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"What you say interest me greatly,"
🕑 Added 2021-07-29 02:22:29 +0000 UTCI said, rubbing my chin thoughtfully. "The promise of granting wishes does sound useful to get people's attention, but I only want to dish them out as a reward for a very substantial service. I don't want to be overwhelmed with granting the wishes of every yokel that shows up."
"You might consider a tier system" Vernier suggested. "That way you could define specifically what degree of service would receive a particular reward."
"Hmm," I replied. "I have a feeling that being so strictly transactional would be a bad idea. Telling people exactly what requirements they must meet in order to earn their desired reward could still wind up with me getting overwhelmed with wish granting. I can promise them something for something, and keep true to my word, but I reserve the right to decide exactly what they get. It's not only a more advantageous business policy (for me), but it is also far more elfly to be vague. Aren't we believed to be capricious, unpredictable, flighty creatures of whim and whimsy? That's an assessment that actually isn't far from the mark."
"It sounds like you have a firm grasp on theatrics," Vernier observed. "This is good. Another way you might limit wish-seekers is by imposing challenges. Do you have any ideas?"
"Getting through the Tulgey wood is a good enough challenge by itself," I shrugged. "I don't really have the time, resources, or inclination to set up some elaborate gauntlet. Hmmm ... it might help to spread vague rumors about performing noble or valiant deeds, and being - what's it called - pure of heart? before people can gain an audience with the White Elf. Yes, I like the sound of that. The White Elf. You must be worthy to stand before the White Elf!"
"It is very evocative," Vernier agreed.
"I can just give the trees a description of what kinds of people to let through," I decided. "We should place some emphasis on the noble deeds and pure of heart thing. No matter how hard my enemies and self-proclaimed allies try to force me into the role, I will prove to the world that I am NOT Unseelie!"
"Good for you, sir," Vernier beamed. "That all sounds very practicable. Now, how should your wish-granting abilities be portrayed in the popular lore? What sort of tantalizing stories should we spread?"
"Standard stuff, I should imagine. Let it be known that I can bestow riches, make people more charismatic, give them back their youth, make them more attractive, turn them into a fantastic lover ... why, I can even change their se-... Actually, maybe we should keep quiet about the whole gender swapping thing. It might attract a bunch of weirdos if that gets too much attention."
"I'm afraid the secret is already out," Vernier reminded me. "Everyone around here knows that Oak Marten used to be a boy."
"Oh hey, speaking of transmogrification," Rebecca interrupted. "I'm almost done with the Raccoon Monster's makeover. Her hair and makeup are complete. I just need to change her outfit, but I don't have my sewing supplies nor most of the materials I would need. Could you use your dark magic to help, My Lord?"
"Sure," I said with a magnanimous grin. "As long as Burnside has no objections."
Burnside continued to say and do nothing.
Rebecca proceeded to meticulously describe the clothes she imagined to complete Burnside's new look, and I composed Gramarye to make the items according to her specifications.
"SQUEEEE," Rebecca squealed when it was finished. "Oh she looks FANTASTIC!! I'm so jealous! When can I have an outfit just like this?"
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Comments
Simone Spinozzi
that said... hmmm... selection is good, but on average if he wants to get things done for him he should also make it a matter of chance. "if you do x then you may have a chance at getting what you wish" there is nothing that gets people excited as testing their luck. It's how people spend huge amounts of money on lotteries and stuff. This way he can both deflect the stuff he does not wish to do to "chance not being favourable" and make stuff happen "by chance" even if he totally made it because he wanted to and also put randomization on stuff he feels neutral about. He could then mask the stuff he want and does not want by making the selection select the kind of people he feels neutral about (which he seems to have done already, as those people are never going to ask him anything he cares about and will never do anything he cares about) and secretly let in a small number of people he personally selected for acts he wishes replicated or that benefited him, so he can reward them. People who wish to win the game will be mostly very few and will totally check what is happening by running the numbers and making headcanons, they will start seeing what he actually wants to get done because they will see that there are outliers who always get rewarded for their acts despite the "randomness", which means he auto-magically selects (this way) for the kind of people who actually want to please him by doing what he actually wants to get done. And also the randomness can explain why every time he goes back inside he disappears for minutes or even years, therefore making it so that people actually believe that they were unlucky because they did not catch him when he was present. <i>#cultistHandbookIntensifies</i>
Simone Spinozzi
i never thought i would be feeling sorry for burnside
Walter Reimer
OMG BWAHAHAHAHAHA!
Wm. Van Ness
Who knows? She may like it!
Everybody's a mixture of good and bad.
Major Matt Mason
(helpless laughter) You guys are SO dead when Burnside snaps out of it.
Rick2tails
I like the dress on her since it shows of her figure but everything else is a hot mess XD also while "the white elf" is a good person deep down.I think he has a very simplistic idea of what is good and bad with his unseelie definition. I think hes pretty blind to the jerky things hes done and all to ready to put others in labels that fit his needs. You have a real interesting story so far where weve seen the good and bad of several major characters in the elf world youve created.
