The Royals - Part 3 "Trial of Honesty and Greed"

== Preface ==
The following is a record in a series of events taking King Brunswick and members of his royal guard across time and space to another world, where they would encounter allies and enemies of natures unlike those of his own, where magic is mighty and heroes more so.
The events of this saga are not considered canonical with the events of Thrones of VR or other RPs existing within the same canon.
== Synopsis ==
Having briefly returned to his own world after receiving divinity, Brunswick fetched a handful of the kings-guard from his kingdom's capital. In Brunswickia, he felt an instinctual feeling that his respite would not last long. He would soon be proven correct, as he and his men found themselves whisked away merely three moons following his return. When the light faded, and Brunswick could see the familiar keep looming above him, he made his way there, expecting to find Vier and the other adventurers gathered as he had the last time.
Fate, however, is fickle, and no sooner had they arrived on the bridge than they were set upon by a sizable patrol of Crows. With their backs to the keep, the knights and king had nowhere to flee, and were thus forced to stand their ground. Despite the numbers stacked against them, they held their own, for Brunswick had already told his knights of the undead enemies here, and of his own experiences in battling them. They fought hard, stalling as long as they could, for Brunswick knew that, given that was here now, help was surely not far behind. His gamble proved correct; Kuri's adventurers arrived shortly thereafter, catching the enemy off-guard and claiming a decisive victory. Once Brunswick's men had received treatment, the group retreated into the walls of the keep to discuss their next move.
Vier had yet to make an appearance, and so the group was forced to wait. This gave them ample time to discuss the Crows, however, and in particular, the mysterious dark lord from before. Kuri was boastful, claiming that such an enemy would likely fall easily to their combined might. The other adventurers, including Brunswick, saw how overzealous the spellsword was becoming, and how risky such a mentality was. It was Brunswick himself, ultimately, who was able to help Kuri see the reality of their circumstance: despite Brunswick's own strength of will, far surpassing that of most other men, and even he was nothing more than a puppet when his soul had been claimed. This dark lord was far more powerful than Kuri realized, and they would all need to tread carefully. In the meantime, Kuri suggested that everyone spread around the keep to train, either brushing up on martial prowess, or tempering their arcane capabilities. Brunswick instead opted to step outside and get some fresh air, scout out the area, and train with his knights.
He encountered one of the adventurers outside the walls, who claimed to have encountered more of the Crows in the nearby area. Brunswick gathered the adventurers within earshot and met them on the bridge. It was at this point Brunswick realized that Vier wasn't appearing, nor had they seen any of the Royals. The Crows, as well, seemed to be acting differently than before - more intelligent, perhaps. He couldn't be certain, but different nonetheless.
A strange being, small, winged, and blue, approached the adventurers behind Brunswick, and spoke briefly with Kuri. It seemed to know who they were and had an inkling as to why they were here. It quickly had the adventurers gather and follow it out to a nearby ruined tower, claiming they needed to speak with someone there. Brunswick, ever concerned but confident in Kuri's judgement, followed suit without argument.
The world they were in, however, continued to show signs of peculiarity. Pockets of undead continued to spring up during their march, but never anything in force. The organization that the Crows had shown during their last planar venture seemed all but abandoned. In addition, Brunswick began to notice odd avian creatures that were circling the group, occasionally landing nearby to eye them. From time to time, they even spoke, as though they were parroting something. The things they said were ominous, but nothing enlightening. "Death approaches" and "Always watching" being the main utterances of these creatures, Brunswick wondered to himself whether they were familiars, watching the adventurers at the behest of an unknown master.
The pixie brought the group to a decrepit stone tower overlooking a nearby coastline; a lighthouse, perhaps, but one could not be certain. From within stepped a weary old man, flanked by a gnomish aide. They seemed exhausted, as though the very idea of visitors was an inconvenience and a bore. They appeared to know Kuri and the adventurers, as they claimed to have been watching them for some time. The old man would not give his identity, but did offer one piece of help: he would direct them to their next destination. There, they would need to convince someone to aid them, or else their quest would come to an end. The old man commanded the gnome to retrieve a map of this world, that the adventurers might be able to undertake their purpose more easily, even going so far as to mark their next destination. They would travel to an area beyond the nearby graveyard in search of something arcane. For what purpose, however, he did not say. As Kuri and the others began to speculate amongst one another, Brunswick overheard the man mutter to himself, hearing something to the effect of "giving the same spiel [the old man] gave to the last ones". The king did not press the subject, but these words gave him pause. He found himself duly concerned for what it may portend moving forward.
More of the birds began to gather around them as they traveled. With Vier's absence, Brunswick became very uneasy, keeping a close eye on the creatures. It was then he noticed, walking along the coastline: the water level was rising. The island was sinking, just as the one where they had all first met. Panic began to take hold within the adventurers, and the pixie, chuckling to himself, told them why: wherever the world began to crumble, "she" could be found. What Vier had previously told them about her power and intent came back into memory, instilling a sense of urgency and danger in everyone present. They hurriedly made their way inland, desperately trying to waste as little time as possible. The main roads had become blocked by crumbling rocks, and they were forced to navigate through thick undergrowth as they progressed. As the group finally arrived at the graveyard, the pixie turned to them and asked for only the spellcasters to follow him somewhere. He would not explain why, thus Brunswick and the other martial fighters were forced to wait.
The island continued to groan and crack, the sound of crumbling stone echoing in the distance from whence they had come. Thankfully, the spellcasters did not take long. Whatever they had encountered in the distance, they had handled, and they returned with a peculiar crystal. Apparently, it was the key to getting off the island, and reaching their next destination, wherever that may be. The others began to gather in an open area nearby, but Brunswick turned his attention to the birds, for they had come to rest on a stony formation not three feet from him, watching him intently. He openly questioned their purpose, but they gave no response. As he turned to leave, one of them spoke. In a low, raspy voice, one seemingly unaccustomed to being used, was Brunswick's very name uttered, along with a warning to 'beware the cold'. He turned quickly back, but the creatures had already flown off, circling overhead once more. Brunswick was left uneasy, as the region they were in was temperate at best, not cold.
The crumbling of the island was getting louder, getting closer, and the heroes were running out of time. As Brunswick began to grow impatient waiting for the mages, a bright light appeared in the sky above them. The crystal resonated with the mages, and a sphere of raw magic appeared around them. The mages called for everyone to join together, and Brunswick, along with the group, were enveloped by a sudden burst of brilliant light.
The King opened his eyes, his ears assaulted by the groans of the others, his skin bitten by the cold. Looking around, he came to understand what the bird spoke of, for they had inexplicably found themselves in a large canyon in what seemed to be the dead of winter.
Despite their fur, even Brunswick and his knights found themselves shivering in the cold. A few of the adventurers capable of fire magic could wreathe themselves in it to stave off the cold, but non-spellcasters had no such luck, and so they quickly took to cutting down nearby trees and setting up a fire pit. As the adventurers sat around the burning embers, they began to discuss their next move. Shortly thereafter, everyone's heads would turn westward, as the distant sound of falling rock, coupled with the faint sound of rushing water, gave them pause. They saw, at the edge of the bowl that was this valley, that water had begun to flood in. Whatever their reasons for coming here, whatever that man and that pixie had intended, it seemed they would need to find their way out before they were all claimed by frigid waters. Thankfully the valley was wide, and they likely had at least a few hours to work with.
Brunswick felt lost and confused. He had not heard from Vier in quite some time, and could not understand what to make of it. Taking his soldiers with him, he chose to briefly patrol the nearby tundra, as much for security as for a chance to think clearly about why they were here, and where Vier might be. While out there, he found himself approached by a golem, large and composed of ice. It did not speak, nor did it attack. Rather, like the birds from before, it merely observed the King and his retinue before moving on. What the brief meeting may mean, even Brunswick did not know, but he continued his idle patrol regardless. Once back at camp, Kuri ran to him to give him an update on their situation.
The spellsword and the others had discussed the words of the old man: that where the map took them, they would need to find someone and entreat their aid, or else die in the surging waters. Kuri felt overwhelmed, in light of the friends they had lost thus far. Brunswick spoke candidly, reminding Kuri to be a leader, instilling a sense of responsibility in him.
A roar bellowed out from the distance, and Brunswick was assaulted with a vision: he could see the others, around the campfire as they were at that moment, though it was slightly different. People were in different places, some familiar faces were missing, unfamiliar ones in their place. He watched as a hideous dragon descended upon them, squashing several people underfoot, tearing the heads off of others with its powerful jaws. He watched everyone die in mere moments, before the vision faded and he came to, panting, fur dampened with sweat. He immediately called for everyone to back away from the campfire, to spread out, as panic began to overtake him. He watched as the selfsame dragon did descend upon the campsite, but did not crush anyone. It watched them as though amused. Brunswick, alongside Kuri, approached it cautiously.
The dragon spoke as though they had met before, remembering Brunswick with golden armour, Vier present, and fewer allies by their side. It revealed itself as a judge of sorts. It would evaluate the adventurers, and should it find them wanting, they would die. It gave them a challenge: it would speak a truth and a lie, but would not tell them which is which. Should they succeed, they would be able to leave. The dragon spoke:
"If you cut out my heart and eat it, you will be allowed to leave. If you relinquish all of your weapons to me, you will be allowed to leave. If you choose to do nothing, you will be allowed to leave."
The proffering of three choices took everyone by surprise, convinced as they were that there would be only two options, given the dragon's instructions. As the dragon flew off to allow them to discuss their options, Brunswick stepped away to think. He considered the purpose of each choice: relinquishing arms as a test of faith, taking the heart as a test of strength, and the curiosity of the third choice. He was then assaulted with another vision: he watched them hand away their weapons and shields, only for the valley to be flooded and consumed by a black abyss. He watched them cut out the dragon's heart, but the vision was blurred, indistinct, and he could not be certain of the result.
Speaking to Kuri again, Brunswick explained what he'd seen. He believed that the third option, choosing to do nothing, may be of valuable consideration, given that it was a new choice. He'd had visions of both other choices before, and had come to believe them to be visions of past versions of themselves. Brunswick stepped away to give Kuri space to consider his decision, and the king found himself approached by a creature of ice, this one capable of speech. It told him to peer past the mere words the dragon had spoken. The dragon often spoke in riddles, it explained, and the answer the adventurers sought would come if they could discern the dragon's intent. The dragon could not be trusted otherwise. Brunswick spoke candidly, asking the creature if any group that had come here previously had ever escaped. "No" it spoke without a hint of deception, and as it turned to leave, it warned Brunswick that this land was not kind to outsiders. The creatures of the ice would come to claim his allies if they did not leave soon.
At the same time, Brunswick heard fighting back at camp, and rushed back as quickly as he could. Creatures of the snowy wastes had descended upon the adventurers, and though they fought valiantly, some few were separated from the group, and promptly struck with foul magic. Black hands began rising out of the snow, dragging the afflicted under, screaming as they vanished. As those that remained slew the last of the creatures, Brunswick turned to Kuri, asking him to make his decision quickly, for time was not on their side.
The dragon returned, imploring them to make their choice. Kuri agreed to, but first asked the dragon why it would even try to help them, offering a new choice in this supposed "timeline". The dragon simply stated that it had tried to help every time before, and that it was ultimately the greed of those who came that proved their downfall.
Having heard the words of Brunswick and Kuri, many of those present chose the third option: to do nothing. Some few opted instead for other choices, relinquishing armaments, for not all agreed with the census. When all had spoken their peace, the dragon turned to those who had chosen to act, and promptly crushed them underfoot. Eight of their allies fell in those moments, and those who survived were left unable to do anything but watch, not even a speck of their friends' bodies remaining. Turning back, the dragon congratulated the survivors for their choice, a sign devoid of greed. To claim its heart would have been greed: to take from another. The same greed would have been true of the dragon had they relinquished their arms. A greedy soul could never hope to accomplish the task set before them, and one vulnerable to such greed in others, equally so. The dragon raised its claw high, waving it, and the adventurers found themselves suddenly whisked away, appearing in a different part of the frozen wastes.
Brunswick and the others looked, and saw an ephemeral spirit, translucent, but unmistakable: Brunswick saw a phantom of himself, clad in his armour. The dragon whispered to it in a hushed tone before flying off without another word, and the phantom turned to look at Kuri. The phantom Brunswick told them of their past attempts. It had seen the other timelines: times when Kuri failed. Sometimes he fell like all the others, slain by Crows or monsters or the environment itself. Sometimes he was almost there, had almost reached her. Time and time again, he watched each version of themselves make mistake after mistake. They would fail, and people would die. They would learn the wrong lessons, and people would die. Their journey had never succeeded. Not once. In his time, the phantom had looked to his friend, to his Kuri, and was convinced of his folly. Perhaps it was Brunswick's pride, or perhaps he had simply seen too many mistakes, too many lives needlessly thrown away. He had looked at his friend walking before him, on the final steps, and chose to cut him down. The phantom Brunswick had killed his Kuri. Ever since, he'd tried desperately to guide the other timelines, tried to help them succeed...only to watch each fail, again and again. He stepped closer to the Kuri and Brunswick before him now, and with all he had learned, told Kuri where to go next, marking the spellsword's map. This time, still, he was on the wrong path. The phantom, through pained words, expressed his sorrow, bid him good luck, and vanished into nothing. It left the survivors lost for words, their silence broken only by the sound of the frigid wind blowing.
Category:Adventure RP Lore