Heroica RPG - Quest#119: The Blackgull Inquisition

[The Chosen Minifigure]

Warlen raised an eyebrow at Annie.

"The way I see it, this is being kind to him. How many did hooks kill or injure? And, if he was working alone, then this is his punishment, not the Bonapartes."

[Kintobor]

Warlen raised an eyebrow at Annie.

"The way I see it, this is being kind to him. How many did hooks kill or injure? And, if he was working alone, then this is his punishment, not the Bonapartes."

At Warlen's reply, Annienal simply shakes her head in dismay and looks away.

[The Chosen Minifigure]

Upon seeing Annienals expression, Warlen thought back to his first quest for Heroica. What had caused him to change his mind so much since then? He was so against them killing that "Villian", why was he so not against punishing Hooks?

Hooks is a traitor, he thought. That dragoon didn't know what he was doing.

But try as he could, he couldn't convince himself that he was right, and his conflictin thoughts showed on his face for all to see.

[CMP]

"Look at this disgusting pirate. Do you really think a firm talking-to is going to change this idiot's outlook? It took the Bonapartes lopping his hands off to keep him in line. Maybe he just needs a reminder of his loyalty."

[Sandy]

Annienal slams her fist on a table trying to get everyone's attention before reeling her hand back in pain, flailing it back and forth. She then speaks diplomatically to the Ji Pei individuals in an attempt to plea to Jun.

"Jun, do you seriously think cutting off Hooks' legs will be condoned by Admiral Bonaparte? Do you seriously believe this will look good in the eyes of the public? Hooks has made it more than clear that he was working alone when he attempted to take your mother's life. Do not stoop to his level of depravity."

Jun raised his hand to stop the soldiers. Annienal's words clearly made him second guess his decision.

"You speak wisely, Miss. Then how do you propose I should punish him? The gallows are too merciful for a man of his ilk."

Party:

Annienal Anavir (Kintobor)

"19" year old elven female Knight *Party Leader*

Level 7

Power: 13 (7+6)

Defense: 4 (2+2)

Health: 11/16 (10+6)

Equipment: Ammit (WP: 6; greatsword, user gains 5 ether for every kill); College Shield (SP: 2), Pauldrons (SP: 2, suitable for knights, dragoons, and skirmishers; accessory)

Gold: 13

Inventory: Bonaparte Cutlass (WP:9, doubled if the user has reputation among the Bonapartes; longsword), Wicked Javelin (WP: 7, throwing weapon, retrievable, 1/6 chance to slow), Sanctified Rito Longsword (WP: 4, Hits doubled against flying enemies, longsword), Training Sword (WP:4), Emerald (Wood), 2 Potions, 2 Phoenix Essences, Mead, Venom, Smoke Bomb, Bedroll, Field Rations (Restore 15 health)

Miderun (CallMePie)

18 year old female orc Barbarian

Level 7 *Attacks cause enamored*

Power: 21 (7+13+1)

Health: 14/14 (8+6)

Gold: 92

Equipment: Oculoid Claw (WP: 13, 1/6 chance of dealing the infected-effect, causing an enemy to lose health equal to 1/3 of their level rounded down at the end of each round, club), Seductive Perfume (Holder deals the enamored-effect, suitable for women; accessory)

Inventory: Bonaparte Cutlass (WP:9, doubled if the user has reputation among the Bonapartes; longsword), Serstyral (WP: 3, axe), Tricorne (SP:3; headwear.), High Heels (Power +1; suitable for women; footwear.), 3 Potions, Remedy, Phoenix Essence, Mead, Nostrum, Smelling Salts, Smoke Bomb

Warlen Melimane (The Chosen Minifigure)

23 year old male half-elven Mage

Level 8

Power: 13 (8+5) (Spellpower: 18 (8+5+5))

Health: 4/12 (5+7)

Ether: 11/12 (5+7)

Gold: 30

Equipment: Gold-coated Bat Staff (WP:5, staff), Spellbound Gloves (Power +5 to spells)

Inventory: Robe of the Magi (SP:1; suitable to mages; bodywear), Marauder’s Mantle (Grants permanent reinforced-effect, doubling defense; suitable to marauders; backwear), Amethyst (Darkness), Aquamarine (Water), Emerald (Wood), Ruby (Fire), Sapphire (Wind), Opal (Ice), 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), 4 Potions, Grand Potion, Health Core, Tonic, 2 Remedies, Dragon Scale, Smoke bomb, Fire Bomb, Bedroll, Shovel, Telescope

[Kintobor]

Annienal feared that sending him to the Admiral would result in nothing being done. She looked to Hooks, trying to think of something suitable that would not look poorly upon the Ji Pei.

"Brand him. Allow everyone to see his crime no matter where he goes; everyone will know him for both disrupting the peace and trying to cause a rift between both houses. I'm more than certain the Bonaparte's would not condone the attempted assassination of your mother and will deal with Hooks personally, but even if they don't, branding him will get the message across to everyone else without.. um, removing his legs."

[Sandy]

"Brand him. Allow everyone to see his crime no matter where he goes; everyone will know him for both disrupting the peace and trying to cause a rift between both houses. I'm more than certain the Bonaparte's would not condone the attempted assassination of your mother and will deal with Hooks personally, but even if they don't, branding him will get the message across to everyone else without.. um, removing his legs."

"Brand me?! Do I look like livestock to ya?!"

"Bringing him great shame would be a viable option, but unfortunately there is no common symbol for murderers to brand him with, and even if there were, I would think a man like him would only wear it with pride. What comes to the Admiral and his supposed nobility, it would not surprise me if the Bonapartes gave Hooks the order."

"Hey! I want full credit for what I've dun!"

"If you can't think of a better option, Miss, then we will go with my original suggestion. Don't worry, Lee will make sure his legs will heal before he bleeds out."

[The Chosen Minifigure]

Warlen piped up with a suggestion.

"Well..." the others turned to face him.

"We could just curse him somehow. Whenever he sits down his legs fell the weight of all that he has killed and plundered upon them, something like that?"

[Kintobor]

"Well..." the others turned to face him.

Protip: Never command others to something. That's bad roleplaying, and it irritates your fellow players. Allow others to react to you.

Give me a moment to think this through...

Edited December 19, 2014 by Kintobor

[The Chosen Minifigure]

Protip: Never command others to something. That's bad roleplaying, and it irritates your fellow players. Allow others to react to you.

Give me a moment to think this through...

Right. Ok. Will remember. Thanks.

[CMP]

Warlen piped up with a suggestion.

"Well..." the others turned to face him.

"We could just curse him somehow. Whenever he sits down his legs fell the weight of all that he has killed and plundered upon them, something like that?"

"Sounds complicated."

"Mourmrai," began Miderun, turning to Jun. "I don't think the Bonaparte leaders would order this oaf to kill your mother. They're in a lot of turmoil right now. Surely they've got more pressing matters than worrying about your flying ships."

"It seems like a waste of time and honor blabbering about how to torture a man. In Baltarok sometimes we strand people in the wyvern-infested mountains and let them claw their way out as a show of determination. Maybe something similar is on order here? Except I don't think you have wyverns around here."

[Sandy]

"We could just curse him somehow. Whenever he sits down his legs fell the weight of all that he has killed and plundered upon them, something like that?"

"Oh! You have curses like that in your back pocket, then?" Jun began to sound irritated at the prolonged situation.

"It seems like a waste of time and honor blabbering about how to torture a man. In Baltarok sometimes we strand people in the wyvern-infested mountains and let them claw their way out as a show of determination. Maybe something similar is on order here? Except I don't think you have wyverns around here."

"We are not getting anywhere! As grateful as I am that you jumped in to help take Hooks down, I still don't know who you are and why you intervened. I am not even sure why I am listening to you."

"They sound like reasonable folk, despite their pointy ears and moldy skins. You should keep listenin'."

[The Chosen Minifigure]

"Oh! You have curses like that in your back pocket, then?" Jun began to sound irritated at the prolonged situation.

"No," replied Warlen, "but I assumed a house as old as yours would have some formidable Mages. Evidently, I was wrong. I do apologise for overestimateing you." He said it sincerely, letting the words display his feelings, rather than the tone.

[Kintobor]

Annienal was more than a little flabbergasted at Warlen's statement. Old? The Ji Pei were the newest influence in the city? Now wasn't the time to question his intelligence though.

"They sound like reasonable folk, despite their pointy ears and moldy skins. You should keep listenin'."

Annienal winces at Hooks comment. She felt sorry for Miderun, as if here attempts to spare his legs were all in vain. She turns to Jun, trying to be as diplomatic as possible, despite feeling a mounting sense of dread.

"The moment you cut off Hook's leg you will have started an incident with the Bonapartes. You do not want to start something with one of the houses as an act of retaliation, it'll bring nothing but chaos to this city. If it means anything, we are from Heroica, here for something to eat. If this involves the city, which it does, we deserve to settle this like civilized individuals, would you... um, not agree, Jun?

He, umm, obviously hates orcs. Could you not instil a punishment involving that?"

[CMP]

He, umm, obviously hates orcs. Could you not instil a punishment involving that?"

"If there's some kind of universal punishment for racists around here I certainly haven't seen it."

"Look, if it's your mother you're punishing him on behalf of, why not leave his fate to her? Things get a bit too violent when it comes to avenging family members."

[Sandy]

Annienal winces at Hooks comment. She felt sorry for Miderun, as if here attempts to spare his legs were all in vain. She turns to Jun, trying to be as diplomatic as possible, despite feeling a mounting sense of dread.

"The moment you cut off Hook's leg you will have started an incident with the Bonapartes. You do not want to start something with one of the houses as an act of retaliation, it'll bring nothing but chaos to this city. If it means anything, we are from Heroica, here for something to eat. If this involves the city, which it does, we deserve to settle this like civilized individuals, would you... um, not agree, Jun?

"Look, if it's your mother you're punishing him on behalf of, why not leave his fate to her? Things get a bit too violent when it comes to avenging family members."

"I should have known you are from Heroica. You seem to be the only sensible group left in this city... You are right, of course, chaos and friction in-between the Houses is the last thing Eubric needs. I will take the matter of this scumbag to the Bonapartes, then, to see if we can reach a mutual consensus on how to punish him. My mother is abroad at the moment, and I wouldn't want to bother her with this anyway. Hooks has caused enough pain to her already."

Mariel, the waitress, walked to the group. She did not look pleased.

"Are you leaving? Good, because everyone else already has! I don't want to scrub anymore blood from the floor, anyway. So off you go, shoo!"

The Ji Pei soldiers dragged Hooks and his injured officers out of the tavern, and the heroes followed them.

"Again, thank you for your help. I could not have kept my emotions at bay without you."

The heroes knew that if they would botch up their current quest, they would at least have friends among the Ji Pei. They now had one more suspect to visit.

Arriving at Captain Geor Bullsworth's townhouse, they saw him peering out from one of the windows, looking concerned.

[Kintobor]

Annienal tried not to look to suspicious standing about the front of the Captain's house.

"So... um, are we going to knock?"

Edited December 22, 2014 by Kintobor

[CMP]

"Well, it's that or stand outside all day."

Miderun walked up to Bullsworth's door, knocking on it roughly.

[The Chosen Minifigure]

Warlen sighed.

"You know, you're supposed to explain the plan before you go barging in."

[Sandy]

Miderun walked up to Bullsworth's door, knocking on it roughly.

Captain Bullsworth opened the door himself, since he was already near it.

"Yes, what is it? Do you bring news of my boys?"

[The Chosen Minifigure]

Warlen gives Annie a discreet "what do we do?" look.

Ooc: Not sure if you've noticed, Sandy, but I PMed you a quest pitch a few days ago.

[Kintobor]

Annienal gulps loudly before deciding on her choice of words and trying to be as diplomatic as possible despite being a little panicked.

"Mr... Bullsworth. May we come in? We've got some things to discuss with you, unfortunately not about your sons."

[Sandy]

"Mr... Bullsworth. May we come in? We've got some things to discuss with you, unfortunately not about your sons."

"That is unfortunate, but very well. Step inside." The captain opened the door further, letting the party inside. The hall was spotless and showed that the family led a wealthy life. "I am just concerned about my two sons, Grant and Cary. After the incident at the Academy of Enlightenment, they have done nothing but loiter around at the streets, getting themselves mixed up with suspicious groups. But I apologize, I should not be bothering you with these things. What is it you want?"

[CMP]

"Wait, wait, your sons are missing? That sounds like quite a problem. I know Eubric can be a very dangerous city if you fall in with the wrong crowd. Do you know where they might be.....loitering? Surely you've sent someone to find them by now."

[Sandy]

"Wait, wait, your sons are missing? That sounds like quite a problem. I know Eubric can be a very dangerous city if you fall in with the wrong crowd. Do you know where they might be.....loitering? Surely you've sent someone to find them by now."

"No, they are not missing per se, although I told them to be home by suppertime. Needless to probably say, but their supper has gone cold on the table already. That is why I thought you might bring some bad news. Where they spend their days, gods only know. They are too old to be locked in their rooms, too."