Quests & Challenges

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/SjLfhfh.png[/img][/center] [center][font=cambria][color=#990000][size=7]Rot - Epilogue[/font][/size][/color][/center] [font=cambria][size=3][b]"So they thought you'd be best with a Necromancer who's travelling."[/b] The Imperial speaking was elegant, eloquent, her voice melodic and—despite her station—almost apologetic. There wasn't any malice in her, no arrogance, and the absolutely massive Guardian next to her seemed stoic rather than threatening. Rot's glowing eyes shot to the Mirror who flanked her other side. [i]That[/i] one made him uneasy. Never mind the power of the Necromancer herself, or her Necroservus bodyguard, Nefastus; Sinew—his fellow Wraith—was a genuine possible threat. Sinew was a mutated mess of spikes, always hissing and snarling as if half-feral (he wasn't), and was for some reason completely suspicious of Rot and his intentions. [b]"A sssspy,"[/b] Sinew said now, said snarl and hiss clear and angry. [b]"Not a spy,"[/b] Rot repeated for the third time, now, annoyed despite his unease. He forced his attention back to Ossua, the Imperial. Her skull-clad stare was patient. [b]"I'd be glad to learn what I can from you."[/b] His answer was dull, dutiful but lacking any passion. He still could not believe he'd failed. But she seemed kind enough, regardless. [b]"You'll find our location of choice, at the moment, to be a little inhospitable. The air is toxic, if you head too low down the mountain slopes. Since it's a relatively public sanctuary, there's inevitably spies in the outer passages, so be prepared to watch what you say, and how loudly you say it. It'll be a very long trip,"[/b] and her gaze drifted to Rot's wings. [i]Too small to fly with.[/i] That would make travel far more tedious, and he knew it, but this was [i]her[/i] choice and not his, so he squared himself and set his jaw. [b]"I'll be ready for it,"[/b] he answered. [b]"Good. Know that the dragons who run the den in question are... territorial. They are led by Guardians, and the sanctuary is their charge. Generally, we pay to stay there, in treasure or supplies, but lately we've found a new arrangement: they train us to fight, we agree to defend the den in tandem with them should it come under threat."[/b] When Rot simply stared, Nefastus—himself a Guardian—spoke up in a voice like low thunder. [b]"That means, be prepared to fight, and to [i]train[/i] to fight."[/b] Ossua nodded at her bodyguard, and then continued. [b]"Our overall task is to gather as much information as we can on the Shade. Anything held by other flights. We'll have allies working elsewhere, but the Dreadwing are a large enough presence in the Ashfall and a safe enough haven as a starting point."[/b] She studied Rot for a moment, and then her businesslike tone softened. [b]"I know it's a dissappointment not to have emerged from the Trials a true Necromancer. But the ones who delivered you back to the Council said you have potential, Rot. I believe you can still truly make a difference in what might some day be a war. We'll all stick together, yes?"[/b] He tried not to squirm, to argue with it. She was right. He found motivation difficult, found himself morose and miserable, wondering what the point of it all was. [i]I wasn't strong enough;[/i] that wretched thought haunted him. For now, he took a breath. [b]"Yes. I'm ready to go,"[/b] he added, not bothering to glance around. There was nothing left for him, here. Not anywhere in this Wasteland. Perhaps in the Ashfall Waste, he would find something new. [center][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/77670785][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/350/776708/77670785_350.png[/img][/url][/center] [/font][/size] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/mBVXuev.png[/img][/center] [font=cambria][size=3] Surprise epilogue! I put this here purely because I finally got Rot's "Wraith" version all sorted out. I intend to eventually buy him a skin, probably Vitiligo to match his pre-Trial Piebald gene. But this was... hoo boy. This was an expensive project. Gaoler breed change + all genes, glowing eyes... Ouch. And the vitiligo skin, or another if I choose to get it, well... they're a lot! So, y'know. Later. Some day. Back burner. In the meantime, I'm glad he survived, even if I do miss his OG pumpkin-white splashes. [/font][/size] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/wXtSdWi.png[/img][/center]

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/SjLfhfh.png[/img][/center] [center][font=cambria][color=#990000][size=7]Austin and Alstik Day 8[/font][/size][/color][/center] [center][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/92717306][img]https://i.imgur.com/ptWy1ih.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/92886597][img]https://i.imgur.com/n54TQis.png[/img][/url][/center] [font=cambria][size=3]Alstik had, at some point the day before, found flowers in the Wyrmwound. They weren't even moving, and they didn't have eyes, or tentacles or anything else strange like that, which struck Austin as odd. But the Aberration seemed delighted to find them, and Austin still felt bad about snapping at him, so he tried his best to share Alstik's enthusiasm. Even now, hours after finding the things, Alstik was rolling in them like a hound. [b]"THEY HAVE STICKY STUFF,"[/b] one head squealed delightedly. Austin smiled, a little. [b]"Pollen,"[/b] he offered, calling out over the light wind that coursed across the Wound. [b]"What?"[/b] that head asked, and Alstik came upright. For a moment—lying there framed by morning sun and the delicately bobbing heads of white, fluffy flowers—the Aberration looked almost... pretty. Like a painting, bright and pure and happy. [b]"Pollen,"[/b] Austin answered. [b]"It's the stuff in flowers. I think that's how they make seeds,"[/b] he added, though he hoped Alstik didn't ask for specifics. He had no idea how it worked. The leftmost head turned, peering down, then thrust its entire snout into the flowers. The other glanced down, then looked back to Austin, replying even as head number one began to loudly sniff and rub his face into the pollen. [b]"It smells different than this place. It smells sweet,"[/b] he said, tipping his head to one side in thought. Austin eyed them. [b]"Probably the wind carried seeds down here. The Nature dragons'd probably love to see that,"[/b] he added dryly. Unbidden, hateful thoughts came again. [i]'Evil creatures. Sabotage. It's sabotage. Maybe they came, planted this. They want to take the Wyrmwound. The Wastes. I need-'[/i] He took a breath and shook the thought away, then forced a smile. (It felt like he was doing that a lot, these last few days.) [b]"Anyway, they probably won't last long, so enjoy 'em while you can."[/b] There was a vicious satisfaction that came on the heels of this, and he was surprised to feel it. So much so, in fact, that he stopped talking, examining this feeling in shock. [i]'This isn't me.'[/i] As he wondered, Alstik spoke again, rolling to lie upright in the flowers. [b]"I could eat them,"[/b] one head suggested. And before Austin could say anything, the other spoke his mind: [b]"...What?"[/b] [b]"Then they wouldn't die. I'd take them with us!"[/b] [b]"They'd still be [i]dead,[/i]"[/b] the second scoffed. Alstik kept on, gently arguing with himself, and Austin fought the urge to growl. Where at first he'd thought Alstik innocent, loveable even, now he saw the Aberration as an irritation. [i]'Weak. Unfocused.'[/i] Again, he paused. [i]'...IS that me? It... must be the fever,'[/i] he decided. Certainly living with these horrible aches in every joint and muscle, with pain that laced every heave of his chest for new breath, with nausea that kept him from even eating to sate the burn that agonized his stomach and left him dizzy... certainly that was just affecting his mood? ...Right? Alstik had stopped talking, though Austin wasn't sure when. The Aberration seemed content, both heads gazing out over the shimmering expanse of the Wyrmwound. His two tails switched idly behind him, tangling and then unraveling in idle motions. [b]"I've been meditating,"[/b] one head abruptly offered. [b]"And we're not dead,"[/b] the other added, as if thoughtful. [b]"So... we haven't failed, at least."[/b] It seemed... innocent, again. An attempt at conversation, or maybe Alstik was just speaking his mind without really thinking about it. But the memory of Tanda hit hard. [i]'She is dead. She failed. He dares-? He's insulting her memory. ...It's on purpose,'[/i] Austin suddenly realized, though the truth of this thought was quite doubtful. He was sure, though, abruptly and entirely sure, that Alstik was manipulating him. Trying to undermine his concentration, his focus. [i]'He wanted her to fail. He stopped me from saving her. He wants me to fail... why isn't he sick?! He's not just taking the Trials, is he?'[/i] Alstik happened to glance Austin's way, just then. Just one head... but again that empty, cold stare was like someone else was watching him again, and it was like all the sunlight and happy joy was bleeding away to dark and cold. The other head turned, peering too, and Alstik tensed, unsettled. [i]'He knows I know,'[/i] Austin thought, and deliberately looked away, faking a broad smile. [b]"You're doing well. Sorry... just thinking of Tanda,"[/b] he said, a false lightness to his tone. Alstik hesitated, uneasy, but accepted this with a nod. [b]"I'm sorry. We are—both sorry."[/b] [b]"Thank you,"[/b] Austin answered. [i]'I should kill him, to be sure.'[/i] [/font][/size] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/mBVXuev.png[/img][/center] [center][font=cambria][size=4][b]Trial of Infection - Alstik[/b][/size][/font] [font=cambria][size=3]The dragon has 13 days to develop an infection as a sign from the Plaguebringer that they are worthy. Day 8/13[/center][/size][/font] [center][item=Jasmine][/center] [center][font=cambria][size=3][i]'Every day, draw an item from Pinkerton. If the item qualifies as a sign from Mother, then your flesh has been touched with plague and you have passed your first trial. The items that qualify as signs from Mother depend on the difficulty level you’ve chosen.'[/i][/size][/font][/center] [font=cambria][size=3]Alstik has again passed his 'focus' challenge but not received a sign from Mother. However... this may actually be for the best. I've read up on some other players' attempts at Necrolocke, and one noted after LOTS of experimentation that the only/best real way to 'win' is to stall out as long as possible, then stall out again, doing only one Coliseum round per day on Normal (two for me on Hard) in the hopes of reaching day 23 and getting the appropriate Slime drop to snag a win. The drop rates really are that bad in Coliseum for 'sign' drops. As far as I know, nobody running a Necrolocke has actually gotten a Coliseum 'sign' yet. I may be wrong, of course, but... well... I ran Training Fields for another [b]750+[/b] rounds yesterday for Ragepuff/Crimson Emperor hibden items, and there were [b][i]zero[/i][/b] qualifying drops the entire time. No Plague familiars, no Plague battlestones, no appropriate Apparel drops. It doesn't bode well for Alstik [i]or[/i] Austin. Or anyone in a Necrolocke, for that matter. In the future, I may alter the rules a bit to compensate in my own runs. As far as I know the rules may be changed as this comes out of Beta to allow for more drop types to qualify! I'm not sure what items, yet, though. [center][font=cambria][size=4][b]Trial of Survival - Austin[/b][/size][/font] [font=cambria][size=3]The dragon must master the plague that now ravages its body. Day 8/23[/center][/size][/font] [font=cambria][size=3]The jump to Woodland really does seem impossible for Hard mode, or even Normal. If he weren't already on the path to being a Lich, and therefore immune to instant kills, he'd be dead again, or subject to a 'prayer' etc. That's with good stats, too! At least he made it past round one, if barely. Anyway, no drops, which in retrospect given the above info is unsurprising. But the 50% XP bonus from Coliseum these next couple days (micro-holiday event!) might help him get the edge he needs. [/size][/font] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/wXtSdWi.png[/img][/center]

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/SjLfhfh.png[/img][/center] [center][font=cambria][color=#990000][size=7]Austin and Alstik Day 9[/font][/size][/color][/center] [center][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/92717306][img]https://i.imgur.com/ptWy1ih.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/92886597][img]https://i.imgur.com/n54TQis.png[/img][/url][/center] [font=cambria][size=3]Austin's thoughts of murder had been pushed out of his mind today by a worsening of his sickness. The fever had risen, the aches in his body leaving him clutching claws into the mud. He kept his eyes closed against the bright light of day, suffering through the pounding of his own pulse in his head. The short, rasping sounds of his own breathing even hurt, and part of him just wanted it to end. [i]'I should never have done this. What was the point?'[/i] This thought came to him over and over, and he really had no answer for it. Some part of his mind, though—some dark, cold part in the rear of his thoughts—insisted it was all a fool's errand and a cruelty. That the Trials accomplished nothing but to kill some of those who took part, and ensure the rest were loyal zealots for the Council to wield as they would. [i]'Someone should put a stop to this. To all of this,'[/i] that part whispered, oily and shadowed. Were they even his own thoughts-? Austin wasn't sure, but his illness ensured that he didn't really care, either. Alstik, meanwhile, had disappeared. Austin was grateful for that; he didn't have the energy or focus to hold any conversation, today. But the Aberration had said something about hunting, about having spotted prey, and hadn't come back yet hours later. Truth be told, Alstik had utterly lost focus on his meditations today. Rather than dutifully mantling, staring out over the Wyrmwound and proving his strength, he'd gotten distracted by a flicker of something over at the left side of the pustulent lake. He'd at first just intended to go hunting, to get some food for the both of them if the flicker of whatever-it-was proved to be edible, but partway there his heads had gotten into an argument over Austin. [b]"He's gonna eat us."[/b] [b]"He's SICK. He can't eat us!"[/b] [b]"So?! We still SLEEP. -Maybe just one of us can sleep..?"[/b] [b]"We've never tried that before."[/b] Both halves of the Aberration were doubtful this would work. It definitely wasn't worth risking his life over. [b]"We can just tell him we're leaving."[/b] [b]"Maybe we can say we give up."[/b] [b]"We could come back later and try again?"[/b] [b]"Are those flowers-?"[/b] Alstik stopped his trudge toward potential prey, all five eyes widening at the sight of another patch of fuzzy-headed flowers. The next hour was spent rolling in them like a hound, excitedly discussing the spread of sweet-smelling blooms into the Wyrmwound, and even more excitedly arguing over how the Wound might mutate them. One head was of the opinion that the flowers would quickly die. The other thought they might grow thorns and start to move. Maybe, that one said, they'd even start to eat dragons! Alstik's day passed this way, distracted; he cheerfully forgot, for a few hours, the fact that he was meant to be in a Trial at all. Maybe that was for the best. It meant that he had a little bit of a break from his life-threatening concerns. Only in the evening did he remember Austin and the Wildclaw's threatening demeanor. He headed back by nightfall, ready to apologize, but found Austin in quiet sleep. [/font][/size] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/mBVXuev.png[/img][/center] [center][font=cambria][size=4][b]Trial of Infection - Alstik[/b][/size][/font] [font=cambria][size=3]The dragon has 13 days to develop an infection as a sign from the Plaguebringer that they are worthy. Day 9/13[/center][/size][/font] [font=cambria][size=3]Alstik has, for the first time in his Trial, failed his test of focus. (That's one round of 'Higher or Lower?' each day in the Fairgrounds, before his trial step—part of the Aberration special rules. That means no item was drawn for him, although as a matter of interest, the drop wouldn't have qualified regardless. He only has four more days to develop an infection, or he fails his Trial attempt. As an Aberration, he may try again, if so, but must start over from Day 1. [center][font=cambria][size=4][b]Trial of Survival - Austin[/b][/size][/font] [font=cambria][size=3]The dragon must master the plague that now ravages its body. Day 9/23[/center][/size][/font] [font=cambria][size=3]Another day, another Austin-getting-whooped-by-Woodland-Path. He did manage one fight; the second... not so much. No qualifying drop from Battle 1. As a sad and interesting note, today marks the day when Austin and Alstik have both passed Rot in their Trial length. [/size][/font] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/wXtSdWi.png[/img][/center]

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/SjLfhfh.png[/img][/center] [center][font=cambria][color=#990000][size=7]Austin and Alstik Day 10[/font][/size][/color][/center] [center][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/92717306][img]https://i.imgur.com/ptWy1ih.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/92886597][img]https://i.imgur.com/n54TQis.png[/img][/url][/center] [font=cambria][size=3]Austin woke, exhausted, to a loud and incessant double snuffling sound. Before his eyes even opened he felt irritated. He [i]needed[/i] this sleep. He was fighting off the illness, proving his worth, in Plaguebringer's name. So what was interrupting him..? He pushed weakly up and looked around to find Alstik somewhat down the slope. The Aberration was shoving claws into the dirt, which had mostly dried out since the storm. As Austin watched, both heads plunged down, sniffing loudly; the two tails, thrashing behind him, twined and released like the tangled tails of a rat king. He seemed, Austin noticed, deeply focused on... whatever he was doing. He was about to call out, to ask Alstik to be more quiet, when the Aberration began to dig like a dog: claws ripping into the soil, flinging great showers of dirt behind him. [b]"ALSTIK,"[/b] he yelled, half-surprised, half-indignant. [b]"What are you [i]doing?[/i]"[/b] The Aberration's heads came up, first one and then the other, craning around to peer back up the slope at Austin. [b]"We are digging!"[/b] one answered at once, excitement clear in his tone. The second, more wary, hesitated. [b]"Did we wake you? It's just-"[/b] [b]"We are planting [i]flowers![/i]"[/b] Austin squinted. [b]"Flowers?"[/b] he echoed, blankly, before remembering the cluster of them Alstik had been rolling in the day before. He glanced toward the patch, and saw that half of them had been torn away low down on their stems. [b]"I'm not sure Plaguebringer would approve,"[/b] he called down doubtfully. Alstik peered at him. [b]"That is what life is for!"[/b] [b]"To survive!"[/b] [b]"To be infected, to be tested!"[/b] [b]"To be changed!"[/b] [b]"To grow [i]stronger![/i]"[/b] There was silence, for a beat, and Austin couldn't fault his logic except for its sudden conclusion: [b]"We will make the flowers [i]strong![/i]"[/b] It was said with such innocent certainty, such enthusiasm, that were Austin in less agony he might have even smiled. As it was, he sighed and shook his head. [b]"They need their roots. Or are you just planting the seeds from the heads-? Either way, could you be a little quieter? I'm trying to sleep."[/b] Dour, dark thoughts threaded through his barely conscious mind, and he didn't bother to try and keep them at bay. Thoughts about how he'd be better off without the Aberration here. Thoughts about how Alstik was clearly weak, and childlike. Thoughts of how he might get rid of him. Alstik seemed to hold no inkling of these. He looked down, instead, at his flowered and echoed with all the blankness of the wholly ignorant: [b]"Seeds?"[/b] Austin groaned and pulled back and away, into his little roost. He was struggling to drift off when the sudden appearance of both of Alstik's heads, looming close right at the edge of his nest, shocked him back awake. He swore and pulled back, blinking, and then one head spit out a few seeds from the flower. [b]"Are these seeds?"[/b] it asked, wild-eyed. Austin stared at him for a moment. [b]"You know you're meant to be taking a Trial, right..?"[/b] He glanced at the seeds. [b]"Yes, those are seeds. Now leave me alone."[/b] This last was grumpy, and he hadn't meant it to be, and yet... he found he didn't care. He just wanted Alstik [i]gone.[/i] Again, the thought that the Aberration might be trying to sabotage him struck. It was hard, with the hurt-looking dragon sadly picking up a decapitated flower head, to really cling to that idea, but... a sudden, second suspicion struck Austin. [b]"Alstik?"[/b] he asked, and tilted his head. [b]"How old are you?"[/b] Alstik paused, hesitating. [b]"We... don't know?"[/b] [b]"We didn't count."[/b] [b]"We are old!"[/b] [b]"We are sorry for waking you,"[/b] the second head added, apologetic. [b][i]"How[/i] old?"[/b] Austin pressed. He couldn't be-... could he? Could he be one of those who'd initially risen from the Wyrmwound itself? Could he be a defender of it, a godlike [i]jerk[/i] gatekeeping the Trials for Plaguebringer herself, ensuring those [i]he[/i] deemed unworthy didn't make it? Could all this innocent silliness be an act, a ruse, a front to make sure Austin never suspected him? A [i]mockery,[/i] a- [b]"...At least three,"[/b] Alstik interrupted his thoughts, but he sounded unsure. The other head immediately scoffed. [b]"You always lose count at three! We are decades old!"[/b] [b]"That's more than three!"[/b] the other protested, defensively. [b]"Just-... go. Just go,"[/b] Austin said, wincing from the sounds of the raised voices. He retreated back into his nest, returning his focus to driving back his illness, to meditating on the Plague. Alstik could go play with flowers, or whatever. If he were a spy, he'd find out soon enough that Austin was [i]worthy[/i] of the title Necromancer. Alstik, meanwhile, shrugged this away (a little sadly) and headed back to his would-be garden. He felt hurt, rejected once again, and as he stared down at the scratches in the mud he saw them for what they were: nothing. Distractions, little marks left in the soil that would never amount to anything. He pressed the seeds into the hole, covered them up halfheartedly, and turned to skulk away. Austin had turned his joy into misery. Abruptly, sadly, he came to a decision. [b]"Austin? I'm leaving."[/b] Only one head spoke the words, but it represented both of them. Not 'we,' but 'I.' Austin lay silent in his nest, golden eyes gleaming in the shadows that lingered there. He couldn't bring himself to speak. He didn't know what to say. He didn't even know what he [i]felt.[/i] Where there should've been shame, grief, there was... nothing. [i]This is for the best,[/i] he seemed to think. (Were they his thoughts?) [i]You're better off alone. You can do this on your own.[/i] Alstik, receiving no response, felt even more hurt. [b]"Good luck,"[/b] he offered, sadly, and slunk away, down the slope toward the Wyrmwound. Austin didn't go after him. [/font][/size] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/mBVXuev.png[/img][/center] [center][font=cambria][size=4][b]Trial of Infection - Alstik[/b][/size][/font] [font=cambria][size=3]The dragon has 13 days to develop an infection as a sign from the Plaguebringer that they are worthy. Day 10/13[/center][/size][/font] [font=cambria][size=3]Alstik has, for the second time in the Trial AND second time in a row, failed his attention span check. Interesting... I'm taking it to mean his attention has fully wandered and hasn't come back yet, for now. RNG was actually really clear on this one. So much so that I got an achievement for it: [b]This Was Supposed to be the Easy Fairground Game.[/b] The card was 12. Of course I picked Lower. Result: 13. I didn't even know it could GO to 13! He only has three more days to develop an infection, or he fails his Trial attempt. As an Aberration, he may try again, if so, but must start over from Day 1. Story-wise, maybe now that Austin's sort-of out of the picture (we'll see if he remains that way; probably not) he'll be able to concentrate a little better..? [center][font=cambria][size=4][b]Trial of Survival - Austin[/b][/size][/font] [font=cambria][size=3]The dragon must master the plague that now ravages its body. Day 10/23[/center][/size][/font] [font=cambria][size=3]Once again, Austin has only managed one round in Coliseum. It's a shame, because the first one was passed easily. The second, however, was a 3-mob group and they got absolutely trounced. To note, the lack of QCK is really felt here in the defending dragons. They get lapped, at a minimum, twice—as in, the enemy dragons get 2+ hits in before they can even use Defend. I'm very glad I chose to godmod Austin into not dying. Even if he becomes a Lich, he'd never have managed to succeed here otherwise. I'm hoping that, with Unusual eyes, Alstik stands a better chance should he get this far (which, I think, really helped Rot to last awhile). Since Austin now can't easily die to his infection (what with the Shade helping him out) I'm taking it as a slow descent into further shadowy madness. At some point or other he may actually realize what's happening and, possibly, even make the conscious decision to join with the Shade. Alternatively, if either he or Alstik perish, it may well be at the claws of the other. Their conflict is really starting to fester; but maybe Alstik left in time. [/size][/font] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/wXtSdWi.png[/img][/center]

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/SjLfhfh.png[/img][/center] [center][font=cambria][color=#990000][size=7]Austin and Alstik Day 11[/font][/size][/color][/center] [center][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/92717306][img]https://i.imgur.com/ptWy1ih.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/92886597][img]https://i.imgur.com/n54TQis.png[/img][/url][/center] [font=cambria][size=3]Alstik spent the day wandering. He wanted to be far from Austin, though some part of him felt guilty about it. The Wildclaw was sick. What if he starved, or worse, wandered into the Wyrmwound like Tanda had done? What if Alstik was just too far away to save him? [i]Just like before?[/i] This thought kept him distracted through most of the day: an internal battle between entirely fair selfishness and self-destructive selflessness. By evening he took up a position right at the lip of the Wyrmwound, so close that he could dip his claws in. He hadn't dared sit this close with Austin near, just in case the other dragon had gotten feverish and fallen in or something. But alone-? Alstik was strong enough. He looked out over the Wound, aware that Austin was now a mile or more away on a different bank of the lake. Here he perched, mantling, struggling to turn his mind back to the Trials. [b]"Why aren't we infected?"[/b] he asked himself aloud, at last. His second head glanced to his first. [b]"What if... What if it's because we helped? Because we were helping the other ones?"[/b] [b]"Why would that make us not-sick?"[/b] [b]"It's supposed to be a Trial. What if helping is cheating? What if those dragons aren't strong enough?"[/b] [b][i]"We[/i] are strong enough."[/b] [b]"And we aren't cheating now. Maybe... we'll be worthy, now."[/b] The Aberration squinted out over the water with all five eyes. [b]"Mother?"[/b] The words of both heads were tentative, quiet but heartfelt. [b]"Can you hear us?"[/b] [b]"We want to prove that we are strong."[/b] [b]"Make us sick, so we can show it."[/b] [b]"We aren't cheating, anymore-"[/b] [b]"We didn't know it was cheating!"[/b] [b]"...Mother?"[/b] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/mBVXuev.png[/img][/center] [font=cambria][size=3]On another bank, Austin crouched alone. He'd left his little roost, though he didn't remember doing it. Now he was in the open, exposed to the baking sun. Over the course of the day, his fever had risen, one hot enough to blank out all thought. At least it dulled his mind enough that he couldn't really fathom his own pain, the aches and burns that shuddered through his entire plague-ridden body. He hadn't managed to gain control of it and truth be told, he hadn't even tried, today. He'd barely been aware of the world around him, let alone his own body; he certainly didn't think about his Trial, or success. Dully, some part of him [i]was[/i] aware that he was alone now. Who had been here with him-? He couldn't remember, anymore. The hatred that'd been festering had no mind to lay claim to. Instead there was just an empty, fidgeting sort of suffering as the dragon fought simply to survive. If there were indeed some entity dipping its hand into his fate, it showed nothing of itself today. [/font][/size] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/mBVXuev.png[/img][/center] [center][font=cambria][size=4][b]Trial of Infection - Alstik[/b][/size][/font] [font=cambria][size=3]The dragon has 13 days to develop an infection as a sign from the Plaguebringer that they are worthy. Day 11/13[/center][/size][/font] [font=cambria][size=3]Alstik has, for the third time in a row, failed his concentration check. He only has two days remaining... [center][font=cambria][size=4][b]Trial of Survival - Austin[/b][/size][/font] [font=cambria][size=3]The dragon must master the plague that now ravages its body. Day 11/23[/center][/size][/font] [font=cambria][size=3]This guy didn't even make it one round today! Not ONE ROUND! Absolutely obliterated by some owls. He still hasn't gained a level in Woodland Path, let alone gotten a drop. Butt = kicked. [/size][/font] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/wXtSdWi.png[/img][/center]

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/SjLfhfh.png[/img][/center] [center][font=cambria][color=#990000][size=7]Austin and Alstik Day 12[/font][/size][/color][/center] [center][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/92717306][img]https://i.imgur.com/ptWy1ih.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/92886597][img]https://i.imgur.com/n54TQis.png[/img][/url][/center] [font=cambria][size=3]Austin woke to an uneasy ache throughout his body. Fever, yes... but there was something else there, too. It took time, past his groggy exhaustion and fiery fever, to awaken enough to even register what it was. [i]'It feels like... I've been beaten up,'[/i] he thought, pulling himself upright. He had to swipe at his gummed-up eyes with the backs of his forelimbs to get them open, and at once he twisted away from the too-bright sunlight. Scents assailed him, too strong for the pounding in his head. The rancid odor of the Wyrmwound; the metallic smell of something closer. It took a moment to recognize the scent of blood. At once he blinked more awake, heart racing into a fearful flutter. [i]'Maybe Alstik just brought more food?'[/i] But almost at once, his memory kicked in. [i]'Nightmares.'[/i] He'd had nightmares. Vague memories of fighting, in the dark, of snarling dragons and slashing claws. Had Alstik been in his dreams-? Austin thought so, but he wasn't sure. He pushed upright and forced his eyes back open, looking around to figure out where he was. [i]'Why am I-'[/i] ...this close to the Wyrmwound, was the unfinished thought. The liquid bubbled and popped only a dozen yards away. And blood—blood streaked the mud and twisted brambles, here, and... Austin looked down. It coated his claws, too. Suddenly frantic, he spun, looking all around him. [i]'Feathers?'[/i] Tufts of them, maroon and some slate-blue, fluttered forlornly in the breeze. As he watched, one was picked up by the wind, carried away across the sickly lake. Austin turned the other way, blinking up the hill. A trail of bloodied feathers led that way, and he pulled himself forward, stumbling and staggering with a rising sense of dread. The ache in his limbs was severe, and now that he forced himself to walk, he could feel something else, too: actual [i]wounds.[/i] Cuts and scratches, he thought. Punctures. One of his hind legs felt bruised, cut up, like it had been badly bitten. He hauled himself upward, following spatters of blood and drifting feathers, and memories of his nightmares assailed him. [i]Claws, slashing; a guttural cry of desperate rage and pain. Words, too garbled to remember, tumbling over one another from two pained throats.[/i] Austin crested the hill, and fell still. Below him, in a little hollow in the mud, lay a motionless figure—wings limp and lifeless, blood-coated claws gleaming in the midday sun. The heads were turned away from him, but he didn't need to see them to recognize Alstik. He forgot to breathe. He began to tremble, and it seemed to him then that a voice laughed quiet, cruel, in his ear. It felt cold, that voice; cold and dark, and he couldn't think. Couldn't... anything. He couldn't remember, either. He only stood there, staring down at the form that had once been the dragon Alstik. Had they fought..? He was far from his roost. He must have followed the Aberration, though he couldn't remember having done it. Had he wanted to apologize..? To argue, to fight? It had ended that way, it seemed. And some logical corner of his mind, quiet and miserable, pointed out that Alstik would have won in a fair fight. Not only in general, but... because Austin was so horribly sick. Which meant... he must have ambushed him. Attacked him when he wasn't expecting it. [i]Betrayed[/i] him. So why couldn't he remember..? [b]"If I did this-..."[/b] he said aloud, and was frightened by how weak and tremulous his voice sounded. [i]It sounded like he was dying.[/i] [b]"I-... I'm sorry. If I did this... Plaguebringer, forgive me."[/b] He'd take it back, if he could. He'd trade his life for the Aberration's. [i]'It should have been me. Not Alstik.'[/i] [/font][/size] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/mBVXuev.png[/img][/center] [center][font=cambria][size=4][b]Trial of Infection - Alstik[/b][/size][/font] [font=cambria][size=3]The dragon has 13 days to develop an infection as a sign from the Plaguebringer that they are worthy. Day 12/13[/center][/size][/font] [font=cambria][size=3]So... the first note for today is the general Trial of Infection Rule #2, as follows: "If you receive an AMBUSH battle item your dragon has not been able to withstand the deprivations and hardships of meditating near the Wrymwound and has died. Your trials end here. Exalt the dragon." Today's Pinkerton pull: [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/wC2ItkW.png[/img][/center] [font=cambria][size=3][i]However...[/i] the special Aberration rules include the following for the Trial of Infection: "Aberrations are difficult to kill. If you receive an AMBUSH battle stone from Pinkerton you must throw an apparel item into Baldwin. • Black slime indicates your dragon has died. Your trials end here. Exalt the dragon. • Any other color indicates the fumes of the Wrymwound have triggered a mutation and your dragon is eligible to take Multigaze." So I tossed my apparel item into the Baldwin pot, and started wondering what Alstik would look like as a Necromancer with Multigaze. I didn't go [i]quite[/i] so far as to scry it; I was busy pushing dragons for Fire's dominance push. Tabbed back over to the cauldron, eventually, and... [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/9PxqbgI.png[/img][/center] [font=cambria][size=3]When I wrote him yesterday, I didn't expect that "...Mother?" would be his [i]last words.[/i] Ouch. It's a shame; I really liked Alstik, probably more than any of the other Trial dragons I've attempted so far. I had high hopes given his eye type, too. I'll genuinely miss him. [center][size=5][b]Alstik has perished.[/b][/size][/center] [center][font=cambria][size=4][b]Trial of Survival - Austin[/b][/size][/font] [font=cambria][size=3]The dragon must master the plague that now ravages its body. Day 12/23[/center][/size][/font] [font=cambria][size=3]Still level four, still getting whooped. This time, his defenders got lapped several times and were just under 1/3 HP by the time they could even use Defend. I'd optimally like to get at least one legit Necromancer/Necroservus through the default rules, but if I later play for myself I'm definitely changing things up to be less brutally punishing. As it stands, it's frustrating watching them get utterly KO'd before they can manage even one round day by day. And sad! ...Although Austin's probably a murderer now, so maybe he doesn't deserve a win. (Jerk.) Out of interest, I went back in and refreshed the venue a few times just to see how it would've gone (I figured if it looked like they'd win I'd click out again, not gaining XP). I got about 7 groups in a row of 3+ enemies, none of which I could've defeated with this group. There was a single 2-enemy group, but it takes [i]so many hits[/i] even with Str and Qck levelled that it still would've won. This isn't complaint, mind, but more a matter of interest statistically given the beta rules. I think allowing Quickness levelling in the defending dragons, and allowing them to attack for the first level of a new venue, would make it more doable without it being outright easy, so if I use personalized rules down the road I'll likely try that. Anyway, in terms of writing, I know how silly and cliche the "oops, did I do a murder???" is, but man I couldn't help it lol. 'Ambush' was my writing prompt, after all. RIP, F in chat, etc. [/size][/font] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/wXtSdWi.png[/img][/center]

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/SjLfhfh.png[/img][/center] [center][font=cambria][color=#990000][size=7]Austin Day 13[/font][/size][/color][/center] [center][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/92717306][img]https://i.imgur.com/ptWy1ih.png[/img][/url][/center] [font=cambria][size=3]Austin felt as though he'd been transmitted to another world. A moon, perhaps: barren of almost anything that could be called 'life,' inhospitable, empty. The bubbling pocks of the Wyrmwound were the only company he now had. His mind kept drifting back to Tanda; even to Alstik. As he stumbled farther and farther from the site of his guilt, they seemed to keep him company. Memories—older memories—of Tanda danced at the edges of his fevered mind. Her laughter, bright and bold, had always held kindness despite her fearlessness. Her fierce protectiveness, so that they'd often joked that she was the "big sister," and he the "little brother." Her generosity, bringing him food when he had failed a hunt, beneath a brisk teasing meant to shore him up. It seemed to Austin that Tanda walked beside him now, and he didn't think to question it. His mind, his body, both were too exhausted and both seemed to tremble with weakness. When he staggered he heard her laughing good-naturedly, joking, moving to prop him up. He wheezed the faintest breath of a laugh in turn and the sound startled him. [i]'Oh. I'm alone.'[/i] But she lingered, that striped white ghost, her expression pitying but kind. As he pushed up again and forced himself onward (where was he going? he wasn't sure, anymore; he'd forgotten) he was reassured to find her by his side. The dark whispering, for now, seemed to have abandoned him. Spared him, maybe? Or found him to be too weak? Or it just had other things to do, right now; in any case when he turned toward a sweet scent on the wind, it didn't react. He angled for it, shaking and weak, unable to place the scent but knowing it as comfort. When he crested a final rise of writhing mud, he found the source laying just below: the clusters of twisted, dead white flowers and—just below them on the slope—the first points of tiny sprouts struggling to emerge. [i]'Alstik's flowers,'[/i] he recognized, and grief overcame him all at once. The last thing he remembered of the day was sinking down to the ground, head bowed, Tanda beside him sympathetically silent as he buried his face in the torn-up blossoms. [/font][/size] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/mBVXuev.png[/img][/center] [center][font=cambria][size=4][b]Trial of Survival - Austin[/b][/size][/font] [font=cambria][size=3]The dragon must master the plague that now ravages its body. Day 13/23[/center][/size][/font] [font=cambria][size=3]I realized belatedly I forgot to actually write him yesterday! He got to level five, finally, though he only managed one fight. I haven't yet done his rolls for today so we'll see how that goes. In other news, I've procured three more dragons I'm going to run through on Normal mode. I'll show them off after Austin's post today! [/size][/font] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/wXtSdWi.png[/img][/center]

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/SjLfhfh.png[/img][/center] [center][font=cambria][color=#990000][size=7]Austin Day 14[/font][/size][/color][/center] [center][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/92717306][img]https://i.imgur.com/ptWy1ih.png[/img][/url][/center] [font=cambria][size=3]Austin lay quiet, struggling to focus past his sickness. He was trying, quite desperately, to stay [i]concentrated[/i] today. He tried to return his mind to the Plaguebringer, to remind himself why he was here, and what it was he was meant to do. That was metaphorically speaking, of course; even past the fever he'd never truly [i]forgotten.[/i] But it was clear he'd been distracted. [b]"I should have been focused... on this,"[/b] he rasped aloud, closing his eyes against the bright sunlight. There'd been no rain these last couple of days, and it was getting hotter here. He was thirsty, throat parched. And hunger gnawed at his belly. Without Alstik here, he wasn't capable of hunting, even wandering to scavenge; his muscles shook with weakness to even sit upright in his chosen 'roost.' That roost was little more than a hollow in the mud, though it lay now in the midst of Alstik's scattered flowers. Below, the tiny shoots of the seeds the Aberration had planted had poked the tiniest forest of little green needles upward, though Austin knew it would take weeks for them to grow... and more likely, the plagues here would kill them first. But he hoped they'd survive. Alstik was gone, but... maybe these would live. And as for himself? He wasn't sure, not at all. His foresight had failed him now. Tanda had always trusted him to pathfind, literally or not, and now he simply sat, lost. [i]'Focus,'[/i] he reminded himself, forcing his eyes open, forcing himself to stare out at the Wound. [i]'We need... strength. We need to be stronger against... the Shade.'[/i] To his surprise, Austin found that his usual faith in such a thought was... gone. He hesitated, and then tentatively thought it over. [i]'...Why does it matter? Isn't the Shade itself a test? Why ruin ourselves before it even gets here?'[/i] Maybe that, even, was its purpose; a test to ensure the dragons stayed strong. Drawn to power, drawn to testing the [i]users[/i] of that power, exactly as those taking the Trials were tested by the plagues for their ability to wield it. A test for survival; a test for tenacity. ...Would that be such a terrible thing? [/font][/size] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/mBVXuev.png[/img][/center] [center][font=cambria][size=4][b]Trial of Survival - Austin[/b][/size][/font] [font=cambria][size=3]The dragon must master the plague that now ravages its body. Day 14/23[/center][/size][/font] [font=cambria][size=3]So! Very similar to yesterday: he managed one battle, and lost the second. That being said, it wasn't as terrible as usual; I stuck all his level-up points into Strength, so his hits were actually doing some damage now. If it weren't for a series of unfortunate misses he might have actually managed two rounds! [/size][/font] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/wXtSdWi.png[/img][/center]

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/SjLfhfh.png[/img][/center] [center][font=cambria][color=#990000][size=7]Prologue: Tusk, Leech, and Mask[/font][/size][/color][/center] [font=cambria][size=3][b]"Come [i]on.[/i]"[/b] Their matron's voice was harsh, her stride unfaltering. Her two apprentices struggled to keep up; Tusk's far larger size meant that she simply outpaced them. But she wasn't one to tolerate weakness, or excuses. Leech, too devoted and eager to complain, scrambled faster to catch up. She was panting, muscles aching and they hadn't even [i]reached[/i] Rotrock Rim, but she was honored and excited to be here at all. Behind her, the young Aberration, Mask, took to the air for the time being, ignoring Tusk's prior warnings and sailing off ahead. He set down and waited for them, Leech suppressing laughter upon hearing Tusk's low growl of irritation. It only made the Ridgeback walk faster, but Leech knew that Mask was in for a scolding now. That was always fun. [b]"I told you to stay [i]low![/i]"[/b] Tusk barked, before they'd quite reached him. Her voice, a thundrous rumble, carried over the mud. Mask didn't cower, and Leech noticed enviously that he seemed to have rested a little, less tired than he'd been. He stood, dipping both heads. [b]"You also told us to break the rules when it means success,"[/b] said one head. [b]"And we succeed, always,"[/b] said the other. There was a slippery, obsequious tone to the words, and Tusk lashed out, a shove pushing the Aberration back into the mud. [b]"And you put us all at risk. You break rules, but you also take the consequences for them,"[/b] she snarled. Mask pulled himself slowly from the mud, heads bowed, and shot a glance to Leech as Tusk pushed past. She gave him a sympathetic look. Tusk was a harsh leader, but a fair one, and this had been but another lesson for them both. Hours later, they reached the crest of Rotrock Rim. [b]"Are you ready?"[/b] Tusk demanded, spinning and narrowing her eyes to look down at them both, scrutinizing them. [b]"Once we enter, there is no turning back. Dragons die here."[/b] It was harshly said, but both could sense the genuine concern beneath her words: if they were not ready, they should leave now. [b]"I'm ready!"[/b] Leech insisted, clambering past her matron and up the final stretch of slope. [b]"As are we,"[/b] Mask murmured in agreement. They crossed the high point of the Rim and passed from shadow into sunlight, all three illuminated and silhouetted as shadows against the glaring light of morning. The vibrant, pestilent waters of the Wyrmwound popped and bubbled far below. [b]"Come, then,"[/b] Tusk said, shoving forward to lead the way down. [b]"Our Trials begin!"[/b] [/font][/size] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/mBVXuev.png[/img][/center] [font=cambria][size=3]So, I started off by chucking an item into the cauldron, with the full intention of doing maybe 1-2 more dragons together. Item one ended up orange, so Rare eyes (advantage in third trial). Item two also did, and recognizing that both dragons are unlikely to survive Trials 1-2 as a result, I decided to roll just one more so maybe I'd have one push through. ...Also Orange. I'll cover what that means below, but in the meantime! Meet Tusk, Leech, and Mask. What's up with their names? WELL, I thought "since I threw a Leech into the pot, that'd make a cool name!" and then double-checked what I'd thrown in for each of the other two. Tusk and Mask aren't such bad names, I think! Note that two of the dragons are hatchlings as of this writing, but [b]IC they'll be taking the Trials as young adults.[/b] Given that all three have advantage in the third Trial, and I've yet to have a dragon actually [i]reach[/i] the third Trial, I'm doing all three on Normal rather than Hard mode![/font][/size] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/mBVXuev.png[/img][/center] [center][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/93149972][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/350/931500/93149972_350.png[/img][/url][/center] [center][size=6][b]Tusk[/b][/size][/center] [center][item=Etched Tusk] [item=Orange Ooze][/center] [font=cambria][size=3]Tusk is a massive, domineering dragon whose nature is one of natural leader—or bully. She is harsh and often snappish, with an often brutal demeanor, but it is quite tempered by her almost cult-like, zealous faith in her cause. She believes in the Plaguebringer, in the power of the Plague flight; she trusts Mother's guidance and in this zealotry Tusk's course is unerring. She will not tolerate her own failure, and it is this iron will that props up those around her. Despite or maybe because of her singleminded faith, she watches over her followers as she imagines the Plaguebringer would watch over her own: with a motherly eye and careful attention to their well-being. She's a believer in harsh lessons, but she will prop up those she can. [b]Rare Eyes[/b]: Advantage during the Trial of Contagion (third trial): Rare eyed dragons have natural magical talents that give them an edge. • Your dragon is allowed to use one (1) Major Health potion on any dragon during the final trial. [/font][/size] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/mBVXuev.png[/img][/center] [center][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/93576253][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/350/935763/93576253_350.png[/img][/url][/center] [center][size=6][b]Leech[/b][/size][/center] [center][item=Leech] [item=Orange Goo][/center] [font=cambria][size=3]Leech is a young but large Mirror whose desire to grow in strength and power have found an awe-inspiring role model in Tusk. She wants to be like Tusk: immense and fearless, confident in her strength; and so she follows her, emulating her and looking up to her with impressionable eyes. She's fierce in her service and defense, though her youth often shows through. Time will tell if she has the strength to actually see Tusk's trials through, or if her inexperience will be her demise. Or, if she's very lucky, if she'll find her own power and her own path in the process of her Trials. [b]Rare Eyes[/b]: Advantage during the Trial of Contagion (third trial): Rare eyed dragons have natural magical talents that give them an edge. • Your dragon is allowed to use one (1) Major Health potion on any dragon during the final trial. [/font][/size] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/mBVXuev.png[/img][/center] [center][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/93529500][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/350/935296/93529500_350.png[/img][/url][/center] [center][size=6][b]Mask[/b][/size][/center] [center][item=Multimist Mask] [item=Orange Sludge][/center] [font=cambria][size=3]Mask is named for both the markings that canvas his face, and the false facades he presents to the world. He rarely says what he truly feels or thinks, instead trying for what he thinks is best in that moment. Sometimes that's something slyly manipulative; at other times it might bolster an ally's failing courage. He has a way with words, in short, and his keen mind is an advantage. Mask was chosen as Tusk's apprentice in part for his appearance: a prestigious omen of flesh, blood and bones marking his hide, his eyes a mirror of her own (and the mark of those eyes, of course, is best). He is proving his worth beyond that, though, his insight and indomitable willpower combining with a sharp sense of humor to keep the trio's spirits up. [b]Rare Eyes[/b]: Advantage during the Trial of Contagion (third trial): Rare eyed dragons have natural magical talents that give them an edge. • Your dragon is allowed to use one (1) Major Health potion on any dragon during the final trial. As an Aberration, Mask is also subject to the Aberration special rules. [/font][/size] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/wXtSdWi.png[/img][/center]

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/SjLfhfh.png[/img][/center] [center][font=cambria][color=#990000][size=7]Austin Day 15[/font][/size][/color][/center] [center][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/92717306][img]https://i.imgur.com/ptWy1ih.png[/img][/url][/center] [font=cambria][size=3]The day passed in a haze of weariness and fever. He wasn't sure when he'd awoken, or fallen back asleep, or how many hours had slipped by in the interim. When he woke he struggled to focus on the disease tearing through him, attempting again and again to grapple it with his magic. Maybe it was his element, but nothing seemed to make any difference. He struggled up, forcing himself to walk, as evening fell. He was parched, dehydrated, and he knew that this would kill him before the disease would, if he let it go. So as the sun slid behind the Rim, and the air grew cool and dark, he pushed up. Some part of his mind whispered approval, at this. It promised that the heat and light were a bad thing to try and walk through, and he knew this to be true. It promised, too, that darkness and cold were good. This was... less obvious, but although a little doubtful, Austin accepted it. This part of his mind (it [i]was[/i] his, right?) had been right a moment ago about the light and heat, so surely this logic tracked..? He stumbled down the Rim, sniffing and squinting against the falling dark, searching for any sign of water. Every now and then he stopped, sinking down and panting, resting to regain enough strength to push up and push on. The minutes ticked away, and one of the moons eventually rose. The purple glow cast the craggy landscape in an eerie light. When at last he found a puddle—small and stagnant, but blessed water nonetheless!—he crouched as if in a blissful dream and closed his eyes as he drank. The cool liquid sliding down his throat was a welcome balm. He drank, then rested, then drank again, and when he opened his eyes once more the moon's light was brighter. (That small part of his mind didn't like that, but so be it.) Austin glanced down at the puddle, debating simply staying here. Surely that made sense? Although it meant that any wildlife that came would be- [i]'What is that?'[/i] He froze, staring down. He blinked; he rubbed his eyes with the backs of his forelimbs. And then froze again. Austin slowly turned his forelimbs, letting the moon's indigo light catch them, gleaming along the feathers there. Surely it was just the color of the light, playing tricks on his mind? Those, and the stripes forming on his neck-... He was being marked by the disease; that much was true. Expected, even. Stripes, darkening his hide, overcoming the spots that had been there all his life but their [i]color...[/i] [b]"No,"[/b] he croaked, mind reeling. And that faint voice at the back of his head laughed at him. [b][i]"No,"[/i][/b] he said again, stumbling up and back. He twisted away from the puddle, stumbling, fleeing his own reflection. His reflection, which was [i]turning black.[/i] And despite his fever and his confusion, Austin knew what that meant. The pieces were falling into place, clicking there neatly, and his horror nearly brought the water back up his throat again to spill out on the cracked soil over which he now staggered. [i]'No.'[/i] [i]Ahh, but... yes.[/i] Those were the marks of a Lich. The black hue... it meant he'd been tainted by the Shade. It meant that he wasn't succeeding, even [i]surviving,[/i] on his own merits. It meant... that he'd been claimed. That his benefactor was subsuming him, bit by bit. It meant that his survival despite his friends' deaths was not due to his power. It meant that... [i]'Alstik-...'[/i] Rage overtook him, for an instant, swept past him and left him collapsed in the dirt with the power of it. [i]'It killed Alstik.'[/i] He had-... [i]He[/i] had, but the Shade—it had pushed him to it. What else would it make him do? And what were his options...? [i]'I can control it,'[/i] he thought desperately, feverishly. He didn't want to think of the alternatives, the only things that he could do to prevent himself from harming others. No—[i]'I can learn to control it.'[/i] He could tamp it down. Survive the plague, against all odds. Press on. He could... do some good, somewhere... His thoughts spun like the stars above, wheeling and collapsing, and his consciousness abruptly faded out. [/font][/size] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/mBVXuev.png[/img][/center] [center][font=cambria][size=4][b]Trial of Survival - Austin[/b][/size][/font] [font=cambria][size=3]The dragon must master the plague that now ravages its body. Day 15/23[/center][/size][/font] [font=cambria][size=3]I'm a day late in posting this one, but Austin did two rounds yesterday!! No relevant drops, but I'm glad he just managed to make two rounds lol. I don't know that a dragon without Unusual eyes on Hard mode (no potions) or Lich mode (faints don't matter) would manage Woodland Path. I hate these basilisks..! Anyway I'm taking my time writing his descent into Shadeness. (That's a word I just made up.) Will it wholly claim him and melt him into muck or something, or will he turn into a Lich? Drops will tell. [/size][/font] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/wXtSdWi.png[/img][/center]