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

[Scubacarrot]

Guts grins and gives Matthias a clap on the back. "Glad to hear you talking, Doc. You'll be fine, now."

The Marauder takes out his dagger, and cuts a strip of cloth off his coat. He soaks the heavy cloth with a Potion and a Remedy, and continues wiping Daneeka off.

"Matthias. Try searching for Captain Iceborn's corpse, a cave entrance, places of magic, I don't know.. Can you use your power over nature to locate sources or anything like that? And Zane. Locate Zane. We need to consider our options. Dyric, do you think Zane would give up his chance at the fountain, just like that? I think it likely he still has the map. That means we need to face him yet again. We're not going to make it in the time we agreed upon, but bugger that. I'd rather wait an extra week to make sure Daneeka is fit for travel anyways. What we can do is make our way east, gather help from the Orcs, and force Zane with superior numbers to give us the map. Or we can try to make a deal. At this point, I am not sure if we have another choice... Dealing with him would be bad. But... I don't know... We have a mission to complete."

[The Legonater]

Hard to say. He's definitely the kind to stray from a fight if he knows he can't win. It would surprise me too much to see him back out. I'm not sure what our next step is, all I know is we're getting to that fountain eventually. Let it be known that while Jun Ji Pei stayed at home, Candidate Guts Holla spent his time going to toe-to-toe with giant wyrms and insane sorcerers whilst discovering the Fountain of Youth.

[Zepher]

OoC: We've spent enough time in this desert.

Guts' ingenuity helps revive the Doc, though the cloth gets eaten away by the acid. Daneeka stumbles to his feet and looks around.

"We're in wyrm territory," he concludes. "It is very important to not move. The wyrms are blind, but they will feel tremors in the ground." He looks at the three dead wyrms around them. "These are large wyrms, but there are larger, and we are weakened. My advice would be to search for the map again, and swiftly. What makes you think that Zane has given it up?"

[Scubacarrot]

Guts smirks and shakes his head at Dyric. "He made it seem that he burned his half. What do you suggest, Daneeka?"

Edited December 17, 2015 by Scubacarrot

[Zepher]

"If that is the case, then it is back to the drawing board. And you know that our mission is time sensitive. Not only for my own ailments, but for those of our employers as well. He cannot wait in Etheria for us to arrive forever." Daneeka stands stock still, watching a wyrm cross under the sand nearby. "But there is no need to give up hope yet. First, we confirm that the map has been destroyed. Then we will figure out our next step."

[StickFig]

Matthias nods briefly, though he doesn't like it, and points the compass back at Zane.

[Zepher]

The needle swings and points towards the direction that Zane and his groupies fled in.

"Let us not boldly go after the man before we know if we still has the map. Matthias, kindly search for the map. We must take this one step at a time. It may be boring and scientific, but that's my way."

OoC: Sorry, know I'm being a bit specific about this, I think it's a result of both of us trying to compromise. Just search for the map and then you'll be fine! I'm home from school now too, so can update more frequently. I'll get you to Etheria in 2-3 days.

[StickFig]

Matthias obliges.

[Zepher]

Matthias' compass spins wildly, unable to detect the map. Daneeka's face creases into a frown, but just as he is about the speak up the needle starts to point this way, and then that way, following the meager wind that blows. Charred bits of paper, at first too small to be discerned by the heroes' eyes, slowly begin to clump and grow from black, to gray, to tanned with age. The map slowly, bit by bit, starts to rebuild itself. Daneeka snatches the largest collection of bits as it floats by him, and the other shreds gravitate towards it.

"A magical safeguard," says Daneeka. "It looks as if Captain Iceborn was a powerful enough mage in his day." He looks at Guts. "Shall we put our bits together, and see where we're headed?"

[Scubacarrot]

"Aye. Let's."

[Zepher]

The heroes have a few minutes to kill as the map finishes rebuilding itself. Walking carefully, gingerly, as the wyrms mill all around them, Guts and Daneeka combine their two halves of the map. It sews itself shut, and then with a brilliant flash light pours out of it, a path to be followed, leading south and south west.

"That's that," says Daneeka. "We have a location. So now there is only one problem to solve." He glances out at the sand. "How to leave here without an entourage of wyrms." He glances over his shoulder. "And how to do it swiftly enough so that any unpleasant acquaintances don't meander back towards us."

[Scubacarrot]

Guts sighs and looks at his tattered coat, ragged from the travel, battles and being used as bandaging and cleaning cloth. He swiftly takes it off and cuts it in 6 roughly equal pieces.

"There. You three, wrap that around your boots. It should muffle your steps enough. I will go first, on my soft shoes I should be fine. Daneeka is behind me, then Matthias with the Anvil, then Dyric. You will step in my footsteps, I will move as to shift as little sand as possible. I will walk quickly, but not so fast as to alert them. Ready?"

[StickFig]

Matthias wraps the offered cloth around his feet and shuffles behind Guts, doing his best to walk out of rhythm.

[The Legonater]

I follow behind, bow drawn in case of danger.

[Zepher]

The heroes adopt a strategy that Guts attempted alone with little to no success. Though they are careful, and follow Guts' plan exactly, the wyrms are desert hunters. Soon it grow apparent that the heroes have got a tail. It's a slow moving one, an uncertain one, with the soft padded footsteps, but it appears to be growing in size as well as in speed.

"We will have to run," says Daneeka as professional as can be. "On my mark... go."

The heroes race forward as the wyrms increase their pace. It seems almost impossible that they will not have to fight when suddenly the heroes are buffeted by yet another sandstorm. Joining hands they are able to continue forward, and the wyrms soon appear to lose their trail. After a few short minutes the sandstorm dies down, and the heroes see trees in the distance. Marching forward, they are greeted to two sights... one good, one... middling, though at least not a threat at the moment.

"What took you so long?" asks Zane without turning.

[The Legonater]

Water. This is it, isn't it?

[Zepher]

"Sure is." Zane turns to look at the party. "You're getting let off easy because Medusa is alive. Unconscious, but alive. We figured it was best to leave her that way until we were all done here. Seems she bears some animosity towards you. Can't imagine why."

Solimon comes to land besides Zane, and the heroes can see Parvati watching over her sister in the near distance.

"You were right, Zane. The wyrms won't come near the water."

"Magical wards." He shrugs. "So now, the moment of truth. Your Doc is taking a little vial of the water... but does anyone else want to live forever? Is it too dangerous for me to have the fountain, or too dangerous for anyone?" He looks over at Parvati and Solimon. "It's your moment of truth too. Who will drink with me? Or is it too great a burden to bear?" Solimon and Parvati both fidget nervously, looking at the water.

[The Legonater]

I wouldn't make that choice so easily. Who wants to live forever? It sounds more like a curse than a gift to me.

[Zepher]

"No, no, of course not you." Zane smiles wickedly at Guts. "It's you I'm curious about. How much power is too much power? And how much are you willing to achieve to keep on par with others? If I grow monstrous years from now, who will be there to keep me in check if not you? And you haven't even complimented me on my little trick to get here! For shame!"

[Scubacarrot]

"Of course I will not drink. Madman, just drink your fill so we can move on, and never see each other again. I hope you end up like the remains of Iceborn's crew." Guts turns away, focussing on Daneeka filling his vial. Guts uncorks a couple of containers of his own, containing venom, and turns round again. "Just so you know, I'm poisoning the source after we leave. This place invites too much trouble, no matter what it does or does not do."

Edited December 21, 2015 by Scubacarrot

[Zepher]

"You're a bore," growls Zane. He rounds on his own party. "Solimon? Parvati?"

Both stare down the madman, bewildered.

"I cannot."

Solimon shakes his head.

"Truly? Neither of you wishes to join me forever?" asks Zane, sounding shockingly wounded. "Parvati? Are you sure?"

"I'm sorry. It is too long a time."

Zane shrugs, sighs, and wanders towards the water. Daneeka follows him.

"You first," he says to the Doc, who dips the vial into the water and takes it back out. He carefully caps it and sloshes it around to prove it is full.

Then it is Zane's turn. He stares into the water for a brief moment before cupping his hands, plunging them in, and raising them to his lips. He swallows in one gulp. Standing up, he looks at Guts triumphantly. Then his eyes rolls back in his head. He wobbles, foams at the mouth, and falls backwards into the water with a great splash, sinking below the surface, spasming.

"Solimon! Save him!"

Solimon takes to the air for a second to gain momentum and then plunges into the water after Zane. Parvati leaves her sister behind and rushes to the edge.

The winged mutant bursts back out, holding Zane's body. It continues to spasm violently as his followers lean him against a tree.

"What is happening? Is this normal? Is this right?" Solimon asks Daneeka, who watches with interest.

"I cannot say," says Daneeka. "It does not seem like the transformation one would under go to become immortal, though."

Zane shoots a enormous blast of lightning out of his hand, and rends the tree in half. Solimon flaps backwards.

"Stand back!" he cries to the heroes.

"What darkness is this?" howls Zane ferociously, in who's voice one cannot say. "This is madness. Do not let it near the fountain! Do not!!"

[Scubacarrot]

Guts crosses his arms. Crazy people.

"Do not let what near the fountain? The tree?"

[The Legonater]

You chose... poorly. Such power is inhumane. We have what we need, we should leave. Now.

[StickFig]

Matthias, at first terrified that someone as evil as Zane has found the well, becomes indignant - as only someone less than half a meter tall can - when no one asks the gnome if he wants to partake, but the transformation that comes over Zane disabuses Matthias of any notion of drinking as well. "Even his own collected souls will not let him drink; serves him right." he intones.

[Zepher]

Zane's eyes roll back into position and his lips stop foaming. He wipes them clean and staggers to his feet. Parvati and Solimon help him, but he has eyes only for the heroes and the Doctor. His voice is measured, that of the magician's once more.

"We need to talk," he says. "Where are you taking these artifacts? Are there others? What do you know if the intentions of those you are bringing them to? You heroes work for gold, right? Who is paying you?" He stares hard at Matthias. "Where did you find the Anvil? What do you know of it? Did you... I am attuned to prophetic visions, but that was not a vision like any other. Did receive a similar sight? Do you know of the danger?"