The Gothic Journals (Comments)

Fiction about Ravenloft or Gothic Earth
Tykus
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Post by Tykus »

High Priest Mikhal wrote:One of my next stories--actually, one included in the next few posts--is an exploration of a previously undiscovered lair of Madame Delphine LaLaurie and the sick--and I do mean SICK--things she was into. For an idea, I suggest renting The St. Francisville Experiment. I think it's a work of fiction like Blair Witch was, but I could be wrong. And it is accurate on numerous points about Madame. Be warned. I'm going to be as graphic as the FoS will let me be.
Go for it, but just remember "less is more" for a good story. My imagination is hyper-active as it is and I would like to be able to sleep after the next post without having to picture (quite literally) broken ones. I'm surprised you didn't have at least a reference to Jeffrey Dahmer (or a reasonable facsimile). I got sick watching A&E's Biography of the man (considering how he handled his victims).
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Using the restroom every 20 miles...

Post by Tykus »

...that's either from the 6 cups of coffee, she's pregnant, or both.
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High Priest Mikhal
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Post by High Priest Mikhal »

And that comment refers to...? :?:

EDIT: If you mean Kyra's constant rest stops, that's a jab at how often women IRL seem to do the same thing. Ever been on a road trip with your wife/girlfriend/female friend? No offense, ladies. It's just an observation.

Also Kyra can't get pregnant. Giving up her ability to bear children was part of her redemption (the powers of Good can be quite demanding).
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Post by Manofevil »

High Priest Mikhal wrote:
Also Kyra can't get pregnant. Giving up her ability to bear children was part of her redemption (the powers of Good can be quite demanding).
Man that's harsh. :(
Do us a favor Luv, Stick yer 'ead in a bucket a kick it!

So, gentlemen, that's how it is. Until Grissome.... resurfaces, I'm the acting president, and I say starting with this... anniversary festival, we run this city into the ground! :D
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High Priest Mikhal
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Post by High Priest Mikhal »

To her, it was a small sacrifice to be with the man she loves (as will be shown in her bio in the compilation, and in future posts). Plus it's just one example that Good isn't always very nice. She was a succubus before her redemption, after all. This is Good's way of ensuring that "any lingering taint of evil will not be passed on to future generations." Never mind that her conversion was so absolute she's lost all her old subtypes (and associated abilities) and gained the Good subtype...
"Money is the root of all evil...I think I need more money."
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Post by Tykus »

Just read latest post, very nice. Can't wait to see how you handle 9/11 (especially with a conspiracy concerning said event) (I know, that's probably still a far off idea).
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Post by High Priest Mikhal »

Very far off. Little will be mentioned of that day and less made of the subsequent wars (besides which, there's no W. in the Gothic Journals; an RE4-esque file is coming up, though mostly seperate from Leon's story). The attacks aren't even on the part of the Red Death, it just takes advantage of wholly-human evils. As will numerous Renegades that form after New Year's Day 2000.
"Money is the root of all evil...I think I need more money."
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Post by Tykus »

Finally! Couldn't access the thread for a few days (was trying it from a dial-up and kept getting "30-second errors."

You know,HPM, I don't know if your brilliant or just plain evil for having a young Mormon lady getting in over her head with modern sexuality. I'm sure that I'm not the only one, but I saw said lady's infatuation back when you introduced her. Ah, the joys of being the "3rd person."

I am confused by one thing: Kyra's bisexuality. I've always been under the impression (as evidenced by numerous D&D sources that have succubi in them) that succubi were always bi-sexual. So why should this be a problem for Kyra during her time in the Abyss?
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High Priest Mikhal
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Post by High Priest Mikhal »

I'm just going by experience, my friend. I've seen the same thing Liz is going through happen to a lot of people raised in homes where things weren't discussed openly. It's also a key factor in teen pregnancy--kids don't know the consequences, and thus don't know they need to take the proper precautions. That one I've also seen too much of.

Actually, I was referring to Kyra's experiences on Gothic Earth. In the Abyss no one would care; demons probably don't understand the idea of sexual orientation. Earth is still a place that has very strong prejudices against non-heterosexuals in the Western world--and parts of the Eastern world. Back in the 80's it was still very taboo, and even in 1999 through today it's still an issue for a lot of (narrow minded, ignorant, bigoted) people
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Post by Tykus »

High Priest Mikhal wrote:I'm just going by experience, my friend. I've seen the same thing Liz is going through happen to a lot of people raised in homes where things weren't discussed openly. It's also a key factor in teen pregnancy--kids don't know the consequences, and thus don't know they need to take the proper precautions. That one I've also seen too much of.
Believe me, I know. I used to work as teen counselor for a local drug rehab clinic. This clinic would usually get the kids that no other facility wanted or had already been every place else. Heck, even in my social life, I've gone to--ahem--"gentleman establishments"-- (Kyra would be so proud :roll: ) and have actually witnessed the slide of several women from mild stuff to hard-core addiction and prostitution.
High Priest Mikhal wrote:Actually, I was referring to Kyra's experiences on Gothic Earth. In the Abyss no one would care; demons probably don't understand the idea of sexual orientation. Earth is still a place that has very strong prejudices against non-heterosexuals in the Western world--and parts of the Eastern world. Back in the 80's it was still very taboo, and even in 1999 through today it's still an issue for a lot of (narrow minded, ignorant, bigoted) people
Boy, I must of been ahead of my time for acceptance. Even as a kid who didn't understand what sex was beyond a basic biological function [don't laugh, puberty hadn't hit yet], I've never cared for bigotry of any sort--racial ("reverse" or otherwise), sexual, political, religious.
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High Priest Mikhal
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Post by High Priest Mikhal »

Tykus wrote:Believe me, I know. I used to work as teen counselor for a local drug rehab clinic. This clinic would usually get the kids that no other facility wanted or had already been every place else. Heck, even in my social life, I've gone to--ahem--"gentleman establishments"-- (Kyra would be so proud :roll: ) and have actually witnessed the slide of several women from mild stuff to hard-core addiction and prostitution.
So you can understand the sort of horrors that the Eye represents, I take it. There's nothing so horrid, nothing so painful as addiction--and having battled addiction several times myself, I can say it's one of the worst feelings in the world. I'd sooner die than go through withdrawal from hard stuff like cocaine and speed again.

Note that I'm not against anything the Eye does other than drugs. In fact eroticism is the one thing I'm more interested in than horror. But this is a horror site, so the stories here will always revolve around the scary, the disturbing, and the Gothic.
"Money is the root of all evil...I think I need more money."
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Post by Tykus »

High Priest Mikhal wrote:So you can understand the sort of horrors that the Eye represents, I take it. There's nothing so horrid, nothing so painful as addiction--and having battled addiction several times myself, I can say it's one of the worst feelings in the world. I'd sooner die than go through withdrawal from hard stuff like cocaine and speed again.
Oh, yeah, I understand. I've watched a cousin go thru drug addiction, his sister go through a wife-beater husband, and I've seen kids that started when they were eight (and not just drugs)! To me, it's a miracle that anybody stays in the field for any length of time when it involves kids.
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Another Question concerning Kyra

Post by Tykus »

Has she lost her shapechanging ability? If not, I'm surprised she didn't try to pass herself off as Liz.

And depravity that would cause a former demon to recoil? Wow!
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Post by High Priest Mikhal »

She's lost everything as a former succubus--save her ability to change her form into her human form or her true form, a prehensile tail, and her wings in her true form. All but one racial HD, all subtypes, all resistances and immunities, spell-like abilities, telepathy, energy drain, even her charm and domination powers have been stripped. That's why she has class levels; without them she'd literally be powerless. A normal succubus has an ECL of 14 on its own while Kyra has an ECL of two without her class levels.

Also, as I'll detail, she was never CE. Even the Abyss makes mistakes and she was created with a CN alignment, hence her assignment as a mere archivist instead of a soldier in a goddess of perversion's war on all things. She never did get much exposure to the really sick things in the Abyss, though she did get some. Besides, she's NG now and learned to empathize with things like suffering, sadness, loss, and other crap that's all too common in rundown, illegal places like this. People lost to things like addiction often can't do that and may victimize others just to feel like they're superior. That's what she finds most horrific.
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Post by Tykus »

High Priest Mikhal wrote:She's lost everything as a former succubus--save her ability to change her form into her human form or her true form, a prehensile tail, and her wings in her true form. All but one racial HD, all subtypes, all resistances and immunities, spell-like abilities, telepathy, energy drain, even her charm and domination powers have been stripped. That's why she has class levels; without them she'd literally be powerless. A normal succubus has an ECL of 14 on its own while Kyra has an ECL of two without her class levels.

Also, as I'll detail, she was never CE. Even the Abyss makes mistakes and she was created with a CN alignment, hence her assignment as a mere archivist instead of a soldier in a goddess of perversion's war on all things. She never did get much exposure to the really sick things in the Abyss, though she did get some. Besides, she's NG now and learned to empathize with things like suffering, sadness, loss, and other crap that's all too common in rundown, illegal places like this. People lost to things like addiction often can't do that and may victimize others just to feel like they're superior. That's what she finds most horrific.
I suspected she might've been "born" CN. Even in my campaign world, the Abyss is still a place of chaos (granted, with a strong evil influence) and even good and lawful things can happen there (albeit very rarely; otherwise it wouldn't be truly chaotic).

There's also the possibility that she is all TOO familiar with it and knows how far down the depravity is. I've learned sometimes knowledge and experience can horrify a person all that much more. I've seen this done in some stories with the villian-gone-good and right now, in your storyline, Kyra's probably the closest thing to that.
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