Horatio@Bridge Presents: Lost in the Realm of Brass and Shadows

[Horatio@Bridge]

You follow carefully up the ramp in the mountain cave as Captain Peleps Lalia viciously assaults her mother. Screaming curses, the Eclipse caste Dragonblooded impostor hurls herself at the serene form of her Solar progenitor, who calmly ducks, deflects, or absorbs each attack launched by her infuriated offspring. When the party reaches the half-way point up the ramp, a humming can be heard from the central pagoda at the top of the path and the hair on the back of your arms begins to stand on end. At three-quarters of the way, the smell of ozone can be distinctly detected in the air, and a faint corona of lightning can be seen around the pagoda. Captain Peleps finally collapses, exhausted of physical and magical power, at the top of the path, and at this point her mother calmly steps forward and scoops up her wayward daughter. When you move forward to speak to the Elder Exalt, she holds up one hand.

"My daughter and I have much to discuss, but you cannot come with us. You must experience their world for yourself."

As she speaks, she takes one step back onto the pagoda's first stair, and then there is a mighty roar as lightning erupts from the pagoda and bathes the cavern in thunder and fury. The path falls away below you, and you begin to fall...

-----------Ehren-----------

You awake when you feel a tugging on your hook swords. Striking like a snake, you snatch the hand of the offending thief and open your eyes.

The first thing you notice is the stench. Unwashed people, a multitude of them, surround you. You lie in a low cavern...more like a wide corridor, deep within some building far underground. Your captive looks on you, eyes wide, and babbles something incoherent.

Old Realm...that's what that swordsman said they speak. Too bad you hadn't had time to pick it up...

-----------No Name and Ongvuve----------

In a whistle of air you fall through space and suddenly stop, slamming into a metal wall and ricocheting down a corridor at breakneck speeds. Crystals shatter behind you and ropes of hoses snap like string as you careen through them, venting steam, oil, and other less identifiable substances. You finally come to a halt upside down against a outcrop of what seems to be pure jade. A buzzing sound fills your ears, and then a wasp zips across your vision and settles on the ground in front of you. In a flash of silver light, the wasp unfolds into your companion Ongvuve.

-----------Hayaiken-----------

You throw yourself down one of the seemingly infinite shafts that honeycomb this wretched Sol-forsaken place as a hail of projectiles rattles off the wall above you. The fevered cries of your pursuers echoes through the cavernous spaces of this twisted metal landscape, the same cries that had haunted you since you first came to this place. You slide down a ramp into a lower level of the place, launching yourself over a small but bottomless hole at the bottom of the ramp to pull yourself into another corridor. Panting, you rise to your feet, only to see another group of the twisted metal monstrosities already waiting for you. A bottomless pit behind you, crazed maniacal entities in front of you, you finally seem to be brought to bay...

Spoiler

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If you want to fight, roll Join Battle (Wits + Awareness). If you want to keep running, describe what you want to do and roll something appropriate.

-----------Zilla and Captain Peleps------------

You come to flat on your face in a bright room filled with many people. You look up to see Lalia's mother, still holding your exhausted companion over one shoulder, looking quite surprised to see you. The Orichalcum Man stands behind the Solar, and he reacts quickly to your presence. He calls out orders in the strange tongue of the invaders, and a dozen warriors advance on you from all sides.

[chailem]

I, [ahem] Ongvove, examine my surroundings, in an attempt to discern the nature of this place, the universe, and everything in it. I also stretch, as shifting out of my wasp form tends to give me a crick in my shoulders.

[Horatio@Bridge]

Ongvuve finds himself in the midst of a technological waste heap. Faint light flickers from broken essence conduits, illuminating a long stretch of wrecked iron and broken cables where The Man With No Name careened through the area. The room where you find yourself is cavernous, but clearly constructed. It puts you in mind of what you imagine one of the First Age's factory-cathedrals to look like, except there's no equipment to build anything. It's simply a large area filled with pipes and veins of various metals. Perhaps a storehouse, built out of the very materials it was meant to store.

[Ehren the Lunar]

While Ehren takes a few moments to gather his wits, he studies his surroundings and the people within. He has no immediate animosity for the thief, but will not allow any further attempts. Assuming a stance more suited for the low ceiling of the corridor, he begins to explore, towing the hapless thief along. His first order of business is to understand the area he is in, including the people.

[Zilla]

I follow my cardinal rule for situations that perplex me: "When in doubt, become a T-Rex."

[chailem]

--Ongvove--
Filing away his surroundings for later consideration, Ongvove searches around the room for a way out, other than the considerable hole in the ceiling. Ol' nameless one looks too heavy to carry. Far from curious about his surroundings, he considers what around him might possibly kill him, as the Genzoshan warriors had recently provided ample example for.

He turns to his current ally, saying, "Unless you like the view, we should probably go somewhere a little less conspicuous."

[Achan_hiArusa]

Peleps may be able to raise a finger with effort. Otherwise she just makes grunts of frustration.

[Horatio@Bridge]

--Ehren--

Perhaps a hundred filthy specimins of humanity, most of them huddled in small areas with piles of rags nearby that you deduce must be bedding. The entire area seems to be a settlement of some sort, reminiscent of beggar colonies in the larger cities of Creation. Though the thief struggles and cries out for help, most of the people make a point of not looking at Ehren and his captive, trying to stay out of the situation. A few of the younger members of the herd of people follow Ehren with burning resentment in their eyes, but seem reluctant to confront an armed and apparantly skilled warrior.

--Zilla--

The room erupts into chaos as Zilla expands into a tower of muscle and concentrated rage. Soldiers hem her in with spears, and the Orichalcum man readies his staff. Peleps's mother leaps back with her daughter in arm, keeping her out of the looming fight.

Spoiler

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If you want to fight it out, roll Wits + Awareness for Join Battle. Otherwise we can narrate it. If you want to do that, tell me a little about what you want to do and move the scene forward a bit. You can fairly freely maul extras, but try to keep the major characters fairly intact.

[scsimodem]

Nameless stands up, dusts himself off, and looks around.

"Let's get moving."

He then seems to just pick a random direction and start walking.

[Zilla]

As my T-Rex form expands, I kick out one of my legs and catch one of the soldiers under my foot. My increasing weight rapidly crushes him. As the other soldiers charge and get between me and Captain Peleps, I experience an inexplicable dismay. I have long been unaccustomed to caring much for any single person, since I tend to see things from a perspective of natural systems, ecological balance, and personal prowess. This sudden desire to aid Captain Peleps mystifies me, but I cannot resist it. I neatly bite a few soldiers in halves and charge toward my ally. My tail slams against a supporting wall, and the room develops long, spidery cracks in the ceiling. One of the outer walls shudders and leans outward.

[Achan_hiArusa]

As I struggle to look up at the fight, I feel this strange feeling I'm not accustom to. I think it is called concern. As I mutely try to find it, I feel the words "Don't die this time" forming on my lips. As shocked as I can be in my weakened state I push it back down as I try to focus on the fact that my mother is so near and if I only had the strength and a dagger, I might be able to end my pain. Otherwise I can only hang there in helpless rage and confusion.

[Horatio@Bridge]

--Ongvove and No Name--

Several doors lead out of the room, leading into other rooms and corridors. You seem to have found yourself in a vast industrial complex. Small pools of light cast by scattered essence lights break up long stretches of blackened corridors. As you walk it becomes apparant that you're not in a factory complex, but rather some sort of gigantic building, it's purpose vast and obscure. You're in the middle of long, twisting corridors, leading from one location to another, with many unused rooms either long abandoned or still waiting to be assigned.

Pipes run through the walls parallel to the corridors, carrying various exotic liquids. At one point, Ongvove even senses the flow of essence through one set of pipes.

[Horatio@Bridge]

--Zilla and Peleps--

The soldiers scatter like chaffe before the mighty T-Rex's charge, but the Orichalcum Man steps in the way. A golden shaft of light springs out from his staff, and he levels it at Zilla. The light burns into Zilla's flank, cutting into her and cauterizing the wound as it scythes through her flesh. A devestating blow for any mortal, the attack only servies to make the towering dinosaur even angrier!

[chailem]

--- Ongvove ---
Ongvove turns to... Mike. Mike's a good name. He turns to Mike, and points out the essence pipes. "If those go to anything important, it'll probably be in the middle of this crazy place. How about we go the other way, since it stands a good chance of having an exit?"

[Achan_hiArusa]

Laelia feels to need to do something and struggles weakly in her mother's arms. The fact that she is in her arms has suddenly become a fact of almost no importance.

Spoiler

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Sigh, I guess I know where my 1 point of Compassion worth of Intimacy is going. Also the OOC is scrolling really slow (I miss the banter). Oh, and add one more limit break for being helpless.

[scsimodem]

Sure, let's see what this place is, then go from there.

'Mike' strolls in the direction indicated by the Lunar, steadily heading where he hopes is outward.

[Horatio@Bridge]

--Ongvove and The Man With No Name--

The two Exalts follow the essence pipes deeper into the strange complex. They travel for hours, moving from corridor to corridor, walking along riveted catwalks traversing huge cavernous spaces, and crossing large stretches of open floor beneath great domes of steel. The whole time they walk through silent, empty stretches, the only sign of life the occasional faint scrabbling of rats behind the walls.

The sudden sound of voices is a shock after the hours of silence. The voice echoes through the corridors, its origin uncertain, and for a moment it seems the two travelers had merely hallucinated it until it is answered by another voice. Neither utterance is intelligible, twisted by the echoes of the corridors and originating in a strange language anyway.

[Ehren the Lunar]

Ehren faces the now worried vagrant, and gives him a signal to be silent. He leads the man to a darkened corner and begins to attemp communication with him. using a piece of charcoal, he draws a diagram of the surroundings to the extent that he has experienced them. after exhausting his knowledge of the area, he passes the peice of charcoal to the still trembling tramp.


"show me the lay of the place, good man. Help me to find my associates."

[Zilla]

Rage sweeps over me. Although the Oricalchum man has inspired my ire, even now the pull of Laelia's distress pulls my attention to saving her rather than stomping the metallic aberrant. Ignoring the pain lancing through my leg, I surge forward again, determined to move past the enemy. When he swings his sword at me again, I shuffle to the side and push the wall outward. Bits of the ceiling tumble toward the ground and bounce on the floor like hailstones. The hail of material increases, threatening an imminent collapse. I make another desperate attempt to reach Captain Peleps before she is injured further.

[Achan_hiArusa]

Spoiler

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I'm fine, it's you who is getting hurt. I don't think my mother would let anyone touch me. I am distress, but it is because I see, hear, and smell you being hurt.

[chailem]

--Ongvove--
Ongvove turns to 'Mike', suggesting, "I could go check this out as a wasp. It would be convenient if they were a human or something. If they spot me and try to kill me... I'll buzz loudly or something."

Ongvove then shrinks in size until his barely perceptible totem whisks away toward the warbled voices down the hallway.

Spoiler

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Stealth check is 8 successes on a 13 die pool

[Horatio@Bridge]

--Ehren--

Trembling slightly, the tramp reaches for the piece of charcoal and looks at the wall, confused.

"I don't think he's got any idea what you're saying,"" a grizzled older man says, speaking from the floor nearby. "Aren't many around here that have spent much time in the sky lands to pick up even a bit of the local languages. A bit curious how you picked it up. You're not one of the slaves we picked up, none of them are allowed to have weapons. You from the other side, then, maybe come to scout us?"

--Zilla--

A loud thudding hammers through the entry hall, and Zilla reels under the impact of dozens of arrows. A squad of black-armored soldiers stands at the entrance to the room, firing arrows from huge crossbows resting on their shoulders. Zilla's head spins as she looks toward this new threat, and she realizes that the arrows had been poisoned. A single arrow wouldn't faze her at all, but the soldiers fire a steady barrage, pumping her full of lethargy inducing toxin.

[Achan_hiArusa]

I manage a scream. "NO!"

[Horatio@Bridge]

--Ongvove--

Ongvove swiftly closes in on the voices, flying into a vent nearby and using it to cut past a few walls to come in behind the travelers. Peering out of the vent, he sees a dozen or so ragged humans shuffling through the halls, tools and traveling packs thrown over their backs. The front two bear essence lamps on their heads, lighting the way for the entire group. Each of the mortals bears the same gem on their forehead as that borne by the soldiers Ongvove had encountered back near the village and on Mount Garados, though these travelers lack the environmental suits and weaponry of that first group.

[Ehren the Lunar]

Ehren studies the grizzled elder for a moment. He then glances at the unfortunate sap beside him, smiles his most congenial smile, and shoos him away.

"I had hoped to work through the language barrier, Honored Elder." Ehren murmered as he turned to face the other gentalman. "May I hear your name, good sir?"

[Zilla]

Unfortunately for the soldiers, I soon realize that the lethargy-inducing toxin will not affect me in my war-form. I shift quickly, roaring proudly as the effects of the toxin diminish and then fade away. A sharp pang of regret distracts me as I realize I cannot speak to them in a way they will understand, no matter how much I want to cry,

Fools! You cannot defeat me, for I am inexhaustable! Also, I am hungry! Also, you are dead!

I lunge at the crossbowmen and eat one noisily. One of the others leaps back in revulsion at the gore (and table manners), while yet others continue to fire their useless arrows. Although the war-form T-Rex is smaller than my spirit form, my feet are massive enough to pulpify another crossbowman as I press forward and march over the horde of men.

Spoiler

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If "pulpify" is not a word, I want to make it one.
My war-form has the "inexhaustible" affliction, which means I never take fatigue penalties.

[Horatio@Bridge]

--Ehren--

"I'm Corban," the older man says. "No need to stand by all that formal stuff here, though. We're all Lumpen here, the all-singing, all-dancing crap of this world."

He grins slightly.

"Notice you didn't answer my questions about where you're from. Guess it don't matter much, though. Crap is crap, am I right?"

He shifts slightly, the blanket around him falling away slightly to reveal a strange contraption of metal and gears where his left arm should be.

[Horatio@Bridge]

--Zilla--

Once again, the Orichalcum Man is there to block her progress. Throwing up his hands, he projects a huge wall of essence to force her back away from the archers. A massive man made of Jade drops down to her rear left, putting up a flickering green barrier, while a faintly glittering Starmetal woman drops in on Zilla's right and puts up a glistening barrier seemingly made of starlight. A fourth figure, this one clad in Soulsteel, leaps up to the wall above the hemmed in dinosaur-woman, a huge essence cannon clasped in one arm. The cannon begins to hum and a singular point of essence begins to build at its tip, and then Peleps's mother cries out in the strange alien language.

"Stop, please!" she calls out to Zilla. "There's no need for anyone else to die. You can't fight your way past them all. If you'll surrender to me, I will guarantee your safe conduct."

[chailem]

--Ongvove--
After considering the pathetic looking bunch of what appeared to be some manner of slave labor, he zips around the corner and returns to his human form, then coming around the bend, he waves as non-threateningly as possible.

"Hello. " in Low Realm, then, after a moment, in Flame Tongue, just in case. "Please let one of them speak something other than Old Realm", Ongvove murmured to himself.

[Ehren the Lunar]

Ehren drops to his haunches next to Corban. He pulls some recently dried fish from his pack and offers it to the older man.

"You were right in your guess, there was no need to tell you as much. Just as I find no need for rudeness to the honored elder. Besides, since I am about ask a number of questions, I hope that the politeness will get me answers. I need to know where I am and which way is out. I also need to know what purpose the captives are being taken for. And, since I am here, I am looking for an elder, my sensei and mentor. Taken from his bed while travelling between monastaries. I will take him from here, and if these people desire it, I will attempt to bring them along. I am quite sure that I disapprove of slavery quite heartily."