Heroica RPG - Quest #105: Eternal Reaper

[joeshmoe554]

"They don't seem to be our enemies, and I can find little reason for us to fight them. Let us cross the bridge and continue making our way through the citadel."

[Kintobor]

Karie can slowly feel herself come back to her senses, her unending sensation of love being replaced with a sudden realization of everything that's happened to herself.

"I want it... I... I..." She quickly strikes Johon across the jaw without warning or hesitation, snagging her Paper Doll in the process and attaching it to her person again. Replacing it with her current accessory if necessary. She looks towards Johon with a look of disgust and hatred, trying to hold herself back.

"I told you to douse me with sadness! I told you everything you had to do, and you go and you lie to me! I trusted you, and this is what I get in return?!" She raises her fist again, still aiming for his head. "Everything we've done together, everything you did for me when I first joined Heroica! I trusted you, Johon, and you go and you do this to me!? What were you hoping to get from this, Johon, besides a potential roll in the hay?"

She turns to the Regret, still seething with a growing anger.

"I know you'll wait for me to finish this, but at this point, I want to hear the end of the conversation. About Bellum's family. If you truly are a facilitator in all this you'll allow us to make an informed decision."

Edited October 27, 2014 by Kintobor

[Zepher]

"Sure, let's hear all that jib jab, but as for me, I say bring on the Oculoids. I'm tired of playing along." He looks at the ghosts. "Besides, these chaps are already dead."

[Bricksandparts]

Johon stands still, allowing Karie to punch him, knowing he probably deserved it. After she screams at him, he looks back sorrowfully. "It was a better option and you know it! You'd have hated me and everyone else her had you taken the other! How could I even know you wouldn't have thrown yourself off this fu-" Johon rants, realizing it wasn't helping. "Hate me all you want. Right now we have bigger issues." Johon finishes, using a nostrum and smelling salts (assuming he hadn't already).

"I'm not going to let the Regret have any more say in this." Johon says, preparing his sword. "I'm going to do my best to end this massacre, with you lot or without."

[Endgame]

"They don't seem to be our enemies, and I can find little reason for us to fight them. Let us cross the bridge and continue making our way through the citadel."

"Always so coldly logical, Jeaux. Your objective was assigned to you to the Veteran, was it not? It seems when I cut off her visions of this place, she went practically mad. But I digress. Fact of the matter is, your goals seem to revolve around the wishes of whatever being has handed you the task, divorced from any sense of morality. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I recall I was the one who posted the quest notice in your hall, and you signed up under my name: Doesn't that therefore mean you should be obedient to me?"

"I told you to douse me with sadness! I told you everything you had to do, and you go and you lie to me! I trusted you, and this is what I get in return?!" She raises her fist again, still aiming for his head. "Everything we've done together, everything you did for me when I first joined Heroica! I trusted you, Johon, and you go and you do this to me!? What were you hoping to get from this, Johon, besides a potential roll in the hay?"

Masson recoils as Karie tears away from his side, the love potion's effects ending.

"I'm... Not guiltless either..."

"I know you'll wait for me to finish this, but at this point, I want to hear the end of the conversation. About Bellum's family. If you truly are a facilitator in all this you'll allow us to make an informed decision."

"The Suffering's wife and children still remain under the "surveillance" of a horde of Oculoids. It seems that he has gotten rather upset that I have extended the terms of their contracts a bit - and he seems to be determined to keep his comrades roped in this web of pathos."

"Regret... You've met them. You know that they're all wonderful children, but please, don't force me to-"

"Hah! The great Progg general, reduced to mewling at my feet for his children. What says you, Cardic, Vanguard?"

"I will stand by Bellum's side, afterlife or not. Unlike you, Prometheus, I have not forgotten loyalty!"

"...Beasts of war never leave a battle. Right, Boomingham, Mortimer?"

"...Hex us. Force me, and the others, to fight if you must. But don't lay a finger on my family. I became a soldier to protect them, and dead or alive, there is no motivation. For a time I was poisoned by your propoganda, Prometheus, but those days died along with my body."

"Sure, let's hear all that jib jab, but as for me, I say bring on the Oculoids. I'm tired of playing along." He looks at the ghosts. "Besides, these chaps are already dead."

"I'm afraid that I could still slice and dice a human. But still, Boomingham, should we do battle, I would love a duel."

Johon stands still, allowing Karie to punch him, knowing he probably deserved it. After she screams at him, he looks back sorrowfully. "It was a better option and you know it! You'd have hated me and everyone else her had you taken the other! How could I even know you wouldn't have thrown yourself off this fu-" Johon rants, realizing it wasn't helping. "Hate me all you want. Right now we have bigger issues." Johon finishes, using a nostrum and smelling salts (assuming he hadn't already).

"I'm not going to let the Regret have any more say in this." Johon says, preparing his sword. "I'm going to do my best to end this massacre, with you lot or without."

"So, you intend to defy me and face the horde, Johon, or do you wish to do battle with myself? Only the most foolish of slaves try to remove their chains, Johon. And you have proven yourself quite obedient, as well as an asset to my little screening processes."

Edited October 27, 2014 by Endgame

[Emjajoas]

Mortimer tenses, surprised. "You're holding hostages against people you would call your allies?" he asks, eye wide. "Ha! And I thought genocide was as terrible as it came."

[Endgame]

"Once upon a time they were allies. Then they failed. I am doing them a favor, returning them to the battlefield they love so dearly.

I do suppose my sins are innumerable by humanity's standards, but I only inflict them upon either those who deserve it, or those who are nothing but disease. And tell me, Mortimer, is it wrong to kill those who are evil?"

Edited October 27, 2014 by Endgame

[Emjajoas]

"..."

Mortimer says nothing, growing more tense. He grinds his teeth yet another time on this quest, ignoring the Regret's question as if it hit too close to home.

[Bricksandparts]

"You act as though their acts qualified death as a fitting punishment. Are there people in this world that don't deserve to live? Of course! And you are one of them, filthy worm!"

[joeshmoe554]

"Always so coldly logical, Jeaux. Your objective was assigned to you to the Veteran, was it not? It seems when I cut off her visions of this place, she went practically mad. But I digress. Fact of the matter is, your goals seem to revolve around the wishes of whatever being has handed you the task, divorced from any sense of morality. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I recall I was the one who posted the quest notice in your hall, and you signed up under my name: Doesn't that therefore mean you should be obedient to me?"

"My loyalty is with Heroica, not you. The veteran gave us our mission and I intend to see it through."

[Endgame]

"You act as though their acts qualified death as a fitting punishment. Are there people in this world that don't deserve to live? Of course! And you are one of them, filthy worm!"

"And you are not a specimen of sin, poisoning the mind of a married woman just for the chance to have her body in your bed? I am purging your kind from this world, and that makes me the one who deserves to perish?"

"My loyalty is with Heroica, not you. The veteran gave us our mission and I intend to see it through."

"Then I will see to it tha you will either serve my purposes or die.

Now, heroes, are you quite ready for your clash with the Gladius Unit?"

[Bricksandparts]

"And you are not a specimen of sin, poisoning the mind of a married woman just for the chance to have her body in your bed? I am purging your kind from this world, and that makes me the one who deserves to perish?"

"How much of what I did was my choice?? You forced us into your sick game and blame me for the choices. You deceive us into your bidding and then you turn around and blame us for it! What I did doesn't make me proud. But I had more in mind than you act and you know it! You control our minds, however slightly or greatly, and then blame us for the faults of your logic! How can you possibly claim to be perfect, in any sense!? You won't even give your army free thought! The few that have realized this have been crushed in your little game! You can try to fight us and the world, but don't claim it's for a moral megablocking cause!"

[Endgame]

"I devised the scenario, that much is true. But when someone else placed their mind and heart in your hands, you chose to blatantly go against that person's wishes, and act out of your own interest. The blame is yours, and there is no way around it, child. I always wanted you to be eaten alive by rage, Raider, throughout our many bouts and battles. I've seen you grow from what would now be a relatively weak fighter to among the strongest Heroica has to offer. But now I see your libido grew alongside your skills, and the easiest was to break you was with primal lust."

Edited October 28, 2014 by Endgame

[Emjajoas]

"That's too far, Regret," Mortimer growls, drawing back an arrow. "Bring on your Gladius and wait in your tower like the distressed damsel you are. We'll end that soon enough."

[Bricksandparts]

"I acted out of care! Maybe your ideas sparked the realization, but I acted out of care! I couldn't live with myself if I'd given her sadness!" Johon retorts. "We need to go fight the Oculoids, and fast." Johon says to the party. "The Regret is just buying for time."

Johon looks to Mortimer. "You can't be serious... Why would we fight the Gladius unit?! They aren't the issue!" Johon growls. "Look, I'm fighting the Oculoids, like it or not. The Gladius aren't the problem! Choose now. Come with me or cower in this fight!"

[Endgame]

"I was only debating calling in the Oculoid horde if you chose to try and just linger here. And I'd still have you fight the Gladius Unit on top of that, so you may want to pick and choose your battles carefully."

"I'm sure the Oculoids would drop more supplies, but is it worth it...?"

[Emjajoas]

"Our problem is dealing with the Regret! Are you so ingrained in your hatred that you fail to see that it matters not how we get to him, just that we do quickly? I want to kill the monster and be done with him! Fighting the Gladius Unit is the fastest way of doing that."

Mortimer frowns slightly. "I don't care. I'll kill whatever they send, but... Are you so bloodthirsty that you wish to take on the horde?"

[Bricksandparts]

"If that means saving some lives, and therefore aid, yes. I hope to be able to convince the Gladius we aren't the problem, but I have little hope of that currently. Fighting the horde will hopefully save some of those mercenaries, and that's good enough for me!" Johon says, standing his ground.

[Endgame]

"If that means saving some lives, and therefore aid, yes. I hope to be able to convince the Gladius we aren't the problem, but I have little hope of that currently. Fighting the horde will hopefully save some of those mercenaries, and that's good enough for me!" Johon says, standing his ground.

"My family is on the line! I have to at least try and save them - surely you, despite our history, can understand that!"

[Bricksandparts]

OoC: Wait, I'm confused. The Regret is forcing us to kill the Gladius unit (again) in order for the Regret to spare their families?

[Endgame]

QM Note: The Regret just wants them to fight. Originally the deal was that if they just toured you through the Citadel, he'd call off the Oculoids on The Suffering's family... But The Regret has decided to wring one more brawl out of the contract.

Edited October 28, 2014 by Endgame

[Bricksandparts]

"We will fight if that's the only way you see out of this. I only hope to resolve this with minimal casualties... To us and to you."

[Zepher]

Boomingham rubs his forehead. "You keep saying that we're playing into your plan, but this isn't so much a plan as you throwing obstacles in our way and us killing them. If you really want us to get to the top of the tower, you'd stop throwing stuff in our path. So I'm gonna call bull shit on that being your plan, and just say we're doing the right thing. Because, and I don't know if anyone's ever told you this chap, but actions speak louder than words. Alright, let's fight." Boomingham drinks a mead and then tosses the bottle over his shoulder..

[Kintobor]

Johon stands still, allowing Karie to punch him, knowing he probably deserved it. After she screams at him, he looks back sorrowfully. "It was a better option and you know it! You'd have hated me and everyone else her had you taken the other! How could I even know you wouldn't have thrown yourself off this fu-" Johon rants, realizing it wasn't helping. "Hate me all you want. Right now we have bigger issues." Johon finishes, using a nostrum and smelling salts (assuming he hadn't already).

"I'm not going to let the Regret have any more say in this." Johon says, preparing his sword. "I'm going to do my best to end this massacre, with you lot or without."

"You went against my wishes Johon! I gave you a simple task, I told you to give me the Sadness, Johon! It doesn't matter if you think it's the best option or not, it wasn't and you drugged me! When did you exactly intend to get into my pants?! It's pretty damn obvious that was your intention! Do you think I'd hate everyone here, Johon, because I'd be really freaking upset about something, instead you have me hate you for going against my wishes, you lying, snivelling, coward!"

"How much of what I did was my choice?? You forced us into your sick game and blame me for the choices. You deceive us into your bidding and then you turn around and blame us for it! What I did doesn't make me proud. But I had more in mind than you act and you know it! You control our minds, however slightly or greatly, and then blame us for the faults of your logic! How can you possibly claim to be perfect, in any sense!? You won't even give your army free thought! The few that have realized this have been crushed in your little game! You can try to fight us and the world, but don't claim it's for a moral megablocking cause!"

She punches Johon again. "I knew it. I freaking knew it. The Regret may be a monster, an irredeemable monster, but he at least told me the truth. I thought you were better than his lot, and that you'd at least listen to me and to reason, but instead you listen to temptation. He had no control over you, Johon. He simply gave you a suggestion, a suggestion you obeyed; a suggestion I later would have no control over. You lied to me, Johon, in a moment when I trusted you." The black splotches on Karie's cloak formed an odd mixture with the white snow.

Masson recoils as Karie tears away from his side, the love potion's effects ending.

"I'm... Not guiltless either..."

"Me and you will talk about this later." Karie states bluntly, a hint of anger behind her voice.

Karie downs a Nostrum.

"Well, Regret, you've clearly proven your willing to do anything to wring your opponents around your little claws. Makes me wonder who else your willing to betray in order to obtain whatever cosmic goal you're squabbling to achieve. You ain't talking to ditzy love struck over here, your talking to a determined, angry Karie. Bring the Gladius unit on. If it's to ensure Seerus's family stays safe, so be it."

[Bricksandparts]

"This wasn't about-" Johon starts, before calming himself. "We discuss this later! Fighting amongst ourselves is all the Regret wants!"