Heroica RPG - Quest #147: Judgment Day

[Kintobor]

Seeing Charon transform again caused Karie to shudder. She watched the portal to Eschaton close before returning to the party.

"Let's get going. We've got work to do." Karie couldn't help but feel a sense of dread leaving the dragons in Immortalis's hands. She felt cheated, even after saving Octavyn and who knows who else's lives.

[swils]

Thormanil stood, silently stunned. He finally turns towards Arthur, and with a somber tone, asks, "Do you think they'll be alright..? I... If anything happens to him and I'm not there to protect him.. Arthur, I don't know what I'll do."

[Flipz]

Thormanil stood, silently stunned. He finally turns towards Arthur, and with a somber tone, asks, "Do you think they'll be alright..? I... If anything happens to him and I'm not there to protect him.. Arthur, I don't know what I'll do."

"...Arx will be fine. Miirym will not let him come to harm. And Immortalis will not harm her."

...I hope.

Seeing Charon transform again caused Karie to shudder. She watched the portal to Eschaton close before returning to the party.

"Let's get going. We've got work to do." Karie couldn't help but feel a sense of dread leaving the dragons in Immortalis's hands. She felt cheated, even after saving Octavyn and who knows who else's lives.

"...yes." Arthur turns somberly back towards the Hall, his thoughts mirroring that of his party's leader. He clings desperately to one thread of hope: Charon had not gone as far as he could have in his choice of hostage. Perhaps they had finally reached the limits of their enemies' depravity? His thoughts return to Vaermina. No, he thinks to himself, we have not.

[Endgame]

Seeing Charon transform again caused Karie to shudder. She watched the portal to Eschaton close before returning to the party.

"Let's get going. We've got work to do." Karie couldn't help but feel a sense of dread leaving the dragons in Immortalis's hands. She felt cheated, even after saving Octavyn and who knows who else's lives.

"...You did the right thing, hon." Masson offers Karie his hand.

Thormanil stood, silently stunned. He finally turns towards Arthur, and with a somber tone, asks, "Do you think they'll be alright..? I... If anything happens to him and I'm not there to protect him.. Arthur, I don't know what I'll do."

"Not Immortalis's style. Besides, with Miirym there... Well. Arx is fine."

[JimBee]

Jinnipher frowned, her concerns unanswered. She sidled over to Gabriel, one of the few people she could trust in this party. "I'm getting really tired of these theatrics. Charon's games, Immortalis' visions, us jumping through hoops... I said earlier that most of this party is incompetent. I stick by those words, but I wonder. Maybe the past is rosy, but I don't remember things being this complicated. You can't just take a crew of good sword arms and slay a dragon anymore. You have to have all these doubts and little complications, some sort of moral ambiguity mixed in before you can make any move. Immortalis is smarter than he looks. He knows what will wear us down and cause us to fight each other. We might not accomplish anything by our own faults."

She suddenly withdrew and massaged the bridge of her nose. "Look at me, even I'm worn down. Of course I know what we have to do, no matter what. Slay the dragon. Right."

[Endgame]

Jinnipher frowned, her concerns unanswered. She sidled over to Gabriel, one of the few people she could trust in this party. "I'm getting really tired of these theatrics. Charon's games, Immortalis' visions, us jumping through hoops... I said earlier that most of this party is incompetent. I stick by those words, but I wonder. Maybe the past is rosy, but I don't remember things being this complicated. You can't just take a crew of good sword arms and slay a dragon anymore. You have to have all these doubts and little complications, some sort of moral ambiguity mixed in before you can make any move. Immortalis is smarter than he looks. He knows what will wear us down and cause us to fight each other. We might not accomplish anything by our own faults."

She suddenly withdrew and massaged the bridge of her nose. "Look at me, even I'm worn down. Of course I know what we have to do, no matter what. Slay the dragon. Right."

"I can't blame you. The battles are enough. And let's not forget who we still have to fight. I've been afraid of what Charon has up his sleeve since I met him in Moone. And there is, well, Immortalis." The sniper realizes that Jinnipher probably doesn't want to hear that. "It is complicated regardless, though. We're doing the right thing. I will never accept the destruction of an entire city to be correct. It wasn't right back in Moone, and nothing has changed now. Just a little more is all you need. Then we can find a nice bottle to chug and a nice warm bed and we can figure things out when there is not a hurricane threatening to kill us all."

"...Jinnipher. You okay after the Nephilim thing?"

[JimBee]

"I can't blame you. The battles are enough. And let's not forget who we still have to fight. I've been afraid of what Charon has up his sleeve since I met him in Moone. And there is, well, Immortalis." The sniper realizes that Jinnipher probably doesn't want to hear that. "It is complicated regardless, though. We're doing the right thing. I will never accept the destruction of an entire city to be correct. It wasn't right back in Moone, and nothing has changed now. Just a little more is all you need. Then we can find a nice bottle to chug and a nice warm bed and we can figure things out when there is not a hurricane threatening to kill us all."

"...Jinnipher. You okay after the Nephilim thing?"

"...You're right. It is no different than back in Moone. It's just that somehow it all seemed so straightforward back then. I think a good battle would serve me well at this point. Nothing like combat to get your head together. And not just the minions again. Next time we see Charon I want to put an end to his games."

She let out a sigh and looked up with newfound strength. She even managed a small grin. "No. But that's a part of who I am now. And one day when I'm done slaying egotistical dragons, I'll find that angel bastard Lucifuge and stick my sword through his back. See how he likes it."

[Endgame]

And one day when I'm done slaying egotistical dragons, I'll find that angel bastard Lucifuge and stick my sword through his back. See how he likes it."

"Charon will be good practice for that, then." Gabriel smiles back, pats her on the back firmly, and beings to make his way out of the alley and towards the Hall.

[Kintobor]

"...You did the right thing, hon." Masson offers Karie his hand.

Karie hesitated to take Masson's hand. She was still upset at him over his comment in the Progg colony, but some amount of comfort after what had transpired was better than none. "Yeah. Thanks."

Karie overheard bits of Jinn's talk with Gabriel, wanting to interject but decided to let it go for the time being. It'd be best to let Jinnipher have her moment with Gabriel, she thought.

[Endgame]

Karie hesitated to take Masson's hand. She was still upset at him over his comment in the Progg colony, but some amount of comfort after what had transpired was better than none. "Yeah. Thanks."

Karie overheard bits of Jinn's talk with Gabriel, wanting to interject but decided to let it go for the time being. It'd be best to let Jinnipher have her moment with Gabriel, she thought.

Masson seems to visibly relax when Karie answers in the affirmative. His grip was tight, as if there was a chance his wife might be torn away from him, and his hand refused to stop shaking. The Empath Glass, in its upgraded form, was reacting, but it was hard to tell in what way without glancing at it.

[Asphalt]

We need to keep moving. If this Path leads us back to the Hall, then let us be on our way.

[Lind Whisperer]

Seeing Charon transform again caused Karie to shudder. She watched the portal to Eschaton close before returning to the party.

"Let's get going. We've got work to do." Karie couldn't help but feel a sense of dread leaving the dragons in Immortalis's hands. She felt cheated, even after saving Octavyn and who knows who else's lives.

"Lead the way."

[Siercon and Coral]

Siercon readies for the guild hall

[Kintobor]

Feeling the response from the Empath Glass, Karie thumbs it in her pocket. She moves her fingers across it. Ultimately she removes her hand from her pocket and leaves the Empath Glass alone. As much as she wanted to look at it, doing so in front of Masson would bring up too many questions.

[Endgame]

"I hope you all know your way back to the hall. I can't see a damn thing in this storm..."

And indeed they did. The heroes - the Falconer, especially - were able to navigate the stormcloaked roads of Eubric. All of them were empty, only the sharp torrents of rain and the rushing heroes populating them. As they look at their surroundings - the shroud of the night and the shadow of the black storm clouds making everything black - they realize this could very well be the last time they ever see the cities. The coherence of their thoughts is interrupted by a nonstop series of lightning bolts and thunder. The pitter-patter of the rain was drowned out by the sky's terrible roar, and the ghostly streets were illuminated by cracks of lightning that went off every second. Finally, they arrive back at the Hall. Judging by the distinct lack of any sort of mob, it seems Charon upheld his end of the bargain.

"Falconer. Good to see you in one piece."

"Agreed. We have a job to do now. Lets not waste any more time."

The Falconer and the Dragonlord hurry the heroes back into an obscure chamber in the hall. Much like the streets of Eubric, even the hall seemed like it was flooded with darkness. The streaks of rain outside increasing their urgency, the assembled veterans combine their strength...

And tear open a portal.

It was a flickering and fleeting thing. It lacked the perfect structure Charon's did - it burnt and danced like a flame, and stuttered as erratically as a candle in a storm. Still, it would have to do. This was their passage to the final battle.

"For the safety of Eubric... Go!"

The party steps through, and find themselves back in Eschaton.

"Never seen this piece of Eschaton before. You guys know the place, right? You know where we're going?"

Where would the party go in order to confront Charon and Immortalis?

[JimBee]

"Well Immortalis is probably in the Judgement Chamber... as dramatic as that sounds."

[Kintobor]

Karie stepped onto the grounds of Eschaton, grinning triumphantly. "A promise is a promise, Immortalis." Karie said to herself. Despite everything that had happened, she had made it. She felt excited, her body rushing with adrenaline. Part of it she knew was her own fear of what lay ahead, but she felt genuinely antsy.

"Well Immortalis is probably in the Judgement Chamber... as dramatic as that sounds."

"I actually disagree." Karie replies. "I'd gander him to be at the Memorial, but if not there, than the Judgement Hall would be my second guess. Wherever we decide to go, however, we go as a group. The last time I had a group split up we ran into freaking piano demons."

[Flipz]

Arthur trails behind at the back of the group, uncharacteristically quiet, the burden of the angels replaced by the burden of Miirym's absence. Still, he had a mission, and with luck Miirym had already rendered it unnecessary.

...he wasn't going to count on it, though.

"I've never been to this place, but I recall him being in a place filled with flowers the last time we spoke via vision. If he's anything like the other enemies whose lairs I've had to invade, though, we'd be best served searching through the place room-by-room."

"I actually disagree." Karie replies. "I'd gander him to be at the Memorial, but if not there, than the Judgement Hall would be my second guess. Wherever we decide to go, however, we go as a group. The last time I had a group split up we ran into freaking piano demons."

"...piano demons?" I don't remember anything like that in the Pandemonicon...must have been after its time.

[Asphalt]

Last through the portal Vindsval looks around the immense palace. For once in this journey not feeling confined.

There is great beauty here.

I saw neither memorial nor flowers in my vision. When he spoke to me it was in a room filed with a great stairwell girded by many torches. At the top of the stairs was a great field. I see no clear answer to where we will find him. But it is clear that we must remain together. Let us clear this place one room at a time.

[Siercon and Coral]

Last through the portal Vindsval looks around the immense palace. For once in this journey not feeling confined.

There is great beauty here.

I saw neither memorial nor flowers in my vision. When he spoke to me it was in a room filed with a great stairwell girded by many torches. At the top of the stairs was a great field. I see no clear answer to where we will find him. But it is clear that we must remain together. Let us clear this place one room at a time.

"In my last vision he was at the end of a great stairway lined with torches, but no flowers. It was clearly in Eschaton but no where I've been before. And I have been to the judgement chamber. Where would you go to mentally prepare and slowly gather up power..." Looking at the parties two dragoons he asked, "Can you by chance mentally contact your dragons?"

"Otherwise, I might agree, the memorial could be a good place to start."

Siercon uses his compass looking for the direction of immortalis

Edited June 21, 2016 by Siercon and Coral

[Endgame]

The compass needle wavers a bit, before pointing towards the Judgment Corridor.

[Lind Whisperer]

"I've never been to this place, but I recall him being in a place filled with flowers the last time we spoke via vision.

"That would be the Wildlife Gardens."

"In my last vision he was at the end of a great stairway lined with torches, but no flowers. It was clearly in Eschaton but no where I've been before. And I have been to the judgement chamber.

"It would seem that he uses that place for a great deal of his visions."

The compass needle wavers a bit, before pointing towards the Judgment Corridor.

"Looks like Princess Jenny was right..."

[Kintobor]

Katie shrugged in jest. "Well, let's make our way to the Judgement Hall, and we'll see if anything prevents us from doing so."

[swils]

"Knowing this place? Something, if not everything, definitely will." he remarks, in reply to Karie.

[Kintobor]

"Knowing this place? Something, if not everything, definitely will." he remarks, in reply to Karie.

"I'm holding you to that comment." Karie replies, trying to keep morale up. "If the floor doesn't try and and attack us, I'll be thoroughly dissapointed."