Ambrosia Software Web Board: Through the Looking Glass - Ambrosia Software Web Board

O Mirror Mirror on the Wall, tell us who is the wordiest of all! (This list was compiled for a total of 135 posts.)

By total number of words:
33,037 iKaterei
25,735 Ragnar0k
19,586 Avatara
19,065 Selax
12,223 Two Jacks
8,896 The Wizard
3,546 Dark Jet
2,130 Jehezekel
1,767 adam_0
1,465 ~vIsitor~
138 Mackilroy
127,588 Total


Average number of words/post:
3,676 Ragnar0k
1,222 Two Jacks
1,152 Avatara
1,139 iKaterei
890 The Wizard
884 adam_0
636 Selax
591 Dark Jet
293 ~vIsitor~
138 Mackilroy
118 Jehezekel
945 Average

I have been able to get a post up, and I hope to be able to be a bit more active over the next couple of weeks. (I will also attempt to get Wizard to post sometime soon.)


Incidentally, Tale of the Treasure has more posts than DM, although I think the word-count is probably quite a bit smaller. In addition, this OoC topic is the second longest topic on the Cythera Web Board (the longest being Tavern continued with 441 posts).

DUN DUN DUN!

I like your post, Nezmy! I feel bad for poor Yomu :(

My post ends with the group confronting alt-Wizard. The only thing that I wish to specify concerning the fight is that alt-Wizard does escape at the end of it; other than that, how the fight proceeds is being left open.

Phew, that post was a long time coming!

I took a few liberties with Wizard's spellcasting, but somehow he hasn't been around for me to pester him with questions. The battle is also not necessarily over; I'm sure an evil magical overlord has more than one trick up his sleeve. It'd be a great time for someone else in the group to write about their character in more detail, maybe Shanadar or the non-evil Wizard, or Silverfish or Talos if their writers are still lurking?

/me denies lurking :p

How could you be lurking when you have an informant?


Athes is a demon character, I could go into more of his back story later if needed/wanted. As for if I keep using him the future, maybe.

His description: Bottom of the list (and if anyone has better pictures I could see I'd be grateful, or at least a description from the game), http://www.ambrosiasw.com/forums/index.php...ost&id=5260

Weapon is the one this kid's holding here, as far as I know it's called a swallow for whatever reason, Athes's looks like the one in the picture except it's made of obsidian. You may be able to tell that it's all one piece with leather covering the metal/whatever in the middle for a grip.

As far as his abilities I'd say it's like a normal demon from Cythera, but resistance to fire and a more technical fighting style combined with the higher strength of demons in general. That being said, it wouldn't be too much of a challenge for Athes to take out a normal demon from Cythera.

Well, after a lot of saying I might, I did. Enjoy

Nice to see you in TSs again, Moonshadow .

First thing I'll say is that it's been near on four months since I've looked at a post. I'm going to read everything I missed before even thinking about posting again.

My best friend irl, Jason, was a really big fan of these TSes and he'd been following them pretty religiously for the last three years or so. On the boards he took the name Kujaku777. Eventually. But I don't think he ever posted here specifically. He was content to be one of several people I know who visit just to read your stories.

Jason's actually one of the better writers I've had a chance to know and write with. Most of what we came up with didn't make it to any web-board. We emailed the chapters to a half dozen readers bi-weekly. Which was a lot of fun. In real life Jim was a larger than life figure: tall, dark, handsome, popular. Briefly a soldier, later a minister. He was also my Nemesis in all things.

Almost four months ago he passed away. The last piece of writing I wrote since was his eulogy. Something I was going to read in front of the 200+ people who came to honor him. Something I spent more than a day crafting. Something that was mysteriously erased from my i-touch on the walk through the church to the dais. I remember being stunned. Looking from the blank screen, to the coffin, and then to all those expectant people who wanted to know what his best friend had to say about him. I remember sighing and muttering under my breathe, "Jim, you bastard. I know you did this." And then I had to wing the speech off the top of my head.

I think it went well. There were tears and a standing applause when I finished. His family thanked me greatly and asked that I stay for dinner. And maybe, just maybe, there was a grin on his sleeping face I hadn't noticed before. Maybe it was the lighting.

I tried to get Jason to jump in on the Cythera fun for a long time. He was happier as a spectator though. I pretty much walked away from writing after it happened. But, I realize he might still be happy as a spectator. And if that's right I'm sort of obligated to put on a show, aren't I? So I'm going to catch up on what I've missed. And if I'm welcome to it I'll see if I can manage getting a post in edge-wise.

Good to be back around by the way, I'm glad you're all still at it.

I'm sorry to hear that, R0k (and slightly weirded out to hear other people can understand our stories enough to be entertained). I can understand why it might be hard for you to start writing again.

Even though your last post in DM was nearly a year ago, this being the warped time-reality of the Cythera forums, you probably haven't missed as much as you think you have (I think we've gone a whole...twelve hours in story time). You'll find that your characters are mostly as you left them - the Daemons, Seralcard, the Hand, and the others lurking in the shadows.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. That's what the OoC topic is here for.

Welcome back.


P.S. You sounded surprised that we were still going, but you shouldn't have been! At this rate we'll be writing this story five years from now! *cue image of Katerei writing a post while she waits for the bus to come back from Kindergarten.*

Edit: Apparently BMW wants me to revise my earlier assessment and say the "Demons are mostly intact...probably." I don't know if anybody is sure.

This post has been edited by Avatara: 17 January 2011 - 10:50 PM

It looks like I'll be posting tonight. To make up for a long absence this post accounts for the whereabouts of all my characters and ties in with current goings-on. It's another long one, we're at 8.5 now, so maybe I'll write cliff notes for people who don't have that kinda time? We'll see how it goes when it's done.

EDIT: If no one objects I'm about to end the fight in the throne room.

This post has been edited by Ragnar0k: 18 January 2011 - 11:55 PM

Over 4,500 words so... cliff notes? Spoilers so spoiler text. Also I lack ability to summarize, so lengthy notes. Okay here we go:

Chapter 1 - Beneath Cademia



Chapter 2 - The Old Houses



Chapter 3 - The throne room



Chapter 4 - The Old Houses

This is a response to rag's latest DM-TS post so don't read it if you don't want spoilers.

Chapter 1 - Beneath Cademia

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As I wrote it in my Athes post, most of the Demon army was killed off. If you want all of it, then that's fine and I don't think there'll be any complaints. As of now there should only be Athes, Blackhorn and a few other demons scattered around the outskirts of Cademia, killing each other or what not.

Can't be killed? I don't know about that. I mean how did the human armies get through then, and everyone else, if there are these terrible hell spawn running a muck? Also this could potentially hinder some of my own ideas, so if you're firm on having them being indestructible, I'd like to at least proposing making them very week combat wise, as to provide some kind of balance.

I don't know if having demons know about Gallahad is logical at this point since I made it so Athes didn't see who took command because he was in the back of the troops, and in the cave in I made the middle section of troops disappear with a small fraction of those taking up the back escape. If they knew then it would be strange that Athes didn't.

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It was written so that when the Golem took damage, the chunks turned into a dust cloud that would explode with a spark, but I guess it's not that big a deal.

Also I'm not sure but I think Wizard want to do something at the end of this fight?

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But how did Galahad even know he'd be there? Did he go searching around Cademia in broad daylight?

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Firecat can't actually 'track' anyone unless they're week minded and the leave powerful thoughts unprotected. Actually I'm not sure if he can track people at all, he might be able to detect how close someone is to another.


I'm gonna say that while I have all the above problem with the the post and maybe how Firecat was used (for instance in the scene where Jacob can't contact him, if we could talk about that it'd be great), it was a good post to read. But if you could drop by irc sometime or something that be nice.

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Nope

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They didn't "get through". The monsters are confined underground. They can't move far from Rythan's bone portal. Unless the portal is complete. Which would lead to that nightmarish 21st day I wrote about way back.

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My bad. If you've got plans concerning Rythan or the caverns he hides in do you want to chat about them in PM? I don't have nearly the time I used to for irc.

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They aren't all that strong to begin with, only as tough to handle as a ruffian, undead, or other minor enemy. Also, when exposed to light they stop regenerating and remain "dead" until the light is removed. The danger comes from their numbers, how they don't feel pain, how they turn into other monsters if you tear them apart, and how they won't stop coming after you (unless you escape the caves).

I'm not introing stronger versions till later. But in any event caves = bad for anybody.

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When I wrote in the demons initially there weren't all that many Daemon's to begin with. If we had Feral, Biter, Tartarus, Black-Horn, and a dozen others that would have been a lot. But after your post I decided to roll with your interpretation instead of correcting you. Knowledge of Galahad though I'm going to have to stick with, unless Athes had no questions about why Feral died or why they were going to the caves in the first place.

Also, in my own posts, Black-Horn had no clue that a chunk of his own went missing. But again, I'll roll with what you've got if you can roll with me.

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I did not realize this, I'm sorry about that.

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This is entirely possible. Unfortunately he didn't say so Fortunately such a thing can be written in since I left the post open enough.

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I don't even know what to tell you here, that's why I said it didn't matter. Much earlier in the story I literally wrote and posted a chapter where Galahad was staying at the castle, looking out over a balcony and reminiscing about his past. I didn't write with him for a long while and then the castle became a big focus of attention between the assassination attempt, the heroes showing up, and alt-wizard replacing the judge. So I continued not writing with Galahad because any confrontation with alt-wizard would gum up my writing and possibly that of Wizard and Selax.

If you want you could assume the assassination brought so much attention to the castle that Galahad slipped away that night. I have made no mention of Galahad knowing where alt-Wizard was hiding because he does not know this information. Whatever private, inside-voice explanation anyone wants to give for him being in the castle before most of the heroes got to Cademia and then not being in the castle at some point in the days to follow is fine. I'm literally not going to write one.

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I wasn't sure he could, which is why it was in the OoC and not the main post. I was just throwing in random examples.

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That wasn't Jacob unable to reach Firecat, that was Ral. And the reason he couldn't was because Rythan was standing right next to him disabling all telepathy and the like by proximity. I worried (rightly) that Rythan's responsibility for this might not be understood which is why I said "x,y, and z can't happen next to Rythan" in the OoC.

I appreciate the compliment and the criticism. I haven't been around or written in a long while so there's probably a lot to iron out.

EDIT

I should have seen issues with "unkillable monsters". Now that it has my attention I'll explain/justify.

Undead things are scary to you and I, or any normal person, why?

Because they want to eat us, we can't reason with them, and we can't kill them*.

*Unless we can do severe damage to their heads or tear them into small pieces.

Average people are not equipped for this. Even above average people can't do it against large numbers. Which means running away is the best choice.

So what kind of creature would Cytheran heroes fear that way?

Not undead, clearly. Most of the heroes could cut a swath through a mob of zombies with little trouble.

But what if your hero couldn't kill something? What if, no matter what they did, the thing kept getting up and rushing them? What if it was very dark when and where this happened and the thing had lots of friends?

In this situation the hero is "reduced" to a normal person and must react like a normal person. Meaning avoid fighting altogether or run away. Exactly the effect I'm looking for.

The things that go into the portal (which I keep calling a dark mirror in post) come out like that. If he finishes his ritual what's on the other side of the portal will just spill out into Cythera and spread like wildfire. The whole premise of Seralcard's story is, "That needs to not happen."

This post has been edited by Ragnar0k: 19 January 2011 - 10:14 AM

Man Italics.

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I think I may be confused as to what this portal is then. I was assuming you meant it as the link between Cythera and AltCythera, but from your description it seems like it's a passage into another dimension full of creatures from some kind of nightmare. If it's the latter than I have no problems since I have no plans for it.

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I assumed when Black-Horn took command, it happened somewhat privately, with the lower demons not knowing who had killed Feral (only that it was a man) and not questioning it.

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So he and the actual judge were just kickin' it? (Also the judge's estate doesn't have a balcony. )

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Ok, sorry for the mix up and thanks for the clarification. Logically though Firecat should be able to determine it was Rythan and Gallahad who attacked if he's at all aware of Rythan's negating abilities and the testimony of Scry, since who else could it be?

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It's not quite what you call 'reducing to a normal human.' In that situation it's a normal playing field, but in this one you're proposing the enemies are much strong that the heroes could possible, it's more like they're insects. If it were really a more human environment, then the only thing that would be negated would be the fighting abilities, and instead the heroes (or villans) would have to think their way out of such a challenge.

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Yea, this portal has nothing to do with the one the alts used. I could get into exactly what it is but the explanation is long and boring, nightmare dimension is close enough.

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I can't blame you for assuming that since I didn't specify. And since I didn't specify that Athes (or any particular Daemon) knew this or that it's perfectly okay if you want to keep him in the dark about Galahad and such.

As for any other Daemons I will leave their knowledge (or lack of) up to whoever wants to write them, if anyone takes an interest in doing that.

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Yes? And they've remodeled in the years since the game ended? I never played so specific structural details are outside my knowledge. When I wrote Galahad in there I planned on explaining how he'd gained the confidence of one of the mages later, but after everything happened in the other posts I figured the point was mute. At this time in the story I don't think the hows and whos of Galahad's very short Castle stay are all that important.

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I was banking on Firecat figuring that out, eventually. Since Rythan is assumed dead I didn't think that would be Firecat's very first guess though. Maybe a little investigation through his pawns might be in order to confirm that sort of suspicion.

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Your logic is accurate, if less flattering than mine. The heroes/villains are not meant to be on anything close to a level playing field with the monsters underground. Meaning that (those of them capable of fear) should be afraid of the creatures if a confrontation happens. In the face of these things characters should feel helpless regardless of martial skill or power set. That's the tone I want to set. Rythan's portal has to be closed or a massive army of those monsters will eventually surge to the surface and there won't be a thing anyone can do to stop them.

I edited the post for anyone who wants to read it. Specifically the chapter "The Throne Room" has been redone with a bit of every idea mentioned in IRC. It's over a thousand words longer so hopefully there's something for everybody.

How would Firecat know its Rythan blocking Ral from reaching him? From Firecat's side, unless he was actively trying to reach Ral or Krys at that moment, he'd never know that there was a failed attempt to contact him. It'd be the same as if they hadn't tried to reach him.

Avatara, on 19 January 2011 - 11:03 PM, said:

That's what happened. Firecat's referring to someone else in that post, and doesn't bring up his conclusions about Rythan at all, probably talk about it in my next post.

I agree maybe it could be made a bit more clear? Well he's referring to the person who set all the traps for the hand.

Okay people, here is a tentative character update. It is up for debate and discussion if anyone disagrees or has a better idea they want to toss in the mix.

After some discussion in IRC the following characters have been revealed to be Alternates of player characters or NPCs.

Krys is Retsy’s Alter
Scry is the Alter of Niobe (daughter of Helen, from Pynx)
Kain is the evil version of Thersites, honorable Captain of the guard in Odemia
Ral is actually... The mirror version of Pelops, owner of Flax farm.
Galahad was born Malis, successor to House Attis in Alternate Cythera.

Time and circumstance have changed these characters to make them different from the people Cythera's heroes once knew. Down at the very core though there should be underlying similarities.

I thought Retsy was like eight years old.

Avatara, on 20 January 2011 - 09:39 PM, said:

The answer is full of spoilers

I warned you, Tyry!