It was a sunny beautiful day in the land of Roll. The wind was blowing, the waves on the beach were gentle and cool, the birds were singing their happy song, and even the fish seemed to want to join in, of course that was until the birds ate them. A few hundred feet from this beautiful peaceful setting was something that was a bit... unsettling, only in the way that watching a group of warriors brutally slaughter a giant monster is unsettling. There were seven of them, each with a different job.
Nathan, of the family Bell (Dwarf Thief)
Specializing in speed and dagger use, he can use a lock-pick on doors, not very good offensively.
Sarah, of the family Jewell (Elf Mechanic)
Uses guns she built herself, also uses robots to fight for her, and to aid in her own strength
Bailey, of the family Neill (Amazon Warrior)
A powerful sword wielding warrior of the amazon tribe, can talk to animals and use nature to heal
Guy, a robot made by a man named Robbins (Time Traveler)
A time traveling robot from the year 5642, along for the ride, helps out when he can with his lazer gun
Jon, of the family Huckaby (Human Bard)
A traveling musician, uses music and dance to attack and defend against creatures, he can turn sound waves into weapons for his other party members
DeAndre, of the family Clay (Centaur Archer)
A half man half horse from the forests of Afreaka. His aim with a bow is unparalleled. He has a sword, but is not as skilled at it
Shaun, of the family Rosten (Human Mage)
Studied Magic for years at various different schools, knows both offensive and defensive spells. Leader of the group.
The group formed a guild many years ago, and now take quests to catch or kill monsters across the land. They are Guild Larlham, after their founder. Today they find themselves fighting a viscous monster that has been terrorizing the residents of the nearby town of Powell. It was a large beast with two long necks leading to a head each, it did not have faces so each head wore a mask, one was laughing, the other crying. Sarah was trying to pin the beast down, she was wearing a mechanical suit that made her 50 times stronger than normal, while Nathan and DeAndre tried to keep the heads occupied. Shaun provided defensive spells to shield everyone from the fire and ice that the beast was breathing. Guy had disappeared in time when the battle started and had yet to reappear. Jon was playing a song that increased the party's speed. The Laughing Masked Head made right for Sarah and bit off a chunk of her armor, and with it's long neck exposed Bailey came crashing down and severed the neck from the rest of the body. Shaun took an offensive position and using a fire spell he enchanted Bailey's sword, she burned the wound on the body of the monster to prevent the head from growing back. The Crying Masked Head screamed in pain as the flame bathed sword burned it's flesh. In the moment of distraction Shaun cast a spell that created several blades of Ice, they went crashing through the neck and body of the beast, killing it instantly, the beast's body ruptured and popped like a large balloon filled with blood, covering our heroes.
Nate spoke first, “Oh what the fuck?” everyone began spitting blood out, wiping their eyes, Bailey actually threw up. And a blue light appeared near them, they knew it was Guy coming back from a time warp. “Yeah, I knew that was gonna happen.”
“Why didn't you tell us anything?” Shaun asked, holding down his own vomit.
“Cause then you wouldn't have killed it, we need that reward money.” Guy responded. Everyone pretty much agreed and shook their heads admitingly. “Yeah, that's true.”
“Well, next time give us a heads up and we'll figure something out.” Sarah said, gathering pieces of her armor, and with her little robot helper, Gina.
“I'll try, but I'm not making any promises.” Said Guy.
“Thanks” said DeAndre slipping in the blood. “Oh god, it's everywhere, I'm going for a swim” They all had forgotten that they were right near the ocean, they all began to take their armor off in preparation for a good cleaning they all needed, except for Guy.
“Wait, uh, so according to the contract we took we need to collect as much of the blood as we can.” Nathan reminded everyone.
“Oh god dammit Nate, are you kidding me?” Sarah shouted at him.
“That's what the contract says, so everyone let's try and get the blood off ourselves and into this bottle” he presented a bottle, they all didn't think it looked too big so it shouldn't have been so hard. Except that there was a lot more blood on the ground then on them, so they got what they could out of their hair and clothes and filled the rest with bloody dirt. Not their best job, but not their worst. Then they decided to clean up and go home.
*
Back in Powell they turned in what they had of the monsters blood, an Elf Healer had put out the contract because he needed it to get rid of a curse on his sister. By the time they got the blood to him his sister was already half chicken half Elf, the good news was that they had enough blood to cure her, the bad news was that because of all the dirt and hair mixed in with the blood she turned into a half Elf half Centaur. Everyone looked at DeAndre. “I groom everyday!” but that didn't quite make up for it. So they Elf cut their pay and sent them on their way with a big “Ass holes!” Shaun counted up what they made and added it to what they had. “Well, we have enough for dinner tonight and either drinks tonight or breakfast tomorrow, what do you guys want to do?”
*
It was well after dinner and the gang had drank most of their weights in alcohol. DeAndre abstained because he knew he was giving rides back home, and he didn't want to get stopped by guards for a GUI, (Galloping Under the Influence) he already had 2, and from what he heard around here it was 3 strikes and it's off to the glue factory. So instead he smoked something the local Alchemist Shane had concocted in his lab across town. Jon serenaded everyone with a song and they all sang along. Shaun sat at the head of the table, controlling the beer in his mug with a spell, making it into a small dragon that flew about his hand. He thought about a lot of things, he was very quiet, he mostly attributed this to the fact that he had already drank a few mugs of beer, and had shared in some “alchemy” with Shane and DeAndre. He looked out across the table and felt happy about everything he saw, Bailey was in an arm wrestling contest with Guy and Nate, she was winning of course. Sarah was trying to get Jon to teach her little Gina Robot how to play guitar. And DeAndre, Shane and the owner of the bar, June, were happily smoking more of Shane's latest creation. The only thing that troubled him was that he missed the old times, where they went on real quests and had adventures. When they would be in a jungle for weeks at a time looking for some lost ruins, or that time they found that house in the woods filled with the Undead, or when they stopped the moon from falling out of the sky and killing everyone. He missed the excitement, they didn't need the praise, hell most of the time they got more hatred than praise, they would save villages and the people wanted it to burn down for insurance money, you wouldn't think that would happen more than once, but there they were, five villages that were trying to commit fraud later, and chin deep in debt, all because they didn't let some people's dumb village burn down. They did let one burn down because they were afraid of the same thing from happening, turns out they didn't even have insurance. So they had to pay for that too, needless to say they were one of the less popular Guilds these days, once even that Guild of child molesters was given a job over them, it was safe, there were no children involved, although a goat did disappear. Shaun sat at that table cross faded and thinking, then suddenly, nothing, he didn't remember anything.
*
A flash of light, he awoke in a cloud of pain, his vision blurry, his mouth dry, his body numb. “Oh god... I feel-” before he got to finish that thought he vomited. “Gross” an unfamiliar voice said, he looked around and realized that he had no idea where he was. He was in an entirely new town, everything was made out of wood and metal, everything about this town looked like a machine, as if the entire city was just one giant machine. “Where am I?” Shaun asked, “In Experimental City in the Land of Rock, home to a million machines.” It made sense to him, all he saw were machines of some sort. Giant wheels made of wood, being turned by steel arms. Roads with tracks on them, where carts pushed themselves, there were carts attached to rails in the sky with the words “Sky Taxi” on them. Even the horses were metal, one almost trampled on him, but he was pulled out of the way just in time. “You really need to be more careful, you could get yourself killed that way!” it was the voice he had been hearing all this time, but he couldn't put a body to it, he felt someone pulling him, but didn't actually see anyone. “Who's there?” Shaun demanded.
“Jeeze, I just saved your life, you could at least say thank you, but no, it's all Who's there, I can't see you, don't touch me there”
“What?”
“Oh wait, that wasn't you...”
“No”
“Who am I thinking of?”
“I don't know” Shaun was confused and a little uneasy.
“That is going to bug me... oh well, anyway welcome to Experimental City, I am invisible being whose name isn't important, as part of my community service I am supposed to help those who are new to the city, so if you have any questions now is the time to ask before I leave.”
“How did I get here?”
“That is a great question... I have no clue, how about a question I can answer?”
“Where is my Guild?”
“Where is my Guild?”
“Ok, again, I'm going to ask you to ask me a question I know the answer to.”
“You are no help, those are really the only questions I have, I woke up in this city with no clue of how I got here, where my friends are, or what I'm supposed to do, what the hell am I supposed to be asking?”
“ok, seriously, I don't know how to help you, why not just ask me about the local flora and fauna found in Experimental City?”
“ok, seriously, I don't know how to help you, why not just ask me about the local flora and fauna found in Experimental City?”
“Why would I do that? That in no way helps me”
“Look, I just need some dick tourist to ask me these damn questions so I can get my 80 hours alright? Now if it's not gonna be you, I'll get some other dick to help me out. If you need to know about a building or some stupid shit like that just whistle and I'll come find you”
“That is incredibly unhelpful, why would me whistling make you come to me?”
“It's all part of my community service- Alan, that was his name, Alan told me to stop touching him like that, ok, see ya, uh...?”
“Shaun, of the family Rosten”
“Oh! Great news Shaun, of the family Rosten, I DO have something that can help you, some dick summoned me by whistling and when I got there only a note was left, it had your name on it here, take it.” The invisible man took a note out of what Shaun assumed to be his pocket, it appeared out of thin air and part of it was obstructed by an invisible hand. It had his name written on it, in what appeared to be blood and charcoal. “Where did you find this?” Shaun asked, “In the Magic District of the city, shall I take you there?”
“Yes please, uh how do we get there?”
“Give me your hand” The Invisible Man said.
“Uh, no thanks”
“What? Why?”
“I just... Don't really feel-”
“Oh god dammit get over it and give me your fucking hand, this trip on foot is going to take three hours, give me your hand and I will teleport us there” The Invisible Man's patience was already running low. Shaun reluctantly put out his hand, for some reason he expected The Invisible Man's hand to be cold like water, but it was warm, just like any human hand, and in the second it took him to have that thought they were already in the Magic District of the town. It was a large town square that was filled with magic shops and restaurants, book stores, clothing stores (he did need some new robes) and even a candy shoppe for some strange reason, in the middle sat a large tree, the most organic thing Shaun had seen since his own vomit. “The candy shoppe is new, apparently to make more people come to the Magic District, in a city full of machines Magic isn't really all that amazing to people.” The Invisible Man said when he saw Shaun's confusion at seeing the Candy Shoppe. “I found the note over here, underneath the tree at the center of the square.” Shaun stood under the tree and opened the letter.
“DEAR mr. ROSEtEn.
I Have uR FrendZ, IF'n Yoo want 2 C tHem AgaiN coMe 2 My TOWEr. JuSt OUTside the citY.
SINcerelY Death.”
“Wow, Death has horrible penmanship.” Shaun thought aloud, “Wait, Death? Like THE Death took my friends? What the fuck? Why? What happened last night? Is there a tower outside the city?”
“Yeah, there are like nine, they are called the Nine Pillars, construction began over a hundred years ago to commemorate the winning of a war that has long been forgotten. Today they stand as a reminder that-”
“Fuck your community service bullshit my friends could be in real danger, which tower should I go to? The note just says to go to his tower. Does Death have a tower? Or is there a tower that has to do with Death?”
“Fuck your community service bullshit my friends could be in real danger, which tower should I go to? The note just says to go to his tower. Does Death have a tower? Or is there a tower that has to do with Death?”
“Uh... hold on, let me see, I really only memorized that first bit about the towers.” The Invisible Man took out a book seemingly from thin air and opened it up. Inside there were large drawings, he saw one of his hometown, one of an underground city named Troia, a place called Pe Ess Ef A, there was even a picture of Powell. He finally reached Experimental City and read aloud, “There are Nine Pillars that each represent something: Water, Earth, Fire, Air, Lightning, Love, Hate, Life, and Death, at the top each tower sits a powerful deity representative of each Pillars namesake. Sometimes the Deities will get bored waiting atop their towers for challengers and make challenges of their own. That must be what this is, you have been challenged by death. You must be a very powerful Mage.”
“I don't really think I'm that strong, certainly not powerful enough to be challenged by death! Shit, what should I do?” Shaun was extremely worried.
“Well looks like the only to do is to go to Death's tower.”
“Easy for you to say you're not the one who Death called by name.”
“True... Well good luck!”
“Are you leaving me? Hello? You piece of shit!” The Invisible Man was either gone or just not answering him. He thought of whistling to summon him, but figured he probably wouldn't be any help anyway. The only thing he could do was try and get rid of his hangover, and then head out to the Pillar of Death, alone. He hoped everyone was ok, they were all strong warriors, but this was death, how do you kill death? Man, i'm am like 85% sure we discussed this in SOME class I took, but I didn't actually think I would need to ever fight Death, Undead sure, but not Death itself. Shit I should have spent less time on all those controlling the Elements spells, but still, he used a spell to conjure water out of the moisture in the air, They are pretty useful.
*
He had left town a few hours prior, this was the fourth Pillar he had been to, This had better be the right one, I've already been to the Water, Lighting, and Fire Pillars, and they were not happy to see me there. As he approached the Pillar he saw someone sitting on the floor in front of the entrance. He wondered who it was and as he got closer he saw that it was Nate! This must be the right one! He thought as he rushed towards Nate, he had never been so relieved to see the little Dwarf. When he reached Nate he shook him to try and get him to respond, he was sleeping. There was a note attached, Oh great another shitty note, He opened it and a little pouch fell out, he read the note.
Dear Mr. Rosten,
Your friend Nathan is under a powerful sleeping spell, all of your friends are here in this tower under the same spell, in each room that houses one of your friends you will find a small pouch like the one attached to this note, inside is the antidote have your friends breathe in the herb and it will wake them up. I am waiting for you at the top of the tower, the 26th floor. I have spread your friends out among the floors of the Pillar, each 5th floor has one of your friends. Do be quick though, I might get bored and just come find you if you take too long.
Sincerely Death.
PS Nate wrote this note.
Well that explains why it's legible, wait no it doesn't, Nate has terrible handwriting, is there someone working with Death? He did as the note had instructed and had Nate breathe in the herbs in the pouch. He awoke almost immediately, in a coughing fit, but very much alive. “What the hell happened?” Nate asked, Shaun caught Nate up to speed, the waking up in Experimental City, the Invisible Man, the Pillar, Death, and that their friends were in danger. “Holy shit, I can't believe it!” Nate said, “Me either, but we've gotta go inside, are you ready?”
“I think so, I have all my equipment, my daggers, my lock-pick, some potions, should be ok, I hope.”
Shaun laughed, “Nate, come on, your lock-pick?”
“What?”
“When has that ever come in handy? You check for it before EVERY quest, like it's a crucial tool to our success.”
“Hey you never know when it will come in handy.”
“Right, like when you said you were a scout?”
“There are plenty of times where that could have come in handy!”
“Nate, I can literally shoot fire out of my hand, why would you need to start a fire with two sticks?”
“Nate, I can literally shoot fire out of my hand, why would you need to start a fire with two sticks?”
“Just shut up and lets get going, we don't have time for this.”
Shaun agreed and as he tried to open the door to the Pillar, he ran into it, it was locked. “Are you kidding me!?” Nate had a smug smile form across his face. “Well well well, who needs a lockpick now!?” “Just shut up and open it.” This must be why he left Nate out here, so he could unlock the door. Death certainly knows what he's doing. Nate got the door open, and Shaun lit a torch and led the way into the Pillar of Death. End of Part I
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