Forums → Forum Games → Count to 100: Sporangium

29. *narrator*:
Congratulations heroes, you all managed to take down the force of darkness and stop the worst from happening. But I suspect it's over a bit too soon isn't it? Perhaps there will be someone trying to create another world-ending disaster in the near future?
You will find out in the next chapter of 'Tales of Astanican Adventurers'

30. To work or not to work? That is the question. Eh. I'll call it valid until week's end. Bed, you and me have some catching up to do.

31. Astanican Adventurers? Catchy name and suspiciously similar to Satanican *gasp* >Liluminati revealed<

We can set off on another adventure, but in advance I call dibs on team’s sidekick.

32. Well, I'll follow PL wherever he goes. I have nothing else to do anyway XD
C'mon Alazare, you'll have to lose all those extra kilos you gained with all those shadow minions you ate!

33. So... goodbye Onviqirax, Brulzrorth, Iohn... we'll meet another day... *goes with PL and Kali*

34. Where the hell did you come up with those names from?

35. APGC is the cool-fantasy-names-generator XD

Uhm, I meant I wanna be a sidekick, but if you wanna follow me instead, sure people, let’s go! We’re sorta crew now @kalisenpai , @armorplayergc - sooo cooool XD

I received a letter from my buddy, nomad Bob. He needs help on White Sands. There are a few greater cities in the vicinity but his mission would take place between desert oases. Knowing Bob, it’s too much to hope we’ll get paid, and he got into hot water because of his good heart. There are no details in the message, as he wrote: “to protect the poor people in need.”

We could fly there first and see what’s next…

Maybe @sciller45 and @abcdragon66 wanna join the quest? Plot could go like The Magnificent Seven but not necessarily, like before all ideas are welcome

*without further ado, PL packed his crap, called for Starwing and saddled him up*

36. Hmmmm, I could try a teleportation spell. I think I've improved my magic abilities!
*casts the spell. Surprisingly, everything goes as expected*
see PL, now you can be a sidekick of these sick new spelss, yeaaaaaaah

37. ^ BLAMO! *high five*

“Wow, Kali, I’m amazed by your new power.” Said PL. They were near an oasis and there was Bob. Since it was late, he prepared a dinner, Fattoush. There’s “fat” in the name but it’s quite slimline, so Alazare could breezily help himself to it.

Then Bob led the heroes to teepees, in front of which was a fireplace. He’ll fill them in later, for the time being he spun some tales from “Sandstorm Nights”, and Astanican Adventurers repaid him by relating their latest adventure.

1, Reset, because on Ash Wednesday, everything's over.

1. But then a phoenix rose from the ashes.
“Yaay, we’ve got another pet. But I’ve no idea what they eat…” Phoenix was flying about, looking like an enormous firefly. “How do we name it?”

2. How do you name something? You give it a name, simple.
Also, that's awfully pessimistic of you, Unleashed.

3. What happened on ash Wednesday again? I think Jesus fasted in the desert for 40 days. Eh, I ain't Jesus. I'm giving deserts up for lent, thank you.

Ha, get it? Because people usually give desserts up and I gave up deserts? No? No. OK then.

Maybe I'll catch up with you once I watch magnificent seven. It's just coming on the medieval television. What's a television? I don't know! But the puppets are wierdly hypnotic.

4. I remember joining an exhibition about the people from other worlds showcasing their creation and weird machinery and the likes, some people speculate that this thing "Television" or TV as they called it is like a scrying glass that let you see things from a distance but much more complicated! Other more "futuristic" races as they call themselves, have even more compact ones.

How these "television" works is like magic yet they aren't going to tell us what's behind this sort of magic. Scrying magic requires magic to maintain the observation, yet they said you need one "receiver" (The explanation is too confusing to put it here) or input, the "television" as output and some electricity (Were they trying to say some fancier lightning magic?).

I would never know for sure, but it was a rare exhibition that was held in the Palace of Valor in the City of Solus.

5. ^ An interesting conception… Though, it sounds like some jiggery-pokery. Next you’re going to tell us ‘Televizion’ has a global range thanks to some senders in the endless skies, I mean come ooon, I bet they are scams. And I see Solus Sciller prospers well, he got his own city now?

Guess I have to name our phoenix. She’s a hatchling yet… I mean ashling. But she’s gonna be grandiose when she grows up, so I call her Mozilla! No wait, that sounds weird… Sparkles is thy name!

In short what Bob told us and what we see: Azure Eye is an oasis that hosts a settlement (size like Huacachina). A thicket of palm trees surrounds the azure lake. The whole oasis is hidden between high dunes. Around 100 people used to live here. They’re sustained by plenty of water and fruits of and trade with nomadic merchants, like Bob. Water in the oasis is magical and it restores its level over nights if small amounts were used. Drinking it elongates lifespan and gives immunity to diseases. And it draws unwanted attention. *dun dun duuuuun*

Magic potion corporation wanna lay their hands on all the magic water. They hire mercenaries, AKA bandits. Through the raids less than a third of the lake is left. Bandits use elephants and camels to carry vats. They also already robbed anything costly, murdered those who tried to resist, and enslaved those who were caught. 30 people still live in their scorched houses. Those villagers that stayed just run away every time their scout alarms raiders’ return.

Villagers can’t pay us anything, but they need help! They need heroes!!

On next turn I’ll check their morale, skills and maybe help with fortifications.