[Nexus] Random Places and Plots 5

[Devixer]

This is a thread for plots not large enough to need a separate thread, or locations that don't fit anywhere else. If you'd like a location permanently indexed in the first post, PM me.

Longer lasting or more serious plots might fit better in the Srs Plots thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=214991). Lulzy plots go here. If you aren't sure which thread fits your plot best, then just pick whichever one is less busy at the time. :smallsmile:

Rules:
1. Use [Location Tags] or [Plot Tags] on your posts.
2. Each Location or Plot is under the control of its creator.
3. Play nice.

Archives:
Random Places and Plots 1 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=175999)
Random Places and Plots 2 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=184776)
Random Places and Plots 3 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=199752)
Random Places and Plots 4 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=216869)

[Rebonack]

((Baron? I can't seem to find your last post. Would you mind quoting it in the new thread for me? =X))

[Adventure!]

Sadei points up ahead. "I can see a cave in the front of the rock. They might get in through there."

And it might be easier to get inside now that the guards have been dispatched! Dispatched guards are much easier to get around.

"I don't see anyone else close. And I don't think the people up high heard anything either."

How nifty!

Sadei turns her attention to the young caster lady!

"Can you make other people invisible with your magic?"

[Devixer]

Here ya go:


[Abbey]

"Okay, it sounds simple enough," Hildur says. It's pretty easy for her to follow, so far. "It's still pretty weird to me that I was born biased towards an element, but that's probably because it's so new."

[Rebonack]

[Abbey]

"Probably just because there isn't anywhere to find a focus in your home!" Agatha replies. "After all, you can use Shaping without a focus. So if your world doesn't have them then no one would ever know about it."

Huh...

That...

Actually makes a lot of sense.

Agatha leads Hildur into the abbey and up to the second story of the building.

Must be where the library is.

"Tera is kind of grumpy," she warns. "So we have to be quiet."

[Devixer]

[Abbey]

Hildur nods at that explanation. It did make sense to her. She did still doubt it a little, but she won't actually say that.

Once they reach the second floor, and Hildur is warned to be quiet, Hildur just nods again and falls into silence as they keep walking.

[Rebonack]

[Abbey - Library]

Sister Agatha tip toes into the library and hunts around for the librarian.

Which is to say-

"PSSSSSST!" not so quiet whisper! "Sister Tera!"

The Nun in question glares around a corner of Agatha. And the older woman totally looks the part of a librarian, too!

"Hildur wants to read some books on Air Shaping!" come on Agatha... that isn't quiet at all...

Tera points at a nearby shelf, then gestures at Agatha to leave. Agatha just shrugs and walks off out of the library!

...

Which lives Hildur to find her book. Apparently on the shelf that was just pointed at?

[Devixer]

[Abbey - Library]

Hildur finds it funny that Agatha can't see to be quite, and it's hard for her not to laugh, but she manages to remain silent. Rather than thanking Terra for her help, she just smiles at her.

Then she walks over to the shelf that was pointed at, to see these books on air Shaping.

[Halae]

[Harnel's Birthday Party]

Harnel grins, "You have a very nice voice, Sakura. You should sing more. But I suppose that makes it your turn, doesn't it?"

[Gullara]

[Harnel's Birthday Party]

Sakura grins and giggles a little awkwardly. "Thanks." She was really hoping it wouldn't be bad. :smallbiggrin: The dryad returns to her seat. "Okay, Harnel this time. Truth or dare?"

[Halae]

[Harnel's Birthday Party]

"truth," Harnel says. He has no doubt Sakura would ask him to do something crazy if he went with dare again.

[Gullara]

[Harnel's Birthday Party]

"Okay." Hm, what to ask. "Who was your first crush, girlfriend, anything like that? Oh, and you need to tell us a little about her too. Not just a name." Ha! Think you can escape potential embarrassment that easy?

[Rebonack]

Rebo returns from a nap!

*ahem*

[Abbey - Library]

Terra doesn't smile back.

She doesn't seem like a terribly cheerful person.

Anywho!

Books!

There are lots of books here on Shaping. Some on general theory. Some on famous Shapers. Some on crafting and working the various foci. Some one specific elements of Shaping...

[Devixer]

[Abbey - Library]

Hildur will take any books that she can find on general theory, foci, and Air Shaping, while looking for a place to sit and read them.

[Halae]

[Harnel's Birthday Party]

Harnel sits back and thinks for a moment. How to answer this?

"She was a girl named Devony. She was young, about seventeen, I think, but she seemed interested in me. Blue eyes and short, curly brown hair, but it ddn't turn out well. In fact, it turned out very badly" His chair moves back onto it's back legs, the front supported by Harnel legs and tail, "We got to talking in a pub one night when we were staying a little town called Reimus. Tomwise wanted to stay in town for a while to do some research the vampires we were hunting at the time, so we had a bit of time to get to know one another. Eventually, she managed to trick me into taking my hood off, and saw that I was a half-dragon. She didn't scream, or panic like some other people would have. She just sort of stared at me, then asked me what it was like to have scales. I think that's the first time I really considered having something with her."

"But... Well, we were in a dangerous profession. Vampires are intelligent, and knew we were after them. so they got to us through weaker links. Devony was turned before the week was up. When we got to her, she said she didn't blame me. Somehow, I doubt that, but it was kind of her to say. My understanding is that she went back to life as it was beforehand, working on a ranch during the night and getting blood from the cows rather than from people. She seemed happy the last time I saw her."

Harnel stops there, listening to the sound of the forest around them, wondering whether he should have stopped well before where he did. As it was, he probably killed the mood of the entire party. leaves rustle in the wind and a bird calling can be heard a little further to the south. That was something he'd been holding onto for a long while, and when he started talking about it, it all just came out. It felt... surprising that there was some closure he felt around Devony being happy. Like that made it better, despite what she was turned into.

He's almost fallen into a trance-like state by the end of that. Cessie, Sakura, and Adir may get the feeling that part of that was him talking to himself more than them, like he needed to hear it.

[Rebonack]

[Abbey - Library]

Info dump tiiiiiime!

There's plenty of information on Air Shaping. Its history, its practice, its practical application, uses for Gossamer, suggestions for honing one's skills...

All sorts of stuff to look into!

So.

What is it that Hildur is looking up first?

Because there are lost of options.

So many options!

And so many of them interesting options!

[Devixer]

[Abbey - Library]

Hildur decides that she'll look up the practical applications first. She'd rather like to know exactly how she could use this new ability of hers.

[VampireRot]

Grundlekrug's Lair

The claws rake Rot. Any flesh left on the vampire is suddenly diseased...though this "disease" doesn't rely on germs. It rips Rot's flesh before it doesn't die, but falls limp from blood loss. The titanic beast falls to the ground. Hopefully Rot takes the blade out before it kills the Grundlekrug. Marciano becomes uninvisible, ...Wow...ya impressed me there...I like ya Rot...ya know 'ow t' ge' things done...don't kill i'! Then give me a 'and over 'ere with these crates.

(Now we wait for Marciano's pursuers.) :smalleek:

[Abandoned Louv're Mine - Grundlekrug's Lair]

Rot removes his blade from the monster and gives Marciano a frightening grin. With this latest affliction, the vampire has a distressingly large amount of flesh missing and bone showing. He doesn't seem too bothered by this.

"I like your monster. It put up a good fight."

He stalks over to the small man to assist him with the crates.

*renews poke to the Good Guys*

[Rebonack]

[Abbey - Library]

Air Shaping, the Practical Applications!

The book is pretty darn long.

And somewhat rambling.

It covers a huge range of uses for air shaping! Helping to move ships or even carts with sails. Turning mills to grind grain. Creating air-bubbles to stay under water indefinitely. A fast method of sweeping.

Very powerful users of Air Shaping are capable of even more amazing feats! Changing the weather by blowing clouds around. Using blasts of air so intense they can shatter stone and metal. Even flight with a properly formed Focus.

But those are all very advanced tricks.

[Shadowcaller]

[Harnel's Birthday Party]

Cessie had already heard about the vampires at some point, she didn't know he had gotten romantically involved with one of them though.

She will attempt to take his hand and give it it a slight reassuring squeeze and wait quite before suggesting, "....so it's your turn now isn't it Harnel?" She says gently, figuring it might be best to change subject now even if it was good he got to come out with this.

[Halae]

[Harnel's Birthday Party]

Harnel is brought back to the present with that, and squeezes Cessie's hand as well, "Yeah it is," He smiles as he gets an idea, "Alright, Sakura, Truth or Dare?"

[Devixer]

[Abbey - Library]

Because the book is so long, Hildur only skims through it this time around, as she has a lot more books to read. But what she does catch is very interesting to her (like shattering metal and staying underwater.) Hopefully she could take all of these books to her room.

Hildur closes that book and decides to look through the one on honing her skills next.

[Murkus]

Harnel's Birthday Party

Adir stares at Harnel a second after his story is finished, his smile long since gone. He props his head up on his hands, being a little more dramatic than is strictly necessary. "Man, Harnel, you sure know how to bum people out."

His gaze drifts to Sakura, hoping this next truth or dare will lighten the mood.

[Gullara]

[Harnel's Birthday Party]

=x That was significantly less fun/embarrassing than it was supposed to be. Sakura gnaws on her lip. Nyah, best not worry about it. "Dare." She answers.

[Halae]

[Harnel's Birthday Party]

"Well, you got Cessie to dance, I think it's your turn now." Harnel says smugly. Dancing, yay!

[Morty]

[Abandoned Louv're Mine]

Dipsnig looks back at the woman. Do you really want to go down there? There's a monster there. And we're not really going to shake your employer's hand either.

[Gullara]

[Harnel's Birthday Party]

"Oh..." Shoot, at least Cessie is ale to dance well, even with Adir dragging her down. "Can I have a partner?" She asks.

[Hattish Thing]

[Abandoned Louv're Mine]

Dipsnig looks back at the woman. Do you really want to go down there? There's a monster there. And we're not really going to shake your employer's hand either.


She looks at Dipsnig like he just grew a third eye. What?! NO! My husbands down there! I'll stay out of the way, follow me! I know the way. Get in the elevator. The lower cavern is below. She gets into the elevator and motions for the others to get in. Er....not the big rat. The lift can't handle the weight. It would break. Well...we could try...but if you think the lift can take it then fine...It's a rather old elevator. She waits for the group to decide to see if the giant rat would break the lift, or take a chance that the lift will support their weight.

[Halae]

[Harnel's Birthday Party]

Harnel grins, "Nope."

Harnel is actually a pretty good dancer, and would have said, "Sure, but it has to be me," but Sakura chose Adir to bring her down a bit, so there's no reason, in the half-dragon's mind, to give her any help. :smalltongue:

[Morty]

[Abandoned Louv're Mine]

Dipsnig rubs his face in frustration. He's probably goint to knock all of Marciano's teeth, one by one, just for how much of a pain in the ass this whole fracas is.
Alright, whatever. You want to get in there, you're free. I'll warn you though - if you try to help that slimeball who cheated us out of our money, you'll be held accomplice. He looks at Furt. And I guess we'll need to have him wait here. I'd rather not have the elevator break.

[Slii Arhem]

Abandoned Louv're Mine

Furt, being mostly a dumb beast, isn't aware of all this nonsense chittering's meaning, between his leash-holders and this new-thing he's probably not allowed to eat-maim.

And until he gets an order, he's just going to sniff, burble and growl, wondering when they can finally get moving towards the scent of the filthy half-thing.

[Gullara]

[Harnel's Birthday Party]

=x Sakura stands. There's nothing for it. She fidgets at her dress a bit and then starts to move. She was better off with the singing. With only limited experience, and none dancing alone, the dryad is rather awkward. Dancing with Adir was significantly better because they could be bad together. :smalltongue: At least she's not a clumsy person.

[Halae]

[Abandoned Louv're Mine]

"That won't be a problem, Furt can just move in the shaft once the lift is down. Furt! Follow us down." Phrased as a command if need be, then Jakus will allow Dipsnig to climb off of his neck - Jakus intends to climb down the shaft as well, to make sure he can keep a hold on the rat-ogre's leash. He didn't know what Furt would do, so he's preparing for eventualities.

[Harnel's Birthday Party]

Harnel grins at that awkwardness. it was always so hard to dance on your own, especially in front of other people :smalltongue:

[Hattish Thing]

I'll post after everyone enters and heads down to thew cavern next. :smallsmile:

[Slii Arhem]

Abandoned Louv're Mine

Furt seems to understand the order, and his muscles bunch under his mangy coat of fur. It's finally time for things to happen.

He tugs eagerly on the thick gauge chain, making it creak a bit.

((Just a placeholder while I post elsewhere in the thread, and not intending to skip Morty at all.))

Harnel's Birthday Party

You know what this party needs? Cake!

"You know what this party needs? Cake!"

Err, yes Minty, I just said tha-GAH!

Bowling over her narrator, (quite rudely and abruptly I might add) Mintbalm heads on to the scene for no explicable reason! What's more, she's holding a triple layered, thickly frosted mocha-chocolate cake that almost looks heavier than she is, by the way her arms are shaking.

The tall (five feet is very tall for a pixie) and wingless fey sets the plate on a stump, putting a cutting knife and a bag of assorted paper plates and plastic forks nearby that she pulled from absolutely nowhere next to it. Pulling a lit candle from behind her ear (pixie dust, roll with it) she sticks it dead center into the cake, where the flame stays lit despite the breeze.

"Enjoy your cake, and don't forget to make a wish when you blow out the candle! I'm just going to go back to totally-not-watching you in the bushes over there!" And to the bushes over there she goes. Once in said bushes, she crouches down and shamelessly peeps at them, bits of cyan hair visible from behind the foliage.

She really could not be worse at this stalking thing.

[Shadowcaller]

Harnel's Birthday Party

Cessie smiles as Sakura and Harnel are about to dance, this should be amusing. But suddenly the scene is interrupted by some... random woman?

She couldn't remember inviting someone like this here, what was her game? "Do anyone of you know this woman?" She says before peering curiously in the direction Mintbalm disappeared. "Excuse me miss, but why are you at my husbands birthday party? Not that we don't appreciate the cake, but this is highly unusual." She asks in her direction. Not so unusual in the nexus of course, but a little paranoia only seemed healthy here.

[Gullara]

[Harnel's Birthday Party]

Silly SC, Sakura did start dancing, but alone. Harnel's post was confusing though. *waggles finger at*

Anyway, Sakura is glad for the excuse to stop making a fool over herself. The appearance of Mintbalm is rather confusing, though. Sakura peers into the bushes after her. Weird.

Laela, meanwhile, looks at the strange lady and the giant cake with awe. =O
She reaches her hands out to the candle. =D Shame it's so far away.

[Morty]

[Abandoned Louv're Mine]

That's a good idea, Dipsnig says as he hops off Jakus' back and enters the elevator. Let's get down there and give him a nasty surprise.

[Hattish Thing]

Abandoned Louv're Mine => Grundlekrug's Lair

The group of NO members will start to smell the worst odor imaginable. Like stale flesh burnt with gasoline and noxious gasses. The room is covered with bleached bones and the body's of dead miners. A long path of blood extends to the Grundlekrug's eating area. A man lies on the floor unconscious, with two broken legs. The Grundlekrug lies on the floor unconscious, for now at least. It looks like the title monster from John Carpenter's, "The Thing". It has numerous injuries from Rot and has had a lot of blood drained out of it. A massive crane lies in the corner of the room next to many boxes, some labeled food, water, or crystal. Marciano and Rot stack up the crystals and teleport them to Louv're Laboratories. The crystals radiate potent magic. The room smells horrible and blood drips off the walls. The Grundlekrug eats messily it seems.

Marciano turns around warily. Ooh boy...Tha's no' good. Ro', turn aroun'. We go' company. Grantair looks over at his boss, Uh...Boss...who are those people? Marciano frowns, exposing those large, nasty, yet powerful teeth. No' A clue...they mus' be afta th' crystals. Maarciano growls before he places on some special gauntlets. Blades stick out of the wrist and are moved by Marciano's fingers. They are long and sharp. Hehe...let's try these ou'. Marciano waits for Rot to notice the intruders.

The miers wear a uniform like this, except now the clotrhes are either drenched in blood or ripped up. http://i1051.photobucket.com/albums/s440/Singingnoodle/th_Minerguy.png

[Rebonack]

[Abbey - Library]

Because the book is so long, Hildur only skims through it this time around, as she has a lot more books to read. But what she does catch is very interesting to her (like shattering metal and staying underwater.) Hopefully she could take all of these books to her room.

Hildur closes that book and decides to look through the one on honing her skills next.

The books can most certainly be taken to her room! What's the point of a library were all the books need to stay in the library? That would be silly.

Anywho!

Book on honing skills! The book is divided into sections on learning to shape foci, mostly. Apparently the best way to refine one's skill in Shaping is to have masterful control over one's focus. If someone can make complex shapes with a focus then controlling the actual element is apparently simple by contrast.

Making a glove?

That's covered in the 'Mastery' chapter.

[Devixer]

[Abbey - Library]

When she reads that what she's done with gossamer is technically mastery of foci manipulation, Hildur's heart skips one or five beats. How was she able to learn that so quickly? She immediately dives further into the chapter on mastery, to see what else she can do at her apparent level of skill.

[Rebonack]

[Abbey - Library]

Aside from suggesting other complex objects to shape a focus into (apparently the only thing harder is something with moving parts) the mastery chapter seems to cover in great detail the use of Air Shaping as a means to improve the weather. Using powerful wind currents can drag along clouds heavy with rain or even thwart tornadoes if applied properly. Though perhaps the best known talent of master Air Shapers is the power of flight.

My manipulating their focus, the density of the air, and the strength of the wind, Air Shapers are capable of soaring in the sky with the birds.

...

...

Does Hildur run outside to try it?

[Devixer]

[Abbey - Library]

Hildur is very tempted to try and fly outside. In fact, she closes the book at that point, gathers up the rest of them, and goes over to Terra. She quietly mutters, "I'd like to take these with me. When do I need to bring them back?" Despite her relative silence, she seems very excited about what's she's about to try.

[Rebonack]

[Abbey - Library]

Sister Terra just waves one hand at Hildur dismissively.

Seems it would be fine to take the books.

...

Wonder if Terra took a vow of silence or something...

Anywho!

Hildur can feel free to return to her room with the books!

Or go outside.

Or whatever. Just don't lose the books!

[Devixer]

[Abbey - Library]

Before she goes outside, Hildur makes sure that she drops off the books in her room so she doesn't lose them. Then she nearly runs outside into the courtyard to see how she can do this.

[Rebonack]

[Abbey Courtyard]

Stow the books!

Run outside!

Try the thing!

This time around it would appear as though Hildur is alone.

No one watching.

And no one to watch.

Just her.

And the wind.

[Devixer]

[Abbey Courtyard]

Hildur takes a deep breath and feels at the wind. Again at the position of not knowing much, Hildur just reaches out with one hand and tries to feel at the wind around her, to see if she can manipulate it.

[Rebonack]

[Abbey Courtyard]

Manipulate it?

No...

It would seem her level of control is beyond that.

Hildur will be able to feel the wind and the air like she feels the wind in her lungs. It flows around her and through her, permeating the sky above. She'll be struck by an immense feeling of vastness. And at the same time so very small...

It's wonderful and exhilarating.

And y'know what else?

That's only the beginning.

[Devixer]

[Abbey - Courtyard]

When she feels practically every particle of air in the area, Hildur's breathing quickens a little, and she has to calm down a touch. The feelings of being almost part of the wind prove exhilarating indeed.

Alright, let's just start small for now. Given how connected she is with the wind now, it probably won't be hard for Hildur to convince it to carry her up just a little bit.

[Rebonack]

[Abbey Courtyard]

Hildur is hanging onto her focus, right? Having that thing is sort of important. Without it she won't be able to reach out to touch the face of the sky. And that would be terrible.

Responding to her thoughts and emotions the air seems to almost thicken around her whilst at the same time she should feel quite light. The wind whips about her playfully, building under her feet and pushing against her!

Should all go well she'll be lifted a foot or two off the ground!

Though without a sail or rudder of any kind it'll be hard to control.

She'll probably start tumbling through the air in a rather silly fashion.

Guess that's what a properly shaped focus is for!

[Devixer]

[Abbey Courtyard]

Hildur has been holding on to her focus since she got it, though it's been in her pocket most of the time. As she's lifted and subsequently tumbled through the air, she giggles a little. She probably looked ridiculous, but this was just so much fun.

After a bit of rolling around in the air, Hildur gets the idea to take her focus and shape into a small glider, something that allows her to control her direction a little more.

[Rebonack]

[Abbey Courtyard]

Unlike Storm Hildur's eyes don't turn white when she's flying around using the wind. This may or may not be disappointing.

Anywho!

The focus is shaped, broadening and flattening considerably at it takes a large triangular shape. The wind seems to get the general idea and begins blowing on focus, pushing Hildur forward!

...toward the edge of the courtyard.

If she isn't careful it'll blow her right over the edge of the guard-rail!

Which would mean she would have nothing by empty air under her feet. Though... all things considered air doesn't feel so empty anymore. In fact Hildur may have the impression that the air is as firm a footing as the mountain itself.

[Devixer]

[Abbey Courtyard]

Hildur doesn't seem all that bothered by the fact that she's leaving the comfort of the ground. The air is just as safe, to her. Safe enough for her to take another little step, and try to head a bit higher as she keeps going forward.

This is all still very baffling to her; just yesterday she'd need a helicopter if she wanted to fly. Now all she needed was a piece of gossamer. The bafflement is mostly lost in the excitement.

[Murkus]

Harnel's Birthday Party

Adir watches Sakura for a moment, a little bored. It's not as amusing as he thought it would be. The stag will have to come up with something good, next time it's his turn.

Then, suddenly, another fey! He could smell her coming... pixie, maybe? Holy crap, that is a big pixie. She brought cake, too. Though if she's a typical pixie, there might be some sort of shenanigan involved.

Adir shakes his head at Cessie's inquiry, then grins at Harnel. "Not unless someone has an admirer we don't know about."

[Halae]

E11 takes the helmet and nods to her superior before putting it back on. She seems to find his comment acceptable, and even seems a little proud.

The others don't seem to be very good with emotions. Most talk and act robotically, though a few seem to have picked up pride or happiness at the very least.

In general, the cloned troops are strong and powerful, but rather slow and rigid. E11, E50, and E41 seem to be the best of the batch. E20, E32, and E60 were the most injured. No broken bones, thankfully - Naitiri would not have been happy. [Clinic]

"11, 50, and 41 are so far our best. This shows they have a natural talent, or a lot of luck. Watch them and learn from them during combat."

"20, 32, 60, I'm disappointed by you three. Compared to your peers, you're lacking, having taken more blows than anyone else in this entire group. I don't want to see that again, do I make myself clear?" Evan's tone brooks no argument; they should be better next time, or there will be consequences. The group is going to be spending a lot of time together, and so making the three lagging behind the others get a little humiliated should make them endeavor to please their commander. Positive reinforcement for the others also helps, since the humiliated group will want to match up to the praised one. The half-demon is starting to wonder where this will go after a while.

"Go get some rest. Dismissed."

Harnel's birthday Party]

Harnel rolls his eyes, "I doubt it, Adir. I'm not really sure I can get a secret admirer - just doesn't seem right," because really, it doesn't. Not to him, anyways, "so what do you think - is the candle wish real?"

[Gullara]

[Harnel's Birthday Party]

Sakura looks at the candle for a moment. Hm... "Only one way to find out." She says, giving harnel a grin.

Just as long as he makes a smart wish. :smalltongue:

[Murkus]

[Clinic]

"Yes, sir," They say in perfect unison.

Even after they've put their helmets back on, one can tell that the Evan's words made a difference. The clones that he rebuked are slumped, their shoulders uneven. The others stand tall, striding back toward the clinic lobby with pride.

"Hey, what's this?" Comes a new, petulant voice. A man comes floating out of the front entrance, grabbing some of the clones heads as they come by, peering at the cracks in their helmets before letting them pass. "And what's this?! No, no, no! You, what happened?"

"Training, sir," Replies E50.

"Training? Gods damn it, who told you to..." His eyes find Evan, and he breaks out in a startling smile. A jagged smile. In fact, his teeth are almost exactly like those of a shark. His eyes glint, liquid pools of darkness. His voice gets low. "...train. Of course."

He speaks louder, so that Evanazgrix might hear him properly. "Evan! E-von! Ivan! Why, on your first hour of work, must you break my things?" He asks, apparently quite cordial. The shark-man floats forward, dressed in casual, dark clothing. He sizes Evan up as he approaches.

[Slii Arhem]

Abandoned Louv're Mine

Furt can be lead down the shaft eagerly after the lift goes, and won't be long arriving after it has. The rat-ogre's claws are sharp enough and strong enough to bury into the walls and hold his weight.

On seeing Marciano, the massive beast tugs on his chain with fervor, snarling and willing Jakus to let him loose.

Harnel's Birthday Party

Oddly enough, Mintbalm doesn't answer Cessie's questions from her hiding place. It's almost as if she thinks she's hiding or something.

Adir will catch on to her trickery first though, as her scent begins to fade just before a wind stirs the bushes and the few strands of hair that were visible float off. If anyone cares to check, they'll find a small ring of mushrooms and neither hide nor- okay, maybe a little bit of hair, but not much- of Mintbalm.

[Halae]

[Clinic]

"To be fair, I thought they would have taken their stuff off first," Evan says, quirking an eyebrow. His first assumption is that this is a heavily modified human, but he smells the air as well - if there's any sort of scent of fiend or celestial on him, Evan should catch it. He doubts he'll find anything though, "I'll make sure they understand that for the next training session. And it's Evan. Not Ivan, and I don't think E-von is a name anywhere outside of the Rauthmar tribes."

[Harnel's Birthday Party]

((Gonna wait for Murkus here. Ironically. He probably should have posted before :smalltongue:))

[Shadowcaller]

Harnel's Birthday Party

The sorceress sigh, this did not bode well. "Harnel, I think you should be careful about that cake. It's obviously something suspect about this." Mintbalm did seem to have some shenanigans planned. She seemed lighthearted enough though, but the last 'lighthearted' joke that had been played on her had changed her husbands gender around.

She should relax though, it was Harnel's birthday after all.

[Rebonack]

[Abbey Courtyard]

Hildur doesn't seem all that bothered by the fact that she's leaving the comfort of the ground. The air is just as safe, to her. Safe enough for her to take another little step, and try to head a bit higher as she keeps going forward.

This is all still very baffling to her; just yesterday she'd need a helicopter if she wanted to fly. Now all she needed was a piece of gossamer. The bafflement is mostly lost in the excitement.

Most people would be far too busy trying to fly to worry much about the fact that they aren't standing on anything. Everyone has had dreams about flying under their own power. Everyone.

But to actually do it?

Well.

That's a whole new kind of amazing.

As Hildur puts her foot out the wind dances playfully around her, pooling and swirling under her feet to give her much needed lift. It's strange, almost like the air itself is sharing in her unbridled excitement and wonder.

By now she's over the edge of the guard rail with only the sky above and the wind below.

[Murkus]

((I wanted to let SC post first))

Harnel's Birthday Party

And just like that, Adir loses her scent. He doesn't care to go and check the bushes - pixies are tricky like that - but he does furrow his brow. Shenanigans are afoot.

"Well this ought to be good," He comments quietly, turning to watch this business with the cake.

Clinic

His smell is a strange one - wet and off-putting, as if out of place. If Evan is familiar with aberrations and their ilk, he should be able to tell that this shark-man is the descendant of some malformed beast.

The blue-skinned creature just laughs at Evan. "You're a strange one, aren't you? I was talking about the girls. They could kill each-other, in that armor." He offers his hand to the demon. "E-van, huh? I thought I got something from Nait about a new recruit. I'm Adam."

[Halae]

[Harnel's Birthday Party]

Harnel taps a claw against his chin, "Alright then, it looks like we have another wish on our hands. Anybody want it?" Harnel's making a guess, but from the way the cyan haired girl phrased it, there was another wish based in blowing out the candle. Don't want to be too hasty with that and all.

[Clinic]

"I'm half-demon, new chief of security, apparently. You seem to be a bit odd yourself." Evan quirks an eyebrow at the aberration-blood. Never seen anything quite like that before.

[Devixer]

[Abbey - Courtyard]


Most people would be far too busy trying to fly to worry much about the fact that they aren't standing on anything. Everyone has had dreams about flying under their own power. Everyone.

But to actually do it?

Well.

That's a whole new kind of amazing.

As Hildur puts her foot out the wind dances playfully around her, pooling and swirling under her feet to give her much needed lift. It's strange, almost like the air itself is sharing in her unbridled excitement and wonder.

By now she's over the edge of the guard rail with only the sky above and the wind below.

Hildur stares all around her in an almost childlike wonder. Though part of her wants to just take off now and fly everywhere at once, she manages to stifle that bit of recklessnees (somehow.) Instead of rocketing off, she slowly moves farther away from the guard rail, relaxing in the wind.

[Gullara]

[Harnel's Birthday Party]

"Oh come on. Don't worry so much. It could be fun." Sakura says. Mintbalm seemed harmless enough and all. Silly Cessie.

[Rebonack]

[Abbey Courtyard]

Just edging out a little bit further...

The air continues to hold Hildur aloft, swirling around her in a zephyr of exhilaration and wonder! She'll feel it almost teasing at her.

C'mon!

This is boring!

Do something neat!

Stop going so slow!

Be free, be wild, be the wind!

It'll be fun!

[Devixer]

[Abbey - Courtyard]

It takes a moment for Hildur to get the hint, but when she does, it hits her hard. What was she doing? She was flying, unassisted, and the best she could do was going out an inch at a time?

She decides that what she's doing now simply won't do, and speeds up a lot, trying to do a bunch of crazy things, mostly loops and really low swooping.

[Rebonack]

[Skies Above Mount Anthor]

Woohoo!

Crazy things!

That's more like it!

Swooping and twirling and diving and looping and rolling and soaring with nothing to hold her up but the wind! Or is the wind holding her up at all? Maybe she's just as much a gust of air as all the other gusts of air whirling about the towering monolith of stone and ice.

Isn't that a neat idea.

Just another breeze.

But one that's having a hell of a lot of fun!

Hildur will be able to see the earth far below. Inside in the distance. The absurd upside down Mount Improbable. Little villages. Streams. Forests. Birds winging along and wondering who this weirdo without any feathers is.

Wow!

What a feeling!

[Shadowcaller]

[Harnel's Birthday Party]

Cessie shakes her head in response to Harnel. "I have had enough of wishes to last a lifetime." She can mostly just recall the ones that ended badly though. She knew not all of them were like that but her life was good already, no sense trying to improve it. That was just hubris.

"Make a wish that would make a lot of other people happy if you are going to make one. I know a great deal of people here in nexus could use some help."

[VampireRot]

[Abandoned Louv're Mine - Grundlekrug's Lair]

"Oh. Greetings."

Rot turns his head to grin evilly at the NO members entering the room. The vampire is a horrible sight, he looks like one of the corpses savaged by the monster. Technically, he is. His flesh is ripped and torn and melted, giving him a half-digested look and showing off his metallic-looking bones and gray insides. And, of course, the fine clothes he wears have been completely ruined. The walking cadaver sets down the box he was carrying and summons his sword to his hand. He glances at Marciano and rolls his eyes before pointing the vile-looking blade at Dipsnig and Co. while spreading his leathery wings, reduced to their chrome bone frames, behind him.

"So what do you... "people" want? I dealt with the monster and so the loot belongs to us."

[Devixer]

[Skies Above Mount Anthor]

Hildur takes in every single sight she can see, and has a big, stupid grin on her face as she flies through the air with ease. At this point, there isn't any sort of bafflement, or any wondering about how she was able to do all of this. All that mattered was that she was flying.

She'll be up in the skies for quite a while, as she's having a ton of fun right now.

[Rebonack]

[Skies Above Mount Anthor]

Totally fun!

Fun is great, and flying is great fun!

There's always the possibility that it would grow normal and mundane with time, but that time is no doubt a looong time away!

So much to see!

So much do to!

So much to try!

Hey?

What's that?

Looks like a really big bird is headed Hildur's way. It's a long way off still, though...

[Devixer]

[Skies Above Mount Anthor]

As soon as Hildur sees one of the birds heading towards her, she decides that it's time to draw the line. Last time she was approached by a huge animal, it didn't work out so well, after all. So, she stops doing crazy stuff, and descends towards the abbey, if she can still see it. If not, well, she'll still head towards the ground.

[Rebonack]

[Above Mount Anthor]

Abbey?

What abbey?

All Hildur can see are clouds.

Really big pretty poofy clouds.

But clouds none the less.

Oh.

And that big bird. It's getting closer still!

Now she's headed toward the ground! Into the clouds! Everything is all misty and hard to see!

[Devixer]

[Above Mount Anthor]

Hildur had gone that high? She supposed she hadn't really noticed in all the fun she'd been having.

She thinks she can move the cloud she's in, though, and tries to shove it out of her way so that she can see. She is not going to get attacked again.

[Rebonack]

[Above Mount Anthor]

Parting the clouds proves to be relatively easy!

Just blow that wind in the right direction and woosh! Out of the way they go!

Though...

She won't be able to see the abbey even after she clears a path. Must have flown around to the other side of the mountain... Well no matter! Just fly around until she sees it, right?

...

What about that bird thing?

Bird thing hasn't shown up again yet.

[Devixer]

[Above Mount Anthor]

Well this wasn't very good. Hildur of course flies around the mountain until she can see the abbey, but a small part of her is suspecting that it's not going to happen. But that's just being pessimistic.

At the same time, she keeps a watch for that bird.

[Rebonack]

[Above Mount Anthor]

Nope, she's probably doomed. Never find the abbey again. Get eaten by whatever that monster is. No chance at all to ever learn to improve her skills at Air Shaping.

Nope.

May as well just give up now.

Oh.

Wait.

There's the abbey right there.

Hildur will be able to land uneventfully. She won't see the bird again.

[Devixer]

[Above Mount Anthor -> The Abbey]

Hildur can't help but feel that those events were strangely uneventful, given the Nexus being crazy and all that, but she isn't about to complain about not getting eaten. She lands in the courtyard, same place she'd originally started. She'd been gone awhile, so maybe someone was looking for her.

[Rebonack]

[Abbey Courtyard]

Hmm...

Well.

No one is outside at least.

Or anyone Hildur can see. They're probably all inside getting ready for-

Oh!

Look!

It's getting dark!

That evening meal ceremony thing is probably going to happen soon! Hurry!

[Devixer]

[Abbey Courtyard]

"...Oh crap," Hildur says to herself, then rushes over to where she had breakfast in the morning. She also regrets spending so much time flying, even if it was a lot of fun.

Hopefully, she hadn't been flying for too long, and she wouldn't miss the ceremony.

[Rebonack]

[Abbey]

Hurry Hildur hurry!

As she runs into the common room where breakfast was held she'll find!

No one there.

At all.

Not a single person to speak of!

Eerr...

Maybe she's still early?

Or maybe it was held in the sanctuary?

[Devixer]

[Abbey]

The sanctuary was Hildur's next idea, so she heads there next. She's starting to get a little worried about everyone, but that's probably just paranoia or something.

[Rebonack]

[Abbey]

Everyone is dead.

Just mouldering skeletons remain.

...

Nah!

Just kidding! The Sisters are in the sanctuary quietly praying. It seems the ceremony hasn't actually started yet. Which means Hildur is just in time!

Wow!

It sure has been a crazy day today, hasn't it?

Now for a nice peaceful dinner...

[Devixer]

[Abbey]

Hildur nearly lets out a sigh of relief, but realizes that would probably disturb the Sisters praying. Instead, she just waits until she's told what to do, or at least acknowledged.

[Murkus]

[Clinic]

"I'm half-demon, new chief of security, apparently. You seem to be a bit odd yourself." Evan quirks an eyebrow at the aberration-blood. Never seen anything quite like that.

"Let's just say my gran-dad wasn't from around these parts," Adam says with a smirk. "Now, Evan, pal, just some friendly advice - try not to break anything else. Naitiri does not like her stuff getting broken." He forks a thumb toward the clinic. "Especially those girls over there. You know how much cash goes into one clone?" Knowing that Evan doesn't, Adam answers for him. "Too much. We're lucky Tina has some deal with these platinum miners on E-407, or this whole place wouldn't exist."


[Harnel's Birthday Party]

Harnel taps a claw against his chin, "Alright then, it looks like we have another wish on our hands. Anybody want it?" Harnel's making a guess, but from the way the cyan haired girl phrased it, there was another wish based in blowing out the candle. Don't want to be too hasty with that and all.


[Harnel's Birthday Party]

"Oh come on. Don't worry so much. It could be fun." Sakura says. Mintbalm seemed harmless enough and all. Silly Cessie.


[Harnel's Birthday Party]

Cessie shakes her head in response to Harnel. "I have had enough of wishes to last a lifetime." She can mostly just recall the ones that ended badly though. She knew not all of them were like that but her life was good already, no sense trying to improve it. That was just hubris.

"Make a wish that would make a lot of other people happy if you are going to make one. I know a great deal of people here in nexus could use some help."

"It's your birthday man. Wish for whatever you want," Adir says, the opposite of Cessie's comment. He thinks Harnel should get to choose, especially since if he's actually getting a wish out've a fey, it almost always comes around to bite you in the ass.

[Morty]

[Abandoned Louv're Mine - Grundlekrug's Lair]

"Not good" doesn't even begin to cover it, you bastards, Dipsnig snarls, before pointing his crossbow at Marciano. You owe us a lot of money, clown. Either you give it back, or we grind you down for rat food.

[Rebonack]

[Abbey Sanctuary]

After a while the Mother of the Abbey comes out!

She carries with her an absurdly large dinner platter loaded heavily with saucy-smelling meats! She sets it down on the alter and raises her hands before beginning to recite something in some dead language that Hildur probably doesn't know.

It sounds really pretty.

Buuut...

Not much way to apply it in an practical fashion.

Every now and again the Nuns repeat a phrase in the same language. "Nos festum kum dominus."

[Devixer]

[Abbey Sanctuary]

Hildur listens to the chanting, unsure of what she should be doing right now. She can't understand any of it, and she feels that if she tried to repeat it all, she'd just get something horribly wrong.

[Rebonack]

[Abbey Sanctuary]

Truth be told the Nuns don't know what they're saying either. They're just reciting a ritual that they spent time learning. Speaking the rituals in the vulgar tongues is forbidden.

Once all the chanting is over each Nun will solemnly pick up a silver plate and begin filing up to the alter to get some of the yummy smelling meat!

Mmmm...

Meat.

Agatha glances back at Hildur and gestures quickly for her to follow!

Must be time for foods!

Yay!

[Devixer]

[Abbey Sanctuary]

Hildur follows as Agatha gestures. The meat smelled pretty good to her, and she tries to get a look at it to figure out what type it is. She still doesn't talk yet, figuring this would probably be more silent than the morning meal.

[Rebonack]

[Abbey Sanctuary]

It...

Uuhh...

It smells like goat? Maybe lamb?

Some smallish animal that can be raised in tighter spaces high up on the mountain. Cows and mountains don't get along very well.

The food is taken back to the tables and all the Sisters take their seats. All at once again they repeat that same phrase that totally isn't Latin and begin the nomming!

...

Given that Agatha isn't yammering endlessly this is probably a silent meal, yes.

[Devixer]

[Abbey Sanctuary]

In that case, Hildur is also silent, as she starts to dig into the meat. She eats as slow as she can despite having worked up something of a hunger throughout the day.

[Rebonack]

[Abbey Sanctuary]

The meal will be tasteh!

But relatively uneventful!

Though as soon as the food is eaten the Nuns begin speaking with each other. And one of the major points of interest?

"You learned to fly already?"
"The Emperor has given you a great gift, child."
"...it must be so nice..."
"I totally saw her! She was going ZOOOOOM!"

It sounds like they're excited for her!

How nifty!

[Devixer]

[Abbey Sanctuary]

"Um, yeah, I did." Hildur is a little overwhelmed by all the praise she's been getting. "I don't know how I'm able to do all of these things so quickly." Figuring out that she was apparently a master of something she'd only just learned existed was still a shock, and now that the adrenaline of flying around, she's still a little confused.

[Rebonack]

[Abbey Sanctuary]

A few of the Nuns go up for seconds!

Apparently that's a thing you can do.

Other types of food have been set out as well in the mean time. Apparently only the first course is the solemn part of the ritual.

"You are clearly gifted of the Emperor, child," Sister Phoebe replies. She's a really tall, skinny woman. Old and almost skeletal. She's kind of creepy. "It is a great gift indeed. I hope you plan to use this gift for his glory rather than squandering it like so many other Shapers."

Sister Agatha sticks out her tongue a bit. "Hildur isn't even sure if she wants to join the Order yet or not. And remember, there are lots of other gods that people worship around the Nexus. I'm not sure if our usual assumptions about piety will always apply."

[Devixer]

[Abbey Sanctuary]

Hildur looks down at her plate for a second or two. Talking about religion had always made her a little uncomfortable, if only because she hadn't really been brought up around that subject.

She does still try to converse, though. "I don't really know much about the Emperor, that's why I don't now if I should join or not." What really worries her is if she has to give up snowboarding or not to join, but that's not something she was going to ask at dinner.

[Halae]

"Let's just say my gran-dad wasn't from around these parts," Adam says with a smirk. "Now, Evan, pal, just some friendly advice - try not to break anything else. Naitiri does not like her stuff getting broken." He forks a thumb toward the clinic. "Especially those girls over there. You know how much cash goes into one clone?" Knowing that Evan doesn't, Adam answers for him. "Too much. We're lucky Tina has some deal with these platinum miners on E-407, or this whole place wouldn't exist."[Clinic]

Evan can't help but grin at that, and even starts to laugh, "Is that what she told you? Damn, that's good!"

After giving himself a moment to calm down, he says, "You don't need to worry about the girls. From what I can see, they just need a bit more specific instruction, but I'm not allowing any of them to kill each other. They're too eager to follow orders to break that one. If nothing else, they'll be training outside the armor from now on."

"Anyways, do you mind if I ask who they're cloned from? I feel like I should recognize the face, for some reason."

"It's your birthday man. Wish for whatever you want," Adir says, the opposite of Cessie's comment. He thinks Harnel should get to choose, especially since if he's actually getting a wish out've a fey, it almost always comes around to bite you in the ass.[Harnel's Birthday Party]

Harnel contemplates a bit more, before taking a deep breath and blowing out the candle. The one thought in his mind is 'I wish Cessie and I had everything we needed for our children, stored in the baby room in Mithar Keep'

[Rebonack]

[Abbey Sanctuary]

Some people get that way around religion. Especially people from worlds where the gods don't commonly throw rocks through the windows of atheists. Because in worlds like those pretty much everyone has a religion of some kind regardless of how fast and loose it might be.

Anywho!

"Well! Ask about stuff then!" Agatha replies cheerfully!

That seems like a pretty solid way to learn of things.

Meanwhile!

The Mother of the Abbey seems to be fetching a really big, old book.

Must be important!

[Devixer]

[Abbey Sanctuary]

"Oh. Okay," Hildur says. She's a bit of a loss as to what to ask first, though eventually she just settles on a simple question of "How long has this Order been around?" That will hopefully open up a few more avenues for information.

[Slii Arhem]

Harnel's Birthday Party

Your wish is totally lame. Also granted! Enjoy the rest of your birthday! Mintbalm is going to grant that wish to the best of her abilities! Now, what the heck do babies need...

Well, a crib, obviously, better make that two. And some formula for when they get older, right... And diapers, lots and lots of those. Some binkies for when they start teething, and clothes that'll fit ranging up into toddler age.

Wow, there's still a lot of room in that room. Better fill it up, just to make sure she's got absolutely everything covered.

So, Mintbalm does the safe thing and fills the room, from top to bottom, with toys. Stuffed animals and racing cars, plastic dolls and action figures. If you can find it in a child's toy box, it will go into this room. At the end, she simply tops everything off with a coating of bouncy balls that would fill a good sized ball pit, and her work here is done.

Mintbalm has done her good deed for the day, to cheer her up after she broke off ties with Kate. She wonders how excited these future parents will be to see all their nice new baby stuff!

Oh, and cake. Can't forget about that, I mean, she baked it herself and everything.

[Rebonack]

[Abbey Sanctuary]

The Nuns exchange looks!

"Do you mean this Abbey?" asks one.
"Or the Sisters of Silence as a whole?" asks another.

Because y'know what?

That's a very important distinction!

And both have very interesting stories behind them!

Which story will Hildur pick?

Which tale will she hear?

Stay tuned to find out!

[Devixer]

[Abbey Sanctuary]

"The Sister of Silence as a whole," Hildur says. "I'd like to know how it all came to be."

[Rebonack]

[Abbey Sanctuary]

"It all began because of Discord," Sister Phoebe replies in that stoic tone of hers. "Discord is the source of many of the world's woes. And because of the blight it set upon the world the Emperor gave his divine spark to his servants. To the Priests. And to the Nuns."

Yay, nuns!

"The Sisters of Silence was founded as a means for Nuns to hone that spark so that they might better defend the Empyreum and all the works of the Emperor."

So...

They're like divine ninjas!

Or something.

[Devixer]

[Abbey Sanctuary]

Hildur nods in acknowledgement. "And what exactly is this divine spark? What does it give the Priests and Nuns?" She asks.

[Shadowcaller]

[Harnel's Birthday Party]

After a moment of nothing happening once Harnel blown out the candle Cessie leans forward and whispers. "So what did you wish for?"

But before he can answer the question the half-dragon can hear that his wives breaths are getting more labored as she groans loudly. It even takes her a moment to realize her water just broke. :smalleek:

[Halae]

[Harnel's Birthday Party]

"I wished for-"

Harnel recognizes that something's wrong right away, cutting off mid sentence to stand and put an arm around Cessie, "Is something wrong? Should we head for a hospital?"

[Gullara]

[Harnel's Birthday Party]

"Are you okay?" Sakura asks, suddenly very concerned. It occurs to her just how long it's been. Yes, it's definitely been long enough. The dryad's eyes widen. "Cessie. Is it the babies?"

[Shadowcaller]

[Harnel's Birthday Party]

"I-ohh..." She clutches her stomach again and makes a quick decision. "Yes. Hospital. Now." She manages to say with a meaningful glance at Harnel before staring down at her heaving belly once again, breathing heavily.

[Halae]

[Harnel's Birthday Panic]

Harnel turns to Sakura and Adir, "Could I get you two to finish up here? Thanks." and then he'll try to pick Cessie up, taking off into the air. He'll be moving at the closest he can get to maximum speed without being in danger of dropping Cessie. Have to get to the hospital immediately! :smalleek:

[Murkus]

Clinic

Adam doesn't make comment on Evan's laughter. It was odd, sure, but he could always ask Tina himself he got curious.

"Oh, nobody special. Some coma patient, I think. Donated her body to science. Who knew we'd just make more of them?" He grins. "Tina's dad fixed her up a while back. Put her brain in a new body. Free augments. Everybody wins." Evan might recognize the clones - their faces, anyway - being markedly similar to the cyborg secretary in front of Naitiri's office.

"Hey..." Adam says, floating around to put a hand around Evan's shoulders. If allowed. "Do you actually have any augmentations yet? Are those real?" He points at Evan's horns.

Harnel's Birthday Party

"Hey, I've got a car!" Adir calls after them, figuring his hoverjeep is probably quicker than Harnel's wings. Of course, it has to use roads, so...

He looks at Sakura, surprised. "Well crap. Did it, uh, happen so fast with you?"

[Halae]

[Clinic]

Evan grins, tapping one finger against a horn, "Completely real, made of bone and everything. you may actually be surprised to know that this is quite far from my natural form - picked up a bit of shapechanging during my time as a world hopper."

[Gullara]

[Harnel's Birthday Party]

Sakura looks after them for a moment then turns to Adir. "Not really. It's still hours after the water breaks before they'll be born. We should still get going there though. I want to see them as soon as I can." The dryad ends with a grin on her face.

It's just a shame her veggie burgers went untouched. Oh no... she's so disappointed. Yes. <.<

[Rebonack]

[Abbey Sanctuary]

Hildur nods in acknowledgement. "And what exactly is this divine spark? What does it give the Priests and Nuns?" She asks.

"The divine spark is a tiny fragment of The Emperor's power," Sister Phoebe continues. "It provides us with the ability to carry out the Emperor's sacred rituals which protect the people from the ravages of Discord."

Like their special dinner!

"It is the Priests, however, who minister to the people more often than not. As Nuns we serve primarily as silent guardians. As watchful protectors."

They are the hero the Nexus deserves. But not the heroes the Nexus needs.

...or something.

[Devixer]

[Abbey Sanctuary]

"And how does Discord ravage the people?" Hildur asks as she gets up to get a little more food. She's a little slow in this, though, because she's paying more attention to Phoebe and her story.

[Rebonack]

[Abbey Sanctuary]

"By twisting them into servants of its will. If something like Discord can even have a will," Sister Phoebe replies. "It is in disharmony with all things. Including itself. And thus it is unable to form plans or thoughts beyond the sowing of more Discord."

That sounds terrible!

"That monster you saw outside?" Agatha speaks up. "That used to be a bear. But it was possessed by a spirit of Discord."

And that was enough to warp it into a horrible monster.

Yish...

Can see why the rituals are so important...

[Devixer]

[Abbey - Sanctuary]

Hildur shudders as she sits back down. If Discord did that to a bear, she didn't even want to imagine what that might do to her.

She sits back down at her spot, and resumes eating. Soon, she asks, "So, how long ago was this Abbey founded?"

[Murkus]

[Harnel's Birthday Party]

Sakura looks after them for a moment then turns to Adir. "Not really. It's still hours after the water breaks before they'll be born. We should still get going there though. I want to see them as soon as I can." The dryad ends with a grin on her face.

It's just a shame her veggie burgers went untouched. Oh no... she's so disappointed. Yes. <.<

"Oh, I know that. But was it so sudden?" Adir turns and walks off toward the cake. He picks it up off the stump, not wanting a perfectly good pastry to go to waste.

Unfortunately, he's not quite done with those finely crafted veggie-patties yet. "Oh, did you wanna take the burgers along?"


[Clinic]

Evan grins, tapping one finger against a horn, "Completely real, made of bone and everything. you may actually be surprised to know that this is quite far from my natural form - picked up a bit of shapechanging during my time as a world hopper."

"Cool, man. World-hopper huh? I see why you and Tina get along." Adam lets go of Evan and starts floating off toward the clinic. "C'mon, I wanna show you some things. We're gonna be open for business soon."

[Shadowcaller]

[Harnel's Birthday Panic]

"Gods... I'm going go panic, this'll never end well! I can't deliver them..." Cessie mutters as they are flying towards the hospital. She doesn't seem very calm at all.

[Halae]

[Clinic]

"Oh yeah? Sure." Evan will walk behind Adam, wondering what could be important there.

[Gullara]

[Harnel's Birthday Party]

"Yeah, it was pretty much like that." Sakura gathers up her stuff and starts transferring Laela to the truck. She pauses when Adir mentions the burgers. "Uh yeah, we can bring them too." She says unconvincingly.

[Earl of Purple]

Necanth Prison

Freddy and Cat find themselves in a large chamber, in a circle of six statues. They're identical apart from the material used; one is ebony, one is marble, one is quartz, one is bone, one is pink granite and one is coal. The ebony, bone and coal statues turn to Freddy. "Brian No'Canthu, you have been arrested for nineteen counts of murder, three counts of malicious injury and one count of attempted murder. Your sentence: Life imprisonment. Report to Cell Block 984 immediately." The quartz, pink granite and marble statues turn to Cat. "Grazob maGurthol, you are under arrest for two counts of littering. Your sentence: Life imprisonment. Report to Solitary Confinement Block 652 immediately." The statues return to being statues.

The floor and walls are rough-carved solid stone. If either of them can sense such, this is no longer the Nexus, but a timeless demi-plane. This means that they won't age here, though hunger, thirst and tiredness are unchanged. Natural healing is slightly faster, too.

[Rebonack]

[Abbey Sanctuary]

"About six hundred years ago this Abbey was founded by Archon Zarathustra."

Thus spoke Zarathustra!

*ahem*

"While she was still alive and here in the land of the living, of course," Sister Phoebe recounts. "It was meant to be a place of solace and training for the Sisters of Silence before we would be sent out into the surrounding fiefdoms."

Yay for fiefdoms!

[Prison]

Freddy blinks heavily, quite disoriented from having been whisked away so suddenly. That was the first time he was ever teleported and if he still had a stomach he would probably be emptying it onto the floor right now.

And...

Some statues are talking to him.

"...Brian No'Canthu...? I'm Fredrick Barrelson," the Huldra objects. "Where are we? What is this place?"

Seems they might have just been kidnapped.

[Eadin]

[Prison]

Cathy is still hissing as she is teleported into the prison.
She falls quiet as she realises this, looking around. Freddy's over there, that's something so she calms down a bit. Poof go the wings. She's still a bit on edge though, so her claws, fangs tail and symbols remain. "Gra.. What? That's not my name! And I certainly did not litter!" She says, growling.

[Earl of Purple]

Necanth Prison

A large sign written in Common/English, Draconic, Elven and Orcish lies above a large stone doorway; an iron door lies discarded to one side. The sign says 'Welcome to Necanth Prison. Say Hello to the Rest of Your Life'. Beyond the doorway come faint sounds of a particularly raucous party- something unlikely to occur in a prison in which one has a life sentence in solitary confinement for littering.

[Murkus]

Clinic

"Now, this shapechanging... is it gonna make it hard to augment you? Cuz' we got a few security attachments that are, y'know, mandatory," Adam seems to like Evan, and is less than thrilled about forcing something on the new employee. Might scare him off.

Harnel's Birthday Party

"Wow. So... someone else had to drive you to the hospital?" Adir frowns a bit. He should've been here for that. "That sucks." The stag loads Harnel's cake into the hovercraft, hoping it doesn't get messed up somehow before he gets a change to eat it.

If I recall, they got a toddler seat for car rides with Laela. Sakura could always hold her, of course, but it's not as safe. Adir climbs into the drivers' seat and turns the keys. The truck thrums to life, hovering maybe six inches off the ground.

[Rebonack]

[Prison]

Hey! Littering is a serious offense! Litter bugs should be dealt with int he most ruthless and inhuman fashion imaginable. Solitary confinement is way too good for them.

Hmmm...

Looks like no one answer Freddy's question!

The Huldra huffs and decides to use violence against one of the statues!

Mostly by chucking a pair of fox fire wisps at it!

...

The attack isn't much more potent than a relatively novice fire spell. Not even talking Fireball level of destruction.

"I've been hurled into enough random worlds! Send me back!" he yells at the statue.

[Devixer]

[Abbey Sanctuary]

Hildur absorbs this information, and soon asks, "So where was this place originally, before it ended up here in the Nexus?" She still wonders how such a thing was possible, but not as much as before.

[Eadin]

[Prison]
While Freddy's shooting fire at statues, Cat has calmed down enough to look sort of human again.

Then there's the noise. They should investigate!
Cathy will reach out to try and touch Freddy's shoulder.
"Fred, calm down. "

[Earl of Purple]

Necanth Prison

Unfortunately for Freddy, even the coal statue won't burn. It seems Freddy isn't the first to try damaging them, either; at the bottom of the quartz statue is the shattered remains of a sledgehammer.

It sounds to be an incredibly raucous party. The kind of party where afterwards everything is broken and there's lots of comatose people lying around. Although this one sounds as though not all of the people lying around are comatose.

[Rebonack]

[Prison]

Upon seeing that the statue isn't going anywhere the Huldra grumps at it before recalling his wisps. The little swirls of blue flame begin to dance around him like angry hornets.

"Fine... I guess we may as well figure out where we are, right?" Freddy replies before POOFing into super hawt form and heading toward the door.

Looking human may or may not be a good idea right now!

Guess he'll find out shortly.

"It sounds like... a carnival or something?" he comments as he heads toward the broken door to see what's going on.

No doubt lots of revelry.

[Abbey Sanctuary]

"We were previously between the fiefdoms of Baron Archibald and Baroness Gilda," Phoebe replies. "It appears as though most of Baron Archilbald's land was brought here as well as some of Baroness Gilda's. However the Baroness is absent and the Baron is in the process of claiming what was once her lands as his own."

[Devixer]

[Abbey Sanctuary]

"There's a process to claiming land? Can't this Baron just, you know, claim it, if the Baroness isn't there?" Hildur clearly doesn't know much about how nobles act.

[Rebonack]

[Abbey Sanctuary]

That question manages to get a laugh out of Agatha!

"Of course not silly!"

What a silly question.

"Nobles have to go through all sorts of ceremonies and stuff to get new land. The people from there need to swear fealty to the Baron and stuff like that."

So much stuff!

Doesn't Hildur know about stuff?

She should totally know about stuff.

[Devixer]

[Abbey Sanctuary]

Hildur totally knows about stuff! Just not a lot of stuff that isn't related to snowboarding or physics. "Huh. Where I come from, people just buy the land they want."

[Earl of Purple]

Necanth Prison

Zefir is teleported here, into the circle of six statues. The bone, coal and marble statues turn to him and speak. "Terrowin of Xela's Howe, you have been arrested for twenty nine counts of murder, six counts of slavery, thirty four counts of torture and sixteen counts of abduction. Your sentence: Life imprisonment." After they're pronouncement the statues turn back to their previous positions.

[Rebonack]

[Abbey Sanctuary]

"Well... sometimes portions of a fief are purchased from another baron or baroness for money..." Agatha replies thoughtfully. "The land the Abbey is on was donated a loooooong time ago so the Abbey could be built. All the land belongs to one of the barons or baronesses."

All of it.

All of it.

And the peasants own nothing.

They just work the land as hardly-above-slaves.

...which....

Is basically how feudalism works.

[Devixer]

[Abbey Sanctuary]

All of this just ends up making Hildur wish she'd paid more attention to her history (meaning any at all.) She can't really think of any more questions, so she just nods and returns to her meal.

[Eadin]

[Prison]

Catherine will follow Freddy to the door, her symbols glowing. Just in case.
"Be careful, who knows what's behind there? A prison is no place for a party.."
Not that she knows a lot about prisons.
Then the statues speak and another person appears. This is getting weirder by the second.

[Earl of Purple]

Necanth Prison

Beyond where the door used to be (it's now lying in the dust not too far away) is a short corridor, on the other side of which is the party. The corridor has smooth walls, floor and ceiling; they've been carved and polished smooth from the same single piece of rock. At the far end of the corridor is an ill-fitting door that seems to have been built from several random pieces of wood nailed together; a section of wagon wheel is plainly visible, and the door handle is the leg-stump of a table incorporated into its construction.

[Rebonack]

[Prison]

Another person just got dumped here?

Another person from Trog's it looks like.

Welp!

Already know they're aren't getting out the way they came. And the only exit is!

Freddy pulls open the crudely fashioned door!

And on the other side is!

Things.

Probably.

Stay tuned to find out!

[Abbey Sanctuary]

"So?" Agatha asks excitedly. "What was it like? Flying, I mean?"

[Devixer]

[Abbey Sanctuary]

"It was..." Hildur stops mid-speech, unsure how to continue for a bit. "It was exhilarating, that's for sure. I'd certainly never done anything like it."

[Zefir]

Necanth Prison

Zefir is teleported here, into the circle of six statues. The bone, coal and marble statues turn to him and speak. "Terrowin of Xela's Howe, you have been arrested for twenty nine counts of murder, six counts of slavery, thirty four counts of torture and sixteen counts of abduction. Your sentence: Life imprisonment." After they're pronouncement the statues turn back to their previous positions.

Necanth Prison

Zefir watches them, where did they know that? After all it was the wrong name and some things weren't right.

"Hey I'm not Terrowin of Xela's Howe. Who do you think you are?"

[Halae]

Clinic

"Now, this shapechanging... is it gonna make it hard to augment you? Cuz' we got a few security attachments that are, y'know, mandatory," Adam seems to like Evan, and is less than thrilled about forcing something on the new employee. Might scare him off. [Clinic]

"Well... You'll have to make the augs bigger than normal." Evan says, "A fair amount bigger. I should be able to compensate for them during shapeshifting, but metal and the like is always a lot harder to affect than organic matter. So... my threshold won't be as high. Hmm. I guess I may be stuck with a tail soon."

[Rebonack]

[Abbey Sanctuary]

"Haha! Wow! It must be like the when we first learn how to use the Leap of the Heavens!" Agatha laughs. "It sure feels like you're flying sometimes, but you always come back down!"

That must have been the crazy super jump she used to scale the mountain so quickly.

Those silly Nuns!

"Even if you don't join the Abbey I bet you could probably do fine for yourself back in that weird city. No one would mess with a skill Air Shaper!"

Because they would get blown away!

...

Okay, yeah. That was a terrible pun.

[Devixer]

[Abbey Sanctuary]

"Yeah," Hildur says with an air of realization behind her voice. "Yeah, I suppose I could." She smiles a little as she says that. Not having to be afraid of everything anymore was a pretty big plus for her.

[Gullara]

Harnel's Birthday Party

"Wow. So... someone else had to drive you to the hospital?" Adir frowns a bit. He should've been here for that. "That sucks." The stag loads Harnel's cake into the hovercraft, hoping it doesn't get messed up somehow before he gets a change to eat it.

If I recall, they got a toddler seat for car rides with Laela. Sakura could always hold her, of course, but it's not as safe. Adir climbs into the drivers' seat and turns the keys. The truck thrums to life, hovering maybe six inches off the ground.

Whoops, forgot this somehow. >.<

[Harnel's Birthday Party]

Sakura does indeed buckle Laela into her seat. *nodnod* "Well, actually Harnel did most of the work delivering Laela. I had no idea he knew anything about that, let alone was actually able to do it." She laughs, and looks a little sheepish. "I think I ruined some of their sheets." <.<

[Rebonack]

[Abbey Sanctuary]

Life is a lot less scary when one isn't totally defenseless.

It seems regardless of what Hildur does next this visit has been good for her!

Agatha laughs a bit. "It must be like when I first was given the spark. You finding out that you can Shape so well, I mean. Before I felt totally helpless. But all of a sudden I could sing and make the world a better place for my friends! It was amazing!"

So very amazing!

"The Emperor has great plans for you, Hildur! I'm sure of it!"

Woohoo!

Plans!

[Devixer]

[Abbey Courtyard]

Hildur just smiles a little more, still being unsure how to feel about this religion, and more unsure to feel about there possibly being a plan for her. "As long as I can help people, I suppose I'd be just fine with the Emperor's plans."

[Murkus]

Harnel's Birthday Party

"Harnel? Whoah." Adir says with a thoughtful smile, putting his seat belt on. He grins like a fool. "I think I owe him now. I know, I can deliver Cessie's kids!" Adir says, starting the car and humming off toward Inside.

[Gullara]

[(The Remains of) Harnel's Birthday Party]

Sakura laughs and shakes her head. "Those poor babies." More laughter follows. "Come on, drive faster. I wanna be there quick." Clearly she doesn't understand the concept of a speed limit.

[Rebonack]

[Abbey Sanctuary]

And on that note!

As the meal rounds up the Nuns begin to return to their quarters to sleep or pray or do whatever else it is that Nuns do. Hildur will be free to return to her room or wander about!

Or go to sleep.

It has been a pretty busy day after all.

So many neat new things learned!

Where to go from here?

What to do? What steps to take?

Wow, life sure is an adventure!

[Devixer]

[Abbey Sanctuary]

Hildur walks back into her room and makes sure that the books she borrowed are in the same spot she left them. Assuming they are, she immediately peruses the book on the history of Air Shaping. Now that she knows just how good she is at it, she wants to know everything she can about it.

[Eadin]

Prison

Looks like new person is another victim of mistaken identity.

Cat is still behind Freddy, ready to blast whatever comes from behind the weird door.
Blasting is fun.

[Rebonack]

[Abbey Sanctuary]

Hildur walks back into her room and makes sure that the books she borrowed are in the same spot she left them. Assuming they are, she immediately peruses the book on the history of Air Shaping. Now that she knows just how good she is at it, she wants to know everything she can about it.

This history book is...

Sadly lacking.

Mostly it just talks a bit about famous rulers who were Air Shapers. And the battles they won. And stuff like that.

Booooring history focusing on battle and wars and people taking land from each other than things.

Probably not at all what she was hoping for.

[Devixer]

[Abbey Sanctuary]

Hildur closes the book with a bit of a sigh. This wasn't about Shaping at all! Just a bunch of dead people who fought a bunch of battles. She puts it down, and then picks up the book on foci. Maybe she could refine her gossamer or something.

[Murkus]

[(The Remains of) Harnel's Birthday Party]

Sakura laughs and shakes her head. "Those poor babies." More laughter follows. "Come on, drive faster. I wanna be there quick." Clearly she doesn't understand the concept of a speed limit.

"We do have our own kid to worry about," Adir says with a laugh. He does speed up a little though. >.> What? He's still under the speed limit!

Well, right around there.

In any case, they should reach the nearest hospital in short order. Hooray for GPS!

[Gullara]

[(The Remains of) Harnel's Birthday Party]

Sakura hasn't even begun to think about the dangers of driving. Best never let her get behind the wheel herself. :smalltongue:

Anyway, Sakura is all smiles as they're off to the hospital. To Inside! (Probably after SC and Harnel progress a bit further there, however.)

[Rebonack]

[Abbey Hildur's Room]

Sadly that's all that many history books are. Listings of wars and big political squabbles. No doubt there was plenty of information in there on various practices of the nobility! But Hildur probably doesn't care much about that.

Anywho!

Next book!

The book on foci turns out to cover far more than just Gossamer, but rather all the various elemental foci. Apparently there are ten of them in all. The book details the methods for smithing the various materials as well as places where well known concentrations of the materials can be found.

Hmmm...

It turns out that there's a pretty sizable vein of Gossamer somewhere near the peak of Mount Anthor. Though the book is pretty vague on exactly where...

[Devixer]

[Abbey Sanctuary]

Well, that was very interesting. Hildur certainly wants to try and find this vein of Gossamer, but not tonight. This had been a pretty long day. Of course, any day where you find out about a concept's existence and then master it would probably be a long one.

She reads about the other foci for a bit, and then decides it's time to go to sleep.

[Earl of Purple]

Necanth Prison

The statues don't respond to Zefir, being completely lifeless and apparently unmagical statues. The shattered remains of a sledgehammer lying discarded at the bottom of the quartz statue suggests otherwise.

Beyond the crude door is what was a giant-sized guard room, although it's now a scene of chaos and mayhem. A stone counter along one side of the room has a guy behind it and loads of alcoholic beverage-containing barrels piled up against the wall. The rest of the chamber has crude tables and chairs scattered across it. Some of them have people of various races and kinds chatting amiably and getting on well. Others have loners, sitting and drinking in silence. Most tables, however, are in chaos and fighting; some are bare-fisted, whilst others are full-on, with weapons drawn and various magical attacks flying through the air. Some of the bodies lying near these tables won't get up again, and a few of them look to be slightly riper than the rest. Although it's equally possible that they were moving around quite recently- there's a pair of ghouls at the bar eating from a rack of ribs with tattooed crackling.

[Eadin]

Necanth Prison


Cat sure didn't expect this in a prison.
Her tattoos stop glowing, as to not draw more attention to them.
"So... shall we go in?"
She looks a little wary of the prospect, but it seems it's that or staying with the statues. Not very productive.

[Rebonack]

[Abbey Hildur's Room]

Sleeeeeep!

Wow, it sure has been a crazy day hasn't it? With all sorts of new and crazy things!

Who knows what will happen come tomorrow!

And so Hildur drifts away into dreamland...

[Prison]

Well.

That doesn't look like a very nice place.

When asked whether or not they should go in Freddy gives Cat a pretty classic, 'are you crazy?' sort of look.

"The people in there are randomly murdering each other," the Huldra replies. "Is that even a question?"

[Eadin]

Necanth Prison

"So.... we're going to stand here until they all die one way or another? Do you have a better idea? I don't want to be stuck in here."She sighs.
"We're not exactly defenseless."

[Earl of Purple]

Necanth Prison

They aren't murdering each other for no reason. Those illithids are blasting each other with psychic power because one of them was cheating at cards. Those humans are beating up that orc because an orc settlement destroyed a human one not so long ago and it's revenge. Those elves are fighting over a hobgoblin prostitute who was going to rob them anyway. That beholder just turned somebody into a pile of ash because they knocked over its glass of whiskey.

OK, so none of them are particularly good reasons, but they're still reasons!

[Rebonack]

[Prison]

"We're not faced with very good options," Freddy sighs as he watches all the debauchery and violence. A little voice in the back of his mind is informing him that people are absurdly easy to seduce when they're drunk. But he's doing his best to ignore it right now.

Soooo... easy.

Just stand in the right fashion. Speak in the right tone. All sorts of souls for nomming!

No voice!

Shut up! Bad!

"I... guess we could go in. We'll just need to be really careful," and with a sigh Freddy steps through the doorway! At the moment the Huldra looks like an uncannily hawt male.

[Eadin]

Necanth Prison


Cat nods, then notices him sinking into thougts.
She can somewhat guess what he's thnking, and decides to be extra cautious. Not everyone in there might be guilty.
She follows him in, crossing her fingers."I've got your back."

[Earl of Purple]

Necanth Prison

Soon after entering, a female goblin with not a lot of clothes on approaches. "Hey, did you guys just come from the Portal Room? Wow, you're the first noobs in, like, months. Speak to the barkeep, he'll give you a map and point out dudes that sell serious booping weaponry. And you come find me after; I'll give you a discount." The last sentence is directed at Freddy, and accompanied by a suggestive wink. She'll sidle off after, with quite a sway to her hips.

[Devixer]

[Abbey - Hildur's Room]

And so, Hildur will slowly get to sleeeeeeping. Assuming nothing weird happens, she wakes up early the next morning feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the day.

[Eadin]

[Necanth Prison]

Well... that went better than expected.
She'll give the goblin woman a dirty look before turning to Freddy.
"Phew, so... barkeep?"

[Rebonack]

[Prison]

Without even so much as thinking about it the Huldra responds to the woman's comments with just the right posture and display of interest. He's probably not even consciously aware that he's doing it. Stupid soul nomming instincts!

Freddy nods. "Barkeep. Right"

Time to head in that direction!

[On Top of Mount Anthor]

Boy.

It sure does seem colder than before.

And a bit harder to. Where did her blanket go?

Hildur will wake up inside of a cave, icicles hanging from the ceiling above her. She can hear the wind howling somewhere in the distance. And apart from the dull golden glow of the Gossamer plate sitting in front of her there's no other source of light.

[Zefir]

Necanth Prison


Zefir just shruges. This weapons wheren't there for nothing so he assumes these Statues aren't destructable. He heads for the exit, since there isn't any other way.

[Earl of Purple]

Necanth Prison

Zefir will see the door made of odds and ends, including part of a cart's wheel and a table, complete with a leg-stump for a handle. Beyond it, he might catch Cat and Freddy before they leave into the bar beyond.

The barkeep is a grizzled human male, wearing a battered breastplate of boiled leather. He looks to be about forty, and his left arm ends in a stump about halfway between the shoulder and the elbow. The goblin prostitute won't stop staring at Freddy so long as he's here.

[Devixer]

[On the Top of Mount Anthor]

Hildur wakes up to the sight of icicles, and at first doesn't do anything except wish she had her jacket on. Then she realizes where she is and jumps up. How the hell did she get here?

She grabs for the plate of gossamer, about the only thing she feels confident enough to do. Then she'll look around to try and figure out how she got here.

[Eadin]

Necanth Prison


Sigh, men.
Cat will approach the barkeep.
"That goblin woman over there said you have a map to get us out of this place. Is that right?" She'll ask.

[Rebonack]

[Cave on Mount Anthor]

Hildur grabs the focus! As soon as she touches it she can feel the air flowing through the cave. Tugging at her. Pulling at her. She shouldn't be in here, buried below the earth! Stuffed down deep within the mountain where she can't see the sky!

Follow the breeze!

Follow it back to the wide embrace of the heavens and dance with it among the clouds.

But at the same time...

There's something else. Something else deeper within the mountain.

Something calling.

Pleading.

Help me...

[Prison]

The goblin is given a playful smile. But little more. Otherwise Freddy will wait to hear what the barkeep has to say. No reason for everyone to talk to him at once.

[Earl of Purple]

Necanth Prison

"Hah! This place is a prison plane. There's no guaranteed way out. Rumour has it the Warden has a way out, for those willing to submit. But the Warden remains when the guards are dead and gone, those that were alive to begin with. I'll give you a map, though the rate of growth means it's already out of date. I have a new one made every four days, or thereabouts, but by the time it's finished it's incomplete. You could wait a bit, though; the new one's due tomorrow." The barkeep smiles and takes two pieces of scruffy paper that looks to have been recycled many times and degraded in quality every time. He'll put them on the bar in front of Cat and Freddy. "So what are you in for?"

[Eadin]

Necanth Prison

Well that's...
Cat doesn't even know. Bad, probably.
She's about to ask something when suddenly!
"Wait... Growth?"
She'll also give Freddy a little growl. She's a prostitute! They have no time for fooling aroung!

[Rebonack]

[Prison]

Freddy provides Cat with a 'whaaaaaat?' face. He's hungry! And he's always hungry. And someone showing sensual interest in the Huldra isn't all that different from someone holding out a plate of savory smelling food to a human and asking if they want any.

She's just asking to be devoured!

And it has been a few days since his last meal. That always results in him getting a bit... eerr... frisky.

"She's in here for littering," Freddy replies. "And apparently I'm in for murder. Neither of us have heard of the people we were accused of being, though. And I'm pretty sure I haven't ever murdered anyone."

Littering is WAY worse than murder.

[Earl of Purple]

Necanth Prison

"Yes, growth. Time doesn't pass here; I think I'm a hundred and eighty four, but I could be much older or younger. If Necanth Prison didn't grow, it'd get overcrowded, what with no death and constant immigrants like yourselves. I'm in here for murder, murder and attempted murder. Killed my wife's lover, my wife, and tried to kill my second wife because I thought she was cheating on me too. The statues have been a bit... Erratic since we killed the guards about fifty years back." The barkeep nods. He doesn't seem particularly murderous, but then I don't think the most effective murderers do.

[Eadin]

Prison
''You'e going to eat these men's only form of relief right here? Do you want to get murdered?''
She gives him an angry look, this is not the time.

She turns back to the barkeep. She has never heard of a prison plane before.

''Right, what do you think Fred? Wait for the next one or go for this map.''

[Rebonack]

[Prison]

Freddy doesn't reply to that first bit...

Though he's sure there's probably more than one prostitute wandering around the prison... Maybe.

Freddy also doesn't comment on the barkeep's apparent thing for murder.

Though one comment really confuses him.

"Wait... you said no one here dies."

He then points at the guy the ghouls are eating. And several other corpses nearby.

"What about them?"

[Earl of Purple]

Necanth Prison

"They didn't die- they were killed. There's a difference; being killed requires action on the part of another, and dying does not. Although it's possible to die of thirst or starvation, or drown. But there's no ageing, so no natural deaths. No births, either; no ageing means no conception." And anybody here that's pregnant stay pregnant, as the baby doesn't age either. "I wasn't as clear as I should have been, sorry."

[Eadin]

Prison

Well, aging in here is probably the least of Cat's worries.
No conception must probably be useful for the whores around here.
'' Right, so what can we expect when we try to get out? A maze, mosters,...?''
Or both.
Or worse.

[Rebonack]

[Prison]

Oh!

So they CAN die!

That means Freddy can totally nom people here! And he has the uncanny feeling that no one would know how to deal with a Huldra.

...

No!

Bad!

Bad thoughts! Go away!

"I guess we should probably wait for tomorrow's map then...?" Freddy replies tentatively. "And what would be a good way to avoid getting killed?"

[Devixer]

[Cave on Mount Anthor]

Hildur grabs the focus! As soon as she touches it she can feel the air flowing through the cave. Tugging at her. Pulling at her. She shouldn't be in here, buried below the earth! Stuffed down deep within the mountain where she can't see the sky!

Follow the breeze!

Follow it back to the wide embrace of the heavens and dance with it among the clouds.

But at the same time...

There's something else. Something else deeper within the mountain.

Something calling.

Pleading.

Help me...

Hildur is a little conflicted by what she should do. She definitely wants to go back out into the wind and fresh air, but that plea certainly gets to her as well. She stands in that spot for some time.

Eventually, though, she turns from the breeze, almost apologetically, and heads deeper into the mountain. No doubt her connection with the air will lessen the further she walks.

[Zefir]

Necanth Prison

Zefir will see the door made of odds and ends, including part of a cart's wheel and a table, complete with a leg-stump for a handle. Beyond it, he might catch Cat and Freddy before they leave into the bar beyond.

The barkeep is a grizzled human male, wearing a battered breastplate of boiled leather. He looks to be about forty, and his left arm ends in a stump about halfway between the shoulder and the elbow. The goblin prostitute won't stop staring at Freddy so long as he's here.

Necanth Prison Bar

"Oh man low tech, that's hard means low society."

Zefir notice while shaking his head.He goes into the bar following the last newcomers. He won't interrupt them while talking with the barkeeper and listens.

[Earl of Purple]

Necanth Prison

"Outside this pub, it's quite a labyrinth, yes. Not so much monsters, at least not in the traditional sense- aside from a few undead, everything here is capable of committing crimes motivated by more than pure instinct." He then turns to Freddy. "To stay alive, you should keep away from the Warden, don't start fights, avoid the settlements, keep away from prostitutes, don't touch anything you haven't paid for, run away from anyone trying to start a fight with you, accept that anything stolen is gone even if you felt the thief take it, and it's probably best to find an air vent and climb inside and live as a hermit. Although no matter what, you can still starve, and there's no food in the vents unless you are lucky enough to find an old guard stash or a new one that has grown in place since the riots."

Then Zefir says something and the barkeep looks up. "No, not low-tech. We're high-tech without the resources for most of the decent stuff. There's a gun factory in New London, and all sorts of workshops in the Scrapyards. Swords are more common because a sword doesn't run out of ammunition."

[Eadin]

Necanth Prison

"So, who is this Warden anyway?"
This whole thing seems to get worse and worse.
She turns to Freddy. "Yeah, that'd be the best. No need to make it harder for ourselves."

And then there's the other guy from the bar.
"Seems like those light balls got us into some serious mess." She tells him.

[Zefir]

Necanth Prison

"Yeah." he comments the barkeeper. I assume we have our equipment?

Then a person or something else I don't know right now speaks up to him.
"Thanks captain Obviouse." obiously he isn't happy about the situation and in that case not a good man for small talk.
"Any ideas how to blew this whole thing up or escape?"

[Rebonack]

[Cave on Mount Anthor]

Deeper into the darkness.

The sky will plead with Hildur not to go, but none the less she journeys deeper into the heart of the mountain. Deeper into the earth. Deeper into the darkness.

The air grow still and stale.

The chill of the high mountain replaced by a warm, muggy feeling of claustrophobia.

And then all at once the cavern opens up before her.

A vast panorama of roiling, seething something. Or maybe nothing. It has no form, and yet she sees it. Has no substance, and yet she feels it. Has no voice, and yet it whispers.

help me

[Prison]

Well.

That's a long list of things to avoid. No doubt Cat will give Freddy an 'I told you so' look when the prostitute is mentioned.

"Thanks for the information, sir," the currently attractive male Huldra replies honestly. He'll then turn to Cat, "So now what? Find an air-vent to huddle in while waiting for tomorrow?"

And mister explosives guy is given a sour look. "You understand that 'blowing the whole thing up' would include us since we're inside 'the whole thing', yes?"

[Earl of Purple]

Necanth Prison

"The Prison Warden. If you thought Necromancy was the scariest school of magic, you haven't met the Warden. It specialises in Alteration. During the riots, all the guards were killed and the cell door machinery was smashed. When we tried to kill the Warden, most of us were turned into mushrooms; the rest were turned to stone from the waist down and one by one they were carted into the Warden's Office by the Warden. A few escaped, such as myself, but not many. Rumour has it that anybody that voluntarily submits to the Warden is released, and it's true that everybody that has submitted hasn't been seen again, and the Warden does have a way out in its Office because it used to send reports out. Maybe still does. Dunno; if it ever was human, it's not any more." The barkeep shivers at the memory and scratches at his stump.

[Eadin]

[Prison]

"Right... Thanks for that, sir. We'll come back tomorrow for that map.."

Surprisingly, she's not giving Freddy that look. Seems to care more for getting out of here and devising a plan to make sure they don't become zombie meals. Or stone, after the barkeep's story.

"Well, something like that, yes. Maybe something to eat.. " Though she can probably go without a while, divine beings don't need as much nutrition as humans.

And Catherine looks like a normal human girl at this stage. But that might change if Zefir keeps being rude to her. Angry Cat is Bad Cat.
So she'll just glare at him. Fred has said enough.

[Rebonack]

[Prison]

Or mushrooms.

Most people probably don't like getting turned into mushrooms. That wouldn't be a problem for Freddy, though. Like most shape-changers he would be able to simply revert to his natural shape if he were transformed into a toadstool. He's not aware of this, though. Mostly because transmutation magic is very uncommon in his world.

The realm of Warlocks and Witches.

Which means this Warden guy sounds evil and scary to the Huldra.

At the mention of something to eat Freddy coughs slightly. "Yeah. Something to eat would be nice."

Granted, his 'something to eat' is a bit different from Cat's no doubt.

"Where would we find something to eat?" he asks of the barkeep.

[Devixer]

[Cave on Mount Anthor]

"I don't understand..." Hildur mutters. And she couldn't be more honest. How could she help something if she wasn't even sure what it is?

The lack of any moving wind is starting to get to her. She finds herself wanting more and more to go outside into the wind.

[Zefir]

[Prison]

Well.

That's a long list of things to avoid. No doubt Cat will give Freddy an 'I told you so' look when the prostitute is mentioned.

"Thanks for the information, sir," the currently attractive male Huldra replies honestly. He'll then turn to Cat, "So now what? Find an air-vent to huddle in while waiting for tomorrow?"

And mister explosives guy is given a sour look. "You understand that 'blowing the whole thing up' would include us since we're inside 'the whole thing', yes?"

Necanth Prison

"I'm not dump. I would first look for an escape way and then blew this up. Noone should land in such a place after us. Right?"

Zefir just glares back at ther. Beeing teleported into a prision and all makes people mad.

[Earl of Purple]

Necanth Prison

"Have you ever destroyed a world before? Because that's what this prison is- a whole world. We tried to destroy the teleportation circle in the entrance, but failed. Even magic didn't work. We're content here, and the vast majority of people who arrive are guilty of something, even if it's not what they're sentenced for. The last new guy was arrested for public nudity, and since he's arrived he's been trying to rack up the largest kill count recorded, and he doesn't care who he kills. He's the guy over there with the knives and the necklace." The barkeep gestures towards a rather normal-looking chap with two bandoleers across his chest and a belt, each of which is holding ten knives at least. The necklace in question is a piece of string around his neck; it's used to hold a lot of ears of several different races and ages. All the ears are left ears; not one has its opposite number present. "As for something to eat, we have green slop, red slop, yellow slop, orange slop, steak, racks of ribs and two apples. The green slop's free, I bought the apples from somebody that carried them here- they're the only apples I know of in this place. The slop's grown in a vat in the Hunger Prevention Facilities." The source of the steak and ribs is left to the imagination.

[Eadin]

Necanth Prison

Cat makes a disgusted face as he talks about the food. Any hint of hunger is long gone.
She'll make a mental note to stay away from Ear-guy.
"Maybe later." She tell the barkeep.
To Freddy she says, in a hushed voice so only he can hear.
"You might not have to be hungry, with all these murderers around."
As in she'll probably help him get some food, if he needs it.
Murderers deserve to be nommed. Good riddance.

[Rebonack]

[Cave on Mount Anthor]

The formless mists twist and twine and dance and writhe and plead. Above all else they plead. Help me.

Please.

Help me.

Please. Find me.

They aren't what they seem.

Please. Hurry.

SUDDENLY!

Hildur awakes in her bed back at the Abbey!

[Prison]

Freddy gives the ear-guy one distasteful look and decides that he would rather not look at him at all.

Bluh... And Freddy seems keen on the idea of nomming in self-defense! "I can't be violent of my own accord. But if one of them attacks..."

Honest! I only devoured his liver in self-defense!

"I guess that leaves exploration on the table? I don't think it would be hard for me to find my way back here when the time comes," nose and all.

[Devixer]

[Cave on Mount Anthor -> Hildur's Room]

Hildur wakes up, again a little slowly. Still not used to getting up so early. What a weird dream, she thinks. She liked her dreams about snowboarding a lot more than whatever that was.

She gets up and sets about getting dressed. Her clothes could probably use a good washing right now, she remarks.

[Eadin]

[Necanth Prison]

"Well, I could always provoke them into attacking... Or you could seduce them." She adds with a wink.

"We'll probably need that, in case we get lost.."
Which they probably will.
"Yeah, let's explore or something.."

[Earl of Purple]

Necanth Prison

"If you're going to eat people, don't do it here. Go to New London; they'll accept you because you look human. You could be human for all I know or care, but the New Londoners are a bunch of violent xenophobes. A pity- the old Mayor was quite a nice chap." Although most of the people here are criminals so the old Mayor would have certainly also been a criminal.

[Rebonack]

[Prison]

Fredrick gives a somewhat distasteful look. "Ghosts. I eat ghosts. Not people. If someone dies because they assault us then that's their fault."

Woo!

Exploring time!

New London sounds like a decent place to start. Because everyone loves violent xenophobes! Freddy nods before inquiring. "Well, I guess a map wouldn't hurt right now then. Otherwise I'm afraid we might get lost on the way there."

Then attention turns to Cat.

"And I think it would be best if we stick to this fellow's advice and avoid provoking people."

[Abbey Hildur's Room]

That was a weird dream, wasn't it?

Oh well.

It was probably of no consequence what so ever and won't come up again in any way. Best to just forget about it.

The morning will progress much as the previous one did! What shall Hildur do?

[Eadin]

Necanth Prison

Well said, Freddy.

Adventure time!

"Yeah, probably. With all these undead there are probably enough ghosts around, too.."

New London doesn't seem like a fun place to Cat, so she hopes they don't have to go there.

[Devixer]

[Abbey - Hildur's Room]

Hildur will help with the chores, of course, but she spends as much of the day as she can outside, playing with the wind and getting used to it almost talking to her. She almost wants to go further out and use her focus to do some snowboarding, but decides against it.

[Earl of Purple]

Necanth Prison

"I have no idea how one would eat a ghost, but if that's the case there's lots of undead at the Graveyard. It's where the guards used to dump the corpses of anybody killed. The undead former prisoners have made it their home. Be careful; it's near some of the old Solitary cells, and some of the Solitary Confinees went mad before the Rebellion. It's worse that they had the longest life expectancy- only way they were dying is if they did it deliberately, as they didn't see anybody, often for hundreds of years. No ageing, but there's still time." Cat's very lucky they did have a rebellion, otherwise she'd spend the rest of time in a small, soundproofed cell furnished only by a toilet, a light and a bed.

[Rebonack]

[Prison]

Ghosts are eaten by going om nom nom!

Clearly.

Poking around in a graveyard sounds even less safe than poking around in a city full of people who hate anyone who isn't human. Freddy is totally okay with that second one. Given that his Beguiling Illusions were only meant to fool humans he can't really look like anything else.

Well... Maybe a dwarf or an elf. But that would depend on how human-like a given setting's dwarves and elves are, really.

The disguised Huldra glances over at Cat.

"Well? Where to?"

[Abbey]

And so the routine will continue much the same. Chores, rituals, and daily practice increasing her skill with the art of Air Shaping. And each night? Each night that same strange dream will happen again. And each time Hildur will begin a little closer to the entrance of the cave. A little closer until at last she will be standing at its mouth and looking down on the Abbey below.

Find me.

Please.

Hurry.

[Devixer]

[Abbey]

Though at first, Hildur pays little attention to her weird dreams, eventually she gets fed up with them and decides to at least try and find out what's going on. So, she puts her goggles on, wraps herself as well as she could, and starts to head further up the mountain until she finds the cave.

[Zefir]

Necanth Prison

"Have you ever destroyed a world before? Because that's what this prison is- a whole world. We tried to destroy the teleportation circle in the entrance, but failed. Even magic didn't work. We're content here, and the vast majority of people who arrive are guilty of something, even if it's not what they're sentenced for. The last new guy was arrested for public nudity, and since he's arrived he's been trying to rack up the largest kill count recorded, and he doesn't care who he kills. He's the guy over there with the knives and the necklace." The barkeep gestures towards a rather normal-looking chap with two bandoleers across his chest and a belt, each of which is holding ten knives at least. The necklace in question is a piece of string around his neck; it's used to hold a lot of ears of several different races and ages. All the ears are left ears; not one has its opposite number present. "As for something to eat, we have green slop, red slop, yellow slop, orange slop, steak, racks of ribs and two apples. The green slop's free, I bought the apples from somebody that carried them here- they're the only apples I know of in this place. The slop's grown in a vat in the Hunger Prevention Facilities." The source of the steak and ribs is left to the imagination.

Necanth Prison

Zefir shakes his head and waves with his hand.

"Let's drop that. I didn't even assume there is any way to do so here."

After that Zefir keeps listening to the conversation. He just wants to escape here, but the other two seem more intressed in staying. Better wait and see how far this get's. Oh and the knife guy only gets a short look, nothing more.

[Eadin]

Necanth Prison

Not sure why Cat would end up in a padded cell, since her biggest crime in the Nexus until now is ruining a hair creature's hairdo. Went all poof!

To Freddy, she says:" Well, probably find a place to safely rest until the new map arrives tomorrow."

[Rebonack]

[Abbey ==> Cave]

Off on adventure!

But what kind of adventure?

We'll soon find out!

Finding the cave won't be very hard. Hildur got a pretty decent look at where it should be. And sure enough it's right there!

It looks exactly like it did in her dream.

Smells the same.

Feels the same.

But the one thing missing is the voice...

[Devixer]

[Cave]

Taking a deep breath of the cool air, Hildur steps inside the cave. What horrors shall she find during this adventure?

She can't help but be a little chilled by the feeling, even though the voice is now gone.

[Rebonack]

[The Cave!]

Down down down into the heart of the earth.

The steps will no doubt be familiar. The sights. The smells. The prevailing darkness. Every footfall brings back memory of the dream.

Until.

At last.

The cavern opens up before her!

...

It's still really dark. And that strange soundless voice doesn't seem to be here. However the glow from Hildur's focus will reveal a flight of stairs leading down into the chasm.

[Earl of Purple]

Necanth Prison

Because she was accused of littering and told to report to a Solitary Cell, where she would live forever and never see another person. Not everybody who goes in comes out mad- some don't come out at all.

"If you have any coins or valuable goods, I have bunks available. The guardhouse has an adjacent barracks and the doors lock- I'm the only one with a copy of the keys." Although since they match, all the copies are identical.

[Eadin]

Necanth Prison

Littering, the most hideous crime of all!

"I have coins, what do you think? Barracks or look around more first?"She asks Freddy.

[Zefir]

Necanth Prison

"We could take a room. I would still assume to take guards after all."

Zefir coments, since he is right next to them. Assuming they look either confused or angry he will stop them before speaking up.

"We still have the same way to go, right? It can't be wrong to work together for that goal."

[Rebonack]

[Prison]

"I have a few..." Freddie replies to Cat. And a few is certainly right. He had sold those silly green gloves he got from a Random Encounter in the market place. But he has the uncanny feeling that the merchant swindled them out from under him. He honestly had no idea what they would be worth.

"I suppose making sure that we have a safe place to sleep first would be the best course to take."

And then Zefir speaks up! Freddie gives him a questioning look. "Sir, not to sound rude but we have no idea who you are or what your intentions are. Apparently the only way out of here is through the Warden. And the other option is to simply try to survive. And frankly talk of trying to blow things up for giggles doesn't strike me as a good way to ensure survival in a place as hostile as this."

Seems Freddie doesn't trust him!

[Eadin]

Necanth Prison

A thought occurs to Cat! Maybe they shouldn't trust the barkeep?
A bit paranoid, maybe, but this place seems hostile enough not to trust anyone.

"Let's take a look around first. If we don't find anything safe we can consider the barracks." Better be cautious.

And then there's Zefir!
Cat will nod at what freddy says, as she agrees with him.
Blowing up stuff is bad if you have no way to ensure you're not going to get blown up too!
"I'm going to agree with Freddy on this, we don't know you. And I am not stupid enough to sleep when relying on someone I don't know as a watch."
She adds that last bit with a hint of a growl, not having forgot the way he snapped at her earlier. Girl holds grudges.

[Zefir]

Necanth Prison

Zefir sights and shakes his head.

"Just yause you don't get my sarkasmn isn't a real reason to hate someone."

After all he is a guy of explosives, jokes or phrases are allways include such things, since it's the most common thing.

"And I can't see why two shapeshifter fear a normal person. I bet your both powerful enougth to beat me."

Since their disguss is at what I saw magical he is able to sense that. If both aren't magical disgussed ignore that.

[Earl of Purple]

Necanth Prison

"Here, this should tide you over till tomorrow, if you're going to have a look-round. Be careful with it- there's not much paper, and it's been recycled many times." The barkeep will hand over three maps. They're each rather fragile, printed on thin paper a dark orange colour because it's been recycled many times over many ageless decades. They include routes to an abandoned cell block marked 'New London', the crypt marked as 'The Graveyard' and a vast recycling facility marked as a settlement known as 'Scraphole', a seemingly natural cavern marked as Grazdraknak and home to orcs and goblins and an overgrown guards barracks known as Elallfellala, where the fey prisoners have congregated. Non-settlement areas of interest include the Warden's Office, marked with a skull and crossbones, the Hunger Prevention Facilities marked with a radioactive sign and the Armoury. The inn is also marked, as well as the old Solitary cells- those get crossbones, but no skull because they aren't as dangerous.

Unfortunately, it seems that all of the routes to the Warden's Office pass close to an old block of Solitary cells, where prisoners were incarcerated in soundproofed cells and were left on their own until their deaths- a very rare occurrence in a plane with no time.

[Devixer]

[Cave]

Hildur steadily steps further into the cave, though she's starting to feel the effects of being separated from the cool and free air of the outside.

When she gets to the staircase, she'll carefully head down, making sure not to fall.

[Rebonack]

[Prison]

As stated in Freddie's bio various generic divination effects can not see through a Huldra's deceptions. Unless Zefir has a sprig of allheal on his person there's no way to distinguish the demon-fox' illusions from reality.

Well... except for the objects he makes from fox-fire. He can still only fool three senses at a time with those. But he'll get better eventually!

Anywho!

Freddy will carefully take the maps!

do Do DO DOOOOOO!

You got the Dungeon Prison Map!

"Point stands, sir. Here," Freddy will hand over one of the maps to the explosives guy. "Feel free to find your own way. But don't follow us."

He still doesn't trust him!

Cat will be asked, "Where to first?"

[Cave on Mount Anthor]

Down the steps!

Down into the chasm.

Down into the seething pits of insanity!

Oh. Wait. No insanity down here. Just darkness. Darkness and depth. And no voice at all.

"You came."

...wait. That sounds like a voice! A real one, too! Not that wispy indistinct voice!

"I knew you would."

But the source of the voice isn't obvious... It's so dark down here...

"I knew you would come find me."

The voice is very... strange. At once small and weak while at the same time incomprehensibly vast.

[Devixer]

[Cave]

Hildur takes a couple of breaths. "Who or what are you? Why do you want me here?"

[Rebonack]

[Cave]

"Someone trapped."

The voice replies, followed by the sound of chains dragging against the cold hard stone.

"Someone bound. Someone locked. Someone forgotten."

Hildur will be able to hear the... whatever it is... moving around on the chasm floor. Getting closer to her.

"But you heard me. Because the freedom of the sky flows through my veins as well. Oh how I long to see its face again."

Still moving closer. Whatever this thing is it's big. But it's too dark to make out any features.

"Maybe... you would unchain me?"

[Devixer]

[Cave]

Almost instinctively, Hildur takes a step toward the voice, to help whatever this was. But just a few seconds later, she takes a step back. "Why are you chained here in the first place?"

[Rebonack]

[Cave]

"Chained by hate. Chained by fear. Chained by ignorance. They don't know. They can't see. They do not perceive. They serve division rather than unity."

The voice continues.

Still edging closer.

"But now I'm so weak. So tired. So... weary... The sky is too far away. But I can feel it in you. The wind beating with your heart. Please, unchain me. Set me free again to dance among the clouds."

Closer still until a faint glow is seen. A glow of Gossamer. A great beast of Gossamer scale, though diminished in a sad and pitiful way. Harsh Adamantine chains and shackles bind it to the floor of the cave. Cruel hooks of Ebony pierce its wings and hold them fast.

The wind whispers with each of its breaths even as it whispers with each of her own. The sky sings a mournful song with every heartbeat, bringing sadness to her own heart. This creature is the unfettered freedom of the sky, the same freedom Hildur has felt in her own soul. Though now imprisoned below the roots of the mountain.

"Please. Help me."

[Devixer]

[Cave]

As Hildur realizes just what she's looking at, feels the song sung, her eyes well up in tears, though that isn't visible through her goggles. "Why, why, why would they do this to you?" Now unafraid of the creature, she steps forward herself to feel at the chains, and see how she can loosen them.

[Rebonack]

[Cave]

Remember the book that was talking about a great deal of Gossamer to be found somewhere on Mount Anthor? As Hildur gets closer she'll be able to see where scales have been forcibly pried from the beast's body. Scales with a distinctive plate-like appearance...

Oh dear... the focus she was given... Could it have come from...?

Dragon is perhaps the only word that adequately describe the beast. Though instead of the huge, heavy sort of dragon one usually associates with fantasy the creature is elegant and delicate in appearance. Almost butterfly-like (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAQ56_dfOfY).

Great Gossamer wings. Or... at least they once were. The chains and hooks have torn and rent them horribly. The delicate crystalline scales have all been lost, leaving only a tattered and ruined membrane behind.

The chains are all bound with locks. Locks that, though old beyond measure, are still quite strong. Maybe there's a way to pick them? Or... maybe there's a key?

"Because they do not understand what they do."

[Devixer]

[Cave]

Hildur takes off her goggles in order to see exactly what has happened to the once great creature, and she almost wants to vomit after seeing it. "I'll see what I can do. I can't just leave you like this..." She tries to manipulate the air in the room she's in. Hopefully it's not too still to control.

[Rebonack]

[Cave]

Manipulating the air is easy enough. Air is air. Thankfully it isn't the wind element, otherwise Hildur might have been out of luck. Though... the air is pretty stale...

The creature seems to understand what she's doing almost immediately.

"If you hope to break the bonds your hope is in vain," it whispers. "Adamantine has the strength of the very bones of the world. Unlatch the locks if you can."

Well...

Helpful advice is helpful, right?

"It would be easy if you find the key."

[Devixer]

[Cave]

Hildur sighs and nods. "Alright. I'll try." She places her hand onto one of the locks and tries to manipulate the air inside until it unlatches. She doesn't know much about picking locks, but will try her best.

[Rebonack]

[Cave]

Fiddling with air inside the lock does no good as air doesn't have enough substance to manipulate the pins!

Nice try, though.

And there's a reasonable chance that the beast tried something like that himself. Y'know. Given that it's made of Gossamer and stuff. Obviously Air Shaping isn't going to fix this problem.

Maybe if Hildur had some kind of key...?

Because a key sure would be useful.

Those are great for opening locks!

And for scratching the car of someone you don't like, but that probably isn't an issue right now.

[Devixer]

[Cave]

Hildur runs a hand along the creature's membrane. "I don't think I can get it open myself. I'll go try and find a key." Hildur puts her goggles back over her eyes. "I'll be back soon, I promise."

[Eadin]

Necanth Prison

Unless Zefir has seen Cat morph before, he probably shouldn't know this.
She is not disguised, this is her actual form.

"Beating you is not what concerns me.." Will be the response Zefir gets.

To Freddy, she says:" I'm not sure, maybe the armoury? Weapons are always useful."

[Rebonack]

[Cave]

"Thank you. Your heart is kind," the beast says as Hildur departs. "Do not worry after me. I won't be going anywhere."

...

Was that an attempt at a joke?

Anyway...

It's a bit of a hike but getting back out of the cave shouldn't be terribly hard. Though the question remains... where to search for the key? Maybe they know something about it at the abbey? But... was it people from the abbey who locked the dragon up in the first place? Do they even know that he's here?

So many questions...

[Prison]

"That's true," Freddie replies as he crosses his arms. "But weapons also attract unwanted attention. And unwanted attention isn't something we... well... want."

Go figure.

"I... think we should be able to defend ourselves if worse comes to worse. And if we don't look armed then maybe we won't look like we're hunting for trouble."

He glances over at the barkeep. "What would you suggest?"

[Devixer]

[Cave -> Abbey]

Hildur's first thought is that the key will be somewhere in the Abbey. The Nuns have been here for many years, so they probably at least knew about the dragon's imprisonment.

With that in mind, she makes her way over to the abbey, while thinking about how she's going to manage to look for a key for the locks.

[Rebonack]

[Cave ==> Abbey]

And as Hildur departs the voice drifts after her, carrying with it a simple message.

"They do not understand. And fear what they do not understand. Please. Do not speak of finding me..."

To the abbey!

Returning should be simple enough. The sun had drifted low on the horizon already and Hildur will likely realize how hungry she is. Seems she was poking around in that cave a lot longer than she thought. Strange... it didn't feel like it was that long...

She'll be met by the enthusiastic Sister Agatha!

"Hiya Hildur! What did you do today?"

[Earl of Purple]

Necanth Prison

"Most of the stuff left at the Armoury isn't very good quality. Decades of newcomers have thought the same, and both the orcs of Grazdraknak and the humans of New London went to move some weapons into their own, private armouries. There's a group of dwarfs that have set up a forge there, though; the Armoury's doors are made of iron, and they're smelting that for weapons. If you want something to tide you over, though, that guy sells points and that guy sells bonkers." 'Points' meaning a variety of shivs, knives, swords and anything with a point; 'bonkers' meaning clubs, saps, blackjacks and other blunt implements of varying design and quality in either case.

[Eadin]

Prison

''You're right about the attracting trouble thing, but we shouldn't walk around unarmed..''
Not in a place like this.

'' I mean, who knows if our abilities will be enough? What if we meet creatures that are resistant to electricity, for example. Just saying we should be prepared for everything...''

[Zefir]

Necanth Prison

He sights again.

"Look. I'm sorry if my statements made you mad, but think of the situation. We where just sitting in Trogs and these magic orbs appeared. And then they teleport us to this prision plane. I myself felt annoyed, very strong annoyed. And that shows of in my actions. I don't asume your pleased with the situation here."

It's not that he doesn't suffer under an effect making him acting chaotic. And Zefir neither has a seeing or hearing or so he has like a sixth sense for magic. he can just feel it.

"Maybe I could help you with weapons. I once needed to fight a crazy man and disarmed him. Maybe you could use that weapon."

After all he doesn't assume that they listen to him, but after all he could try and his player hopes for RP.

[Devixer]

[Abbey]

"Oh, just what I normally do," Hildur says. "Stayed outside, practiced, explored the mountain a little." Hildur takes her goggles back off, now that her eyes are finally not red from crying anymore.

[Rebonack]

[Prison]

"Be that as it may I think I would rather go without a weapon," Freddy replies. He isn't sure why he's so opposed to it, but Rebo has a pretty good idea of what's going on!

Huldra have an innate aversion to violence. They just don't feel comfortable with weapons. And if comes to a fight they'll use their illusions to gain the upper hand.

"But... I guess if you want one I won't stop you."

Then more talking from Zefir!

"Aside from the fact that you were in the Nexus before I still have no idea who you are and no reason to trust you," the Huldra repeats. "Look, you go ahead and try to find a way out. Or a way to blow everything up. Or whatever it is that you want to do."

That said he'll head over toward the guy who sells bonking tools!

Why doesn't Zefir just explore some part of the prison other than where Cat and Freddie are going? The place is pretty huge and after all. And maybe if he finds some useful information on how to get out they might be more willing to trust him?

[Abbey]

"That sure sounds like fun!" Agatha laughs. "It seems like you've been getting really good! Well, it's about an hour before the evening ritual, so I have things to do until then! Later!"

And she's off!

...giving Hildur an hour to snoop around looking for the key.

[Devixer]

[Abbey]

One hour. Hopefully that would be enough for her to find the key. Hildur pokes around wherever she can - the library, any empty rooms, wherever she can get away with looking around.

[Rebonack]

[Abbey]

The only problem is that she's searching blind!

There's no way something that important would just be left out in the open, right? Unless of course the Nuns don't know what the key is for. Who knows! Maybe the dragon was locked down there before the Abbey was ever even built!

...

Wait...

One of the Archon statues in the sanctuary. He was holding a metal sword that looked kind of like a key. If Hildur recalls that detail she might sneak into the sanctuary to take it. And if she doesn't recall that detail she'll probably notice it when it is ritual time.

[Devixer]

[Abbey]

Hildur doesn't remember the Archon statue very well, so her search ends up being fruitless, and she grows increasingly frustrated throughout. She'll only notice the statue's sword-key via a sideways glance during the ritual, but once she does, her thoughts immediately turn to how best to take it.

[Rebonack]

[Abbey]

Oh fruitless, frustrating searches! But when the time for the ritual comes, there it is. Hiding in plain sight. An ornately crafted key made of the same strange greenish stone as the shackles and locks that bound the dragon inside the cave.

That just has to be it, right?

The only question is...

How to get it?

Maybe sneak in while everyone is asleep?

But what if there are people praying in the sanctuary all hours of the day and night? Then sneaking might be hard! Just have to wait and see...

[Devixer]

[Abbey]

It's probably a little predictable that Hildur wants to sneak in while everyone else is asleep, so she waits until nighttime to try. She stays in her bedroom for a couple of hours after she's supposed to be in bed, then takes off her boots so that she makes less noise as she walks.

She tries to sneak all the way over to the sanctuary. For someone who participates in a normally very loud sport circuit, Hildur isn't terrible at remaining quiet.

[Rebonack]

[Abbey]

Hildur is in luck!

There's quite the storm going down outside and with all the wind and snow pounding the abbey there's a pretty good chance that no one will hear her sneaking around. Though...

It might be somewhat nerve wracking when she is moving past the Nun's cells. Every errant floorboard squeak no doubt seems absurdly amplified to her ears.

But despite any jitters she'll reach the sanctuary without being caught.

And it isn't totally dark inside!

The room is lit by a number of small candles. Most of the clustered around the statues of the various archons.

Including the one with the key.

[Devixer]

[Abbey]

Hildur is of course a little paranoid, as she's never actually tried to steal something before. But she does eventually reach the sanctuary, and looks inside to see if anyone's there. If there aren't any Nuns, she tries to feel at the air around the key, to see if she can move it.

[Rebonack]

[Abbey Sanctuary]

Nope.

No Nuns.

It sure is a good thing that Hildur practiced the whole 'use the Force to move small objects' skill whilst standing on her head!

...she did practice doing that while standing on her head, right? Because that's the proper way to practice such things. Everyone knows that!

Anywho!

Without too much trouble she'll be able to lift the key free and float it over to herself.

Score!

[Devixer]

[Abbey Sanctuary]

Hildur takes the key in hand, all the while wondering why this seemed so easy. She immediately sneaks back over to her room, intent on taking her boots and backpack. She couldn't stay here anymore, she'd just stolen from the Nuns, and they would know it was her.

[Rebonack]

[Abbey Hildur's Room]

Yeah...

They sure would, wouldn't they?

Because it isn't like there's anyone else here to do it.

...is... Hildur really sure she wants to go through with this? If she leaves the Abbey with that key she'll have broken everyone's trust. Especially Agatha's. And Agatha has been so kind to her, doing everything she can to help her out. Brought her here, vouched for her, pointed her in the right direction with the Shaping...

Hildur could put the key back still.

And no one would ever know.