Once and Future (WormxFate)

Gamemaster said:

Recover 5 hit points via Natural Healing. HP: 40/40

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

"...and back here is where we store all the canned goods. I'm thinking that we'll have you help with just collecting any used bowls and taking them to the sink to start. If you're still here two weeks from now, we can see about having you do something more difficult."

"Why two weeks?" I asked.

"It's when most people quit," Mr. Sykes said tiredly. The man was surprisingly short, standing a mere head taller than me. Age had stolen the color from his hair, but he still held a youthful vitality in his movements as he showed me around the homeless shelter. "When whatever moral impetus that drove them to help runs out and they realize that volunteering involves actual work."

I nodded in understanding. While I was not one to shy away from work, I understood that it was easy for a person to get wrapped up in life and responsibilities. My own schedule was already stretched thin between school, the Student Council, and patrolling as a hero. I could see all too easily how volunteering for something that I did not have to do could fall by the wayside when my other responsibilities called on me.

That was all the more reason I could not allow it to.

"Very well. Shall I get to it then?"

"Yeah, let me just get one of our other guys to go with you, since it's your first day." Mr. Sykes pulled a door open and stuck his head through before calling out, "Hey Theo! Could you come here a sec?"

Theo? I blinked in surprise as Theo Anders ducked into the room. It was some consolation to see that he was just as flabbergasted to see me, his eyes going wide.

"Theo, you mind showing this young lady around? She's going to be helping out with clean up today."

"Sure, Mr. Sykes," Theo said, shooting me another glance. "Anything I should watch out for?"

"Try introducing her to some of the regulars. Otherwise, just stay out of trouble. I'll be here in the kitchen if you need me for anything."

"Got it."

Theo opened the door and motioned for me to follow him. The homeless shelter we were in was not particularly large. Aside from the kitchen, there was a single large room where the residents could gather to eat and a significantly more cramped room that was lined with bunk beds for them to sleep. There was little in the way of privacy, apart from a few hallways leading to the bathrooms or the singular office space in the back.

So it was a surprise when Theo stopped in one of these hallways and turned to me.

"Did my Father ask you to come here and check up on me?"

"No," I said, and though I tried not to let it color my words overly much, I could not help the searching lilt to my voice. "I had no idea you were working here as well. Why would he?"

"I – Sorry, that was out of nowhere, I guess." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I just know he would disapprove if he found out I was working here. He would say it's beneath me."

I felt my opinion of Max Anders immediately ratchet down a few notches. "Helping those in need is beneath no one. Not even a king."

Theo gave me a faint smile. "Thanks. Just… Don't tell anyone that you met me here? Please?"

"If that is your wish. Have you been working here for a long time?"

"About a year now?" Theo shrugged. "I can't be here consistently, because I have to help babysit my sister these days, but it's something to do that I can actually be proud of. What about you? What made you sign up?"

"I suppose I too was looking for something meaningful."

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.

After my prayer with Caren, she had left me with those words. It was guidance that I had needed. I had allowed myself to become too wrapped up in concerns over who I was. What did it matter if I was Elaine or Artoria or some mix of both? These people needed my help. Surely that was more important than my own concerns.

"I have had some difficulty with adjusting since I woke earlier this year. I wished to do something worthwhile."

Theo's gaze softened and he lifted a hand as if to pat my shoulder, before awkwardly letting it fall again without having touched me. "I get it, I think. Do you want to go ahead and meet some of the guys?"

I nodded. "I would like that."

Gamemaster said:

Gain a check to Merciful.
Bond with Theo increased to 1.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

The dining area of the shelter was packed full, the shelter having long since exceeded the amount of homeless it could sustain. It was not unique in this respect. Most of the shelters in the city were in the same condition. Most of the homeless still wound up sleeping on the streets at night.

It was not so bad in the summer, but in the winter there were always reports of people who froze to death over night. With the temperatures beginning to drop, that pall hung over the crowd here, men and women left enjoying a hot meal and wondering how many more meals they had left.

Gamemaster said:

Energetic: 13 | 14 = Success

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

I did what small part I could to help them. They would line up at the counter for bowls of soup and I would take their bowls back to the kitchen as they finished. A simple task that anyone could have performed. There was satisfaction in performing it well however. After an hour, things began to slow down and I found myself sitting at a table with several men.

Gamemaster said:

Station: 12 | 12 = Critical!
Intrigue: 7 | 9 (+10) = Success

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

"Used to be a piano player. Worked at that Jazz bar off of 41st street, you know the one." Joe tapped his fingers on the table, his fingerless gloves exposing chocolate skin as he made a facsimile of playing the piano.

"We've heard the story a hundred times, Joe," another man said. "We know you're lyin'. You got no rhythm."

"I ain't lying! I don't know what happened! One day I got up to perform and it was just gone. All of it was gone. I couldn't remember anything I'd learned anymore. Every note, every chord, all of it was just gone." Joe's voice broke at the end, a choked sob escaping him.

Theo drew in a sharp breath beside me.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Victor," Theo murmured. "He's a parahuman in the Empire. He's supposed to be able to steal skills from people."

My eyes flicked back to Joe, a man whose life had been ruined because the skill he had developed had suddenly been gone. Victor, a man whose power could only ever be turned to prey upon the innocent. This. This could not be allowed to stand.

It was not enough to be the sheath, providing comfort to these people. I would need to be the sword and bring justice as well, else there would only be more victims.

Gamemaster said:

Adventure discovered: To the Victor, the Spoils.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

I took a deep breath and centered myself. My rage would wait for the man himself. For now, I set a hand on Joe's shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. Perhaps it calmed him somewhat, but there was little I could truly do in the face of such despair.

Gamemaster said:

Intrigue: 19 | 9 (+10) = Critical!
>Gain a check to Intrigue.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

The conversation eventually turned and Theo and I moved on, rotating between tables. It was a whispered conversation at one of the tables that caught my attention next.

"They say if you win, they'll give you two thousand bucks."

"Man, when was the last time you even drove? You think you're going to win a street race against a Tinker?"

"I got a shot at least, right? Two thousand bucks!"

"I am sorry," I said, interjecting. "What is this about a street race?"

The two men looked at each other before looking back at me. "It's just something some crazy Tinker set up near the trainyard, on the outskirts of the city. Supposed to be some sort of death race, weapons allowed and everything. Which is why I was telling Mikey here that it was a bad idea to participate!"

Gamemaster said:

Adventure discovered: Twisted Metal.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

"It does seem… ill advised."

"Yeah… Maybe. Just… I could really use that money, you know?"

I did know. I could certainly see how that money would be useful for myself. Were races illegal? Probably. Most things in this age were. Certainly, it would be with weapons involved. I mentally sighed and resigned myself to trying to shut the thing down instead of winning it.

It was a shame. It had been a great while since I last had the occasion to race. A certain memory niggled in the back of my mind, that of a red-haired conqueror. The memory of the time I had defeated a Rider on their own chosen field of battle. A smile crossed my lips, the joy of anticipation bubbling in my chest.

Maybe I could make an exception.

Wandering off, I continued my rounds until the time came to leave. Mr. Sykes called me back to his office and looked me over.

"You did better than I thought you would today."

"Thank you, Sir."

"Don't make this a one time thing. Come back again and I'll give you something more interesting to do next time."

"I plan to."

"Good," Mr. Sykes said before glancing out the window at the setting sun outside. "It's getting pretty late. Do you need a ride home?"

I shook my head. "I think I should be fine. My brother is supposed to pick me up."

Mr. Sykes nodded. "Good. Try not to be out on the streets too late. There've been a lot of people going missing lately."

"Missing?" I asked.

"A lot of our regulars have stopped coming around. Living on the streets is dangerous at the best of times, but… I don't know. I have a bad feeling about it."

I frowned, my thoughts drawn to Haze's recent death. Shadow Stalker, too, had mentioned some sort of serial killer a few months ago. Was that related?

"I'll be careful," I said, not truly meaning the words.

Gamemaster said:

Adventure discovered: The Missing Homeless.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

The buzz of flies was our first lead, soon followed by the smell. The desiccated corpse of a teenage boy laid on the path. The boy's limbs had been torn free, the meat chewed off violently enough to leave tooth marks in the bone. His back had been savaged as well, long claw marks shredding his clothes to pieces. He'd had the chance to run but not to escape.

Beside me, Erin looked faintly green.

"This is not the work of wolves."

"No. I think we found our wendigo," Erin replied.

Nodding, I stepped past the corpse, continuing up the hiking trail. The mountains around Brockton Bay were cold. Unseasonably so. A light flurry of snow blew in my face, but I could spy heavier drifts where the snow had built up over the course of weeks. Or perhaps even longer than that.

Brockton Bay usually had relatively warm winters. It was some quirk of the sea currents surrounding the city. Neither of us expected this cold and failed to dress for it. My jacket offers some protection, but Erin is shivering beside me as we climb higher.

Instinct told me this cold was not natural. There were no spells involved. The influence was more pervasive.

A mere spirit of hunger could not have done this.

"Something else has slipped out into these mountains."

Erin nodded. "You're right. One problem at a time though. We'll deal with the wendigo first."

I hummed an agreement and continued climbing. The sun has long since set by the time we arrive at a clearing, a small, sputtering fire at its center. Four teens huddled close around it, looking nervously out into the night.

Gamemaster said:

Trusting: 9 | 10 || Suspicious: 18 | 10
>Trusting succeeds.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

"Hello."

They all jumped when I gave my greeting, stepping into the fire's light. "Who's there?!"

"Be at ease. My name is Pendragon. We are here to see you to safety."

"A hero?" One of the girls exclaimed. "Oh, thank God. We were up at my family's cabin when some sort of monster attacked. We've been trying to make our way home on foot ever since."

"This monster. Could you describe it to me?"

The girl nodded. "The thing was tall and dressed in a patchwork of skins. Its face was split in half with sharp teeth. Chris shot it with a gun and it didn't seem to even notice. I… I think the only reason we escaped is because it stopped to eat him."

Gamemaster said:

Lore: 16 | 2 = Failure

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

"Where did you see this monster?"

"My family has a cabin up the mountain, but we got pretty turned around when we were running away. I'm sorry, I don't know where exactly we're at."

I glanced back at Erin. "Can you set up wards here and ensure their safety while I hunt this creature?"

"Yeah, sounds like a plan. I wouldn't mind sitting by the fire for a bit anyway."

"Then I shall return soon."

Gamemaster said:

Hunting: 3 | 2 = Failure

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

It is difficult to find any sort of trail under the cover of darkness, even with the full moon providing its light. I do not manage to find the cabin. I do find another teenage boy. As expected, he is covered in bites, the meat torn from his flesh. Gone is the muscle from his arms, his legs, the back, and most of his entrails. A hunting rifle lies nearby. However…

There are no signs of defensive wounds. I turn the body and see why. He was struck in the back of the head prior to being devoured.

Gamemaster said:

Awareness: 19 | 2 = Failure

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

The night is silent. There are no signs of the monster that slew him.

I was missing something.

I would need to ask Erin for her advice. Turning, I trudged back down the mountain, the snow catching at my boots with each step. It was not until I was within sight of the camp fire that I realized something was wrong.

Erin stood in the center of a shimmering circle, a look of concentration on her face. Around her stalked four creatures, trying and failing to pierce her barrier. They no longer resembled the teenagers they had before. Their forms had become long and gaunt all white skin and bone. The little flesh they have is pulled taut, like the body of a starved man. Claws tip their fingers and their distended maws are filled with razor sharp fangs.


I do not know how much longer Erin's ward can protect her. I cannot afford to hesitate. I summoned my sword to hand and charged into their midst. The surprise of my arrival allowed me to cut down one, my sword cleaving clean through the creature's head, but the others were quick to rally.

One of the creatures pounced on me from behind. I quickly turned, trying to deflect its charge, but its claws raked across my bicep. Crimson blood stained the snow and that seemed only to drive the others even further into their hunger-maddened frenzy.

Three were left. Another lunged and I stepped into its reach, my sword carving clean through the creature's arms. There was resistance there – for all that the thing was nothing but skin and bone, it was still something unnatural. My sword did not cut it as it would a normal animal. I let out a wordless shout and pushed my magic into my blows, forcing the mundane steel through to its chosen purpose.

The remaining two were smarter, or perhaps, simply less slave to their instincts. Rather than simply charging me with abandon, they coordinated, working together. One would swipe and when my attention was drawn, the other would leap in to bite. An unfortunately effective strategy.

I stumbled under one creature's weight as he leapt atop me, but managed to keep my footing. I could not stop the scream of pain however as it sunk its fangs into my shoulder, tearing a chunk of bloody meat free. The other took the opportunity of my distraction to attack – but I was not some callow girl to allow mere pain to stop me.

There was a flash of steel and the wendigo was left legless, leaving me to shake off the final one clinging onto me. I slammed my back into a tree, the wendigo squealing and letting go as I squashed it between my body and the wood. A quick turn and my sword separated its head from its body.

Gamemaster said:

Gain 140 (35x4) Glory for killing Wendigos.
Gain 100 Glory for completing The Wendigo Spirits.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

The clearing silent, with only my own labored breathing to be heard. Blood soaked through my clothes, freezing in the mountain air. After a long moment, I looked back at Erin. "I believe you said there would be a spirit of hunger? Not four?"

"Mistakes were made," Erin said, chagrined. "This whole ambush they set up caught me by surprise."

I grimaced and lowered myself down, next to the fire. "The teenager they mentioned was real. I suspect the spirits possessed these bodies and warped them."

Erin stepped out of her circle and sat next to me. "We'll need to return and investigate at some point. This is spiraling past just a few faeries."

"You should consider putting together a costume."

"What?" Erin asked. "That came out of nowhere. Why?"

"Not out of nowhere. If this had not been an ambush, if these teenagers had been who they said they were, you would have performed magic in front of them. If we continue investigating like this, there will inevitably be a time when someone will see you and ask questions. Having an established identity as a 'parahuman' will help with that."

Gamemaster said:

Leadership: 6 | 5 (+4 Bond) = Success

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

"Ugh. I hate how much sense that makes." Erin poked at the fire with a stick, shifting the kindling to allow the flame to grow higher. "That means I'll have to go catch the occasional criminal too just to establish myself on the scene."

"I am sure you can manage the indignity."

Erin rolled her eyes. "It's not an issue of dignity, it's an issue of priorities. I have better things to do with my time than chase after street crime."

"Oh? Such as?"

"Like hunting down monsters for you, you dolt."

"Well, I suppose if it is just that then you must have a great deal of free time."

Erin huffed and nudged me with her foot, but smiled all the same when I nudged her in return. Then I stretched a bit too far and winced as the pain ran through me.

"I do not suppose you know any first aid?" I asked.

"A bit, but I'm hardly an expert. I could probably get you bandaged up at least."

"Good… That is good. I think I shall require it." It was probably better if Amy did not see me looking like this. Especially since it was not the result of a patrol with Victoria. It would likely lead to some… false conclusions.

"Alright, go ahead and take your clothes off. I'll see what I can do."

Gamemaster said:

Erin First Aid: 16 | 10 = Failure
Erin First Aid: 3 | 10 = Success
Erin First Aid: 1 | 10 = Success

Recover 10 hit points. HP: 25/40

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

---

During this work's hiatus, the Core rulebook for Pendragon 6E came out. There's not much effect on this quest, but there is a rule change present in this chapter. Passions now are checked whenever you succeed, not just on Crit or Fumble. This means it's much easier to build your Passions. This does not apply to Traits or Skills.

Checks can also advance a skill past 20 now, but requires a nat 20 on the die to do so.


It is November of 2010.

Voters have written in a request to beg your parents for more allowance:
[Beg] Yes
[Beg] No


The Student Council is running a Bake Sale. How do you focus on helping out?
[ ] [Bake Sale] Advertising
>Help with handing out flyers and attracting interest.
[ ] [Bake Sale] Sales
>Run a stall.
[ ] [Bake Sale] Cooking
>Help with the baking.


What adventure do you pursue next?
[ ] [Adventure] The Damsel of Distress
>The villain known as the Damsel of Distress is causing trouble in a nearby town, Durham.
[ ] [Adventure] The Uncatchable Undersiders
>The Undersiders have proven to be masters of escape. Can you catch them?
[ ] [Adventure] Takedown the Clown
>Circus is out robbing various stores. A clown can't be too hard of an opponent, right?
[ ] [Adventure] The Dog Rings
>Hookwolf supposedly runs dog fighting pits. Close him down.
[ ] [Adventure] To the Victor, the Spoils
>Victor is known for stealing the skills of minorities. He must be stopped.
[ ] [Adventure] The Merchants of Death
>The Archer's Bridge Merchants are a relatively weak gang. If you were to take out their leadership, they may fall apart.
[ ] [Adventure] Twisted Metal
>A deadly street race is being run on the outskirts of town. You can go shut them down – or try to win for the prize money.
[ ] [Adventure] The Missing Homeless
>Homeless people have been going missing. Try to find out what's been happening to them.
[ ] [Adventure] Patrolling the City
-[ ] [Patrol] With Victoria
-[ ] [Patrol] With Erin
-[ ] [Patrol] With the Wards
-[ ] [Patrol] Alone
>Go on patrol to stop criminal activity.
[ ] [Adventure] Explore the Woods
-[ ] [Woods] With Erin
-[ ] [Woods] Alone
>Search the woods for supernatural activity.
[ ] [Adventure] None
>Hold off on adventures to rest up. Gain a second Activity vote.


Choose an activity to participate in:
[ ] [Activity] Focus on the Student Council
>You will be doing work for the Student Council regardless, this is to spend extra time devoted to the task.
[ ] [Activity] Study Group
>Spend some extra time studying for your classes.
[ ] [Activity] Party
>You've been invited to a house party by Chelsea and Morgan.
[ ] [Activity] Dating
>Go on a date with Amy. Victoria's been trying to get you on a double date for a while now.
[ ] [Activity] Gala
>Your parents want you to attend more high society events.
[ ] [Activity] Modeling
>You were offered to make regular appearances with the modeling agency. It would be good for PR, maybe, and they'd pay you.
[ ] [Activity] Charity
>You could do volunteer work at the local homeless shelter.
[ ] [Activity] Sparring
>You have people you can practice your fighting with now.
[ ] [Activity] Church
>Visit Caren at the church.
[ ] [Activity] Sports
>You could use the exercise and it'd help blow off steam.
[ ] [Activity] Browse the Internet
>Amy spends a lot of time on the Internet. Maybe it'd be worth browsing.
[ ] [Activity] Research Parahumans
>Do more research on Parahumans in the area.
[ ] [Activity] Study the Occult
>It might be good to brush up on your faerie lore.
[ ] [Activity] (Write-In)


Choose someone to spend time with.
[ ] [Social] Dean Stansfield
[ ] [Social] Victoria Dallon
[ ] [Social] Amy Dallon
[ ] [Social] Erin Archelot
[ ] [Social] Vedika Dhawan
[ ] [Social] Chelsea and Megan
[ ] [Social] Theo Anders
[ ] [Social] Tammi Herren
[ ] [Social] Madison Clements
[ ] [Social] (Write-In)


Remember, if at any time you wish to buy something from the shop, please do a write in as below, and I will add it to the next vote.
[ ] [Shop] (Write-In)