Thick mud rose, gripping his toes in a disgusting embrace. One foot got stuck hard, and he ended up tripping, falling to the wet soaked ground. Cursing, the Wildclaw got up and stared into the distance.
Why was he even doing this? Abel never bothered with risking his hide - there was no reason for him to. Destinies and magic; that sort simply wasn’t for him. He was merely a nobody tanner, the dragon everyone went to for normal everyday things. And with weather this intense, this was pure idiocy! Why, why, why wasn’t he turning around and heading back home?
Because he knew he couldn’t. Not after what he’d found in his workshop.
And so he forged onward. He had no time to stop. This was urgent business.
The town of Rainfall - too aptly named, thought Abel - was a quiet place, and one that had only a couple hundred inhabitants. Trade was only a trickle that flowed in and out of Rainfall, and everyone here was closer than peas in a pod. That was about it for them. Other than that, they weren’t special; nothing special ever happened to a backwater town.
Until now.
All the houses above him were quiet, their windows tightly shuttered to guard against the weather. As Abel walked, he thought of the precipitation plaguing the settlement. Rain wasn’t uncommon to the residents of the Viridian Labyrinth, but rain of this degree? Definitely rare. It must’ve a sign of something to come, a harbinger of bad news. That was the only reason.
The homes dwindled in number the further he went, until soon there was only jungle all around him, plus the tiny dirt path at his feet. He shivered. Not much further now, not much further, and then he could go home to his loving wife and forget all of this ever happened.
One step, two steps, and there it was.
Soaring out of the ground like some twisted fang was a giant grotesque trunk. Deep black bark covered its surface, broken in places by equally dark pipes and an occasional window. It must’ve been beautiful once, this trunk, back when it was still a tree. But fate had been cruel to it, and brought it down. Now, it was home to the strangest dragon in all of Sornieth.
This entire place reeked of stay away, but Abel couldn’t. So he bounded over to the door and began to pound on it.
“Doctor! Doctor Gaius!” He cried, rapping his fist hard against the wood. Bang bang bang, it echoed through the rain. “Doctor! I need to speak to you! It’s- It’s urgent! Doctor Gaius-”
SLAM. The door flew open, and light poured from the building and into the darkness beyond. A tall thin dragon slowly emerged from the radiance.
“No need to knock so hard, Abel,” Gaius said coldly, “I got the message.”
“Doctor! There’s- er- there’s been something that I- I found, in my workshop, you see, so I came to you,” The Wildclaw was perfectly aware of how idiotic he seemed. Well, that was just how off-putting Gaius was, with his emotionless stare and unnatural poise. Why was it that he had to settle here, of all the places in Sornieth?
“In your workshop? I’m surprised anything does happen to your little store.”
Abel bit his lip at his comment. Not to mention Gaius’s sharp tongue, the Skydancer was a rightful horror show. “Well, something did, I’m afraid. Doctor, please hear me out, you’re the only dragon I know who- who knows about this sort of thing.”
“Mocking my expertise, are we?”
“What?! No! No, no, of course not. Doctor, it’ll be worth your time, I promise.”
“Well, spit it out then,” Gaius snapped. Abel shrunk back at his briskness.
“It’s- er- It’s this thing I found. I don’t know what it is, but it’s dark, black in shade.”
“How black?”
“Black beyond belief,” Abel shivered. He could remember just how frightening it’d been, seeing the mass in his workshop. How it had twisted and squirmed. How the very sight of it screamed wrong wrong wrong.
The Skydancer crossed his arms. “What did it look like?”
“When I first saw it, I thought it might’ve been some sort of liquid, but- it wasn’t. It wasn’t solid either, or a gas. And it moved, Doctor, like it was alive.”
“...’Alive?’”
Was it Abel’s imagination, or did Gaius suddenly sound much more interested? Good, oh, very good! The sooner the doctor came, the better. “Yes, yes it was! Like a snake, or a lizard. And it thrashed like one too. I don’t know what it is exactly, but judging from its, er, behaviour, I figured you’d know something about it.
“Doctor, you’ve got to come. This is your sort of stuff, after all.”
A moment of silence passed, the water coming down around them in sporadic rhythm, drumming against the wood of Gaius’s home and the leaves of the jungle. Abel found himself wondering what the doctor was thinking. And doctor of what, exactly? Nobody knew. They just called him “Doctor Gaius” because that was what he wanted to be called. He was the one they went to for anything strange or macabre. He was what he did.
Gaius straightened and held back his wings.
“Leave me a moment to gather my supplies, Abel,” He said softly, his dark eyes glittering in the rainy gloom, as black as black can be. “Then lead the way.”
And so it begins...
