Dominion Strategy Forum
Dominion => Dominion General Discussion => Topic started by: AdamH on April 02, 2014, 08:53:02 am
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In each expansion there are two cards that were just made for each other; two cards that complete each other. Two cards that work so well together, where the weakness of one is a strength of the other. Apart, they may not be special, but together they are unbreakable. This thread is meant to celebrate the Star Cross'd Lovers of Dominion, and maybe have people write fan fiction about their tales of love and heartbreak.
First, the stories of love and happiness
Base set: Festival and Library
Seaside: Fishing Village and Wharf
Alchemy: Herbalist and Philosopher's Stone
Cornucopia: Hamlet and Menagerie
Hinterlands: Jack of all Trades and Spice Merchant
Dark Ages: Hermit and Market Square
(from this point on I'm not quire sure about the pairings)
Guilds: Butcher and Baker?
Now the tales that involve heartbreak
Intrigue: Scout and Great Hall
Prosperity: King's Court and King's Court
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Fishing Village and Wharf are awfully powerful apart, too.
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Fishing Village and Wharf are awfully powerful apart, too.
Well you know how some couples look really good only when they're together -- "They're so cute together!" -- and some couples are just hot people who decided to hook up? Well yeah, that.
This is why we need fan fiction.
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Prosperity: Venture and Bank?
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What about those connected in a love-hatred relationship?
like Seahag and Lookout
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Festival and Library are so devoted to each other that, when Festival was added to the base set, Library crossed 6 expansions to be reunited with its love.
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What about those connected in a love-hatred relationship?
like Seahag and Lookout
Yeah the fan fictions should include matchups that don't work out:
Festival and Wharf tried to put something together, but they kept on fighting over price point. "Buy me!" "No! Buy me! You need me!"
Wharf to Festival - "You're never there for me when I need you!"
Festival to Wharf - "Well maybe if you'd draw more cards I could help you out!"
"Well maybe if I had some more actions a little earlier on..."
"DON'T you DARE! I saw the way you were looking at that pretty young Fishing Village! Don't you forget where your money comes from!"
"Yeah well I've got my own buy, I don't need you! I'll marry for love! Go read a book or something!
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I believe Donald once said how Worker's Village and Peddler form his favourite synergy from Prosperity.
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I believe Donald once said how Worker's Village and Peddler form his favourite synergy from Prosperity.
I don't think I put it like that, but Peddler is my favorite card in Prosperity, and I certainly have played that combo a lot.
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Fool's Gold and Mine thought maybe they had a thing going on, but when Fool's Gold met Mine's identical twin, it was love at first sight!
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For hinterlands, I'm partial to the Fool's Gold - Nomad Camp pairing
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I think I bott'ed Festival Library out once and it lost to Library BM.
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I think I bott'ed Festival Library out once and it lost to Library BM.
Try adding an elite trasher like Trade Route (opening TR/Silver) and it should crush. If it has to be Base-only, I guess Chapel will do the job as well.
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HERBALIST/ALCHEMIST: A LOVE STORY
When the sun rose over the rooftops of the city, the market square was already bustling with activity. A veritable menagerie of vendors and traders of every sort were setting up their stalls, and the first costumers of the day were already browsing the myriad goods. From the spice merchant's stall drifted heady aromas speaking of far-off hinterlands, and the junk dealer had curiosities to delight any sensibility cluttering his store. The market held its dangers, as well- one never knew if the old beggar by the roadside was a cutpurse in disguise, or if the merchant one was dealing with was a shameless mountebank looking to peddle counterfeit goods. But the city militia patrolled the stalls and kept trouble in check, and the air of the plaza was filled with the promise of prosperity for its inhabitants, as well as with the clink of copper, silver and gold.
Herminia's humble stall was set up, as usual, in an out-of the way corner of the market. Claiming a prime spot in the competitive marketplace took a force of will that she lacked, and so she had to settle with a shadowy spot, wedged in between the counting house and the candlestick maker's shop. She told herself that it hardly mattered- customers were few and far between. By evening she walked the hills beyond the city walls, gathering herbs, and by day she sold them in the market. The money she made was meager, barely enough to support her small cottage on the edge of town, but she got by, day in and day out.
There was one thing that kept Herminia going, that brought her out of reverie of the passing days. His name was Albert, and he was her most loyal and regular customer- indeed, her only customer that could be said to be regular or loyal at all. He was an alchemist employed by the king's court, and each day he came down to visit Herminia, and each day his visit was the highlight of her day.
Today she sat behind the counter of her stall in a simple brown dress and white cap. Basil, thyme, mint and sage were lined up before her, their familiar scents putting her into a sleepy haze. Every once in awhile, a customer would round the corner and inspect her wares, and Herminia would reflexively perk up, hoping to see Albert. But he rarely visited until the late afternoon, and so she would settle back on her stool as the stranger looked disinterestedly over her goods. She was patient, though. She knew he would come.
The market was almost closed before she heard the familiar footsteps. This time, when she turned, she knew who she would see, and a soft smile was already forming on her lips.
Albert's appearance was, to put it mildly, somehwhat eccentric. His head was completely bald, but he made up for it with an exceptionally long beard, which had waxed into an absurd twist. To top it off, he often sported a pair of enormous goggles, which he wore about the town without a thought for the stares he drew. Herminia didn't care. When he smiled at her, it felt as if all the cares and worries of the world had melted away.
That same smiled graced Albert's features as he approached her now. Herminia felt her breath quicken.
“Good evening, my dear,” he said.
“Good evening, Albert,” she replied, trying to keep her voice steady. She thought she might tumble from her stool.
“The usual, if you please.”
Her hands trembled as she reached beneath the counter, fumbling until they found the round blue flask. The contents sloshed noisily, and her eyes lingered on the container before she passed it carefully into Albert's waiting hands. It contained a potion of her own devising, a mixture of herbs that invigorated the body and energized the mind. Albert drank one almost every evening. He worked for the king himself, and his long nights in the castle laboratory took a toll on him. Herminia's potion, so he said, was the only thing that he had found that gave him the energy to maintain his work. She often wondered why he did not buy it in bulk, or have it delivered to the castle. She dared to let herself hope that he had another reason to come down to market to visit her.
As Albert took the potion from her, he bowed slightly. “Thank you, Herminia. I don't know what I would do without you.” He dug a gold coin from his pocket and reached out to hand it to her, and like always, she cupped her hand to receive it. This time, however, as their hands made contact, he held the touch. His smile disappeared, and he bit his lip in hesitation. Herminia found herself frozen, not daring to breathe.
“Herminia?” he asked.
“Yes, Albert?”
“I was wondering... in a fortnight, the princess will be throwing a party. A masquerade ball. A dreadfully tedious affair, really, but as a member of the court, I'm required to attend. I was hoping, perhaps, that you would like to accompany me.”
Her heart was immediately filled with both excitement and dread. It was the moment Herminia had been waiting for for so long. Albert returned the feelings she had kept hidden for so long, and it was all she could do to stop herself from throwing herself into his arms. But the prospect of being at the palace, surrounded by those whose station in life was so far above hers, brought nothing but terror. She would be ridiculed, sneered at, laughed out. Albert would never want to see her again.
“I... I don't know. The palace... I'm not sure if I belong there, Albert.”
Albert's brow furrowed. “My dear, there is nowhere in the this world that you wouldn't belong.” He reached out, and Herminia felt all the warmth in her body rush to her face as he laid a hand on her cheeck. “No one could look upon a face as beautiful and kindly as yours, and not think...” He quickly pulled back his hand and cast his eyes downward. “I apologize. I am being much too forward.”
“No,” she said. “Albert, I...”
Herminia looked around at her spartan stall. All her life had been spent here, and she had never dared dream of anything greater. This was her chance at something more, something beyond the life of a simple herbalist. She would be a fool not to take. She couldn't just sit back and accept the hands that life dealt her. It was time to make her own shuffle luck.
“I would love to, Albert.”
He looked upon, and for a brief moment looked surprised. Then the smile returned to his face, and he took her hand once more. This time and leaned in and gave it a gentle kiss, the hairs of his beard tickling her fingertips.
“Until tomorrow, Herminia.”
Albert took his potion and left, and Herminia felt the urge to watch him until he was no longer in view. But she had business to attend to, and the market was closing, so she began to gather her product and shut down her stall. Besides, she would see him again tomorrow, and in a fortnight, she would have the evening of a lifetime.
TO BE CONTINUED??? (Probably not, I can't believe I wrote this, what am I doing with my life)
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I ship Stonemason/Herald. They are a bit tsundere for each other, but that just makes it more fun.
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HERBALIST/ALCHEMIST: A LOVE STORY
why doesnt this have more upvotes?
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HERBALIST/ALCHEMIST: A LOVE STORY
why doesnt this have more upvotes?
srsly. +1000
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It was time to make her own shuffle luck.
I need to find like 55 more posts of yours to upvote
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I need to find like 55 more posts of yours to upvote
I thought that if people said things like this they would be too lazy to actually do this. :o
But yeah, the story is amazing!
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That story should go on the main blog.
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I think I bott'ed Festival Library out once and it lost to Library BM.
Try adding an elite trasher like Trade Route (opening TR/Silver) and it should crush. If it has to be Base-only, I guess Chapel will do the job as well.
I don't disagree that a trasher improves it, but that's a threesome.
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HERBALIST/ALCHEMIST: A LOVE STORY
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There is no reason for this not to be printed and included with the Alchemy set.
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I think I bott'ed Festival Library out once and it lost to Library BM.
Try adding an elite trasher like Trade Route (opening TR/Silver) and it should crush. If it has to be Base-only, I guess Chapel will do the job as well.
I don't disagree that a trasher improves it, but that's a threesome.
You can't tell me that Herminia doesn't do a little Foraging on the side.
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I think I bott'ed Festival Library out once and it lost to Library BM.
Try adding an elite trasher like Trade Route (opening TR/Silver) and it should crush. If it has to be Base-only, I guess Chapel will do the job as well.
I've played some solitaire games with Moneylender instead of Chapel. Moneylender seems to do the job pretty well.
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I am so scared to read ADK's story. There's a chance I might like it.
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I am so scared to read ADK's story. There's a chance I might like it.
+1 it anyway.
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Well yeah.
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I am so scared to read ADK's story. There's a chance I might like it.
You're that scare to like things? Where's all the love?
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I am so scared to read ADK's story. There's a chance I might like it.
You're that scare to like things? Where's all the love?
SHADDAP!
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I am so scared to read ADK's story. There's a chance I might like it.
You're that scare to like things? Where's all the love?
It's in the story. Didn't you read it?
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I'm predicting Herminia gets pregnant, they get married at the castle of the guy from Scheme, and then Herminia and Albert get brutally slaughtered.
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I'm predicting Herminia gets pregnant, they get married at the castle of the guy from Scheme, and then Herminia and Albert get brutally slaughtered.
Ok George R. R. Martin
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I'm predicting Herminia gets pregnant, they get married at the castle of the guy from Scheme, and then Herminia and Albert get brutally slaughtered.
Brutally slaughtered? Unlikely, as Herminia would be ignored by Knights, Rogues, and Saboteurs.
I'm guessing a swindler convinces the King to trade in Albert for the Philosopher's Stone, which would supposedly make Albert obsolete.
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HERBALIST/ALCHEMIST: A LOVE STORY
OMG It even makes sense game-wise. She returns the potion every turn so he comes back every turn.
Prediction:
One day something bad happens (she breaks the potion or so somebody swindles her potion for a Scout) and she doesn't give him the potion, and he gets shuffled back, doesn't show up the next day (probably the day of the masquerade) and her heart gets broken :'(
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HERBALIST/ALCHEMIST: A LOVE STORY
OMG It even makes sense game-wise. She returns the potion every turn so he comes back every turn.
Prediction:
One day something bad happens (she breaks the potion or so somebody swindles her potion for a Scout) and she doesn't give him the potion, and he gets shuffled back, doesn't show up the next day (probably the day of the masquerade) and her heart gets broken :'(
Did someone say speculah?
No, he shows up for the day of the masquerade. But after the masquerade is over, the person she leaves with is actually a sea hag.
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I'm predicting Herminia gets pregnant, they get married at the castle of the guy from Scheme, and then Herminia and Albert get brutally slaughtered.
Brutally slaughtered? Unlikely, as Herminia would be ignored by Knights, Rogues, and Saboteurs.
I'm guessing a swindler convinces the King to trade in Albert for the Philosopher's Stone, which would supposedly make Albert obsolete.
Actually, the whole love story might be the beginning of the real story:
HERBALIST/PHILOSOPHER'S STONE: A STORY OF POWER, EXCESS, AND OBSESSION.
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HERBALIST/ALCHEMIST: A LOVE STORY
OMG It even makes sense game-wise. She returns the potion every turn so he comes back every turn.
Prediction:
One day something bad happens (she breaks the potion or so somebody swindles her potion for a Scout) and she doesn't give him the potion, and he gets shuffled back, doesn't show up the next day (probably the day of the masquerade) and her heart gets broken :'(
Did someone say speculah?
No, he shows up for the day of the masquerade. But after the masquerade is over, the person she leaves with is actually a sea hag.
Because at the masquerade, the king passed away the alchemist and received a sea hag.
But I think it more likely that the king would pass Herminia away, and the Albert comes home with a sea hag (and ends up feeding the hag to his apprentice because the curse pile is already empty). He is devestated when the neighbor king who gets Herminia remodels her into a worthless scout. Albert then considers hiring a graverobber and using the dark arts to bring Herminia back to him.
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HERBALIST/ALCHEMIST: A LOVE STORY
OMG It even makes sense game-wise. She returns the potion every turn so he comes back every turn.
Prediction:
One day something bad happens (she breaks the potion or so somebody swindles her potion for a Scout) and she doesn't give him the potion, and he gets shuffled back, doesn't show up the next day (probably the day of the masquerade) and her heart gets broken :'(
Did someone say speculah?
No, he shows up for the day of the masquerade. But after the masquerade is over, the person she leaves with is actually a sea hag.
Because at the masquerade, the king passed away the alchemist and received a sea hag.
But I think it more likely that the king would pass Herminia away, and the Albert comes home with a sea hag (and ends up feeding the hag to his apprentice because the curse pile is already empty). He is devestated when the neighbor king who gets Herminia remodels her into a worthless scout. Albert then considers hiring a graverobber and using the dark arts to bring Herminia back to him.
The king probably has more than one Alchemist. Most likely at least 5.
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HERBALIST/ALCHEMIST: A LOVE STORY
OMG It even makes sense game-wise. She returns the potion every turn so he comes back every turn.
Prediction:
One day something bad happens (she breaks the potion or so somebody swindles her potion for a Scout) and she doesn't give him the potion, and he gets shuffled back, doesn't show up the next day (probably the day of the masquerade) and her heart gets broken :'(
Did someone say speculah?
No, he shows up for the day of the masquerade. But after the masquerade is over, the person she leaves with is actually a sea hag.
Because at the masquerade, the king passed away the alchemist and received a sea hag.
But I think it more likely that the king would pass Herminia away, and the Albert comes home with a sea hag (and ends up feeding the hag to his apprentice because the curse pile is already empty). He is devestated when the neighbor king who gets Herminia remodels her into a worthless scout. Albert then considers hiring a graverobber and using the dark arts to bring Herminia back to him.
The king probably has more than one Alchemist. Most likely at least 5.
But there's only one Albert. The others are Alfred, Albergone, Alex, and Aldo. It could add drama to see whether Herminia will settle for one of Albert's brothers.
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Attempts to bring back Herminia with a graverobber will inevitably fail, for in-game reasons.
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But to Albert, she's worth so much more than $2 (at least $5, maybe even $6).
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$22?
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Guys, please! Spoiler tags!?
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Guys, please! Spoiler tags!?
Dumbledor dies
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Guys, please! Spoiler tags!?
Dumbledor dies
Dumbledor is Jon Snow's father!
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What is the highest respected post on f.ds? ADK's got to be close, it's beating the first Homage to the Best Card!
(Empty the Supply in 4 Turns is 80, and I assume that something Donald posted is probably up there)
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At this point, anybody who hasn't given ADK respect is scum.
God damnit I need to take a break from mafia.
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If the masquerade is in the king's court, I'd be more concerned about some goons showing up and trashing everything.
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If the masquerade is in the king's court, I'd be more concerned about some goons showing up and trashing everything.
Edgar Allan Poe already wrote a fan fiction about this: http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/POE/masque.html
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If the masquerade is in the king's court, I'd be more concerned about some goons showing up and trashing everything.
That's actually part of my tentative plans for part two.
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HERBALIST/ALCHEMIST: A LOVE STORY
When the sun rose over the rooftops of the city, the market square was already bustling with activity. A veritable menagerie of vendors and traders of every sort were setting up their stalls, and the first costumers of the day were already browsing the myriad goods. From the spice merchant's stall drifted heady aromas speaking of far-off hinterlands, and the junk dealer had curiosities to delight any sensibility cluttering his store. The market held its dangers, as well- one never knew if the old beggar by the roadside was a cutpurse in disguise, or if the merchant one was dealing with was a shameless mountebank looking to peddle counterfeit goods. But the city militia patrolled the stalls and kept trouble in check, and the air of the plaza was filled with the promise of prosperity for its inhabitants, as well as with the clink of copper, silver and gold.
Herminia's humble stall was set up, as usual, in an out-of the way corner of the market. Claiming a prime spot in the competitive marketplace took a force of will that she lacked, and so she had to settle with a shadowy spot, wedged in between the counting house and the candlestick maker's shop. She told herself that it hardly mattered- customers were few and far between. By evening she walked the hills beyond the city walls, gathering herbs, and by day she sold them in the market. The money she made was meager, barely enough to support her small cottage on the edge of town, but she got by, day in and day out.
There was one thing that kept Herminia going, that brought her out of reverie of the passing days. His name was Albert, and he was her most loyal and regular customer- indeed, her only customer that could be said to be regular or loyal at all. He was an alchemist employed by the king's court, and each day he came down to visit Herminia, and each day his visit was the highlight of her day.
Today she sat behind the counter of her stall in a simple brown dress and white cap. Basil, thyme, mint and sage were lined up before her, their familiar scents putting her into a sleepy haze. Every once in awhile, a customer would round the corner and inspect her wares, and Herminia would reflexively perk up, hoping to see Albert. But he rarely visited until the late afternoon, and so she would settle back on her stool as the stranger looked disinterestedly over her goods. She was patient, though. She knew he would come.
The market was almost closed before she heard the familiar footsteps. This time, when she turned, she knew who she would see, and a soft smile was already forming on her lips.
Albert's appearance was, to put it mildly, somehwhat eccentric. His head was completely bald, but he made up for it with an exceptionally long beard, which had waxed into an absurd twist. To top it off, he often sported a pair of enormous goggles, which he wore about the town without a thought for the stares he drew. Herminia didn't care. When he smiled at her, it felt as if all the cares and worries of the world had melted away.
That same smiled graced Albert's features as he approached her now. Herminia felt her breath quicken.
“Good evening, my dear,” he said.
“Good evening, Albert,” she replied, trying to keep her voice steady. She thought she might tumble from her stool.
“The usual, if you please.”
Her hands trembled as she reached beneath the counter, fumbling until they found the round blue flask. The contents sloshed noisily, and her eyes lingered on the container before she passed it carefully into Albert's waiting hands. It contained a potion of her own devising, a mixture of herbs that invigorated the body and energized the mind. Albert drank one almost every evening. He worked for the king himself, and his long nights in the castle laboratory took a toll on him. Herminia's potion, so he said, was the only thing that he had found that gave him the energy to maintain his work. She often wondered why he did not buy it in bulk, or have it delivered to the castle. She dared to let herself hope that he had another reason to come down to market to visit her.
As Albert took the potion from her, he bowed slightly. “Thank you, Herminia. I don't know what I would do without you.” He dug a gold coin from his pocket and reached out to hand it to her, and like always, she cupped her hand to receive it. This time, however, as their hands made contact, he held the touch. His smile disappeared, and he bit his lip in hesitation. Herminia found herself frozen, not daring to breathe.
“Herminia?” he asked.
“Yes, Albert?”
“I was wondering... in a fortnight, the princess will be throwing a party. A masquerade ball. A dreadfully tedious affair, really, but as a member of the court, I'm required to attend. I was hoping, perhaps, that you would like to accompany me.”
Her heart was immediately filled with both excitement and dread. It was the moment Herminia had been waiting for for so long. Albert returned the feelings she had kept hidden for so long, and it was all she could do to stop herself from throwing herself into his arms. But the prospect of being at the palace, surrounded by those whose station in life was so far above hers, brought nothing but terror. She would be ridiculed, sneered at, laughed out. Albert would never want to see her again.
“I... I don't know. The palace... I'm not sure if I belong there, Albert.”
Albert's brow furrowed. “My dear, there is nowhere in the this world that you wouldn't belong.” He reached out, and Herminia felt all the warmth in her body rush to her face as he laid a hand on her cheeck. “No one could look upon a face as beautiful and kindly as yours, and not think...” He quickly pulled back his hand and cast his eyes downward. “I apologize. I am being much too forward.”
“No,” she said. “Albert, I...”
Herminia looked around at her spartan stall. All her life had been spent here, and she had never dared dream of anything greater. This was her chance at something more, something beyond the life of a simple herbalist. She would be a fool not to take. She couldn't just sit back and accept the hands that life dealt her. It was time to make her own shuffle luck.
“I would love to, Albert.”
He looked upon, and for a brief moment looked surprised. Then the smile returned to his face, and he took her hand once more. This time and leaned in and gave it a gentle kiss, the hairs of his beard tickling her fingertips.
“Until tomorrow, Herminia.”
Albert took his potion and left, and Herminia felt the urge to watch him until he was no longer in view. But she had business to attend to, and the market was closing, so she began to gather her product and shut down her stall. Besides, she would see him again tomorrow, and in a fortnight, she would have the evening of a lifetime.
TO BE CONTINUED??? (Probably not, I can't believe I wrote this, what am I doing with my life)
This story must contain. After all the respect it has got, we still need the epic sex scene.
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HERBALIST/ALCHEMIST: A LOVE STORY
oh my gosh adk just livestreamed this. it was amazing
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HERBALIST/ALCHEMIST: A LOVE STORY
(http://playdominion.com/Dominion/CardBuilder/img/illustration/herbalist.jpg)
(http://playdominion.com/Dominion/CardBuilder/img/illustration/alchemist.jpg)
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Oh I get it now! Like the dominion cards, Herbalist and Alchemist!
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The story is really epic.
Btw: There used to be a pearl diver in the haven of the native village. Does anyone know where it has moved to?
I fear, some ghost ship might have taken it into a secret chamber. Maybe I should ask the navigator...
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HERBALIST/ALCHEMIST: A LOVE STORY
(http://playdominion.com/Dominion/CardBuilder/img/illustration/herbalist.jpg)
(http://playdominion.com/Dominion/CardBuilder/img/illustration/alchemist.jpg)
I thought it was alchemist who likes to be on top?
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HERBALIST/ALCHEMIST: A LOVE STORY
When the sun rose over the rooftops of the city, the market square was already bustling with activity. A veritable menagerie of vendors and traders of every sort were setting up their stalls, and the first costumers of the day were already browsing the myriad goods. From the spice merchant's stall drifted heady aromas speaking of far-off hinterlands, and the junk dealer had curiosities to delight any sensibility cluttering his store. The market held its dangers, as well- one never knew if the old beggar by the roadside was a cutpurse in disguise, or if the merchant one was dealing with was a shameless mountebank looking to peddle counterfeit goods. But the city militia patrolled the stalls and kept trouble in check, and the air of the plaza was filled with the promise of prosperity for its inhabitants, as well as with the clink of copper, silver and gold.
Herminia's humble stall was set up, as usual, in an out-of the way corner of the market. Claiming a prime spot in the competitive marketplace took a force of will that she lacked, and so she had to settle with a shadowy spot, wedged in between the counting house and the candlestick maker's shop. She told herself that it hardly mattered- customers were few and far between. By evening she walked the hills beyond the city walls, gathering herbs, and by day she sold them in the market. The money she made was meager, barely enough to support her small cottage on the edge of town, but she got by, day in and day out.
There was one thing that kept Herminia going, that brought her out of reverie of the passing days. His name was Albert, and he was her most loyal and regular customer- indeed, her only customer that could be said to be regular or loyal at all. He was an alchemist employed by the king's court, and each day he came down to visit Herminia, and each day his visit was the highlight of her day.
Today she sat behind the counter of her stall in a simple brown dress and white cap. Basil, thyme, mint and sage were lined up before her, their familiar scents putting her into a sleepy haze. Every once in awhile, a customer would round the corner and inspect her wares, and Herminia would reflexively perk up, hoping to see Albert. But he rarely visited until the late afternoon, and so she would settle back on her stool as the stranger looked disinterestedly over her goods. She was patient, though. She knew he would come.
The market was almost closed before she heard the familiar footsteps. This time, when she turned, she knew who she would see, and a soft smile was already forming on her lips.
Albert's appearance was, to put it mildly, somehwhat eccentric. His head was completely bald, but he made up for it with an exceptionally long beard, which had waxed into an absurd twist. To top it off, he often sported a pair of enormous goggles, which he wore about the town without a thought for the stares he drew. Herminia didn't care. When he smiled at her, it felt as if all the cares and worries of the world had melted away.
That same smiled graced Albert's features as he approached her now. Herminia felt her breath quicken.
“Good evening, my dear,” he said.
“Good evening, Albert,” she replied, trying to keep her voice steady. She thought she might tumble from her stool.
“The usual, if you please.”
Her hands trembled as she reached beneath the counter, fumbling until they found the round blue flask. The contents sloshed noisily, and her eyes lingered on the container before she passed it carefully into Albert's waiting hands. It contained a potion of her own devising, a mixture of herbs that invigorated the body and energized the mind. Albert drank one almost every evening. He worked for the king himself, and his long nights in the castle laboratory took a toll on him. Herminia's potion, so he said, was the only thing that he had found that gave him the energy to maintain his work. She often wondered why he did not buy it in bulk, or have it delivered to the castle. She dared to let herself hope that he had another reason to come down to market to visit her.
As Albert took the potion from her, he bowed slightly. “Thank you, Herminia. I don't know what I would do without you.” He dug a gold coin from his pocket and reached out to hand it to her, and like always, she cupped her hand to receive it. This time, however, as their hands made contact, he held the touch. His smile disappeared, and he bit his lip in hesitation. Herminia found herself frozen, not daring to breathe.
“Herminia?” he asked.
“Yes, Albert?”
“I was wondering... in a fortnight, the princess will be throwing a party. A masquerade ball. A dreadfully tedious affair, really, but as a member of the court, I'm required to attend. I was hoping, perhaps, that you would like to accompany me.”
Her heart was immediately filled with both excitement and dread. It was the moment Herminia had been waiting for for so long. Albert returned the feelings she had kept hidden for so long, and it was all she could do to stop herself from throwing herself into his arms. But the prospect of being at the palace, surrounded by those whose station in life was so far above hers, brought nothing but terror. She would be ridiculed, sneered at, laughed out. Albert would never want to see her again.
“I... I don't know. The palace... I'm not sure if I belong there, Albert.”
Albert's brow furrowed. “My dear, there is nowhere in the this world that you wouldn't belong.” He reached out, and Herminia felt all the warmth in her body rush to her face as he laid a hand on her cheeck. “No one could look upon a face as beautiful and kindly as yours, and not think...” He quickly pulled back his hand and cast his eyes downward. “I apologize. I am being much too forward.”
“No,” she said. “Albert, I...”
Herminia looked around at her spartan stall. All her life had been spent here, and she had never dared dream of anything greater. This was her chance at something more, something beyond the life of a simple herbalist. She would be a fool not to take. She couldn't just sit back and accept the hands that life dealt her. It was time to make her own shuffle luck.
“I would love to, Albert.”
He looked upon, and for a brief moment looked surprised. Then the smile returned to his face, and he took her hand once more. This time and leaned in and gave it a gentle kiss, the hairs of his beard tickling her fingertips.
“Until tomorrow, Herminia.”
Albert took his potion and left, and Herminia felt the urge to watch him until he was no longer in view. But she had business to attend to, and the market was closing, so she began to gather her product and shut down her stall. Besides, she would see him again tomorrow, and in a fortnight, she would have the evening of a lifetime.
TO BE CONTINUED??? (Probably not, I can't believe I wrote this, what am I doing with my life)
I like how this is in "Messages of the week" despite being over 4 years old.
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The Complicated and Largely Unsuccessful Schemes of a Bureaucrat
(https://i.imgur.com/42xTdTw.png)
The Librarian and the Militia
(Trashy romance novel.) Who's making noise in the library? Myra the librarian has always said that there's nothing she hates more than a bunch of loud, smelly men making noise in her Library. Apparently their presence at the gates of town causes Myra so much distress that she discards her Moat instead of revealing it...... Three times in a row. Not one to raise the drawbridge, that Myra.