Heroica RPG - Quest #105: Eternal Reaper

[Bricksandparts]

"Wait, I need to check something." Johon says, quickly making his way back to the original bulb and hacking a chunk of brick out nearby with his pick-axe. He then returns, ready to proceed.

[Endgame]

Johon backtracks and chips some stone from a brick on the previous floor, before Mortimer activates the bulb once more. The party is flung back to their present time... now even Karie and Johon feel queasy from the time jumping. Alice's face has gone pale and her face contorted to a look of sickness.

"Ugh, my head... And stomach..."

Back in the present time, the party finds another firmly locked door, as well as an almost empty bookshelf.

Edited October 24, 2014 by Endgame

[Emjajoas]

Mortimer checks the bookshelf to see what he can find.

[Endgame]

Mortimer reads the final vvolume of "The Basic Principles of Time Travel".

Changing History

There are three classes of possible alaterations that can be attempted (not completed): Minor, Moderate, and Extreme. Time seems to have an... Odd way of correcting itself. A way of perserverance, to make sure that history is not too horribly altered. I cannot explain why, much to my chagrin. It is one of the few forces I consider above me. But I can how.

Minor

Minor changes that would not alter established history seem to be reflected when returning to the present.

Moderate

Moderate changes alter history -or, at least, attempting to. They usually pertain to destruction, or the indirect endangerment of life. It creates something of a ripple, in a way - it slightly alters the moments before and after, before reutnring to the status quo. These types of changes usually rectify themselves and have minmal effect.

Extreme

The effects of these are mostly unknown. They typically pertain to the direct death of an entity. They have never been observed, but my current theory is that only the present instance would be afflicted.

[Emjajoas]

Mortimer raises his eyebrows. "This stuff is above me, but... am I to assume we need to travel back in time to break through these walls by killing the working oculoids or by tearing down the walls themselves?"

[Endgame]

"Sounds major, and I don't know how well that'd work, given The Regret's notes. We have to find a minor thing to change in the past that will somehow let us bypass this wall."

[Emjajoas]

Mortimer shakes his head, frowning. "Something like taking the line of mortar off where they were laying the bricks? ...I don't know."

[Kintobor]

"I don't know if I could take another trip through wibbly-woobly timey wimey, at least not without you, Masson." Karie replies queasily, her red cheeks replaced with a thick green.

[Emjajoas]

"No sense sending more than one person through. Those things are nauseating."

Mortimer rubs his neck, growing more tense. "I can do it. If you guys think rubbing away the mortar will work, I'll go do that and you should be able to break your way through."

[Endgame]

Mortimer hops backwards to the past, wipes way some of the mortar, and returns to present time. The wall now weak and crumbling, the heroes plow through, ascending the staircase on the other side and climbing to the top of the tower.

Swirling snow chiulls the heroes once more, the party once again at the mercy of the elements. In front of them was the stone bridge connecting the two towers, a massive strait hanging over the entire island. From their vantage point, the party can see the carnage down below.

The hunters were losing, and horribly, their numbers being quickly reduced. The black torrent of Oculoids hacks away at the humans, the hunters now having no chance of victory.

"We've... They're dying! Thery're all dying down there! We have to hurry up and save them..."

The party continues along, encountering the three Gladius ghosts, and their current master on the bridge.

"We had a deal!"

"Tell me, Bellum. Why would I willingly dispose of one of my finer puppets?"

"Bellum, your family-"

"Heroes are approaching." Cardic warns. They all turn to face the heroes, The Regret's steely eyes locking onto the sickened and disshelved crew.

"Fancy meeting you here, heroes. Tell me, did you enjoy your tours? How about your quick little jaunt through the unfinished Citadel?"

Edited October 25, 2014 by Endgame

[Emjajoas]

Mortimer, still nauseous, frowns at the Regret. "Unless you are ready to fight, Regret, leave and let us move on. We're weary of your antics and you're just delaying your inevidable death."

[Endgame]

"I would like to hear you intend on killing me. Conventional methods? Worthless. So, what is your grand plan? How are you going to get to my Inner Sanctum, challenge me to a battle, win, and destroy me forever?

You don't have one, do you?"

"Prometheus, you have put them through enough!"

"I disagree, Bellum, my belligerent pawn."

[Emjajoas]

Mortimer keeps his eyes locked on the Regret. "There are ways you can be disposed of," he threatens. "And if those don't work, I will impale you with every arrow in my quiver."

[The_Customizer]

"Motimer, calm down, he is just questioning us in hopes of making us question ourselves, it is the only power he has, let him continue to believe that he has it." Turning to the Regret, "Who said we were going to kill you? Seeing how passive you are, I personally thought I would talk you to death."

[joeshmoe554]

Jeaux can't help but think the regret is correct. The party has no plan yet for how to dispose of him. They had been hired to complete a mission with no idea of how to actually do so, and there had been little help along the way. The only information they had gained so far was an indication the regret wished to die and had the power to end his own life, but convincing him to commit suicide seemed like a rather desperate play. Jeaux kept silent and decided to see how the interaction between the regret and these ghosts played out. Perhaps they might learn more information to help them on their quest.

[Endgame]

Mortimer keeps his eyes locked on the Regret. "There are ways you can be disposed of," he threatens. "And if those don't work, I will impale you with every arrow in my quiver."

"You should know your arrows are hardly a threat to me."

"Motimer, calm down, he is just questioning us in hopes of making us question ourselves, it is the only power he has, let him continue to believe that he has it." Turning to the Regret, "Who said we were going to kill you? Seeing how passive you are, I personally thought I would talk you to death."

"If I wanted you to die immediately, I would've just sent two Ameobosses at you from the beginning, and that would be that.. I don't off my puppets while they're still useful.

Cardic, Bellum, and Vanguard are not valuable puppets, because they are belligerent when I don't need them to be. But you... All that's left of you is a sad sapling that wants to kill me. Wirthout me, druid, you are nothing. And that makes you as valuable of a slave as any other Oculoid.

The rest of your party is following suit as well. The Raider obeyed me without any sort of question, and if I assured him the next love potion would earn him the redhead's affection, he'd do it in a heartbeat. Karie obeyed me as well, when masson and Karie slinked off. I'm assuming you know why they're so... Exhausted. And Alice? If I had given her a more instant method of killing Mortimer than drowning, your Warden would not be here right now. None of the accused can deny how obedient they've been to me.

Do you comprehend now? I'm anything but "passive". I'll tear you apart without a drop of magic, without lifting a finger. And if you do reach my Inner Sanctum, well... I'll use three milleniums of magic to obliterate you."

Jeaux can't help but think the regret is correct. The party has no plan yet for how to dispose of him. They had been hired to complete a mission with no idea of how to actually do so, and there had been little help along the way. The only information they had gained so far was an indication the regret wished to die and had the power to end his own life, but convincing him to commit suicide seemed like a rather desperate play. Jeaux kept silent and decided to see how the interaction between the regret and these ghosts played out. Perhaps they might learn more information to help them on their quest.

"See, the automaton understands. The purely logical, resonable machine knows that you've done horribly wrong. You've rushed into the darkness with no plan, and no light to carve yourselves out. You go down? An army awaits you. You go up? I await you. And if you linger here, you'll die for sure.

It's a shame you didn't take my offer when you could, Jeaux."

Edited October 25, 2014 by Endgame

[Zepher]

Boomingham laughs. "See Cardic, I told you I should have sat in that room." Boomingham shrugs. "I don't think we would die if we stayed right here, Regret. You just told us you don't want us to die, so I don't think you're going to let us die. Which means that we don't have to do anything you tell us to." Boomingham swishes his sword around a little and hums a tune. "You can call me a puppet all you want, but that don't make it so."

[Kintobor]

Karie hugs Masson tightly, her mind not totally taking in the full gravity of the situation.

[Endgame]

Boomingham laughs. "See Cardic, I told you I should have sat in that room." Boomingham shrugs. "I don't think we would die if we stayed right here, Regret. You just told us you don't want us to die, so I don't think you're going to let us die. Which means that we don't have to do anything you tell us to." Boomingham swishes his sword around a little and hums a tune. "You can call me a puppet all you want, but that don't make it so."

"I said I cut the strings of puppets who do not serve me. So yes... Loiter, and I will not hesitate to dispose of you."

Karie hugs Masson tightly, her mind not totally taking in the full gravity of the situation.

"Karie, were you just under The Regret's orders when we...?"

"I'm surprised the love potion is still in effect... it should be dissapating by now."

[Zepher]

"I'm ready to fight," says Boomingham with a shrug.

[Endgame]

"Then I leave you with a choice: I pit you against the Gladius Unit, or you freeze your limbs off here for a tiny while and face an onslaught of Oculoids on top of it. Tell me, Booomingham, do you have a sense of self perserverence?"

Edited October 26, 2014 by Endgame

[The_Customizer]

"I have a better idea, we chase you through the disgusting citadel until you die of exhaustion. Sound fair?"

[Emjajoas]

"We'll kill anything you send at us, Regret," Mortimer mutters, drawing his bow.

[Endgame]

QM Note: You folks need to come to the consensus whether or not you'll do as The Regret commands, or defy him for a much, much tougher battle.

[Emjajoas]

Why not both

"The Gladius unit sounds like an easier fight," Mortimer mutters, glancing at the party. "What say you all?"