Welcome to Storium, the online storytelling game.
Storium turns creative writing into a multiplayer game. It’s free to play and easy to get started. Learn more about Storium...
Chapter , Scene 1 — Final Scene Act Ⅲ, Scene 1 • 05/11/2020
Challenges
In the Spotlight
Eyes to See
The Grapevine
The great hall of Lightbringer Hall was perhaps the most normal looking place in the void. It had high ceilings and proper wall that looked as if they’d been carved from stone instead of cobbled together from whatever was available. There were long tables decorated with embroidered table cloths and lit up with candles. There was silverware and crystalware and carpets.
There were even windows. Well faux windows of illusions of the outside world that were so real it almost seemed as if you could reach out and touch them. Perhaps the food and drink wasn’t quite as plentiful as it might have been in the outside world but it was a far cry from the void that Jordan was used it.
It was, frankly, rather unsettling, the uncanny valley of Void dwelling.
Almost every seat was full and when the great double doors opened to admit Jordan everyone turned to applaud their newest member.
“What do you see?” Jezile demanded, crowding into Spindrift’s personal space with a hungry gleam in her eyes. He hoped it was for knowledge but feared otherwise. The image of the salt shaker was proving rather had to shake.
“I need a moment,” he said, it was impossible to see anything with her nose just inches from his. She backed up a step, which was probably the best he could hope for, and gestured for him to get on with it, coincidentally flashing the knife and salt-shaker when she did so. At the very least Spindrift hoped that she removed his eyes before salting them.
With the cleanup taken care of, or at least those parts of it that Jael was expected to participate in, she left the overcrowded docks for the slightly less crowded Mab’s.
As always the not-tavern was bustling and it was easy enough to slip into a quiet corner and listen to the gossip, find out which parts of the island had been damaged, who had disappeared…
Jael hoped that it was no one she knew, if only because good contacts were hard to replace. In her pockets rested a few trinkets she’d salvaged on the off chance she found something worth trading for.
Just a few minutes she told herself as she settled into her seat. A few minutes to catch up on the news after a long day and then she’d leave to prepare herself for tomorrow.
Jordan (youGrumpy) moved • 06/23/2020
In the Spotlight
Judged by Others
Burnt-out
| Grumpy won control of the story by completing this challenge with a weak outcome. |
Jordan walked in and the applause was - if not deafening - more noise that one typically heard out here in the void.
They even gave him a seat of honor - not at the head table (of course not) but the head of one of the tables that were around the room.
The conversation centered around Jordan’s actions in the void. That he didn’t even know how to light the hull was forgotten in favor of, as it was now being described, The Blast. Exclamations abounded about how no one knew he had it in him, that he had put on a good show, that they had found a new defense against the void…
except Jordan didn’t know how he did it. He wasn’t sure he could ever do it again. In fact, he felt a little weaker than ever before, though he hoped it was a matter of recharging and not that he had hurt himself and his ability to channel light.
Jordan smiled weakly and said all the right things to the right people, but inside he was screaming. As soon as he could make his excuses, he found his way to a dark corner to hid in.
They were pyromancers, they’d never look to the dark. He hoped.
Jael Jones (youSkybluepink) moved • 07/10/2020
The Grapevine
Salvation
“Alone again Jael?”
Jael looked up at the amused expression of Angeline, a builder she had traded with in the past.
“Come sit with us,” Angeline gestured with her head at a table where a few other builders sat quietly. “Come on, even Parker is sitting with company today!”
Jae looked at the table, she didn’t recognize two of the occupants but was surprised to see Parker - who was usually quite content to live life as a hermit. She wondered what had dragged him there. Loss maybe?
“We lost quite a few in that last…incident.” Jael said to Angeline. “Was there much damage?”
Angeline shrugged, “It’s the way of the world. Both things and people come and go. We’ll rebuild.”
Jael frowned. “You’ve been here too long Ang, this is not the World, this is the Void.” She shook her head but Angeline groaned. “This isn’t how things are meant to be.”
“The Void IS our World! When will you accept that?” Angeline’s tone was exasperated.
“You’ve given up, Ang. Not me.”
Angeline rolled her eyes and walked off to her join the others.
Jael sighed deeply - she needed a distraction. Removing the few trading items from her pocket she cleaned and organized them on the slightly wobbly table in front of her. She was lost in thought when a hand reached down and picked up a small metal charm from her collection. She reached out and grabbed the wrist before looking up to see who it belonged too. A Voidbringer looked down at her.
“These items aren’t free.” Jael said, her lip curling as she looked up at the man in his long robes. She collected the other items with her spare hand and pocketed them.
“Do you know what this is?” The man’s voice was strangely high pitched and shrill. He stroked his fingers over the carvings on the bronze charm and over the strips of strange brownish leather hanging off it.
“Something for magic I guess? Thought the Lightbringers might be interested.” Jael said nonchalantly but didn’t loosen her grip.
“I want it.”
“Trade for it then.” Jael said sourly and her grip tightened roughly.
“I have nothing to trade.” The Voidbringer let the item drop back to the table and Jael released his wrist. He rubbed it while frowning at her to show how distasteful he found her aggression. Jael moved to pick up the charm avoiding the leather strips - she wasn’t sure what sort of skin they’d been made from exactly. The Voidbringer breathed in sharply. “But information…” he gasped quickly, a desperate breathlessness to his voice. Jael’s hand paused.
“What information?” Jael scowled, her hand hovering above the trinket.
“I heard you non-believer. You want to leave our Void.” The Voidbringers voice was a harsh whisper, “You are friends with the Seer yes? I have seen you together.”
Jael eyed him suspiciously. “I know Spindrift sure. But his visions have never given me anything useful to get out of here.”
“The one you call ‘Spindrift’ knows more than he’s letting on.” The Voidbringer’s smile was sinister.
Jael stood up. “Cryptic.” She muttered and flipped the charm up into the air like a coin. The Voidbringer flailed for it but Jael caught it in the air. “And not worth a trade.”
As she left the tavern she heard the Voidbringer’s angry hiss and she smiled. She needed to find Spindrift.
Jael Jones will earn a bonus wild card in the next scene for playing out their Subplot
Salvation
Salvation
The narrator ended the scene • 03/29/2021
Deep in the endless dark a tiny island of light drifted through the Void. On this island of the lost and found life didn’t quite flourish but it persisted. Mages studied the mystic arts, artisans created beauty out of refuse and salvagers hunted for lost treasures. Perhaps it wasn’t ideal but it was theirs and they wouldn’t surrender to the Void.
Jael Jones earned a wild Strength card for playing out their Subplot:
Salvation
Salvation
The end.
This story has reached its conclusion. Congratulations!
Commentary