RE: The Ballad of Adler Young, Canto 2.5
11-30-2022, 03:08 PM
>As Adler heads towards the door he fails to notice a number of his audience watching him very intently. After he closes the door a few minutes pass and the conspiratorial whispering begins.
>"Is he gone?"
>"Yes. Did you swap his tie?"
>"I did. Are you sure this will work?"
>"Of course. That tie came from the Kringle himself. It bears an enchantment forged of pure Christmas magic, ancient and primeval. It functions as a tracking device. No matter where he hides the Kringle will know exactly where he is. Not only that, but if he tries to pook at any point he'll be sent directly to the Kringle's workshop."
>"Excellent. And if this succeeds-"
>"The Kringle will deliver on his end of the bargain. Oscar Meyer Wiener Whistles for all of us."
>"But I wanted a bag of thirty silver pieces."
>"Quiet, someone's coming."
>The temporary story teller enters the room and is taken aback by how "intense" the audience seems. After an awkward introduction, the story continues.
>Adler: As the coven shuffles about nervously while the ixies play their part, you peer over the edge to get a sense of what you've got to work with. They are pretty much exactly what you imagined. A group of awkward teenage social outcasts wearing too much black and too much makeup. Also some of them have really bad posture. Hopefully your influence can whip them into shape.
>Ixies: One of you yells for the others to be quiet. You all go silent as if listening for something. One of you exclaims that "He is approaching" while another shouts for you all to flee. Fly, Sisters, Fly! Lest you suffer your lord's righteous fury! Within moments you are all gone and the circle is tensely quiet.
>Adler: Perfect! They did perfectly! Now to just wait for a little bit and let the dramatic tension build. You observe the now frightened coven of wannabe witches.
>Coven: One of you begins shaking like a leaf while pulling on the sleeve of another. "I'm really scared. It was a bad idea to come here. This is too much. Can we please leave? I just want to go home..." The rest of you begin mumbling to each other, not as sure as you were when you first planned this excursion.
>Adler: Okay, that's enough waiting! You didn't expect them to get scared this quickly. Perhaps your original plan isn't a good idea anymore. No. No second thoughts. You need to fast track these people onto the path of righteousness. Trial by fire is necessary. Jump in before they leave.
>Adler: With a bright flash and billowing white smoke you step forward as a cloud of butterflies disperses from behind you. You glow with divine light and your eyes burn with holy fire. You have given yourself an angelic appearance. Your voice booms out like a crack of thunder wrapped in godly fury. "Who dares enter my domain? Who are you that presumes to be worthy to stand before me?"
>Coven: One of you lets out a terrified, blood-curdling shriek and immediately faints. The rest of you real in shuddering terror.
>Adler: Uh, maybe you overdid it on the entrance. No changing course now, the show must go on. You continue to the next part. "I need crusaders that are pure of heart and of noble of deed. I see before me not but witches and ne'er-do-wells whose hearts overflow with wicked desires." You point at one and read her thoughts. "You! You were willing to sell your immortal soul just so you could bewitch some boy you have a crush on. The most precious thing any being has to offer and you would squander it for a one night stand?"
>Witch Girl: You cover your face as tears well up in your eyes. It's true. What where you thinking. Oh god, you are so ashamed...
>Adler: You point at another. "And you! You wanted to learn how to curse your mother's garden so nothing could ever grow there again. You would curse your own mother over nothing but a small list of petty slights. The very woman who cares for and feeds you and you treat her like your worst enemy."
>Scared Witch: Through choked sobs you voice your regrets. You beg him not to smite you and how you don't want "I hate you" to be the last thing you said to your mother.
>Adler: You pass over the girl that fainted on to the next one. "You!-" you are slightly taken aback when you see her curled up in the fetal position covering her ears with her eyes clenched shut. All you get when you try to read her thoughts is a terrified mantra "I'm a terrible person. I'm a monster. Please don't hurt me." You decide to push forward with your performance. You are LORD RANDAL! You are an agent of seeliness and devout servant to Lady Fuma! You require- Nay! You DEMAND that your followers be the same and... You observe the coven. They are a mess of terrified sobs and fearful shaking. Your heart sinks and pangs of guilt begin to gnaw at your conscience. And... And you're just scaring a bunch of frightened kids, aren't you?
>"Is he gone?"
>"Yes. Did you swap his tie?"
>"I did. Are you sure this will work?"
>"Of course. That tie came from the Kringle himself. It bears an enchantment forged of pure Christmas magic, ancient and primeval. It functions as a tracking device. No matter where he hides the Kringle will know exactly where he is. Not only that, but if he tries to pook at any point he'll be sent directly to the Kringle's workshop."
>"Excellent. And if this succeeds-"
>"The Kringle will deliver on his end of the bargain. Oscar Meyer Wiener Whistles for all of us."
>"But I wanted a bag of thirty silver pieces."
>"Quiet, someone's coming."
>The temporary story teller enters the room and is taken aback by how "intense" the audience seems. After an awkward introduction, the story continues.
>Adler: As the coven shuffles about nervously while the ixies play their part, you peer over the edge to get a sense of what you've got to work with. They are pretty much exactly what you imagined. A group of awkward teenage social outcasts wearing too much black and too much makeup. Also some of them have really bad posture. Hopefully your influence can whip them into shape.
>Ixies: One of you yells for the others to be quiet. You all go silent as if listening for something. One of you exclaims that "He is approaching" while another shouts for you all to flee. Fly, Sisters, Fly! Lest you suffer your lord's righteous fury! Within moments you are all gone and the circle is tensely quiet.
>Adler: Perfect! They did perfectly! Now to just wait for a little bit and let the dramatic tension build. You observe the now frightened coven of wannabe witches.
>Coven: One of you begins shaking like a leaf while pulling on the sleeve of another. "I'm really scared. It was a bad idea to come here. This is too much. Can we please leave? I just want to go home..." The rest of you begin mumbling to each other, not as sure as you were when you first planned this excursion.
>Adler: Okay, that's enough waiting! You didn't expect them to get scared this quickly. Perhaps your original plan isn't a good idea anymore. No. No second thoughts. You need to fast track these people onto the path of righteousness. Trial by fire is necessary. Jump in before they leave.
>Adler: With a bright flash and billowing white smoke you step forward as a cloud of butterflies disperses from behind you. You glow with divine light and your eyes burn with holy fire. You have given yourself an angelic appearance. Your voice booms out like a crack of thunder wrapped in godly fury. "Who dares enter my domain? Who are you that presumes to be worthy to stand before me?"
>Coven: One of you lets out a terrified, blood-curdling shriek and immediately faints. The rest of you real in shuddering terror.
>Adler: Uh, maybe you overdid it on the entrance. No changing course now, the show must go on. You continue to the next part. "I need crusaders that are pure of heart and of noble of deed. I see before me not but witches and ne'er-do-wells whose hearts overflow with wicked desires." You point at one and read her thoughts. "You! You were willing to sell your immortal soul just so you could bewitch some boy you have a crush on. The most precious thing any being has to offer and you would squander it for a one night stand?"
>Witch Girl: You cover your face as tears well up in your eyes. It's true. What where you thinking. Oh god, you are so ashamed...
>Adler: You point at another. "And you! You wanted to learn how to curse your mother's garden so nothing could ever grow there again. You would curse your own mother over nothing but a small list of petty slights. The very woman who cares for and feeds you and you treat her like your worst enemy."
>Scared Witch: Through choked sobs you voice your regrets. You beg him not to smite you and how you don't want "I hate you" to be the last thing you said to your mother.
>Adler: You pass over the girl that fainted on to the next one. "You!-" you are slightly taken aback when you see her curled up in the fetal position covering her ears with her eyes clenched shut. All you get when you try to read her thoughts is a terrified mantra "I'm a terrible person. I'm a monster. Please don't hurt me." You decide to push forward with your performance. You are LORD RANDAL! You are an agent of seeliness and devout servant to Lady Fuma! You require- Nay! You DEMAND that your followers be the same and... You observe the coven. They are a mess of terrified sobs and fearful shaking. Your heart sinks and pangs of guilt begin to gnaw at your conscience. And... And you're just scaring a bunch of frightened kids, aren't you?