Heroica RPG - Quest #56: The Stealer of Senses

[Endgame]

The Party:

Jeaux Elmfyre (joeshmoe554) *Party Leader!*

Age: Unknown, Male Automaton Ranger

Level 4

Power: 8

Health: 9/9

Gold: 130

Equipment: Sagitta (WP: 3, longbow) Bow (WP: 4)

Inventory: Smoke Bomb, Bedroll, Venom

Sir Brickington (Brickington)

19 year old human male knight

Level 4

Power: 8 (Level 4 + WP: 4)

Defense: 2 (SP: 2)

Health: 13/13

Gold: 135

Equipment: Great Sword (WP: 3), Triangle Shield (SP: 2), Great Sword Mk. II (WP: 4)

Inventory: Bedroll, Smoke Bomb, Grand Potion, Soma

Name: Unknown. Most call him "Em," though his real name remains largely mysterious. (I just can't think of a good name, okay?)

Age: Unknown. Presumably mid twenties.

Gender: Male.

Race: Human.

Class: Ranger.

Level 3

Power: 6

Health: 4/8

Gold: 150

Equipment: Bow(WP:3)

Inventory: Smoke bomb, Grating Stone, Remedy, Potion, Nostrum

Name: Arnulf Bishop (Shoker86)

30 yrs old male Human Rogue

Level: 4

Power: 8 (4+4)

Health: 10/10

Ether: 0

Gold: 143

Equipment: Dagger(WP:3), Long Sword (WP: 4)

Inventory: Bedroll, Remedy, Potion, Venom

Karie Alderflask (Played by Kintober)

22 year old Human Rogue, lvl 4

Power: 8

Health: 8/10

Gold: 146

Equipment: Heirloom Dagger (WP:3), Dagger (WP: 4)

Inventory: Venom (1), Bedroll (1), Mead (1)

The Apprentice stammers and wheezes, emitting a sharp grunt of pain as Karie's boot collides with his stomach. He rolls over in pain, clutching his stomach... but soon begins laughing in his madness, a low chuckle hardly audible. Even as he inched closer and closer to death, The Apprentice's biting words did not falter. His breath is labored and slow, drawing sharp gasps as he speaks. His voice is low, a strained whisper. Maniacal laughter is intertwined into his speech, as is his trademark sense of superiority.

"Oh, poor Karie, you must be in denial! You enjoyed being my assistant, you know you did. You can call me a villain, a monster, an abomination all you like, but in the end I know that you found pleasure under my employ. Your party is my witness... or perhaps you don't remember falling madly in love with me? I never said a word to evoke that, my dear Karie. Your mind filled in the blanks as it wanted, and left a more then satisfying end result."

Karie approaches him disgustedly and, in one swift motion, removes his hood. She tosses the blood-stained head garment to the floor and looks at The Apprentice's true appearance.

Underneath the hood was a tattered face, blood slowly trickling down it.His facial expression, despite his words, seemed to be locked in a constant grimace of pain. He looked like nothing more then a young man, and a somewhat handsome one at that. He could be no older then 25, younger then a fair portion of the heroes. They look at The Apprentice for what he truly was, a young man mutilated by his circumstances into a complete monster. The Apprentice speaks once more, breathing heavily. He was getting progressively worse, getting closer and closer to his demise.

"Well, you decided to go through the trouble of disrobing me. Congratulations. Is your curiosity quenched?"

The Apprentice looks in disgust as the party examines The Harvester. The weapon thrummed quickly, like a nervous heartbeat, now that it was separated from one of its owners.

"Hmph! Fools. You couldn't wield that for 10 seconds before gouging your eyes out and rendering yourself senseless... How... did it come to this?! How did I lose?!"

The Apprentice was still bewildered over his defeat, his colossal ego still not accepting the fact. He lets out what seemed to be a guffaw - or perhaps, a cough - when the Town Watch was mentioned.

"You people are new to Eubric, aren't you? Pah! Those tyrants in the Town Watch would have me hang like any other thief they get their rotten little mitts on. My death sentence has been written, and you can either let me die here or leave me to suffer in a cell for a few days before my head gets lopped off. It matters not to me; you imbeciles may not realize itr, but ultimately the end result is the same. My fate has been written."

The Apprentice writhes in pain, seemingly locking the grunts and screams of agony inside of him. He had nearly resigned to his fate...

Edited March 1, 2013 by Endgame

[Kintobor]

Karie stood up and headed for the door, taking her share of the loot.

"If I were you boys, I'd let him rot here. I want nothing more to do with this."

Just before she leaves the room, she looks at Brickington with a weary face, her makeup marked by tears.

"Remember when I said I'd tell you when I wanted that drink?

I want it when we get back to the hall."

Karie leaves the room to be with herself.

OOC: Karie hasn't left yet. She's just moping in the next room.

Edited March 1, 2013 by Kintobor

[Brickington]

"Great jobs my fellow heroes. May we have many victories of this such in the future. As you may know, the lady is waiting for a drink on me. So I must leave pretty soon. But I do think we should take the Apprentice to the town watch and get him hanged. Who knows? His master could come down here when we're gone and save him. I also think we should take the harvester and give it to the town watch. I hope we meet again my good lads!" Sir Brickington walked up to Arnulf. He shook his hand and looked him in the eyes and smiled. "You and Karie have forever changed my opinion on rogues. You deemed wise and strong and for that I would like to say thanks." Sir Brickington walked up to Em and shook his hand. And then he walked up to Jeaux. He shook his hand as well. "Thanks mate, you are a proven leader, job well done. I trust you to handle the Havester and The Apprentice." And with that he headed to the door and looked back at his first quest that he now needed to leave.

[Shoker86]

" See you in hall then, i'm thirsty" Arnulf bowed to fellow heroes and left the place

[joeshmoe554]

The Apprentice looks in disgust as the party examines The Harvester. The weapon thrummed quickly, like a nervous heartbeat, now that it was separated from one of its owners.

"Hmph! Fools. You couldn't wield that for 10 seconds before gouging your eyes out and rendering yourself senseless... How... did it come to this?! How did I lose?!"

Jeaux wasn't sure if the Apprentice was telling the truth or if his words were merely a delusion, attributed to that over-inflated ego he seemed to flaunt. It was probably better to err on the side of caution in this case. Jeaux fired an arrow at the weapon hoping to dismantle it from a distance, so it would do no more harm to this world. He then walked to the equipment in the room to inspect the vials he had seen earlier.

[Emjajoas]

Em stared at the remains of the Harvester, curious. "I wonder...."

Walking over to it, he examines it, though does not touch the thing. "There is much to be learned from such a weapon," he says, eyebrows furrowed. "If you don't mind, I think I shall take it to do just that," he continues, somewhat pensive.

Watching the Apprentice in pain made Em a little anxious, however. He turned away from the Harvester for a moment.

Em walks up to the Apprentice, kneeling by him. "Do you want a swift death?" he asks, drawing a small knife from his sleeve. "It sounds as though you have suffered enough. Killing you now-- and quickly-- is the only mercy I can provide."

[Kintobor]

As Karie sulked to herself in the room opposite, she heard the two rangers discussing their options.

"Do you want a swift death? It sounds as though you have suffered enough. Killing you now-- and quickly-- is the only mercy I can provide."

She knew now that she couldn't leave this place without closure. She wouldn't be able to move on unless...

Karie moves back into the room quietly, the door ajar due to the other two members of the party having left. She pushes Em out of the way and makes the Apprentice's decision for him.

She plunges her Heirloom Dagger into his heart. She then twists it, looking into his eyes as she does it.

"I hope this hurts you more than it hurts me." She whispers harshly, holding back tears.

[Endgame]

QM Note: Its not over yet!

The party already begins to vacate the scene, merely leaving the bloody body of The Apprentice to die. Some go to collect themselves in other rooms... others experiment with the Harvester... others begin to just plain walk out entirely. However, as Karie is about to end The Apprentice...

However. Their exit is cut short when another figure enters. The door swings open with a creak, and another figure - similar to The Apprentice - stands within the frame.

The Apprentice manages to utter a chuckle at the new man's appearance, still writhing in agony.

"Heh heh... Guess who came to visit?"

The moonlight silhouettes his appearance, the man cordially walking in and stepping right over The Apprentice's body. The new arrival takes one look at Karie and with one simple motion pushes her aside, the rogue falling to the ground before she could end The Apprentice. He was garbed in purple instead of green, his face obscured by hood after hood. A cape billowed behind him, and the party can tell underneath all of his robes was a layer of armor. The party gawks at the silent figure's appearance, the new person in the room shrouded in an aura of immense power. Even without a word, his presence seems to intimidate the entire party. He approaches the Harvester, Jeaux and Arnulf standing at the other side of it. The dual-pronged blade seems to calm down in the new man's appearance, becoming quieter. Arnulf and Jeaux draw their weapons, but the man in purple simply raises his hand. The two heroes falter, and this moment of stammering is all that the purple-clad foe needed. In one slash of his cape he sends the pair of heroes tumbling backwards, stunned. Interestingly, he seemed more interested in disarming the heroes then outright murdering them, disarming 3 heroes in two motions. The Stealer of Senses picked up the Harvester - the blade he himself had handcrafted - and goes over to the bleeding body of his Apprentice.

The Stealer of Senses kneels one one knee, the Harvester in one hand. He finally speaks, sounding more like a father consoling a hurt child then a villain. It was clear that The Steleaer of Senses was a father figure to The Apprentice after he had been orphaned.

"What was the one rule I always told you? What was the one thing I told you to never steal?"

"What the - I'm dying and you feel it more appropriate to lecture me?!"

"Answer me."

The Apprentice fumes silently, sighs, then answers.

"A life. You should never steal a life."

"And what did you try to do?"

"Masson! I'm dying!"

"Because you decided to go and flagrantly disobey me. Why do you think I hid The Harvester from you, little cousin? Why do you think I kept my little odd jobs secret for more then fifteen years? I knew you wouldn't be able to handle this. I knew you would die like this. I raised you like you were my son for the past seventeen years, I knew you'd cave in because of everything that happened to you and give into your bloodlust. I feared when something like this would come... When you'd have the same fate as your aunt, your parents... but it looks like today was the day. I tried to keep you away from this life, away from this path... but you seemed so eager to walk it! I should've never let you into this!"

The Apprentice appears desperate, raving and begging not in anger but in grief. He bore semblance to a small child, scared out of his mind.

"Please! Please, help me! I don't want to die! I don't want to die!"

The Stealer of Senses seems pensive. If he was sorrowful, he was hiding it rather well... though the party can tell he was not enjoying seeing his younger cousin - the person he had raised like a son - slowly wither away.

"There is nothing I can do. You are beyond any sort of healing I have access to, little cousin. But that doesn't mean I can't help you in other ways. You may have gone against my every wish, but don't think I hate you now. I love you as much as any cousin could... Goodbye, Theo."

With that, the Stealer hovers the Harvester above The Apprentice. The weapon glows as it, in a cruel twist of fate, robs The Apprentice of his senses. The Apprentice was still fading fast, but at least he wouldn't be able to feel it anymore. The Apprentice gives a small smile to his cousin, the agony relieved but the actual wounds not. With one final chuckle, The Apprentice's eyes close, as a last few drops of blood trickled out of his body. The Apprentice... was dead.

The Stealer of Senses stands up, looking mournfully down at the corpse before him.

What will the party do?

Edited March 1, 2013 by Endgame

[Brickington]

OOC: Nothing

Edited March 1, 2013 by Brickington

[Kintobor]

Karie, despite their current situation, was relieved. The hooded man had done her job for her. The Apprentice's death wouldn't be on her conscious. However, there was a new problem.

Karie covers Brickington's mouth. She whispers into the knights ear.

"Consider what you say carefully. We can't go about and expect every criminal to repent for his sins. You may think the world is painted in black and whites Brickington, but it's painted in greys. Technically his cousin screwed up, if we tell him that we'll keep our mouth's shut about this, we can all go home, and none of this ever happened. Tell the man the Apprentice assaulted us, and that we have no quarrel with the him. As far as we know, there is only one weapon, and this guy's a small time crook. Leave the Harvester for now, we can tell someone about it later."

Edited March 1, 2013 by Kintobor

[Brickington]

Sir Brickington disagreed with Karie, but wasn't like he was going to tell her no. He looked at the Stealer of Senses. Using Diplomacy, "Whatz happening brother?" He said as if nothing ever happened.

Edited March 1, 2013 by Brickington

[Kintobor]

She gives Brickington a thumbs up.

"Perfect!" She mouths.

[Endgame]

The Stealer of Senses seemed dangerously close to face palming.

"What do you think I am? I have never seen a lie so blatant. It would be in your best interest to enlighten me about everything that happened here in the Locunon. I am merely stating fact when I say that you cannot possibly defeat me. I am leagues above you, and a good portion of your entire organization. Choose your words carefully; I have no desire to cause any more bloodshed then whatever in the name of hell happened in this room.

Now then, are you going to come clean, or are we going to have an issue on our hands?"

[Kintobor]

Karie decided to step forward, looking somewhat guilty. A lie wouldn't save them now. She addresses the Stealer of Senses:

"Your... cousin over there, he sent a request looking for heroes to assist him under the alibi of Allen Lias, posing as a member of the Town Watch. When we went to meet him in the Luminous Passage area, he knocked us out and dragged us here. He locked us in a cell, and then planned to use us as test subjects. He already had his way with some members of the Town Watch, who appeared to be in some state of trance, most likely under the Harvester's influence. We had no choice but to engage him in combat. We tried to negotiate with him, but he wouldn't listen. He appears to have singled me out, and used it on me as well."

She lifts the bottom of her shirt up to reveal two prong-like scars protruding from her body.

"He treated me like some sort of object, or so he told me. Look, we got wound up in this, and we're sorry he's dead, but that's no reason to kill us. We had no idea what we were walking into." Karie looked at the ground, terrified of what would happen next.

"We're sorry 'bout your loss. I'm sorry 'bout your loss."

Edited March 1, 2013 by Kintobor

[Brickington]

Using Diplomacy, "We are very tired. May we leave now? We won't say a thing about this. It'll all be chimmy-cha." Sir Brickington gave the Stealer a wink.

[joeshmoe554]

"What the rogue said is true. Your cousin was unbalanced. I hold no anger towards him and I hope that in death he finally finds the peace that must have evaded him in life. If you wish to fight us then so be it, but I fail to see what it would accomplish at this point."

Jeaux looked at the purple clad newcomer. The weapon he held still had a slight glow emanating from it. Likely a result of the power it had gained from consuming the senses of the late apprentice.

[Shoker86]

Arnulf noded to Karie's words "And she almost lost her mind becouse of your cousin" Arnulf stooped taking deep breath " I guess it would br you and her who are emotionally envolved with your cousin here, he is your blood after all, and Karie, well she suffered like no other man here. I personally don't care about your cousin or i ever will, so i think it woud be best to solve issues we have peacfully if possible "

[Endgame]

Karie decided to step forward, looking somewhat guilty. A lie wouldn't save them now. She addresses the Stealer of Senses:

"Your... cousin over there, he sent a request looking for heroes to assist him under the alibi of Allen Lias, posing as a member of the Town Watch. When we went to meet him in the Luminous Passage area, he knocked us out and dragged us here. He locked us in a cell, and then planned to use us as test subjects. He already had his way with some members of the Town Watch, who appeared to be in some state of trance, most likely under the Harvester's influence. We had no choice but to engage him in combat. We tried to negotiate with him, but he wouldn't listen. He appears to have singled me out, and used it on me as well."

She lifts the bottom of her shirt up to reveal two prong-like scars protruding from her body.

"He treated me like some sort of object, or so he told me. Look, we got wound up in this, and we're sorry he's dead, but that's no reason to kill us. We had no idea what we were walking into." Karie looked at the ground, terrified of what would happen next.

"We're sorry 'bout your loss. I'm sorry 'bout your loss."

"Hmph. You're absolutely terrified, aren't you? I suppose that is within reason.

Make no mistake, heroes. I do not like spreading death, but I have no qualms with doling out pain if I find it neccasary. You just murdered my last relative, and I am none too pleased. I am not going to let you walk away from this so easily. You're going to have to convince me verrry quickly not to beat you within an inch of your life, you murderers."

Edited March 2, 2013 by Endgame

[Brickington]

Using Diplomacy, "We meant no harm, believe me. We killed him out self-defense. Can't it all be chimmy-cha?"

[Kintobor]

Karie immediately knew what to do.

"You like money? How about we say 50 gold pieces, and we walk out of here alive. That's fifty more gold pieces on your wallet than you had when you walked in! So... yeah, that sound fair?"

Edited March 2, 2013 by Kintobor

[Endgame]

"Yes, you meant no harm. Which is exaclty why I see a boot mark on his gut.

Care to define "Chimmy-cha" for me?"

The Stealer of Senses found Brickington's pleas none too amusing, nor effective. He chuckles at Karie's offer.

"50 gold pieces? I can grab that in about 30 seconds. That meager offer is practically insulting, rogue."

The party needs a different approach, and fast!

Edited March 2, 2013 by Endgame

[Brickington]

Using Diplomacy, "If we didn't kill him, he would have killed us. I gave him a chance, I wanted him to live. Please let us go."

OOC: Chimmy-Cha

Edited March 2, 2013 by Brickington

[Kintobor]

"Psst, Brickington, smoke bomb! Now!" Karie mutters under her breath.

OOC: Can that even be done? Or would we have to enter combat first, and then run?

Edited March 2, 2013 by Kintobor

[Brickington]

"Great idea!" Sir Brickington uses the smoke bomb and gets everybody out of the area.

OOC: Never-mind

Edited March 2, 2013 by Brickington

[Endgame]

QM Note: Considering he is literally standing right in front of the door, I'd say you'd have to enter combat first.

The Stealer of Sesnes speaks gravely as he sees Brickington about to ignite his smokebomb.

"I'd advise against slipping away - what type of fool do you think I am?"