Heroica RPG - Heroica Hall

[Pyrovisionary]

Sarge sat there considering names for his children. Well not literal children but the gloves hanging from his belt were all he had. All the family he had that did not nag him at the very least. He had lots of those.

Nonetheless he had scoffed at names such as Shield-Braker and Aberystwyth. The name reflected the merc. Shieldbraker-owners would be goodie-goodie-two-shoes and Deathbringer-owners imaginative midgets who were about to visit the morgue. Deciding on a name he nods smugly and renames the demonic scissors; Zoidberg Gauntlets. Heck yeah.

With that he checks the questboard and hurries off to the library.

[Sandy]

~A new quest has been posted on the Quest Board (#102 by Zepher)!~

[Duvors]

Nur chuckles. "Aye, lead the way. I am very interested in hearing who a pleasant chap like yerself could have possibly offended."

"Very well then I'll..."

All eyes at the Hall shift to the Falconer as she walks to the Quest Board and attaches a note to it.

"The following heroes are chosen to participate on Quest#100: To the Tower of Babel. Please report to the library this afternoon.

~ Althior Emorith, Level 36 2/4 Necromancer (K-Nut) *Party Leader*

~ Avalanche, Level 13 1/2 Barbarian (Dragonfire)

~ Eric, Level 23 1/3 Raider (Khorne)

~ En Sabah Nur, Level 30 Evoker (Jebediahs)

~ Jon “Sarge” McEncy, Level 19 Black Knight (Pyrovisionary)

~ Throlar Wineghilm, Level 11 Knight (Lord Duvors)

Be prepared to face anything.

The Falconer, on behalf of all the Veterans"

"...Dammit, sorry, I have to go, But I'll see you soon!"

And with that Throlar charged out of the Hall to make a few last minute purchases in the Marketplace.

[Dragonfire]

Avalanche smiles with pleasure as he sees his name on the list. He hurries out of the Hall, heading for the Marketplace.

[Jebediahs]

Nur tries to make out the contours of the Falconer's backside but they're too obscured by her cloak. "I finally appreciate the benefits of wind magic..." He sighs then whistles a

as he makes his way to the library.

[StickFig]

Matthias pushes through the door into the Hall, weary of travel and politics and spectacle but relief apparent on his face - he's glad to be "home," though in truth he's spent more days traipsing across Baltarok and the High and Low Kingdoms than at Heroica Hall itself. He simply looks travel-worn, and more so because of the giant hand cannon he's nudging along ahead of his tiny body. Across the ranger's back hangs his battered crossbow (unloaded, to be sure); under his arm is a thin parcel, longer than he is tall, wrapped in rags and radiating faint heat. He looks around to re-acquaint himself with the Hall and nods briefly to the other heroes assembled as he approaches the Quest Board. Thrusting the hand cannon aside and leaning his wrapped parcel gingerly against the wall, Math fishes some small parchments from his jerkin and unrolls them, then pulls a chair over to stand on, rubbing his beard as he searches for space on the board. Finally the gnome pins up a notice, and almost as a second thought signs up for quest 102 - it can't hurt, can it? Matthias pushes the chair back to a table, grabs his cannon and his bundle, and leaves wordlessly up the stairs, seeking solitude, a hot bath, and a soft bed.

The parchment he's tacked to the edge of the Quest Board is some lettering on the back of a torn and discarded circus poster, but the lettering looks almost professional, like the lettering that would have been on the front of the poster. It even has a tiny colored drawing of a dragon in the center.

AVAILABLE:

Sword of the Red Lizard

Weapon Power TEN FIRE Elemental

High Kingdoms' Finest Craftsmanship;

Perfect Condition, Sharp and Rust-Free

Offers, contact Matthias the Short Carnival Crusader

Edited May 19, 2014 by nstickney

[UsernameMDM]

Hoke makes his way back to Heroica Hall from the docks. He stows his gear and finds that his favorite chair near the hearth is empty and takes a seat, watching the activity in the hall.

[Flare]

Benji returns to the Hall and sits down. He sits down and nods in greeting to Mathias.

[Capt.JohnPaul]

Alexandre looks around. Did somebody want to buy his dapper hat? A less experienced hero mentioned it, but Alexandre didn't get his name.

Edited May 19, 2014 by Capt.JohnPaul

[StickFig]

Matthias comes down the stairs and into the Hall's common room looking freshly scrubbed and much revived overnight - a soft bed in a safe place work wonders after months on the road. He nods to Benji, checks the quest board for new goings-on and asks Scheherazade if there are any messages for him, but it's negative on both. As he's surveying the room and deciding his next move, his eyes alight on Alexandre, who's holding a fashionable top hat in his hands. Top hats had been all the fashion in Drandora when Matthias visited his family with the circus, and he's immediately attracted to the sheen of the one in Alexandre's hands. "How much for that hat?" the gnome queries.

Edited May 19, 2014 by nstickney

[Capt.JohnPaul]

Alexandre looks at Matthias. "Oh hello. I have no need of it. It hardly works. Maybe I'm just old fashioned. Here, you can have it for 20 gold."

[Cryos]

A lone barbarian stood outside the hall doors, He slowly placed his palm idle on the wooden finish. A pinch in his brow formed as he exhaled and swung the doors open. They call me a mad man. Baradock's pupils scanned the hall without movement. They call me insane. He wended his way to the only person he owed anything to; and he didn't even know his name. But they are wrong. He cleared his throat, outstretching an open hand to Hoke revealing a Phoenix Essence and about 100 gold. "We are even." Placing it on the table. He did not wait for an answer, instead he craned his head to the hall doors. And began his first steps to a difficult life ahead. I am sane. The doors swiveled open by a changed man. And shut with a thud in his wake. Sane enough to know where I belong.

He was sure to continue his pursuit of answers for the death of his people. And he did not need the hall to teach him that. He was no hero. As he walked down the streets of Eubric he turned his head over his shoulder back at the hall,

...and neither are they.

[StickFig]

"Here, you can have it for 20 gold."

...He did not wait for an answer, instead he craned his head to the hall doors... The doors swiveled open by a changed man. And shut with a thud in his wake...

Matthias, intent on buying the hat from Alexandre, doesn't notice Baradock in the bustle of the Hall until the barbarian is already heading for the door. Something in the big man's demeanor tells Math that the hero he first thought of as a friend may not be back any time soon. After the fight with General Hamilton, Matthias had only hoped that he and the others would be able to mend fences with Baradock, but it seems it's too late. Awash in sorrow, Matthias quietly hands Alexandre 20 gold coins, takes the Dapper Hat, and leaves the Hall to be alone with his thoughts.

143 - 20 = 123 gold remaining

Edited May 19, 2014 by nstickney

[UsernameMDM]

Hoke watched silently as the tall barbarian plopped down the items and walked off. After the Hall's doors shut, a confused look crossed his face, and looked around, hoping someone noticed and could explain what just happened.

[Capt.JohnPaul]

"There's your...... hat...." says Alexandre as Matthias quickly leaves. Something must be troubling him.

[Chromeknight]

Nerwen returns to the hall. Looking around as if looking for someone in particular, she shrugs and steps up to the quest board

she signs up for #102 before walking up the stairs to the saloon.

[The Legonater]

Slowly, Dyric enters the hall. He should be glad, he knew. He had just helped steer a country from destruction. Yet he worried for the future of Baltarok, especially with Haldor now there.

He ordered a drink and continued to contemplate.

[Scubacarrot]

Guts pushed open the doors of the hall, and entered. He sat down on the first empty chair he saw, and put his head on the table.

[Flare]

Guts pushed open the doors of the hall, and entered. He sat down on the first empty chair he saw, and put his head on the table.

Benji sees the elderly raider walk into the hall, and gets up to walk over to him. Benji drops a cloth bag onto the table with a loud clunk. "I thought you'd be interested in a grating stone. 300 gold's my price for it."

[StickFig]

Wandering back into the Hall, Matthias does feel lighter, though it could be for any of several reasons: his lighter purse, the Winged Sandals, or even the prospect of a cold, dark cider. He orders the best on the list - a Low Kingdoms seidr - and decides that since retail therapy failed the best way to move on from Baradock's abrupt departure is to focus on the friends he has in the Hall and even maybe make some new ones. He looks around for Purpearl, Dreyrugr, or Cinna, but doesn't see any of his Carnival comrades. He notices Benji and Guts, but the former looks focused on making some coin and the latter is either passed out or overcome, so he takes a seat next to Dyric Rone, remembering the assassin's encouragement at their parting in Baltarok, and joins in contemplative silence.

[Purpearljellyblob]

Purpearl enters the Hall, and notices a few familiar faces but the majority seems to be missing. She thought she was one of the last to report back to the Hall after spending some time at her home in the Eubric forest. The elven mage notices something's different about Matthias, and sits next to him. "Hey, you look different, as far as I can remember. How's that cannon coming along?"

[Scubacarrot]

"I thought you'd be interested in a grating stone. 300 gold's my price for it."

"Benji Carvenhall. It's good to see you too. 300 gold, that's a bit steep, don't you say. I think 200 gold would be more in the right direction."

[Chromeknight]

Nerwen saw Guts come in and slump in a seat. She went to rise, to speak to him, but did not move.

They had not spoken since the bridge, not since angry words and death and the blockadeing of not one but two whole armies.

She had spoken a little with some of the other heroes on the boat coming back to Eubric, had heard more of the destruction of Imaestym, the deaths of General Hamilton and Prince Frederick. She understood more, and yet less. Although Orcs were being released from slavery sent to Baltarok, a land some had never seen, that their parents had never seen, hatreds still festered. She had blamed Guts for Frederick's death, she knew better now. But still could not find the words to explain why the bridge needed to stand, beyond that was what we were paid to do.

She sighed and remained sitting. But she watched him...

[StickFig]

"Hey, you look different, as far as I can remember. How's that cannon coming along?"

Matthias is glad to see Purpearl come into the Hall - he has a lot of respect for the way the Elven mage stood up to the other heroes in Baltarok. "Hi," he says as she sits down, "it's probably the beard and the hat that makes for the different look - I've been working on growing this beard in since I came to Heroica... after that unfortunate barbershop accident ruined my old beard," mumbling the last bit. "Anyway, the Fireball is a bit heavy but I'm learning the tricks to lugging it around. How about you? How was your visit home?" the gnome queries.

[Flare]

"Benji Carvenhall. It's good to see you too. 300 gold, that's a bit steep, don't you say. I think 200 gold would be more in the right direction."

"I'll consider 250 a fair compromise, sir."