Heroica RPG - Quest #48: Death's Homecoming

[Endgame]

"I never wrote anything though. Perhaps you hit your head on your little fall? Maybe you hit it several times?"

[Dannylonglegs]

"I probably did. But I'm no worse for the wear."

[Endgame]

"Gives a beating, takes a beating. Something i can respect, at any rate.

I don't suppose you'll give me my son back?"

[Dannylonglegs]

"I don't know, probably not. Are you planning on giving the Manor back? I don't know who's it is, but imagine it's not yours. Plus, how do you even plan on making it an underwater palace while keeping it structurally sound?"

[Endgame]

Aquos's tail continues to thump rhythmically. Odd...

"I have no intention of doing such thing, druid.

You see, every second you keep my heir away from me, that is one second more I'll keep you alive while strangling and drowning you. Just to prolong the pain, you know? But first, I'll probably kill off any of your allies - I have no intention of repeating my younger brother's mistakes.

Speaking of poor Rhodus, I humbly request you stop killing or abducting my family. It has gotten old.

Oh, and the underwater palace. Rihts manor is pretty well built, the fool must've sunk at least 50,000 gold or so into it. All it has does is fall Sapphire Pond, and it will be complete."

Edited December 28, 2012 by Endgame

[Dannylonglegs]

"And why is it that you simply expect the Dini Manor to fall into the pond?"

[Endgame]

"Is this the part where I completely unveil my sinister, dastardly plan? Then laugh maniacally? Perhaps I should grow a handlebar mustache and don an eyepatch, too! On second thought, I am blind, so the eyepatch would be a bit superfluous.

Perhaps if you give me back my heir, you'll get a few more words of wisdom from me... before a beat you to death."

Will the party hand Aquos's egg over?

[Fugazi]

"Okay, Galen, lets cut to the chase here.

You're a nice guy, but inter species romance isn't my thing. I'm just flirty by nature, sorry, hon. I promise not to kill you, though, so there is that!

Galen was disappointed, but tried hard not to show it.

"Ah, you're all the same! A guy is being nice, and you go imagining that he's about to ask for your hand."

But making sure the Toxiprogg couldn't overhear, he whispers somewhere in the vicinity of what he thought could be Beatrice's ear:

"Though if you ever tire of the same old same old Proggs and are looking for a night of hot, passionate sex with a prime human specimen, you know where to find me!"

"Progg eggs are tough, they'll be fine. But... can you hold this one, Galen? It is... a bit more important."

"Um... I can hold on to it for a while, but I'm not going to hatch it if you run away!"

"Speaking of the nurse. Beatrice, dear. Do you have my unborn child in that napsack of yours? Do tell me you didn't hand our son over to one of these imbecile sellswords, or your life may come to a slow and painful end."

"A-A-AQUOS! Y-you filthy, disgusting, creature...!"

Galen was shocked at the thought of what... who was hiding in his travel bag. But Aquos' threats were not to his liking.

"The nurse never handed anything to anyone. We took this egg from her to make sure she would cooperate without causing any more trouble."

I don't suppose you'll give me my son back?"

"Your soon to be orphaned son? Would you consider taking him and going back to wherever you're from, your brother and you? Your invasion has failed, Aquos. Rhodus is already dead, turn back before you lose even more. This is not your land and it will never be."

[Dannylonglegs]

"....This is not your land and it will never be."

"Nor is it your Pond." Added Sylph, anticipating the Elder Progg's next words.

[Endgame]

"Let me tell you something, turbaned Rogue. I am completely blind. Was born blind, been blind for over 1,000 years. But my hearing is impeccable. I can hear an ant's back breaking in Eubric for Mythrogg's sake. I heard your conversation.

And we have not yet lost, nor shall we ever.. As long as I and Eidolon stand, the Proggs shall prosper. You already heard the spiel from Beatrice: we breed faster then rabbits. When you are disptached, the rest of heroica will burn at the progg's hands... then Uland will be ripe for the picking. Oh, the carnage. The beautiful slaughter of every inferior species on this wretched rock!

I have no intentions of leaving Luosh."

Beatrice seems a bit revolted by what Galen whispered into her ear-vicinity.

"No thanks! Aquos here already made me his involuntary harem... never again!"

Beatrice shudders.

[Dannylonglegs]

".....Oh, the carnage. The beautiful slaughter of every inferior species on this wretched rock!"

Sylph chuckled. "Ha! Ha, ha ha ha... You think you can lay ownership to this earth, but I'll have you know, that your goal is unreachable. You can no more wipe out every worm, fish, insect, intestinal parasite, human, or spider than you can see with those glowing dead eyes you have guarded by that dead husk you call a shell. Ha ha ha ha. You will not kill all things indiscriminately, and you couldn't even if we weren't about to free this rock of your wretched existence. Hm. hm. hm. hm. hm."

[Bricksandparts]

"Johon writes a message on a piece of parchment and hands it to sylph."

Don't act surprised or say anything, He has exceptional hearing. He is most likely tapping his tail to determine what his surrounds are, like a bat almost. If we can stop his tail from click, we can sneak up behind him and try to kill him.

[Fugazi]

Beatrice seems a bit revolted by what Galen whispered into her ear-vicinity.

"No thanks! Aquos here already made me his involuntary harem... never again!"

Beatrice shudders.

"Um I see. I didn't intend to coerce you in any way. Well it's all the more reason to get rid of Aquos, he's just as horrible as his brother. Please stand back Beatrice, this is going to get ugly."

And we have not yet lost, nor shall we ever.. As long as I and Eidolon stand, the Proggs shall prosper. You already heard the spiel from Beatrice: we breed faster then rabbits. When you are disptached, the rest of heroica will burn at the progg's hands... then Uland will be ripe for the picking. Oh, the carnage. The beautiful slaughter of every inferior species on this wretched rock!

I have no intentions of leaving Luosh."

"You should reconsider. Let's see you breed like a rabbit once we've turned you into pulp."

Galen uses Smelling Salts, Nostrum and Mead.

[Capt.JohnPaul]

Alexandre heals Galen like Sylph said. (Unless I did so already, I forget.)

"Woah, wait.... Alexandre looks at Aqous, then Beatrice, then the toxiproggs, then Galen... you mean..."

"Anyways, I don't want a monologue, and we will not give your son back, he'll just turn into you and give us another enemy to fight. I think Beatrice and Galen, er, just Beatrice, should take care of him so it can actually be raised correctly. Not in some sunken ruin you took by force."

OOC Wow Endgame, these progg designs just keep getting better and better.

Edited December 12, 2012 by Capt.JohnPaul

[Jedi master Brick]

" I do not want a monologue or sadistic pain sessions. So I do not regret to inform you has of today you, Aqous, will be killed."

[Dannylonglegs]

"Johon writes a message on a piece of parchment and hands it to sylph."

Sylph passed the note around.

[Endgame]

"I'm afraid I'm quite done playing nice. Might as well demonstrate the ethereal powers I have acquired."

Before the party can fully digest Aquos's last statement, he slams a tentacle onto the ground right behind Galen. A wall of stone emerges from the ground right behind the turbanned rogue, isolating him. With a wicked laugh, Aquos grabs Galen in a choke hold, one of his tentacles wrapped firmly around the rogue's neck. His prey struggling for air, the aquatic pats down Galen until he finds his egg. Swiping it, he proceeds slams Galen face first into the the wall of the Rihts manor, his face leaving a shallow impression on the wall. Aquos then throws him into the rock wall with all his might, the stone structure crumbling as it is hit with the human projectile. Galen was reduced to a bloodied pulp, nearly unconscious. Aquos produces an odd steel box that had several wires poking out of it from behind him.

"Do you know what this is, Punii? My brother told me all about you, by the by. You look less like a bomber and more like a decent appetizer to me, honestly."

Punii instantly recognizes what the odd device is and gasps.

"You... how? A bomb?!"

"Yes, yes! Very good! That bomber you killed earlier made it for me."

Coiling one of his slimy tentacles around the explosive device, the tentacle suddenly springs out, whiplike -directly into one of the Dini Manor support posts. The bomb had embedded itslef into the support!

"Well, egg: check. Bomb planted? Check.

Well, I have done everything I have needed to here. I'd like to say it was a pleasure meeting you... but it was the opposite, really. Tah-tah."

With that, Aquos gracefully dives back into the water, swimming effortlessly and quickly just underneath the pond's surface - the beast had escaped. The party, injured Galen in tow, rush over to the implanted device.

"If *wheeze* that thing goes off, the entire Rihts manor will go toppling *cough* into the pond...! Though, I may be able to defuse" it..."

Punii's Bomb Defusal

"Okay, here is the rundown.

-Blue pieces can only move left and right.

-Red pieces *wheeze* can only move up and down.

-And that green piece can only move left and right.

So, *cough* what we want to do is slide the green piece out of the bomb by shifting all the other pieces around. We *cough* only get 75 moves before this thing explodes in our faces."

Edited December 28, 2012 by Endgame

[Fugazi]

"Bastard" managed to mumble Galen through bloodied lips. This bomb puzzle wasn't straightforward.

"I suggest that we find the solution before touching anything and wasting moves."

[Fugazi]

"I think I have one solution, but please double-check me before trying it on the bomb."

Galen describes the moves (left to right).

OoC: 4th row 3rd panel I think is a duplicate and superfluous.

Edited December 13, 2012 by Fugazi

[Dannylonglegs]

"I think I have one solution, but please double-check me before trying it on the bomb."

Galen describes the moves (left to right).

*Snip*

"You beat me to it, Galen. Well done."

[Bricksandparts]

OoC: Argh, I almost had it done yesterday...

"Well done Galen, it looks like we can defuse the bomb now."

[Endgame]

QM Note: Well done, Galen! I have school (Double bleh) so I'll move this along this afternoon.

Also note I have made several typos. This is the RIHT'S manor, not the DINI manor.

[Capt.JohnPaul]

OOC: Argh, beat me. I'm so good at these but I was asleep.

"Nice job, you just taught Aquos a lesson."

[Fugazi]

OoC: I will be away from home for the next 4 weeks, I will still log in every day but I may not be on EB as long as I normally am. I'm flying out tomorrow so if anything exciting happens don't wait for me, take control of Galen while I'm away!

[Endgame]

Punii looks awestruck at Galen and his intricate scrawlings as he keys in the solution with his tail.

"Well *wheeze*... wow!"

Punii slides the green cartridge out of slots, and the bomb instantly falls to pieces. The explosive device recued to scrap metal, the party forges along the damp path. They come across a small maintenace door on the side of the manor. After jimmying the lock, the head inside and find...

"Please tell me you aren't under progg employ. Please please please. Lie if you have to."