Tapes
Maxwell joining the team -Eris
The light graphic crackled to life in front of the party, it was just a scene of a common room like the one of your dorm from a first person perspective; a voice echoing in the chamber. “Listen, Heather. I have to record everything or else no one will believe our stories!” This is a voice you haven’t heard yet, light and on the edge of laughter. “Well, you don’t need to record our new team mate, you’ll scare him off, like the last one.” Heather's laughter filled the room, she sounded much younger. The recording perspective shifts to look at her, she was grinning, looking so full of youthful optimism. On the couch next to her, a dark haired half elf covered her face from the recording device while giggling, “Turn that thing off, Eris!” “But Thalia…” The person holding the device went in closer to her face for more teasing but the door opened and the device turned to face the young elf that had entered the room, easily recognisable to your party as Maxwell. He was tense but he tried to play it off as nonchalance, he looked less tired and bitter than he usually did. “I was told to come here for my team. So far I’m not impressed.” Maxwell said with an uptight tone. “Oh kid, I’m gonna have a field day with you…” Eris murmured to the device before it clicked off, leaving you in silence and the dark.
Good times with all of them -Heather
When you play the second tape, the room is filled with the image of a field on a summer's day, the grass dancing in an imaginary breeze. The team was relaxing in the sun. Nym sat leaning against his pack plucking at the strings of his lute with his eyes closed, basking in the sun. He looked more vibrant than when you saw him, golden hair and golden skin, much like how Kia remembered him from her childhood. A human man with messy brown hair that hung to his shoulders and a mischievous looking face sat close to Nym with Maxwell laying in the grass with his head in his lap. You assume this must be Eris. He was absentmindedly playing with Maxwell's hair and putting him to sleep. The device was clearly being held by Heather as she started speaking quietly to Thalia beside her, “I hope things can stay like this forever… I’m going to remember this moment for the rest of my life.” “If we stay a team, then every day can be like this. I promise.” The half elf shifted to lean into Heather. “And I know that nothing will ever split us up.” With that, Heather hummed in content and the device clicked off. Thalia finding the amulet - Thalia
The visual shows a dark dungeon room with a singular light beam shining on an amulet with a large black onyx displayed in the centre of the room. The person holding the device drops it to their side as they move toward the amulet slowly, as if in a trance. They lifted the device again when they reached for the amulet, it pulsed with power and the person gasped as they picked it up as if it shocked them. The gasp was recognisable as Thalia. “Hey, Lia? Do you have Eris’ recorder? He said it was on the fritz, something about it not stopping its recording when it was supposed-- are you okay?” The soft and kind voice of Nym shocked Thalia and she whirled around quickly to face him. “I’m fine. We should get out of this place. It’s freaking me out.” She said quickly. Nym gave her a curious look but nodded slowly. “Yeah… One of the rooms was filled with spiders and they snapped my lute. Eris said I could have his violin when we got back.” With that, both left the room, the recorder clicking off finally.
Heather’s death -Maxwell
The recording crackled on with the surroundings showing a cave tunnel, the sounds of frantic heavy breathing came over the speakers. “Heather, come on, we’re almost out. You’ll be okay.” Maxwell’s voice was desperate and panicked. The perspective whirled quickly around as he turned to Heather. She wasn’t looking so hot, she leant against the cave wall, her skin pale and she was shaking terribly. “I just… Okay. Max. I just need a minute…” Her knees gave out and she dropped to the floor. Maxwell rushed to her side and it became apparent what was wrong. Her side had a bite taken from it, blood was seeping through the makeshift bandages, leaving them saturated. “I’m so sorry, Max… I should have listened to you…” She laughed weakly, “You were always the smart one…” “That’s why I’m right that you’ll be okay. It’s not far. We can make it. Please just… Try.” Maxwell’s voice caught as he begged for her to keep going. She closed her eyes then forced them back open. “I don’t think we’re going to be so lucky today, Maxy… I’m so sorry…” She closed her eyes again and slumped against Maxwell's chest. The device picked up the moment she stopped breathing, and the moment Maxwell realised that they weren’t leaving together this time. His breathing quickened and became deep sobs before he cried out in anguish, the sound echoing through the tunnel. “Max?!” Eris’ panicked voice could be heard at the opening of the tunnel as the rest of the team finally found the two. The team of five was now a team of four. The device clicked off again. Thalia bringing Heather back at the expense of Eris -Maxwell
The visual showed a clean white room, the device was on the ground, thrown haphazardly aside. It was centred on the body of Eris, a bloody hole right through his chest and his face contorted into terror. Maxwell was kneeling next to him, his breathing was shaky as he looked up in horror at someone out of the device's view. “W-why did you do this…” His voice was quiet and weak, it shook like his hands did as he took a hold of Eris’ hand. Their matching rings pressed into each other, staining Maxwell’s hand with Eris’ blood. “Max… I’m so sorry… I just… I couldn’t live without her…” Thalia’s voice came from out of frame. She sounded shaken. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this…” “Then how the hell was it supposed to be, Thalia? What the fuck were you thinking?” Maxwell raised his voice, yelling now. He wasn’t shaking with shock anymore, rage shook him to his core. He stood up, letting go of Eris. Maxwell’s eyes glowed with magic and wind whipped around them as he prepared a spell to take them both out. “It wasn’t supposed to be him! I promise. It was supposed to be you, Maxwell.” Thalia cried out, desperation had taken over her. Her voice was almost that of the directors now. “... Maxy…?” A quiet voice caused Maxwell to drop the spell in shock, Heather sounded as if she had just woken from a deep sleep. “What’s going on…?” The device clicked off.
Maxwell leaves the recording behind with Eris’ grave -Maxwell
The visual showed a dark afternoon, the rain fell lightly to Maxwell’s face that was at the centre of the frame. He looked exhausted and tears were already falling down his cheeks. “Hey, Eris. You always said to record the important stuff… I guess this is pretty important. I’m going to miss you every day we aren’t together but I’m taking her out for you. I promise you that.” He tried to have resolve in his voice but it wavered. “I have to leave you with these, I know you wanted to be buried with this damn recorder but I couldn’t part with it until now. You can return the ring to me when we meet again, part of me died with you so it feels disingenuine to wear it anymore. I’ll tell you all about my adventure when I see you. I love you.” He clicked off the recording device but it kept rolling as he turned it toward the grave marker you saw earlier, he placed it carefully in the iron box you found it in with his engagement ring. The device finally stopped playing. The tapes were over.