Heroica RPG- Quest #96: Tying up Loose Ends

[Scubacarrot]

And hey, wether it be random guessing or actually solving the puzzle, Atramor finds a key in the man's turban after a long strip-search of the Human. Good job.

The party finally has a key!

No experience was awarded for puzzle solving that day.

[CMP]

Atramor popped open the door for Skrall.

"That took much longer than it should've."

[Scubacarrot]

The door opens without a squeek. Skrall has joined Ellaria and Atramor.

"That took much longer than it should've."

"Yes. Yes it did."

[Waterbrick Down]

"Yer tellin' me. Now, to Zoe?" Skrall indicates the door behind them.

Edited June 10, 2014 by Waterbrick Down

[Sandy]

OoC: Oookay... Just going to say that the clues you provided weren't enough to fill in the guard schedule with 100% certainty, even by using deduction. There was just too many options. Hope you understand our confusion because of that.

"Nice to see you, Garlin. You seem to have company." Ellaria says and nods to the man Skrall is accompanied with. "I apologize sir, but we are on an urgent mission to save our friend from captivity. I sincerely hope you understand this and won't get in our way."

Ellaria then leads the group to the other door on the opposite side of the hallway, trying to open it.

[Waterbrick Down]

OoC: Oookay... Just going to say that the clues you provided weren't enough to fill in the guard schedule with 100% certainty, even by using deduction. There was just too many options. Hope you understand our confusion because of that.

"Nice to see you, Garlin. You seem to have company." Ellaria says and nods to the man Skrall is accompanied with. "I apologize sir, but we are on an urgent mission to save our friend from captivity. I sincerely hope you understand this and won't get in our way."

Ellaria then leads the group to the other door on the opposite side of the hallway, trying to open it.

"Locked, I'd try that key of yours."

[Sandy]

"Locked, I'd try that key of yours."

"Yeah, that was the plan", Ellaria sighs, using the key to open the door unless it wasn't clear to everybody present. If the key doesn't fit, Ellaria will go back to the guards and search each of the corpses thoroughly before she finds one that does.

[Scubacarrot]

My original plan was to move you guys along after Boomingham and Nyx caught up, but things change. I'll move you guys on later tonight, hopefully!

Skrall, Ellaria & Atramor

"Oh, but I'm not here to be in your way, my lady, I'm here to help. Not too good with locks, I'm afraid. I'm Maxis. Pleasure to meet another Hero of Heroica, are both of your companions also...? So far, I'm just helping Garlin here have a reason to be up here, but... we'll see."

Edited June 10, 2014 by Scubacarrot

[Sandy]

Ellaria curtseys and smiles to Maxis.

"Please to meet you, Lord Maxis. I am Elpis Blackhood, and my companions are Ratabor and Russus. I have to apologize for the unconventional way we got in, but we wanted to avoid attention. You are the brother of Macros, are you not? We had the pleasure of meeting him at another bar. You are not in the best of terms with him, if my information is correct?"

[Scubacarrot]

"Heh. I hate this place, whatever way to get in or out is none of my business. Yes, my brother is Macros. You met him, then... I would be interested to hear what you think of him... My brother and I... Let's say, my brother thinks he can do a better job than I, the rightful viscount, as ruler of Strivvi. My brother the stubborn soldier thinks he can lead a city with his fists. And the city has been in turmoil for ten years. I wish no harm upon Macros, for he is my brother, but we are not on good terms, no, you could say."

[Scubacarrot]

Skrall, Ellaria & Atramor

Ellaria uses the key to open the next door, they enter a bright room. That resembles some sort of bathhouse...

"So... Which one is this Zoë?"

What do the Heroes want to do?

[Sandy]

Ellaria blinks. She can't quite recall what Zoe looked like, exactly, but there were certainly many girls who looked just like her in the room.

"Umm, Zoê?" she asked in general. "We are here for you. Remember us, your friends from Eubric?"

[Pandora]

On seeing a relatively innocent looking face, Nyx just starts talking, hoping Boomingham will play along.

"Oh thank goodness we found you! We've been lost goodness knows where! All we wanted was a little.. privacy, if you know what I mean, and maybe you don't, and somehow we ended up down there; I mean I have a terrible sense of direction at the best of times, but really it's just too much today. And there are things down there, you know?! Horrible things! Urgh, I need to get cleaned up, do you mind if I use your brush and water? Just, if the others see me like this I'm sure I'll have my pay docked, thank you so much, you've very sweet. Oh and tell me if there's something to drink in that bottle, because if I don't get him a drink fast I'm sure he'll complain and then I'll lose my job and then who'll be able to care for my dear sick mother? And really I need a drink myself to steady my poor shattered nerves after that terrifying ordeal!"

Nyx smiles plaintively and innocently at the boy.

[CMP]

"No offense mate, but we're not gettin' involved in your politics unless we have to."

Atramor looks around the bathhouse and frowns.

"I should be less than surprised. Shoulda' brought Purple with us."

Edited June 10, 2014 by CallMePie

[Zepher]

Boomingham stands his face drawn tight, and his hand on his sword's hilt. "I was told this was a place for privacy. I was hoping to get some."

[Scubacarrot]

Nyx & Boomingham

"But... But... This is... This is just the supply closet.... It's liquid soap in the bottle.... I.... I... I... Should get my boss..."

[Zepher]

"For a working in a place like this, you're awfully prudish about where people get down to business." Boomingham sighs, and tries to speak diplomatically, while keeping his hand on the hilt. "Look, boy, you seem nice enough. I don't want to get in your way, so I'll let you do your job. We won't canoodle in the supply closet if you let me and my lady friend be on our way to one of the rooms here. Sound acceptable?"

[Pandora]

"Soap? Marvellous! How did you know we needed that?! How wonderful of you!" Nyx breezes past picking up the soap and brush and begins to clean herself and Boomingham up whilst flashing the boy a winning smile. "We'll be on our way shortly and then we can all get back to work, don't worry."

[Scubacarrot]

Nyx and Boomingham

"You came from the sewer... You can't just. She's not... You're not... I'm going to tell my boss..." The boy starts walking to the door.

Nyx starts cleaning herself. Luckily for her, Snake guts wash right off.

Skrall, Ellaria & Atramor

No one answers Ellaria, all she gets are quizzical stares.

"Hm. Interesting.... Involved you say? I wouldn't dare. Although in turn for helping you, Garlin has offered to listen to a request of mine. As fellow heroes, I expect you'd do the same? But, for that, I'd need to proof myself first... I suspect, if one of the four similair looking girls is your target, there might be magic involved, I did sense something when we came in. Miss, could you try that compass again?"

[Zepher]

"If you'll excuse me... Miss," says Boomingham as he quickly walks past Nyx, having apparently again forgotten her code name. He draws his Frozen Saber swiftly as he can and brings the blunt side down on the boy's head, hopefully knocking him out but not killing him... hopefully before he leaves the room.

[CMP]

Atramor sighed.

"Fine, we'll hear ya' out later. First we need to find our girl. Compass sounds like a plan."

The regulator looked back up at the girls and coughed, before sweeping off his hat and bowing.

" 'Scuse us ladies, we're just lookin' to pick up a friend of ours, we'll be outta your hair soon enough," he stated in a thoroughly diplomatic fashion, having taken his hat off and everything.

[Sandy]

Ellaria bites her lip as the girls remain silent. Nothing seemed to go easy that day...

She then takes out the magic compass again, per Maxis' suggestion, and thinks of Zoë.

[Scubacarrot]

Nyx and Boomingham

Boomingham knocks down the boy. He goes down and out without a sound. There's a drip of blood, but the heroes do not have time for that now, they leave the supply closet and enter a small, narrow corridor. There's a ladder that goes upstairs, and a door that obviously leads to a kitchen of sorts. Which way do they go?

Skrall, Ellaria and Atramor

Ellaria once again pulls out her compass, and the needle points to... Each of the five girls that bear Zoe's likeness! It quickly changes between them, with no discernable pattern. Even without a hat on, Atramor gathers the same response. Maybe he would have more luck speaking to a specific girl?

"It is as I thought, there is some kind of magic going on. Either the mage divided the original into five parts, or changed the look of four girls and brainwashed the original... Or something else entirely... Either way, there is some very powerful magic going on. A trick of this sort is much more complicated than a simple blast of fire or force. It seems we may have several options, you can try to find out who the real girl is, and hope the magic wears off or try to cure it later. You can try to find the source of the spell and try to disable it... Or there's one more option... I can try to cast a large catch-all anti magic spell. It will be powerful and unpredictable, and I can't be sure of the results."

[CMP]

"There's also some rabbits over there, could interrogate them."

[Waterbrick Down]

"Great, more sorcery." Skrall walks over to the girl next to the bookshelf and levels his crossbow at her. "What's yer name and what are ya doin' here?"