Flipz

"I have a feeling we shall all be trusted to our own means, a threat this widespread is not well-suited for a large party with a single leader. That is, of course, only my opinion; both Skrall and Haldor have proven excellent Party Leaders in our past encounters with Wren, though I myself would be willing to lead a smaller group if it proves necessary."

"It is the way of Zoot's Playthings that they be named after the god from which they were spawned. Cronk has a similar weapon, though I cannot think of one who walks further from the path of Chaos." "Perhaps Haldor has embraced different beliefs since last we met, but even if he has, he would be only the second follower of Zoot you have met," Arthur remarks proudly, indicating himself. "Though 'follower' may be something of a misnomer; my beliefs on the gods are somewhat...unorthodox, to say the least." "Alexis, if I may, I'd like to use that Scroll of Weakening--my lens renders me uniquely suited to Scroll use. Of course, if you'd like to dabble further in Scroll work, then I'd gladly offer my own collection and my Lens for your use--heavens know I've got plenty of other artifacts bumping around in my pack that I could use." If Alexis borrows Arthur's scrolls and Lens, he'll equip the Scarf of Misfortune in place of the Lens.

Arthur seems to disagree somewhat, but he makes no further comment. "Fair enough."

"Really? I thought that, with your and Master Valco's help, he was architect of one of the greatest slaughters Heroica has seen since the great catastrophe that thinned our numbers so greatly before Miss Nyx and her cohorts joined the organization." His tone was one of light sarcasm, but he could not suppress the respect he held for the assassin. Not truly admiration...but strong respect nonetheless.

"If we can get Wren's honest opinion of them, that ought to do the trick," Arthur remarks sardonically. He frowns. "Atramor, XX was one of the cleverer assassins you fought in Dastan, was he not? I'm disappointed to hear that Wren has retained his services. I had honestly hoped that we might have been able to hire him ourselves, before the Lady got to him."

Arthur frowns. "Are you...quite well, friend? Your demeanor is much changed since our time in Ennon." Relaxing his brow, Arthur continues. "In any event, I am pleased that you got something out of our resident librarian. He has not been up to his usual standards of helpfulness lately, I hope that the Lady's fall will ease his demeanor." "So...you wish to turn Chaos against Chaos..." Hmm, where have we heard THAT before? Arthur's sword hums slightly, and he casually places his hand upon its hilt to still the blade. "It is fortunate that I am here; I am quite familiar with the concept, after all. As, in their own ways, are Cronk, Hybros, and Tensi." One of whom bears a second weapon of Chaos...I sense his fate shall be bound with ours soon enough. "Is that where the Zeigfried connection comes in, then? If De'kra's explanation was not in error, was it not two of them who summoned the demons Abraxas and Mephisto to Eubric to begin with?"

Arthur's Froglish was far worse than Skrall's, but even he managed to pick up something of a discussion about the Zeigfrieds. Them again? Twice in one day...? Arthur thought hard on the words of The Regret; hadn't the Progg mentioned that the family would be ideal teachers for training his own talents? "If we go to recruit the Zeigfrieds, I wish to be a part of that group." Arthur feels he has forgotten a critical piece of the puzzle, but he can't quite put his finger on it. I wish I could speak to Byblos, but it seems he has barred his doors to me. If he refuses my patronage again I shall smash his door in and burn that blasted book of his; even as a child I read far faster than he seems to. Not for the first time in recent months, he wishes that the Quest records of late were more complete, and he pats his pack lovingly, grateful for the records he does posess. The Sorcerer nods to Triad. "I trust you are well, Triad. Have you recovered your strength since our time in the Valley?"

The Ancient Crown is no longer "borrowed from Atramor Gibbin", otherwise all is well. Arthur walks up to the others, glancing at Alexis every so often. There was a hint of giddiness in his smile, but he kept it in check. "Greetings, allies. While we are making our final preparations, does anyone require a recap on what we are facing? What we know, what we have learned, what we may find ahead? It has been some time since our organization's last encounter with Wren, so if anyone wishes me to sum up, you need only ask." "In the meanwhile, I posess a cloak, a scarf, and a crown that may prove highly benefeicial to our cause; if anyone wishes to borrow one or more of them, please simply speak to me." Arthur considers taking a Nostrum, but hesitates, his habit of holding on to things he may need later holding him back. He quickly stows the yellow drink back in his pack.

Thanks, will fix. Also, post edited in the Hall, since apparently we're leaving now! Watch that video!

We HAVE a class called Harlot, you know...

Thanks, Endgame provided me with LOTS of great material to work off of, which you should see in 48 sometime soon. (That guy is a full-out genius!) @Doc: I meant, how to use the resizing function, I've been using the beta Photobucket for a few weeks, I'm just still lost with the features. I barely know how to put stuff in folders after I upload it...

It's a minor plot point. Anyway, next post will be the music video! Hopefully Tanma and/or Professor Flitwick will appear online before 53 leaves so I can actually post the thing. Also, a note to Tanma for explanation: Time Trap.

Arthur nods. "Very well. I--" Just as he begins to speak, he is overcome by a wave of dissiness and nausea, and is forced to sit down. His eyes grow unfocused, and he appears unable to see anything in front of him. "F-father...?!" stammers the befuddled Sorcerer. Suddenly, he reaches in front of him, then draws back with a cry of horror. "Father?! Wha--? Who are you?!?" Arthur's hand strays toward his blade. "Why have you brought me here? What is your purpose?? I demand answers!" The Sorcerer's face begins to cloud with what appears to be soot, and he begins sweating profusely as the edges of his clothes and hat singe slightly. He spins round, his eyes darting back and forth in terror, as if surrounded, and then he begins speaking into thin air once more. "The Zeigfrieds?" Arthur's singed brow furrowed in thought. "What gift do you speak of? And how do you know of my homeland?" Silence. And then... "Father..." Arthur calls out mournfully, like a child. He hung his head in sorrow, his shoulders heaving. His eyes brimming with the tears he tried so desperately to hold back, Arthur jerks his head up. "Let me speak to him. Let me speak to him, and maybe I won't match my power against yours." They were brave words, but backed by fear and desperation, instead of true strength. Just then, a change falls over Arthur. His posture straightens, his skin clears, and he overall seems to be radiating power. Seeming to--at least partially--see the Heroes of the Hall once again, he solemnly reaches up...and removes his hat. He speaks again, his voice imbued with deadly seriousness. "When I was a child, my father, the Tur'gaa or 'leader' of my village and noted planewalker, vanished without a trace. I had held for many years that he was alive, but stranded on some distant plane...and I suppose that, in a way, I was right." "My father meant the world to me. He wasn't around much, but I knew he was off doing important things for our family, for our people, for the world. When my friends and I accidentally released Bio Beasts, monstrous creatures of machine, flesh, and Chaos, from the Temple of Zoot, he was the only person I even thought about telling, because I knew he could do something." "A year or two after that, I found out--in the worst possible way--that he had been seduced by the foul Zeigfried witch Valentine, who was stealing the arcane knowledge and research my father had prepared for her own profit. A few months later, he disappeared--no, died--I find it likely to be at her hand. I was left alone, and my mother was forced to join the Guard to make ends meet. With Father gone, the noble families began to rule jointly once more, and jointly they systematically persecuted my family. Only Captain Spar'kell, his son Vaygas (one of my best childhood friends) and my other best friend Caroline Kootenai remained steadfastly by my side. As we reached the age of apprenticeship and Vaygas followed in the footsteps of his father, Caroline convinced her uncle Coe to allow me to work in the mines--not as menial a job as it is to most peoples, as we mined not for gold but for elements of arcane power, but still a step down from my father's craft and station. As time passed, Caroline and I grew closer, and we became lovers. When my Etherial powers began to come in, she was the only one I confided in--a grievous error on my part." "You see, Caroline was a traitor--she had been cheating on me for the last year of our relationship, possibly longer, and had returned to the path of Chaos we had all sworn to disavow after that fateful day as children when we had broken into the Temple and nearly destroyed our homeland. She summoned a new Bio Beast, one that went on a rampage and slew three Guardsmen, including Vaygas' father. When I realized what she had done, I confronted her, and threatened to turn her in to the Elders. She...got there first, betraying the secret of my Etherial magic, and casting me as the manipulator of Chaos. Vaygas, now leader of the Guard, lead the noble families in exiling me, sending me to wander the world until I met my fate." "For two years I wandered Olegaia, until I finally came to Eubric. Here I found new purpose, and I thought I could put my past behind me and start anew--but it was not meant to be. Even on my first Quest, I came into contact with strange forces beyond those that would be faced by an ordinary mage, and then in Dastan, I came into contact once more with the forces of Chaos, through Wren. Unable to suppress my heritage of Chaos any longer, I began to study her, her past, her present, even her possible fate. It was only when I embraced the Chaos that I found myself, that I found my place on the path so winding. Accepting my destiny in Chaos, I took part in my Quest to Haddon, where my secrets were revealed to the other Heroes, and to McColt, and the similarities between my path and that of Wren were not unnoticed. It was then that I saw my fate: to spread the knowledge of Chaos in this world, to help people live in harmony with this primal force that suffuses all existence. There is a beauty to Chaos, and until people can see it, the Chaos will devour their lives. Only through accepting the Chaotic nature of existence, through setting and seeking their Beacons in the Gray, can they live in true harmony with the universe. But this is no guarantee of goodness, for one must also live in harmony with others; the Lady accepts her nature and seeks her own beacon, but she desires the beauty of Chaos for only herself; she cares not for the strivings of lesser beings, and lives in harmony with none but herself. At once I saw the necessity of her existence, and the inevitability--no, the necessity-- of her fall." "But I returned from this epiphany to more pain. Caroline appeared in Eubric--with the daughter that proved her infidelity. Vaygas, too, still holding the bitter belief that I had murdered his father. In part to avoid stagnation--but really more to escape the woman's endless pestering--I left on my most recent Quest, to aid the Ji Pei. There I met a man called Jules, a former devotee of Helvetia who had renounced his cult but accepted and embraced his past. Jules is, by far, one of the most honest, principled, and generally good people I have met in Eubric--and few in this wretched hive may be truthfully called "good." He, and I, are living proof that a darker path need not be one of evil, but that it may be proved a force for what is good in this world." Arthur turns his gaze into space once more, and his eyes no longer focus on the Heroes. "Of course, my specific past is likely of little interest to you, creature of Ether, but you clearly know of my people's past. A tribe of Chaos of ancient antiquity, the plague of Bio Beasts sparked our interest in planewalking and of the technology of other worlds. Several generations ago, however, my people turned from their ways and shunned Zoot, relying instead upon the science they still serve today. The Temple of Zoot was sealed and its entrance lost, until Vaygas, Caroline and I rediscovered it as children. We each took a single artifact of Chaos from that ancient vault, she a Zoot's Plaything, he a Staff of Chaos, and I...I a Tome of Chaos, akin to that book other races know as the Pandemonicon. When we released a Bio Beast, we destroyed our artifacts, but the knowledge of that tome remained seared upon my brain, burned forever in mind. I could not forget--cannot forget--will never forget the secrets of power I learned. You see, Regret, I am born of Chaos, bound to Chaos, bequeathed to Chaos. I have power that you cannot imagine to taste, beyond anything you have or will ever know. Now, as I just said: let me speak to my father, and maybe I won't match my power against yours." A wave of power erupts within Arthur, and he begins hurling mighty spells at an unseen foe. Notably, though the battle raged all round the Hall, not a single blast struck anything but its target, and the bolts vanished without sign of damage--while across the Hall, a minute number of stray energy bolts of unknown origin began to sear the walls here and there, with no apparent source--they were certainly no match to the energies of the Sorcerer, nor indeed of any foe yet faced by those of the Hall. The keenest-eared Heroes could hear similar din somewhere in the distance--but where, it would be impossible to determine. An unknown force pins Arthur to the wall, his feet dangling above the floor, and the Sorcerer clutches at his throat. His head suddenly slams back against the stone, and he collapses to the floor. Arthur forces himself to his feet for one last tirade. "You cannot defeat me, for Order is but the Chaos of Chaos. And Chaos is the universe. None can oppose me, unlesss they first oppose themselves. You cannot defeat me. Wren...Regret...there is a third "R" in Eubric. Regulus...it shall conquer both." His strength fades, and he falls, but just as a few onlookers rush to aid him, he rises of his own volition. He shakes his head to clear it, drained but otherwise unharmed. "Now..." he says, "...where were we?" Apologies for not giving anyone a chance to respond, but... EDIT: Just then, Arthur's attention fell on a small object left on a nearby table...one that bore his name.

Quick tutorial, please? Also, Doc, I'm assuming your party is leaving the Fields now; I don't have time to majorly edit my music video at this point.

Apparently, it breaks Flickr as well as the real world... Yeah, let me finish the video first, though; I WAS going to rely on Flickr resizing, but...

Oh...here's one I had whipped up: EDIT: Gah, flickr is borked, here's a photobucket upload:

If I have time for a full-blown music video, then yeah, I think you'll have time for something like that. (Keep an eye out for a Haldor cameo, though! ) Say, Doc, since you're out of the Fields anyway, will you be signing up for Quest 53?

Good news on the one hand...let's just hope so much good news doesn't crash the site. Nah, I'm just joking!

Why is an American football team visiting Heroica?

I just know how dangerous/useful SP is. ...well, except in planning enemies, but I've learned my lesson in that regard!

Dat bow...almost makes me want to go Evoker.

Nah, in this situation it would be more likely that Haldor would just eat a random chicken leg that he finds on the floor, which later turns out to be the only mortal object capable of defeating the witch. And then he team-kills the whole party by accident. Arthur can give you tips on eating chicken legs, too. If I remember correctly, the party thought the Teuthisal's head hiding behind the crate looked like a chicken leg. Relevant Link.

I've just been playing through the first game. You know the writing in a game is good when you're worried about spoilers for the first case after the tutorial. I've been struck with a LOT of Quest ideas lately. Sadly, I have not been struck with a surplus of LEGO, so that means it'll take a lot of time for me to prep them.

If I didn't want to see your party on Quest 53, Etzel, I'd want to see some sort of parody of this:

I, for one, would like to know what that vehicle in the bottom picture is.