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| Details |
| Author: | Alli |
| Summary: | The Cobalt Blade (Arthur, Tadget, Thalstan, Vesyllah and Zaara) venture into a memory of the Old Kingdom. It is maybe a little more realistic than it needed to be. ~1.9k words. |
| Rating: | T for Teen |
Arc: The Cobalt Blade
Chain: ECHO
The Cobalt Blade team materializes in the Old Kingdom of Ahn’kahet at the appointed time, ready for their ECHO training mission!
[Tadget]: Sup cheesebags.
[Zaara]: Sup cheeseball!
Tadget bursts into dance.
[Thalstan]: Are we cheeseballs or cheesebags? *These are the serious things Thalstan ponders in this team*
Vesyllah's mouth drops open at the spidery vista before them. She…smiles. It's creepy.
[Arthur]: I have to mine cobalt and it's cold.
[Zaara]: Cold-balt!
[Thalstan]: Cold-balt blade!
[Tadget]: Do you like my creepy bug kingdom themed outfit?
[Zaara]: Why are you a bug kingdom? Were we supposed to be bug kingdom?
Thalstan nods to Zaara, who doesn’t see it. "Aye, Zaara, we are in the nerubian kingdom. Just a memory of it, though. A part we didn't hafta go into for the cipher."
[Zaara]: I did this! Dark almonds! But now I am green.
Tadget giggles.
[Thalstan]: Oh wow, you an' Vengeance are following a simliar theme.
[Tadget]: I just felt like trying to go with the vibe.
[Vesyllah]: Excusemewhat?
[Thalstan]: Maybe I should get some dark and ominous armor ta match.
[Tadget]: I highly recommend dark and ominous.
[Vesyllah]: You all need to stop trying to be me.
[Tadget]: I'm trying to be a gross bug, but hit dogs holler, I guess.
[Zaara]: What is a hit dogs holler?
[Vesyllah]: I'm not a gross bug. I'm a gross spider.
[Tadget]: Um, it's an expression. Human, actually. But I like it.
[Zaara]: Okay.
[Tadget]: It means if you think someone is talking about you they probably are.
[Thalstan]: Ready ta explore?
Tadget nods at you.
[Zaara]: Hit dogs holler!
Tadget cackles maniacally at Zaara.
[Thalstan]: I think they had some objective in here, particular nerubians we've got ta kill… ooh, and a san'layn. *Thalstan checks his notes* This'll be fun.
[Tadget]: Oh no.
[Vesyllah]: San'layn…?
Vesyllah perks.
[Tadget]: Vengeance is gonna need a change of pants.
[Vesyllah]: Pants are overrated anyway.
Vesyllah wraps herself in shadow. Got to look good for the san'layn.
[Thalstan]: Aye, a Prince Taldaram. They do like their made-up titles.
[Vesyllah]: All titles are made up by someone.
[Tadget]: It's really interesting being here so soon after being in a real bug hole.
[Tadget]: The illusions are really good.
[Thalstan]: But ordinarily if yer a prince, yer the prince of a kingdom. I could say the same of the Lich King. Sorta just making up the King name…
Tadget giggles at you.
[Tadget]: These damned illusionary bugs are webbing me faster than my joints can recover from wriggling out of 'em.
[Thalstan]: The illusory poison is somethin' else, too.
[Zaara]: Also it smells terrible like real!
[Vesyllah]: How do you think other kings became kings? Someone made it up and said their kids will be king next. Probably because they killed a bunch of other people until everyone agreed.
[Tadget]: So true. The gnome way is vastly superior.
[Vesyllah]: What's the gnome way?
[Tadget]: We just pick the smartest guy.
[Thalstan]: Or gal? Or is it only guys?
[Tadget]: Huh, I dunno if we've ever had a gal.
[Tadget]: Not much for history.
[Thalstan]: I'd be curious to hear… we dwarves have Moira now, so times change, even if not.
[Tadget]: I imagine we've had a female High Tinker at some point.
The team comes into a room where a large undead nerubian waits.
[Tadget]: I smell an objective.
[Tadget]: Also ichor.
[Thalstan]: Aye, I think so. Let's kill him?
Tadget nods.
We kill him. Then there’s a magical little ping, as new illusory instructions appear.
[Tadget]: Aw man I hate it when the objectives update mid-ECHO.
[Tadget]: They really need to fix that interface.
[Tadget]: Gives me a headache.
[Thalstan]: Feels like ye've not got a set plan for the whole thing?
[Tadget]: Yeah.
[Tadget]: Also I worry they'll just KEEP adding more forever.
[Thalstan]: Now tha's a ghost story. The team as went inta ECHO and came out… never!
Tadget cackles maniacally at the situation.
The team heads out and down a stairway, to a big open area full of undead giants, undead nerubians… a lot of undead.
[Zaara]: What is that smell? Ichor or seal whey?
[Thalstan]: Speakin' of smell… oooh I think it's the giants.
[Tadget]: Blech.
[Thalstan]: Big ole undead giants.
[Vesyllah]: What the fel is seal whey?
[Zaara]: Pungent.
A voice whispers to Tadget… Hope is an illusion.
[Tadget]: Uhhhhhh did you hear that?
The question is interrupted by fighting a whole lot of undead creatures, all at once.
[Tadget]: DID ANYONE ELSE HEAR A MYSTERIOUS VOICE
[Vesyllah]: Uh…
Tadget looks a little pale above her mask.
[Thalstan]: Well, that was frightening. But uh… no, no voice. Yer hearin' voices?
[Vesyllah]: Maybe she's finally cracked.
[Tadget]: … No.
[Tadget]: I didn't hear anything.
[Vesyllah]: Uh huh.
Tadget's eyes look a little extra shiny.
[Tadget]: Just testing to see if you did.
[Thalstan]: Riiight. Alright. Remember, it's jus' a memory. A verra realistic one, but a memory.
[Tadget]: That all of us are experiencing exactly the same way.
[Thalstan]: Aye.
[Vesyllah]: So, someone else cracked and now the illusion is trying to crack Tadget?
[Tadget]: I'M NOT CRACKED.
[Thalstan]: O' course not. Jus' tryin', aye?
[Zaara]: Tadget will not crack! I will heal her.
Tadget disappears into the shadows so as not to be perceived.
[Thalstan]: I think we're meant ta clear these platforms
We clear the platforms. The hum of magic energy in the air diminishes…
“Intruders! Who trespasses in the Old Kingdom?” calls Prince Taldaram.
Vesyllah perks up at the sexy voice.
[Thalstan]: Oh, aye! There's the san'layn!
[Vesyllah]: Where?
Vesyllah asks a little too eagerly.
Thalstan points at Prince Taldaram.
[Zaara]: What a sexy voice!
[Vesyllah]: Isn't it?
Tadget rolls her eyes at Vesyllah.
[Thalstan]: He's up there on like… a little platformy place.
[Thalstan]: I can't say I see the appeal, but then I'm partial to ladies.
[Thalstan]: Ones that don't drink blood and all.
Tadget for some reason doesn't mock Vesyllah at the moment.
[Thalstan]: Ready ta fight?
Tadget slips into the shadows.
[Zaara]: Yes!
Vesyllah spots Taldaram and starts checking her hair.
Now we fight the san’layn!
Prince Taldaram: I will feast on your remains.
Thalstan charges in.
Prince Taldaram vanishes, and then appears to suck Tadget’s blood. Then he does it again.
Prince Taldaram: So appetizing.
[Tadget]: WHY IS MY BLOOD SO TASTY
Vesyllah looks envious when Tadget is being fed on.
Next, he goes for Vesyllah.
Prince Taldaram: Fresh, warm blood. It has been too long.
Vesyllah mumbles as Taldaram bites her neck, "Don't stop…"
We kill him.
[Tadget]: Oh well at least Vengeance got a turn being sucked.
[Tadget]: And -I'm- the one who's cracked, suuuuuuuuure.
[Thalstan]: There's no real harm in it… he's jus' a memory, after all.
[Vesyllah]: Exactly. It's just an illusion. Don't worry about it.
Vesyllah looks longingly back at the san'layn's fallen corpse.
We head down a cobwebby tunnel.
[Tadget]: I hope these small tunnels aren't traumatizing to any of the leggy types.
Thalstan nods at Vesyllah sympathetically.
There’s another little ping as the objectives update.
[Thalstan]: Okay new objective, we're after… oooh. Cultists an' creatures o' the Old Gods.
We fight our way to a large group of cultists, all looking up to another cultist floating in a dark shadowy sphere.
[Thalstan]: Whoa, looks like a whole culty classroom up here! Seminar? I am no' sure.
[Tadget]: School is terrible. Let's put them out of their misery.
Jedoga Shadowseeker: These are sacred halls! Your intrusion will be met with death.
[Thalstan]: Sounds like a teacher ta me.
Jedoga Shadowseeker: Do not expect your sacrilege… to go unpunished.
Jedoga is killed, as well as the crowd of cultists.
[Thalstan]: Class dismissed. *Thalstan nods firmly, his beard rustling*
Tadget giggles at Thalstan.
[Tadget]: You're getting good at those taglines..
Thalstan chuckles, his mustache shifting. "Maybe I've been reading more of our fiction. The odd connection 'tween reality an' fiction."
[Vesyllah]: Just 'our fiction'? Or the smutty stuff?
[Thalstan]: A fella's got ta research. *He looks at Ves innocently*
Vesyllah snickers at Tadget.
Something whispers to Tadget – ‘You will be alone in the end.’
Tadget goes suddenly pale again. Tadget forgets to stab things.
Vesyllah frowns at Tadget. "Hey…you okay?"
[Thalstan]: Mayhem, y'alright?
[Tadget]: Stop staring at me. Kill stuff.
Vesyllah nods. "Right." She looks away…sort of, still keeping a side-eye on Tadget.
Zaara discreetly casts a heal on Tadget. Except it's a rain cloud so not that discreet.
Thalstan eyes the rain cloud, and looks over at Zaara.
[Thalstan]: Now for the Old God sorts. I think they're probably no' dangerous in the same way. Because jus' memory, aye? Surely they cannae get inta our minds, right?
[Tadget]: THEY SURE DON'T SEEM TO BE GETTING INTO ANYONE'S.
[Tadget]: But clearly it isn't doing that.
[Tadget]: Because no one hears anything, right?
Vesyllah squints at Tadget, but nods. "Right."
[Zaara]: I hear you talking!
[Thalstan]: Nope, nothin' so far. *Thalstan nods, rustling his bearD*
[Zaara]: Oh and Vengeance!
[Zaara]: And Victory!
[Tadget]: We're the voices in your head, Booty.
[Thalstan]: I've heard scary stories about these things, tha' they make people go mad. That ye cannae tell friend from foe.
[Zaara]: Foe-no!
[Thalstan]: Surely they'll no make it that realistic.
[Tadget]: A hint: the friends are the ones without tentacles.
[Zaara]: Hey.
[Tadget]: OH SORRY
[Tadget]: One tentacle friend.
Vesyllah smirks.
[Thalstan]: Let's get this big one, he's the last objective.
We try to get the big one. Then, each member of the team sees everyone else turning on them to attack. We all fight down our evil friend-duplicates, and defeat the Old God creature.
[Thalstan]: What, no! Don't attack me!
[Tadget]: Uh… just kidding?
[Tadget]: at least tell me I wasn't the only one who saw THAT.
[Thalstan]: That was eerie. Aye, there were whispers in my head. An' then, waves o' you all, attackin' me!
[Arthur]: The big ugly monster thing?
Vesyllah frowns. "That thing was whispering to me with-…" She scowls, not mentioning it was her dead sister's voice she heard.
[Tadget]: Art, you didn't have any weird hallucinations?
[Tadget]: Of um, all of us trying to kill you or anything?
[Zaara]: A lot of things kept hitting me!
[Zaara]: I could not see what though.
[Arthur]: Oh, sure. I saw that.
Tadget peers at Arthur searchingly.
[Tadget]: You sure are a cool cucumber, Mr. Trouble.
[Arthur]: I could tell it wasn't real. You all would never do that.
Tadget hugs Arthur.
Arthur is absolutely serious.
Arthur hugs Tadget.
Tadget makes suspicious sniffling sounds as she hides her face in Art's robe.
[Thalstan]: Oh aye, sometimes dark duplicates o' my friends attack me, no problem. *Thal chuckles* Ye've got the best faith, Trouble.
Arthur hugs Tadget more, since he needs it.
Tadget cuddles up against Arthur.
[Thalstan]: I feel like they need no' have gone quite so realistic here.
[Vesyllah]: Yeah…ugh.
[Tadget]: Okay um. I'm gonna go… visit my kids.
[Zaara]: Okay!
[Vesyllah]: Let's get the $#%& out of here.
[Tadget]: Yeah.
[Zaara]: Good practice, cheeseballs.
Tadget giggles weakly but sincerely.
[Thalstan]: Good call. I'm gonna go see my own loved ones.
[Thalstan]: Till next time, Cobalt Blade!
The team dematerializes, leaving the illusion. Arthur alone stays for a moment, staring at the Old God creature’s form.
[Arthur]: They do not die; they do not live…They are outside the cycle. I heard it say that. About my parents.