Heroica RPG- Quest #133: A Walk Through The Parlor

[Asphalt]

As I said, I am called Aristune. I came here with my cadre to prove worthy of taking the mantle of Falcon Brother. We the initiates were set with the task of obtaining the portal keys, defeating the denizens of the Parlour, and returning to the Caliph in glory. We began our trials admirably, we obtained the Emerald and Sapphire Keys.

He looks at Calamity

​Which I see you now possess. And we continued our search for the remaining staves. But soon after obtaining the second key something changed. Something seemed . . . I don't know strange somehow. It was if the Parlor began to take on an intent of its own. We awoke in the fountain room to hear a terrible wail of torment echoing through the chamber. Then two of our cadre began acting strangely and ran off.

After that those of who remained continued the search. It would not be the first time that initiates perished at the Parlor's hand. It is designed to separate the worthy from the unworthy. We continued to search but we soon lost another of our cadre to the darkness. How can there be darkness in this place? The lights are made never to dim. In the end it was only myself. I was injured by a battle with the Bore Beetles, and I could not carry both of the keys. I secreted the Emerald key in what we called the Storage Closet, and continued with the Sapphire key to the fountain room.

There I waited, for what seemed like weeks. I could hear my former men calling to me through the doors, demanding that I release them from this cage. I dared not open them. After more time, how much I do not know as that is part of the Parlor's magic, I was shaken awake by a Falcon Brother. He said that he and his Cadre were sent to retrieve us as we had been deemed unworthy. I told him what I have told you. He scoffed at me and called me coward.

Aristune looks down at the corpse at his feet.

He calls no one such now. We had begun to continue the search for the remaining keys. we made it to this room when we were set upon by . . . I know not what to call them other than man-beasts. Two of his men fell quickly, he and his remaining officers tried to make a stand. He put me in the chest and showed me how to keep it from opening. After that I can tell you that heard only the muffled screams of battle, and then nothing until one of you began hammering on the chest.

He kneels beside the dead man.

He saved my life, and I will be forever in his debt.

[Rconn0]

"Hmmm, any idea might might be causing these strange happenings?"

[Scubacarrot]

"Your uniform is different from the others, why's that?"

[Asphalt]

"Hmmm, any idea might might be causing these strange happenings?"

I am no sorcerer nor mystic. I wish I could tell you more.

"Your uniform is different from the others, why's that?"

I wear the uniform of The Initiate. One who is worthy to be tested to enter the Brotherhood.

I mean no disrespect to you, to any of you, but you seem an ill matched band.

He gestures at the heroes.

You are what? Mercenaries? How do barbarians, bird men, death worshipers, and simple children come to travel together, let alone be admitted entrance to the Parlor?

[Mencot]

" Aristune, thou say. Nice to meeteth thou, if only circumstances wast diff'rent wouldst be bett'r. So ye are one of the initutes, aye i couldst maketh that out of the st'ry."

You are what? Mercenaries? How do barbarians, bird men, death worshipers, and simple children come to travel together, let alone be admitted entrance to the Parlor?

"aye i hast to agreeth we art, misfit of a group. We art from Eubric and h'roes from H'roica, we wast hir'd by thy calpih to investigateth and solveth what is going on down hither.

The big man points at the heroes in no certain order "The dwarf is Muradin, then we have two mages Calamity and Terry and the birdman cleric is Rethinal."

Keliim looks at the roughed up initute "And looks likes liketh we findeth out something to this myst'ry!

Good thing we went this way and we found thou quick, 'ere something wouldst had happened to thou 'r to us.

How longeth doeth thou thinketh thou been down hither?

Keliim turns to the others and say "seems we knoweth a bit bett'r now what hath happened down hither but things may got a bit moo complicat'd. This placeth seems be und'r some kind of dark charm, haunt'd and 'tis infest'd mine some dreadful creatures. We needeth to stayeth togeth'r and closeth."

Keliim looks at the dead body "These men were pretty powerful and they failed... lets do better. Let the gods look over them, who have fallen here and let them rest in peace."

He turns back to Aristune "how hurt art thou, can thou fighteth and doeth thoust any weapons left?"

Edited May 22, 2015 by Mencot

[Scubacarrot]

You are what? Mercenaries? How do barbarians, bird men, death worshipers, and simple children come to travel together, let alone be admitted entrance to the Parlor?

"Who's the death worshipper?"

[Asphalt]

"

He turns back to Aristune "how hurt art thou, can thou fighteth and doeth thoust any weapons left?"

I have recovered from my wounds, but as far as weapons or gear I am as you see me.

"Who's the death worshipper?"

In these lands those who bear a staff such as yours my lady are known to be Death Worshipers, Followers of the Shade of Many names, a demon most powerful.

Aristune (NPC)

26 year old Human

Level 6 Ranger

Health 6/11

Power 6

SP 3

Gold 0

Equipment: Initiates Brigandine (SP 3 Bodywear, usable only by Aristune)

Inventory: Smoke Bomb, Bone

Edited May 22, 2015 by Asphalt

[Rconn0]

You are what? Mercenaries? How do barbarians, bird men, death worshipers, and simple children come to travel together, let alone be admitted entrance to the Parlor?

The were-eagle growls, "watch who you call bird man."

Edited May 22, 2015 by Rconn0

[Mencot]

Keliim looks on everybody and makes a motion with his hand

"Eve'rbody calms down, th'r be no need f'r any name callin nor takin offence by it. We're all in this mess toughter and we need to work toughter to get out of h're alive."

He turns to Aristune "how ist thou sw'rd hand, I hast this spare longsword. It ist not much but it ist one fine sword."

Keliim hands the Order Imperial Longsword​ towards Aristune.

Edited May 22, 2015 by Mencot

[Asphalt]

The were-eagle growls, "watch who you call bird man."

Ahh the Fowl has a temper, what would you have me call you then?

He turns to Aristune "how ist thou sw'rd hand, I hast this spare longsword. It ist not much but it ist one fine sword."

Keliim hands the Order Imperial Longsword​ towards Aristune.

I would if I but could, I am a ranger my friend, the sword was never my strength.

[Mencot]

I would if I but could, I am a ranger my friend, the sword was never my strength.

"I understand thou be a ranger but this seems to be the only spare weapon we have to offer, if we see something or thou know wh're we could find some weapons lets go there. Because I think we should keep moving."

Edited May 24, 2015 by Mencot

[Asphalt]

"I understand, if we see something or thou know wh're we could find some weapons lets go there. Because I think we should keep moving."

There are no armories within the Parlor, one is to make it out with what they choose to bring with them. This place has taken so many lives already. I curse the very names of those who designed this prison. I want nothing more than to leave this place and return to my life. But to do so we much find the 5 keys. You appear to be the leader of the Cadre Keliim. I will follow your lead.

[Mencot]

There are no armories within the Parlor, one is to make it out with what they choose to bring with them. This place has taken so many lives already. I curse the very names of those who designed this prison. I want nothing more than to leave this place and return to my life. But to do so we much find the 5 keys. You appear to be the leader of the Cadre Keliim. I will follow your lead.

"Aye agreed, lets solve this and get the bloody hell out of hither. Aristune welcome to our party.

Thou said that thou had found two of the keys, we hast one of them. Doth thou remember whence that room was wast thou left the emerald key?"

Keliim thinks for a second and says "what we art up against hath to hast some kind of intelligence, because all weapons art remov'd from the kill'd!"

Edited May 24, 2015 by Mencot

[Endgame]

"Did you encounter anyone worth noting, Aristune? We've only seen skeletons, vermin, and some great big beetles - was there anything of note you encountered before gettin' the staves?"

Edited May 23, 2015 by Endgame

[Asphalt]

"Did you encounter anyone worth noting, Aristune? We've only seen skeletons, vermin, and some great big beetles - was there anything of note you encountered before gettin' the staves?"

Based on what we experienced with the first two staves it would seem each key requires you to pass a specific test or best an obstacle. In order to obtain the Sapphire key, which you now hold, we had to pass through the chamber of winds. The Emerald key was entangled within grasping vines that only the sharpest blade could cut, and then only working together. I would imagine that the other keys would be similarly guarded.

[Scubacarrot]

"The sharpest blade? That seems useful."

[Endgame]

"We didn't see either of those. You wouldn't happen to have a map of your own of this place, would ya?"

[Asphalt]

"We didn't see either of those. You wouldn't happen to have a map of your own of this place, would ya?"

Nay Lady, while my men were being picked off one by one I did not take the time to draw a map.

[Endgame]

Terry looks at the man in annoyance.

"...Did ya just call me lady?"

He wasn't sure to be angry at Aristune, or dissapointed in himself.

[Mencot]

Keliim started to be a bit annoyed at the situation that Aristune did know much to help because the big man had hoped Aristune could be somewhat of a guide but then again the man had gone through much here. Whole his cadre was dead or missing, the Falcon brothers sent to investigate and bring them back were dead and he was wounded and weaponless. So some understanding for the man was reasonable.

"Aye lets go, thither shouldst be still one moo room to the west from hither." Keliim walks over to the door facing west and opens it. Before trying push it opens he turns to Aristune one more time and asks:

"Aristune, thou don´t hast any memory of where the storageroom, wast the emeraldkey thou told us about is?"

Edited May 24, 2015 by Mencot

[Asphalt]

Terry looks at the man in annoyance.

"...Did ya just call me lady?"

He wasn't sure to be angry at Aristune, or dissapointed in himself.

Note: whoops autocorrect.

Clean out your ears youngling, I said Laddy.

Keliim started to be a bit annoyed at the situation that Aristune did know much to help because the big man had hoped Aristune could be somewhat of a guide but then again the man had gone through much here. Whole his cadre was dead or missing, the Falcon brothers sent to investigate and bring them back were dead and he was wounded and weaponless. So some understanding for the man was reasonable.

"Aye lets go, thither shouldst be still one moo room to the west from hither." Keliim walks over to the door facing west and opens it. Before trying push it opens he turns to Aristune one more time and asks:

"Aristune, thou don´t hast any memory of where the storageroom, wast the emeraldkey thou told us about is?"

If I haven't been completely turned around by this place is was one room past where the Altar of the Keys was is held. I believer we were traveling south at the time.

[Mencot]

If I haven't been completely turned around by this place is was one room past where the Altar of the Keys was is held. I believer we were traveling south at the time.

"Aye alright, we hast been there. We will return there instead"

Keliim moves away from the door leading west and goes over to the opposite door leading east to the saferoom and opens it.

[Rconn0]

"Just call me RETHINAL."

[Asphalt]

Keliim leads the party back to the Fountain room. You are starting to get the feeling that you may never clear all of the rooms in the parlor.

As it did before, the Fountain statue of the Caliph has rotated to greet you as you enter.

[Mencot]

Yes, the big man has the feeling that the heroes were just walking back and forth now but if the green key would still be in the storageroom it would be worth checking out.

"Aaand now we go North"

Keliim goes up to the door leading north and back to the storageroom.

Edited May 24, 2015 by Mencot