Chris-Tien Jinn

I DM'd the link. Thanks for the support and interest.

I'll DM the link.

Hum .... I have from the beginning of the previous challenge in a manuscript-creation program. Let me give it a try. Can you all get into Google documents?

Roi nodded to Chris, who took out the lock of hair and paper that they had found in Maybelline’s garden plot. She held it out to Solaine who immediately recoiled,, grasping for the holy symbol that used to hang from her neck. “That’s Tomlin’s hair! Where did you find it?” “It was buried with the parchment in Maybelline’s kitchen garden.” “Show me the writing.” Solaine commanded. Chris obliged, holding up the parchment so that the cleric could read it. “Pact magic,” Solaine hissed. “It is an enchantment written in the language of demons. A price must be paid, and I assume that Maybelline didn’t offer up herself. Are her parents alright?” She sounded, for the moment, to be a spiritual leader, concerned for members of her flock. “They were acting oddly, and there was something … wrong … with the place.” Roi shivered in memory of the inky evil he felt at the farm. “It was as if the land was crying out in pain.” “Now that that is removed,” Solaine looked at the spell as if it were a poisonous serpent. “Everything should return to normal, and her parents should recover in a couple of days.” She turned away, muttering to herself, “So that’s what she meant by ‘powerful friends’. I thought she was just talking about some self-important yokels.” “What do you mean?” Chris asked. Solaine looked at the parchment and then locked eyes with the paladin. “It means that I killed the man who loved me,” she replied bitterly. “But it means that I got my revenge on the woman who made me do it.” Chris-Tien put away the spell and began reaching for the other items they had brought from the farm, but Roi cut her off quickly. “Thank you, Solaine.” The cleric looked at them with a haughty air and addressed Chris with a sneer. “I can’t tell if you are truly noble or if you are doing this for your own personal gain. But you are doing nothing I would not have done in your place.” Chris began to thank her, but she suddenly smiled with a wolfish edge. “I will get my revenge one day.” “Come on.” Roi took Chris’ arm. “It’s time for us to go.”

Saturday was another car-repair day. My daughter and LTL hung out while son-in-law worked on the car .... another long day. But this time, we cooked and served meals on our regular schedule. The Indian restaurant that they like is good, but very spicy ... and, the next morning when we looked at the leftovers, we realized how much oil is used in some of the dishes. 😧 Lose Weight The weather was nice, and we got a walk with LTL in the stroller (he slept ...) AND we sat outside on blankets and watched the sunset. I didn't even try to log meals. I made eggs for me and LTL, but we also made caramel rolls for breakfast. Lunch was sandwiches and fruit (home made wheat bread) .... so not bad. Dinner was home made spaghetti sauce and protein+ spaghetti noodles. Plus cheese bread and .... ice cream for dessert. Build Muscle Rest day. My quads are still really stiff. I will get out the foam roller. The lats and pecs from bench pressing are not feeling too bad. Socialize Family ... 12 hours worth. NaNoWriMo I wrote 102 words. I've given myself permission to write scenes out of order as they come to me. In fact, since I have to come up with a "big bad" for the real finale, I started near the end with his exposition on how he master-mined the whole thing. My daughter (who once tried her hand at novel writing) recommended a book: Save the Cat. Good luck to all on the last week of the challenge!!

It seemed only polite to bid Maybelline’s parents goodbye, but Chris and Roi decided to avoid mentioning what they had found in Maybelline’s room and in the garden. At any rate, both of her parents were still barely responsive as the investigators bid them good bye. If they could locate and neutralize the source of the magic that Roi felt, it would hopefully release these two from their fugue. As Chris turned toward to the path to town, Roi called out. “There’s no time to lose. Get on.” Chris turned toward him in confusion only to observe him shifting into a powerful sorrel pony. He pranced toward her and tossed his chestnut mane, clearly inviting her to ride him. Without tack and saddle, it would be a rough ride, but she had to admit that it would probably faster this way. Jumping on, she took a double handful of mane and held tightly as Roi took off at a gallop. As soon as they reached town and the jail, Roi shifted back, and the pair of them mounted the stairs to the jail. Inside, it was dark and gloomy, lit only by a few oil lamps and the light streaming in from the open door. With only a single cell, it was obviously used primarily for people who needed a place to sleep off a boisterous night. Currently, its one resident was Solaine. The cleric looked strange without her vestments. She was wearing a plain, grey dress, donated by some kind woman in the village. Even now, Chris assumed that people remembered her kindness and healing and sought to repay her somehow. There was, however, no sign of kindness or healing in her now. She sat, oddly calm, on the edge of her cot. Her hands rested on her knees as she stared at the wall opposite until Roi walked in view. “Roi, thank you for visiting me again,” she spoke with an eerie, chilling calm. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” She seemed like a regal lady, accepting visitors to court. Her manner made Roi nervous, and he wrung his hands as he began his request. “Solaine, darling. I am loathe to ask, but I need your expertise and possibly advice.” The cleric looked between her friend and Chris-Tien as if considering refusal. Finally, she addressed the paladin directly, “You may have beaten me, but I am not broken.” Shifting her gaze to Rot, she added, “I will help. But only because you are asking Roi. What do you need to know?”

Getting to the end of the penultimate week, and I'm pleased that I've made some good progress. I'd hoped to be logging more meals per day than I am, but I am logging more meals per day than last challenge. Lose Weight Walk in the woods. Logged breakfast and my post-workout snack Build Muscle Lifetime PR on bench presses: 75 pounds! 🏋🏻‍♀️ Socialize CrossFit Casual conversation with neighbors heading to the local woods. I even had the opportunity to explain migration behavior to one person. NaNoWriMo I didn't write anything in the manuscript. Still working on research and world building.

Hope you have a great time!!

Also, I usually have cold weather here in Minnesota (especially in Duluth) and can use the garage as a very big refrigerator.

Cats ARE supervisors ...

Maybelline’s parents took no notice of them as they made their way outside to the kitchen garden behind the farm house. It was filled with vegetables planted in neat rows, but it was also filled with a riot of weeds. Late tomatoes were rotting on the plants, and the squash, and pumpkins sitting on the ground, beginning to go soft. Judging from the straggly plants, the garden had not seen much care in nearly a month. There were a few flowers in bloom, although there were not many, given the lateness of the season. Still, Chris and Roi looked for flowers similar to those in the garlands. They were wildflowers and sturdy vines that would be unbothered by neglect. But the searchers came up empty handed …. Except for noting an odd patch of ground located under Maybelline’s bedroom window. This patch of soil looked different from the rest of the garden. It was was richly black as the soil in the cemetery. But this patch was too small to be a grave, unless it had been a family pet. Steeling herself, Chris knelt down and started digging carefully, removing one layer of soil at a time. Breaking off his search, Roi joined her, watching in silence as she pulled away the eerily dark soil to reveal a piece of darkly stained parchment. The page was covered with symbols in a jagged, otherworldly script, which reminded Chris of the black-bound book in the temple library. There was a braided lock of hair attached to the paper. “Looks like Abyssal to me,” Roi breathed. “I can’t read it, can you?” Regretfully, Chris shook her head. She’d never had cause to study with powerful spell casters or speak with infernal beings. She’d learned Orcish, which generally stood her in good stead on the few occasions she’d needed to speak with humanoid monsters. “Then, we will need to see Solaine. She speaks Abyssal and may be able to tell us what this does.” “If she doesn’t know already,” Chris muttered to herself.

Thursday was a little quieter. The temps here were very warm, but the wind prevented me from doing much gardening. I had to chase my hat on the walk and rescue a child's plastic wading pool ... so a few impromptu sprints!! We're still getting used to not seeing LTL on Tuesday and Thursdays and miss him. But hubby also pointed out how nice it was to get to Thursday night and not be exhausted. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Partially because we are finally NOT SICK after nearly three months. Lose Weight I walked in the woods Logged breakfast and dinner. Build Muscle Rest day!! My abs really felt the 60 sit ups from Wednesday's workout. Socialize We went to Rotary. NaNoWriMo I wrote 800+ words and am casually researching D & D lore. I don't want to step on any established history, even if it is homebrew. Cobalt Soul is from Critical Role, and I'm sure I'll fluff up the beginning of this story when I edit. But the Radiant Order doesn't seem to exist outside of the Wolves of Langston. I did find a map of Faerun ... I'm planning on a quietly nesting challenge for the last one of the year and then possibly tackling a distance component for next calendar year.

Maybelline’s parents barely seemed to notice them as Chris and Roi moved from Maybelline’s room to the farm house kitchen. They continued to sit by the fire vacantly, picking at daily tasks with little progress. The kitchen, at first glance, was not unusual. Dried herbs hung from the rafters. Pots sat a top an old, well-used stove. The miscellany of a small farming family spoke of ordinary lives. But the two investigators carefully dug deeper, concerned that Maybelline’s parents seemed affected by something stronger than grief. Eventually, they found an oilcloth pouch tucked into the back of the pantry, containing a collection of herbs and flowers. But the plants seemed strangely distorted. Flowers and leaves were rimmed with unnaturally bright borders of purple and bright green. A couple of flowers were almost black in hue, and one had a bright red stain reminiscent of fresh blood. Chris sucked in a breath. “I know of these, but I’ve never seen them. These only grow on unhallowed ground. They are used in rituals to communicate with the lower planes. And they are very toxic … They should not be in a kitchen no matter how well wrapped.” “Aye, I recognize them too, but only by reputation.” Roi looked worried. “Demons and devils are outside my area of expertise. I deal with the woods and its natural creatures. This …” he shook his head. “Solaine is the expert on the lower planes, if she is willing to give us more insight …” Chris shrugged. It would be worth asking the cleric. Roi very carefully tucked the herbs into his bag. “But this isn’t enough to cause the disturbance I’m feeling. There must be something outside.”

Wednesday was a more social day than usual, in part because I am finally getting over the nagging cough I developed with COVID. Lose Weight I logged breakfast and a snack Got a walk in the woods Build Muscle I set a lifetime PR for my back squat: 85 pounds. I'm far away from most of my CrossFit buddies, and I probably could have pushed it further, but I want to build slowly and not get caught up on comparisons. Socialize CrossFit I went to choir practice!!!! NaNoWriMo I wrote 600 words. I started a continuation of the story and will see if it takes 25,000 words to tie up the loose ends.

Chris and Roi exchanged concerned looks as they asked directions to Maybelline’s room. Her father simply pointed down a hallway and returned to fiddling with the leather straps again. Trying to disturb the room as little as possible, the pair found the twin garland tucked under Maybelline’s pillow. Like the one found in Tomlin’s cottage, it had a distinctive shimmer. As Chris-Tien turned it over in her hands, she felt it distinctly pull toward the one that Roi was holding up for comparison. A sense of longing also seemed to be emanating from the braided wildflowers and vines. She looked at Roi, who was glancing between his garland and the one Chris held. “You feel it too?” he asked. “This looks like some sort of enchantment, but nothing I’ve ever encountered before.” The tugging between the two garlands was gentle but insistent. “Come here,” Roi instructed. “I want to try something. Just don’t fall in love with me.” Cautiously, they allowed the two wedding garlands to touch each other. The tugging ceased abruptly, and the shimmer erupted in a flash. When their vision finally cleared, Chris and Roi looked down at two chains of blackened, rotting flowers. “Ugh!” Roi exclaimed. “Not a proper love spell, that’s for sure. Why would she weave such a spell into this thing? It smacks of dark magic, but nothing I have heard of.” He shuddered and rubbed his fingers as if they were coated with something greasy and vile. “Who might know more about this kind of magic?” “Solaine. She has studied dark forces for years. She always said that it helped to understand the light better in the face of darkness.” Roi sighed, remembering the bright young woman he had known. “There’s something more like this … somewhere not far. We’d better take a look around.”

I'm working on improving my response to the situation .... Tuesday was the first non-LTL Tuesday. We were a bit at loose ends all day and frustrated because yesterday would have been the perfect day to play in leaves, go for a stroller ride and even ride in the stoller while Nana jogged (not two miles with the extra resistance!!). Lose Weight Walk in the woods Logged two meals and ran out of points eventhough I thought I'd eaten pretty reasonably. Jogged two miles Build Muscle The weather is unseasonably warm and so I got out and did some pruning while hubby put up Christmas lights. Socialize Only casual socializing. While out for my walk in the woods, I bumped into a grandmotherly lady and three kids. I think she is one of the local daycare providers, and I've seen her out with pre-school aged kids before. They were on a nature walk, and the kids told me about the geese and ducks on the ponds (a lot are resting here on their way south) and wooly bear caterpillar they found. Such a great day to be outside. I got to cuddle a bunch of dogs and chat with neighbors. NaNoWriMo I didn't write anything. I've been thinking about the story and where it could go now. I have some ideas and may "pants" it for the rest of the month and see where it goes. I have enough written to keep posting during the challenge, I think.

Happy Birthday!!!!

The trek out to Maybelline’s home was a gentle walk, during which Roi gave Chris-Tien more information about Solaine and her history with Langston. “She was such a sweet lass and seemed devoted to her order and the town. Some people took advantage of that, I guess. But she was an important member of the community.” He shook his head, remembering the recent changes to the cleric. “I thought she knew what she meant to the community … and to Tomlin.” “But Tomlin moved on …” “Aye, but it was a shock to everyone when Tomlin left Solaine for Maybelline. He seemed right devoted to her, even when she was on pilgrimage. Such a whirlwind courtship … and sudden engagement. Odd. Right odd … Changed Solaine when she arrived home, I’m afraid.” Further conversation died the country road narrowed to a path. Clouds rolled in, starting a steady drizzle that soon left the two travelers wet and cold. Chris had begun to wonder how far away the farm was from the town when the house finally came into view. Roi walked up to the front door and knocked gently. Maybelline’s mother opened the door a crack that widened as she recognized the druid. She gave both Roi and Chris-Tien an open smile that didn’t quite reach her tired eyes before inviting them in. “Roi … and Christine?” she fumbled for the paladin’s name. “Chris-Tien,” she corrected gently, noticing that the woman seemed to have lost weight since they met at the funeral. “We are sorry to disturb you.” “Not at all. You must be freezing with this rain. Come in by the fire. I have a kettle on for tea already.” Gratefully, they followed her into the communal area in the center of the house and stood near the crackling fire. Maybelline’s father sat nearby, mending a harness. At their approach, he looked up and gave a nod of recognition. His eyes were red-rimmed, and dark circles accentuated his eyes. He too seemed to have lost weight, clothes loose around the frame of a man who worked hard every day. As Maybelline’s mother wandered into the kitchen, Roi leaned close to Chris’ ear to whisper. “I know they are grieving, but there’s something off here. Keep your eyes open.” The paladin nodded as Maybelliine’s mother came in with the tea and four cups. While she busied herself with the tea, Roi brought out the garland they had found at Tomlin’s cottage and showed it to Maybelline’s parents. As soon as they saw it, their faces frowned. “Chris-Tien found this at your future son-in-law’s house. We thought you might want to keep it, in remembrance.” “I remember something like that,” Maybelline’s mother began, “but weren’t there two of them?” Maybelline’s father nodded, “Definitely two. I remember her making them. She was humming and singing some funny-sounding songs while she worked. Didn’t you find the other one too?” Roi looked significantly over at Chris who shook her head. “No.” He replied. This garland is unusual. Would you know where the other one is?” “No,” Maybelline’s father was ineffectively picking at the harness in his lap. “But you are welcome to look around for it, if you think it would help.” Maybelline’s mother looked up vacantly. She still had not poured the tea and seemed surprised to see them there. “Yes, please look around. Anything that might help”

Monday .... was not feeling well. Lots of congestion ... so I took it easy. Lose Weight Logged breakfast and dinner Took a walk in the woods Build Muscle I never felt better during the day and so skipped CrossFit entirely. Socialize The little woods near our house are very popular. So I got to see people and pet dogs. NaNoWriMo I wrote 601 words. I finished "playing" the solo adventure, which ends on a cliff hanger.

Yeap. We do that as well. Sometimes, we even drive separately and meet up. Build in accountability buddy.

Chris rushed into the main room of the inn to find the scene much calmer although no less tense. The young woman’s wounds had been bandaged, but they were already beginning to show the seepage of blood. Off to one side, Roi was quietly talking to Anathram, “There were three of them this time. Only skeletons, but one got past my defenses, and the girl got hurt bad. Still no word on when the new cleric will arrive?” “No,” the Mayor sighed. “Have you learned anything from Solaine?” “Unfortunately, nothing that we did not already know.” Roi frowned in frustration. “Just that the land around here is cursed and the Temple puts the dead to rest so long as a member of the Radiant Order is tending it.” He shrugged. The mayor turned to Chris, “Did you find anything of use?” “Not much, but we have some more supplies for emergencies.” Chris handed Roi one of the healing potions, feeling the scarcity of their backup resources as an addition to the pit in her stomach. Roi administered the potion to the mostly-unconscious woman, and the three of them sighed with relief as she visibly relaxed with the lessening of pain. “That should do her, at least until I can recover my healing spells. How was your patrol?” “A lot less interesting than yours,” Chris quipped. “But I found this at Tomlin’s house.” She handed Roi the garland and watched as he turned it over, examining it. “A wedding garland, I guess. Mostly, these flower symbolize love, but this is odd.” He pointed to a flower. “This is poisonous. And this red one,” he pointed again, “only blooms in the spring. They should have faded long ago.” He turned the wreath over again, noting the shimmer. “I don’t see any harm in it. Let’s bring it back to Maybelline’s folks as a remembrance. And it will do us good to get out of town and stretch our legs.” No sooner than he had hit on the idea, the energetic dwarf was heading toward the door. Chris supposed her only option was to follow him, although she did spare a longing thought for her bed upstairs before jogging to catch up with Roi on his way out of of town.

There have been too many shifts and changes lately, and it was hard to anchor on Sunday's usual routine. Since we'd lost Saturday to an odd family "visit", I mostly did chores. Lose Weight Logged breakfast. Took a walk in the woods. Build Muscle CrossFit will be focusing on pushing our weights up on barbell lifts ... so I decided to skip the gym. But I did encourage hubby to go do his workout. I am not sure what to think about CrossFit. The owner was just diagnosed with cancer. He has a good co-manager/assistant head coach who is doing her best to deal with the illness of her close friend and the challenges of managing a buisness. I'm hoping they can hang on, but I worry that the gym will eventually close. Socialize I saw friends while out walking. With so many changes, I'm trying to stay positive. But truth-be-told, I'm grieving over the way my relationship with my grandson is being radically transformed. We have invited them over for Thanksgiving, but I'm also keeping open the possibility that we will still go see my sister-in-law because something will probably blow up in the next 10 days. NaNoWriMo I wrote 1053 words yesterday. I'm actually one "turn" away from the end of the solo adventure. I have more episodes to post here, but the adventure is only about half a story that ends with a lot of loose ends. Since it was published just this spring, I hope that they will publish a sequel. In the mean time, I'm toying with the idea of fleshing it out my way. It's fan fiction, afterall.

Chris was gasping for breath as she reached Tomlin’s cottage. It seemed like so very long ago that she was here, hiding snickers - and to be honest, an unkind opinion of his close relationship with “clients” - and ridding his garden of scraplings. In fact, it had hardly been more than a week, but in the early grey light of dawn, the cottage itself looked like a corpse. The windows were dark, and the flowers and plants in the front gardens and window boxes were limp and dying for lack of care. Tomlin’s bright energy and obvious love of his herbs and teas had given the place life. Now, it seemed as dead as its owner. Chris shivered slightly in chill and set aside her discomfort of the prospect of breaking into the cottage. Vainly, she tried the front door before eyeing the trellises against the garden walls. The garden gate looked stout, and the vines, while thick enough to support her weight, looked to be armed with thorns. The back door was not going to be an option. No doubt, there was a key hidden … or someone had a spare … but the wounded woman needed the last of his craft. And quickly. Since the door looked as stout as the garden gate, Chris elected to break a window. She was sure the Mayor would allow it to be replaced out of city funds. Using the hilt of her sword and shielding her eyes, Chris smashed the glass inward and carefully knocked away the shards that clung in the window frame. It was a bit of an awkward climb in, but soon, she dropped into Tomlin’s tidy cottage, glass crunching under her hard soles. In the dim light of the cottage illuminated only with the weak light coming through the windows, it look like little had changed since the last time she was here. The bright herbs and flowers hung drying in the rafters, and their smells mingled with an undercurrent of mustiness beginning to take hold in Tomlin’s absence. The fire had gone out as had any braziers under bubbling concoctions. For a moment, Chris felt the poignant double loss of both the cleric and the apothecary, but then she shook herself free of the melancholy and began to search for any unsold healing potions. Tomlin had been good at his job and meticulous in his organization of ingredients and potions. After a quick study of his system, Chris-Tien was able to locate three healing potions as well as a vial of antitoxin. Carefully tucking them into her pouch with some padding, she took another look around the room, eyes lighting on a garland of woven wildflowers. Presumably, it was intended for the wedding, but its flowers were all fresh as if picked only moments ago. Curious, Chris turned the wreath around in her hands, noticing a slight shimmer in the pale light. It might have some sort of use, although she had no knowledge of such magic. Maybe Roi could make something out of it. Later. After the current crisis. With one last look, Chris opened the door and, leaving it unlocked, ran for the Pickled Hen, hoping to be in time.

Saturday was a weird day. Daughter and fam came over to hang out while SiL worked on their car in our garage (they don't really have a good place for such work at their apartment). They ended up being here for 12 hours. Lose Weight Na da. Hubby and I should have just taken LTL out for a stroller ride and let his parents work and work on the car. Build Muscle Rest day. Those are good, right? Socialize Family hanging out ..... NaNoWriMo I'll give myself a gold star for writing something yesterday. 324 words during a quiet moment.