Short stories about the world of Agartha in 21th Century, an aftermath after the disaster in 1945.

Related Roleplays:
Steampunk Big Ass Monsters [Agartha in 19th century]
Urban Creatures: Contracts [Agartha in 21th century]

More to come! :)

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I was a pathologist, a defamed one. I have made some huge humiliating mistakes in my career that caused the false accusation of an innocent person and was fired from the organization. I went broke over alcohol and for some time I struggled to get money for meals. Then I met her. She lived in a very different society I was in. She was rich, happy, and came from a noble background. I never knew why she had set her eyes on a street rat like me. We hang out a bit; and then after sometime we got married.

By that time, I was still sad about my career as no one would hire me anymore due to my notorious fame. She would always try to cheer me up and made attempts to find me a job using her own social network. Though, it was futile. I felt so despair that I just wanted to disappear from this world. I started thinking about things I could do... dark things. Then, incidentally I heard about the No Name City. It was a city where there is no governing law and people care less about your background. It would be a perfect place to restart my life. I told her that we should go there together, a place where no one would knew my name so I could start over again. She didn't know about the nature of the city, and she loved me more than I do her; so she agreed.

We got a boat ticket from the source I heard the story from; and after she settled things with her family, we departed. It took us a plane trip to Portugal to the boat location, and met the boat owner. Then in a small motorboat we sailed for a week or so due west before we arrived at the location. We docked at night.


It was a city covered in mist and darkness. She suggested that we find an inn to stay over as we could explore the city more tomorrow when the mist cleared. So we found us an inn by the dock following the boat owner's direction.

The inn was cozy and lively; you could hear the chattering of people and smell the aroma of food in the dining area. We were greeted warmly by the inn keeper. She was an old lady with a gentle smile. I booked two small rooms and helped my wife settled our luggage while she ordered us food in the dining area. When I got back, she was having an argument with a man and it was causing a big commotion.

The argument stopped after the inn keeper insisted the man to leave us alone, while I calmed down my wife and told her we should keep ourselves a low profile. I don't remember what the argument was about, but the inn keeper told us that he was a drug dealer and he had caused quite a lot of trouble lately with the customers of the inn. We forgot about the incident as we immersed ourselves into the atmosphere of the busy inn.



After a while, the inn keeper came back to us with the food. I was shocked to see the dishes my wife had ordered; as it was something I've never seen or heard before in my entire life. The dish was called "Devil's Taste". It looked like a light pink sea cucumber covered with white sharp thorns; and the skin felt rough like tree barks. I questioned the inn keeper if it was some kind a joke, but she told me gently that it was a unique dish the city has. I tried to dig more information from the lady before I could even touch the thing.

Apparently, it was a kind of sea cucumber; and they appeared to only grew in the sea near No Names City. I cut the "meat" with a dining knife and put a piece of it into my mouth with the fork; then I almost vomited. It was the most disgusting thing I've even tasted. It felt like I just ate a corpse that had bloated for months floating in the sea. I immediately drank a mouthful of mead I and confronted the inn keeper about it. Then she told me about the story.

There seemed to be a folktale about the "Devil's Taste". A killer would always go to an inn to order it however bad it tasted like; as it had an ability of predicting their own deaths. It was rumored that if the sea cucumber tasted bad to you, it meant that you will live another day; and you should be happy about it. If it tasted sweet one day; it meant that you will die soon. I didn't believe about the bullshit the inn keeper gave me and decided to order us some normal food. Then, we headed back to our room.

...
...
...

My wife was killed.

She was found dead the next morning in her room. She was lying there on her bed with no signs of struggle. Simple autopsy of her revealed to me that she had rat poison in her bloodstream. I asked around and rumors spread across the inn in no time. People around the inn have different theories about her death. Some said that it was a suicide; and some said that she was poisoned by the angry drug dealer through syringe injection. However, no one could locate the drug dealer ever since. It was a big mysterious city after all.

There was something peculiar about my wife's body that I cannot explain at all. Random parts of her skin had turned purplish and... rough, like a tree bark. People said that it was the poison that made her so, but I knew otherwise. I got someone to cremate her body and put into a clean wine bottle the inn keeper so kindly gave me. I booked the fastest ticket back to my hometown along with the ashes. Then, I opened the bottle and poured the powder into the sea... along with the rat poison I brought with me. When I got back home, I inherited her fortune and changed my name.

Well, wouldn't want anyone to discover my murder after all. Odd enough, she told me that it was the best thing she had tasted in her entire life.

Signed,
Anonymous

Afterthoughts
How does the "Devil's Taste" actually work?
Is it true that it could predict someone's death?
Find out more by joining the role-play Urban Creatures: Contracts ;)

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"Bang!" The door shut and there was silence.

Sweat soaked Clarissa Reynolds' shirt as she tried to calm her own breathing. She clutched on her handbag straps as she listened carefully.

Nothing.

Did the man leave? was she safe to come out? She calculated as she emerged slowly from under the laptop desk. The office was pitch dark and empty, and there was no signs of motion; no one else was in the room.

It must be very risky to leave right now, Clarissa thought; everyone was looking for her. But she knew she had to get the information out as soon as possible. The media needs to know about this. Better find an exit...

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[phone rang]
David: Hello, this is David's speaking~ (slightly annoyed and feeling sleepy)

Clarissa: David! Help!

David: I will help you tomorrow... [yawns] please leave a message after the...

Clarissa: David Reynolds! Wake up! This is not a joke! I'm in danger here. [Car swirling can be heard from background]

David: Oh my god where are you sis? What are you doing this time of the...

[Loud crashing sound is heard from the other end of the phone]

Clarissa: Fuck this!!

David: Jesus you alright?

Clarissa: Yes! Yes, but perhaps not for long. I'm driving on the highway now and some assholes are trying to kill me. Now focus and listen to every single word I say, David... [short pause] you were right about it all along.

David: Huh about what?

Clarissa: Your theory of my workplace.

David: Serious? I was just speculating for fun...

Clarissa: Yes. [More car swirling]

David: Then what's happening to you? So you need me to call the police?

Clarissa: No, no wait. Don't do that. I need you to pack your luggage and leave.

David: What?! Why? Tell me what's happening sis.

Clarissa: I decided to stole the documents and gave them to the media. They found out.

David: Why would you do that? That's reckless!

Clarissa: Wait there's more to it. It says in the document about what they are doing with the place.

David: Wow they found out how to go there?

Clarissa: For decades now. And they are planning something more malicious, that's why... [Gunshots and the shattering of glass are heard]

David: Oh my god we c-can talk later Clarissa, drive safe! They are firing shots at you?!

Clarissa: I think I was hit... I have blood everywhere... [sound faded]

David: No, no stay with me Clarissa.

Clarissa: I'm still conscious and driving. David, they will get to you soon so leave the country.

David: And you?

Clarissa: Love you, baby bro. [phone call ended]

Post-Credits scene
A mysterious figure was seen near the car crash site. He knelt down beside Clarissa and examined her unconscious body.
He then searched her bag and extracted a document. On top of the document was the word:

On the Edge of Hell

continuation of The Peculiar Dish

The Serpent's Lair aka the Den, 2015 - 9am

Mabel looked up from wiping down the front counter of the dimly lit bar located inside the inn to see Sloth, someone she cared for deeply walking in. She had known him since he was a boy, since before he began covering his face, she was one of the few who knew his true identity but would never tell. Not even if her life depended on it. The air in the slums was toxic to him but he refused to leave, she knew he had more than enough to move from No Name all together years ago, but also knew he never would, he'd never give up on this place it was his home.

"What can I do you for baby boy?" Mabel asked, her eyes beaming at the mysterious young man.

"Word on the street someone kicked the bucket here this morning, just here to check it out." Sloth responded. He had the utmost respect for Mabel, she watched over him when he was young and always made sure he never had to go without food or shelter. Now he took care of the innkeeper in whatever way he could, usually paying for any gossip she'd come across. He watched his mouth around her, well he did his best.

"Well word travels fast around here" she replied flatly, while thinking to herself

"Damn, he already knows about that and it's been less than an hour" his connections never failed to amaze her, whoever they were

"So what's the deal?" He tossed her a bound heavy leather sack, he was always generous with Mabel.

She caught the bulging bag deftly, smiling to herself, he knew she preferred gold and damn did he pay good.

"These two outsiders came by yesterday, last night, they seemed like a couple, a man and a woman. The woman seemed uncomfortable to be there but the man seemed .. off, almost tense. She ordered them the Devil's Taste-

Sloth let out a chuckle hearing this, "those damn outsiders" he muttered, pausing to allow Mabel to finish, realizing he had cut her off "sorry Ma, carry on"

"I told them the history of the meal when the man complained about the food, and later on I think I saw him slip some shit into her food while she wasn't looking but I can't be sure, I didn't pay them much mind that cock sucker Benril Mangus was in here causing problems again before they came in and had me fired up."

"What the fu-, what was he doing here?" Sloth inquired, catching himself from swearing

"He was trying to say I owed him money for some bullshit investment that lost him thousands. Some scammer here juped his dumb ass and he was upset saying it was my fault, I told him to fuck off. " she responded

"I can get him taken care of, you just say the word Ma, nobody fu-" Mabel cut him off before he could finish

"It's okay baby, I'm a grown woman I can take care of myself" she shuddered at the thought of the gang he ran with, the Soju Natives, the baddest bunch of cold blooded motherfuckers you never wanted to meet. He typically kept his hands clean because they did all the dirty work. You didn't want them involved, they were everywhere but nowhere. Their numbers and members were unknown but talks of their doings were spread far and wide, and they were nothing short of horror stories. Benril was nothing more than a low level street thug, he ain't deserve what would happen to him, no one did..

noticing her shift in energy he changed the subject, "So why you serve that garbage anyway? Fisherman down at the dock was drunk one day having a pissing contest telling me they're pulling up old bodies that've been dumped and drying them in a warehouse across the way, after some investigation the shit's true, hell's that about?" Sloth said, sliding into an empty barstool. The Inn was vacant so they were free to talk.

"I don't eat the filth but it's the culture around here and hey, it fills my pockets. I don't serve it to the locals, just the outsiders who come here thinking they'll find the Board and it'll solve all their problems. You want a drink baby?" asked Mabel

"The board, I wish they would give that shit a rest, that ain't nothin' to be played wit. Na I'm good Ma, I need to get going anyway. Only reason people come to No Name is to kill somebody or tie up loose ends, and it sounds like some fuck up killed off his wife for god knows what, that's my theory anyway." he spun around in the barstool stood up and began walking off.

"Hey Sloth"

"Yea Ms Mabel?"

"You seen it in ain't you? the Board?"

"Yea I seen it once or twice, and it ain't nothin' to be fuckn' with, aight? I love you Ma, be well, say hey to the folks for me I'm out" Sloth walked out of the inn into the brisk morning air, heading towards the Slums hoping to bump into Benril's bitch ass and get the thought of the Board out of his head.

She resumed her cleaning laughing to herself as he left, " The man killed that woman no doubt, I gave him some wine and after too long the motherfucker couldn't stop talking about how much money his wife had inherited and he let it slip a couple times he would be going back alone. Fucking prick." she erased the memory from her mind and Mabel continued her task, thinking about the last thing Sloth said about the Board. "Be safe out there baby, I know you always are." She said a prayer silently for him.

A series of records documenting the tragedy that befell an expedition team in the City of No Names.

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