Hello, Everyone!
(Before you read on, please ask your questions for the upcoming Q&A! Anything you're wondering about the story or the characters, we'll answer to the best of our abilities!)
Anyway...
Arc 4 of Mary Windfiddle's adventures is all finished now, but we still have something to show you. Below is a fun writing experiment Aurum's player and I did one day when I was visiting her. We would each start writing a fic about our character, and then give it to the other to finish. The one about Mary didn't make too much sense, so I won't bore you with it, but the one about Aurum was really interesting, and so I've decided to show it to you (with his player's consent, of course!).
It's not necessarily canon but it fits neatly with what Mary and Aurum talked about in this episode (“You can make up memories, you know? To replace the ones you lost.”)
So, without further ado:
To Lanurey!
Aurum was walking along the streets of Pamagos, and for the first time in a long time felt really happy. Never before had he met another one like her. Although she was dressed modestly, her whole being exhuded magnificence and class. Her voice was calm and friendly, and at the same time full of mystery.
And she was so talented!
He remembered not being able to hide his astonishment when she told him she’d studied in Tiriel School of Magic.
“You don’t look it!” he’d rambled.
“What do you mean?” she’d asked defiantly.
“Well, don’t they teach only snobs?”
She had laughed at that, and, for a moment, the mask of a serious and unwavering woman had dropped from her face. Aurum had liked that. He appreciated people who laughed at their own expenses. He loved it that his new girlfriend…
Oh, shit!
What did she say her name was?
He was sure that she introduced herself at the beginning of their conversation. No, it couldn’t be! How could he not remember? Any minute now, they were supposed to meet for their second date. What was he supposed to call her? ‘Hey, babe! You, the one I met yesterday’?!
Cold sweat trickled down his neck when he saw her turn the corner. He didn’t want to screw up, not with her! She spotted him and smiled, then approached and reached out her hand.
“Hello again, Aurum.”
His brain came into a grinding halt, and then started working again.
“Um, hello… Lanurey.”
“Who’s… Lanurey?” she asked, and her eyes flashed angrily.
Aurum gulped. His heart jumped into his throat and he made an attempt to smile.
“This is, um, the beginning of a famous ballad, don’t you know it?” He hoped that the sweat glistening on his forehead couldn’t be seen from where she was standing. “It’s about a man who meets the love of his life, and he greets her with ‘Hello, Lanurey, hope you’re here to stay…”
“Oh, really.” This wasn’t a question. Her eyes were squinting at him, and her lips had turned into a straight line. “Sing me this ballad, please. I am very interested.”
Aurum took out his guitar and grinned stupidly. Why was he doing this to himself? He could have just told her that he was no good with names, or think of a way to make her say hers first… Now he had to make up a ballad!
“Aah, perhaps I should make a dedication at the beginning?” he tried one more time. “You know, sing it in your name?”
“Nice try,” she said. “Let me hear it.”
Aurum breathed out a nervous sigh. He strummed his guitar a few times, trying to stall for time, and he attempted a couplet. He managed to rhyme ‘Lanurey’ with ‘dismay’ and ‘hope’ with ‘nope’ but he had the feeling he’d reached his limits.
Two minutes (or a whole eternity) later, he strummed one final chord and slumped on the nearest wall. She applauded, surprisingly amused.
“I didn’t expect you to do that well, honestly! Good job. And, by the way, my name is Lanurey, I just wanted to watch you squirm.”
Can you tell where my friend's writing ends and mine begins? Let me give you a hint - if it hadn't been for me, we wouldn't have had to use rhymezone.com XD
Don't forget to ask your questions, and please look at this small Lanurey montage I made after we found out about her. We all have different ways of coping with loss. Mine is drawing. I wish I knew what she looked like...
See you in the beginning of next Arc!
Take care and be well!
(Also, here's a link to the Chapter Guide, the Glossary and the Map for the series. You're welcome!)
An important disclaimer: These are my notes from a D&D game turned into a narrative. All the worldbuilding and NPC encounters belong to our DM, and all the actions of the other main characters (Aurum, Bruno and Agatha) belong to my co-players. My contribution to the story is only everything Mary-related (actions, reactions, inner thoughts), as well as the writing itself.