[Nexus] CURATOR I: The Evil Has Landed

[Zefir]

[Weathered Ruins]

Let's do the easy thing. He picks up the chess piece and tries to bring it out. If nothing other happens he will go for room one watchin his inside again and then tries to go inside.

[Hattish Thing]

[Lobby]

Lintha takes the papers gingerly between her teeth and rapidly scans through them checking for completeness!

"This looks about right."

She pauses abruptly, looking up at Javert as if assessing something.

"Did you know that this whole building was built over a temple dedicated to Athena? Yep! That got teleported to the Nexus along with another item of interest that rested within it. A stout shield of great worth. A bracer unlike any other. The Aegis. While everyone else is off exploring the focal point of the Lady of the..."

Uh-oh! That's classified information! The members weren't supposed to know about that!

"...Sky..."

Yes! Good save! Good save.

"...you could go down there, locate the source of the paranormal activities that are occurring here every so often and **** those apparitions down for me."

Lintha smiles confidently!

"You'll be fairly compensated for your efforts!"

Javert slithers, ...Er. I am here to help retrieve the artifacts...When will it take place?

[The Alexandrian]

[Lake Hylia]

Yes! Rob from the dead! That's CURATOR's entire reason for existing. They're like Robin Hood except smarterer! The dead can't retaliate or demand your execution or point you out in a line-up! They can't vocally incriminate ya either! It is the perfect scheme for fun and profit! Especially when the purpose for the "theft" is as noble as this one is.

Unfortunately for Reinholdt, he appears to have forgotten that the pendant he and his team were initially dispatched to this location to retrieve. It was said to be guarded by legions of the undead!

Therefore, the skeletal wizard will react to Reinholdt touching it by twisting its head eerily to the side to scowl at him with its eyeless, gnarled skull! It moves slowly and steadily, as though the act is a result of nothing more than the earthly powers that have been collectively named gravity. The creature shows levity in that it seems to be trying to do is trick Reinholdt for a severe scare!

'Tis a meanie-head!

And it speaks! In the voice of someone accustomed to gargling marbles! A low, demonic squeal booms out of its fleshless jaw!

"Fear me, mortal, for I am evil incarnated! Bwahahahahaha!"

It also tries to menacingly reach out and snag Reinholdt's arm! Ahh! Disgusting, germy dead thing inbound!

-------
[Weathered Ruins]

Is Mister C holding the rook or has he set it down when he attempts to enter the monster-guarded room? Also, did he leave the door open or did he close it?

-------
[Lobby]

Beat down!

Hmm... So...

Yeah, that "****" thingy in my last post in this thread was actually the word "beat," just fyi. Didn't mean to make it seem like Lintha would cuss at someone or something.

"You aren't willing to take care of the problem then? *Sigh.* Well, that is negative. But..."

"I invoke the 'Discretionary' clause of the contract you finished signing. It essentially says that this organization will generally get around to things when we get around to things and no sooner or no later. We're incredibly understaffed, as you can plainly see. And most of the PCs that joined this organization long ago...they...um..."

"Can I trust you to keep a secret? I see deadtimed people."

Oh wow, Lintha. I cannot believe you just went there.

"They're everywhere. Discarded. Cast aside by the creators. Doomed to forever stand in one place. Watching. Waiting. The lurkers in the dark."

Lintha! Augh! Do you expect me to patch up that hole in the forth wall! 'Cause I can't. It is waaay too huge a task for one mortal man alone.

"Do it anyway you lazy stooge!"

...

And now Javert will disregard everything you say because you are acting crazy!

"Oh... Whoops!"

[Hattish Thing]

The Lobby

Javert sneers. Weeell, the items I seek will certainly attract attention. You find them and you will gain fame...

[Devixer]

[CURATOR HQ - Lobby]

Speaking of deadtimed people, Kenneth has been wandering the sections of the for a while (where he's allowed, anyway,) and has eventually arrived in the lobby. Somehow, he's managed to not lose his mind from the weeks of not doing anything.

[Reinholdt]

[Lake Hylia]

Eeep! Reinholdt stumbles back to avoid the hand, falling on his rear in the process. He scurries back with a yelp.

Before producing a vial of holy water from his hammer space and tossing it at Evil Incarnate! Or as I like to call him, Ebil Nate.

"Back you fiend! Back!"

[Zefir]

[Weathered Ruins]

Mr C did leave the door open, but he isn#t going for the monster guarded room. He went for the first room with the spiks. In his mind he has to place the chess piece there to solve the thing. And carrys the chess thing arouns as long as possible. In fact I doubt he would be able to enter the room with it so he would drop it befor entering.

[The Alexandrian]

[Lobby]

Oh hey look! A convenient distraction! Kenneth the awesome zombie guy! Maybe he could help Lintha out with her predicament.

"Hiya, Ken! How are you? Listen, we have a monster infestation that needs to be taken care of sooner or later. If you don't wanna do that immediately, you could go with Mister Crazy Pants Evil-Doer Mister Javert here and reclaim some lost artifacts, but I'll have to discuss that thing I was talking to you about earlier before you head out." *Nudge.* *Nudge.* *Secret and oddly opaque stuff.*

Even though the name "Mister Crazy Pants Evil-Doer" doesn't actually ever echo out of Lintha's feisty mouth, she does most certainly imply it in her tone. And quite well, at that. The "thing" she wants to "discuss" with him isn't as straightforward as she is letting on either. She's probably going to grant him a weapon to defend himself with on one of the missions.

She has acquired the distinct premonition that Javert is a corrupt shyster that will betray the organization at his first available opportunity. She must take special precautions against that.

Precautions in the form of black magic soul-trapping talismans of antiquity!

-------
[Lake Hylia]

Ebil Nate laughs maniacally!

"Mwahahahaha!"

Right up until the holy water splashes all over his torso! He adroitly maneuvers a skeleton arm up his body to shield his face, only to realize that it is just that! A skeletal arm! Needless to say, it provides little cover against the blessed hydrogen dioxide!

As quick as I can snap my fingers, the skeleton wizard's ribcage combusts entirely, erupting into hot blue flames!

This causes the skeleton man to scream! Scream like there is no tomorrow! Probably because there isn't a tomorrow for him anymore!

"Ahhh! I'm on fire!"

Yes, Ebil. I think everyone can plainly deduce that fact without your idiotic intervention. Blundering fool!

"I didn't mean it!"

The skeleton cries as it fwooshes up to its feet and takes off across the room heading toward no apparent destination!

Its head collides with an overhead compartment which results in its detachment from its body!

[LamePun]Rein! Now's your chance to get ahead in life![/LamePun]

-------
[Weathered Ruins]

When Mister C enters room number 1, he will find the planks of wood rising up off of the ground and levitating in the air. They reveal a black, empty void leading down into nothingness lying beneath them. They begin to rotate like dangerous fan blades!

This isn't good! Be careful or you will get sucked into them, Mister C!

[Devixer]

[CURATOR HQ - Lobby]

Kenneth makes sure to bow to both Lintha and Javert before he speaks. It's only polite, and he was nothing if not polite. Javert might note that for a zombie, he's fairly quick, thanks to some low-level necromancy.

"I am well, thank you for asking. If you wish, I can attempt to take care of that monster infestation, though I should warn you that my fencing arm isn't nearly what it once was." Kenneth manages to catch Lintha's subtlety, and nods about the thing they're apparently going to discuss.

[Hattish Thing]

Lobby

Javert bows back to the zombie. Javert's feet flow off the ground. Hie entire body is composed of a swirling substance that is obviously magic. Javert turns to the puppy thing. By the way, you help me, and I'll help you. I want to show you something. Alone.

[The Alexandrian]

[Lobby]

I want to show you something alone! Oh gosh! No! That's bad and Lintha wants no part of it! Percilia warned her that this day would someday approach and smack her right between the eyes, but did she listen? No!

How's she going to worm her way out of this one without soiling her dignity or stomping on the neck of Javert's feelings?

"Erm..."

"I know that I'm a comely lass, but I don't think it'd work out between you and me. You are an angry spectral-ghost-drow and I am a daemon who was the sister of the guildmaster in another life-"

Oh geeze! No! Argh! Lintha never meant to say any of those words! She promised not to tell anyone about any of that! Maybe she can twist this to her advantage or lesser downfall, if nothing better can be accomplished!

"-time reality television show! Like-"

Gosh! Why'd you have to choose that analogy! You barely even watch tv as is!

"-that one episode of Riverside Shore."

Phew! Barely scraped by that one! Man, that was close!

"I'm not interested in you like that, Jav. May I call you Jav?"

Now time to escape with Kenneth temporarily!

"We need to go down to the cellar to fetch the key and some enchanted equipment. Don't move a musc- an inch, Javert. I'll be right back."

With that, Lintha runs off to the cellar, floppy ears bouncing up and down as she scampers along.

She sincerely hopes that Kenneth will tag along as expected, hopefully with some questions about the job that she can answer.

She loves answering questions! That's one of the few perks of her occupation.

[Hattish Thing]

The Lobby

Javert sighs. No. I want to show you...a feat of mine. A rather interesting magical peculiarity. I am already mated.... Javert tries to tell her before she leaves.

[Devixer]

[Lobby -> Cellar]

Kenneth follows Lintha down to the cellar, tapping the hilt of his rapier as he walks. He ignores any further words by Javert.

"These monsters. How difficult can I expect exterminating them to be?" Pretty boring question, Kenneth. You're already dead, you've got nothing to fear!

[The Alexandrian]

[Cellar]

Too true! If Kenneth does, science forbid, expire fighting monsters, Lintha will simply collect all of his scattered body bits and sew them back together! Kenneth will live forever! Bwahaha! The ultimate weapon!

"They're your standard array of minotaurs and dark beings. Might be a vengeful ghost or two down there too, but you'll be able to handle it! I'm confident in your abilities! And Athena will be protecting you too!"

Lintha will lead Ken to a fake wall. She'll set her paw on it, at which identification wards flare up, glowing green as they recognize her and parting the brick wall in front of them, revealing Lintha's bedroom!

It's all that you would expect out of a little girl's room! There's a private bathroom attached, a few staple objects from the furniture category, a television, framed pictures hanging from the walls, and a technologically advanced computer system.

There's also a spear mounted on the wall! Beside that is a longsword. They are obviously mystical and possibly legendary, come to think of it.

Lintha strolls casually over to a drawer, tugs it open, and produces a key and a sparkling gem from it. She'll move to drop them on the floor in front of Kenneth.

"Here's the key to the generator room and a soul trap gem in case any spirits give you extra trouble. You should also probably take a com device from the table near the computer."

The com device in question is a bullet-shaped machine that should fit snugly in Ken's ear, if he should choose to take it.

[Devixer]

[Cellar]

Kenneth nods, not feeling particularly reassured. "I thank you for your confidence in me." He moves to take the key and gem. He also picks up the comms device, but he has no idea what to do with it. Technology eludes this poor zombie.

[The Alexandrian]

[Cellar]

Lintha doesn't seem to notice that Kenneth doesn't know what the communications device is for. She would help him out if she did know of his predicament, however!

"You need to head on over to the generator room that we always keep locked. There's a freight elevator in there that will take you down several levels to the temple of Athena. If you find a shield down there, use it but bring it back for examination, please!"

Lintha smiles! Always such the optimist, isn't she? With faith like that riding on him, there's no way Kenneth can fail!

[Reinholdt]

[Lake Hylia]

Ebil Nate laughs maniacally!

"Mwahahahaha!"

Right up until the holy water splashes all over his torso! He adroitly maneuvers a skeleton arm up his body to shield his face, only to realize that it is just that! A skeletal arm! Needless to say, it provides little cover against the blessed hydrogen dioxide!

As quick as I can snap my fingers, the skeleton wizard's ribcage combusts entirely, erupting into hot blue flames!

This causes the skeleton man to scream! Scream like there is no tomorrow! Probably because there isn't a tomorrow for him anymore!

"Ahhh! I'm on fire!"

Yes, Ebil. I think everyone can plainly deduce that fact without your idiotic intervention. Blundering fool!

"I didn't mean it!"

The skeleton cries as it fwooshes up to its feet and takes off across the room heading toward no apparent destination!

Its head collides with an overhead compartment which results in its detachment from its body!

[LamePun]Rein! Now's your chance to get ahead in life![/LamePun]

Owowow.
The pun. It burns.


If I read it correctly, Ebil Nate's head is not burning. That's something.

At least that's something to Rein as he scrambles to his feet to snatch up the skeletal head.

"Ah-ha! I've got you now!"

Sadly if the head is on fire, I suspect Rein will only hold it for a second or two before ow hot ow.

[Devixer]

[Cellar]

Lintha doesn't seem to notice that Kenneth doesn't know what the communications device is for. She would help him out if she did know of his predicament, however!

"You need to head on over to the generator room that we always keep locked. There's a freight elevator in there that will take you down several levels to the temple of Athena. If you find a shield down there, use it but bring it back for examination, please!"

Lintha smiles! Always such the optimist, isn't she? With faith like that riding on him, there's no way Kenneth can fail!

Kenneth puts the comm device in an inside pocket on his coat. He can ask what it's for later. "Right. Hopefully I don't lost too many limbs out there." Unless Lintha has something else to say, he'll head over to the generator room and try to unlock it.

[Zefir]

[Weathered Ruins]

When Mister C enters room number 1, he will find the planks of wood rising up off of the ground and levitating in the air. They reveal a black, empty void leading down into nothingness lying beneath them. They begin to rotate like dangerous fan blades!

This isn't good! Be careful or you will get sucked into them, Mister C!

[Weathered Ruins]



So we leave that room again. Mister C really annoyed now. Let's try the big guy in the other room and when that don't work Mr C might loos his temper.

[The Alexandrian]

[Lake Hylia]

Precisely! Nate's nefarious noggin hasn't been set ablaze as of yet. It does not offer much resistance as Rein grabs at it, so engrossed is it in the task of screaming and failing to direct its body to a fire extinguisher.

"No! No! Put me down, mortal, or I when I parade...roll through the bloody iron arches of hell after enslaving your race, I will shove your reanimated head onto the end of a pike and twirl it...hold it between my teeth as a memento!"

"I'll make an example of you! I'll bite your toes off!"

Yeah. Nate appears to already have given up all hope of most of the less important parts of his skeletal body surviving. Without the head to guide it, the skeleton bounces off of the walls, ricocheting like a billiard ball off of the side of a luxury liner into wall upon wall upon wall, nearly tripping over its own feet as it flails its arms and panics.

Look out! It is headed directly for Rein, patting the flames enveloping its chest with stub-arms in a last ditch attempt to extinguish them!

-------
[Weathered Ruins]

What exactly is Mister C trying to do with the monster in the adjoining room? This is important, as it defines my response, more or less. And did Mister C take the pawn along with him or leave it sitting in front of the door? It will fit through all of the holes except for the gap in the door of the floorboard-trapped chamber.

-------
[Generator Room]

The generator room's heavy metal door unlocks with a crisp click. From its condition, it would appear as though it does not see much use. Within it is a power generator and a hatch. A power generator hooked up to ten or so high-tech computer consoles. Some are monitoring the two cylindrical chambers attached to one another, alternating fission-fusion matter rippers, the terminals suggest. Others are engaged in other activities. Running sims for...noteworthy...things. At first glance, however, they don't briefly divulge just what.

Wires and electronics are strewn about the room in chaotic little stacks on tables. Looks like the guildmaster tinkers with machinery here.

A metal chair, steel perhaps, sits in a dark corner. A zany brain-cap has been mounted on it, a dome-shaped contraption forged out of space age polymers. Its functionality isn't clear at this distance.

The hatch is metal. Adventure-grade stuff. Sealed nice and tight too.

Wait...

Why is it welded shut? And how to open it?

-------
[Lobby]

Lintha returns here and meticulously scans the area for Javert the evil shade!

[Zefir]

[Weathered Ruins]

Mister C is taking the piece with him first trying to use it as an protecction. If he can make out that the monster isn't going to act other than befor he places the piece near door one and goes again in the Room with th monster (which I see as room 3.)

[Hattish Thing]

Javert looms over in a dark corner. You know...I can help you. I can show you the world's darkest secrets. But I need those items. Trust me, you need them too. I am but a phantom. Of darkness. You see, I wasmn't before. You can hand my death's cause to House Zar'cha. Twas an assassination. But,
I am still here. The phantom of the shadowfell. I need those artifacts. I know where they are! They will power this place tenfold. We could become a major force. You and I. And Curator! Javert slithers.

[Reinholdt]

[Lake Hylia]

Reinholdt calmly steps out of the way to let the body continue playing pong with the walls. He's a fair bit more collected now than before.

"Oh do shut up. You really intend to enslave me when you've been down here... how long? Speaking of which, where are we?"

[Devixer]

[Generator Room]

The vast majority of the technology in the room flies right over Kenneth's head. Poor guy, only knowing about the tech of the early Renaissance. Because of his lack of knowledge, he ignores most of the room, save the hatch. Was this the elevator that Lintha had mentioned?

With some difficulty, Kenneth kneels in front of the hatch, inspecting the welded metal. He doubted he could pry it open, strong as he was. Instead, he tries a minor spell, intended to rust and weaken the hatch.

[The Alexandrian]

[Lobby]

Lintha blinks! A whole lot! That's a ton of information for her to absorb! And crazy information isn't easy to chew. Not at all. Has to sort out the nonsensical ramblings from the useful stuff, she does.

And there's a lot of rambling going on today!

"Um, Mister Javert, you need to cool off a little bit. Private assassinations don't sound like usual drow style. Deviant drow might not take personal pride in this kind of killing, but if you are indeed as high in standing as you claim, they would've done away with you publicly as an example to all of your comrades."

"How did you die anyway? What exactly happened? We can arrange for the retrieval of your legendary relics, but I don't want to see them misused on some insane scheme for vengeance."

"Look, I know that being ghostified is a traumatic experience, harrowing, even, but we can set you up with a psychiatrist at our own expense. Don't do anything stupid. Just tell me everything, and I'll decide what we can or cannot afford to overlook in terms of abuse of special objects of antiquity."

Lintha's voice is calm, collected, and kind. She does her best to convey the idea that she understands where Javert is coming from, but disagrees with his decisions. All out war with a drow house isn't CURATOR's speciality, and Lintha realizes this completely. She wants no part of it.

-------
[Weathered Ruins]

Toting the pawn along with him into the room...

Will work out just fine! The monster doesn't seem to notice Mister C as he enters or moves about. He's free to roam the room entirely at his own leisure!

Until he accidentally activates the magical wards when/if he reaches the center of the oddly empty room at which point...

A chess board will appear! A life-sized chess board!

Well, this is weird...

-------
[Lake Hylia]

'S one intense game of pong. Both sides have yet to score a point! Such skill they possess!

Cheaters.

The skeleton pings off of another wall, trips, and explodes outward in a hail of fire and bone shards!

"My age has only increased my AMAZING powers, silly human! See what I just did there? That was called my EPIC skeletal boom-bomb spell of destruction!"

The skull whimpers as its exploderated fragments twitch wildly.

"And it doesn't hurt in the least!"

"Where are we? In the Lady's Arm, of course! Where else is there to be."

Is he finished talking already? I was sure he'd drag this out-

"Fool! Bwaha-ow!"

-------
[Generator Room]

The rust spell does the trick! The hatch rusts and gets all Silent Hill-ish.

That doesn't actually make it open up for Kenneth. It just makes it oxidize at an extraordinary rate.

[Hattish Thing]

Lobby

I took a PC to the knee.

I was murdered in The Black Dragon's Den. I was meeting Sornulu Xar'cha. He must have arranged an assassination...They killed me. In the middle of a seedy tavern....

These objects take form in crystals. Very magical crystals. I can explain more privately...Unless, of course, you don't care about the advancement of Curator. Javert smirks a little.

Also. I can do certain things you would be interested in...Want me to show you?

[Reinholdt]

[Lake Hylia]

Reinholdt flinches and ducks down at the explosion, getting cut a bit. Dang shrapnel. He glares at the head now.

In fact he even goes to smack it against the floor a bit.
"The Lady's Arm. Is that the name of a ship?"

[The Alexandrian]

[Lake Hylia]

Hopefully, not much injury occurred from that. It'd be terrible if this skull actually grievously wounded Rein before he reclaimed the illustrious pendant of the dead!

The skull is smacked against the floor! It makes the hollow, knocking noise just as you'd expect from such an action.

"Hey! Ow! Stop it!"

It whines.

"We're in the arm of the Lady of the Lake! And I'm Merlin the greatest wizard who ever lived, peasant! Ow!"

Liar! He's not Merlin! But the rest of what he said may or may not be truth.

-------
[Lobby]

Lintha blinks more in befuddlement! Wow! This story is twisty!

"So you agreed to meet to discuss something or other with traitorous dro- um, drow, no offense, on their own turf? Not a good idea but..."

"Show me your thing. As long as it doesn't hurt."

Lintha crosses her fingers. Please let this thing be the equivalent of a 5 star massage. Please, please, please. She'd probably be Javert's friend forever after a display like that.

[Reinholdt]

[Lake Hylia]

*bonk*
"Alright then Merlin... what's this room do?"

Ebil Nate was a better name.

[Devixer]

[Generator Room]

Kenneth had hoped that his spell would open the hatch for him, so he's a little disappointed at this result. Still, he presses on. He tries to use the newly rusted metal to his advantage and pry the hatch open.