Heroica RPG - Quest #139: Around the World (West)

[The Legonater]

Of course. This is a power thing. More souls, more power. And now you want to be immortal.

Look, we both half half of the map. We can either fight over it, or we can tough this out and work together. I vote for the latter.

[Scubacarrot]

"You saw what I did to the Pongacis. Leave."

[Zepher]

Zane's voice takes on a misty quality.

"Such baseness. Can't you see Dyric's side of things? Why put yourself in danger? Zane, what fools that Hall has admitted. Their magic has led them to have such egos, but they don't know, never know..." his voice reverts to sneering and harsh. "Of course." He turns to Guts. "You're a powerful man, no two ways about that, I ain't looking to pretend otherwise. And you may be able to kill my new court," he gestures to the three-

"megablocks," spits Medusa.

"You'll get yourself killed if you don't recognize your limitations, Medusa. How many times must I wipe the floor with you before you'll let me talk to my equals without your interruptions- oh let's please do it again, it gives me so much joy, haha the little weakling licking her wounds, we've beat her up so many times haha- WE'LL STRIP HER FLESH FROM HER BONES THE-"

"We can't kill you. But Parvati and I can fade into the sand storm once more, and Solimon can take wing, and I'm sure you'd have Medusa's body on your hands. But you only have a half a map as well- and tell them, my Zane, of fates worse than death- of course- HA HA HA the weaklings can't die but- there are, as she says, fates worse than death. I could go find some chains, and find some vultures to eat out your guts every day here in the Wastelands, and your own magic would prevent you from dying, you'd watch as they gobbled you up day in and day out. Or impaled on a spear, blistering slowly, forever, in the sun."

"And I wonder," says Parvati seductively. "If their magic protects their souls as well as their bodies."

"So the point is we can work together, piece together a map, and continue on our way peacefully, or you can wander the wastes forever, or worse, be stuck here until your mortal deaths. And what of your friend with the bubbly skin. Is he of your organization too? Or are you willing to lay his life on the line?"

Daneeka remains silent.

[Scubacarrot]

The former raider crosses his arms, leans back, and raises his eyebrow up as far as he can. He looks at the orcs standing before him with a hint of disbelief, and a lot of annoyance.

"One of these days. Not today, not tomorrow, maybe not even this year, but one day it will happen. We will meet a foe that realizes that threatening my party is a terrible idea. I don't care about whatever an Old God is, your silly court, your magic or your weakling allies. You have the other half of the map, hand it over and leave. I won't threaten you with stupid ways to extend your deaths, but I do promise to kill you for standing in our way."

Guts drinks a Mead, Smelling salts and Nostrum. He swaps the Clothespin with the Pugilist's Gloves and also offers Matthias and Dyric what they need to complement their buffs. After performing these preparations. The marauder makes a show of unsheathing both weapons slowly, leaving them pointed at the ground. Guts shrugs to signify it was the Orcs' move.

Edited November 9, 2015 by Scubacarrot

[Zepher]

Zane takes out the map. He tosses it to Guts with a wink, but before it can reach him Solimon sweeps through the air and snatches it, beating his wings furiously so that he soon hovers a few dozen feet over the battle.

"I imagine you've never met anyone who could not be killed by you-" says Zane dreamily as he rolls his shoulders. "Let's see if we can't change that. Zander, you're in command- oh boy, going to kill the whelp, hahahahaha- Parvati, Medusa. Flee as soon as things get too dicey. And forgive me, baldy. I'm new at this necromancing thing. So, I can't quite summon the same force your old foes did," with a yank of his wrist, Zane summons forth nine skeletons who arrange into three packs. Electricity cackles in his hand. "Stupid, stupid, stupid. Can't share the prize, huh?"

The Enemies

Zane

Level ?? Humanoid *Hastened* *Nimble* *Lucky* *Immune to all Negative Effects and Instant Kill*

Health: 13650/13650

Ether: 12/12

Special I: Jokes on You – Zane inflicts the cursed, fragile and jinxed effects on the hero. He also steals half of the hero’s current gold, which becomes irretrievable.

Special II: Ravenous Hunger – Drains 10 ether and 10 health from the hero, disregarding row/SP.

Special III: Electric Field – Forms an aura of electricity around Zander that causes 15 lightning-elemental damage to the next five attackers that score a hit against him. Uses two ether.

Special IIIV: Electrocute – Instantly KO’s the target. Uses one ether.

Passive Special I: Zander's Soul - Zane is permanently hastened. On odd rounds, when he deals damage it is electrical-elemental, and costs 1 ether. Zane's electrical attacks ignore row/SP, and deal stunned, fragile, and additional damage equal to SP (the SP damage is non-elemental).

Passive Special II: Magician's Soul - Zane is immune to negative effects and instant kill. As long as Zane is standing, AOE effects only effect the original target.

Passive Special III: Necromancer's Souls - Zane starts each battle with 3 Skeleton mobs of 3 skeletons each. He has a 1/6 chance to add a skeleton to the mob with the lowest count each round.

Passive Special IV: Zane's Shattered Soul - Zane is permanently nimble and lucky.

Passive Special V: Taste of Your Own Medicine – Zane all boosts and immunities of anyone targeting him for the round.

NOTE: Special Chosen Randomly. Zane's level is equal to the hero's x2.5.

Undead Treasure Hunters A

Level 30 (10*3) Undead *Mob 3* *Immune to Asleep*

Health: 300/300 (100*3)

Special: Once Like You - The Mob gains all effects of the attacking hero.

Drops: 40 Gold

Note: Destroyed when Zane is KO'd.

Undead Treasure Hunters B

Level 30 (10*3) Undead *Mob 3* *Immune to Asleep*

Health: 300/300 (100*3)

Special: Once Like You - The Mob gains all effects of the attacking hero.

Drops: 40 Gold

Note: Destroyed when Zane is KO'd.

Undead Treasure Hunters C

Level 30 (10*3) Undead *Mob 3* *Immune to Asleep*

Health: 300/300 (100*3)

Special: Once Like You - The Mob gains all effects of the attacking hero.

Drops: 40 Gold

Note: Destroyed when Zane is KO'd.

The Heroes

Guts Holla (Scubacarrot)

*

Dancing

**

Dualstriking

*

*Immune to all

E

l

e

m

e

n

t

s

,

Weakened

,

Fragile

,

Asleep

,

Confused

,

Slowed

,

Afraid

,

Blinded

* *Lucky* *Hastened* *Encouraged*

45 year old male human Marauder

Level:

40.2

Power Bonus:

4

Health:

64/64

Defense:

4

Gold:

9046

Equipment:

Balanced Rapier

(WP: 20, ignores defense, second weapon ignores defense, Longsword, suitable for Marauders) &

Mythril Edge

(WP: 64,

Ice

,

Darkness

,

Light

, attacks restore 3 health, dagger),

Dancing Shoes

(Wearer dances well, in the turn after a miss is rolled, the wearer can act twice. +Immunity to

Asleep

,

Confused

,

Fragile,

Slowed,

Afraid,

Weakened

and

Blinded

, + Immunity to

Darkness

,

Light

,

Fire

,

Air

,

Earth

,

Wood

,

Lightning

, and

Ice

Elemental Damage, footwear),

Crocodile Armour

(+4 Defense +Immunity to

Water

Magic, bodywear),

Pugilist's Gloves

(2+ Power, Immune to

Weakened

, handwear)

,

Orange Mask of Z

(Headwear, if an attack would KO a foe the remaining damage is applied to only the next enemy),

Inventory:

• Pronged Gauntlet (WP:6, dagger), M.U.C.A (WP: 12, bleeding 3, Axe)

Giant Axe (WP:10, dual-strike, axe),

• Jester's Hat (Wearer may choose to gain one immunity from targeted enemy, suitable for anyone), Rubber Gloves, Blessed Amulet

(Immunity to

Cursed

, accessory),

Bomber's Belt (Craft Bomb creates Potent bombs, doubling the damage output of all bombs created, does not stack, accessory, suitable for cannoneers), Magnar's Smaller Axe

(Grants Dual Strike to classes wielding axes, can't wear shield. handwear),

Marauder’s Mantle (Grants permanent reinforced-effect, doubling defense; suitable to marauders; back wear), Blue Guardian Mask (Shield, SP: 2, Protects against Weakened, Fragile and Afraid), Grimmeau's Clothespin (Grants Immunity to first negative effect each battle. Headwear),

•

Beholder's Eye

, Shovel x2, Telescope, Magnifying Glass, Pickaxe, Bedroll, Decamodifier, Magic Compass

•

92x Potion

,

12x Grand Potion, 3x Health Core, 3x Diluted Arc Potion, 2x Arc Potion, 3x Elixir, 5x Phoenix Essence, 28x Remedy, Neutralizer, Crimson Serum (Grants

Mutated

Effect for one battle.), x2 Arc Elixir, Hyper Arc Tonic (Restores All ether to allies, consumable), 2x Ambrosia, 16x

Mead

, 8x

Smelling Salts

, 6x

Nostrum

, x4

Bad Breath, 2x Tonic, Grand Tonic, 3x Smile of the Gods, 3x Fortune Flush,

5x Venom, 4

x Bone,

Soma, S

ilver Ore (worth 60 gold), x2

Feather of White (Allows the user to hide for up to three rounds, avoiding Free Hits. The effect ends if the user targets an enemy.),

Ether Core, Last Resort, 2x Bravado Brew, 12x Rum, x3 Grating Stone,

• 5

x Smoke Bomb, Dirt Bomb, 2x Water Bomb,

Blind Bomb, 2x Confuse Bomb, 2x Poison Bomb, 2x Seal Bomb, Sleep Bomb, 5x Mystic Bomb

, Sand Bomb (Deals 30 earth-elemental damage and the blinded-effect to all enemies),

•

Topaz

,

Amethyst

,

Sapphire

,

Crystal Ball (Worth 200 gold, 400 in magic shops), Gold Ring

(Worth 15 gold; can be given to someone to make them enamored with the giver)

Half of Iceborn's Map (Quest Item), Guanette's Map (Quest Item)

The rest of the Court eyes Dyric and Matthias curiously.

[The Legonater]

I look on as Guts readies himself to fight. Zane was certainly insane but he wasn't an enemy. There was no point in killing him. I think again of David, of calling for his death and finding him later as a good man. David's actions were leagues worse than Zane's... this battle was pointless. Merciless.

I stay back and watch.

[Scubacarrot]

Guts flees. "You're cheating. We're leaving."

Edited November 9, 2015 by Scubacarrot

[Zepher]

Guts flees from the battle. Matthias picks up the anvil, and Doc Daneeka follows after them. They make a swift exit away from the new Court of Demons.

"What now?" asks Daneeka after they've made it a fair distance. "He will certainly be able to track us as long as we carry Iceborn's Map."

[Scubacarrot]

"It doesn't matter. Just keep looking for something that resembles iceborn's map."

[StickFig]

Matthias runs, stealthily carrying his giant anvil, after the big marauder. When Daneeka asks what next, Matthias can't come up with any ideas.

[The Legonater]

Great plan, boss. Next time I see a win-win scenario I'll be sure to try the whole 'fight and run' approach.

So what happens in the likely scenario where we don't see a landmark any time soon?

[StickFig]

Matthias gives Dyric a look, but there's an anvil in front of the gnome's face so no one sees it. "Alright, so that didn't look winnable to me. Do we cooperate with that madman-demon-thing when he finds us again? I'm certain he will." Setting the anvil down, he pulls out his compass and wills it to point towards the other half of the map as a demonstration for the others. "Watching him... do whatever he did to those other wretches was bad enough. I'd rather not have it happen to me."

[Scubacarrot]

"Win-win? Getting our souls sucked AND lose the fountain to that guy? What would you have done, Dyric? You seemed to think he could be reasoned with? Didn't seem so reasonable to me, the whole soul sucking, and murdering treasure hunter business. He.. Was far faster than me. If I could get some hits in, I'd have had a chance. A small chance. That relied on his minions not attacking me when their boss got hurt... It wasn't exactly a duel, even if you did seem to think so. If we don't find anything, we keep looking."

[The Legonater]

He won't. Zane may be insane, but as I said he won't do anything that doesn't benefit himself. He has no reason to fight us, so he won't. The part of him that's still Zane would rather co-operate than go head-to-head with three heroes.

[Scubacarrot]

Guts snorts. "He seemed to gain the powers of those bandits. I can think of a few things he could 'learn' from us."

[Zepher]

"Would you be willing to wager your life on your hypothesis?" Daneeka asks Dyric.

[The Legonater]

Zane knows he can trust me. I don't actually expect him to, but he can. And he knows exactly how resourceful heroes are. He was privy to us killing a goddess. Working together is in all of our best interests.

[Zepher]

"Then you should parlay with him, while Guts, Matthias and I guard the map."

[The Legonater]

Yeah, sure. Just uh, don't stray too far, okay?

I step forward, into the wasteland. With a purposeful voice, I speak into the desert winds.

Yame, qeteak xouqrekd. Ve gate baklkx cirburrec ouq absiomr amc aqe nqenaqec so voqj sofesgeq visg xou. Mo difgsimf.

[Zepher]

OoC: Oh boy, had a genuinely good time deciphering that.

As Dyric meanders out into the desert of his own volition, there is a snapping sound and Zane is before him, his sword sheathed and no electricity cackling.

"Fom's laje le rneaj sgas fizzeqirg," snorts Zane merrily. "I wasn't looking for any trouble myself- no we want to kill you hahaha- but your friend baldy took offense to something we or I said, apparently. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I feel I was more than polite with my request to borrow your half of the map. He drew his swords on me. I don't have any complaint with you, Dyric, after all we are both of the Court of Demons, and between the eight of us we'll hardly drain the fountain." He scowls. "Baldy is another trouble. I can handle him, but I don't know about my apprentices. I'd have to demand he hand over all his weapons. The gnome can hang onto his, and the yellow blistered guy- that's a Sayyip- swallowed a walking encyclopedia in Eubric, he was already dead, no worries- ah to breath the- BASTARDS- the Sayyip can keep whatever's on him too." Zane's eyes blaze. "In fact, you may have something else I have an interest in. That Anvil your little cannon friend holds has got the whiff of magic on it. Maybe we could carry it for him for a while."

[StickFig]

Matthias climbs atop his anvil as the group impatiently awaits Rone's return.

[The Legonater]

Boss isn't going to like that, but I think I can make him see sense. Just so long as you and your crew don't get out of hand. Matthias keeps the Anvil, period.

Edited November 11, 2015 by The Legonater

[Zepher]

"Fine, fine. The Anvil is his. Matthias'. I don't care who carries it. Now go scurry and tell your boss what I've said."

Dyric returns to the party, who can see Zane zapping the wasteland floor in the distance.

"Well?"

[The Legonater]

He's willing to work, but...

I give Guts an uncertain look. ...he wants you to lay down your weapons. It appears you haven't exactly gotten on his good side.

Look, it's not a perfect deal but it's better than nothing. If it all hits the fan, Matthias and I should be able to hold them while you suit up. Just... don't antagonize them. Please.

[StickFig]

Matthias looks at Rone as if the latter's gone bonkers. "So, you want us to go traipsing around a deadly wasteland, with our best fighter stripped of his weapons, at the mercy of a guy who is considered insane by a court of demons? Why does this not sound like a good idea to me?" Hopping down from the anvil, the gnome offers a desperate suggestion. "Can't we go back to civilization and find some help? Surely someone among the greenskins would be willing to send a group of select warriors with us to fight this Zane monster, especially since we know we can locate him without a problem, and it would better secure their lands? And in any case, if we help him find the Fountain, he'll just end up more powerful and we'll end up fighting him at even more of a disadvantage! Then we can all be assimilated into his bag of tricks and we'll never see Eubric again."

The gnome looks surprised at his long (by his standards) speech, but nonetheless looks to the others for any sign of support or sanity.