Heroica RPG- Quest #68: A Night at the Theatre

[CMP]

Atramor pulls the blunt end of the Pheles Rod out from the Door Keeper's splintered skull and helmet pits, poking through the loot for a moment before taking the Robust Shield, slinging it over his back with the other, lesser one he'd looted before.

"Anyone got any preferences to this stuff?"

[Zepher]

Hearing the cracking of the skull, the other two possessed extras stir, but seem unable to move on their own.

Edited June 13, 2013 by Zepher

[Peppermint_M]

Mellt crackled with power at the successful hit. With a grim smile Tesni shook fragments from the head and returned the weapon to its place. "Whatever loot you want to share." She turned to one of the actors and made to prod him.

[K-Nut]

Althior stood back, totally calm. "I'd appreciate either the stone or one of the lamps. I don't need anything else,"

[Sandy]

"I'd like the grating stone, please. My weapons are not very effective since I haven't had much luck with getting rich on this job... But now it's healing time!"

Ellaria heals herself, and then heals the two possessed guards. "Can you get up now, guys?" she says to them. Then she got to thinking.

"Hmmm, the skeletons referred to themselves as 'the originals'. I have a feeling that they weren't talking about the play... Guys, what if the events in the play happened for real, and William Stirlance wrote a play about it. The spirits did not seem very happy about that, so maybe that's why the play is cursed. What do you think?"

[Peppermint_M]

"Sounds about right. Heck, the guy might have seen it or been asked to write it up." Tesni felt the boots do their work with a grin. She'd not felt so refreshed since her early adventures.

[Zepher]

The two guards stand up and look around.

"Where are we?"

"It's the damn curse. I knew I shouldn't have taken this job."

[Sandy]

"Any recollection about what happened to you guys?" Ellaria asked the two actors. "If not, please return upstairs. You'll find your colleagues waiting for you there. Me and my comrades will see this to the end."

She then turns to Pigley, and uses Animal Talk to communicate with the pig.

"Oink oink! Squeak! [i take it you will join our little party? Surely a brave little piggy like you wouldn't want to miss all the action.]"

[Zepher]

"Last thing I remember is performing the play. We'll make our way back up. Good luck, heroes, and thank you."

[i don't know about brave, and I wouldn't mind missing the action. But I'll join you. Russel is my friend. I've got nothing better to do. Besides, we all have to pull our weight.]

[CMP]

"Sounds about right, Ellaria. Accordin' to them, Stirlance screwed up with his retellin' of it, purposely or not. Maybe we just have to do it correctly and all this crap will go away?"

He takes a moment to heal himself to full health with the last of his ether, then tosses the Garnet Lamp and a Tonic to Althior, the Grating Stone and the other Tonic to Ellaria, the Aquamarine Lamp and the Minimizing Dust to Tesni, and keeps the Gaia Bomb for himself.

"I think that was Act IV. We're pretty damn close to finishin' this. Let's move on."

Edited June 13, 2013 by CallMePie

[Peppermint_M]

Tesni took the proferred items and stowed them. "Aye, time to move on. Now give me some proper undead or humaniods to hit and I'll be happy."

[Zepher]

The Party

Althior Emorith

(And Finnegan)

Level 32 3/4 Necromancer *Earns triple XP* *Afflicted*

Power: 40 (45 for spells)

Power Bonus: +5 Spells

Defense: 4

Health: 41/41

Ether: 25/42

Gold: 440

Equipment: Dragoro (WP:8), Spellbound Gloves (+5 power when casting Spells, doubled if target is weak to Element), Pointy Hat (+2 maximum ether), Medal of Glory (Wearer earns triple experience), Robe of the Elven Necromancer (SP: 4)

Inventory: Twin Sai Blades (WP:10, Dual Strike), Skeleton Decoy, Potion x6, Tonic x10, Grand Potion x4, Grand Tonic, Ether Core x4, Venom x4, Shovel, Bedroll, Remedy x7, Mead, Smelling Salts, Amulet of Elven Horse Rider (Accessory), Diamond (Light), Topaz (Lightning), Amethyst (Darkness), Ruby (Fire), Sapphire (Wind), Garnet (Earth), Opal (Ice), Aquamarine (Water), Emerald (Wood), Skull Shield (SP: 6, immune to darkness elemental damage), Fire Bomb, Water Bomb x5, Lightning Bomb x3, Bone x3, Smoke Bomb, Elixirs x3, Phoenix Essence x2, Phoenix Incense x2, Dragon Scales x2, Royal Dagger (WP: 5, can be sold for double its value), Garnet Lamp of Summoning

Rebel Soldier B

Level 24

Rebel Captain 
A

Level 5

Rebel Captain
 B

Level 5

Rebel Footsoldier A

Level 2

Rebel Footsoldier B

Level 2

Tesni Hightribe

Level 30 2/4 Beserker *Natural Respite* *Immune to Afraid*

Power: 43

Power Bonus: +3 WP

Defense: 14

Health: 33/49

Gold: 1158

Equipped: Mellt (WP:10, ice- and lightning-elemental; hammer), Sir Roderick’s Shield (SP:8, Immunity to afraid), Bone Claws (WP:3, SP:2; handwear), Dragon Bone Armor (SP:4, Max. Health +2; bodywear), Barbarian's Boots (Changes “Natural Respite” job trait into “Restoration”, restoring full health after every battle)

Inventory: Cryfder (WP:6), Fàelàn (Fiery Sawblade (Fire)(WP:20, 8x damage to enemies weak to fire, longsword)), Cysgodion (WP:11, darkness-elemental; greatsword), Dryw ar Zoot (WP:14, light-elemental; longsword), Party Maracas (WP:4, user is hastened, instrument), Shackles of War (prevents all fleeing, accessory), Magic Mirror (The user reflects all ether-based attacks back to the caster without getting damaged by them; accessory), Ruby (Fire), Scroll of Sleep, Remedy, Neutralizer, Phoenix Essence, 5 Venoms, Deadly Venom, 2 Meads, 2 Smelling Salts, Nostrum, Soma, 2x Grating Stone, Bright Polish, Red Dragon Plume (artifact, accessory, immunity to Weakened and Fire, suitable to Barbarians, Knights, Skirmishers, Winged Warriors), Gaia Bomb (100 Earth-elemental damage to all enemies), Samurai Helmet (WP:4, suitable to knights, dragoons, regulators, winged warriors), Cannon Parts, Rebel's Dagger (WP: 5), Magic Mirror (user reflects all ether-based attacks to the caster without getting damaged, accessory), Aquamarine Lamp of Summoning, Minimizing Dust

Atramor Gibbin (Party Leader)

Level 27 2/3 Witch *Counterstriking* *Immune to Water, Lightning, and Wood* *Negative Effects Last One Round*

Power: 47

Defense: 4

Health: 94/94

Ether: 0/25

Gold: 392

Equipment: Pheles Rod (WP: 20, user generates an Aura, doubling the user's maximum health but drawing all attacks to them, staff), Counterstrike Gloves (When hit by a Free Hit, immediately deals damage equal to level, handwear), Amulet of the Court (Suitable for anyone, negative effects last only one round on the wearer, immune to water, lightning, and wood, accessory)

Inventory: Ratsbane (WP: 10, absorbs 2 health on successful strike, fire, ice, earth, wind elemental, dagger), Shovel, Pickaxe, Amethyst, Diamond, Bomb XX (Deals 30 damage to all enemies and 10 damage to all heroes, all damage ignoring SP/row), Elixir, Ether Core, 2 Grand Potions, 2 Grand Tonics, 3 Health Cores, Phoenix Essence, 3 Smelling Salts, Guard's Dagger (WP: 4), Guard's Shield (SP: 6), Rat's Hide (Suitable for anyone, SP: 4, backwear), Robust Shield (SP: 8), Gaia Bomb (100 Earth-Elemental Damage)

Ellaria Arbour

Level 22 1/3 Druid *Immune to Sealing*

Power: 35

Power Bonus: +3

Health: 7/37

Ether: 14/28

Gold: 105

Equipment: Ignis Fatuus (WP:10, fire-elemental staff), Mage's Muffler (protects from sealing) Black Bandana (Power +3, pirate lingo), Spirit Robe (Renders wearer invisible to the enemy for the first three rounds of battle so they do not take free hits. Backwear)

Inventory: Sylvania's Crossbow (WP:6, wood-elemental crossbow), Tricorne (SP: 3, headwear), Sterile Gloves (immunity to poisoned and badly poisoned, handwear), Topaz (Lightning), Scroll of Inspiration (Inspired for rest of battle, 10 ether, 50/50 chance), Potion, 2 Grand Potions, 4 Health Cores, 6 Grand Tonics, Ether Core, 2 Elixirs, Remedy, Neutralizer, Phoenix Essence, Nostrum, Soma, Deadly Venom, 2 Smoke Bombs, Flash Bomb, 3 Fire Bombs, 2 Ice Bombs, 2 Lightning Bombs, 2 Water Bombs, 2 Holy Bombs, Bedroll, Pickaxe, Telescope, Magic Compass, Bone, Magnifying Glass, Bone, Wizard's Staff (WP:1, Fire, Wind, Water and Earth elemental), Grating Stone, Tonic

Russel Ruffers & Pigley

Level 7 Rogue *Hastened*

Power: 22

Health: 21/21

Gold: 275

Equipment: Conspirator (WP: 15, deals the Blinded effect, darkness elemental, longsword), Crab Shell Armor (+4 Max Health), Pigley (+4 Max Health, Hastened)

Inventory: Rebel's Sword (Longsword, WP: 11)

The extras limp to safety, and the world shifts around the heroes once more. The walls shift, and the gate opens, passes around them and then slams closed against a different wall. The stage rots in front of their eyes, and they now appear to be in the inner rooms of a castle more so than in or below the Theatre. Rats squeak everywhere.

Their eyes adjust to the light, and suddenly three figures appear: the "General", the "Duke's Wife", and the "Duke" who seems to have been dealt a finishing blow.

"..and so into the darkness I go, cast out for betraying my vows for my love - weak and alone in the world, as are we all. Farewell, fair General. My spirit leaves, but my love stays with you." The heroes recognize the Duke's Wife's final lines from the play. Suddenly, the actors wheel on the heroes.

"Hello, heroes. This is the furthest people have made it for many years. Are you here to stop the curse?

Edited June 13, 2013 by Zepher

[CMP]

"...This isn't the first time this has happened to you, I s'pose."

[Zepher]

"Every time this damn play is put on, I have to come and fight off Stirlance's lies. I will not allow myself to be represented falsely."

[CMP]

"You're the actual General's Wife?" blinked Atramor, as he pulled on the Rat's Hide.

Edited June 14, 2013 by CallMePie

[K-Nut]

Althior laughed at the wife. "You put on this curse to try and keep up a reputation? How, exactly, is this a false representation of you, then?"

[Sandy]

OoC: Ellaria healed herself out of battle. You seem to have missed that, Zeph.

Ellaria quickly uses the Grating Stone on the Sylvania's Crossbow.

She then waits for what the possessed actress has to say. This is one peculiar curse...

[Peppermint_M]

"Magic..." Tesni grumped and looked over at the possessed thespians. "Ok, so you are here to fix it, can't be much fun. We came here to kill rats, or at least it is what I signed on for." She chuckled ruefully, "Nothing ends up easy... So, I guess we are here to end a curse. You want that?"

[Zepher]

"You're the actual General's Duke's Wife?" blinked Atramor, as he pulled on the Rat's Hide.

"Duke's Wife!" screeches the actress, and she whirls wildly. Her hair suddenly spurts and grows, aging as it does so, becoming a tangled gray mess around her. She takes a few deep breathes to regain her composer. Even so, the heroes can see another ghostly face, superimposed on to that of the actress.

"The Duke's Wife?! The Duke's Wife. So sad. This is the lie I fight, heroes. This is the fallacy. You think I can be reduced to something as simple, something as idiotic as the Duke's Wife?! I have a name." The voice speaks for two, one the sweet voice of the actress, another much darker voice overpowering it, so that the actress sounds only like an echo.

Althior laughed at the wife. "You put on this curse to try and keep up a reputation? How, exactly, is this a false representation of you, then?"

"Oh, Althior, haven't you seen yet? Haven't you seen my power, and experienced my torment? A lack of understanding. A lack of representation. A lack of people seeing what you are and fearing it."

OoC: Ellaria healed herself out of battle. You seem to have missed that, Zeph.

Ellaria quickly uses the Grating Stone on the Sylvania's Crossbow.

She then waits for what the possessed actress has to say. This is one peculiar curse...

OoC: Will be noted in the next stat listing, along with the use of the grating stone.

"Magic..." Tesni grumped and looked over at the possessed thespians. "Ok, so you are here to fix it, can't be much fun. We came here to kill rats, or at least it is what I signed on for." She chuckled ruefully, "Nothing ends up easy... So, I guess we are here to end a curse. You want that?"

"End the curse? I am the curse."

The heroes stare at the deranged actress... or whatever may be possessing her.

"Don't you see, heroes. I am the Duke's Wife- no. I am Morgan Florence. I am a powerful being. I am not what the play makes me out to be. Do you know the torture, heroes? To hear those words that I spoke - mutilated beyond belief? My actions, taken and changed? My part, my LIFE marginalized? In this farce, what do I do? Nothing. I am proven a traitor, and cast out by the dastardly but respectable General, who ends the play monologuing about his scheme. As if it was his."

"In the play you saw tonight, the 'Duke's Wife' sits by idly as her husband conspires to kill the King. And when the General marches, he does it of his own accord. and when he finds the Duke murdered, he casts out the forlorn lover and then cackles about his scheme. HA!"

"Do you know the truth, heroes. The original tale, before Stirlance got his hands on it. Morgan Florence, the Duke's Wife, tells her husband to kill the King. Morgan Florence sends a dove to her lover, the General, and tells him that he may still be King, if only he kills the Duke. Morgan Florence poisons her husband- at least Stirlance left that in. Morgan Florence lives happily ever after with her new powerful King, the General. Cast me out?! He would never. I was his love. And when the General turned King died, it was because Morgan Florence had tired of him. She took a dark magical spell and sucked his soul out so that she could live forever on his power. In the play, the 'Duke's Wife' is but a vicious traitor and then victim. In life, Morgan Florence is the master mind. She is beautiful. She is magical. She is the mastermind She is powerful. I am Morgan Florence. I am beautiful. I am magical. I am the mastermind. I am powerful. Never will these lies be performed. A mockery of my person."

"So, are you still determined to end my curse on this play, heroes? Or will you stand aside, and allow me to destroy this mockery of history, this mockery of power, once more?"

[CMP]

"Ya' know, ya' remind me of someone else I once knew. Never got along well with her, but maybe you two'll share a drink in hell, ya' sound like ya' have a lot in common. Let's just end this."

[Zepher]

"How would you feel, witch, if your actions were erased and perverted from what they really were."

[isn't that how most of everyone's actions end up?] Pigley asks Ellaria morbidly.

But if you wish to continue with this farce, see it through it's end." The actress points to the downed Duke. "You know what you must do."

[Peppermint_M]

"Eh, misjudged that one." Tesni shrugged, "My traditions had it that we simply climbed on ever higher and left all the trash in the world below.... So, haunting around to try and keep a reputation no one cares about? I don't know about you others, but I am not going to follow a script. We could just remove this ghost and end the farce."

[Sandy]

"No, we have to end this, Duchess Florence, right here and now. Let go of your grudge. Release the innocent actors and move on. That's all we will allow you to do. Otherwise we fight."

She turns to her comrades. "You realize that we can't go on like this anymore. For all we know, we are just making the curse repeat itself all over again by playing the parts of the play."

Ellaria's mind goes back to the road to Bric'lin and the three figures they met along the way. Where they ghosts of the past as well? Or some higher beings with a hidden agenda?

"Witches three!" she suddenly calls out. "Are you here somewhere? This needs to stop! We refuse to play the parts anymore!"

[K-Nut]

"Oh, Althior, haven't you seen yet? Haven't you seen my power, and experienced my torment? A lack of understanding. A lack of representation. A lack of people seeing what you are and fearing it."

"Yes, I know how that is. But it is entirely different to go and try and kill people because of it!" He takes a deep breath and comes back in a gentle, yet threatening tone. "Florence, this is your last chance. End this or be destroyed,"

[Zepher]

"The witches! Pah. They are the ones who led me to my deal, to my power. You have a choice, heroes. You may fight me, or you may leave, and to fight me, you MUST finish the farce."

Tesni attempts to take a step towards the actress, but as with all other enemies they'd encountered so far, she seemed unable to reach Morgan. Morgan quietly points at the fallen Duke again.