Creative license.  Mad Mardigen has nothin' on Gib.

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... She cannot act on the impulses she feels right now

I did know why Kithran did what she did.

Just as I know what Aranwen would do if she could move... And it is not pretty

That was a hard post to write... but there it is, anyway.

Good stuff all around, folks! Such a pleasure to have shared in this will all of you talented people! Now, someone fix the kitty so he can eat Kith... you know... to save her from the clutches of evil!  

Yeah... 

This is the most compelling story I could imagine telling in this siutuation.  It is.

But man, it is ripping me up to read. 

Despite sobbing just a little bit on the bus a minute ago, and hating myself just a little bit more for *gestures to betraying everyone* it's been a sincere pleasure for me to write and play with you all on this jovial little adventure as well!

Olan and I have had several conversations along these lines, like "oh yeah, this is going to rip our hearts out and be teeerrrriiibbllllllle . . . But . . . We're doing this for fun?"

I, breebles, think and am rooting for you guys to survive, but no matter what happens, to me a fun and interesting story is one that has the ability to futz with your emotions. This one has truly done that for me--granted my experience has been a little different than all of yours, but I hope you all feel the same way too.

tl;dr I like you guys a LOT, and I hope that despite the ish, you've gotten as much enjoyment out of this sex ghoul/necro slitch game as I have.

And thank you Olan for providing us with such as unique, heartbreaking, and (for me at least ) incredibly fun experience.

I have several times commented how gutting this is going to be... for... fun?

I don't think that I could begin to explain this game to non-RPG people.  Maybe they could understand, to some level, the fun of people doing a collaborative adventure or whatnot.  But all of these bad feelings for make believe folks... I think that I would have people casually slide as far from me as possible.

And seriously, my search history to help make Kith's situation believable is just... no. 

(hi there, FBI!  Seriously, I promise, this was all a creative writing thing!  I still don't have any women chained in a cellar somewhere, nor do I have any intention of ever doing such a thing!)

In all honesty, and for all the death and darkness, this has to have been one of the more fun (not "fun?" ) romps I have embarked upon! The plot, the players, the passion, and even the pain have been fantastic! If I never play again (which I will, of course) I can say, without a doubt, that I participated in one of the absolute BEST RPs ever and point to this game!

You people did that! And I love you all for it!

It has been quite a ride. I am glad to have shared this experience with everyone. Though I would also advise against this style of story in the future - it takes very sturdy and devoted players to be willing to write a bad ending without feeling as though the investment was a waste. 

On a related note...

Aranwen has been fighting with survivor's guilt for thirty years before the last - for her to survive now, with all that has happened... That is the last thing she wants.

Don't say that, Rer! 

Let's survive this, then have Ch'dau and Ara retire to some obscure corner of Antaron and live like hermits.

That's a long read, Olan. Good too. 

I'm on the edge of my chair waiting for the next battle scene to emerge. Got me some results to read!

The last thing I want is for anyone to feel that this was a waste of time.  Well, that, and perhaps for them to have simply not enjoyed it. 

The first of three flashback posts from me is up (breebles already posted one last night, in the form of "Gratuitous Pt 2").  I will make the battle follow up post, but obviously, everyone needs a full chance to post first.  We need to know what Cedric plans to do, as lives very literally hang on his actions.



If I may, please allow me to take this opportunity to explain things. 

The plot I've been carrying around for an actual decade called for the adventurers to intercede on the behalf of an NPC, to save her from Davena en route to trying to save the world.  The plot was so very unsettling - or so I thought - with the disgusting rape ghouls, the bastard child of a god serving as an anchor to allow him to manifest in the world, etc.  Judging from the revulsion in the players back in the cabin when the woodsman's wife was raped by a ghoul, at how it went with Kith's earlier near miss, I felt that I had this twisted thing all figured out.

And then, some really bad tactical mistakes were made, and the party was going to die in the woods.  I didn't want the game to end that way; death or no, a TPK just felt so hollow. 

So I changed things.  Added the deux ex machina of Davena and Garn saving the party.  "But why would they do such a thing?" I asked myself.  "That's just silly.  They KNOW the party are a threat to their operation.  Why save them?"

What if Davena had reason to believe that Kithran were the young woman they had been seeking? 

So there it was.  Kith would be kidnapped.  The game would be ratcheted up

Breebles and I got to collaborating on Kith's torture, but at this point, the plan was still to have the party fight their way in to save her. 

And then... the Muse grabbed both of us.  Bree started talking about researching brainwashing and cults, linked me to a psychologist writing on how brainwashing occured.  It became apparent that in a fantasy world, with access to magic - particularly the sort of magic that would enable a torturer to push someone beyond the limits their bodies could take in the real world via divine healing - brainwashing would likely be an easier outcome. 

What if, by the time the party arrived, Kith had been brainwashed, if she betrayed them?

The layers and depth of emotional power that this added just begged to be brought to life.  And so... here we are. 


Again, I sincerely hope that, as dark and twisted and awful as this tale has become, that you all enjoy it.  Thank you all so very much; without the incredible level of play we have enjoyed since Reralae and Raven stepped in - to go with the incredible level of play that breebles brought - to go with the incredible level of play that Bromern and Eol have given from day one - this sort of story would have never been possible.  Or, at the least, the real emotional impact would not have happened, as we wouldn't have cared for the characters like we do now.

Oh... My... Rrowl!!!  

My poor Little Kitten! 

My stomach literally hurts, right now!

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Personally, as much as it hurt to see happen, the "twist" with Kithran was incredible, imo, and added soooo much more weight to all of this! I don't know that a better result could have come from the original plan, really! Kudos to you, Olan, for taking that particular turn and, kudos to breebls, as well, for fueling the fire!

I told you that it would be bad.  I'm sorry.

The Tara/Davena confusion as the pain and emotional anguish wash through Kithran is some of the best roleplaying I've ever seen in my life.