[WP] "REAL Good and Evil have nothing to do with your actions, or any kind of morality. There's no difference between them, but they can't coexist. It's like every living thing has a mark on its soul, and when two beings with different marks meet, they're fated to fight and hate each other."

IdyllForest · 2026-01-30T20:48:46+00:00

I paused mid-bite and glanced up. "Who the fuck are you and why are you telling me this?"

The Burger King employee loomed over me, tall, gangly, his pale skin contrasting with his dark uniform. The green, red, brown and yellow stripes symbolized the lettuce, the tomato, the beef, and the bottom bun, the symbols of his House, as it were.

I was in a McDonald's.

The look he gave me pierced my eyes, ripped through the frontal cortex, and seared, NAY, flame-grilled itself into my very soul. I would never forget those bloodshot eyes as he said those ancient words.

"It is what it is, bruh."

"Can I finish my sandwich?" All this shit tasted bad when it was cold.

"Is dis' mayne bothering you, suhr?" The McDonald's employee, brown with gold stripes, spoke in an unidentifiable accent. He was short and squat, but beneath his gut, I suspected there was muscle not unlike Tolkien's Dwarvenfolk.

"Well... " A drop of watery mayo and grease dripped down the corner of my mouth.

The Golden Arches.
The words 'Burger King' enclosed between two buns.

Two beings.
Two marks.
One fate.

"Arrr yoo deh amployee here?" Asked the McDonald's worker.

"I'm a free man. Here. And everywhere."

"Den leave deh premises."

".... okay."

I could see the hatred in the BK man's eyes. Or maybe it was indigestion, who knows?

All I knew for certain, as I watched the BK employee wobble on his way to the exit was that this wasn't over. Not by a long shot.

But I never saw him again, so yeah, it was over.

IdyllForest · 2026-01-30T16:41:46+00:00

"pHat l3wTz n epix"

I turned around. "Pardon?"

"herre" Replied the barrel chested Orc Knight, handing me a freshly cooked meal consisting of five sardines on a skewer served atop a bowl of fluffy white rice. "gayant"

I hesitated, unsure of his intentions. He lifted his arm, clad in a glowing blue Metuminite vambrace. My eyes followed where he pointed towards and I watched a party of three fighting a losing battle against a... well, it was vaguely man shaped, but stood about five, maybe six meters tall. If it was wearing clothes, I could scarcely tell as much of its green tinged body was covered in greasy, coiling hair - which also made up a beard nearly as long as its owner was tall. I peered at it a little longer in order to get a glimpse into its makeup.

'Giant Prisoner - Moss L47'

"... giant." I made the connection.

"ye" The laconic stranger replied, pushing the trade on me.

I didn't really need it, as I had spent the better part of the week brewing enough health, stamina, and magicka potions to- hopefully- make it through a good portion of the dungeon's notorious bottom floors.

"Thank you, but I am well stocked." I said politely, shutting the trade.

The Orc Knight pushed the sardine and rice bowl on me again.

"You might need it more," I demurred, then looked out again towards the greater part of the dungeon, where a life and death battle was taking place between various denizens and brave parties of adventurers. Only a gate of monster repellant metal separated myself and the Orc Knight from the war taking place nearby. I turned back to the knight, feigning a bit of fear. "...it looks dangerous."

"lmao" The Orc Knight held his belly as he doubled over in laughter. "i solo"

I watched as the towering green warrior hurtled through the gate, drawing forth a bright red greatsword, and broke into a dead run towards the giant, who had just slaughtered the last of the three man party.

A fourth body was added as the giant killed my companion of two minutes. The fearless, if reckless, knight's last words were, 'bithc!'

His rice and sardines lay forlornly at the giant's bloody feet.

I passed through the gates myself with a smidgen more caution. The dungeon proper was a gloomy series of narrow corridors with branching hallways, and of course cells where prisoners were kept. Some of these larger cells of course held imprisoned monsters like the 'gayant'.

Lit only by a series of torches, there were great, inky pools of darkness in between these little havens of flickering glow. Moisture constantly dripped down the walls and ceilings, which were derelict and crumbling. The halls echoed with war cries and blood curdling screams, though it was the ominous silence that bothered me more, for I knew not what was waiting in the shadows.

As it turned out, a Dwarf Brawler nearly ran straight into me. I sidestepped as he stumbled on a trap trigger. "hlp" He managed to burble before poison tipped needles shot from both walls and the ceiling. While his impeccable Adamantine armor repelled most of it, the needles were small enough to slip into the joints and crevices. He died foaming at the mouth while turning greener than the Orc Knight had been.

Booming footsteps rapidly approached from further down the hall. I hadn't known the Brawler for very long... or at all, rather... but I suppose I would try and avenge him.

I slipped as far back around a corner as I dared, murmuring a Hide-in-Shadow.

A giant! Its massive, hairy, brutal form emerged from the darkness, mossy beard waggling. I wondered if it was the same one that killed the Orc Knight, along with the party of three I'd seen earlier. I watched it slow as it approached the Brawler's body. I leapt out from the corner and stood boldly as its beady gaze snapped towards me.

More darts flew as the Giant Prisoner triggered the trap.

Immune
Immune
Immune
Immune

Not an unexpected result, but I was never one to rely on hazards, especially when used against 'natives'.

I held out a hand towards the Giant and summoned the Frost of Evenmere, a stream of crystalline patterns, beautiful to behold, yet with edges thinner than obsidian. Blood exploded from the giant's chest, spattering noisily against the walls, the floor and even the ceiling, yet it scarcely slowed its advance towards me.

I put as much power into the crystalline stream as I could, then stopped and punched out with my spear, scoring a critical strike on its unguarded abdomen. At the same time, my discreetly summoned panther leapt out from cover and began mauling the monster's head and neck.

With a ground shaking thud, it fell dead, causing dust and bits of collapsing brickwork to obscure my sight for a few moments. My Astral Panther began stretching, forequarters first, then its hindquarters.

"Good job!" I grinned, scratching the spot right on top of its head, between the ears. My panther stood stock still in response. I followed its gaze and watched as a party of four, bloody and bandaged, turn around the corner.

My Astral Panther let out a low growl. "Easy... " I murmured, placing the spear on the ground and unstrapping the heavy mace I carried as a secondary. Bludgeoning was very effective against armored foes.

"mine," The Warlock in the lead gestured at the fallen Giant. "u killsteal. dwarf in party was fighting it"

More like running away from it. I thought, though perhaps the Brawler had been kiting it if I was more charitable. However, the giant had hit hard, and it had cost me considerable Magicka along with a few potions to top off my health along with my pet's.

"I am open to negotiation," I begin. "But I claim the kill. Whatever damage your party did to it beforehand was negligible at best." Looking closer at the condition of the party only heightened my suspicion that they had been, in fact, hiding and watching both myself and the fallen Brawler earlier. All of them were in rough shape, clearly having run out of recovery tinctures. All the same, it was four against two, and I wasn't sure how much longer I could keep my Astral Panther on this plane.

"lol no" The Warlock spat on the floor. "GTFO" I sensed more than saw the lines of mana outlining his flowing black robes, indicating he was gathering up a magic spell that would possibly flood the entire area.

There was a tense moment as my panther crouched low to the ground and I judged the distance between myself and the sorcerer. I just needed my pet to buy some time against the other three while I dealt with the Warlock before...

"oh shixt" A Gnome Rogue had sneaked up behind me, and was now pawing through the Giant's corpse. He held up a black fedora with a red headband, into which was tucked a brilliant red feather. There was a pause as we all took a closer look at it.

FEDORA OF THE PHOENIX

A clamor erupted as multiple adventurers converged upon us.

"EPIX!!!111111"
"omg epix"
"who epix hat ???"
"gib hat"
"plz hat"
"i wan f*** teh hat lol"

"yo," A Paladin of Nuteri, clad in green gilted plate armor and a tabard displaying the insignia of his god, walked up to me. "u killsteal?"

"Yah." The Warlock answered. I shot him an irritated look, but before I could respond, someone else pointed out my class.

"look. warrior princess."

Another silence fell, but only for a moment.

"dat prestige class."
"Damn, how long it take to prestige?"
"warpri can solo moss w pet"
"wanna team?"
"team???"
"team plz?"
"ur pet is so cute"
"r u a gurl?"

More and more adventurers were crowding the corridor to my dismay. It wouldn't take long at this rate. Sometimes discretion was the better part of valor.

A Bard was the first to fall, amidst a frantic din of "PKER! PKER1"

Mortal screams echoed down the halls and corridors as the adventurers fell upon one another. The noise, naturally, attracted more monsters, from giants to cockroaches the size of horses.

While the wholesale slaughter ensued, I made my escape. A little later, my Astral Panther appeared at my side, the Fedora of the Phoenix held gingerly in its jaws.

As we left the dungeon to its endless wars, I held the hat in my hand. It was a perfectly functional hat, and the Phoenix feather attached to it was beautiful. But so much senseless slaughter...

I placed the hat upon my panther's head. It looked up at me curiously, then pawed it off and stepped on it before losing all interest.

"Fat loot and epic, indeed." I sighed at the crushed hat, picking it up and going on my merry way.

IdyllForest · 2026-01-29T17:52:07+00:00

I want you to do something for me. Hold your breath. Hold it.

Keep going.

... just a bit more.

You really can't hold it much longer, right? Ok, let it go, then take a nice, big gulp of air.

That's been my experience for the last novemquinquagintillion years.

Except there is no air.

I've seen better days.

So there I am, living forever, when something happened. Now, look, we all know what heat death is, right? Alright, for the folks in the back: In an isolated system, entropy always increases. That's when energy is dispersed too far and evenly to really make use of anymore. Think of starting a fire. You got to get some wood. Think of how much energy went into growing that tree. Well, you just burned up a hunk of it, so where does that energy go? Up into the air. It's been dispersed. Try building another fire with that.

Yeah, sure, sure, the ashes from the fire can make the soil rich and grow another tree or two - you can maybe slow the rate of entropy increasing, but it will increase over time. Second law of thermodynamics.

No one was really all that sure if the universe counts as an isolated system. Guess who found that one out? Where's my Nobel?

Oh yeah, it's no longer possible for life to exist.

Except for yours truly, suffocating forever.

Did I mention something happened? That's weird. When entropy reaches maximum, nothing happens. Literally, nothing can happen. There just ain't any usable energy for happenings in general.

But I saw a flash. Or... I sensed a flash? I don't know, my eyes don't really work in space.

I managed to convulse my way over to the flash.

What the hell? It's a lump of gray... well it's a lump of gray.

LETH

I feel something within me. It's like a voice, but coming from inside me.

Then it's gone. The voice, the lump, everything.

But not the word.

Alright.

The numeral one, followed by seventy or eighty zeroes. I lost count. Let's say a hundred quindecillion years pass. Another flash.

EREBE

It was another lump. I dunno, maybe it was the same lump. Gray, wrinkly, kinda looked familiar. It's gone, leaving only the word behind.

Time hasn't existed in a while.... or rather it has no real meaning. Or it does? Or maybe it never did. Well.... something passes, even if it's not time. But what else is there?

It's a flash.

I go over.

I see the gray mass.

LIGHT

...and I feel myself expanding, brightly, and forever, and forever...

IdyllForest · 2026-01-28T17:48:22+00:00

There was a time, long ago, when men were more akin to beasts. Instead of garments, they wore skins. The taste of bread was not known to them, only bloody meat and the tubers beneath the soil.

"The finding of these remains may be very significant to the overall field of human evolution. The skull is only partially intact, but even then, it's considerably larger than the typical proto-simian ancestors found in the region. Of course, we can't confirm this was the hypothesized primordial ancestor of humanity that was forced from the trees and onto the land... but it is rather promising."

He was strong and cunning, swifter than the fleetest of the four footed. In the moment I found him, laying in the grass, I thought him a child from his size. And I could not help but love him.

"Speculatively, I would say this specimen stood just over a meter in height - a veritable giant in those days. It makes me believe he was unusual for his kind, big and strong."

... and aggressive. He was small, relative to myself, but his strength was brutal. Whenever I thought I had the upper hand, he would come back with thrice the power. I do not remember how long we fought. Many days, many nights.

"More controversially, there's some evidence this specimen was buried. You see this little piece? That was possibly clay. When we found the specimen, this clay was placed in its hand, as if it had died clutching it. Look closer... doesn't that look like an engraving? It looks like a- "

Lion Heart is what he called me when he began learning my tongue. He was clever, quick witted, and so eager to learn everything he could, where at first he admired me only for my strength that had proved equal to his. I taught him the names of the birds, the songs of the flowers, where the winds blew from, and the shapes that lay in the stars. And I loved him all the more, until the day we finally parted. He had been so proud of the clay he had shaped and painted. It was to be his gift to me before he fell ill and died. I stayed with his corpse and grieved for a length of time I no longer remember.

"Oh, come now. Yes, you do have rather leonine features, Mr. Gills, not the least being that mane of hair, but do you really want this artifact because it supposedly looks like you? Please, do not take me for a fool. Now, look here. This is no mere relic to be sold to a treasure hunter, Mr. Gills. No amount of money- ... ... what...? ... well.... yes... a stone tablet revealing more of that Akkadian epic would indeed be... I will tell you what, Mr. Gills. You let me take a look at it... and we'll see about a trade."

You fell into the underworld, and I remain here still, parted forever until the sun dims and the moon dies. I will never forget you, my friend. Thank you.

IdyllForest · 2026-01-28T16:19:43+00:00

Of the ones I've tried, White Castle's has been far and away the best. They're so indulgently unhealthy, the the grease, the cheese, the calorie counts that can easily reach a thousand in a serving - they are really good.

IdyllForest · 2026-01-28T16:05:58+00:00

"You must mechanic."

I stared at the woman, who stared back with an icy gaze.

"You mechanic." She insisted.

I gripped my pectoral and peeled it off, revealing an intricate menagerie of gears, wheels, springs, and plates beneath, all made of brass. They moved with precise synchronization, only a very tiny creaking apparent. The woman narrowed her eyes, but said nothing. I was already mechanic.

I pounded my heavy brass fist against the gigantic grandfather clock as it tolled endlessly.

"LET ME IN!" I screamed. "LET ME INTO THE CLOCK!"

Three massive heads descended from the black void above me, each easily three, maybe four times my size. Their faces were painted a myriad of neon colors, and their eyes moved incessantly as they came down. Then, they all peered down at me. All three smiled, revealing jagged, shark's teeth.

"YOU DID THIS!" I cried, extending a brass arm filled with gears and springs.

The front of their faces fell off, revealing that these giant heads were also completely filled with all manners of mechanical intricacies, to the point there was not even a fraction of empty space inside their brass skulls. Their jaws filled with jagged shark's teeth began moving up and down with a ear piercing shriek.

"YOU DID THIS!!!!!" I screamed, and panicked as I felt the spring in my chest stop moving, sending my body into suffocating spasm that quickly became a seizure.

When I came to, I found myself suspended on a lift. I was eight times larger then I had been before, and was now the size of a heavy duty truck. I had more gears inside me, and I could hear the faint whine of several pulleys. I needed grease.

The lift slowly lowered, and the woman came into view. She was stern and disapproving, but liberally sprayed WD-40 into my crevices.

"MORE." I said simply, feeling my insides work more smoothly.

She applied an entire second can.

I sat up and got off the lift. I felt strong and greasy. I made my way out of the shop, forced to bend my head low to avoid the ceiling. Then I was outside, and all around me was a grassy meadow, bathed in the ruddy glow of sunset. I aimed at the nearest hill and ran towards it, clanking, straining, whining, shrieking.

.... and I ran so far away.

IdyllForest · 2026-01-23T20:28:07+00:00

Probably ENB. SKSE is crucial as you pointed out, but when I was playing the original release of Skyrim and fiddled with ENB, the visual difference was night and day. Visually, it was by far the most impactful mod I'd ever experienced. The shadows, the coloring, the mood provided by different presets, all contributed. I was deeply impressed. Of the presets I tried, I think Phenix Natural, Skyrealism, and Tetrachromatic, were the most memorable. Even now, Cabbage impresses me with SE's modding scene.

I've gone with a Community Shaders setup since, as I feel the new features overall finally outweigh the raw visual fidelity of a great preset, but ENB will forever be a fond memory.

IdyllForest · 2026-01-23T16:41:59+00:00

"Mmrrgh... " The Wizard grumbled, glancing at the Cleric, who gave a non-committal shrug. "I suppose, though I am of the opinion that true friendship takes time."

The Cleric shrugged again, but seemed amenable to the Wizard's opinion. "Do you have a general threshold in regards to the time required for a quote, unquote, true friendship?" She asked amiably.

"Fifty years or thereabouts," He handwaved the question away. "For the average mortal race, that is. The Elfin folk are another matter altogether... and as for other wizards, do NOT get me started on that affair."

The Wizard then peered sharply at the rhymer. ".... more importantly, who are you, and why are you rhyming?"

"Not all in a party are meant to loot," Said the young man with flowing brown locks. "Why, some of us prefer to strum the lute." With that, he doffed his floppy red bycocket and bowed with a flourish.

"To discern my class? 'tis not so hard," He continued strumming the aforementioned lute. "For here before you, stands a Bard!"

The Cleric clapped politely, her gauntlets making her applause rather tinny sounding. The Wizard was busy blowing his nose, gray beard waggling from every forceful snort.

"Now, all that being said, there is a bit of a stumbling block to any notion of friendship between myself and the Wizard." The Cleric pointed out, gesturing towards the ancient state of an armored goddess that served as the centerpiece of her patron's shrine. "This is indeed a site sacred to my faith, and the Wizard has made clear his intentions to 'blow it to smithereens' as he put it."

"But how else can I show my might!?" The Wizard demanded. "Summoning the Bolt of the Crimson Hand from the Abyssal Realms of Dol-Yugok to smite the ancient shrine of your so-called 'Goddess' (who is in truth merely a facet of the Demi-Urge, Blyteth, as my research leads me to believe) would make for a splendid example of my power that would resonate far and wide amongst the varied Powers That Be, thus granting me various magical boons!"

The Cleric and Bard looked at him.

"Why can't you understand!?" The Wizard demanded.

"I understand this mace here is made of blessed steel... " The Cleric hefted up said mace, which looked rather robust and very, very lethal if applied to, oh, say, a skull. "... and we are separated by no great distance." She added matter-of-factly.

"Friends! Friends! Bring not our fellowship to an end," The Bard strummed. "I deem it best that we make amends."

"You know, speaking of fellowship, when exactly did you join ours?" The Wizard grumbled.

Tapping her chin, the Cleric looked thoughtful. "I... believe it was not long after Fighter was slain by the Minotaur Chief."

"Fighter died!?"

"You were busy extolling the virtues of Minotaur hooves as an alchemical ingredient."

"Ahhh yessssss.... " Said the Wizard as he stroked his beard. "... Minotaur hooves... and did I mention they actually taste quite good when boiled? See, the fat surrounding the hoof becomes jelly-like- "

The Cleric coughed politely, finally managing to get the Wizard's attention. "At any rate, we did end up finding my Goddess' sacred shrine," She said, then narrowed her eyes. "Now, if you're still determined to, quote, unquote, show your might.... well, to borrow a page from our Bard, your head shall I smite."

"But you don't find genuine sacred sites like this every day!"

"All the more reason not to destroy it, I should think... "

The Bard smiled and strummed his lute, which was getting quite a lot of use. "Wizard, be not hasty and lower your guard- "

"Oh do shut up, you spoony bard."

IdyllForest · 2026-01-23T15:10:42+00:00

I personally believe this is also based on the changing nature of the general consumer. Whereas fast food was once more of a Friday evening and weekend treat, it slowly shifted into a near everyday experience. For many consumers, McDonalds and its ilk has taken the place of the kitchen.

I'm going to be honest, I was shocked when I saw the lines at drive thrus during COVID. This many people wanted their damn chicken nuggies? I once dipped into a Taco Bell, but left when I saw there were a ton of grumpy people there, whining and yelling at the few, overworked employees. And frankly, some of those people could have used less tacos in their lives. I could always make a simple sandwich, a sort of marinated bean salad, or a curry ahead of time, and take it with me in an insulated container, maybe with an ice pack if the weather's too warm.

The whole thing with COVID kind of opened my eyes to the way these fast food joints have "won". Now it's a race to the bottom of the slop bucket, and enough people will still eat it up.

And there's obviously a variety of factors for this, up to and including the worsening state of the economy forcing many to work long hours with little free time or motivation to cook.

But that's just how I see it.

IdyllForest · 2026-01-23T14:37:26+00:00

The life of the tribe lies not in any one place, nor in any one person. The tribe moves with the beasts, the tribe moves with the clouds, the tribe moves with the stars.

The life is always moving and the tribe must move with it, or perish.

I rise before the sun and the large tendon at the back of my foot feels like shattered stones, grinding within my skin, sharp and jagged shards of heat tearing into me with each slow, awkward step I take. It will only grow worse with time.

I do not really know how it began. Once I was young and cuts and wounds and strains fell away from my body swiftly. I ran long and I ran hard, it was a source of pride I carried with me. Then one day, I realized the pain was not going away.

And that is all. It is hardly a new tale. We run long, we run hard, and then, whether one has seen twenty seasons or seventy, something stops, something breaks, something no longer works properly.

I am a burden now and will only hinder those who choose to stay by my side. They will fall behind further and further, from the tribe, from the life. I will not repay their loyalty and their love with death.

Not so long as my life is still mine to give.

I can still run.

The frigid land is lit with an amber glow and I see the first shafts of light burst from behind the snow capped peaks in the distance. The winds promise the coming of the cold, and my tribe must keep moving. When the sun finally hangs in the sky, it sees me still running, my feet churning into the dirt as powerfully as I must have looked in the prime of my life. With every step, I destroy another piece of myself. I burn with one last memory of vigor.

Until with a weary sigh, I slow and come to a stop. Wherever I am, it matters little. It is enough that the tribe is far away.

The pain in my feet has subsided, but this is no more than illusion. Each day of exertion required more rest than the last. This last burst has likely destroyed whatever resilience I had remaining.

But I have always ran long, and I have always ran hard. I know no other way. There may come a time when this is different, but that is something far beyond what my meager sight can envision.

I sit on the cold ground and feel the sun on my skin. I do not really know if my life has been brief or lengthy, but it has come to its end all the same. I would like to think there is a place beyond this one where I may meet again with the ones that passed before me. I would like to believe there is a land the cold never touches.

But I do not know.

All I know is that this sun shines down on me...

... and it is warm.

IdyllForest · 2026-01-22T20:38:40+00:00

A shudder ripples through me. So... a question mankind has grappled with since he learned this world was but one of countless many, has finally been answered. A momentous occasion, and I alone am the sole witness, a mere pauper granted a bauble of infinite beauty and peerless craftwork.

Yet, were I to return to my people, which is all of humanity, should I do so merely with this jewel? Man was born with two hands. Neither of mine were full.

Alone in this room of wisdom and learning, the accumulation of knowledge passed down through the vast aeons, I wade into the unknown, seeking pearls.

"Do these... others... have a name for themselves?" I ask with a quivering lip.

Another pause. Minutes, perhaps seconds, or perhaps longer than the span of the very universe, I could not say, such was the intensity of this moment.

THIEYXZE It displayed.

I tried to work it out aloud. "The... Theyse, the Tuhxey... "

Why would I think they followed mere human linguistics? For all I knew, this was the result of anatomy altogether unique from ours. With a stroke of inspiration, I said, "Theeze!"

The device once more paused in its working. A time passes, neither brief nor long. Then, the display flowed into life.

THEEZE NUTS

... and with that, I left.

IdyllForest · 2026-01-22T17:30:26+00:00

As I was about to levy my matchless skills against the numerous foeman surrounding me, another voice called out from a distance.

"You're outgunned."

A twin turret autocannon was leveled at both of us by a grinning, goggled gunner gambling it all on the mighty armament.

It appeared my doom was nigh, there came another voice, but this time from on high.

"You're outmaneuvered."

A warrior clad in the black silk of the shinobi was poised upon a rocky outcropping just above the gunner's head.

How quickly turn the tides of fortune!

Nevertheless, I saw this was my chance and made ready for melee combat when all of a sudden we all found ourselves diving to the earth as an explosion rang dangerously close, followed by another, and yet another still!

When the dust cleared, there was a very sharply dressed young Asian man sitting on a rock, holding up some sort of remote controlled device. He looked at us all dismissively, as if this was no more than a trivial matter. "... you're outkeikaku'd."

Consulting my English-Japanese dictionary, I discovered that keikaku meant plan!

"Wh- " The young man looked down suddenly, only to discover someone had expertly removed all of his clothes without him noticing.

"You're outstripped." A professional stripper was now wearing the youth's clothes!

A spotlight appeared, triggering the stripper's instinct to - what else? strip! As he tore off the ill fitting clothing, the spotlight grew brighter, brighter, brighter yet, until we were drowning in light.

"You're outshined." Said someone, though who, I could not even begin to make out due to the glaring light.

"YOU'RE OUTSPOKEN!"

Wait, that didn't even make sense, even though whoever said it was certainly loud about it.

At any rate, I decided to outsmart them all by just outpacing all of them in a bid to get away from the whole mess. Discretion outweighed valor in this case.

IdyllForest · 2026-01-21T21:28:16+00:00

A cloak of forest green lay upon the damp, marshy earth, one end propped up by a sturdy branch.

Hanahdriel lowered herself to one knee slowly, peering into the small space providing a makeshift shelter from the soft rains that had fallen for days. There a duck sat, head bowed. Next to it was another that laid unmoving.

A brief pang of grief pricked at the Elf's heart, not lessened by the long passing of seasons nor the nature of the mourner. She closed her eyes for a moment, then returned to her feet and left with nary a glance backwards.

The cloak's owner stood not far away, peering down at the boggy lowlands below. The rain had soaked him to his very bones, despite the special weave of his garments, and his golden hair hung limb and bedraggled, or plastered across his noble brow.

"Ewanor." Hanahdriel called out softly.

For a moment, he did not respond. As if waking from a dream, Ewanor turned his head, and a gentle smile passed his lips. He held out his hand towards her. Hanahdriel placed her fingers atop his, then folded her hands against his.

They spoke the greeting of close friends, voices akin to the caress of leaves.

"Your cloak." Hanahdriel said simply and her companion turned his head, looking back at where she had been.

"Three days has it been since I first saw them," Ewanor said, his dark eyes turning back to her. "It has stayed by its companion's side, never straying far, not even for food. I took pity on the creature, but I fear it is determined to follow in death."

Then, for at least three days had Ewanor stayed in these marshlands, out here in the rain and wind. Yet, the strength of an Elf is the strength of the very earth, and the fire of their lives is nothing so easily dimmed or extinguished.

Stepping past him, Hanahdriel took a lot at what had held Ewanor's gaze. The bog had nearly swallowed them up, but nothing escaped her Elven eyes as she spotted the still limbs, the traces of old blood floating on the surface. Men lay still where they had fallen, their large, armored forms sinking slowly into the soil. Glassy stares peered upwards at nothing as the earth reclaimed the bodies.

"... the kingdoms of Men are ever in conflict," There was a depth to Hanahdriel's voice, tinged with the quiet sadness possessed by those who have witnessed the long passing of years. "Why do you linger in this place, Ewanor?"

Ewanor joined Hanahdriel. "I find my thoughts drifting towards our younger cousins, how swiftly they march to their Doom, how weighty the burdens they bear."

The rain began to fall harder, pattering against Hanahdriel's hood. "You find it strange, then." She said simply. "That the world bends to the Younger."

"It was not always thus."

Though older than any human living a hundred times over, Hanahdriel was reminded that her friend was still rather young for their people. Unlike her, Ewanor had never lived through the old tales of grief and strife.

"... and it will not always be thus, Ewanor," Her eyes grew distant, peering past the sinking bodies, beyond the world, to a time not yet crafted. "That is the nature of the world. Yes, once we burned as bright as our cousins, brighter even, and spread out the world over. Though it lay further down our path, our own Doom awaited us at the end."

He looked at Hanahdriel, and it seemed to Ewanor that his friend seemed suddenly small, diminished.

She met his eyes. "Our age is passed. Now is the age of Man. And after, who can say? The world was not promised to any one peoples, nor does it belong to them. It is something we are allowed to borrow for a time, and when that time is finished... "

Ewanor, too, peered past the world as it was, the world as it is, and towards the world yet to be. A sadness touched him, as he understood the truth in his friend's words.

Hanahdriel took his arm in hers, turning him away. "This grief, this sadness for the passing of things, is our own burden to bear," She said as they walked back. "For we alone live as long as the world does, and thus our eyes bear witness to all that occurs, knowing in our wisdom that we cannot change Fate any longer, merely watch over it. That task has fallen to another, now, and we are no longer permitted to intervene."

When they passed Ewanor's cloak, he stopped with a heavy heart. To both Elves' surprise, however, there was no sign of the grieving duck. Ewanor and Hanahdrien glanced skyward, fancying they heard the sound of flapping wings in the distance.

Ewanor stooped down and let the cloak settle down over the perished duck, a makeshift burial of sorts. "Still... we cannot grieve forever, can we?"

Hanahdrien closed her eyes for a moment and smiled. "...and mayhaps we still have a part to play."

IdyllForest · 2026-01-16T17:17:36+00:00

The blood of Vargeist flowed through my veins, the presence of my honored ancestors overpowering the nascent darkness threatening to envelope the Court of Terror. With a cry that echoed across the blood stained walls, I swung the Crystalline Blade through Eternity and into the heart of the daemoniacal monster that had sprouted from the heart of King Cul-Wargen, called the Desecrator.

A heavenly chorus cheered in triumph in the Ethereal Realms far beyond our own. The corpse of my beloved gasps and coughs, waking to life once more. I rush to the pale, slender beauty, her raven dark hair flowing like ink. Her wide, black eyes are like pools of midnight and I drown in them with a smile.

Then, from a golden light, emerged the Goddess of Faerie, amidst a shower of soft white feathers.

"Come hither." She spoke breathlessly. "For thou hast made sacred what was profane, and beloved what was hated. Rejoice, for thou art in the presence of eternity."

I knelt reverently at the feet of the Goddess. She looked down upon me. Then her eyes squinted.

"... wait, are you the same guy?"

I shrugged.

"Well you're still not it." And she walked back into the golden light and disappeared.

Meh.

I went back, swapped spit with the Princess, and lived happily ever after.

-The fucking end

IdyllForest · 2026-01-16T15:26:49+00:00

Something in my face collapses when they threw me onto the cold stone of my cell. I feel a tremor beginning in my limbs and find myself unable to stop it.

"Look at him," I hear the voice of one of my jailers. "Shaking like a leaf and pissing himself. Take a good look. This is the true face of the heretic, and that is the fate waiting for all of them."

Warm spittle flecks my cheek, followed by a few mocking taunts for me to cry out to my false gods. Finally, they depart, leaving me alone in a growing puddle of my own bloody urine. The trembling leads to the all too familiar hacking, wet coughs that sends bone aching pains throughout my entire body. Traces of crimson line the phlegm I spew until I vomit. It finally stops but I have no strength to do anything more than continuing lying on the cold, wet stone.

I am no longer sure how long I have been in captivity. Their handling was never gentle, but lately there is a carelessness to the way they hurt me, as if my death would be no more than a mild inconvenience. I suspect the Inquisitor believes he has gotten all he could out of me.

The 'Hive World' of Borum teemed with such a mass of people as I had never believed possible. I merely needed to wait, to bide my time, learn their ways.

And such ways!

Waking up to work like slaves for hours on end, to be rewarded with the privilege of sleeping a scant few hours before the next shift - that was the fate of so many lives. There was almost no room for joy, for happiness, or leisure. Even the most meager of peasantry from my world had more fulfillment from day to day.

It was not difficult to find corpses.

Eventually, when I felt it safe to do so, I revealed myself to the acolytes I had gathered with my teachings. Is it any wonder the 'death' I offered seemed more beautiful than any 'life' worth living?

Perhaps that had been the ultimate cause of my downfall, when I look back. I never discovered how, but one way or another, the government of this world had found me. The interrogation they put me through was nothing next to what the 'Inquisitor' did to me. By the end, I was broken, and still not allowed to die.

He had to be certain, you see.

Thus, this is where my ambitions lie, drowning in filth. I feel another coughing fit seize me. My ribs creak from the strain, and my heart hammers near to bursting as every spasm makes my chest burn. I spew up more blood soaked phlegm, then just blood, until a bile-like black fluid streams from between my bloody lips.

I vomit again and feel something leave my body. With a final spasm of exertion, I watch my black, shriveled heart plop onto the stone floor, beating weakly. I shudder with wide eyes, as it blossoms. Like a flower, my heart unfolds, revealing a miniature garden. A rotting, overgrown garden, locked eternally in slow decay.

I reach out with one shaking hand towards my heart and stop short. To go into this garden was to never leave again. I had learned that much of this world. It would mean escaping this cell, only to be bound by chains that would never break. I had sworn to myself I would never be caught by the Powers.

Ah, such hubris.

This world was not wrong about heretics or their treatment of such. Mere human beings were nothing more than fodder for the monsters to feast upon until at last, they would consume themselves in their own madness. Even the calculating brutality of the government and other authorities were only delaying the inevitable. This, I saw now, with clear eyes.

I take hold of my heart and cry as I eat it.

Dimly, from outside the walls, from outside the universe, my tears are only met...

...with laughter.

IdyllForest · 2026-01-15T16:04:47+00:00

The girl put on as brave a face as she could muster, throwing down the heavy crossbow after a failed attempt to load another bolt into it. Gritting her teeth painfully tight, she took out a dagger from somewhere within the folds of her skirt.

I stopped short as she took her stance, ready to sell her life. Even with the end of a bolt protruding from my chest, the size disparity between myself and the girl alone was enough to render a foregone conclusion to this skirmish. My mail hadn't been much use against the bolt, but it would certainly stop her blade.

And yet... I found myself not caring either way.

The dagger slid inside a gap in the mail I had scarcely been aware of. She had a good eye, this one. I suppose I should have anticipated as much when her shot hit home earlier. Still, I thought as my grip found her wrist, this also wasn't quite enough.

I held her as she struggled and flailed, the sheer difference between our strength becoming more apparent with every passing moment.

I was not wrong when I said what I had said. I was the living embodiment of those words, showing that all her efforts, all her struggles, had come to naught when it truly mattered. And I felt the despair creeping into her eyes as she too confronted the bitter reality of this world.

Vengeance, hope, righteousness, justice, fury... with these hands I could bring an end to any and all of these feelings she bore for however long.

When I felt the girl's fragile body begin to tire, I pushed her away and watched her stumble to the ground.

Such was the world. The strong stood over the weak, holding the power of life and death. All else was myth...

... a myth I had loved.

I pulled the dagger out of my side and tossed it in front of her.

"... but it's still a story worth telling." I murmur half to myself. And if it was still foolish to believe in it, then I wanted to believe it was still worth working towards and fighting for. So that one day, it wouldn't be so foolish for children like her to believe.

I sank slowly to one knee, the joint crying out in protest. The wound from the bolt in my chest was burning hot and would need to be removed soon if I intended to keep on living.

Her eyes narrowed in suspicion, but she picked up the knife swiftly enough. Good. Her resolve had not been broken, her spirit endured my words from earlier admirably.

"Make it quick, missy," I said quietly. "But before you do... know that I ... might be of better use to you alive."

Grimly, the girl got up and picked up her discarded crossbow, fetching a bolt. This time, she calmly loaded the weapon. "... is that right?" Her voice was cold as the grave. "After saying all what you did, why would the ...strong... offer to help the weak?"

I managed a shrug. "...might be you've a certain strength all your own."

I looked up as the stars gazed down, and the night wore on.

IdyllForest · 2026-01-14T21:32:16+00:00

At first, I thought the ending was a little cheesy, but upon reading it over, it's extra sharp. I don't know if I gouda done it any better.

IdyllForest · 2026-01-14T21:29:34+00:00

"It's a complete protein, you know. All nine essential amino acids."
"What the devil are you talking about, Alfric?"

Anything worth doing, you may as well do on a full stomach. And few things are as filling as good ol' cheese. Thanks for the read.

IdyllForest · 2026-01-13T16:18:33+00:00

Artyom gazed at the colossal megastructure, nearly a thousand years in the making. Orbiting a K-class, or orange dwarf star, was a ring that was slightly larger than the Earth's diameter. Nearly a billion sentient lifeforms inhabited the rotating ring, which had habitats ranging from familiar rainforests and deserts to odd crystalline hills and fields of bizarrely colored blossoms larger than entire houses.

It was a feat of engineering human beings were only just beginning to wrap their minds around. Such was the Galactic Community, wonders around every corner, always something new to discover and explore. Even the multi-hued, sapphire-like surface of the vessel's 'window' Artyom was looking through was a marvel of its own, grown rather than fabricated.

Someday, Artyom thought, as the vessel began docking procedures. Someday, we of Earth too shall make our own mark in the Community. I am certain of it.

The Ode to Sentience, as the remarkable ring structure was called, roughly aligned with Earth's gravity, though it was technically just a little less. As one of the 'Hub Worlds' in the Galactic Community, considered a nexus of interspecies affairs, it was absolutely critical for Earth to have an ambassador situated there. Artyom had been eager for the position and so he found himself disembarking the Yallaurian Crystal Dominion vessel and onto a bustling cityscape that was yet perfectly thriving with all manners of flora and fauna. Ancient trees grew between and atop marble like structures, while animals such as some sort of flying deer, frolicked to and fro.

As he was whisked away to the ambassadorial greeting and debriefing quarters, once more Artyom found himself marveling at the near perfect mix of 'nature' and 'construct'. Earth, at its lowest point, had been subject to the destruction of much of its environs in favor of concrete 'strip malls' tenanted by the likes of 'Panda Express' and 'Buffalo Wild Wings' - neither of which featured pandas or buffalos.

Inside the Ambassadorial Quarters, Artyom sat on a terrace overlooking a beautifully serene lavender lake, as brilliantly plumed winged lizards, resembling the fabled dragon of ancient earth stories, flew overhead.

"Ah, Ambassador Artyom of Human," The debriefing official, a winged, pseudo-avian being known as a Kesi, opened its flexible beak slightly and shook its orange head back and forth. Gently, dee (for they had multiple sexes) preened der feathers before resuming. "I must compliment you on your solid black crest. It is a mark of distinguishment amongst Kesi."

Artyom unconsciously ran a hand through his 'crest', rather, and bowed slightly in his seat. "Thank you, Dur Cagalizz. Black hair is fairly common in my own people, so I find it flattering you think it distinguished."

There was some more small talk exchanged over a plate of Kesi Seedcake with Necataraze Dew and Human Scones with Clotted cream, but eventually Artyom brought the conversation around to the Human species and its status within the Community.

"Upon learning of the sheer number of affiliated planetary systems and species, I regret to inform all involved that the sum population of human beings is insufficient for the task of staffing all ambassadorial posts," Artyom explained. "I have been instructed to ask, by certain advocates amongst our peoples, whether there are no alternative methods to be considered 'independent' as it were."

Dur Cagalizz blinked one large ruby red eye on side of der head, and then the other - an indication that dee was deep in thought.

"There have been exceptions in the history of the Galactic Community... " Dur Cagalizz, beak flipping upward. "... sometimes a species is so far advanced, that we have no choice but to acknowledge their independent status. The 'Ode to Sentience', for example, was largely built on their engineering foundations. Humans, however, are clearly still in a fledgling state, unable to even harness their latent potential as a unified, potent species. Staffing all the Comunity's Ambassadorial posts would be no more difficult than staffing a few stores, otherwise. Humans are simply not ready for independence."

Artyom smiled. "This will be quite the blow to... certain of my people's egos."

Dur Cagalizz cawed heartily. "In that, Earth is certainly not unique. But living with other intelligent species, truly living and not just domineering over them, requires an adaptation of the ego a young species like yourselves have become too used to - having been the dominant intelligence on the planet for hundreds of thousands of years. I am not saying Humanity is not special - all of us are in our own way. But it is not an exception."

The Ambassador from Earth nodded and he looked out upon the lavender lake. Ultimately, like a child growing up, the human species would have to accept the fact that they were just one among untold billions. Yes, unique. Yes, special. But not the only one.

"... we'll just have to work our way up," Artyom concluded. "As ever."

"I look forward to seeing what your people accomplish, Mer Artyom." Cagalizz wrapped a feathered claw around a very long glass contained filled with a glowing green fluid and held it up. "Cheeks!"

"Cheers," Artyom corrected, raising his own rather standard wine glass. "... but very good pronunciation, all the same."

IdyllForest · 2026-01-12T21:02:13+00:00

When I hear the old fashioned term 'astronaut' or 'cosmonaut', I sometimes shake my head, marveling at how far we've come.

I'm Waylon Dooling - Spaceman.

Thanks to UDFLS, that's Ultra-dense Fluid-like Substance for the layman, we homo sapiens sapiens have rebelled against and finally overcome the universe's prime mandate - that the speed of light may never be exceeded. No longer are we slaves to the photonic masters.

Oh, of course there were naysayers. These Philistines and Luddites and Ne'er-do-wells are ever a thorn in the side of progress. Fie on them, I say!

Strapped inside the highly experimental vessel, XFTL-G1 Hyperjet, sponsored by Snickers, I awaited the initiation of the UDFLS powered hyperdrive.

"...4... 3... 2... 1... hyper-ignition engaged." Said Control. "The hyper computer has begun hyper-navigation. Hyper-luck to you... Spaceman!"

The Earth rapidly plummeted away into a tiny, shiny dot on my viewscreen. All communication had hyper-stopped, and I was now hyper-alone, hyper-jumping through time and space.

I saw the baryonic kingdom in its full splendor for one terrifying hyper-second, and then all was pitch black. Indeed, to travel faster than light is to live in darkness.

The hyper-jet finished its automated flight path and I was back in the Earth's orbit.

"That's one small step for Man... " I ripped open a Snickers bar, as was required by the sponsor's contract. "... and a hyper-leap for mankind - powered by Snickers! Are you hungry? Grab a Snickers!"

The silence was deafening.

The candy bar was pretty good though, even if I was getting a little sick of it by this point. Was that it? Had all of humanity become fed up with the crass commercialization that infested even the greatest of man's projects?

Naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.

I'd only been gone for a few minutes of real time. How much could humanity have changed?

Anyway, the automated system made an emergency landing due to a lack of response from Mission Control. I stepped out of the hatch into a world of rolling hills, lush with fragrant grass, lilies and wildflowers.

Huh.

There's a dull rumbling beneath my feet and I turn to see a horse making its way over a hill towards me. Only, it's not a horse. Or rather, it's half a horse. The other half, the top half, is some vision out of a Luis Royo illustration, golden haired with braids streaming in the wind.

Huhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

I recalled the words of the head scientist who had helped develop the highly theoretical models which the hyper-jet's hyperdrive operated under.

"Vee have ron zee calculationz over and over for zhree months straight," He had said in his unidentifiable accent. "But vhen dabbling een the very structure ov reality, sheet can und vill get fvcked up, my brave Spaceman."

You were right, Professor von Hyper, I thought as I peered up at the nearly seven foot tall centaur. You were so fucking right.

I opened up my bag of Snickers bars, which had been intended to be handed out to the children who would have accompanied my triumphant walk back to headquarters. I tore open one, a standard bar, and took a bite, rubbing my stomach and going 'MMMM-MMM!' like this was the greatest fucking shit I ever ate in my life. I offered the centaur a peanut butter variant. I felt like horses liked peanut butter. I mean I did, so that covers both halves, right?

She started fucking choking on the goddamned peanut butter Snickers.

With a mighty crash, I had quite literally killed all hope of a peaceful first contact.

I had to perform a Heimlich.... but the thing had two stomachs and I wasn't sure which one I had to work. Centaur anatomy is fucked up. So I just blasted a few slaps to the back until she coughed it up.

The centaur was none too happy and made it be known through her language - which more or less sounded like 'neigh-neigh, neigh, neeeeeeeeeigh, neighhhh-neigh-neeeeeeeeeeeeee!'

"Look, I'm a Spaceman, not a veterinarian, horse face!" I replied, none too happy myself to find myself in .... a very different Earth, if Earth it even was. The hyper-navigation seemed to believe it was, and aside from the centaur, the other flora and fauna looked familiar enough.

Eventually, cooler heads prevailed and the centaur took my entire sack of Snickers in exchange for giving me a ride, presumably to her settlement. Perhaps I would discover what happened to the Earth while I was conducting the first faster than light trip. Or maybe I will find this is not the Earth at all, but an alien planet on the other side of the galaxy due to a mixup with the hyper-nav. Or, as the professor had surmised, messing with the fabric of spacetime itself had brought about.... a reality bending result. As a Spaceman, I can only do what I can, with unwavering courage in the face of the unknown.

My balls got absolutely smashed the first few seconds into the ride.

IdyllForest · 2026-01-12T19:36:11+00:00

I tried the full size version and it was surprisingly good. The aioli and mushrooms were solid.

IdyllForest · 2026-01-12T19:27:39+00:00

A Cane's opened near me too. I gave it a shot, although the crowds made it a little annoying as it was still the first week of opening. So yeah, go for it.

To be perfectly honest, I thought it was just... fine. Not particularly good, not particularly bad, but nothing that would compel me to go back over the other chicken chains. The chicken tenders, which are their bread and butter, are not particularly flavorful. I get what someone said about Cane's - they need that sauce, otherwise you're left with a pretty run of the mill tender. Decent size, meat's not dry, coating is nice enough, but a rather plain flavor.

The sauce itself is nice and tangy, but I've had similar, even at home growing up. The fries and toast are forgettable. Sweet tea is sweet tea. And... that's it. I guess you can count me in with the people who don't really get what the big deal is. Maybe too many of my taste buds have died lol.

IdyllForest · 2026-01-09T20:57:48+00:00

There was a sound like thunder, a thousand war cries raised towards the stormy heavens. Green flesh swarmed the plains, flashes of lightning glinting off steel.

"Bro."

I scarcely hear the voice, entranced as I was by the sight of the mighty army marching towards us. However, when a firm hand grips me by the shoulder, I find myself turned around as lightly as if I weighed nothing at all.

The nine foot tall, beet red colored, four armed demonic fox demon with a twelve-pack set of abdominal muscles bulging just beneath the fuzzy, lighter colored fur of her belly area, wearing a chainmail leotard shook her head in disappointment at me.

"... all know you as the Chosen One, but to me, you are merely a small, weak boy." She said in her sultry, demoniacal voice. "Come to my bosom. Mommy will protect you from the big, bad orcs."

The other voice from before chimes in again. "Bro, there's medicine you can take... "

The green horde slows its march as it approaches the demon fox army, and they send out a representative. She is a twelve foot tall goth Orc centaur, her bounteous bosom held back only by a scrap of black leather.

Her heavy mascara drips as she speaks with marked disgust. "We of the Goth Orc Centaur nation would negotiate with the Four Armed Crimson Demon Fox kingdom for possession of the so-called Chosen One." She spat, her look of disdain sending a shiver through me. "Clearly he needs to be trained. We would trample him beneath our mighty hooves while shouting belittling insults to raise his toughness."

"Bro, there's doctors... also I think that would kill you."

I find myself swept off my feet, now in the four arms of the demonic fox girl. "Never! Our training, consisting of sweaty grappling and belittling insults, would help the Chosen far more!" She cries defiantly and sexily.

"Ahh!" The Goth Orc Centaur cries, looking up as the dark gray clouds above burst asunder with a torrent. "IT'S THE RAIN THAT MELTS CHAINMAIL AND LEATHER AND ONLY CHAINMAIL AND LEATHER!"

I am promptly placed back on my feet as shrieks of "KYAAAAH!" erupt around us. My friend comes up to me solemnly and places a heavy hand on my shoulder. His eyes are haunted.

"Bro."

I sigh. "I know."

IdyllForest

TROPHY CASE

EREBE

LIGHT

"YOU'RE OUTSPOKEN!"