EQ Game Quest- Ruin Fights Grimmar

Ruin stood alone, the castle silent save for the sounds of the storm and rain outside.

The air was slightly chilled, the dust from the collapse long settled, the patter of rain his only companion, save for the majestic sword sitting silently beyond the doorway infront of him.

Ruin sits for a while, looking out into the rain. He sighs, and looks back into the dark of the cold ruins. "Hey Grimmar, you awake?"


Silence is all Ruin gets at first, before the sword glows ever so slightly, a whisper of a familiar voice coming out.

“Go home little pony, do you not have friends waiting for you there?”

"I do, and that's why I'm still here."
Ruin turns back toward the phantom.
"You see Grim, I learned somethin'. It's taken me too damn long, but I did it."
Ruin levitates the silver picture he borrowed from Ceres out of his bag, and in front of Grimmar
 "Do you still remember it? That feeling of caring? That feeling of having something worth fighting for? I found that today."
 Ruin gently places the picture down on the pile with the crown and skull
"I get it now. I care. I see that the people of my town, my friends, are worth fighting for; it took my actions getting Homily hurt for me to see that. I spent the last month detatched from them mostly, not even sure if they were real; hell, if any of this was real! I lived in my own goddamn head, treating this like some kind of fucking game. Well, no fucking more!"
Ruin applies his hornblade, and readies his hammer.
"That town, and those people are about to be up shit creek without a paddle right any day now at the hands of some punishment for something that they had no part in. If that sword is the only way to save 'em, I ain't leaving here without it! You would just keep it here, damning them to die by the consequences of your people's mistakes. I say fuck you and fuck the past! FUCK THAT PLAGUE, WE WON'T DIE FOR YOUR MISTAKES! THE PAST IS GONE!" Ruin SLAMS DOWN HIS HAMMER ON THE PILE OF SKULL, PICTURE, AND CROWN!
"THE FUTURE IS NOW, OLD MAN!"


The skull shatters into dust and bits of bone, the crown, only gold, easily is flattened, the silver picture bends a bit, but already being flat doesn't take too much damage.

For a moment, the sword is silent, save for its slight blue glow, before I suddenly erupts in lightning, blinding Ruin as the room becomes nothing but brightness.

The next moment, Grimmar stands before him ,sword facing upwards, infront of his face as he stands on the ground firmly, looking down at Ruin. Unlike before, while still spectral, he is now adorned in regal armor. His face stern, Ruin can still see a sadness in his eyes.

“I could not simply hand the sword over if I wished, young one. You have changed, but you ego still remains, let us hope it is not your undoing. Prove your might is worthy, Come forth and attack if you so dare.” Grimmar looks around, and suddenly the Door to the side room and the large ones to the rest of the castle fix themselves and close tightly. “But know, this is your final hour, if your will is not what it must be.”

"It's not about me. If I die, so be it." Ruin charges forward, feinting with his hammer while he aims his hornblade for the spectre's sword arm!

Grimmar Quickly pulls away, hopping back, clearly not intending to float around, and acting much more like a solid being. Sword ready, he watches as Ruin comes in with his attack. “Then let your death be one of a warrior!”

[Roll d20-3+melee and Dex, 9+ pass, 15+ success, 3- crit fail]
Ruin,17,success

Ruin feels his hornblade sink into the Minotaurs arm, as if it was goop, but the King simply grins, until the blade touches the hilt of the sword. He frowns, and kicks Ruin away, making him skid back a good few feet, and then comes in for a side swing!

Ruin tries to roll under the swing, with his hammer sticking up. Aim for the arm again!
[d20+dex for dodge, 8+ pass, 13+ success, 2- Crit fail]
[If pass on first -3 to next roll, no mod if success]
[If at least pass first, d20+melee for attack, 9+ pass, 14+ success, 2- crit fail]
Ruin first, re-roll, 11, pass
Ruin 2nd, 13, pass
1/3

Ruin feels some hair on his head get shaved off as he goes under the blade, feeling a bit of a tingle along his spine, but manages to avoid the blade. Coming up quickly, The king quickly pulls back, and Ruin only manages to get a graze onto his arm.

Suddenly, he sees a fist coming from the other direction, and if its anything like his foot, its gonna feel solid enough!

Ruin dodges back a step and points his head downward, putting the point of his hornblade in the path of the fist.

The fist doesn't stop, correcting its path easily, and Ruin feels it impact, going flying back several feet!
[roll d12+end, this is more for how well you take the hit, so no pass of fail boundaries]
[roll d12+dex to try and land properly, 7+ pass, 12+ success, 3- crit fail]
Ruin 1st, 7
Ruind 2nd,8, pass

Ruin Feels two teeth fly out of his face, and feels not so great, but he didn't hear anything crack or snap so hes probably good on the bones department.

As he hits solid ground again, hes able to skid a bit, but ends up off balance in a low crouch, but much better then he could've been, before he sees the sword coming down right above him!

Ruin backswings with his hammer, attempting to catch the sword with the hooked side of his heavy weapon!

[d20-3+strength, 8+ pass, 17+ success, 3- crit fail]

Ruin, 14, pass.

Ruin manages to use his Hammer to get the blade away from splitting him in two, but only just, the blade knocking the hammer from his grasp!

Grimmar smiles, bringing another fist around towards Ruin!

Ruin sees the fist coming, and instead of leaning into it like last time, tries to attack the side of the ancient minotaur king that isn't a fist currently aimed at him, taking advantage of the momentary opening!
he lowers his hornblade and aims for Grimmar's side!
"Man, thanks for knocking that hammer out of my mouth! Fighting with your mouth is haaaaard! I miss having hands, yknow?"

[d20+dex to dodge! 9+ pass, 14+ success, 3- crit fail]
[If success, roll second]
[d20+melee, 7+ pass, 12+ success, 1- crit fail]
Ruin 1st,16,success
Ruin 2nd,14, success
1/3

Ruin quickly jumps forward and out of the way of the fist, the King trying to dodge but Ruin was too close, the blade sinking into him and....Grmmmar just stands and takes a few steps back, Ruin slipping out of him easily enough.

“That was a good hit, im impressed. You have done much better then I expected, but fail to understand the game so far.” HE lunges forward, stabbing the blade at Ruin!

"Silly Grimbo slice, this ain't no game!" Ruin tries to parry the blow with his hornblade, using every bit of strength he has to try knockibg the sword from the ghostly Grimmar's grasp. " I said that in my opening speech, weren't you paying attention?"

Grimmar laughs. “I suppose it is not, but never the less one must understand the rules to win at life!”

[d20+strength, 8+ pass, 17+ success, 3- crit fail]
Ruin, 14, pass, re-rolled
2/3

Ruin knocks the blade aside, but hardly knocks it out of the kings grip, the kings quickly changing to do a swing at Ruin!

as the king prepares his swing, Ruin does a roll, his hammer the goal! (Rhymes aside, trying to dodge under the swing and get my hammer back!)

[d20+dex, 7+ pass, 12+ success, 4- crit fail]
Ruin,21, success

Ruin easily goes under the blade and grabs his hammer.

Grimmar smirks. “At least now your mouth will stay shut.” he mocks lightly.



Ruin says nothing on the matter, he swings around ready to batter Assuming his aim is straight and true, He swings for the sword with a follow through! (Attempt to disarm, again)

[d20-3+strength, 11+ pass, 18+ success, 1- crit fail]
ruin, 11, pass

Ruin smacks at the Kings blade, knocking it back a bit, but he holds firm, pushing against Ruin and knocking him back a bit.

Lifting the sword up, Grimmar crouches, seemingly waiting for Ruin to react.

"Bwu Uh uwwburrsphand buh rhuuws nhhow?" Ruin tries to say... something around his hammer as he pounds at the hilt of the sword with the big crystal smasher!

[d20-4+melee and Strength, 8+ pass, 17+ success, 5- crit fail]
Ruin,re-roll, 15, pass
3/3

Grimmar goes for a block, trying to do the same to Ruin it seems, but Ruin is able to hold firm, smacking hammer against blade, and actually sees Grimmar go back an inch!

“Not bad.” Grimmar says, and leans his entire weight onto the blade, and thus Ruin and his hammer, which for being a ghost is disturbingly heavy.

Ruin tries to push the sword to the side, hoping the weight will embed it in the stone! "Aaawve oou hriied hwuaydhwadguurs?"

Grimmar ignores your slurred, sloppy speech.
[d20-4+strength, 10+ pass, 18+ success, 4- crit fail]
Ruin, -1, crit fail

Grimmars strength is too much for Ruin, the strain of the fight finally getting to him, and he gets pushed, his hammer going flying as the blade connects with his chest, sending him flying backwards and flopping on the ground.

[d12-1+End]
Ruin, 6

Ruin feels the air leave his lungs, the world slowing around him as he sees droplets of his blood in the air, before he hits the ground, something cracking in his chest a bit, as he rolls a good nother foot, ending up on his stomach.

The gash on his chest is pretty nasty, and he feels woozy, but is not dead yet!

Grimmar stands a bit away, sword slowly being drawn back to him. “You have fought well. But you are no match for one whos life was forged from war. You have fought honorably, let us finish it so. Stand, fight.”

He kicks your hammer back to you.


"It's... merely a flesh wound." Ruin grabs the hammer in his mouth and gets to his hooves. "Gibbing uph ohm bhis woulb be gibbing uph ohm dem. Noph gubba haffun!" Ruin lunges, with everything he has left in him, with a downward hammer strike at the sword!

[d20-5+End and Strength, 9+ pass, 17+ success, 4- crit fail]
Ruin, 10, pass

Ruin is able to smack the counter jab out of the way, Grimmar actually very slightly out of position to try and pull back for another attack!

Seeing that this may be his last chance, Ruin aggressively capitalizes on the brief opportunity with another all-out downward slam to the sword!

[d20-4+Strength, 9+ pass, 17+ success, 3- crit fail]
Ruin, -1, crit fail.

Ruins wounds made him too woozy, he mis-calculated where he was swinging, missing and slamming into the ground.

Grimmar takes full advantage, Slamming the butt of the hilt hard into Ruins face, sending him toppling over, blood and teeth going flying, before he starts coming down for a final swing at Ruin, sprawled out on his back, hammer again lost.

Time seems to slow down for Ruin in that moment, death looming again overhead. For the first time since the start of the fight, he notices the change in weather.
It's snowing.
 For a moment he thinks of his home, back on Earth, but that's not really his home anymore, is it? No, he has a new home now. This town, these poners. He ain't giving up, not yet. He lunges into the swing, hornblade aimed for the hand of death!
"HAAAAYYYVEEEEEN!"

[d20-5+End+Strength+melee, 11+ pass, 17+ success, 5- crit fail]
Ruin, 13, pass

With all his might and will, Ruin knocks the blade aside, the thing cutting deep into the stone next to him! Grimmar frowns,  and starts pulling it out quickly.

Ruin quickly goes for his dropped hammer, and tries to turn back in time to take a wide sideswing at the revenant regent's recovery!

[D20-2+Dex, 8+ pass, 12+ success, 3- crit fail]
Ruin,2, crit fail

As Ruin rolls though, his wounds act up, making him twitch and flop over, still far from his hammer.

And then the pain shoots through his leg, as the tip of the sword just reaches him!
[d12-3+End]
Ruin, -1

Ruin screams, and sees something go flying. Looking back, it appeared to have been his now missing leg.

Grimmar stands over him, a sad look on his face.
“You fought well.” He lifts up the sword. “But those who bound this world in fates chains have forsaken you.”

"Well, fuck them!" Ruin goes for a horned headbutt on the sword hand.

[d20-5+strength+melee, 12+ pass, 17+ success, 7- crit fail]
Ruin,15,pass

Ruin manages to knock the shot off to the side once again! Grimmar frowns, drawing the blade back quickly.

“You fight til the end, I commend you, but it is futile.”

"Guh, futile implies it's pointless. It's got a point." use that point! More horny parrying with intent to disarm!

[d20-5+strength+melee+Dex, 12+ pass, 17+ success, 3- crit fail]
Ruin, 19, success!

Ruin, with all the might left he can muster, hits the hilt of the sword as Grimmat pulls it back and.....and he knocks it out of Grimmars hand, the loss weight making Grimmar tumbles a good several feet back, blinking in surprise.

“wha...” he says, dumbstruck.

Ruin quickly grabs for the sword, and swings it back at Grimmar!

The sword does not resist, oddly Ruin feels like it sends a rush of adrenalin through him!
[d20-3+melee+Dex, 10+ pass, 16+ success, 2- crit fail]
Ruin, 5, fail

Ruin swings, but with only oe back leg, he cant reach far enough,, Grimmar jumping back, getting serious again.

“so you know how you must end this, but can you truly do it?” he asks, sidestepping and lunging forward as the side Ruin isnt holding the sword with a fist!

Ruin tries to lunge past the fist, aiming for Grimmar's torso with a last ditch tacklestab! "I habt who."

[D20-5,+melee+dex, 11+ pass, 16+ success, 4- crit fail]
Ruin,17, success

Ruin sees the world go by slowly, the sound of the storm outside, the droplets of blood hitting the ground.

Drip, drip, as he feels the fist brush by his cheek,almost touching, almost ending this. But it didnt.

A moment later, Grimmar is blinking, Outstretched, his fist clenched behind Ruin, Ruin pushing will all his might, the sword through Grimmars chest.

He blinks, then chuckles. “Well now,” he puts his other hand on Ruins shoulder, not threateningly, but like one would a friend, “i was wrong about you.”

The sword glows, and Grimmar pulls back, smiling down at Ruin with approval. “Well done. The sword is yours, may it protect you whenever Evil shows itself, may it help your town, like it once helped my people. You have passed, at a cost, but it is your victory.” AS he says this, Grimmar slowly disappears, until he is gone.

The sword glows blue, Ruin feeling energy pulsating, before he suddenly lifts off the ground, lighting firing from his mouth and eyes as it arks over his body, his wound being burned shut, before he drops to the ground, the battle over, the sword feeling connected to him, its soft glow fading as it rests in his mouth.

Ruin lats for a long moment, moving only to remove the hornblade.
"Holy shit."
He lays a bit longer.
"Score one, Outer Hayven."
and so he just lays there for a while longer, waiting for the storm to clear.

"Heh. Hehe. Hehehehe," Ruin coughs a bit, somewhat delirious from the blood loss. " Just like in the stories."

Pheno stands on the doorstep of the house she was directed to, wavering in her decision to knock
She shivers in the unnatural cold "He said it was fine to come over..."

Homily gathered his equipment, preparing to go on a trip back to the castle ruins. He collected his saddlebags from the corner near his door where he kept his gear, and dumped everything he didn't need out of the bags. His helmet lay perched on his spear, and he equiped the armor before strapping the spear to him between his pack and his body. He in front of the door to exit his house, ready to leave the town. He hopes Ruin is still alive, just waiting with the sword for someone to stop by, but a nagging voice in the back of his head tells him that Ruin is already dead. Either way, Homily needed to go back. He opens the door.

Pheno's about to rap her claw on the door frame when it opens in front of her to reveal an armed and armored Homily "Oh hell. What's wrong now? More snakes?"

Homily backs up a step, surprised at the birb at his door. "Oh, hello Pheno. No, no snakes, just... checking on a friend." His tone is somber, and his eys downcast.

Pheno takes in his expression, then throws her pack past him through the door "Well, let's go. I'm not letting you run out into the night by yourself in this crazy weather." She steps up to him and puts a claw under his chin, lifting his head up and looking him in the eyes "This is no casual trip from the looks of it. I'll be there for you, okay?"

Homily almost starts to shake his head, but he thinks better of it. There shouldn't be any danger, and even if there was, it's not like Pheno didn't know how to handle herself. Besides, he could use the help dragging the corpse back. He mentally berates himself for thinking that last bit. "I- Yeah, thank you. I'd be glad to have you along."


Pheno smiles, backing up and giving him room to get out the door "Glad to be along, Homily. Where are we off to?"

Homily starts trotting in the direction of the north gate, and turns his head back to look at Pheno as he talks. "Some old ruins I found with a group some time ago. It's just north of here, not too far. Last time we were there I- Homily cuts himself off, reluctant to reveal just how bad off he had been. "Err, there was an explosion, so we cut the trip short. We were mainly there to talk to a ghost about what happened to the castle. This ghost is guarding a sword, and one of the people in the group stayed back to challenge him without us knowing. It was a few days ago, and I haven't seen him since."

Pheno catches the hesitation, but lets it pass for now 'You're telling me all about that little trip when we have some time...' Pheno thinks to herself "So. So you think he needs help? Or..." Pheno can't bring herself to say it, and picks up her pace unconsciously.

Homily looks back to the ground again. "The 'or', most likely. We were given ample warning that he would be difficult to defeat, and that we probably weren't ready. I... I know he stayed back because he slipped a will into my bags sometime before we left."

"A... A will? Oh no..." Pheno blanches, then hurries up to Homily's side, pressing against him "Hey, you don't know what happened yet. He might be sitting there, reveling in his victory. Or, umm, getting secret sword training from the ghost as a reward for defeating him! He might be fine!"

Homily sighs and leans back against the griffon while he walks. "Maybe, but... He would've been back by now, right? I don't think he would have brought enough food to be comfortable out there for so long." The northern gate was in sight, and soon they would be out of the town.

Pheno shakes her head lightly, looking up at Homily and forcing a smile "You don't know what happened yet. Until we know t-the w-worst... He's fine. Anything could have happened. He might have gotten kidnapped by fillies and forced into an eternal tea party for all we now." She hopes her silliness might break through Homily's somber mood, but doubts it .

"I don't think that would happen, but..." He looks straight ahead with a neutral expression. "You're right. We don't know anything until we get there."

The trip to the north was longer then expected, the ground mush from the rains and melting snow, the rivers still not having calmed down.

The night was long since settled in, the air stale, silent, as they approached the Castle. Not even the insects seemed to have stuck around.

Homily walks through the entrance to the ruins, making his way toward the throne room.

Pheno looks over the ruins as they approach "That... Is quite the ruin." She hurries after Homily as he moves forward, trusting that he knows the way.

Homily Finds the doors to the Throne room closed, but not locked, the once rotting doors seemingly new.


As Homily arrives at the door to the throne room, he pulls a pair of goggles out of his saddlebags and offers them to Pheno. "Here, put these on before we go in. There's runes on the walls that can give you a bad headache if you aren't wearing this."

Pheno nods, pulling on the goggles and flexing her claws. No telling what's on the other side of those doors, but she's ready to keep Homily safe "Ready, Homey. L-let's do this."

Homily takes one final deep breath, before pushing attempting to puch the door open.

Inside, would be a hectic scene. Blood stains in a few places, aswell as deep gashes into the stone, before they spot Ruin lying down off to the left, blood around him, though hes no longer bleeding, the sword with him, though his leg is on the other side of the room.

"Ah, shit! Is he okay?" Pheno gapes at all the blood, but her eyes lock on the severed leg and stay there.

Homily takes in the sight around him. He catches sight of the leg before he sees Ruin's body proper, and retches as he fights the urge to vomit. He walks numbly to what he assumes is a corpse.

Pheno follows him slowly, her eyes still drawn to the loose limb.

"I..." Ruin gasps, as he tries to grip the sword in a hoof. "I have the poweer..." Ruin tries to lift the sword with a hoof, not getting it above his resting height "Ugh, cmoooon, do the magic thiiing." He mumbles.

The sword maybe glows very faintly blue, but if it did, it doesn't last very long.

Homily's eyes widen in shock as Ruin stirs, and he rushes the rest of the way to his body. "Ruin! You're alive!"

Pheno's eyes widen, then crinkle in relief as she see's the pony stir, following Homily to his side and looking him over

"Barely. That Grimmar guy sure could punch." Ruin tries to smile, showing his new gappy teeth. "I think I need a taxi. Or an amberlamps." And with that, Ruin is out like a light.

"He needs a doctor." Pheno says quietly, not liking the look of Ruin's wounds.

"Oh no, oh no, w-we uh, we need to stop his leg from bleed-" As Homily looks to Ruin's stump, he realises that it was already sealed. "Oh, nevermind." In fact, on a second look, it would seem all his wounds had been burned shut. Still, no telling what other injuries Ruin had. Homily nods to Pheno. "Yeah, he does. Can you get him on my back? I can carry him to town, and drop him off at the hospital."

Pheno nods "Have any rope to secure him up there? I left all my stuff at your house." She moves closer to Ruin, trying to see where best to lift him from to not aggravate his injuries.

"Yeah, let me just..." Homily digs through hs bags, and pulls out a coiled rope. He hooves it over to Pheno.

"kneel down, okay?" She grabs Ruin under his belly and shoves him bodily over Homily's rump, pushing him past his hips to settle over his barrel "Okay, stand up slowly and let me get him snug up here."

It was a long and nerve wracking trip back to town, the environment not the best to be pulling around an injured pony and his belongings, but they make it, and he lived.

The Town quickly got him into the hospital and into treatment, and while he would never get his leg back, he had overcome a great challenge.