Heroica RPG - Quest #20: Missing Minerals!

[Tanma]

IC: De'kra continued on as well, pleased that there existed a version of Spherus-Magna whose fate was not to be destroyed. Though it's heroes and villagers were reversed, it was nice to know that such a place existed, even if it was inaccessible. De'kra's mood wasn't complete joy however, pity was also mixed in. Guts had exploded to a degree, De'kra's words had clearly struck a wound. Anger was often the greatest traitor a person could meet, it could make a fighter's attacks sloppy and blunt. Anger could reveal a person's true thoughts quicker than any mind reader, and it could strip a hero of their intellect in a second. Guts had slipped here, he had reacted with rage. If he hadn't cared or laughed it off, De'kra would have only considered it a theory, like he had before. But Guts lost his self control, he had tried to make it personal. And in doing so, Guts revealed weakness.

Was he troubled by those words? Not much. Guts had already tried to mess with the head of another amnesic in front of De'kra, so he already had discredited any sway he might of had. Honestly De'kra was more troubled by his own thoughts right now, how rational and cold they could get. Though empathy still was present, he could feel trace amounts of indifference to the world.

Walking towards Tarn De'kra clicked, "Thank you. I sorry that I words confuse. I thoughts and words confuse I sometimes. Speak of I problem and speech, I not know you name yet. You fine and tell I?"

[Rumble Strike]

Tarn hadn't realised that he had not formally introduced himself to the Shade. "Some party leader!" he thought to himself.

"No need for apologies, De'kra. You and I are very different, but I believe you to be a fine Adventurer to have on this Quest. My name is Tarn."

[Tanma]

Tarn hadn't realised that he had not formally introduced himself to the Shade. "Some party leader!" he thought to himself.

"No need for apologies, De'kra. You and I are very different, but I believe you to be a fine Adventurer to have on this Quest. My name is Tarn."

IC: De'kra seemed to roll the name around in his clicking voice, before stating, "You were on Quest 5 and 11, that correct? It sometime since I check archives, thus I might confuse you for another hero. But if I remember right, it good to know you have experience in caves. I experience on I first quest though not as good. Quest experience tell I not to trust Quest 20 employer, as Quest 20 employer had to have know some of these dangers. Wolves, giant spiders, bandits, corpse, I forgive neglect to mention bats, but employer had to have notice giant spider. Otherwise employer enact really bad job in scout cave."

[Rumble Strike]

Tarn nodded at the smaller Rogue. "That's right, my first Quest for Heroica was in a cave system, although not as big as this mine. The Titaan mountains have long been famed for their mines.

I'm sure Guts here is going to point out the hazardous conditions to our employer when we return. He's been grumbling about it ever since we got here."

[Scubacarrot]

"If you mean by pointing out, threatening him to give us hazard pay, then yes."

[Darth Nihilus]

Dak considers kicking Guts in the rear, maybe that will teach him. Then the burst of anger fades, and he reconsiders. Maybe there is something to be learned from Guts. Guts always kept his cool, no matter the situation, while Dak himself always rushed in head first to any situation. Maybe it would be a little better to not get angry so often, he thought. He might not know much about the way Eubric's streets worked, but by the gods, he would learn, even if he had to live on them for weeks on end.

Finished with his train of thought, and more determined than ever to learn how to be a better Rogue, Dak attempts to fade into the shadows like Guts and De'kra do, but only ends up tripping over a nearly invisible rock and smacking his head against the wall. He begins thinking about how to get better peripheral vision while he gets up, rubbing his scalp.

[UsernameMDM]

The party makes its way to the left and faces yet another dead end.

[Darth Nihilus]

"Let's go back to the previous intersectionand turn right this time."

[Scubacarrot]

Guts follows Dak, with no better plan.

[Rumble Strike]

"Agreed, let's go right at the previous intersection."

[UsernameMDM]

As the party turns to leave, the heroes notice a small sparkle in the rock face.

[Rumble Strike]

"Halt, fellow adventurers. Something shines its light upon us even in this dark mine. De'kra, Guts, go take a look."

Tarn though that getting the two tool-up heroes to work together would help with the barely-disguised hostility that had spilled over earlier.

[Scubacarrot]

Guts inspects the sparkling, while careful for any traps, triggers. tripwires, cracks in rocks, vampires, falling boulders, poisonous gasses, and other dangers.

[Tanma]

IC: As the other rogue worked, De'kra checked the ceiling for ambushing foes. Likwise the shade busied himself feeling the wall, checkings foundation and the flow of stone, looking to see if it was vulnerable. The formations of rock and stone, something about them clicked in his mind. But what was so familar about these tunnels?

[UsernameMDM]

Guts inspects the sparkling, while careful for any traps, triggers. tripwires, cracks in rocks, vampires, falling boulders, poisonous gasses, and other dangers.

Too bad you need a magnifying glass to check for traps

The party inspects the source of the sparkle and see a looked over gem imbedded in the rock.

[Scubacarrot]

Guts touches the gem, while covering his face, to protect himself from possible shrapnel, rocks, explosions or honeybadgers.

[Tanma]

IC: De'kra makes an odd flip of his hand, before throwing his clock all around him. The cloth granted him a higher defense than the average Rogue of his level, and had served him well thus far in battles. Hopefully if there is a trap, the cloak will absorb the damage.

OOC: Fullmetal Alchemist has me so pumped up right now.

[Rumble Strike]

Tarn watches the two from a distance, hoping that nothing will go wrong.

[UsernameMDM]

Shy as soft and cuddly new born kittens, the two heroes play patty cake with the gem. Undeterred by their unmanly cuteness, the gem is stuck fast into the rock face.

[Scubacarrot]

"Demonspawn, can you try using your pickaxe, to get it out?"

[Darth Nihilus]

"Ah, but you all haven't used the most obvious way to get it out!" Dak exclaims excitedly. He then walks over, sidestepping Guts and De'kra, and attempts to pry the gem out with his Longswords.

[UsernameMDM]

"Ah, but you all haven't used the most obvious way to get it out!" Dak exclaims excitedly. He then walks over, sidestepping Guts and De'kra, and attempts to pry the gem out with his Longswords.

With his eyes nearly crossed from exertion and the longswords protesting with metallic shrieks, Dak loses his balance and ungracefully kisses the tunnel wall with his whole face. The gem sits steadfast in its original place.

[Darth Nihilus]

"Yeah. Definitely need to work on my coordination skills," says Dak, embarrassedly rubbing his face. "I guess we should try Guts' idea, then. "

[Tanma]

"Yeah. Definitely need to work on my coordination skills," says Dak, embarrassedly rubbing his face. "I guess we should try Guts' idea, then. "

IC: De'kra nodded, and held the pickax in position. Hopefully his connection with these tunnels was more than just nostalgia, and likewise hopefully this was not a trap. The memories these tunnels were welling up were strong, it was getting a little hard to tell just what was past and what was present. The crystalline structure appear to not be a part of a trap, but was De'kra seeing a memory of a safe mine, while in the present this gem was rigged for destruction? It was hard to know. But either way, De'kra swung his pickax at the crystal, hopefully already weakened by the earlier assaults.

OOC: I wasn't sure if I had to post this, since a bit of our members wanted it done, but I best do the safe thing.

[UsernameMDM]

De'kra swung his pickax at the crystal, hopefully already weakened by the earlier assaults.

De'kra's aim was a little off. Instead of striking the shiny object, he struck the wall around it. A large chunk popped out of the tunnel wall. De'kra worked on the piece a little more. All that was left after he was done was a shiny red RUBY.

Party leader assign the ruby to its new owner.