Heroica RPG - Quest#102: Debts

[Purpearljellyblob]

Purpearl gives Matthias an eyeful, wondering why the gnome's so willing to help someone who captured Aventine and the cause of this endless chase. "Why are you helping us?" Purpearl says skeptically. "How do we know if Chauncey hasn't sent you to delay our progress? If you're truly sincere, you'll need to show it, hand us your most precious or something along that line as security, words are nothing when we are clearly at the disadvantage."

[Chromeknight]

Nerwen smiles wryly in Matthias' direction.

<This trip has been one dubious choice after another. Why should this be different. Besides, Lady Berthadhiell will spring the trap for us, then we will know what the real deal is.>

[StickFig]

Matthias doesn't miss the look from Berthadhiell, or the glance from Calmcacil. "I didn't say we would do whatever it is, I just asked what she wants," he says to the mage out of the side of his mouth, hopefully loud enough for the elves' sensitive ears to pick up but quiet enough that the weird fairy in front of the party won't hear, though if he/she did Matthias isn't sure he'd care.

Edited October 6, 2014 by StickFig

[Zepher]

"Oh my delightful dunces, how little you know!" She chuckles. "I am not helping you - I am helping myself. Lord Chauncey has hired me for these seven days, and so I must do whatever he tells me. He has asked me to greet you heroes and to take you to the duel, but he has also asked me to do away with some vile villains - henchmen of Lord Aventine's. So I thought I would kill two birds with one stone." Her glasses gleam in the setting sun. "Come, it is the end of the day. Tomorrow will be the sixth, and you do not need to be at the duel until the seventh. Stay with me until mid-day tomorrow, and, if I do not reveal the place of the duel by then, you are free to wander the woods until you find it. Aventine and Chauncey, you will recall, found their demon in the woods. Look around you, fickle fools." The heroes glance around... behind them is a huge expanse of forest... surely too much to find someone in. "You can trust me, or you cannot trust me. The choice is yours. Chauncey has given me gold to pay for your lodgings for the evening - perhaps we can continue to discuss all this over a cup of tea?"

[Masked Builder]

"Let's take her deal." Alexis says quietly enough for her friends to hear. "I think we could beat her if worst comes to worst."

[Purpearljellyblob]

Purpearl takes a scanty look at some before turning to Zelphie, "Sometimes we need to keep our enemies close, sometimes we don't. I don't really trust you until I get to meet Chauncey and Aventine, so I'm going to keep you within sights. It's a deal then."

[Chromeknight]

Nerwen shrugs.

Perhaps something stronger than tea.

[Zepher]

"That will have to be on your own gold, haughty hero," says Zelphie with a faint smile. She leads the heroes into town, into an old tavern. Only Nerwen recognizes it, a place from long ago in her time as a hero.

Outside the Inn, Mac turns to the heroes.

"Hey, thanks for all the help, but this don't look like a thing I should be involving myself with. So I'm going to go find somewhere else to catch some shut eye." He shakes Alexis' hand. "Thanks for the help again." He gives a little wave and sets off down the street. By the time the heroes return their attention to Zelphie, she's already stepped into the tavern. The heroes follow.

"The rooms are already paid for," she explains. "But if you'd like to ask any questions, please feel free. Lord Chauncey has asked me to explain anything you wish. He's certain, you see, that over the next few hours you will wish to fight to defend him instead of that abhorrent Aventine. Oh, and M, was your errand a success?"

"Sent me to Hel and back, but I got it." Malty smiles at the heroes. "You saved me a huge pain in my behind by killing Bors, damn traitor." Malty suddenly looks a little paler. His eyes grow wide. He is a spitting image of the Mopag that helped Zelphie kidnap Aventine. And suddenly he shrinks down and looks up at them somberly.

"Course it might have been a bit quicker if you hadn't killed him in such a bloody public spot." Midge climbs into a chair next to Zelphie. "I'm more than willing to answer any questions as well. Chauncey's a better man than that coward Aventine. Would love to see you fight on the good side, heroes." He stares at them. "I'm M of Manyfaces, if you want to know. A Changeling."

[StickFig]

Matthias can only stare at Midge, widemouthed in betrayal and disgust.

[Purpearljellyblob]

"Chauncey has gone great lengths to secure our trust and to keep an eye on us at the same time. As a former Hero yourself, you should know how we work. It would have to take something phenomenal to abandon our contract with Aventine and act against his wishes, return to Heroica with a failure under our belts, and be merry with it as long as Heroica stands."

Edited October 7, 2014 by Purpearljellyblob

[Zepher]

"He did nothing of the sort. He trusts that you will come to see his side of things. My quest was totally different. That bastard Aventine bribed Bors to take a weapon from him. He had Bors run off. Hoped that without his artifact, he'd not have to fight in the duel. Chauncey didn't want the demon to think he was cheating, so he sent me after Bors. I ran into you, I wasn't keeping an eye on you. Course, once I heard the roads between Ve'er and R'Klif were dangerous, and I knew you were coming that way, I didn't mind waiting for you to catch up."

"I know that arrogant Aventine told you heroes that he did not have his weapon. That is one of many lies he told you."

Zelphie then turns to Purpearl, and smiles pityingly. "I do not know what it is like to be a hero now. After the events of the genocide the Veterans enacted, I left the Hall to clear my head shortly. I intended fully to return, but by the time I was ready to they had acquired an artifact that I strongly do not believe should belong to heroes. It makes you nearly immortal. You cannot die as a hero. This is a great folly, horrible heroes. You may all live, and do whatever you please. How are we to know that you are the people who should be making decisions? Can't the weak lead the strong? When I was a hero, if you made a wrong choice, you were dead. Now, that is not the case. How are you to learn to make right choices? How are you supposed to grow strong, to be leader, to be people who have the authority to make terrible choices." Zelphie shakes her head. "You are gods, but what have you done to earn it. Your bodies are strong now, but your souls are weaker than ever, and that is true plague, horrendous heroes. Look at you now, on the wrong side of this, and what do you care? It doesn't matter to you. There are no stakes, you'll live whatever. It is terrible."

"But surely you wish to know your egregious employer's awful deeds, and why Lord Chauncey is so sure you will join him? Or do you perhaps wish to retire, and see tomorrow how vile annoying Aventine is? In my experience, actions speak louder than words, and your eyes tell you the truth more easily than my telling you what I have seen."

[Purpearljellyblob]

"Whoever make right choices all the time? I am not too concerned as to what is a lie and whether I should embrace the dogmatic nature of things. Perhaps if you are a Hero long enough or perhaps you've have attained certain powers you would start to question. I am here to keep Aventine alive until I get paid and you would hope that we get to be on the same side next time round."

[Chromeknight]

After some quiet conversation at the bar to catch up on local gossip, Nerwen steps back to the group.

I am ready to retire, to see tomorrow what may be seen.

[StickFig]

"What was the weapon you retrieved from Bors?"

[Zepher]

M morphs again.

"His necklace. It holds great stores of ether." M grins, but it is no longer the grin of Malty - this grin is malicious. The heroes realize suddenly that they know very little about M. "I wouldn't concern yourself with it, though. Either Aventine wins, and he'll keep it, or he'll die, and it will burn. That's what the deal with the devil entails." M's smile continues. "Another thing our employer told us that your's did not tell you."

"No one makes the right choice all the time. But if you do not get punished for making the wrong choice, you will not learn." Zelphie sips her tea, and her glasses fog up. "You cannot be punished, hero, because you cannot die. If you made a mistake and mighty Matthias was killed, you would be unlikely to make that mistake again. You would learn right from wrong, strong from weak. But the Veterans have robbed you of this, and have made the world a worse place. What you say is exactly the root of the problem - we should not want to be on the same right side next time around, but you should, pitiful Purpearl, wish to be on the right side this time around. And without being punished for your grave grave stupid error, how are you to learn, you poor fool?" Zelphie's glasses glint, the fog now gone. "Perhaps enough pain will teach you properly. But that is not my job today. I promise that no harm will come to you. Now, are you, like the noble Nerwen, ready to retire?"

[Masked Builder]

"Makes no difference to me." Alexis retires for the night.

[StickFig]

Matthias can't help but be intrigued by Zelphie's words, especially as she plays to his ego with 'mighty Matthias,' until she equates 'right and wrong' with 'strong and weak'. At that point, his eyes glaze over. As Fenral gets up to retire, the gnome shakes himself up and leaves for his room as well.

[Purpearljellyblob]

"I'm in no position to comment on behalf of the Veterans, but I know why I'm here and what should be done. Since you've gotten emotional with your words, no further discussion is necessary."

Purpearl retires for the night.

[Zepher]

The heroes go up to the rooms that have been paid for them. XX pulls Purpearl aside before they step into their separate rooms.

"Hey, Purpearl, just so you know. I don't break contracts. Whatever flying lady shows us tomorrow, my lot is with Aventine."

Meanwhile, a little ways back, Russel and Pigley talk to Nerwen and Matthias.

"It's too bad that Midge and Malty turned out evil. I have to say, I liked them! But enough of that, I suppose. All enemies will fall to the great Russel Ruffer's sword!"

"Funny that he's evil all of a sudden," says Pigley quietly. "I like M. Liked him when he was Midge, liked him when he was Malty. Don't know why I shouldn't like him now." The pig snorts. "His employer doesn't change who he is. If he's a good guy, he's a good guy. That's all we've got to judge him on. Maybe we should judge his employer on that too." Pigley stares ahead at Purpearl and XX.

[Chromeknight]

Nerwen speaks gently to Pigley.

<You are right. We cannot infer that M is bad because his employer had ours kidnapped. But equally we cannot infer M's employer is good just because we like him.

However, it is right that we are wary about M. He deceived us. Twice. Even if we like the characters he played, not all of his actions have been good, he is not unreservedly a good guy.

But let us rest up. It may be that there is no good choice between the two of them and we must choose the lesser evil.>

[Purpearljellyblob]

"Hey, Purpearl, just so you know. I don't break contracts. Whatever flying lady shows us tomorrow, my lot is with Aventine."

"More in Heroica should have that kind of mentality. It's such a pity. But at least your mind is crystal clear, that's more than enough."

[Zepher]

Nerwen speaks gently to Pigley.

<You are right. We cannot infer that M is bad because his employer had ours kidnapped. But equally we cannot infer M's employer is good just because we like him.

However, it is right that we are wary about M. He deceived us. Twice. Even if we like the characters he played, not all of his actions have been good, he is not unreservedly a good guy.

But let us rest up. It may be that there is no good choice between the two of them and we must choose the lesser evil.>

"Certainly," says Pigley. "He has deceived us twice, and we must not assume that he acts in the good or bad ways that Lord Chauncey may act." Pigley oinks. "Just as I imagine there are certain things we've done this quest that Lord Aventine would not be proud of. Or perhaps he would be." Pigley mumbles: "What do we know about Aventine, after all? Perhaps all I'm proud of he'd disapprove of, and all I regret he'd relish in. How do you know another mortal?" And with that the pig and crab retreat into their room.

"More in Heroica should have that kind of mentality. It's such a pity. But at least your mind is crystal clear, that's more than enough."

"I'm with you until the end of this," says XX confidently before ducking into his room.

The next morning the heroes walk downstairs and find Zelphie sitting patiently at the table they left her at, sipping tea. Her glasses gleam in the morning light. It is the Sixth Day of the Week. M is no where to be seen.

"Are we ready to go? Follow me. We will go deal with some miserable miscreants. They are weak souls. You will dislike them, I am sure. Striking them down will be easy for you."

Zelphie leads the heroes out of town a little, into the forest. The going is a little quiet. The sun rises in the sky. It is a warm clear day.

Up ahead, the heroes can hear two voices locked in jolly conversation. Zelphie stops.

"These are servants of your employer. I will stay behind. I would like you to make your own judgement of them, without my own words or actions swaying you. But remember, this man and woman are deeply rotten. They have weak souls, but still make strong decisions. This is a great mistake on this plane. And remember, too, that you must kill them at the end of the conversation if you wish to see the duel tomorrow. That is what must be." She sits down against a trunk of a tree. "You're free to call me if you need me. I have no trouble helping you murder them if they put up a fight." She tilts her head back - but with her glasses on, it is impossible to tell if she is resting her eyes or not.

[Masked Builder]

"Well, guess we go see who they are." Alexis goes ahead.

[StickFig]

Matthias follows Fenral, wondering what the party will do.

[Purpearljellyblob]

"Aventine didn't mention anything about protecting his servants in our quest to keep him alive, so I guess we're good." Purpearl goes ahead as well.