Board 8 > The Notes of Cain, Topic 2 [CYOA]

(+) Yeah! (+)

Tenna Marigold was probably the smartest, most beautiful person that Fakeru knew. At least from Fah's point of view she had always been looking up to the older girl. It was hard not to listen to everything that she had to say, and try to emulate it, or act like she really understood that way of thinking. Even though it was hard for someone so young to understand such large woes of the world.

And yet, Tenna Marigold herself was the special kind of person who really did. She had always been wise beyond her years, with a view on the large picture of society and how sick it had grown.

Tenna, especially, hated the Lord. And, on some level, she hated her parents as well. She was a kind and a sweet girl but there was a darkness and guilt and anger inside of her that was only shown when the curtain was drawn completely and no one was around but her most loyal handmaiden. "The system is completely rotten to begin with. Half of that money doesn't even end up where it's supposed to go. The whole thing is just a scam for the ruling class to benefit from the increased taxes. And as long as they never fix things in the city, they can keep making excuses for why the taxes need to be so high."

"But, I think..." This was the first time that Tenna Marigold had said it. But it had been largely influential on her further endeavors. It was the entire reason why she had ended up here, and why she had come to this shitty place just to die. "I think once I gain enough power, enough influence, I'm going to destroy the system."

Tenna Marigold would never get that chance.

Fakeru was crying now. That felt much better. A dead emotionless husk, laying there in the water after nearly being killed, with no reaction, was a terrible feeling. At least now she had made herself cry. Now she could force herself back to her feet.

Tenna should definitely still be alive right now. She would have seen this quest through to the end. Tenna would have accomplished something great at the end of it all, using the riches and the fame they had gained. Yet, somehow, she was gone now, and Fakeru had been left behind by herself.

And she wasn't a teenager anymore but Fakeru felt like she didn't fully understand everything still. It didn't seem like she was the right person to finish this quest. It never felt like anyone would listen to her even if she was the one to come back alive. Fakeru wasn't someone who could destroy the system. They had lost their chance. No, it wasn't just that. Her best friend had died.

"Hey." Jamison spoke in a gentle voice as he put a hand on Fakeru's shoulder. Still, she had been so lost in thought, that she flinched in that instant. Jamison pulled his hand away. "Oh... I-... I'm sorry. I just wanted to check. Um, to see, if you were alright."

Fakeru turned and put her back against the wall. She leaned heavily into it, using the wall as support. The back of her hand was in front of her eyes now. To hide the tears and to wipe them away. "Yes. I think I'll be fine." She had been raised as a kind and sweet girl, with a gentle demeanor which allowed her to remain passive in all situations. Yet, just like Tenna, there was something else inside of her. This was still the same girl who had been breaking floorboards when she was six years old, and she didn't cry when they pulled the splinters out of her fingers. "Thankfully there was nothing lurking in this room."

"Y-Yes. That's for the best." Jamison glanced around the small chamber, examining the contents of it. Unfortunately the ornate rug on the floor had been completely destroyed by water damage and was curled up into a soggy mess. The bottom of the nearby shelf had been rotted away, causing the top half to break and fall forward.
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The contents of that shelf contained some glass jars which had once contained various sundries, as well as a few books. The books had been destroyed from sitting in the water for so long. The jars had all shattered on impact when the shelf fell over, except for one.

Jamison squatted down in the water, not wanting to get the knees of his trousers wet by kneeling, and grabbed the last remaining jar. Inside of there was a preserved Honeyflower. Someone must have picked it and then sealed it away in this jar to keep it like this forever. To be honest, Jamison thought, the flower was likely long dead. All that remained was this stiff illusion created by killing the flower. And if he shook the jar or tried to open it... that illusion would turn to dust, as there'd no longer be anything to help keep the flower together.

Still, even though it was just a farce, he liked looking at it. Jamison kept the jar, sliding it into the outer pocket of his long coat, and led Fakeru back out of the room to rejoin with the others. They had already searched the room which he had used to take cover, and were considering whether it would be worth the effort to give this place a full search or if they should retreat right away.

As Fakeru emerged she saw the remains of the battle in full force. It was something she could only imagine while she was laying face down in the water, hearing the sounds of the last moments of combat behind her, after diving into the adjacent room for safety. Now that she saw Matsuda's mangled body, Punch's remains floating in the water, and the fallen husk of the giant beast... her heart sunk ever so slightly. What would be waiting behind the next door? Was it worth it?

Gunslinger Kidd was against the opposite wall, his legs slightly bent, using the wall for support as he was now having trouble standing. In addition to his mangled hand, he had also been hit the first time that beast was charging. Owen had helped him wrap numerous bandages around his torso and even inserted some flattened wood splints for support... but... at the end of the day Kidd was so battered it was hard to believe he was even still conscious.

"We paid a hefty price to come this far," Kidd muttered in a voice that was riddled with pain. It gave his words a sickening, heavy rasp to them. It was an intensity and a weight that made his opinion hard to ignore. Somehow the fact that he was pushing on despite being in so much pain meant that he came across as more assertive. "I think we should at least find out what it was guarding before we go home."

Owen crossed his arms, glancing to the end of the hall and then back the way he came from. "It seems the other two rooms were empty. Is it really worth the risk?" He shook his head, looking quite fearful in that moment. "Right now I don't think we have the firepower needed to win again if we uncover something like... that."

All of their eyes went to the husk of that terrible beast.

A creature beyond belief.

Then, as the moment of tension and silence wavered, Fakeru found herself emboldened by Kidd's spirit. Or, perhaps, there was some small part of her that just wanted to die and get this over with. It was hard to say how she really felt in that moment because she was still so emotionally numb. "I think Matsuda would have wanted to gamble on it. You know, the fact that there must be something worth finding behind one of those other doors."

Kidd put his hand on Owen's shoulder and leaned on the smaller man for support. "Believe me, guy, Punch wouldn't have wanted to turn back either. Now let's respect their memory by finding out what the hell that beast was protecting so ferociously."
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However, despite that logic, Owen got the sense that dumb monster wasn't -protecting- anything. It was a damn evil killer that had simply gone berserk with its desire to slaughter all humans. At the end of the day this seemed like the only explanation. Yet he couldn't deny that with two rooms turning up empty, if there was treasure here, it meant there were fewer doors to search before finding it.

Somehow, it had turned out, Owen was forced to remain near the door space as they prepared to open it and search inside. Their formation had turned out this way because Kidd and Jamison were both better at using guns to support from behind. With Zephyr being fairly demoralized at the moment, the ferret had wandered to the end of the passage and was quietly watching the others. He hadn't said much since the battle.

And what about Fakeru? What was she doing?

She felt like she was just watching it all. In the same way that she couldn't replace the role of Tenna, to accomplish the major goal of this quest, nor could she replace the role of Punch or even Matsuda, to protect the people here while they were still alive. What the hell could she even do...? Why was she here...?

"I despise this..." Owen muttered to himself, lamenting the fact that he had somehow been chosen for the front line duty. With his axe in hand he threw the door open, using his foot to help forcefully push it. Then he stumbled in through the portal as if expecting to be jumped upon by a horde of monsters.

All he found were the corpses of giant birds, carrion creatures that had gotten locked away in the room somehow and perished. Either from starvation or hypothermia, after the corridors flooded. Beyond that was ruined furniture and a portrait hanging on the far wall. Owen walked forward to examine the portrait.

"Odd creatures," Jamison noted as he came in behind Owen to look at the birds. "They have large bodies, likely incapable of true flight. And they are so wide and flat. I've never seen birds with this body type before. Nor anything this large."

"Gotta imagine it could do some serious damage even to a human," Kidd noted.

"Eh... Maybe." Jamison wasn't so sure. "Birds generally have the advantage if they can invoke a diving attack while flying. Big, heavy, grounded birds like this seem like they won't be able to truly pose any threat to a human as long as it doesn't take us by surprise."

"Well, at least we know they exist," Kidd noted. "We'll keep our eyes open. And-... Hey, where's the little guy?"

Zephyr appeared in the doorway, sulking.

"Zeph, make sure you keep your eyes open for these kinds of monsters. Since you're small, they might be more dangerous for you," Kidd told him. He was hoping for some kind of response but all he got was a sad nod.

"A family portrait. I'm almost jealous," Owen said. While the others were speaking he had been taking in the details of the picture hanging on the wall before him. There was a forlorn smile on his face. Almost as if he was happy for Cain despite all that he had said.

"Yeah, his wife was quite the looker. Even for a woman of that age," Kidd noted.

"It's not just that." Owen's eyes scanned the contents of the picture. Cain was getting older but he still looked so happy, so full of life. Unlike Owen, who had been crushed, Cain seemed as if he had been able to enjoy himself all the way until the end. Or, at least, until this portrait was taken. His wife wasn't much younger and, despite her age, she was still quite a beauty.
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And it was clear to see how that beauty and happiness had been passed on to the future generations. Their sons were handsome, their daughters were lovely young women. And below that were the grandchildren. They ranged in age from young adults all the way down to toddlers.

All of these people looked so fulfilled. Seeing this large, happy family made Owen realize exactly how much he had been missing that from his own life.

Somehow all he had earned was a painful divorce, and ended up alone. Somehow the only meaningful portrait he held was the one of his immediate family members conspiring to betray him. Why was life so different for Cain and why had it been so hard for him? Was Hendrake such a terrible place that no one there could ever be happy?

"These people got to live a life that we couldn't even dream of having," Owen concluded. "It's a shame that it was so cruelly ended, but if I could have that life... I'd almost trade it for-"

"Hey, hey," Kidd threw an arm around Owen, leaning on him more heavily than before. "Don't let me hear you say that you'd rather be dead. There's always somewhere to go as long as you stay alive."

"Plus, I need someone to help me walk," Kidd tacked on. "So do your best to keep moving forward."

"Yes." Owen left the room with the portrait, probably changed forever by what he had seen. Such a small moment that had left such a deep and dramatic impact on him. Just what the fuck had he been doing until now? Why was he okay with living such a pathetic life in a place that he hated? "I'll do it. Let's move forward."

Fakeru didn't know what the big deal was, anyway. It was just a portrait. It was a snapshot of a particularly happy moment that had been captured for people to look back on fondly. And even that memory might have been fake. Having spent her life as a servant to the nobility, she had seen many unhappy families that could still put on a fake smile for a portrait or a charity event.

Some of the doors had been sealed shut due to the high pressure of the water in the passages, mostly depending on how far long they were down the flooded corridor. Zephyr, once he began speaking openly again, revealed that he had gone to study the contents of the pool at the end. It sounded as if there was something of note hiding at the bottom of that water... but none among those here felt confident about diving into the water just to try and retrieve it.

Many of the remaining rooms were empty of anything valuable, but they did get more of a sense for how the mansion was constructed and how the people lived their lives here. It was almost as if they were uncovering more of a picture of what had happened here... both before and after the disaster. Maybe if knowledge was a treasure, that would have been satisfying enough.

Jamison also found a red jeweled brooch which had belonged to one of Cain's daughters from the portraits. Due to the resemblance to the family matriarch it was assumed that this was a blood related daughter to Cain rather than one who had married into the family.

As valuable as the brooch was, oddly enough, it was Kidd who took note of something even more alluring inside. The gemstone was smashed and they did their best to collect the jewel shards, which could still be worth something. Inside of the brooch, however, was an Alchemical Stone that housed transmutive and magical properties.

"How in the heck did you know that was in there?" Jamison had to inquire. Even as an inspector with a good eye for detail he never would have guessed such a thing. However, at the end of the day, he knew that some things just came down to experience.
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"In my previous work I served a few noble families. It wasn't too uncommon for the young ladies to keep alchemy stones on them in this kind of fashion," Kidd explained. "They could have varying properties, but often the stone wasn't even used at all. They just believed that wearing the brooch would help them keep a young appearance even as they began to age."

There was no sign of the woman's body so it was hard to say how much the brooch had helped with the aging. Though, Kidd suspected, if they did find her she wasn't going to look very good in her current state. It was likely the monsters had picked all of the flesh off of her bones already. Then, in that moment, he had a strange realization.

"... Corpses..." Kidd muttered to himself.

"What's that?" Jamison inquired. "Are you saying bizarre things now?"

"No, it's just," Kidd glanced around as they made their way back toward the main room in which they had entered the estate. "I was thinking about something. We haven't really seen any human corpses in or around the estate. At least not any that I could remember."

"Monsters probably dragged them off to some lair," Owen muttered in a despairing tone. And while, on some level, that was true... it still felt bizarre that they had barely found any evidence of people who had been killed and eaten on the spot.

Had the monsters really the patience to drag every single victim back to their feeding pit? What about the adventurers like themselves who had come here after the fact? Wasn't it bizarre that so many people had died in just the last few days, and yet there was no evidence of previous groups having come here and perished before them?

"I think... no matter what... we should keep our eyes open and think about the bigger picture here. There might be something much worse going on." Kidd's eyes became sharp as this lurking unseen threat disturbed him. Enough that it put all of his senses on full alert, even though there was no enemy directly in front of him. "But damn I'm in so much pain I can barely think."

Fakeru watched them from behind, walking slightly below the pace of the rest of the group. She began to feel a phantom pain in her fingernails. A stinging sensation just beneath them. It was as if she was returning to a very low place from which she had escaped long ago, and to which she thought she would never return again.

This looming unseen threat made her feel as helpless as a child.

[END]

Lots of character development in this one, and not much action. Hope you guys still like it!

15. Who will get the Alchemy Stone?
A. Jamison
B. Kidd
C. Fah
D. Zephyr

Owen already has a power and a stat boost so I'm going to pass on allowing you guys to also give him the stone on top of that. We don't need to consolidate too many high value rewards onto one character.
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I think the vote will probably swing mostly to Fah for this but I'd still love to see Zeph with it so

D

Maybe if the group lets Zephyr have it it'll also help a bit with his DEMORALIZED state!
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A

He found the gem and also has that disk catalyst from that alchemy set so maybe there could be some synergy with the stone on top of that
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Yeah, sure. D

I still got you, weasel buddy
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Actually for once I will just vote C.

Jamison isnt a bad second choice, but Kidd is really roughed up and Zephyr, I dont think the crystal is the answer. Fah was having a lot of introspection as to her role on the team; I think the crystal might be the answer. It was also described as a ladys crystal. I get a feeling this is my chance to contribute, or its a lead up to my death because backstory is a death flag in this game lel

Perhaps the crystal on fah is the only way to avoid more losses here.
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https://imgur.com/DAxiAZ4
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C
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D. for the peeps
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Either c or d, whichever needs my vote more in the end.
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Going with C.
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C.
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D.
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C
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15. Who will get the Alchemy Stone?
(1) A. Jamison
(0) B. Kidd
(11111) C. Fah
(1111) D. Zephyr

note sure how to process crazygamer's vote because the two options are directly competing against each other, meaning they both need his vote equally.

kidd and jamison seem to be out of the running unless we see a massive change of heart from every single voter.
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C
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If they end up as a tie, C.

Zeph seems not in the best mental state to wield it.
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:(
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It's not that I don't care about Zephyr; I do. I just believe from what Maria Taylor has said and written that Zeph's best chance is an encounter or pep talk from another person on this adventure. That's why I think we should, now that we've done our small scan, choose the option that lets us regroup ASAP so Zephyr can meet someone who can help him get his mojo back. It's also why even though it sounds harsh, I don't think he should be the one with the new item AT THIS TIME.
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One of the reasons I like the Stone for Zephyr as well is that its probably one of the few items he could possibly use in this type of setting. Any kind of weaponry and such are completely out of the question due to his size
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Since it seems to be down to those two shift to C

She seems next more fitting what with having played with magicy support stuff (nothing against Zephyr as both would probably be able to get around with it more).

Also story wise I can see Jamison giving the shiny new stone he found to his crush in a totally spazztastic manner of course
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I gave it to Zephur to trt and force character development.
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Eddv posted...

I gave it to Zephur to trt and force character development.

This would be nice too
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phase 3 will be zephyr's time to shine obviously. if he hasn't gotten much development yet it means he has a lot of screen time incoming.
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Well if FAH gets it I believe in her to help out Zeph if he needs assistance!
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I would hope so, yeah! Were a team!
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outline for the next chapter is done. I'll get around to writing it... when I get around to it!

(hopefully tomorrow)
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Up!
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Jamison would obviously pick C
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Did some writing this morning but I ended up watching Avengers, and then I had to write a review for that. So I'm gonna recharge a bit and then finish writing the rest of this chapter later today.
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Entry 16: Living Perversions/The Field is Empty Now

Aaron sat quietly and watched the surrounding halls as the others returned from upstairs to report their findings. It might not have been the place or the time for it, but he began to think about where he came from and what had brought him here. It would be proper to say that his life was flashing before his eyes.

As a native of Pelengreer his childhood had been spent in fear of the Blight King. His young adult life had been spent training in service of the Pelengreer knights, and then going out to the field to engage this threat. It was not an overstatement to say that he had not been prepared for what he saw on the battlefield. There weren't really any who came prepared for something like that. There were those who died in the chaos, and those who survived. The ones who survived might be better prepared for the next battle. That was how things worked in Pelengreer.

At that time, Aaron was tagging along with a knight named Chadryn Sellark. Sir Sellark was not a man of great renown or fame, nor was he one to stand on ceremony -- the men often called him by his simple name, Chad. "Worrying about something like holding your spoon in the right hand at the lord's table will get you killed out there on the battlefield," Chad was known to say. "Let's react as quickly and decisively as possible. Leave the details for those with the luxury to examine them. And, with a prayer, we may all come home."

They didn't. They never did. It wasn't that kind of story.

Aaron's final battle was fought a mere thirty miles west of Pelengreer. The Blight King's forces had made a far push toward the city and sacked several small villages along the way. Sir Sellark and his men were tasked with trying to hold an important mill which bordered some of the largest unguarded farmlands in the west. With no walls protecting these lands they would have to rely on the Pelengreer army backing them up, and, with a prayer, the greatest champions of the enemy might not choose this direct route to pass through.

He came for them. That's how it was always going to be.

The standard bearer was the first to die. A man who stood on ceremony, his corpse was left behind as the others charged into action. They waded through the mud as arrows rained down on them from above. And, with decisive force, Chad led them into the enemy archers. They were able to cut down two ranks of longbow wielding soldiers before the enemy footsoldiers moved into position to intercept their charge.

They fought on a narrow hill, retreating slowly down it as they tried desperately to hold their ground. With the unsteady footing behind them it wasn't uncommon for a man to slip or fall. That instant when you lost your balance you would be picked up and skewered. Halfway through this skirmish the Hero of Rot appeared at the top of the hill. He led a small pack of heavily armored elite reinforcements.

The Hero of Rot was a well known figure who struck terror into the hearts of Pelengreer soldiers. His reputation was fearsome, but it was often said that the deeds he committed were somehow able to exceed even this reputation. As bad as things might seem... they were worse.

By the time they reached the base of the hill the fields were stained with blood -- of men and monsters alike -- of rotted blight infested corpses that melted the grass and killed all signs of life. Sir Sellark had lost a good portion of his armor and a good portion of his body, but he continued to fight through the pain. And this courage was the only thing driving the human forces to keep fighting back. It was the only thing keeping them in this fight.
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At the end of it all, the Hero of Rot's disemboweled corpse stumbled forward over the bodies of the brave soldiers of Pelengreer. He was already dead... but that hadn't stopped him from coming forward. The only one left to stand against him was Aaron. A half-trained boy wielding a footsoldier's pike. He planted his feet and held it forward, letting the enemy impale himself.

This was not some heroic victory. It could definitely be said the Hero of Rot would have died of his wounds even if Aaron had not been there. Even that brittle footman's pike broke in half from the force of the enemy charge. Aaron ended the day on his knees, but he couldn't find the mud anymore. The fields had turned completely to blood and blight.

From this action several consequences emerged. Each was based upon how the various factions chose to view these events. The idea that Ser Sellark would perish here and some green boy would be the only person to return was so ridiculous... many speculated that Aaron must have abandoned his post, fled from the battlefield, and then tried to claim the glory at the end once the two forces had torn each other apart. There were others who gave Aaron the credit for slaying the Hero of Rot, even though that was far from the truth either. It was hard to say what the truth was -- it wasn't somewhere in between... it was neither. He had simply been a witness to these events. There was some blood on his hands, sure, but he had accomplished no great deeds.

Still, he found himself rewarded with a specially forged lance that had spellwork sewn into the metal. It was supposed to be hot as steel on the forge, and yet still hard and impossible to break. It wasn't until much later he'd learn the same didn't apply to the haft of that weapon. The blade, however, was strong and couldn't be broken. It could cut through most anything. It was hard to say if he deserved such a gift but he'd been given it regardless.

Despite those who doubted him, and even in spite of doubting himself, Aaron vowed to become someone who could live up to the ideal that Chadryn Sellark had lain out for him first. However, that idea itself was somewhat ridiculous. Even Chad had never been this great hero to begin with. The ideal he aspired to was nothing more than a simple knight doing everything that he could. It wasn't long before the dedicated Aaron, with a magic weapon, working as hard as possible to try and improve himself, found that he had long surpassed Chad and all of the others.

At some point the war ended and Aaron didn't know what to do with himself. He was not some great hero who had struck the final blow against the Blight King. He hadn't even been present at the final battle, but rather he was overseeing a blockade of a route that supplied several enemy fortresses. As peace returned to Pelengreer, the soldier realized it was a place that no longer held anything for him.

Had things been much better since coming to Hendrake? Had moving to a new place away from all his friends and family really solved his problems? Well... no. But he couldn't have known that before he came here. Now he lacked the resources and the energy needed to travel back across the lands and return to his home. All he had accomplished was starting a new and lonely life in an unfamiliar place as he quickly learned the people of Hendrake also lived miserable lives.

All Aaron had learned in all of this time was that people, everywhere, were miserable.

He didn't know if there was a way to change that, and he doubted this quest would change that for him either. If he became rich or if he inherited a castle of his own he didn't know if this would really fill the empty space inside of him. For now, anyway, it just felt like something to do. Aaron was risking his life and it was only a slightly better way to pass the time than rotting away in some bar in Hendrake.
---

The battlefield was empty now. There was no longer a place for someone like him.

"Wait, a moment, you say that you found a woman's corpse... a preserved corpse... and she looked like the wife of the local smith?" Torrin expressed in shock. This statement seemed to bring Aaron back to the past. He hadn't been paying attention to their conversation up until now. As Enoch confirmed what Torrin had just said, the older man's expression changed to a troubled one. "Oh, I don't like this."

"From what I can remember, Maria and Goetic found a diary that was kept by the same woman," Torrin explained. He shook his head. "It sounded as if she had been suspicious of Avel, and somewhat of Cainas as well. She had taken to investigating them and trying to figure out what they were up to in these lands."

"A troubling possibility indeed," Leone muttered. As someone with connections to one of the larger criminal organizations in Hendrake, he absolutely knew what the implications were. It wasn't uncommon for someone who caused problems to disappear before they could alert the authorities. If Cainas or Avel were up to no good, if they truly had ties with the Thieve's Guild at all, it wouldn't be a shock to fall back on such methods. However... "I just can't imagine how they were able to preserve her corpse or why they'd go that far."

"To silence someone, you only need to toss them into a river," Leone concluded.

Enoch shook his head. "Either way, I don't like it. It gives me shivers. I knew that woman, you know?"

"Yes, this must be especially troubling for you." Torrin put a hand on Enoch's shoulder and offered him a moment of warmth. "To see a disturbing scene like that, even if you weren't close to her, must be hard for the human mind to process."

Preserved corpses? Aaron didn't like it. It reminded him too much of the all-too-human statues that were on display all around this area. If Cainas or Avel had been doing such things while people were still living in the mansion it would have obviously drawn attention to whatever was going on here. But what did that mean...?

"Now I'm thinking we should probably investigate this angle further," Torrin concluded. He sat back on his perch on the wagon, rubbing his beard thoughtfully. "If that woman was taken here and killed, and they couldn't dispose of her body, but they had to freeze her in that prison... perhaps there are more clues about. Maybe we can find signs of whatever it was she was looking for, or whatever she had found."

It was hard to say if that would really be a possibility. Up until now, the Smith's Wife had been playing a game against Avel and Cainas. The pieces had all been lain out on the board and they had been making their moves until checkmate. But that checkmate had arrived. The Smith's Wife had already lost. She'd been captured by the enemy. The field was empty, already, and the game board had probably been wiped clean.

Still, it couldn't hurt to check. With that in mind, the trio of Leone, Jennifer, and Enoch went back upstairs to investigate the upper passages a bit more. While that was going on, Aaron and Torrin had more time to relax on the lower floors while waiting for the other party to return.

As it happened, the Moth Party would be arriving at the front gates of the keep before long. They were in much worse shape than they had left. While Torrin's Shell Party, meant to breach the gates, had taken a slow and cautious approach, the Moth Party had waded into some dangerous waters and suffered heavy losses already in such a short time.
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Aaron found it difficult to even picture how much harder Dismas and his band of idiots had it. Those fools had dug right into the heart of this corrupted place. There could never be a good end waiting for that group, not in that situation, under those circumstances. Their only hope was if Torrin and the others arrived in time to save them from whatever they had gotten themselves into.

Gunslinger Kidd stumbled in ahead of the others, a bloody mess, still holding his gun at the ready and fully prepared to deal with whatever threat might be waiting. There was a look of deep relief that flashed across his face when he saw friendly faces awaiting him inside. Covered in wounds as he was... it was impossible to think that he could have actually secured the room if a threat had been waiting inside.

Owen returned bearing only the hat of Captain Punch. He turned that over to Torrin with an apology. "Things went wrong. We... couldn't save everyone," were the words that Owen spoke. But the look on his face and the way he said it meant something else. 'We lost the best of us, and only the worst were left behind.' That's how he was feeling about himself and the loss of the Captain.

Zephyr clung tightly to what looked like a coin, or a poker chip, as he scampered over to the wagon and climbed on top of it. Looking mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted... the ermine had no choice but to curl up and try to find a small piece of rest in the midst of all the turmoil he had faced thus far. Turning back now was impossible, Zephyr knew that, and he only wanted to make sure that he kept his sanity strong enough to prevent his mind from breaking.

Things weren't any different than they had been in Pelengreer. Nobody had been prepared. Some of them had died, some had lived. Maybe the ones who came back might be better prepared next time. And maybe, at the end of it all, Aaron would be left alone and kneeling in their blood. Or maybe some idiot would be kneeling in his blood, mourning over an undeserved victory. There didn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to the violence of this world. At least nothing that could be seen from the view of a mortal man.

"Lady F-.. Ah, I mean, Fah... I had been thinking about it... and... " A very small and insecure man emerged onto the scene, following a young woman who might have even been an inch or two taller than himself. In his hand he held a special stone of some significance. It was often said that in this world men would offer gifts and jewelry to women that they favored. "Well, not that I was paying p-particular attention but I got the impression you had some experience with magical items."

That itself was a long story, and it was one that Fakeru hadn't spent any time recently dwelling on it. Though his assessment was true and she was at least able to make use of magical items. The sandals which gave her the property of weightlessness and floating were among those, but she had made use of other special tools in the past. "Ah, yes. So you noticed that? I guess you are a gifted Inspector," she gave a simple and polite reply. "It's not normal for servants like me to be trained in magical applications, but I was given some special training."

"Oh, I don't think of you that way," Jamison replied hastily. "Well, I mean, I-... I don't think of you as a servant or-.. or a person with low station or anything like that. Well, it's-..." He hesitated, stuttering over his words. "It's not that I'd say you're special to me or anything either, but... I mean... not that you aren't special or unique in your own way, either."

"And I believe you had something you wanted to say originally?" Fakeru inquired. She tilted her head at this rambled train of dialogue which had gone far from his original target.
---

"It's-... Yes, it's the stone that we found." He held it forward, offering it to her as it glimmered in his palm. "I thought you might be able to make use of something like this. Kidd mentioned it was an object that could be used for Transmutation."

Fakeru honestly had no idea what that word meant, but she took the stone gratefully. "I'll do my best. If I've learned anything, we all need to start pulling our weight around here. I can't just keep hiding," Fakeru declared in a determined voice. "I need to be able to protect myself."

"Your resolve... gives me courage as well," Jamison said.

"But I may have to ask Kidd more about the stone. It sounds like he knows about its use," Fakeru said, in a distant and distracted voice. As the conversation was forcefully ended, she walked away from the scene and left Jamison behind on his own.

Jamison turned his neck. He looked up at the ceiling for a moment, and then back down at his feet. All he could do in that moment was let out a sigh as he released all of the burning anxiety that had just been smashing his insides to pieces.

"Do you fancy her?" Aaron inquired, having just watched this entire scene unfold.

The Inspector nearly jumped out of his shoes. Apparently the lancer had been so quiet that no one had really noticed he'd been watching all of them as they entered the room, or that he'd been listening to their conversations. Jamison couldn't do anything at the end of it all but stand upright in shock, and then slump back into his default posture of a timid man. "It's... It's not that."

"Mm. I won't press the issue either way," Aaron said. "I honestly couldn't tell if you did or not. If you say no, then I guess I believe you."

"I just get nervous around women in general," Jamison explained, turning back to the lancer. Since he had already opened up somewhat, and this man had already seen him make a fool of himself, and since there was a person in front of him who was actually listening to him... it felt good to open up a little bit more. "I don't know why it is, but, well, you can see the difference already."

"A bizarre affliction, but it isn't one that I haven't seen before." Aaron put his arms behind his head and leaned back. He rested himself gratefully against the wagon. As someone who never had trouble with women it was hard to really even imagine that sort of life. "I think the trick is to just remember that men and women really aren't any different. We're all just humans, right?"

Well, except for Abnormals, but that was another story.

"Yes, I know the theory. It's the practice that is difficult." Jamison let out a frustrated sigh. "We each have our own strengths, our own flaws, our own perversions. It shouldn't come as such a difficult task for me, but I've been this way ever since I was young. There's a part of my heart, or my nerves, that can't handle the pressure."

"Perversions, huh?" Aaron smiled. He had to chuckle a little bit before he could speak again. "So I guess you're that kind of guy, after all..."

"Oh, I didn't mean it like that!" Jamison retorted. Though he looked somewhat embarrassed it was still a far cry from the puddle he turned into whenever Fakeru was around, or any woman for that matter. This was his normal response to normal teasing.

Aaron stared up at the ceiling and thought about things had been, and where things were going. He wondered what would happen next. Would he have to wait long to find out? Probably not. All he could do was keep himself ready to react when things turned for the worst. Among all those here he was the most rested and the most prepared to deal with whatever came next. And, with a prayer, the rest of this quest just might be easy.
---

But, no. It wasn't going to be like that. It just never was.

It wasn't that kind of story, after all.

"Shit!" A voice cried out from above, coming from one of the passages on the upper level. "Shit, shit, shit, shit!" The door burst open completely, nearly being knocked off the hinges, as the tall man in the trench coat emerged. One hand clung tightly to his hat, trying to keep it on his head even as he was running. "This is baaaaaaddddd!"

Without stopping to think, in a total panic, or maybe the situation was really that desperate, Enoch threw himself right over the railing and down from the second floor. Or, rather, it looked that way at first. But his motions were surprisingly controlled and measured -- his foot went forward first, hitting the railing. And with that he was able to push himself into a full jump.

Aaron was forced to dive out of the way as Enoch came flying down from the balcony and smashed into the wagon from above. Was that meant to cushion his fall somewhat? It was hard to say if it had worked. And, at that time, Aaron didn't have the luxury of stopping to check on Enoch. His eyes were drawn back to the scene above.

All those here on the ground floor waited there with baited breaths... waiting to see what would emerge.

Nobody moved. Nobody acted. Nobody spoke. Everyone was watching carefully and quietly.

Gunslinger Kidd, in a subtle motion, found the courage to draw his gun and pull back the hammer. That soft click was the only sound which broke the absolute silence coming, and it was followed only by a groan of pain coming from inside of the wagon.

What looked to be a small mess of bodies, nude and melted together in some sick ritual, broke through the gap. It was hard to tell where one ended and one began. And the arms were tightly wound into the body, creating larger structures. And so the large arm of this thing, which might have been one thing or a dozen things, was made of many smaller arms and legs and faces and other body parts.

But those fingers, they weren't fingers, but they were unmistakably curled in the shape of fingers, held a limp body aloft. Leone the Cat had been grabbed by the throat. His body was slammed roughly against the inside of the door frame as the enemy pulled him forward. Then, broadcasting its terrible existence, the fleshy amalgam lifted the body and shook it.

Was he... dead? No.

Leone choked, gasping for air as the enemy continued to clutch at his throat. His leg rose, weakly, unable to form a full kick and send it at the enemy. And Aaron realized there was no way that he could get up there in time -- putting aside the question of how he'd even begin to fight such a monster.

And there wouldn't be time to think about that problem.

The door below, the main double doors that led from the entry hall to the inner estate, suddenly collapsed downward with a loud banging sound. The smashing wood resounded with a shocking pulse that seemed to spur everyone on the lower floor into action at last. Those who had weapons began to draw them... as two more of the nightmare creatures emerged from the smoke and the dust and the darkness of the chamber beyond.

To think these inhuman nightmares, made of the pieces of humans, but not truly human, had been lingering just outside of their view for this entire time. Aaron had been relaxing so peacefully while these twisted monsters were on the other side of a door. He saw it all now;
---

Arms, fingers, toes, shoulders, legs, collar bone, the eye, the ear, the nose, a skull, fingers, fingers, more fingers, something wrapped around something else like a trunk of flesh, he saw bones, he saw skin, he saw flesh stretched out from between the splintered ribs. It was all the parts that one would put into a pot if they were using a recipe that told them which ingredients were used to make a human.

Then, as it soundlessly stumbled toward him, with the other following close behind, he realized that there was something missing. Ah, yes. Something so simple and so vital. It had no mouth.

[END]

For this chapter I'm just gonna have people select an action for each character, rather than having a formal one choice whose vote affects the entire outcome. I'll take the most votes for a given character on how they might behave, but I'm also willing to simply give control over to the person who created the character if they demand it (or if others are willing to turn that responsibility over).

There are some characters who only have one action available, but I WILL list them here so you guys know what they are doing.

Torrin: Lead from Behind
Aaron: Aggressive Push/Defensive Stand
Enoch: Leading Attacker/Support Attacker
Jen Lowell: Rescue Leone
Leone: Struggle
Owen: Psychic Assault/Support Attacker
Zephyr: Rescue Leone/Support Attacker
Fakeru: Rescue Leone/Support Attacker
Jamison: Follow Aaron/Flanking Shots
Kidd: Leading Attacker/Rescue Leone
---

Well, since you're giving the choice...
Might as well charge head-first.

Torrin: Lead from Behind
Aaron: Aggressive Push/Defensive Stand
Enoch: Leading Attacker/Support Attacker
Jen Lowell: Rescue Leone
Leone: Struggle
Owen: Psychic Assault/Support Attacker
Zephyr: Rescue Leone/Support Attacker
Fakeru: Rescue Leone/Support Attacker
Jamison: Follow Aaron/Flanking Shots
Kidd: Leading Attacker/Rescue Leone
---

KIDD: Rescue Leone
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crazygamer999 posted...

Well, since you're giving the choice...
Might as well charge head-first.

Torrin: Lead from Behind
Aaron: Aggressive Push/Defensive Stand
Enoch: Leading Attacker/Support Attacker
Jen Lowell: Rescue Leone
Leone: Struggle
Owen: Psychic Assault/Support Attacker
Zephyr: Rescue Leone/Support Attacker
Fakeru: Rescue Leone/Support Attacker
Jamison: Follow Aaron/Flanking Shots
Kidd: Leading Attacker/Rescue Leone

Yeah I think this could work. Still funny that the stealthiest guy got hit by a sneak attack.
---

is that a vote for the same as what crazygamer posted?
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MariaTaylor posted...

is that a vote for the same as what crazygamer posted?

Yes. Exactly the same.
---

Well that escalated quickly. Here's hoping 2nd floor guys can drop something on one of em!

for now:

Torrin: Lead from Behind
Aaron: Aggressive Push/Defensive Stand
Enoch: Leading Attacker/Support Attacker
Jen Lowell: Rescue Leone
Leone: Struggle
Owen: Psychic Assault/Support Attacker
Zephyr: Rescue LeoneSupport Attacker
Fakeru: Rescue Leone/Support Attacker
Jamison: Follow Aaron/Flanking Shots
Kidd: Leading Attacker/Rescue Leone

Aaron: Weapon isn't in best condition and might break in an aggressive charge so hopefully he can put one of em on lockdown with his new combat approach and skill. Close frontal melee range doesn't seem like the best thing ever for this regardless

Enoch: Might change. Not sure of his loadout but Kidd is pretty banged up and maybe Enoch's charisma may help spur some other combatants by beating in a leading position

Owen: Time for some moth shenanigans. Hopefully it can put the second ground floor one on lockdown

Zephyr: May change. I could see him being useful for either. He has more mobility to get up to the 2nd floor team to help out Leone and shoot from range anywhere. His arrows probably won't pack as much punch on certain spots unless he arrows them in one of the eyes. Support is simple enough. Was iffy having him as only support attacker so shifted to an all out fast rescue operation and put him with everyone so once Leone is safe they can immediately shift to assist (possibly from second floor). Either way it comes down to hopefully getting inspired by Enoch or Torin

Fakeru: She's helped people out who were in tight spots and with her sandals she can quickly get up to them. Kidd also going to help may also synergize with getting knowledge from him about the stone

Jamison: Again I am open to either. Reason I think having him stick closer to Aaron would be better is that the monster may have more means of attacking all around him if he tried to flank it (since it is a huge mass of limbs and stuff all over it). If not though flanking would be good to. Jamison could also help act as a temporary spotter for Aaron until Leone is free and his Amulet may help bolster the defensive line overall until everyone is freed up

Kidd: If he wasn't as banged up lead attacker might work (and could potentially still work if he stood strictly with gun). For rescue Leone I am assuming he will be shooting at it from main floor with this approach because he will not be able to climb up there quick enough if he personally has to go up there. Kidd and Fah going with the same approach may help with the stone thing.
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Torrin: Lead from Behind
Aaron: Aggressive Push/Defensive Stand
Enoch: Leading Attacker/Support Attacker
Jen Lowell: Rescue Leone
Leone: Struggle
Owen: Psychic Assault/Support Attacker
Zephyr: Rescue Leone/Support Attacker
Fakeru: Rescue Leone/Support Attacker
Jamison: Follow Aaron/Flanking Shots
Kidd: Leading Attacker/Rescue Leone

This sounds about right
---

Torrin: Lead from Behind
Aaron: Aggressive Push/Defensive Stand
Enoch: Leading Attacker/Support Attacker
Jen Lowell: Rescue Leone
Leone: Struggle
Owen: Psychic Assault/Support Attacker
Zephyr: Rescue Leone/Support Attacker
Fakeru: Rescue Leone/Support Attacker
Jamison: Follow Aaron/Flanking Shots
Kidd: Leading Attacker/Rescue Leone
---

Torrin: Lead from Behind
Aaron: Aggressive Push/Defensive Stand
Enoch: Leading Attacker/Support Attacker
Jen Lowell: Rescue Leone
Leone: Struggle
Owen: Psychic Assault/Support Attacker
Zephyr: Rescue Leone/Support Attacker
Fakeru: Rescue Leone/Support Attacker
Jamison: Follow Aaron/Flanking Shots
Kidd: Leading Attacker/Rescue Leone

I think it's going to be fun for me to separate characters into categories based on what they are doing and then process how the battle goes from there
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