Heroica RPG - Quest #70: The Syndicate

[Kintobor]

Karie follows Arthur down the hall. She adjusts her hood before speaking up.

"So is there anything you want to tell me?"

[Shoker86]

Arnulf stood alone in the darkness. His was in the dark mod, it seemed that people forgot that he existed. Since they went into the Inn, now they seem to tear some pages down. Arthur and Karie. Something very suspicios was going on.

Edited July 4, 2013 by Shoker86

[Endgame]

Arthur and Karie step through the doorless arch, walking directly into another hallway. They reach the end of the base, greeted by a rather large door:

With every other option exhausted, the two knew that Masson was behind this door. Could they reoslve this all peacefully? Or was the final battle nigh?

[Zepher]

Boomingham walks up behind Karie and Arthur. He smiles sadly. "Shall we see what happens then?" Boomingham knocks loudly on the door.

[Kintobor]

Boomingham walks up behind Karie and Arthur. He smiles sadly. "Shall we see what happens then?" Boomingham knocks loudly on the door.

"Only if you let me and Arthur do the talking."

Karie's nerves were shot. She didn't want this to end in violence. Everything ended with death and violence. She remembered Brickington and how he thought everyone could be redeemed. Maybe he was right.

"I'm ready."

[Endgame]

Steeling their nerves for whatever conforntation that was before them, the party readies their body and minds for their encounter with The Stealer of Senses. Either through truce or bloodshed, this is where this saga would end. Prepared for their final meeting with Masson, Boomingham cordially knocks on the large steel door. His knock echoes around the room behind it for a few moments before it swings open - revealing not Masson, but Octavyn. He ushers them in with a gesture, raising an eyebrow at Karie's appearance.

"So you've arrived. Come on in."

The party hesitantly follows Octavyn's lead, following the Admin through the door and into the room. it shuts behind them, the pulsing glow of the Syndicate members' weapons being the only source of light in the room.

The party's eyes dart around the room, analyzing what lies before them. Suddenly, Masson's strategy becomes clear: behind The Stealer and his three cohorts are rows of weapons and equipment, neatly lined up against the wall. Bombs sit in their containers and vials of remedies, potions, and tonics are corked, arranged carefully. He had stripped the rooms of his HQ to assemble an armory for their confrontation, giving them the advantage. Whatever they couldn't take they locke dup tight, preventing the heroes from ransacking much of the base for their own benefit. Masson had played the situation in his favor before conflict had even begun.. but was the conflict inevitable? Or could it be stopped?

As the heroes' eyes settle on the opposition before them, Masson speaks.

"So... This is the end, isn't it? One way or another, everything comes to a conclusion here."

[Kintobor]

Karie nervously revealed the diary page from her uniform, lifting it up.

"How do I hurt the man who cares for me like few people ever truly have? Do you want to know something Masson? So far in this world, I can be certain that there are five people who I can outright say have truly cared for me: my sister Kayla, Maxwell, my older adoptive sister Amelia, Cliff... and you. Do you want to know how many of those people I know for certain are dead? Two. I can't let you throw yourself off a cliff and let you kill yourself! This can be fixed Masson! We can fix this! Masson, for the love of the gods I care about you! I can't see the Syndicate's ideals and camaraderie thrown out because of this! Please Masson, put the Harvester down. The Syndicate has done nothing wrong as of yet, and neither have you. No murder, no extortion, no outright theft. Please, the Syndicate can do just as much, if not more good without the Harvester. Please Masson. If not for the Syndicate, for me. Put it down, and together we can create a happy ending to this sad story."

She took the mask off, showing she was getting teary eyed, outstretching her hand.

[Flipz]

Arthur nodded in agreement, but kept silent, instead electing to keep a close eye on the rest of the party. Em was smart enough not to say anything stupid, but he couldn't trust Arnulf or Boomingham not to sabotage the process. Pity our most Diplomatic member is an arrogant, violent, closed-minded madman, he thought to himself mournfully.

[Endgame]

QM Note: No need to be afraid of talking to The Stealer.

Karie's words seem to have a profound effect on Masson. Despite usually being able to expertly hide it, it becomes obvious that the years of emotional turmoil are tearing him apart from the inside. He turns around and leans his head on the wall, his back facing the party.

"So... so you know how I feel about you, Karie. You know that I'm... well... in love. With you."

He sighs to gather his thoughts, choosing his words carefully. After a pause, Masson continues.

"For the longest time, I thought my own happiness was inconsequential. Meaningless, in the grand scheme of things. I wanted to create a quiet world, and I still do. Whether or not I was truly happy while doing so didn't matter. But... Now, it seems like our happiness is intertwined, Karie."

He straightens his posture and turns around, facing the party. He removes his mask, revealing the man beneath it.

"Can we make this work, Karie? You and me?"

[Kintobor]

Karie looked back at the party, unsure of what to say.

"Masson... I've been around and dated guys who've shown less than half the love you obviously show towards me. However, what happened at the prison that night, it's wasn't just your cousin I was afraid of. It's the Harvester. It's the main reason I didn't agree to you removing the trauma from me, because as much as I was terrified by your nephew, I'm more terrified of the Harvester. Masson, I... do care about you, maybe even love you. That kiss back in your room... it meant something to me. You reminded me of Cliff, the first time he kissed me."

Karie sighed, looking Masson in the eyes.

"Put the Harvester down, and let me help you Masson, please. I want the Syndicate to work out, I want us to potentially work out, but it has to be without the Harvester."

Karie drew closer to Masson, trying to allow him to grab her hand.

Edited July 5, 2013 by Kintobor

[Zepher]

Boomingham stares ahead, a little bit past Masson, a twisted smile still barely clinging onto his lips. His hand rests on the hilt of Scupperer, but it is not clenched, just at the ready.

[Shoker86]

The scene was disguisting to watch. Stockholm syndrome in all his glory, Arnulf thought. "I hope this scene ends soon, I don't like the path Arthur and Karie are leading us" Arnulf whispered to Boomingham

[Endgame]

Masson looks down at his hands, and the weapon contained in them. His hands were clammy, shaking as the man considered his choices.

"My ideals are not something I'm going to abandon. But perhaps... there is a way to achieve them without this machine. I want a quiet world, but this accursed blade only seems to be adding more and more noise every day."

His gaze turns to his three acolytes.

"We'll back you up no matter the choice, boss."

"We're with you to the end, Masson."

"Masson... I owe you my life. Just do whatever your heart tells you - maybe you should stop shunning it, eh, mon capitan?"

The faintest hint of a smile plays on Masson's lips, his shoulders sagging with relief. He gives a relaxed sigh, taking one last glance at the weapon he had spent years toiling on. It was his magnum opus, his greatest creation... And yet, it was bringing misery to almost everyone. The general population of Eubric shunned it, his love was terrified by it, and it bringing its fair share of sorrow to him as well. He had made himself a pariah to create it, and it seemed he would always remain one as long as the blade existed.

"Maybe... Maybe I should've tried to create a quiet life for myself... before creating a quiet world for everybody."

The purple-clad man turns around leans on the weapons rack, facing away from the heroes and his accomplices. He considers all of the options availible to him one last time. Gathering all of his resolve with one last breath, he allows The Harvester to drop out of his hand to clatter to the ground. An eerie silence fills the makeshift armory they stood in, the weight of Masson's decision slowly sinking in to each and every person in the room, even Masson himself. The silence seems to drag on forever, everyone in the room standing idle for what seems like ages - until Masson suddenly grabs a battle axe from the weapons rack he was leaning on, whirling around in one swift motion. He brings the axe down in a blur, the heavy weapon tearing through the Harvester and splitting it in half. The weapon sputters and whirrs, its delicate inner workings and the thick shell around it shattered by its own maker. It lets out a mechanical hiss, sounding almost malignant in its final operational moments. The two lights on it flicker and stutter, glowing brighter and brighter until they burst and fade into nothingness.

In a matter of seconds, The Harvester was destroyed.

The Harvester's weilder seems to go through a silent catharsis, nearly collapsing to the floor with relief. He has to lean on a wall to steady himself; he was weak, but blissful. In the moment of The Harvester's destruction it seemed like years upon years of guilt and sorrow had finally left the man, leaving him peaceful at last.

"...How's that, ma chérie?"

[Kintobor]

Karie gets down on her knees and looks Masson over, removing the hair out of her eyes, slightly teary, smiling softly.

"Yeah, you did good."

She hugs him.

[Zepher]

Boomingham stands up straight and proud. He walks forward and stands over the crouched Masson and Karie. "So what now, Stealer?"

[Flipz]

"Well, I for one would be happy to extend the hand of the Watch to you and your organization. You've proven your devotion and loyalty to your cause (not to mention your proficiency in battle), and, frankly, your efforts among the poor are the sort of thing we desperately need if we are to win the war against the Wolfgang. You have heart, and it's something more of us need to learn."

"And besides, the Watch needs people like you--and, I suppose, me and Nevron. There are certain situations in which the Watch itself just can't get involved, officially. It would be good to know there are people who can look out for Eubric's best interests--peace, safety, harmony--when the Watch itself can't."

Edited July 5, 2013 by Flipz

[Shoker86]

"Nevron, I don't like this. Arthur puts Stealer before you, you who risked your life working undercover" Arnulf was fuming "How dare you to put Stealer before this man here Arthur? Syndicate looking for people best interests, by robing them of their senses, stealing technology. This guy here robed your of you senses. He destroyed the weapon, that's fine for me. We should ask Captain Patricia for further instructions"

Edited July 6, 2013 by Shoker86

[Endgame]

Karie gets down on her knees and looks Masson over, removing the hair out of her eyes, slightly teary, smiling softly.

"Yeah, you did good."

She hugs him.

Masson returns Karie's embrace, giving her yet another light kiss on the cheek. Yet another display of affection from a normally stoic individual.

"I'll try my damndest to make this work, mon amour."

Octavyn snickers.

"D'awwww. Aren't they cute, boys?"

"Heh heh...."

"Well, I for one would be happy to extend the hand of the Watch to you and your organization. You've proven your devotion and loyalty to your cause (not to mention your proficiency in battle), and, frankly, your efforts among the poor are the sort of thing we desperately need if we are to win the war against the Wolfgang. You have heart, and it's something more of us need to learn."

"And besides, the Watch needs people like you--and, I suppose, me and Nevron. There are certain situations in which the Watch itself just can't get involved, officially. It would be good to know there are people who can look out for Eubric's best interests--peace, safety, harmony--when the Watch itself can't."

"Woah there, Private. Executive decisions like that go to the high-rankers. Together we have the authority to drop all charges on Masson if we so choose, but choices to that belong to Lilith, bare minimum. We may even need Patricia's clearance on that one, but time will tell."

The Woilfgang interloper turns to Masson.

"Now, Masson. Karie mentioned you baited Wolfgang Lietunant Briar here?"

"Yes, I assume that detaining him is now a joint effort."

Nevron emits a guttural growl.

"Besides him being my boss in the Wolfgang, I have some personal history with the brute."

"Nevron, I don't like this. Arthur puts Stealer before you, you who risked your life working undercover" Arnulf was fuming "How dare you to put Stealer before this man here Arthur? Syndicate looking for people best interests, by robing them of their senses, stealing technology. This guy here robed your of you senses. He destroyed the weapon, that's fine for me. We should ask Captain Patricia for further instructions"

"We really can't hold any charges against him anyway, Arnulf. I have my personal issues with him, but they'll be resolved in a civil manner. Right now, he can really only be charged with vigilantism, but even then even I'm willing to drop it due to the positive effects his efforts have had on the Hovels.

I don't really think that extending a helping hand is considered "putting Masson before Nevron", however."

Edited July 6, 2013 by Endgame

[Shoker86]

"We really can't hold any charges against him anyway, Arnulf. I have my personal issues with him, but they'll be resolved in a civil manner. Right now, he can really only be charged with vigilantism, but even then even I'm willing to drop it due to the positive effects his efforts have had on the Hovels.

I don't really think that extending a helping hand is considered "putting Masson before Nevron", however."

"All right Nevron, I just don't want to fail this mission and let down Captain Patricia, if you say everything is in order, I have nothing more to add, personal grudges aside. If you are representative here and give OK to the deal, that's another matter"

Edited July 6, 2013 by Shoker86

[Kintobor]

Karie got up, blushing slightly.

"Well it looks like our time to talk will have to wait Masson. I got a room nearby the market, your more than welcome to hangout there after this if you want?"

Karie felt better about herself. Finally, after years of screwing up, she was finally doing something she felt was right. There was still the issue about Arnulf, but that could be dealt with later.

"Arnulf, if you wanna talk too, let me know. I don't want you to feel as if I betrayed you. I did what I did to help this city, and isn't that what we set out to do yesterday?"

Karie still felt guilty about Arnulf and his feelings towards her. She patted him on the shoulder and turned back got the group.

"So, now what? If we're talking Brier down, let's do it. This city needs to know that it won't tolerate the Wolfgang's abuse and thievery any longer."

Even if Kayla was part of them...

[Endgame]

"Sounds good to me, Karie."

Masson turns away from his love, addressing everyone else in the room.

"Business is probably bustling on Stroefront Avenue,, and us suddenly opping out of a fountain would probably just cause even more chaos to ensue. I managed to get a swer-based emergency exit for the Syndicate HQ - shall we exit through there, and focus on detaining Briar?"

[Flipz]

"That's fine by me."

[Emjajoas]

"I'm always ready for a good scrap," Em mutters, still tense.

[Kintobor]

"I'm with you guys on this. I intend to make it up with you fellows after what I've put you through, and if sending Brier to the slammer will do so, I'll gladly oblige."

Karie drew Sexy, tossing it between both hands.

"Should we get someone to check up on Charity and the cleric? I don't want them vulnerable down here will the fight goes on."

She eyed Boomingham over, he'd been awfully quiet as of late. She took a deep breath and prepared herself for the oncoming brawl.

[Zepher]

Boomingham's face remains impassive. Barty zips around behind him. He nods. "Let's get going." His hand doesn't stray from his sword's hilt.