u/Carbon_Sixx

/uw So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish

Hey folks, Carbon_Sixx here. If you're invested in the sub's lore/RP scene, you might've seen me around running events and playing quite a few characters. I started here two-and-a-half years ago as a way to practice creative writing, and ended up making a lot of fond memories. But now, my life priorities have changed in a way that doesn't leave much room for wizardry, so the time has come for me to move along.

Now, most of you are here for the memes and have never heard of me, which is probably a good thing. I've actively avoided microcelebrity status because I know how messy and ridiculous that gets. This isn't some grandiose exit where I wildly overestimate my popularity and impact on the sub culture. Part of me didn't even want to make this, but I felt it wouldn't be right to leave without saying thank you.

That's what this is: a grateful farewell. I came to wizardposting at a very uncertain point in my life. I didn't know where I was headed or what I wanted to do. My writing ended up becoming a way to regain some control and confidence. And none of it would've been possible without the support of the people I met along the way.

But writers often say "kill your darlings"- that is, you should let go of the ideas that hold you back, even if you're attached to them. I have direction and purpose in my life now, so I need to let go of this place and follow it.

That's not to say I'm leaving for good. I'll still be around in chats and doing occasional light RP, but not as any particular character. I'm content to fade into the background without obligations to any long-term projects. As for my cast of characters, I leave it up to your imagination to decide what becomes of them.

Before I go, I'd like to mention a few outstanding users who made my time here really special:

  • u/loth17, who's been around even longer than I have. You've been a continual inspiration since I got started here, and I can't thank you enough for offering to help tie off the loose ends of my stories.
  • u/avamir and u/AnActualCriminal, the masterminds behind Ithacar. You put your hearts and souls into my first event and turned a throwaway location into one of the deepest pieces of worldbuilding on the sub. I'm so thankful you extended me that trust.
  • u/DragonWisper56 and u/dragonshouter, who aren't particularly active anymore but bear mentioning. You guys were the first to reach out and befriend me when I was new to all of this. If this ends up reaching you, I'm eternally grateful for your kindness.
  • u/The_Unkowable, our resident Dragonlance lore expert. Though our characters started off as enemies, we ended up as friends. You've been with me through thick and thin, certain and uncertain. Even if I end up drifting away for good, I'll still remember you.
  • u/TheHunter459, u/Drakkonai, u/Most_Trustworthy, and u/King__Carmine, who work hard to convincingly portray some real reprobates. Your villains are incredible, and I enjoyed playing their foils while I was here. I wish you all success in whatever you choose to do with them next.
  • u/Kaigai_Exia and u/Al-anharHA, both great writers who fell victim to the caprice of Reddit Automod (fucked be its name). Your events were among the most entertaining to participate in. I'm sorry your best stuff got unfairly wiped, but it'll live on in my head and my heart.
  • And of course, you, the reader. Your interest is why I continued for as long as I did. Thank you, and I'll see you around.

And to the new generation of characters and loreposters, I have this to say: don't be intimidated by what other people have established. Everyone has to start somewhere. Carve out your own space, stick up for yourselves, and don't let anyone squash your fun with their ego. Above all, good luck, and have fun!

Until next time. This is Carbon_Sixx, signing off.

reddit.com
u/Carbon_Sixx — 2 days ago

Blah blah "causality" this, blah blah "speed of information" that- I just wanna go FAST, for God's sake!

u/Carbon_Sixx — 4 days ago

The battle with Xel'lotath rages. The mightiest wizards in the realms do their utmost to hold the Queen of Insanity and her armies at bay. All of them were told to hold the line for as long as they can, to buy time for a final gambit to end this waking nightmare. As limbs tire, mana drains, and wounds accumulate, they fight on, fueled by this tentative hope of victory.

Then at last, dawn breaks.

In Chalcos, a geyser of purple light bursts up from the ruins of Orykhalkon where this all began. The beacon draws in ambient energies, accompanied by a howling gale that sweeps across the land. Xel'lotath's minions howl in fear and confusion, and any too close to the epicenter dissolve into raw magic that feeds the ongoing arcane reaction. The geyser arcs up through the sky, reaching its apex at the edge of space before descending again towards its destination: the peak of Mt. Occuludus in the realm of Hesperia. The magic filters down through the stone and into the lost temple buried deep below the mountain.

And a wounded god is healed once more.

--

Xel'lotath is just finishing fending off the latest round of attacks by Glimbo and his allies when she hears the low hum. She rounds on it, prepared to vent her wrath on the insolent gnats keeping her from wiping this ossified world clean, only to stop dead in her tracks. Violet runes dance around an expanding black sphere of magic. A fleshy tendril reaches out and anchors itself in the ground, followed by three more. What pulls itself free of the dark is a formless mass of muscle, eyes, and teeth that rivals the Queen of Insanity in size. Wreathed in eldritch balefire, Mantorok, Keeper of the Ancients, Corpse God no longer, roars his exultation to the heavens!

Xel'lotath screeches in rage at her reborn Ancient enemy. For once, all her voices are in sync.

This is impossible! I wounded you unto death and bound your carcass to that tomb for all time!

Mantorok's unblinking eyes fix on the Queen of Insanity. He speaks in a voice caught between a whisper and a thunderclap.

That is not dead which can eternal lie, Xel'lotath. Now I wake to deliver you a reckoning that has long been overdue. You do not belong in this world, among these people. Go back to the Nevermeant and trouble them no more.

You presume to give me an order, Corpse God? I underestimated you before, but never again. This time, I'll make sure to finish what I started, and the whole universe will submit to my whims!

And how do you plan to do that? Chattur'gha and Ulyaoth will not back you now as they did then, not when you stand on the verge of surpassing them both. Powerful as you are, I am greater still, and you are alone.

So are you, unless you count the flesh and bone. Sentimental fool.

You discount them so easily. Pride was always your flaw, Xel'lotath, as much as you pretend to be devoid of such things. Do you know why I clung on for so long, even when my name had been forgotten by all but a single mortal? Because I believe in them. I knew they would come back and save me as I saved them once. And they did. That I stand here to at all is thanks to them and the sacrifices they've made.

And let me guess: you want to repay them by banishing me, as if Ancients like us owe these prey anything.

Mantorok's many mouths twist into approximations of a smile.

Someone has to.

Without another word, a torrent of purple fire erupts from within the Keeper of the Ancients and washes over Xel'lotath. She screams, more in surprise than pain, recoiling from the blast. But the moment she regains her composure, Mantorok is upon her, entangling her in his many tentacles. He looks down at the ground to see Glimbo Greenboots cheering him on. The Ur-Trickster's enthusiasm is infectious.

Mantorok will not disappoint him.

--

The earth quakes. The shadows twist and waver like a desert mirage. All across Chalcos, shapes gather in the darkness and stride out to meet the spawn of Xel'lotath. The newcomers resemble the Queen of Insanity's minions in general shape, but the similarities end there. Instead of missing heads and a greenish tinge, these creatures look like undead with mummified flesh the same dark purple as a day-old bruise. Yet despite their dreadful appearance, they leap to the defense of the living mages and help push back the tides of madness.

With the arrival of Mantorok's own creatures, Kaelis Maz smiles and calls out to his allies.

"They did it! I knew they could pull it off! It's time we finished this. Make this day one for the ages! EXARCHS, I CHALLENGE THEE!"

--

/uw It all comes down to this moment. Help finish the battle with Xel'lotath's cultists and minions, or come to Mantorok's aid in hurling the Queen of Insanity back to where she came from!

u/Carbon_Sixx — 15 days ago