Quests & Challenges

Within the Tangled Woods, where Whispwillow Grove meets Driftwood Drag, lays a rather strange sight. A prestigious estate lays hidden from view, whether the illusory forest when seen from above, the nearly impenetrable bramble walls that surround the outside, or the massive lake it backs onto, getting a clear glimpse is nearly impossible. Yet to those lucky enough to see behind the many barriers are greeted by well-kept grounds and buildings, the only sign of age being worn on the eroded stone structures.

This is the Magpie Estate. A winding path leads to the manor of the same name, the former residential home now turned into a place of research. For nearly two centuries, the structure existed with little in the way of danger or conflict, and those residing within aided the Corvus Institute in its research. That all changed 14 years ago, when an unknown series of events left the structure abandoned.

Now, the estate has suddenly reopened its doors to a select few. Those that feel fortunate enough to be granted such an opportunity may soon find out they've gotten themselves tangled in something far beyond their comprehension. To get out alive, those within will have to unravel the secrets of the estate and just what happened all those years ago.

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Welcome to my second attempt at a heavily-modified horror Pinkerlocke!! After far too large a gap and an accumulation of shortcomings, I've decided to start over with a clean slate. A lot more planning has gone into this to ensure things go smoothly for the planned overarching plot.

Like last time, this is horror based. I pull from The Magnus Archives for a lot of the worldbuilding and ideas, but outside of those, it's unlikely there will be spoilers for the podcast. I will attempt to keep everything within the site rules, and provide content warnings where I see fit. If I forget warnings at any point that may require them, please let me know so I can correct them. Same can be applied to if I overstep what may be allowed on FR.

That said, welcome to the revamped Magpie Estate!

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Important Note: This Pinkerlocke may not update on Saturdays due to work. Same goes for when (late) November and December roll around for the same reason. Other missed days are likely due to something irl related, whether that's important events, health issues, or some other reason. Please understand if there's a sudden hiatus or missed day, even for something as simple as burnout.

[center][size=5][b]Ruleset[/b][/size][/center] As stated at the start, this is a heavily modified Pinkerlocke ruleset. This is still based on what I pull from Pinkerton, and some rules remain relatively unchanged, but others have been completely reworked to mesh with extra rules I have. If there are ever any questions, let me know and I'll try to clarify! Note: If you see mentions to Marks and Avatars in base rules, they are part of the extra rules listed below. [quote=Food] Food pulls remain relatively unchanged. The food type determines how many battles must be done. A death in the coliseum means the dragon is dead in the story as well. [LIST] [*][u]Plants[/u] - 10-20 battles [*][u]Insects[/u] - 20-30 battles [*][u]Seafood[/u] - 30-40 battles [*][u]Meat[/u] - 40-50 battles [/LIST] I will be playing on a mix of medium and hard modes. I will attempt to run hard mode as often as possible, but in the case of terrible team balancing (think 2 level 6s with a level 12 or something similar), I will instead stick to medium mode rules. [LIST] [*]Hard Mode - The venue you enter matches that of the highest level dragon [*]Medium Mode - The venue you enter is one below that of the highest level dragon [/LIST] If a dragon reaches level 20, they can no longer die in the Coliseum by any means, only through lore. They can still be picked for Coli teams however, even after reaching level 25. [/quote] [quote=Materials] Materials are unchanged. Since I plan on writing daily for this, these are essentially free days where nothing major or risky can happen. [/quote] [quote=Familiar] A largely unchanged rule. A new dragon is purchased when a familiar is pulled. After a breed is rolled from the table below, I then look at both the lowest gem and treasure listings and pick from those. [LIST=1] [*]Bogsneak Dragons [*]Coatl Dragons [*]Fae Dragons [*]Guardian Dragons [*]Imperial Dragons [*]Mirror Dragons [*]Nocturne Dragons [*]Obelisk Dragons [*]Pearlcatcher Dragons [*]Ridgeback Dragons [*]Skydancer Dragons [*]Snapper Dragons [*]Spiral Dragons [*]Tundra Dragons [*]Wildclaw Dragons [*]Ancient Breed [/LIST] If an Ancient Breed is rolled, I then roll the table below. This is done to limit how many Ancients I get, since I find it hard to give any of them character without also giving them a skin of some kind. [LIST=1] [*]Aberration Dragons [*]Aether Dragons [*]Banescale Dragons [*]Gaoler Dragons [*]Sandsurge Dragons [*]Undertide Dragons [*]Veilspun Dragons [/LIST] [/quote] [quote=Apparel] Completely overhauled pull. Due to lore it'd make no sense for me to breed these dragons, and due to different lore, as well as the cost, I will not be changing the genes on these dragons. The exception is if it would lend well to physical transformations that may occur in lore. This rule has been instead replaced by giving me the ability to either add or remove a Mark from any dragon. The fear entity whose Mark I am adding or removing is rolled first. If no dragon possesses a Mark from that fear, I can either Mark an existing dragon, or flip a coin to see if I can acquire a new dragon. [LIST] [*][u]Heads[/u] - I successfully obtain the dragon. Breed is chosen the same way as if I pulled a Familiar. Dragons acquired through these pulls start with two Marks instead of one. [*][u]Tails[/u] - I do not acquire a dragon and must Mark an existing dragon instead. [/LIST] [u]Addendum[/u] - In the instance an apparel item is pulled an Avatars are present, they count as both the fear assigned to them, as well as what fear they are an Avatar under. [/quote] [quote=Trinket] Complete overhaul. I don't really want to draw art or write something for my dragon's bios alongside the writing I'll already be doing, so this was reworked into something that plays into the setting. This is now the main source for Marks. When a trinket is pulled, a random dragon is marked by a randomly rolled fear entity. A d4 is rolled to determine how many marks. [LIST=1] [*]None [*]One [*]One [*]Two [/LIST] [/quote] [quote=Battle Stone] This rule is roughly the same, with some changes. [LIST] [*][u]Heads[/u] - DEATH STREAK [*][u]Tails[/u] - Nothing happens [/LIST] A Death Streak is the same. 10 battles in a row with no resets with Hard Mode rules applied. However, when the first dragon falls in battle (if this happens), instead of dying, the dragon instead receives 1d4+2 Marks from a randomly rolled fear entity. [/quote] [center][size=4][b]Extra Rules[/b][/size][/center] [quote=Small Additions] Gonna keep these short and simple: [LIST] [*]If an egg drops in the coli, I can buy another dragon for the cast [*]If I ever want to do more than one day of writing, I can use Crim to count as an extra pull. [/LIST] [/quote] [quote=Marks] Now that it's been mentioned a couple times, what [i]are[/i] Marks? To keep the answer simple, it's another way a dragon can die, but it can also prolong their lives as well by turning them into Avatars. Each dragon will possess two "pools" of Marks. First is a cumulative total of Marks, and the second corresponds to the individual fears. [LIST] [*]A dragon can't accumulate more than 20 Marks. Once this number is reached, the dragon is "lost" to the fears and dies. [*]A dragon can acquire a maximum of 10 Marks from a single fear. Due to how Marks are set up, this is when the dragon is guaranteed to become an Avatar or die. [/LIST] More details on Mark rolls can be found in the Avatars section. Marks manifest in a number of ways. The first is that every dragon starts with a single Mark from an assigned fear. This starting Mark can never kill the dragon, but any future mark a dragon receives from this fear is doubled. For example, if a dragon is Marked by The Vast, instead of receiving one Mark, it'll instead receive two when they get marked by it in the future. The only exception to this rule is when [u]removing[/u] marks from an Apparel pull. The second is through pulls. Apparel, Trinkets, and Battle Stones all provide Marks, with Trinkets being the most consistent. The third, and final method, is through lore. The cast will encounter a number of individuals, objects, and scenery that are aligned to or otherwise infested with energy from the fear entities. These are less of a random roll and more driven by how I think interactions would play out. [/quote] [quote=Avatars] Avatars are what can happen to dragons after receiving a Mark. While an initial boon, this quickly becomes a balancing act between keeping one's sanity and sense of self while committing morally grey actions to stay alive. When a dragon receives a mark, I roll percentiles (essentially two d10s). On the first Mark by a fear, only the top and bottom 5% can result in either death (low) or the dragon becoming an Avatar (high). When a dragon receives another Mark from [u]the same fear[/u], this percentage goes up by 5% on both sides. Dragons also only roll once for each Mark received. If a dragon receives two Marks from a single event, it only needs to roll once, accounting for it having two Marks. [LIST] [*][b]Example:[/b] A dragon receiving a 2nd Vast Mark would have a 10% chance on both sides. If the 3rd Mark is of a different fear, such as The Dark, that would be a 5% chance on that table. If the 3rd Mark was Vast again, the table would go up to 15% on both sides. [*][b]Example 2:[/b] A dragon receives 4 marks from a failed Death Streak attempt. Instead of rolling four times with increasing percentages, it would roll once, with a 20% chance on both sides. [/LIST] When a dragon becomes an Avatar, two major things happen: [LIST] [*]The dragon cannot die in the Coli by normal means. Instead, they can only be killed when under half health, and if they get hit by a supereffective elemental attack at the time. [*]A Hunger and Ascent meter is added. These will be tracked in the dragon's bio. Hunger goes down daily, and is the only thing that affects the Ascent meter. [/LIST] I'm not going to go in-depth on the above meters, but know that if the Ascent meter reaches max, the dragon is considered "lost" but not dead. They will remain part of the Locke and can participate in some pulls, but for a majority of intents, is treated as though the dragon is dead. Neglecting the Hunger meter can also lead to an abrupt death from starvation. A dragon will have to find a way to balance both in order to not lose themselves, but may find themselves losing far more than they imagined in doing so. [/quote] [quote=Final Notes] I wanted to say a couple things at the end here. First, there is a [i]lot[/i] I didn't mention here. These rules are what the audience will be directly seeing on the regular, and therefor are somewhat important to know. I have a number of trackers and tables I monitor in the background for lore reasons. These can be basic countdown timers to dice rolls I have to make. And some of these things are purposely kept secret as they track things the audience shouldn't know about just yet. Maybe after an aspect is revealed, but not at the start. Second, yes I don't mind if any of these rules are borrowed and reflavored in some capacity. I'm not going to act like I own these because I don't want to be a buzzkill. I made the modifications for fun and wouldn't mind seeing other's takes on the idea. Third, get used to this table; I'll be using it a [i]lot[/i]. [LIST=1] [*]Buried [*]Corruption [*]Dark [*]Desolation [*]End [*]Extinction [*]Eye [*]Flesh [*]Hunt [*]Lonely [*]Slaughter [*]Spiral [*]Stranger [*]Vast [*]Web [/LIST] I have a separate website I use to roll this instead of dice. Who would've guessed. [/quote]

[center][size=5][b]Characters[/b][/size][/center] This is where the cast of residents, both old and new, alive and dead, are kept. These are presented in the order the dragons were acquired. If a dragon dies, I'll attempt to remember to replace the "real-time" image with a saved one of the final look. NPCs will be located [url=https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kgSTltECf5odSYq3doiidA6GeJ4Tv7OF_xXQQUGXCA4/edit?usp=sharing]here[/url] as they get interacted with. There may be a second document for any important objects, but that may become merged with this at a later point. (If the document becomes inaccessible for some reason at any point, please ping me.) ----- [center][size=4][b]Residents[/b][/size][/center] [center]All current Residents can be found within [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/lair/98625/1420315?name=&type=undefined]this tab[/url].[/center] [columns] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/85422312][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/854224/85422312.png[/img][/url] [nextcol] [b]Ayaka Boughbreeze[/b] - Nature - Level 11 [u]Role:[/u] Guard (Day; Melee) [u]Assigned Fear:[/u] Dark [u]Mark Total:[/u] 6 [spoiler]Witness of the Hunt[/spoiler] [/columns] [columns] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/56957891][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/643983441683284009/1111125455928569929/The_Purest_Rose.png[/img][/url] [nextcol] [b]Ennion Wayse[/b] - Shadow - Level 10 [u]Role:[/u] Botanist [u]Assigned Fear:[/u] Eye [u]Mark Total:[/u] 0 [/columns] [columns] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/85422355][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/854224/85422355.png[/img][/url] [nextcol] [b]Madeline "Maddie" Sykes[/b] - Plague - Level 10 [u]Role:[/u] Archivist [u]Assigned Fear:[/u] Corruption [u]Mark Total:[/u] 3 [spoiler]Acolyte of the Vast[/spoiler] [/columns] [columns] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/56957891][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/643983441683284009/1103892493331857408/A_Flutter_of_Feathered_Wings.png[/img][/url] [nextcol] [b]Maximilianus "Max" Frostbishop[/b] - Ice - Level 7 [u]Role:[/u] Ornithologist [u]Assigned Fear:[/u] Flesh [u]Mark Total:[/u] 1 [/columns] [columns] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/85642039][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/856421/85642039.png[/img][/url] [nextcol] [b]Yuu Smith[/b] - Fire - Level 7 [u]Role:[/u] Chemist [u]Assigned Fear:[/u] End [u]Mark Total:[/u] 4 [/columns] [columns] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/85761647][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/857617/85761647.png[/img][/url] [nextcol] [b]Acai Sterne[/b] - Arcane - Level 9 [u]Role:[/u] Relic Keeper [u]Assigned Fear:[/u] Lonely [u]Mark Total:[/u] 9 [/columns] [columns] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/56957891][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/643983441683284009/1109699155900768278/No_Place_for_Professionals.png[/img][/url] [nextcol] [b]April Lunari[/b] - Ice - Level 5 [u]Role:[/u] Librarian [u]Assigned Fear:[/u] Buried [u]Mark Total:[/u] 2 [/columns] [columns] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/85905506][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/859056/85905506.png[/img][/url] [nextcol] [b]Zori Meridian[/b] - Lightning - Level 8 [u]Role:[/u] Alchemist [u]Assigned Fear:[/u] Desolation [u]Mark Total:[/u] 6 [/columns] [columns] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/56957891][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/643983441683284009/1120437339798380656/Worlds_Smallest_Violinist.png[/img][/url] [nextcol] [b]Galena Haeven[/b] - Arcane - Level 4 [u]Role:[/u] Librarian [u]Assigned Fear:[/u] Extinction [u]Mark Total:[/u] 5 [/columns] [columns] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/86179825][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/861799/86179825.png[/img][/url] [nextcol] [b]Panor Laik[/b] - Plague - Level 6 [u]Role:[/u] Marine Biologist [u]Assigned Fear:[/u] Dark [u]Mark Total:[/u] 7 [/columns] [columns] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/86492808][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/864929/86492808.png[/img][/url] [nextcol] [b]Vivel Marsh[/b] - Nature - Level 4 [u]Role:[/u] Botanist [u]Assigned Fear:[/u] Slaughter [u]Mark Total:[/u] 0 [/columns] [columns] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/86432263][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/864323/86432263.png[/img][/url] [nextcol] [b]Lula Fern[/b] - Earth - Level 1 [u]Role:[/u] Guard (Day; Ranged) [u]Assigned Fear:[/u] Web [u]Mark Total:[/u] 1 [/columns]

[center][size=5][b]Daily Catalogue[/b][/size][/center] Deaths are denoted with a * after the day number. For now, [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/56957891]End[/url] will track bios of dragons that have since passed for easy access. If this gets to be too much information, I'll make and link a document here instead. [quote=Catalogue] [center][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/1#post_53953149]Day 0[/url][/center] [columns] [size=3] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/1#post_53959262]Day 1[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/1#post_53964679]Day 2[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/2#post_53968041]Day 3[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/2#post_53973490]Day 4[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/2#post_53986220]Day 5[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/2#post_53994176]Day 6[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/2#post_54003561]Day 7[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/2#post_54007586]Day 8[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/2#post_54009280]Day 9[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/3#post_54023069]Day 10[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/3#post_54029740]Day 11[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/3#post_54037679]Day 12[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/3#post_54046373]Day 13[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/3#post_54061738]Day 14[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/3#post_54064274]Day 15[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/3#post_54065850]Day 16[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/3#post_54083449]Day 17[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/4#post_54084689]Day 18[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/4#post_54085098]Day 19[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/4#post_54088332]Day 20[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/4#post_54089198]Day 21[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/4#post_54105953]Day 22[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/4#post_54112809]Day 23*[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/5#post_54116370]Day 24[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/5#post_54132646]Day 25[/url] [/size] [nextcol] | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | [nextcol] [size=3] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/5#post_54135014]Day 26[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/5#post_54138659]Day 27[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/5#post_54146478]Day 28[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/5#post_54152463]Day 29[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/5#post_54153571]Day 30[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/5#post_54166071]Day 31[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/6#post_54198282]Day 32[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/6#post_54204734]Day 33[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/6#post_54206896]Day 34[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/7#post_54217042]Day 35*[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/7#post_54219566]Day 36[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/7#post_54223465]Day 37[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/8#post_54235709]Day 38[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/8#post_54240514]Day 39[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/9#post_54241871]Day 40*[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/9#post_54248412]Day 41[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/9#post_54317162]Day 42[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/10#post_54323933]Day 43[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/10#post_54324217]Day 44[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/10#post_54343052]Day 45[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/11#post_54345756]Day 46[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/12#post_54363369]Day 47[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/12#post_54371376]Day 48[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/13#post_54418122]Day 49[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/13#post_54418835]Day 50[/url] [/size] [nextcol] | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | [nextcol] [size=3] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/13#post_54422414]Day 51*[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/14#post_54425930]Day 52[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/14#post_54433315]Day 53[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/14#post_54441980]Day 54[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/15#post_54629477]Day 55[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/15#post_54637226]Day 56[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/15#post_54647867]Day 57[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/16#post_54662455]Day 58[/url] Day 59 Day 60 Day 61 Day 62 Day 63 Day 64 Day 65 Day 66 Day 67 Day 68 Day 69 Day 70 Day 71 Day 72 Day 73 Day 74 Day 75 [/size] [nextcol] | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | [nextcol] [size=3] Day 76 Day 77 Day 78 Day 79 Day 80 Day 81 Day 82 Day 83 Day 84 Day 85 Day 86 Day 87 Day 88 Day 89 Day 90 Day 91 Day 92 Day 93 Day 94 Day 95 Day 96 Day 97 Day 98 Day 99 Day 100 [/size] [/columns] [columns] [size=3] Day 101 Day 102 Day 103 Day 104 Day 105 Day 106 Day 107 Day 108 Day 109 Day 110 Day 111 Day 112 Day 113 Day 114 Day 115 Day 116 Day 117 Day 118 Day 119 Day 120 Day 121 Day 122 Day 123 Day 124 Day 125 [/size] [nextcol] | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | [nextcol] [size=3] Day 126 Day 127 Day 128 Day 129 Day 130 Day 131 Day 132 Day 133 Day 134 Day 135 Day 136 Day 137 Day 138 Day 139 Day 140 Day 141 Day 142 Day 143 Day 144 Day 145 Day 146 Day 147 Day 148 Day 149 Day 150 [/size] [nextcol] | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | [nextcol] [size=3] Day 151 Day 152 Day 153 Day 154 Day 155 Day 156 Day 157 Day 158 Day 159 Day 160 Day 161 Day 162 Day 163 Day 164 Day 165 Day 166 Day 167 Day 168 Day 169 Day 170 Day 171 Day 172 Day 173 Day 174 Day 175 [/size] [nextcol] | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | [nextcol] [size=3] Day 176 Day 177 Day 178 Day 179 Day 180 Day 181 Day 182 Day 183 Day 184 Day 185 Day 186 Day 187 Day 188 Day 189 Day 190 Day 191 Day 192 Day 193 Day 194 Day 195 Day 196 Day 197 Day 198 Day 199 Day 200 [/size] [/columns] [/quote]

[center][size=5][b]Extras[/b][/size][/center] [quote=Pinglist] @moonlitknots @Kreide @Galehaut @TrashMomma @MinxPelt @Ref @Felawnie @arghsdemeter @naranciag @Dreyrugr @RipPip [/quote] [quote=Badges] [center]The art below was done by @/TrashMomma![/center] [center] [img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/643983441683284009/1118735444939636796/within_these_walls_2.png[/img] [code=] [center][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/1][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/643983441683284009/1118735444939636796/within_these_walls_2.png[/img][/url][/center] [/code] [img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/643983441683284009/1118735444608303154/within_these_walls_1.png[/img][/center] [code=] [center][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3229985/1][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/643983441683284009/1118735444608303154/within_these_walls_1.png[/img][/url][/center] [/code] [/quote] [quote=Art!] This section contains art done by myself or others! [s]Figured this is probably the best use of this extra space.[/s] [center][img]https://i.gyazo.com/e13ce340a7aab9f1a6e48ead768b2f9c.jpg[/img] Art of Madeline (Sykes) by HJeojeo! ([url=https://www1.flightrising.com/clan-profile/94454]#94454[/url])[/center] [/quote]

Eh Putting one more Reserve because I can never be too safe about these

[center][b]Day 0[/b] [item=Skin: We All Become][/center] Madeline couldn’t help but shudder as she found herself guided into Magpie Estate and in front of the manor itself. The Fae’s journey was a rather long one to reach here. While born into Plague, she had journeyed to the Starfall Isles in search of a future she could spend thoughtfully scouring books and writing. The world outside her home always garnered her interest, and it wasn’t long until that curiosity had her clan egging her on to leave and thrive elsewhere. And, from what she learned, her best suited destination could be found on the edges of Arcane. Only she caught herself being strictly denied any work in the Tourmaline Archives. She may enter and browse some of the contents within, but only those naturally born to the flight or experts in their element were allowed to partake in the cataloging and research that took place past the entrance. Expectedly, she was heartbroken, as she’d never honed her magic or studied quite like those who found jobs within. Still, she remained vigilant, and began practicing for the day they, or any similar location within the Isles, would grant her entry. Yet it never seemed to be enough. Perhaps it was her upbringing in a small clan, or the stereotypes still surrounding her home flight, but there was never a need for her. Her breed was too small for most of the recordkeeping applications, and her magic was too weak and non-specified for use in inscribing spells onto scrolls. The best she could hope for was some sort of secretary work, writing down and delivering messages to and from a desk space of a far more important individual. She nearly gave up when she stumbled across Durian’s Circle. The institution appeared like all others at first, not offering anything in the way of a permanent job for her, but then she found herself approached by an employee working there. After a bit of conversation, he’d smiled, and extended a form from a small stack he’d been carrying. The form was simple and broad in scope, merely asking for potential residents at the Magpie Estate. When she filled the form, she wasn’t sure what to put down as an occupational role she wished to take in the estate. Initially, she’d settled on being a scribe, as that would best encompass her experiences. Writing down important information and letters for those far away was something she did long before leaving the Wasteland. She’d even served as the main scribe for one of her clan’s Snapper members who became ill and lost most of the use of their magic as they healed. But then she decided not to waste this opportunity. Everything told to her prior to being handed the form was that this was the first time in over a decade that the Estate was sending out and accepting applications. Whatever she put to paper was certainly to become a reality, and without a second thought she changed her planned occupation to that of an archivist, the job she’d been denied. Now, after being accepted and traveling through territories for over two weeks by cart (or by foot if she was unlucky), she found herself doubting after practically lying on her application. That doubt only grew as she looked up at the massive manor that stood as the crown jewel of the estate itself, no longer able to ignore looking at it as it blocked her previous distraction of the massive lake behind it. Entering inside the manor, she was surprised to find she wasn’t alone. Two others stood before her, the first being that of a young Tundra whose worry melted to relief as she locked eyes with Madeline. The second was that of a well-dressed Pearlcatcher, bowing his head in greeting as the two acknowledged each other. He then gestured to her to sit on a chair or perch on one of the small decorative ‘branches’ on the wall, stating there was one other they were waiting on before he could give the tour. Not knowing when, or if the final dragon to arrive, Madeline quickly got acquainted with the Tundra. There was an expected eagerness in the Tundra’s standard greeting, introducing herself as Ennion before politely asking to get the Fae’s scent. After allowing the strange action, the two partook in some small talk, discussing what they’d signed up for, where they’d come from, and the general first impressions of the estate. Turned out that Ennion never left her birth flight, sticking to a small but tight community consisting primarily of other Tundras that fostered travelers. She nervously stated how she disliked never being able to remember the travelers’ faces, but enjoyed the stories they’d tell during their stay. Her applied job was a botanist, having proven rather gifted in the field while still a hatchling helping in her mother’s edible “garden”. Madeline was only beginning to tell her story about applying for her archivist position when the door was almost violently thrown open, revealing a very out-of-breath Mirror. Watching them pant, they soon collapsed, still conscious as they regained their energy, The Fae was shocked to see the final guest covered in as many scars as muscles, almost as battle worn as the elder hunters in her clan. Seeing the bright green eyes of her home’s rival flight brought into question some of the stories she’d been told at a young age warning not to underestimate members of Nature. As they recovered, the Pearlcatcher spoke, a sly smile on his face, “Ah, Ayaka Boughbreeze. I’d been warned you may push yourself to get here on time. Please, rest as long as you need, and there are washrooms down the left hall if you need to clean up. We’ll start the tour as soon as you’re ready.” Moments later, Ayaka had recovered enough to take up the Pearlcatcher’s offer, trotting down one of the enormous halls before taking a left turn out of sight. It was another couple minutes before she’d return, still breathing heavily but not wanting to keep those around her waiting any longer than she had already. A brief exchange of names, and they were ushered away from the entrance into a large dining room. There, the Pearlcatcher took a position at the head of the main table, gesturing for the three of them to get comfortable. [center][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/dressing-room/scry?sdid=2187697&skin=0&apparel=30839,10370,33700,3685,46755,34161,3687,34194,17893,28397,34196,24246,28386,23091&xt=dressing.png[/img][/center] “I do apologize that Professor Saile cannot be here to greet you himself, but an urgent matter arose at the Corvus Institute that required his presence. I’m unfamiliar with the complicated politics of the Sunbeam Ruins but before he left to settle the matter, I was assigned to greet the three of you and provide a tour. Fortunately for you three, I’ve been monitoring the estate since the applications were distributed. I assure you I can provide a thorough exploration of all there is to see, and answer any questions you may have.” “So,” Ayaka huffed, “What required this place to be monitored?” She gave a toothy grin after her snarky question. If she held the same concern that Madeline had towards the same question, she was hiding it well. “The same reason applications stopped fourteen years ago,” the Pearlcatcher gave a knowing glare in return. “No one knows what happened to the previous residents. All that remained were a couple bodies and the frantic indecipherable scrawlings from the last known archivist. The Institute looked into what they could on the matter but found nothing that could provide the answers they were looking for. So, they cleaned up the place and put it under surveillance. Nothing has happened since, and they decided to do a sort of…trial run with you three.” “Oh, so we’re guinea pigs for the lot of you?” The Mirror gave a dry laugh, “Well, I didn’t come here to die if that’s what you want us to do.” “On the contrary,” he gestured to the three of them, “I’m entrusting you, and any future residents, to reestablish the otherwise stable foundation that had been laid before this happened. Before this, the estate held nearly two centuries of successful residential stays. Few died by unnatural means, and many were able to retire or quit as the time came. I’d like for that to return, starting with a small group.” “Likely story,” Ayaka scoffed, but rose to her feet, “I don’t have any further questions. And if these two don’t have any of their own, I’d like to get this tour of yours over with.” Expectantly, the Pearlcatcher’s gaze fell on Ennion, who froze and shook her head hastily, and then to Madeline, who froze in indecision as well. The Fae’s major questions had been answered, but she found herself left with more. Who was the previous archivist and what drove them mad? What exactly did the three of them bring that made the professor believe they’d be a strong foundation? Why only the three of them? What would cause such a place to be abandoned for so long to begin with? In her indecisiveness, she found herself asking something rather bland, “Who are you? I don’t think you’ve introduced yourself since I’ve been here. Also, what exactly will we be doing? I saw ‘you will await further instructions’ on the acceptance letter, but the professor isn’t here to explain that to us.” He gave another bow of his head as he smiled, “Percy Fulgrin, employee of the Corvus Institute and its branches. I’m one of a few employees under Saile who take care of outside work since he can’t be everywhere at once.” “As for what you three will be doing,” he gestured for them to follow, “I think it’s best I tell you on the tour.” -------- @moonlitknots @Kreide @Galehaut @TrashMomma With our cast grown up and dressed this morning, I went on ahead and typed a little day 0 for the Pinkerlocke! I'm not certain I'll be able to get out a Day 1 today because of work, but an attempt will be made. For now I wanted to get the cast together and do a little bit of exposition. There will be a bit more in Day 1's writing, but after that it should be wherever the pulls take me. Also thought it'd be fun to throw in a familiar face from last time, both in the form of Percy and keeping professor around. I'll of course be adding Percy to the NPC document as well. I am posting this right before work so that may not be updated until after I get home.

Ohh interesting locke! I've seen Lovecraftlockes (I've tried one, even), but I've never quite seen this. For reference, I'm guessing no breeding (said something about it not making sense in lore) or no art?. That's going to make it a little harder to get dragons without breeding, but I'm counting on you. I've tried writing everyday, but school work and motivation make it hard. Remember to pace yourself.

Also, three G1 girls, nice. I like the story so far. Let's just hope you get a healthy-size lair.

[center][b]Day 1[/b] [item=Blackshield Cockroach][/center] Madeline rubbed her claws across the key to her new office space, looking around the surprisingly ordinary space. She huffed, letting her fins fall. No one would bother her for some time, so it let her finally take in everything around her. The empty space of her small personal office, filled with equally empty filing cabinets and her barren desk. There was almost nothing in the office from what she saw, save for the provided supplies she’d need and the box of documents she brought from the archives. The Fae wasn’t sure what she expected. Maybe a body or traces of blood? More of those incoherent ramblings and scribbles Percy brought up? A thrashed up mess of an office from the previous archivist? None of these things were present, and even the office said archivist used had been thoroughly cleaned in the decade the estate had been abandoned. Now it was only her and the empty gap of material the supposed madman took with him. At least there was an office to accommodate smaller breeds such as herself. As she absentmindedly flipped through the documents she pulled, she thought about the other two who had joined her. Ennion would be in the new greenhouses, another set of structures that’d been partially replaced since the last set of residents. One had been entirely destroyed and since replaced, while another’s location had since been taken up by a small tree. Ayaka was an assigned guard to the estate, set to patrol the estate and keep an eye open for danger. After the fates that befell the previous residents, she wasn’t surprised the professor took the precautionary measure. As expected, there was little to quell her lingering questions within the papers left behind. Everything was mundane reports about what a couple of the older residents had been requested to do from the professor. Pick up an object and figure out what they could from the residents, talk to residents about a strange magical incident, grab a sample or wild specimen for study, and so on. The strangest thing she’d read was following up about what happened to a missing dragon, the circumstances surrounding said disappearance catching the institute’s attention. Not enough for them to personally look into it, but enough to ask the estate to do so instead. Hunger gnawed at her stomach by the time she finished. It was about time to see what the staff could make for her anyways. She’d resorted to an insect bar for breakfast out of habit, partially forgetting staff could make her something better and partially out of feeling homesick. She didn’t want to bother with going all the way to the manor to eat a prepared breakfast at the time, rummaging what the residential building she’d been assigned held instead. Expectedly only the preserved goods she was familiar with could be found in the various cabinets and the fridge was completely empty. Perhaps they’d be stocked by staff when enough time passed now that other dragons were living on the estate again. Speaking of staff, Madeline quickly requested a salad to the first she was greeted by upon entering the dining room. The Skydancer taking her request asked what kind, catching the Fae a little off-guard before rushing out a, “Surprise me.” She was shocked to see Ennion already eating lunch when she went looking for a place to take a seat. The Tundra eagerly bit into a sandwich of some kind, filled with numerous vegetables and leafy plants. Like their previous conversations, the furred dragons started once she wasn’t in the middle of a bite. “So, what’s it like in the ‘cursed’ position? Find any ghosts yet?” she joked, a smile crossing her face. Madeline spread her larger pair of fins out, waving the smaller pair in the best she could. As much as she found the statement humorous, she didn’t want to embarrass herself attempting to laugh out loud. “Nothing of the sort. It’s oddly normal minus the gap my predecessor left. How about you? The new greenhouses working as Percy hoped they would?” “Yep! Did everything he requested and found nothing wrong,” the Tundra was clearly excited, “There were already a couple of amazing specimens from the edges of the Ashfall Wastes in one of the older ones. I’m super eager to study them, even if that’ll mean putting them in one of the smaller compartments to ensure the temperature doesn’t drop too low.” “Glad you’re enjoying your position,” Madeline let out a sigh, letting her frills drop some, “How about Ayaka? Have you seen or heard anything from her?” The question was poorly timed as Ennion had taken a bite of her sandwich right as it was asked. She did her best to rush through, covering her mouth slightly as she answered with her mouth still partially full of food, “Caught her on patrol about an hour ago. Despite everything she doesn’t appear to mind her position that much.” “Must be the pay,” Madeline again positioned her frills to mimic laughter, “I was wondering why we’d need our home clans listed on the application but I suppose this is more than enough reason. If we aren’t going to be needing anything here, best to let it go home to help family and friends, if you opted in for that option of course.” The Fae admittedly ignored whatever the botanist replied with as her salad made its way to the table. Rings of cucumbers and prepared grasshoppers filled the edges of a strangely colorful bowl of leafy plants that had been mixed with croutons and what looked to be small shining beetles. A smaller bowl of dressing was placed to the side, and with another curt bow, the staff left her side and went back into the kitchen where it was prepared. “Impressive isn’t it?” Ennion commented, “I thought maybe the grandeur of this place was all talk but to see it’s not shows we’re in good hands. Makes me think what really happened was only a fluke.” “Yeah,” Madeline again looked at her excellently prepared salad, beginning to lightly pour the dressing on top of it, “Perhaps we’re worrying for nothing.” If only the sinking feeling in her chest would go away when she lied to herself like this. The real work for the three of them started tomorrow after all. ------- @moonlitknots @Kreide @Galehaut @TrashMomma Actually had a good day at work today, so I was able to start today instead of tomorrow like I'd been planning all week. Nothing interesting since we're only just starting, but I went through all 30 battles with no issues and the girls are all level 4 now! I will say right now that this is far more manageable and exciting one day in. I feel a lot more confident with what everyone is doing and where I'll be going with this in the future, which is something I felt was lacking in my previous attempts. Will say I did forget to make an area in all of this for Portal locations, but that should be an easy fix. If there's a request to make it public in some form, let me know and I'll either add it to the NPC document or make use of the extra post I set aside. ------ @Aquasparky I completely forgot to subscribe to the thread so I wouldn't miss posts like yours so sorry I'm only seeing this now! Putting it here now instead of another post. Back when I first started the Pinkerlocke prior to this one (Insight), Summonlockes/Lovecraftlockes weren't exactly a thing yet, so I sort of wound up making my own little ruleset. The goal was never quite the same as those anyways, so I simply stuck to modifying the rules I already had in place for this one. Now that these rules aren't sprung out of nowhere like some of them were in the first Pinkerlocke, it's allowed me to actually iron out a few issues and make it easier to work with. And yes, there is no breeding as it would make zero sense in this story. The reason behind no art from pulls is because I'm not fond of drawing art for temporary dragons, but that doesn't mean no art at all. It'll simply wind up as something I do in my free time if I do make anything for this. I did art in the past Pinkerlocke when I got ideas and this will be no different. Work will definitely get in the way of me writing this, but I think I'll avoid a lot of the other issues I had before in the old one. May have some irl events that come up, but I'm not terribly worried about burnout or anything. If that does happen, I tend to write shorter entries so I don't stress about a page/word count. And thanks! I started this Pinkerlocke like the last one where I hatched three G1s to be my starting dragons. Only this time I gened them up as well with 'inexpensive' genes, minus Ayaka's Flair being something I was gifted in the past. If all goes well I shouldn't have too many issues keeping the cast around. Most of my deaths in the past have come from either crit luck at the worst time, Death Streaks, or the hecking [i]Scorched Forest[/i], and I at least 'fixed' one of those. Death Streaks wound up ruining my fun in a way the other two don't so I tried to make it more bearable.

[center][b]Day 2[/b] [item=Fluttering Wing Segments][/center] A rather restless night of sleep gave way to a rushed morning. Madeline awoke to hurried knocking on her door and the quiet calling of her name. Answering the door still in her nightclothes, the staff that called her averted her gaze before timidly requesting she was needed in the manor’s portal room. She’d be meeting Ennion and Ayaka there, and it was important she not take too long. Rushing about, Madeline nearly forgot her reading glasses until partway to the manor, noticing they weren’t around her neck. A vital part of her job hinged around her ability to read the texts provided to her, so she spent precious time returning to her room to grab them. Despite this, as she arrived at what was easily the strangest room in the manor, she noticed neither Ennion nor Ayaka were present. Who was, however, was a Wildclaw who clearly didn’t belong among the staff around him. [center][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/dressing-room/dragon?did=46490055&skin=0&apparel=6268,38895,34161,34177,28363,34190,28386,34186&xt=dressing.png[/img][/center] “You must be Madeline,” he paused to look her up and down, “You hardly look like the kind to fight, and your attire suggests nothing of handling the plants a botanist would.” “I’m not late am I?” She questioned, watching the bipedal dragon look down at a watch he wore. “No. You’re on time,” he continued to busy himself, pulling out something from the lone desk in the room while also rummaging through the strange equipment on the shelf next to it. “Odd that you’re the first though. You know what may be keeping the other two?” Madeline lowered her fins, keeping one of the larger ones raised, “No idea about Ayaka, but Ennion may be doing some early morning tending. She mentioned something about it to me over dinner last night. Best I can think of for Ayaka is finishing up a morning patrol but I can’t imagine a Mirror doing such a thing before eating any sort of meal.” Speaking of Ayaka appeared to have summoned the guard. The four-eyed dragon wore her patrolling armor as she entered, helmet doffed and carefully tucked under a wing. She placed it on the floor as she took a seat, giving the new dragon a glare Madeline was quickly growing used to seeing. The Mirror may have not actively wanted a fight, but she didn’t hesitate to challenge, “Thought my job was to stay on the estate to protect it. Shouldn’t the other two be handling these tasks we were told about?” “Quite the opposite actually.” The Wildclaw again looked at his watch, ignoring the tone taken with him, “You know where Ennion’s at?” “She’s caring for one of the plants. Something about humidity levels being too high. She’ll be here soon.” The three sat in silence as the stranger continued to prepare, nodding in satisfaction as he finished organizing some papers. He then took out a letter from a pocket and placed it on top of the pile. He turned to face the two in the room with him afterwards, giving them both a strange look, “What, no further questions?” “I mean, shouldn’t we wait for Ennion?” Madeline asked, “I don’t want to start without her.” “Fair enough,” he sighed, “Guess I’m used to being bombarded with more questions than I can answer. Someone finds out you work for Saile and apparently that means you’re supposed to know everything he’s doing every waking moment.” “Well, I never heard of the guy until I applied for this,” Ayaka grumbled, “I wanted a job outside my clan as soon as possible and this seemed like the easiest choice. Didn’t know I’d be stuck on some rich family’s party place.” “Magpie Estate has been a part of the Corvus Institute since before Rook’s Coven was conceptualized as a branch. It hasn’t been some rich family’s home centuries, merely a place where dragons like Madeline and Ennion can do some of the institute’s work without any prying eyes getting in the way.” By this time, Ennion finally joined the other two, having done her best to appear a bit more presentable. She smiled upon seeing her coworkers, giving a questioning glance towards the Wildclaw. “Who are you?” she quickly asked, “Another of Saile’s assistants?” “Another….?” He began, shaking his own confusion away, “Yes, I help Saile tend to matters he personally doesn’t have the time to. I’m afraid he’s busy in Sunbeam Ruins tending to political matters, something about the institute’s own archives I believe. Instead, I’m delivering the task he wished to give you as well as how the estate handles them.” “We understand the professor’s a busy man. Busier than someone with the title of [i]professor[/i] should have if you ask me,” Ayaka butted in, tone as sharp as her pointed words. “Now, I think you forgot to tell us your [i]name[/i] sir.” Ennion frowned, turning to face the Mirror, “Could you at least be a little nicer Ayaka? It’s not…uh…” “Mychael,” the Wildclaw answered curtly, looking more exhausted than frustrated. “Thank you Mychael,” Ennion gave him a reassuring smile, “It’s not Mychael’s fault the professor is busy. And if he’s the one in charge of keeping an eye on the estate’s matters I’m sure there can be plenty more he’s responsible for.” Ayaka said nothing in response, but a scowl remained on her face. “Now, if that’s all the three of you have to say to each other, I’d like to get this over with. There’s a lot I need to do after this and I’m sure you three will be busy as well.” He cleared his throat before speaking again, “While I will be leaving a paper detailing what I am going to be covering here, it’s best for me to be here to provide a demonstration as well.” He turned to the desk, grabbing a large, weathered tome. While certainly old, appearing to use stone tablets instead of paper pages, the tablets Madeline had seen in the oldest sections of the archives were far older. “First, this is the tome is never to leave this room. It’s one of only a handful that has a full list of portals similar to this one on Sornieth. If anyone tries to take it, staff has orders to acquire and return it by any means necessary. They won’t resort to violence unless you make it so they have a reason to.” Without hesitating, he placed the tome on the podium within the room, causing both the portal and podium to be washed in a pale purple glow. He then opened the tome, revealing its many stone pages before finding a specific one and leaving it open. “This is the first step to using the portal. It won’t activate unless the tome is placed upon the podium, which will then allow the room to connect to the elemental energy of the territory. Once this connection is made, you can then connect to portals from across Sornieth.” He gestured to the three around him to approach. Mychael’s lecture continued once the three were around the podium, “The next thing that needs to be done is selecting the portal.” Madeline's choice to float above the others provided an unobstructed view of the tome as the Wildclaw applied magic to the stone. The portal etched on the page lit up and remained that way as he stopped applying magic to it. “Connecting to a portal is as simple. Applying one’s own magic will confirm a dragon is attempting to access the portal. So long as the destination portal is intact and functional, the image will remain glowing. If not,” he turned to the tablet following the current one, doing the same as before. This time the portal didn’t remain lit, fading after magic was removed. He turned to the previous page, once again activating the connection, “I am familiar with those two portals after working at the Coven for so long. The first is the personal portal they use, and the second was a portal lost in a recent conflict with an extremist group they’ve been dealing with for a while now. That’s enough of a tangent though. Neither of us are here for a history lesson.” Mychael moved to the portal gateway, pointing to the top of it, where a symbol of the Shadow Flight now lit up with the same purple glow everything else had, “If you ever doubt if a connection is made, the portal will confirm it here for you.” He gestured to a similar symbol at his feet, “The final step is simple. Stand here and again apply magic to the symbol and then directed at the portal itself.” Madeline watched as the Wildclaw coated his hind legs in basic Wind magic before firing a bolt at the portal. In an instant the large circular structure roared to life, releasing a gust of air before a gentle breeze filled the room, pulling towards the opening. Fins raised fully in awe, the Fae had never seen anything quite like it before. She continued to stare until it closed just as abruptly, and her gaze fell back onto their guest. “The portal closes not long after magic is applied to it, even in large amounts,” he left the center of the room, returning to the desk and shelf beside it. There, he picked up the envelope Madeline had spotted earlier, as well as one of the weird boxy devices. He gestured for the three of them to approach. “For this last part, I’ll cover what you need this room for.” Ayaka opened her mouth to comment, only to be lightly shoved by Ennion, the Tundra giving her a frustrated glare. “First, the professor’s tasks. As I’m sure you three have already noticed, Saile will already be regularly providing you with material that will keep you and all future residents busy. However, he’ll also be taking you with specific, well, tasks as well. The topic will vary on a case-by-case basis, but the goal is usually to go to a location, do whatever he asked of you there, and return and provide a report. If you manage to acquire an object during any of these, it’s required you provide it alongside these reports for documentation and study at the institute proper.” “Will we ever be asked to study these objects ourselves?” Madeline asked suddenly, curiosity getting the better of her. “Depends.” Mychael shrugged, “More…magically inclined objects are right out currently as you lack a Relic Keeper to handle them. Other objects may fall into your hands if it pertains to your expertise and the institute doesn’t have time or dragons to spare researching it. In your case,” he paused to gesture at the Fae, “You may be archiving your finds from past missions months later once research is complete on them. As they are tied to the estate, they’d be best kept there, along with any documents pertaining to it. Makes them easier to locate, should someone request access.” The Wildclaw gave her a smile, energy returning to his tired eyes, “I’m glad you asked that question. Not sure I’d have remembered to bring it up otherwise. Anyways, you’ll read the details of this one once I’m gone.” He put down the letter, picking up one of the devices he’d pulled out. “Now this. This is something I’m a little jealous of.” Looking over the device, he eventually located the set of switches that turned it on, “There’s an entire guide for these you can read over once I’m gone. Long story short, the public refers to these things as portable radios, even dropping the portable part at times. What a few of us call them are walkie talkies. You can walk and talk into these, communicating with another on the same radio channel to a certain distance. I’m guessing the estate wants to see how they help while out in the field, encouraging separation to cover more ground and the like. The technology is still relatively new and expensive so try not to break them if you can.” Mychael took a moment to display small portions of the radios, such as where to speak into and how to activate being able to speak into the piece. He didn’t elaborate on changing the channels, but did show the page to reference when doing so. Before long, he had set aside all he’d retrieved for them, and was again activating the portal out of the estate. “I do apologize that I can’t answer further questions, but I must get going. I have a meeting in under an hour and don’t have any of the things I need gathered.” “Will we be able to contact you in the future if we have questions?” Madeline inquired as the portal roared to life once more. “Not me specifically. Write a letter to Saile and staff will deliver it. If Saile himself doesn’t respond, one of us under him will.” And with that the Wildclaw walked through the portal, leaving the three alone. ------- @moonlitknots @Kreide @Galehaut @TrashMomma Okay this time I promise I'm done with the large amounts of exposition. Also, this is probably the start of the actual 'story' that I have. No more waiting around for stuff to happen or for dragons to get adjusted to the new space. The tasks are back and are ready to bring dubious things with them. As for what happened with today's pull, I wound up rolling Corruption so I took the opportunity to reduce Madeline's mark count to 0! Find it hilarious that this is how the first apparel roll went. I was expecting to be forced to add a mark and roll percentiles for the first time, but guess not. Also, Mychael is another NPC to add to the list, even if it may be a [i]while[/i] before anyone sees him again. I will say since today is my day off and irl plans I had got cancelled that today may be a day I enact the Crim clause and write another day or even two depending on my energy. With what I rolled for the first task I already have a fun idea of what to do and I really want to share it. So, warning in advance if there's a second ping today.