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[aramis-dagaz]

Polgara, grey market dealer in antiquities and magical artifacts and master of using showmanship and strategic disdain to secure a sale.

Art by Marshman220

[aramis-dagaz]

Thea thel Shearwater. Time was not kind to her hometown nor to her as she grew up, but as a teenager she was blessed with having comparatively minor worries, even if she didn't feel that way at the time. Meeting up with an old friend later provided opportunities and hard choices.

Art by Sammy

[aramis-dagaz]

"Millennia ago, it took a lot of effort to kill a person, let alone several or even scores. When you killed a thousand people in less than an hour, it was a massacre. Butchery. Like animals before the altar of a wrathful god. These days, you can kill millions with no effort at all. No thought at all. Yes, it is terrifying, even to me. Power that once was attributed to gods, now in the hands of man.

"But that's the true tragedy. No effort. Not even a mere thought. You can wipe out entire nations and you may never fully realize what you've done. Because you never saw the tides of blood flood the streets. Smelled the scents of fear and fire as cities were put to the sword and torch. Heard the screams and ignored pleas and prayers. Felt the last, halting breath of the men, women, and children you slew personally. Felt their terror.

"People destroy entire nations, cultures, and lands without even realizing it. It never sinks in because there was no intent in the first place. No thought, no care. You all truly live like kings in more ways than one.

"Yes, your horrific deeds have put mine to shame, but yours are—what's that phrase you use?—ah, 'banal'. No thought, no intent, no care. Not even Hell would take your blighted souls, and why would they? What pathetic evil have you committed? No evil, only carelessness. Even oblivion is too good for you.

"I suppose it's up to me once again to show all of you what Evil truly is."

[aramis-dagaz]

Star Fox: Crew Rest Rekindling a Light in the Dark

Krystal was awake in an instant.  She was in Fox’s cabin, lying alongside him pressed against his back.  She could feel the dark memories gathering around him like a black fog, the terror and guilt building within and practically creeping up her arm as she held him close in her sleep.  Another nightmare.  Of what, Krystal could only guess, but it felt similar to those of previous nights.

She gently shook him.  He remained asleep, though restless.  Whatever he was dreaming of had a stranglehold on him.  Any further attempts to wake him physically would only result in a potentially violent though unintended reaction, which was undesirable for a multitude of reasons.

Thankfully, Krystal had other means available to her.

She gently laid her hand along his temple, the tempest within his mind sending a numbing chill up her arm.  She responded with a gentle wave of warmth, pushing back against the roiling clouds.  They refused to budge, sharp spikes of guilt shredding all they came into contact with, but still she persisted, slowly, gently, relentlessly.  The outer edges of the storm began to melt away, a gradual process that gained momentum until she felt safe enough to make one final push.  The darkness yielded before her touch, and she spoke a silent command before it could reform.

Wake up.

Fox’s breathing changed noticeably, but not violently.  Krystal pulled back mentally but kept her arms wrapped around him, holding him close as he awoke.  She could sense his initial disorientation until his senses told him where he was.

“Krystal?” he said quietly.

“I’m here.”

He sighed wearily, one of his hands closing around hers.  “Another one, it seems.”

“Yes.”

He was silent for a moment, his fingers intertwining with hers.  Shame, embarrassment, guilt, and shattered remnants of terror and horror swirled slowly around him like cursed moons over a blighted world.  Left alone, they would prevent any escape, even though Fox was never one to give up trying.  With enough effort, perhaps he could.  But the repeated nightmares kept wearing on him, making it harder each time.

But only if he went it alone.  Krystal gently nuzzled the back of his neck, hoping to remind him that he didn’t have to.

Fox squeezed her hand.  “Thank you,” he said.

“Of course,” she replied.  “Do you want to talk about it?”

He quietly groaned, and she felt his defenses rise.  Even after two years together, Fox was reluctant to show any vulnerability.  She didn’t blame him.  He had many enemies, fought countless battles, and was the rock upon which so many depended whether they consciously realized it or not.  There were very few he could turn to for advice, to show weakness to.  When predators circled from all directions, real or imagined, one dared not expose their throat by accident, let alone intentionally.

But walls entrapped just as easily as they protected, and Fox had built many, many walls.  Even she had difficulty navigating them when he tried to make himself open to her.  She wasn’t sure if he knew how to escape them himself.

But still she tried.  She couldn’t stand to see him suffer, not while she could help.  She loved him too much not to.

Finally Fox rose and sat at the edge of the bed.  He kept the lights off, the starry field from the viewscreen providing enough light to see by.  Fox preferred the dark when he was feeling lost, especially in the quiet hours of his off time.  Krystal sat by him, her hand on his as he sorted through his thoughts and emotions.

“It was about Fara,” he said after a long while.  Krystal had a good idea what he dreamt about, but stayed silent, letting him speak at his own pace.  Her hand gently squeezed his in quiet encouragement.

“Rather, it was about her dea–when she died.  When Shears killed her.”  He inhaled sharply, anger joining the swirling clouds around him.  “I couldn’t do anything.  Nothing but watch her die.”  His hands gripped the bedsheets and he looked away.  “You know this part already,” he sighed.

“And you still feel guilt over it, even though you couldn’t do anything,” Krystal said.

“You’re right, of course.  If only–”  He shook his head.  “No, no woulda-coulda-shouldas.  I’d be at it all night.”  His body tensed as he fought to hold back tears.  “I’d…I’d hoped that killing Shears would’ve done, well, something.  It wouldn’t bring her back, but maybe bring some sense of closure.  And yet here I am, seemingly no different than before.”

“Wounds do heal, but some are so terrible that they never truly go away,” Krystal said, tracing a finger along one of Fox’s scars on his arm, a reminder of a close encounter with a Sharpclaw’s teeth.  “Fara was, and still is, very important to you.  You were grievously wounded that day, though not physically.  You wouldn’t expect a soldier who lost a limb in battle to regrow it over time by sheer will, would you?  Not even after ten, twenty years?”

Fox shook his head.  “No, I suppose not.  That would be ridiculous.”

Krystal placed her hand over Fox’s heart.  “Then you shouldn’t expect any more from yourself.”

“Easier said than done,” he grunted.  “Everyone looks up to me to lead this outfit.”

“Everyone also supports you,” she countered.  “We’re not mere subordinates, we’re your friends.  I don’t think any of us would be here if we weren’t.”

Fox looked away.  Guilt and anger grew stronger.  “There was…something else that happened in the nightmare.  Something I hadn’t dreamt of for a while.”

Krystal rested her hand on his shoulder, waiting for him to continue.

“I…I was angry at Slippy.  Extremely angry.  I shot at him, screaming at him, blaming him for Fara’s death.  If only he worked on getting her Arwing working again before mine, she might still be alive.”  He stopped, his breath catching in his throat.  “I…I think I really wanted to kill him, much like how I wanted to kill Shears.”

“Do you blame Slippy for Fara’s death?”

“No!  I–”  Fox trembled and pressed his face into his hands, his fingers clutching at his head and palms grinding into his eyes.  Krystal could smell tears as the guilt clawed at him viciously.  “No, Slippy didn’t kill Fara.  He isn’t responsible.  He did what he could.  He’s the reason why I’m still alive.  Why Falco and Peppy are still alive.  But if he fixed Fara’s ship first…”

“Then you’d likely be dead.”

“I know!”  He growled at himself and lowered his voice.  “I know.”  A strangled sob escaped his throat and he rested his elbows on his knees, his head buried in his hands.  “I can’t blame him.  He blames himself enough as it is, and he shouldn’t.  He really shouldn’t.”

Krystal recalled the daggers of guilt that still tormented Slippy, how he wept when he finally told her about that day.  He was much better now, but every now and then the wound gets torn open.  It was one of the few things he dared not talk to Fox about.

Fox sniffed and sat back up, trying to hold himself together.  Krystal slid next to him and pulled him into a hug, resting her head on his shoulder.  He leaned his head against hers.  With such physical contact, the cloud of pain surrounding him felt like a fierce sandstorm against her skin, but she held him regardless.

“One more reason to be glad Shears is dead,” Fox muttered darkly.  “He’s trying to get me to turn against my friends.”

“But you know your friends better than he ever did,” she replied.  “Even if that was his intention, he wouldn’t have succeeded.”

“Damn right he wouldn’t.”  He sighed.  “Bastard is going to haunt me beyond the grave, isn’t he?”

“Only if you let him.”

“Then I won’t.  He’s dead and that’s the end of it.”  Krystal felt him forcibly shove the thought from his mind with a sensation reminiscent a large boulder being pushed aside.  It still left deep tracks in its wake, but for now the way was clear.

Anger simmered down to frustration, the guilt and shame directed inwards.  “Thank you,” he said, his voice low.

“Anytime, Fox.”

“You shouldn’t have to put up with this,” he sighed.

Krystal tightened her hug sharply enough to get his attention.  “I don’t ‘put up with’ anything, McCloud.  I do this because I love you and believe that you deserve happiness.”

He snorted with mirthless laughter.  “Just your luck you fell in love with a guy as damaged as me.”

“And yet you’re still capable of and have done amazing things.  We’ve flown in ships that had all manner of problems and still managed to make them work with some care.  People are no different.”

A jocular bubble hovered just beneath the surface, wanting, no, demanding to escape, to be heard, but she felt him shove it back down.  She grinned and lightly dug her claws into his side.  “Care to tell me what that double-entendre was, Fox?”

“No,” he said in a failing attempt at an annoyed deadpan response.  “Get out of my head.”

“I could hear it through even that thick skull of yours.”

“Oh really?” he replied with a half-grin.  “Then perhaps you can tell me which one it was.”

Krystal placed both her hands on his shoulder and rested her chin on them.  “Do you really want me to tell you how predictable you can be?”

“Careful there, you’re almost going to make me laugh.”

She smiled deviously at him.  “Don’t blame me, your dirty sense of humor is what’s ruining your bad mood.”

He turned towards her, his eyes looking her up and down.  “You just bring out the worst in me, lady.”

“That’s not particularly difficult,” she chuckled and rested her cheek on his shoulder again, holding him close.  The dark clouds still surrounded him, though the guilt, shame, and anger were disrupted, shattered into a field of debris that left him in a persistent twilight instead of plunging him into deep shadows.  Left on their own, they would likely reform back into looming shards of pain and guilt, potentially blocking out the warmth and light of those around him.  Even the walls Fox built around him could be just as hindering, leaving him unaware of his friends outside trying to help.

But not all light needed to be external, especially in this case.

Krystal inhaled deeply, taking in his familiar if anxiety-tinged scent and giving him a gentle squeeze.  "Tell me a happy memory about Fara,” she said.

"Most women don't like to hear about their boyfriend’s previous girlfriends,” Fox chuckled wryly.  Though spoken in jest, there was an undercurrent of wariness.  The walls around him shifted ever so slightly into a stronger formation.

“She is very important to you, and helped shape you into what you are today,” Krystal explained.  “I don't mind knowing a bit more about her, make her more than a name and picture on the memorial wall.”

“I…suppose that’s true.  I guess I keep forgetting that there’s a lot you don’t know about her.”

Shards of guilt continued to reform around him.  Krystal was having none of that.

“Sometimes it seems like I’ve always been here,” she said, hoping to assuage his guilt.

Fox chuckled with little mirth but not without warmth.  “Yeah, seems like it.”  He was quiet for a moment, glancing towards the starry field on the viewscreen.  “Sorry, it’s a bit strange to me, being asked about the dead like this.”

“It's very common among the Earthwalkers and Thorntails,” Krystal replied.  “To them, the dead are still part of the herd and are treated as such, even if they aren't among them physically.”

A bubble of amusement rose within Fox.  "I guess that makes sense, though 'part of the herd' isn't a phrase I'd attribute to her."

“No, from what I’ve heard that doesn’t seem like Fara at all.”  Krystal gave Fox another gentle squeeze.  “Please, elaborate.  I’m sure you know plenty of examples.”

The clouds darkened, leaving a weariness much like clouds of ash bringing on an unseasonable chill on the lands below.  “I’m sure you’ve picked up quite a bit from me already.”

“Not as much as you think, Fox.  I don’t pry.  Besides–”  She pulled away and turned to sit facing him.  “–I’d much rather hear you tell it.  More enjoyable that way.”

Fox hesitated.  Lingering grief and sadness made him reluctant to explore old memories, yet she felt those memories wash up on the shore of his consciousness.  He wandered among them, looking upon times long gone, some of which he hadn’t seen in a long, long time.  Some he glanced at and immediately focused his attention elsewhere in a swirl of mild embarrassment, prudence, and a desire for some things to remain hidden.

Krystal stepped back mentally.  This was difficult enough for him, no need to make it more awkward with her looking over his metaphorical shoulder.  Even in happier circumstances, it was still rude to peek in on his thoughts like that, and besides, she didn't want to ruin the story for herself.

After examining and setting aside several memories, a glow of mirth illuminated Fox’s consciousness.  "Okay, here's a funny one," he said, a mischievous smile growing on his face.  "If the Corneria City Police ever knew about this incident, they never would've made her an officer."

As he told the tale, Krystal found she had to agree with his assessment, though she was impressed and even shocked by the sheer audacity he regaled.  She couldn't even call it foolhardiness, though it was certainly foolishness that initiated the whole misadventure.  How Fox and Fara managed to get away with it would haunt her for a long time to come, especially considering how a crate of Papetoon crickets and ramen were involved, but she had to admit that it was a very amusing story.  She found herself wishing, not for the first time, that she could've met Fara; they probably would have been good friends.

More importantly, the dark clouds of guilt and grief surrounding Fox had lessened, driven back by the light of joy and laughter within his heart.  They hadn’t disappeared entirely, no amount of happy stories could do that, especially not overnight, but the memory of Fara now evoked a bit more light and happiness than before.

"I'm not sure if I should be appalled or impressed," Krystal said as Fox finished the story.

"If it helps, neither do I," he chuckled.

"Still, thank you for sharing that with me.  I feel like I know Fara better."

"She wasn't usually that crazy, but only just.  Sorry for talking your ear off."

"Don't be, I enjoyed hearing it.  Hopefully that was helpful for you as well."

"A little, I guess.  I haven't really thought about her much lately.  Didn't want to, honestly.  I suppose I only really remember her when I have these nightmares of her...last moments."  The dark clouds crept in around him, but just as quickly receded.  "It was nice to recall something pleasant for once."  He chuckled.  "Trying to get me to replace terrible memories with good ones?"

“You said it, not me,” she said with a sly smile.  “But yes.  She is important to you.  Celebrate that and her.”

"If I was in the mood for it I'd be toasting a drink right now."  He yawned.  "Ugh, I'm exhausted.  Guess I'm still limping on a crippled heart."

"Well, it is the middle of the night for us."

"What a time to be running a marathon down the bad side of memory lane.  Though I suppose not all that bad."

Krystal leaned in and gave him a light kiss on his cheek.  “Then let’s go back to sleep.”

“Yeah, sounds like a great idea.”

They both laid back down on the bed, Krystal nuzzling her face against Fox’s chest.  He held her close and gave her a kiss on the top of her head.  “Thanks, Krystal.  I love you.”

“Anytime, Fox.  I love you, too.”

It took a while for Fox to drift back to sleep, his defenses still unwilling to relax due to the guilt and loss that still lingered around him, yet still desperate to feel a warm connection with anyone and focusing that desire into holding Krystal tightly.  But soon mental, physical, and emotional fatigue took its toll and he slid back into slumber.  Krystal pressed her cheek against Fox’s heart, radiating love and comfort into him.  His sleep wouldn’t be entirely untroubled, but he wouldn’t find himself consumed by the shadows of the past either, at least not for tonight.

[aramis-dagaz]

Just checked the numbers, 55,000 words in 8 weeks. Holy crap, it's been a good month and a half.

[aramis-dagaz]

Star Fox: Crew Rest, Part 1

This story takes place one year after the events of Star Fox: Assault and two years before Star Fox Command.

As evening approached the temperature began to drop within the Fichina University Department of Astrosciences building.  There was no need to keep the interior any warmer than above freezing as most of the students and faculty had already left for the day.  Only a handful stayed behind, using personal space heaters, hot water bottles, and heavy jackets to keep the chill at bay as they continued their work.

Isabelle didn’t notice the cold until her shivering made it difficult to keep typing.  She only took a short break to put on her coat and gloves, turn on her space heater, and drink some hot coffee from her thermos, and then it was back to work.  There was always a mountain of paperwork in the Dean’s office, from invoices and inter-department communications to student grades and research grant requests.  Someone had to make sure the papers were filed, the requests routed, and the daily thrum of mail kept moving, and the pool of secretaries had steadily dwindled since she started working here four months ago.  Even with less hands to handle the paperwork, the work itself never stopped.

She didn’t mind, though.  It was gratifying to be so useful and busy, so she stayed behind long after the others left and the temperature in the building had dropped.  She found that she did some of her best work in the evening, when there were fewer distractions and the incoming flow of work slowed, if only for the night.  Plus, no one was around to be bothered by her humming, which helped keep her spirits up.

A knock on the door of her office caused her to nearly drop the stack of papers she was holding.  Isabelle wasn’t expecting anyone as the Dean had long ago left for home and most of the professors were also gone for the day.  “One moment!” she said, crossing the few feet to her office door.  Upon opening it, she was greeted by the sight of a familiar pink-furred rabbit.

“Hi Lucy!” Isabelle said.

"Evening, Izzy!"  Lucy looked past her into Isabelle’s crowded office.  It was more of a glorified storage closet, stuffed with boxes and stacks of paper, but she didn't mind.  So long as she had a desk for her computer and space to store paperwork, that's all she needed.  "Still working hard?"

"Oh yes!  There are grades to file away, expense accounts to add to the ledger, meeting minutes to transcribe and–"

"Same as always, I see.  Have you had dinner yet?"

"No, but I'm okay!” Isabelle replied.  “I had a sandwich from the vending machine in the breakroom for lunch today.  It was pretty good."

"The ones made from those impossibly thin slices of bread?” Lucy said.  “I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.  How about we go hit up Leo's?  I could really use one of his coffees to perk me up after such a long day."

"Oh, well, I'd love to, but there's still a lot of–"

"C'mon, the work ain't going anywhere.  I don't think this place will collapse if you're gone for a couple hours."

"Well, yes, but–"

"My treat," Lucy said.  "And they're serving Leo's special tonight."

Isabelle hesitated for a moment.  She hated to leave all this work behind, but then again, Leo's was her favorite restaurant.  And if Lucy was treating her...

"Okay, let me get my hat and parka.  I think the cold air will help energize me a bit."

The early spring air practically hit her in the face the moment she stepped outside.  Isabelle quickly tightened her hood, leaving only her eyes and a flash of yellow fur visible.  Her entire body shivered as she and Lucy huddled together and practically jogged through the snow to the University metro station.  Leo’s was a beloved fixture in the building, offering a nice view of the passing metro trains and Fichina City’s skyline while promising a quick, hot meal for those on the go and a warm place to sit for those with the time to spare.

They both stayed silent until they got their cups of Leo’s finest, as they would barely have been able to get a proper word out until they warmed up and the chattering of their teeth stopped.  It was practically a ritual here, with all other concerns put on hold until one was warm and comfortable.  Isabelle wasn’t sure if Leo’s coffee was so good because it was so warm after a jaunt through the frigid air or if it was simply that amazing.  Probably a mix of both, though she never had a chance to try it otherwise.

“Ah, that hit the spot!” she sighed.

“Yeah, makes it worth the dash through the cold just to get here!” Lucy agreed.  “If they ever build that coffee pipeline the engineering students keep talking about every year, I might never leave the Astroscience building.”

“Oh, wouldn’t that be convenient!”

Lucy smirked over her cup.  “On second thought, maybe it is a good thing they haven’t gotten around to it.  Gives us an excuse to get out of there every now and then.”

“Such a cruel fate.  Imagine how much more work I could get done!”

“Yeah, kinda frightening to think about.”  After placing their orders for two Leo’s Special, Lucy continued.  “So how have you been?  We haven’t had much chance to catch up, what with midterms bearing down on us.”

“Yeah, pretty busy, but I’ve been able to stay on top of it,” Isabelle said.  “The work hasn’t seemed to let up since Cara and Dachs were let go last month, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.”

“I see,” Lucy said, her gaze not wavering from Isabelle.  “Izzy, give it to me straight: when was the last time you went home?”

“Oh!  Uh…”  Isabelle shrank into herself, though not from the cold this time.  “...Last weekend?”

“Izzy!”

“It’s okay, really!  The gym showers are not far away from the Astroscience building, and I’m able to get back home to do laundry and make myself meals for the week!”

“It’s a near-literal icebox at night!  How do you stand sleeping in there?”

“I have plenty of blankets and the small office warms up pretty quickly.  I get so much done this way!”

Lucy buried her face in her hands and sighed.  “Izzy, I swear, this department doesn’t deserve you.”  She ran her hands through her hair and over her ears, causing them to spring back upright as she stared out the window.

"Look, Izzy,” she said, “there was a reason I wanted to talk with you tonight.  I won't sugarcoat it: the University is downsizing."

"Again?"

"Yes, again.  And you're on the chopping block this time."

Isabelle blinked in surprise and her breath caught in her throat.  "What?  Me?  Why?"

Lucy scowled out the window in the direction of the University.  "The Dean has no idea how much you hold her office together and frankly doesn't care aside from how much the admin staff is costing the department.  I tried to fight it and tell her she’s an idiot for even thinking of laying you off, but she’s not interested in what a mere associate professor has to say.”  She sighed heavily, weariness crossing her face.  “I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I’d rather you hear it from me now than when the University hands you your severance notice."

"Oh."  Isabelle gazed into her coffee, suddenly feeling exhausted.  She'd been working at the University for four months, the longest she held onto a job for the past year since Snowpoint was destroyed in the Aparoid War.  She hoped that finally she found a place for her after all this time, and she made such good friends while working there.  Apparently, it wasn't to be.  "Well, I guess it's back to the job search.  I'm sure there are companies hiring."

Lucy placed her hand on hers and smiled.  "Well, there I have some good news!  You remember that my dad works for Star Fox, right?”

The bells in Isabelle’s hair tie jingled as she perked up.  “Of course!  How can I forget?”

Lucy’s smile grew.  “Well you see, with all of the work they've been getting recently between hunting down Androssian and Aparoid remnants and providing security details throughout Lylat, they've been overwhelmed with all of the paperwork.  They're pilots, not office workers.  Dad complains about it every time I talk to him.  So, I can let him know you're looking for a new job.  I have no doubts they'll hire you on the spot, and I guarantee you, they will appreciate the work you do and the pay will be a lot better."  Her eyes flashed darkly.  "I'll make sure of that."

Isabelle felt tears of relief and gratitude welling up in her eyes.  "Oh Lucy, how can I ever thank you?"

"No need to thank me, this is the least I can do for all of the hard work and long hours you've done for the department.  I can only hope the job makes up for all of the crap you had to put up with over the past six months."

"Oh!  Speaking of which, I really should get back!  I have to make sure all of my work is finished, the reports are organized, and–"

"Whoa, settle down there for a second," Lucy said, putting a hand on her shoulder.  "They're firing you, remember?  I don't think you owe them anything.  Let’s enjoy our dinner, talk about something other than work, and then you go home and, I dunno, finish reading that novel you've been telling me about.  Let me talk to Dad and I'll let you know what he says in the morning, okay?"

Isabelle nodded, her bells ringing merrily.  “Okay!”

“Then it’s settled!  Now,” Lucy said, her nose twitching mischievously, “since I don’t know when I’ll be able to do this next, let me regale you with the latest inter-departmental drama wracking our fair U of F…”

[aramis-dagaz]

Screw it, that Star Fox x Isabelle crossover fic ain't gonna write itself.

[aramis-dagaz]

Added some content warnings to the document in the link above.

Less of a sample and more of a couple of early chapters to a sword and sorcery/sword and sandal novel, though with less of an emphasis on adventure (though there will be plenty of that) and more on the arcs of the main characters.

Here's a sample of The Ashen Crypt, the story I'm working on.

[aramis-dagaz]

Here's a sample of The Ashen Crypt, the story I'm working on.

[aramis-dagaz]

33,000 words and the ending of one scene completed, though I still need to write the beginning of it. Progress continues.

[aramis-dagaz]

The Ashen Crypt, a story I'm writing, is at over 31,000 words. Been at this for a month at this point. Certainly not a proper NaNoWriMo pace but still pretty good. Still have a lot more to go, there are three or four parts to this I've only sketched out and many scenes are only partially completed. But the writing continues and the connective tissue is at least outlined.

Really looking forward to seeing how it continues to progress.

[aramis-dagaz]

"Forgive me, but I was under the impression that sorcerers did not want the uninitiated involved in their work," her Ladyship said.

"Typically, no, but most don't know how to make the most of those around them." He shook his head. "It's to their detriment, really. They could be so much more efficient, but I suppose that's what happens when you let fear override mastery of your craft."

"Some would say it's foolhardy to let the uninitiated handle even a fraction of such dangerous power."

"We were all uninitiated once. And I think you underestimate how trivial I find simultaneously fixing your problem and managing a layperson assistant."

[aramis-dagaz]

Final Fantasy XV and the Final Fantasy VII remake make it seem like Final Fantasy games are about a group of friends who are ultimately trying to save the city/country/world, but that's not going to stop them from having a fun road trip and if they're able to help people and make some gil along the way, so much the better!

I'm all for this new direction.

[aramis-dagaz]

A simple map of Brightshore, the party's adopted hometown. Their house is the one on the south side of the ravine.

[aramis-dagaz]

So this happened in my D&D game tonight:

The party was hired to rescue someone who is able to project an antimagic field around them. She was captured by a cabal of dark mages who summon demons into their soldiers to enhance their combat capabilities and was being transported by a lightning rail-like hovertrain. The party managed to board the train undetected and used a couple of shaped charges to disconnect the car from the locomotive and blow open the door.

However, when they opened up the impressive-looking vault they believed was holding the prisoner, it instead unleashed a wave of intense cold and unleashed the antimagic field, stunning everyone in the train car (the party and the possessed soldiers alike). Inside the vault was a couple of glass jars holding what looked like pieces of a human's brain.

Things are about to get very interesting, however, as they are on a rapidly slowing train traveling around 100 mph while hovering over 5 feet in the air. The barely contained antimagic field within the vault was causing some glitches with the arcane levitation units, but now with the vault open, well...

Things could potentially get messy.

I can't wait for next week!

[aramis-dagaz]

Tried roasting vegetables again, only this time I stuck to Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and mushrooms this time and I cooked them for 25 minutes instead of 30 minutes.

Those 5 minutes seem to make a huge difference. The broccoli and mushrooms were much better and less burnt to carbon, while the Brussel sprouts would've benefited from staying in the oven for those 5 extra minutes.

The leftover 4-ingredient bread was still good after being frozen and microwaved for a minute. Not as good as freshly baked, of course, but no bread is as good as when it's fresh out of the oven.

Also, being liberal with coarse salt in the olive oil for dipping bread in is definitely the way to go.

[aramis-dagaz]

Aramis's Culinary Adventures: 4-Ingredient Homemade Bread

Made some simple bread over the weekend using this recipe, and this I'm very happy about.

Another simple recipe, though one that you'll need anywhere between 2 hours to 3 days to fully realize, so plan head accordingly. Only four ingredients needed:

3 and 1/4 cups flour (I used all-purpose flour, but the recipe recommends bread flour)

2 teaspoons instant yeast (I found small premeasured packets of about 2 teaspoons each, which is good for a first foray into baking)

2 teaspoons coarse salt

1 and 1/2 cups water at room temperature (temperature is to help the dough rise)

The recipe also suggested adding 2 teaspoons each of garlic powder and herbs, so I tried that as well, and I think that really made this bread amazing.

After mixing the ingredients together until the dough is sticky and moist throughout, cover and let sit at room temperature for 2-3 hours to let the dough rise (the dough will be twice as big after that time). It's okay to bake after that, but the recipe highly recommends putting the dough in the fridge for 12 hours to 3 days for the best flavor. Shape into two long loaves and place on a baking sheet (though it worked just fine in a loaf pan like I did). Cut three slashes into the loaf, then bake at 475°F for 20-25 mins.

I baked half right away after the dough rested for 3 hours and saved the other half for later.

Here are the results:

This bread is delicious, and the crust is the best part. The garlic powder and herbs went a long way to making this bread distinctive, but it doesn't overwhelm it to the point of tasting like a spice rack. I would've devoured the whole thing if I let myself. It's really good dipped in olive oil mixed with herbs and coarse salt. This is the kind of bread an Italian restaurant would serve as an appetizer and it would be in danger of spoiling your dinner before you read through the entire menu.

I forced myself to save a couple of slices as I'm curious as to how it tastes a couple of days later. I'm really looking forward to baking the rest of dough after it's had a chance to sit for a couple days.

I'll definitely make this bread again, only next time I'll try bread flour or whole wheat flour.