Heroica RPG - Heroica Hall

[Bricksandparts]

"I think I can handle myself..." Johon says, resting his elbow on the table. "I may be human, but I am quite strong for my kind."

[Dragonfire]

"Right then!" Avalanche places his elbow on the table and takes Johon's hand in his paw. "Three...two...one...go!"

[Kintobor]

Karie and Masson return home after the show, their face's red from the cold.

"Masson, thank you for everything tonight, I had a wonderful time!"

"Of course, I enjoyed our night out as well! Now then, I think I'll stay here for a little bit. Perhaps we could pull out a drink or something, or-"

"Masson, go sit on the bed."

"Um... why? Is this.. um, Karie?"

Karie turns her back to Masson, who begins to rub her makeup off with a cloth. Masson sheepishly sits on the bed, loosening his bow tie. Karie drops her dress on the floor, kicking it aside, turning back to Masson. She hastily takes of her bra and tosses it aside, her corset goes next. Sweat pools off of Masson's head as Karie turns back to him, naked except for her underwear. Masson's face turns bright red.

"Only if you want to, Masson. Sorry, I guess I should've... asked... first..."

"Karie... I, um... I'm not to sure about this..."

"Sorry. I just... well, you know. I thought we could... I thought maybe we'd be at that point in our relationship. Sorry."

Karie goes to grab her clothes, but before she can, Masson sputters something out.

"K-k-karie..."

Making a hasty decision, he begins to strip too. Karie lies down on the bed with Masson, helping him out of his formal attire. Karie turns over and blows the light out, as she rolls over and proceeds to make out with Masson.

"Meine dammen un herren, madames et meisieurs, ladies and gentleman, we apologize for the sudden and jarring ending to the current scene, but the content is extremely sexual. Don't worry however, we can describe what is going on! Alright, it seems they just started getting into the foreplay. Seems the young man's never gotten to home plate, wink wink, nudge nudge, know what I mean? Well now... that's certainly... arousing! Is that even legal?..."

[TheBoyWonder]

"I am a werewolf. I really wouldn't like to hurt you."

[Bricksandparts]

Johon and Avalanche struggle back and forth, their arms swaying back and forth.

"Think I... underestimated... you." Johon says scruffily and in short bursts. "But I... Still think... I can... win this."

[JimBee]

"Well, well. Looks like we get to quest together again after all." Hybros said to Boomingham with a grin. And there was Ellaria, was it... that human with the disgusting offspring? And De'kra, the little one who people often mistook as himself. He had not seen the echo in a long time, and looked around the Hall for him.

[Cutcobra]

Heckz enters the hall and notices Avalanche and some other guy arm wrestling. He got close to them "Hey, can I go next? I bet I'd beat you two easily!"

[Bricksandparts]

OoC: Heckz, roll a dice or flip a coin to say who wins

"Uhh... I think... we'll both... need a break... after this..."

[Endgame]

I stride - not shamble, surprisngly, given my track record of walking into the hall like a wobbling maniac - into the hall. The past quest had been nowhere near as physically taxing as all the others. I take a seat, and begin taking sips of water.

--------------------------------------

Chosen Hero for Quest 81:

-Johon (BricksAndParts)

QM Note: I'll write you in in the next quest update, B&P. For now, you can hit the marketplace.

[Bricksandparts]

Upon hearing this, Johon loses his concentration and his arm goes down. He chuckles and stands up.

"Good game mate." Johon says, nodding. He salutes farewell towards Romulus and picks up his belongings. "I'll see you later, I'll be at the marketplace for now if you need anything."

With that, he heads off towards the marketplace for some last-minute shopping.

[Cutcobra]

As Johon walks away, Heckz sits in the table with Avalanche. "Wanna arm wrestle?".

[Endgame]

I look as heroes all about plant their shoulders on the tables, trying desperately to slam down their opponent's hand. The occasioanl "thunk" can be heard throughout the hall.

"That is the newest trend, huh?"

[Cutcobra]

Still waiting for Avalanche's reply, Heckz hears Sorrows comment. "Foolish Sorrow, beauty will always be the top trend."

[Endgame]

I give a smirk, although it was impossible to notice.

"Oh, yes... And you're quite the trendsetter, aren't you?"

[Cutcobra]

Heckz gives a grin as he points at his own face "I think it's obvious."

[Kintobor]

---

Two figures walk up the wooden stairs to the third floor flat. The wind was still but city was frigid and the air thick. The older man turns to his daughter, looking her over with a bit of optimism.

"Well, we're here. It's been four years, Amelia. Four years. It's strange how much can happen in four years."

"Father, are you going to be alright? I mean, I just don't want this end up being some red herring."

"I know Amelia, I feel the same way. Well, only one way to find out, I suppose."

The older man steadies himself, his arm at the ready. He knocks on the wooden door. Shuffling. An individual gets up, and moves closer. Ever closer. Until finally, the door opens.

"Can't you see we're..."

Amelia looks bewildering at her sister, while the older man focuses to the back of the flat, where a man awkwardly begins look for his clothes.

"Karie. Would you be willing... to explain why in Ennoc you're in your underwear with a half naked man in your bed?"

"Maxwell... aw, son of a- and here I thought I could get out of that reputation."

"Karie, you're not... a working woman, are you?"

"What, no! No! This is my boyfriend! This is Masson. I met him while I was on a quest."

"You? Questing? You've joined Heroica, haven't you? You're risking your life out there!?!"

"I think now's an excellent time to show myself out. Karie, I'll see you soon. Thank you for... going out with me last night. It was... well, romantic."

Masson kisses Karie on the cheeks and bolts for the door, grabbing his purple cape on the way out the door, pulling his pants up while he does so. Maxwell and Olivia look in confusion at the sight, only to revert back to Karie, who attempts to avoid eye contact.

"Miss Karie, do you mind telling me what the hell you're doing in Eubric, and in Heroica for that matter!?!"

"No. Actually, I don't need to tell you squat, "dad". Not like you really are my father..."

"Karie! How could you say something like that to your father! I came all the way here to see my sister again, not for you to disown us!"

"Well tough luck, cause my real sister is dead!"

"Karie, stop spewing this nonsense! Father, why don't you... father?"

Maxwell, leans on the table, picking up one of the empty bottles, looking it over. He looks at his two daughters.

"It seems you found out on your own, eh Karie? Hmm. I figured one day you'd wonder why your sister had brown hair and you had ginger. The Alderflask's have always been black or brown haired," he turns to Amelia, dropping the bottle on the table with a "thunk", "Amelia... I adopted Karie at a young age from a young teenager named Kayla. Kayla would eventual become Violetta. She's not your biological sister."

Amelia stood there speechless, trying to form words, but not able too. She turns from her father, looks at the door for a moment, then exits. Maxwell heaves a heavy sigh.

"Karie... do you hate me. Do you hate me for adopting you and leaving Kayla behind?"

Karie doesn't respond to the man who took her from the Hovel's nineteen years ago. She looks about, picking up her pants and putting them on. She puts her cape on and looks to Maxwell.

"I don't know. I really... don't know. I honestly don't know what to say. I mean, I remember bits of my sister but she's-"

"Dead. So I heard." Maxwell gets up off the table."Karie... if you need me, I'll be in town for a bit. I've got business to take care in the city. Just... send me a letter or something. I... better find your sister."

Maxwell slowly walks to the door, but before opening it, he looks back at his adoptive daughter, soaking her in.

"I'm glad your alright."

He leaves Karie alone in her apartment. She sits down at the table and thinks her adoptive father's words over.

[Endgame]

"Remember what I said in the Marketplace, lad. Beauty can't last, so make sure you have something else besides it."

[Kintobor]

Karie returns to the hall, still taken back by the morning's events. She moved up to the bar and looked about, seeing Arthur and Sorrow both in the hall. She decided to catch up with her relative first.

"Hey gramps, what's new with you?"

[Cutcobra]

"It is true, beauty can't last..." Heckz points at his own clothes "... and that is why I have my style!" Heckz winks.

[Endgame]

I look up from my glass of water to notice someone familiar approaching me. I give a slight smile, although it is hidden entirely by the blue glow enveloping my face.

"I'm a Super Sleuth now, apparently." I say, jerking my thumb towards the hall of heroes. My plaque would be affixed by the day's end.

"Also considering getting back into the whole "worshipping Helvetia" thing as well.

And how have you been doing?"

[Kintobor]

Karie sits down, pouring a glass of water.

"Hmm, you don't say," Karie snickers, "who gave you that one, the Watch? They'll give anyone a title these days it seems. Who goes out and gives the title "A Hero Who's Actually Worth Something"?

Well, must be better than being branded a "witch". It's as if I'm all of a sudden the bane of all existence now that I am one. Not like I wasn't before, just seems like life find's cleverer ways of kicking me in the rear. Helvetia... she's worshipped by Necromancer's, right?

Alright. Went out on a date last night with Masson. It was honestly a welcome experience after what I've been through as of late. More tentacle demons, and prior to that Dyric and that idiot Metasimian. The two of them... along with Lawrence those three make the Triad of Idiocy. That and Gots, or whatever his name is, he fits in there somewhere."

She takes a sip of her water, looking about the hall, seeing who's present.

[Flipz]

IC: De'kra sighed, "Imagine...idea. A story that someone makes up. And this story, many people hear about it. They like it, and they contribute to it. The story grows, it is told to children, and they remember and tell that story. And gradually this belief, all these minds working together, make it real. Sometimes I wonder if this is where the gods of Olegaia come from."

He looked down, "I am story, the story I told you. All those heroes, those villains, the planets and islands, they are all part of me. I am just idea, one that people added to over many years. Most of my family last only year or two, I lasted ten. But people...they don't really know my story any more. Many still know it and care, but I fade more every day. My story no longer well known, soon I will be forgotten, and cease to exist. I already spawned some other stories, they still remain in memory. But maybe-maybe if you know my story and pass it down, one day I will come back. I probably would be different, maybe not all my people will return, but I might come back. Does this make sense?"

"...you're one of the Old Gods. But a new one--born of a new generation of belief."

"The Old Gods live off of desire, and emotion, and memory--in your case, the memory of your world. De'kra, do you remember the graves I showed you? One of them was a monument for a being named 'Passion'. He, too, was like you, an incarnation of passion, of fervor of belief." He hangs his head in shame. "If I hadn't run off, if I'd somehow managed to stop him from sacrificing himself, he could have helped you." He looks up, and stares the echo directly in the eyes. "But he has a sister. Her name is 'Hope.' If you survive your Quest, you must seek her out. For I can only save your story...but she can save your life."

"You know, that actually makes a lot of sense when I think about. Can't believe I'd never noticed that before. I mean, I guess when you look at it from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint, it's pretty obvious."

"Exactly." Arthur looks up at the Quest board, two new listings of selected Heroes upon it. Four more Heroes were now packing to leave--five, once De'kra finished his story and went off on his way. A short distance away, Arthur sees his own portrait hanging on the wall, a small bronze plaque beneath it bearing his name and his title. "Wish I could change that," he mutters. "It's too...well, me. It won't be long now before 'Arthur' becomes a verb. I need a new name. I was thinking of calling myself 'The Constable', but, well...that's not happening now. Hel, I can't even trust the title I do have. 'A Hero Who's Actually Worth Something'. Patricia obviously didn't believe it enough to keep me around." Too lazy to get up, Arthur pulls out his Telescope and examines the names of the chosen Heroes, sees Althior's name is not on it. "What do you say we visit the Fields, eh? It'll be like old times--you can show me around the Fields and utterly decimate everything while I run around bossing everyone around and generally pretending I'm more important than I actually am."

[TheBoyWonder]

"Monk, Alexander and Avalanche, shall I sign us up?"

[Zepher]

"Looks that way. Hopefully the little fellow turns up with my purchases by then... my time in Strivvi will have to be saved for another time. Tomorrow, most likely. I'll meet you there, my little friend. I have another old friend to see, a fellow from Stivvi. He's adjusted to Eubric decently well at this point, but there's no harm in keeping tabs on him. He's still not the happiest of the men I know. And I know he'll at least fume over some of the stuff that's been happening in the city recently. Wonder if he reads the papers."

[Endgame]

Karie sits down, pouring a glass of water.

"Hmm, you don't say," Karie snickers, "who gave you that one, the Watch? They'll give anyone a title these days it seems. Who goes out and gives the title "A Hero Who's Actually Worth Something"?

"Yes, they did. I have that "Worth Something" title as well..."

Well, must be better than being branded a "witch". It's as if I'm all of a sudden the bane of all existence now that I am one. Not like I wasn't before, just seems like life find's cleverer ways of kicking me in the rear. Helvetia... she's worshipped by Necromancer's, right?

"Hey, you haven't had your home has been torched yet, so that is always a plus!

Helvetia... She gets a bad rap. She is commonly worshipped by necromancers, yes, but she is the goddess of the afterlife. I assume we all have plans to go to that plane at one point or another, so really, what is the harm in praying to her? Might help you get a better start in the afterlife when you kick the bucket, you know? Few truly know what the fterlife is like - I mean, I can't remember anything of my experience there - but it can't hurt to show devotion once in a while."

I take a sip, before continuing.

"There are some ways to evade the reaper, but they're... Gruesome."

Alright. Went out on a date last night with Masson. It was honestly a welcome experience after what I've been through as of late. More tentacle demons, and prior to that Dyric and that idiot Metasimian. The two of them... along with Lawrence those three make the Triad of Idiocy. That and Gots, or whatever his name is, he fits in there somewhere."

"Can't vouch for the Metasimian all that much, but I've met Dyric and quested with Boomingham twice. They seem like dependable enough fellows... Differing opinions doesn't make them bad people.

The Metasimian... Err, Woththick, I believe? Has had some very nasty experiences with witches in his Heroica career, or so I heard. Stereotpyes are just awful like that."

I shrug before continuing.

"Heh, Guts? He can be rough at times, but he knows what he is doing in a battle, as well as why he is questing. What'd you do to tick him off? I imagine the result was that gentle."

"But that's enough bad stuff, I sppose. I'm guessing last night went well, then?"