Your old colleague, Lux, spread her arms on the circular table. She clasped her hands and shook with her head flat on the table. Her blond hair shimmered under the cloudless sunny day. A gentle breeze waved past, cooling the surrounding area of the outdoor cafe you sat in. Her canine ears drooped down.
"How did this come by anyways?"
Lux pulled herself back up. She ate a mouthful of her slice of strawberry cake. Her eyes closed tight in a brief, blissful, sugar high. The coffee, topped with five sugar cube and cream, was raised by Lux, she jerked her head back and downed the sugary abomination of what was a Lunarian Coffee. Lux let out a long and content sigh.
"Our headmistress wanted us faculties to look for new teachers, not from our usual alumnis or the list of candidates. Someone outside of the student's... lifestyle. They need a teacher who needs to ground them in relaity."
You are still William sparred with self-lighting firefighters, beat the shit out of the voices in your head, and now preparing to go back to university that descended into a multi-way gang fight.
You are Charlotte Fawkins, dashing heroine, detective, adventuress, heiress, sorceress, heraldess, etcetera. Three years ago, you drowned yourself in a quest to find a long-lost family heirloom; nowadays, you're still working on that heirloom thing, though you, trusty retainer Gil, and snake(?)/father(?) Richard have had plenty of other adventures. Inexplicably, you are plagued with strange omens and vile nemeses, even though m̶o̶s̶t̶ ̶p̶e̶o̶p̶l̶e̶ ̶a̶r̶e̶ ̶o̶k̶a̶y̶ ̶w̶i̶t̶h̶ y̶o̶u̶ ̶n̶o̶w you're beloved by everybody you know: after all, you've never done anything wrong in your life.
Right now, you've successfully imploded the villainous corporation Headspace (and its Management), and have returned to a larger audience than you expected.
Also, a louder one. There's a lot of people in a small area and they're all looking at you and clapping and cheering for you, because you did it. You did what you said you would. You saved people, and Headspace is no more, and... you think you need to sit down. There's still a possibility you're dead.
You glance down at Gil, slumped, knees out, hand loosely clutching your boot. He looks exhausted. Which is your fault, you think. You did that to him, because you didn't plan enough, and you went all stupid and Managery, and you didn't even blow it up properly, just imploded it, which is way worse and less—
Gil, seeing your glance, has reached up and slid his fingers into your forgotten open hand. He is tugging slightly. It takes you another moment to realize what he means, and then another to stiffen and help pull him to his feet. The instant he's up, he yanks your arm above your head, and the cheering swells feverishly. You spot Eloise, two fingers in her mouth, wolf-whistling.
Oh God. You might not be dead. This might be real. You might really be a...
Gil drops your arm, and Madrigal comes out of the front of the crowd, waving hers. "Okay! Okay! Cool it! Give her some fucking space! Does she <span class="mu-i">look</span> like she has anything to say right now?!"
She looks at you. You can't think of how to respond. Gil has dropped your arm, but not your hand, and he speaks for you. "...Maybe later."
"Maybe later! So if you don't have anything you need to tell Miss Big-Dick right this fucking second, you can all go off and get into— Monty! Corral them!"
"Okay, folks, if we could back up..." Monty launches into his natural-born role of traffic cop while Madrigal turns back to you, hands on hips. Is she angry at you? She doesn't look angry, but... "So."
You process. "So?"
"So you did it, you fucking nutcase! You <span class="mu-i">did</span> it! Not that— I mean— I know you said you would, but there's a big difference between that and, I mean—" She rakes her fingers through her hair. "I mean, that's a <span class="mu-i">power move.</span> That's a big-dick fucking power move. That and Bug Man's—"
"I didn't do that much," Gil demurs. "All Lottie."
You wake up before the alarm rings, that's a first. However, for perhaps the first time since you've been trapped in this timeloop, you look forward to today, that's because your spirit finally managed to get you a way to remember a certain someone. All that's written on that note is that you have a girlfriend, that you're forgetting her, and that you should not betray her trust here, but that's enough for you.
Sure, you can't remember her face, or what she sounds like, or what kind of person she is, or why you even loved her, but that's fine! As long as this note exists, you know that you have someone to come back to, so you won't do something you might regret later in this temporal prison. Speaking of temporal prison, now would be a good time to reiterate what you know about your situation thus far.
For one, it's possible for someone in the loop to figure out that something is wrong using those fumes that Claire inhaled. You're not sure how helpful of an info that is, but it might at the very least convince some people here of what you're going through. Another is that 'M', a powerful being you've interacted with for a short time, is as described by your spirit 'knowledgeable, powerful, immature' and to 'not listen to them, find your own solution'.
You've also found out that Claire has a crush on you, but you doubt returning her feeling is enough to get out of the loop, not like you would even if you had to. Worst case scenario, you can stall until a teacher wakes you up from this nightmare.
That should cover most of what you've learned about the loop, you cover your loop immune note with a book, so your parents don't mess with it, and get prepared for school. Usual banter from your parents, Claire waiting for you at the door, offering the brush- damnit, you forgot to brush your hair AGAIN.
Claire smiles at you on your way to school. "You look happy today, did something happen?"
You DO feel in a good mood now that you don't need to constantly strain your mind remembering that girl. You should ride that happy feeling while it lasts.
>Going through the school as normal doesn't do much, maybe you could skip classes while staying inside the school instead? >Explore the city with Claire >Go through the school as normal, maybe you'll get an opportunity to talk to your parents about something if they aren't angry at you for skipping. >Maybe you should treat Claire a little. You don't need to return her feeling, you can just try to be extra nice today. >Something else? (Write in)
In the world of Hainei, there are many groups in many places, always stirring with machinations unfolding as they move. The goals of the many often lead them into conflict. The probability is always high.
~~~
This quest is a side story that takes place in the universe of Chaos: The Quest for Redemption. New readers are encouraged to start from the beginning to grasp the context of what you are about to witness.
INSTRUCTIONS: Select a name, color, and location to start playing type "dice+1d9999" to roll the dice for your number of attacks or defenses You Will receive a BONUS for every PROVENCE you completely occupy
In your youth, you used to research spells that enlarged creature's anuses.
Then you got okay with your sexuality, that you are actually a voyeur who enjoys watching large insertions.
You filled an entire level of your tower with just people that love stuffing their butts with large stuff, and helped then further with magic so they can stuff even larger things up their butt.
But that was youth folly. You're now after True Power. Ancient interdimensional artifacts.
Which artifact are you going to go after next?
> The Ring of Infinite Pucker A golden ring that glows faintly with a cosmic energy. When worn, it slowly expands the wearer’s, uh, "dimensions" to fit into interdimensional portals more easily. Overuse may cause some discomfort but provides a +2 bonus to Charisma when dealing with extraplanar beings who appreciate flexibility. > The Cloak of Void Passage This shimmering, ethereal cloak adjusts the wearer’s anatomy to allow them to pass through narrow planar rifts. While wearing the cloak, the user gains the Gaseous Form spell once per long rest. However, the cloak is known to cause an inexplicable “stretchy” feeling. > Orb of the Expanding Horizon An orb with a swirling, ever-changing interior resembling a black hole. When activated, it warps the body to accommodate space travel. This artifact is a favorite among planar merchants but is known to make its users unnervingly relaxed. > The Chalice of Cosmic Expansion An ancient chalice that holds an ever-replenishing elixir. Drinking from it enhances the drinker’s adaptability to otherworldly energies but leaves them prone to temporary Dimension Dysphoria, manifesting as an overly enlarged posterior. > Scepter of the Wide Maw A silver scepter engraved with the image of a screaming void. It allows its wielder to stretch any orifice (including their own) to absurd proportions to store or consume interdimensional items. Roll a Constitution save to avoid long-term... "effects." > The Seat of Eternal Comfort An unassuming, ancient stone chair rumored to belong to a planar traveler. Sitting upon it grants enhanced endurance for planar journeys, but overuse leaves the sitter with a lingering feeling of openness. > Portal Key of the Widened Gate A key carved from the bone of an unknown creature. When held, it reshapes the user's body to allow passage through impossibly narrow gaps. Overuse makes the effect permanent. > The Belt of Elastic Resilience This leather belt adjusts its size perfectly to fit any creature. When worn, it grants resistance to crushing damage and magical adjustments to the user’s anatomy for better adaptability during planar travel. > The Tome of Infinite Openings A mystical book filled with ever-changing glyphs. Reading it grants knowledge of interdimensional travel and the unique ability to create small, temporary portals—often starting in the user’s own body. > Write in
You labor beneath the glittering towers of the Elvish Kingdom, where light reflects endlessly on crystal spires, mocking the darkness below. The mines are your prison, and you are one of many—dark elves condemned to extract the precious ores that fuel their grand enchantments. They call you "lesser," "second-born," treating you as tools rather than people.
But you are no tool. You feel it in your bones—literally.
It starts with the discovery deep within the mines. Your pickaxe strikes something strange, something that isn’t ore. You uncover the remains of a great beast, its bones ancient and forgotten. The sight of them stirs something in you, an energy that feels alive, though the creature is long dead. You touch the bones, and for the first time in your life, you sense power in your hands.
You experiment in secret. Small constructs rise at your command—a scurrying hand, a twitching ribcage. The magic flows naturally, as if it had always been a part of you. The other workers watch you cautiously, but they say nothing. No one wants to draw the overseers' attention.
You know the wards in the mines are unyielding, built to keep you trapped. No teleportation, no tunneling to freedom. But magic like yours—magic they don’t expect—offers a chance.
You study the layout of the tunnels, memorizing patrol routes and weak points. At night, you practice with your bone constructs. A skeletal raven takes to the air, silent and swift, scouting paths you cannot tread. The raven brings back knowledge: the enchantment nodes that power the barriers, the location of the nearest exit, the patrol schedules.
Patience becomes your weapon. Weeks pass, then months. The overseers grow lax, assuming you are too broken to rebel. You bide your time, gathering bones piece by piece, building an ally for your escape—a massive skeletal beast formed from the remains of creatures long dead.
The night of the new moon comes, the mine bathed in absolute darkness. The guards are celebrating aboveground, their laughter echoing faintly through the tunnels. You seize the moment.
You summon your skeletal beast, its hollow eyes glowing faintly in the dark. With a whispered command, it charges forward, its claws tearing through enchanted barriers. Alarms blare, and the air hums with magic as the overseers' wards activate.
You don’t stop. The guards appear, shouting orders, their blades drawn. You raise your hands, and the bones of long-forgotten workers stir beneath the ground. Skeletons claw their way to the surface, their jagged remains forming a vanguard. The guards falter, unprepared for the rebellion of the dead.
You ride your beast through the chaos, your constructs buying you precious seconds. The mine's exit looms ahead—a crack of moonlight spilling onto the forest beyond. Freedom is within reach.
You find yourself in front of a mirror. You can’t seem to see anything else. You don’t even feel anything.
You wonder around a space of a black void. But every time you lose your train of thought, you appear back at the mirror. When you look back at the mirror, it slowly starts to crack.
The mirror’s reflection shows only a Red Cross. Nothing else is reflected. Who are you?
