[Nexus] Reinholdt's Repository

[Morty]

[Mount Butterfield]

Sophie follows and as she does so, she adresses Mikani: So... this is your "magical princess" alternate form? Pretty sure I remember a cartoon with something like that back home.

[Lex-Kat]

{Butterfield Cave}

As the group makes their way further in the cave, they begin to hear the pounding of drums, which gets louder, and louder.

Soon they also begin to hear the sound of goblins chanting, and a dark smoke fouls the air. It has a greasy sweet smell to it.

[The Bushranger]

[Mount Butterfield]

Mikani shrinks back a little at Irene's snap, and looks a bit relieved to have Sophie offering alternate conversation.
"You know, I get that a lot," she says with a slight giggle. "But, yeah, that's pretty much exactly what it is."

She speaks quietly, so as not to tip off any goblins to their whereabouts.

[Reinholdt]

[Mount Butterfield]

Irene motions to halt for a second and turns her flaming sword off, checking to see if there might be any light sources ahead already. Pounding drums usually means a fire to go with.

But mostly it's the smoke.

[Lex-Kat]

[Mount Butterfield]

Irene motions to halt for a second and turns her flaming sword off, checking to see if there might be any light sources ahead already. Pounding drums usually means a fire to go with.

But mostly it's the smoke.

As Irene looks further down the cave, she will notice the shadows on the wall begin to flicker. There is indeed a fire down below. And with it comes heat. everyone will notice that it is actually getting warming, the closer they get.

[Reinholdt]

[Mount Butterfield]

Now that they are no longer quite the monster beacon, Irene goes to float closer carefully until she can actually see something.

[The Bushranger]

[Mount Butterfield]

Mikani looks quite worried! But leans against the cave wall, hugs Pearl, and waits for Irene's scouting report.

[Morty]

[Mount Butterfield]

Sophie follows closely behind Irene, covering her and ready to act if anything comes up.

[Lex-Kat]

{Mount Butterfield}

Sallianne decides to stay back with the children.

Irene and Sophie continue down the cave. They go around a bend, and disappear from Mikani and Sallianne's view.

Around the next corner, the chanting is almost clear. As Irene peaks around the corner, she'll see a large room filled with many female goblins. They are all bowing low to the only male goblin in the room. He bears an uncanny resemblance to the Goblin from the paintings.

He looks over the woman, almost gloating, almost daring them to do something wrong. A nasty looking whip, and the broken spear are in his hands.

Irene's soul is pulling heavily toward him.

[Reinholdt]

{Mount Butterfield}

"We need to stop him. He's got my soul." Ilpholin whispers to Sophie quietly.

[The Bushranger]

Mikani, after a few minutes, has her mental cat (don't ask, just go with the metaphor) slain by her curiosity, and goes to follow Irene and Sophie.

[Morty]

[Mount Butterfield]

Sophie nods. Yes, but how? Harming him might harm your soul as well.

[Reinholdt]

[Mount Butterfield]

"Ah... well... err..."
She hadn't really considered that, admittedly.

[Lex-Kat]

{Mount Butterfield}

Sallianne follows Mikani. I think you should wait, young miss, for the adults to get back.

[The Bushranger]

[Mount Butterfield]

Mikani frowns, and shakes her head.
"I know I'm young, but I can help. The only way I can get better at helping is by helping!" she protests to Sallianne in a whisper.

[Reinholdt]

[Mount Butterfield]

"We might have to take that risk Sophie. We sure can't let this continue, can we?" Irene finally says to Sophie.

[Morty]

[Mount Butterfield]

True. I could try simply shooting him from here. It won't be an easy shot, but it'll be possible. She loathes harming and killing people, but it looks like it's necessary.

[Reinholdt]

[Mount Butterfield]

"Well... but... if he's being controlled somehow... Maybe I can try to yank the soul out of him. I'm reasonably sure I can still go through walls and floors." She's not that solid yet.

"Let's go with shooting as plan B if that doesn't work?"

[Morty]

[Mount Butterfield]

Sophie nods. Alright. Let's try that first. I'll cover you.

[Lex-Kat]

[Mount Butterfield]

Mikani frowns, and shakes her head.
"I know I'm young, but I can help. The only way I can get better at helping is by helping!" she protests to Sallianne in a whisper.

Oh, I know you can help, Miss Mikani. But, when scouting ahead, the general rule is the fewer the better. Sallianne says, flying just behind Mikani.

"Well... but... if he's being controlled somehow... Maybe I can try to yank the soul out of him. I'm reasonably sure I can still go through walls and floors." She's not that solid yet.

"Let's go with shooting as plan B if that doesn't work?"

Sophie nods. Alright. Let's try that first. I'll cover you.

When next the duo looks toward the Goblin, they'll find him glaring back at them, an malevolent grin on his face. He says something in goblinoid, and one of the women in the front row stands up and walks to him.

In the light of the fire, you can see many healed whip marks across her back. She turns to face the others, and bows down before him. The male goblin, still glaring at Irene and Sophie, raises his whip over his head, and begins thrashing her back, spraying those in the front row with her blood.

None of them flinch, not even the girl being whipped. Though you can hear her whimpers as the others have fallen silent.

[Reinholdt]

[Mount Butterfield]

Now that's just too much. Irene practically hisses angrily and charges straight at him, hoping to yank her soul right out of him. If he wasn't possessed, she'd be sending a flaming sword right through his head right now.

[Lex-Kat]

[Mount Butterfield]

Now that's just too much. Irene practically hisses angrily and charges straight at him, hoping to yank her soul right out of him. If he wasn't possessed, she'd be sending a flaming sword right through his head right now.

As Irene gets closer, she feels the pull even more strongly. It's not just directing her toward the lost soul, it's as if her soul is being ripped out of her.

The Goblin grins even wider, saying something in Goblinoid. Does anyone, including Mikani who has just arrived, understand Goblinoid?

[The Bushranger]

[Mount Butterfield]

Mikani would answer Sallianne, but she arrives just as Irene does her best impression of Pickett.

She freezes, just for an instant!

(I figure she does know Goblin in a rudimentary fashion, what with hanging around Reelshka and Brinika and wishing to know her friends' language. )

[Lex-Kat]

{Mount Butterfield}

Roughly translated, the Goblin is saying: Yes! Come to me with your hate!

[Reinholdt]

[Mount Butterfield]

Irene has not studied any languages beyond common. She gets concerned about the tugging, but momentum is kind of in effect here. Sort of. Not sure how it works for ghosts. All the same, she decides to redouble her efforts to slam into the guy and rip the soul out.

I have a suspicion it's going to backfire on her.

[The Bushranger]

[Mount Butterfield]

"Miss Irene! Stop!" Mikani shouts. "Once you travel down the dark path forever shall it dominate your destiny!"

Take the hint, she hopes Irene does.

[Morty]

[Mount Butterfield]

Huh. Jamie is quoting the prophet Yoda? Sophie wasn't expecting it from her.
She's right! He wants you to attack him! She shouts. She can't speak Goblin, but she does have a genre savviness that comes with being a member of the Order of the Cunningham.

[Lex-Kat]

{Mount Butterfield}

The Goblin Master whips his slave two more times, trying to build Irene's rage.

If Irene continues onward toward the Goblin Master, especially with malice or hatred in her heart, the Wrathful Soul fragment will try to rip the two pieces she's just collected out of her, and infuse them within him.

This may not only hurt, but it may weaken her, even momentarily.

The Goblin Master then points toward the back, at Mikani, Sophie, and Sallianne. [goblinoid]Get them!! the entire back row of slaves, six malnourished female goblins, will rise and face their enemies. There eyes are deadened, they serve only their master.

[Reinholdt]

[Mount Butterfield]

Logic is a very nice thing.

It's not always there though. She just can't stand to see anyone do that to another person. It's just... wrong. Doubly so since she knows that's where she came from. Catpeople got whipped to being the perfect slaves. And even if she doesn't remember her conditioning, she remembers what she saw after the memory loss. She has a particular chip on her shoulder when it comes to that.

Still, her will is strong and her friends are right. She slows down, and howls in pain as one of the fragments is ripped out of her all the same. OW. Growling, she retreats. Perhaps this would be better dealt with by those who don't pose a threat just by being involved.

[Lex-Kat]

{Mount Butterfield}

((Which Soul Piece?))

The Goblin Master grins at his success, and tries to grab Irene. But her being a ghost, he most likely grabs nothing, as he isn't where anything to help him touch incorporeal.