An Abandoned Warehouse (Plotish)

[Nevrmore]

The warehouse is utterly normal. It is not magically enchanted. It is not indestructible. It has no repair magics. Hell, it was abandoned for a reason. Its one redeeming value is that it is large. Very large.

Inside, the two (for lack of a better word) servants of the enigmatic Kaio Fyta lie in wait. Ebola, the necromancer, has picked this location especially because of it's large size and relative obscurity, using it to house some 200-300 undead bodies he had brought to life to serve him only a few hours ago. The zombies stand in uniform rows in one half of the warehouse, waiting mindlessly for instructions.

"Holy crap, I'm bored." Ebola complains, sitting on an empty crate. "I'm getting sick of staring at these undeads just standing there. I want my children to do something!"

"Lord Fyta said to wait for the signal." Leprosy reminds him, standing patiently by the crate. "The first signal is to activate the infected, the second is to-"

"I know, I know, I know!" Ebola snaps and jumps off the crate. "I know the damn plan, Leprosy, it's just all this anxiety is killing me!"

"It won't be long now, Ebola. I'm sure. Then we can have lots of fun." Leprosy gives Ebola a crooked smile, visible slightly from under his bandages.

"Tons of it." Ebola says flatly. He begins using the tip of his bone staff to draw pictures in the fine layer of dust that has covered the floor of the unkempt warehouse. "It better be soon."

[Nevrmore]

After awhile of wait, a small inky black hole appears in the ground in front of the duo. A geyser of shadow rises up to about waist high, a small envelope placed delicately on it. Ebola and Leprosy exchange looks before the former takes it. The geysyer sinks back into the hole which then fades away as the necromancer opens the letter and reads it allowed.

"'Signal'" He reads before crumpling the parchment up and tossing it over his shoulder. "Cute." He says flatly before turning to Leprosy and nodding.

The mummified man nods back and lifts his head upwards. With his hand, he pulls the bandages around his mouth down, revealing the horrible, twisted orifice to all the world. With an intake of breath and an expanding diaphragm, he expels some sort of gaseous cloud which quickly loses its color and odor and then disperses.

"Not long now." Leprosy says, returning his neck to a more natural position. He lets the bandages hang off his chin, enjoying the feeling of air on his blackened, cracked lips. "Five or ten minutes, I suspect."

[The Geomancer]

The sound of talking can be heard from outside. A low rough voice seems to be giving some sort of a lecture.

-and take a look at this old warehouse here, I bet its crawling with criminal scum. They love places like this. What do you say we check it out?

A few exuberant voices respond in unison. We'd love to sir!

[Damon]

Brandmund Vahan, who just so happens to be passing by stops mid steps. Now it could be the enormous warehouse. It could be the creepy feeling he gets when he looks at it. Or it could just be the large Gator who happens to be standing outside of it. Either way he is interested enough to approach.

[The Geomancer]

Czar breaks the fourth wall and realizes that he can make no move on the warehouse until Nevrmore returns.

[Nevrmore]

The two PCs and probably more than a few NPCs may be put off by the fact that several hundred people walk in uniform lines towards the warehouse from the Town. They walk very slowly.

[The Geomancer]

((Hmm, I forgot to have Czar exit this thread... So, for this next scene, Czar will be replaced by Czar's shadow.))

Belay that order until you find out what those people want. The shadow says in a monotone voice.

A skeleton runs up to the mob of uniformed people. State your business!

[Nevrmore]

The people say nothing and simply walk around the skeleton, moving still towards the warehouse.

[The Geomancer]

The skeleton was prepared for attacks, refusal to reply, lies, the truth, basically anything but just being ignored. It looks at the shadow, unsure of what to do.

The large shadow floats over to the mob. It reaches out a smokey hand and tries to grab the first man by the neck. What are you doing here? It whispers menacingly.

[Nevrmore]

The man is grabbed, but still tries to continue walking. The shadow of Czar may or may not notice the black splotches on his skin.

[The Geomancer]

At first the shadow doesn't notice. But after the man doesn't notice he is being held by the neck, the shadow gets a closer look. He puts the man down. These men are sick, hypnotized or brain dead. I don't think they are eligible to vote. I now doubt we will find any nonvoters in there. He says gesturing to the warehouse. He begins to walk away followed by the skeletons. He gets about 6 feet, but then stops. It appears that my master is curious about the warehouse anyways, and wishes us to investigate further. The shadow sinks into the ground and rises out of the shadow cast by the building. He moves over to the door, and swings a massive fist at it, trying to knock it open.

[Nevrmore]

The door, not being magical or reinforced, but being quite rusty, swings open loudly. Ebola and Leprosy shoot their heads in the direction of the disturbance.

"The Hell?!"

[The Geomancer]

The shadow doesn't feel any emotions, but back at the KNAVES compound Czar grunts in surprise. State your name and purpose. Hisses the shadow. He is flanked by three statesmen.

[Nevrmore]

Ebola stands up, covertly tapping his bone staff thrice on the ground. A small pupil of inky blackness manifests behind him.

"I think I should be the one asking that, shadow."

"Yes, who are you?" Leprosy asks, less threatening than he intended it to be.

[The Geomancer]

We are agents of KNAVES, looking for criminals. What is your business here with these... undead?

A Statesmen cackles. I would hardly call those undead sir. We are undead. Those are just puppets.

[Nevrmore]

"We are under the direct orders of the supreme Lord Kaio Fyta. That is all you need to know." Leprosy states matter-of-factly.

[The Geomancer]

What I need to know is whether or not you are committing crimes. Merely prove to me that you are not a criminal, and we can be on our way.

[Nevrmore]

Ebola and Leprosy exchange glances.

"We're doing this for research." The necromancer finally replies, stealing a line from Kaio. "There is no crime in that."

The multitude of peopel Leprosy had infected begin to filter into the warehouse.

[The Geomancer]

Czar's shadow falls into dead time, his player has to eat. The dead time fades away. Scientific discovery is not a crime, however turning people into undead slaves certainly is. I hope all these people were dead before you decided to zombify them.

[Nevrmore]

"Yes they were. Now leave."

[The Geomancer]

We will leave in a moment, just let us get a look around the place. Without asking permission from the inhabitants of the warehouse, the three Statesmen fan out behind the shadow and begin a sweep of the space.

[Nevrmore]

Ebola and Leprosy silently watch. Seeing as there is nothing in the warehouse aside from them and their zombies which have already been identified, there's nothing they need to worry about being found.

[The Geomancer]

The skeletons finish their search, rather disappointed to find nothing else out of the ordinary. It seems you have told the truth. I apologize for the inconvenience. The skeletons march out of the warehouse. The shadow follows. When he gets to the door he turns around and says Remember to vote, or we'll be back. They all leave.

[Nevrmore]

"Weird." Ebola says. The last of Leprosy's infected army filter in and occupy the other half of the warehouse. Their infection has spread, their skin is now rotting and blackened. They look quite...undead.

"Alright, now we wait for the second sign-" Ebola is cut off by another portal opening up infront of them. An object shoots out of it, which the necromancer snatches out of the air as the portal closes. It is a small square object with a string wrapped around it. Attached is a note.

"It is time to refill Pandora's Box." The note reads, almost even sounding like Kaio's voice.

"Is that the signal??" Leprosy asks eagerly.

"Oh yeah...This is the signal." Ebola grins. The two of them look at their respective armies which now look almost identical. THey say only one word;

Havoc.

The armies begin to bellow and run out of the warehouse, screaming their war cries.

[Nevrmore]

The undead are now simply dead. The streets are littered with their bodies. They barely managed to kill any NPCs. At least, they didn't kill anymore than die during a normal day. All their effort is now a big puddle of blood in the streets.

"Did all go as planned?" Kaio Fyta asks his two lackeys.

"Oh yeah..." Ebola grinned. "Without a hitch."

"Perfect..." Fyta chuckled and held out his hand. Ebola dropped the small box into it. "I will take my leave now. As promised, you and Leprosy may have a few days of freedom. Report back in no longer than a week." With that, the enigmatic wraith sunk into the ground and disappeared.

"Hot damn. C'mon, Leprosy, let's get out of here." Ebola says as he walks out. Leprosy shrugs and follows him.

[FoE]

((Is it OK if I use this thread? I need an Abandoned Warehouse for my Plot, and since this is large enough to store 200 dead bodies, it should be the perfect size...))

[FoE]

PLOT

It has been some time since this warehouse was last occupied. It has sat empty for months, except for the occasional sleep-over by a wandering monster. But soon it will be the refuge for hundreds.

A manhole lifts in front of the warehouse. A grey hand with four thick fingers pushes aside the metal cover, and a huge white toadstool sticks through the hole into the world above.

The creature clambers out and waves a hand at the hole. It is huge, about ten feet tall, with a massive saucer-like head. Its skin is a gleaming white with raised red-colouredew defining features on its smooth white body except for gleaming red bumps that raise periodically from its skin. Two pupiless eyes scan the street around it.

Seeing that the street is empty, the creature beckons towards the hole. Soon, a seven-foot tall creature crawls out, followed by another. More creatures keep pouring out of the hole, most of them a towering seven feet, some of them a mere three feet in height.

Soon the street is filled with dozens of the creatures, looking about nervously. The tallest among them walks through their ranks, and from the way it interacts with the others, it seems to be consoling the creatures.

Suddenly, there is a loud metallic roar, and the creatures turn at one to stare at the source. A giant made of scrap metal lurches on to the end of the street and shambles towards them.

The creatures do their best to get out of the way, but the metal creature tramples over several of their number in its charge forward. As they are squished into the ground, the things release a cloud of fine-red particles into the air; where these particles settle, small white growths appear on the side of buildings and roads.

The tallest creature quickly leads the others into the Abandoned Warehouse, where they huddle together, quivering in fear. A silent conversation ensues that human ears are unable to comprehend, and a few minutes later, the creatures release a massive cloud of the red particles. The cloud floats out of the Warehouse and into the Streets beyond, carried by a swift wind.

[FoE]

As Gunther, Scott and Runner arrive on the scene, they find the Warehouse completed ringed by about three dozen zombies covered in red bumps. One cannot gain access without first moving through the zombies.

The creatures are moaning a different word now: "Protect."

Scott can still hear the voice in his head, but now it's very quiet, almost a whisper.

[KerfuffleMach2]

Once Runner hears them, he transforms into his normal form. He will attempt to push the zombies aside and make a path for his companions.

[Volug]

Scott does his best to ignore the voice. He only guesses that it is to hinder him and it is best if he leaves it alone and hope it goes away.

Hearing the zombies he quietly wispers.
Do we have to fight these?

[FoE]

Runner does an excellent job of pushing the zombies aside; rotted flesh is no match for several tons of steel. But they are persistent; once one group is shoved aside, another shambles in the way. They seem to be determined to prevent anyone from entering the Warehouse.

One of the zombies move towards Genis and Scott, but Gunther quickly gets in the way. He thrusts his hand into the thing's face and the zombie's head quickly turns to ice before shattering; the body falls over, quivering.

"I don't know if we need to kill them all, but if these creatures are guarding something in that warehouse, so we need to get them out of the way," Gunther says, and promptly freezes another rotting zombie. "Don't worry, young Scott, they're only dead — believe me, I speak from experience when I say they don't feel anything."

[KerfuffleMach2]

Runner will now attempt to pick up the zombies and place them in a nearby spot where it will be hard for them to block the way in, if such a spot exists. Like a large dumpster, for example.

[Volug]

Scott nods his head. Genis now takes his place in front of Scott to protect him.

So we just need to kill them and find out what is inside here?

Scott grabs his rapier even tighter.

[FoE]

A large dumpster is available. The zombies make unpleasant squishing sounds as Runner crams them in together. :smalltongue:

More zombies move to the attack. But they're not much of a match for Genis, and even Scott can dispatch a few if he wishes ((they're not very fast or very bright, and his rapier can easily pierce their skull)).

[KerfuffleMach2]

Seeing that the dumpster has no more room, Runner will now pick up individual zombies and toss them a long ways away. Who knows where they'll land.

[Volug]

Genis will try to kill zombies with his claws and teeth. But won't go to far away from Scott.

Scott will use his rapier as needed. Though if a group of zombies gets to him, he'll try to kill them all with a single well aimed fire spell.

Alright, lets try to get through here...

Scott gets in fighting stance though seems a little shakey.

[FoE]

Between Runner, Genis and Gunther, the zombies are soon cleared out of the way. (A number of them are several blocks away.) The ghost floats up to the door and sticks his head through; he quickly withdraws it, with a look of surprise on his face.

"You'd better see this," he says, motioning to the door.

((Kerfuffle, Runner could fit through the door if he becomes a motorcycle.))

[Chaotic Bob]

The scrying sensor merely floats around the area, radiating displeasure.

[Volug]

Scott doesn't get threatened by any zombies due to a flawless performance by Genis.

Scott debates whether or not he sould look. Though decides to since curiosity got the better of him.

Scott looks through the doorway and so does Genis.

[KerfuffleMach2]

Runner transforms into a motorcycle and rolls inside.

[FoE]

Inside the Warehouse are the huddled forms of dozens of white-skinned humanoids with grey dishbowl eyes and massive round mushrooms on the top of their heads. They vary in size, from seven feet to three feet, and they all have raised red bumps on their skin, just like the zombies. They all seem to be crouching on the floor, clutching each other and shivering.

When Runner and Scott enter, the creatures shuffle back towards a wall, all but one: the tallest of their number, a giant towering over ten feet. He steps forward, almost cautiously, and extends his hands like he's begging for something.

Runner identifies these organisms as being some form of sentient plant life. Scott remembers seeing these things somewhere, maybe in his Monster Manual...

[Volug]

Scott doesn't know anything at the top of his head.
He and Genis just stare at them not knowing what to do.

Wha... What do they... um... want?

He grips his rapier in case they are hostile.

[FoE]

The really tall mushroom man moves towards Scott slowly. He presses his hands together and then touches his (?) face.

"I think he wants to touch you," Gunther says, floating through the wall.

[KerfuffleMach2]

Runner stays as a motorcycle, and he has his holographic rider showing.

They're some kinda plant life. The rider says. His voice is much different from Runner's. The headlight on the motorcycle probably light the area up pretty well. Whadda ya'll want? He says to the beings.

[FoE]

As the beams from Runner's headlights hit the creature, smoke start to rise from its flesh. The tall creature starts waving its arms and running around; although it's completely silent, it's evident the creature is in agony. The red bumps on its body explode and a cloud of spores float into the air.

The other creatures have a similar reaction when Runner shines his lights on them. Gunther shouts, "No light! No light! TURN THOSE OFF!"

((@V: Fixed now. :smalltongue:))

[Volug]

The really tall mushroom man moves towards Masato slowly.
((You mean Scott?))

Scott tries to push the hands away unsure of what they'll do. He tries to go back but trips and falls down.

Genis is now between them and is growling.

What are you doing?! Can you talk?

[KerfuffleMach2]

The headlight turns off. Sorry bout that. the rider says.

[Chaotic Bob]

Myconids, perhaps.
Gentle darkness emits from the sensor to shield the leader.

[FoE]

((DING DING DING! We have a weiner! Granted, homebrewed myconids, but...))

"Where the hell is that darkness coming from? Or, for that matter, that voice? And what in God's name are myconids?" Gunther says, looking around.

[KerfuffleMach2]

The voice and darkness are from a friend of mine. As for Myconids, the rider shrugs, I ain't got a clue.

[Volug]

Myconids? I haven't heard of those before...

Scott still stares at the person who touched him with Genis between them.

(Did you see my last post? You didn't say anything on it, though it could have been a mistake:smalltongue: )

[Chaotic Bob]

They are peaceful, from my understanding. Hold no fear towards them.
The sensor moves closer to the group, extending a more private telepsthic channel towards the leader.

[FoE]

((I did see your last post, Masato, but Kerfuffle's took precedence, since he was effectively aiming a Scorching Ray at the poor mushroom man. :smallbiggrin:))

Fien'tel's scrying sphere cannot contact the creature. It can only communicate with one who has been touched by its spores, like Scott, who suddenly hears another voice in his head.

"I'm sorry I tried to touch you," the voice says, as it kneels on the ground, smoking still rising off its grey flesh. "I just wanted to see if you had heard our call, and I see now that you have. I did not know the metal golem would attack me as it did. Can you forgive me? My people need your help."

[Volug]

Wha...Wha...
Scott stares at it for a second.

Yes I do... What do you need help with?
His voice is a little shakey, he hasn't done this before.

[Chaotic Bob]

Fien'tel had hoped to be able to bypass that.
Oh well.
He merely watches.

[KerfuffleMach2]

The rider looks at Scott, and he realizes that he can communicate with these beings. I'd like it you gave them my apologies about the headlight.

[FoE]

"Long have we dwelled beneath the Town in the Fungal Court, a subterannean cavern far below the surface," the myconid says. "We prospered in the dank coolness of the under-Town, and many mushrooms we grew. But we have been forced out by a terrible FOE, creatures we call the Devourers, beasts that are like us but who do not cultivate the mushroom crop but instead feast upon it. It is from them we have fled to this terrible World Above, which is bright and warm and hurts our eyes and flesh. We need help."

[Volug]

Devourers!

Shock is now on Scotts face, he remembers reading about them well enough.

If you need help... I will try to get rid of them from your home... Though I can't really do much without help.
He looks at Genis, Genis nods in aprovement.

((I have to Dead-Time soon. You can God-Mod Scott and Genis if you need too once I do. Just don't do anything stupid with them:smallbiggrin: ))

[KerfuffleMach2]

I'll help.

[Volug]

(BAH! I got to go now, see my last post if me leaving conflicts with anything!)

Scott and Genis deadtime.

[FoE]

((Well, I may very quickly call it a night anyway. I have to go eat and I wouldn't mind hitting the gym soon. Any thoughts, Kerfuffle and DeBunny?))

"Yes, the Devourers. Once or twice we have seen them before — they come to feed on the poor shriekers and the other children —*but never before have we seen them in such great numbers."

He holds up his hands and wiggles his eight vestigial fingers. "There were as many of them as I have fingers; never have we seen them hunt in packs greater than two. And they were strange; they emitted a hurting slime, and they had long thin arms. But the rest of them were the same — green, thick with rotting vegetation, moving slowly."

"We call them the Devourers, because they eat us and the spore-children before they can grow. But you have another name for them — shambling mounds, I think."

[KerfuffleMach2]

((It's cool. I got some stuff to take care of before I go to bed anyway.))

Runner sits there, trying to see if he can pick up on the language used by the myconids.

[Volug]

((I'll be back at the time I started posting today tommorow!))

[Chaotic Bob]

((We may pause, if you wish.))

The sensor gently floats among the myconids, still emitting that gentle darkness.

[FoE]

Unfortunately, Runner can't understand what he's saying because myconids can only interact using the spores. But Gunther coaxes Scott to relay everything the myconid king has told him.

After hearing everything, Gunther ponders what he has heard, and quickly reaches a conclusion.

"So the red cloud was a distress call," he says, "that had the unfortunate side-effect of sending people into hallucinations and sending people into a deep sleep. Interesting. And now these poor creatures are forced out of their homes, and since we know they can't tolerate light, they're stuck in this damn warehouse.

There's only one solution. Scott, talk to the king. Ask him if he can lead us to this 'Fungal Court.' I intend to get these creatures home.

[FoE]

((Kerfuffle, DeBunny, I'm glad you're still interested in playing. But I think I will call it a night, if only because the number of participants in this Plot is rather small and it would be a shame to lose Masato. Plus, with the amount of time I spend on the computer, every night I don't hit the gym cuts my lifespan by several days, I think. :smallbiggrin:))

((Tomorrow, I will be posting in a thread called the "Fungal Court." We're going to just fast-forward a bit and assume the myconid king has led us through the sewers where we need to go; there's going to be no encounters on the way. I'll need to get some actual work done tomorrow, but I'll keep posting as much as I can.))

((The effects of the red cloud will have disappeared in the Town above, by the way. The effect of the myconids' spores only last for a few hours. If you wish, you can take your characters into Town, and we can pretend that we "met up" later before descending into the Fungal Court.))

((If anyone has comments, objections or anything else they need to say, just PM me, as I will quickly check my Inbox later tonight. OK, I got to go.))

[Volug]

((Normally I can do this for another hour, but I'm busy doing homework and need a head start. Sorry about it, though I should be able to do this longer tommorow.

Also if you want me to do something specifically just PM me:smallwink: ))

[KerfuffleMach2]

((OK.))

Since the group is meeting up tomorrow, Runner decides to head back to the junkyard. He rolls outside, then transforms into the helicopter and flies over there.

[Chaotic Bob]

When the group disbands, the sensor slowly dissipates.

[KerfuffleMach2]

((Just so you guys know, I probably won't be available to do the plot tomorrow until after 9 EST. Or before 2 EST. I'm working the PM shift tomorrow.))

[FoE]

((As I said, the Plot is delayed until Wednesday. I'll make some posts in the Fungal Court thread in the morning and we'll see how it goes from there.))

Gunther flies off to check on Marta at the Temple of Thor, promising to meet with the others tommorrow at nightfall.

[FoE]

((Plot's Re-starting!!!))

((If you guys wish, you can post here. But it's really more important to post in the Fungal Court thread, which I will be editing presently.))

Gunther Halvorson comes floating back into the Abandoned Warehouse, where the others are waiting for him. A full day has passed; the myconids have spent the time crouching and shivering in the Warehouse, unable to venture out into the killing rays of the sun. But now nightfall has come, and the myconid king is ready to lead them to the underground.

"Ready to go?" Gunther asks, upon which the others nod. Assuming Scott is here, Gunther asks the boy to relay the message on to the myconid king; he also requests Fien'tel, if he is here, to establish a telepathic link with Scott, so that the others can read his thoughts and hear the myconid king.

The huge mushroom man leads the group into the darkened street. He removes a manhole and then points down; although it is not large enough for Runner (if he is here) to fit through in his normal form, the Transformer can use his energy blaster to make the hole larger. :smallamused:

The group follows the myconid king through miles of winding sewers. It is the worst for Scott and his companion; the others lack a sense of smell or have the benefit of being incorporeal, and the stench is overwhelming.

Along the way, Gunther, using Scott as a translator, asks the myconid king why he is different than the other myconids.

"I am the king," he replies. "One of us is chosen with each generation to stand upon the throne and guard the colony. We grow the biggest and we generate the spores that animate the dead to serve as our guards."

"That must be a great honour," Gunther asks Scott to say.

"It is the most terrible burden a myconid may bear," the mushroom replies. "Each day, myconids merge their consciousness into a collective that gives us great pleasure. The king is separated from the rest, unable to meld with the others; he must do this in order to grow the spores needed to animate the Protectors."

"It is a terrible thing to be alone. I do not know how you beings bear it, being cut off from each other your entire lives," he adds.

An hour later, the king leads the group to a doorway set in a thick wall decorated with intricate carvings of mushrooms and shelf fungi. "Through here is the Fungal Court," he says in Scott's mind.

Slowly, the myconid pushes the door open, revealing a scene of destruction and chaos.