Yup yup. Am gonna do the work on Key. And I guess Marsh too. But also I'm watching Star Wars now and probably gonna have a nap. I got the day off today. It's a Bank Holiday on Monday and work was all, oh you can't book a Tuesday off after a Bank Holiday so don't be thinking you can have a 4 day weekend. So I booked the Friday off before instead lol

Hmmm. I was wondering if the Flickerglass shard would help us boost Nyra, but the Grantite Bloom could jump-start our Earth build up. I think we could meditate before we go back? It's only early afternoon.

We go Spirit! Story Update – Day 7, Late Afternoon Location: Cragshade Ridge – Broken Shrine Status: HP: 23 / 26 | EP: 11 / 16 | Fatigue: Medium Active Quest: Elemental Hunt – “Stone Unbound” Status: Combat Concluded – Victory Rewards Gained: 12 copper, Minor Earthshard, choice of reagent pending You plant your feet, centering your breath, and focus your Spirit. The corrupted elemental surges forward—each step a quake—but your Codex flares, echoing with Veil of Equilibrium and your innate resonance. You channel Soul Veil combined with targeted Spirit pressure. The elemental hesitates—its jagged form twitching, mask fracturing. Spirit Weave – Purge Pulse (Custom Hybrid) Spirit + Codex Resonance triggers a targeted echo disruption. The blow doesn't shatter it—but the corrupted core flares violently, then flickers out. The elemental stumbles, limbs fragmenting, expressionless stone face tilting upward before collapsing into inert rubble. Spirit Purge Successful Enemy core neutralized Local Weave corruption dispelled Halwen’s voice echoes faintly through your Codex as the tremors subside. “You did it. I felt the disruption from here. I’ll begin warding the site tonight.” You recover from the clash and inspect the remains: 12 copper coins scattered near the shrine base A Minor Earthshard pulsing with dormant stability Choose one: Alchemic Dust (used in potion crafting or spirit ink) Granite Bloom (earth-enhancing spell catalyst) Flickerglass Shard (used in hybrid elemental focus work) What would you like to do next? Return to Windrest Hollow and rest Seek another side quest (ask Halwen or visit the bounty board) Spend your copper at the market Travel to the Rootcircle Path and begin your journey toward the Verdant Hollow (Earth Temple) Stay and meditate with the purified shrine (gain temporary Earth affinity) So you will need to type out what reward you think we should take AND use the reaction for what we'd like to do next.

I think 2 as well. He might actually be a nice dude but someone has corrupted him. Also once we've dealt with him we need to thoroughly loot cos we are poor.

Right the game got a bit confused at this point. I chose option 1, which was to speak to Halwen again and it thought we wanted to go looking for mushrooms. So I've corrected that and jumped us straight to looking for a rougue elemental Got it! You’ve shifted to Option 3: Hunt a rogue elemental. Here’s your updated progress as you take on the new side quest: Story Update – Day 7, Afternoon Location: Cragshade Ridge (North of Windrest Hollow) Status: HP: 26 / 26 | EP: 16 / 16 | Fatigue: Low Active Quest: Elemental Hunt – “Stone Unbound” Reward on Completion: 12 copper, minor Earthshard, choice of crafting reagent You follow Halwen’s directions to a jagged trail northward. Cragshade Ridge juts like broken teeth from the forest, long abandoned after mining collapses—but now disturbed again. Locals reported tremors, livestock disappearing, and a thick haze of dust that won't settle. Halwen suspects a rogue Earth Elemental destabilized by Spirit leakage—a dangerous anomaly that must be dealt with before it burrows further or draws in worse. As you climb the ridge, the Codex begins to hum. The ground trembles—once, then again. A shattered shrine comes into view, with stone glyphs cracked and bleeding dust. Then, something massive stirs behind it. The rogue elemental rises—limbs formed of slate and granite, its “face” a broken mask. A corrupted Earth Weave pulses through its chest. Encounter: Unbound Stoneheart (Earth Elemental) Weakness: Water (erosion), Spirit (purge effect) Resistance: Fire Special Trait: Gains defense over time; stagger interrupts this buildup Your Options: Engage with erosion tactics – Use Water spells (like Aqua Surge) to wear it down Target its Spirit-corrupted core – Use Soul Veil or Spirit-affinity Weaves Try diplomacy through the Codex – Risky; attempt to calm it with your Spirit bond Use the terrain – Trigger a collapse or hazard from the shrine to weaken it first What would you like to do?

Bling

I think we have to choose 1 for side quests and then choose again for the quests we want.

I don't mind what we do, as long as it's not go to the Earth Temple lol

There is a Spirit Temple but I think it's like that castle from Krull and it moves around.

We just completed the Air Temple before we came back to the village. It's just that there was a lot of jumping and not much air improving.

You did see where there's a big bad chained up in the next temple and it's gonna be crawling with cultists?

Ninja

Ok let's visit Kevin and see how he's getting on. Story Update – Day 7, Late Morning Location: Windrest Hollow – Warded Cell Status: HP: 26 / 26 | EP: 16 / 16 | Fatigue: None New Spell Available: Echo Thread (Spirit Tier 1 – not yet attuned) Gold: 10 copper coins *Side Quests: Open (see end of update for options) You return to the cellar beneath the shrine, where a faint aroma of herbs and grounding incense still lingers. The cultist lies on the cot—shackled still, but breathing evenly, no longer wracked by Spirit residue. As your steps echo on the stone, he stirs. His eyes open slowly, blinking against the filtered light. Confusion flashes across his face, but then a flicker of recognition—he sees your Codex and the calm Spirit resonance still surrounding you. “…You’re the one who severed it,” he murmurs. “The voice. The chain... it’s gone.” You nod, and he seems to relax, just slightly. Social Check – Success (Resonant Insight passive + Spirit 10) You gain a sense of the man’s emotional state: wary, hollowed by recent trauma, but not overtly hostile. He leans forward, weak but lucid. “I wasn’t with them by choice. I was taken. Twisted. They… they used the Veil to pull pieces of us out. Feed it into someone—something—they called the Bound One.” That name echoes sharply in your Codex. “Please… I don’t know where they’re going next, but I heard mention of a gate. Hidden deep in the Verdant Hollow. They mean to unearth it.” Codex Update – Cult Motive Unlocked: Verdant Gate Ritual The cult seeks to breach a sealed gate within the Earth Temple. Unknown consequences if successful. He shivers. “The chained figure... they called her the Harbinger Vessel. I think they’re trying to anchor her across the Veil, into this world.” You sense his truth, tainted by horror—but not lies. Halwen arrives shortly after. He watches the cultist quietly, then turns to you. “You’ve done more here than we could ask. If you intend to chase this through the Verdant Hollow… you’ll need to be prepared.” You may now do the following before departing Windrest Hollow: Side Quests & Money Opportunities: Help the Apothecary (Available in the market) Collect rare fungi near the outskirts. Reward: 8–12 copper coins + herbal tonics. Assist the Archivist (In shrine library) Translate damaged pages tied to elemental lore. Reward: 1–2 minor spells or lore insights. Hunt a rogue elemental (Forest edge) Air or Earth elemental disturbing the grove perimeter. Reward: Elemental core + bonus from town council (15–20 copper or item barter) What would you like to do next? Pursue a side quest (choose from above or ask Halwen if more are available) Depart for the Verdant Hollow (Earth Temple) Visit the market for supplies or spell reagents Attune the new Echo Thread spell Speak to Halwen about tracking the cult through the Veil What would you like to do?

As long as we don't bravely set out just yet I'm fine with any other option.

I think it's gonna be later Nyn 😞

Movie

And we need more practise and maybe some shopping... or do something to earn money We didn't get nearly enough loot on our last temple trip.

We are moving quick now. Let's probe Halwen some more Story Update – Day 7, Morning Location: Windrest Hollow – Spirit Grove Status: HP: 26 / 26 | EP: 16 / 16 | Fatigue: None Codex Insight: Echo Warning – Minor resistance to Spirit-induced mental effects | +1 Will vs. Echoes As sunlight filters through the canopy, you lean forward. “Tell me more about the Echoing Veil. What is it, truly?” Halwen opens his eyes. His gaze sharpens. “The Echoing Veil is the liminal boundary between what lives and what lingers. It’s not death. It’s what remains after—memory, intent, unfinished will. It is... hungry, sometimes. Other times, it listens.” He traces a sigil into the air—one your Codex instantly recognizes as Veilmark, a Spirit glyph of containment. “Some think it’s a passage to the afterlife. Others, that it’s a mirror of our world, shaped by what people leave behind. I believe it's both—and neither.” You feel a low tremor through the Codex, as if something distant stirred at the name alone. Halwen lowers his hand. “The deeper you go, the more the Veil begins to notice. It pulls on memory, on guilt, on hope. That’s why so many who explore it… vanish.” He sighs. “But if you learn to anchor yourself—to move through it with clarity—it can offer truths not found anywhere else. The Veil doesn’t lie. It only reflects.” Codex Insight: Veil Theory (I) Gained increased understanding of Spirit-anchored realms. +1 to interpreting Veil-related phenomena and artifacts. New Spell Unlock Available – “Echo Thread” (Spirit Tier 1): Trace a lingering emotional or spiritual presence in an area. Grants brief sensory impressions or memories left behind. Costs 2 EP. Halwen stands. “If the cult’s rituals truly reach into the Veil, you’ll need more than strength. You’ll need focus. Let me know when you're ready to go further.” You feel the Echo stir in the distance—patient, watching. What would you like to do next? Depart for the rootcircle – Begin your journey to the Verdant Hollow (Earth Temple) Return to the Warded Cell – Check if the cultist has awakened Visit the market – Look for supplies, tomes, or curios Explore the forest outskirts – There may be elemental activity nearby Craft and attune to the new “Echo Thread” spell What would you like to do?

Lol. We rifle through Halwen's pockets... I mean past. Story Update – Day 7, Morning Location: Windrest Hollow – Spirit Grove Status: HP: 26 / 26 | EP: 16 / 16 | Fatigue: None Halwen remains seated by the circle even after the training ends, eyes closed and face lit by golden morning rays breaking through the canopy. When you ask about his past, his expression shifts—nostalgic, yet heavy with burden. “I wasn’t always a guide,” he says, voice quiet but clear. “Before Windrest, I was a Veilwalker.” He opens his Codex. It flickers with older sigils—markings that hint at deep Spirit journeys, realms between the living and the lost. “I used to walk the Echoing Veil. Not to summon the dead… but to learn from them. My purpose was clarity, not power. But something changed when the stars fell. Spirit began reacting violently to intrusion—too many voices, too many chains.” He reaches into his satchel and retrieves a cracked pendant, shaped like a crescent moon wrapped in thorns. “This belonged to one of my students. She tried to touch what wasn’t meant to be touched—followed a voice too deep in the Veil. She never came back. Since then, I’ve stayed here. Helped others ground themselves before they lost themselves.” He looks at you. “That’s why your path is dangerous. You already hear the Veil’s call. Just promise me—if you go deeper, go with purpose. Not curiosity.” Codex Insight: Echo Warning Gained minor resistance to mental instability when interacting with strong Spirit phenomena +1 to Will saves when confronting Spirit Echoes You feel a closer bond to Halwen. He is now a trusted Spirit mentor. He may be able to assist in advanced Spirit spellcraft or help track elusive anomalies if called upon later. What would you like to do next? Depart for the rootcircle – Begin your journey to the Verdant Hollow (Earth Temple) Return to the Warded Cell – See if the cultist has regained consciousness Visit the market – Look for supplies, tomes, or curios Explore the forest outskirts – There may be elemental activity nearby Ask Halwen about the Echoing Veil itself – Learn more about its nature and dangers What would you like to do?

Well... lots of transitions through various jobs. A bit of temping. Various relationships. Still not having a clue about anything. But... you get paid.

I think the deadline was always so late cos he is working. I was so glad when he brought it forward a bit He's probably in a place where you can't slank on your phone all day and can only do work stuff on any laptop in office

I used to make mini games to play during the Night phase but that was exhausting. Plus Darthe's nights are shorter and he allows any kind of chat.

*Shameless Game Promotion* If anyone is already missing making life and death choices, feel free to come join our Adventure. Ignore all the stuff that's already happened and just jump in here and vote with the reactions. Yes, in this game, Bela has a meaning and it is 5. https://dragonmount.com/forums/topic/127445-choose-your-own-adventure-game-join-in-anytime/page/42/#findComment-4098624