Shippingitp IV: Flattery Will Get You EVERYWHERE

[TwoBitWriter]

Due to lack of computer time in the last day or so, I haven't been able to read the new fics. I'll get around to it, probably tonight.

I other news...I present to you something I've been working on for a bit. I'm leaving a lot out here, obviously, but this details the early history of at least some of the major players. I'll add more as things progress from here.

IStLY Timeline (draft I)

Spoiler

Show

Snip

Very well done! Its so nice to be able to put everything into better context. Everything after Mordokai's attempted murder has happened so fast, its nice to get some better background info, in order.

Its obvious you have put a lot of effort into this.

[ghost_warlock]

Very well done! Its so nice to be able to put everything into better context. Everything after Mordokai's attempted murder has happened so fast, its nice to get some better background info, in order.

Its obvious you have put a lot of effort into this.

Strangely, the hardest part was re-arranging the dates from the RL ones; most of the stuff in the timeline actually happened (sans the obviously magical stuff, except in one instance¹). For the record, I would have kept the RL dates except that, then, Ghost would be something like 70 and Rabbit would be in her 40s! I condensed the timeline considerably to make it easier to follow and keep the characters closer in age.

¹ Benjamin, my inspiration for Ina's role in the story, was actually said to have "possessed the power to transform himself suddenly into a wolf or other strange animal." For IStLY, I moved Ben from being Simeon's child to Boris' and did a g/b. I like taking creative liberties with history.

[mangosta71]

Careful now, you'll tempt me back to the dark side.

Yes...come to me, my dear.

We have cookies.

[RabbitHoleLost]

Due to lack of computer time in the last day or so, I haven't been able to read the new fics. I'll get around to it, probably tonight.

I other news...I present to you something I've been working on for a bit. I'm leaving a lot out here, obviously, but this details the early history of at least some of the major players. I'll add more as things progress from here.

IStLY Timeline (draft I)

Spoiler

Show

887 A.D.: Vladimir is born to Boris and his consort Maria.

895: Simeon is born to Boris and his consort Maria.

901: Ina is born to Boris and his consort Maria.

908: Simeon sent to Constantinople to study. Ina's shapechanging abilities manifest soon after he leaves; Vladimir secretly helps Ina go into hiding after she narrowly escapes being burned as a witch.

909: Boris abdicates throne to Vladimir to become a monk. Simeon returns from Constantinople as a paladin of Tyr. Simeon and Ina secretly reestablish contact.

911: Rabbit is born to Vladimir and his consort, a servant woman. Rabbit's birth takes place under inauspicious stars and priests of Tyr demand she be surrendered to them in order to "prevent a great tragedy." Vladimir refuses and begins to ostracize the church.

912: Boris returns from monastic life to depose Vladimir and assumes the throne again. Boris blinds Vladimir, sends him into exile, and tries to seize Rabbit to surrender her to the Tyr clergy but Simeon and Ina secretly smuggle her to safety. Rabbit is placed with a foster family, including a foster sister, Happyturtle. Boris places Simeon on the throne before returning to the monastery. Peter is born to Simeon and his consort, a former servant woman.

913: CurlyKitGirl is born to Empress Zoe of Byzantium and an unknown suitor.

914: Boris dies in his monastery. Vladimir is murdered while in exile, apparently by Byzantine assassins. Enraged at the apparent betrayal by his former Byzantine allies, Simeon declares war. The war continues for many years and Simeon captures large swaths of Byzantine land while working to educate and improve life for the Bulgarian people.

921: Rabbit's necromantic talents manifest. She is sent away from home to learn from a mentor. Though she initially resents this and is homesick, she continues to correspond by letter with Happyturtle.

924: Rabbit's mentor slain under mysterious circumstances. She flees for her life, only to be taken in by Ego Slayer. Rabbit becomes Ego's 'apprentice.'

927: Simeon's wife dies from a unknown disease. Mourning and remorseful for the bloodshed caused by his war, he attempts to end hostilities by consolodating power with an arranged marriage between Peter and Curly. Zoe rejects the offer, however, and war continues. Later that year, Peter seeks to seize the throne by attempting to poison Simeon. Horrified at his son's actions, Simeon fakes his death and renounces his vows to Tyr as a paladin, becoming the Ghost Warlock. He goes into self-imposed exile and, while away, undergoes the transformation to become an elan while studying psionics. Meanwhile, with Simeon gone, Zoe abdicates the throne of Byzantium to Curly. Curly and Peter negotiate a hasty cease-fire, freezing borders where they currently fall.

929: Ina, working to become a god, poses as a servant girl in order to get close to Peter and the throne of Bulgaria. Ghost returns from exile to assist her.

930: Rabbit attempts to murder the paladin of Sune, Mordokai.

And the rest is IStLY...

OMGWTF.
The twists! The twists!
So, Rabbit unknowingly helped to "poison" her half-brother...
And...

[Zar Peter]

Ina is my aunt????????????

And the war between Byzanz and Bulgaria... I'm quite sure squid bones are involved

[Lex-Kat]

Yes...come to me, my dear.

We have cookies.

She'll never go to you. We have cookies, cake, and a cute pixie to cook them, too.

[happyturtle]

*huggles pixie*

Yeah, but Mordy has dark armor and glowy evil eyes....

[RabbitHoleLost]

Yes. Mordokai is all sexy and evil..
And now I have to be good

On the plus side, I'm thinking of making a ship for it. So, you guys win!

[Reinholdt]

Yes. Mordokai is all sexy and evil..
And now I have to be good

On the plus side, I'm thinking of making a ship for it. So, you guys win!

Being good is worth it Rabbit. So very worth it...

[TwoBitWriter]

Yes. Mordokai is all sexy and evil..
And now I have to be good

On the plus side, I'm thinking of making a ship for it. So, you guys win!

That will be fun to read!

I'm totally looking forward to it!


And I'm more interested in the now-prostrate dryad...

[Lex-Kat]

*huggles pixie*

Yeah, but Mordy has dark armor and glowy evil eyes....

Doesn't matter. Where you go, I'll follow. I'm your loyal henchpixie for life.

[ghost_warlock]

And the war between Byzanz and Bulgaria... I'm quite sure squid bones are involved

Well, I didn't want to spoil it, but that was a major sticking point in the negotiations and one of the reasons Zoe didn't let the marriage go through.

[Zar Peter]

Well, I didn't want to spoil it, but that was a major sticking point in the negotiations and one of the reasons Zoe didn't let the marriage go through.

I'm sure during the negotiations the byzantines served Squids and Zar Peter feared to choke to death on a bone

[happyturtle]

Doesn't matter. Where you go, I'll follow. I'm your loyal henchpixie for life.

So in theory, I could have dark Mordy *and* my henchpixie?

Hmmm.....

[ghost_warlock]

Doesn't matter. Where you go, I'll follow. I'm your loyal henchpixie for life.

That reminds me... someone really needs to pick up where I left off on Reinholdt/Happyturtle @ Castle Anthrax for IStLY. Lex should totally get involved! Please, think of the catmuffins...

[CurlyKitGirl]

Due to lack of computer time in the last day or so, I haven't been able to read the new fics. I'll get around to it, probably tonight.

I other news...I present to you something I've been working on for a bit. I'm leaving a lot out here, obviously, but this details the early history of at least some of the major players. I'll add more as things progress from here.

IStLY Timeline (draft I)

Spoiler

Show

887 A.D.: Vladimir is born to Boris and his consort Maria.

895: Simeon is born to Boris and his consort Maria.

901: Ina is born to Boris and his consort Maria.

908: Simeon sent to Constantinople to study. Ina's shapechanging abilities manifest soon after he leaves; Vladimir secretly helps Ina go into hiding after she narrowly escapes being burned as a witch.

909: Boris abdicates throne to Vladimir to become a monk. Simeon returns from Constantinople as a paladin of Tyr. Simeon and Ina secretly reestablish contact.

911: Rabbit is born to Vladimir and his consort, a servant woman. Rabbit's birth takes place under inauspicious stars and priests of Tyr demand she be surrendered to them in order to "prevent a great tragedy." Vladimir refuses and begins to ostracize the church.

912: Boris returns from monastic life to depose Vladimir and assumes the throne again. Boris blinds Vladimir, sends him into exile, and tries to seize Rabbit to surrender her to the Tyr clergy but Simeon and Ina secretly smuggle her to safety. Rabbit is placed with a foster family, including a foster sister, Happyturtle. Boris places Simeon on the throne before returning to the monastery. Peter is born to Simeon and his consort, a former servant woman.

913: CurlyKitGirl is born to Empress Zoe of Byzantium and an unknown suitor.

914: Boris dies in his monastery. Vladimir is murdered while in exile, apparently by Byzantine assassins. Enraged at the apparent betrayal by his former Byzantine allies, Simeon declares war. The war continues for many years and Simeon captures large swaths of Byzantine land while working to educate and improve life for the Bulgarian people.

921: Rabbit's necromantic talents manifest. She is sent away from home to learn from a mentor. Though she initially resents this and is homesick, she continues to correspond by letter with Happyturtle.

924: Rabbit's mentor slain under mysterious circumstances. She flees for her life, only to be taken in by Ego Slayer. Rabbit becomes Ego's 'apprentice.'

927: Simeon's wife dies from a unknown disease. Mourning and remorseful for the bloodshed caused by his war, he attempts to end hostilities by consolodating power with an arranged marriage between Peter and Curly. Zoe rejects the offer, however, and war continues. Later that year, Peter seeks to seize the throne by attempting to poison Simeon. Horrified at his son's actions, Simeon fakes his death and renounces his vows to Tyr as a paladin, becoming the Ghost Warlock. He goes into self-imposed exile and, while away, undergoes the transformation to become an elan while studying psionics. Meanwhile, with Simeon gone, Zoe abdicates the throne of Byzantium to Curly. Curly and Peter negotiate a hasty cease-fire, freezing borders where they currently fall.

929: Ina, working to become a god, poses as a servant girl in order to get close to Peter and the throne of Bulgaria. Ghost returns from exile to assist her.

930: Rabbit attempts to murder the paladin of Sune, Mordokai.

And the rest is IStLY...

Sweetness. Now all we have to do is figure out where exactly all the prequels go in this.

And now, good sirs and ladies of the thread I present you with what has come before in:

Definition drabble

Outraged
Accentuate
Domicile
Alienist
Prolix
Dragoon
Ineffable
Golem
Jurisprudence
Lothario - definition drabble (sequel to Helgraf's Definition definition drabble
Exculpate
Touchstone
Prelapsarian
Remora
Kickshaw

Apologies for missing yesterdays. So I present you with yesterdays

Definition drabble

Mordokai/Mi'ir/Graf/RHL/Turtle:
Bifurcate - to divide or cause to divide into two branches or parts

Spoiler

Show

As she charged at her bewildered and furiously crying sister Turtle began to intone a call to the darkest Blood Gods. If this was to work she needed the liquid of breath. She drew her sword back and feinted a stab to Mothers’ side, and as that filthy liar dodged out of the way she drew back her fist and punched her Mother in the face. Frothy spit and blood coated her knuckles.
Grinning triumphantly she spat on her knuckles as well. "By Sekhmet, Dark Lady I split myself of familial ties. By her name I rid myself of humanity!"

And the newest
Definition drabble
Simulacrum - an insubstantial form or semblance of something : trace

Spoiler

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Stunned by her disavowal the four looked around expecting a great sign, but nothing showed the shock they felt. Only a demoness appeared, "Heknik, Sekhmets’ Servant accepts your humanity. Bear the loss with pride." And she was gone.
Turtles’ face became a chilling rictus as the childlike softness in the teenagers’ face hardened in the unfelt fires of the Ninth Circle.
Lying at her sisters’ feet RHL stared up, stricken as she realised that her sister no longer lived. Only the body . . .
"Bunny, shall we play Hide Go Seek with our friends too?"
- and the memories were the same.
"No . . ."

I was very happy when I discovered todays Word of the Day.

Now, reader, should you be over the shock of what has happened, please read on:

Falling Part One - Game Start
Falling Part Two - The Players Meet
Falling Part Three - Love Quadrangles?
Falling Part Four - Summer Lovin'

Falling Part Five - History Lessons - Curly/Mordokai/Flora/Mi'ir (ties in with Alienist and the rest of the Definition drabble series)

Spoiler

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She sighed, it was time to talk to the simpering girl - child. She was going to hate this, "Flora, do you know if something's going on between Sir Mordokai and the good Bard?" And now to add the Bashful Village Girl phrase, "It's just that they seem to really know each other and I was wondering if - " She left it hanging hoping the dryad would fill in the blanks.
And by Sekhmet, Dar Lady of War she did. Little gossip monger must've been dying to tell someone the hopefully sordid details.
"I don't know entirely, I've only known Mordokai for a year. But," and the little tease drew out to pause. Without meaning to she leant forwards in anticipation. "I know that Mi'ir and Mordokai met about five or six years ago just after Mordokai was officially proclaimed and accepted as a paladin of Sune.
"Mi'ir bumped into him on the outskirts of the great city of Sune, and surprisingly, Mordokai was hung over. A little after effect of his last night of being able to drink copiously without losing some of his paladiny - goodness; I don't really know what it's called.
"Anyway, Mi'ir decided to look after the new paladin and help him on the way; I think something else happened that day, but they don't talk about it; but Mi'ir and Mordokai just began to travel together. For the first few years Mi'ir was actually the leader, showing hm all the ropes and stuff.
"Yeah, I know it's wierd that Mi'ir actually looked after Mordokai; you woudn't guess would you from how they act now. Well, Mi'ir tells me that Mordokai was aslways like this.
"And just before I met Mordokai something happened. I . . . think it was really, really bad because Mordokai and Mi'ir split up and they've only been talking to each other for the last six months.
"I heard last night that they were planning to go see some doctor."
"Interesting, you don't think - ?"
"No, I don't think so."
She snickered, yeah right. And it was snowing in the Ninth Circle. Idly, her thoughts turned back to Floras' little lesson. There's a doctor in the woods?
"Yes, I thought that was wierd too, it seems they know the doctor though. Special visit?" Did she say that out loud? Must have. Making some excuse to the hippy- girl she left; a thought nagging her. If it was who she thought it was she'd be in trouble.
"Time to check the Demonic Database." Flicking through the infernal pages she realised why she was concerned. "Bless them! Bless them all!" With luck it'd be easy enough to pull everything off. She sighed. Time to get back to Little Miss Syrup.
"Sorry about that Flora." Deciding to use her time wisely and ply the child for more information the time passed exceedingly quickly.
The dryad titled her head to one side. "Can you hear something?" Oh. Wow. She had sharp ears.
"I tell you, she's crazy. Absolutely crazy."
"But we know her from ages ago. Before, you know, that. I thought it'd be easier if we went to RHL."
"That was nice and all Mi'ir; but we're not having . . . relationship problems. Everything's fine now."
"And I'm glad." She glanced over at Flora and smiled ever so slightly. Flora'd heard just enough to get her curious. Guess her pointy ears weren't as sharp as she'd thought. And her suspicion was verified.
At least, if something had to involve her she could connive something. Best lead them away from the danger zone for now.

[Helgraf]

Due to lack of computer time in the last day or so, I haven't been able to read the new fics. I'll get around to it, probably tonight.

I other news...I present to you something I've been working on for a bit. I'm leaving a lot out here, obviously, but this details the early history of at least some of the major players. I'll add more as things progress from here.

IStLY Timeline (draft I)

Spoiler

Show

887 A.D.: Vladimir is born to Boris and his consort Maria.

895: Simeon is born to Boris and his consort Maria.

901: Ina is born to Boris and his consort Maria.

908: Simeon sent to Constantinople to study. Ina's shapechanging abilities manifest soon after he leaves; Vladimir secretly helps Ina go into hiding after she narrowly escapes being burned as a witch.

909: Boris abdicates throne to Vladimir to become a monk. Simeon returns from Constantinople as a paladin of Tyr. Simeon and Ina secretly reestablish contact.

911: Rabbit is born to Vladimir and his consort, a servant woman. Rabbit's birth takes place under inauspicious stars and priests of Tyr demand she be surrendered to them in order to "prevent a great tragedy." Vladimir refuses and begins to ostracize the church.

912: Boris returns from monastic life to depose Vladimir and assumes the throne again. Boris blinds Vladimir, sends him into exile, and tries to seize Rabbit to surrender her to the Tyr clergy but Simeon and Ina secretly smuggle her to safety. Rabbit is placed with a foster family, including a foster sister, Happyturtle. Boris places Simeon on the throne before returning to the monastery. Peter is born to Simeon and his consort, a former servant woman.

913: CurlyKitGirl is born to Empress Zoe of Byzantium and an unknown suitor.

914: Boris dies in his monastery. Vladimir is murdered while in exile, apparently by Byzantine assassins. Enraged at the apparent betrayal by his former Byzantine allies, Simeon declares war. The war continues for many years and Simeon captures large swaths of Byzantine land while working to educate and improve life for the Bulgarian people.

921: Rabbit's necromantic talents manifest. She is sent away from home to learn from a mentor. Though she initially resents this and is homesick, she continues to correspond by letter with Happyturtle.

924: Rabbit's mentor slain under mysterious circumstances. She flees for her life, only to be taken in by Ego Slayer. Rabbit becomes Ego's 'apprentice.'

927: Simeon's wife dies from a unknown disease. Mourning and remorseful for the bloodshed caused by his war, he attempts to end hostilities by consolodating power with an arranged marriage between Peter and Curly. Zoe rejects the offer, however, and war continues. Later that year, Peter seeks to seize the throne by attempting to poison Simeon. Horrified at his son's actions, Simeon fakes his death and renounces his vows to Tyr as a paladin, becoming the Ghost Warlock. He goes into self-imposed exile and, while away, undergoes the transformation to become an elan while studying psionics. Meanwhile, with Simeon gone, Zoe abdicates the throne of Byzantium to Curly. Curly and Peter negotiate a hasty cease-fire, freezing borders where they currently fall.

929: Ina, working to become a god, poses as a servant girl in order to get close to Peter and the throne of Bulgaria. Ghost returns from exile to assist her.

930: Rabbit attempts to murder the paladin of Sune, Mordokai.

And the rest is IStLY...

Hmmm. Seems the angle of Baba Gravf and her ties to Curly and Rabbit aren't mentioned here. Bah, I say, bah!

[Destro_Yersul]

Well, Mordokai went and fell, so naturally I had to do something about that. Namely, throw a party. And possibly borrow a line from OotS for the title. Because, you know,

Evil is a Growth Industry

Mordokai/Magtok/Cristo/Reinholdt (RHL and Castaras mentioned)

Spoiler

Show

Mordokai wasn't sure what the first day of the new job would be like. He had quit his old one not so long ago, thanks to a series of irregular events, and after that fiasco these guys had been the only ones who would hire him. He pushed open the door and brushed past the receptionist, punching the elevator call button.

[hr]

He should have been here by now, you know.

Receptionist just called. He's on his way up.

See? Now be quiet, this is supposed to be a surprise.

How come whenever I get surprised I end up dying again, and whenever anyone else gets surprised it's a party?

Shut up, Magtok.

The little group in the office managed to quiet down as the elevator neared their floor. The door slipped open and Mordokai stepped out, vaguely surprised to see everyone here. Smiling. This wasn't a trap, was it?

Not in the slightest. Cristo spoke first. Good to have you, Mordokai. We would have got you a pie or something, but it was Castaras' turn to cook.

And we all know what happens when she makes pies.

We got you a sword though. Your old one was too Holy for this job.

The former paladin nodded. I expected as much. He took hold of the black blade, testing the weight. It was a good sword, no, it was better. It was an evil sword. Care to let me test it, Magtok?

No. The cyborg scowled. Clones are expensive, I'll have you know.

Mordokai laughed. Whatever you say. Now let's get down to business.

Already? You just got here. It's your first day, and we're a lot less rigid than the good guys. Have some fun! Cristo indicated the little paper cup he was holding. Punch is over by the water cooler, evil snacks are in the same place.

Alright, but where's Rabbit? I was looking forward to seeing her again. A wicked grin crossed his face, much different from the ones the old Mordokai would have used. But that was then, and this was now.

Don't know. She didn't show up today.

She called in, actually. Family crisis, or something. You'll get the chance to see her later. For now, it's party time!

Everything went well from there on in. People kept dropping by to grab some punch and give Mordokai evil greetings, and evil best wishes. A few of them stayed on to party. One of the Succubi from marketing kept winking at him, and a couple of the Death Knights from Evil Resources took it upon themselves to make sure he knew the most efficient ways to kill people slowly and which of the torture devices worked the best. Even Magtok eventually stopped worrying so much.

The party went on for most of the day, and they had to keep getting more punch and evil refreshments. It didn't matter though. It had been a great first day, and Mordokai was left wondering why he hadn't done this a long time ago.

Hey, I'd best be getting home. Once again, it's great to have you here. I look forward to us working together.

For Phil's sake, Cristo, go home already. You were supposed to be off shift hours ago.

Had to stay and give our new friend a proper welcome, didn't I? See you all later. Cristo turned and left, leaving only three of them in the room.

I'll be off too. Don't worry about Maggy over there, he always passes out when we spike his drinks with motor oil. You'd think he would have learned by now. Reinholdt grinned, waved, and then he too was gone.

Mordokai stood, debating whether or not to clean up a bit of the garbage from the party. It wasn't a hard choice to leave everything to the comatose Magtok to get rid of when he woke up, and the former paladin was shortly on his way to the exit.

Hey, can I get your advice on something? He turned and glanced over his shoulder. It was the Succubus from marketing.

What do you need?

She smiled seductively. Well, I was thinking maybe a private consultation. Come on. She turned away and headed down the hall.

Mordokai followed, grinning wickedly once again. I think I'm going to like it here...

[happyturtle]

Well, Mordokai went and fell, so naturally I had to do something about that. Namely, throw a party. And possibly borrow a line from OotS for the title. Because, you know,

Evil is a Growth Industry

Mordokai/Magtok/Cristo/Reinholdt (RHL and Castaras mentioned)

Spoiler

Show

Mordokai wasn't sure what the first day of the new job would be like. He had quit his old one not so long ago, thanks to a series of irregular events, and after that fiasco these guys had been the only ones who would hire him. He pushed open the door and brushed past the receptionist, punching the elevator call button.

<hr>

He should have been here by now, you know.

Receptionist just called. He's on his way up.

See? Now be quiet, this is supposed to be a surprise.

How come whenever I get surprised I end up dying again, and whenever anyone else gets surprised it's a party?

Shut up, Magtok.

The little group in the office managed to quiet down as the elevator neared their floor. The door slipped open and Mordokai stepped out, vaguely surprised to see everyone here. Smiling. This wasn't a trap, was it?

Not in the slightest. Cristo spoke first. Good to have you, Mordokai. We would have got you a pie or something, but it was Castaras' turn to cook.

And we all know what happens when she makes pies.

We got you a sword though. Your old one was too Holy for this job.

The former paladin nodded. I expected as much. He took hold of the black blade, testing the weight. It was a good sword, no, it was better. It was an evil sword. Care to let me test it, Magtok?

No. The cyborg scowled. Clones are expensive, I'll have you know.

Mordokai laughed. Whatever you say. Now let's get down to business.

Already? You just got here. It's your first day, and we're a lot less rigid than the good guys. Have some fun! Cristo indicated the little paper cup he was holding. Punch is over by the water cooler, evil snacks are in the same place.

Alright, but where's Rabbit? I was looking forward to seeing her again. A wicked grin crossed his face, much different from the ones the old Mordokai would have used. But that was then, and this was now.

Don't know. She didn't show up today.

She called in, actually. Family crisis, or something. You'll get the chance to see her later. For now, it's party time!

Everything went well from there on in. People kept dropping by to grab some punch and give Mordokai evil greetings, and evil best wishes. A few of them stayed on to party. One of the Succubi from marketing kept winking at him, and a couple of the Death Knights from Evil Resources took it upon themselves to make sure he knew the most efficient ways to kill people slowly and which of the torture devices worked the best. Even Magtok eventually stopped worrying so much.

The party went on for most of the day, and they had to keep getting more punch and evil refreshments. It didn't matter though. It had been a great first day, and Mordokai was left wondering why he hadn't done this a long time ago.

Hey, I'd best be getting home. Once again, it's great to have you here. I look forward to us working together.

For Phil's sake, Cristo, go home already. You were supposed to be off shift hours ago.

Had to stay and give our new friend a proper welcome, didn't I? See you all later. Cristo turned and left, leaving only three of them in the room.

I'll be off too. Don't worry about Maggy over there, he always passes out when we spike his drinks with motor oil. You'd think he would have learned by now. Reinholdt grinned, waved, and then he too was gone.

Mordokai stood, debating whether or not to clean up a bit of the garbage from the party. It wasn't a hard choice to leave everything to the comatose Magtok to get rid of when he woke up, and the former paladin was shortly on his way to the exit.

Hey, can I get your advice on something? He turned and glanced over his shoulder. It was the Succubus from marketing.

What do you need?

She smiled seductively. Well, I was thinking maybe a private consultation. Come on. She turned away and headed down the hall.

Mordokai followed, grinning wickedly once again. I think I'm going to like it here...

Yay! Love it, Destro.

[Destro_Yersul]

Glad you like it. It was way too much fun to write.

[Reinholdt]

Well made Destro. Heh. Doomed to be the villain I see.

[TwoBitWriter]

@Destro: Damn... where can I sign up to be evil...

@Curly: Holy cow!!! I hadn't realized you had written so many drabbles now... But keep them coming, they are short and sweet and I noms them!

[Lord Magtok]

The Real Fight has Just Begun

starring Nil, Mordokai, Lex, Mangosta, Helgraf, and Magtok

Spoiler

Show

*snip*

enjoy.

Awesome. Hopefully I've still got something left up my sleeve. *Prays for phony surrender*

[Dragonrider]

There are so many ongoing fics now that I'm starting to get confused about which version of which character belongs in which.

[ghost_warlock]

Hmmm. Seems the angle of Baba Gravf and her ties to Curly and Rabbit aren't mentioned here. Bah, I say, bah!

That's because I really have no idea what they are! I'd be happy to add them to the timeline if I knew, though.

So far, all I know is that Baba Gravf apparently lives somewhere under the palace and communicates with them (the other Babas) via magic mirrors fueled by blood and that Gravf has posed as Ina before and is now posing as Mordokai. I have no idea when/how they met or what their ultimate goals are.

[Helgraf]

That's because I really have no idea what they are! I'd be happy to add them to the timeline if I knew, though.

So far, all I know is that Baba Gravf apparently lives somewhere under the palace and communicates with them (the other Babas) via magic mirrors fueled by blood and that Gravf has posed as Ina before and is now posing as Mordokai. I have no idea when/how they met or what their ultimate goals are.

Yeah, that was just me being a little snarky, I fear. Sorry.

I'll go back and take a look and see where I can edit in, so to speak.

[Helgraf]

“To fight the monster, one must be the monster…” Koorli watched him leave, watched him disappear once he crossed the threshold of her influence. “Goodbye, paladin.”

And so the story ends, and the threads are lain for another tale.

Capering, falling

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Another voice, high, low, singsong; of childlike seeming.

"Broken boy, mauled man.
Spindle wound and woven
Woven warped the warper weaves"

"You're ... back."

"Did I leave? I can not tell. I cannot say. Sune's blessed gone far astray. Coney cut and cast aside. Bard's black heart rent in pride."

"So ... what happens now?"

"I observe, and chronicle, as always. What you do," Koorli simply shrugged.

Renfield approached the hut, carrying something heavy wrapped over his shoulder. "Can not fix the men. Can not make blind eyes see. Can not fill the fen. Turned blacker than night's sea." He set the bundle down carefully, unravelling the cloth to reveal the spent body of poor Celestine. His lips flared a bit, and a quiet sussurus of sound slid free as he regarded the corpse; a hand descended, stroking the fur, scritching the chin.

"No greater victim in this act I see. Than the death of this precious creature before me." He looked at Koorli wordlessly, his hands still silently stroking the cat who could no longer feel his affections.

"Not an innocent, mad childe Renfield."

"Broken, bound, benighted; for a fraction of function, for iotas of intellect; that a cat might express as a man, in words what normal lies the province of eyes, whiskers, tuft to tail."

He leaned down, regarding the cat at its own level, and murmured.

The waters of life do move as the weather
and in life as the waters, thee shall know both calm and storm
He that must embrace the storm shall soon be swept away
While he that learns to navigate shall make his own journey

Koorli, listening, regarded him with an expression of alarm.
"What are you on about, then?

He ignored her query, continuing to murmur softly to the corpse.

When thy fear has turned to anger, thee has lost thy soul
and shall make the devil laugh
But to still thy tongue and become amazed, thee begets enlightenment
and thus shall thee know bliss
Thus may one discover a craft and sail upon the waters
Thus may one discover thyself, and sail upon life.

"

"Is he talking to the cat ... or Mordokai?"

"Can you make life without breaking it?" The question hung in the air, for a time answered only by the soft sounds of the fire.

"What are you?"

"What are you? What am I? As the swallows swiftly fly, as the daisies slowly die. I. What am I? One broken? One whole? One hole, broken. Mine the mind mined. Is it a bind? Am I bound, but free, freely caught, freshly given, never sought?

I am ... in search of a broken man! He is me, but I am free, not I, not he, where go shall we?"

Serpentine cocked her head slightly. "If I understand you right, then I would go with you."

But that, children ... is another tale for another time

Footnote

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I cannot claim credit for the italicized text; it comes from one of several of the 'maps' from Wizardry VII (Crusaders of the Dark Savant). It is, however, like most of them, astonishingly fitting in the right contexts.

[Reinholdt]

As one lost in the collateral of Mordokai's fall, I'll cling to any hope I can for him. Even Helgraf's mad ramblings. Though, more likely I misunderstood the intent entirely.
*latches onto story and doesn't let go*

((I will be watching this with great interest Helgraf. It was well written.))

[Helgraf]

A slightly updated timeline
Adds in information pertinent to Baba Gravf and establishes minor details regarding Baba Curly (aka Empress Curly) and Rabbit.

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868 A.D.: Illema Gordosky is born.

881 A.D.: Illema is 'discovered' by an agent of the Baba Spoleczenstwo; as all girls of such ability are, she is taken in and apprenticed in the rites and rituals of the hag witches.

887 A.D.: Vladimir is born to Boris and his consort Maria.

891 A.D.: Illema is accepted into the pact and becomes Baba Gravf. She is inserted into the Czar's Palace and instructed to observe the succession and ensure the pact is maintained.

895: Simeon is born to Boris and his consort Maria.

901: Ina is born to Boris and his consort Maria.

908: Simeon sent to Constantinople to study. Ina's shapechanging abilities manifest soon after he leaves; Vladimir secretly helps Ina go into hiding after she narrowly escapes being burned as a witch. Baba Gravf attempts to contact Ina to test her for candidacy, but is blocked; the Spoleczenstwo decides the risk is too great - their political position is not yet strong enough to manipulate the Czar.

909: Boris abdicates throne to Vladimir to become a monk. Simeon returns from Constantinople as a paladin of Tyr. Simeon and Ina secretly reestablish contact.

911: Rabbit is born to Vladimir and his consort, a servant woman. Rabbit's birth takes place under inauspicious stars and priests of Tyr demand she be surrendered to them in order to "prevent a great tragedy." Vladimir refuses and begins to ostracize the church.

912: Boris returns from monastic life to depose Vladimir and assumes the throne again. Boris blinds Vladimir, sends him into exile, and tries to seize Rabbit to surrender her to the Tyr clergy but Simeon and Ina secretly smuggle her to safety. Rabbit is placed with a foster family, including a foster sister, Happyturtle. Boris places Simeon on the throne before returning to the monastery. Peter is born to Simeon and his consort, a former servant woman.

913: CurlyKitGirl is born to Empress Zoe of Byzantium and an unknown suitor.

914: Boris dies in his monastery. Vladimir is murdered while in exile, apparently by Byzantine assassins. Enraged at the apparent betrayal by his former Byzantine allies, Simeon declares war. The war continues for many years and Simeon captures large swaths of Byzantine land while working to educate and improve life for the Bulgarian people.

921: Rabbit's necromantic talents manifest. She is sent away from home to learn from a mentor. Though she initially resents this and is homesick, she continues to correspond by letter with Happyturtle. Baba Gravf has Rabbit observed. She is taught in secret some of the Baba lores, but her stance on necromancy will drive a wedge between them. Meanwhile, in Byzantium, Curly is inducted by one of the Babas amongst the Byzantines. Due to her political position, exceptions to the standards of training are necessary; however, showing the spark so young demands that the effort be made, lest her talents be lost to zza. Her personality and that of Baba Gravf conflict considerably, and she quietly rebels as much as she can while still maintaining face.

924: Rabbit's mentor slain under mysterious circumstances. She flees for her life, only to be taken in by Ego Slayer. Rabbit becomes Ego's 'apprentice.'

927: Simeon's wife dies from a unknown disease. Mourning and remorseful for the bloodshed caused by his war, he attempts to end hostilities by consolodating power with an arranged marriage between Peter and Curly. Zoe rejects the offer, however, and war continues. Later that year, Peter seeks to seize the throne by attempting to poison Simeon. Horrified at his son's actions, Simeon fakes his death and renounces his vows to Tyr as a paladin, becoming the Ghost Warlock. He goes into self-imposed exile and, while away, undergoes the transformation to become an elan while studying psionics. Meanwhile, with Simeon gone, Zoe abdicates the throne of Byzantium to Curly. Curly and Peter negotiate a hasty cease-fire, freezing borders where they currently fall.

929: Ina, working to become a god, poses as a servant girl in order to get close to Peter and the throne of Bulgaria. Ghost returns from exile to assist her.

930: Rabbit attempts to murder the paladin of Sune, Mordokai.

[ghost_warlock]

Awesome, chilling-yet-inspiring fic Helgraf. Also, I've updated the archive with your additions to the timeline.

Also, I'm going to stick this in there, too:

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