SpiralNemesis, The Reader

Member Since

3/7/2023

Last Activity

4/24/2023 10:29 PM

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23

Post Count

28

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0

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Marauder

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Yo! Just your average nerd who enjoys teen turtle mutants, karate fighting bugmen, teams of colored heroes in spandex (Japanese or American!) and other such things. Age: 21 Gender: Male

Recent Posts

Do you enjoy playing social deduction games? on 3/20/2023 6:49:56 PM
A "social deduction" game is something like Mafia or Werewolf, where an uninformed majority needs to find and vote out an informed minority while the minority eliminates players.

Tower of the Dragon on 3/20/2023 5:05:45 PM
REWORKED OPENING CHAPTER: -------------------------------------- People couldn't decide if there was an ill omen that could have predicted the events of that day, or if it started like any other. Maybe the wind was a touch colder than it should be for such a nice spring day. Maybe animals seemed to be on edge for some unseen reason. But the day went on, especially when there was a parade to happen. It was the anniversary of the founding of the Kingdom of Eventide by its first ruler some 300 years ago, and the royal family was going to parade through the streets, along with an entourage of knights for protection, and several acrobats, jesters, dancers, musicians, and much more. Families planned big meals later in the day to enjoy, children would play games in the streets, and it would be a fun day for all, much like it always was. And it started out much like those previous years. Firstly, the entertainers of the group started out the parade in advance, dancing and playing music and entertaining the people standing roadside. Then, knights on horseback would begin their advance, followed directly by a float holding the royal family: King Edmund, his wife Queen Beatrice, and the crown princess, Millia. Behind them were more knights, and then those whose job it was to clean up the aftermath of the parade, from the confetti to the droppings of the horses. The parade was halfway underway when tragedy struck. At first, the sky simply darkened, and people worried it might have to stop midway through because of rain. If only that was what happened. As the sky drew darker, thunder began to clap, and then suddenly... HE appeared. It felt like lightning struck the float itself, and in a way it did, the way he appeared in a flash of light and sound. On the float, a figure appeared. A black cloak enrobed him, with the one thing breaking it up being some sort of necklace or amulet around his neck-a gold one with a large ruby in the center of it. The figure spoke, with a strangely soft voice, though still an obviously masculine one. "Good morning, King Edmund. My name is Alkaid. I am a wizard of some power and knowledge, come here with an... offer of sorts, to you and your kingdom." Alkaid held up a hand, and the storm froze as if time had stopped. The clouds still hung darkly above, but the wind and thunder disappeared. Then, he pulled back his cloak's hood, revealing his face. It was a handsome face and a young one. His dark hair was cut short, and he had a smile that, on the surface, seemed calm and friendly. But it didn't reach his eyes. His eyes were red much like his ruby amulet, and you could see malice and dark determination inside of them, no matter how friendly he tried to make himself appear with his tone of voice and his smile. King Edmund stood up and stepped forward, looking serious. "Guards, seize this man!" Alkaid sighed and then snapped his fingers. The guards around the float who had been scrambling to climb up to the stage froze in place, twitching and trying their best to move but were unable to, as though they were paralyzed. "I am not your enemy, King Edmund. I am sorry that I have gotten off on the wrong foot. But I assure you, I have nothing but your best interests in mind. Just hear my proposal out, and I can assure you, nothing worse will happen than your guard getting some slight cramping." King Edmund bit his lip and then nodded. "What is this proposal you have in mind?" "You see, I am aware of this kingdom's history. About the great magic power that your ancestor gained via his pact with the Spirit Lord. The power that has appeared on and off through his descendants has guided this kingdom to prosperity. That now appears, almost as strong as the original form, in your daughter." It was no great secret that Millia was in possession of magical abilities: in addition to being tutored in conventional subjects like history and mathematics, Millia was also receiving tutoring from the court wizard Althion, in order to learn to control her talents. She had hoped to eventually use these talents, once she became Queen, to make life easier for her subjects: bringing good weather in to help crops grow, healing the sick, and other such feats. "My request is rather simple... I wish to study the princess's powers. By understanding the nature of the pact, and the powers it grants, the study of magic will be set forward by years. Perhaps the effects could be replicated, or enhanced. I promise to share my research with you first, of course. I would even assist you in using this magic. Just imagine the potential! You could conquer your neighbors, rule over Winterbright and Hinode, and then spread your domain even further!" "...and what makes you think that I would enjoy such a thing? I have good relations with Winterbright and Hinode." Edmund remained stalwart and cool-headed as he addressed the wizard. "Every king desires power. It's simply a nature of the position." Alkaid said with a slightly bemused air as if he knew some joke that Edmund didn't. Alkaid looked at the fingernails of his right hand idly, almost bored when suddenly there was a bright flash, and two figures appeared by Edmund's side: Althion, the court wizard, and Gareth, the captain of the guard. "I can sense your aura, 'young' man, and your soul is as black as pitch." Althion's voice was calm and measured but hid angry steel, as the middle aged-wizard lifted his staff towards Alkaid. Gareth drew his sword and advanced slowly. "Besides, the king already has a wizard. Unless you had forgotten about me in all your research?" Alkaid sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I had truly hoped to get this over with quickly and peacefully, but you've forced my hand." Alkaid stamped one foot on the ground and shadows stretched out from underneath his cloak, covering the ground with speed. One slid its way to Millia's chair, and as she tried to get up, dark hands clamped onto her legs, holding her in place. A second shadow did much the same to Gareth, and others attempted to slide their way to the King, Queen, and Althion, but he tapped his staff on the ground quickly and a yellow circle quickly surrounded the three, blocking the shadows. "I will be taking the captain as... insurance. If all goes well with my research, the princess and the captain will be returned safe and sound. So, please, do not disturb me." Alkaid stamped again, and he and his two prisoners sank into their shadowy holes, slowly. Althion reached out, attempting some kind of spell, but Alkaid seemed to deflect or disarm it with a wave of his hand. Gareth screamed out: "Alkaid, I will have your head, I swear!" Meanwhile, Millia, kind and compassionate as she was, let out a plea: "I have faith in you all, my subjects. Faith that good will triumph over evil. Be strong in my absence!" And then, in an instant, the three disappeared. The dark clouds in the sky might have disappeared, but they were replaced with dark clouds in the hearts of the people. They had lost their kind and caring princess, and their most skilled and brave knight to a mysterious dark wizard. Something had to be done. ------------------------------ In turning Mizar into Alkaid, I shifted his motivations away from wanting a bride and powerful, magically adept children to a more general Evil Research vibe. I have Althion intervene earlier, as well. Now that the contest is over, hopefully more people are free to critique.

What music do you listen to? on 3/16/2023 2:03:15 AM
Hey, "Uptown Girl" is absolutely a jam, I'll get down to it any day, same with "Radio Gaga" and "Life In The Fast Lane".

What music do you listen to? on 3/16/2023 2:02:27 AM
I've only listened to OK Computer in full from Radiohead, nothing from Muse, but I have listened to a lot of JRPG soundtracks.

What music do you listen to? on 3/15/2023 3:57:24 PM
You can go by genre or by artist, if you'd like. Recently, I've been checking out the sadly-now-broken-up Brockhampton group. They had some great beats and fun flows. I've also been getting more into Tyler, The Creator.

Tower of the Dragon on 3/10/2023 6:28:46 PM
Also, no item management, HP or combat system. Only variables are binary things that track which companions you have.

How do you feel about Zodiac signs? on 3/10/2023 5:02:06 PM
Funnily enough you are not the first person I've heard of who mentioned that in response to a fortune telling method (though the previous person was talking about tarot instead).

Tower of the Dragon on 3/10/2023 4:43:35 PM
Definitely planning at least a few rewrites: I do see how the dialogue could come across as clunky, certainly. Plus, kingdom name, maybe some extra flavor, and possibly having the actual protag be a part of it to be added.

How do you feel about Zodiac signs? on 3/10/2023 1:25:56 AM
Now, before you call me a pagan or whatever, I'll state my beliefs up front: I don't believe the stars decide our destiny or anything. If I have a newspaper I'll look up my horoscope for a lark, and I do think that they can make for a good story motif or a decent underpinning for a magic system or just neat names for a Group of Things, but nothing more than that. I'm a Scorpio via Western astrology, and a Metal Snake by Eastern.

Tower of the Dragon on 3/9/2023 11:17:38 PM
Just realized that I changed my mind mid-post with Hrothgar's name but didn't catch me calling him Konrad initially lol. Eh, you make mistakes, you get replies and then you have to correct them in another post later, c'est la vie.