Heroica RPG - Quest #139: Around the World

[The Legonater]

I understand fully, and while I have trepidation, I think the matter is clear. Hope, I knew your brothers, and I fought Wren. Your power is something eldritch, and I am will admit that horrifies me. I will allow this ritual, only because there's something out there that scares me more.

I step forward.

I'm not sure what all you know of this, so I will make this clear. Matthias had a vision on our quest, and what he saw was unnerving. Regret, Hope's brother, is dead. He, along with two of his kind, were overpowered and killed by something we can only describe as a 'Darkness'. This Darkness has drank from the Fountain of Youth. I don't know what bringing back Passion will unleash, but this Darkness is something far worse. Daneeka seems to believe with Passion back, we may have a chance of defeating it. That's enough for me.

[Flipz]

"Enough babble." The Mother turns to the heroes. "I understand your fears. I understand that most of you have met at least one of my brothers, if not both. So let me assuage any of your final fears before we move forward. I am the Mother of Hope, the Third and Final of the Old Gods. What do you still fear about bringing my brother Passion back from the other side? Hoke? Guts? Dyric? What questions do you still have?"

Arthur's mouth gapes, and he grows weak at the knees, as suddenly a great many pieces fall into place for him. "So that's why Amarcolm thought you'd be supportive of the idea...I must admit, I had been hoping to meet you since the night Passion--"

I understand fully, and while I have trepidation, I think the matter is clear. Hope, I knew your brothers, and I fought Wren. Your power is something eldritch, and I am will admit that horrifies me. I will allow this ritual, only because there's something out there that scares me more.

I step forward.

I'm not sure what all you know of this, so I will make this clear. Matthias had a vision on our quest, and what he saw was unnerving. Regret, Hope's brother, is dead. He, along with two of his kind, were overpowered and killed by something we can only describe as a 'Darkness'. This Darkness has drank from the Fountain of Youth. I don't know what bringing back Passion will unleash, but this Darkness is something far worse. Daneeka seems to believe with Passion back, we may have a chance of defeating it. That's enough for me.

"Wait, the megabluck?! Dead?!?" Arthur looks around, spooked, until he manages to lock eyes with Melquiades, at which point he calms slightly; Miirym moves subtly closer to Arthur, shielding his back with her own body. "Are we sure this is a vision of past or present, or could it be a warning, a portent of the future? The Master of Regret is no friend of mine, no offense to you Mother, but the thought of him killed..."

Arthur looks back to Hope. "The vision I shared with Hybros. You were there, with a great blue Dragon, getting rid of the Vault of the First Breath, trying to do so before something else could claim it. That was real, wasn't it? But that was...so long ago. Ages. Millennia. When the Aoi of Xu were a newborn race. Was it the same Darkness that plagues us now? If so, why has it returned? And why now?"

"<Melquades,>" Miirym suddenly asks. "<The 'bad energy' in the Ice Room...is it this 'Darkness' Dyric speaks of?>"

[JimBee]

Hybros looked around the room at the collection of people, some of which were his closest friends and allies. Some he wasn't sure about.

"Last favor, my friend, and no objections can be swept under the rug. The unknown is frightening for us all, especially those who must face it soon. Exciting, but frightening."

He grinned, and shook his head. "There is no end to adventure with you, Guffington." Perhaps there was another world beyond, in the Void, or somewhere in between, full of secrets and people and new things to discover. Maybe not for Guffington.

"Enough babble." The Mother turns to the heroes. "I understand your fears. I understand that most of you have met at least one of my brothers, if not both. So let me assuage any of your final fears before we move forward. I am the Mother of Hope, the Third and Final of the Old Gods. What do you still fear about bringing my brother Passion back from the other side? Hoke? Guts? Dyric? What questions do you still have?"

Hybros did a double take, and scanned the purported Old God. He gingerly poked the were-eagle to make sure it was real. "This is the first time I have seen one of the Old Gods. I do not doubt your power, but forgive me, ehehm... I was not expecting someone so... real. Heheh."

I step forward.

I'm not sure what all you know of this, so I will make this clear. Matthias had a vision on our quest, and what he saw was unnerving. Regret, Hope's brother, is dead. He, along with two of his kind, were overpowered and killed by something we can only describe as a 'Darkness'. This Darkness has drank from the Fountain of Youth. I don't know what bringing back Passion will unleash, but this Darkness is something far worse. Daneeka seems to believe with Passion back, we may have a chance of defeating it. That's enough for me.

"The darkness... and how did you come to find this out, Dyric? If the other Old God is dead as well, then what good will bringing Passion back do? We would need them both to truly restore balance, as Guffington and company have said. Right?" He eyed Daneeka questioningly, and then glanced over at Chauncey, afraid that he might get an answer even worse than he first expected.

Arthur looks back to Hope. "The vision I shared with Hybros. You were there, with a great blue Dragon, getting rid of the Vault of the First Breath, trying to do so before something else could claim it. That was real, wasn't it? But that was...so long ago. Ages. Millennia. When the Aoi of Xu were a newborn race. Was it the same Darkness that plagues us now? If so, why has it returned? And why now?"

"<Melquades,>" Miirym suddenly asks. "<The 'bad energy' in the Ice Room...is it this 'Darkness' Dyric speaks of?>"

Hybros nodded, silent but confirming Arthur's recollection and questions.

"I also saw the same dragon in the vision I shared with Vipera in Dastan, I think. It gave life and intelligence to the dragons that live today, because before they were just beasts." He thought for a moment on Louis' request. "There was also this darkness that Dyric spoke of. Like in our vision, Arthur, the home of dragons fell from the heavens because of it. And three witches... I am not sure of their intent. I met one of them, long ago on my quest to find my people. It shared visions of the past with us, and some answered many of my questions." He looked to Daneeka again, and over to Guffington and Hope as well. "What more can you tell us about these witches?"

[Flipz]

Hybros nodded, silent but confirming Arthur's recollection and questions.

"I also saw the same dragon in the vision I shared with Vipera in Dastan, I think. It gave life and intelligence to the dragons that live today, because before they were just beasts." He thought for a moment on Louis' request. "There was also this darkness that Dyric spoke of. Like in our vision, Arthur, the home of dragons fell from the heavens because of it. And three witches... I am not sure of their intent. I met one of them, long ago on my quest to find my people. It shared visions of the past with us, and some answered many of my questions." He looked to Daneeka again, and over to Guffington and Hope as well. "What more can you tell us about these witches?"

Miirym appears mildly miffed. "<Not to diminish the seriousness of this moment, but I should like to state for the record how unfair it seems that the two of you have seen this great ancestral Dragon while I have not. I am most envious of you both.>" The motivation behind Miirym's mutterings is revealed as Arthur allows himself a slight smile. Miirym seems pleased with her successful efforts to raise his spirits, however slightly.

[The Legonater]

Everything I know about the Darkness and its attack on Regret came from Matthias' vision. Perhaps he can explain it in clearer words than I.

Edited January 14, 2016 by The Legonater

[StickFig]

Matthias finds himself abruptly facing a wall instead of Zeus's booth. The gnome, miffed at finding himself whisked through time and space in the middle of an interesting business negotiation, annoyed that everyone else seems to think Rone or maybe Holla has had the visions, frustrated that even Rone hasn't understood what the gnome had tried to communicate from those visions, infuriated at once again finding that the quest as accepted by the Veterans was a twisted fabrication, outraged at finding himself in a room with Lord Chauncey, and insulted at the Mother's tone, turns to face the assembly as Rone invokes him. He speaks to the assassin in a low voice, loud enough that the others can hear, but with a note of ...something soft, perhaps compassion or friendship, that they can tell is meant only for the assassin. "You are mistaken, Master Dyric. I did not see the Master of Regret die; in my vision I died, and others who I believed to be of the same kind of beings as Regret. The bodies of the Darkness - the Shadows - I do not know their name; I only know that they drank of the Fountain as it, and I, fell to our world."

Raising his voice to address the assembly, the gnome removes its softness and the others can now hear an edge of anger, though it is obvious Matthias knows this to be impotent. "I am called Matthias;" he begins, "some of you may not know that. I am a gnome; some of you may not have known that. I am the chosen carrier of the Anvil of Orrik, for whatever that is worth; I do not claim to understand it. I do not know who all of you are, and frankly I do not much care what is Master Gerald's last wish, or Lord Chauncey's clear path. Lord Chauncey knows that in my estimation he rates only as a narcissist and murderer, albeit a sage and powerful one, and Master Gerald, you and your employees - do you call Master U'Or and Doctor Daneeka friends? - have proven yourselves untruthful by the very fact that you hid from us the true nature of our quest. Lady Hope - forgive me, I am not acquainted with your proper title - it is interesting to me that you cast this fear of the future as a folly of the mortals; should it not be we who are ageless who have much more to fear?" His voice drips with sarcasm. "Your lack of respect for that which you believe to be beneath you is truly endearing as a first impression."

Shutting his eyes for a moment, the druid steadies himself in and against the swirling eddies of ether flowing through him and continues to direct his words to the Mother. "If you are of the Old Gods, pray tell us what you are; and explain to us the darkness, the shadows - surely you know that which destroyed your world? What are these artifacts we have collected, and how are they significant to the resurrection of your brother, God of Passion?" Something clicks in Matthias' mind, and he can't help but say, "Will your magic bring back his body? Do you intend to forge him a new one on the Anvil? Will you give him Master Gerald's, as a dying wish?" Fully expecting to be ignored - not an unusual feeling for a gnome - Matthias' tirade continues to rise into his mind and tumble out of his mouth. "Did your people create these objects? To what end? Did you also create the Darkness? Have you learned wisdom or compassion in your many years?" He searches the faces of his fellow Heroes, desperate for a spark of anything that will make sense of their situation. "What do we of Heroica know of these Old Gods? I know nothing but despair from them; tell me that there is something more?" Finding Lady Purpearl's eyes, the gnome is momentarily startled - he hadn't seen the elf since the party split up at Guffington's manor - but his gaze pleads with her, the only truly familiar face in the crowd.

[Purpearljellyblob]

Where'd you hear about this place anyway?"

"Why wouldn't I? What are your prices and what can you do?"

Edited January 14, 2016 by Purpearljellyblob

[Scubacarrot]

At first, the Marauder raises an eyebrow at Matthias words, but then finds himself nodding along to what the gnome says. "The man raises good points. Answers are due. What are you, what exactly are we doing?"

"Hm, ten mushrooms?" Zeus roots around in his chest. "That is too much, my friend. I have suppliers just like anyone else, and just because we can warp things to each other doesn't mean they magically appear haha! So I'm afraid, if I'm hoping to maintain relations with other potential customers, the most I can give you is four!" The electrical elemental does whatever his equivalent of blushing is once more. "But for such a loyal customer, and for one I have to disappoint, I will gladly throw a fifth in for free. And the Mail should be no trouble what-so-ever."

"Fine. Three scrolls, 5 mushrooms, one piece of armour, for 2499 gold and the crystal ball."

Edited January 14, 2016 by Scubacarrot

[UsernameMDM]

"Enough babble." The Mother turns to the heroes. "I understand your fears. I understand that most of you have met at least one of my brothers, if not both. So let me assuage any of your final fears before we move forward. I am the Mother of Hope, the Third and Final of the Old Gods. What do you still fear about bringing my brother Passion back from the other side? Hoke? Guts? Dyric? What questions do you still have?"

"I will just say I haven't had pleasant experiences with gods, old or new, necromancers and necromancy, and mysterious powers lately," Hoke says,"But we will see what happens at this point I guess."

Edited January 14, 2016 by UsernameMDM

[Zepher]

I'm not sure what all you know of this, so I will make this clear. Matthias had a vision on our quest, and what he saw was unnerving. Regret, Hope's brother, is dead. He, along with two of his kind, were overpowered and killed by something we can only describe as a 'Darkness'. This Darkness has drank from the Fountain of Youth. I don't know what bringing back Passion will unleash, but this Darkness is something far worse. Daneeka seems to believe with Passion back, we may have a chance of defeating it. That's enough for me.

Hope's beak tightens.

"That which the gnome saw is from a long time ago. The darkness, as you call it, was destroyed then. If it is coming back, then we will have to deal with it." She drills her paws on her side nervously. "But those are things that happened long ago, and I have chosen to forget about them. They are hazy to me, and purposely so. It is not the sort of things we are meant to know about."

"Wait, the megabluck?! Dead?!?" Arthur looks around, spooked, until he manages to lock eyes with Melquiades, at which point he calms slightly; Miirym moves subtly closer to Arthur, shielding his back with her own body. "Are we sure this is a vision of past or present, or could it be a warning, a portent of the future? The Master of Regret is no friend of mine, no offense to you Mother, but the thought of him killed..."

Arthur looks back to Hope. "The vision I shared with Hybros. You were there, with a great blue Dragon, getting rid of the Vault of the First Breath, trying to do so before something else could claim it. That was real, wasn't it? But that was...so long ago. Ages. Millennia. When the Aoi of Xu were a newborn race. Was it the same Darkness that plagues us now? If so, why has it returned? And why now?"

"<Melquades,>" Miirym suddenly asks. "<The 'bad energy' in the Ice Room...is it this 'Darkness' Dyric speaks of?>"

"The Master of Regret makes poor impressions on just about everyone, it seems," laughs the Mother. "He truly is not as vile as you all seem to think he is. We don't get along as me and Passion, that's true, but he's just like anyone else - he has good days, and bad days good traits and bad traits. Sometimes I want to strangle him, sometimes I miss him desperately. You have to understand that he took on a great burden when he became responsible for Regret. In many ways, he was the strongest of the three of us."

She sighs. "The city of the clouds. Yes, that is where my brothers and I are from. We are the last of our race, though you can tell we are not truly all one. In fact, we have a new god with us today." She indicates Matthias. "He hasn't had the same time to learn and grow, but he is the same as us," she smiles kindly at the gnome. "One day you will find yourself woven through more history than you know what to do with. And there will be so many legends about you that you'll hardly be able to recall which ones are true and which are just rumors."

"As I said, I have forgotten much that happened then. It is not for us. The darkness then was vanquished." The Mother grows further agitated, trying hard to remember. "I've been on this island for so many years, it is hard to recall. But the darkness was then vanquished. And we vowed to stop it from returning. That is when we became Passion, Regret, Hope."

"Who told you about the Ice Room?" chuckles Melquiades, totally failing to use the fancy-pantsy dragon mind speak. "I don't know what's in there, but it's not anyone's business. I know it ain't good, whatever it is, and until we figure out what it is it's off limits."

"If there's something dangerous in Etheria-"

"It is important to remember that not all of Etheria is actually on this island. Any of the rooms that are linked and locked are considered Etheria. While we think that most of them physically reside here, there's no proof that they're all here. Strange Beach, for example, seems impossible to be on this island, and the Crystal Hall has to be deep underground somewhere. The Ice Room likewise isn't likely anywhere near here. So we've locked it down, and that's that."

He grinned, and shook his head. "There is no end to adventure with you, Guffington." Perhaps there was another world beyond, in the Void, or somewhere in between, full of secrets and people and new things to discover. Maybe not for Guffington.

Hybros did a double take, and scanned the purported Old God. He gingerly poked the were-eagle to make sure it was real. "This is the first time I have seen one of the Old Gods. I do not doubt your power, but forgive me, ehehm... I was not expecting someone so... real. Heheh."

"The darkness... and how did you come to find this out, Dyric? If the other Old God is dead as well, then what good will bringing Passion back do? We would need them both to truly restore balance, as Guffington and company have said. Right?" He eyed Daneeka questioningly, and then glanced over at Chauncey, afraid that he might get an answer even worse than he first expected.

Hybros nodded, silent but confirming Arthur's recollection and questions.

"I also saw the same dragon in the vision I shared with Vipera in Dastan, I think. It gave life and intelligence to the dragons that live today, because before they were just beasts." He thought for a moment on Louis' request. "There was also this darkness that Dyric spoke of. Like in our vision, Arthur, the home of dragons fell from the heavens because of it. And three witches... I am not sure of their intent. I met one of them, long ago on my quest to find my people. It shared visions of the past with us, and some answered many of my questions." He looked to Daneeka again, and over to Guffington and Hope as well. "What more can you tell us about these witches?"

"I promised you a final adventure, didn't I?" grins Guffington roguishly. "I guess I should really be the one pitching all this. When it comes down for it, for me, I've always taken gambles and they've always paid off. And I've always bet on what I didn't know." He gestures around. "What in the world is all of this?! An island that is here and not here, hasn't got anyone to get around but a Selkreeth who takes you the Void? Why not bring back an Old God? It's not like anything else makes any more sense. Besides, I've seen everything else."

"I like this one."

"I'm glad I get the chance to make a good first impression on at least one of you." She smiles. "And yes, the Old Gods are just like any other mortals, except for our life span. It's just that name." She clucks with mirth. "I promise, I didn't have anything to do with it. It was the other mortals that gave us that name, when they started to get wise. They treated us like Gods, but we weren't anything of the sort. But at a certain point you just stop arguing." She shrugs. "It is an unfortunate misnomer. If you'd prefer to call us by our true names, you can call us The First Mortals. Though that's of course not strictly true either."

"Yes, the Sky Serpent was our ally in those days, and he did indeed assist us in freeing the artifacts from our island. I can remember that. And the Aoi that you speak of, and the dragons. Yes, that was one of the duties back of the First Mortals, to enlighten the other races. We flew across the world, nurturing certain races, using the very artifacts that you now hold in your hands."

"As for the Witches, perhaps they are more deserving of the name the First Mortals. They outdate even I."

"As we've tried to convey, we are almost as lost as you are, heroes. Our studies have ground to a halt. The Witches, the flying city's fate, and now these visions - this is why we seek answers. Because we don't have them yet."

Matthias finds himself abruptly facing a wall instead of Zeus's booth. The gnome, miffed at finding himself whisked through time and space in the middle of an interesting business negotiation, annoyed that everyone else seems to think Rone or maybe Holla has had the visions, frustrated that even Rone hasn't understood what the gnome had tried to communicate from those visions, infuriated at once again finding that the quest as accepted by the Veterans was a twisted fabrication, outraged at finding himself in a room with Lord Chauncey, and insulted at the Mother's tone, turns to face the assembly as Rone invokes him. He speaks to the assassin in a low voice, loud enough that the others can hear, but with a note of ...something soft, perhaps compassion or friendship, that they can tell is meant only for the assassin. "You are mistaken, Master Dyric. I did not see the Master of Regret die; in my vision I died, and others who I believed to be of the same kind of beings as Regret. The bodies of the Darkness - the Shadows - I do not know their name; I only know that they drank of the Fountain as it, and I, fell to our world."

Raising his voice to address the assembly, the gnome removes its softness and the others can now hear an edge of anger, though it is obvious Matthias knows this to be impotent. "I am called Matthias;" he begins, "some of you may not know that. I am a gnome; some of you may not have known that. I am the chosen carrier of the Anvil of Orrik, for whatever that is worth; I do not claim to understand it. I do not know who all of you are, and frankly I do not much care what is Master Gerald's last wish, or Lord Chauncey's clear path. Lord Chauncey knows that in my estimation he rates only as a narcissist and murderer, albeit a sage and powerful one, and Master Gerald, you and your employees - do you call Master U'Or and Doctor Daneeka friends? - have proven yourselves untruthful by the very fact that you hid from us the true nature of our quest. Lady Hope - forgive me, I am not acquainted with your proper title - it is interesting to me that you cast this fear of the future as a folly of the mortals; should it not be we who are ageless who have much more to fear?" His voice drips with sarcasm. "Your lack of respect for that which you believe to be beneath you is truly endearing as a first impression."

Shutting his eyes for a moment, the druid steadies himself in and against the swirling eddies of ether flowing through him and continues to direct his words to the Mother. "If you are of the Old Gods, pray tell us what you are; and explain to us the darkness, the shadows - surely you know that which destroyed your world? What are these artifacts we have collected, and how are they significant to the resurrection of your brother, God of Passion?" Something clicks in Matthias' mind, and he can't help but say, "Will your magic bring back his body? Do you intend to forge him a new one on the Anvil? Will you give him Master Gerald's, as a dying wish?" Fully expecting to be ignored - not an unusual feeling for a gnome - Matthias' tirade continues to rise into his mind and tumble out of his mouth. "Did your people create these objects? To what end? Did you also create the Darkness? Have you learned wisdom or compassion in your many years?" He searches the faces of his fellow Heroes, desperate for a spark of anything that will make sense of their situation. "What do we of Heroica know of these Old Gods? I know nothing but despair from them; tell me that there is something more?" Finding Lady Purpearl's eyes, the gnome is momentarily startled - he hadn't seen the elf since the party split up at Guffington's manor - but his gaze pleads with her, the only truly familiar face in the crowd.

OoC: Apologies for missing that!

"I'm sorry, my prices are non-negotionable! But I'd be more than happy to sell you those scrolls!"

-----

"I apologize for our secrecy. As Guts and Hybros can attest, attempts have been made on my life for, we believe, an interest in the Old Gods. If anyone knew of our true intention, I was afraid I'd be putting our lives in jeopardy. I came clear with my own party as soon as I felt it was safe. If Daneeka withheld our true intentions, it was because he felt that you were potentially in danger until you arrived in Etheria."

"What'd you do to him?" Amarcolm asks Chauncey, a bemused grin on his face.

"And now I've squandered my other chance at a first impression. As I have said, you are as much an Old God as I am at this point, give or take a few hundred lifetimes. Soon you will forget more than you can remember." She shuts her eyes. "I will try my best. I fear my brother has scarred you. So allow me to do what I hope always to do, heal and move forth. The Old Gods, as I explained, is a misnomer. We are mortals, or were until we all drank from the Fountain. Then we became known at Gods, for better or worse. The artifacts, and the darkness, were all given to me. I cannot remember what the darkness was. I know only that it predated us, was safe for a long time, and then it wasn't. And that we did everything in our power to contain it. And that we succeeded, but at a great cost."

"And you are correct, Matthias. My body will serve as the vessel. As I told Guts and Hybros back in Eubric - and you will have to forgive me some more secrecy - I am not long for this world. Why not allow someone else a shot?"

"Why wouldn't I? What are your prices and what can you do?"

"Hrm." He growls. "Haven't seen you around before. I'm the Forge Master. I'm the only one on this island who can forge Etherial Gems. Gives them a lil' extra kick. But it ain't an easy job. Topaz is in season, but I've always got reserves, or we could try to rework one of your own gems, if you've got some. What are you after?"

[The Legonater]

"That which the gnome saw is from a long time ago. The darkness, as you call it, was destroyed then. If it is coming back, then we will have to deal with it." She drills her paws on her side nervously. "But those are things that happened long ago, and I have chosen to forget about them. They are hazy to me, and purposely so. It is not the sort of things we are meant to know about."

...What? You're telling me this Darkness may not be a threat at all? Then, if I may, what exactly are we doing here? Bringing back an immortal should be a last-case scenario. We're just doing this on a whim!? Hope, I realize you've lost your brother, and I realize you'd do anything to bring him back. The simple fact is, you're not the only one here who's lost things dear to them. I once would have fought and died to be welcomed back home, to see those who were taken from me. Eventually I realized that there's more to life than chasing ghosts. I learned to fight for the here and now. Yes, you're in position to bring back Passion - but just because something is possible doesn't make it right.

[UsernameMDM]

but just because something is possible doesn't make it right.

Hoke couldn't help but nod his head in agreement.

[Purpearljellyblob]

"I could lift those spares ethereal gems from your hand at the right price? To complete my collection, Ethereal Aquamarine, Ethereal Opal, Ethereal Emerald, and a spare Ethereal Amethyst. If you could also rework my Amethyst here. Ethereal Topaz is currently sold out at the merchants, depending on your price and how much I have left."

[Flipz]

"The Master of Regret makes poor impressions on just about everyone, it seems," laughs the Mother. "He truly is not as vile as you all seem to think he is. We don't get along as me and Passion, that's true, but he's just like anyone else - he has good days, and bad days good traits and bad traits. Sometimes I want to strangle him, sometimes I miss him desperately. You have to understand that he took on a great burden when he became responsible for Regret. In many ways, he was the strongest of the three of us."

She sighs. "The city of the clouds. Yes, that is where my brothers and I are from. We are the last of our race, though you can tell we are not truly all one. In fact, we have a new god with us today." She indicates Matthias. "He hasn't had the same time to learn and grow, but he is the same as us," she smiles kindly at the gnome. "One day you will find yourself woven through more history than you know what to do with. And there will be so many legends about you that you'll hardly be able to recall which ones are true and which are just rumors."

"As I said, I have forgotten much that happened then. It is not for us. The darkness then was vanquished." The Mother grows further agitated, trying hard to remember. "I've been on this island for so many years, it is hard to recall. But the darkness was then vanquished. And we vowed to stop it from returning. That is when we became Passion, Regret, Hope."

"Let me put it this way. I hate him, but I would not wish to bring him harm...so long as he does not bring harm to those I care about." Arthur shrugs. "I recognize his necessity. That does not mean I would desire to encounter him ever again. Especially since he's the one who made Zane and the Court of Demons what they were, and sent Passion to his death."

Arthur pauses thoughtfully. "Could you explain what you meant by 'becoming responsible for regret'? Passion mentioned to us that you are strengthened by the...emotion...that each of you represent, but he did not go into much more detail about what that entails, and now you speak as if it is a choice you made, not an inherent part of your being. You say Matthias is now an Old God, will he too have to take on such an aspect?"

Shutting his eyes for a moment, the druid steadies himself in and against the swirling eddies of ether flowing through him and continues to direct his words to the Mother. "If you are of the Old Gods, pray tell us what you are; and explain to us the darkness, the shadows - surely you know that which destroyed your world? What are these artifacts we have collected, and how are they significant to the resurrection of your brother, God of Passion?" Something clicks in Matthias' mind, and he can't help but say, "Will your magic bring back his body? Do you intend to forge him a new one on the Anvil? Will you give him Master Gerald's, as a dying wish?" Fully expecting to be ignored - not an unusual feeling for a gnome - Matthias' tirade continues to rise into his mind and tumble out of his mouth. "Did your people create these objects? To what end? Did you also create the Darkness? Have you learned wisdom or compassion in your many years?" He searches the faces of his fellow Heroes, desperate for a spark of anything that will make sense of their situation. "What do we of Heroica know of these Old Gods? I know nothing but despair from them; tell me that there is something more?" Finding Lady Purpearl's eyes, the gnome is momentarily startled - he hadn't seen the elf since the party split up at Guffington's manor - but his gaze pleads with her, the only truly familiar face in the crowd.

When Matthias looks at Arthur, he can see concern, compassion--and something else, something not unlike the gnome's own expression when speaking of Regret.

...What? You're telling me this Darkness may not be a threat at all? Then, if I may, what exactly are we doing here? Bringing back an immortal should be a last-case scenario. We're just doing this on a whim!? Hope, I realize you've lost your brother, and I realize you'd do anything to bring him back. The simple fact is, you're not the only one here who's lost things dear to them. I once would have fought and died to be welcomed back home, to see those who were taken from me. Eventually I realized that there's more to life than chasing ghosts. I learned to fight for the here and now. Yes, you're in position to bring back Passion - but just because something is possible doesn't make it right.

"You're forgetting that something very real targeted and killed Lord Hughes, Guffington's other partner in studying the Old Gods, and tried to kill Guffington himself. And I refuse to believe that the visions Matthias, Hybros, and I received were without purpose, mere mementos of an earlier time. We were shown the killing darkness for a reason, and if it was not to warn us of its return, then I am hard-pressed to think of why." Arthur pauses. "Dyric. We all know that Passion's death wasn't right. We both know that I was another suitable victim for Wren's plan, removed from the Veterans' protection--Hel, I talked to her alone less than an hour before he was taken. The only reason he was there was because Regret ordered him to be there, and the only reason she needed him was because Atramor, Cronk, and I saved Ella in Dastan. I have a responsibility to see this through, and as long as it remains possible I will hold out hope that bringing Passion back will be undoing a great wrong, not committing one. I truly believe that this is the best course of action."

Edited January 16, 2016 by Flipz

[The Legonater]

Arthur, Passion didn't die because of some wrong you committed, or because of some twist of reality. Passion died because that's what people do. Wren killed him trying to access the power these people have. The only reason she was able to do that was because Regret gave her the power to. Bringing him back won't undo anything, it's just going to perpetuate the same unnecessary cycle - everything that's been done to them has been done themselves. You don't owe these people anything, brother. Now maybe those vision were hinting towards something and maybe the assassination attempts are from a serious threat, but until I see confirmation this threat is as ancient and powerful as these people, I vote against this.

Edited January 16, 2016 by The Legonater

[UsernameMDM]

"Aye," Hoke says,"And how do we know he will come back the same?"

Hoke eyes the Mother intently with Torc doing the same.

"You admit you and your brothers are mere mortals who drank from the Fountain. Tell me, what would happen in a world without your Passion? What powers do you have, as mere mortals who drank from the Fountain, have that others living cannont obtain through the Fountain?"

[StickFig]

"So, why are we bringing Passion back?"

[JimBee]

Hybros pinched his brow. This had all become very confusing all over again.

"I promised you a final adventure, didn't I?" grins Guffington roguishly. "I guess I should really be the one pitching all this. When it comes down for it, for me, I've always taken gambles and they've always paid off. And I've always bet on what I didn't know." He gestures around. "What in the world is all of this?! An island that is here and not here, hasn't got anyone to get around but a Selkreeth who takes you the Void? Why not bring back an Old God? It's not like anything else makes any more sense. Besides, I've seen everything else."

After listening to Matthias, Hoke, and Dyric, Hybros replied to Guffington. "Guff- ehem... Gerald." He said the name with a sense of uneasiness, for it was the first time he had called his employer and friend by his first name. It indicated seriousness. "As much as I am loyal to you - that you should know well by now - my fellow heroes have a point. Even if we were to go through with this, we will need to convince the rest of the Council. If by simply saying 'why not' is your reason for this entire quest, you will not convince these people here..." he indicated to those who had vocalized their doubt on the matter. "Let alone the council whom we must convince. Surely there is a greater reason for all of this. You spoke about balance earlier, but it seems even the Old Gods themselves do not realize the threat of darkness or witches, if there is one at all."

Now the imp looked concerned, fearing that they had come a long way for nothing. Yet, it was not so easy to throw out all trust on one of his greatest friends.

"I like this one."

"And who are you?"

"I'm glad I get the chance to make a good first impression on at least one of you." She smiles. "And yes, the Old Gods are just like any other mortals, except for our life span. It's just that name." She clucks with mirth. "I promise, I didn't have anything to do with it. It was the other mortals that gave us that name, when they started to get wise. They treated us like Gods, but we weren't anything of the sort. But at a certain point you just stop arguing." She shrugs. "It is an unfortunate misnomer. If you'd prefer to call us by our true names, you can call us The First Mortals. Though that's of course not strictly true either."

"Yes, the Sky Serpent was our ally in those days, and he did indeed assist us in freeing the artifacts from our island. I can remember that. And the Aoi that you speak of, and the dragons. Yes, that was one of the duties back of the First Mortals, to enlighten the other races. We flew across the world, nurturing certain races, using the very artifacts that you now hold in your hands."

"As for the Witches, perhaps they are more deserving of the name the First Mortals. They outdate even I."

"I see... Ehehm, and now Matthias is one of you? Eh... so he will live forever unless someone kills him, is what you are saying." He glanced at the gnome. "I did not think such power was destined for mortals. Even my people, who were trapped in the Void for so many years, did not truly age the same in there."

[StickFig]

"I do not yet know what power it truly is, Master Hybros," the druid intones, "I do not feel more powerful; I simply do not feel the passage of time. It is difficult to explain. Regardless, we need to tread very lightly."

[Scubacarrot]

Guts adresses Hope, his voice containing a mixture of hesitation and disbelief. "If you are Mortals, you can die... That means you say Passion is dead... right now. Then isn't what we're doing necromancy? I'm not one to argue semantics, and I realize this island isn't exactly strict when it comes to the morals of magic and sorcery... Necromancy is evil. I've seen enough to know that for sure." The Marauder takes a moment or two to collect his thoughts. There was a lot going on, and stakes that were difficult to fully understand. "Gerald, are you sure this is the right thing to be doing? Does the world need a Passion, a being powerful enough to shape the course of the world according to it's whims? If his name is any indication... Passion is more than... Love or drive or something... It can also be dark, dangerous. Sometimes in the midst of battle, I start to see red. I want blood, and it takes a force to stop me then... That too, is Passion. It's not just us he or it would be released on, not just Daneeka, U'or, us hired by you and the mages of this island. The whole world could have to deal with him. Can we decide that the world can handle such a power? Can you?"

[Zepher]

...What? You're telling me this Darkness may not be a threat at all? Then, if I may, what exactly are we doing here? Bringing back an immortal should be a last-case scenario. We're just doing this on a whim!? Hope, I realize you've lost your brother, and I realize you'd do anything to bring him back. The simple fact is, you're not the only one here who's lost things dear to them. I once would have fought and died to be welcomed back home, to see those who were taken from me. Eventually I realized that there's more to life than chasing ghosts. I learned to fight for the here and now. Yes, you're in position to bring back Passion - but just because something is possible doesn't make it right.

"This was not my plan at the start. Lord Chauncey fears for what the world will become without my brother. When he approached with the plan, however, it was difficult to say no. I understand that you have grown, and I mean no slight to those with such short lives, but if you live thousands upon thousands of years, more than you can count, you learn what you are willing to give up, and what you are not. I would not actively have tried to get my brother back, but if given the chance... and it cannot be argued that he is necessary in some ways. We who have long been forgotten are once more being yanked back into history. That cannot be for no reason."

"I could lift those spares ethereal gems from your hand at the right price? To complete my collection, Ethereal Aquamarine, Ethereal Opal, Ethereal Emerald, and a spare Ethereal Amethyst. If you could also rework my Amethyst here. Ethereal Topaz is currently sold out at the merchants, depending on your price and how much I have left."

"Ya got it wrong, missy. It ain't as easy as that. See, if you want to turn any of the gems into etherial gems, and even those extras I've gotten around aren't etherial quite yet, you're gonna have to work for it. It's tiring stuff, and I'm in the harvesting season at the moment. I'm willing to guide you and give you a hand, but I can't just turn them all lickity split like that. Which one is most important to you to get started on?"

"Let me put it this way. I hate him, but I would not wish to bring him harm...so long as he does not bring harm to those I care about." Arthur shrugs. "I recognize his necessity. That does not mean I would desire to encounter him ever again. Especially since he's the one who made Zane and the Court of Demons what they were, and sent Passion to his death."

Arthur pauses thoughtfully. "Could you explain what you meant by 'becoming responsible for regret'? Passion mentioned to us that you are strengthened by the...emotion...that each of you represent, but he did not go into much more detail about what that entails, and now you speak as if it is a choice you made, not an inherent part of your being. You say Matthias is now an Old God, will he too have to take on such an aspect?"

"You're forgetting that something very real targeted and killed Lord Hughes, Guffington's other partner in studying the Old Gods, and tried to kill Guffington himself. And I refuse to believe that the visions Matthias, Hybros, and I received were without purpose, mere mementos of an earlier time. We were shown the killing darkness for a reason, and if it was not to warn us of its return, then I am hard-pressed to think of why." Arthur pauses. "Dyric. We all know that Passion's death wasn't right. We both know that I was another suitable victim for Wren's plan, removed from the Veterans' protection--Hel, I talked to her alone less than an hour before he was taken. The only reason he was there was because Regret ordered him to be there, and the only reason she needed him was because Atramor, Cronk, and I saved Ella in Dastan. I have a responsibility to see this through, and as long as it remains possible I will hold out hope that bringing Passion back will be undoing a great wrong, not committing one. I truly believe that this is the best course of action."

"I will come to his defense there. The Master of Regret never makes anyone do anything. We had our chance to guide history, and we did poorly. Worse than poorly. Upon surviving, we all swore to never again attempt to shape the fate of mortals, to act only within the confines of what would be achievable by our brothers and sisters on Olegaia. And though The Master of Regret perhaps offers more than he should, he has never coerced anyone into taking him up on his offer."

"It's true. Aventine and I sought him out, not the other way around."

"When our people fell, we had to tamper the flow of certain emotions. The one we are responsible for is the one that we feed on, and it has shaped us. With Hope, I cannot help but look towards the future... and forget, often, the past. Perhaps that is why my answers are not as helpful as my brothers' would be. But no, Matthias does not bare the same shame we do, nor the same responsibility. I'm sure he will find his own purpose one day as well, though."

Arthur, Passion didn't die because of some wrong you committed, or because of some twist of reality. Passion died because that's what people do. Wren killed him trying to access the power these people have. The only reason she was able to do that was because Regret gave her the power to. Bringing him back won't undo anything, it's just going to perpetuate the same unnecessary cycle - everything that's been done to them has been done themselves. You don't owe these people anything, brother. Now maybe those vision were hinting towards something and maybe the assassination attempts are from a serious threat, but until I see confirmation this threat is as ancient and powerful as these people, I vote against this.

"This isn't a vote. You can try to stop us, or choose to wash your hands of this. But I'm going to try to bring Passion back. If anything this talk has confirmed what I feared. There is something lurking out there. When Passion died, The Master of Regret fled Uland for a while. And the Witches have returned in more force than ever. And someone else knows, for the first time in a long time, something about the Old Gods. We need to get ourselves up to speed."

"Aye," Hoke says,"And how do we know he will come back the same?"

Hoke eyes the Mother intently with Torc doing the same.

"You admit you and your brothers are mere mortals who drank from the Fountain. Tell me, what would happen in a world without your Passion? What powers do you have, as mere mortals who drank from the Fountain, have that others living cannont obtain through the Fountain?"

"That I actually can answer. We have done research as far as the artifacts and resurrection go - they are not so lost to time. This is not some measly necromancy. That is a body without it's former soul. Here we will simply be anchoring a soul to a new body. That is what these artifacts together can do. Create and destroy a mortal."

"So, why are we bringing Passion back?"

"I know I'm hardly the one you want to be hearing this from. You can hold a grudge better than Purpearl. But because there is a clear and present danger, and without him, we don't know what it is, and don't know how to prepare for it. There is no guarantee he'll understand any better than the rest of us, but there's a guarantee that we don't understand at the moment."

After listening to Matthias, Hoke, and Dyric, Hybros replied to Guffington. "Guff- ehem... Gerald." He said the name with a sense of uneasiness, for it was the first time he had called his employer and friend by his first name. It indicated seriousness. "As much as I am loyal to you - that you should know well by now - my fellow heroes have a point. Even if we were to go through with this, we will need to convince the rest of the Council. If by simply saying 'why not' is your reason for this entire quest, you will not convince these people here..." he indicated to those who had vocalized their doubt on the matter. "Let alone the council whom we must convince. Surely there is a greater reason for all of this. You spoke about balance earlier, but it seems even the Old Gods themselves do not realize the threat of darkness or witches, if there is one at all."

"I see... Ehehm, and now Matthias is one of you? Eh... so he will live forever unless someone kills him, is what you are saying." He glanced at the gnome. "I did not think such power was destined for mortals. Even my people, who were trapped in the Void for so many years, did not truly age the same in there."

"I can see this bothers you, all of you, greatly. Perhaps it is the mantle of hero that weighs so heavily on you. But don't think for a moment that I have forgotten my friends, and my city. This is a risk, sure. And there is a danger, as Chauncey speaks of. I'd like to avenge the death of Lord Hughes, a friend and colleague much younger than I, and to protect those who I leave behind. But as the others have said, it's also a bit of a whim. Everyone else is pretending it's some master plan, and it is, but it's also an adventure. Every time you set out from port you risk the weather, but without the weather it's hardly a noteworthy journey."

"You don't have to convince the whole council. You just have to be ready for what they throw at you." Amarcolm grins. "I'm Amarcolm. Chaomancer, member of the Council, bored participant of this meeting. You all have a shit ton of morals for murderers and thieves."

"I do not yet know what power it truly is, Master Hybros," the druid intones, "I do not feel more powerful; I simply do not feel the passage of time. It is difficult to explain. Regardless, we need to tread very lightly."

"It will be years before you truly start to see how you have changed."

Guts adresses Hope, his voice containing a mixture of hesitation and disbelief. "If you are Mortals, you can die... That means you say Passion is dead... right now. Then isn't what we're doing necromancy? I'm not one to argue semantics, and I realize this island isn't exactly strict when it comes to the morals of magic and sorcery... Necromancy is evil. I've seen enough to know that for sure." The Marauder takes a moment or two to collect his thoughts. There was a lot going on, and stakes that were difficult to fully understand. "Gerald, are you sure this is the right thing to be doing? Does the world need a Passion, a being powerful enough to shape the course of the world according to it's whims? If his name is any indication... Passion is more than... Love or drive or something... It can also be dark, dangerous. Sometimes in the midst of battle, I start to see red. I want blood, and it takes a force to stop me then... That too, is Passion. It's not just us he or it would be released on, not just Daneeka, U'or, us hired by you and the mages of this island. The whole world could have to deal with him. Can we decide that the world can handle such a power? Can you?"

"You all act like there's only repercussions if you act. Don't you know that inaction is just as much an action as anything else?"

"The world has dealt with him for the last countless hundreds of years. If you're really that concerned about him, you should be investigating the effects he had on your grandpa and father."

"Chauncey." Guffington turns to Guts, and then the rest of the heroes. "This is my dying wish, for a friend. Lord Chauncey has convinced me of the importance of this mission, and of the exploration that we can garner from it. From the adventure of it, if we're going to boil down. And Doc Daneeka stands behind him. Neither of them has lead me wrong before, but neither have you. So we will put it to a vote. There are already two yeses. So where do you fall?"

[Flipz]

"Passion was--and if we complete our mission, will be--a good man. I, for one, support our moving forward. Besides, to back down now would render all our earlier trials and struggles a colossal waste of time. We've come this far, already begun to meddle in these affairs. It would be ludicrous to turn back now."

[The Legonater]

"This isn't a vote. You can try to stop us, or choose to wash your hands of this. But I'm going to try to bring Passion back. If anything this talk has confirmed what I feared. There is something lurking out there. When Passion died, The Master of Regret fled Uland for a while. And the Witches have returned in more force than ever. And someone else knows, for the first time in a long time, something about the Old Gods. We need to get ourselves up to speed."

What witches? You folks keep mentioning them. but I haven't heard anyone explaining who are what they are. Is Thothwick back? Did Atramor's Special Mirror go wrong again? I'm not voting until I see some solid explanation.

[Purpearljellyblob]

"Ya got it wrong, missy. It ain't as easy as that. See, if you want to turn any of the gems into etherial gems, and even those extras I've gotten around aren't etherial quite yet, you're gonna have to work for it. It's tiring stuff, and I'm in the harvesting season at the moment. I'm willing to guide you and give you a hand, but I can't just turn them all lickity split like that. Which one is most important to you to get started on?"

"I can wait. All equally important."

Purpearl requests the following gems to be forged into ethereal gems.

• 1x Aquamarine
  
• 1x Opal
  
• 1x Emerald
  
• 2x Amethyst
  

[Scubacarrot]

"Sod it. I'm with you, Gerald. If this thing turns bad and results in us needing to put it down, I'd rather have it happen now, and save us another trip."