[NEXUS] WATCHTOWER 17: Through Cloud, Shadow, Earth, and Flesh.

[Reinholdt]

Courtyard

Jeremy smiles to Stu and slips an arm around Shawna's waist. "Sorry, like I said, she's mine. But I'm sure there's some emotionally vulnerable strippers waiting for you at The Spice Cabinet." Stu might have heard of the place before as a really upscale joint where all the women are so-called "Exotics". None of the more usual races, but plenty of beautiful ones to look at anyway.

Courtyard

Don't be silly.
If Stu's heard of the place, then he's already been thrown out of it and banned forever.

So this one's totally new to him!
"Awww... fine. I only share THE Stu with the ladies anyways. Boy when they get a look at me, they'll want to strip all right." Shawna is forgotten as Stu hurries off in the direction he thinks they should be going.

[Shadowcaller]

[WATCHTOWER Cells]

Garn stares back at her and shakes his fist at the shapeshifter in a vaguely threatening manner. But he doesn't actually reply with words. Either he doesn't understand her, he simply can't reply, or both.

In either case, she doesn't seem to make any progress with the gargoyle.

((She is in a separate cell, yeah. I didn't think I was implying otherwise.))

[Aric Kale]

Courtyard

(I'm assuming it's ok to handwave entering the gate, since Marcus is a watchman)

Marcus stands in the courtyard, glad to be back. It's odd, but the castle feels like home to him, for the short time he's been there. Not only is he pleased to be home, but he just completed his first quest! And if anyone ever responds to his Wall post, maybe he can become even stronger for he next challenge that comes his way.

[5a Violista]

[WATCHTOWER Cells], Third Floor

Harley figures Garn understood her. If he refuses to follow through, that's his own fault for what follows.

Harley raises an eyebrow, expecting him to do something. It becomes clear after two seconds that he isn't. So, she walks towards the bars of the cell, the part facing the corridor and Garn, and leans against them.

She's facing inwards to the cell, so her back is towards Garn. Thirty minutes, I'll give. And so, unless something else happens, she stays in that exact position for the better part of half an hour, looking about the cell, analyzing it. She spends that time, looking for any possible weak point - two, in fact - one that could bring her out and one that could eventually bring her to the other AMENites.

Of course, she has ice, fire, force, acid, and potentially electricity on her side; all of which are really good at destroying stuff. Actually, she's lucky they left her with her scabbard, too. It seems scabbards aren't seen as weapons around here.


WATCHTOWER through the GATE
Edit:
Conrack returns here, too, from the quest.
For those who don't remember him, he's a man who has a wolf's head for a head and is wearing a cape that flutters dramatically in the wind even when inside.

[Shadowcaller]

[WATCHTOWER Cells] Third Floor

Well, in 30 minutes Cessie might be back at the cells for all I know. But Garn certainly won't do or say anything. He just appears to be concerned about guarding the jail cells.

[Reinholdt]

Keep Main Room

Ilpholin returns here, having found no other intruders and not having any other meeting place she was told to go to meet up with Cessie.

Cells

After a little while, Mister Squiggles goes to check on the prisoners, having recently escaped the infirmary and meddrones.

[5a Violista]

Cells

Well, a half an hour has passed. Harley has successfully determined a plan that would break down a wall, using a various combination of elements. It would "just happen" to break the wall connecting to the other prisoners' cell, as well.

However, she can hear the Mr. Squiggles come into the room. Well, she can hear some footsteps. She doesn't know what it is, but there's all those little footsteps coming along.

She would turn around right now and tell the gargoyle that the half-hour grace period is up, but she waits to know what's happening.

Harley is still leaning against the bars, back towards the outside.

[Earl of Purple]

Cells

When he sees the giant spider, Blake screams and rushes towards the back of his cell. Mr. Squiggles probably remembers the boy that showed him his worst fear in a magic mirror, however. Also, Blake doesn't smell like a little boy. Well, he does, but he also smells faintly of the Abyss- a mix of demon, blood and, in this case, chlorine gas. It's very faint, however.

[Reinholdt]

Cells

Mister Squiggles notes Harley but doesn't bother her much. He moves on, skipping unconscious Decker and heading right to Blake's cell and chittering angrily at the screaming boy.

Chitter chitter.
That's right you better be afraid! Mister Squiggles has already thought up some extra special torture interrogation for you. Soon as they all get back from their fighting... well it's chitter chitter for you little boy.

[Shadowcaller]

Cells

Garn remains as vigilant as ever, only turning away from the cell to look at the incoming Mr. Squiggles. The gargoyle is instantly suspicions but thankfully doesn't try to attack the giant spider as he approaches the cell.

He just have his attention diverted away form Harley for a moment which could be potentially helpful if she's planning to escape.

Keep Main Room

((I'll wait for Happy until I post for this scene.))

Courtyard

(I'm assuming it's ok to handwave entering the gate, since Marcus is a watchman)

Marcus stands in the courtyard, glad to be back. It's odd, but the castle feels like home to him, for the short time he's been there. Not only is he pleased to be home, but he just completed his first quest! And if anyone ever responds to his Wall post, maybe he can become even stronger for he next challenge that comes his way.

Courtyard - Some other Time

At a time when Watch isn't being invaded by a number of AMEN members Cessie can be seen wandering along the inside of the wall taking some notes for something. She doesn't seem to pay attention to Marcus at the moment.

[happyturtle]

Keep Main Room

Ilpholin returns here, having found no other intruders and not having any other meeting place she was told to go to meet up with Cessie.

And Darcy is with her. Probably thinking about puppies. Oh wait, that's HT.

[Shadowcaller]

Keep Main Room

They can see Cessie hurrying out of the jail cells. She stops however as she see them. "There is something going at the courtyard, so I'm going to take a look. I managed to catch one more AMENite who claimed to be their new leader though, what about you?" She appears rather stressed at the moment.

[Reinholdt]

Keep Main Room

"We searched the whole keep and didn't find any other intruders." Barring private rooms of course.

[5a Violista]

Cells

Attention successfully diverted! And, this time, Harley didn't even have to try out some elaborate plan.

Over her shoulder, she sees the Gargoyle being distracted. So, now's the time to act. She runs to the back of the cell, and immediately ignites on fire. She smites the wall...heats it up...follows up with extreme amounts of ice...a touch of power here and force there and a little acid starts dissolving that shard of metal...

...and she broke through the wall!

Harley's now in the round Rec Room. She just knocked over a lamp.

She quickly steps into the Rec Room and begins a new transformation, to disguise her. It didn't work last time, but maybe it will this time.

Harley glances along the wall, approximating the location where she saw (who she assumes) is one of the AMENites. Darn it, there's a flat-screen TV attached to a N-Box gaming console in the way. Looks like she'll just have to take that out, along with the wall.


((Question, Earl of Purple: do you want your character to escape the cells now or not? If you do, I'll have Harley break down the wall now. If you prefer to have Blake interrogated or tortured or whatever it is these WATCHINTOW'RS do, then I'll have her miss.))

[Earl of Purple]

Cells

((Blake/Nephrim has their own plans to escape, and they have her Object that s/he desperately wants to reclaim. Besides, Harley didn't recognise Nephrim as Blake and the Fallen Angel isn't going to try risking her cover to let her know. Nephrim's working on the assumption there's magical or technological spying going on.))

[Aric Kale]

Courtyard - Some other Time

At a time when Watch isn't being invaded by a number of AMEN members Cessie can be seen wandering along the inside of the wall taking some notes for something. She doesn't seem to pay attention to Marcus at the moment.

Courtyard of Missed Posts

Marcus walks towards Cessie, marching pace beside her, not speaking unless he interrupts something important. He seems to have large amounts of nervous energy for an experienced, albeit young, campaigner...

[Shadowcaller]

Courtyard - Some other Time

This causes the sorceress to finally pay attention to him. "Ah, Marcus. Is there something I can help you with? I was just taking notes for a new project."

Keep Main Room

"Okay, good. I'm going to investigate the explosion, you can do whatever you feel best." And with those words she's off to do just that.

[Aric Kale]

Courtyard - Some Other Time

Marcus responds eagerly, Yes ma'am, though it can wait if you're busy...
After confirmation that can continue he adds, I've seen all this magic and sorcery since entering this world...and it's caused me to think about my old life, before Rome. My father was the village Shaman. He would pray to the gods and they would give us morale, strength or crops foe the winter. I was wondering if you could somehow "sense" any magical talent in me?

[Shadowcaller]

Courtyard - Some Other Time

Cessie's eyebrow arches. "That's... a complicated question. Technically I'm not supposed to sense "magic" at all as it's different from eldritch which I practice. An amateur might think it's what people here call "magic" is all the same, something supernatural which people can use to control their environment. And while the second part certainly is true to eldritch I would argue the first part as eldritch isn't something supernatural. However, to answer your question, since I have come here I have noticed that my eldritch sense can pick up other types of energies. So it's really a question if you have a type of energy which I can sense." The sorceress explains.

[Aric Kale]

Courtyard - Another Time

Marcus is lost. He does not understand what the sorceress is saying. Not in the least bit...
I'm afraid I don't know what you mean. Magic is still fairly unknown to me If she can sense anything it will be like a muscle in his core. A weak muscle, for it has never been exercised.

[Shadowcaller]

Courtyard - Another Time

The sorceress notices Marucs confused look. "Perhaps... perhaps I was going above your head a bit there. I'll just try to make a read on you and tell you the the results okay?" And here she had been planning to go on about the how eldritch users were born. She found it unlikely Marcus was one though, he was far too old to just discover it now.

She extends her eldritch senses and gets a weak response from the legionnaire. "Now that you mention it, I get a weak reading. You have some untrained potential within you for a form of "magic"."

[Aric Kale]

Courtyard - Another Time

Marcus nods his head solemnly, freezing in place as Cessie "reads him."
His stony expression breaks when she shares the results, though. D'ya realleh think sae? By all thae po'ers, mah Da woul' be sae praoud. Ah, Marcus, your Scottish is showing...
Realizing this, he takes a moment to calm himself, still smiling brightly. Thank ye kindly, ma'am. Now I've got to study th' Ol' Words. He pulls out a notepad of his own and starts writing words in Welsh. Aye, Welsh...

[Shadowcaller]

Courtyard - Another Time

Cessie blinks, that was an strange accent. "Glad to help, just tell me if you need me for anything else." Then she remembers something. "Oh, and congratulations of becoming an official member by the way. I heard about your struggle with that spell caster from Elle, good job."

[Aric Kale]

Courtyard - Another Time

Aye, that it be.
It was a grand quest, and we made allies of the people there. Sadly, we couldn't save those already corrupted.
I thank ye again. It's an honor to be considered a member here, and I hope to do my duty well. He bows, and unless further addressed, turns and walks away. He's still scribbling notes in his little book.

[Darkcomet]

[Arriving]

It's around this point that the Watchtower airship should be showing up. The wounded will be brought to the hospital tower's medical facilities, and the rest will probably just be dropped off normally when it docks.

DC meanwhile makes a beeline for the labs. Can't keep scientists away, apparently. Though...

[Keep Main Room]

...Cessie.

What happened while we were gone? I have multiple combat reports from the drones.

Oh look, more telepathy.

[UncleWolf]

Hospital Tower

(Not for the faint of heart)

Spoiler: Cutter's Treatment- Part 1

Show

There are few things worse than severe burns when it comes to treatment. Aside from the obvious pain the person will suffer, there's a high risk of dehydration and infection.

So Cutter, bearing 3rd degree burns on about 70% of his body, is slid into a sterilized vinyl tube to protect him from infection. Right after, an antiseptic is sprayed over his skin and a pair of remotely controlled IV needles slide up his leg to puncture his inner left thigh, where the damage is the least. One carries saline solutions and the other carries powerful painkillers and anti-biotics.

Of course, that's just the easy part. The hard part will be removing the charred tissue so new can grow in it's place.

One of the medical drones, using an airlock style hatch and those arm length gloves attached to the side of the tube, puts a steel wool brush into the tube and begins to scrape the charred skin away, dutifully ignoring the blood and other fluids that result. Not even halfway through, Cutter awakens and begins to scream in agony (even painkillers can only do so much to something as non-human as he is), probably heard all through the tower, but the drone just activates the restraints and continues on.

And on.

And on.

[Shadowcaller]

[Keep Main Room]

It takes a moment for her to reply. A group of AMENites sneaked inside and opened a portal to kidnap Ilpholin. We managed to capture almost all of them though but some escaped through the portal before I could close it. Ilpholin is safe though and non one else seem to be harmed as far as I know. Though she wasn't sure that was good news for DC considering his attitude towards Ilpholin. They only managed to destroy a few droids but I fear there still might be something here, Jeremy said one of them went underground. How about you? Is everyone alright?

[Darkcomet]

[Keep Main Room]

Understood. Wenomir and the doctor are in bad condition, but no one is dead. Mission was a partial success. Base not destroyed, but attack method proved effective against the entity inhabiting the base. More later, going to be busy. That sounds very calm. In contrast to, waaaaay over elsewhere...


[Lab Tower]

"Why did I think genelocks were a good idea!?"

...

DC will probably get through in a bit.

[Shadowcaller]

[Keep Main Room]

Before you go you should know one of them claimed to be AMEN's new leader. I can't confirm it but she did say her name, Harley Zorzo and called herself "the Obsidian Butterfly". Does that tell you anything? Cessie asks.

[Morty]

[Hospital]

Wenomir is carted away there, and, presumably, stabilized. It seems that apart from the blood loss, he's running a very bad fever due to his wounds being infected with the canid oil, tree sap and dust and swelling. He appears to be mumbling in his sleep.

His clothes are soaked with the canid oil, of course. It's probably best to just burn them.