Heroica RPG - Heroica Hall

[The_Customizer]

"I am, in fact, new. I just recently arrived in Eubric. But did you say brainwashed into monsters? How did that happen?"

Erdathcath pauses for a moment, reflecting on the horror and look of dismay as Monolith was killed, a tear slipping down her face she responds, "The... the Regret as he calls himself, created... creatures out of his own power. He then brainwashed them into being monsters doing only his will. This armor I am wearing, it was the heart of the last monster we destroyed, we tried so desperately to save him. Most people would wear this armor with pride, showing what they did, on the other hand, I wear this in remembrance of how we failed him, to remind myself, that never again will the Regret win the battle."

[Actaeon]

Actaeon is silent for a moment. The Druid's answer stunned him. "I'm sorry," he says, quietly, not knowing what else to say. Say something to comfort her! his mind screams at him. Yet he knows there is nothing that he can say.

[The_Customizer]

"You have nothing to apologize for, it is not my fault, nor my fellow Questers, we simply did as we were supposed to. We saved a few here and there, but in the end, the one with a true heart of gold, we had to kill to save ourselves, and this world."

[Actaeon]

Actaeon nods with a solemn look on his face. Take note he thinks that victory may cost more than you expect, and that tough decisions will come. He quickly stores the thought for another time.

"How long have you been with Heroica?" Actaeon asks, eager to change the direction of the conversation.

[The_Customizer]

"Good question, I believe I have been here around 3 years. I was one of the first to walk through the doors of this glorious hall. Though those 3 years may seem long, they are but a few minutes in contrast to the rest of my life."

[Actaeon]

"Good question, I believe I have been here around 3 years. I was one of the first to walk through the doors of this glorious hall. Though those 3 years may seem long, they are but a few minutes in contrast to the rest of my life."

"Only a few minutes in contrast to the rest of your life?" Actaeon asks, taken aback, "How old are you?"

[Capt.JohnPaul]

"Alexandre! My goodness, I don't think I've seen you since we returned from Dastan! My road...has had a few twists and turns since then, you could say." Arthur's hands momentarily cease their work, as he turns his full attention to the Hero he'd known since his first Quest. "Lord Knyghton gratefully took me in during a...a dark time, let's call it. Luke nursed me back to health, and Lord Knyghton set me to training with the other Skirmishers under Sir Leofard."

"You should have seen them, Alex. The army of the Lions is stronger than ever. United as a single team, we become quite the formidable force. Oh, forgive my rudeness, Alexandre Le Chevalier, meet Thormanil Nihai, Raid...no, you don't seem to be a Raider any more, do you? Anyway, Thormanil Nihai, Alexandre Le Chevalier, Knight...now Black Knight, by the looks of it." The Skirmisher chuckles. "Would've pegged you more as a Paladin sort, myself. Isabella must have been a bad influence on you."

The laughter in his eyes fades as he recalls the last Quest the three of them had shared. "I wonder how she's been? Hope I didn't drive the poor girl out of Heroica..." Arthur looks to Thormanil, to explain. "We went to Dastan together. That's where I...well. The start of several poor decisions in my life. And I took a lot of it out on Isabella." He sighs. "I wish I could take it all back. I honestly do...I honestly do wish I could take it all back. Anyway, if I was ever to see her again, d'you know what I'd say? I'd say 'I'm sorry. Sincerely. I am sorry I was bossy, and monstrous, and I am genuinely sorry.' The end."

"Ahhh, I'd like to see Knyghton again. They were good comrades. It would be fun to work as a team again. Perhaps one day I shall do some training with them? And you and I can both be skirmishers? That would make for an interesting party."

"Thormanil, I've believed we've crossed paths, though have never chatted much. But yes, I went black knight. Paladinism is all good, however when I'm in a fight, it is fast and dirty. I hope to use all my potential AND offensive capabilities to get the job done more efficiently. It's also an added perk to be able to dexterously snatch the enemy's items to help upkeep my things. My elvern sword is now even more powerful haha." Alexandre explains his constant upgrades from the gold he painfully, slowly, saved from his adventures.

"Isabella having a bad influence on me? Hahaha nooo..." Alexandre chuckles. "Though maybe..." Alexandre frowns at Arthur's worry. "Arthur, you just have to put these things behind you. You know what it's like to just live in misery. It's been so long, maybe she has just forgotten. That is often the case. They either forget or don't care anymore. You really think Isabella would hold a grudge? Heck, I've forgotten about it already. It's water under the bridge. If you see her and she is uncomfortable, apologize, but I don't think you should otherwise bring it up." Alexandre advises.

[The_Customizer]

"Only a few minutes in contrast to the rest of your life?" Actaeon asks, taken aback, "How old are you?"

"As of right now, only 199 years old. But that is extremely young for an elf."

[Actaeon]

"As of right now, only 199 years old. But that is extremely young for an elf."

"199? My. You look a lot younger," Actaeon says, "Wait, no! That's not what I- I mean- well- I mean I've never seen an elf before, I guess," he says, stumbling through the sentence.

[The_Customizer]

"199? My. You look a lot younger," Actaeon says, "Wait, no! That's not what I- I mean- well- I mean I've never seen an elf before, I guess," he says, stumbling through the sentence.

"It's perfectly fine, I'm not entirely Elf anyway. I'm part elf, and part wood. But that is a long story. There actually used to be many elves in here, but indeed, it seems they have disappeared after a while."

[Actaeon]

"Part wood? Interesting. I can't even begin to imagine how that happened." Actaeon says. A 199 year old, young looking, part wood, woman. She must have a very interesting life story.

[The_Customizer]

"It occurred during my training to become a druid, since then, I have grown accustomed to it. Not that hard to deal with though."

[Actaeon]

"It occurred during my training to become a druid, since then, I have grown accustomed to it. Not that hard to deal with though."

"Interesting. What effect does being part wood have on someone?"

[The_Customizer]

"Interesting. What effect does being part wood have on someone?"

"Rather hard to say, my skin definitely isn't the smoothest, yet it is very firm, hard to break. Needless to say, bleeding doesn't really happen anymore, due to being wood. Other than that, it just draws me closer to nature, which also helps me in my job as a Druid."

[Actaeon]

"Rather hard to say, my skin definitely isn't the smoothest, yet it is very firm, hard to break. Needless to say, bleeding doesn't really happen anymore, due to being wood. Other than that, it just draws me closer to nature, which also helps me in my job as a Druid."

"I'm sure that must come in handy at times."

Actaeon barely manages to stop himself from staring at her skin.

"Will you be going on Quest #103 or #104?" He asks, distracting himself.

[The_Customizer]

"I'm sure that must come in handy at times."

Actaeon barely manages to stop himself from staring at her skin.

"Will you be going on Quest #103 or #104?" He asks, distracting himself.

"I think I'll be sitting those quests out, my past few quests have been exhausting, and...trying. Not only physically, but also mentally. Are you going on any quests?"

[Dharkan]

Isabella writes her name down to Quest#104: Ace Assassin: Dual Dragoons

[Actaeon]

"I think I'll be sitting those quests out, my past few quests have been exhausting, and...trying. Not only physically, but also mentally. Are you going on any quests?"

"From what you've told me, it does sound like they were rather exhausting. I hope to get on either Quest #103 or #104. As a new ranger, I feel that the odds are against me to get into Quest #103, but I think I should be able to manage #104. We'll just have to wait and see."

[swils]

Still testing the balance and heft of his new weapon, Arthur returns to Thormanil's table, packages still in hand, unopened. "Ho, there, Thormanil, and...friend. It's been a while since I've spoken with a Dragon in person...how fares Dastan, small one?" His attention still on the small blue reptile, Arthur absently begins opening the first package.

"Ey there, Arthur. Alex," he chuckles, "Yes, nice to meet you."

It had only been a few weeks since hatching, but the dragonling had noticeably grown. He looked up at the new man, seemingly an old friend of Thormanil's,

<"Dastan? I've been with Thormanil since I hatched, here in the freeport and then tangled up in a political mess with the greenskins in Baltarok. Warmongering bunch, they were. Shame there wasn't more action! Or more loot!">

Arx let slip a toothy grin. Thormanil followed suit, asking Arthur,

"Heh, you catch any of that? I'm still gettin' a handle on it myself. So, who's the secret admirer?" he nods towards the fancy box Arthur was unwrapping.

Edited June 29, 2014 by swils

[Flipz]

"Ahhh, I'd like to see Knyghton again. They were good comrades. It would be fun to work as a team again. Perhaps one day I shall do some training with them? And you and I can both be skirmishers? That would make for an interesting party."

"Thormanil, I've believed we've crossed paths, though have never chatted much. But yes, I went black knight. Paladinism is all good, however when I'm in a fight, it is fast and dirty. I hope to use all my potential AND offensive capabilities to get the job done more efficiently. It's also an added perk to be able to dexterously snatch the enemy's items to help upkeep my things. My elvern sword is now even more powerful haha." Alexandre explains his constant upgrades from the gold he painfully, slowly, saved from his adventures.

"Isabella having a bad influence on me? Hahaha nooo..." Alexandre chuckles. "Though maybe..." Alexandre frowns at Arthur's worry. "Arthur, you just have to put these things behind you. You know what it's like to just live in misery. It's been so long, maybe she has just forgotten. That is often the case. They either forget or don't care anymore. You really think Isabella would hold a grudge? Heck, I've forgotten about it already. It's water under the bridge. If you see her and she is uncomfortable, apologize, but I don't think you should otherwise bring it up." Alexandre advises.

"Maybe you're right. I just know that I've done a lot of bad things to a lot of good people, and I just want to make it up to them before it's too late, you know?"

"Erm...a little," Arthur lies. Seeing that no one at the table was fooled, he adds, "The Dragon I once knew was named Vipera, and she was able to communicate telepathically through the Spirit Pools, even linking our minds together in battle." Arthur looks to Alex. "Remember that, in Drakencourt? Now THAT was a battle. Doubt Heroica's ever going to face something THAT crazy for a few hundred years," he chuckles. "Anyway, it's a pleasure to meet you, Arx. I have a lot of respect for Dragons, even the ones I can't understand."

Addressing Thormanil's last point, Arthur continues opening the package, this time actually paying attention to what he is doing. "Dunno, Schezerade just said some woman had left them for me. To tell you the truth--"

Arthur finally finishes peeling back the last layer of paper, inside the box, revealing an ornate gray cloak with the Shadeaux emblem emblazoned prominently across it. Enclosed is a small note, which Arthur reads aloud:

"To Mister Regulus,

The situation in R'kilf has quieted down and life there has returned to it's usual steady pace. I have been reassigned to another mission by my lord, but I will not delve into more details in this letter, lest it gets into wrong hands.

Heroica should indeed prepare for the worst, but your Veterans seem to be too busy putting out every fire in an attempt to be everyone's favourite heroes. The Shadeaux will support Heroica for as long as it is purposeful, but neither I nor the Count are optimists - we are survivors.

My gift to you this Grogmas is something that will help you survive, as long as you remain loyal to the Count. May that never change.

Sincerely yours,

~Sir Isaac Shawe"

Still somewhat in shock, Arthur unfolds the cape, which despite having been folded for months is pristine and without a wrinkle.

Shadeaux Cape (SP:1, suitable to those with reputation among the Shadeaux only; if reputation is great, SP is doubled; if reputation is outstanding, SP is tripled; backwear)

"This...this is amazing." Arthur glances over to the other box that had been given to him, a smaller but taller number with tiny silver stars covering its surface. In the flickering torchlight, the stars appear to shimmer softly, and something about it makes him wonder if they would maintain that sheen regardless of the light. "Not sure I want to open this other one, now...I can't see how it could possibly top this."

Edited June 29, 2014 by Flipz

[Capt.JohnPaul]

"Ah, I understand where you're coming from... yeah, Dastan was quite the battle. We had something almost as big with the orcs and the kingdoms on a large bridge. "

[Flipz]

Arthur raises an eyebrow. "The orcs and the kingdoms? Apparently a lot has been happening in my absence. Tell me more."

[UsernameMDM]

Arthur raises an eyebrow. "The orcs and the kingdoms? Apparently a lot has been happening in my absence. Tell me more."

"Even if you were there, you wouldn't know the whole story," Hoke said as he walked up to the group.

[Capt.JohnPaul]

Alexandre looks up at Hoke. "That'd be correct. I still don't know the full story. It was one of those 'so and so committed mass genocide against my people hundreds of years ago and now they want to do it again so we are going to war' things. And thr other side is all 'no we want to live in peace and we didn't order an attack on you.' It was a big mess."

[UsernameMDM]

Alexandre looks up at Hoke. "It was a big mess."

"Indeed it was. I'm no king maker or country shaper, but I was hired to protect that bridge. Hopefully that was a just decision."