>>> PLAY <<<
The goblin stared vacantly through the lens of the camera, his eyes disjointed, it’s not as if he was looking at a viewer of the video, but rather like he was looking right through the camera itself. His expression is oddly smooth, not scrunched in pain as you might expect. His breaths come short and quick, as if he was on the edge of panic despite the placid look on his face. If any doctor were there on the scene, or watching this video, they would think that the goblin had gone into shock.
In this state, this goblin has minutes left, hours if he’s lucky enough to somehow get his wits about him.
With the camera now stationary on the goblins face, it's impossible not to notice the differences between goblin and human. Most obviously, the green skin, a deep emerald color. Next to be noticed are the goblins eyes. They are an inhuman color, a light orange shade, and they’re massive; taking up half of his head and wrapping around far to the sides, where on a human their ears might start. Allowing a goblin to see just a bit behind their head without even turning to look.
This goblin happens to be showing off another unique trait of goblin eyes. His left eye seems normal, staring straight ahead, his pupil and iris proportionate to the eye’s larger size. But his right eye isn’t like that at all. The pupil and iris of this eye is much smaller and split into two, one half wandering around the side of his head and the other looking vacantly straight ahead alongside the left eye. As the camera continues to record, the right eye merges back together and the left eye then splits off to check the other corner of the goblin’s vision.
All of a sudden the goblins gaze sharpens coming back into focus, his breath slows becoming more controlled, and his mouth splits into a smile. His smile is much wider than a human’s and full of sharp teeth, although there are fewer teeth than a human might have. His ears, long triangles almost in the back of his head, flick up then down, showing a range of motion an elf would envy.
The goblin sets down the camera, still facing him, on a rock nearby and uses two arms to lever himself up to a sitting position. He looks down at his legs and frowns, his ears drooping, the sad expression exaggerated by his large eyes and mouth.
From the rock we can't see the goblins legs, only his arms and torso, but whatever the goblin sees can't be good as he doesn't even try to stand all the way up. He just shakes his head and looks up to the top of the hole, to a spot behind the camera.
He sits there waiting, patient, expression occasionally crumbling as he deals with the pain of his shattered legs.
>>> FAST FORWARD 2X <<<
The goblin continues to wait, his eyelids drooping down and eyes splitting and becoming unfocused. Whenever this happens, he jabs a clawed hand down into his wounds. Each time he shrieks in pain and bolts upright, clawed fingers coming back stained green. Expression looking more and more pained every time.
Then he sees what he was waiting for and his smile returns.
>>> NORMAL SPEED <<<
He grabs the camera and the recording becomes nauseatingly unwatchable for a while as the frame is wiped around, becoming a meaningless blur of green and gray.
Then it pauses, taking in the view of another goblin standing on the lip of the hole holding a rope in their hands. Rope is a generous name for what the goblin is holding, but his intentions for the knotted collection of vines and rags are clear as he tosses it down the hole to the goblin below.
The camera is set down, recording the stone wall as the two goblins chitter back and forth. Preparing to haul the injured goblin out of the pit. It doesn’t take long for the frame to begin moving again, approaching the wall it had been recording, as the goblin carrying it screams in ear-piercing pain.
>>> VOLUME 0 <<<
The frame lurches and sways, the goblin hugging the camera to his chest tight with both hands, some of his fingers covering the lens. The color of his fingers turn to a pale green as he death grips the camera, keeping it in his hands even as he passes out from the pain.
After a brutal minute, the movement stops and the camera is set on the edge of the hole, pointed back at the goblin who had just suffered so much to get it here. He smiles, his eyes bloodshot and full of tears. He celebrates, raising a fist to the goblin who pulled him up. Before he can lose the rest of his strength, the goblin reaches out with his clawed hand and slices the rope - dropping back into the hole, his role fulfilled.
END TRANSCRIPTION — — —
All Mail:
Yesterday:
[email protected]
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To: [email protected] Topic: Seems Like a Waste
Central,
Seriously? I spend years working to get into this position like you asked, and now you're asking me to burn it all down for some random fantasy case? I don't get it, when you first approached me you promised me that I would be doing something important. That I would be protecting people from getting too far over their head and disappeared like Archie. We've guided this girl past too many landmine cases and past countless terrible ideas. I thought you guys initiated me specifically to help her, I thought you guys cared too. I do care, I won't just burn it all down because you ordered me too. I'm going to need more than a checklist if you want me to go through with this
Regards,
Acolyte T
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[email protected]
To: [email protected] Topic: Know Your Place
Acolyte
You should consider more before contacting us with such reckless demands. Your empathy in this case has done you credit, the council has determined that on completion you will be awarded with another rank, and more information. Understand you no longer speak to some mid-level Knight, We of the Circle of Thirteen await news of your success ourselves. This is a great honor. The Lady Saintess has bidden me to remind you of a few things to ensure you keep motivated.
You are not the only one compelled by contract, we have also agreed to the demands you had when you signed. We remember. "Section 31, paragraph 7 line 5- No amoral orders may be issued under this contract unless the safety or security of [Archibald] is directly involved." The Saintess believes this applies. You are under a significant misunderstanding. The one who you watch is not threatened by the world. We have not set you to your post out of mercy. You are not protecting her at all, do not confuse her with the sibling you failed. We have sent you there for atonement. You are protecting children like Archie from the person she could be. If she is not stopped now, more people will vanish. That will be on your conscious, I promise you I will personally insure you are informed of each and every family you break.
I hope you understand the significant weight of what we ask of you. This is no simple task, nor is it a joke. Any means are justified, any and all force is permitted, this operation must not fail.
--Harbinger Of the End, Part Owner - Multiple Worlds Foundation
~I will see no more worlds fall by my hands~
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Three days ago:
[email protected]
To: [email protected] Topic: Supply List
Here are the things I'm going to need delivered to the mission address. I also request further mission orders as I have fulfilled all outstanding objectives.
* Long brown robe (Ever seen Star Wars? That)
* 10X Mini Wireless Hidden Wi-Fi Camera (LINK HERE)
* Wi-Fi router (Your choice of Company, Needs to be able to handle cameras+ YT uploads)
* 1 Power strip
* 1 Large spacial bag (clearance HERE)
* Assortments of snack (Rob says you have good taste, so I'll leave specifics to you)
Regards,
Acolyte T
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One week ago:
[email protected]
To: Jujubee'[email protected] Topic: Welcome to my town
Hey Judes,
I saw your last video, I'm sorry to hear about your grandmother losing family, always sucks, I would know. But there's always a little ray of sunlight! Manitou is quite close to where I live, I know we've never really met in person, but if you need help I can come out and help you clean up your grandma's stuff. We can get the video's done faster for all of it too if I'm in house to edit too. No need for phone tag any more then. I figure this might hurt to have to linger on because you still have to make video's about it months later.
I'll bring snacks and alcohol, and you can tell me about your grandma while we search her old stuff. Seeing you go silent over this last week only to pop up with that last video really hurt, nobody should have to suffer in silence. If this sounds good to you, shoot me a DM somewhere, and I'll make some plans.
Hit me up,
Tim, Editing Wizard
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