[DAY 17.1] The Artifact - Multiverse Mayhem!

It's old but gold. If it could help you out we've probably chucked it in here.
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[DAY 17.1] The Artifact - Multiverse Mayhem!

Post by haxxorzd00d » 27 Aug 2012, 14:51

ACT ONE

Day 1
Spoiler! :
Anonymous, Dig Team Alpha, Escapia Institute of Archaeology

I don't know what to do.

We've been searching the ruins for months now, all across Escapia, and finally I've found something. But I don't know what to do. It doesn't... it doesn't feel right.

It wasn't like this before. Back then we were just digging up dirt, piecing together tumbledown towers and scratching our heads looking at forgotten writings. But ever since we found those ruins in some Notch-forsaken dark corner of Borjan, something's been off. Our team leader's been impatient, flustered, even angry; it's as if he expects us to find something here. Word around the Institute is he's on orders from the top. Yes, him. The big boss. Seems like CreepsUTrust's been snooping around too; I suspect there's a mole within the Institute feeding them information, though what they'd want with dusty old relics, I haven't a clue. I wouldn't have thought there'd be any profit for a seedy corporation in dirt and cobble.

But now I've found this. Some sort of artifact, no bigger than a block. It's not unlike so many other designs we've come across before, but this thing is somehow... alive! It pulses with strange green light, as if it contains some unfathomable power.

I've brought the artifact back to my private quarters to study it further, but I'm having a crisis. I find myself mistrusting my team leader; should I hand the artifact over to him? Or should I enquire into CUT's interest in the ruins? Or maybe... I should keep it to myself?
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Day 2
Spoiler! :
My curiosity got the better of me. I had to know what CreepsUTrust was doing in those ruins - and hey, there was always the chance I could make a quick buck. I asked around and found myself an appointment with a CUT representative. He met me in a shady little tavern not far from the dig site.

"So what've you got for me?" The man got straight to the point. He wore dark shades and a smart suit; it was clear he was here for business, and business alone.
"Well, it's some sort of ancient relic. It seems to generate its own power," I said, slowly retrieving the artifact from my pack. The man's eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas morning.
"Fascinating. Lord Mountbatten will be very pleased with this."
"I don't understand. What would CUT want with something like this? You gonna sell it to the highest bidder, or open a museum and charge a diamond apiece to get in?"
"What we do with this object is none of your concern. It is in your best interests to hand it over to us." The man's demeanour suddenly turned cold.
"Tell me, why is CUT suddenly so interested in the ruins? There haven't been any discoveries in months, how could you-"
"Mountbatten's methods are his own; I wouldn't expect someone like you to understand. Now please: the artifact, if you will," the man interjected, gesturing toward his prize.
"Alright, supposing I hand this over. What's in it for me?"
"Oh, don't worry. After we've analysed this object and deemed it fit for purpose, you'll be handsomely rewarded."

So this is where I am. I really don't feel comfortable just handing the artifact over to this complete stranger; his intentions are too vague for my liking. And he won't even offer me a deal? I need to put my foot down - or walk away.
Day 3
Spoiler! :
Day 4
Spoiler! :
Day 5
Spoiler! :
Day 6
Spoiler! :
Day 7
Spoiler! :
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Re: [DAY 2] The Artifact

Post by haxxorzd00d » 01 Sep 2012, 10:17

Apologies for the delay, folks. Real life comes first, I'm afraid.
Have an extended chapter as an apology.

Day 3

"I'm sorry, I can't trust you," I replied. "You could be anyone."
"What, so the deal's off?" The stranger suddenly became angry. He moved toward the artifact, and I pulled it closer to me. He wasn't getting his hands on this today.
"...I'd like to speak to Lord Mountbatten."
A shocked expression crossed his face.
"W-what? You can't just speak with Mountbatten, he sees no-one unannounced."
"Well, announce it then. I don't care how far up his own ass he is, if he won't see me then he's not getting this artifact."
The man looked concerned, as if struggling with a tough decision. After a few moments, he yielded.
"...Alright. I'll take you to him. But there WILL be consequences."

In a sheltered cave behind the tavern stood a Nether portal. I felt more than a little uneasy as we approached.
"We're going straight in? I thought CUT HQ was well hidden?"
"I didn't say it wasn't," the man replied bluntly. He pulled a small obsidian trinket from his pocket, and placed it in a well-concealed slot on the back of the portal. Suddenly the swirling purple miasma turned scarlet, and kicked out furious sparks.
"Yeah, we can do this from any portal," he commented, noting my bemused expression.
Without hesitation, he stepped in. I made sure the artifact was safe in my pack. then followed.

I emerged from the portal to scorching heat. We were definitely in the Nether; ahead of me was a gargantuan lava lake, spewing out scalding magma. A small island floated above the lake, and on that island stood CUT headquarters.
So the legends were true.
The stranger was already halfway across the bridge to the island.
"Hurry it up, would ya? I haven't got all day."
"I thought Mountbatten would have some air-con down here or something," I yelled, rushing to catch up.
"It's on the fritz again. You have any idea how hard it is to find a repairman down here?"
Surprisingly, the man didn't enter the building through the front door. He led me to the rear of the tower, where he retrieved some sort of key-card from his jacket and swiped it through a scanner. A hidden back door opened; it led straight into an elevator.
"Why the back door?" I queried.
"First rule of CUT, kid: you want something done, you don't take the front door."
After a short ride, we stepped out of the lift into a labyrinthine maze of corridors.
"Follow me," the man commanded, as he set off at a brisk pace through the halls.
I tried to take in my surroundings as we wound our way to the upper floors. I saw bizarre rooms with no apparent purpose, demotivational signs, and yet not a single employee.
"So... what exactly does CUT do here?" I asked.
"No questions," the man replied.
My suspicions turned to alarm when we passed the Customer Disposal Tubes. However, before I could express my concerns, we arrived at a pair of solid oak doors, shut tight. The stranger looked anxious.
"Alright, this is it," he muttered.
He gave two loud raps on the door, which seemed to echo all around. Slowly but surely, the doors creaked open.
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Before me lay a spacious yet surprisingly sparse room. The only distinguishing feature of this chamber was the large, imposing desk at its centre. Behind the desk stood a high-backed obsidian chair, and in that chair sat Lord Louis Mountbatten.
"Welcome back, Invun," he said.
I was stunned. How could I not have realised? As he removed his dark sunglasses, I saw that Escapia's favourite goofball, Invunarble, was indeed in Mountbatten's employ.
"Tell me, what day is this?" Lord asked.
"It's, uh... Thursday, your Lordship," Invun replied, puzzled.
"Yes, it is Thursday. And do you know what that means?" Invun shook his head blankly.
"It means the latest issue of Escapia Sudoku Weekly. Now tell me, why do I find you barging into my office, unannounced I might add, while I am partaking of a particularly taxing puzzle?"
"Your Lordship, I... I brought you the artifact," Invun replied, his face reddening.
"Oh, you did? Isn't that funny. I see no artifact; all I see is a rather bemused-looking genteman and an imbecile," Lord retorted.
"Hey, I'm not bemused, I know exactly what's... oh."
"Yes, oh. I offer you a chance to serve CreepsUTrust - after countless hours of begging - and you fail your first task so catastrophically? Get back to your office before I throw you out."
Invun made an odd squealing sound and rushed from the room.
"Now tell me, good sir, how is it that my admittedly moronic employee has failed in separating you from your prize?"
As I slowly approached Mountbatten, I heard an explosion from the lower floor. I got the distinct feeling that a certain employee wouldn't be failing any tasks again.
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"I didn't feel comfortable handing it over to him, sir," I replied.
"...Good. You're wiser than you look. However I can assure you, CreepsUTrust means no ill intent with your artifact."
"I still don't know what it is or how it powers itself," I said, setting the artifact down on Mountbatten's desk.
"This is a very interesting item. I'm sure you're aware of CUT's previous products?" he asked.
"Of course, sir. The Banhammer, the VCLB, even the restaurant chain... your wares have brought nothing but good to Escapia."
"Exactly, my good man, and we would do the same with this artifact. If we could somehow understand its true purpose, we may be able to harness that power and use it for good!" Lord replied enthusiastically.
"I suppose so... look, if I hand this over to you, I don't want it to come to any harm. This is an ancient relic; it belongs in a museum."
"Oh, you don't have to worry about that; you'll be staying here with it."
I was taken aback.
"Uh, what?" I asked.
"We know nothing about this object; you are one of the nation's foremost experts in the field, and we would certainly need you on staff to make sense of it," he responded.
"Well, I don't know..." I saw a subtle glint in his eye.
"Come on, you've seen our work in the past. We have Escapia's best interests at heart. Give us the artifact, and we'll unleash its true potential..."
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Re: [DAY 3] The Artifact

Post by haxxorzd00d » 02 Sep 2012, 09:53

Day 4

I mulled over Mountbatten's proposition for a moment. He wasn't making it easy to trust him, but he was right; CUT had done good for Escapia in the past, and the prospect of discovering the artifact's true purpose was very tempting.
"...Alright, I'll work with you," I concluded.
"Excellent. We'll get you set up in one of the labs downstairs."
Lord summoned Steveab, CUT's resident redstone monkey, who led me back through the maze of tunnels to the lower floors. We soon arrived in a stark metallic chamber filled with buzzing and whrring contraptions.
"Are these... are these weapons?" I asked.
"This way, please," Steve replied, evading my question.
He led me to a vacant station and I set the artifact down.
"You'll have CUT's entire technological arsenal at your disposal to crack this thing. Now get to work," Steve said. He turned and left the room.

Over the next few hours, I tried my best to analyse the artifact, but concluded that it was resistant to any and all force I exerted on it. I dropped obsidian on it, set it on fire, even sealed it in the Blackadder-safe TNT chamber and detonated it - all to no avail. I even tested some of the experimental weapons accompanying me in the lab on it; all were ineffective. Clearly if this thing could be opened, only its makers could open it.
Trying a different approach, I wired the cube up to a variety of redstone machines in hopes that it would supply power to them, but it remained unresponsive. Even attempting to power CUT's prototype weapons was a miserable failure. It seemed that whatever was powering the artifact was entirely self-contained.

Disheartened at my futile attempts to crack the artifact, I went for a brief stroll around CUT headquarters. While cautiously touring the executive suites looking for a bathroom, I overheard a conversation. I could only hear one side of it - Mountbatten's - so it was clear he was communicating remotely with someone. Curious, I hid behind a high-backed boardroom chair and listened in.
"Yes, it's here right now. I've got some errand boy giving it the once over in the lab."
Of course, he was talking about me - and the artifact.
"...Oh, I don't know. It's glowy and green, it looks very convincing - yes, I thought so. I had a feeling this was what you were looking for."
Someone else looking for it? It couldn't be my team leader at the Institute, surely?
"Well, I'm sure we can come to some kind of... arrangement... that will satisfy both parties."
What was he planning to do, sell it?
"Of course, my technician is still analysing it. Depending on what he finds, I may be in touch to seal the deal... or I may not. Either way, CreepsUTrust appreciates your business."
He ended the call. I scampered back to the lab before he was any the wiser - or so I thought. I shortly heard footsteps coming downstairs to the lab. Did Mountbatten know I'd been eavesdropping? The door swung open and sure enough, in he strode.
"Well, well," he commented nonchalantly.
"Uh... y-yes, Sir?" I stammered, trying my best to play innocent.
"I'm here for a progress report. Have you determined any usefulness to this object?"
"Well..."

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Re: [DAY 4] The Artifact

Post by haxxorzd00d » 03 Sep 2012, 10:14

Day 5

"...I don't know what is is," I replied. Mountbatten looked unimpressed.
"Seriously? I give you my best tech and you don't even know what it is?"
I explained my findings; how the cube was impervious to damage and gave out no power despite seemingly powering itself.
"That's all well and good, but why does he want it?" Mountbatten mused to himself.
"Who?"
"My clients are none of your concern."
I knew he was talking about my team leader - but wasn't he working for someone higher up?
"Sir, if I may - back at the Institute, my team leader said we were on orders from the top. There's only one person that could be... is Wokka after the artifact?"

Mountbatten hesitated for a moment.
"...Yes," he finally responded. "He's willing to pay handsomely for it."
I pondered for a second, gears turning in my mind.
"But why? If we don't know what it is - do you think he does?"
"Look, I'll level with you. People have been getting suspicious of CUT lately. Asking too many questions, poking their noses where they don't belong. This glowy cube is nothing to me; selling it to Wokka would earn me some major brownie points with the public, and a hefty cash settlement to boot. The rainy day fund's been looking a bit sparse recently."
"So that's it?" I asked, the grim reality of the situation taking over. "This was all about money?"
Mountbatten smiled, that sickly smile that's kept the Escapian people eating out of his hand for all this time. "Come on now, when did I suggest anything otherwise?"

I had tried my best to keep the artifact away from the establishment - call it a hunch, but I had a feeling something wasn't right. But now Mountbatten's planning to just hand it over? It's time to make a stand!

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Re: [DAY 5] The Artifact

Post by haxxorzd00d » 04 Sep 2012, 07:46

Day 6

"No," I stated, mustering all the firmness and severity I could against Mountbatten. "I can't let you sell it. It's too important."
"I'm sorry, are you giving the orders around here now?" Mountbatten asked cynically. "You yourself said you had no idea what it was - and now you're saying it's important? You're in two minds, and it's starting to get on my nerves."
I clutched the artifact tightly.
"Well I'm sorry, but this is one product you won't be making a profit from."
Mountbatten thought for a moment.
"...Very well, so be it. I'll let Wokka know the deal's off. Now come with me; I want to show you something."

After a short walk, we arrived in a rather dull hallway, lined with doors along either side.
"The directors' offices," Mountbatten remarked, making a sweeping gesture. He directed me toward a particular office at the end of the hall: Derigin's.
"What you're about to see may alarm you, but trust me, it is quite necessary," Mountbatten reassured me as he opened the door.
I was greeted by a shocking sight: the walls of the room were adorned with all manner of depraved scrawlings. I could barely make sense of them, but one phrase stood out, repeated over and over. "Help me".
In the center of the room, hunched over a stack of papers on a creaky old chair, sat Derigin. He was muttering something under his breath.
"W-what happened to him!? What did you do?" I cried.
"Me? Why, I simply asked him to do his job, of course!" Mountbatten replied, almost offened.
"Well, what the hell is his job!?" I asked, astonished.
"He balances the books."
I moved closer to Derigin. His muttering grew louder.
"Car... carry... the... carry..." Unable to make it out, I knelt beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
He suddenly erupted in a screaming fit, thrashing about on his chair and sending papers flying.
"Carry the one! Carry the one! The one the one carry it! Carry it over, carry it ALL over! CARRY THE ONE!"
I jerked my hand away in horror.
"Yes, he does that now and then. Probably best we leave him to calm down," Mountbatten said, walking out of the room. I swiftly followed suit, terrified of the deranged employee.

"Why!? Why would you show me this?"
Mountbatten turned to face me, his cheery smile as present as ever.
"I'm curious to see if you'll be aware of it when it starts happening to you."
"What? Why would it start-"
Suddenly, Mountbatten flipped a panel on the wall to reveal a hidden lever. He pulled it and a piston-powered trapdoor opened beneath me. Before I knew what was happening, I was hurtling down a narrow tube. It came to an abrupt end, throwing me straight into a padded cell. I heard Mountbatten's voice calling down after me.
"Let me know when you've figured something out about that artifact!"

I sat in that cell for what felt like days, just staring at the artifact. Its pulsing green light cast an eerie glow over the dimly lit cell, and threatened to drive me mad. I drifted into a semi-conscious state, lost in visions that felt almost real. I saw dancing shapes - cubes and spheres and great towering pyramids. I saw a sky filled with light, as mighty beams cascaded down and tore the land asunder until nothing remained but me, floating in an endless void. And again I saw Derigin's fateful message, replayed over and over: "Help me."

I was startled back into reality by a loud bang. An explosion? I barely had time to come to my senses before the cell's dim overhead lighting flickered and died. For a moment, the room was illuminated only by the artifact's sickly green glow. Then suddenly, everything happened at once.

Glass shattered. Footsteps pounded above me. An alarm began echoing through the building. Then a beam of white light blinded me as a door opened in the side of the cell. A man stood before me in a black balaclava, armed with a bow.
"Hand it over. NOW," he commanded.
I grabbed the artifact and got to my feet, a picture of obedience. Before he could grab it, I shoved the cube violently towards him, sending him sprawling back against the cell wall. He grabbed me as I tried to escape with the artifact and sent me flying with a swift punch to the side of the head. As I got to my feet a few seconds later, still reeling from the blow, I saw the artifact was gone - but the fool had dropped his bow.

I quickly dashed through the hallways of CreepsUTrust, trying to remember the route Mountbatten and I had taken to the executive suites. The area was crawling with armed raiders like the one who had assaulted me; I ducked into a maintenance shaft to avoid their wrath and began working my way to the top of the building. As I climbed higher, I heard raised voices and a scuffle; something was definitely happening up there.

I peered through a ventilation duct into the boardroom and my attention was diverted two ways; Mountbatten, bound and gagged, was being dragged away through a shattered window. Across the room, the artifact thief was also making his escape. I nocked an arrow and smashed open the vent, knowing this split-second choice could make all the difference...

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Re: [DAY 6] The Artifact

Post by haxxorzd00d » 05 Sep 2012, 21:49

Day 7

The artifact! I had to keep it safe; someone going to this much trouble to steal it would surely want it for some nefarious purpose. Bursting from the vent, I loosed the arrow straight and true; it lodged itself in the thief's side. He yelled and stumbled; the artifact escaped his grasp and slid across the smooth marble floor. Seeing my chance, I sprinted across the room and grabbed it, swiftly making my escape before the thief could apprehend me.

On my way through the directors' floor, I spotted Derigin and Steveab being accosted by a couple more masked thugs. I put an arrow through the knee of one of the men, the momentary shock giving Steve and Deri a chance to pounce on the duo and subdue them.
"Guys, you've gotta get out of here! They've taken Mountbatten!"
Panic and fear crossed the two employees' faces.
"What!? What do we do?"
"We run!" I yelled, setting off to the lower floors. The two men quickly followed suit, Steve retrieving an assortment of keys and cards to get us through CUT HQ's various security systems.
"Listen, we have to protect this artifact. I think Wokka's trying to get it," I said, trying to catch my breath.
"Well then, hand it over! He's tearing this place apart!" Steve cried.
"You think he'd rush in guns blazing like this if he had good intentions!?" I shouted back.
"That's a good point, but we don't even know what it is! How could he know?"
We darted down the debris-strewn halls, narrowly avoiding shattered glass and dislodged furniture.

"Bel... bel... b-b-bel..."
Derigin had remained quiet until now; his mental instablity had taken a harsh toll on his cognition.
"What is it, Deri?" Steve asked. "Bell? Something about bells?"
"Bel... belt..."
"Belt? What belt?" Steve was becoming increasingly flustered. "Deri, we don't have time for this, we've got to- no, there are no belts, I- oh, Beltom!? Is that it?"
Derigin's face lit up.
"Yes! Yes! Beltom!" He cried.
"Beltwho?" I asked, completely befuddled.
"Beltom! Smart man, smarty man Beltom! Take the science cube to Beltom!"
"Uh, Steve, what's he on about?"
"The artifact, I think he means the artifact! Deri, what's Beltom got to do with-"
"Yes, cube, smarty man Beltom. Very smart, diggy diggy hole!"
"...I'm still not following you," I exclaimed, quite perplexed by this whole conversation. I could hear movement behind us and knew we were wasting time. Suddenly, a light flickered to life in my head.
"Deri, did this Beltom person dig for artifacts like this one?"
"Yes! Smarty man Beltom, he knows about science!"
"So I should take it to him, and he'll know what to do!"
"Yes, yes!" Derigin was grinning from ear to ear. Whatever he'd been trying to get across, he'd clearly succeeded. Perhaps the poor fool's mind wasn't quite totalled after all.

Our escape plan came to a sudden halt when we discovered our route to the lower floors was blocked by debris - and also on fire, which didn't help matters. The footsteps following us were growing louder, and there was only one way out - and it was a long drop.
I approached the window and peered over the edge. To my surprise, there was water spilling out from the floor below.
"The decontamination chamber," Steve informed me. "It's leaking."
"If I jump down, I can probably-"
"What!? Are you insane?"
"Well, I'm protecting this damn glowing cube and I don't even know what it does, plus I spent the last few hours hallucinating in a padded cell - so yeah, pretty much!"
"...Alright, I guess it's your only shot. Look, me and Deri will stay here and defend the HQ. You'll need this on your way out." He handed me an obsidian trinket like the one Invun had used to control the Nether portal.
"OK, listen to me. Find Sachiel. If Wokka really is after this thing, then you've started a war - and Sachiel's the one with his finger on the button."
The name rang a bell.
"You mean... OGRED?" I asked incredulously. I had heard legends of the orbital superweapon - how it had reduced whole cities to dust and turned the tide of many great battles.
"Whoever controls OGRED controls Escapia. Now go!"
Before I jumped, I turned to Steve one last time.
"Thanks for everything. No matter how much of a greedy, money-grubbing bastard Mountbatten may be - he's got some pretty good staff."
Without another word, I jumped.

I dropped the artifact and it thudded heavily onto the bridge below, causing a huge crack to appear across it. By some miracle, I was able to catch the flow of rushing water and ride it to the ground, sliding down the side of the building as I went. Seeing the split in the bridge, I snatched up the artifact and ran, leaving CUT HQ's only access to the outside world to crumble into the lava below. Steve and Deri were on their own now. I jammed the obsidian device into the portal as I had seen Invun do previously and stepped in.

I emerged in the middle of a frozen tundra - whatever I'd done with the navigation device, it hadn't been too successful. However, I figured I'd rather take my chances out here in the cold than head back in there to face those armed goons and the smouldering debris of CreepsUTrust. I set off in goodness knows what direction, but what - or rather who - was I hoping to find?

END OF ACT ONE

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Re: [DAY 7] The Artifact

Post by haxxorzd00d » 12 Sep 2012, 17:36

After a brief intermission, we're back!

ACT TWO
Day 8

CreepsUTrust was in pieces. Lord Mountbatten was being held hostage somewhere. And someone, possibly Wokka, was hunting me.

And all because of this stupid artifact. As I stumbled through the wilderness in search of civilization, I stared into the cube's pulsing green lines and wished I'd never dug it up. But at the same time, I felt some need, some primal urge to protect it; as if it somehow held the power to change the world.

Nevertheless, I had to find some answers. If there was one person who could give me those answers, it was Beltom. He's been living in Escapia for longer than most of us can remember; if anyone was qualified to give me a history lesson, it was him.

Fortunately, I soon came across a remote village, draped in a blanket of snow. The residents shot more than a few bemused glances my way; clearly they'd never seen an exhausted archaeologist trudging through the snow clutching a glowing green block before. I found my way to a cozy little inn and procured myself a room for the night. While drowning my sorrows with a pint or several, I asked the locals if they knew of Beltom.
"Beltwho?" they replied.
The innkeeper leaned across the counter and muttered something into my ear.
"That guy in the corner, he knows things. You ask him, he'll tell you what you need to know."
I glanced at the man sitting in a shadowy corner of the tavern; he was a grizzled old fellow clad in weather-beaten armour. I recognised him immediately; it was Darktaint, king of the Geighs. I got to my feet and cautiously approached him.

"Uh, excuse me... Mr. Taint?" He looked up warily from his flagon of ale.
"Yeah, whaddya want?" he growled.
"I need to know the whereabouts of a certain man," I explained. He snorted derisively.
"Ha! I don't know nobody 'round here no more. Once upon a time we all served Escapia, us forgotten Ops... but times have changed." He slammed his flagon ferociously upon the table. "New blood! Fresh meat, that's what drives the empire. Me, I'm nowt but a tired old fool."
I had heard tales of the Operators, the elite vanguard that protected Escapia from harm, and their apprentices, the Moderators. A great many of their number had retired of late; Darktaint was one of the oldest.
"No, that's just it. I'm looking for one of the old Operators. Goes by the name of Beltom."
"Beltwho?" he replied. I sighed deeply; did no-one but poor mad Derigin know who this man was?
Darktaint laughed. "Nah, I'm just messing with you. He lives out in the wastes, in a grand old castle he built from scratch. Good luck getting in; the door's well hidden."

I set off into the wilderness at first light, with only a compass to guide me. I trekked across steep terrain and through treacherous weather from dawn till dusk, all the while lugging the weighty artifact along with me. Exhausted and dejected, I was preparing to make camp for the night, when I spotted it; the outlines of crenellations, barely visible through the thick white fog. As I neared the castle, I watched it growing taller and taller, until as I stood at its walls, it towered high above me.

There was no visible door; Darktaint was right. I circled the structure looking for an entrance, and sure enough, I spotted a door-shaped indentation in the wall. I pressed my hand against it and the brickwork parted to reveal a lavish hall of red carpet and panelled wood. Seeing no-one inside, I proceeded to follow the passageway. It twisted and turned for what felt like miles before emerging into an elegant study. Exquisite paintings adorned the walls, and a high backed chair stood facing a grand fireplace. A man, silhouetted in the firelight, rose from the chair. He wore a long red coat; in his hand was a glass of brandy.
"A little cliché, don't you think?" I mused.
"Indeed it is, and good of you to observe it as such," the stranger replied. "I do enjoy challenging the perceptions of my guests." He spread his arms wide, inviting me into the room.
"Welcome, good sir; I am Beltom the Wise. How may I be of service?"
I explained my predicament to Beltom; he grinned when I revealed the artifact to him.
"I can't believe it. Someone finally found one," he exclaimed.
"Found what?" I asked.
"You mean you don't know? Ah, I see... that's why you're here. Well, make yourself comfortable and I'll enlighten you!"

"This land, and many others, were once inhabited by an ancient civilization. We at the Institute nicknamed them Bob, for want of a better name. Anyway, those ruins you've no doubt seen across our worlds?" I nodded.
"Those are Bobian ruins. Now, the strange thing is, these ruins we've found have all been spaced fairly far apart. What does that tell you?"
"Uh... they didn't get on with their neighbours?"
"Clever, but not quite. It tells us that the Bobians had a way of travelling between these places, without roads or rails."
"You mean... through the Nether?"
"Exactly. Indeed, our own Nether portals were reconstructed from those the Bobians left behind. They were clearly very intelligent people."
"But wait, you said there were other lands?"
"That's where the story gets really interesting. We believe that they also possessed the ability to travel between worlds - perhaps even dimensions - in a way not unlike our modern-day hub."
"That's amazing. But tell me, what does this artifact have to do with all this?"
"I believe that this relic may be a "key" of sorts; a security device to prevent unauthorized users from accessing the gateways between worlds."
"So what you're saying is... if we find a portal, we can travel between our worlds like at the hub!"
"Yes, but there's more to it than that. In all the ruins and fragments of their civilization we've discovered, we've never found anything that suggested they actually lived there."
"...They lived in the Nether? Or underground? Maybe even in the sky?"
"Maybe, maybe. However, we think their home is in another land; one we haven't yet discovered. It may even be in some sort of other dimension, in which case all the explorers in Escapia would never find it."
The pieces were falling into place in my mind.
"...You think we can use the portals to reach their homeworld!?"
"Correct."

This was one hell of a revelation to me. Finally, I knew - or at least I thought I knew - what this thing was for!
"This explains a lot, but I still don't understand why Wokka's after it," I said.
"Ah, the plot thickens," Beltom replied. "There's something very few people know about Wokka: a long time ago, when he was just another Escapian, he joined the Insititute of Archaeology."
"Wokka, digging in the dirt for trinkets? That's ridiculous."
"It seems very out-of-character for him, I agree - but times change. Anyway, he became rather obsessed with our research into the Bobian civilization. He would spend hours upon hours just digging... almost as if he knew there was something to find."
"You reckon he knew about this artifact all along?"
"I don't see how he could have - although the Escapia Library is a wealth of information. It's possible he did his homework."

"No offence, but I didn't come here to read. I came here to find out what this thing is," I stated.
"Well then, why don't we take a little expedition to one of the portal sites and see if we can get it up and running again?"
"...I'm not sure barging into the homeworld of a lost civilization is such a good idea."
"If it's information you seek, then there's one other source you may be interested in... the one person who's ever been close to Wokka."
"You mean..."
"Yes. Perhaps we ought to pay our glorious leader SneakyPie a visit."

MEANWHILE...

In the ravaged halls of CreepsUTrust, Steveab had a plan. He knew he had to rescue Lord Mountbatten, but he lacked two very important means to do so: firepower, and a way out of CUT HQ without taking a lava bath. Fortunately, he had an solution to both problems - Mountbatten's private helicopter. Steve retrieved a remote control from Mountbatten's desk and hit the big red button. Sure enough, the chopper emerged from its hiding place under the lava lake, and hovered just outside the shattered glass of the CEO's office.

Steve hopped into the helicopter and ascended the evacuation shaft that Mountbatten had persuaded a drunken Blackadder to blast from the surface world to the Nether. (He told him there were strippers at the bottom.) He had the transport, now all he needed were the guns - lots and lots of guns. Of course, he couldn't get guns without money... and where better to get that money than from the Beard-Tec vault, filled to the brim with epic loot? It was time to pull off the biggest heist Escapia had ever seen, but he couldn't do it alone...

CreepsUTrust needs YOU! Break into the Beard-Tec vault, make off with the swag, and spend that swag on crazy firepower to rescue Lord Mountbatten!
Try your luck at "The Bank Job" puzzle map, now available in the Enigma world!

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Re: [DAY 8] The Artifact - Act Two

Post by Victini998 » 14 Sep 2012, 13:55

Isnt Mountbatten in creative? So couldnt he just fly away? Anyways this is really cool and im excited for the finale :lol: :D
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Re: [DAY 8] The Artifact - Act Two

Post by minnerthecat » 15 Sep 2012, 13:47

Well, it nearly killed me, but several cups of coffee later and I finally finished that blasted bank heist! Fantastic work on that puzzle, it was great fun despite making me want to rip my hair out! :P I just can't resist when there's loot and weapons to be had!
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Re: [DAY 8] The Artifact - Act Two

Post by Clanton1 » 17 Sep 2012, 14:56

i say just get rid of it. Who knows it could be something dangerous. by any means how GET RID oF IT
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Re: [DAY 8] The Artifact - Act Two

Post by Victini998 » 26 Sep 2012, 17:34

Is this thread over? Or is it just taking a while to type the finale?
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Re: [DAY 8] The Artifact - Act Two

Post by Clanton1 » 27 Sep 2012, 14:27

Victini998 wrote:Is this thread over? Or is it just taking a while to type the finale?
i was wondering the same thing
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Re: [DAY 8] The Artifact - Act Two

Post by J4Numbers » 27 Sep 2012, 14:38

Have you ever tried pinning down SneakyPie for a chat, it's not exactly easy.
Our dear protagonist has been in the waiting line for nearly two weeks, it can't be good for him.

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Re: [DAY 8] The Artifact - Act Two

Post by Clanton1 » 27 Sep 2012, 14:40

M477h3w1012 wrote:Have you ever tried pinning down SneakyPie for a chat, it's not exactly easy.
Our dear protagonist has been in the waiting line for nearly two weeks, it can't be good for him.
i was just wondering b/c i have posted this a long time ago
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Re: [DAY NINE] The Artifact - Act Two

Post by haxxorzd00d » 29 Sep 2012, 06:48

After a depressingly long hiatus, we're back - and we're headed straight for the thrilling conclusion! Sorry about the wait folks; real life stuck its big ugly nose in again, as it does. Anyway, on with...

Day 9

Beltom and I decided we would be best off visiting SneakyPie, who would hopefully have more information about Wokka's past to share with us. As it turned out, Sneaky was currently vacationing on his secluded private island; luckily for me, Beltom knew how to get there. After a couple days brisk travel, we reached the shore of the vast lake on which the isle resided. Beltom retrieved a couple of boats from his pack, and we set about paddling.
"So, Sneaky and Wokka have some history, huh?" I asked, calling out over the loud splashing of our boats cruising across the water.
"Yes, it's a little strange actually," Beltom replied. "When Wokka first made himself and his ideals known, we all supported him wholeheartedly and backed his vision for Escapia. All of us, that is, except Sneaky. He was apprehensive of Wokka, but when we questioned him about it, he became quite evasive."
"Huh, guy must've had some demons or something," I commented. "So what made him come around?"
"Well... we don't know. One day he just came to us and said Wokka had his full support. Guess he did some thinking. Hold up, we've arrived."

Our rickety wooden boats slowed in the shallow water and deposited themselves on the sandy shore of the island. As we disembarked, I spotted a large, colourful beach umbrella with a fancy jungle-wood recliner beneath it. Sneaky was relaxing in the chair, swigging something brown and suspect from a petrol can and contentedly nomming away on something.
"Oh hey Beltom, good to see ya," he called to us.
"Hello again Sneaky," Beltom called back. "Say, what is that you're eating?"
"Oh, this?" Sneaky gestured behind him, toward a covered bar area labeled "The Butty Bar". "It's a butty, of course! Ninja got me hooked on them." Sure enough, Ninjawoman was behind the bar, lovingly crafting these "butties" for her glorious leader. "So who's your friend?"
"He's an archaeologist," Beltom explained. "He's found something we think you ought to see."

We presented Sneaky with the glowing green cube. He seemed dismayed by it.
"Hmm... listen, you should give this to me."
"What?" I exclaimed, pulling it away from Sneaky.
"It's important - I mean, I think it's important - to everyone! Look at it, this is clearly the greatest find in Escapian history. Just hand it over and I'll see it gets the attention it deserves!"
I could see something in Sneaky's eyes. Panic? Fear? Whatever it was, something wasn't right.
"We don't even know what it is," I said. "Beltom thinks it might be a key to something. All we know is, Wokka really wants to get his hands on it."
Sneaky looked even more alarmed now, though he tried his best not to show it.
"No! You can't let him have it!" he cried.
"Uh... why not?" I asked, suspicious.
"Because, uh... because he'll just put it on display. It needs to be studied!"
There was no conviction in Sneaky's response. Did he know something I didn't?
"Listen, you two have had a long journey. Stay here tonight, would ya? I've got a couple tents in back; we'll have us a campfire."
This seemed like an odd gesture, but who was I to refuse our glorious leader?

Sneaky was true to his word. That night, we roasted mushmallows and sang old Escapian folk songs from the early days of the empire.

"Oh, the griefers come and the griefers go,
The chat gets spammed and the boom-sticks blow,
But the banhammer swings and down they go,
And all at the hands of a man named Cho!"

We made merry until the moon was high and the fire had dwindled to ash, then retired to our tents. I slept snug and sound, relieved to be free of the artifact's burden for a short while - until I suddenly awoke. It was still dark. The flickering firelight was still visible outside. And yet, something felt wrong. I realised to my horror that I really was free of the artifact's burden - it was gone!

I burst out of my tent to discover Beltom still fast asleep. However, Sneaky's tent was empty.
If he really had run off with my artifact, I had to catch him! Sure enough, one of the boats was gone, a faint trail of froth leading into the moonlit forest. I prepared to launch the other boat and give chase, when I heard an unsettling sound - the howling of wolves, bows being let loose, and a sudden explosion. Then silence. Perhaps going out at night wasn't the best idea - but would there still be a trail to follow come morning?

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Re: [DAY NINE] The Artifact - Act Two

Post by asi1998 » 29 Sep 2012, 08:33

Sneaky is going to use this to regain power from wokka but two people are better than one.
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Re: [DAY NINE] The Artifact - Act Two

Post by Elcquid » 29 Sep 2012, 22:59

GET IT
Me: I shot 15 rounds into your mom
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Re: [DAY NINE] The Artifact - Act Two

Post by Invunarble » 29 Sep 2012, 23:13

GET DAT BOX!
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Re: [DAY NINE] The Artifact - Act Two

Post by haxxorzd00d » 02 Oct 2012, 03:13

The new world may be open to all, but our story still has unfinished business to take care of.

Day 10

Despite the commotion I had heard from the forest, I knew if I set off now I could catch up to Sneaky. Without hesitation I launched the second boat and began hastily paddling toward the opposite shore. Within moments the flickering firelight of the campsite faded and the night's foggy cloak enveloped me. As I reached the shore and disembarked, I withdrew a torch from my pack and began to follow Sneaky's trail. He was clearly more concerned with speed than stealth; deep footprints in the damp soil suggested he'd been running from something.

I made my way hurriedly, yet with caution, through the forest, with only my dwindling torch and Sneaky's hasty trail to guide me. I heard rustling in the bushes around me and quickened my pace; we all knew the dangers that lurked in Escapia's wilds at night. A man could be jumped by ravenous zombies, shot in the back by a cunning skeleton, or even blown to pieces by an errant creeper. As I trudged along the trail, it began to rain; this would not bode well for my light source.

After a short trek, I heard a different sound; the sound of frantic digging somewhere up ahead. I burst through the undergrowth and saw Sneaky, diamond shovel in hand, piling dirt into a muddy pit.
"Sneaky!" I yelled. "What are you doing!?"
"You can't have it. No-one can. It must be buried," he replied, continuing to shovel dirt into the hole.
"Why!? I don't understand!" He suddenly turned to me, his eyes flashing with fury in the torchlight.
"No, of course you don't. You know nothing of this cube; what it is, what it does. But if you did, you wouldn't be so quick to take it back."
I had had enough.
"So tell me! Enough with all these damned riddles! I want some answers!"
"You have to trust me. Surely you trust your glorious leader?" he asked.
"No, I'm not sure I do!" I replied. "Clearly you know something I don't; I'm not leaving until you tell me everything."
Sneaky stood in silence for a moment; the only sound was that of the drizzle cascading through the trees around us.
"...OK, OK. There's so much more to this artifact than you realise - information I'm not at liberty to share - but it's yours. You want it, you take it. The sooner it's out of my hands, the better. Just promise me you won't let Wokka get his hands on it." He stuck the diamond shovel into the dirt and gestured for me to grab it.

Well, this was certainly a change of events. If Sneaky really knew the truth, why would he not tell me? Why this sudden change of heart? And what did Wokka have to do with all this? Whatever I did or didn't understand about this situation, I had to make a choice.

Cast your vote to decide what happens next!
The outcome of this story will have consequences for everyone in Escapia...

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Re: [DAY 10] The Artifact - Act Two

Post by vallorn » 02 Oct 2012, 05:50

Hit sneaky with the flat part, dig up the cube, Run Like Buggery.

In that order.
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Re: [DAY 10] The Artifact - Act Two

Post by SneakyPie » 02 Oct 2012, 06:32

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I know how this Sneaky guy thinks.

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Re: [DAY 10] The Artifact - Act Two

Post by minnerthecat » 02 Oct 2012, 07:10

SneakyPie wrote: I know how this Sneaky guy thinks.
Yeah, Sneaky will probably wait until you've dug it up then knock you out and bury you alive in the hole you just dug. Mafia style! The cube still needs to be dug up though, maybe get Sneaky to do it so you can keep an eye on him? ;) (Sorry Sneaky!)
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Re: [DAY 10] The Artifact - Act Two

Post by asi1998 » 02 Oct 2012, 08:44

Trust Sneaky he's telling the truth. Because he was there burying it before u came, it's obvious he doesn't want anything to do with it.
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Re: [DAY 10] The Artifact - Act Two

Post by Invunarble » 02 Oct 2012, 14:17

SneakyPie wrote:Image
Yeah, that. FLEE!
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Re: [DAY 11] The Artifact - Act Two

Post by haxxorzd00d » 02 Oct 2012, 18:57

Day 11
(or "Adventures in the Space Between")

After all I'd been through, I couldn't leave the artifact to rot in some dank hole in the ground. I yanked the shovel from the dirt and began to dig up the cube. The rain had grown from a light drizzle to a pelting downpour, which didn't make my task any easier. As I knelt in the mud and retrieved the artifact, my torch fizzled out; the area was only fantly lit by the cube's eerie green glow now.
"And to think, I never even knew your name," Sneaky muttered.
"Wha-"
Suddenly, everything went dark.

I opened my eyes and saw nothing. At first I assumed I was in pitch darkness, but there was some sort of ambient illumination in the air; a strange, grey-ish fog hung over me, obscuring my vision in all directions. I was lying on a flat surface; I stood up and took a few shaky steps forward. I felt... lighter than usual. My eyes began to adjust to the half-light and I saw I was on a flat grey plane, stretching off into the fog for some indeterminate distance. Was I... dead? No, I still felt distinctly alive, though something was definitely off.

I wandered for what felt like hours, the flat empty ground never changing and no light visible in the gloom. I was about ready to abandon hope when I saw a faint flickering, a ripple in the fog. Suddenly a young man emerged from the mist, dressed in tattered shirt and jeans. In his hand was a flint and steel. He stood and stared at me intently for a moment.
"...Nope, no idea," he finally said. "Where's your catalyst?"
"I'm sorry?" I replied. "What's a catalyst? Listen, I have no idea where-"
"Your weapon of choice, your tool of destruction, your raison d'etre. Whatever it was got you here in the first place."
"I don't even know where 'here' is," I said bluntly.
"...Wait a second, are you... are you an Unjust? You are, aren't you! We don't get many of you around these parts, let me tell you!"
I still had no clue what was going on.
"OK, just stop for a second. Where am I, who are you and what's going on?"
"Dude, you don't know? Huh, you must've been taken by surprise."
"What!? What is it?" I cried.
"Sorry to tell you this bro, but you've been banned."

This was impossible. How could I have been banned? The last thing I remembered was digging up the artifact, and then - Sneaky! He must have summoned the banhammer and taken me out! His supposed "change of heart" was clearly nothing more than a cheap trick; one which my stubborn defence of the artifact had led me into.
"This isn't fair!" I yelled. "I've broken no rules!"
"Exactly, you're an Unjust. Like I said, we don't get a lot of you guys."
"Well, how do I get unbanned?"
"It ain't easy, I'll tell you that much. Only the Unjust have a chance; c'mon, I'll take you to 'em."
The man raised his flint and steel and appeared to light the air itself, sending a trail of fire blazing off toward the horizon. We followed the trail, passing nothing of interest and not running into a single soul, until eventually something loomed out of the mist. It was an enormous, ethereal set of scales. In one scale stood an unlit brazier; the other was empty. At the guide's instruction. I climbed aboard the empty scale.
"I can go no further - only the Unjust may enter the Hall," he said, and lit the brazier.

The scales tipped in my direction and suddenly I was falling into an inexplicable abyss. The rising scale escalated out of sight as mine continued to fall, eventually coming to rest in a dimly lit hall, which seemed to have materialised from nowhere. I stepped off the scale and observed the hall's imposing pillars and smooth polished floor, which seemed incredibly reflective though there was nothing to reflect. The air in front of me rippled suddenly, and a phantasmal man appeared.
"Gah!" I yelled. "Where did you come from?"
"I am the spirit of the Unjust. Though my true form returned to the overworld long ago, I remain here to guide such unfortunates as yourself away from this hellish fate and into the light."
"You look familiar," I commented. "Have we met before?"
"A great many people know of me in the overworld. I have served Escapia since near its conception, and I do to this day."
"So how'd you end up down here?" I asked, curious.
"One higher than myself made an error of judgement. Though he was not banished, he has not been seen in Escapia for aeons. I suppose I had the last laugh, so to speak."
"Alright, enough vagueness. How do I get out of here?"

"If you wish to be unbanished, you must take charge of the conscience of the one who banished you. To do this, you must make peace with your catalyst."
"I thougt the Unjust had no catalysts?"
"Oh, we all have a catalyst. You were protecting something, yes?"
"That's right, the artifact. How did you know that?"
"It was taken from you. You must find it," the spirit replied.
"Well, how do I do that? It's not even in this plane of existence!" I said, growing flustered. None of this made any sense!
"Look to your mind. Remember how you came to be in this place, and realise what is most important to you."
My mind jumped back to the forest in the rain. As I replayed the events of that night again in my head, I felt something hit me; a drop of water. I looked up, and suddenly it was raining. I was back in the forest!

I heard a sound; the sound of frantic digging somewhere up ahead. I burst through the undergrowth and saw Sneaky, diamond shovel in hand, piling dirt into a muddy pit.
"Sneaky!" I yelled. "What are you doing!?"
"You can't have it. No-one can. It must be buried," he replied, continuing to shovel dirt into the hole.
Wait. This was familiar. I'd done this all before, and if I continued, Sneaky would have the upper hand again. But how was I supposed to "make peace" with the artifact? After all, I had to protect it, conceal it, keep it from harm - if I was ever going to learn the truth. Wait! I was struck with a sudden realisation. I had no need to protect the artifact! All I had ever wanted was to know the truth!
"I don't want it, Sneaky," I replied. He looked confused.
"It means nothing to me. Hell, I don't even know what it does. All I want is the truth."
"...I can't give you the truth," Sneaky responded.
"Yes, you can. You just don't want to. Nobody does, and i don't know why. Look, just tell me what it is and we can fix this whole mess."
"It won't fix anything. It'll only make matters far, far worse."
"No. I don't believe that. Look, Beltom told me it's some kind of key to a portal, and I-"
"It's not a key." What?
"So tell me what it is! Tell me and I won't stop you from doing what you think is right!"
Sneaky suddenly grabbed the shovel and started to dig up the cube. He knelt down and clutched it in his hands. The cube's green lines began to pulse brightly, and the very ground beneath my feet shook with an otherwordly force.
"Sneaky, what's happening!?"
"It's not a key," he replied. He let go of the cube, which was now blindingly bright, and it began to hover upwards. A few metres from the ground, it began to change shape. It grew steadily bigger in size and its corners rounded, all the while so bright I could barely look. After a few seconds the artifact had transformed into a huge floating sphere, several metres across. The blinding light faded, and a hole opened in the front of the sphere, from which descended a set of stairs.
"It's a door."

At that moment the forest, and Sneaky, vanished. I was once again on the ethereal grey plane, staring into foggy nothingness. However, the artifact - if that's what it still was - remained. The Spirit appeared before me once more.
"It is done. Your catalyst has bridged the gap between this realm and the overworld. This is a curious occurrence indeed."
"So you're saying I can get back through the sphere?" I asked.
"I believe so, yes," the spirit replied.
"So what was all that about controlling conscience or whatever?"
"Circumstances have changed. Your catalyst IS the way out - and in your world, it may lead to something far greater."
"So what you're saying is... this is all a bunch of wacky madness that makes no sense whatsoever."
"Pretty much, yeah." And with that, the spirit walked away into the mists and vanished.

A crowd had begun to gather around the sphere. I saw more vandals with lighters and explosives, thieves with chests full of loot, and a few miscreants with trollface masks. It was an alarming sight; I feared for my safety. The crowd parted and a man was brought forth on a diamond throne; he wore a diamond crown and diamond armour. I got the feeling there was a theme going on here.
"Greetings. I am Comet, the Diamond King," he said. I recognised the name.
"I know you, you're the Bantrap's most famous victim!" I exclaimed. It was common knowledge that Comet had wilfully disregarded the ominous portent of the Very Clearly Labeled Bantrap and been banished as a result.
"In the overworld, I was a mere peasant lusting after diamonds and veterancy. But in this world, I am a king! Now, I want to help you get your cube back."
"Why? What's in it for you?"
"Not much, I just want to wreak some havoc in revenge for that stupid diamond block."
Comet gestured to his subjects, and three members of the crowd stepped forth.
"These three are my most valuable men. You may choose one to accompany you to the overworld; he will serve you 'til death."
I looked at the three vagabonds. None of them seemed like great travelling companions.
"The first is a griefer, a master of explosives and vandalism. If you need to cause chaos or blow something up, he's your man. The second is a master thief. His sticky fingers may just be able to take back your artifact. The third is a notorious loudmouth. What he lacks in intelligent conversation, he makes up for in argumentative prowess; suffice to say he has a way with words."
How was I meant to decide which of these law-breakers would accompany me? They all had skills which could prove useful, yet they may all be a liability...

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Re: [DAY 11] The Artifact - Act Two

Post by vallorn » 02 Oct 2012, 20:55

Explosives. Nothing says GIVE ME MY CUBE BACK! more than several Blackadder's of TNT.
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Re: [DAY 11] The Artifact - Act Two

Post by LS13 » 02 Oct 2012, 21:02

Out of those three griefers somehow annoy me the least.
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Re: [DAY 11] The Artifact - Act Two

Post by Sti_Jo_Lew » 02 Oct 2012, 21:32

Who is the shadowy figure? :o
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Re: [DAY 11] The Artifact - Act Two

Post by minnerthecat » 02 Oct 2012, 23:37

I knew that Sneaky was no good!
Orange and white, but not quite right.

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Invunarble
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Re: [DAY 11] The Artifact - Act Two

Post by Invunarble » 03 Oct 2012, 14:59

Lol, comet as a king.
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"The roses are red, but Invunarble is blue. Hit him with a puma." - Vallorn
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"Baked fucking potato" - Lord Mountbatten, 2014

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