Heroica RPG - Quest #104: Ace Assassin: Dual Dragoons

[The Chosen Minifigure]

Thanks, I will be fine.

"He who runs away lives to fight another day." Then said: A piece of advice "dude". Don't tell to many jokes it make you look like an @$$ clown. And I think you are better than that.

WHAT! I feel like I spewed more "darkness" than any thing else. Then looked at Actaeon and Diana.

Oh, Thanks for the weapon. And, when my "wings" are ready I will come back for the training.

"True," said Warlen, "but in the big one? Nah, that's not smart."

He considered his last remark.

"Yeah, but no, cause you don't know, what I know, so no."

Warlen walked off and whispered to himself: "It's kept the darkness at bay, and it's gonna stay that way."

[Flipz]

Ooc: You did get that I didn't slap Malileo and Denerli, right?

Also, do I need a pair of Rito feathers to becom a winged warrior?

QM Note: I did. As for your second question, JimBee (the creator of the Winged Warrior class) explains it in the links I gave; basically, you have to roleplay how you find, grow, or build your wings--a specific Artifact isn't necessary.

Actaeon remains silent for most of the trip. After Denerii gives him and the two females of the party a cold stare, he whispers to Kiray and Diana, "I don't understand these peoples. We did what we thought was best for everyone and we're treated like WE burnt the village down." He shakes his head with disappointment, "Do they not realize that the Dragoons killed their people? We saved lives and end up persecuted."

"Being a Hero, for the most part, is a thankless job. If you really feel bad about the Rito, you can apologize now, or you can do quests later and make it up to them like that," Kiray whispered back.

"I wish I could believe otherwise, but I think Kiray's got it right. Hey--for what it's worth, I think you're both heroes, with a lowercase 'h'." Diana smiles thinly, but blanks her face before any of the others can see.

Kiray then turned to Denerii, "Denerii, I'm sorry for how we came across. But we had a job to do, and the dragoons were important because if they went unchecked, much more damage would happen and many more lives would have been lost."

Denerii opens her mouth to speak, but no words come forth. She turns her back to Kiray.

"We ride different winds," she says. "Perhaps they will join again, and perhaps they will not. The wind is fickle in that way."

The Dragonlord and the Emperors look back and forth between the Knight and the Rito, searching futilely for the subtext beneath the words. Ella alone appears to understand, but she remains silent, only sharing with Kiray a gaze of sad understanding. The Veteran takes the silence as his cue to excuse the party.

"Thank you for your understanding, and your hospitality. I'm sorry we couldn't do more to help."

"You did what you could. That's all that matters. If there's anything my daughter has taught me, it's that we can't dwell in the past--we have to look to the future."

<May the Dragons set fire to your heart and fly it away.>

------------------------------------------------

The voyage home is uneventful, if slower than the voyage to Dastan. The remaining party members relax the days away, both activities so foreign to them compared to the constant adrenaline rush of their previous bursts of activity. At night, they rest, for once able to sleep peacefully without interruption.

Diana, too, seems relaxed. Though still tense around the Dragonlord, and still wont to hover several feet away from her fellow Heroes, she begins to open up more and more in the presence of Actaeon and Kiray, even going so far as to display unguarded emotion around them.

One night, the last night before the party's return to Eubric, she stays awake, waiting until everyone else is asleep. Only then does she allow her thoughts to turn to her other mission: her target, the reason she had been sent to join the Quest in the first place.

"..."

*sploosh*

------------------------------------------------

The Heroes return to Eubric early in the morning, the skies still shrouded in the darkness just before sunrise. In fact, the first rays of the morning light are beginning to peek over Crescent Hill as the Heroes approach Chateau de Shadeaux.

Darius nods to the guard, who, after a moment, steps aside to let the Heroes pass, Kreika remaining with him outside. Darius escorts the Heroes to a lounge with eerie lighting, clad in the bat livery of the Shadeaux damily, the ghastly green flame in the fireplace lighting but not warming the room. A pale, slender woman stands, contemplating the flickering fire before her.

"...Bellanotte?"

The younger Shadeaux daughter turns around in surprise.

"Darius! You have returned! We have been so worried..." Bellanotte looks over the Heroes, nodding in recognition at Kiray, but she does not seem to find the person she is looking for. "Where is Sirone? Surely he..."

Darius casts his gaze downward, unable to speak the terrible words. Tears well up in Bellanotte's eyes, but to her credit her voice remains almost steady.

"I will go fetch Father."

Bellanotte leaves the room, and shortly thereafter the Heroes see Count Shadeaux enter in her place.

"'Eroez! Zis is une surprise. We 'ad lost 'ope you would ever retour." Like his daughter, the Count quickly notices both Darius' presence and Sirone's prominent absence. He sits heavily in one of the chairs and faces the party. "Expliquez, s'il vous plaît."

How will the party explain themselves to the Count?

[The Chosen Minifigure]

Warlen, not trusting himself due to his outburst before the voyage, stayed silent.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that of all the heroes, Diana's cheek had not healed.

He smiled grimly, then wondered if it was natural, or stress.

Ooc: Nice mysterious movie style scene there. Will that be explained?

[samurai-turtle]

Not sure where to start. And figured it was better to let some one else explain what happen.

[Actaeon]

OoC: wait, is Diana here or somewhere else now? Also, is she alive?

Edited September 9, 2014 by Actaeon

[Actaeon]

Though he is not in the mood to talk, Actaeon speaks up, "The journey to find the dragoons was extremely treacherous. We fought dozens of enemies in many battles to find those two. When we found them, they themselves were battling. Sirone was trying to reason with Darius, but he would not listen. But yet both wouldn't even hear a word we said until we joined in the battle." Actaeon pauses, trying to choose his words carefully, "Sirone, we could reason with, but not Darius. The battle got heated very quickly, and before long, Sirone was struck down by and arrow," Actaeon says the last part with genuine grief.

"We were forced to fight off his dragon, and several of us nearly perished," he stops, letting the rest sink in.

"We brought back Darius, who has seen his actions in a new light. I'm sure he'll tell you why he did what he did."

[KotZ]

Kiray says nothing but only watches. She felt there was nothing she could add.

[Flipz]

"Dragonlord, is zis true?"

"You know just as much as I do. But I see no reason why the Heroes would lie about what happened."

Behind the Dragonlord's back, Diana smirks. Fortunately for her, the Count doesn't seem to notice. He frowns, lost in thought.

"Zat is unfortunate. I 'ad 'oped for Sirone to guard et serve ma fille Bellanotte when 'e finished 'is training. 'E would 'ave been ze choix idéal, and Darius could 'ave protected Nuitan...now I only 'ave un Dragoon..."

"With all due respect, sir...no you don't."

"Quoi?"

"I quit."

"Mais...but why?"

"Because over the past few weeks I've done things I'm not proud of and seen worse." Darius looks straight at Diana, Kiray, and Actaeon as he says this. "And I'm going to do better--but I can't do that while tied to a House or a job, no matter how much I enjoy them both." Darius looks the Dragonlord straight in the eyes. "There is a darkness growing within Eubric, and within Heroica. I've seen it with my own eyes. One day I will return to help you battle it. But that day is not today. Right now, my duty is to Sirone--to the orphaned brother he left behind. Once he is safe--then we shall see."

Darius strides briskly out the door, the Count, the Dragonlord, and the Heroes chasing after him. As they stand on the porch, they see a rush of red wings as the twin figures of Darius and Kreika fly out into the horizon.

"...'E 'ad le frère? A brother?" He sighs. "At least now zey will not be acting in ze name of ze Shadeaux."

The Count turns to the Heroes.

"Well. While I am not content with ze conséquence of your actes, you 'ave fulfilled ze task you 'ave been 'ired to accomplir. As promised, 'ere is 100 gold for each of you, and you may consider yourselves friends of zis 'Ouse. Dragonlord, a word, if you please?"

"Of course." The Veteran pauses in the doorway, addressing the Heroes. "Goodbye, Heroes. Go back to the Hall. Enjoy yourselves. You've earned it." He winks, and with that, he and the Count return inside and close the door.

Diana snorts.

"Idiots. Still, at least the Dragoon broke ties with them. That's something, at least. Honestly, I didn't think the guy had it in him. Guess I was wrong about him." She looks around at the deserted grounds of the Chateau. "Well. Guess it's time to go home."

The Heroes begin their long-overdue walk back to Heroica Hall, but Diana holds Actaeon and Kiray back.

"Listen, I...I just wanted to say..." Diana takes a breath to calm herself. "Thank you, for standing by me, back in the forest. If you hadn't, I don't think I'd be alive right now. In fact, I know I wouldn't be. I know it's not much, but when I get back to Dad I'm gonna convince him to tell his boss about you two. You've been the greatest friends I've ever had, which makes you friends of the Wolfgang as well." She smiles, then starts in surprise. "Oh! That reminds me..." She digs around in her bag, eventually digging out a roll of parchment with a faint wolf-head motif emblazoned upon it; Actaeon and Kiray get the distinct impression that only they and Diana are able to see the design. "Kiray...I haven't forgotten what we talked about on the mountain. If you remember or find out anything else about what happened to your mother, just write it down on that parchment and drop it into the sewers somewhere. It'll get to me." Diana hands the paper to Kiray, hesitates, and then quickly kisses the Knight on the cheek. Blushing brightly, she runs off and disappears down one of Eubric's many alleyways.

The party returns to the Hall, home at last. Whether friends of the Rito or friends of the Wolfgang, sterling saviors or violent vigilantes, one word still describes all of them...

THE QUEST IS SUCCESSFUL!

The Party:

Actaeon Artus (Actaeon)

*Party Leader*

*Immune to

Bound

and

Slowed

*

21 year old male human

Level 6 Ranger

Power:

12

Defense:

2

Health:

11/11

Gold:

105

Equipment:

Sanctified Rito Bow (WP:6, doubled against Flying enemies; bow), Greaves of the Aubergine Dragoon (SP:2, protects from the

Bound

- and

Slowed

-effects. Footwear, suitable for anyone.)

Inventory:

Bow (WP:3), Smoke Bomb, Remedy, Bedroll, Scroll of

Frailty

, Stun Bomb (Deals 5 damage and the

Stunned

-effect to all opponents when used.), Trial Brew, Dragon Scale

Kiray Nastayo (KingoftheZempk),

A Hero Who Is Actually Worth Something

*Immune to

Fire

*

*Secondary Party Leader*

24 year old female human

Level 10 Knight

Power:

16

Defense:

4

Health:

19/19

Gold:

146

Equipment:

Sanctified Rito Longsword (WP:6, doubled against Flying enemies; longsword), Scutum Shield (SP:3; shield), Flameproof Armor (SP:1, immune to

Fire

; bodywear, suitable for anyone)

Inventory:

Sword of the Kin (WP:3), Potion, Banana (Restores full health when eaten), Chaotic Bomb (Causes 100 elemental damage to all opponents), Bedroll, Mediocre Pongcanis Brew (Encouraged + Enraged), Everlasting Venom (Adds the poisoned by 10-effect to one weapon permanently), Sleep Bomb (Deals 5 damage and the

Asleep

-effect to all opponents when used.), Remedy, Dragon Scale

Siercon (Siercon and Coral)

*Tertiary Party Leader*

Male, Age and species unknown

Level 11 Mage

Power:

19

(11 levels + 8 WP)

(22 in Front Row)

Power Bonus:

+3 in Front Row

Defense:

3 in Back Row

Health:

15/15

(5 base + 8 lvl)

Ether:

15/15

(5 base + 8 lvl)

Gold:

150

Equipment:

Lullaby Wand (WP:8, deals

sleep

-effect; wand), Robe of the Dastanian Pongcanis Champion (Wearer gains Power +3 while on the front row or SP:3 while on the back row; bodywear, suitable for barbarians and mages), Sylvania's Cowl (Artifact, Head Wear, Animal Talk)

Inventory:

*Sanctified Rito Spear (WP:4, doubled against Flying enemies; spear)

*Hood of the Dark Druid (wearer absorbs

Wood

- and

Darkness

-elemental damage, converting it into HP; headwear, suitable for druids only), Guardian Feathers (SP:2, SP is multiplied by the Winged Warrior's Flying multiplier; backwear, suitable for Winged Warriors only)

*Diamond (

Light

), Scroll of

Sleep

, Bedroll, Topaz (

Lightning

)

*Potion, Remedy, Dragon Scale

Warlen Melimane

and

Quarion

the floating skull

(The Chosen Minifigure)

*Dearly Beloved Party Fourth-in-Command*

17 Year old Male Half-Elf

Level 6 Mage

Power:

11 (16 for spells)

Power Bonus:

+5 for spells

Health:

10/10

Ether:

10/10

Gold:

155

Equipment:

Staff of the Dark Druid (WP:5,

Wood

-elemental; staff), Spellbound Gloves (Power +5 to spells)

Inventory:

Amethyst (

Darkness

), Sapphire (

Wind

), bedroll, Robe of the Magi (SP:1), Sanctified Rito Longsword (WP:4, doubled against Flying enemies; longsword), Gold-Coated bat staff (WP:3, staff), Tonic, Dragon Scale

The Demon Germ (Samurai Turtle)

*Immune to

Darkness

*

??? years old ; Half Demon; Male

Level 5 Rogue

Power:

8

Defense:

1

Health:

11/11

Ether:

0

Gold

119

Equipment:

Wrench (WP:3, decreases the target’s level by 1; throwing weapon), Shadow Cloak (SP:1, immune to

Darkness

; backwear, suitable for anyone)

Inventory:

Sanctified Rito Gypsy Dart (WP:5, doubled against Flying enemies), Potion x2, Level-Up Mushroom, Bedroll, Remedy, Venom, Passionfruit Vine (WP:1, 1/2 chance to inflict the Enamored-effect on successful hits; whip), Gold Ring (worth 15 gold, or can be given to someone else to make them Enamored with the giver)

Final Reputation breakdown for Sandy:

*All Heroes (except Daeth): +1 Shadeaux reputation

*Siercon, Germ, Warlen: Access to Winged Warrior

*Actaeon, Kiray: +1 Wolfgang reputation

QM Note: Thanks for being such awesome Questies, you guys! I'll start posting PM side-quests in a couple of days, and I'll post my thoughts in the QM Lounge soon as well.

[Actaeon]

Actaeon listens intently to Diana, smiling at the mention of being the greatest friends shes had. He's taken aback when she kisses Kiray on the cheek, but the assassin is gone before he can even process it. He thinks for a moment before the disappoint rushes over him. Dang. I really thought there was something there.

Turning to Kiray he smiles, "I'm glad you were on this quest. You were the reason I got revived both battles, so thanks. There's also no way I alone could have helped Diana."

Offering a hug, he says, "I hope we can quest together again."

As he leaves for the hall, he walks past Germ, ignoring the demon, and stops by Siercon and Warlen. He pauses before he speaks, "You guys impressed me," he says, genuinely, "Warlen, I didn't know how useful you would be at first, but seriously, you kicked butt. Siercon, you too, obviously."

He pauses, swallowing before getting to the issue, "I'm sorry we disagreed. I respect you both and I hope our disagreement didn't destroy all respect you have for me. Maybe someday we'll get to quest again." He pauses for a second, "Siercon, when you get back to the hall, feel free to talk to me about... well... if you need help with... I think you know what I'm talking about." With that (after listening to their replies, of course), he heads back to the hall.

Flipz, thank you so much for an incredible first quest! I had a ton of fun! Do we also post our thoughts in the QM lounge?

[Flipz]

Flipz, thank you so much for an incredible first quest! I had a ton of fun! Do we also post our thoughts in the QM lounge?

QM Note: Go ahead!

[KotZ]

Kiray was surprised at Diana's kiss, but have a small smile after she left. She looked to Actaeon. "Good job leading, well when you weren't knocked out. I look forward to questing with you again in the future."

She ignored Germ and gave a small nod of respect to the others in her party.

Kiray bowed low to the Count and put the parchment Dina have her in her pack.

[The Chosen Minifigure]

After whooping for about ten seconds, Warlen took a breath, then whooped some more.

Then he went over to each hero in turn, and thanked them.

Diana: As the assassin fled, he shouted "Good luck!" He couldn't see her face, but he imagined that it was twisted with irony.

Germ: "This is a Demon, that I called the Fleaman, he could fight like Threeman, Got lost in the Trees man,

After fled from the Dragan."

Quarion smirked quietly.

Kiray:"Three-Hay, I never talked to you, or Diana. So, I say what I said to her: Good luck.

Actaeton: "Ah, the most holy party leader." He winked. "Advice from an elf: Don't get knocked out, and never underestimate a Mage. Or an elf. Or a sage, rouge, ranger, barbarian, knight or anyone really. Heh. Anyway, basically, I don't hate you for what you did. See you at the hall. Hopefully we meet again in some quest."

He sauntered over to

Mallileo: "Now, we didn't talk that much, but I just wanted you to know, thanks to you there is a high chance I will end up a sage.

Finally, he walked over to Sirecon.

"Con man!" he exclaimed.

"Conner! Con Artist! Conniving little conner. Thanks for all the tips, and the advice, and stuff. See you at the hall."

Then, with a Showman's ease of talk, he shouted:

"Look guys!"

And his attempt to whirl away in a tornado failed miserably, causing him to fall to earth with a thud.

Attempting to maintain some dignity, he walked into the hall, ignoring their sniggers.

Ooc: Thanks for the quest Flipz. To see Warlen fall from the sky, follow this link:

http://toaauseverything.wordpress.com/2014/09/10/warlen-fell-from-the-sky/

[samurai-turtle]

@ Siercon - Maybe we would go on a quest again someday ... maybe ... someday ...

He then gave Warlen a what the hell look. Before he goes off.

OoC: Thank, Flipz for taking me on the quest. I will post some thing in QM lounge this weekend.

Hey, The Chosen Minifigure I do not think your link is working right.

Edited September 10, 2014 by samuraiturtle

[The Chosen Minifigure]

@ Siercon - Maybe we would go on a quest again someday ... maybe ... someday ...

He then gave Warlen a what the hell look. Before he goes off.

OoC: Thank, Flipz for taking me on the quest. I will post some thing in QM lounge this weekend.

Hey, The Chosen Minifigure I do not think your link is working right.

Oh.

Pic in my signature now!

[Flipz]

All right, here comes the part where the studious little Quest Master posts all the lovely PM conversation side-Quests (and pulls all of his hair out in the process of trying to organize them ). As per Zepher tradition, I'll try to cut out things that are entrely OOC conversation.

Kiray's Diplomacy:

A little explanation: throughout the Quest, I'd have Kiray's Diplomacy-skill kick in and give her little tidbits of information (mostly related to subtext or emotional state) she'd pick up from NPCs' subtle cues. This is what Kiray was seeing at different points in the Quest:

"Without them," Tarban growls, "one of my kind might sit on the throne."

Your Diplomacy skill tells you that when Tarban speaks of 'his kind', he is actually referring to himself. He obviously had a much higher stake in the rebellion than he's letting on.

"Actually, I'd prefer to take on Tarban. Better to take out the guy before he can summon reinforcements if I can manage it. Leave the unarmed guy for Germ so he can Mug him to death."

Despite her seemingly brave words, you sense discomfort coming from Diana; she clearly doesn't "prefer to take on" any of them. It seems like she's feeling guilty about something.

"We don't want the brute to kill us all with his special! I'm sure we can kill him in five rounds with Siercon, Kiray, and U'Voros on him!"

"Re-lax, I can do this! Believe in me for once, 'Dad'." Diana's last word drips with bitter sarcasm as she pulls the trigger on her crossbow.

You now sense a burning drive flare up at Actaeon's words, now at war with her hesitation.

Diana lets off a volley of arrows of her own, one of which explodes, blowing the axeman's head clean off his shoulders. Diana shields her face as she darts between the enemies, plucking hidden pouches of gold from their belts.

Was that...a tear?

"I killed all of them, actually." Diana glances down, running a hand over her weapon. She notices Actaeon watching and abruptly stops.

Diana hides it from Actaeon and the others very well, but Kiray can sense incredible guilt behind Diana's words.

"I don't want to talk about them." Diana bites her lip, then looks pointedly away from the Sage.

She may not want to, but she needs to. The guilt from before is still gnawing at her.

QM Note: You probably didn't need Diplomacy to tell you that, but nonetheless.

Kiray notices that this is the first time Diana has referred to her mother as "Mom".

And now for the one that's going to upset a certain player (as you'll see in a moment):

Siercon breaks the letter's seal and reads it aloud for the rest of the party before bedding down for the night.

Siercon,

Tarn and I wish to extend our sincere gratitude to every Hero who risked his life in defending the emperor. Please relay this to the others, and reiterate that we only wish we could see you off in person as you continue to serve our people.

I fear your Quest is far from over and see difficult decisions ahead in your quest. I simply want to encourage you all to reach out, and don't lose hope. That which may start in blood, does not have to end so.

Godspeed,

Ella

Mallelio frowns.

"May I see that?" Taking the letter, Mallelio studies it closely before returning it to Siercon. "That is her handwriting..." He yawns. "I'm likely just tired. Good night, Heroes." With that, Mallelio, too retires for the night, and the party rests.

Though the letter appears genuine, something about the content of the message seems off from when they'd met Ella. Judging by Mallelio's suspicion, he has come to the exact same conclusion.

And one last one:

QM Note: Ah, I knew I was forgetting something! One last Diplomacy insight.

Denerii opens her mouth to speak, but no words come forth. She turns her back to Kiray.

"We ride different winds," she says. "Perhaps they will join again, and perhaps they will not. The wind is fickle in that way."

Kiray gets the impression that when Denerii speaks of the wind being fickle, she is instead calling Kiray fickle.

Secrets at the Rito Settlement:

Siercon and Germ both engaged in minor secret shenanigans at the Rito Settlement, ironically enough both serving as perfect red herrings for Diana's actual misdeeds earlier on. First, Siercon decided that Ella's letter to him was worth keeping secret, so he made a forgery; funnily enough, he rolled a 1 for both writing in Ella's handwriting and for disguising the tampering to the envelope, but failed spectacularly (roll of 5) as far as content went:

OoC: I don't know how much of this Heroica does, but I have played similar games where players would hand notes to the GM to denote secret actions taken. For example pickpocketing a member of the group etc. So I prepared a bit for a secret action and hope it flies. Otherwise I suppose the worst that could happen is I wasted my time. :)

--------------

Siercon receives the letter and outwardly expresses his thanks to the guard and intention to read at a more appropriate time. In truth Siercon is fears that there may be a traitor in the group, or at least someone who wants this mission to fail. Between never finding out who sabotaged the flight, and the awkward coincidence of this last battle, he fears the worst. Beyond this he truly wants this quest to succeed and to gain great reputation with the Shadeaux in his attempts to become a Dragoon himself.

But surpassing his fear is the hope that Ella's letter will shed some light on either the culprit or something useful for the future of their quest. Regardless he doesn't want whoever may be sabotaging their journey to know the true content of the letter. Throughout the day he takes great pains (especially against the more stealthier members) to secretly create a fake letter from Princess Ella.

​Here is the Fake Letter

He then places the fake letter in the envelope after reading and removing the real one. With this he hope to have two options if pressured by the group to share the letter he was given

Option 1: He presents the fake letter with the real envelope to read to the group.

Option 2: He presents the real letter to read to the group.

Regardless he wants a contingency plan for a curious party, and potentially dangerous information. Perhaps and most hopefully this will give the team an edge over the strange actions that have been hindering them thus far.

==========

With that, if you permit. May I read the letter in secret?

Thanks!

QM Note: I am more than happy to engage in private actions, as some people may already know.

------------------------------------

Siercon fabricates a false letter from Ella and stores it back in the envelope. In a spark of ingenuity, he manages to use his Scroll of Sealing to magically seal the envelope at the cost of 1 Ether; he cannot discern any signs of his tampering with the envelope, though he has no ready way of knowing how believable the content or appearance of his letter would be until it is read.

His work done, Siercon reads the letter:

To Siercon, shade of wisp and darkness:

Take note of where thy shadow falls, for where it lays, there light must be also.

May your journey be swift as the wings of Dragons,

--Ella Septrine

P.S. When you see my dear Tarn again, please remind him for me (again!) that a 'surprise' proposal is simply not possible when one of us can see into the future. Thank you.

Siercon can almost feel the princess' bemused smile as she wrote the post-script.

Sweet sounds good :) I suppose just for fun I'll go with option 1 (read fake letter) if you'd like to incorporate it in your morning update

Meanwhile, Germ received a prophetic vision of the Dragoons' actions as they blazed through Domus:

If the Rito do not mind I am going to check out the Training Grounds, before I go to sleep. I want to play around with my "new toy", who knows I might even get airborne tonight.

Germ sneaks away from the rest of the party, ending up at the Training Grounds. There he begins practicing with his throwing weapons. The moon rises high above the half-demon, and before he realizes it he is no longer throwing wrenches and darts at targets, but instead hurling bolts of pure Darkness and Lightning at hundreds of miniscule humanoid figures as he tries to crush them beneath his feet.

Or is he? As he continues stumbling forward, crushing homes and leveling businesses with the mighty gusts of wind whipped up by his great leathery wings, he experiences a strange sensation, as if his arms and legs were at war with one another. Moments after this unbelievable revelation, he feels himself being pulled in half, then brought back together with tremendous impact, again and again and again until finally he emerges as two split beings. Bizarrely, he is still able to comprehend his arms' and legs' actions as they resume their vicious war, his left leg hurling bolts of Lightning while the right counters with blasts of Darkness. To his surprise, his left and right hands begin shouting at each other.

"You know there's only one way this battle can end, Darius!"

"Yeah--with us handing your megablocks to you and flying off victorious."

"...We both know that's not going to happen. You're following me back home, Kaan."

"Ha! Face it, Valishter, you lost your family, and now you've lost your best friend, and it's your own damn fault."

Sirone Valishter grits his teeth.

"I had to do this, Kaan. You know that."

"Yeah, well I had to do this. You ruined everything, Sirone."

Sirone falls silent for a moment.

"Maybe." He murmurs softly, his quiet admission ripped away by the wind before it could reach Darius' ears. Sirone's resolve returns. "Give it up, Kaan, or else one of us is not going to make it back home alive."

"Oh yeah? Well if that happens, just remember: you started it."

"...So be it."

Germ hears screams, feels the pain of a searing burst of fire--

--and an instant later, he sits awake in the Rito Training Grounds, his weapons on the ground beside him where he'd dropped them as he fell asleep. The sunlight in his face rudely informs the Rogue that it is now morning, and his common sense tells him his Quest-mates would be awake and looking for him. The scent of smoke is strong, carried to him by a soft breeze from the south.

QM Note: You may return to the rest of the party at any time. Feel free to use this PM thread for any other secret/hidden actions you'd like to take.

Can I Talk To Them? HEY What is This About? Darius. Kaan. Sirone. Valishter. Do You Hear Me?

Edit - I got confused withe the names.

Germ realizes he had been dreaming...but he gets the sense that, somehow, there might have been some truth in what he had seen...

Discussions with Dastanians:

At Domus, Siercon briefly separated from the group and had a short chat with Mallelio and Emperor Phil.

When Siercon pulls Mallelio aside, he divulges this to him while holding the parchment.

"Mallelio, you did not journey over here with us on the air ship, but since then, it has been clear that someone is trying to sabotage our mission. During our flight, there was a makeshift Vibrataphone planted in order to compel many flying birds to attack us. This have been off since day one. What people seem to be forgetting is that there is likely a traitor in this party, who wants to see this mission fail."

Siercon continued not wanting to take too much time.

"To be honest, I trust you. You weren't there on the flight, and you are good. I want this quest to succeed as I myself seek to be a Dragoon, so I hope that you can trust me to whatever degree."

Siercon shows the real letter to Mallelio.

"I fear that whatever truth might be in this letter, will be purposely sabotaged if I had made known to the entire group. But I don't want to risk everyone on me trying to figure it out alone. It's simply hard to know who to trust. Release any fears you have for Ella due to the forgery as I only made it to buy time, and to keep the real letter out of the culprits hands. This is why it was a simple generic thank you card in nature."

If you can give insight on the real letter, I would be honored.

Beyond that here is a list of everyone who was on board the ship. Anyone stand out to you?

Nicole: She would never let harm come to people or her ship, let alone built a weapon like that

Captain Fragle: he didnt continue on foot with us, which makes it unlikely seeing that there have been multiple odd occurrences.

Kiray: xx

Germ: xx

Actaeon: xx

Daeth: I doubt he would poison himself.

Diana: xx

DragonLord: He set this mission up.

Stealth Shadow: He isn't programed to make organic weapons that put his master in danger.

In addition to the new note above. ^ Siercon interjects while Mallelio looks over the letter and considers what he had said.

"I am still holding out hope that, no one here is a traitor and that these were all simply the acts of someone on the outside. But I want to be careful" He remembers the idea of mice or small mammals potentially being used to reverse engineer the vibrataphone as absurd as that might sound.

Mallelio looks surprised and mildly stunned by the bombardment of new information.

"That seems more like something she would send. You are a shade? The Princess must have sensed something special in you back in the palace. Normally she would not allow so many magical beings into such a small space with her. She must have been in great pain."

Mallelio walks in silence a moment, preoccupied with concerns for the princess, before he resumes speaking.

"I'm hardly qualified to interpret Ella's prophecies, but whatever she's seen, it must be of some importance or she would not have mentioned it to you. As to your concerns of sabotage...I cannot speak to events before you arrived in Dastan, but I doubt that Tarban was an act of sabotage. He is--was--an opportunist; he would not have attacked had your Knight friend not provoked him. I take it none of you have encountered Pongcanae before? They are a proud species, but unlike the elves or the Rito, they express their pride through violence. They are an irreplaceable part of our nation's culture, but I fear the people may never see it that way, especially after the assassination attempt yesterday. Nemor, at least, will improve public opinion of Tethusials--a small blessing at a terrible cost, but some good may come of it yet."

Mallelio carefully considers the four people Siercon had not listed.

"All of them, save perhaps Mr. Germ, seem as strong-willed as any Dastanian. If they bring harm to your mission, it will likely be due to lack of foresight more than anything else. I don't really know much about Mr. Germ--he claims to be a demon, and yet he seems to be plenty willing to aid us in battle. I just don't know him well enough to make any sort of judgment."

As Siercon and Mallelio walk around the edge of the city, they spot a bearded figure standing amongst the ruins of the front gate, staring at the fallen Dastanian crest that had once hung proudly above the great wooden doors.

"Emperor Phyllius?"

"Mallelio!" Emperor Phyllius coughs and clears his throat. "How many times have I told you you can still call me 'Victor'?" Emperor Phyllius coughs again, and notices Siercon for the first time. "Is this one of the Heroes you were supposed to bring?"

Mallelio nods. Victor frowns.

"Where in Hel were you?" Unlike U'Daras, the Emperor's tone seems to be more of frustration--and no small amount of pain--than of true anger. Siercon notices for the first time the Emperor's right arm, bleeding heavily and hanging uselessly at his side, and the jagged burn on his left leg where the fabric had been seared completely away.

"... If they bring harm to your mission, it will likely be due to lack of foresight more than anything else..."

Siercon's demeanor relaxed at just the right moment of the conversation to show Mallelio that he was grateful he accepted the precautions he took.

"Thanks. This seems to be my conclusion as well, I certainly don't want to search for a traitor if there isn't one." His tone implied honestly combined with the resignation that he still will keep an eye out.

As Siercon and Mallelio walk around the edge of the city, they spot a bearded figure standing amongst the ruins of the front gate, staring at the fallen Dastanian crest that had once hung proudly above the great wooden doors.

"Where in Hel were you?" Unlike U'Daras, the Emperor's tone seems to be more of frustration--and no small amount of pain--than of true anger. Siercon notices for the first time the Emperor's right arm, bleeding heavily and hanging uselessly at his side, and the jagged burn on his left leg where the fabric had been seared completely away.

Siercon kneels down while Mallelio and the Emperor exchange the first part of the conversation, to pick up the banner *crest* that Phyllius was staring at. Siercon brushed it off respectfully and leans it up against the wall.

When Phyllius redirects the conversation towards him, his heart was heavy. He gave a sorrowful and respectful bow which more resembled lowering his head and replied. "We came as quickly as we could. We actually took great risk to fly most of the way here in an experimental air ship to arrive at the soonest minute." Siercon sighed, using the emotional expression to show that he knows in the face of lives lost, it wasn't enough. Then continued "I fear with the time we gained, has only been to combat both those who would see this quest fail, and men who would only seek gain for themselves. Tarban was one of these that refused to listen to reason and set out to kill one of our party and assassinate Septrine along our path. Following this many of us were as greatly injured as..." Noticing the Emperors wound for the first time he cut his story shot... "...you. Wait you're greatly injured. Let me help you?" At first this sounded like a question... But an answer clearly wasn't required, as siercon rushed over.

Siercon quickly motions to Mallelio to heal the emperor, and questioningly offers the potion to him incase it would be of more use. Siercon then casts a spell to seal the wound which was profusely bleeding. (from the front row ;) and twice, possibly three times, whatever it takes in case it failed.)

OoC: any part of our interaction with the emperor you want the other to hear sounds good.

Mallelio heals the Emperor at the cost of one Ether, but before he can do more, Phil waves him off.

"Leave me be. You have more important concerns--fatter fish to fly. U'Daras can patch me up after we've tended to the people." Victor coughs again.

"Victor..."

"No. I'm not taking aid until all of my people receive it. I won't hear of it."

Mallelio nods and bows his head respectfully.

"I will tend to the injured, then."

"The people know you already, they trust you. Let U'Daras have her moment. She'll need everything she can get when she succeeds me--and a story like this'll be remembered for a long time."

Siercon surveys the ruins but finds that none of the apparent equipment was salvageable--the Dragons had done quite a number on the city. Victor strokes his blood-matted beard, considering Siercon's news.

"Tarban, you said? Hmm. I'll look into it when we go back to Drakencourt--though it'll be a while. I'm going to do as much as I can to make sure the people here recover before I'm forced to go back--assuming U'Daras doesn't tie me up and ship me back 'for my own good', of course. Very protective, that one."

A group of familiar figures approach...

The Two Demons:

When Germ ran away after the Druid battle, he encountered yet another character I borrowed from another QM...one who will almost undoubtedly appear again:

The Demon Germ (Samurai Turtle)

*Immune to

Darkness

*

??? years old ; Half Demon; Male

Level 4 Rogue

Power:

7

Defense:

1

Health:

10/10

Ether:

0

Gold

12 (owes 2 Gold to Diana)

Equipment:

Wrench (WP:3, decreases the target’s level by 1; throwing weapon), Shadow Cloak (SP:1, immune to

Darkness

; backwear, suitable for anyone)

Inventory:

Sanctified Rito Gypsy Dart (WP:5, doubled against Flying enemies), Venom, Potion x2, Dragon Scale, Level-Up Mushroom

Seeing his chance as Siercon unleashes his spell, Germ bolts deeper into the forest, heedless of the earlier warnings he'd been given of the bewildering nature of the Lost Woods. Within seconds, every sign of the party has been swallowed up in the fog, and when he tries to retrace his steps he realizes he cannot--the signs of his passage were impossible to locate. Wandering for what feels like days, Germ eventually stumbles across a particularly twisted cleft of trees, blackened and charred. It takes him a moment to realize that these had not been scorched by dueling dragons, but had been magically consumed from within.

A menacing yet sultry voice suddenly rings out, echoing as it penetrates his mind.

"WELCOME, O FOOLISH ONE! YOU SMELL OF MARILITH, OR PERHAPS ABRAXAS? IT MATTERS NOT. TELL ME, LOVE, WHAT DRAWS ONE SO FAINT AS YOURSELF INTO MY DOMAIN?

The voice pauses, and Germ experiences an indescribable sensation, as if he was being stripped bare in his entirety, inside and out. He reaches instinctively for his clothing, even though it is still on his body--and yet somehow, he couldn't feel more naked than he did right then.

"WHY DO YOU RECOIL?" the voice pouts. "DO YOU KNOW NOT THE TOUCH OF ROSIER THE SEDUCTIVE? I CAN TASTE ON YOU THE SWEET ESSENCE OF MY SUBJECTS, YOU KNOW. NAUGHTY NAUGHTY. YOU OUGHT TO BE PUNISHED--BUT I SENSE IN YOU SOMETHING FAR MORE...ALLURING. SO TELL ME AGAIN--WHAT HAS BROUGHT YOU BEFORE ME?"

i will try to make it short. I was going to Charis to stop some Dragoons. And I thought it would be faster to go alone, so I would have some time to try to set up some defense against lightning attacks & darkness attacks. (Not to mention some time to cool down.) I did not realize I went into someones backyard. Not to be rude if you would be kind to point me in the right direction, so I could be on my way. And not to be scary, the Dragoons could come here and burn the forest down. They already burn down Domus.

OoC: Can I send the other Z-Mail?

QM Note: No, you cannot send the others Z-mail at this time.

Rosier's voice scoffs.

"TCH. YOU ARE A STRANGE ONE, AREN'T YOU, SWEETHEART? HOW COULD YOU HAVE STRAYED SO FAR FROM OUR MASTER? PROTECTING? DEFENDING? SOON THIS WHOLE WORLD WILL BE STRANGLED BY THE ROOTS OF THE VOID, WHY SHOULD WE CARE ABOUT A LITTLE BIT MORE DESTRUCTION?"

The sensation of being stripped bare in front of an audience intensifies, but there is no visible sign of Rosier's physical form--or any other being for that matter.

"THIS WHOLE FOREST BELONGS TO ME, ROSIER THE SEDUCTIVE, ARCHDEMON OF LUST. I CAN SENSE WHAT YOU ARE, 'GERM HALF-VOID'. WE BOTH KNOW WHAT SENSATIONS I STIR UP WITHIN YOU. YOU PRETEND TO BE MORTAL, BUT YOU KNOW YOUR TRUE NATURE. YOU CANNOT ESCAPE IT, ANY MORE THAN THE FOOLISH MORTALS CAN ESCAPE THEIR FATE--SAVE FOR THE ONES THAT BRING ME PLEASURE OF COURSE, LIKE THOSE DRUIDS WHO ONCE SERVED SYLVANIA...OH, IT TOOK SO LITTLE TO SEDUCE THEM AWAY FROM THAT HIPPIE HUSSY..."

"SO WHAT ABOUT YOU, LOVER? WILL YOU BASK IN MY CHARMS FOR ALL ETERNITY? OR WILL YOU CONTINUE YOUR CHARADE, CRAWL BACK TO YOUR PITIFUL MORTAL 'FRIENDS', AND RUN AWAY TO OUR UGLY AND STUPID SIBLINGS IN EUBRIC? OH, YOUR PRIDE AND WRATH WOULD MAKE THEM PROUD--OR PERHAPS IRRITATE THEM, I CARE NOT ENOUGH TO KNOW--BUT WHATEVER THEY OFFER IS NOTHING COMPARED TO THE ENDLESS DEBAUCHERY I COULD OFFER YOU AT MY SIDE. YOU CANNOT CHANGE WHO YOU ARE, GERM--SO COME EMBRACE IT WITH ME INSTEAD!" Out of nowhere, several vines erupt from the ground and begin to wrap lovingly, seductively, up and down Germ's body--controlled, no doubt, by the archdemon Rosier.

How will Germ respond?

Thinking to himself, Oh great I am dealing with a succubus I hope it is a one, not a incubus.

I do not know who your master is, but I think my could be a lot meaner.

Sensations, if you really know what mine are you might want to stop. As for my nature, I am a War Machine, a vanguard for the end. How do I know some thing like that?

I am sorry, I do not know what some of these things you talk of, call me stupid if you want. For what I am doing in Eubric, I could be spying on them for one of my masters. That is another thing I should not know too.

I do know one thing, I am not your boyfriend. The best you would ever get out of me is one night. Besides you might get tired of me, just save us both some time and let me go.

Thinking, is this forplay for this creep? I might have to change my plan here.

QM Note: You may want to read up on Demons and Archdemons on the wiki.

The vines pause.

"SO YOU ARE ONE OF MARILITH'S. DO TELL HER 'HELLO', AND BE SURE TO ASK HOW WELL SIX SOULS AND A BIRD ARE SUSTAINING HER." Rosier chuckles.

"AS FOR YOU...ONE NIGHT IS ALL I NEED TO START AN ETERNITY..." The vines resume weaving their way beneath Germ's garments, before suddenly withdrawing entirely and vanishing beneath the ground. "BUT YOU NO LONGER INTEREST ME. YOUR THOUGHTS BETRAY YOU--AS FOOLISHLY TRANSPARENT AS THE REST OF THEM." Whether Rosier is referring to Heroes or demons it is impossible to tell. Perhaps both. "GO. WASTE YOUR USELESS EXISTENCE ON VENGEANCE AND SILLY SUBTERFUGE. THERE WILL BE OTHERS. THERE ARE ALWAYS OTHERS..." A vine pops up for a moment to wave "goodbye", and thenslithers back into the ground. The sensation of being watched ends, and Germ is left alone.

Completely alone.

OoC: Succubus are female & Incubus are male: Demons that want to have sex with you for what ever the reason may be.

Thinking: Good riddance we would of just tried kill each other any ways. Then using my senses to get my baring. I thought are those Dragons? I better find out it could be the ones I am looking for. Before I go to find out. I put some Venom on the Sanctified Rito Gypsy Dart.

The Demon Germ (Samurai Turtle)

*Immune to

Darkness

*

*deals

poisoned-by-11

(Sanctified Rito Gypsy Dart)*

??? years old ; Half Demon; Male

Level 4 Rogue

Power:

7

Defense:

1

Health:

10/10

Ether:

0

Gold

12 (owes 2 Gold to Diana)

Equipment:

Wrench (WP:3, decreases the target’s level by 1; throwing weapon), Shadow Cloak (SP:1, immune to

Darkness

; backwear, suitable for anyone)

Inventory:

Sanctified Rito Gypsy Dart (WP:5, doubled against Flying enemies) *deals

poisoned-by-1

*, Potion x2, Dragon Scale, Level-Up Mushroom

As he applies poison to his weapon, Germ hears a distant roaring. Running closer, he begins to discern several familiar voices yelling at one another...

QM Note: You may return to the main topic. Thank you for your patience!

After Flee-ing the final battle, Germ found himself once again in Rosier's clutches (inadvertently saving the rest of the party in the process):

The Demon Germ (Samurai Turtle) *Immune to Darkness*

??? years old ; Half Demon; Male

Level 5 Rogue

Power: 8

Defense: 1

Health: 1/11

Ether: 0

Gold 16 (owes 2 Gold to Diana)

Equipment: Wrench (WP:3, decreases the target’s level by 1; throwing weapon), Shadow Cloak (SP:1, immune to Darkness; backwear, suitable for anyone)

Inventory: Sanctified Rito Gypsy Dart (WP:5, doubled against Flying enemies), Potion x2, Level-Up Mushroom

As Germ flees into the forest, he bumps into three familiar figures--literally.

He quickly changes course and runs into another direction, only to run into more "friends".

He tries to turn around, but finds...

Already weakened and with no way to escape and no way to strike back, the half-demon quickly finds himself pummeled into unconsciousness...

QM Note: I'll update this again once the battle in the main thread is over.

Germ wakes up from his beating bound hand and foot in vines; he once again senses Rosier's presence, but this time the archdemon seemed positively furious.

"YOU IMBECILE!" Rosier roars. "YOU LEAD ME RIGHT TO YOUR PRETTY LITTLE COMPANIONS, ONLY TO PULL THAT LITTLE STUNT?!? MY DARK DRUIDS WERE COMPLETELY OUT OF POSITION, AND NOW YOUR FRIENDS MANAGED TO ESCAPE!" Rosier's tone becomes one of pouting. "I NEEDED NEW TOYS..." Rosier trails off, and Germ feels himself being examined again, though this time with a degree of disinterest. "I OUGHT TO TAKE YOU AS PUNISHMENT, BUT I CAN SEE NOW YOU ARE NOT WORTHY OF MY GIFTS...AND FRANKLY, YOU DISGUST ME, CREATURE OF VENGEANCE." Germ is cast aside, the vines releasing him as he is slung against a tree trunk. He feels Rosier's presence depart...and then return.

"HOWEVER...THERE IS SOMETHING YOU COULD DO TO MAKE IT UP TO ME...AND IF YOU SUCCEED, MY REWARD WILL BE WELL WORTH IT...NOT TO MENTION HOW AMUSING IT WILL BE." Rosier the Seductive whispers a request to Germ. When the archdemon's message is complete, Germ can sense great amusement coming from the more powerful being. "WELL? ARE YOU INTERESTED?"

After this, there was a little more conversation in which Germ accepted a secret mission from Rosier, to be carried out sometime after he returns to the Hall, along with a couple of items to help him in his task. Only time will tell if he will be successful...

And that's everything! Thanks again to everyone for playing along with me--as you can tell from these private actions, this Quest certainly wouldn't have been the same without you.