1000 Statues Play Report 11/12 & 17/12 - The Demise of the Tyrant Ascellus Tiramisu
I brought over my character Sir Barral Jr. from Devil World Heroes to 1000 Statues, ran by Mr. Mann. Before that I played in a mostly uneventful session as Waluigi the Pincher, to get enough money to bring back Barral, a level 5 fighter, from the dead. Interesting things happened between these two sessions, which I've decided to record.
The journals of Primavera Black, delve 1
Arrived in town. Hard Candy is with us. Someone asked our name, we said "Primavera Black". Hard Candy didn't seem to mind, still calls us Barral sometimes, after all these years. They don't ask; we don't tell.
Strange people here. Forgetful. Like a half-remembered town.
Met up with others; Thyrus and a magician named Mortigaunt. Some sort of hole around, they're trying to get to the bottom. Hard Candy wants to go in, so we do.
Takes over an hour to get down; nine floors, by my count. Mortigaunt whispers stories of his master, 'Ascellus Tiramisu', runs the town. Currently having trouble with the serpent men down there, planning some big expedition.
We get there and I meet the men. Giant serpents, top half like a person. Speak our language. They ask if we're with 'The Jubilant One', I say I'm not, and so we get to talking.
They're just as forgetful as them outside. Were in a power struggle with "pit cultists", ran them off from the floor and now control it. Have no need or want of material goods. Admirable. Teach us a sign to demonstrate we mean no harm.
We ask for directions and find where they eat and sleep, where they cook. Everyone's gotta. They have no interest in expanding either up or down. They just want to be left alone, best forgotten.
By and by a man is spat from the pit, explodes, and a groan echoes through the floor. Something has shifted. The serpents seem as puzzled as we, so we decide to find the stairs down.
We find them inside a cave with a gel-like pool. The gel heals you, even my biomechanic flesh. Strange folk appear, got no face, turn into bubbles once they go down the stairs.
Tenth floor, full of decorations of angels with no faces. We grab some treasure and leave, spent too long down here already. On our way back we see the ghostly image of pig men falling on their swords. Mortigaunt tells us that was, in part, Ascellus' doing. Some wizard he betrayed wanted to get back at him, convinced the orcs, and when he was killed - not by Ascellus' hand - they followed suit.
We go around town, talk to folk. They're all goners. The general store supplier forgot I was in the room as soon as I left his field of vision. The serpents remembered us, though.
The journals of Primavera Black, delve 2
Met Ascellus. Powerful body; cruel. Recognised his eyes. Never met the man, but we've seen those eyes before, when the runt of the litter starts biting back and doesn't stop. Armour looks etched with gold, and the axe is certainly magical. He's got all of the other adventurers here into a chokehold.
He explained the plan late at night, by candle. Talked about killing all of the serpents, about how they hate him and don't let him pass. I expressed my disdain, but it didn't even register. Ascellus would not believe a snarling dog would dare bite him.
They have some mercenaries too. I tried bribing them, they refused it.
"Remember that when Ascellus leaves you for the dragon to get you."
"How do you know about the dragon?" They said, white-faced. I had made up the dragon.
Before dawn, I woke up and went down there on my own, informed the serpent men that Ascellus was coming and for them to prepare themselves. No one even noticed I had been away. Mortigaunt said good morning, I told him I was out for an early walk.
We went inside. Ascellus in front. He kept talking about killing serpents; no one could give us a good reason aside from them hating Ascellus.
We arrive down there. Some pickpocket, Filch, goes scouting. At the base of the stairs there were two doorways: to the west, which led to a room with a large pit, and to the east, which led to the living quarters of the serpent men. Ascellus intended on flanking them by sending one party to the west and drawing some serpents from the east.
The serpents barred the western door. Made an effigy of Ascellus to hamper the eastern passage, stationed javelineers at the back and knights to the side, forcing whoever entered into a funnel.
After much debating, Ascellus and some idiot he picked up from the street, Frank, decided the only way would be to charge in.
"And then Primavera Black will come in and help!" He said.
As soon as they charged, I turned my gun on the sorcerers Michael and Zazuz. The second immediately started grovelling and was handcuffed, the first seemed defiant. I could see it in his eyes, a catfight between his self preservation and his hatred for me, for threatening him. Michael proved me right by casting some trick on my arm and fleeing, along with Filch.
By this time, Ascellus had noticed the lack of reinforcements and turned to flight along with his henchmen. I blocked the doorway.
"Primavera Black, what is the meaning of this!? Let these innocent men go! Fight me in honourable combat!" He cried, not a hint of irony on his voice either. His "innocent men", ready to slaughter people who had never done anything without provocation for profit, were fleeing too. I gunned them down.
Years ago, in what feels like a different lifetime, I had gunned down Darkelf's demons in this same way. At the time, I had felt happy at my accuracy. Now, it was like whetting a sword or mounting a horse.
Ascellus trampled over the men and faced me. I could see the panic and incredulity behind his helmet. That was when Zazuz pushed me from behind. I kept my feet, but Ascellus and Frank managed to slip through the doorway and corner me. I heard Frank say they intended on "killing me" as I blocked each of their attacks with my shield.
The serpent men approached and they fled up the stairs, bloodlust moving their legs. Michael, loyal to Ascellus, cast a web spell at the top to save his cruel master. Not one serpent man died to appease them.
I cast my eyes at Zazuz, who now grovelled at my feet. Skinned and hung him by his feet for his crime of unleashing a monster like Ascellus back on the surface. He was lucky I killed him first; back in Zaxon, other men might not have been so merciful.
Took me hours to climb out. Ascellus and a companion of his bought two horses each and rode them to the city, leaving his men behind, as well as orders for the construction of a small mausoleum to Zazuz.
Michael and I talked. Made it clear I didn't want to hunt either him or Ascellus, but unprovoked cruelty would be paid in kind. I think he understood me.
I went looking for smokes or a drink, to put the mind away from the killing, but that's what the old me would have done. I sat under a tree and thought of what my dad would say. To breathe in and out. Focus the mind. Feel the wind. I cannot feel it in half my body, but I know it's there.
Ascellus probably has found a hole to dig himself into. He reminded me of myself; what I could have become had I kept on that path. I wanted to prevent him from killing the serpent men for no reason, and I managed it. His henchmen won't like it, but I feel content. I have done right by them.
And Ascellus is still out there somewhere, victimising others. There are many men like him in the world, but they won't win. When shots are fired and swords come out, they are only fighting for themselves. But us, we fight for others, and we will keep coming. Each time we will be another, but we won't stop, and monsters like Ascellus Tiramisu will learn of fear.