FINAL TRIAL

[strangerpeople]

FINAL TRIAL

[The doors at the other end of the city do not open for the Titled. However, whatever is going on in there still brings forth bright lights from within, and ultimately, it is to the steps of the entrance that everyone is drawn to. It's not the most formal setting for figuring out the truth of the matter before them.

Eric's brought the snacks, at least.

The Dragonborn sits at the top of the stairs, looking down as everyone congregates.]

...Having this key...I am certain I can open the door with little difficulty. But before I do we must make certain we know and understand exactly what we will be facing. What we are facing. These people...they are doing something and we must ensure we can somehow stop it.


[The end is near. The objectives of this quest are simple:

Who is the Mastermind? What is going on in this world? And...of course...why did the Mastermind want to kill 15 strangers?

Good luck, Titled.]

Comments

[thiscomicsucks]

......

You are just not going to let that go, are you?

[lightnen]

Hmm? Who was he mean to?

[ Please, Fie. He'd honestly like to know. ]

[zephyranthe]

Those guys that got turned into the dragon. [Or sucked into the dragon. Something.]

He didn't believe that they weren't gonna hurt him.

[paraphrasing oops]

[thiscomicsucks]

I was being cautious!

[lightnen]

Huh. Considering that, I do think you should give it a shot, Linkara.

[ Totally enjoying this now. ]

Take one for the team.

[zephyranthe]

I think so too. We've got you outnumbered here.

[thiscomicsucks]

Fine. Fine! I'll do it, just...!

[Ok. One, two, hold the nose and--down it goes!]

[strangerpeople]

[Aaaand Linkara goes down...

...right into a dream. Or perhaps a memory - it feels like he is living through the eyes of another.

Elenwen is yelling at him for his 'weakness', the screams of the captured Dwemer ringing through his ears. Two have died, she chides. She motions to two piles, under sheets. Its impossible to see who they are, only that the sheets are bloodied.

"They died. These artifacts must have vessels and you have already killed these before they could take."

"They couldn't handle it-"

"You will get me two replacements."

He nods. He is terrified of what the Sapiarch will do if he fails this.

"Bring me two of the Dragonborn's friends. I do not care which. Just get them for me and--"

He's awake again, flat on his ass on the floor.]

[thiscomicsucks]

. . .

Oh, poop.

[carnageandclass]

What happened?!

[Duuude you fell flat on the ground man]

[thiscomicsucks]

Er...so I think I just leaped into someone's memories just then. Something about two dead people and...vessels for artifacts. Apparently two of the Dragonborn's friends were replacements for two people who died when the artifacts 'didn't take'.

[carries_war]

...Babette and Farkas. That must've been how they gave us our Titles, only...not all of us survived it.

[lightnen]

The more I hear about this, the more it just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. It's disgusting.

[carries_war]

Even Mizrahi wasn't this bad...he might've opened Pandora's Box, but these people...they've flung open the gates of Hell itself, knowing full well the destruction it'll wreak. They really are as bad as my damn father.

[thiscomicsucks]

This is worse than Hell. I'd rather be in Hell. At least Bennett would show us anime!

[carnageandclass]

I will assume that this anime is bad then.

[lightnen]

Huh? What IS anime, though?

[ Yup. He just went there and asked it. ]

[carries_war]

It's the Japanese word for 'animation'. Basically, cartoons from a specific part of Lost Jerusalem.

[lightnen]

Weird. Never really heard of that before... but...

[ Wait. WAIT. Something clicked in Killua's head and he made a bit of a face. ]

Do they have figures from these animes? Usually girls with curvy figures and really... big-chested or wearing cute, frilly outfits?

[ T h a n k s Milluki. His brother is kind of what they'd call an 'otaku' after all. ]

[carries_war]

I've heard of stuff like that, yeah. Not the part of the planet most of my antiques are from, but you see all kinds of things at auctions.

[lightnen]

...Ugh. My brother likes anime and he has a lot of these figures from it, including some almost life-sized ones and others that filled like... whole bookshelves.

[ Some of them were kinda cool but most of them... no. ]

[carnageandclass]

[Hi, apparently animu woman here.]

[carries_war]

[Eyebrow.]

Are you telling me you've literally been to Hell and back?

[thiscomicsucks]

No, Bennett's just Satan. Apparently. We haven't totally confirmed it.

He did try to have me make sell my future potential marriage to him one time, though. Which according to One More Day is something the real Satan would do I guess.

[carries_war]

Wait, wasn't that retconned, though? Or am I thinking of the movies pretending that whole thing never existed...