[Nexus] Underside - The Second!

[ApeofLight]

The men quickly take the gold and hurry out. Better leave before he changes his mind and turn them into slaves or something.

[Baeleck]

Ah, well there's no need to worry there. Despite his exploitations, Corvus is a man of his word. He sees them to the door and watches them hustle away, pleased with proceedings.

"I shall have to ask after someone about this," he murmurs, to himself.

Though perhaps he had a book on the subject. He library was rather extensive, after all. He'd have a look see sometime this evening. There was no real hurry. Still, he should like to keep the construct under surveillance, should it awaken. A binding ward about where it's lying should suffice, he thinks.

He returns to the basement, and begins tracing a few bright runes about the floor, whilst looking closer at any more that can be told about the robot from the outside.

[ApeofLight]

As Corvus walks about drawing and preparing to get a binding circle in place he might notice something.

What would that something be?

It looks like a button on the back of it's neck part right below one of the armor plating pieces.

<.<

>.>

Toooouch it....

[Baeleck]

He has sharp eyes, that Corvus. He does indeed notice the button, but his impulse is not to press it. He's not so curious as that.

"Hmm."

It's his decision to finish the binding spell before pressing this mystery switch. After the marked area flares bright and then fades, he presses a tentative finger into the gap and presses the button.

[ApeofLight]

After pressing the button the robot starts to gently hum to life. Lights start to blink, gears start to whirl, and cogs start to move while speakers start to crackle.

The robots eyes light up with green light and the speaker that is used to synthesize it's voice. " Rebooting... Rebooting... Analyzing situation... " It tries to stand up and start looking around.

[Baeleck]

Standing up may be something of a problem, given the ward. It's seemingly impossible to move, unless the robot has some way of bypassing magical effects.

With a small smile, Corvus leans over into the construct's line of sight. Maybe he wouldn't need any assistance after all. He narrows his eyes, thoughtful.

"Identify yourself."

[ApeofLight]

" Mobility is restricted. Analyzing... Unit seems to be restricted by magical means. Analyzing... This unit seems to be captured by some unknown person. This unit is a Rato Robot Model five five six two. Designation known as Zeta Omicron Epsilon. What is the designation of this unit's captor? " The robot asks trying to move in any way shape or form.

[Baeleck]

"My name is Corvus, and I assure you I mean you no harm. But I'm going to have to restrain you for a while longer, while I ask you a few questions."

The ward allows very slight movement - enough for the construct's joints to rattle, but there'll most likely be no getting up until Corvus dispels it.

"They tell me you fell down from the surface," he continues. "Tell me, Zeta Omicron Epsilon, whereabouts have you ventured from?"

[ApeofLight]

Zeta Omicron Epsilon's eyes blink turning on and off quickly. " This unit needs to perform a full diagnostic of it's systems. This unit will answer Corvus' questions so that it may be able to perform full diagnostic. " It seems that the robot has decided to go along for now.

" Accessing memory... This unit was trying to understand the atheistic pleasure in the forests of Outside. This unit detected tectonic instability followed by tremors in the ground. This unit then [Information Missing] and woke up here. " The talk in brackets has a completely different voice then what else Zeta says. The robots eyes blink on and off again. " Odd. This units memory core seems to have been damaged. "

[Darklord Bright]

[House Irumocuri - Mina's Room]

The drow slumps, visibly disheartened, and steps away from the door toward Mina. He completely disregards Alaine, who probably bursts in right behind him, and says, "We'll figure it out, Mina." He tries to take her hands in his.

He's going to have to have a talk with Mina's parents.

[House Irumocuri - Mina's Room]

Alaine finally busts into the room, absolutely livid. She's not sure what's going on, but even disregarding the fact that Mina seems to be in good shape, absolutely anything could have been going on just now, and Kirk was being the epitome of suspicious.

And so, Kirk gets a nice good punch swung at his face, if only for scaring the bejeezers out of her.

[Gullara]

[House Irumocuri - Mina's Room]

Oh right, she's that sister. >.>

Kirk starts to react, but too slow. He goes down hard, felled by the no doubt strong blow.

He props himself up on one elbow and feels his teeth with his tongue. Couple lose ones. "That wasn't necessary."

[Darklord Bright]

[House Irumocuri - Mina's Room]

Alaine frowns down at him, cracking her knuckles. Punching people in the face hurts your hand too, people!

"Mina is my sister. Ever pull anything like that again, and I will show you unnecessary force." oh dear, she's not happy, "Explain yourself."

Meanwhile, Mina is still reeling a little from the confusion of the past several minutes, looking confused and worried.

[Gullara]

[House Irumocuri - Mina's Room]

"I have absolutely no intention of ever hurting your sister, you have to believe me." Kirk says. Perhaps the most honest statement he's ever made in his life.

"I'd prefer to discuss this with your parents as well." The drow picks himself off the ground. He gives Mina a weak smile before returning his attention to Alaine.

[Darklord Bright]

[House Irumocuri - Mina's Room]

Alaine stares angrily at him for a few moments, then turns. He seems sincere enough, damn him. Alaine is a little complicated.

"Better be important." she says, leading them out of the room. She keeps an eye on Kirk almost perpetually, however, with her over-the-shoulder glances.

Mina clings to Kirk's arm as they walk, looking around sadly.

[Gullara]

[House Irumocuri]

Kirk follows in silence. He's trying to figure out what exactly he's going to say to Mina's parents. Safe to say he's drawing a blank. He's still having trouble figuring out what exactly is going on, unsurprisingly.

[Artemis97]

[Undercity - Streets]

A man wanders the streets of the city. He'd been dubbed 'batty' for the pair of wings that sprouted from his back. His clothes were made up of rags, salvaged from a dozen places, patched with scraps of what looked to be leather or hide.

[Baeleck]

Zeta Omicron Epsilon's eyes blink turning on and off quickly. " This unit needs to perform a full diagnostic of it's systems. This unit will answer Corvus' questions so that it may be able to perform full diagnostic. " It seems that the robot has decided to go along for now.

" Accessing memory... This unit was trying to understand the atheistic pleasure in the forests of Outside. This unit detected tectonic instability followed by tremors in the ground. This unit then [Information Missing] and woke up here. " The talk in brackets has a completely different voice then what else Zeta says. The robots eyes blink on and off again. " Odd. This units memory core seems to have been damaged. "

[Basement]

"I believe the fall de-activated you. I'm not surprised, either... it's a fair way down from the surface to here."

The man continues to ponder. Zeta seems harmless enough. But still, a few more questions.

"I expect there might be someone looking for you back on the surface?"

[ApeofLight]

[Corvus' Basement]

Zeta makes a small shake of his head, as much as is allowed by the binding spell. " Unlikely. This unit is free to move and go as it pleases. Dr.Rato might be wondering where this unit is but he can just locate this unit through a tracking device installed in this unit. " The robot tries to look around. " This unit is made to endure falls and battles. This unit's activation switch should not have been hit as it fell. "

[Baeleck]

[Corvus' Basement]

Curious. Corvus begins pacing around the other side of Zeta, extending a hand and easing the strength from the warding spell. The construct will be able to look around properly now, as well as move into a more comfortable sitting position. That is, if comfort is of any merit to Zeta, which is unlikely.

"Are you suggesting you may have been sabotaged?" Corvus asks. He hopes this is the case, and that the chip has been removed. There would likely be a reward for Zeta's return, if that were the case. Which brings him onto another question: "Who is this... Dr. Rato, if I might ask?"

[ApeofLight]

[Corvus' Basement]

" Sabotage is possible though unlikely. A more likely scenario is when falling this unit's armor plating caught on a rock moving it out of place and then the button being pressed as this unit continued to fall. " Zeta moves and stands up once the spell has been eased. It then tries to move through it's full range of motion if allowed by the spell now.

Zeta then turns to look at Corvus. " It is this unit's creator. Was that not obvious? "

[Baeleck]

[Corvus' Basement]

The ward wears off in its entirety, and Zeta is free to move all about the room. Corvus makes sure to watch him closely, though.

"I would have assumed that to be the case... but I don't like to assume." The feyborn is very good at making sure he has his facts straight. It's helpful to know for certain as much as possible. "What is this Dr. Rato like?"

[ApeofLight]

[Corvus' Basement]

Zeta goes through a full range of motion for all of it's limbs. " Dr.Rato is a old man. Smart and kind and is a human as well. He is a scientist who has great aptitude for mechanics and virtual intelligence. Is there anything else you wish to know about Dr.Rato? " The robot asks.

[Darklord Bright]

[House Irumocuri]

Aliane leads them to the main room again, moving past a quizzical Jasper, and through a pair of double doors. The hall they walk down is grand, a red carpet with golden trim leading them down an almost needlessly decorated hallway To another large door, though this one is a large metal and just as ornate as everything else.

There are murmured voices behind the door - one soft giggle - before Alaine knocks on the door and there is some hasty shuffling. After waiting a moment, Lord Irumocuri opens the door enough so that only he is visible, blocking the interior from view as he holds it open.

"What have we said about this, Alaine?" he asks in an exasperated tone, as frantic shuffling can be heard inside.

"Important." Alaine replies, indicating to Kirk and Mina with an over-the-shoulder gesture.

The Lord follows her gesture, looking at the drow, and then looks back to Alaine, his expression a slight bit more understanding. He sighs.

"Well, give us a moment." The door shuts, and another moment later, it opens fully, and the Lord Irumocuri admits the drow inside, bidding the sisters to wait on the other side of the door.

[House Irumocuri - Lord and Lady's Quarters]

Inside, the drow will find that the room is the lavish sort of room that most average people might only believe existed in dreams. Paintings, unnecessary silk curtains, furniture rimmed with gold...

The Lord Irumocuri returns to a seat next to a black-haired human woman who, though young and lively looking, seems to have dressed herself rather hastily. The Lord Irumocuri turns his head to her, wrapping an arm around her rather gently for a demon almost two feet taller than she.

"Honey, this is our houseguest." he says to her, with the definite tone of someone who is explaining an unforeseen interruption while outwardly pretending nothing has been interrupted.

"Um. Hello!" the woman says awkwardly, waving slightly at Kirk, "I am Lady Irumocuri, how may we be of assistance?" she asks sweetly. Wait a second, what?

Spoiler

Show

[Gullara]

[House Irumocuri - Lord and Lady's Quarters]

"It's a pleasure to meet you both. I'm sorry to disturb you." Kirk begins. "I had meant to speak with you at a more convenient time, but circumstances changed."

He pauses a moment to collect his thoughts. "I want to talk to you about Mina and her... condition I suppose is the best word."

[Earl of Purple]

Undercity- Streets

On the western edge of the city, Batty may encounter an odd structure. It is made of multiple silk cocoons, all of them anchored to the ceiling of the tunnel. The largest cocoon has a silk rope ladder descending from it, and beneath the structure is a large two-tailed scorpion mosaic made of small black marble chips glued into place with caveslug glue.

[Artemis97]

[Undercity - Streets]

Well, that was certainly curious, or so Batty thinks. What could the mosaic symbolize? As such, he decides to investigate. Rather than use the ladder, the bat-winged elf unfurls his leather wings and stretches them out. He flaps them, and after a small false start, lifts off the ground. It wasn't often he had the opportunity to use his wings underground, and so relished the chance. It felt good to fly. He makes his way up to where the ladder leads and knocks, if there's a door.

[Earl of Purple]

Streets, Underside- Temple of Dalachrech

There's no door, just an open hatch. Incidently, the building's lighting is provided by two-foot-long beetles with glowing spots on their back; that's both inside and outside.

Should the winged elf choose to enter the Temple, the first room is rather sparse; there's more two-tailed scorpion symbols, but these are dyed onto the walls, and also a table containing a guest book. The last person to write in it wrote in the language of dragons.

((Deadtime, sorry))

[Artemis97]

[Undercity - Temple of Dalachrech]

Batty hesitates a moment before entering. It would be rude to enter without an invitation. However, there was no door. Surely they didn't mean to keep people out? The guestbook confirmed for him that this was not a private place. He could be here, if he wished. The elf thought to sign the book, but sighed, realizing he still could not remember his own name. 'Batty' was only a nickname. Something to call him by because he had nothing else.

((It's fine. I'm just glad to get him moving again. Thanks.))

[Darklord Bright]

[House Irumocuri - Lord and Lady's Quarters]

"It's a pleasure to meet you both. I'm sorry to disturb you." Kirk begins. "I had meant to speak with you at a more convenient time, but circumstances changed."

He pauses a moment to collect his thoughts. "I want to talk to you about Mina and her... condition I suppose is the best word."

[House Irumocuri - Lord and Lady's Quarters]

They straighten up a bit at the mention, then glance worriedly to each other.

"It is complicated. Suffice it to say, were I able, I would solve it myself." the Lord says in response, "But I lack the power to affect this matter. Her mind and soul, you might have surmised, are in a certain... condition. Were I to get involved, I doubt it would matter."

He sighs.

"Let me explain. It was some time ago now, but Mina was once one of the brightest minds I've ever seen. Against my wishes, she sought to understand things far beyond the comprehension of the average being - dark things that one is not meant to understand. The tomes said 'What I saw, you could never comprehend", and she asked "Why not?". She sought after the dark things - eldritch and terrible, thinking that unlike the others, she would be able to understand them. It seemed silly to her, I suspect - the mere idea of something being incomprehensible..."

He stands, pacing over to a dresser to place his hands upon it, staring into a mirror while the Lady watches in worry. Though he has been stern, his voice carries underlying emotion, and he takes a deep breath.

"I don't know what she found, but one night she returned, and she was... broken. At times she has had moments of clarity, but they quickly pass. There are innumerable cosmic horrors at work in the fabric of the world - I doubt even she could tell me which one she had found, as strongly as I doubt that finding it would do anything but drive us both to insanity."

He looks at the drow, his expression hardening.

"And now you understand."

[Gullara]

[House Irumocuri - Lord and Lady's Quarters]

"There has to be something we can do. I have to be able to help her." Kirk says firmly. There's emotion behind his words, and a powerful conviction.

"This is a world of limitless potential. There has to be something, someone here that can help her."