Ariel is coming up on her initiation in the Whores Guild. Sometimes characters have a mind of their own. I had planned a relatively short initiation scene, followed by a lunch where some of the characters get together to celebrate and explore what it all means.
But the characters had a mind of their own. It's a huge transition for Ariel, something that she's been working toward for almost half a month in game.
And if she's going to be initiated, someone's got to do the initiating. It's someone we've met before, but not someone who has gotten a lot of time in front of the reader.
So, I started thinking more about back story. And thinking about the ritual.
What is a big powerful sex magic transition ritual going to be like in this world? Well, it's going to be kind of scary, putting all that power into a single ritual. And a mage who can initiate an entire class of trainees is going to have some interesting challenges to face.
And so, I realized that Ariel will soon face one of the most powerful aspects of her guild. And it's not going to be easy.
By this point in the story, I think we all know what happens when Ariel faces something that isn't easy. She looks at it, considers for a bit and says "Charge!"
And one of these days she's going to charge ahead and fall flat on her face. Will it be today?
We'll find out in chapter 19.