Heroica RPG - Quest #147: Judgment Day

[swils]

As Arx catches up, Thormanil can't help but be amused by Karie's warning. "I'd certainly like to see how that goes for you, bard!" He laughs as they walk.

[Flipz]

OOC: Repeating here since I don't expect people to scroll back to my earlier edit: I'm adjusting Miirym's speech formatting. Speech in between <> brackets without quotation marks is her standard telepathic speech that anyone can comprehend, while speech between brackets inside quotes "<like this>" is spoken in the Dragons' tongue. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Edited June 8, 2016 by Flipz

[Kintobor]

Karie ignores Thormanil's retort, glaring at the Dragoon and then his dragon. She'd been belittled before for less. She was more than confident she could take his dragon on.

Arthur moves near Karie, attempting a somewhat soothing tone. "Don't beat yourself up, Karie. With this group...I mean, what are we, a team? No, no, no. We're a chemical mixture that makes chaos. We're... we're a time-bomb. Best-case scenario, we get it to blow up someone who deserves it, rather than someone who doesn't."

"And who exactly deserves it, Arthur?" Karie asks, the frustration gripping her begin to seep out of her voice despite her attempts to control it. She was genuinely curious to know where Arthur stood in this mess.

[Asphalt]

"You think you can choose what's best for us? People who just came into this colony today?! First the dragon... Now you. You're no better than that damn lizard!"

The horde roars in agreement. The armored Proggs exchange nervous glances as the crowd begins to advance.

"Phalanx, at attention!"

What was once a simple task of keeping the rioters at bay was now a shoving match between the Proggs and their police force. Solon and Fydelle look down in shame.

"I don't care what your intentions were. This is not your mess to clean up, not anymore."

"Agreed. And we need to get you back topside. You triggered the flood to save time? Then I expect you to not waste a single second of it, or we are going through this for nothing. Stop Immortalis.

Now, care to follow Fydelle?"

Vindsval steps from the party. up to the leaders of the Progg Assembled. He speaks loudly, HONESTLY, and DIPLOMATICALLY.

I am Vindsval, called the Half-Born, Scorpion Knight, Paladin of the Wanderer and I would be heard. I was one of the ones who advised towards the expedient path. I am partially to blame for what befell your homes. If this wrong is to be redressed let me do it. But first I beg of you allow us to leave here to deal with the true root of these transgressions. The lord of storm and sky, the elder wrym Immortalis. If you will It I will return here, should I survive the encounter with him, and put my hand, my shoulder, and my back to paying for the mistake that I in part made. I make this offer freely. Will you accept my word on the Wanderer? Please let us leave here now, and know that I will do all in my power to redress this wrong.

[swils]

Catching Karie as she fires off a sharp look at him, Thormanil assuages her, "Awh easy, Red. Didn't mean no harm by it."

[JimBee]

"You're one to talk. Every so-called 'Hero' in this room is a failure. This whole time, we've all had the choice between what was right, and what was easy, and I think we all know which way this party skews. Half of us are failures for taking the easy way out--and the other half are failures for not stopping you."

Jinnipher placed one hand on her hip and jabbed a finger into Arthur's chest with the other. She put her face close to his. "Do not lecture me, boy. Given the chance I would have done the same thing again. Like the Falconer said we can't predict the future; only prepare for it and accept the consequences. The right decision was made by the proggs, whether liked it or not. Be thankful that they're still here to complain about it." She strode off.

Arx stops in his tracks, turns and blocks the black knight's path.

<"Still your tongue and shove your self righteousness, or I'll pick you up and drop you back to that crowd faster than you could draw a blade. When we should be standing united, you merely drive a wedge further between us. I'm sure we all get it, you didn't want to. You don't see Immortalis as being that big of a problem. I've got half a mind to say you're no better than that Monk Pretzel, who betrayed us to Baba. In fact, why don't you convince me you're not just here to sabotage us on Immortalis' request, before I throw you to the crowd to buy the rest of us some time, hmm?">

Thormanil chuckles, and calls over his shoulder, "Come on, Arx, much as I'd like to put the rat in his place, we don't have time for this. Let's go, yeah?" But Arx only snarls and stands his ground, while the rest of the party moves onwards.

Jinnipher caught up with the Thormanil and looked on approvingly as Arx confronted Lind. "There's one dragon I could get to like. You're not bad, the two of you."

Karie huffed, trying to look reassuring to Lind, despite knowing better that he probably needed a sobering moment like this. "I'll admit, you've cocked up pretty bad." Karie sighed, looking fed up. "Look, let's get through all this and then you and I are having a discussion. Kay?

In the meantime, let's make our leave. We've done all that we can here." Karie looked towards the angry mob, glad to be on the opposite side of it.

As Jinnipher strode alongside Thormanil she spoke over to Karie, once her conversation with Arthur was finished. "Look, Karie. I know what you're trying to do, and I admire you for it. I really do. Keeping the party together is important, but..." She shot a glare in Lind's direction, not really caring if she was overheard. "How much longer are you going to baby that brat?" Her usual high-and-mighty attitude gave way to a more serious and sincere one. "He's young, he's arrogant, and he needs to learn from his own mistakes. This quest is too important for him to continue to jeopardize it. How many more timeouts and apologies do you think he - we - have left before we truly do fail? And it's not just his stupidity. He is truly delusional. Do you hear him speaking over there, about how Immortalis has been right all along? What happens when we get to the dragon and he turns on us? He's not mentally fit for this mission. I am committed to stopping Immortalis. I have been from the start. But I will not roll over and die for this one's mistakes. And I will certainly not be stabbed in the back. Not again."

[Kintobor]

Catching Karie as she fires off a sharp look at him, Thormanil assuages her, "Awh easy, Red. Didn't mean no harm by it."

"I sincerely hope not." Karie remarks, giving Thormanil's dragon one last wary look over before turning her attention to Jinnipher.

As Jinnipher strode alongside Thormanil she spoke over to Karie, once her conversation with Arthur was finished. "Look, Karie. I know what you're trying to do, and I admire you for it. I really do. Keeping the party together is important, but..." She shot a glare in Lind's direction, not really caring if she was overheard. "How much longer are you going to baby that brat?" Her usual high-and-mighty attitude gave way to a more serious and sincere one. "He's young, he's arrogant, and he needs to learn from his own mistakes. This quest is too important for him to continue to jeopardize it. How many more timeouts and apologies do you think he - we - have left before we truly do fail? And it's not just his stupidity. He is truly delusional. Do you hear him speaking over there, about how Immortalis has been right all along? What happens when we get to the dragon and he turns on us? He's not mentally fit for this mission. I am committed to stopping Immortalis. I have been from the start. But I will not roll over and die for this one's mistakes. And I will certainly not be stabbed in the back. Not again."

Karie turned to face Jinn, smiling confidently while she did. "I know. Lind won't be stabbing anyone in the back. He won't be trying to stop us from our mission, and there's an important detail as to why: there's a girl involved. See, Lind really likes this girl named Annie, and I very much doubt he's going to see her again if he allows Immortalis to succeed... Or he attempts to backstab us." Karie looks towards Lind, ensuring her words are drilled into his head.

Edited June 9, 2016 by Kintobor

[Flipz]

"And who exactly deserves it, Arthur?" Karie asks, the frustration gripping her begin to seep out of her voice despite her attempts to control it. She was genuinely curious to know where Arthur stood in this mess.

"Well, Immortalis deserves a massive beating, if not necessarily death. Vaermina. That smug Charon character, maybe--though I'm not sure how much of what I've picked up has been accurate given how...bloodthirsty some of its source has been. But if we're talking big picture...Heroica, frankly. In the year I was gone, I'd forgotten just how messed up this organization is. I looked at it through nostalgia rather than fact. Immortalis is worried about war...and quite frankly, it's one of the few cases where he's not wrong. Eubric is careening towards civil war...and Heroica makes for the perfect soldiers--selfish, bloodthirsty, easily manipulated, and damned near immortal. Part of me wonders if just vaping Heroica--or even just the damned artifact--would solve the problem. It wouldn't stop the war, but it'd certainly push it back for a long, long time." Arthur sighs. "Then I remember the Darkness. It's bad, Karie--think a mindless, no-personality Regret on steroids. Imagine an army of invisible, intangible body-stealing Oculoids--and once you're grabbed, you're done, period, no cure, no coming back. Immortal, too. It's been sealed under Etheria for millenia--with Immortalis' assistance, I should point out--but now some idiot's trying to release it, and suddenly the army of vicious overpowered immortal Heroican mercenaries sounds like a much better idea in the context of stopping them. I don't know, I just..." Arthur allows his shoulders to slump. "I just know that innocent people don't deserve it. And lately a lot of them have been getting caught in the crossfire. And if Heroes keep acting solely in their own best interests, a lot more are going to."

[Flipz]

"And...well, so is Miirym. I know she's on the side of 'Immortalis is too dangerous to let live', but..." Arthur takes a second to inhale deeply, before lowering his voice, speaking only to Karie. "If we're forced to kill him, it's going to hurt her. Deeply. Forever. She met two of her three known relatives while we were traipsing around the afterlife in Etheria. And this party seems Hel-bent on killing the third. Now, I can't blame you or the others for killing her father--everything we've heard tells me he earned it. But that's far removed from making her have to do it herself--and I'd prefer she had at least one blood relative around to help her handle the parts of Dragon-hood I just don't understand." He gives Karie a sidelong glance. "You...do realize the risk I'm taking in telling you all this, right? She's already traumatized enough by our little argument with Immortalis back in the tunnels, and I don't trust the rest of this party not to jump on her if the truth came out. Hel, I'm not even sure Miirym would want me to know if she'd been given the option, let alone a Minstrel she barely knows. But I trust you, Karie. You're a parent as well. You understand how much we go through trying to protect our children. I'm just trying to make the best of a really bad situation."

OOC: Shoot, didn't pay attention to the clock, thought that would auto-merge.

[Lind Whisperer]

As Jinnipher strode alongside Thormanil she spoke over to Karie, once her conversation with Arthur was finished. "Look, Karie. I know what you're trying to do, and I admire you for it. I really do. Keeping the party together is important, but..." She shot a glare in Lind's direction, not really caring if she was overheard. "How much longer are you going to baby that brat?" Her usual high-and-mighty attitude gave way to a more serious and sincere one. "He's young, he's arrogant, and he needs to learn from his own mistakes. This quest is too important for him to continue to jeopardize it. How many more timeouts and apologies do you think he - we - have left before we truly do fail? And it's not just his stupidity. He is truly delusional. Do you hear him speaking over there, about how Immortalis has been right all along? What happens when we get to the dragon and he turns on us? He's not mentally fit for this mission. I am committed to stopping Immortalis. I have been from the start. But I will not roll over and die for this one's mistakes. And I will certainly not be stabbed in the back. Not again."

"Jinnipher..." The Munchkin's tone was both serious and kind. "I realized something back there. All along...there have been things about Immortalis that fascinated me. Things that drew me - and some of them still do.

But I finally realized why we have to face him. He's doing what he knows to be best. If I was in his place, with all his wisdom - I would probably do the same thing.

But...it's not up to us - or even to him - to "play god".

People need to be allowed to keep their free will - their FULL free will. Because when we start thinking that we're "just doing all of it for the greater good," we start thinking that the effects don't matter. And they DO. They matter to EVERYONE.

Just because we don't see the damage that our "for the greater good," actions caused, doesn't mean it doesn't happen. And it's a very simple idea - but...when you're all wrapped in up in personal dreams of being the one who makes choices...you forget how much pain those choices can cause. And it's so simple..." Lind pounded his fist against his forehead. "But...sometimes you have to actually see something, to talk it out...to truly realize it."

He straightened. "And that's why we have to stop Immortalis. It's just too much power, too much risk of causing unneeded pain.

Look what the group did back there. The group destroyed the homes of hundreds of innocent Proggs, just because it was intent on "the greater good," of stopping Immortalis.

Well, Immortalis is bent on saving the world from the destructive force Eubric is going to someday become. On his own "greater good"

It's the same thing.

One individual, or group, just assuming that whatever they are doing is more important than anything else because it's part of their "greater good". And it's so simple, so simple...!" Lind continued to bash his forehead.

[Siercon and Coral]

Siercon made no comment to the many conversations flying around him. But after awhile, he entered in in brief.

"I understand many of us have differences, but still and in spite of this we must be going. Let us not relieve immortalis of his expressed fear that we might make it to him before his power is complete. Onward." Siercon said.

[JimBee]

Karie turned to face Jinn, smiling confidently while she did. "I know. Lind won't be stabbing anyone in the back. He won't be trying to stop us from our mission, and there's an important detail as to why: there's a girl involved. See, Lind really likes this girl named Annie, and I very much doubt he's going to see her again if he allows Immortalis to succeed... Or he attempts to backstab us." Karie looks towards Lind, ensuring her words are drilled into his head.

"So you're placing all our bets on a girl? Pfft, love is fickle, especially for a kid. We should just leave him here."

"Jinnipher..." The Munchkin's tone was both serious and kind. "I realized something back there. All along...there have been things about Immortalis that fascinated me. Things that drew me - and some of them still do.

But I finally realized why we have to face him. He's doing what he knows to be best. If I was in his place, with all his wisdom - I would probably do the same thing.

But...it's not up to us - or even to him - to "play god".

People need to be allowed to keep their free will - their FULL free will. Because when we start thinking that we're "just doing all of it for the greater good," we start thinking that the effects don't matter. And they DO. They matter to EVERYONE.

Just because we don't see the damage that our "for the greater good," actions caused, doesn't mean it doesn't happen. And it's a very simple idea - but...when you're all wrapped in up in personal dreams of being the one who makes choices...you forget how much pain those choices can cause. And it's so simple..." Lind pounded his fist against his forehead. "But...sometimes you have to actually see something, to talk it out...to truly realize it."

He straightened. "And that's why we have to stop Immortalis. It's just too much power, too much risk of causing unneeded pain.

Look what the group did back there. The group destroyed the homes of hundreds of innocent Proggs, just because it was intent on "the greater good," of stopping Immortalis.

Well, Immortalis is bent on saving the world from the destructive force Eubric is going to someday become. On his own "greater good"

It's the same thing.

One individual, or group, just assuming that whatever they are doing is more important than anything else because it's part of their "greater good". And it's so simple, so simple...!" Lind continued to bash his forehead.

Jinnipher frowned. "Then you truly are as delusional as I thought."

[swils]

<"That's a grand understatement."> Arx mutters softly, in draconic. Thormanil catches it and chuckles.

[Lind Whisperer]

Jinnipher frowned. "Then you truly are as delusional as I thought."

"Insults are not arguments. If you have reasons why you believe that I am delusional, then state them, else this conversation is pointless."

The deep rumble of the half-giant's voice echoed through the stone caverns. Lind cocked his ear and listened. "I do believe he's volunteering to come back and help rebuild...

A worthy idea..."

Edited June 11, 2016 by Lind Whisperer

[Endgame]

"Love is fickle, huh." says Gabriel, concealing a smirk.

The crowd does not shout at Vindsval, merely electing to seethe silently, slowing down their push the slightest bit. Whether the half giant's words calmed them or their rage was simply naturally dwindling was anyone's guess.

"Let's go."

Fydelle leads the party through a series of claustrophobic tunnels in order to evade the crowd, far more cramped than the Colony's main passages. Eventually, they find themselves right below the Albatorss dropoff point.

"...You did what you could. Now, stop Immortalis. For all of us."

Fydelle opens up the atch, letting in torrents of rain. The storm was bad on Billow, but back at Eubric, it was atrocious. Wind howled through the streeets, fast enough to carve marks on some of the weaker wooden posts holding up the city's shoddier buildings, and the rain cut like razors as it descended. Rolls of thunder and strikes of lightning punctuated the storm's might. The party exits the tunnel and were finally back on Eubric's mainland, relatively safe, for now... But even then, the black clouds of the storm sill hung over them, growing in power by the second.

"Normally I'd be glad to get some fresh air, but, well... Never mind. Back to Heroica Hall then, yes?"

"Yes. Myself and the other veterans will get you in to Eschaton. It's in your own hands from there."

The streets were all deserted, unsurprisingly. The storm had forced everyone, even the homeless and the criminals and the dealers of Eubric into any building they could find... But siffice to say, not even some buildings could survive the torrent of rain and wind.

The storm obscured almost all sight, but something catches the party's eye as the walk through...

A purple glow emanating from an alleyway, a path that would've been almost invisible in the storm if not for the strange aura.

What will the party do?

Edited June 11, 2016 by Endgame

[Lind Whisperer]

The storm obscured almost all sight, but something catches the party's eye as the walk through...

A purple glow emanating from an alleyway, a path that would've been almost invisible in the storm if not for the strange aura.

What will the party do?

"I think we found our next test..."

He was about suggest that someone pull out a Magnifying Glass, but thought better of it, and decided that it was probably more in the party leader's jurisdiction to suggest that sort of thing. "Should I toss a bone down the alley?" he asked, as he eyed the strange path.

Edited June 11, 2016 by Lind Whisperer

[Endgame]

"So are we currently subscribed to the theory that Immortalis is doing all of this as a test of our morality? Or is he just out to stop us? I'm thinking the latter, honestly, but some of you seem to think the former?"

[Lind Whisperer]

"So are we currently subscribed to the theory that Immortalis is doing all of this as a test of our morality? Or is he just out to stop us? I'm thinking the latter, honestly, but some of you seem to think the former?"

"It's definitely to slow us down, at least at part. But the Proggs...it seemed so much like a test. Some sort of an example, as it were...but why..." The Munchkin frowned.

"I talked with him. I spoke with him. Some people add tests to things for no reason. But he's not like that....If he's passing judgement on Eubric, he's passing judgement. There's no reason for him to add tests, unless...

No. No."

He shook his head. "But..." He reached into his pack, and pulled out his Angel's Helmet. "But how would I have this, then...will I have it if...?" He shook his head again. "No. No, I have to be reading too much into this."

Edited June 11, 2016 by Lind Whisperer

[Kintobor]

Karie listened tonArthur intently, although decided not to respond. She didn't want to warrant a debate in the middle of a crisis. Or, at least, another.

---

Karie squinted her eyes as she looked at the alleyway, trying to keep the rain out of her eyes.

"I don't like this. I don't like this at all. "I'll take a quick look, if only to see what's going on down there. Lind, I want you to-Lind?"

No. No."

He shook his head. "But..." He reached into his pack, and pulled out his Angel's Helmet. "But how would I have this, then...will I have it if...?" He shook his head again. "No. No, I have to be reading too much into this."

Karie had an idea what was going on, but wanted to make sure she was right. "Out with it, Lind. Don't keep this to yourself. I need to know you're alright." She spoke sternly to him, but there was worry in her voice.

[JimBee]

"Insults are not arguments. If you have reasons why you believe that I am delusional, then state them, else this conversation is pointless."

"My intention was never to argue with a delusional child."

Jinnipher notes the purple goo and waves her hand dismissively. "Exactly right, this is a waste of our time. We need to get to Eschaton, now."

[Flipz]

"So are we currently subscribed to the theory that Immortalis is doing all of this as a test of our morality? Or is he just out to stop us? I'm thinking the latter, honestly, but some of you seem to think the former?"

<It can quite easily be both, you know.> From the tone of her telepathy, Miirym seems quite unimpressed with Masson's lack of lateral thinking--or perhaps it was the stress of trying to shelter both Arthur and the unconscious Glaz from the storm.

"My intention was never to argue with a delusional child."

Jinnipher notes the purple goo and waves her hand dismissively. "Exactly right, this is a waste of our time. We need to get to Eschaton, now."

Arthur tries to speak over the storm, his voice muffled by the cloak he'd wrapped around himself as completely as possible. "As much as I'd like to move forward and get out of this storm, I really don't like the idea of something else coming back to bite us. Besides, at least there's more shelter in this alley than in the main street." Arthur looks to Karie. "It's your call, Karie, but my vote goes to investigating."

<...and mine as well.>

[Asphalt]

Agreed, let us find what lies upon the lighted path.

[Lind Whisperer]

"I don't like this. I don't like this at all. "I'll take a quick look, if only to see what's going on down there. Lind, I want you to-Lind?"

Karie had an idea what was going on, but wanted to make sure she was right. "Out with it, Lind. Don't keep this to yourself. I need to know you're alright." She spoke sternly to him, but there was worry in her voice.

"I'm alright, Karie.

Karie, Arthur, Masson - private huddle, please. Just for a moment..."

OoC: Check PMs.

[swils]

Arx butts into Lind's attempted huddle, quite defiantly. <"If you've something to say, speak it to all of us, I still don't trust your intentions one little bit!"> he insists, in draconian. Realizing as much, he asks, slightly abashed, <"Arthur, would you mind relaying that to the group for me..?">

[Endgame]

Arx butts into Lind's attempted huddle, quite defiantly. <"If you've something to say, speak it to all of us, I still don't trust your intentions one little bit!"> he insists, in draconian. Realizing as much, he asks, slightly abashed, <"Arthur, would you mind relaying that to the group for me..?">

Gabriel nods.

"I'm inclined to agree." he says, lighting up another cigar.