Heroica RPG- Quest #78: As Thick As Thieves

[Kintobor]

As Sorrow steps into the center of the room, the man leaning on the bars notices him, giving a cocky smile.

"Hey, look what we have here! One of Helvetia's children! I highly doubt you're a member of this freaky order, so I'm going to assume your here for other reasons?"

The man sitting on the bench gets up to take a look at the party, scratching his chin. His outfit looks somewhat disheveled, with a few rips and curious looking stains. He curiously looks over the party.

"Hmm, curious. Might I ask who you are and why you're here?"

"You got anything to eat on you? By the gods am I hungry."

[Emjajoas]

Em inspects the two quietly, unsure of how to answer them.

"I'm Em," he says finally. "We're investigating disappearances that have been happening around these parts recently. Would you happen to know anything about any kidnappings?"

[Kintobor]

Em inspects the two quietly, unsure of how to answer them.

"I'm Em," he says finally. "We're investigating disappearances that have been happening around these parts recently. Would you happen to know anything about any kidnappings?"

"Yeah. We're the missing party. My name's Connor Etifried, and this chap over here is..."

As Connor points to the other man sharing the cell he gives a slight smile.

"Costello Watt. Pleasure, gentleman."

[Endgame]

I raise an eyebrow as Watt annnounces his name. He looked about as shifty and unpleasant as I made him out to be in my mind.

"Coming from somebody who is so ugly he'd rather have no face then show his real one? Hypocrite."

Tcht. Touche.

"Would you happen to have a brother, by any chance?"

[Kintobor]

"I do actually. Who do you-"

Costello is cut off before he can finish his sentence as a smoke bomb is tossed into the room. The party backs away from the bars and the cloud of smoke as they can hear Costello and Connor begin to cough. As the smoke disappears, three new figures stand in the room, weapons at the ready.

"Well well, look who's here! Mr. Gligin the detective! It's been too long! It seems you've brought some new faces with you! Allow me to introduce us! I am Maude, and this is..."

"Helga, good evening!"

"And we are the Great and Powerful Shadow Sisters!!"

The third figure simply gives an unenthusiastic wave at the party. Looking back, Maude sighs with a look of irritation.

"And that's Irene."

"Hey, I guess."

"Did we say you could talk?!"

"Well excuse me..."

"Now then, gentlemen, if you don't mind, we'll be taking the alchemist with us. He's seen and done too much."

"Indeed. I would suggest backing down. We've become more powerful since our last encounter, Mr. Detective."

Costello and Connor give each other awkward glances. Connor curiously begins to rub his hands along his arms. The party can feel the room getting surprisingly chilly at a rapid rate. Just what was going on here?

"Dear merciful... it's colder than Helvetia's farts in here!- Pardon the expression."

"Will you shut up! If you're lucky you'll walk out of this with a broken arm at the least!"

Edited August 23, 2013 by Kintobor

[Endgame]

"Expression pardoned, sir."

I draw my bow, taking a step back and eying the new opponents. Witches, of ethereal bent. And one of them was a... little girl...?

"Not again..." I murmur.

"I don't think the grandfather card will work this time, old friend."

"...You know, Syntax, sometimes you're good conversation, sometimes you're not."

"I am you, you twit. Now, get your head in the game, unless you feel like staining your hands with another kid's blood."

He was right, surprisingly.

"I don't care whether or not you intend on killing us, "Shadow Sisters". You aren't throwing a kid in my line of fire. I won't allow it." I state, ice cold, arrow drawn.

Unrelated, but urgent nonetheless: Kintobor, if you have the system, I strongly reccomend getting Mario and Luigi: Dream Team. Best Mario RPG, and probably the only game that has managed to beat Paper Mario TTYD in terms of quality since that game came out, in my opinion.

Edited August 23, 2013 by Endgame

[Emjajoas]

Em raises his eyebrow at Sorrow, glances between the Shadow Sisters and his undead companion.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend?" Em questions, setting his eyes on Maude. "We can talk this out."

The hair on Em's arms start to raise with the dropping temperature, though he maintains control over his shivering.

[Endgame]

"I don't gamble with lives, Em. I won't fire until they do... Their lives are in their own hands for now. But when the die is cast... I do what an Assassin does, Em. It's a creed of sorts, I suppose."

I don't turn my eyes from the Shadow Sisters.

[Kintobor]

"Expression pardoned, sir."

"Thank you." He nods towards Sorrow, keeping his cocky grin.

"I don't care whether or not you intend on killing us, "Shadow Sisters". You aren't throwing a kid in my line of fire. I won't allow it." I state, ice cold, arrow drawn.

"I'm not a kid, I'm seventeen!"

"Irene, will you shut it!" Helga whips around. Irene looks down, tapping her staff's end repeatedly on the ground.

"We're not leaving here without him, so either you back off or we'll forward on. Your choice."

Em raises his eyebrow at Sorrow, glances between the Shadow Sisters and his undead companion.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend?" Em questions, setting his eyes on Maude. "We can talk this out."

The hair on Em's arms start to raise with the dropping temperature, though he maintains control over his shivering.

"I beg pardon, ranger, but are you thinking of-"

"Can it, you old windbag!" Maude fires a spell towards the cells as Costello quickly backs away from the bars as a pink light hits bars and gives of a small pink and green explosive blast.

"What would you like to talk about?"

The rooms temperature continues to plummet until it feels like a frigid winter's night.

"Brrrr... where did this nordic breeze come from?"

"Don't look at me, I don't have my wand!"

"It's not me either, sis."

"If your cold you can start a fire and we can all cook marshmallows." She rolls her eyes and returns her attention to the ranger. "So, what shall we talk about?"

[Endgame]

"Yes, and I'm four hundred twenty eight. I'm fairly certain I'm older than everyone else in this room combined.

Now, I've been dead for four hundred twenty seven of those. Even still, I can tell you this: Life is worth living, not throwing yourself in front of one of Heroica's strongest assassins. I'm willing to talk this out, but I will not have any blood shed in this room. Not without retribution."

Edited August 23, 2013 by Endgame

[Emjajoas]

Unsure of how to best approach the witches, Em tries to put on as much charm as he can muster.

"I'd like to have a little chat about what it is you lovely ladies know about this establishment. Obviously if you girls came in with wands blazing, this isn't exactly your kind of place."

Em looks around, worrying about the cold. He scans for the source as he speaks. Not even he can stop himself from shivering now. "I'd also like to know whether or not you plan on killing our mutual friend there." Em gestures to Costello. "We were hired to find him, though if you don't plan on killing him I see no harm in us working together or at least cooperating for our own sakes. It's always nice to work with such powerful individuals."

[Endgame]

"Honestly, I'm quite liking this frost. Pure bliss."

I always felt at my best cloaked in cold... I can only hope heaven is like this. Then again... I'm not really sure I deserve passage through the pearly gates.

Not anymore.

Edited August 23, 2013 by Endgame

[Kintobor]

"Yes, and I'm four hundred twenty eight. I'm fairly certain I'm older than everyone else in this room combined.

Now, I've been dead for four hundred twenty seven of those. Even still, I can tell you this: Life is worth living, not throwing yourself in front of one of Heroica's strongest assassins. I'm willing to talk this out, but I will not have any blood shed in this room. Not without retribution."

"...Very well then assassin, it may not seem it, but I wouldn't mind a talk."

Unsure of how to best approach the witches, Em tries to put on as much charm as he can muster.

"I'd like to have a little chat about what it is you lovely ladies know about this establishment. Obviously if you girls came in with wands blazing, this isn't exactly your kind of place."

Em looks around, worrying about the cold. He scans for the source as he speaks. Not even he can stop himself from shivering now. "I'd also like to know whether or not you plan on killing our mutual friend there." Em gestures to Costello. "We were hired to find him, though if you don't plan on killing him I see no harm in us working together or at least cooperating for our own sakes. It's always nice to work with such powerful individuals."

"Hmphf. Costello knows too much. Or at least, he will assist his brother in finding out the secret beneath Eubric. Oh, you know the one I'm talking about. Whether or not we kill him yet I haven't decided, but Costello will be silenced.

As for this place, the current owners aren't the most, er... savory of people."

"They too are an obstacle us three must over come. This so called "Order Imperial" are after something in this place. We'll be taking care of them next, once we're done with dealing with you: violent outcome or not."

"Affairs you don't need to get involved in, none the less. Hear me out now: tell Abbot to give up the chase. There's a reason no one has opened the vault door since it's sealing one thousand years ago."

Edited August 23, 2013 by Kintobor

[Endgame]

"We've been fairly open about what we're doing in this deathtrap. But why are you three here?"

[Kintobor]

"We've been fairly open about what we're doing in this deathtrap. But why are you three here?"

Maude grins, waving here finger in the air. ALA Miles Edgeworth

"There's a reason we're called the "Shadow Sisters". We work in the shadows, and we silence those who meddle in affairs they shouldn't. What Costello, Abbot, and this Order group are getting into is exactly why we're here."

"To shut Costello up and derail this Order's objective."

"... and stuff."

"Irene!!!"

"Sorry..."

"You lot are technically meddling in said affairs, so we can either leave with Costello and the mage and you never speak of this again, or we settle this the old fashion way."

"With a compromise I hope."

"You sir, are an incredible loud mouth, do you know that?"

"Why, thank you for the charming comment."

IMPORTANT NOTICE: I'll be away tomorrow for most of the day. I'll try and update in the morning, but if I don't, I'll update later tomorrow night. I'm heading to the Toronto Fan-Expo, getting some merch, and hanging out with furries cosplayers dealers Andrea Libman my friends, so if you're going, tell me and we can hook up!

Edited August 23, 2013 by Kintobor

[LordoftheNoobs]

"Well as far as I can tell, ladies, it's you lot who're meddlin' in affairs you shouldn't. Now stand aside and let us get on with what we came here to do."

[Jedi master Brick]

"Hello Cosstello , hello Conor, sorry there is not much time for chat. And Muade, Helgar Irene, I should'nt be surprised to see you here, it seems you manged to crawl out of your sewer. You know you are no match for heroes of heroica, please stand down."

[Emjajoas]

Em shifted uncomfortably. He had hoped to work with the witches, though judging by the reactions of his party members, that would be nigh impossible. He sighed audibly. "So you're saying there's no chance of us making some sort of compromise?"

Em shakes his head, a small grin forming at the corner of his lips. He didn't want to fight them, but if they made him...

"I, myself, am a fan of chaos," were his exact words. Had he ever mentioned it before that time?

Chaos; the art of pandemonium, confusion, mayhem. What better way to achieve perfect chaos than a good fight? A long fight, filled with struggle, lives on the line? Perhaps he was a fan of more than just chaos...

Em's fingers inched towards his quiver ever so slightly. He contorted his face into a mask of stone, steeling himself for the conflict he felt was now inevitable.

"It's a shame, really."

[Endgame]

"Well... it seems we simply have a basic conflict of goals.

Now, if we truly must fight... Don't involve the kid in this. I refuse to shoot her. For all of the talk of her being a useless screw-up, you should be able to take us on without putting her life on the line, isn't that right?"

Hopefully these women's pride was enough to ge them to remove Irene from the situation.

[LordoftheNoobs]

"Quite right, I don't want to have to fight anyone, but if we must, leave this young'un here out of it."

[Kintobor]

"Irene isn't going anywhere! She's staying here and dealing with the task at hand!"

As Maude opens her mouth to continue her banter, ominous laughter fills the room. Everyone begins to look around, but no one can find the source. Everyone's weapons are drawn, as the laughter comes to a close.

"Show yourselves, now!"

"With pleasure, me dear!"

Three spiritual specters appear behind the sisters and begin to harass them, their dark spells seeming to do little damage to the ghosts. Maude lets out a cry as the Shadow Sisters fall back.

"Retreat, retreat!"

You see the Shadow Sisters retreat for the exit, Irene looking incredibly pale. The three ghost begin to laugh hysterically as the apparent ring leader notices the party.

"More mere mortals. What, you weren't scared? Aha-ha-ha!"

"Oh, well see about that! Just as we settle in for a new haunting ground, these blasted guards come storming in!"

"Why, look! Another undead! Curious one you are..."

"Hold on one second, one of you looks awfully familiar...."

"Out of the frying pan..."

Costello looks agitated, his brows at an angle and his arms crossed.

Edited August 24, 2013 by Kintobor

[Emjajoas]

"So your hitchiking takes you this far?" Em asks, raising an eyebrow at the three familiar undead. "Thanks for scaring off the witches, but I don't suppose you're on our side, are you?"

[LordoftheNoobs]

Grimwald became mortified at the sight of the three ghouls. "Em, y-you know these th-three?!"

[Emjajoas]

"Long story," Em replies simply. "I wouldn't call us friends, but I don't think we're enemies."

[Kintobor]

"Long story," Em replies simply. "I wouldn't call us friends, but I don't think we're enemies."

"Not enemies? We hate your guts! Do you remember that we vowed revenge, ranger?"

"We don't really care about these two schmucks, we want revenge on you!"

"As well as the rest of you lot!"