Heroica RPG - Quest #20: Missing Minerals!

[Dwellington]

"That is a good idea, Master De'kra. I second the motion."

[Rumble Strike]

"I agree! We shall go left and see what else we can discover about this mine."

[Darth Nihilus]

"By my calculations, to get here we've already turned left 3 times, a few more and I believe we will return to the entrance. I believe, however, that this is a viable course of action, as choosing a path at random would do us no good."

Dak looks confused as all this comes out of his mouth, as if he doesn't understand why his lips are forming these words.

[UsernameMDM]

The party moves down the left tunnel as silently as possible. The Steward's torch burns brightly to illuminate the way. The heroes arrive at yet another intersection.

Right or Left?

[Darth Nihilus]

"I'm for going down the left path, the right one would probably just lead to the path we would have taken if we had gone straight at the last intersection."

[Tanma]

"I'm for going down the left path, the right one would probably just lead to the path we would have taken if we had gone straight at the last intersection."

IC: De'kra nodded and clicked, "I agree and left." As he stood behind the group De'kra's thoughts drifted to that mage Arthur. Arthur hadn't sent a reply in some time, the fighting most be fierce. Of course, it probably wasn't as fierce as...

De'kra almost collapsed as he remembered something. The great city, the powerful city of flying ships and metallic colorful people, it had been destroyed. Airships and mobs had devoured it, and great waves crashed about. How could that city have fallen to such madness? The shade could hardly stand, his whole body tremored. First that planet died, then the city was overtaken by anarchy? Did the islanders die out as well? Was there any hope?

[Rumble Strike]

Tarn had just said the words "We will go left!", when he saw the shade stumble and immediately went to help his team-mate up. He wasn't really sure what was actually under his cloak but he set the smaller figure upright and held his shoulders.

"De'kra, are you OK?"

[Tanma]

Tarn had just said the words "We will go left!", when he saw the shade stumble and immediately went to help his team-mate up. He wasn't really sure what was actually under his cloak but he set the smaller figure upright and held his shoulders.

"De'kra, are you OK?"

IC: As Tarn caught De'kra, he caught a glimpse of something within De'kra's robs. It was a small light, identical to his two eyes. As De'kra straighened himself he clicked honestly, "I not fine, but I will endure."

There was a pause, before De'kra asked with a tint of urgency, "Leader, you ever heard of memories that conflict? I not mean memories that not make sense when analyze, not little errors like that. I mean two or more versions of same event, but different things happen and different end result. Like in one world destroy, in another world save. You hear of something like that?"

[Rumble Strike]

Tarn frowned again as he tried to parse De'kra's language. This time it wasn't just the words, but the concepts behind them, that Tarn struggled with.

"Sorry, De'kra... I've never heard of anything like that. Whatever happens, happens. It is the will of the Gods, and even they cannot create two versions of the same event. Although I will ask Rystael the next time I am back in my village. My Master is far wiser than me."

[Darth Nihilus]

"Conflicting memories....... Conflicting memories......."

Dak suddenly starts, as if he was electrocuted. "Conflicting memories! By the gods........."

OOC: I've been planning this part of Dak's final fall to Black Knight for a while now, thanks to Tanma for (Unknowingly) aiding in my master plan ( muahahahah ), as a bounce-off point for Dak's own memories. I would have done it anyway, but in a different way than this, and not until the Questers are back at the Hall, if De'kra hadn't spoken up like that.

EDIT: OOC (cotd): Note that this is the only mention of this part of Dak's past until the return to the Hall and/or his meeting with Alisha. I don't want to intrude on Tanma's roleplay any more than I already have.

Edited March 6, 2012 by Darth Nihilus

[Rumble Strike]

Tarn looked across at Dak. Now he was having another outburst, similar to his meltdown earlier! This mine must really be affecting people's psyche. "Dak, are you alright?"

[Tanma]

Tarn frowned again as he tried to parse De'kra's language. This time it wasn't just the words, but the concepts behind them, that Tarn struggled with.

"Sorry, De'kra... I've never heard of anything like that. Whatever happens, happens. It is the will of the Gods, and even they cannot create two versions of the same event. Although I will ask Rystael the next time I am back in my village. My Master is far wiser than me."

"Conflicting memories....... Conflicting memories......."

Dak suddenly starts, as if he was electrocuted. "Conflicting memories! By the gods........."

OOC: I've been planning this part of Dak's final fall to Black Knight for a while now, thanks to Tanma for (Unknowingly) aiding in my master plan ( muahahahah ), as a bounce-off point for Dak's own memories. I would have done it anyway, but in a different way than this, and not until the Questers are back at the Hall, if De'kra hadn't spoken up like that.

IC: De'kra softly sighs at the group's leader, though is not really a sigh of annoyance. The tone of the sigh, though sad, seems like it should accompany a soft smile. Finally De'kra replies in a similarly toned click, "It fine, it only one of many parts of I knowledge that foreign to this world. I hope one day people of Eubric understand it, and other knowledge." The shade walks back into the shadows, which seems much brighter now. At least, it was more illuminated than the region where the bulk of the group stood.

OOC: that works well then

[Rumble Strike]

"Wait, are you saying that you know that these... different versions of events exist? Surely that cannot be. The Gods themselves would never allow such a thing, ere we all find ourselves seized upon by madness."

Tarn stared at the Shade, who had retreated to the shadows once more. He had finally worked out that the Gods he had been taught about all his life may not actually be De'kra's Gods, and the thought both shocked and alarmed him.

Edited March 6, 2012 by Rumble Strike

[Scubacarrot]

Guts grumbled, they were once again walking through a tunnel, the old rogue started to hate tunnels. He was listening in the conversation the others been having. He did not like travelling with the short rogue, too many unknown variables.

Loudly, from behind the group, Guts asked: "Demonspawn, what are you? You look like the a hellbred Shade, more spiritual people would call you Zoot's creature, but you speak of old memories. Memories you are not supposed to have, shades are unintelligent creatures. You reek like magic as a rotten fish in the sun. Magic is trouble. Tell me, Hellspawn, are you going to cause trouble?"

[Tanma]

IC: De'kra sighed and remarked to the other rogue, "What names? Honestly, what weight names carry? I native tongue sound nothing like you tongue, and dialect of I tongue sound assign different meanings to certain words of I native tongue. Words, language; it just symbol. And symbols might mean different things. Mask might mean "hidden" here, but back home mask meant "power," "protector," and "hero." One mask was even used to represent God."

There was a pause after this, and then De'kra's tone grew sadder, "I call I shade not because it I race. I have no clue what I race, maybe I Imp like Hybros. Maybe I from Dastan Empire or Xi, both nations sound familiar to I. I call I shade because I shadow of what I was: echo. When I awoke on the beach here I need way to identify I, thus I call I De'kra. It loosely mean Dark Sounds in native tongue, which refer to cloud memories. When I learn enough of Eubric tongue, I call I shade also, since it seem like it has same meaning. You imply there secondary meaning to it though."

Turning to Tarn, De'kra clicked, "What other meanings of shade here? Also, what ellspon and dean man spon? I read about Zoot in library already, he part of pantheon associated with nothing."

[Dwellington]

Swindle, who had been mostly focused on the path ahead, turns back to his companions at the sudden turn of events.

"Are you speaking of false memories, De'kra? Or parallel worlds? There are plenty of theories about parallel worlds. You know..."

Swindle drags the butt of his staff through the dirt on the floor, drawing a single line that splits into two parallel lines.

"Like this?"

Edited March 6, 2012 by Dwellington

[Scubacarrot]

Guts mumbled: "Trouble AND crazy, just perfect. Why can there never be no magic involved for once?"

[Rumble Strike]

"Leave him alone, Guts. He's a queer fellow alright, but certainly stouthearted."

[Tanma]

Guts mumbled: "Trouble AND crazy, just perfect. Why can there never be no magic involved for once?"

IC: De'kra clicks, "Lack of knowledge not crazy, I remember crazy. It sadistic and illogical, or rageful and blind. Might I ask you to forge Kanohi, I not assume you crazy for not know that technology. Either way, there no magic in I memories, only science and confusion." As De'kra finished this response, one might notice he didn't address everything.

As De'kra noticed the mage's lines, he practically leapt to the ground. The echo felt the outline of the split, like it was a sacred text. "I had save them," he muttered softly as he felt one of the outlines, "but I also had not save them. World both dead and safe, both true. I fail one world, but I save another. I save another..."

The figure stood up, his body stronger. With a nod De'kra clicked, "Why group stand here? Group has to finish quest." Something about him seems different, like an ember cast back into the flames.

[Scubacarrot]

"Don't try to explain to me the meaning of crazy, demonspawn. I experienced my share of it, and then some. Magic or science, it matters not, they go hand in hand. Both lead to more and more death, in the end."

A sad look came into the rogue's face, a look that he quickly replaced by his usual cold stare.

"You are either delusional, or trouble. Pray to your heathen gods that you will never be alone with me."

With that, Guts walked to the front of the group, passively holding his dagger in his hand.

[UsernameMDM]

"Why group stand here? Group has to finish quest."

Waiting for y'all to finish role playing

[Tanma]

"Don't try to explain to me the meaning of crazy, demonspawn. I experienced my share of it, and then some. Magic or science, it matters not, they go hand in hand. Both lead to more and more death, in the end."

A sad look came into the rogue's face, a look that he quickly replaced by his usual cold stare.

"You are either delusional, or trouble. Pray to your heathen gods that you will never be alone with me."

With that, Guts walked to the front of the group, passively holding his dagger in his hand.

IC: De'kra winced for a moment, and clicked, "I have no god."

After a pause De'kra clicked, "Be careful of you xenophobia and apathy. If you drive everyone away, soon enough world turns against you. All the power in cosmos not worth a thing if everyone hates or distrusts you. You will grow paranoid and terrify of everyone, anyone could kill you. And second you let you guard down, they will. Because in you cruelty you drive them away. Maybe that why you fear I, because I not like that. I have few memories, many of which are of enormous pain and suffering. In one memory another planet became destroy, world I care for. I only speak Eubric in broken tongue, and I know some people give I looks for it and appearance. I already manipulate by employer, I know people here sometimes cruel. I know people here Yet I not hide away in wall of cruelty, and I still allow people in. I not monster, I still care about people, people I have not met, people I not remember. I broken in some ways, but not in spirit. Perhaps that scares you. Maybe that why you think I insane, because I still care. You city no break I, I memories almost break I, but I survive. I endure. I grow strong." As he says this De'kra's tone is still pleasant from the line incident, but now hints of pity can be found.

[Scubacarrot]

Guts eyes fixed on the small creature, that claimed there were 'other worlds'.

"Your words ring hollow, demon, for half of them are untrue, and the other half is nothing I do not know. If you tried to insult me... You failed. I don't expect a demonspawn to understand this language, or you would choose your words with more care. Even though it is not my first language either, I know I am not 'xenophobic'. I just have the common sense to not trust something that could have walked out of darkest reaches of the earth. Fear you? I fought full-grown dragons, mages, the world's best assassins and even the undead. Fear is something I learned to bend a long time ago."

Guts's memory flashes back at the battle with the dragon, 30 warriors on an icy peak, battling the monster, only 7 to return... With a slightly deeper voice, he continues:

"Paranoid, resentful, sure. It is something I learned is a necessity. I keep my guard up, yes, so others don't get hurt, but I don't expect you to understand. Cruel, however... Is something I am not, I strife to make my victim's ends as painless as possible. You speak of pain and suffering, yet you never experienced it. Whatever you are, those memories are either not true, or not yours. "

Once again, the older rogue relives an old memory, A woman, a child, then dark flames, and nothing but darkness, before waking up, in a world of pain. Guts directly points his dagger at Dek'ra now.

"You say you use 'masks' as a god earlier, demon, don't trick me. There are no other worlds, you are saying you can travel through space? Don't be ridiculous, even the Ji-Pei don't have that kind of technology. I don't know why you are here, perhaps to lure us into some kind of trap, but I will kill you before you can do that."

Turning his back to the rogue, he finally added:

"The stinking mess that is Eubric is not my city, demon."

Edited March 6, 2012 by Scubacarrot

[Rumble Strike]

Tarn stood between Guts and De'kra. He may not understand De'kra most of the time, and doesn't know where he came from, but he feels Guts is well out of order here.

"Stay your tongue, Guts, or I will stay it for you. This bickering does us no good. Let us speak no more of demons and destroyed worlds, and focus on the present."

He pushes the older man towards the left hand path.

[Scubacarrot]

"Don't worry, Valco. I will keep my blade away from that thing's throat, for the duration of this mission, at least."

Guts walks on the path he was pushed on by his party leader.