Heroica RPG - Quest #140: Requiem for a Machine

[Mencot]

Keliim pocketed the Crimson haze, thinking "Poison, not really my thing but can be useful." He Still kept sitting on the fallen tree looking at the sunrise.

[Mencot]

He looks as Ervie runs into the woods, "not everyone can be put in th' same box." He says to himself.

[Emjajoas]

"When Wally shows up again," Mortimer states, swirling the contents of the vial of venom. "When he shows up again, I'll take responsibility for this. I'll end it."

He sighs, shaking his head. He supposed actions spoke louder than words; he knew his promise rung hollow. But it was a promise nonetheless-- He was there at the start, he'd see it to the end.

He tosses the Focus Band to Calamity, then nods in thanks to each member of the party, finally bowing his head to Avina. "May our paths cross again under better circumstances," he mutters pensively, pocketing the venom and turning on his heel. He tenses visibly as he strides back towards Eubric, hands clenched into fists.

[Mencot]

Keliim watches Mortimer leaving, then asks Avina: "So whats thou gonna do now, does th' Crown hast some more plans to both'r people in th' neighboorhuid?" He stands up looking into the forest, like he was waiting for something.

Thanks CMP for a great quest, really enjoyed the story.

Edited October 31, 2015 by Mencot

[Kintobor]

Annienal pockets the poison, keeping her visor down.

"Um... thank you, Avina. Um... see you around, I, um... suppose..." Annienal awkwardly waved goodbye before she made her way back into town, keeping herself on the road. It was still dark out and she'd prefer not to run into anything else today, particularly Kellim or Calamity.

Thanks for the quest, Pie. I had fun! I'll have some thoughts on the quest later, but it was a good time!

[Mencot]

As Annie also leaves, the big man says to Calamity, still looking into the forest: "Thou didn't answer earlir, so what be thy goal, thy plans an' thy heart's way in this world, actually th'n?"

Edited October 31, 2015 by Mencot

[CMP]

Keliim watches Mortimer leaving, then asks Avina: "So whats thou gonna do now, does th' Crown hast some more plans to both'r people in th' neighboorhuid?" He stands up looking into the forest, like he was waiting for something.

"Now...I explain to my superiors why there's no chance of allying with Heroica. And why you kill our agents. And why you will continue to do so until time and corruption finally erodes what you are."

She stands, turning to face Calamity.

"...I am glad you at least saw what was needed. I would tell you to abandon what isn't, before you become dependent on it." She tilted her head towards Calamity's staff and gem in-hand. "There are no greater threats to our world than that which we don't and cannot understand. Doubtless you tire of me sharing that view, but there will likely not be another chance for you to hear it peacefully." Avina looks up once more towards the slowly lightening, soft purple sky, and then walked off. "We are sworn, bound to do everything necessary to ensure the continuation of mortalkind....so I sincerely hope that none of you cross paths with the Crimson Crown again."

The thicket fell quiet as the remaining heroes were left alone to find their own way back to the Hall.

Party

Mortimer "Em" Mahzan (Emjajoas)

Unknown age human male Warden *Immune to Electricity, Fire, Water, and Ice* *Half damage from elemental attacks*

Level 26

Power Bonus: 6

Defense: 29

Health: 47/47

Gold: 339

Equipment: Tritech Handcannon (WP:16, permanent poisoned 17, cursed), Vigilant (SP 12, halved damage from elemental attacks, immune to Electricity, Fire, and Water; shield), Iron Knuckle Armour (Body, foot, and hand wear. Counts as one artefact. Usable by knights and dragoons. SP: 10. Cannot be removed by enemies), Anniversary Medal (Artefact/Accessory, Power +4, SP +4, Max. Health +4, Max. Ether +4. The values will increase by 1 with each passing year), Frost Helm (SP: 3, immune to ice, suitable for anyone, headwear)

Inventory:

Weapons: Blazing Bow (WP: 14, Fire-elemental), Doppelganger (WP:10, Retribution: The user inflicts any negative effects he or she has on the target enemy on successful hits; longsword), Balanced Main-Gauce (WP: 10, Riposte has a 1/6 chance of instantly killing the/each target, dagger, suitable only for marauders), Crescent Shield (SP: 5, halved damage from elemental attacks, shield), Carpenter's Gloves (Enhancement is automatically successful, traps deal double damage, handwear, suitable for artisans), Flash Cannon (WP: 10, has a 1/2 chance of dealing the blinded-effect, light-elemental handcannon)

Consumables: Health Core x2, Remedy, Mead, Venom, Ambrosia (3), Mulled Wine, Feather of Flight (Allows the user to flee from the battle when used.), Nostrum, Smelling Salts, Elixir, Bone, Smoke Bomb (5), Floral Bomb (2), Ice Bomb (2), Lightning Bomb, Fire Bomb, Water Bomb (2), Holy Bomb (2), Dirt Bomb (2), Air Bomb (2), Chaotic Bomb (100 random elemental damage to all opponents), Crimson Haze (Causes a weapon to deal the poisoned by 7 and cursed effects permanently)

Misc: Bedroll (2), Shovel, Pickaxe, Telescope, Reaper's Heart, Mythril Shard (2), Amethyst, 5 Silver Ore (Worth 60 gold), Oath of Renewal (When the targeted enemy is killed, the Vindicator regains full health. Oath, suitable for vindicators), Lover's Lyrics (Minstrel's Battle Song; deal the enamored-effect to all enemies at the cost of 1 ether per affected enemy.)

Annienal Anavir (Kintobor)

"19" year old elven female Mystic Knight *Bonaparte Reputation* *Immunity toSudden Death and Fragile* *Takes half damage from elemental attacks*

Level 18

Power Bonus: 0

Defense: 17

Health: 27/33

Ether: 3/18

Gold: 240

Equipment: Bonaparte Cutlass (WP:9, doubled if the user has reputation among the Bonapartes; longsword), Crescent Shield (SP: 9, Halved Damage from elemental attacks; shield),

Heavy Armour (SP: 5, immunity to fragile, body wear, suitable for barbarians, knights, dragoons, skirmishers, regulators, and vindicators), Lethauros Fellwings (SP: 3, wearer is immune to Sudden Death, backwear

Inventory: Ammit (WP: 6; greatsword, user gains 5 ether for every kill), Anointed Gladius (WP: 8, deals damage undead; great sword), Sanctified Rito Longsword (WP: 4, Hits doubled against flying enemies, longsword), Training Sword (WP:4), Shark’s Tooth (Power increased by 5 against Aquatics, Accessory), Tridentian Cape (Max Ether +3; protects from Blinded effect; suitable for mages, clerics, necromancers and scholars; backwear), ), Tobacco Pouch (1/2 Chance of Blinding with attacks, accessory), Helmet (Max Health +1, headwear), Pauldrons (SP: 2, suitable for knights, dragoons, and skirmishers; accessory), Plain Shield (SP: 5), Lethauros Mask (SP: 2, wearer deals double damage to Beasts and Vermin, headwear, suitable to everyone), Locustoid Greaves (Max Ether +4, immune to Earth, suitable to ether users, footwear)

Emerald (Wood), Sapphire (Wind), Aquamarine (Water), Amethyst (Darkness), Topaz (Lightning), Mythril Shard

Consumables: 2x Potions, 2x Grand Potions, Phoenix Essence, 4x Remedies, Venom, Smoke Bomb, Fire Bomb, Bedroll, Shovel, Telescope, Pickaxe, 4 Depleted Ether Cores (Restores half the user's max ether), Crimson Haze (Causes a weapon to deal the poisoned by 7 and cursed effects permanently)

Scrolls: Scroll of Fire Warding (1/2 chance to make the target immune to fire for the duration of one battle at the cost of 1 ether), Scroll of Ice Warding (1/2 chance to make the target immune to ice for the duration of one battle at the cost of 1 ether), Scroll of Water Warding (1/2 chance to make the target immune to water for the duration of one battle at the cost of 1 ether), Scroll of Wood Warding (1/2 chance to make the target immune to wood for the duration of one battle at the cost of 1 ether), Lapis Lamp of Summoning (Summons the djinn Mayrene to conjure an Ethereal Barrier around the target at the cost of 5 ether, giving them a 50/50 chance to avoid Damage, Free Hits, and Special Damage. The barrier dissipates when the target takes damage from any source.)

Calamity (Scubacarrot)

24 year old human Mage

Level 10

Power bonus: 2 (spell)

Health: 14/14

Ether: 9/14

Gold: 146

Equipment: Renegade’s Crook (WP: 10, successful healing also poisons the target’s weapon by 3, staff), Gold skin Gloves (Spell power +2, Usable by mages, Handwear)

Inventory: Bedroll, 6x Potion, 2x Tonic, 3x Remedy, Scroll of Blindness (Enables casting the Blinded-effect to the target, making it unable to use a physical attack for the next three rounds. Each casting has a 50/50 chance of success and costs 1 ether.), Amethyst, Skull-Topped Staff (WP: 3, staff), Crimson Haze (Causes a weapon to deal the poisoned by 7 and cursed effects permanently), Focus Sash (Gains +2 Defense for every successful hit, resets to zero when hit or when the battle ends, accessory, suitable for babarians, mages, chi monks, dragoons, harlots, infiltrators, marauders, regulators, vindicators, and winged warriors, and paragons)

Keliim (Mencot)

35 years old male human Barbarian

Level 12

Power Bonus: (+5 WP for each hero with Wolfgang rep)

Health: 19/19

Defense: 0

Gold: 42

Equipment: Dwarven Orichalcum Axe (WP: 5), Wolfish Fedora (+5 WP for each standing hero with Wolfgang reputation (including the wearer) and Wolfgang NPC in the party, headwear, suitable for heroes with Wolfgang reputation)

Inventory:

Order Imperial Longsword (WP: 5),Really Hard Helmet (SP: 2, Immunity to Rock), Королева's Blessing (When equipped the player gains the ability to Animal Speak to Spiders only, and all spiders are Enamored with him for the first three rounds of battle, accessory), Scarab Shield (SP3 Shield, bearer takes half damage from vermin), Heroic Helm (Headwear, SP:2, Helm's SP doubles on free hits)

Consumables: x9 Potion, x2 Grand Potion, Mead, 2X Smoke Bomb, 1X Venom, 1X Dirt Bomb, 5 Holy Bombs, Double Rainbow (Gives the user the encouraged, lucky, poisoned by 1, and confused effects.), Crimson Haze (Causes a weapon to deal the poisoned by 7 and cursed effects permanently)

Misc: Shovel, 2X Obsidian Shard: may be affixed to a blunt weapon to give the Bleeding 2 effect for one battle. 2X Charion beetle horn. 1 X Crystal Shard(treasure item, worth 20 gold)

[Mencot]

As Avina also leaves the scene, he thinks that the feeling was mutual about meeting the lunitic Crownies again... "Missin' thou already!"

The big man also starts leaving when a dire wolf cub jumps out of the forest next to Keliim, he looks at him. Keliim kneels down and taps it´s head, "There thou art, lets go."

He makes a gesture with his hand to Calamity.

Then they leave down the road but not towards Eubric.

Edited November 1, 2015 by Mencot

[Scubacarrot]

As Annie also leaves, the big man says to Calamity, still looking into the forest: "Thou didn't answer earlir, so what be thy goal, thy plans an' thy heart's way in this world, actually th'n?"

"I'm going to change the world." Calamity states, before turning away.

... "There are no greater threats to our world than that which we don't and cannot understand." ...

"Perhaps... Perhaps it's up to us to understand it." Calamity says quietly, before turning back to Eubric herself.

[CMP]

The shifting stones of a nameless fortress in a forgotten corner of the world slide open without so much as a single groan in protest from the polished marble.

In walks the faceless alchemist, the wall moving to close behind her. A secret passage of some sort. She enters a small, warm room, almost disturbingly empty and sterile were it not for two items of interest: a romantic candlelight dinner...and the monolithic doorway into a clearly unnatural....something. The room seemed to distort and darken around it, but if it bothered its inhabitants, they didn't show it.

"Hm?...am I interrupting something?"

"Ah...the most astute Cardinal and I-..."

"Worry not, thou's presence doith no hurt upon us."

"Oh. Very well. You know talking like that doesn't impress me. No offense, Scar."

"Oh, fine."

"None taken. 'Tis merely...thou haveth a term now. 'Old habits die hard'?"

"That'll be the one. Why are you dining here of all places?"

"Because only the three of us can get in, of course. And we assumed you were still busy."

"I wouldst also wager that it hath been a while. But; why do ye hangeth yon head, Rose?"

"Why do you think?" muttered the Rose bitterly. "It was as the Cardinal said. They are as puppets to those who know where the strings are."

"But, art thou certain that Heroica wouldst not-"

"Not an option."

The Scar stared at her momentarily then turned to look at the flickering candle.

"That is....very unfortunate."

"And a foregone conclusion in my opinion. Perhaps if you had just consulted Anance beforehand-"

"No. Chance," replied the Rose flatly. "But. It was not a complete loss..."

She held aloft a glowing green power core from one of the advanced automatons. The other two Crimson Crown members stared at it briefly.

"An extremely potent tool...applied properly. But I'm...uncertain if it falls within our mandate."

"...that ist why thou are here," observed the Scar quietly.

"Indeed." She turned her head towards the void-like doorway, almost hungrily. "We must speak with the Crown."