#sadly I am unable to help out with the decoding at this time

[monstrousmuse]

Interesting details from the Day 6 promo:

‘WILL MEAT A GAIN’ is of course a reference to ‘We’ll Meet Again’.

(Not so sure about ‘Good Tom’s Meg’ lol…)

…

Is this a reference to ‘William’, Ford’s favourite constellation?:

Or could it also be a reference to the AMA, and how Bill would respond to every variation of his name under the sun.

…

The Saga continues…These promos do appear to be incredibly Ford-centric. I mean, on Day 6, we got The Song again, and an arrow pointing specifically at the number ‘six’…It’s both a reference to the countdown and…Sixer. (Bill Tries To Be Subtle For Once Challenge)

…

The clouds surrounding the moon also look vaguely triangular in shape.

[yourantag]

hi! i see from your profile the requests are open, i hope i didnt mistook it as other type of request because i wanted to request ithaqua x reader, where they were in duo hunters match. the reader was kiting the other hunter and when they were in between pallet, the reader didnt know ithaqua was behind them because of the heartbeat. when the reader was avoiding the other hunter to get in their side, ithaqua hit them from behind making the reader knocked down. the reader felt betrayal and they were upset because of the sudden jump scare by ithaqua

you can ignore this request if you want to! i dont want to make you uncomfortable, and btw i love your work! hope you have a nice day (⁠◍⁠•⁠ᴗ⁠•⁠◍⁠)⁠❤

AN: Hello anon! My requests are indeed open for writing, so don't worry. I was actually quite surprised since I've never gotten a request before, not that that's a bad thing. I am working on an intro currently so that I can clear up any confusion in the future. Thank you for requesting, writing for Ithaqua is always a pleasure!  Word count: 1.2k words Summary: You're tired, having kited since the beginning of this god forsaken duo hunters match. Maybe that's why when Ithaqua takes you by surprise, the betrayal stings more so than ever before.

Your heart beat out of your chest, adrenaline and the magic of the manor causing it to go into overdrive. Though your lungs burned and your limbs ached, you didn't dare to stop. Grace, however kind and sweet she can be outside of the game, was the embodiment of a menace during matches. Her abilities made it difficult to kite or rescue, which wasn't exactly favorable for you nor your teammates. 

What made matters worse was that this was a duo hunters match. These matches weren't exactly the best considering how chaotic it could get. Sometimes the survivors won by a landslide, other times the hunters completely decimated everyone. It was a time where it felt like no one knew what was happening.

You had hoped you'd be lucky enough to not stand out, decoding until either the gates were opened or the dungeon was unlocked. Sadly, you ended up being chased quite early on, unable to hide when you were caught smack dab in the middle of Moonlit River Park. 

When you saw the silhouette of Grace close by, you couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh as you started running. Why did you have to be the first kiter?

Throughout your kite, a few ciphers popped, so you at least knew you were doing well. You still don't know who the other hunter is, but you count that as a blessing. Having one hunter chase you is one thing, but two? You know that's a strategy, but not one you like seeing as you're the one facing it.

You try to catch your breath as you weave through the tent, slamming a pallet as you heave. You don't know how Patricia and the other kiters do it. They kite for what seems like hours on end without even seeming the least bit exhausted. Maybe you should take up William's offer to train with him. You aren't out of shape, but if you're dragged into any more duo hunter matches, you're gonna need that extra training.

Even with your legs straining to get you just a bit farther away from Grace, it seemed like you were inevitably going down soon. It frustrated you a bit, even if it was to be expected. It wasn't like you hadn't been doing well, you maintained a good kite that let your teammates decode in relative peace. However, you knew once you went down, you were probably not getting out of this match alive.

Tired, disoriented, and maybe a bit spiteful, you let a burst of energy push you to another pallet. You knew that as long as you got this singular pallet stun, you'd probably be able to at least make it to the end game of this match. The cipher was almost primed, and you were just about at your limit.

This might simply be exacerbating your demise, but you were going to do it anyway. A chance at getting out was better than nothing, and it was a risk you were willing to take.

It was all perfectly timed.

In a flurry of movement, Grace grunted in pain as the pallet slammed over her head. Though it didn't feel nice to hurt her, you knew it had to be done. Regardless, you didn't have a chance to feel guilty for not a moment later, your body flared in pain as you went down. With your focus having been on Grace entirely, you had failed to notice the presence of another hunter nearby.

Clutching your head in pain, you looked up with bleary eyes. Even in the state you're in, you know that figure anywhere. In that moment, in the depths of your heart, a fierce feeling of betrayal bubbled up.

You know that it's his job to hunt you. You know that it's your job to run from him. You know he hates this game as much as you do, yet even so, you can't help but hate him at this moment as you lay on the floor in pain.

The irrational feelings that rip apart your chest claw at your throat, begging you to let them out into spoken words. They promise to stab him with vengeance, inflicting upon him as much pain as he'd done unto you. You purse your lips to keep them down, lowering your eyes to the ground.

You could never do that to him.

Touched by the first snow of winter, he brings with him a chill known only on the coldest of mountains. His frost covered cape gives him a silhouette that makes him seem both fragile and dangerous, the embodiment of a glass canon. With what might as well be sickles as his shoes, he towers over most as he near silently approaches.

He is the whistle of the wind in frigid forests.

He is the shadows that lurk in the darkness cast by night.

He is the breeze that eases your heart in this place akin to Hell.

He is Ithaqua, and before he is a hunter, he is your friend. However betrayed you may feel, it isn't right for you to take it out on him when he never asked for the position he is in. 

He never asked to be a hunter, but you had chosen to be a survivor. 

So, even with your blood burning through your veins with liquid fire, you calm yourself. It may sting for you, but you knew it seared for him. Ithaqua claims to be a heartless monster, but you know better than anyone else he is anything but.

You let him pick you up as the last cipher pops, a little too late to be of any help to you. You roll your eyes as the echoes of "Sorry..." flood your mind. You wish you could turn the quick messages off, but for now, all you can do is echo back "Leave me!"

Having accepted your fate, you let yourself dangle from the balloons, completely limp. You try to think on the bright side, think about how, at the very least, Ithaqua and Grace will get some points out of this. You had pretty much 7 cipher kited Grace, so this was a fair trade off, more like a rip off really. Besides, even if you're sent back via rocket chair, you still get a lot of points too.

Absorbed in your thoughts, you barely realize that Ithaqua still hasn't chaired you after a considerable amount of time. Confused, you lift your head to realize he's taking you to the gate.

It's odd, really, how at that moment, you can't help but wish he'd simply chaired you instead. It would've given a bit more reason to your feelings, validated the stinging betrayal and conflicted hate. Instead, all that's left is bitter guilt.

Ithaqua has never been one to follow the rules of the manor, even at his own expense. As such, he had never considered downing you for any reason beyond setting you free.

You struggle, and while Ithaqua is completely and utterly confused, he still lets you go. You land on your feet as he quickly regains his bearings, the forced animation the game puts him through ending. For a moment, the two of you simply stare at each other.

You wonder if he understands. 

The anger, the guilt, the pain, the betrayal.

The way your weary heart pushes and pulls with every match the manor forces you two into.

You think he does- no, you're sure he does. You know cause as you smile at him, eyes crinkling at the corners, he looks like he's been struck.

You look at Ithaqua with affection and determination, your life fading out of the match as you surrender. 

He offered you mercy.

You offer it right back.

[master-of-evil-lord-of-the-dark]

Session 2

\A week after session 1′s roaring success and we were back at it again! (this being a week and a half ago).  After this campaign hit the ground with so much momentum, I decided to spring for a few upgrades.  The first was this lovely battle map from amazon, which covered the game table in a most pleasant way and works splendidly.

The second ... was miniatures.  I was in a bind on this one.  I REALLY like playing any kind of tabletop game with miniatures, but have about 5 D&D minis ... and D&D minis are fucking expensive when you need them by the dozen. ... also, I wanted minis for all of the pcs, and just getting the races right started to look difficult.

But then, I had an idea. ...true inspiration struck (which is code for “I don’t even know what thought process got me here”) ...why don’t I *make* the minis??  You see, back when I was little (REALLY little), I used to play with clay a lot.  (I used some foam-based stuff that air dried because I was literally too young to play with Sculpey)  That was eons ago, but like ... maybe I could make this work?

A quick google search revealed that this was NOT a widely used strategy, but the few successes I found really got my creative gears turning, and I set out to Michael’s to pick up some Sculpey.  A variety of colors, soft and easy to work, and bakes in a home over in like 30 minutes.  I definitely recommend it.

So far, this has been working SO MUCH BETTER than I had dared hope, and when four players showed up that Sunday, I had a surprise for them!

The heroes of session 2.  From left to right:

Barton, the Bugbear Barbarian

Halifax, the Aasimar Divine Soul Sorcerer

Malgath, Shadar Kai Grave Cleric of the Raven Queen

Tyna, Halfling Rogue.

Neither Halifax or Tyna had provided character descriptions, so they got the vaguest characters I could muster.  Both Barton and Malgath’s players were ecstatic at the details that I had included.  (Both Killgore and Maiirien got miniature treatments, but they were unable to make it, and I am currently harassing the players for more details so I )can remake them BETTER THAN EVAH!

But enough about the minis!  What of the action?!

Once again, Barton’s player saved my ass from an awkward conversation as they (Barton’s gender remains a mystery, and for WHATEVER REASON, no one is willing to ask the barbarian for clarification, I can’t imagine why) “mistook” Tyna for their good friend Dell.  Malgath, in all his “grim-reaper-looking-motherfucker” glory was simply too interesting to ignore, and with that the new group was discussing plans for their next expedition!

But first, a quick stop at the IMPorium!  You see, last session, Barton had established that they had a love of citrus fruits, something that Westmarch was sadly lacking in.  They had asked Heimdall to procure some.  Oblivious to the fact that they were in a frontier town, and literally a day had passed since they last asked, Barton insisted on getting an update from “My .... good ... friend ... Hei ... ro ... ne ...ous.”  ...there were no citrus to be found.

So they set off into the wilderness.  After some accurate decoding of the map from Halifax, the group decided to head to the south.  I was quite excited for the southern content!

From the crossroads, they followed the “road.”  They reached a river and after some mild parkour, managed to cross the remains of a bridge.

HEY YOU KNOW WHAT’S GREAT ABOUT DISCOUNT BRIDGES?!?!?!  THEY’RE A-FORD-ABLE!!!!!!!!

(Obviously my players love me for my sophisticated sense of humor.)

From their, they made their way into the town of Pike’s Retreat.  A former fishing town long abandoned.  Wide dirt streets lined with dilapidated simple wooden building, all reeking of low-tide.

Following the main road around town to the west, they came across ... mud ...and a lot of it, and beyond it, an abandoned stone church with even more water pouring out of the ajar door.  Barton stealthed up to the door while Malgath took a look around the building, and fish men inside were spotted!  Barton attempted to stealth into the room (failed for lack of cover) and a fight ensued!  ...the players were disgustingly pleased with my fish men minis. (Kua-toas for those of you in the audience who didn’t botch all their knowledge checks)

Violence ensued, barton cleaving heads, and Malgath keeping up.  He got to debut his daily Shadar Kai ability by teleporting through a window, and then showed off his Executionaer Guild background by filleting some fish, live.

After the battle had cleared, the gang located one more hiding in a side room, and pursued it up into the bell tower. (Which Halifax naturally decided to ring.)

The source of the water was a vessel sitting on an alter in the middle of the church.  A vase of sorts... or maybe a “decanter” if you will.  The characters have not yet identified it, but I suspect that several of the players know what they have found.  Additional loot included a faded journal belonging to a priest alluding to a period of horrendous luck in the town’s history, his own disagreement’s with “Pike” and his belief that he was able to procure help from “The sisters to the west.”

Malgath decided to inspect the graveyard behind the church, and the gang was drawn to a mausoleum in the back.  Better still, the mausoleum seemed to lead to a tunnel network!  ...unfortunately, it, and the entire graveyard, was flooded, and after some quick scouting from Barton revealed a cave-in, it was decided that this should be returned to later.  Halifax passed the time playing his bagpipes, and when the party returned to head back through the church, they were ambushed by more fish men!  Another fight ensued.

Having prevailed yet again, the exploration through town continued, this time making their way down to a warehouse by the docks.  As they approached, they spotted movement in the warehouse and approached cautiously, realizing that the fish men were moving boxes and clearing rubble in the warehouse.

DESPITE BEING INJURED AND RUNNING LOW ON SPELLS, our heroes charged in, only to realize that they may have bitten off more than they could chew!  One fishman, wearing particularly ornate garb, began throwing around some magical spells!  (specifically, he surrounded himself with a cloak of shadowy water, and started throwing fear effects each round.)  First Barton went down, and then Tyna, and it looked as if the fish men were going to triumph.  ...but the tides (see what I did there?) of battle turned, and the heroes prevailed. ...almost.  The High Priest, realizing what was happening, turned, fled through a hole in the wall, and jumped into the ocean!

The first (minor) recurring villain has appeared!  I wonder when we’ll see him next?!

Thoroughly bloodied and exhausted, they called it a day and returned to town to rest.