Heroica RPG - Quest #81: Home Sweet Home

[Bricksandparts]

"Battle? Oh, no, absolutely nothing of the sort! Put the booze down, Raider, and we can end this in a more civil manner."

"You call yourselves civil?!?!" Johon shouts, then turns towards Jeaux. Shoving the automaton a few steps backwards, he resumes. "No. We are finding out what is going on and getting to the bottom of this, regardless of their place in this matter."

[joeshmoe554]

Jeaux cocks his head to the side with a look of confusion. "I agree. We need to know what their goals are, and if those goals do not conflict with our own then I see no reason why there would be strife between us."

[Bricksandparts]

"We talk about this later, for now just follow orders." Johon replies ballantly.

[Pyrovisionary]

"How quaint 'n shite. Right then me civil mates, you won't mind if we just bugger off with the young Progg 'ere would ya be so kind?"

[Endgame]

"You call yourselves civil?!?!"

"Please don't yell. You' scare the child. And yes, I do call myself civil - who is the one screaming here?"

"We talk about this later, for now just follow orders." Johon replies ballantly.

"Oh, so are you the leader? or are you just calling the shots because it suits your fancy?"

"How quaint 'n shite. Right then me civil mates, you won't mind if we just bugger off with the young Progg 'ere would ya be so kind?"

"I think not... You see, we only require one thing from you. Allow my hoard and I to escort you to Mistress Iris, and you may set up your terms from there."

[The_Customizer]

"Fine, if you want us to meet your Mistress so badly, then take us to her! If there is any double crossing, I'll be sure to kill you first."

[Emjajoas]

"Familiar," Em mutters, ready to follow the Oculoids.

[Pyrovisionary]

"Oh, so are you the leader? or are you just calling the shots because it suits your fancy?"

Sarge laughs.

"Let's meet yer mistress then."

[Bricksandparts]

"If you actually know anything about me then you'd know sure the heck how I know you aren't 'civil'. Oh wait, I forgot how moronic you Oculoids are. You are programmed to be idiots..." Johon says, deciding to not restart the same pointless argument. "Prove to me that your motives are different than when your kind met with me, otherwise, we aren't going with you." Johon then turns to the rest of the group. "You guys can't be serious about just walking into a completely vulnerable situation..." Turning back to the Oculoid, Johon continues. "And no, you're wrong. I just happen to have the most experience with Proggs and Oculoids."

[Pyrovisionary]

"Yeah but yer ferget. We're completely invulnerable.... Sort'er Well, with the... Waddaya call it... Norn aura. We are."

[Endgame]

"If you actually know anything about me then you'd know sure the heck how I know you aren't 'civil'. Oh wait, I forgot how moronic you Oculoids are. You are programmed to be idiots..." Johon says, deciding to not restart the same pointless argument. "Prove to me that your motives are different than when your kind met with me, otherwise, we aren't going with you." Johon then turns to the rest of the group. "You guys can't be serious about just walking into a completely vulnerable situation..." Turning back to the Oculoid, Johon continues. "And no, you're wrong. I just happen to have the most experience with Proggs and Oculoids."

"You seem to be forgetting the concept of "overpowering", Raider. 40 against 7."

The disciple raises a glowing white tentacle, and suddenly lunges it towards the heroes. The appendage's barbs shoot out and begin to crackle with electricty. The other Oculoids do the same - fourty tentacles, ready and willing to blast in rapid succession.

"We do not practice chivalry. You will be obliterated. I recommend compliance."

"Yeah but yer ferget. We're completely invulnerable.... Sort'er Well, with the... Waddaya call it... Norn aura. We are."

"Heheheheh... Powerful? perhaps. Infallible? Hardly. Heroica has had a couple of deaths on their hands. If you want to rush to your death , be my guest... But I figure you'd rather an endure a chat than several lethal dark magic blasts. We have our methods. The choice is yours.

[Pyrovisionary]

"I'm not sayin' we go all last stand on yer. I'm sayin' we aint that vulnerable. Even if pacifist pete 'ere cowers in the corner, we're still... Wattsa word... Competent fighters." Sarge points his thumb at Johon."

[Bricksandparts]

Johon, unsure whether Sarge was referring to him or Jeaux as a cower, stares confused at him. "Is he drunk or is he always like this?"

[joeshmoe554]

"Is he drunk or is he always like this?"

"Both. It would make far more sense to listen to them than to start a potentially pointless battle. I would suggest however that the Oculoids start saying something of substance before some of the more quick-tempered members of our band decide to start swinging weapons."

[Pyrovisionary]

"Are yer drunk or are yer always this annoying lad?"

"It would make far more sense to listen to them than to start a potentially pointless battle. I would suggest however that the Oculoids start saying something of substance before some of the more quick-tempered members of our band decide to start swinging weapons."

"Yer right."

[Endgame]

QM Note: Happy late holidays, everyone! I'm back with a vengeance: The combination of weather and the up[coming of a weekend has left me a lot of spare time.

"Let us proceed, then, shall we? Our mistress awaits in the Echoes Tower."

"Echoes Tower? But that's..."

"...In the heart of the colony. Which means you demons are here just to divert our attention briefly? Am I correct?"

The Oculoid claps its hands and cackles. For once, the horde of Oculoids join in heartily, a screeching cacophony of sinister laughter echoing around the once regal pond. The heroes finally begin to realize the situation looming over them...

"Bravo! Truly, you are an astute one, Solon! Did the heroes neglect to mention that three hundred of us were arriving? Or was it simply a case of selective hearing? To think, you so easily played into our hand... Send fourty of our troops to bait out the heroes and the two figureheads, and let the bulk of the horde do the rest. Why do so few people fail to comprehend the concept of "splitting up"?

Now then..."

With a ghastly snap of its tentacles, the Oculoids swarm in perfect succesion, almost dronelike. They surround the party in a rigid square: Half staring in at the heroes, half staring out. All of them were ready to pounce at a moment's notice.

"March!"

Caught within the confines of the Oculoid's clutches, the party begins their march to the Echoes Tower. The heroes, Solon, Fydelle, Beatrice, and Aquos Jr. all begin their grim walk through the colony.

"Your strategy this time was a bit lacking, Solon, dear." Beatrice hisses, caressing her terrified child.

"Same to you, heroes. Even Johon - you defeated The Regret! How did we all stroll into their slimy little clutches so easily...?"

"Our lives are at stake here. It is probably best that we don't cannibilize each other in what little time we have."

"More then our lives, old friends. Many others' are at stake."

Surprisingly, Solon seemed to slump out of his typical stressed, overworked, and defeated demanor. There was something new in his voice - a determination that was willing to do whatever it takes, outmatching even Fydelle's gruff confidence.

"It seems like the politician is beginning to remember he was once one of the fiercest warriors in the Progg militia..." Fydelle remarks.

What will the party do?

[Emjajoas]

Em follows, ready to react to any danger.

[joeshmoe554]

Jeaux walks with the Oculoids, hoping this mistress would have more information than the white demon he had taken for their leader, or at least be more forthcoming with what she knew.

Edited January 4, 2014 by joeshmoe554

[Bricksandparts]

Johon sighs at the situation before sternly addressing the Proggs. "This was already out of hand before we got here, don't start blaming anyone." Johon examines the Oculoids as they follow to see if he can determine how powerful they were. "So who's your master in all of this anyways? You are what, gonna start an army for your new world order? You idiots truly believe destroying all of civilization will fix the world? You know, it sounds strikingly similar to the Progg invasion of Luosh, don't you think?"

[Pyrovisionary]

"Funny 'ting is, destroying civilization would fix der world." Sarge pauses "But who says the world needs fixin' "

[Endgame]

QM Note: The_Customizer has been having difficulties with posting to threads, but not to PMs - thus, I will be relaying Erdathcath's messages (that have been PMed to me) until The_Customizer can get the internet working correctly.

Erdathcath looks around the close-knit group, she sees the Proggs arguing away, and overall, everyone seems to be passing the blame from one person to another. It makes no sense to her, they are surrounded by demons, and rather than plan a course of action, everyone is arguing? She begins to think of someway to escape, but nothing pops into her mind.

She turns to Sarge, "What do you think of this? Any ideas of escape?"

"Funny 'ting is, destroying civilization would fix der world." Sarge pauses "But who says the world needs fixin' "

"We do, old man. And very soon we will have the power to achieve it."

[Pyrovisionary]

"Not right now. Erdy, but once we can get them off their guard... That's when we get 'em."

[Endgame]

The horde of inky creatures weaves through the colony, guiding the passive prisoners through the colony. Although silent, they are in contemplation, wondering how to escape their deciever's cluthces. Eventually, they reach another massive cavern, one the party had never seen: The Echoes Tower.

The massive stone pillar raised to the cavern's cieling, casting an impressive shadow on the heroes and their "escorts". From the top of the tower protrudes several stone tubes, shooting out in all directions. They weave through the thick walls of the cavern, a practical web of tubing spreading throughout the colony; This was the heart of the Progg's communication system.

"A dozen guards. I always have a dozen guards posted here. What did you do with them?!" Fydelle hisses.

"Are you quite sure you want to know that?"

Fydelle suddenly falls silent at the implication. He mutters a single sentence, eyes downcast.

"...I've failed them."

"Your melancholy is delightful, but we have bigger fish to fry! Upwards, my plethora of prisoners!"

"Insufferable, inky bastard..."

"What is a base-turd, mama?"

"Nothing, sweetie..."

The party begins their forced walk up the Echoes Tower, stepping inside of its impressive gates. They trot up the tower's spiral staircase, their every movement monitored by the Oculoids that had tricked them. Eventually, the party reaches the top, and some of them see a face they recalled vividly...

"Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in!"

[Bricksandparts]

Johon looks at Siri with disgust. "I suppose that you are Siri, or at least the moron controlling her? What do you idiots want with the Proggs anyways?"

[Endgame]

Siri - or whoever she was - gives a surprisingly similar gigle, twirling her blade aorund like a baton. She doesn't even bother controlling her magical might now, a trail of blue ethereal sparks following her blade's path. Her eyes are a smoldering blue, brighter than ever. She smelled of jasmine, a smell familiar to those who struck down Jetorix.

"Well, aren't you quite the charmer?

To be exact, no, I am not Siri, nor am I possessing her. It's just a moniker I chose to give to this vessel when I took control. Now that the cat is out of the bag about my lovely little Oculoids, you may call me Iris: one of the two Oculoid Masterminds. I've been pulling some strings for a loooong time, heroes."

"So you're the abomination who has been terrorizing our colony."

"Well, you seeemd to be doing a fairly decent job of driving it into the ground yourslelf, Mr. Regent."

"What?"

"I found this place a disorganized mess... And you've been the head since the start. I can see much deeper than that polished shells of yours, politician. I can see the insecurities scarring your soul... And turst me, they are numerous. You were admirable on the battlefield, once upon a time... But look at you now. Leading a colony you have no hope of dragging towards a better future. Woefully incompetent, sacrificng both your military prowess and your children's upbringings for what? A half-hearted attempted to fix the wrongs of your predescessors? You have nothing more then a military career long since past, a broken town, and broken children. You are a failure, Solon. Can't fix the colony you head, can't spend time with his children, can't repel the demons invading his home -you can't do anything! Only because of your failures was this plot possible in the first place!"

"....S-silence!" Solon sputters, unable to get out anything else. It was clear he could see more than a kernel of truth in the demon's words, and it was tormenting him.

Siri gives a venomous smile.

"Can't take the heat, can you, regent? Hah. Pathetic.

But either way, heroes. Ask, and I shall answer... I see no harm in illuminating your current situation. Crushing your hopes and spirits may be just the thing I need today!"

Edited January 5, 2014 by Endgame