Editing Campaign: 2025 (section)

== 10. Ares’ Game ==
'''Saturday, August 13<sup>th</sup>, 2022'''

The players enter the temple and swim through the darkness before sensing vibrations through the water, then later accompanied by the grunts and roars of two beasts. At the end of the hallway of the temple is a massive opening, and in the center is Binkles wrestling with the Kraken. The groups join forces and defeat the beast.

When the creature is slain, Binkles tells the players that he, too, was searching for the Codex of the Clearnet in order to protect it from those who would abuse its’ power. He explains that one reason it absolutely cannot cross hands with an evildoer is because it may possess the ability to access a ‘master key’ to the Backrooms on the deep web. It is not an actual ‘key’ in that sense, but rather a functional map of the area itself. Because of the recent discovery of multiversal travel through the Backrooms, the Codex could be used to pursue the wishing well directly. He also gives Joab his Belt of Immutable Strength, with 3 of the 5 elemental gems already inside it, granting the lobster the strength score of 25. The King of Atlantis also records their battle with the Kraken in verse in Joab’s Epic poem.

When they surface, they are surprised by a few dozen small boats, each containing a small firing squad of water genasi with rifles.

“''Freeze! Do not move! We will shoot!''”

And suddenly, when your head emerged from the ocean, it seemed there were more rifles in your face than waves in the ocean. Several dozen small attack boats surrounded you in the ocean. And as suddenly as they were raised, the guns are put back down as a single figure descends from one of the larger boats.

“Son, it’s me,” he says, taking his mask off and revealing an amphibious frog-face. “I found ‘ya.”

Larsen’s adoptive father helps the group back to Atlantis so they can save the world, stating that the ''Butler'' has been looking for him in turn. He is also wanted in Atlantis due to his ongoing direction of the mafia. Larsen’s father gives him a Luckstone and records several verses in Joab’s Epic poem.

The following day, Monday, June 8<sup>th</sup>, both Salamalins tell the players that they must speak at the plantation, where it is safe. Salamalin-12 begins:

“We’re all fine now. And we’re not mad about the base, we can get all that back. We know exactly where you can find the Codex of the Clearnet; but there’s good news and bad news,” Salmalin-12 says, shifting in his seat at the Plantation.

“The good news is, we can get you there in one plane shift spell. The bad news is you’ll have to win a war game in Acheron to obtain the item.”

Salamalin-11 says, “In Acheron, they have weekly war game tournaments that are distinct across the multiverse, because in their simulations, you cannot die because of an immortality enchantment placed on the dimension by its’ god, Ares. This week’s tournament is basically a massive, free-for-all in which the last man standing will win the Codex. Participants from all over our universe will be vying for it.

Salamalin-12 adds, “There are a few things you should know before competing: One, there ''is'' a power cap, so you won’t have to worry about fighting gods or other powerful entities like the ''Butler'' himself. He will undoubtedly be finding someone to fight in his place, however. He cannot obtain the Codex at all costs. If the ''Butler'' gets it before anyone else, he will hide it in the most fucked-up, abyssal layers of the Backrooms conceivable, or worse yet, simply memorize the entire thing and then destroy it. That’s just how he rolls.

Upon reaching Acheron, the players find themselves in a large, stone square; when they look around, everything looks like a picturesque ancient Roman forum, inside of which are tens of thousands of travelers from all different paths of the universe. A floating, glowing sign above the main forum area contained a countdown to the next war game before transitioning to a picture of the Codex of the Clearnet alongside several other prizes for winning the game.

The ‘Codex’ is a floating, perfectly-spherical, mirrorlike ball that reflects on its surface the screen of whatever website or part of the internet is willed by its’ user when attuned to it. Its’ screen is displayed such that anyone can see it no matter what perspective they stand from.

The ‘map’ for the contest is a huge, magically-designed wilderness full of trees, rivers, lakes, hills, a mountain, and plains filling everything in between. It is approximately 32 square miles in area. The edges overlook the vast nothingness below; just clouds, and about 40 feet away from the edges of the map is a faint, nearly-invisible bluish force field preventing anyone from leaving by some other means. Flying camera drones and hidden lenses are periodically spotted in various locations throughout the map.

Acheron also notably has a gym and lucrative betting system. Because no mortal currency is accepted in Acheron, bets are placed using Drachmas. They are obtained from winning war games or placing successful bets. While in the betting hall, the players run into Beel Allocen, and they discover nobody can be harmed in ‘lobby’ of Acheron when they try to kill him. They receive death stares from other patrons of the bar when they charge him, revealing he is an influential figure around the subdimension’s betting circles.

“I’d like some salt water, please,” Larsen said, sitting at the bar and matching the bartender’s eye contact after he broke away from looking at, and then processing, Joab.

“Uh… I’ll get you a vodka on the rocks, buddy.” The bartender gestured at Joab. “Does he want anything?”

''Sand.'' Joab said to Larsen telepathically in one short syllable. ''Wet sand''. 

Larsen looked back at the bartender and said, “He wants wet sand.”

“…You’re the boss.” He went through a door in the back of the bar.

On his way into the bar, Jason, connivingly muttering under his breath about needing to obtain a magical item, happens to cross by a hooded figure with many wares.

“Did I hear you are in the market for some… ''wares''?” He said, the words hissing out between his teeth with each word. “''What'' are you searching for?”

Jason, not looking up from the ground, muttered, “A sandwich baggie full of crushed glass.”

The salesman was not expecting that answer. “Well, I have the perfect thing for you.”

He reached into his coat and produced a small, brown satchel. “''This'', my friend, is a bag of ''genuine'' dust of disappearance. A classic item and a must-have on the battlefield.”

Larsen, in ear shot from across the bar, hears these words and spins his head over towards Jason and the mysterious merchant. Before he could react, Jason slipped a single wiry finger into the bag’s top, curled it around the dust inside, and then flicked it onto the bag, expecting it to magically vanish.

Instead, himself and the merchant immediately began to convulse and sneeze when the dust scattered in a billowing cloud that covered their faces and scattered bar patrons away from them.

“''You… motherfucker!''” The salesman shouts between deep, mucous-spattering coughs while stumbling out of the bar. He bumps shoulders with Gôl, now walking in behind the rest of the group.

The bartender comes back with Larsen and Joab’s drinks. Joab clumsily attempts to pick up the metal mixing bowl full of wet sand before grabbing it too hard and dumping it all over the bar floor.

Larsen and the lobster ducked down to attempt to clean the sand up, and they are immediately put on edge as an ice cold hand rested rather gingerly on either of their shoulders.

“Hoo hoo hoo! Look who it is!” Beel Allocen laughed through a smile of sharp teeth, looking down at them. “I told you you hadn’t seen the last of me.”

Joab, blinded by rage, extended his legs and managed to wrap both of his massive claws around the devil’s neck, with his laughing face and pointed teeth leering at him between his pincers. No matter how hard Joab squeezed, he wouldn’t die.

Allocen performed a quick reversal, landing on Joab’s back and forcefully patting him several times. He dismounted, taking a sip of  a cocktail being held by a floating mage hand then occupying the next seat at the bar.

“My plan to ensure you don’t win this item is pretty simple,” he put his elbow up on the bar and began gesturing, “…the fighter in Acheron with the highest win rate for this competition’s category, and by extension the source of this place’s revenue this week, is a sweet lil’ thang’ named Zegana. 

He finished his drink. “When her, shall we say, ‘investors’ realize that ''you'' boys are in town and ready to kick some ass on live, universal television, all bets are off on everyone else.” A smile spread across his face. “Better drink up, ponies. I bet a pretty penny on ‘ya!”

The players sign up for the battle royale, and when it begins, they are gathered in a waiting area where themselves, along with all of their gear, which is scanned by Acheron’s computing systems. They are then magically transported into the battlefield when it begins, causing all of the players to need to find each other when the battle starts.

Gôl and Jason find themselves near a river, and further down is Larsen, who is immediately ambushed by a Gladiator. Joab, meanwhile, in a nearby forest, is divebombed by a Giant Four-Armed Gargoyle. The groups converge and defeat their assailants.

After hiding and traversing the area for a bit, they come into contact with the first group of enemies working together: A Vampire, two Warlords, and an Adult Emerald Dragon. The group is spotted traversing the mountainous area, and the dragon quickly spots them, prompting a battle.

At the top of the mountain, a chest is spotted, inside of which a magical item corresponding to the player who opened it first can be found. Shortly after leaving the mountain (with many players still left in the game), a Treant springs a booby trap on one of the players, starting another battle with a group: It is accompanied by an Amber Golem, a Biomancer, and a Daemogoth. After the group is defeated, a nearby waterfall leads the players down into a plains area touching the mountain that ends at the wall of the forest across from them. They spend quite some time walking before coming spotting a trio of monsters moving along the plain: an Eyedrake, a Death Tyrant, and a Beholder.

The only other person alive in the game, waiting for them at the center of the map where all of the rivers converge, is Zegana herself. When she is defeated, the game ends, and a bright white light fills their field of vision, and they awaken in the personal chamber of Ares, who congratulates them. The god gives the group the following items, as long as they were not already obtained from a chest in the war game: A Displacer Beast Cloak for Jason, a pair of Winged Boots for Larsen, Boots of Striding and Springing for Gôl, and for Joab, an Eldritch Claw Tattoo that Ares himself draws on him. Ares records several stanzas in Joab’s Epic poem.

He gives the party a Fortune Cookie. Along with an eldritch claw tattoo for Joab, boots of striding and springing for Gôl, as well as the grand prize, the Codex of the Clearnet.