Question [G2] The Curse of the Dragon Queen

The story was quite interesting and good.

The use of snarky nicknames and initials got way too annoying. It (in my opinion) detracted from the story as I had to stop and think about which character was which, and that DQ wasn't Dairy Queen.

I think AJ's parents deserve each other.

That was a BIT overdone.

Jadis as Frost is a nice touch. Is she a White or Grey Hat?
I'm trying to figure out the 3 Maidens-there's Eldrich, the girl who sweats Mithral and the last one escapes me.

Boris Knokitov wrote: I'm trying to figure out the 3 Maidens-there's Eldrich, the girl who sweats Mithral and the last one escapes me.

Seraphim most likely.

Yeah, they have been shown in canon ("There's an Angel in Dickinson Cottage", "The Widening Gyre") working together to produce valuable mystical artifacts.

The snark and use of nicknames is one of Bek's trademarks, so I wasn't bothered by them as such. It's just that the A.J. does not come off, generally speaking, as a particularly snarky character. So the torrent of nicknames during battle does come a bit... off at this point in the evolution of the character. I expect that, as he gains experience and confidence, this will become one of his distinctive personality traits -- but he's not there yet.

Sir Lee wrote: Yeah, they have been shown in canon ("There's an Angel in Dickinson Cottage", "The Widening Gyre") working together to produce valuable mystical artifacts.

The snark and use of nicknames is one of Bek's trademarks, so I wasn't bothered by them as such. It's just that the A.J. does not come off, generally speaking, as a particularly snarky character. So the torrent of nicknames during battle does come a bit... off at this point in the evolution of the character. I expect that, as he gains experience and confidence, this will become one of his distinctive personality traits -- but he's not there yet.

Snark and sarcasm IS a coping mechanism, though, so we could attribute it to that

That narrows it down a bit Eldritch as she is the Artificer, Silver due to her ability to create Mithral but Seraphim???? Could the 3rd Maiden be a later arrival?

Boris Knokitov wrote: That narrows it down a bit Eldritch as she is the Artificer, Silver due to her ability to create Mithral but Seraphim???? Could the 3rd Maiden be a later arrival?

Seraphim IS the third maiden, that's what Sir Lee was saying. They've already appeared together in canon, all three of them, in part because Al Fayez theorized there would be some sort of mystical interaction when the three finally met. Unfortunately for him, the meeting was rather normal, all things considered.

As far as Seraphim's role in the trio? She's directly tied to the higher planes and able to draw on insane amounts of mystical energy for the purpose of enchanting and other magical effects.

You see a bit of the trio working together in Widening Gyre. What I found interesting was the comment that two of them graduated. Does that mean one of them is still at Whateley? I'm betting it's Caitlin, as she doesn't really have a home outside Whateley anymore. (I'd mention the protection that Whateley grants, but frankly all three of them would benefit from Whateley's protection, so that doesn't really narrow it down)

It was fun seeing Jadis and Lindsay again. Jadis looks like she's modeling herself on the White Witch, and Lindsay is an expert in dragons!

(My family has a running joke that it's easy to become an expert - all you need to do is find a sufficiently narrow field of study to be an expert in. Glad to see that Lindsay is following our strategy!)


Also, when AJ was singing her praises, he (unknowingly) left out that as an alumnus of Team Wondercute, she's a complete terror in combat. I can't wait for that combat final!

Arcanist Lupus wrote: You see a bit of the trio working together in Widening Gyre. What I found interesting was the comment that two of them graduated. Does that mean one of them is still at Whateley? I'm betting it's Caitlin, as she doesn't really have a home outside Whateley anymore. (I'd mention the protection that Whateley grants, but frankly all three of them would benefit from Whateley's protection, so that doesn't really narrow it down)

It was fun seeing Jadis and Lindsay again. Jadis looks like she's modeling herself on the White Witch, and Lindsay is an expert in dragons!

(My family has a running joke that it's easy to become an expert - all you need to do is find a sufficiently narrow field of study to be an expert in. Glad to see that Lindsay is following our strategy!)


Also, when AJ was singing her praises, he (unknowingly) left out that as an alumnus of Team Wondercute, she's a complete terror in combat. I can't wait for that combat final!

Ahh yes the Wondercute Merciless Confusion Stratagem, I have to wonder if Bardue's sanity survived for Jade's graduation...

So does this mean we'll be getting the rest of vamp soonish?

Kidding, loved the story, and looking forward to more AJ.

Yeah, if Diane is the Queen of the Infodump, Bek is the Empress of the Teasing -- she knows just how much info to give the readers to make us salivate for more.

But seriously, there's a lot of stuff mentioned in this story that probably happened either during the (currently interrupted) Spring Break story, or possibly during Jadis's summer. I really, really want to see that -- or those -- stories. I wonder if that includes Shadowmage's discovery that he has a son... and if we will get to see him attempting to explain how come he had an affair with a supervillainess.

By the way, Pixie's attitude towards the Witch Queen seemed more amused than jealous, so I don't think she and Shadowmage have that sort of relationship. Also, I wonder if Pixie was the "unnamed other superheroine" we saw beside Shadowmage back in "Sak's & Violence." Maybe she was just too new to have made it into Jadis' dossiers?

Sir Lee wrote: By the way, Pixie's attitude towards the Witch Queen seemed more amused than jealous, so I don't think she and Shadowmage have that sort of relationship. Also, I wonder if Pixie was the "unnamed other superheroine" we saw beside Shadowmage back in "Sak's & Violence." Maybe she was just too new to have made it into Jadis' dossiers?

I didn't see a description in Curse, but

Saks wrote: The one I didn’t make was the petite blonde in the light blue outfit who was flying with the assistance of the small hoard of glittering sparkles that she seemed to generate.

Curse wrote: She floated up with her sparkles so she was looking down at me.

and

Curse wrote: Pixie ‘bugle-called’ out as she flew out from the cover of the trees, leaving her trademark trail of sparkles,

So either Shadowmage has a sparkle fetish or it's likely the same person, and considering that in June 2007 Imp said this

Imp-perfect wrote: Shadowmage and that Pixie kid he had with him.

Saks was Feb 2007.

Boris Knokitov wrote: That was a BIT overdone.

Jadis as Frost is a nice touch. Is she a White or Grey Hat?
I'm trying to figure out the 3 Maidens-there's Eldrich, the girl who sweats Mithral and the last one escapes me.

My first thought was that the Three maidens are the three little witches. We all know that when thouse three finally manage to ignite their essence things are going to get interesting. Apperently so interesting that the fallout isn't contained to Whateley.

Though the bit about one of them not having graduated yet seems a little problematic seeing as we are talking ten years later. and they are supposed to be in junior high in 2006, so should have graduated around 2012 or so.

Just in case there's any doubt left, Eldritch, Seraphim, and Silver have already been referred to as the Three Maidens in story.

The Widening Gyre wrote: Jean-Armand snorted. “Because he knows better. I don’t get along with my father very much, but I DO respect the man – or, at least his cunning. Besides the difficulty in getting the Artificer away from Carson and Hartford, he knows that brokering black market mystic relics is one thing, but commanding things such as have been coming out of Eldritch’s workshop is a completely different matter. If word got out that we controlled the Three Maidens, the only thing keeping groups like the Sonnenorden or the Grand Hall from taking them away from us over our shattered bodies, would be that horrors like The Keeper or Verdigris or-” Jean-Armand made a gesture to avert evil, “-Baba Yaga beat them to us. My father knows the value of keeping a low profile.”

The Curse of the Dragon Queen comments
The last week of a school year and they assign them an essay like that, guess they've forgotten what it is like to be kids. Okay, what kind of people does this kid's parents work with that he has been under surveillance enough times to spot it so easily. Transit portals in the area, definitely dealing with big time players. Good sense of environment and quick planning, along with some athletics ability to get over even a low fence that quick, who is this kid.

And the people after him already cut off his planned means of escape, just how much is known about his father, how famous in the circles he runs is he. 12 portals in that spread of an area, dad must plan things out and have a lot of contingencies in place. Spreading chaos to slow down his pursuers, I pity the officers who have to deal with the fallout of all this. And he makes it to the transit portal in time, only to end up somewhere unexpected.

And it was all done by his mom just so she could him, ack! Witch Queen! Oh brother, it is AJ and his mom, I should have figured that out sooner. And fully spelled out how his mom's Witch Cult/Pyramid Scheme deal works, clever in truth. TANSTAAFL, who love to know what rule means in detail. And she modified it for modern times and who she is dealing with, adapting to changing circumstances and needs. Witch Queen is dangerous just for this alone. All those spells, minor in the scheme of things except for the Law of Balance, circumventing that in any way would make her not just dangerous, but diabolical.

Wait, superhero father and supervillain mother, AJ has a more complicated family life than I thought before. All the spells just change the caster's way of seeing the world, now that is something valuable. Oh god, she is the Oprah Winfrey of black magic, that is priceless. For a supervillaness, she has a good set-up; little to no fighting and just rack in the cash. Mobsters working with a witch coven pyramid scheme, that is just perfect for a world with superhumans and magic in it.

With her mindset, the Witch Queen would go nuttier than Jade at her worst within a week of trying to go straight. Poor AJ needs to talk with Jadis, if she is still around, she probably had to sit through more than a few speaks by daddy dearest. He broke in Dr. D's place at 6 to take a gem because he thought it was stolen from his mom. AJ was a badass even at six to survive everything that probably triggered. And Jadis helped his mom with info to take down the Purifier's captains and took the energy for herself.

A magic vampire! With the ability to store and share it, along with getting some back from those she shares it with as their power grows. No wonder she is such a threat. Half the super-powered community after little AJ, that gemstone must be a major artifact. Took a piece of an enemies power, synched it with her own field so both are stronger, and got around Exemplar 5 strength, toughness, and regen; if she gets any more dangerous she could take on Dr. D and fight to a draw at least.

A cat is repulsed by the memory of what happened to a bunch of dogs. Be afraid, be very afraid.

And now we get a glimpse into how scary the Witch Queen can be. She turned her covens into a bunch of trophy wife wannabes. And she gets much more magic out of it, that is genius. That many enchanted items and back-ups of each, she isn't kidding about rolling in magic. First the Delta Rho Theta sororities, tomorrow Wall Street! Now there is the part of the supervillain rant I was waiting for me. Have to conquer something.

She killed the vampire preying on one of her covens and trapped his consciousness inside his skull, brutal. Now you have me curious about what the Dragon Queen's history really is. All those supposed things and she has to use an illusion to look that hot. Warlock Knight and Lord Balefire, names right out of a comic book, would fit in as Doctor Strange foes. Great Quest, sounds like something out of a pen & paper fantasy RPG, wonder what it entails. Oh boy, turf war between supervillains, wonder how much collateral damage there will be.

Sending the ex after a threat to her powerbase, while giving reasons a politician would use; oh god, don't give her ideas about going into politics! And based on her comment about Rules of the Quest, guessing a Great Quest is some form of magic ritual requiring an actual quest but if completed gives a lot of power to the quest taker. From stern mom to June Cleaver in less than a second, that is scarier than her magic.

Super-genius like Lex Luthor, trained like Batman, and uses magic in place of tech; how in the world did the Witch Queen and him ever become married, even for a little while. Pixie, a sidekick with a sense of humor, wonder what kind of outfit she wears. It has to be a girl, calling a male sidekick Pixie would just be wrong. Oh boy, AJ got the bracelet on, if I recall the talk between him and his mom in The Road to Whateley, that is linked to how he got his powers.

Oh, I just love Pixie. Please say we will be seeing some more of her in future adventures with AJ, possibly even come to Whateley with his dad for Parent's Day. AJ has definitely been learning, both from being the kid of a superhero and supervillain but also at Westchester Montessori. Too many reasons for mommy dearest not to make a move. But you can't plan for the unpredictable. Is his dad a Baseline with a lot of training or just believes that his own mutant powers shouldn't be used as a crutch in place of training, planning, preparation, and discipline.

And AJ accidently got himself stuck going after DQ with dad and sidekick, mom isn't going to be happy. Batson Super-Sorcerer, ignoring some of the laws of magic, that is seriously bad. And nasty flakes are worse to deal with than masterminds, harder to predict and the collateral damage, ouch. Give me a mastermind any day over a nasty flake.

AJ figures out DQ's scheme and annoys dad in one go, hehehe. His dad has some connections to have gotten ahold of a map like that. An Ouroboros and it leads to the Jersey Pines, please say they aren't going to meet the Jersey Devil. Interesting facts, heard of the Jersey Pines and the Jersey Devil but never about its name by the tribe in the area meaning the Place of the Dragon or the Dutch name meaning Dragon's Stream. Certainly explains some of the strangeness and myths surrounding the area to this day.

In case you haven't noticed it, both of my parents are huge drama majors.

Bwahaha, poor AJ never had a chance of being a normal kid. And his dad is called the Shadowmage, dark, brooding, mysterious vibe from that name alone. Netrebnib, now there is a name you won't hear in a regular conversation. Targeting occultist who are being predatory, taking the money for their own crime-fighting needs, guess his dad isn't all black and white. Pixie aka Jen is 3" shorter than AJ and she is probably 16-18 at least. Lucky kid, getting a kiss from a cute girl. Even if she does just see him as a Squirt.

Just how many towns, private houses, farms, and businesses are in the New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve, sounds like more than just a few. Man, Manny is definitely an old-school nerd; not that most Trekkies would complain having a poster like that. Definitely a collector's item. That is a detailed cover story for each of them. And why is Hobb's Tree setting something off for me as well. Wait, isn't that place connected to the Jersey Devil legend?

The Occult is dangerous but I have a feeling Shadowmage is exaggerating at least a little. Ninja suits to try and make someone not trained in stealth and covert observation into an effective stealth spy. That just cries of slapstick comedy. Obvious agents, obvious disguised HQ, and yet a trapdoor in the security room; yeah, DQ isn't as big a a flake as first thought. Please let this be just one good insight mixed in with a bunch of flaky moves.

Those are some detailed codewords for the security protocols. And the goons figured out who they really were with Shadowmage caught, swarming them. AJ is good at running but this time I don't think he will get too far. And we know why AJ can move like he does, Dad probably taught him Parkour from the time he could walk. And the girl is going for the actual Hobb's Tree. Powerful mystical link to ley line, I think.

A glamour to trick him, guess DQ outfits her guys with all sorts of toys. Eyouch! Breaking the guy's arm on the crick, dad taught him a lot, no wonder AJ is so well trained even at 14. Struck out in the Pine Barrens, on his own without knowing if his dad and friends are safety, just waiting. AJ is a lot more level-headed than most people would be in a similar situation.

Dad or goon in disguise, probably the latter with AJ's luck lately. The details don't add up to it being his dad, not responding to his phone, how easy they could make a costume like Shadowmage's, if they were any more obvious they would call out to him.

Okay, that's as Dad as I can think without underwear that is too tight.

Bwahahaha!

AJ about to take down the fake and dad shows up to beat the hell out of the creep, plus taking the guy's mask off to show it isn't him. Definitely Batman-like. Hobb's Tree, the Devil's Tree. Guess and old, gnarled tree would make you think something sinister was connected to it. And it was a double imposter ploy, or they somehow have Shadowmage under mind control, probably the former.

AJ, never trust anyone unless you can confirm who they are, but seeing their face or hearing them speak. And a ton of minions, Lord Balefire and the big troublemaker herself, Dragon Queen. Purple energy blast, at least she is going with a theme. Trying to cut his hand off at the wrist, only for AJ to reverse it and get one of the "ninjas" killed, now there is a move for the highlight reel. Boy, they had the full assortment of grenades in their utility belts. Firing at them will slow the minions, but I would keep running with Lord Balefire and DQ on his tail.

Yay for dad to the rescue! Lord Balefire is named Lawrence, no wonder he is a supervillain, all the Lawrence of Arabia teasing as a kid drove him to it. Dang, now that is a spell I would love to know, swarm of bats to bind your foes in snares, anchored to the ground. +10 amulet of bitch smacking-down, AJ is good at coming up with names on the fly. Warlock Knight rides on a cloud like something out of Dragonball, the image of a dangerous knight riding on a small cloud is just too funny. I hate it when supervillains work better as a team than some superheroes we've read about in previous stories. Only because they are a pain to deal with.

"Yadda-danda-danda-DA! CHARGE!"

Bwahahaha, Pixie is just too perfect. Light-bursts that can disrupt magic, very nice. Used DQ's own attack against her ally, priceless. LB can summon more knights like him!?!As if the odds weren't already bad. I think LB cares more about eliminating threats than if his own men get caught in his attack, bad idea though.

Who are the two new players on your side, glad they came. Wait a minute, silvery transparent wall, why does that seem familiar or at least similar to something a character we know uses. An attack that buffs your allies! Lord Balefire was a geek when he was younger and played MMORGPs! Swordswoman and Shieldmaiden taunting DQ, oh I love superheroes who don't take it too seriously. Wile E. Coyote oh no here it comes again' pose, couldn't have been more perfect than if DQ had pulled out a tiny umbrella to try and block the coming attack.

A fight between superheroes and villains and AJ pulls out a digital video camera to put it on YouTube, priceless. Talking to his mom could get him charged with Aiding and Abetting, his dad is way too harsh. Yikes! Shadowmage is scary effective. Even if Shieldmaiden's shield went down, at least LB's knights are down as well. Illusion decoys, a classic for a reason. Darn, the tug of war failed to stop DQ from her prize. How did she get it off when no one else could?

Wait, the peach/ball things aren't part of LB's powers? So they are crafted summons ready to be released. DQ summoned a freaking dragon!?! She is a flake, if she thinks she can tame that thing. At least Pixie was only stunned, so either glancing blow, thing isn't as strong as it looks, or Pixie is a lot tougher than I thought. DQ whining about wanting revenge, good grief, she is a flake. Oh brother, they are all flakes and had some alchemist make paste substitutes for their power gems and other things. What the!?! They made the dragon explode, they have no idea what they are doing.

And the plan worked, poor Shieldmaiden taking the brunt of the attack. Figures LB was going to double-cross DQ, doesn't seem like the kind of guy who likes to share power. And all because she went with WK when they were locked and dumped LB. I think AJ is misreading the situation, I hope so and wonder why Pixie is so upset at Shadowmage. LB intent no killing his rival to get back at DQ for spurning him, talk about petty.

Witch Queen shows up and bullet to the back of LB's helmet, he is lucky to be unconscious instead of dead. Figures she wants to send a message and get the item for herself. Chaotic battle and everyone after the big jewel thing, only to have Duke shoot it and cause it to break, way to go Duke. Gah! His dad really is Batman with magic. And AJ gets dragged into it again by having the jewel. Virgin sacrifice! DQ is dead meat, she wouldn't have anywhere to hide if she killed their son.

The dragon went inside him, shocking DQ, and the flake thinks she can recover by telling AJ what to do. She is starting to give me a headache with her idiocy.

So I popped the bitch one on the mouth.

Oh, to be there and see the shock look on her face when that happened. And so this is how he got his powers, wonder why the dragon went into him, unusual type of avatar that absorbed it or something else entirely.

Yay! Jadis is alive and well in G2. And still has the personality we know and love. The custody battle was so bad it drove a man to a monastery, dang. Jadis uses the last name Frost now, did she finally find out who her mom was, wonder what happened since we last saw her. And she still outfits herself with a lot of subtle gear most would think are ordinary. WK loose and planning to free DQ, while she thinks the dragon inside AJ is her property, ugh. A mess waiting to happen.

Great, they need a lawyer to write up an agreement for them as mom and dad can't work well together. So Smokey came from the shattered crystal shards, was wondering about that. Lindsay is alive and well in G2, 2 more to the ranks of G1 characters confirmed alive and well in G2. If Lindsey can synch in the transit gates she can definitely grown in magical skill. Not a surprise, she always seemed like a hard worker. Figures dad doesn't like getting more mutants involved.

God, if you're listening, when the time comes, I want one of THOSE!

Lindsey has grown into a fine woman, bet any guy who didn't give her the time of day at Whateley are kicking themselves now. Marmalade cat, guess she figured out how to disguise Pern. So cute seeing Jadis and Lindsey together again. Now I see why he gets called AJ and Lex, parents giving him different names to try and assert who is the main parent.

Poor Smokey, scared of Pern. And we get a full explanation of what Pern is. Dragon manifestation power which has remained stable for years, if destroyed would lose years of personalization; I can see why she treat Pern like her child. Even a dragon the size of a St. Bernard dog is dangerous.

Smokey has a sword form, with a blade with a monomolecular edge, tough, and flexible, dang. G2 has someone with a dangerous sword, the tradition continues. A variant of his mom's power in the form of Dragonfire, along with absorption of projected magic, Circe is going to be very interested in being part of studying his powers.

And mom is shocked by how much it cost to go to Whateley, probably shock even the people who only graduated from there around 6 years ago. WQ is horrified at the cost of Whateley, just how much does it cost for the rich kids!?! Ouch, all those things working against AJ for tuition cost. So that is why there are only a few on campus in G1 for magic teachers, at least form what we've seen.

Easy to figure out who the Three Maidens are, Silver, Eldritch, and Seraphim, since they had started working together making mystical items. Their combined talents would definitely create custom orders that no one else can match. Wait, their Junior year was EPIC; that isn't for 2 years in G1! Now we have to wait and see it for ourselves, the torture!

Okay, it was worth it to see Shadowmage's face go pale and him make a sick noise. At least the 1st year is the most expensive, hope they can handle it between them. Working against her rivals and the covens that turned toxic by sending her ex after them, WQ definitely knows how to game the system.

Bwahahaha, ah, that is the Jadis we know and love, increased the cost by 5 to get his parents to work together. After all that and his dad still gets on him to finish his homework, they may be many things but his mom and dad are normal parents in that way. Can't wait to read the further adventures of AJ.

Arcanist Lupus wrote: Just in case there's any doubt left, Eldritch, Seraphim, and Silver have already been referred to as the Three Maidens in story.

The Widening Gyre wrote: Jean-Armand snorted. “Because he knows better. I don’t get along with my father very much, but I DO respect the man – or, at least his cunning. Besides the difficulty in getting the Artificer away from Carson and Hartford, he knows that brokering black market mystic relics is one thing, but commanding things such as have been coming out of Eldritch’s workshop is a completely different matter. If word got out that we controlled the Three Maidens, the only thing keeping groups like the Sonnenorden or the Grand Hall from taking them away from us over our shattered bodies, would be that horrors like The Keeper or Verdigris or-” Jean-Armand made a gesture to avert evil, “-Baba Yaga beat them to us. My father knows the value of keeping a low profile.”

Sorry for going off topic for the moment.

I recently ran across a book that featured a lot of references to Baba Yaga, and it seems while she's very powerful, and nasty, she's also the go to girl for heros looking for heavy duty magical help. All you have to do is fulfill an impossible quest to get a wish from her. Yeah, right.

She's also the faculty adviser in dark magic for Ever After High. They even have her hut on hen's legs. everafterhigh.wikia.com/wiki/Baba_Yaga

All this is leading up to me suggesting she'd be a wonderful character to add to the Faculty for Generation Two.

Back to our story.

Wonderful, will make AJ so much more interesting now that we know a bit of his background and origin.

Bad that we get all these teasers and old farts like me are going to have to wonder if we're going to live long enough to see them fleshed out.

I so very, very, much want to see the adventures of Six year old AJ in the first generation.

I liked this one. Lots of background explaining stuff. I kind of thought there was a scene missing though, with AJ and the amulet. Also, the Witch Queen never seems to have heard of binders but I'll accept that as part of plot.

One minor timing problem I had with the story was the earlier involvement of Jadis (the Gorias stone). AJ is 14-15 here (2016) so the stone affair would have happened around 2007-2008. Wouldn't Jadis still have been at Whateley in that timeframe?

I rate this story at 4 out of 5 mad cackles.

Now, about that seafood . . .

Echo wrote: One minor timing problem I had with the story was the earlier involvement of Jadis (the Gorias stone). AJ is 14-15 here (2016) so the stone affair would have happened around 2007-2008. Wouldn't Jadis still have been at Whateley in that timeframe?

She would have been in New York City with Jobe and the others around that time in the currently unfinished Diamond's Are a Vamp's Best Fried.

-head shake- I love the Witch Queen spelling out her pyramid scheme. It makes it so much easier to incorporate it into fan fictions.