Lind Whisperer

OoC: @Palathadric posted after @Flare 's last log-on yesterday morning - and WBD hasn't posted anything here in the interim. I know we're trying to wrap up the quest, but could we please give people a little while to respond? @Waterbrick Down Can we get an official QM ruling as to whether or not divination would work?

Same here! Yeah, I'm having a bit of the same with Lind(though for different reasons). I didn't intend for him to have a character arc initially, but I think the #103-#122-#138-#147 route* actually made for a decent one: (#103 introduction, #122 character development/grappling with morality, #138 first serious conflict with other people, poor reactions, build-up for the future, and finally #147, with an ultimate fall from grace+first steps on the path to redemption). (#159 is basically the final chapter - having taken steps to fix himself, he's now proving to everyone else that he really has changed.) It's a good ending to his character, but it kind of makes for quiet roleplay, since I'm trying to stay away from anything that might spoil the 'happiness' of the happy ending. (I know this post might be better placed in the Theatre, but no one's posted there since...*checks* 2016! )

Lind shrugged. "The only problem with attacking the fort first comes with if we've miscalculated, and Rosier is almost already through the door. Eubric has first demand on our capacities, certainly - but letting an incredibly powerful demon loose into a nexus to nearly all of reality? I think we're underestimating the fallout from that. Even if she's only after the fairies, do you really think, given the opportunity, she'd be satisfied with one race, one world - when she could try and rule them all?" The Black Knight frowned at the protesting Paladin. Can't help but have doubts regarding how useful this kid will be, with that attitude...how old is he, again? And when did we start letting kids through the door? I mean, I know we were low on recruits...but kids? He nodded eagerly at the Monk. "Yes. We need to consult our Prophet, regarding the outcomes. I get the bolded message from our QM impression we can only make one of two choices here - we need to do everything in our power to make sure it's the right one."

"Dyric, my friend...this is not a book 'you look at'. I love learning new knowledge...and even I know this is not a book anyone should look at. Anyone. Well, I'd like to think of myself as 'more than a tagalong' - but, yes, I could probably be talked into this plan. I actually already did something similar to it during my trip to Moone." It's interesting that you singled me out...especially after earlier, when you had that strange, private conversation with Monk Pretzel...right after you joined our group. He nodded at Heckz. "We'd definitely need to have a brief talk surrounding the topic of 'loot' while we set out, though..." "Honestly, I'd trust Germ with the book, before I would Heckz... If you've encountered Rosier before, any chance you could describe what she looks like?" "I'm not sure her plans are quite so...licentious, especially since she's a demon...but he does have a point." "So, we need to get a boat. And our options so far, seem to be Guts - and this Magpie. Tritech is out, if they're watching the sky?" He turned to the Skirmisher he'd avoided talking with so far. "Arthur - do the Zeigfrieds still have the Flouncy Phoenix? Or is it out of commission in some way? The Black Knight leaped to his feet. "I think Karie has it - or part of it. The Hall...this all goes back to the Hall. And if there's a tunnel to the temple there...that's the route some of us need to take. Speaking of Byblos...has anyone heard of him, recently? He might be able to elucidate a bit more on what's been happening..."

EDIT.

"I think that hypothesis falls under "best chance scenario." And from too long working under Heroica, I've found that it's almost never the best case scenario. Hopefully you're right, though, and this is the suggestion." He shook his head. "Tell it on the way. Tell all of it on the way. We don't have time for it now, not again. Everything important seems to center around what's at Fort Bonaparte. That's the really important news to know, unless the...Wolfking, here, has some new information for us." "Hoke, that dragon of yours is one heck of a fine creature...I know she's Fire-elemental, but do you think there's any chance she could survive underwater for a few minutes? If she could slip under the Harbor's surface with a few of us on her back - and a mage holding Air bubbles around us - we might have a chance at surprising the Fort Bonaparters by attacking them from two fronts."

The Black Knight frowned, but did not respond. He was less than pleased with the alliance, to say the least, but for the moment, it seemed a necessity. For the moment. "For once, I agree with the druid," Lind chuckled.

"Dyric! Matthias! Been a while..." At this unexpected arrival of the oldest daughter of the Family to whom he had sworn a silent allegience, the Black Knight humbly took a knee. "My lady...my halberd is at your command." He saluted and rose. "I agree with Throlar. I imagine we will encounter more Druids, and their ilk, but after having fought them twice in one day, I don't particularly feel like facing the Watch again. The Druids are much more preferable. And a true observation on that last point...though I feel it pertinent to point out that those people are also under the direct guidance of imposters. They have noble aspirations...but less than noble leaders."

These look incredible!

The Black Knight returned the bow. "A pleasure. Oh, and quite true, Master Germ. But in the spirit of the moment...well, I just was carried away." "Fort Bonaparte!" Lind was clearly excited by the mention of its name. "So it does have something to do with all of this. Back when I was in the sewers, I heard the Phlegmen talking about the Fort. Apparently, not only did someone turn it into a prison for a lot of very important people, but they're storing a large, mysterious box from the Dragon House. I had tried to mention it earlier, but no one was interested..." "To be quite honest, I was somehow under the impression we were going to search it, after we had finished the Fae." "Hmm...it sounds then, perhaps, as if Rosier and the Founders are two different groups...with different - not necessarily contradictory - ends. I agree. That plan seems to be...in flower. And I consider the likely root of that problem to be the Temple of Zoot. Such a place would be a fitting home for an archdemon to take up her residence in. But first, I think we should call upon our Prophet's meditation powers - which may save Eubric the more, plunging into the Temple of Zoot after Rosier, or investigating this Fort Bonaparte scenario - which, I think, may be the answer to many of the questions swirling around these Founder imposters? There is no doubt that Rosier would seem to be the more demanding...but we may have missed a key piece along the way. Their relation is still very unclear, and I would not like to have a great tragedy happen elsewhere, that our focus on Rosier allowed to happen. Please don't think me heartless - I have only the greatest of sympathies for the Fae, and its troubles - but it is almost destroyed. Eubric is still very much intact. And my sympathies must ultimately lie with my home city. I would like to make what surety I can, that in my efforts to save another realm, I am not unintentionally dooming the people of the one I, as a hero, am most bound to serve." He nodded at Benji. "Thanks to his efforts, the unintentional death of the Fey One was avoided. If another choice like that silently awaits us, I would like to know it beforehand."

Following in the immediate support position, Lind barely avoided crashing into the suddenly halted minstrel. "Hovel Party! Well met." "Well...barring some extenuating circumstances, like they're all mirages - or, worse, we've been mirages this whole time, and they're the real heroes...yes, that would probably be wise." Scanning the crowd for any familiar faces, the Black Knight slapped The Demon Germ and Torald Waruelf on the back with a tremendous smile. "My old Crescent constituents! Well met, again! Glad to have you as part of our merry crew!" He quickly took in the rest of the crowd. "Hmm...Lord Boomingham, I know through reputation...the young paladin, I believe I've bantered with, back in the day...the Viking I am sad to say, I have never had the pleasure...the gentleman with the demon in his chest, I know from our former faction...I know one of the noble Nôrn when I see one, but again, never had the pleasure...the same with the Witch and the Arbormancer - we must have some words, you and I, regarding the effects your guild causes every time it goes on strike - and this great lady." He gracefully dipped his head in a half-bow towards the crimson-veiled Sand Queen. "All in all...I know sadly few of your names, but I recognize many of the Hall's finest, and look forward to working with you." He held out his hand. "Lind Whisperer, Black Knight, and former...figure of the Crescent Union. Some of my exploits...are regretfully infamous. But - but! - I assure you, I am quite reformed. My pleasure, sirs, and ladies, my pleasure."

OoC: Cool! Torald joined us! "Coming from you...yeah, that means a lot." Lind grinned back.

"Ready." Lind frowned. If there was one thing that most of the newer heroes wanted, it was a title. And if there was one thing that had almost been impossible to get, it was a title. And if there was one thing Lind didn't like, it was older heroes ragging on newer heroes for things they had no control over. It rarely happened...but that just made the times it did happen seem the more grating. He stepped forward. "That's Vindsval Half-Born, Vindicator of the Wanderer, Unintentional Instigator of Moone, Cowboy of the Lands of the Golden Sundragons, and All Around Decent Chap." He shrugged. "That titled enough for you? And, no, there's no reward. Just what we can pick up along the way...without offending local customs." "Sir! I resemble that remark!" Lind chuckled as he followed the Ogre through the portal...then his smiled faded as he took one last look behind him, at the perishing fairy, before that entire realm whisked itself away. "When I opened the portal, I saw things...first Olegaia...then Uland...then Eubric...then underground...then a tunnel under the city." I think we're near the Temple of Zoot, if I had to make a guess. The rockwork...and I don't like the sound of that armor. ...It may actually be for the best that we have that weather mage. I don't mind fighting an Arch Demon on neutral ground...but on their home turf? We can use all of the demon experts we can get...annoying as some of them may be." The Black Knight shook his head, and turned towards Karie. "...Was I like that, back in the days?" He looked down the tunnel towards Heckz. "...Because with every word he speaks, I feel like I'm having a bad flashback..."

EDIT.

OoC: BTW, my previous post was just meant to be flavor text. Sorry about that! OoC: I could of course have made a mistake(I just sent in my submission), but I believe they're supposed to be read just like they're written out. (i. e., you're reading a map from your perspective.) (Assuming I got it right), I was impressed with how neatly they all tie together, by the time you hit the last clues and are tidying things up.

OoC: Same. Lind watched sadly, effectively helpless. His face brightened slightly on hearing it was just Rosier's toady. "Figured it might be her servant..." He bent over and began to study the runes intently.

"Don't mention it." The Black Knight tipped his head. "Escape plans...afraid not, we're pretty much just making it up as we go." His face darkened with sadness, as he saw the Founder's maimed back. Although the idea of blowing up the tower instantly intrigued him, Lind focused on a different, and more important, tack. "The rotting flower, as you call it...what do you know of it? We've been keeping our eyes and ears open, but we're still in the dark. Other worlds...Hmm...A very interesting discussion..." He looked about the desolate room. "But this is hardly a place to discuss it." "Need a hand with that?" "I'm with Pretzel on this one. We can talk on foot."

Kind of...well, no, definitely off topic(Apologies!), but would anyone(with the parts) mind making a figbarf of my Heroica character? The game is going through the very last quest, and my character has changed a lot from what he was when I made the current version, so I'd like my final pic to reflect that. I'd do it myself, but I don't have the right parts, and my photography set-up is...not that great. (I'd ask in the HEROICA thread proper, but almost everyone has left, except for the tiny handful of people playing the last quest.) If anyone can help, thank you very much! If not, I apologize again for interupting the thread, and hope everyone has a great day! Keep up the awesome work! Love scrolling through here.

The Black Knight from the ancient Forest could hear nothing, but something about the room - perhaps some strange aura - seemed to draw a quiet, happy smile to his face. The pained cries of the sapped veteran quickly shook him back, however, and bending down, he offered the ancient hero a remedy. "Drink this, carefully, now. You've been through a lot. No worries - you're among friends. Name's Whisperer, Lind Whisperer, Black Knight - and these other fine gents and ladies are from Heroica as well. Except for the fairies, of course. We're here to rescue you." Lind chuckled as he watched the paladin leap back and forth between nurturing and defending. It reminded him of his early years in Heroica. "We really should have quested together, before this."

OoC: Nice use of the Geonosis wings! "That seems like a bit of overkill to me...the people we tend to fight tend not to put quite as much thought into these things as we do. Still, though, that's a good point on the corpses..." Not having any real means to check for traps, Lind shrugged. "I agree, Karie should sing an Angelic Aria - and someone should really check these corpses for any lingering magic spells, like Throlar suggested."

OoC: Lind gave Karie a Level-Up Mushroom, and Benji generously donated his Mighty Mushroom to double its effects, meaning Karie should have gained 2 full levels. (Possibly also the health bonus from the Tiny Mushroom, if Benji was contributing that as well? Don't know - @Flare?) (Kinto put down that Karie ate the Tiny Mushroom Lind gave her, but I'm pretty sure that's a mistake, since he didn't have one to give her, (other than possibly Benji's).

"You're the man, Benji." Lind shot him a thumbs-up. "It's only flattery if it isn't true. And it is." The Black Knight grinned back. "Say - Benji. In your vision. Did it seem to be the door kind of portal, that we might be able to reactivate somehow, or did it look like some temporary spell?" "I'm with Throlar. We came here to find the Fey One, and it's our duty as heroes to try and save those fairies. Also, our Prophet only saw a masked figure - not necessarily Rosier. Could very well just be one of her underlings. Irregardless...we came here for the Fey One. An archdemon would just have been frosting on the cake." Lind artistically sliced the Bifrost Blades through the air in a neat semi-circle. "Let's go." "Well...better to heal up now, than in the middle of battle. Need a remedy to replace that one, Skrall? We've still got plenty." With some trepidation, Lind consumed his Pickled Mushroom. If it provides a negative effect, he consumes a remedy, and if requested, hands Skrall one as well.

^This. Mafia games are pretty accepting of new players, anymore, since there's so few of them. (This whole part of the forum could use a revival, really!) I've wanted to host one myself, but I'm bereft of parts+time. (Also, I forget if I would qualify, experience-wise...but I think I would?)

OoC: Okay...I feel a little bit stupid... I originally misread things somehow that the Mighty Mushroom tripled the effects, not just doubled. Edited to reflect this. (Although +2 obviously doesn't come off as large/significant as +3, because, well, it isn't.) ...Still think giving my mushroom+the Mighty one to Karie is a good idea, though.

Hello! Well, I don't want to risk spoiling anyone else's experiences, so I won't say if our third is going well or not, but I think it's safe to say there's been some awesome RP. Lot of old characters meeting/talking - all kinds of great intersection! Can't wait to read the other two threads - it's ending sooner than any of us wanted, but it's a satisfying ending. ...I don't think, though, that it's leaving much room for a second game. Well, no, there's definitely room for a second game - but I don't think it's really leading to a second game. It could only really be a Heroica 2.0, or Heroica+Sci Fi/etc...and although I might be alone, honestly, I'm satisfied with this being the ending. Heroica was magical, but I don't think repeating everything, even with "new flair," can capture that magic. In theory, it would just be better to do something new - strike out in a new direction. In practice...that's going to be difficult. It's hard to realize just how much time and effort Sandy poured into this game, until you actually start reading the old threads. Not to mention the additional time he had to put in, before that, playing a notable number of RPGs, to get the experience necessary to kitbash this system - which, when you compare it to other systems, is really incredible for how it manages to be both incredibly stream-lined and accessible, while also making it possible to create meaningful, in depth stories and unique and memorable gear collections. Seriously - Heroica is positively masterful when it comes to gear. Yeah, it suffers from problems, but I haven't really seen a system that quite captures the "uniqueness" of the Heroica system. There's no "one way" for "the best gear". Other systems may be similar, but again, there's just something unique about Sandy's system, that's hard to capture... Trying to replicate that...would be difficult. The amount of time needed, just to create something new/appropriately rework the Heroica system to a new setting...that would take a while. And on top of that, you then have to either spend a tremendous amount of time hosting, or have a tremendously dedicated host team. The second...difficult, the first...less difficult, but the sheer amount of time necessary...not possible for me, and I imagine, not for most everyone else here. Oh, well. Whatever happens, Heroica was magical, and I'm thankful for having gotten to take part in it.