Beast and Carson

As you make your way through the Arena of the One, you notice a hooded dwarf, conspicuously trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. But when he sees you, his face suddenly switches from studied indifference to shock, disbelief and joy. A hand shoots out, and grabs you by the wrist. "Marcus?!" he whispers hoarsely "Marcus Miles, is that you?!" [["Carson! Are ye well? 'Cos yer lookin' well!"]] [["That name's dead, Carson. Long dead. It's "Beast" now."]] [["Don't know you, mate. Think you have me confused with someone else."]]

For a moment, Carson looks angry and betrayed. Then, understanding dawns and he nods solemnly. "Right you are, friend. Sorry. It's just, you reminded me of someone I knew a long time ago." [["Oh aye? Handsome devil, was he?"]]

"Handsome as a fire slug's arse." Carson says with a grin "Strange body odour too, kind of like cabbage, but not good cabbage, yeah? Old yellow cabbage. Pot-bellied. Went bald early. Oh, and did I mention he was a short-arse?" At four foot six inches, Carson always towered over you and never let you forget it. [["Well, from that description I imagine he only hung around with you to feel handsome."]]

"Maybe." says Carson. "He was a good 'un, though." [["Is that so?"]]

"That's right." says Carson "Anyone can start a fight knowing they're gonna win. But people, say like my ugly, foul-smelling, balding, pot-bellied, short-arsed mate, who take a stand knowing full well they're going to get their teeth smashed in? They're a rare breed. Not enough of them in this world. I fought for him. My whole family did. And we lost everything. Our home burnt to the ground, my sister missing, my parents locked up Source-knows where. Know what I'd do different, if I had the chance, friend?" [[Say nothing.]] [["What?"->Say nothing.]]

"Not a damn thing." Carson says. He reaches inside his garments and pulls out a key. He presses it into your hand. "If you see my friend, you tell him I said that, won't you?" Carson says "And tell him he might just find that useful in getting out of here and finishing what he started." Carson walks off into the shadows, stopping only to call over his shoulder: "And tell him he's still a short-arse."

Carson says nothing for a few seconds. "Is it?" he finally says, and he looks like he's biting his cheeks on the inside. [["What's so funny?"]] [["What are you doing here?"->"What you doing here, Carson?"]]

"Nothing." says Carson "Nothing. It's a great name." [["Here, you. I don't think I like yer tone."]] [["I didn't pick the damn name. What you doing here, Carson?"->"What you doing here, Carson?"]]

"No no!" says Carson "It's a great name, innit? Really scary. That's the kind of name people take seriously. Beast. Yeah!" He raises a fist enthusiastically. You honestly can't tell anymore if he's taking the piss. [["What you doing here, Carson?"]]

"Little bit of this, little bit of that." says Carson, furtively "Also, thieving. I've been stealing things that don't belong to me. Theft. Larceny, y'know?" [[Tell him that you suspect he may be engaged in something underhanded.]]

"Who told?!" says Carson in mock horror. [[Ask about home.]]

"That's a filthy lie." says Carson with a grin. [["Aye."]] [["Yes."->"Aye."]] [["Indeed it was."->"Aye."]] [["I was trying to spare your feelings, but I see now that was the greater cruelty."->"Aye."]]

He laughs and claps you warmly on the shoulder, so hard your eye patch shifts out of place and Fran slides down over your brow. [["What you doing here, Carson?"]]

Carson smiles sadly. "You want me to lie, or tell the truth?" [["Lie."]] [["Tell me the truth, Carson."]]

"It's all sorted now. Justinia's realised the error of her ways and threw us all a great big banquet to say sorry. And all the people who died? Turns out they was all on a nice big farm in the country. The royal guards certainly aren't gouging the royal emblem in the hide of anyone who looks at them queer and shaking the rest for coins until their teeth fall out. It's all rainbows and cherub farts back home, now." [["I'll set things to rights, Carson. You have my word."]]

"It's bad, Marcus." Carson murmurs "Twenty years ago, I'd never have believed that the things I've seen could happen in our kingdom. You always think that if a tyrant rose up you'd stop them, don't ya? You always think "It would never happen here". Too smart, aren't we? Too brave. Too good. But we weren't smart. We weren't brave. We weren't good. Maybe, in the end, we deserved her. Most of us just keep our heads down. But then, we're dwarves. We're good at that." [["I'll set things to rights, Carson. You have my word."]]

Carson nods. "I believe you. Always did. Never stopped." He reaches into his robe and pulls out a key. "You'll need this." he says ""Liberated" it from that numpty Kraus. Get out of here and pay that cousin of yours a visit. It's important to keep in touch with family, don't you think?" He smiles darkly. [[Thank him, and leave.]]

Carson places a hand on your shoulder. "One more thing." he says "Do you remember my sister, Deltara?" [["Certainly. The Lady Deltara was one of the most beautiful, gracious ladies it was ever my pleasure to cross paths with."]] [["I...remember the name. Describe her."->"Certainly. The Lady Deltara was one of the most beautiful, gracious ladies it was ever my pleasure to cross paths with."]] [["Oh aye. Mad bint with red hair. Missing an ear. Favoured the hammer."]]

"If you don't remember her, just say so." says Carson hotly "She fought by your side against the Royal Guards in the Battle of the Castle Keep. I've heard rumours that she might have survived. Find her, Marcus. Bring her home. Please." [["Carson, mate. I'm sorry, but seven of us made it out of the Keep alive, and she wasn't one of them..."]] [["Well...maybe..."]] [["If she's alive, Carson, I'll find her. You have my word."->"Well...maybe..."]]

"Yeah, that's her." Carson nods. "She fought by your side against the Royal Guards in the Battle of the Castle Keep. I've heard rumours that she might have survived. Find her, Marcus. Bring her home. Please." [["Carson, mate. I'm sorry, but seven of us made it out of the Keep alive, and she wasn't one of them..."]] [["Well...maybe..."]] [["If she's alive, Carson, I'll find her. You have my word."->"Well...maybe..."]]

Carson falls silent. You realise that you've just killed something that was very dear to him: hope. You can't think of anything else to say, so you make your excuses, thank him for the key and set off. Before you leave the arena, you turn one last time to look at Carson. But he's gone. For a fanciful moment, you wonder if he was a ghost, kept in this realm only by the fleeting hope that his sister might be found safe and well. But more likely, he's simply realised that there's nothing left for him here. It's something you both have in common.

"Find her, Marcus." Carson pleads "For me. For my family." Carson turns and vanishes into the shadows, leaving you holding the key. You remember Deltara. The image that sticks in your heads is of her arms slick with blood and her head thrown back in a triumphant howl as the Royal Guards closed in on her. She was one of the finest natural warriors you ever knew, she was like a bear; no one taught her how to fight, she was born knowing. Was it possible she survived? You think back to everything that has happened to since your banishment. Hell, if you could survive the Nameless Isle and that damn Kraken, what trouble would Deltara have surviving a few hundred royal guards? Laughable, when you think of it. You smile to yourself. Yes, damn it. She's out there somewhere, and you're going to find her.