Cutcobra Posted August 16, 2013 Posted August 16, 2013 Heckz tried to understand what the doctor said. After understanding a few words Heckz asked "Who is this Masked Man?"
Pyrovisionary Posted August 16, 2013 Posted August 16, 2013 (edited) Sarge gives 300 gold to Jeaux and Heckz. Sarge recognises the doctor as an employee of the guild of Invision, who he was in the good books with. "We're employed by the cemetery which you took the bodies from sir . Here is the representative Jensen sir. I'm sorry for destroying the zombie sir but she... It would have killed you sir. Now you can live another day sir. If there is anything you need help with?" Edited August 16, 2013 by Pyrovisionary
Sandy Posted August 18, 2013 Author Posted August 18, 2013 "The man who requested our aid did not wear any mask, he was merely trying to protect the bodies that had been placed in his care. The ones that it appears you have been taking in order to perform your experiments. I take it the masked man is your employer?" "Who is this Masked Man?" "Ah, you don't knov that the Mathked Man leadth the Guild of Invithion, the congregation of Alchemithtth in Eubric? The Guildmathter knovth nothing ov thethe ekthperimentth ov mine, tho I am the only one rethponthible." "We're employed by the cemetery which you took the bodies from sir . Here is the representative Jensen sir. I'm sorry for destroying the zombie sir but she... It would have killed you sir. Now you can live another day sir. If there is anything you need help with?" The vampire gulds as he looks at the gravedigger. "Thorry, thir, I did not vant to cauthe any trouble, I jutht needed thome freth bodieth, that'th all. I wath tho clothe to a breakthrough that I couldn't thtop! Unvortunately you jutht undid all my hard vork, and nov I have nothing to shov to my colleagueth to prove that my ekthperimentationth actually vorked. Iv you vould thend me jutht one more corpthe..." For the first time, Jensen's demure face shows strong emotion, and it isn't a happy one. "I think you've had quite enough, Doctor. Don't you care about the relatives of the deceased you've snatched away and mutilated to your own purposes? The bodies are buried to our cemetery for reason, to let them rest in peace after a long life. The graves are there for the relatives to come back to reminisce about their lost loved one, and you did not even think twice before you stole that away from them! For two weeks I have had to listen to the cries of widows, parents and children after their loved one had disappeared from their grave before they had gotten a chance to properly mourn for them. I wouldn't expect a vampire to know anything about true death or losing a loved one, but I will not have it! If it were up to me, I'd take you and your twisted little assistant back with me to the cemetery and give you a final resting place as a punishment for your blasphemous crimes!" The vampire hides behind his assistant as Jensen spills out his repressed anger. "Noooo!!!" "I... I'm tho thorry! I merely tried to tholve a mythtery that hath been intriguing uth alchemithtth vor thenturies! Pleathe keep that thovel ov yourth avay vrom me and Thaun!" The doctor glances at the heroes, pleading for their support. Party: Sgt Jon. Mcency (Pyrovisionary) *Party Leader* 53 years old male human Black Knight Level 18 1/2 *Dual Strike* *Immune to blinded and stunned* *Hastened* Power: 35 (18+17) Health: 30/36 (7+17+9+3) Defense: 24 (20+4) Gold: 488 (70 owed to Brickington) Equipment: Demonic Scissors (WP:17, dual strike, Light, Darkness, Hollow (-) daggers), Mythril Shield (SP:20), Black Knight's armour (SP:4, Immune to stunned), Pegleg of Hastening (Permanent hastened-effect to the user; Immune to Blinded, suitable to Sarge only; footwear) Inventory: Duplovian Swift Halberd (WP:3, stuns on successful hits, Hollow (-) halberd), 2x Duplovian Helmet of the Guard (SP:2, Immune to Magic and Healing), Unholy Armour (SP:5, immunity to light and darkness, suitable to paladins and dark knights; bodywear), Potion x3, Grand Potion x5, Remedy, Nostrum, Venom x3, Deadly Venom, Smoke Bomb, Bedroll, Shovel, Pickaxe, Telescope, Magic Compass, Magnifying glass, Business Card, Bone x2, 2x Gold Ring (worth 15 gold; can be given to someone to make them enamored with the giver), Mythril Shard Jeaux Elmfyre (joeshmoe554) Male automaton Ranger Level 15 1/2 Power: 20 (15+5) Defense: 0 (-2) Health: 20/20 (6+14) Gold: 467 Equipment: Eminus (WP: 5; bow), Handy Suitcase (SP-2, use 2 Items; accessory) Inventory: Golden Handcannon (WP:9; lightning-elemental), Ranger's Quiver (WP+1 to a bow or crossbow; backwear), Topaz (Lightning), Grand Tonic Phoenix Essence, Venom x2, Smoke Bomb, Holy Bomb, Water Bomb, Bedroll, Bone x6, Turdwing (fly familiar; causes confused to one opponent whenever used) Heckz Brutenhal,The Ghostbuster (Eric-Su) 32 year old male human Mage Level 13 1/2 Power: 22 (13+9) (Spellpower: 27 (13+9+5)) Health: 17/17 (5+12) Ether: 18/18 (5+12+1) Gold: 464 Equipment: Rawr (WP:9), Spellbound Gloves (Spellpower +5, handwear) Inventory: Rat Scepter (WP:3, 4x damage to enemies named “rat”; wand), Pitchfork of Abomination (WP:1, pierces all defenses including SP but breaks after one use; suitable to all classes), Opal (Ice), Garnet (Earth), Amethyst (Darkness), Health Core, Tonic, Grand Tonic, Ether Core, Elixir, Mead, Bedroll, Bone x2, Crystal Ball (worth 50 gold/100 gold at magic shops) Jensen (NPC, controlled by Pyrovisionary) 36 years old male orc Gravedigger Level 12 1/2 Power: 17 (12+5) Health: 1/21 (10+11) Gold: 0 Equipment: Rusty Shovel (WP:5, damages undead) Inventory:
Cutcobra Posted August 18, 2013 Posted August 18, 2013 "Stop, Jensen! This undead boy doesn't need any sort of punishment for what another person has done. And I don't think the doctor was thinking the stealing of these corpses thoroughly, I'm sure he will never steal one again,-" Heckz turned to the doctor "-won't he?"
Pyrovisionary Posted August 18, 2013 Posted August 18, 2013 "If we were to bring an incredibly fresh body here right now, you'd resurrect Him or her and he or she would be fine? Un-killable you might say?"
joeshmoe554 Posted August 18, 2013 Posted August 18, 2013 (edited) "If we were to bring an incredibly fresh body here right now, you'd resurrect Him or her and he or she would be fine? Un-killable you might say?" "Given the state of our opponent, I would not describe the individual as un-killable. Perhaps, doctor, you could make arrangements with individuals while they are still alive. So that upon their death, their bodies would be donated to you in the name of science. It would prevent the need to steal more corpses in the future and it may result in a more passive result than your previous success." Edited August 18, 2013 by joeshmoe554
Sandy Posted August 18, 2013 Author Posted August 18, 2013 "If we were to bring an incredibly fresh body here right now, you'd resurrect Him or her and he or she would be fine? Un-killable you might say?" "Vell, ve all have our veakneththeth... Tho var I have only learned hov to make people undead vithouth the help of necromanthy, but elemental thpellth and veaponth can thtill lay vathte ov my creationth, ath you have thown. Dame Vrimelda vath the virtht vully intact corpthe I vath able to revive, though. I am convident that I vould be able to repeat the prothethth." "Well, you ain't getting anymore bodies from the graveyard for your twisted experiments. If I see you skulking around, I'll report to your boss! I bet he doesn't have an inkling of what is going on down in this cellar..." "No, you muthtn't tell him, not bevore I have thomething concrete to thow that I did not thteal... I mean vind Dr. Parathelthior'th noteth vor no reathon! Pleathe, heroeth, I vill be ever greatvul to you iv you don't tell the Mathked Man anything about thith!" "Given the state of our opponent, I would not describe the individual as un-killable. Perhaps, doctor, you could make arrangements with individuals while they are still alive. So that upon their death, their bodies would be donated to you in the name of science. It would prevent the need to steal more corpses in the future and it may result in a more passive result than your previous success." "That vould thound like a good plan, iv my pale vathe and vangth vould not vreak everyone out ath thoon ath they hear the vord death coming out ov my mouth."
Cutcobra Posted August 18, 2013 Posted August 18, 2013 "Doctor you have my word that even if I do get to meet this Masked Man, I shall not mention any of these expermients."
joeshmoe554 Posted August 18, 2013 Posted August 18, 2013 "If you wish for us not to reveal the nature of your experiments, than I have no doubt those experiments will remain secret."
Pyrovisionary Posted August 19, 2013 Posted August 19, 2013 Sarge thinks for a moment, then speaks. " So becoming a zombie is like.... Immortality right?"
Sandy Posted August 19, 2013 Author Posted August 19, 2013 Sarge thinks for a moment, then speaks. " So becoming a zombie is like.... Immortality right?" "Vell, thombieth do not die ov thicknethth or old age, that'th vor thure. I am convident I wath able to thtop the deteorating prothethth ath vell, but thinthe you vent and kill all my thpethimen, I cannot be one hundred perthent thure." The doctor glances nervously at Jensen. "But I vill do ath you vith, and vill not thteal anymore corptheth vrom the graveyard. I vill vind another vay to continue my thtudieth. Thank you vor your underthanding, and iv you ever need alchemithtic thervitheth, jutht contact me, Doctor Alphonthe Cula." The zombie boy takes out little cards from the pocket of his jacket. The cards have the name of the doctor and the address of the alchemists' guildhouse written on them. "Taaakeee buuusshineeessh caaarrddssshh." The three heroes feel that their reputation with the Guild of Invision has increased. Jensen still does not look pleased, though. "Now that you're all buddy-buddy with the perpetrator, would anyone care to help me deliver these corpses back to the graveyard? Dr. Cula, you have a horse and a cart upstairs. You won't mind that we borrow them." "No, not at all! Be my guethtth!" "That was not a question. Alright boys, time to get our hands dirty!" Jensen grabs the body of Dame Frimelda and starts to drag it out of the room. What will the heroes do? QM Note: This is your last chance to tie up any loose ends for this quest. Next up is the conclusion!
Pyrovisionary Posted August 19, 2013 Posted August 19, 2013 (edited) Sarge thanks the doctor for the card and helps Jensen with the bodies. Edited August 20, 2013 by Pyrovisionary
Cutcobra Posted August 20, 2013 Posted August 20, 2013 "Doctor Cula, before we go I have to ask you something. Who is Dr. Paracelsior? And what was that beast who now lays dead in the next room?"
joeshmoe554 Posted August 20, 2013 Posted August 20, 2013 Jeaux took the card from the doctor, glancing at it briefly before stowing it away in his briefcase. He heard Heckz ask the doctor a couple of questions about the notes they had seen earlier and the creature who had attacked them. This inquisitive nature and quality of the questions seemed unusual for the typically vacuous mage, but perhaps Jeaux had judged him too quickly before.
Sandy Posted August 20, 2013 Author Posted August 20, 2013 "Doctor Cula, before we go I have to ask you something. Who is Dr. Paracelsior? And what was that beast who now lays dead in the next room?" "Doctor Parathelthior wath none other than the vounder ov our guild, and one of the virtht people to rethearch alchemy in the Vree Ithlandth. Hith perthonal noteth were hidden in the archiveth ov our guildhouthe, but I... dithcovered them and began to continue hith vork in thith dungeon. Thpeaking ov which, the imprithoned wererat you apparently killed wath the previouth inhabitant ov thith abandoned cellar. I did not have the heart to kill him, thince I'm altho interethted in rethearching werepeople, but I guethth I have to vind another tetht thubject vor that purpothe ath vell." Jensen returned just in time to hear the doctor's words. "Give me a break! Do you really think the whole world and all the people in the world are yours to dissect and experiment on?" "Hmmph! I uthually athk permiththion virtht bevore diththecting anybody!" "Whatever... The wagon's all loaded up with the missing bodies - or what's left of them. We should head back to the graveyard now, so bid this lunatic and his dimwitted assistant your goodbyes." "Goodbye, my vriendth! I theriouthly owe you one!" "Byyyeeehhh!" The dawn was breaking when they got back to the graveyard. At the church's backdoor, the party explains everything to Father McCreary. "So the alchemists were behind this? Color me surprised... I suspected necromancers, and gods know those two professions hate each other's guts. But you did a good job in recovering the missing bodies, although save for Dame Frimelda, it is impossible to discern who they belong to after the treatment they got." "And now I have to get back to work and bury all of them - again. I'll have to take a rain check on that visit to the Merry Mermaid, lads - unless you of course want to help me with the shovelling." The heroes politely decline, and make a hasty exit from the graveyard. New adventures wait for them, and all of them hope they would be a little less gruesome the next time around. THE QUEST IS SUCCESSFUL! Party: Sgt Jon. Mcency (Pyrovisionary) *Party Leader* 53 years old male human Black Knight Level 18 1/2 *Dual Strike* *Immune to blinded and stunned* *Hastened* Power: 35 (18+17) Health: 30/36 (7+17+9+3) Defense: 24 (20+4) Gold: 488 (70 owed to Brickington) Equipment: Demonic Scissors (WP:17, dual strike, Light, Darkness, Hollow (-) daggers), Mythril Shield (SP:20), Black Knight's armour (SP:4, Immune to stunned), Pegleg of Hastening (Permanent hastened-effect to the user; Immune to Blinded, suitable to Sarge only; footwear) Inventory: Duplovian Swift Halberd (WP:3, stuns on successful hits, Hollow (-) halberd), 2x Duplovian Helmet of the Guard (SP:2, Immune to Magic and Healing), Unholy Armour (SP:5, immunity to light and darkness, suitable to paladins and dark knights; bodywear), Potion x3, Grand Potion x5, Remedy, Nostrum, Venom x3, Deadly Venom, Smoke Bomb, Bedroll, Shovel, Pickaxe, Telescope, Magic Compass, Magnifying glass, Business Card, Bone x2, 2x Gold Ring (worth 15 gold; can be given to someone to make them enamored with the giver), Mythril Shard Jeaux Elmfyre (joeshmoe554) Male automaton Ranger Level 15 1/2 Power: 20 (15+5) Defense: 0 (-2) Health: 20/20 (6+14) Gold: 467 Equipment: Eminus (WP: 5; bow), Handy Suitcase (SP-2, use 2 Items; accessory) Inventory: Golden Handcannon (WP:9; lightning-elemental), Ranger's Quiver (WP+1 to a bow or crossbow; backwear), Topaz (Lightning), Grand Tonic Phoenix Essence, Venom x2, Smoke Bomb, Holy Bomb, Water Bomb, Bedroll, Bone x6, Turdwing (fly familiar; causes confused to one opponent whenever used) Heckz Brutenhal,The Ghostbuster (Eric-Su) 32 year old male human Mage Level 13 1/2 Power: 22 (13+9) (Spellpower: 27 (13+9+5)) Health: 17/17 (5+12) Ether: 18/18 (5+12+1) Gold: 464 Equipment: Rawr (WP:9), Spellbound Gloves (Spellpower +5, handwear) Inventory: Rat Scepter (WP:3, 4x damage to enemies named “rat”; wand), Pitchfork of Abomination (WP:1, pierces all defenses including SP but breaks after one use; suitable to all classes), Opal (Ice), Garnet (Earth), Amethyst (Darkness), Health Core, Tonic, Grand Tonic, Ether Core, Elixir, Mead, Bedroll, Bone x2, Crystal Ball (worth 50 gold/100 gold at magic shops)
Sandy Posted August 25, 2013 Author Posted August 25, 2013 Epilogue: Invision Guildhouse After a full day's sleep in his coffin, Alphonse Cula was still exhilarated about the scientific breakthrough he had made the previous night. He walked to his workplace whistling merrily inside his mind - he had lost that ability when he was turned into a vampire, as the fangs got in the way. Alchemical lamps spread their pale blue light to the lobby of the guildhouse. "Nov all I need to do ith to repeat the prothethth!" the vampiric doctor chatted by himself. "But vhere could I vind a thuitably fretht body, iv the graveyard ith out ov the quethtion...?" Suddenly a hollow voice called him by the name. Dr. Cula froze, as he knew that voice all too well. "Good night, Alphonse. May I have a word with you?" Was the Masked Man onto him? Dr. Cula hadn't really asked his permission to dig around the guild's archives, after all. And the Masked Man was notorious for wanting to keep all the strings in his metal-covered hands. Crossing with him had been the last thing many ambitious alchemists had done in the past. Dr. Cula still remembered clearly the treatment that Nikolaus Steerpike had gotten from the guildmaster before he had been tossed out of the guild... "G-good night to you too, thir. Ov courthe I alvayth have time vor you, thir. Vhat'th on your mind?" "I was wondering if you have seen some old notes that have gone missing from the archives? They are very important, and extremely confidential, so I would not want them to get into wrong hands." "N-noteth, thir? No, I have not even been in the archiveth vor monthth. But I vill keep an eye out vor them, thir." "Good. I have always been able to trust you, Alphonse. It would break my figurative heart if that was to ever change." Dr. Cula gulped as he watched the guildmaster walk away with long, clattering strides. The Masked Man was still a big mystery to everyone, including Alphonse. The guild's annals revealed that the Masked Man had been leading it with an iron grip for over two centuries now. Dr. Cula would not be surprised if it turned out that the bronze armour hid the spirit of Dr. Theophrastus Paracelsior himself... How that would be possible, Dr. Cula could not say, but the notes he had acquired could provide one possible explanation to it.
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