Random hooks thread

[Zettaijin]

House rules

Gamblers, serious ones, are known to share stories of a fabled house of games where untold riches await the skilled (or simply lucky) player. Mind you, such riches come at a price with rumours of players forfeiting their very souls to a losing hand or at least forced to live in poverty due to an impossibly massive debt for which they will toll endlessly, although some say it may very well be the same outcome.

And so we have a story, and as most stories in the land of mist sufficient belief can lead to reality as the dark powers love nothing more than reward diligent dreamers and storytellers.

Of course, the stories differ from one gambler to the next. Some say the place is located on a remote jungle island, others claim the site of the house can be found deep within the woods of Verbrek where none of the wolves will dare approach, or even floating on the sea as it is in fact a vessel rather than any actual building.

The truth is that the house is a pocket domain which can appear in various locations and under various guises.

The owner or owners (again, no one agrees on this point) are sometimes mere mortals who transcended the realm of the average man to become near demi-gods while others offer a more supernatural origin such as ghosts of murdered gamblers forced to challenge all comers forever more with no way to sate their appetite for the game or even bored immortal creatures from beyond the mists.

There is however a certain consensus among the rumour mongers: the fabled house rules.

The true test of the challenger is not in playing the game as per a stable set of rules but rather adapting to an ever changing one. The said house rules are said to be unpredictable save for their ability to trump most tricks and tactics employed by savvy gamblers. Indeed, whomever creates these house rules has an uncanny ability to predict winning strategies and counter them with strict, arbitrary rules.

Gamblers say the real game is to beat the rules, to find loopholes and exploit them before a new house rule is invoked. Winners are dubbed power gamers, but some wonder if winning truly holds any value in of itself as the player will have also lost all sense of purpose. Perhaps indeed there are never any winners in this house.

[Drinnik Shoehorn]

Matton Blanchard has been missing for a year. He returns, seemingly a changed man. Still in love with Gabrielle and still doting on Lucretia, it doesn't break his heart when it turns out that the child is Ardonk's. Matton's true affection and love for Gabrielle starts to change her for the better. Still fuming at the past, Gabrielle decides that she wants a better future for Lucretia and sets to mend her ways, her alignment shifting towards good.

How? A dying, powerful wizard was drawn into the mists. Matton attacked him and was subjected to the Sanctify the Wicked spell (Book of Exalted Deeds 3.5). Matton is now Lawful Good and is turning Gabrielle around to his way of thinking.

How does the Core react when a Darklord becomes good?

[Zettaijin]

How does the Core react when a Darklord becomes good?

IIRC, according to When the Black Roses Bloom, they get rid of 'em when they repent or try to atone.

[Drinnik Shoehorn]

They got rid of Soth because he wasn't entertaining to them. He didn't atone. He refused when

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Isolde offered him the chance to save Peradur again.

[Zettaijin]

She-Wolf of Verbrek

Fear runs deep in Alfred Timothy, fear of his father's aloof laughter, fear of others' disapproval, fear of being weak, and fear of his own failings.

Alfred, more human than he would like to admit, has rewritten his own story a number of times in his own mind. He has also come to believe it to be true, and although a few voices may sometimes rise to question him, his followers need a leader and will promptly silence them.

However, one voice is growing stronger.

One voice fears neither the Wolf God, nor its wrath.

One voice even dares to laugh at the "silly" rituals and primitive beliefs of the wolves of Verbrek.

One voice is bringing chaos to Timothy's order.

Worst of all, that voice is female.

Had he known, he would have cut her down in the womb and have her mother's carcass burned in honour of the Wolf God. Well, at least he managed to do the latter.

The towering female calls herself Ilsa and claims to fear no Wolf God. Upon hearing of her mother's fate, she merely quipped that the Earth was her real mother. The forest, the mountains, the rivers were her true family. She was not born of the sky, no one is. We are born of the earth and to the earth we one day return.

It is hardly a spiritual matter, but a mere factual one.

Timothy fears her.

She taunts him from the foreboding hills and mountains. She laughs at his congregations at the circle from the calm of the riverbed. She mocks his prayers from the shade of the dark forest.

Why is the ruler of wolves unable to silence her voice?

The truth is that he once captured her, and as he admonished her for her lack of faith, she started laughing and calmly explained that he was a weak, pathetic creature propped up by fictitious beasts in the sky whose fury remains unseen.

The stream of insults angered him. His temper flared, he began choking her, clutching at her muscular neck with both hands and barely managing to wrap them around. Then, she started staring at him and whispered "Have I ever told you of my night on the river boat? Such a man... and a wolf your father is..."

Timothy felt his rage reach a critical point and soon enough his claws retracted and his sneering fangs reverted to a far less menacing grimace of human teeth and his body felt much weaker.

She forced him... tricked him into human form, the witch!

The werewolves present at the ritual were shocked and confused, and Timothy quickly hid as Ilsa took her leave, her laughter echoing in the night.

Sometimes, Timothy dreams of her. These dreams always end with Timothy being dominated by the powerful female. He fears his dreams almost as much as he fears her.

[Zettaijin]

The Brothers Three

An obese man sits at his desk, his swollen fingers locked around a quill. He writes with little pause, ideas flowing from his mind and onto the paper quite fluidly by all appearances. His breathing is heavy and he seems to smile in satisfaction although one could argue that it may be more of a sneer why with the way his resplendent teeth gleam in the light of the dancing flames.

A boisterous laugh erupts and a somewhat less obese but far more sweaty man enters the room to the dismay of the writer.

"Oh those locals are quite a catch, I must say. A delight every time! Give from one hand and take from the other! You should come along, dear brother, it would do you some good to take some air."

The writer merely sighs and pursues his work as the other rotund man continues with his stories, occasionally inspecting trinkets which he claims may be somehow enchanted.

All Ralsalfas ever wanted was a little peace and quiet. One would think his bleak homeland would provide ample space for a creative mind to bloom, yet the place never did seem to stay still for more than a minute. he thought he'd escape, find a corner of the world where no one knew his name and no one asked anything of him.

Just him and his life's work.

No one, he thought, would try and go there. Well, not on purpose.

The Dark Powers were quite obliged to help Ralsalfas, providing him with a new identity and a quiet little spot in the dangerous forests of Tepest. Yes, this came with some sacrifices. He would be bound by flesh from now on. Particularly durable and potentially long lasting flesh, but not nearly as comfortable as his former form. His transition took some of his magical talents from him as well, but again, a minor price to pay for the chance to finish his epic.

Then, they came.

First was Ichorus, his "brother", an annoying and mouthy one who'd rattle off tall tales about his various little victories - all quite incremental and insignificant for all but himself. Always hunting for a fool to trick or some new toy to play with. A wand, a scroll, something, anything...

Then there's Baafulgerest.

At least he's quiet. However he is volatile and has been known to drag drunkards and derelicts into the house so he could release a little built up tension. Doesn't take much to rile him up. One wrong look and he's already looking for a fight.

Ichorus took the changes in his form with more stride than Baafulgerest. Then again, the latter also had more to lose. Ichorus can still engage in his various little hobbies as he pleases whereas his brother finds his new form far too fragile for his liking.

Always the same those physical types...

But Baalful has his uses. He rather enjoys snapping the bones of those uninspired critics who show little understanding of Ralsalfas' body of work. The commercial success of his seemingly never ending saga of betrayals and intrigue featuring a cast of thousands somehow doesn't always translate into critical success. Base, vulgar, and aimed at the lowest common denominator? Pshaw!

Varcosi learned the hard way that calling the incestuous Larachest siblings a "simplistic ploy devoid of any morality or soul" was not just offensive, but quite impolite. He'll be more careful with his choice of words next time.

However, it seems as if the large and oafish Baalfulgerest has found something new to occupy his time.

While the brothers expect him to return bloody or covered in bruises, he instead comes home with... a smile?

Ichorus claims their brother met someone who stole his heart... or whatever organ might store the emotional centre of such a brute. And Ichorus added that she was AT LEAST twice as ugly, a hag of a woman really.

Lives with her two sisters, in an odd twist of fate, and in the very same woods.

No matter, so long as he remains faithful in his duty as the protector of the oeuvre's virtue what harm could this affair bring to their lives?

[Zettaijin]

The Spider

Most common burglars, cut-purse, and other miscreants will never be more than yet another faceless, anonymous figure in the great scheme of things. Not that this is entirely without value, but a few may rise above their station in life and turn into minor celebrities of a sort. People may even christen the stubborn or particularly (if not spectacularly) clever one with a nickname.

Hence we have the dreaded Spider, a man of some skill who seems to have an uncanny ability to avoid capture. The lithe figure can climb walls with no small amount of skill, thus the nickname, but also seems to be more than able to outrun anyone who tries to catch him.

Inspector Gilliam has been devoted to capturing the elusive rogue for quite some time. Months turn into years and years into decades. He can barely remember how it all started, but the number of times he came close to apprehending the Spider still remains branded into his memory.

The Spider is indeed no ordinary thief. The Spider exists because Gilliam needed him.

Gilliam's exceptional work as an inspector came in no small par due to latent psychic abilities. He call it his "intuition" as he truly does not fully understand the nature of his abilities. However, Gilliam always wanted to find a true match for his wit, so his mind created the Spider - alter ego of his imaginary friend from childhood.

Seems good ol' Ruttlepark has grown up along his psychic friend, becoming again what the now adult man needs: an adversary worthy of his ability.

Now the Spider may excel at escaping the clutches of justice, however he remains poor at hiding his pilfered goods. As such, the inspector's game of cat and mouse with the psychically created robber has grown somewhat predictable. So, the Spider gets bolder with every season.

How far will the Spider go to impress the masses and bring further attention to the clueless inspector?

[The Lesser Evil]

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The Brothers Three

An obese man sits at his desk, his swollen fingers locked around a quill. He writes with little pause, ideas flowing from his mind and onto the paper quite fluidly by all appearances. His breathing is heavy and he seems to smile in satisfaction although one could argue that it may be more of a sneer why with the way his resplendent teeth gleam in the light of the dancing flames.

A boisterous laugh erupts and a somewhat less obese but far more sweaty man enters the room to the dismay of the writer.

"Oh those locals are quite a catch, I must say. A delight every time! Give from one hand and take from the other! You should come along, dear brother, it would do you some good to take some air."

The writer merely sighs and pursues his work as the other rotund man continues with his stories, occasionally inspecting trinkets which he claims may be somehow enchanted.

All Ralsalfas ever wanted was a little peace and quiet. One would think his bleak homeland would provide ample space for a creative mind to bloom, yet the place never did seem to stay still for more than a minute. he thought he'd escape, find a corner of the world where no one knew his name and no one asked anything of him.

Just him and his life's work.

No one, he thought, would try and go there. Well, not on purpose.

The Dark Powers were quite obliged to help Ralsalfas, providing him with a new identity and a quiet little spot in the dangerous forests of Tepest. Yes, this came with some sacrifices. He would be bound by flesh from now on. Particularly durable and potentially long lasting flesh, but not nearly as comfortable as his former form. His transition took some of his magical talents from him as well, but again, a minor price to pay for the chance to finish his epic.

Then, they came.

First was Ichorus, his "brother", an annoying and mouthy one who'd rattle off tall tales about his various little victories - all quite incremental and insignificant for all but himself. Always hunting for a fool to trick or some new toy to play with. A wand, a scroll, something, anything...

Then there's Baafulgerest.

At least he's quiet. However he is volatile and has been known to drag drunkards and derelicts into the house so he could release a little built up tension. Doesn't take much to rile him up. One wrong look and he's already looking for a fight.

Ichorus took the changes in his form with more stride than Baafulgerest. Then again, the latter also had more to lose. Ichorus can still engage in his various little hobbies as he pleases whereas his brother finds his new form far too fragile for his liking.

Always the same those physical types...

But Baalful has his uses. He rather enjoys snapping the bones of those uninspired critics who show little understanding of Ralsalfas' body of work. The commercial success of his seemingly never ending saga of betrayals and intrigue featuring a cast of thousands somehow doesn't always translate into critical success. Base, vulgar, and aimed at the lowest common denominator? Pshaw!

Varcosi learned the hard way that calling the incestuous Larachest siblings a "simplistic ploy devoid of any morality or soul" was not just offensive, but quite impolite. He'll be more careful with his choice of words next time.

However, it seems as if the large and oafish Baalfulgerest has found something new to occupy his time.

While the brothers expect him to return bloody or covered in bruises, he instead comes home with... a smile?

Ichorus claims their brother met someone who stole his heart... or whatever organ might store the emotional centre of such a brute. And Ichorus added that she was AT LEAST twice as ugly, a hag of a woman really.

Lives with her two sisters, in an odd twist of fate, and in the very same woods.

No matter, so long as he remains faithful in his duty as the protector of the oeuvre's virtue what harm could this affair bring to their lives?

Is this an Extreme Ghostbusters reference?

[Zettaijin]

Is this an Extreme Ghostbusters reference?

I don't know that show. I did watch the Real Ghostbusters as a kid though, but doubt they had an episode about this.

The "work" in question is obviously a nod to Game of Thrones with the three brothers clearly being Ghereleths.

The sisters, of course, are the three hags of Tepest.

[Zettaijin]

Memory's Garden

Disasters, famine, war... lives are lost, and too often those who survive opt for a new life elsewhere leaving behind traces of human existence that is quickly overrun by nature and time.

Sometimes, in the land of mists, strange things happen in these places. Scavengers prowl in search of dead flesh to consume, and others for anything which may still have some value, but those are hardly unusual.

In the land of mists entire "dead" villages gain a twisted form of sentience with highly unpredictable urges and motivations driving their odd, alien "mind".

In some cases the dead rise to act out their once daily lives for the sake of the village's desires, even if these are but disembodied spirits.

Sometimes, the dead wish nothing more than to be given a final rest and to see their former home turn to dust - as it should have so long ago. Others wish to see it rise to prominence again, aiding their former home in pushing strangers to help in the futile endeavour.

[Dion of the Fraternity]

[Zilfer]

I see what you did there

A man with no eyes claims to be able to see the future! He is somehow able to lead authorities to where a new string of murder's have cropped up. He can also detail how the victim died almost too well like he was actually present. Despite suspicion and being withheld overnight in a prison cell and being watched he was still able to tell the next murder with having no outside knowledge as well. How does he know? The man has been a victim of the creator of this monstrosity. The creature was made of many different body parts but the part that was taken from him was his eyes and now when he sleeps he sees through the eyes of the killer....

[Zettaijin]

The Pure Fractured Earth

The Six Poison Islands which are now four have long been the object of tall tales and dubious stories from sailors and traders who somehow found its far away shores.

For the most part, the locals are unlikely to interact with the traders and sailors as officials prefer to keep outsiders within eyesight at all times not so much out of distrust towards foreigners but fear that they may bring news from the other islands.

One of the near immortal sons of the ghostly darklord, Jiro, is a religious man and has found the odd belief systems of outsiders of little interest save for a certain natural curiosity.

However, within his island is a nun, Enkyoudera no Ogin better known under the name Yinami, who has acquired quite a following and wishes to replace Jiro as the main spiritual leader of the island. To do so she wishes to employ foreign men and women of faith to stage a coup.

Part of her plan involves inciting a small religious conflict within the ranks of the foreign religious delegations, using knowledge of the splintered nature of Ezraites. Then, in the ensuing chaos she hopes that Jiro will intervene and fall into her trap.

She has planned to have him replaced by an imposter who will rob the later of any credibility allowing her to take over the reigns.

Masahiro, the fourth son, has a number of spies in his employ and has been following the exploits of this underground sect quite closely. The departure of Jiro would allow him to perhaps gain a foothold in his brother's land and force them into more a modern era, one were he and other merchants rule.

On the other hand, he wonders just how powerful Yinami is. Her work has gained some traction among the peasants and even intellectuals are discreetly making reference to them. He knows her apparent desire to "save the masses" is merely a trick but what if he replaces his stoic brother with an even more powerful force?

Clearly both need to go, but first Jiro...

[Zettaijin]

The Wizard

On misty mornings he walks by, everyone under his spell as he spreads his magic...

He never talks, never smiles, merely walks through a town with jingling bells and rather colourful clothes.

He brings euphoria and merriment; not a frown to be seen and tears turn to smiles when the Wizard walks by.

Everyone is a hero under the wizard's spell.

Demons hide and monsters flee, fearing the potent spells of the Wizard.

When he leaves, the itch starts. Accusations are laid and blame is thrown about, people wanting to see the Wizard again.

Why won't he come? Why did he go? Stay, Wizard! Your magic is needed to chase away the shadows...

The Wizard has a toll, although he never says it. It is paid after every visit, no one the wiser.

[Hazgarn]

Now that song is going to be stuck in my head all day...