[Nexus] Outside XXX

[orb_of_blood]

[Underdark]

Tyalla's too shocked to even scream. "Oh... oh, Andaress..." She looks like she's gonna be sick!

That's 'standard' procedure!

How ridiculous! How does anything get done if people kill themselves for asking questions of intruders? Why didn't he try talking first if he knew that would be the penalty? Why would he even remind her such a penalty was in place?

...She'd met one drowess in her entire life before the Nexus. Said drowess didn't mention any of this! Killing for assaulting a female. The Houses. Driders. Torture.

Torture?

Elkandar!

She'll repent to Andaress later, right now she has more pressing matters. She slips behind a house to be unseen, and morphs the one creature that may be able to go unnoticed in that house.

A spider.

And then, feeling the weight of such a difficult morph, she crawls towards and into the house.

[Asha'man]

Boletaria- Courtyard

Moving much faster than he was before, One easily sidesteps the downwards strike and leaps away from Miralda before he gets caught in the second, circular attack. That doesn't leave him much time to close to melee again and attack when Red grabs her though, so instead he grabs his assault rifle and fires a three round burst at the axe-crazy fiend.

With a little help from his brother Alpha's back on his feet now. He's lost blood and plenty of it, but one of those healing herbs they found heals up the wound well enough for him to fight. First and Alpha advance upon Miralda, but they won't be back in the fray till next round.

((Technically Red turned into a cannonball, hit her in the stomach thus stunning her then bouncing off.))

Miralda is hit by bullets and a shot nailed her on the forehead, another in the heart, last in the arm. Even with soul arts, Miralda was not a complete monster, Getting shot in the brain and heart will KILL you. She drops on her knees and wails.

"Traitors to the King..... fools.... you will die...."

She falls on her face and dies, her body disappears leaving the executioner's garb and ax.

"You guys mind if I absorb Miralda's ax?"

[Halae]

[An Unassuming Ranch]

Not a week ago a ranch popped in from another world here. It covers a good amount of land, stretching several acres of land where cows and sheep roam. There's a few horses near the main house, but they obviously aren't the main focus of the place. A barn near the farmhouse is full of goats, one of which has escaped and is sticking close to her owner.

Speaking of her owner, there's a woman in her mid twenties living here. she inherited the farm from her grandfather, having grown up here, and quite frankly. She's a tan skinned woman, possibly from the sun, with green eyes and reddish brown hair. she wears a cowboy hat on her head, a light blue blouse, and a sturdy pair of jeans over sturdy runners - her boots are back at the house after all, since she doesn't plan on doing too much today. all the animals are fed for now, none of them need much maintenance because of the time of year it is... or was in her homeworld. Just a few simple chores to manage, which she'd already finished by now, and wondering when the horse would be ready to have her foal.

But of course, that goat's been following her around all day. It's that special goat, isn't it? Crap, something's come up, hasn't it?

[Rebonack]

[Dark forest]

Wow, a gun!
Cat will raise her hands. '' No worries I won't hurt you.''

She moves back a bit, Freddie's defence of her making her blush a bit.
'' Was just hunting evil creatures...''

[The road]

'' We're not two ordinairy people, though...''

And then the cry for help! Cat will shift enough so she can smell out where the call comes from.'

The call is coming from downwind! Cat is unable to smell the source! Though it should be easy enough to follow the sound.

"Come on!" Freddie calls out before hurrying off into the absurdly tall grass.

[Unassuming Ranch]

Yes.

It is in fact the special goat. The goat that had been sanctified a few solstices ago. That very special goat to whom the blessing of the fertility god is bestowed through. That goat that can not be killed for meat or skin, that can not sheared for wool, and that certainly can't be punished for getting into the tomatoes time and again.

Yes.

That goat.

The animal attempts to head-butt the rancher from behind.

[ThirdEmperor]

Boletaria

"Go ahead." That thing looks useless as a weapon anyway. Too large a blade and too short a grip for good balance. The executioner's suit is similarly no use to them and will be ignored, although One will go and check the room Miralda burst out of to see if there's any loot back there.

"So, who was that?" Other than saying she was an executioner of some sort, Red's been pretty tight-lipped about what's actually going on around here. Rather starting to get on Alpha's nerves.

[UncleWolf]

Edge Of The Dark Forest

"Stop moving and talking." Edda growls at Freddie as she keeps her gun trained on Cat as she continues backing away towards the "safety" of the forest once more as her melting down mind races. Demons? Curses? Evil shadows that were being hunted? She had to be in Hell. It was the only explanation. There hadn't been a survivor on Firebrand. This was her punishment for all that violence she committed in life, wasn't it?

The thoughts dig deep into her, making her nearly snarl in anger as she keeps moving back.

[Asha'man]

[Boletaria: Courtyard]

Red absorbs the weapon into himself.
"Before I answer your question, let me show you a trick I learned."

Red transforms into the weapon he just absorbed.
"Pick me up! you'll be surprised!"
Whoever picks him up will feel that the weapon is weightless but attacks with the same amount of damage.

[Halae]

[Unassuming Ranch]

As the rancher, who we shall name Fern at this point, is butted in the rear, she'll be knocked over, losing her grip on the water pump she was working, instead falling over, scraping her hands on the rocks.

As she stands up she glares at the goat, rubbing her hands on her pants as they hurt, "Alright, what the hell was that for?"

[happyturtle]

Edge of the Dark Forest

With just a quick glance over his shoulder, Kell can see that she's trying to escape, and he understands completely. It was exactly the way he felt when he was in the City. He stands straighter, and suddenly seems more mature and authoritative than he ever has before and looks at Kat and Freddy with steely eyes.

"Do as the lady says. Mori, go with her."

Mori, who was already staying close to the Ensign, obeys, giving a low growl towards the people who are upsetting his hoomans as they try to return into the woods.

[orb_of_blood]

[Gnoll camp]

There's a wave of muttering, and only one audible sentence among them, “let the slaves go? Free? What? Why?”

More questions!

Sleet supports Kale as much as she's capable, and leads him away from all that. She hadn't heard of any medical facilities in the Nexus, and even if she had been here long enough to know one, she hadn't any way to get him there. He really looked like he needed immediate healing. And rest.

Luckily there's an inn nearby!

No really, I'm not even conveniently placing it there for the characters in need. They had been fighting only a little ways away from Trog's Tavern, remember?

And so they return, much worse for the wear. Maybe not the best place, but anywhere with a bed, where Sleet can use her remaining magic to lessen the pain.

As they're leaving, though, AM4 finds her. “Goodness darling, I know little that can help you there. Go get repairs, don't worry yourself further... and thank-you. There's little I can do to repay you, I'm sorry.”

She gives the white gnoll, still standing next to AM4, a scowl before continuing on her way, and he returns a warped hyenid smile and lies down in the snow.

And Marty... well, none of my characters know where he is. So he'd just be left there then. Yikes!

[Hattish Thing]

Marty

The poor man can only lay in the snow, his disfigured and bloody body scrambling to produce heat to survive. Kale might see him out the corner of his eye, or not. Marty's purple rifle sticks out of the snow next to him though, and might be seen much easier against the white snow.

[ThirdEmperor]

Leaving the Gnoll Encampment

Vaguely recognizing that he's being led away from the warcamp Kale struggles to follow along as best he can, although no doubt Sleet will be left carrying most of his weight. Good then that the elf doesn't precisely weigh too much.

Most of what passes around him has faded but a confused blur of meaningless words and unintelligible shapes, his state of mind closer to dream-walking than conscious perception. But there are still colors, however dull. A glint of purple amidst the reddish snow, clutched in the hands of a wounded warrior.

"Marty?"

Turning to the nearest gnoll, likely the white-pelted one Kale points out the half-elf lying in the snow. "Get 'im... Bring him along..." The poor, crazy fool seems nearly as bad off as Kale himself. Unless anything else stands in their way though, the elven miner should be able to just make it to the tavern with Sleet's help.

Boletaria

Well, ain't that handy. Red can go all Megatron on his foes! It can only be hoped that he finds someone a little more trust-worthy than Starscream to lug his weapon-form around...

Wordlessly, Alpha attempts to take hold of Axe!Red and swing him at the nearest wall full force to see how much of a dent it will put in the stone. The weightless nature of the weapon is a nice trick and all but unless Axe!Red is much stronger than a normal axe it seems a rather impractical talent.

Meanwhile, One's still poking around that room Miralda came from...

[Asha'man]

[Boletaria: Disposal room]

One, if he is not used to the smell of a hundred bodies rotting along with a sewer smell, will probably gag at the smell of the place. At the end of the room One will find a corpse with armor that's not yet rusted. The armor is called Brushwood Armor. It gives more protection than the fluted knight set but slightly heavier however it is weak to fire. It will be up to One if he can find out the armor's properties that I just said.

[Boletaria: Courtyard]

Part of where Red was smacked on had part of it crushed and some of the dust combustion happened.

Well since I'm as hard as the hammer-like ax I didn't feel pain from that, I can even add elemental properties to the weapon. Smacking me was uncalled for though. Just like the time you guys shot me just to test my armor.

If Red had a face right mow it would be like this....
"Anyway, you wanted to know about Miralda right?"

[ThirdEmperor]

Boletaria- Disposal Room

Wow. That's quite a body count. The sort One would quite literally kill to rack up himself. He even feels a slight twinge of admiration for Miralda, although it's tempered somewhat by the fact he just witnessed and even instigated her dying like a punk to a few measly bullets.

But as breath-taking as the spectacle, the tribute to what surely must have been a hundred glorious battles piled high... Well, it gets a little less impressive when you have to actually smell the results of a hundred "glorious" battles and realize that it isn't the sight making it hard to breath.

Covering his nose and trying not to wretch at the horrid fumes, One turns and heads back towards the courtyard posthaste. Doesn't matter if that's the best armor in the world up there, he isn't clambering over a mountain of rotting flesh to get at it.

Boletaria- Courtyard

"How else was I supposed to test you?" Seeing as all the bodies they could have used as dummies disappeared and all. Still, Alpha doesn't particularly want to be holding onto an angry axe that could burst into fire at any moment, so he'll set Red down again.

"Might come in handy. I guess." Is the final verdict, albeit grudging. As much as Alpha hates to admit it Red has shown himself to be an exceedingly capable combatant.

"Seeing as psycho-lady's already dead an all, I think it would be better to talk about whoever she was working for. Or what the hell's going on around here?" What with the souls flowing into them whenever they kill something and so forth.

[Asha'man]

[Boletaria: Courtyard]

"Do you want a gigantic info-dump or do you just want to know the big fish of Boletaria?"

Red asks as he returns to his child-form with monolith armor, spear and bulwark.
The souls from Miralda give them 1500 souls each. Red picks up the Executioner's Soul.

[Eadin]

[Above the sea]

"Tame one of those? You have to be mad to do so."
The hydriad turns her eyes back to the water, growing a bit tired.
Fighting monsters tends to do that.

Edge of the Dark Forest

That's not nice.
Cat will lower her arms, giving both Kell and Edda a dirty look.

"Silly human, if I wanted to you would be dead already."
That sounds very hostile. Cat's pretty pissed, all she did was run around chasing bad critters. It hurts Cat's sensitive feelings.


"Have fun with the nutcase, Fred." She says, jumping into the air and shifting.She'll fly away pretty fast unless stopped.

[The Road]

Well, if Freddie knows the way, Cat will run after him!
She'll be careful, though. There are pokemon in the tall grass, after all.

[Rebonack]

[Edge of the Dark Forest]

Freddie looks like he's about to thwack Cat for being so rude, but then she goes and flies off! Seems he'll have to talk to her about that later...

Aaand then they people begin back up into the woods again.

...and the dog is growling.

Scary dog...

The priestly looking fellow just continues to hold up his hands where they can be seen easily without saying anything further. He'll allow Kell and mental-breakdown lady to shuffle off into the forest again.

[(off) The Road]

Oh come on.

That's absurd. This area isn't pokemon themed at all. Why would there be pokemon in the-

"Help!" comes the voice again as our heroes enter a small clearing to find a young boy cowering in fear from a massive stony armored rhinoceros-like creature. Totally a Rhyhorn.

...okay.

Guess there ARE pokemon in the tall grass.

[happyturtle]

Outside the Dark Forest

Kell doesn't go with Mori and the Ensign. He feels he must stand guard to cover her escape. And as Cat makes her threat, Kell feels the spirit of the forest, rising through his feet, and at that moment, he feels a glimpse of the power he is able to wield. If they try to follow her, he can call on the forest and the trees themselves will weave their branches together to prevent pursuit. The animals will rise up in agitation and attack the pursuers, and the bees will swarm and drive them off.

Then it becomes clear that no one is following, and Cat's threat was empty. The power slips out of him, running out his bare feet back into the forest. He no longer looks cold and fearless. He looks like a teenage boy who is out of his depth.

"The lady is grieving, and this land is strange to her," Kell says quietly. "She doesn't talk about it, but I think there were many others in her sky ship who did not live."

[Eadin]

Cat is totally not overreacting!
lady had a gun! Aimed at her! And yet people acted like she is the dangerous one!
It's scary.

Anyway...
[No longer on the road]

Always carry pokéballs with you.
"Wow, what's that?"
Cat hasd never seen one of those before! Also poor boy!
Cat will ready an arrow, aiming it at the .. thing's head.
"Okay, leave the boy alone or I'll shoot!"

[Rebonack]

[Off the Road]

The massive stony animal ignores Cat's warning!

With a ferocious roar it lowers its head and her and charges!

Rawr!

Charging Rhyhorn!

The arrow hits the monster's armored hide and PLINKS! off!

"Look out!" Freddie will yell before aiming to tackle Cat out of the way of the charging beast! Should the tackle work the monster that most certainly wouldn't fit in someone's pocket will go charging past as Freddie lands on top of Cat in a rather compromising position.

[Edge of the Dark Forest]

Freddie...

Winces at the mention of others on the ship perishing. The Huldra doesn't know much about space ships. But he has heard that the crews of sea-ships get quite close due to the span of the voyages. It would be like losing one's family. And then to end up in a place as alien as the Nexus?

"I... understand the feeling," grief is an emotion Fredrick is acquainted with. "And I apologize for Catherine's behavior. She's... a bit sensitive about negative reactions to her appearance."

Also people waving weapons at her.

[happyturtle]

Edge of the Forest

Kell has no idea that what she had in her hand was a weapon. He's been in the wilderness mostly since single short visit to the city. He figures it was some sort of protective talisman or holy symbol, and that she was trying to ward them off with it.

"She's frightened and I don't know how to help.

I hope Mori knows."

She probably does. Dogs are pretty good for that sort of thing.

[Mina Kobold]

[Gnoll Camp]

AM4's reaction to Sleet's reply is one of silent shock. Despite the lack of mouth, nose or facial muscles, the robot's face clearly radiates surprise. Seemingly stunned by the response, AM4 does not reply until Sleet is almost out of earshot.

"...Gratitude?"

The glow of AM4's eyes and heart turn quite pleasant and calm for a short time, before the automaton's arm jerk to its chest in pain.

"Gah! Urgh- Angelus Ministrae Obey. Seek repairs"

Straightening its back, AM4 turns to the white Gnoll. All emotion gone from the machination's voice.

"Where is the nearest Manufacturer?"

[Eadin]

[Off the Road]
Ack!
It was worth a try.
Cat gets tackled to the ground!

And. Yeah.
Awkward!
Cat will blush a bit, before regaining her senses and pushes Freddie away.
There's a beastie attacking them!
A bolt of lightning will be sent it's way, see if it does anything!

[Rebonack]

[Edge of the Dark Forest]

Dogs help by poking people with their noses and being dogs. People generally like petting dogs!

"I'm not really sure if she can be helped," Fredrick replies. "At least when I first came to the Nexus I had my family with me. It made the transition a little easier to endure. But... from those that I've met? I think everyone needs to come to terms with this place on their own."

A beat.

"Do... you know if the crew of her ship crashed here too? If they're dead they at least deserve a proper rite of burial. It would probably help with her mourning."

[Off the Road]

Freddie is shoved off just as the Rhydon turns around! The monster snorts and paws at the ground before charging again!

Lightning bolt!

It has no effect...

Ground-type pokemon and all.

Wuh oh! Here it comes!

Freddie hops back to his feet as his four tails fan out behind him as a wisp envelopes his fist! When the monster gets close he hauls back and-!

WHAM!

Slams a punch into the top of its head, driving its nose into the dirt and causing it to carve a furrow in the earth as it shoves Freddie backwards! Well. At least he slowed it down.

[Unassuming Ranch]

"Eh-eh-eh!" the goat bleats.

Much as goats often do.

It IS a goat thing, after all.

"Eh-eh-eh! Ih~ih~ih~! Iä! Iä! Iä! Shub~Neggurath!"

Okay.

That's a lot less normal.

The goat then reaches his neck back to scratch his butt with a horn. Which is a much more normal thing for goats to do.

[Halae]

[Unassuming Ranch]

Fern's eyebrows go up a bit, "And just what does she want with me? I've followed everything I was supposed to."

"... Haven't I?" Fern looks at the ground for a moment, trying to figure out if she'd done something wrong.

[Lex-Kat]

{Melody Island Ferry}

Dang, Vincent was really hoping the head would at least have to inhale again. If it took Caroline out from near full, there's no way the massively damaged Vincent's going to survive a fire breath attack. Probably the water resistant armor's fault.

Vincent goes down.

Wrong fire breath. This is the minor version he's been dealing with so far. For the big breath of fire, the squid will inhale.

Sorry for the confusion.

[Rebonack]

[Unassuming Ranch]

"So you have," the goat bleats back once the butt-scratching is completed. "Which is why the All-Mother calls on you. Eh-eh-eh-eh!"

Goat sounds!

"You do not yet know, but you have been taken from your world! By the seething chaotic will of Azathoth you have been flung to another plane. A plane which the All-Mother desires greatly to adopt as her own."

Well!

That sure does sound great, doesn't it?

"And so the All-Mother wishes to use these lands of yours which she has blessed to create a shrine in her image and for her glory."

No doubt nothing terrible could possibly come from this.

[ThirdEmperor]

[Boletaria: Courtyard]

"Do you want a gigantic info-dump or do you just want to know the big fish of Boletaria?"

Red asks as he returns to his child-form with monolith armor, spear and bulwark.
The souls from Miralda give them 1500 souls each. Red picks up the Executioner's Soul.

"Just tell us why enemies keep appearing out of nowhere and vanishing when we kill them." "And about the four creatures we're hunting."

[Halae]

[Unassuming Ranch]

Fern blinks, "Wait, what? What do you mean a plane? Like, another world? That's possible?" Fern picks up some of the straw around and holds it out to the goat.

[Rebonack]

[Unassuming Ranch]

The goat will nibble the hay in a fashion suitable for a totally normal goat.

And will then speak in a fashion not at all normal for a totally normal goat.

"Eh-eh-eh-eh. All that is possible is possible for the will of Azathoth," the goat replies. "This ranch has been transplanted to another world. We are here. And so it is possible."

That seems like pretty sound reasoning.

"Your purpose here will not be without opposition. There are some who harbor only hate toward the All-Mother and her most gracious desire to adopt all life into her eternal embrace. Among them is the daughter of the All-Mother, K'rax-Naggath."

Wuh oh!

"Though K'rax-Naggath slumbers she will do all in her power to ensure that a shrine to the All-Mother is not built."