An Author of Evil

[Citizen of Pelago Islands] 15,555G

[arch-sorceress]

lest-i-forget​:

BttP: A Sorceress and Her Minion || [Lest/Pandora] 

“Uh, all right,” Lest said, straightening his stance a bit, preparing himself for… whatever was about to happen. He still didn’t know what was going on, exactly, but it was obvious that whoever this was needed help. And if he could somehow give it, what choice did he have?

As the woman spoke her spell, Lest felt a strange feeling course through his body. He resisted the instinctual urge to fight it- after all, he assumed this was what the woman meant when she said she needed something from him. It wasn’t painful or anything… just unnatural. 

At her final word, Lest felt something inside of him spark- and there was a bright, blinding light. Despite having done his best to stand still, he had to move, to shield his eyes. When he opened them again… the statue was gone. And in it’s place, a living, breathing person.

“Now...” After stretching out her muscles, Pandora at the mortal. “seeing as I wouldn’t be here in the flesh without your assistance, I will allow you the great honor of being my minion. What do you go by, minion?”

“Also, where am I?” This question had been on her mind for...well, she didn’t know how long. She knew she was underground, but had no idea how she got there. Her last memory before being petrified was most certainly above ground.

[arch-sorceress]

gelwein​:

Elysian Experiments

Gelwein hummed with interest- although, it somewhat sounded like a hum of approval. It was a simple attack, and yet, it was already much different than he was expecting. Already, his thoughts began rapidly calculating exactly what this simple attack implied about the woman’s magic. Clearly, it was much different than his void powers. He hadn’t been wrong in sensing promise in her. 

“I see. So your magic is well-suited for offense. That bodes well for you- it is an easy magic for power and control, just as you desire. When you have power to back up your actions,” he said, walking over to the cage, and reaching through the bars, to pick up the wool left behind, “…You can take whatever you want.” 

In many ways, he envied those who had power. Because his magic was not offensive in nature, Gelwein had always had to be crafty. Using direct force was often out of the question. He’d have to pull strings to weave in entrapments, carefully stacking his dominoes in meticulously detailed patterns, before knocking them all down in a glorious cacophony. It made him smarter, cleverer than those who could simply strike fear into others with power alone. And yet, he still hungered for that power.

“Now comes the real question- what else can you do?”

She lit up at his praise, but his words left a chill. There was something off about this man.

Pandora furrowed her brow. What else? Was he not impressed by her great display of power? Was it not enough? She felt anger rise within her, but took a deep breath to cool herself off. This was not the time to loose her temper.

“I...I can will the spirits to my bidding in any way I please,” she said, quickly regaining her confidence albeit still a bit shaken from what had just happened. Would this be a satisfactory answer? Pandora had the feeling that it wouldn’t be. That much she could guess about the man. There were limits to her power, but he didn’t need to know that.

[arch-sorceress]

lest-i-forget​:

BttP: A Sorceress and Her Minion || [Lest/Pandora]

“My… magic?” Lest said, confused. But, he didn’t have any magic. Granted, the things he knew about himself were pretty limited… but he was pretty sure that he would have been able to sense whether or not he had magic in him. …Right?

“Uh, I mean, I want to help, really. But, I’m not really sure what you’re talking about. If I just need to stand here, then okay, but how is that going to do anything?” Even mages didn’t just stand around to cast spells. At least, he didn’t think they did.

The mortal seemed confused by the mention of magic, but Pandora couldn’t think of any reason why that would be. Perhaps she had woken up many many years later and the word had changed. No, she had the feeling that wasn’t it. As long as it didn’t hinder her restoration, it didn’t really matter.

“If you want to help then there is not anything more to discuss. Now stay completely still and do not say a word!” She waited a moment for him to prepare himself before continuing. “Spirits of this great world…I, Pandora, the great arch-sorceress, command thee! Hark! Water, flow of life...Flame, spark of life...Wind, breath of life...Earth, body of life...By the power of all the spirits of the elements, change me from this unnatural body into my true form!” 

At her last word, a great light lit up the cave and the stone retreated from her body, leaving flesh in its place. Once she was completely free from her stone prison, she stretched her arms in the air and took her first breath in what could have been hundreds of years. 

[arch-sorceress]

activity check 3/27

fail

[-750G] For living in Gigant Inn with one roommate.

[+500G] For your first (main) job.

New Balance: 15,305G

[arch-sorceress]

activity check 3/13

pass

[-750G] For living in Gigant Inn with one roommate.

[+1,500G] For your first (main) job.

New Balance: 15,555G

[arch-sorceress]

lest-i-forget​:

BttP: A Sorceress and Her Minion || [Lest/Pandora]

A voice spoke out in the darkness, making Lest’s heartrate skyrocket yet again. However, his reaction was much more subdued this time, even as a ghost appeared in front of him. He assumed it was a ghost- anyways. But, as nervous as he was, you can really only be scared by the same thing so many times in a row. Even if the first ghost had just been a trick of the imagination, the second ghost was by default a little less scary. He did jump a little- but he didn’t scream again.

“A…An Arch-Sorceress?” Lest didn’t know anything about that kind of thing. Was he supposed to know who she was? He really couldn’t be sure. But, wait, a physical form? “W-Wait, please don’t possess my body, Miss Pandora. I need it!”

“I have no use for your body. It is your magic I desire.” Pandora looked the mortal up and down. Yes, she could see the magic radiating off of him. It was a unique kind of magic she couldn’t quite identify. As long as his magic was powerful enough for her to channel into a spell, she could care less.

“Are you willing to assist me or not? You needn’t do anything but stand there, so there is no reason for you to refuse.”

[arch-sorceress]

gelwein​:

Elysian Experiments

“…Good. Remember that pledge- never forsake it- and you’ll go far.” Did she actually have what it took? He did not know- and for the moment, he did not care. All that mattered was that he prove himself to be of use to her… And get some of her loyalty in return. It was unfortunate in some ways, that her desires were not trivial pursuits, like so many others seeking companionship, or, most pathetic of all, love. However, it was rare that Gelwein found anyone who could truly appreciate his work, and what he had to offer. 

He would not mind putting in genuine effort to impress, just this once.

“Now then. Before I can help you, let me see what you can do.” Gelwein snapped his fingers, and slowly, a cage began rising up from the floor. “Normally, I would have a magic user practice on targets, but certain kinds of dark magic do much better on live subjects. And it just so happens I have one that is ready to be sent back to the First Forest. Would you mind doing the honors?” Inside the cage, which had now fully risen up, was a wooly. It was hard to see in the darkness, but the overall figure was unmistakable. It let out a soft baa, moving to the back corner of the cage, away from the sound of Gelwein’s voice.

“Once I see what you can do, I can analyze the data taken by the equipment in this room, and tell you more about your powers.”

Pandora replied with a simple, “Hmph.” His words held no new knowledge. In fact, Gelwein sounded just like her father. Whether she had actually learned from his lessons was up for debate, however.

Pandora’s eyes widened and a feeling of dread washed over her as a cage rose from the floor. She was once again reminded of her father. Her mind traveled back to a memory that she had tried to lock away. An innocent wooly tied to a well and a spine-chilling snap. 

Attacking a wooly was something she tried to avoid at all costs. Even if they are returned ‘home’ unharmed, that would mean less woolies for Pandora to enlist in her army and to keep as pets. It also just felt wrong. Woolies rarely attack without being attacked first. She preferred fighting the more aggressive and mean looking monsters.

For some reason, Pandora didn’t want to disappoint this man, though. With a wave of her hand, she summoned her staff, that was imbued with magic to return monsters to the Forest of Beginnings, as she always does when fighting monsters. 

Turning her staff horizontally, she closed her eyes so she wouldn’t have to see the terror in the wooly’s eyes and took a deep breath. Violet flames enveloped the wooly until the cage was empty, leaving only some wool behind. She opened one eye at first to make sure it was gone before opening both eyes.

Glad that it was over, Pandora gave a half-relieved, half-satisfied smile. Yet, in her gut, there was a different, unpleasant feeling. She turned to Gelwein to see his reaction and to hear his assessment.

[arch-sorceress]

activity checks 1/30 - 2/27

hiatus pass

[-2,250G] For living in Gigant Inn with one roommate.

[+4,500G] For your first (main) job.

New Balance: 14,805G

[arch-sorceress]

activity check 1/16

[-750G] For living in Gigant Inn with one roommate.

[+500G] For failing.

New Balance: 12,555G

[arch-sorceress]

lest-i-forget​:

BttP: A Sorceress and Her Minion || [Lest/Pandora]

“…Huh?” Lest stopped in his tracks. That was odd, he thought he heard a voice. But, there was no way someone had followed him down here, right? “…Hello?” he called out, looking around for the source of the noise. “Is someone there?” If he had to guess, it seemed like the voice had come from… Down that way? Yes, that seemed right. Even if he wasn’t completely sure he’d heard right, he just had a feeling that that was the way to go.

The path he walked down was dark- darker than the path he had just been walking down. He had to get out his flashlight, to follow the narrow corridor, until he finally entered a larger room. Could the voice have come from somewhere in here. Lest looked around, scanning the room with his flashlight, until-

“WAAAAAH!!!” 

Lest screamed as his flashlight illuminated an unexpected dark figure, just a few feet away from him. After letting out a scream, he fought to calm his pounding heart, taking another look at the figure.

“…Oh, it’s just a statue. Whew,” he said.

The single light surrounded by darkness was a beacon of hope for Pandora. Finally, someone was here to free her from her prison. A human male approached in a less than pleasant manner. His scream rang in her ears for a moment before silence returned. He was frightened, which was understandable, but she did not care. She waited for him to calm down before making her presence known.

“I am much more than a simple statue, boy.” As she spoke, a transparent figure of a small woman floated out of the statue. “You may address me as the Great and Almighty Arch-Sorceress Pandora. I am enlisting your help in the restoration of my physical form.”

[arch-sorceress]

activity check 1/2

[-750G] For living in Gigant Inn with one roommate.

[+1,500G] For your first (main) job.

New Balance: 12,805G

[arch-sorceress]

Selling Spree

mint [+220G]

walnut (x2) [+600]

common mushroom [+395]

Total: 1,215G

New Balance: 12,055G

[arch-sorceress]

Minigames

Monster Hunting

Pandora vs Typhoon

Typhoon wins

Pandora vs King Wooly

Tie breaker - Pandora wins [+200 EXP]

Pandora vs Onion Ghost

Pandora wins

Drops:

Wooly Furball [+230G]

Fur [+120G]

Total: 350G

________________________________________________________________

Foraging

Season: Winter Proof

Kept: 

Black Herb

White Herb 

Black Rock 

Sold:

Cheap Cloth [+150G]

Trumpet Mushroom [+440G] 

Hammer Piece [+640G]

Hammer Piece [+640G]

Cranberry [+360G]

Glass Stone [+200G]

Brick [+50G]  

Total: 2480G

________________________________________________________________

Total: 2830G

New Balance: 10,840G

[arch-sorceress]

gelwein​:

Elysian Experiments

Gelwein’s grin cut wider across his face, at the girl’s proclamation. She was truly a bit naive… and yet, there was potential there. If he were in any way more empathetic, he might be tempted to take her under his wing. As it was, he of course wanted to keep her low enough that she would never pose a threat to him. And yet, perhaps he would give her some genuine advice. Just this once.

“Well, well, well. Impressive, that you’ve identified the connection. So many fail to understand the link between the two. To gain control, you must have the  power to back it. To amass power, you must have control. In both cases, you must have a will and heart of steel. Gold is pretty, but it is soft. Those with a heart of gold will have neither power nor control.”

“I cannot teach you how to harden your heart. However, I can teach you what to do, once you have. Dark magic is well suited to control. Those skilled in necromancy have control over the dead- the ability to command hundreds or even thousands of bodies. Void magic is perfect for manipulation. Illusions, teleportation, barriers… all skills one can use to keep people contained, and under one’s control. You may have some natural talent, which with enough practice, may get you far.”

“That does beg the question, though… are you willing to do what it takes?”

The man, Gelwein as he called himself, was hard to read. She couldn’t tell if he was mocking her or not. For his sake, she would choose to believe the latter. With this in mind, she felt pride in her vast knowledge. Of course she would know such a simple fact. 

His next words disheartened her. That was what she needed, though. To harden her heart. If she did that, then she wouldn’t feel so conflicted about situations like what happened earlier that day. It seemed that she would need to seek out another solution to this problem. For the moment, she would focus on her magic.

What it takes? “Of course.” She was willing to do anything for power. It reminded her of something her father would say. He was always adamant that she couldn’t let feelings or anything of the sort hold her back from obtaining what she wanted.

[arch-sorceress]

lest-i-forget​:

BttP: A Sorceress and Her Minion || [Lest/Pandora]

Lest had gotten fairly settled in his new life on Arcadia. Or at least, as settled as he could be, he supposed. There was always that itch. That little voice inside him, that warned him that he might belong somewhere else. That he shouldn’t just relax, as tempting as it was, most of the time. However, as time marched onward, no clues had magically opened up to him. He’d been forced to go out searching.

One of the foggiest memories he had, was of wandering around what might have been some ruins, before collapsing somewhere on the main road. He was fairly certain- despite having no proof- that what he sort-of remembered was the Azuria Ruins. At this point in his search, he had his doubts that he was even from Arcadia at all, and so he had no idea why he would have been wandering around the ruins. Still, it was the closest thing he had to a lead. And so, every now and again, Lest would find himself wandering around the area, searching for something- anything. 

Today, he was traveling down a brand new passage. It was kind of dark, and if he went much deeper, Lest was pretty sure he’d have to pull out his flashlight. The pathway went down at an extremely gentle slope, with fewer and fewer breaks in the ceiling. At a certain point, Lest had to wonder if he was somewhere below ground.

“…Maybe I should turn back soon,” he muttered to himself. He didn’t want to get lost, after all. And it wasn’t like he had a map.

@arch-sorceress

Deep in the ruins beneath Arcadia stood a statue of a young woman with in unusual attire with panic etched into her features from the expression on her face to the pose with one hand outstretched as if trying to stop someone or...something. Dust coated the statue as it has not been viewed for quite some time.

How much longer would she be left to rot in these dusty old ruins? Such a place isn’t befitting of a powerful sorceress such as Pandora. How long had it been seen she found herself there? These countless days left to ponder this mystery were nothing but another curse. 

The sounds of footsteps alerted her to the presence of someone with a mobile, physical form. Unlike her sorry state. Could this finally be it - her chance for freedom?

“This way, quickly,” she called out. Pandora wouldn’t let this chance escape her.

[arch-sorceress]

lest-i-forget​:

Curses and Consequences || [[Lest/Pandora]]

Lest reached out his hand, taking a step forward, moving to stop her. However, as Pandora began running away, he slowly let his outstretched hand drop down to his side.

She… hadn’t said anything to deny it. No apology. No promise to never do it again. Not even a proclamation that they were still friends. So, where did that leave them, exactly? Lest looked down at the hand by his side. He had wanted to help reach people who were struggling. To help them. But, apparently, he hadn’t been able to reach Pandora. Maybe he’d misread the situation. Maybe she didn’t even need help, and someone like Lest was just getting in the way. He didn’t know.

He didn’t know.

With a sigh, he forced himself to stand up straight. He figured he’d give Pandora her privacy. He had to go apologize to everyone at work for not showing up. Maybe he’d volunteer to cover up someone else’s shift?

…On his way there, he’d have  a lot to think about.

Not knowing where she was heading, Pandora ran. Returning to the inn was out of the question. Lest could be headed there. She ran and ran until her legs began to tire. Once she felt that she couldn’t run any longer, she stopped.

Pandora looked around at her new location. She was at the port. Finding an empty dock, she took a seat on the edge.

Why did she run? She was being interrogated, that’s why. Lest understandably had a lot of questions, but...How was she supposed to know it would affect him like that? She didn’t even know what the potion did when she poured it into his drink. She supposed that was part of the problem. All she wanted was a bit of fun! Why did it have to turn out like this?

Her father would surely be disappointed if he saw his daughter acting so pathetically. To be so affected by this, did that make her weak? The storm inside her mind raged on. This was so confusing. Should she feel remorse or not? On one hand, he was just a minion to her...but on the other hand, she didn’t want an unhappy minion. That would be a sign that she was a bad ruler, wouldn’t it? Or would the fact that she cared be the sign?

Oh. The potions’ dealer. She would have to visit his laboratory later...Perhaps she would blow him off. She wasn’t exactly in the mood. But what if he could help her figure out what was wrong with her? No, he wasn’t a doctor. Pandora sighed. She would think about that later. For now, she would stay away from the inn...home...as long as possible. What else could she do?

[arch-sorceress]

gelwein​:

Elysian Experiments

So, she fancied herself above everyone else, did she? Well, she needn’t have worried- Gelwein would never consider someone like her to be his equal. It was obvious to him where they stood.

Testing out a potion with unknown effects in and of itself was not bad. In her position, Gelwein might have done the same thing. But only a fool would put themselves in a situation where they would regret doing so. This woman might have considered herself great and powerful, but it was obvious that she was weak. 

For now, he would play along. He didn’t want to lose such an interesting catch so soon. He would not play a bumbling fool- but he would let her imagine that she was the one in control.

Which was why, when she asked if a lantern could be lit, instead of insulting her, he merely smiled.

“I could,” he said. “Although, that would rather defeat the purpose. Dark magic is most powerful in the dark, after all. If I wanted to see your everyday abilities, I suppose I could turn on the lights. However, that’s not why you’re here, is it? What you want- what we both want- is to discover the true power you have underneath.” Gelwein began to take a few step back, seeming to blend into the darkness, as if he were sinking into an inky black sea. All the while, he continued to speak, until he was completely eaten up by the darkness. “Even those with very specific subsets of dark magic- necromancy, or void, for example-”

“-Will find their powers most amplified when light is absent,” he finished, now standing behind Pandora. He grinned, the soft, gentle blue light from below just barely lighting up his features enough to show his almost hungry expression. 

“So then, what is it you want to do, with your power? Tell me, and I’ll help you find a way to push it to its very limits.”

“I know that!” Maybe she hadn’t thought about that, but of course she knew about dark magic working better in the dark. That was why her father’s lessons always took place at night, after all. She crossed her arms and sighed, letting out her frustration. Perhaps she was still on edge after what happened earlier. No, she didn’t want to think about that.

“I want to....control others. I need to become more powerful.” Pandora couldn’t forget her goals. She couldn’t be distracted by trivial things like feelings. Her main goal in life was to gain control of...everything. How she would do this, she wasn’t exactly sure. In fact, she avoided thinking about that part.