#kylan down one path and rian down another

[oz-the-sorcerer]

Create For Thra Day 6: "There are many paths laid before us, some good, most bad."

@createforthra

--

Here's a thing I have written months ago, which happens to be a perfect fit for today's topic!

Excuse my writing skills and enjoy!... Or cry.

🌟

Open Your Eyes

🌟

Kira tried to wipe away some of the blush from her freckled cheeks. She loved her reflection on the dressing mirror, but she thought her mom could do her make up a little bit less.

She heard her mom laugh.

"And here I was wondering how long would it take you to remove some of it."

"But it feels heavy, you know I like how I look."

"Yes honey, but this is a special occasion... Spare me this once?"

Kira rolled her eyes playfully as Brea braided her silver hair with beads. Kira's hair fell from her shoulders, she especially wanted side braids like her gorgeous mother, but had thin side braids instead of thick ones. She made them herself, then Brea offered help attaching the beads. Brea made two braids, connecting into one thick braid at the center.

"Looking good as ever." Came a silent voice. Kira turned to her aunt, whose body, spider body, was sitting on top of the counter. She couldn't help but blush, looking down.

"Don't move your head, sweetheart." Brea said, posing her head straight again.

"Sorry. I am just... Excited." She was terrifyingly aware of her heartbeat, tried to take a deep breath.

"I can sense your fear." Tavra walked with her thin legs and stopped between Kira and the mirror. "You have nothing to be afraid of."

"I can't help it." Kira explained. " I wish I could know what the future holds for me, like Mother Aughra. Maybe then I wouldn't be this vulnerable."

"You are not vulnerable." She felt her mother tug on her finished braid as a warning. She didn't like it when Kira dragged herself down this way. "Do you think I didn't feel afraid? I thought I was going to faint."

"Ah yes, glad that you only puked and didn't faint."

"Tavra!"

Kira started to laugh. Well, this story was new.

"You puked?! Why didn't you tell me?!"

"I didn't want my daughter to know this ridiculous fact, thank you very much."

"She was so excited, so she ate whatever she could find from the kitchen and made herself sick." Tavra spoke mischievously.

"I had to keep myself busy!" Brea argued with her big sister. Kira loved their bickering. They were almost never serious with it, that's why Kira even started some of them on purpose.

While they were stating opinions on how to cope with these kinds of excitement, Kira looked at the mirror once more, and decided her fear was a good thing. She would always have her loved ones by her side, possibly talking nonsense like this and she realized, there was nothing to be afraid of. Her future, their future was filled with hope and laughter, she just knew it.

Another deep breath. And a big smile.

"Alright, all done here." Her mother said. For final touch, Tavra brought her golden coronet, which Brea placed on Kira's brow.

A knock on the door which made Kira's heart flip. Only Onica's wild red hair could be seen since she opened the door ajar while talking with someone outside the dressing room. Tavra's tiny body bounced with joy. When Onica came in, they also saw Tae outside, waving at them.

"We are all set. You can come out whenever you want." said the Far-Dreamer.

"Thra's Mighty Hooyim King, you look amazing, Kira!" Tae cheered.

Kira thanked her while she got up from her chair. Her white gown with gold and silver rands fell smoothly behind her. Embroidered with both Vapra and Spriton symbols, she was very proud of this dress she made herself.

One last glance at her reflection, one last deep breathe.

Brea reached to fix her bangs while Onica put out her hand for Tavra to climb on. Tavra wished her a good luck with: "Go get him!" while moving her legs exaggeratively, causing a big laughter in the room.

Then they got out, it was only her and her mother now. Brea's eyes were shining, her little fizzgig was now all grown up, taking another big step in her life.

"Mother, I will be okay."

"I know, baby."

"So, don't cry."

Brea abruptly wiped her tears on her long sleeve, trying not to smear her make up. Then she held Kira's hand and squuezed. Supposedly, they promised each other just this morning as a family that they weren't going to cry.

But all those hardships back in the trines, almost getting killed by a Garthim several times... Brea still couldn't believe it was all over. Skeksis no more.

Another knock on the door, and this time both of their eyes sparkled, as the legendary songteller stepped in to the dressing room with a blinding smile.

Kylan stopped in his tracks and stared at his daughter in awe. Kira laughed and went to hug him.

"Please don't start crying like mother did just now."

Kylan chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her and spinned once. Then he sent a playful smirk on Brea's way and said: "It seems you lost our bet, love."

Brea pretended to be angry with a pout, but when she glanced at her little family, she smiled until her cheeks hurt.

"I want a hug too!" she said as she took big steps towards her husband. Kylan opened one arm for her and immidiately in she was. Kira leaned on her father's shoulder, which always felt like home. After some minutes, Brea sniffled once more, and Kira reached and hugged her as well. This is nice, she thought. It had been a while since they could be like this because of the fussy preparations.

When they let go, Kylan placed both hands on her cheeks and kissed her forehead. Kira could see his eyes becoming misty with emotion as well. She smiled widely with the same eyes she has as her father.

Brea took his arm and started to lead him toward the door.

"Aww, I don't want to give her to Jen yet!"

Brea raised a laugh. "You are not giving her to anyone, honey. Let's give her a moment and take our places at the balcony."

Then she flashed Kira a proud look, and they were gone.

Kira felt aware of her heart again. She couldn't stop this fuzzy feeling inside her stomach and bounced around happily. Calm yourself before you sweat inside the dress, she thought to herself. She let go of the fists she made without noticing, and reached for the door.

Citadel's hallways were empty. As she passed each one, she heard the Gelf folk outside, crowded and excited, just like her. The noise grew louder and louder, then she made a left turn, reaching the last corridor before the Citadel's balcony.

She already could see her parents, on the left side. Brea was already looking at her direction and when she saw Kira coming, she gently elbowed Kylan's arm, causing him to look at her too. And the smile he gave her was everything. Before she teared up, she took a right glance, and saw Rian and Deet, also waiting for her to arrive.

With all the rustling her parents caused, Jen turned around where he was standing at the center and their eyes met.

The flutter inside her chest made her think that she was really about to let go of the lunch she had at noon.

Even if he tried to, Jen couldn't stop looking at her until she was at his side. He awkwardly reached his hand out for her. She took it eagerly.

They both stood straight before her Aunt Seladon, who was going to perform their marriage ceremony. She smiled down at them lovingly, which, Kira didn't experience often much before.

Kira glanced down at all the Gelfling who attended their wedding. Besides the whole citizens of Ha'rar, she could see many faces from every clan. Well, if there is any left, at this point.

Her Uncle Gurjin and Auntie Naia were cheering loudly, as well as her Uncle Amri. As her closest family friends, they had every right to scream.

She couldn't even begin to count everyone she knew when her eyes locked with a figure, at the very back of the crowd. Her eyes widened as the old creature's crane's shard shined with light.

"Mother Aughra..." she let out before she could manage. Jen smiled knowingly.

"I also thought she wouldn't be here today."

Kira, not being sure if Aughra could see it, bowed her head slowly at her direction. Jen followed right after her, thanking Mother Thra for everything she's done for the Gelfling.

When they finally started the ceremony, Aughra snickered loudly.

"These kids..." she said to herself. She ignored the looks of some Gelfling who heard her loud and sudden snicker, and glanced at the endless sky.

"You spoil these children, old friend." She talked to Thra, jokingly mentioning the great weather today. Her tired eyes scanned her every children, happy and bonded with the song of Thra.

They deserved this, she thought.

Their future is brighter than the stars above, she thought.

Then she closed her eyes, listening to her children's voices.

She didn't want to open them. She truly didn't. However, she had no other choice. She counted every star she visited while she was sleeping, just to kill time. But, they also came to an end.

When she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was a Gelfling. Laying and unmoving, already returned to Thra. After every slow step she took, she saw another. And another.

She recognized one, two, three... Maybe all. Or maybe she didn't. She didn't know.

She wondered, why Thra showed her this vision now. Which didn't mean anything. She huffed, then coughed, trying to silence her pain.

She knew where she was. In which reality, in which possible future she was in. She had this reality as a vision trines ago, and there they were. Her children, poor children...

And she knew what she was supposed to do. Her feet took her to the right direction as if moving without her consent. But that was she. That was Thra. Already decided fate. Too late to return.

One tear dropped from her eye to the bloody soil as she stood beside the corpse of a certain songteller, his eyes are half open as he clutched into his magical firca, like a last hope.

She leaned down and grabbed it. With delicate care, she fully closed his eyes, careful of her crooked nail.

Without looking back, she made her way toward the already decided route again. She wished all of her children, for them to return to Thra safely, as that was all she could do.

Grunting while she walked, scolding Thra for showing her a vision this heartbreaking, for making her cry, off to the UrRu valley she went. With the firca around her neck.

#create for thra #there are lots of paths indeed #i have to admit i sobbed #the dark crystal #alternative reality #mother aughra #she is tired #kylan and brea being kira's parents is a theory i support #kira #the dark crystal kira #brea #kylan #royalmelody #this family is killing me ;-; #brea x kylan #the dark crystal age of resistance #rian #deet #jen is their son in this #which makes sense #tavra #onica #tdc tae #naia #gurjin #amri #seladon #the dark crystal jen #jenkira #stonegrot

[thebibliomancer]

Tides of the Dark Crystal liveblog pt 3

Tides of the Dark Crystal by J.M. Lee because I want the answer to Amri’s question. Don’t you?

Last time on book: The dream team of Naia, Spider-Tavra, Kylan, and Amri have gone to Tavra’s friend(?) Onica to get the lay of the land after Kylan shotgunned exposition petals all over Ha’rar. Onica used her Far-Dreaming to let the team see the Vapran and All-Maudra’s reaction to all of those petals. Then on Amri’s turn, he asked the entire planet Thra how they can beat the Skeksis.

Chapter 3

Weirdness on either side, Chamberlain in the middle

The answer to Amri’s question was a wall.

Well. Thanks for that, Thra.

It’s a bit of a weird vision. Amri actually feels like he’s himself, not as a petal or peeping through another Gelfling. Just an Amri standing alone in an infinite dark void, with a stone wall in the middle of it.

Amri sighed. Of course this would happen. The first thing he shouted out to Thra was to ask it how to defeat the Skeksis. If Thra cared about the Gelfling, and knew what to do, then wouldn’t it have told them already?

In fairness, Amri. Maybe your question broke the planet? Maybe you logic bombed the entire world.

Or to be less mean, the planet is sick with the Darkening. So maybe it can’t give a straight answer. Aside of a wall in a void.

Then the wall catches on fire.

The fire had engulfed the wall, but where it had been reavenous and red, it was now blue as the midnight sky. The wall itself had crumbled in places from the teeth of the fire, and where the rock had fallen away, Amri saw shining light. Crystal veins, white as starlight, bared as the wall crumbled, bit by bit. And revealed in the light of the crystal were words. Images. Figures...

Then he was back on the boat, his hands clammy against Onica’s and Naia’s.

I hope Onica has a book about interpreting dreams.

Although, blue fire. Wasn’t that the fire skype that the Dual Glaive did in the show?

The flower petals already kinda took their role as the thing that communicates to all Gelfling so, yeah, this is an abstract dream.

Onica, explain!

She doesn’t though. She just tells Naia to go ahead and ask her question.

Half not surprisingly and half not, her question is “Please, tell us where we can find Rian.”

It makes sense but also, its weird that she doesn’t ask instead about Gurjin.

It sure is more handy for the plot that she asked about Rian because they get a village of a Skeksis carriage drawn by rolling armalig slug racing through the snow. Whether its inhabitants are laughing all the way ho ho ho ho is not shared.

Amri realizes that they’re seeing a vision of now and somewhere pretty close by actually! They passed through that snowy area on their way to Onica’s Exposition Hut.

Hm. Always interesting what commonalities there are between the show and the YA books despite the very different courses they take. They’re both going to have a Rian Chamberlain carriage rescue scene although the location and presumably the context is gonna be different.

Naia rushes out ahead because rushing out ahead is what Naia is best at. Amri, Kylan, and Tavra soon follow, but Tavra asks Onica to wait here in case they need a place to hide.

Just gals being pals, doing crimes, hiding fugitives.

While poor Kylan has to take the long path, Amri just starts climbing up the sheer rock wall, even with the sandals slowing him down.

Amri actually manages to catch up to Naia although they wind up on different ridges on different sides of the trail.

Naia being Naia, she just jumps off the ridge, onto the carriage, and goes through the canopy.

A Skeksis scream curdled the air, high-pitched and nasal. A moment later, Naia and another Gelfling crashed through one of the carriage windows. The carriage tipped, the armalgis squealing in distress at the disturbance.

Oh my god.

Imagine being Chamberlain. Probably sitting in a carriage and psychologically breaking Rian because his sensitive soldier brain is no match for your words words words. When an angry Naia drops in and starts waving a dagger around.

No wonder he screm. And now wonder he crashes the carriage into the ravine wall.

Amri wishes again that he had wings making me think hmm but slides down a fallen tree that Tavra points out to him.

“I hope Kylan tells a nice song at my funeral!”

Oh, Amri. I don’t think Kylan knows much more about you than Onica did.

Amri lands in a pile of snow and finds Naia and Rian with his blue streak of hair pulling themselves out of a snow bank.

Rian runs back toward the carriage because he says Chamberlain has the vial. The important plot driving vial. Containing Rian’s liquidated girlfriend.

Out of the carriage, coughing and swearing and spitting, came a Skeksis. He emerged, reptilian snout first, like a black bird from an egg, almost too big for the door. His feather-lined cloak squeezed out, then billowed as he stepped into the snow, rising to his full height. His eyes smoldered beneath his prominent purple brow, black pupils tiny and livid as he cast his gaze upon them.

This is another scene I wish I could have seen in live action puppets. Chamberlain pulling himself out of the crashed carriage.

Rian demands Chamberlain give him the vial, his confidence impressing Amri who wants to curl into a perfect orb and roll under a table when faced with a Skeksis.

The Chamberlain glared, then reached back to fluff the black collar around his neck so it framed his face.

“The vial? The vial? After ruining our carriage -- MY carriage? Stupid Gelfling. Stupid Rian. After all we’ve done for you, you stand there and defy us. Defy me.”

Effrontery! Offense! How dare?!

Naia threatens that they’ll take the vial by force if Chamberlain won’t hand it over, which is pretty gutsy. Even given that she has a sweet metal dagger and Amri has Tavra’s sweet sword that he has no idea how to use.

Chamberlain takes out the vial and threatens to pour our Rian’s girlfriend if they make a move on him.

“You think you can command me?” the Chamberlain asked, a low growl growing in the back of his throat. “You, puny Gelfling? Giving me orders? A Skeksis? One of Twice-Nine? You dare to command me?”

“The Skeksis won’t rule the Gelfling much longer, not once we prove to them what you’ve done,” Naia said, brandishing her dagger. “To the Crystal, and to our people.”

“So hand over the vial before we make an example of you,” Rian said.

And Chamberlain, well, he took exception to that.

Because he is a petty lizarddragonvulture man when he’s in a good mood and he was just in a carriage crash and these Gelflings keep saying words at him.

So he wonders aloud what Vapra tastes like and then chugs Mira goo.

“OH YES. SWEET AND BRIGHT AS SPRING SYRUP! Mmm-MMMM!”

Leave some scenery for the rest of the characters, SkekSil.

So to contextualize the situation, now Chamberlain doesn’t have the thing they wanted from Chamberlain. And he’s all roided up on soul juice. This is not a situation that they want to be in anymore!

“Now,” he said. He threw back his cloak and drew a short, sharp blade, smiling at them with a mouth of razor teeth. “What were you saying about making an example of me?”

Tavra tells Amri to raise his sword and tries to give him really quick sword pointers. But Amri makes a quick decision and hucks the pouch of fire dust that Onica gave him, the spicy coral shavings getting all in SkekSil’s eyes and nose.

Wow, that fire dust Chekov’s gun fired way sooner than I thought it would.

While the Chamberlain drops to his knees and tries to soothe the burn by shoving snow into his eyes and nose, Amri yells to Naia and Rian to run.

Luckily, Rian does, since previously he was paralyzed by unfathomable rage.

The three run and run and run over the hills and through the woods until they can no longer hear Chamberlain.

And then things get weird.

The vertigo returned, and Amri stumbled, then leaned against a tree as the world spun. In every swirl of snow, every spot of shadow, he saw Skeksis faces. Phantoms, rising out of his worst fears. His throat felt tight, locking air out of his lungs.

“I don’t feel great,” he tried to say.

“What’s wrong? What’s --”

Tavra’s voice fell away, and all Amri could hear was... humming. An intense droning, a chant, coming from deep in the earth and high in the heavens at the same time.

Are there Mystics about?

The drone vibration sharpened, and Amri heard words. Coming from the earth. From the stars. From the suns and the moons. It drowned out the cold and the bright light. It chanted in time with Amri’s heart, in time with the pulse of the world. Of Thra.

Oh, hey, is the entire planet returning Amri’s call? Was that wall vision like.... an answering machine?

I have no idea! This has been some odd bookends around an exciting Skeksis encounter.

Just as Amri thinks he recognizes the voice, the world vanishes.

You keep cliffhangering me, chapters in Tides of the Dark Crystal!

#dark crystal #the dark crystal #Tides of the Dark Crystal #liveblog #Amri #Naia #Kylan #Tavra #Onica #SkekSil #the Chamberlain

[sweetiepie08]

All I Ask of You (Chapter 5)

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance fic

Deet x Rian

She walked into his life when all seemed lost. He accepted her when the other surface dwellers didn’t. She was gentle. He was brave. Their first impressions dwelt in their minds and their feelings grew as their journey wore on. They supported each other, comforted each other, and gave each other strength. Together, they were a light in the darkness.

Chapter 1. Chapter 2. Chapter 3. Chapter 4. Chapter 5. 

The plants around Rian withered and died.

Gone. She was gone. Not gone in the way Mira or his father were gone, but still lost to him.

He tried to follow her, but bramble and thorns stopped him at every turn. He would never make it through the forest, not like this. He needed to go back and resupply if he wanted even a chance of finding her.

He turned and trudged back to Stone-in-the-Wood. The jubilant sounds of celebrating gelfling only put a lump in his throat and a weight on his heart.

Though they won, the battle only brought him horror. Dueling the General and plunging his sword into flesh, the reemergence of the Hunter and nearly getting his head torn off, Deet taking the full power of the Emperor’s magic.. Terror ripped through him when he saw that beam hit her. She screamed out in shock, in pain, in fear, and he was once again helpless to stop it. Once again, he could do nothing but watch as someone he loved died.

But she did not die. She struck back, taking out one of the Skeksis, proving the Lords were mortal. And if they were mortal, they could be defeated.

After the Skeksis retreated, he was concerned only with ensuring his friends were unharmed. He hugged Gurjin, saw Brea embracing her sister, then watched Deet wonder off into the woods.

When he made it back to the village, he was acutely aware of the eyes on him. Strangers looked at him like he was some sort of hero, but he didn’t feel like one. While everyone around him was filled with elation, he felt lost in a haze.

“See, there he is,” Gurjin cried, bringing Rian back to the surface.

He looked up to see his friend and Mother Aughra resting on the steps of the Maudra’s Home Hearth and his feet carried him to them.

“What’d I tell you?” Gurjin went on. “Probably snuck off for a snog.”

“But Deet’s not with him,” Kylan whispered back.

“Rian?” Brea stood up to greet him. “Where’s Deet? When we couldn’t find you two after the battle, we thought you were together.”

“Deet…” he muttered, watching their faces slowly melt into dread. “Deet is…” He choked on his words and his friends exchanged fearful glances.

“Deet?” a new voice behind him spoke. He turned to find himself faced with Deet’s father. “Has something happened to my daughter?” Every fear imaginable flash through this father’s eyes.

“Deet is alive,” Rian stumbled out, unable to keep this poor gelfling in suspense any longer. “It’s the Darkening, I think. Her eyes were purple and I could see veins in her arms.”

A grave look passed on Aughra’s face. “Maudra Argot tells me the sanctuary tree gifted her with its powers,” she said, standing up and walking over to them. “If that is true, she may have taken its ability to absorb the Darkening without being completely destroyed.”

Hope grew in his heart. “So there’s a chance? We can save her?”

“As long as she still lives, there’s always a chance, but I haven’t a clue how to reverse it.”

Rian’s eyes turned back to the forest. The spot Deet disappeared through drew him to it like a magnet. He needed to find her. He simply needed to. “I’m going after her,” he declared. “Someone needs to bring her back. If the Skeksis get to her first…” That was a chilling thought. They saw how much power she wielded and, whether they wanted to take her out or harness it for themselves, that made her a target. It wouldn’t be the first time they made a gelfling their slave.

“But how will you find her?” Kylan asked.

“Her power’s leaving a trail,” Rian explained, recalling the path of dead plants that lay in her wake. “I should be able to catch up.”

“But the animals that were possessed by the darkening became aggressive,” Brea argued. “You saw what she can do. What if-”

“She wouldn’t hurt me!” Rian snapped. “She wouldn’t hurt any of us. She…” He looked around at his friends’ worried faces, all seeming to ask how he was so sure. But how could they forget? This was Deet they were talking about, kind, brave, gentle Deet. He couldn’t imagine a force in Thra that would compel her to harm an innocent creature, let alone one of her friends. “I just know she would never do such a thing.” And if they were in my place last night, they’d be sure too.

They knew nothing of the word they shared the previous night. He didn’t feel right telling them. It felt too intimate. They were words he might have kept secret even from her if he thought she wouldn’t reciprocate. But the drink and the dread of the coming battle possessed him and he asked her to pretend to love him, just to ease his grief and loneliness from a moment. It was a greater gift than he could imagine when she promised her love was real.

“Rian…” Mother Auhgra took him by the shoulder. “The road diverges here. If you choose the path that leads to Deet, take caution. It is true she is still there. Her light has not gone out. But that’s not all she is anymore.”

“Thank you, Mother Auhgra. I will head your advice. But as long as there is still a spark of Deet left in the world, I won’t lose hope.”

Mother Auhgra nodded and gave him a half-smile. There was a look of thoughtfulness on her face and her third seemed to see beyond the path before him. He knew from legend Mother Auhgra could all the paths gelfling could take and where they might lead. If this was true, and she didn’t try to stop him, which he took as a good sign.

“And you, sir,” he said, turning to Deet’s father. “I promise you, and your husband too, that I will return your daughter safely to you.

“Thank you,” her father said, tears forming in his eyes. “I can tell you’ve been a good friend to her. I trust you will do everything you can.”

Deet’s father then pulled Rian into an embrace. He couldn’t help but feel some sorrow in his heart. He’d hugged his own father for the last time the night he died. Rian already had his last chance, but Deet hadn’t, not yet, not for a long time. She would see her family again. He’d make sure of it.

The door to the Home Hearth opened and Seladon stepped out. “She’s ready,” she said, a grim look on her face. “You may tell the Stonewoods they can come in now if the wish to pay their respects.”

“Respects?” Rian asked, breaking away from the hug. “Respects to who? What’s going on?”

His friends all exchanged worried glances before Brea stepped forward to speak. “I’m afraid we have some grave news as well.”

[-]

Rian looked down at his Maudra lying motionless on a table in her throne room. Around him stood the remainder of the Stonewood warriors. Seladon let the Stonewoods in first to pay their respects before the other glelfing.

The mood hung like a shadow over their heads. Maudra Fara had been their leader since the end of the Arathim Wars. She took the crown before she even came of age. She was strong-willed, just, and brave. More than that, she loved her clan above all else. Sadly, while she led a great many into battle, she was left with a much smaller number of mourners.

To Rian, though, she held a special place in his heart. She was a good friend of his father and he had the privilege of knowing her as more than their clan’s leader. He got to peak behind the Maudra’s stern demeaner and saw Fara’s softer side. He watched her tease his father and have a laugh at the great warrior’s expense, one of the very few who could. When she visited the castle, she always made time to check in on him and ask how he was. Her love for her people showed in the time she gave to each one of them, even a childling growing up away from his clan.

Truly, they would never see another like her again.

Which left one question hanging over them all. “Had she chosen an heir?” Rian asked, looking down at his Maudra’s quiet face.

She died without children, and so, she would have chosen a successor to carry on if the worst should happen. Which it did.

The Stonewoods behind him were silent, save for some uncomfortable shuffling. He looked to Seladon, who shook her head. “We received no record of this in Ha’rar.”

“Where’s her lead advisor?” he asked, turning to the other Stonewoods.

“That would be Cohl,” one of the Stonewoods answered. “They evacuated with the other non-combatants.”

“And her guard Captain?”

The Stonewood shook his head. “One of the first drained, sir.”

His heart twisted. Of course. It made sense. Take out the clan’s leadership first, leave the maudra alive to keep the rest of the clan in line… Great Thra, he hated that he could think like them. “So who’s in charge here?”

They met his question with expectant stares. He looked them over. They were foot soldiers and a few lieutenants. They were used to taking orders or relaying decisions to their higher-ups. None were prepared for command. But the answer in their eyes was obvious.

After all, they answered his call. They followed his plan. They fought in his battle.

“It can’t be me, so who is it?!”

His outburst echoed off the walls. The Stonewoods shifted, exchanging glances. Their answer hadn’t changed, despite his protest, and he couldn’t blame them. No Maudra, not captain, and no advisors. Who else was there?

After some more non-committal shifting, Seladon spoke up. “Who is your fastest rider?”

One of the Stonewoods stepped forward. “I am, Maudra.” Finally, an answer.

“Go to the place where the non-combatants are hiding and bring them news of Maudra Fara’s death. The lead advisor should act as leader of the clan until a new Maudra is selected according to your clan’s customs.”

“More than one should go,” Rian added. “The Skeksis may have retreated for the day, but there’s no telling what they might have lurking in the forest.”

As the Stonewood warriors decided amongst themselves who should go, Rian turned to Seladon and tried to convey his thanks in his eyes. She nodded and smiled slightly in return.

Once a decision was made, the Stonewoods split into two groups, those who would escort the non-combatants back to Stone-in-the-wood, and those who would prepare Maudra Fara’s funeral ceremony. They left to carry out their duties, leaving Rian and Seladon alone in the throne room.

“She shouldn’t be buried until the rest of the clan returns,” Rian said, turning back to Maudra Fara. “She’ll want to say goodbye to all of her children.”

“Of course.” Seladon said, approaching Fara’s body. “She was a titan. A fighter to the end.”

“Yes…” Rian couldn’t stop staring at her still face.

“We must fight in her place,” she continued, placing a hand on his shoulder, “now that Thra has called her home.”

“Killed by the Skeksis, you mean,” he seethed. That little flare of anger was the first emotion to penetrate the numbness he felt since stepping in the room. He felt strangely sober, despite the circumstances. His Maudra lay dead before him and his eyes were shockingly dry. Perhaps he simply ran out of tears to shed. But a tiny flame of fury flickered in his heart like a candle in a fog. It could weaken and die or grown strong enough to burn down the whole world. Only time would tell which.

“Can I ask, why can’t you lead until a new Maudra is selected?” Seladon said. “You led the battle, after all. Your clan seems to respect you.”

Today they do. He shook his head to cast the thought away. “You weren’t out there when I explained.” He went on to tell her about Deet’s disappearance. “I made a promise that I would find her and bring her back safely. I can’t break that promise.”

Seladon listened quietly, no judgement on her face. When he finished, she nodded. “I understand. I’ll see to it that Fara is properly returned to Thra and a new Maudra is crowned.”

“Thank you. I appreciate your help,” he said, wishing there were words strong enough to convey his gratitude. She truly had no idea how much it helped him to know he was leaving Fara in capable hands. “I should say my goodbyes now. I won’t be able to stay for the ceremony.”

“I’ll leave you alone, then.” Her hand brushed his back one more time. “Take all the time you need.”

Seladon walked out of the room, shutting the door behind her. The sound echoed off the walls. He looked down at Fara again. She still looked proud and strong, despite everything. He waited for words to come to him, but there were none. Strange how, now that he had time to say goodbye, he couldn’t think of what to say.

Say what’s in your heart, a sweet, familiar voice reminded him. A half smile tugged at his lips. He opened his mouth and started talking.

[-]

That night, Rian returned to his grandmother’s house to prepare supplies for his journey. He took a bow and quiver full of arrows from the armory, as well as an extra sword, just in case. While he knew the woods well enough to survive on the plants that grew there, he also took some warrior’s marching bread and an extra water skin.

As he was running a whetstone across one of the swords, there was a knock at the door. “Come in,” Rian called, expecting one of his friends. Instead, Deet’s father entered the room.

“Sir,” Rian said, setting his sword aside and jumping to attention. “Is there something I can help you with?”

“I was just hoping to talk to you,” the older gelfling said, joining Rian in the living room.

“Of course, sir.”

“Lath’N” Deet’s father answered. “You can call me Lath’N. There’s no need to be so formal.”

“Alright, Lath’N,” Rian said, inviting him to sit down. “What can I do for you?”

“I just wanted to thank you for looking after my daughter,” he said sitting beside Rian on the sofa. “I’m glad she found such a good friend on the surface.”

“It’s Deet who’s been a great friend,” Rian said, feeling a warmth in his cheeks. “I’m only doing what she would have done for me.”

“That is good to hear,” Lath’N said, looking over the supplies on the table. “I see you’re preparing for your journey.”

“Yes, I plan to leave as soon as the first brother rises. Don’t’ worry, I’m a good tracker and I know these woods well. I won’t lose her.”

“I have faith in you.” The older gelfling’s eyes lingered on Rian’s face. “Forgive more saying this, but you look tired.”

“Well, I did fight in a battle today. And trained with some the fighters this morning… almost died a time or two…” he trailed off. So much had happened, it felt like weeks had passed. It was hard to believe that, just this morning, he woke up with Deet in his arms.

“And that was all just today,” Lath’N said, summing up Rian’s thoughts. “But I didn’t mean like that. You look a different kind of tired. It’s not fair, really. You’re too young to look this tired.”

“A lot’s happened in the last…” He stopped as he tried to count the days in his head. How long had it been? Everything was starting to blur together.

Lath’N reached to the table and picked up the sword Rian was sharpening. From the way he held it, Rian could tell it wasn’t his first time holding a blade. “Fine sword you’ve got here. What kind of steel is it?”

“I don’t really know. I lost my sword the first time I fought the Hunter. This is a spare Naia and Gurjin brought me from the castle… Or, is this the one I took from the Circle of the Suns? Or the armory? Been through a lot of swords lately. Do you know about smithing?”

“Just tangential stuff you pick up through training.”

“Training?” Rian asked. “But, Deet told me her fathers were nurloc farmers.”

“I am now,” Lath’N laughed. “But in my younger years, I was a castle guard.”

“You? Really?” Rian let out a small laugh as well. “Forgive me but, there have only been about a dozen Grotton guards in history.”

“That’s true.” Lath’N smiled and extended his hand. “Meet number twelve.”

“It is an honor, sir.” Rian shook his hand vigorously. “You must outrank me.”

“I doubt it. I left when I was still young.”

“Oh, may I ask why?”

“Well, when I joined, I was young, with dreams of adventure. It turned out to be quite different from what I expected.”

Rian nodded. “It might sound strange coming from me, but the castle could be very dull.” He’d heard similar things from guards who’d come and gone. He’d tell them, ‘if you want adventure, you should join the Sifa.’ Most coming in didn’t realize how boring the castle was. Gurjin, who joined because ‘they say nothing ever goes wrong at the castle’, was the only one who had a different answer.

Lath’N laughed. “Yes, but that’s not what I meant. There were things I liked about it, like meeting gelfling from all the different clans. But everyone was so on-edge all the time, and always so formal. It was very different from Grot. We’re a small clan, so it’s more like a big family. We’re more laid-back and friendly.”

“That sound’s nice,” Rian mused. Although ‘laid-back and friendly’ hardly described his family…

No that wasn’t entirely true. His grandmother, for example, was always kind and comforting. And she told him funny stories from when his father was a kid, which was a plus. Then there were the times when he was young and his mother was still alive, and they all lived in a little house on the edge of the village. He remembered how his parents would smile and laugh together. How his mother would teach him old gelfling songs. How he’d watch his father practicing drills in the yard and how his father would invite him over to try the moves. How sometimes, on a quiet night, his mother would read him a story, usually and old gelfling folktale, and he’d look up to see him father smiling at them, just content to watch them exist.

It would be nice to have that again, but, it seemed like an impossible dream.

“The thing I think I disliked the most,” Lath’N continued, “was that, when you were out on escort duty, you had to hold yourself above the other gelfling, like you weren’t just like one of them.”

“I know what you mean,” Rian said. Lath’N general assessment was right. Life as a guard was not only dull, but tense. You weren’t a gelfling when you were on duty, but the Skeksis’ hands. You were meant to do their bidding without question. But they made it seem like it was a privilege to be serving them, like you were a step above everyone else. And that’s exactly how they’ve been fooling us for a thousand trine.

“I grew up in the castle,” Rian went on. “There wasn’t a lot to do as a childling. I was always getting into trouble. But you’re right. I was always on edge. I always had to be out of the Skeksis’ way. If I was too much of a bother, they might have had me sent from the castle, away from my father.”

Lath’N’s face looked grave. “That’s a terrible burden for a child to bare.”

Rian almost didn’t know what to say. Lath’N’s sad, disappointed eyes bored into him. He wasn’t disappointed in Rian, but in the circumstances of Rian’s childhood. No child should be forced to grow up as lonely as you did, they seemed to say.

Rian’s heart tightened and he forced out a laugh. “It wasn’t all bad. The guards mostly treated me like a little brother or cousin. And, when I got old enough, my father gave me sword fighting lessons every morning. Plus, I got to spend my summers in Stone-in-the-Wood. It was a lot like how you described Grot. The villagers were usually friendly and welcoming. At least, I had other children to play with.”

“You know, you light up when you talk about Stone-in-the-Wood.”

A soft, genuine smile came to his face. “I’ve made a lot of fond memories here.” Even just last night, he thoughts as he remembered the feeling of Deet’s lips of his.

Lath’N gave him a curious look. “And yet, when you came of age, you stayed at the castle as a guard.”

“Of course.” The comment surprised him. No one ever questioned his decision to join the guard, not even Rian himself. It was what he was always supposed to do, what was expected from him. “My father was the captain for most of my life. I was to follow in his footsteps.”

“Seems to me you have. He was a great hero, was he not? And now, so are you.”

“That…hadn’t occurred to me…” It was true, come to think of it. Victory crumbled to ashes so quickly, he hadn’t had time to process what happened. But, all those gelfling who came up to him and congratulated him, they must think so. Although, he was not the one who dealt the final blow. “Deet’s the real hero. She’s the one who sent the Skeksis running. Even before that, I never would have made it this far without her.”

“Deet is something special,” Lath’N said with a wistful smile on his face.

“Yes,” Rian agreed, a smile growing on his face as well. “Very special.”

“As are you,” Lath’N said, putting his hand on Rian’s shoulder. “Not everyone could go through all you have and come out the other side still standing, let alone continuing to fight.”

“I must.” Once again, Lath’N surprised him. Of course he was still fighting. What else was there to do? “We’re at war now and it’s a war I started, so I better finish it.”

“You can’t blame yourself for this.”

“It’s true through. I’m the one-”

“Are you the one responsible for a thousand trine of Skeksis rule?” Lath’N asked in a surprisingly firm voice. “This war was a long time coming and the fight is bigger than any one gelfling. I believe there’s an old Stonewood saying. ‘There are times when the blade is necessary.’”

“Yes, and this is one of those times. But there’s more to that saying. ‘The hand that wields the blade cannot help the fallen to their feet.’”

“So, you put your blade side when the fighting is done.”

“That’s right,” Rian sighed, looking at the sword on the table. “What are you getting at?”

Lath’N looked at him with his gentle eyes. “I only wonder if this is the life you would have chosen for yourself, if you had the choice.”

Words lodged in his throat. What would he be if none of this had happened? If he was never a guard? If the Skeksis never came to Thra? His whole life was so tied up with the guard and Skeksis and now the rebellion, it was hard to imagine anything else. His life would be completely different. Thra would be completely different. But, was there any point in wondering? The war had begun. The Skeksis needed to be dislodged if the gelfling were ever to be free. “It hardly matters now.” He may not get to choose but, if they won, future generations might.

“Still, it’s something to consider,” Lath’N said, picking up the sword to inspect it again. “When you set your blade aside, Rian, what will you do?” He put the sword back on the table. He then said his goodbyes, wished Rian best of luck, and left him alone.

Rian went back to preparing for his journey, but his eyes kept lingering on his sword and Lath’N’s question stuck in his mind. Should they win, should the Skeksis be defeated for good, should the gelfling finally have peace, what would he do? Could he set his sword aside? Could he find something else to do with his life, something he truly wanted?

They needed to win first. The war had to be fought. They were being hunted and killed. The Skeksis would wipe out all gelfling if they could. They needed to save Thra, as well as all gelfling-kind.

But, after that, if they won, Rian may, finally, have a choice.

[-]

The first brother had just cracked the horizon when Rian began his journey. Pure exhaustion was the only thing that allowed him to sleep that night. His mind was too full of dread to give him pleasant dreams, but, luckily, there were no nightmares either. Just a night of blessed, dead-to-the-world slumber. It was the best he could hope for, but it didn’t compare to the night before, holding Deet close and warm, his face nestled in her soft hair… It was only one night but the bed still felt empty and cold without her.

He stepped outside. A thin layer of fog hung in the chilly early-morning air. A few remnants of battle lay scattered on the ground. The streets were empty, but not like they were when he and Deet first arrived. He could walk through the village, knowing the gelfling were sleeping safely in their beds, or at least under the roofs offered to them. He was leaving this place full of life, but only for now. I’ll be back, he promised himself. And I’ll be back with Deet.

As he made his way to the edge of town, a voice broke through the morning silence. “Thought you could give us the slip, eh?”

Rian’s heart lifted at the sound. He turned to see his friends gathered behind him. “What are you all doing up so early?” He hurried back to them with a smile on his face. “You’re not planning on coming with me, are you?”

He was of two minds about that. On the one hand, he appreciated the support and the company. Plus, traveling in a group would be safer, should they run into any trouble. But, he needed to travel light and move quick if he wanted to catch up to Deet. Besides, the other gelfling would need leadership if they were to defeat the Skeksis for good.

“No,” Seladon clarified. “There’s too much to do while the Skeksis still reign.”

“And someone needs to make sure the clans are still standing when you get back,” Naia added.

He nodded. Of course, Deet was only one mission in this great game. They each had their own paths to follow. He could only hope they’d all lead back together again.

“We wanted to see you off,” Kylan said. “And wish you good fortune on your journey.”

Gurjin smiled. “And you didn’t really think you could leave without saying goodbye, did you?”

“Thank you, all of you,” Rian said, his heart full. “I know we all have our parts to play. I wish you all good fortune as well and that, someday, we will all meet again in happier times.”

“I wanted to give you this.” Brea stepped forward and handed him a little leather-bound book.

“Your journal? Are you sure?”

“I’ve written a lot about Thra’s history in there. The Skeksis have tried to stamp out much of it, but I want to restore it to all gelfling. Knowledge can be a powerful tool against a cunning foe. I hope it will help you on your journey.”

“Thank you. I’ll make good use of it.”

“I know you will.” Tears welled up in Brea’s eyes and she pulled Rian into a hug. “Bring her back.”

“I will,” he vowed, his resolve hardening even more.

“You’d better,” Gurjin said, his smirk doing a poor job of hiding his fears. Rian transferred from Brea’s arms to Gurjin’s. “Watching you make a fool of yourself over a gelfling you fancy is one of life’s greatest joys.”

Rian let out a breathy laugh. “There’ll be plenty of time for that.” He’d wonder how Grujin knew, but they’d been best friends long enough to become familiar with each other’s subtleties. He was sure Gurjin could read him as easily as he could read Gurjin.

His best friend released him and Naia stepped up next. “Deet’s a sweet girl,” Naia said, hugging him. “If you let anything happen to her, I’ll have your head.”

“I’d deserve it,” Rian answered.

When Naia was finished, Kylan took his turn to embrace Rian. “I know you’ll do everything you can to keep her safe but remember to keep yourself safe as well.”

“I’ll try.”

He stepped away from Kylan and found himself faced with Seladon. She was their All Maudra now, but in that moment, she looked shy and nervous. He could understand why. Most of them barely knew her. She was summoned to the Crystal with them, but she refused its first call. Their little band of friends had been through so much together. Perhaps she felt like an outsider.

She stepped forward but made no move to embrace him like the others did. “When you find Deet, tell her…” she cast her eyes downward, “tell her I’m sorry for treating her so poorly when we first met.”

“You’ll be able to tell her yourself.” He strode forward and embraced her. “I swear it.” Whatever mistakes she made in the past, she fought alongside them in their battle again the Skeksis. She was his sister in arms now. If they were to ever win the war, they needed to stay together.

The hug ended and he stepped back to see the sad smiles on their faces. He was grateful for them all. Their seeing him off was not only a testament to when great friends they were, but to how much they all loved Deet. “Thank you, all of you. When we next meet, I’ll bring happier news. I promise.”

“I’m going to hold you to that,” Gurjin smirked. “Go on, now. Go be a hero.”

Rian took one more look at his friends, then turned to head out of town. They called out their final farewells to him. Each one filled his heart with hope as he disappeared into the Endless Forrest.

#the dark crystal #the dark crystal: age of resistance #the dark crystal: aor #the dark crystal fanfic #the dark crystal: age of resistance fanfic #deet #rian #gurjin #seladon #brea #kylan #naia #lath'n #stonegrot #stonegrot fic #deet x rian #aor #sweetiepie writes #sweetiepie08 #sweetiepie fanfic #sweetiepiewrites #fara

[dhachaigh]

Victory (1344 words)

AKA Gurjin is obligatory DD and Kylan canNOT hold his wine. (Here’s the song)

Stone-in-the-Wood was awash in light and sound. Night had fallen in the wake of the gelfling’s victory, and along with it came the lighting of lanterns, the opening of kegs, and the cacophony only created by an army united by triumph. Everything had been pushed out of the streets surrounding the Crucible to make way for the merrymaking. Stripped of armor, people of every clan cheered, and danced, and drank their fill. Even overhead, lasses weaved around each other in a skybound dance - and subsequently spilled ale upon those standing below.

Some splashed onto Gurjin’s head as he squeezed through the crowded fareway, holding three mugs above the, thankfully, shorter gelfling around him. Once he was clear of the worst of it, he shook himself like a fizzgig fresh from a bath. It may have been a bigger party than he was used to, but even that was familiar. Naia was waiting for him on the other side, leaned against a tree with a poorly hidden snicker-fit at her brother’s circumstance.

“I told you to fetch a drink, not bathe in it.” She snarked, raising her voice over the unrelenting noise. “Though the smell might be an improvement.”

“Ha ha.” He replied dryly and pushed the drinks into her hands so he could properly brush the ale off his shirt. “Where’s Rian? One of those is for him.”

His twin jabbed a thumb over her shoulder, nearly spilling on herself. “Hiding. He could use another drink. I don’t think I’ve heard a word from him all night.”

“He’s had a rough day.” Gurjin responded simply as he took two of the drinks back. Naia didn’t have a quip for that, just responded with a shrug and a long sip. She turned to watch the merrymaking. One thing he could always appreciate about Naia was her ability to mind her own business.

There were less people to shove through on the sidestreet, and Rian was easy to spot. He was sitting in the crook of a tree’s roots, gaze far away. Others had apparently noticed the slump in his shoulders, as there were already several empty mugs stacked on the ground next to the Stonewood by the time Gurjin approached. The pink in his cheeks was hard to miss.

“Got someone else serving you drinks now? Thought that was my job.” Gurjin said lightly and handed it over to his friend.

“Brea.” Rian said, taking the drink absentmindedly.

“Must be pretty bad if Brea thinks you ought to be drunk.”

A small, closed-lipped smile crept onto his face. “Guess so.”

The air sat silent between them, and Rian’s eyes wandered back to the path into the woods. The Drenchen followed his gaze. He’d only met Deet briefly, but Gurjin’s heart ached for her too. Even the short camaraderie of a shared mission had planted a seed of care between them all - maybe it was a soldier’s sentiment, but it felt wrong to be missing someone. He was sure Rian carried her absence heavier in his heart after what happened with Mira.

Taking a grounding breath in through his nose, Gurjin put a smile onto his face and clapped Rian on the shoulder. “We’ll find her. And, you know she won’t end up in anything’s belly - you saw the way she handled those Skesksis.”

His friend stayed quiet, so the Drenchen took his leave. The song had changed while he was talking, a twangy, upbeat ballad. Swallowing a mouthful of his previously untouched drink, he wandered back to Naia. Her eyes were locked on the music-makers, a funny smile pulling at her lips. 

“What?” He asked as he wiped the ale from his mouth.

She simply pointed. “Kylan’s drunk.”

He nearly choked - she was right. Kylan was standing atop a wagon flipped on its side alongside a ragtag group of Sifan singers, there even seemed to be a Vapran playing a flute vigorously. The Spriton’s heel was up on the wheel, strumming away at some stringed instrument that Gurjin thought was made out of a couple of sticks and braided hair. Kylan’s face was bright pink and he sang loudly along with the Sifan’s shanty. It was admittedly impressive that he was able to strum so well considering the significant slur in his voice.

“Woo, Kylan!” Naia yelled over the crowd, lifting her drink over her head. 

He spotted them and nearly toppled off the wagon with the force of his wave. The ginger-haired Sifan next to him managed to keep him straight, and the two leaned heavily against each other as they continued playing away.

“Hold that.” Gurjin sighed, pushing his unfinished drink toward Naia. “I should make sure he doesn’t fall off that thing.”

“I’m going to drink your ale while you play childling-sitter!” Naia called after him as he began making his way through the throng of dancing gelfling. 

“Bonnie lassie will you gang with me,

Bonnie lass will ye lie near me?

I’ll get all your ribbons reel

In the morning ‘ere I’ll leave ye”

It took several minutes, but he eventually found himself close to the wagon. Brea was already there, looking anxious and holding multiple cups. “Oh, Gurjin,” she sighed in relief when she saw him, scooting close. “I’ve been trying to get him to drink water all night.” It was almost impossible to hear her over Kylan and the Sifans’ crowing.

“She takes the trooper by the hand

And leads him to her chamber

She’s given him some wine to drink

And his love it flared like tinder”

Gurjin had to cup his hands around his mouth and shout Kylan’s name to get the Spriton to look their way. He tried gesturing for Kylan to get down, but the Song-teller dizzily waved instead, and hiccuped a “Hi, Gurjin!” Then he winked, and went back to the chorus.

“He just winked at you. He might have ale-poisoning.”

The Drenchen sighed, he really was a childling-sitter. “Wait here, Brea.” He rolled his sleeves up to the elbow and pushed his way up to the wagon, using his full Drenchen stature. “Come on, Kylan.” 

With a delighted gasp, Kylan pushed his flimsy instrument into the ginger-haired Sifan’s hands. “Gurjin! Hi!” 

“Hi, Kylan. Let’s have fun on the ground.”

“Hi, Gurjin!” He slurred again, and squatted on the edge of the wagon to wave him over with another wink. “C’mere, c’mere.” Gurjin did so, getting close enough for the Spriton to grab him by the shoulders. “Yer so tall.” He interrupted the Drenchen’s demands. At this angle, Kylan was indeed only about a head above Gurjin. “So tall. Big, strong Gurjin.” He mused, hands patting their way up to his sober companion’s face.

“Here, I’ll help you down-” Before he could finish his offer, the Spriton’s hands were tugging his face forward and smashing their mouths together.

Gurjin had never experienced his brain melting and pouring out of his ears, but Kylan kissing him with the taste of wine on his breath was probably the closest he’d ever come to it. He immediately heard Brea exclaim, “oh!” and Naia’s cackling laughter over the music, but he was stuck there like his boots were made of stone. It was at least several seconds before Kylan broke away to drunkenly greet Brea.

The Vapran coaxed Kylan down while Gurjin stood in shock. He’d always thought the bard was sweet, his company was enjoyable. Maybe he was even kind of cute, but in a way that the Drenchen wasn’t going to admit to himself yet. And, sure, maybe Gurjin thought about Kylan that way, he hadn’t expected to be kissed. It was so sudden - if he knew Kylan was going to kiss him, he could’ve at least made it romantic. Or, completely not romantic, you know, in the way one would set the mood to passionately kiss a friend in a totally friendly way.

“Gurjin.” Brea’s hand on his shoulder broke him out of the dizzying stream of thought. She smiled at him. “Don’t worry, he’ll probably forget by morning.”

Why was he disappointed by that?

#mads.txt #The Dark Crystal #gurjin #kylan #brea #naia #gurjin x kylan #rian #he's also in there for a minute

[thebibliomancer]

Song of the Dark Crystal liveblog pt 10

Song of the Dark Crystal by J.M. Lee because DON’T TRUST WHO??

Last times in book: Kylan, Naia, Tavra, and Gurjin are on their way to Aughra’s High Hill to enlist her help in warning all Gelfling of the Skeksis’ drinking problem. I.e. they like to drink people. On the way up the hill, Kylan spots some dream-etching in a spider nest that says DO NOT TRUST HER. Vaguely ominous!

Chapter 10

Naia talks to some more plants. The party meets Aughra. Ha ha.

Aughra’s High Hill was not casually named. Within the mountainous forest, it was the highest point in all the land, near where the Black River originated, closest to the suns and moons and stars. Not a high hill, but the High Hill.

Good reason for it to be named like that then.

‘Aughra lives on the high hill’ ‘Oh, which one?’ ‘I don’t think you understand. When I say the high hill i mean THE high hill.’

Anyway, after all that stuff about reading writing under a spider web, Tavra doesn’t even care enough to ask. Gurjin does but Naia just tells him they’re not sure what it meant.

With Naia spending time chatting with Gurjin, it leaves Kylan nothing to do but think which he decides is his role.

If that was his job in all of this, then he would gladly take on the burden.

Its a lonely job possessing the sole pair of braincells to rub together ha ha (just joshing obvs)

Kylan thinks about that mysterious DO NOT TRUST HER message but he can’t really get anywhere on that ponderation so instead decides to ask Tavra what she meant when she said spiders hate Gelfling.

“Spiders hate Gelfling... All Vapra know this.”

“They hate us? All of them?”

“Oh yes. From the death-stingers to the crystal-singers.”

This was news to Kylan, though on reflection he’d never had a conversation with any spider before. The idea that an entire race might loathe his own was discomfiting. He wasn’t even sure what a crystal-singer spider was.

He asks why spiders hate Gelfling but Tavra just tells him to ask the next time he sees a spider. Which is a weird answer.

So I’ve changed my suspicion for what’s up with Tavra from ‘something something Skeksis’ to ‘something something Skeksis but definitely think she’s Spider-Tavra.’

I think the books and the show are following at least the same vague outline so I figure with all the opinions she has on spiders all of a sudden, she might be being controlled by one.

Later, Tavra tells the group they’ll reach Aughra’s by evening and asks if they’ve prepared what they’re going to say to her.

“I plan to tell her the situation and see if she has advice. Is there more to it than that?”

“You’re about to speak to Mother Aughra, the Ram-Horned. The mouth of Thra. She was born of the world, both child and mother. She has seen Thra before the Gelfling were but sprouts in the garden of all creatures. You would speak to her so casually?”

“I’ll speak to her like I’d speak to anyone else,” Naia said. “With respect -- if she deserves it.”

God, Naia is great. Its that Drenchen upbringing. The hard-talk. Just cut right to the point.

Gurjin points out that Aughra probably respects hard-talk since it’s the language of the natural world.

Which I kinda see? As a point?

Tavra just shakes her head at this but doesn’t really object. She doesn’t even want to be here so at best she’s disappointed on principle.

Kylan, almost passive protagonist but definitely a socially withdrawing protagonist that he is, doesn’t add to the conversation. Just thinks anxious thoughts.

Aughra was said to be wise, to know all things -- but as Tavra had said, she might already know about the Skeksis. Worse, she might already know and yet have done nothing. The Gelfling were her favored children, as their lore sang time and time again, but those songs had been written by the Gelfling. Did Aughra think of the Gelfing as much as any flower in her garden? Would she be equally content to see one creature devour another, if it, too, were part of the circle of life?

Its an interesting idea there about the Gelfling being her favored children, according to Gelfling. Like, oh geez what if we overestimated ourselves?

(Although the minor good point to add to this anxiety ramble is that the Skeksis aren’t part of the natural order. So there’s that.)

Gurjin also thanks Kylan for keeping Naia company and helping her in the woods during that whole Gurjin heroic sacrifice thing.

Kylan: “I’m glad you’re alive. I’m glad we all are.”

Aw, friends.

They reach the finger vines as mentioned in Rian’s warning.

Thick orange vines covered the cliff wall in front of them, finger-shaped and tangled like rope that had been left too long to its own devices. No further pathways led deeper into the crag, but Kylan could feel a draft coming from behind the vines. There was a tunnel there but they would have to pass through the overgrowth, and if one part of Rian’s instructions had stayed with Kylan, it was to stay away from the finger-vines.

Tavra hucks a rock into the vines and they immediately tangle about it before dropping it as inedible.

So, I’m pretty sure that these are the same vines that Jen will eventually blunder into. It’s not his fault, he didn’t have a helpful Rian in his life.

I wonder how long the vines take to eat something. Jen is lucky that Aughra was literally right around the corner when he got caught.

I’m honestly a bit surprised that finger-vines are a specific predatory plant and not just. Something Aughra set up to discourage solicitors.

Oh my god, I’m once again blown away by Jen going to visit Aughra in his quest without any idea of her significance. The UrRu never even told him that (for all practical purposes) god lived a day down the road.

I’m sure they did their best but wow. He has holes in his education.

I’m getting off-track.

Naia tries calling for Aughra through the vines but this time she’s not lurking right around the corner so that doesn’t work.

Tavra was unimpressed and unsurprised, almost smug at the situation.

I’m glad that you’re probably a spider, Tavra, because you are being a bummer.

She again calls this whole trip a waste of time which annoys Naia into wing flicking. Love the wing body language but now I’m wondering what specific muscles correspond to that. I guess if your back stiffens... yeah, that makes sense.

Anyway, Naia is so annoyed that she decides to dreamfast with a plant again. She just goes and puts her hands on the vines and instead of entangling her, they do not do that.

Kylan had learned the language of the Landstriders, as all Spriton did. Tavra had certainly learned the tongue of other creatures as well, in her training to serve the All-Maudra. But those were languages spoken on the tongue, in sets of words and phrases. Naia’s unique ability to dreamfast with creatures other than Gelfling let her speak in the universal song of the heart.

This is neat!

It expands on Kira’s beastmastery. At least in the novelization, it’s mentioned during Jen and Kira’s dreamfast that Kira’s podmom Ydra taught her the language of animals.

And apparently it used to be a thing for some Gelfling to learn. But not as much as Kira! Ydra knew a lot!

Anyway, after dreamfasting with a plant again, the vines open like a curtain to let the four Gelfling (or four Gelfling and a spider??) enter.

At the end of the tunnel they find a door to Aughra’s Sweet Orrery.

(Just imagine the Dark Crystal theme in your head)

Most impressive was the enormous moving contraption that occupied the center of the chamber. It filled the space of the room with dozens of huge spheres, mounted on poles and swooping arms. The machine rotated and gyrated like a living thing, spheres orbiting spheres, circling yet other spheres, all of it shining in bronze, copper, iron, and glistening stones. Clearly, the grating sounds emanated from the machine, and the movement of its pieces stirred the air so it felt as though there were a breeze, even inside the crystal dome.

“Amazing,” Kylan breathed.

He recognized some of the symbols etched deep into the metals: the symbols that represented the Three Brothers, others that represented the elements of the earth and water, air and fire.

“Its the path of the stars,” he said. “The suns, and...”

Then Aughra pops up from behind a book tower.

And she is amazing.

“What, you just gonna stare? Walk right into my home just to stare, did you? Maybe you should draw a picture, take it with you!”

This is exactly the kind of Aughra I was hoping for.

Also, the way she speaks the Gelfling language (the single Gelfling language that exists I guess?) with what sounds like an ancient accent to Kylan. Although I’m not sure how he would know, I’d bet he’s right.

Naia takes the lead and tells Aughra that they’re here to ask for her help, calling her Mother Aughra.

“Mother Aughra, eh? Ask for my help, eh? Why is it you Gelfing only call Aughra Mother when you need help? That’s what children do, I guess... I guess that’s what they do.”

‘You never call, you never write’ hahaha

This is quality Aughra content.

With her grump helpfully communicated, she takes note of the party and grumps some more, noting that they only have a Spriton, a Vapra, and a Drenchen.

“Hmph. Three out of seven ain’t bad. It’s still soon. Where are the others?”

And when they don’t have any idea what she means:

“What others, he asks? What others? The other clans, of course! Gelfling gathering. What else is there to know?”

Its like when you arrive to the final dungeon without a full party and the NPC is like ‘lol no go hit some more plot flags’

Aughra sat heavily on her table stool, as if hoping they might go away if she ignored them long enough.

I don’t know how many ways I can say how great this is.

I’m living for it. Unlike Jen, these Gelfling know that Aughra isn’t some random grumpy mountain woman. She’s basically god and she’s behaving like a cranky grandmother. Kylan can’t even warp his head around how different from his expectations this is turning out to be.

I also guess it answers in this continuity whether Aughra was so grumpy in the movie because she’d lost much of her hope after the Gelfling were all but wiped out. It turns out: no, she’s Just Like That.

When a thousand ++ trine you reach, be so nice you will not.

But since they don’t just leave, Aughra decides she will say more things.

“Come on, then, Gelfling. Children. Aughra already knows what you want to know. Whether it’s what you want to hear, though, hmph! Might not be.”

Oh, this sidequest is shaping up beautifully.

J.M. Lee, you have done a marvelous job.

#dark crystal #the dark crystal #Song of the Dark Crystal #liveblog #Kylan #Naia #Tavra #Gurjin #Aughra #this is everything I hoped for

[thebibliomancer]

Song of the Dark Crystal pt 9

Song of the Dark Crystal by J.M. Lee because I wanna see how this plays out.

Last times in book: Kylan and Naia are on their way to meet Aughra to get her help in warning all Gelfling that the Skeksis want to drink them. The two become endangered by a plant and saved by Tavra who is not dead. She disagrees with their plan and thinks they should catch up with Rian on his way to Ha’rar because Gurjin can’t make it up a hill. Naia does cool twin magic healing.

Chapter 9

Kylan does some EXTREME READING. Its the spiders that make it so extreme.

The next morning, Kylan wakes up bright and early to record the last few days of journey. Remember that was a thing he was doing? That’s where he wrote to always trust a Drenchen’s gut, perhaps now asterisked ‘unless its about a Gelfling eating tree.’ Anyway, he dream-etches up a storm.

Tavra comes back from scrounging up breakfast and remarks that Kylan has almost reached the end of the scroll.

“I’ve got more,” Kylan said. He rolled the paper and stowed it once more in the traveling pack. “But I suppose this story is far from over... Do you think that there are scrolls fro trade in Ha’rar?”

“Daughters of the All-Maudra do not trade. They are given whatever they desire.”

Kylan finds it a bit weird for Tavra to say since she wasn’t very boasty about her position. Then he starts wondering what it’s like to have siblings.

... Everyone else on this journey has siblings. Poor Kylan. Although I guess he has like adopted siblings but he’s not counting them.

Kylan realized he was staring when Tavra met his eyes. Hers were lavender, though somewhat sunken in her weary face. The draining had certainly taken its toll on her, but despite the worn, almost deathly exhaustion, the soldier still had an ethereal, ghostly beauty. He looked away and felt his cheeks warm.

I’ve said this but like everyone that describes Tavra seems like they’re crushing on her a little.

Tavra mentions that she scouted ahead and they should be able to reach High Hill in good time if Naia and Gurjin are able to travel. But she also isn’t expecting much of the trip.

“You sound as if you don’t believe she’ll help us.”

“Why should she? She’s the voice of Thra - she hears the song of the world that may do not. She must have known what the Skeksis were doing, and yet she said nothing. If she said nothing then, and all this time, why would she say anything now? She has no interest in politics.”

Yeah, I’m really curious what the explanation for this is going to be if Aughra isn’t in a forever star dream in this continuity!

“This isn’t politics, is it? The Skeksis are supposed to be the protectors of the Heart of Thra. The Crystal. We, and all creatures of Thra, entrusted the castle to them.”

“Perhaps some creatures believe we still should.”

This is such a weird ass take that Kylan just doesn’t know what to say to it.

Adding another hmm to my suspicious raised eyebrow meter.

Also, wow what an applicable sentiment especially in recent times. You wouldn’t think ‘we don’t want our life drained for the benefit of the wealthy elite’ would be political, right? And yet.

Anyway, the twins are awoken and the show is back on the road.

Gurjin is looking even better after a night’s rest. And Naia just looks tired but not shared her lifeforce with her brother tired. Her new wings seem sore though, which Kylan carrying her pack on a sore back and sympathize with.

He also seems to have interpreted Tavra’s weird princess boast as an offer.

“The past couple of days have been quite an adventure,” he agreed. “Tavra offered all the scrolls I could need to write it down, so at least it’ll be quite a tale for others someday. They won’t have to worry about all the unglamorous aspects.”

“You’ll change the bit where we were almost eaten by a planet?”

“Absolutely.”

Hah!

Although I guess that means we can rule out J.M. Lee secretly being Kylan’s pen name.

A bit neat but Kylan realizes looking down from the highland that the Cradle-Tree is called that because the Dark Wood is cradled in the arms of the highlands. I had been wondering about that.

They continue on until Tavra sees a blockage on the path ahead. A spider nest in an outcrop of boulders.

“These are death-sting spiders, and like other spiders, they care not for Gelfling one bit.”

Oblique reference to Arathim? Possibly! Also, proving that Thra might be Australia, one sting from a death-sting spider will kill you to death. It’s a land of exceptionally angry wildlife.

The spiders are sleeping so the group quietly sneaks by. But Kylan tarries when he sees that someone left dream-etching beneath the webs and he’s got to see what it says. His curiosity is just too piqued.

IN FAIRNESS “So few can dream-etch. If someone took the time to write something, it must be important.”

Good point, Kylan.

He tells them to just go on ahead and he’ll catch up when he’s done reading mountain graffiti but for some reason, the group gets super grumpy about leaving him with a bunch of killer spiders.

Since Kylan just uses their arguing to move closer, Naia decides she’ll stay with him because she might be able to dreamfast with the spiders and tell them that Gelflings are cool.

Tavra objects but Naia hasn’t gotten as far as she has by making decisions Tavra likes and tells Tavra to go.

Kylan manages to read TRUST HER and almost goes oh ok what a fun message but notices that there’s more to it, beneath the web. So he’ll have to brush the web aside with a stick.

Yup. Yuuup. I don’t like that. I would not do that if I were on this adventure, Kylan.

As Kylan starts poking the web with the stick, the spiders start waking up. Some as big as his hand!

Yup yuuuuupp I don’t like this. Even if Gelfling have relatively tiny hands.

But he manages to uncover the rest of the message which is so startling he completely forgets that there’s a bunch of fatal spiders around. Thankfully, Naia grabs him and yanks him away.

The message Kylan found said DO NOT TRUST HER

So now the question is whether its about Aughra or someone else or whether it means anything or nothing. There’s probably no telling how old the message is either. Its just vague and ominous enough to be completely unhelpful.

Reminds me of “You Are Not Alone” ha.

Just in case it IS about Aughra, Naia and Kylan decide not to tell Tavra, to not give her more reasons to try to cancel the trip.

And, yeah, an ominous message implying that Aughra can’t be trusted is a good way to heighten tension for readers when we’d more inclined to be “AUGHRA! YAY!” Kind of gets back to that feeling in the movie where we and Jen don’t know who Aughra is and then the vines snatch him up and Aughra is deliberately unsettling because she’s bored and lonely probably. Y’know, that sort of feel.

Except, I’m still more suspicious of Tavra.

Granted, I don’t have any idea how a warning about her would be on this trail, under a spider web but she’s being super sus.

The chapter even closes out with Kylan and Naia musing on how Tavra is “all duty and no joy” and that looking into the Crystal must have changed her.

I’m onto you, Tavra.

#dark crystal #the dark crystal #Song of the Dark Crystal #liveblog #Kylan #Naia #Gurjin #Tavra #there's just way too many spiders in this chapter #dream etching makes it super easy to leave ominous warnings

[thebibliomancer]

Song of the Dark Crystal liveblog pt 2

Song of the Dark Crystal by J.M. Lee because Rian is finally in these books, I can’t stop now!

Last time in book: Kylan and Naia reached Stone-in-the-Wood at the end of last book. They hiked out into the Wood of Stone-in-the-Wood to meet Rian but have to save him from a darkened creature. After that’s dealt with, Kylan decides to dreamfast with Rian to spare Naia the burden.

Chapter 2

Rian and Kylan do a dreamfast to catch each other up. Dreamfasting is such a convenient way to deliver exposition. I love it.

Dreamfasting was like diving into a pool of water without knowing its depth or what might wait below. Kylan remained at the surface at first, sensing Rian’s memories and knowing at the same time Rian could peek into his. It was often disorienting in the beginning, to dreamfast with someone for the first time. Even when they had agreed to dreamfast, there were still so many thoughts and visions, protective barriers and waves of wariness.

It just now occurred to me, because the peaks of my Dark Crystal enthusiasm haven’t coincided with the peak of my Pacific Rim enthusiasm, but Gelfling would make amazing Jaeger pilots.

Dreamfasting gets them prepared for something like the neural link and they can even practice without being in the giant robots.

Actually, they don’t even need the neural link. They just need to pilot a giant robot while holding hands. Which I, for one, would be delighted by.

I’m just saying, where’s the Pacific Rim AU where Gelflings fight giant Skeksis?

Rian starts sharing his memories including incredibly detailed layouts of the castle.

Another good use for dreamfasting? Have one person scout a location out and then share the layout. Gelfling heist story!

Ugh, I’m having so many good ideas right now!

Anyway, Rian narrates his memories noting that Gelfling were going missing in the castle one by one but that the Skeksis paid no heed. Then the Skeksis called for Mira.

Aw geez we know where this is going.

Kylan saw a flash of a Gelfling girl, all winks and tall tales. Rian walked with her, back to the castle after an evening patrolling the wood that bordered the grounds. In Rian’s hand, hidden in his uniform cloak, was a glowing bellflower. He would give it to Mira when they saw good night. He would tell her that even though they had been on duty, he had enjoyed their time together, and perhaps they could enjoy time together some other evening...

Aww, Rian’s a big ol’ romantic! A big ol’ sappy romantic!

Actually, look at this cute picture from right off the publisher’s website.

Look at Blue-Streak Rian smoothly giving Mira a flower.

The pictures in these books are so good!

Also, that description of Mira “all winks and tall tales” is really good. Well, it also reminds me of a character of my own coincidentally also called Mira. But I’m consistently impressed how much personality Mira has when she gets very little screentime. If they do more of the Age of Resistance comics, they should definitely devote an issue or more on Mira.

Anyway, the Scientist and Chamberlain tell Rian to gtfo and for Mira to come with them. Having a bad feeling about this, Rian secretly follows and witnesses Mira being drained.

Here the dreamfast actually weakens because Rian’s focus lapses due to the emotion of the memory. Good boy Kylan tells Rian that he doesn’t need to relive this but Rian insists.

So the memory plays on with Mira withering up as she’s drained. No exploding though. And in fairness, the books were started before the show came out and I guess it wasn’t decided that draining Gelflings would make them explode. We don’t see that in the movie after all! Kira’s partial draining seems to work similar to the Podling draining.

Maybe in the show-movie continuity, the Scientist eventually works out the kinks by the time they have to start draining Podlings.

Rian also sees the Scientist take a sip of Mira’s essence and become visibly revitalized.

Kylan takes over the dreamfast to share his and Naia’s side of the plot. The parts he learned in dreamfast from Naia he has to narrate because you can’t dreamfast a dreamfast. Dreamfasting is convenient but that’d be too convenient.

Kylan remembered the day Naia had come to his village, knowing that as he called up the memory, Rian would see it too. He remembered Naia’s aloof appeal, and how reluctant she had been to make friends, but Kylan had liked that about her. He had seen his own outsiderness reflected in her. It might not have meant much to her, but for Kylan, it had been the beginning of the journey that had eventually brought him here, to share in this dreamfast with Rian, and to fight against the Skeksis.

Fun insight into Kylan’s first impressions of Naia. She’s the Sal Dumbingofage of Gelfling apparently.

Last post, I mentioned that Kylan volunteered to dreamfast with Rian because otherwise he’d sit around watching someone else dreamfast and as a POV character that wouldn’t fly.

I’m freshly amused because Kylan dreamfasts to Rian his experience of sitting around and watching Naia dreamfast with a tree.

I know its an important part of what they got up to in the previous book but I’m just amazed here.

Rian asks for clarification on what happened to Gurjin and Kylan shows him the memory of the Hunter hunting them through the Dark Wood. That’s all he saw and all he can show. But I think that kind of sums it up. He got Mal’d.

The dreamfast ends there.

“Gurjin died proud as ever,” Rian said. “We won’t waste his effort. Nor Tavra’s, nor Mira’s. The Skeksis will pay for what they’ve done. I’ll see to it single-handedly if I have to.”

“You won’t. Gurjin is - was - my brother,” Naia said. “If anyone will teach the Skeksis what Gurjin’s sacrifice meant, it will be me.”

And then, not making this up, Rian and Naia get into a fight about who is going to single-handedly show the Skeksis whats what. They’re both protagonisting pretty hard here. This Is Something I Have To Do Myself.

They don’t even realize that Kylan is the protagonist today.

Mythra even mocks Rian a bit for always trying to do things on his own and asks him how that’s working out for him. Savage.

Mythra finished the peach-berry and threw the pit at her brother, who deftly avoided it.

Now that’s some premium little sister energy right there.

She tells Rian that mom Shoni wants him to come to dinner and Rian is like ‘i’m a traitor tho’

“Mother says it’s important for you to come home. She left early this morning to go digging for your favorite merkeeps. She wants to thank Naia and Kylan for believing in you. Joining us is the least you could do to show some gratitude, since you don’t seem very interesting in thanking them yourself.”

Rian flinched.

Savage. A. F.

He argues that he just doesn’t want anyone else to get hurt and advises that Naia and Kylan should try to lay low in case the Skeksis have branded them criminals as well.

Mythra snorted. She hopped down from her perch and headed up the path, back toward Stone-in-the-Wood.

“Just be home in time for supper.”

Mythra is too powerful.

#dark crystal #the dark crystal #Song of the Dark Crystal #liveblog #Kylan #Rian #Naia #Mythra #Mythra destroys Rian #he's deceased now; totally obliterated by his sister #dreamfasting remains incredibly cool

[thebibliomancer]

Song of the Dark Crystal liveblog pt 7

Song of the Dark Crystal by J.M. Lee because oooooh we’re going to the High Hill to meet Aughra and ask how to talk to everrrrryone

Last times in book: Kylan and Naia have joined forces with Rian. They had to skip town because Kylan is a fugitive now. Rian is headed to Ha’rar to show the All-Maudra a vial of Mira goo, Kylan and Naia are going to meet Aughra. On their way to the Black River, Kylan sung a song that really hit Rian where he lives.

Chapter 7

Kylan and Naia trek through a jungle and find a weird plant

So Kylan and Naia cross the Black River leaving the wood and finding themselves in a jungle??

This seems dubious from a climate perspective. Then again, I don’t really know a lot about Thra’s ecosystem, aside from being crystal powered.

The jungle on the other side of the Black River might as well have been a different world from the wood they’d just left. The trees were lush and plump, with succulent fronds, and undulating with tentacled creepers. A scent lingered in the air that Kylan couldn’t place, tart and strong, as if a grove of fruit-bearing plants were just beyond the reef.

I do love me some good weird Thra scene setting though.

Kylan keeps Naia’s pack despite her saying she can carry it because he’s a good friend. And apparently she’ll stunt her wing growth if she wears a heavy pack over them.

I like that Big Climactic Wing Sprout moment last time isn’t just ‘and then Naia has wings from now on.’ Its adjustment for her and they’ve got to finish growing out properly.

As Kylan and Naia make their way through the sudden jungle, Kylan makes a habit of touching stones and leaving a small fingerprint sized dream-etching to mark the trail in case they need to retrace their steps.

Another very cool use of dream-etching! Like dreamfasting, dream-etching is so much more versatile than on first glance.

Also, apparently dream-etching creates a good deal of heat. There was that thing about paper specially enchanted for dream-etching being heat resistant. But also Kylan notes that the dream-etched marks he’s leaving are glowing with heat and will be cool by morning.

Even given that rock can retain heat for a while, wow!

The sweet maybe-fruit smell intrigues Naia and after some time traveling she decides to leave the not-path they’re not really on and investigate the smell.

Kylan has misgivings.

“Do you ever hear songs about those fish that dangle tasty-looking snacks in front of other fish, and when the small fish swims close enough, the bigger fish...” Kylan made a double-handed gesture, mimicking the jaws of a large creature consuming the body of a smaller one. Naia looked over her shoulder.

“Are you saying you think this is some kind of trap?”

“I’m just saying let’s be careful.”

“What happened to always trust a Drenchen’s gut?”

I’m somehow not surprised that Thra has anglerfish. If I didn’t know better, I’d say that real life copied anglerfish from Dark Crystal.

Naia pushed back a heavy bough of leaves, revealing a glade lit by moon and starlight. At the center was a large plant with a fat, smooth trunk bulging like a sack of rocks. The plant’s roots were exposed, splayed out beneath its bloated body like feet. Its branches were long and slender, protruding from the top and curving back toward the earth, weighted down at the ends with clusters of glistening blue fruits large enough to hold in two hands. They looked juicy and sweet, and each fruit had a six-petaled white flower blooming from the bottom, dripping with nectar.

Her Drenchen gut changes its mind though and suddenly Naia becomes wary.

A weird plant in the middle of a glade all alone. And the jungle is very quiet here despite the insects being quite noisy elsewhere.

Also, when they turn to leave, the plant leans towards them to drip some delicious nectar on Kylan’s nose.

That’s probably not normal plant behavior for plants that are safe.

Kylan and Naia try to run but the plant smacks them with the fruit-bearing boughs, coating them with sticky nectar. And tendrils come out of the top of the plant and start dragging them back.

Also, with the plant’s body bent toward them, they can see a toothed maw at the top of its trunk and the remains of previous prey inside its mouth. Also, six black eyes focused on them.

This isn’t a plant! This is a sarlaac! Or a Sudowoodo!

“I thought Rian said to watch out for finger-vines!” Kylan cried. “This isn’t a finger-vine! Why didn’t he warn us about this thing?”

Hah.

Bit of a tangent, this not-tree reminds me of a children’s adventure book where some kids go back to prehistoric times with a time machine and a tree almost eats them and its almost exactly like this. They’re saved by a weird elephantesque creature that speaks English and has suction cup feet.

I’ve just remembered that book after all these years. Well, the plot. The title escapes me. But fiction is great. You can just write whatever.

So back to the getting eaten by a plant. Or maybe an animal that disguises itself as a plant.

Before it can happen, there’s a flash of silver and flame-red and the plant’s tendrils explode, freeing Kylan and Naia.

Kylan grabs a stick and lights it on fire with the rescuer’s torch. Together Kylan and the rescuer force the carnivorous plant out of the glade until it clambers screaming into the night.

Well.

That was certainly a series of events that happened. Here’s another event that happened.

The rescuer pulls back her hood and DUN DUN DUN ITS TAVRA TAVRA IS ALIVE!

Aww Naia gives her a hug, she’s so glad to see her.

“You’re alive,” Naia said. “Even after the Skeksis made you look into the Crystal -- I thought you were dead!”

“Aren’t you glad I’m not?” Tavra asked. “I’ve been looking for you two. Glad I found you when I did.”

And thats not all! Tavra calls someone who steps into the glade.

Naia gasped when she saw him, eyes tearing at the sight of his clay-green skin, thick dark locs, and round face that mirrored hers.

ITS GURJIN! GURJIN IS BACK AND ALIVE!

This is the best chapter 7 ever!

#dark crystal #the dark crystal #Song of the Dark Crystal #liveblog #Kylan #Naia #some other characters

[sweetiepie08]

All I Ask of You (Chap 1)

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance fic

Deet x Rian

She walked into his life when all seemed lost. He accepted her when the other surface dwellers didn't. She was gentle. He was brave. Their first impressions dwelt in their minds and their feelings grew as their journey wore on. They supported each other, comforted each other, and gave each other strength. Together, they were a light in the darkness.

Chapter 1. Chapter 2. Chapter 3.  Chapter 4. Chapter 5. 

[-]

               “I don’t think you’re a monster.”

He had no idea how badly he needed to hear those words until they touched his ears. But he did. He needed it. He needed, so badly, for someone to listen to him, to talk to him like he wasn’t mad or a murderer. He needed to hear he wasn’t a raving lunatic, that he was worth listening to. Because some small part of him started to wonder…

Somehow the doubts managed to creep in, despite what he knew. He wasn’t sick. He knew what he saw. He knew what the Skeksis did. He had the essence to prove it. But no one would hear it. No one would look at the truth that was right in front of their faces. His own father would rather believe his son was mad than believe he’d been living a lie. Everywhere Rian turned, he found new enemies. In mere days he’d been hunted by the Skeksis, cast out by his clan, and become a pariah among other gelfling.

Wait, days? Had it really only been that long? He counted and it was true. Five days, to be exact. Less than a week ago, he and Mira roved about the castle, practicing their swordsmanship, pilfering treats from the castle kitchen, making Gurjin roll his eyes with their inside jokes and silly nicknames…. This time last week, Mira was probably plotting with Gurjin to play a prank on him. He could imagine those two snickering behind his back, whispering about whatever joke they had up their sleeves. Things seemed so simple then. Mira so full of life and Gurjin always quick with his dry wit.

And now, Gurjin awaited his fate in the clutches of the Skeksis while Rian carried what was left of Mira on his belt. How had everything become so twisted so fast?

              But that Grotton… Deet was her name… She had no intention of hunting or hurting. She meant to help him. And he pulled a sword on her. He could smack himself in the face for that one. Did he apologize? He couldn’t remember. If he ever saw her again, he definitely should.

              She helped him regardless. It was only a campfire, but it meant the world to him. She looked at him without fear, spoke to him as if he were just any other gelfling, and when he gave her the flint stones, she did not flinch from the touch of his hands. The simple exchange had become so strange to him in the last few days, he had to ask. “You’re not scared of me?” he said.

“I don’t think so,” she replied. “Should I be?” She said it so gently, he found himself letting some of the feelings he held inside trickle out.

              “Seems like every other gelfling is. They think that I’m a monster. They’re all too scared to see the truth, even when it’s right in front of them.”

              That’s when she said “I don’t think you’re a monster.” The kindness in her eyes cleared the clouds of fear in his mind. The sincerity of her voice cracked the wall he’d built around his heart on his short journey. Her words warmed and calmed him more than any campfire ever could. In that moment, she seemed the one thing left in the world untouched by darkness. If she were someone else, if she were Mira or Gurjin, he might have crumbled right there, let everything out, released all the emotions pent up inside him. He might have done it even for her, if she stuck around a little longer.

              But her mind shifted in a second. Inspiration struck her, somehow, and she was off like a shot. She ran off to rescue her friend, slapping him with confusion on her way out. He couldn’t blame her. He would have done the same. If he suddenly thought of a way to rescue Gurjin, he’d have torn his own path all the way back to the castle in minutes and anyone unfortunate enough to be behind him would be choking on dust.

              As he rested against a tree trunk for the night, he tried to keep the dark memories at bay. He’d gained far too many in these last few days. They swam through his head, Mira’s murder, Gurjin’s capture, his father’s betrayal, his clan casting him out… He didn’t want them now. If he had to live a nightmare when he was awake, he at least wanted some peace while he slept. He searched his mind for some bright spot in his recent memory and found Deet, the one gelfling who showed him kindness since all this began.

It was only a few minutes, a fleeting moment, but it stuck in his mind. Deet, the kind, the gentle, even brave. If only she’d stayed a bit longer. Maybe she would listen to him, even dreamfast with him. Then he could help her break her friend out of the rascal hole and together they could… do something…

Didn’t she say she had a vision of a coming disaster? Maybe the two were connected. Maybe Thra itself was trying to alert all gelfling, trying to tell them something about the Skeksis. If that were the case, maybe their paths would cross again. And least, he hoped they would.

As sleep began to take him, eyelids too heavy to stay open and body too weary to go on, he thought of her and hoped her kind words would at least bring him a good dream.

[-]

As it turned out, he did see her again, but the reunion was anything but pleasant. And things were actually starting to look up, too.

He wandered into a podling village that night. At the very least, no one would recognize him there, even if he did stand out like a boat in the desert. The place was so alive that night. He’d never seen a podling village before. He only knew the podling who served the Skeksis in the castle, and even then only in passing. The creatures who worked in the castle mainly kept to their own kind and only mixed when necessary. Walking through town, he saw friends running off for a night of debauchery, parents trying to get their excitable children inside for bed, and some podling who maybe had too much to drink, but looked like they were having fun none the less.

He wandered into a tavern and was immediately carried into the joviality. Music filled the room and podling danced and drank without a care. The smell of food and brew wafted into his nose and nostalgia broke on him like an ocean wave. His mind traveled back to better times. As young guards in training, he and Gurjin would apply for leave at the same time, then travel to the closest tavern to drink and dance and flirt with the locals. After he started seeing Mira, she came along too. Their nights of revelry passed in a haze of laughter and warmth. So many great nights were spent this way. There was the time Gurjin started doing his best Ordon impression and literally would not stop until the next morning. Or the time Mira managed to pull him on stage to dance with the band despite his protests. They felt invincible then. They were on top of the world and the worst they had to fear was being reprimanded by their officers. How suddenly and horrifically things change.

In this little podling tavern, worries seemed so far away. One podling lady asked him to dance and another sent him a drink. He turned down both their advances and stayed on the sidelines, but watching the podling continue their party and enjoying themselves put a smile on his face. They were in their own little bubble of revelry and Rian found himself slipping in just a bit. He longed for a return of those days, but he couldn’t fully give into that desire, not with the truth he, alone, now carried. Still, for the moment, he just wanted to blend into the atmosphere of this joyous place and forget.

His moment of mild contentment was cut short when he was accosted by two gelfing, Gurjin’s sister Naia and her Spriton friend Kylan. He knew Naia somewhat from the few times Gurjin invited him to see his home in the Great Smerth and he knew she was fierce. She planned to trade him for Gurjin and he was sure she would be able to drag him back to the castle herself if he couldn’t convince her other wise.

Naia’s plans, however, were also cut short by a Vapran princess of all things. The two argued over who would be the one to turn him in and claim their recompense, Gurjin for Naia and justice for the princess. Rian managed to silence them both by showing them the remainder of Mira’s essence. They stopped and they listened. He could hardly believe it. He continued cautiously, sure at any moment they would stifle his warnings and he’d be back to running, or trying to. But that moment didn’t come. He offered to dreamfast. The Spriton was the first to accept. Then the princess. Finally, Naia agreed.

He showed them. He showed them all that happened: the spitter, Gurjin’s capture, and Mira’s murder. It was harder than he expected. It was one thing to remember, but another to watch it all happen again before his eyes. His hands itched to pull away and end these horrible visions, but he kept the connection. They had to know. Every gelfling had to see the truth of what the Skeksis were doing. Only then could they fight back.

When he opened his eyes again, tears soaked his cheeks. The others shed tears as well. Naia for her brother, the princess for her fallen subject, and Kylan for all gelfling. Then he turned his head to see his father, tears in his eyes as well. “Did you see?” he asked. His father nodded and fragile hope grew slowly in his heart, as if afraid it was not real.

“I’m sorry I didn’t believe you, son,” his father said, and the hope strengthened. His father reached out and hugged him, and Rian felt safe for the first time since this all began. He felt like a childling again. It brought forth memories of times long past, of his father helping him up when he fell or nursing cuts and scrapes. His father was not typically affectionate, especially not after Rian grew into an adult. He wanted Rian to be strong, though he had a soldier’s idea of what that meant. But this moment assured him that his father, despite his flaws, would be there to support him.

They did not have time to dwell on this moment. Within minutes, they formulated a plan and split off on their missions. Naia, Kylan, and Tavra went off to rescue Gerjin while Rian and Ordon traveled to Ha’rar to inform the All-Maudra of the skeksis corruption. He and his father moved swiftly through the wood, but it soon became apparent they were being pursued. A knife flew at them out of the dark and a skeksis, larger and more agile than any Rian knew at the castle, revealed itself.

They tried using their terrain to their advantage. They were smaller and more able to get though the brush, but it was a temporary stall at best. Once they got a moment to catch their breath, they tried an old trick. They split up to take it at two angles. Rian put himself in the open and let it follow him, but the skeksis proved to be even more dangerous than it looked. It moved through trees with the ease of water rushing down a river. Rian tried to keep his eyes on the creature while maintaining distance from its attacks, but it drew attention away from his terrain. A fall down a rocky hill landed him on the edge of a patch of gobbles. The essence flew form his belt, but he managed to save it at the last second.

The skeksis landed behind him. There was no where left to run. The skeksis drew its blade and Rian drew his. Rian took desperate slashes while the skeksis knocked him down with the sheer force of its swing. But Rian got back to his feet every time. Lessons from his father echoed in his mind as he fought. Get back up. Push yourself. Keep going. Harder, faster, smarter, stronger. He managed to lock the Skeksis blade with his own, but the gobbles snapped up at his heels. The Skeksis pushed him pushed him toward the hungry things, but Rian pushed back. Still the skeksis proved more than a match. Just when it seemed the gobbles would get a taste of his boot, his father jumped down from the sky and landed a blow on the skeksis’ skull.

His father landed beside him and they faced the beast side by side. They fought together, in sync with each other. Every lesson he ever learned fell into place. This is what he’d been preparing for all his life. His father knew the time may come when Rian needed to keep fighting beyond exhaustion, beyond fear, beyond insurmountable odds. That’s what he’s done this whole time. His father’s lessons kept him going all while he was a fugitive. They kept him alive and out of skeksis hands. Above all, his father taught him to fight for what’s right, and to keep fighting until the battle was won. Now, they would fight together.

But victory, tonight, was out of their reach. They locked blades with the skeksis again, but this time the skeksis knew pushing would get him nowhere. They dug their feet in and would not be moved. The Skeksis landed a kick to his father’s head and Rian was swept back with it. Blades flew out of their hands and disappeared in a haze of gobble teeth. Rian was blown back, but mostly unharmed. His father, however, was knocked out cold.

“Father!” Rian called as the skeksis approached, blades glistening against the moonlight, but he did not stir.

“Father!” he tried again. The skeksis hovered over them, blades poised to strike. Still, his father laid, barely moving.

“Father!” he cried one last time. The skeksis swung down and Rian stared up at the blade that was sure to be his end.

“Not! My! Son!” his father roared, leaping into the air. He knocked the skeksis off his feet and they fell together into the gobble patch. Both screamed as the gobbles devoured them bite by bite. Rian screamed as well; screams of horror and despair. He could do nothing. He was right there. He was a trained soldier, a castle guard. He was young and strong and agile. And yet, he could do nothing.

“Rian!” his father called with his last bit of strength. “Be brave, Rian.” It was the last thing he said before disappearing below the valley of snarling teeth.

“No! Father!” Rian stumbled to his feet and rushed forward, no plan in his mind. His only thought was of getting his father out, though he knew it was too late. It didn’t matter. If there was any chance of saving his father, the greedy things could have his life too.

“No, Rian! Stop!” a familiar voice begged. Arms grabbed him and pulled him back. “Stop, it’s too dangerous.”

He tore his eyes away to see Deet, clutching his arm. She was there. Suddenly, she was there. Why was she there? He barely knew who she was. Why should she be there for him? Was she simply that kind? That she rushed to help a near stranger? It was all so strange and confusing, but he didn’t have room in his mind to question it further.

Her podling friend was at his back, holding his other arm. Together, they sorrowfully watched the gobbles begin to settle. He heard the podling whisper “aminya” to her. He knew a little podling. Aminya meant friend, but in certain contexts could also mean “angel.” Maybe the podling was right. Maybe that’s exactly what she was. A friend and an angel all in one.

The gobbles went still and any last shred of hope he had died. Everything inside him was full to bursting. Sorrow, fear, grief, rage, guilt all mixed and stirred inside him, threatening to spill out. “He’s gone,” he said, finally. “He’s gone.” The words came out in a gasp. His voice had gone raspy and tears ran like rivers down his cheeks. It was time now. He was ready. He was going to break down right here, right now in the arms of a stranger. Everything raged inside him. He felt he could scream all night, or possibly the rest of his life. If he couldn’t scream, he would die. It was all too much for any gelfling to bare.

Then the gobbles stirred again. He looked up. A fool’s hope appeared in his chest. Father? But as soon as rumbling began below the surface, he knew it was not so. He didn’t have time to react, save to push Deet and the podling away, before he was snatched up by the skeksis.

“Rian!” Deet screamed, but the skeksis had already pulled him into the trees. Rian could only watch, a helpless captive, as Deet, his last hope, disappeared into the distance.

#the dark crytsal: age of resistance #the dark crystal #the dark crystal: age of resistance fanfic #tdc:aog fanfic #tdc #aor #deet #rian #gurjin #Mira #Naia #Kylan #Ordon #tavra #skekmal #skeksis #alll I ask of you #tdc all I ask of you #sweetiepie08 #sweetiepiewrites #sweetiepie08 writes #sweetiepie writes #sweetiepie fanfic #stonegrot

[thebibliomancer]

Dark Crystal Age of Resistance Tactics pt 17 THE END

Endgame lets gooooooooooooooo

Mission: Call of the Glaive - Stonewood Ruins

"The heroes search for the second half of the Dual Glaive. It has been hidden somewhere in Stone-in-the-Wood."

Good god. Lvl 40. My party ranges from 38 to 34. Do I have to level grind some more more more?

Well, lets find out.

I don't remember the forest around Stone-in-the-Wood having so many misty chasms. Damn, global darkening.

SO I see a lot of Darkened beasts. I see a glowy exit square next to the the Crucible. Hmmmmm I wonder WHERE the 1/2 Dual Glaive could possibly be hidden.

Okay so the party this time has to be Rian, Brea, Deet, and Gurjin. If only I could have a few more to get the rest of the mains in here. But this is endgame time and its time for Rian to get the Good Sword.

Rian: "Stone-in-the-Wood. Since its fall, the place has been overrun with darkened creatures."

I mean, that makes a lot of sense, actually. I'd like some more emotion about it, though. This was your home, Rian.

Deet: "We need to find the Dual Glaive. It's here... somewhere."

Rian: "There, the forge! After a battle, the Stonewood place all their weapons in the forge. The Dual Glaive has to be there."

Holy crap I've never seen Nurlocs get the first turn what the heck.

But all I have to do is get to the glowy square. Preferably with Rian, for plot reasons.

There's two paths around from where you start. One side path. One low path thats only one square wide and blocked by a boulder. Some of the enemies are going down that path anyway so I'm just going to be shooting Firemoss Bundles at them like fish in a barrel.

After three bundles, they ded.

Also Gurjin is being my front line on the other path and I finally got to use Rian's Even the Odds! Between Pursuit, Hold Position, Retribution and best friends like Rian, Gurjin is amazing at standing in one place and absorbing damage!

Anyway I killed all of the enemies. I wonder if more will spawn in or what.

welp. None spawn ins. Just me moving my units closer to the glowy square turn by turn.

That was a design decision that was made.

Rian: "This is it, the Dual Glaive!"

Deet: "Something is happening. Look at the Forge! The flames... They're turning blue!"

VICTORY!

Arrrre we going to do the fire skype thing? I already united all of the clans.

LEVELS UP! Rian leveled and learned Aim for the Gaps (100% critical chance on a marked enemy)! Brea leveled and learned Convalesce 2! Deet leveled twice and learned nothing. Gurjin leveled and learned Heroic Leap!

Brea maxed out on Mendering. But since we're in the endgame and I like her loadout, I'll leave her where she is.

I got the Glaive of a Fallen Hero! Wooooooooooo! Weird that its not just called Dual Glaive but I don't mind this name either.

Glaive of a Fallen Hero is the Sword of the Stonewood Clan. Gots some good attack and critical chance. This is going right on Rian, for plot reasons.

---

Yeah. We're doing the Fire Skype.

Rian: "Gelfling, the Skeksis have deceived you; turned clan against clan."

I FEEL like we've gone over this pretty thoroughly in the various clan specific mission chains!

I guess giving the clans a place to rally around is a good reason to still do the Fire Skype. I'm just a bit perplexed at what gets brought over from the show 1 to 1 and what gets added.

The Emperor: "Enough! Your rebellion will end in ruin!"

Rian: "Bring your weapons. Bring your Skeksis, and meet your destiny!"

'Come on if you're hard enough'

Huh! Two more missions opened up. One at the castle and another one at the Stonewood Ruins. I feeeel like the one at the castle happens first, most likely? It says requires Seladon and Tavra, people I don't have in my party. Buuuuut might as well see if I can do it?

---

Mission: Broken Bargains - Castle Hallways

"Seladon and Tavra must now escape the Castle of the Crystal after freeing the Stonewood Gelfling."

Sweet, its Seladon and Spider-Tavra! I finally get that closure I've been wanting!

Party: Brea, obviously. This is the big sisters moment! Naia, because I've been reading Shadows of the Dark Crystal and she and Tavra have a funny dynamic. And Rek'yr. How is he here? Brea called in a favor? Look, we can't question the location of people in this game. It started in the flashback zone and had people wildly out of time!

Okay so we have a bunch of Darkened beasties and a couple of Nurloc experiments which are even beefier. We have a locked door and a lever to open it. We have the General.

Time to kick his ass again.

Spider-Tavra: "We had a deal. You were supposed to let us go free!"

The General: 'I have altered the deal. Pray I do not alter it further.'

Where's SkekLach, tho?

The General: "And what's this, Arathim working with Gelfling?"

Spider-Tavra: "Our deal has changed as well."

The Arathim Ascendency: "If you need help, use the etchings. Arathim will come to your aid."

YO WHAT?? I get to summon spiders??

Amazing. This game never stops giving.

Also, we're in the crystal chamber, I think? There's the symbol on the floor. No crystal though.

Okay, the mission objective is to get Seladon and Tavra both to the glowy exit square. Hypothetically feasible.

There's three glowy runes which increase evasion and apparently summon spiders. Lets gooo.

Seladon has Even the Odds, Firemoss, Landslide 2, Shockwave, and Flow of Battle.

Spider-Tavra still has Double Strike, Shove, Adrenaline, Retribution, and Spot Weakness.

HAH SUMMONED SOME SPIDERS ON THE GENERAL

Also, I've almost taken out all of his darkened minions although its taken its toll. Damn Thrash. Damn Wound status.

The spiders are allied but they're not controlled by me. So its fine for them to just do their own thing. I need to heal. Everyone.

Well, poor Rek'yr gave his life but I successfully surrounded SkekVar and slowly beat him to death. And that took me right to the in-engine cutscene which is probably what should have happened in the last level.

Brea: "What are you doing, Tavra? I won't leave without you."

The General: "No, stop! I beg of you!"

Spider-Tavra: "This is for the Arathim, for the All-Maudra!"

-Chamberlain comes out of basically nowhere and kills Tavra, threader spawns onto the field and runs off-

In-engine cutscenes are amazing.

Chamberlain: "Leave friend alone!"

Brea: "Tavra! Sister, no!"

-upbeat victory music-

But I already made fun of that when Ordon died so.

Brea leveled. Naia leveled twice! Rek'yr did not!

I got Heartseeker (the dagger of the Stonewood clan)! I got the General's Cuirass! Stealing clothes from knocked out Skeksis never gets old.

The Cuirass is going right on Gurjin. Its going to slow him down even further but it gives him a matched set of Skeksis gear. The General's Hand Axe and the General's Cuirass.

"Heavy metal plates seated on tough leather and trimmed with fur... How inelegant!" -skekEkt

---

Two more levels, I reckon. Just the final battle left, in two parts.

Mission: Seven Clans United - Stonewood Ruins

"With the clans united, the heroes stand against the Skeksis. The General approaches to challenge them."

Yeah, sure. I don't mind kicking his butt again. He's got more clothes I can steal, probably.

Geez, this is an excessively cozy map. Its not very big and one of the starting squares is right up in the General's face.

He's got two hollerbats called General's Pet which grant him buffs. Gotta kill those guys.

Party: Rian, Brea, Deet, Gurjin, Rek'yr.

The main squad, plus Rek'yr. I need someone to be applying marks for the other people to hit.

Rian: "The reign of the Skeksis is over. All Gelfling rise against you!"

General: "Fools! You will all die, here and now! If it's a fight you want, I'll give you one! Haaaa! Let's have some fun!"

AHHH HE GOES FIRST! AAAAAH HES RIGHT IN RANGE OF BREA! HE SILENCED HER!

This map is too small...

Killed his pets tho.

General: "This fight isn't over yet! I'm just getting started!"

Geez, if he stuns someone on his next turn he can do Killing Blow which does a ludicrous amount of damage. Very ludicrous. RIP Rek'yr.

HE SUMMONED MORE BATS

uncool

I killed his bats. HE SUMMONED MORE BATS. I think maybe its not worth killing the bats...

Also he stuns people for like three turns. I think I'm gonna have to spend some of my money on stun-proof trinkets.

Whats also uncool is that the summon more bats thing the first time? Erased Rek'yr's body from the map. I had Awaken on Brea. I could have brought him back. Boo. Boo on this game mechanic.

Ok this battle is going downhill.

The General has 4000 HPees which is a lot. And he can lock people down with stun for a while. So I'm going to have to spend some cash. I might even have to.... level =(

Yup everyone died.

Lets try that again.

So soiled Podling socks all around. The best way to prevent stun, donchaknow.

And lets spend some more money.

Upgrading Deet and Brea to Ceremonial Vestments. Upgrading Rian to Paladin's Full Plate. Upgrading Rek'yr to Etched Lorica and giving him the Heartseeker.

Gurjin didn't do a lot of damage so I'm guessing that the General is resistant to axes? Is that a thing in this game? But I'll hit him with Naia instead. And I kind of want to use Kylan who can mark and heal but I don't know who I'd replace. Hm. Maybe next time.

TAKE 2

Party: Rian, Deet, Brea, Naia, Rek'yr!

Hm. I forgot that the Intimidate move also lowers attack. My guys are hitting for shit with these debuffs. Maybe I should bring a party member who can remove debuffs. Well, live and learn. And attempt to chip away at his health bar anyway.

So its not very entertaining but I'm just slowly ganging up on him and slowly beating the crap out of him. Annoyingly his bat can heal him. And I can't kill it or he'll summon more bat.

Chipping away chipping away I guess I got it low~

Because: dialogue.

Rian: "You are bested, General. It's over."

General: "Well, what are you waiting for? Finish me!"

Rian: "No, I am no killer! Begone!"

I still don't know how the hell Rian thought this would shake out favorably.

How did he see the war ending in his head? The Skeksis would just agree to stop drinking Gelfling? Would they vacate the castle and let Aughra take over the crystal again? As long as he never tried to kill any of them in a war situation?

Or is it just he won’t kill an unarmed opponent?

I dunno.

And my party just. Runs off screen. So Chamberlain can run on-screen. And kill SkekVar. Despite their rivalry not really being established. In the game plot.

Chamberlain: "Emperor will listen to ME now."

Then again, fair enough. This is in character for him.

VICTORY.

Rian leveled twice and learned Shockwave (stun enemies in a line)! Rek'yr leveled twice! Naia leveled and learned Aimed Strike 2! Deet leveled and learned Awaken 2! Brea leveled and didn't learn anything because she's max on her job.

Naia maxed out on Soldier! Don't want to start her on a new job on the last level so I'm going to flip her back to Paladin for the good, good stats.

I found the General's War Flag! Starts battle with five turns of Attack Up, Haste, and Beserk! Uh. Not sure how that's helpful. I like deciding what my guy is going to do. Stupid Var and his stupid flag.

---

Mission: Seven Clans United: Part 2 - Stonewood Ruins

"The Hunter has returned once more, to the surprise of the hereos. But help comes from an unexpected place."

... How are they going to represent Aughra exploding out of him though?

I think I want to bring Kylan. Didn't the Hunter kill his parents? So I'm going to upgrade him to Ceremonial Vestments.

And I'm buying Armalig Scales for everyone since I think Wounding was the Hunter's thing and I don't want to deal with that biz.

Geez, this dongus starts the level on a big hill ready to jump down and squish people. The rudeity of people.

Party: Rian, he's the hero guy. Kylan, he's here for the revenge. Rek'yr, he's here to say goodbye to an old friend. Brea, she's mad that he kidnapped her between levels or something, I'm not sure when it happened. Gurjin, he's here to be a supportive best friend. And plus, offer hugs.

Rian: "The Hunter! But... how?"

The Hunter: "Quiet, puny Gelfling! I have conquered death! I am more powerful than ever... more powerful than Thra itself!"

Oh, this hubris is going to end really well for him.

Ok. So this dingus has 4000 HPees. He's got Carve which hurts and inflicts Wound. He's got Carve 2 which hurts and inflicts Wound and shoves. He's got Stab, which stabs. He's got Cleave. We know that one. Gotta keep my guys not adjacent. He's got Pelt. I think that means he's gonna throw stuff. And he's got Target Wound. Which I just bet does massive damage. But joke's on him. He's got Savage Counter which means he 100% of the time counters. And he's got Surefooted which means he's a hoppy boy.

-one turn later where he hits Gurjin not very hard, gets critted by Rek'yr and counters-

Brea: "He's too strong!"

Mmmm. I could take him.

Rian: "We have to try! We must keep fighting!"

urVa, the Archer, somewhere: "No more. The hunt must end."

The Hunter, back in the Stonewood Ruins, somehow hearing that: "No! Nothing can stop the hunt!"

-I beat the shit out of the Hunter some more-

-flash over to the Archer taking one step-

Hunter: "Archer! What are you doing!"

These interludes are killing the pacing. Just to say. Maybe they should have been saved for the end. Or something.

-more violence-

Archer: "Now, we shall see what lies at the dream's end." -another baby step-

Hunter: "No, stop!"

Archer: -jumps-

This isn't conveyed well in in-game cutscene, I have to say.

Then the Hunter dies.

VICTORY.

Uh. That was. Something. I think that's a time where the plot butted too much into the gameplay. I only got him down to half life before he died and it didn't take much time at all. Ah well.

Gurjin levels twice! Rek'yr leveled and learned Opening Act 2! Since I still don't get how Opening Act 1 works, I'm probably never going to use this! Kylan leveled three times and learned Grand Concert and Motivating Chord 2! Wow! Brea levels! Rian levels and learns Unfailing Blow 2!

I also find the Hunter's Helmet in the gross ash pile that used to be him!

"A trophy from some avian beast? Or the skull of another Skeksis...?"

It gives you reduced recovery time, increased crit chance  but reduced magic and normal defense. Dammit, Mal!

Kylan did get the last blow in the fight. That's something.

---

Anyway, I was wrong. There's at least one more mission.

Mission: Seven Clans United: Part 3 - Stonewood Ruins

"The heroes have bested the Skeksis' mightiest warriors. Only one challenge remains: The Emperor"

oof, I bet this is going to be hard.

Ooooof this is going to go badly. Three Skeksis. The Scientist, the Emperor, the Chamberlain... WAIT THE SCIENTIST WASN'T ALLOWED TO COME BECAUSE HE WAS TOO BIG A NERD! Dammit, game!

Anyway, the Emperor has Darkening Decay - attack and inflict random status effects. Focus Darkness - mark random tiles for the next move. Unleash Darkness - deal damage to anyone on a Darkened tile.

The Scientist and the Chamberlain have their usual abilities. So I think I should have kept the anti-poison gear and anti-stun gear on my guys.

Ah well. At least the non-Emperors only have 2000 HP.

Party: Rian, Brea, Deet, Naia, Rek'yr.

The Chamberlain: "Emperor, Skeksis should retreat. There are too many!"

Emperawr: "I will not lose, no matter the cost! Gelfling, you now face the true power of the Darkening!"

Oof that focus darkness does some damage. But hah, the Scientist only has 1500hp. He really is the nerd of the group.

Oops. Rian died. He was on a darkened tile and he didn't get a turn in time to move. Thank goondess I put Guardian's Blessing on him and he got to revive instantly.

Ok Rian died again, for real.

I just noticed that the Unleash Darkness hurts the non-Emperor Skeksis too if they're standing in it. Hahah

Between getting bombed a few time by his own boss, the Scientist was low enough health for Rek'yr to wander over and bop him.

One down.

Chamberlain is at low health but he's hiding in a corner casting stun and confuse on anyone that tries to bop him in the head. Which I'd very much like to do.

Crap, Brea and Rek'yr died in the same focus/unleash darkness.

Crap, Deet died.

Crap, Naia died.

Crap, Rian died.

The Emperor can just whip out the Focus Darkness too fast and it deals too much damage. And I think I needed to focus more on knocking Chamberlain senseless before he can split my party too much.

So anti-stun for everyone.

Or, actually, I'm going to try the Glowmoss Poultice which gives everyone ten turns of HP regen.

And even though Rian was there, I think I'm swapping out Gurjin. Having another person available that's immune to poison and can kick some serious butt. Well... Strategist hasn't really paid out much yet.

Okay on take 2, Scientist is down. Halfway through kicking Chamberlain's ass. Focus Darkness is getting really alarming.

Oops, Deet died. Haha Chamberlain died.

Now I just have the Emperawr and his full health.

I've got him down to half health but he killed AND THEN STEPPED ON Rek'yr.

Deet died in some darkening explosion but I got Brea to raise her. Just got to keep her alive now. Because plot. I mean, its not a level requirement. I just want to.

God, I'm glad I put so much Stone Warden into Gurjin. He's damn beefy.

Now he's down to less than a thousand.

AND HE TOOK TWO TURNS IN A ROW.

This man is corrupt to his core.

I have him under 100 hp and he uses focus darkness. And its covering a pretty generous area so I don't know if I can move everyone out of the way. Especially because he gets to go before half of my party.

But I have Brea up and she has a pocket full of fire moss with this guy's name on it.

It says SkekSo.

-blam, plop-

Emperor: "Impossible... I cannot be defeated."

Chamberlain: "Retreat! To the castle!"

Deet: "They're running away!"

VICTORY!

Never before has the fanfare been so sweet.

Naia leveled twice! Reky're leveled! Gurjin leveled THREE TIMES and learned Double Strike 2! Brea leveled twice! Deet leveled twice and learned Healing Touch 2!

Also I found some Crystal Fragment! Weird that random crystals just fell out of this boss birdlizarddragon as I was hitting him.

It lets you steal MP when you attack. Pretty cool.

---

Oh a cutscene.

Its the lost crystal shard, maybe.

Oh and Deet wanders off into the wilderness, all Darkened. Despite that not being very well established in the game.

Is sad.

But she wanders back to pose in a group shot.

Yup. The main characters. Aughra, Rian, Brea, and Deet.

When will Gurjin get respect?

Oh and Aughra tells me that there are more missions or I can do a new game plus which is harder.

I don't see any new missions on the map. Just some encounters to test my mettle.

And I'm not going to do the new game + just now. Not when I'm still riding high on winning while slightly under leveled.

---

But that was the game!

I loved the gameplay when it wasn't frustrating me. The moves are mostly all cool. I wish you could use more of them than three from primary job and two from secondary but you can still get a cool load out. The environments and characters look great.

Its the storytelling that lets it down, a little. Its trying to be a supplement to the show and that really hampers it at various points. The weird setup where we start in the flashback zone. Plot beats from the show being introduced because they're in the show but weren't properly set up in the game.

It either needed a bit more rewriting to tell the story of the show in a satisfying way or it needed to use the show as a jumping off point while it did its own thing.

The stuff that they invented to fill the gaps work pretty decently. The writing isn't particularly deep but its decent enough. The forbidden archeology quest with the Sifa. Discovering the fate of the guards. That stuff.

And this is hindsight, of course, but with the show being cancelled, there's so much ground left uncovered! If they were more willing to diverge from the show, they could have done some battles set afterwards and used the Garthim. I'm pretty curious how they would have been represented!

I also wish we could have gotten one or two more Skeksis. Chamberlain, Hunter, General, Scientist, and Emperor is decent but you know what could have been decenter? The Collector.

But overall. A good time was had by all, wherein all was me.

#dark crystal #the dark crystal #dark crystal age of resistance #dark crystal age of resistance tactics #THE GAME #liveblog #THE END #i beat up every skeksis basically in a row #plot stubbornly happens #i stubbornly refuse to level grind

[thebibliomancer]

Dark Crystal Age of Resistance Tactics liveblog pt 11

The plot splits three-ways but only one way is really an option, to my bafflement.

I have to do a training montage because I’m somehow badly underleveled for this part of the game.

I just really want to beat up a Skeksis, anyone will do.

And Gurjin is the MVP but we all already knew that.

Based on nothing except wanting to see what best boy Kylan is up to, I'm going to tackle the Spriton branch of this branching narrative first.

So I go to the little glowy dot on the map over Sami Thicket annnnd Kylan tells me no, don't go there.

Kylan: "It will be difficult to convince the Spriton to join our cause. They have always been the clan most loyal to the Skeksis."

He tells me to avoid the main village and check villages on the outskirts. Why did you put a shiny dot on the main village at all then!

But what can you do.

Mission: Podling Rush - Spriton Village

"A Spriton village is in trouble. Something has driven the neighboring Podlings mad! Help hold off their attacks."

This better have some fantasy explanation because I'm going to get real pissed if I'm being tricked into breaking a strike or if these are just more Podlings that don't want to be bathed against their will.

Just real pissed.

LEVEL 33???! I don't even have anyone in the 20s yet! Whats the point of branching the plots if I'm going to be level-gated into a specified branch anyway?

Lets see the other Spriton mission...

Mission: Cause of Death - Suns-kissed Plains

"The heroes cross paths with a group of Spriton Gelfling who don't seem too friendly."

LVL 30!? These beefy gelfling better show up and join the resistance! They're way stronger than my guys and I've been actively trying to do a resistance this whole time!

Lets try this logic instead. Alyadon piped up first, about the Sifan. So the Sifan quest chains are probably more level appropriate for me.

So selecting The Sifan Coast and Alyadon exposits that the Sifan have been hard hit by the Darkening and the Skeksis tithes. The elders are loyal to the Skeksis but the rest of the Sifan are prime targets for recruitment. Heck yeah.

Alyadon has a lead on a missing scholar. If we find him, he could prove useful. And Kylan, having marched back from the Spriton realizing I'm not going to be there for a while, has a lead on a missing fishing vessel.

Okay, the two available Sifan missions are level 25. That's more around my level. But I'm going to check the Vapran missions really fast.

... The Vapran mission is level 20.

The game just really wants me to go here first. In fairness, its the only one of the three plot threads that's prominent in the show.

Sigh.

Okay.

Mission: The New All-Maudra - Road to Ha'rar

"The heroes return to Ha'rar and learn of a troublesome shift in power."

Lets go see what Seladon is up to.

I cannot imagine that this easily leads to uniting the Vapran clan with the age of resistance but lets see.

Party: Brea and Breg because they're Vapran so they have stake in whatever is about to happen. Hup because he wanted to be a Paladin before I forced him down a different career path. Annnnnnd Naia. Because I'm reading Shadows of the Dark Crystal and she's on her way to Ha'rar in the part I'm up to.

Oof, the level starts with my party surrounded by a lot of enemy units who all have the high ground. Not great.

Aw dangit, Seladon has issued an order for my arrest. Rude.

Annnnnd I died.

It just went super poorly. They start with seven guys to my four.

Hup died almost instantly.

Guess I'm going to try again. With Rian, Naia, Gurjin, and Kylan. Three beefy fighters and a Kylan.

Nope, still lost. Wound up with three of their guys left BECAUSE THEY START WITH THREE MORE GUYS THAN I HAVE

I REALLY don't want to have to grind at bar fights.

Trying again again with Naia, Rian, Kylan, and Deet. Two beefs, two heals.

And that time I died when they had four guys left =|

Lets try Hup, Naia, Rian, and Deet.

And four left again >=|

So I guess grinding for levels is what its going to have to be then.

Great. Fantastic.

Guess I'll go prove my mettle over and over and over and over and over and over.

---

Did one of the desert encounter proves my mettle. Levels up, woo.

Gurjin learned Pursue (take next turn faster when dealt attack damage), Kylan learned Healing Touch (presumably a stronger heal but you need to be adjacent), Naia learned Heroic Leap (jump to an area and deal AOE damage), and Rian learned Tempered Stone (attack up if hit by critical). I also got a Stone Slicer.

Did an encounter in the swamp. Levelled up Naia and Gurjin with no new moves. Leveled up Rian and learned Hold Position. Got a Javelin and a Soup Spoon. Bought Rian a new, cooler sword to make him feel better about the Dual Glaive being stuck behind all these quests that are too high level for me.

Back to the Podling Tavern.

Wukki leveled up. Woo. Also earned a Shimmering Scale. Giving it to Rian because he's the hero guy. Which means I'm putting the Hunter's Cloak on Naia which means she's rocking two bits of Skeksis garb.

Chamberlain's abandoned speedster encounter grinding mission.

Level ups all around! Naia, Gurjin, and Kylan level up and earn nothing. Rian levels up and learns Tangle Up.

Oops, leveled Rian two more levels in Stone Warden than I needed to. Time to switch him to Mender so he can get Bramble Sage so he can get Strategist. So all that cool gear I just gave him is going to Gurjin. Congrats Gurjin!

So I bought Rian the coolest Mender stuff I could afford. Back to the grind. Gotta get everyone AT LEAST 20.

Back to the desert. Levels up!

Rek'yr learned Aimed Shot, Boggi learned Express Aid (heal an ally after moving four tiles, cool), Hup learned Command (friendly beat takes it next turn immediately), and Breg learned Steal MP.

Back to the swamp. Gosh, I sure love this gameplay rut.

Levels up. Deet learned Guardian's Blessing (can put a rez status on someone), Brea learned Firemoss Bundle (AOE fireball), Hup unlocked Potion Master! But I think I'll try Cook instead. And I found a Sturdy Halberd. I'd put that on Naia but the Cooking Spit gives her some additional HP.

More swamp leveling. Woo, Kylan learned Convalesce. Rek'yr and Deet leveled without learning anything. I found a Potion Stirrer. That's going right on Hup.

Back to the desert. Leveled up Hup, Boggi, and Brea but no new abilities.

Back to the gobbles. Back to leveling up. Boggi learned Get 'Em!, Deet learned Aughra's Ire, Rek'yr learned Thra's Light, Alyadon leveled and learned nothing from it.

Thats been a lot of leveling so might as well see how the Road to Ha'rar will go. And then I'm going to bed because eesh.

---

Mission: The New All-Maudra - Road to Ha'rar

"The heroes return to Ha'rar and learn of a troublesome shift in power."

Deet, Gurjin, Naia, and Hup.

And this works out well. Switching Hup to Cook during my leveling frenzy gave him the ability to sling a mean spoon. A couple levels had Naia and Gurin dealing more damage. Deet died though. But she poisoned everyone before she did.

Hopefully I won't have to go on another leveling journey because it really feels like it slows things down.

Speaking of leveling. Naia learned Double Strike 2, Gurjin learned Taunt 2, Hup learned Tenderize (triple strike a Spiced enemy, yes Cooks spice enemies) and Bitter Recipe (attack a Spiced enemy to inflict Blind and Silence).

So the Vapra quest chain splits here. One to go and beat up the General. One to go free some political prisoners that Seladon imprisoned. But I'm sleep now.

---

I'm wake now.

Me complaining about grinding and the game poorly signposting what to do next doesn't make a good post. I'm still going to try to do all the Vapran missions.

And yet, I'm still going to do some grinding before that because Boggi, Brea, Rek'yr, Alyadon and especially Breg still need to hit 20.

You know, for all he's my lowest level guy, he was MVP in the cave encounter. Moving so much, stabbing so much.

Anyway, Brea leveled and learned nothing as did Breg. Alyadon learned Awaken (basically the raise spell).

Theres another swamp encounter that I'm actually really enjoying. Its against four Arathim devourers but you start on the hill and can kind of snipe at them as they move across the map from you. Breg and Rek'yr are getting good use out of Daring Strike and Aimed Strike because I had time to mark them. But I have to say that Daring Strike just is way too much setup. They have to be poisoned AND marked. It does decent damage but you need to devote three moves to it.

Rek'yr learns Form Up, Breg learns Steal Life (steals life, 35% of the damage done by the attack, this is going right on Breg).

Did the road to Ha'rar but as an encounter mission. Boggi leveled and didn't learn anything. Alyadon leveled and unlocked Adept and Bramble Sage. Also I picked up a Tuned Guitar! Hopefully Song-Tellers use instruments so I can give this to Kylan later.

Cave encounter. Breg leveled up, nothing learned. But I found a Sharpened Dirk! Thats going right on Breg.

Also, the encounter grinding actually net me some pearls so I splurged and got teeth or fur for everyone who didn't already have a trinket and got some better armor for Breg and Rek'yr.

Back to the swamp. Alyadon leveled and learned Aughra's Ire. Oh, right. I turned her into a Bramble Sage so I could get some Firemoss on her to replace the rock throw. But I'm switching her back to mender so I can work on getting the SUPER healing moves.

Now just Breg is still lvl 19. But I'll get him up. Back to the road. Woo. Levels ups. Rian leveled and learned nothing as did Rek'yr. Brea learned Firemoss 2 (firemoss' cooler older brother) and Breg learned Adrenaline.

And I can get back to the plot.

---

Mission: Citadel Sneak -- Citadel Tunnels

"The cruel Skeksis General is in Ha'rar, conscripting Vapran Gelfling. The hereos must sneak into the Citadel to stop him."

This sounds like its going to have a wacky success condition.

Bringing Rian (because I really want to get him through these Mender levels so I can get him to Strategist), Deet (because she's not gotten to do anything recently) and Boggi and Wukki because shouty dogs is definitely who you want to bring on a stealth mission.

Hm, potion bottles on the map that grant you haste if attacked. Neat.

Ok so win condition is to get all four heroes to the exit, nobody can die. I only see two venom spitter arathim on the map. There's probably going to be more jumping in to mess with me. The jerks.

Ok wow thats a lot of spawn-ins.

More and more arathim and even some nurlocs. Thankfully, you can hit a boulder to roll and block the nurlocs way. And even though I was hilariously unprepared, I got through first try. Thanks to the good ol' doggos.

Everyone leveled! Deet and Boggi learned nothing! Rian learned Convalesce and Wukki learned to Munch (attack a marked target 5 times with reduced accuracy)! He also knows Fuzzy Meteor, which is a delightful move name.

---

Mission: General Upheaval -- Citadel Barracks

“The heroes confront the General. They must drive him out of Ha’rar to free the Vapran Clan.”

That’s a great mission name. 10/10, TDC: AOR: T. Top-notch.

Just going to make a guess here, based on nothing. The General mission will get the Vapran to join the resistance. The Seladon mission chain will get her to join the party. Either way, I really want to kick the General's butt.

I see two Paladins, an Adept, and the General. There's some open doors so I just bet that more units will spawn in.

The General has 2000 HP. Has Crushing Blow (probably massive damage to Stunned enemy), Intimidate (inflicts Attack DOwn, Defense Down, and Silence to enemies adjacent to SkekVar when he, I dunno, flexes or something), and Prod (shove and stun). Hopefully he's less annoying than the Chamberlain but thats a low bar. Zing.

Party: Rian (hero), Naia and Gurjin (my good fighters), Brea (this is her home darnit), and Breg (oh right, he's a Vapra too? Huh)

General: "So the heretics have returned!"

Rian: "You aren't taking these Paladins anywhere, drainer!"

General: "Take? The Paladins come freely. They are loyal. Not like that mother of yours."

Geez, General. Low blow.

Brea: "Murderer! You'll pay for killing her!"

So things are going ok. Making some missteps. But when I kill one of the Paladins, another one appears. So, yes. This is another level with new spawns.

Hah, but you can use levers to close the doors so no new spawns can spawn and if you do, SkekVar complains, asking where his minions went.

Well, as usual with fighting Skeksis, it was a bloodbath. He killed all my dudes but Gurjin. He shouldn't have overlooked Gurjin.

Since everyone died nobody leveled but Gurjin and he didn't learn anything new. BUUUUT I did get the Royal Scepter and the General's Hand Axe. And Brea just unilaterally declared the Vapran were joining the Resistance. Seladon is All-Maudra of nothing, I suppose.

In fairness, in this game, there was already a Vapran resistance that Seladon had arrested. So she had already lost the unity of her people by the time I showed up.

The General's Hand Axe is a big boost over the Dredged Axe I had already equipped to Rek'yr. Comes with a lot more stats and a little more slowness. I wish axes didn't slow down turns so much. In any case, this is going right on Rek'yr.

Comes with a quote too, as special weapons sometimes do. "No such thing as an honest skeksis. SkekVar gets the closest, but that's no compliment" - Maudra Fara.

Nice dunk, Fara.

Royal Scepter is the Vapra Clan Staff. Did... did we steal this from Seladon? 30% chance to Wound, 20% MP gain on hit. Feels appropriate to give this to Brea. Or Seladon if I unlock her.

OH, its the iconic crescent moon with crystal shaped staff. Nice.

And since Deet is still using a simple club, I'll give her the Drenchen Legends.

So a frustrating pair of play sessions but I got some good loots in the end.

#dark crystal #the dark crystal #dark crystal age of resistance #dark crystal age of resistance tactics #THE GAME #liveblog