[Nexus] Inside 40

[Morty]

[Dwarf Pub]

You know, my grandfather died in the last war with the dwarves my home colony took part in, Reelshka says, sounding a little offended. And he was part of a huge army from what my grandmother told us.

[billtodamax]

[Dwarf Pub]

You know, my grandfather died in the last war with the dwarves my home colony took part in, Reelshka says, sounding a little offended. And he was part of a huge army from what my grandmother told us.

Aye well, the bastards probably holed up in a tower or two and took potshots at you. The dwarf says, considering his empty glass. He might be a bit tipsy. You should have flooded their town with magma. And then water. See how the bastards like that! Filthy beardless hippies.

He orders another drink.

[TechnoScrabble]

Underbed



In theory... Ivaz starts strapping Demon Queen down. She'd be bound to you. But, the spirits have only been bound to people twice before...and in all honesty, I'm not sure how well it'd work with anybody else.

"Well...who did it work on? Maybe we could bring them in for questioning? Find a way to steal their base spirit thingiemajiggawatts?" Jack keeps the shadows ready in case the demon queen wakes up.

[KerfuffleMach2]

Underbed

Ivaz gives a short laugh. Heh, yeah, sure. First guy was about six hundred years ago. When the spirits were first released from whatever they were in before him.

Second guy was about a year ago, and was a direct descendant of the first. Both of them dead. I killed the second guy myself.

Ivaz finishes strapping Demon Queen down just as she begins to stir.

[Morty]

Aye well, the bastards probably holed up in a tower or two and took potshots at you. The dwarf says, considering his empty glass. He might be a bit tipsy. You should have flooded their town with magma. And then water. See how the bastards like that! Filthy beardless hippies.

He orders another drink.

Reelshka sips her drink thoughtfully. I was told that battle had been fought in a narrow mountain pass in the ruins of a human village that had the misfortune of getting in the way. I guess my grandfather might have died as a result of a miscalculation by goblin engineers blowing up stuff to bring avalanches down on dwarves' heads. Gunpowder was still a novelty back then. And I can't say I've ever heard of magma being used as a weapon before.

[TechnoScrabble]

Underbed

Ivaz gives a short laugh. Heh, yeah, sure. First guy was about six hundred years ago. When the spirits were first released from whatever they were in before him.

Second guy was about a year ago, and was a direct descendant of the first. Both of them dead. I killed the second guy myself.

Ivaz finishes strapping Demon Queen down just as she begins to stir.

Jack sits on the Demon Queen's midriff.
"And did that give you his base spirits?"

[Earl of Purple]

Temple of Dalachrech

"<Excellent. That will definitely help you advance quickly to the rank of Novice.>" Terrowin's smiling, and his Abyssal is extremely good; there's demons who can't speak the tongue as well as he can.

[Rebonack]

Overcome with fear, nausea, and centrifugal force Justin can't find anything much wittier to say than, "OH GOD!" Justin wraps his arms around the seat like a vice. Fearing for his life he won't even think of letting go until the world decides to stop spinning.

The world will keep spinning for as long as it pleases and there's nothing Justin can do to make it stop!

Once the taxi skids to a halt a trio of burly thugs tromp forward, armed with a variety of various face-smashing blunt objects. There's a good chance they aren't planning on saying hello politely.

Mazitch totally believes in Avacyn! And is very glad that her influence is weakening. He'll be even happier to find she doesn't exist here. Damn clerics, always interfering with his work.

"Hidden temple? Sounds exciting. Temples tend to be unpleasant places though." Especially if those inside aren't a fan of your work. "Is there a special lock for that key?"

Technically 'Atheist' in this case just means someone who doesn't believe in the Greek gods specifically. Or doesn't know about them. Or what have you. As opposed to someone who doesn't believe in any gods.

If you don't believe in gods in the Nexus one of them is likely to throw a brick through your window. The pricks.

"There should be, yes," Dunastes replies as she starts off in a random direction only to stop again. Probably because he has no idea where she is right now. "Though it's probably best not to give too many details out here in pu-"

"It's for unlocking a box!"
"A box with the heart of Hyperion inside!"
"We need it for a quest!"

"Zeus above, will you shut up?"

"Nope!"
"Nuh uh!"
"I'm hungry!"

"If you don't shut your mouths I'm going to go find a barber."

The head-snakes eep and fall silent.

[Zefir]

[Deus Mechanicus Church]

A few months ago this place was an empty place, which didn't belong to anyone. After Mia arrived at the nexus she prepared a few loyal robots to build a church there. And they have done their work not even resting for the night.

The place itself is surrounded by a stone wall. The wall appears to be made to keep unsolicited people, but never leaves the image of a prison. The Iron Gate is guards by two of these guys each of them appears to be 9 feet Tall, but they show no weapons. The gate is open and a banner hangs between the guards and bid every visitor welcome.

Behind the Gate appears to be a large building with a huge gate that even allows dragons to pass without shifting into another form. The building itself is made of Iron, steel and chopper. On the wall hang two giant banners showing a giant metal being in a shadow.

People who walk around may note that there are some other buildings on each side of the main building. The guards seem to appear everywhere, but none of them is walking around.

[KerfuffleMach2]

Jack sits on the Demon Queen's midriff.
"And did that give you his base spirits?"

Demon Queen groans a little as she comes around.

Ivaz rolls her eyes. If that gave me the spirits, you think I'd be trying to find one? She shakes her head, then makes a shadow on the wall near the empty table and reaches in.

Since Jack is sitting on her, he'll probably feel Demon Queen trying to move. He should also notice that Ivaz restrained even her fingers.

Ivaz leans back out of the shadow, placing a large plastic container on the table. Killing him just released them again.

[The Alexandrian]

[Blue Zone - Streets - Exploration and Exposition!]

Spec continues ambling on down the streets aimlessly, glancing over her shoulder evey so often to check to see if Trium is still following her.

"Let's see here. Well, my current age is nineteen. My parents have been dead for ten years. I joined the game nine years ago and haven't yet died. I am a top tier assassin. I go by the handle Spec, and I think you're a pretty chill person."

[Lady Serpentine]

[Blue Zone - Streets - Exploration and Exposition!]

Trium will be following each time Spec checks.

"Thanks. You are too. As for me, I'm not sure of my current age, or the condition of my parents. Still not sure what you mean about 'the game', either, but I'm guessing it was some kind of long running free for all. I used to be a ruler, but at the moment, I'm just someone walking down the street. You can call me Kiatili, or Trium, whichever you prefer."

After a moment, she connects 'nineteen' to 'joined the game nine years ago', and pauses for a second, looking rather startled.

"Wait - they let you join something like that at ten?"

[Gullara]

[Bast's Animal Shelter]

After being away for a while, Arel arrives back here. She immediately goes looking for Reinholdt. Perhaps she finds that note I think he left.

[Market Street]

"I think one of your snakes is hungry. You should probably feed him." Mazitch pauses. "So the heart of Hyperion? What do you need that for?"

[The Alexandrian]

[Blue Zone - Streets - Exploration and Exposition!]

Spec begins to chuckle good-naturedly. She finds Kiatili's response to her story absolutely ridiculous (in a good way)!

"I would've gotten involved sooner, but it took way too long for my parents' financial assests to transfer over to my account."

Spec pauses for a moment, devising a method by which to explain "the game" to Kiatili.

"As for the game, it was an everlasting fighting tournament. There was an entry and subscription fee, nothing I couldn't afford, though it wasn't even close to being cheap. The penalty for losing was death. Ascend to the top spot and you win!"

"Of course, there was an entire planet dedicated to the game. That top position is highly-coveted, but one has to hack through a jungle of other players to even progress an inch toward it."

"Now it's my turn to ask you a question. What is it like ruling over other sapient beings?"

[Lady Serpentine]

[Blue Zone - Streets - Exploration and Exposition!]

"I guess being a kid would mean you could fit in places others couldn't... It still seems like it would have put everyone else at quite an advantage, though. How'd you deal with that?"

[Reinholdt]

[Bast's Animal Shelter]

The note pretty much says 'Gone to Mallside to pick up some things. Be back around [time pretty close to here since he's almost done there]'. The note will be where Arel's staying so it shouldn't be hard to find.

[Rebonack]

[Market Street]

"They always say that whether they are or not," Dunastes replies after eying one of the head-snakes menacingly. It would appear that they've finally decided to be quiet!

...

For a little while at least.

"You aren't familiar with the gods at all. That's obvious enough. So you wouldn't know that they have this thing for setting mortals up to complete big heroic quests and then do something terrible to them at the last possible moment."

Pretty much without fail, too.

The jerks.

"The short of it is that I've been given tasks that were probably supposed to get me killed since my Father-in-law wants his son to be the next king instead of me. Retrieving the heart of Hyperion is just the next labor in a long list of increasing impossible tasks."

[Gullara]

[Market Street]

"Hrm, yes. That sounds rather unpleasant. So how are you going to do that now you're in the Angel knows where?"

...

"And since you were thinking you'll probably die anyway, have you ever considered donating your corpse to he progress of science?" Mazitch eyes his head snakes with considerable interest.

[Bast's Animal Shelter]

Ah yes, then it seems Arel be sitting and waiting. Any cats that get near her will receive scritches!

[The Alexandrian]

[Blue Zone - Streets - Exploration and Exposition!]

"Even in my childhood, I was well versed in the fields of chemistry and physics. Size merely makes someone a bigger target for a deadly projectile. Creating explosive ordinance also helps deal with big, bad men and women. Most of the time, the low-ranked 'assassins' didn't know how to react to such a weapon. They just exploded."

That's pretty darn grim stuff you said there, Spec. You chose to join a game where you had to kill people at the age of ten? Sheesh.

[VampireRot]

[Bast's Animal Shelter]

Scritches? Well that's going to attract some felines.

Including Chione! The cat waves her tail and pads over.

"Hello again, angel. Are you settling in well?"

[Lady Serpentine]

[Blue Zone - Streets - Exploration and Exposition!]

Trium grins.

"Makes sense. What sort of things did you use? And what about gas bombs?"

Hardly a normal reaction, of course. But she's rather interested in such things.

[Rebonack]

[Market Street]

Dunates shoulders her spear and sets off down the street away from the heap of ruins. No sense sticking around there, right? He has what she came for. Better to figure out where he is and where she needs to go from here.

"It's rare that the gods make anything other than a task in Tartarus impossible. So I suspect that getting tossed to wherever here is just made my labor more difficult rather than totally out of reach," Dunates explains. "So first I figure out where I am. Then I find a temple of Nyx so I can get an oracle. Then I hunt down the Heart of Hyperion."

A rather venomous look is given to the scientist when the donation of bodies is mentioned.

"You don't desecrate the dead. Otherwise they wander the underworld crippled."

[Gullara]

[Bast's Animal Shelter]

"Hello Chione. Yes I am." Arel pauses uncertainly. "I may not be staying for much longer, however. I don't want to be a bother for you. I would still love to visit, though, if that's alright."

[Market Street]

"I don't desecrate them. Of course not." Mazitch says as he hurries to keep up. "I improve them. Give them purpose. If I were to die I would be honored to serve the living."

[VampireRot]

[Bast's Animal Shelter]

"You're not a bother. This shelter is no longer for just cats: Bast is a mother to all."

Chione nods. Then looks a bit sly.

"What do you think of Reinholdt? He quite enjoys your company, you know."

She's still being a nosy little cat.

[Rebonack]

[Market Street ==> Somewhere!]

"Well that's just great for you," the half-gorgon replies. This guy is obviously of a fool of some kind. No one in their right mind would allow someone to turn their body into a walking skeleton.

One needs to have their body burned with a pair of coins on the eyes to pay the boatman.

This is just common knowledge!

Everyone knows it.

"When I die I plan on dying with honor and dignity. Secure a place in the Fields of the Blessed. And hopefully I'll be rid of this obnoxious curse."

"We're not obnoxious!" one of the head-snakes objects.

[Gullara]

[Bast's Animal Shelter]

"He does?" Arel asks, perhaps a bit too eagerly. She pushes a lock of hair behind her ear, blushing furiously. "Um, he's very kind. I'm glad he was the one to find me."

[Somewhere!]

Walking skeleton! My word know. That's the work of a crude and lowly ghoulcaller! No no, he's much more civilized. >.> He hopes he's around to collect when Dunates dies.

"Oh, a curse? Are you a werewolf then? I've never talked to a werewolf. Well, I have, but he seemed put off when I was pondering out loud how I might be able freeze him in wolf form when he dies."

[VampireRot]

[Bast's Animal Shelter]

Chione twitches her whiskers in amusement and satisfaction.

"Oh yes, very much."

The cat's gaze slides away from Arel, as if the conversation wasn't extremely interesting or important.

"You should be, he is a great man. It was quite fortunate that you two met."

[The Alexandrian]

[Blue Zone - Streets - Exploration and Exposition!]

"Cleaners were what I generally was able to procure and safely work with. Hygiene stuff and cooking supplies worked just as well in most cases. Gas bombs didn't work out so well. They took too long to take effect. By the time the poisonous gas had kicked in, the fight would have been over; I would have been dead."

[Rebonack]

[Totally Going Somewhere!]

As Dunastes passes a booth selling jewelry the merchant seems to be at a bit of a loss. Normally he would try to get any woman walking past to buy some sparkly baubles from him. But he honestly can't tell what gender the half-gorgon is and so he just kind of sputters awkwardly and holds up a nice necklance instead.

Dunastes ignores him.

"Do I look like a wolf to you?" he inquires incredulously. And then grabs one of the head-snakes-

"Oh no! I've been caught! Tell my wife I love her!"

"I have snakes growing out of my head. I have weird wings. I've got bronze claws growing out of my feet. Do any of these things strike you as normal?" she sounds somewhat irritated! "I managed to upset Athena by beating her at a game of tactics. So of course she turned me into a monster. She was disguised at the time, too! I didn't even know who she was!"

Stupid spiteful goddesses.

[OrchestraHc]

The world will keep spinning for as long as it pleases and there's nothing Justin can do to make it stop!

Once the taxi skids to a halt a trio of burly thugs tromp forward, armed with a variety of various face-smashing blunt objects. There's a good chance they aren't planning on saying hello politely.

Justin, however, does plan on saying hello politely.

After a moment to collect himself, he points his laser rifle out an open window. "Hello," he says politely, as he shoots at the approaching thugs, ducking if he notices the cyclops taking any more shots.