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Juliet E McKenna
Juliet E McKenna
@JulietEMcKenna@wandering.shop  ·  activity timestamp 3 days ago
Cover art by Geoff Taylor shows a dragon smashing a tall ship to pieces far out to sea. In the foreground a man wrestles with the tiller of a small boat. A woman is trying to save an unconscious man about to fall into the foaming waves. Some opportunities ought to come labeled ‘too good to be true’. Of course, ten years of living by my wits should have taught me how to spot them. You would have thought so anyway; so would I. The night this particular opportunity came to wreak havoc in my life, I was sitting comfortably full of good dinner in front of a roaring fire, and listening to the wind tearing at the snug inn. I was wearing my usual nondescript traveling clothes and, with any luck, the other patrons in the tap-room would have been hard put to decide my age, sex or business. Being unremarkable is a talent I cultivate: middling height, middling build, nothing special— unless I choose differently. Feet up on a stool and hat over my eyes, I may have looked half-asleep, but mentally I was pacing the room and kicking the furniture. Where was Halice? We had been due to meet here four days ago and this unplanned stay was eating into my funds. It was unlike her to be late for a meet. On the few occasions it had happened before, she had always got a message through. What should I do?
Cover art by Geoff Taylor shows a dragon smashing a tall ship to pieces far out to sea. In the foreground a man wrestles with the tiller of a small boat. A woman is trying to save an unconscious man about to fall into the foaming waves. Some opportunities ought to come labeled ‘too good to be true’. Of course, ten years of living by my wits should have taught me how to spot them. You would have thought so anyway; so would I. The night this particular opportunity came to wreak havoc in my life, I was sitting comfortably full of good dinner in front of a roaring fire, and listening to the wind tearing at the snug inn. I was wearing my usual nondescript traveling clothes and, with any luck, the other patrons in the tap-room would have been hard put to decide my age, sex or business. Being unremarkable is a talent I cultivate: middling height, middling build, nothing special— unless I choose differently. Feet up on a stool and hat over my eyes, I may have looked half-asleep, but mentally I was pacing the room and kicking the furniture. Where was Halice? We had been due to meet here four days ago and this unplanned stay was eating into my funds. It was unlike her to be late for a meet. On the few occasions it had happened before, she had always got a message through. What should I do?
Cover art by Geoff Taylor shows a dragon smashing a tall ship to pieces far out to sea. In the foreground a man wrestles with the tiller of a small boat. A woman is trying to save an unconscious man about to fall into the foaming waves. Some opportunities ought to come labeled ‘too good to be true’. Of course, ten years of living by my wits should have taught me how to spot them. You would have thought so anyway; so would I. The night this particular opportunity came to wreak havoc in my life, I was sitting comfortably full of good dinner in front of a roaring fire, and listening to the wind tearing at the snug inn. I was wearing my usual nondescript traveling clothes and, with any luck, the other patrons in the tap-room would have been hard put to decide my age, sex or business. Being unremarkable is a talent I cultivate: middling height, middling build, nothing special— unless I choose differently. Feet up on a stool and hat over my eyes, I may have looked half-asleep, but mentally I was pacing the room and kicking the furniture. Where was Halice? We had been due to meet here four days ago and this unplanned stay was eating into my funds. It was unlike her to be late for a meet. On the few occasions it had happened before, she had always got a message through. What should I do?
Ben Jeapes
Ben Jeapes
@benjeapes@mastodon.social  ·  activity timestamp 3 days ago
Wizard's Tower Press
Wizard's Tower Press
@WTPress@wandering.shop  ·  activity timestamp 3 days ago
The following morning, the youngsters got up and dressed quickly and quietly and went downstairs. All was as usual in the breakfast room, but Uncle Wulf was nowhere to be seen. Breakfast for Rag and Boyd was a matter of buttering toast and eating bacon and poached eggs quietly and trying hard not to guess what might happen to them. ‘What do you think he’ll do?’ Rag said when she couldn’t bear the silence any longer. Boyd shrugged; his mouth was full of toast. Rag, rarely at a loss for words, didn’t know what else to say. They carried on eating and waited. Uncle Wulf arrived just as they were finishing, he came into the room, the pukis riding on his shoulder; it now had a little leather collar on. Wulf was carrying a wide basket, which he put on the floor in the corner. He pointed to it and the pukis meekly flew down and curled up inside. Uncle Wulf sat down at the table in silence. The three of them looked at each other. Eventually Wulf spoke first. ‘You will have questions.’
The following morning, the youngsters got up and dressed quickly and quietly and went downstairs. All was as usual in the breakfast room, but Uncle Wulf was nowhere to be seen. Breakfast for Rag and Boyd was a matter of buttering toast and eating bacon and poached eggs quietly and trying hard not to guess what might happen to them. ‘What do you think he’ll do?’ Rag said when she couldn’t bear the silence any longer. Boyd shrugged; his mouth was full of toast. Rag, rarely at a loss for words, didn’t know what else to say. They carried on eating and waited. Uncle Wulf arrived just as they were finishing, he came into the room, the pukis riding on his shoulder; it now had a little leather collar on. Wulf was carrying a wide basket, which he put on the floor in the corner. He pointed to it and the pukis meekly flew down and curled up inside. Uncle Wulf sat down at the table in silence. The three of them looked at each other. Eventually Wulf spoke first. ‘You will have questions.’
The following morning, the youngsters got up and dressed quickly and quietly and went downstairs. All was as usual in the breakfast room, but Uncle Wulf was nowhere to be seen. Breakfast for Rag and Boyd was a matter of buttering toast and eating bacon and poached eggs quietly and trying hard not to guess what might happen to them. ‘What do you think he’ll do?’ Rag said when she couldn’t bear the silence any longer. Boyd shrugged; his mouth was full of toast. Rag, rarely at a loss for words, didn’t know what else to say. They carried on eating and waited. Uncle Wulf arrived just as they were finishing, he came into the room, the pukis riding on his shoulder; it now had a little leather collar on. Wulf was carrying a wide basket, which he put on the floor in the corner. He pointed to it and the pukis meekly flew down and curled up inside. Uncle Wulf sat down at the table in silence. The three of them looked at each other. Eventually Wulf spoke first. ‘You will have questions.’
Ben Wright
Ben Wright
@queex@dice.camp  ·  activity timestamp 3 days ago
“What species will you pick?” She wrapped the sword in some spare cloth, momentarily embarrassed that her companions might have caught her playing with it, and shoved it into her pack. “I’ve not thought much about it. You two have been dreaming about becoming adventurers since you were small. I haven’t. I guess I’ll see what feels right when the time comes.” “And what HAPPENS if you reach that point but don’t have the prerequisites for the species you decide on? That attitude will leave you stuck as a human forever. Sure, the social bonuses scale with overall Skill but unless you’re planning to go into politics or trade, what’s the point? You can’t talk an orc to death.”
“What species will you pick?” She wrapped the sword in some spare cloth, momentarily embarrassed that her companions might have caught her playing with it, and shoved it into her pack. “I’ve not thought much about it. You two have been dreaming about becoming adventurers since you were small. I haven’t. I guess I’ll see what feels right when the time comes.” “And what HAPPENS if you reach that point but don’t have the prerequisites for the species you decide on? That attitude will leave you stuck as a human forever. Sure, the social bonuses scale with overall Skill but unless you’re planning to go into politics or trade, what’s the point? You can’t talk an orc to death.”
“What species will you pick?” She wrapped the sword in some spare cloth, momentarily embarrassed that her companions might have caught her playing with it, and shoved it into her pack. “I’ve not thought much about it. You two have been dreaming about becoming adventurers since you were small. I haven’t. I guess I’ll see what feels right when the time comes.” “And what HAPPENS if you reach that point but don’t have the prerequisites for the species you decide on? That attitude will leave you stuck as a human forever. Sure, the social bonuses scale with overall Skill but unless you’re planning to go into politics or trade, what’s the point? You can’t talk an orc to death.”
Wizard's Tower Press
Wizard's Tower Press
@WTPress@wandering.shop  ·  activity timestamp 3 days ago
The following morning, the youngsters got up and dressed quickly and quietly and went downstairs. All was as usual in the breakfast room, but Uncle Wulf was nowhere to be seen. Breakfast for Rag and Boyd was a matter of buttering toast and eating bacon and poached eggs quietly and trying hard not to guess what might happen to them. ‘What do you think he’ll do?’ Rag said when she couldn’t bear the silence any longer. Boyd shrugged; his mouth was full of toast. Rag, rarely at a loss for words, didn’t know what else to say. They carried on eating and waited. Uncle Wulf arrived just as they were finishing, he came into the room, the pukis riding on his shoulder; it now had a little leather collar on. Wulf was carrying a wide basket, which he put on the floor in the corner. He pointed to it and the pukis meekly flew down and curled up inside. Uncle Wulf sat down at the table in silence. The three of them looked at each other. Eventually Wulf spoke first. ‘You will have questions.’
The following morning, the youngsters got up and dressed quickly and quietly and went downstairs. All was as usual in the breakfast room, but Uncle Wulf was nowhere to be seen. Breakfast for Rag and Boyd was a matter of buttering toast and eating bacon and poached eggs quietly and trying hard not to guess what might happen to them. ‘What do you think he’ll do?’ Rag said when she couldn’t bear the silence any longer. Boyd shrugged; his mouth was full of toast. Rag, rarely at a loss for words, didn’t know what else to say. They carried on eating and waited. Uncle Wulf arrived just as they were finishing, he came into the room, the pukis riding on his shoulder; it now had a little leather collar on. Wulf was carrying a wide basket, which he put on the floor in the corner. He pointed to it and the pukis meekly flew down and curled up inside. Uncle Wulf sat down at the table in silence. The three of them looked at each other. Eventually Wulf spoke first. ‘You will have questions.’
The following morning, the youngsters got up and dressed quickly and quietly and went downstairs. All was as usual in the breakfast room, but Uncle Wulf was nowhere to be seen. Breakfast for Rag and Boyd was a matter of buttering toast and eating bacon and poached eggs quietly and trying hard not to guess what might happen to them. ‘What do you think he’ll do?’ Rag said when she couldn’t bear the silence any longer. Boyd shrugged; his mouth was full of toast. Rag, rarely at a loss for words, didn’t know what else to say. They carried on eating and waited. Uncle Wulf arrived just as they were finishing, he came into the room, the pukis riding on his shoulder; it now had a little leather collar on. Wulf was carrying a wide basket, which he put on the floor in the corner. He pointed to it and the pukis meekly flew down and curled up inside. Uncle Wulf sat down at the table in silence. The three of them looked at each other. Eventually Wulf spoke first. ‘You will have questions.’
Juliet E McKenna
Juliet E McKenna
@JulietEMcKenna@wandering.shop  ·  activity timestamp 3 days ago
Cover art by Geoff Taylor shows a dragon smashing a tall ship to pieces far out to sea. In the foreground a man wrestles with the tiller of a small boat. A woman is trying to save an unconscious man about to fall into the foaming waves. Some opportunities ought to come labeled ‘too good to be true’. Of course, ten years of living by my wits should have taught me how to spot them. You would have thought so anyway; so would I. The night this particular opportunity came to wreak havoc in my life, I was sitting comfortably full of good dinner in front of a roaring fire, and listening to the wind tearing at the snug inn. I was wearing my usual nondescript traveling clothes and, with any luck, the other patrons in the tap-room would have been hard put to decide my age, sex or business. Being unremarkable is a talent I cultivate: middling height, middling build, nothing special— unless I choose differently. Feet up on a stool and hat over my eyes, I may have looked half-asleep, but mentally I was pacing the room and kicking the furniture. Where was Halice? We had been due to meet here four days ago and this unplanned stay was eating into my funds. It was unlike her to be late for a meet. On the few occasions it had happened before, she had always got a message through. What should I do?
Cover art by Geoff Taylor shows a dragon smashing a tall ship to pieces far out to sea. In the foreground a man wrestles with the tiller of a small boat. A woman is trying to save an unconscious man about to fall into the foaming waves. Some opportunities ought to come labeled ‘too good to be true’. Of course, ten years of living by my wits should have taught me how to spot them. You would have thought so anyway; so would I. The night this particular opportunity came to wreak havoc in my life, I was sitting comfortably full of good dinner in front of a roaring fire, and listening to the wind tearing at the snug inn. I was wearing my usual nondescript traveling clothes and, with any luck, the other patrons in the tap-room would have been hard put to decide my age, sex or business. Being unremarkable is a talent I cultivate: middling height, middling build, nothing special— unless I choose differently. Feet up on a stool and hat over my eyes, I may have looked half-asleep, but mentally I was pacing the room and kicking the furniture. Where was Halice? We had been due to meet here four days ago and this unplanned stay was eating into my funds. It was unlike her to be late for a meet. On the few occasions it had happened before, she had always got a message through. What should I do?
Cover art by Geoff Taylor shows a dragon smashing a tall ship to pieces far out to sea. In the foreground a man wrestles with the tiller of a small boat. A woman is trying to save an unconscious man about to fall into the foaming waves. Some opportunities ought to come labeled ‘too good to be true’. Of course, ten years of living by my wits should have taught me how to spot them. You would have thought so anyway; so would I. The night this particular opportunity came to wreak havoc in my life, I was sitting comfortably full of good dinner in front of a roaring fire, and listening to the wind tearing at the snug inn. I was wearing my usual nondescript traveling clothes and, with any luck, the other patrons in the tap-room would have been hard put to decide my age, sex or business. Being unremarkable is a talent I cultivate: middling height, middling build, nothing special— unless I choose differently. Feet up on a stool and hat over my eyes, I may have looked half-asleep, but mentally I was pacing the room and kicking the furniture. Where was Halice? We had been due to meet here four days ago and this unplanned stay was eating into my funds. It was unlike her to be late for a meet. On the few occasions it had happened before, she had always got a message through. What should I do?
Ben Jeapes
Ben Jeapes
@benjeapes@mastodon.social  ·  activity timestamp 3 days ago