Heroica RPG - Quest #38: The Lost Party

[CorneliusMurdock]

Cronk thanks Alexis. Cronk will be sure to return part of Ennoc to Ennoc once Cronk get back to Eubric.

Cronk does not believe Cronk has had pleasure of meeting Sir Poletad. Cronk has heard of Frog Paladins, though. Cronk knows that Cronk not able to understand Poletad but Cronk knows most animals can understand basic even without being able to speak it.

Hello, fellow servant of light. Cronk finds it real pleasure to meet Sir Poletad. Cronk only wishes it were under better circumstances. Like after victoriously defeating Wren.

[Peppermint_M]

"Uh... Hi Frog." Tesni was indifferent. She was eager to get back and prepare for Wren's return, the shield would need smithing and her blade could do with a buff. Also the earlier injury to her face was begining to cause her concern, the wyrd magics of darkness and the power of the devine light had not mixed well...

[Scorpiox]

Haldor looked up with a remarkably cheerful expression as he greeted the Wren-fighters, but became more serious as they discussed what had happened.

"Felton, Hans, Poletad, it is good to meet you once again. I trust that we find you well and in good health? I heard of what happened in Dastan, it sounds as though you were lucky to get out of that one. I've been through a few scrapes myself, nearly lost Jess, but it was all right in the end. But Gods be praised, there is much we have to tell you right now."

The Nord produced his orb once again, and held it up to the sun, fascinated by its sifting and ever changing shape.

"Arthur has filled you in greater than I ever could, but it will suffice for me to say that we found her here, and in greater spirits than ever. She knew that we would come here, and made sure that she was also when we slew the beast. We can not hope to think what she may be planning, now that she has the amulet, but I know that we must be there to stop her before she can unleash whatever darkness she holds. I have here the esscence of Zoot in this plaything, and it acts as a reminder to me of what we must never allow to spread. I hope that I will be there when it all happens, when we bring down the witch once and for all."

[Zepher]

OoC: Right you are, Peppy!

Felton sighs. "I figured we may be too late. But that is just the way things are with Wren. I am certain that you tried your best, heroes."

"Arthur, I too have heard about you. It is a pleasure. After you left Dastan, and I was freed, Hans, Poletad and I stayed around to help clean things up. Phil sends his greetings to you all, and any others who served in Dastan. The prophet Ella asked me to say hello to Atramor and Tarn in particular. I would appreciate it if you carried my message from her to them." Felton grins. "Always so complicated."

"Heroes, I cannot say that I expected you to succeed. Ella had one final vision, right before we left Dastan, and she came to see the three of us, and warn us what was to come. She told us Wren would surely descend on Eubric. I was not surprised. Did any of us truly believe that it would end before then? She has defeated us at every turn. We have played into her exact plan. Could we expect this bout to be different?"

"So Wren will come to Eubric. She will not try to trick us. She has no plan for us. She expects us to rise up against her, and we shall. It comes down to this, heroes. The lines are drawn. There will be no more lies. It comes down to us defeating her, or her defeating us. She will do what she can, and we will do the same, and that is how it will end. No other way for anything to end, really."

"Felton, Poletad and I will be there. Can't say I'm sorry to see the trickery gone. We'll take that woman down."

<Tell both Arthur and Cronk I say hello! Arthur is an old friend of mine, though I hope he's okay, he's just speaking gibberish right now!! Think his brain was scrambled?! Hope not! Cronk... is a name of legend when you travel with Felton and Hans! Man, I wish I had been there to see that first fight with Wren!! I was just a tadpole at the time!>

"And you won't go it alone. Triad, Bal and I will be there. We will all go make arrangements... we are all aware that we might not make it out."

"I'll be making a quick run back to Haddon to put everything in order, just in case. I'll meet you in Eubric. Here is the gold I promised you, heroes. We'll all be seeing each other soon. Prepare yourselves. Rally the troops."

The Party

Haldor Skovgaard

Level 20 Shaman

*Immune to Weakened*

Power:

32

Defense:

2

Health:

37/37

Ether:

23/28

Gold:

425

(Owed 50 from Elgar Gligin (Jedi Master Brick), (Owes 33 to Dyric Rone (The Legonater)

Equipment:

Heavy Metal Rod (WP:12,

Light

and

Water

elemental), Pugilist's Gloves (+2 Power,

Weakened

Immunity).

Inventory:

Bear Claw Gloves (WP:8, SP:+2), Ethereal Cloak (SP:+2, +4 Ether), Paper Doll (

Hexed

immunity), Scroll of Blindness (

Blinded

effect), Shovel, Pickaxe, Diamond of Thoric, Bluehood's Aquamarine, Emerald Lamp of Summoning, Health Core, Potion (x3), Remedy, Mead, Phoenix Essence, Zoot's Plaything, Nostrum, Soma

Arthur Justus Regulus VII

Level 17 1/2 Sorcerer

*Immune to Sealed*

Power:

26

Health:

27/27

Ether:

11/27

Defense:

3

Gold:

539

(Owes

4

44

124 Gold to Alf (Bricksandparts) and

50 gold to Bartholomew Docken (Brickdoctor)

debt entrusted to Boomingham)

Equipment:

Cat-o'-Nine-Tails (WP:9;

damage divided between all enemies, suitable for rogues

), Robe of the Archmagi (SP:3, Max Ether +5, Immune to Sealed), Ancient Crown (First successful strike of battle deals

Cursed

effect, borrowed from Atramor Gibbin)

Inventory:

Sir Roderick’s Sword (WP: 12, Darkness Elemental, Long Sword), Staff of the Cultist Battlemage (WP: 7;

50% chance of Fleeing upon being KO'd; suitable for Mages and Clerics

), Healing Staff (WP:5;

heals instead of damaging

), Opal (

Ice

), Amethyst (

Darkness

), Topaz (

Lightning

), Bedroll, Telescope, Scroll of Blindness, Scroll of Sealing, Scroll of Confusion, Scroll of Sleep, Scroll of Frailty, Shovel, Grand Tonic, Holy Bomb, Remedy, Nostrum

Alexis Fenral

Level 23

*Hastened*

*Immune to Fragile*

Power:

34

Defense:

3

Health:

36/36

Ether:

10/24

Gold:

342

GP:

3

Equipment:

Mockthril Longbow (WP:11, ranged), Quickdraw Quiver (permanent hastened-effect), Lieutenant's Helmet (SP:3, protects from fragile)

Inventory:

Flute of the Magi (WP:3, asleep-effect), Staff of Ennon - (WP: 5, Light Elemental, Restores 2 ether on a roll of 2,3, or 4), Opal (

Ice

), Topaz (

Lightning

), Ruby (

Fire

), Aquamarine (

Water

), Amethyst (

Darkness

), Diamond (

Light

), Tonic, Grand Tonic, Milk, 2 Meads, Venom, Smoke Bomb, Fire Bomb, Pickaxe, Shovel, Bedroll, Magic Compass, Magnifying Glass, Potion, Holy Bomb, 2 Remedies, Nostrum, Soma, Splinter of Ennoc (Artifact, Accessory, User Perma-Blessed, Requires Light Weapon)

Spirits:

Skorpios

(Amethyst),

Ocven the Ice Dragon

(Opal),

Shalma the Thunderbird

(Topaz),

Sarp Zarra

(Aquamarine),

Mandy

(Ruby),

????

(Diamond)

Cronk

Level 24 Paladin

Power

: 36

Defense:

14

Health:

33/44

Ether:

12/27

Gold:

415

Equipment:

Beast Skewer (Lance; WP: 12, Ice), Ennoc's Blessing (Shield, SP: 8), Elaborate Helmet (SP: 2), Paladin's Armour (Suitable for Paladins, +4 SP, +2 Max Ether)

Inventory:

Zoot's Bane (Suitable only for Cronk; WP: 12,

Light

), Sword of Bashing (Longsword; WP:5), Healing Staff (WP: 5; healing effect), Heavy Armor (SP:6, Power -6), Blacksmith Writ, Bedroll, Holy Bomb, Nostrum, Soma

Tesni Hightribe

Level 25 2/3 Berserker

Power

: 46

Defence

: 11

Health

: 45/45

Gold

: 855

Equipped

: Dryw ar Zoot (WP:14, Light, longsword), Bone Claws (WP:3, SP:2), Mockthril Shield (SP:5), Dragon Bone Armor (SP:4)(+2 max health)

Inventory

: Cysgodion (WP: 11, Darkness, greatsword), Mellt (Warhammer, Lightning, Ice (WP:10), Spiked Club (WP:8), Cryfder (WP:6), Emerald (Wood), 2 Potions, Remedy, 2 Meads, 5 Venoms, Nostrum, Smoke Bomb, Minimizing Dust, Holy Bomb, Soma, Phoenix Essence, Sir Roderick’s Shield (SP: 6, Immunity to Afraid)

The Quest is Successful!

Epilogue Part I

"Captain McColt, wait!"

"Yes, Arthur?"

"Will you be traveling through Newharbour on your way back to Haddon?"

"Indeed."

"I'd...I'd like to visit the library you spoke of. There are some questions I'd like to have answered. Knowledge I need to acquire...and I would not mind a look around Haddon as well, perhaps follow the steps of Tensi and the others. Would you object to a traveling companion along the road?"

"Then come along, don't dawdle."

---Thirteen years earlier...--

"MOMMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Shh, shh...it's OK, sweetheart."

"I had a horrible nightmare, there was an Orc, a talking teddy bear, a creepy white-skinned thing with a scary face, and a bunch of scary people with weapons, and they were being watched by this REALLY scary calm lady with black hair. They were all evil and killed everything they saw, and then the one with the blue hat looked at me, and it was me! I was evil and scary and mean! It was so, so awful..."

"It's all right, Arthur, it was..." the woman hesitates. "It was...a dream. That's a...there's nothing you need to worry about. Go back to sleep."

"But what if the dream comes back?"

Arthur's mother glances toward the shadows at the other end of the room, then faces her boy once more. "It won't, sweetie."

"You promise?"

Another glance. "...Yes, Arthur. I promise."

As soon as the boy is asleep, his mother walks away into the shadows. There, someone else is waiting, her posture betraying her concern.

"So..."

"Yes. He has his mother's gift."

"Her burden, you mean."

"I wouldn't know. Our people are not connected to the Etherial realm."

"This is not of the Ether. Few can see the future, even among the Zeigfrieds. Only a chosen few posess a connection to the spirit pools..."

"Valentine--if he's going to have to live with this, he needs to know."

"No. My family has ghosts you know nothing of. Why did you think the boy's father draws me so? An escape, where I am not haunted by the spectres of the past. Trust me, he's better off not dealing with all that."

"...I'll assume--for now--that you have Arthur's best interests at heart. What you and my husband do is your business, our marriage isn't about love, hasn't been for a long time. But you gave me this child to raise. He's as good as my son now, and if you hurt him--"

"Believe me, Allana" the woman says sadly, "this way hurts him much, much less."

---The Present. Eubric Freeport. Sunrise.---

"I'm coming, my love. We'll be together soon."

Epilogue Part II

"Temple, quit your stirring. I will be there soon."

[Scorpiox]

But as the heroes trudged off back to familiar lands, another vision cracked the air...

---About fifteen years ago, in the Nordic village of Tholtenfolst---

"...come on Haldor, don't be a coward. I'm counting on you for this one, don't let me down."

Standing in a dank street of a wintery village, were two young Vikings. One was a bright and tall youth with a cocky smile, and the other was a nervous-looking red-haired boy, both were deep in hushed conversation. There was nobody around.

"I don't know Leif, it sounds dangerous, and what if we get caught?"

"We won't, trust me. And besides, what is the point of life if not for a little adventure? Surely you must have some courage inside you."

"But Leif, you know what happened last time, I can't risk it, I don't want to risk it."

"Haldor, you're such a baby. How are you ever going to be a proper Nord warrior if you can't even do this? Fine, if I can't rely on you, I'll just have to go and get some of my friends then, won't I?"

Almost immeadiately, the young Haldor began to look panicked and fraught.

"No no, please don't! Not them, not here! Please Leif, don't bring them here. I'll do it, I'll be brave, I promise!"

"Ha ha, you are so predictable. I knew you'd come round to my way of thinking in the end. Shall we get this over with then? Thanks a bun.."

Both of the young men turned in shock and stopped dead at the arrival of another passer in their back-alley. She was a broad and muscular young woman, a few years older than Haldor and Leif with flowing blonde hair, her pretty face offset by a stern and petulant expression. She was someone clearly used to getting her way.

"...hello boys, what are you doing out here, shouldn't you be in the hall?"

Haldor's face began to turn a shade of red as vivid as his hair, as he managed to get off a few awkward stammers.

"He-hey g-g-Gerdur. We, erm, were just, um..."

"...getting a breath of fresh air, it was his idea. You know what Haldor is like with large groups of people, gets all jumpy, I had to take him out. I didn't want to be stuck with him if he wet himself in front of the elders."

"No, that is, I mean, it isn't-wasn't like that. I, um." Haldor shut his mouth before any more words could embarass him, the prescence of the young lady was effecting him quite drastically. He fixed his eyes firmly on the iced floor.

"So, I should ask you the same question. How, erm, how much did you hear?"

"Enough. Enough for me to go straight to the hall now and put a stop to your little schemes."

"But..."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Oh really? You seem so sure, maybe I should just go now and see what your father thinks..."

"Okay, fine, I get it. What the hell do you want anyway?"

"I want in on your little plan, and I also want you to show some respect for me, like little Haldor here does."

Haldor tried to look up at Gerdur, but found himself riveted on the spot.

"Wha, erm, how, err. Gerdur, maybe, um. I'd be h-happy to, ugh."

"Don't you worry your little head, you just tell me what exactly it is you've been getting up to, and we'll get along fine."

"You mean you were lying?! Haldor, don't tell her anything."

Haldor looked from Leif to Gerdur like a timid sheep, unable to decide what to do. But at that moment, Gerdur herself stepped forward toward the now red with embarrassment Haldor, so close that he couldn't help but take in the warm feeling of her body and her plain scent. It didn't take long for him to positively crumple before the attractive girl's influence, and spill the details of all the plans, while Leif could do nothing but look on with his head in his hands.

"Thank you very much Haldor, it all sounds very interesting indeed. How about you two go and show me right now what you've been finding at the shrine, and no-one else will have to know about this."

"Now you've done it. Gods Haldor, can't you ever just man-up?"

-fin-

Edited September 28, 2012 by Scorpiox