[Nexus] Random Places and Plots 8: Adventures! Thrills! Groceries!

[Recaiden]

"Thanks!"
Lyrina might feel a nostalgic happiness when she pets the cat. Each of Leah's darkness creations is charged with a specific feeling.
The dark kitty nuzzles against Lyrina's hand.

[Arkhosia]

"Thanks!"
Lyrina might feel a nostalgic happiness when she pets the cat. Each of Leah's darkness creations is charged with a specific feeling.
The dark kitty nuzzles against Lyrina's hand.

The cat gets moar pets!
Nice addition you added.

As they talk, a hardlight hippo and a mechanical, lifelike dove appear in the realm and wander.
Trees and rocks and snow and rain randomly appears, what does is godmoddable.

[Recaiden]

Meow!
"Yeah, it just sort of came to me like that."
The rain and snow pass through Leah like she's not there, and the girl looks around in wonderment.
"You made all of these the same way?"

[Arkhosia]

Meow!
"Yeah, it just sort of came to me like that."
The rain and snow pass through Leah like she's not there, and the girl looks around in wonderment.
"You made all of these the same way?"

Yep! Well, not the clouds and trees and stuff. Those just randomly appear and disappear. Goddess of chaos, after all. The wolves and doves that inherit my domain, yes.

[Zefir]

Ruined Temple

The god might see that Hope is about as closely bound to nature as can be without being a druid or a fae. She's the servant of Kuori, a god of hunters. Everything on her is something hand-made of natural materials. The most high tech thing she carries is a belt knife.

The machine god has very little power here.

Ruined Temple

Nop, unless there is anything blocking/preventing his power you are wrong. Also he wouldn't atack either. He would only defend himself if needed, but never attack. Still the machine god seems to watch the hunter, maybe for his own intressed.

[happyturtle]

Ruined Temple

How could he have power over Hope? She has no machines for the god to control.

He can watch Hope, but nothing happens. She doesn't have her conversation with Aequitus until the gods are gone.

[UncleWolf]

Ruined Temple- Later

Aequitus listens to the story with a small smile, passing the cider back to her every so often when she needs to wet her lips, and at the end his smile is still there. He doesn't turn towards her, instead still looking at the stars still. "I am glad you and your mate found one another. There seem to be few instances of true happiness, but I admit that that is one of them. It brings me hope for myself, and I thank you for that."

[Recaiden]

Yep! Well, not the clouds and trees and stuff. Those just randomly appear and disappear. Goddess of chaos, after all. The wolves and doves that inherit my domain, yes.

"The dove looks like a machine; a real complex wind-up toy. Is it?"
Leah sets herself to shaping a dove out of darkness. This one is Excitement. Lyrina's creations area bit different, right? Made out of solid light and having color and detail.
"How real are they, the wolves?"

[Zefir]

Ruined Temple

How could he have power over Hope? She has no machines for the god to control.

He can watch Hope, but nothing happens. She doesn't have her conversation with Aequitus until the gods are gone.

Ruined Temple

I never mention any power over Hope or did I use anything on her. I'm not sure how you cam t that clue. DM is just controlling the robot and watching her nothing more. And DM will watch through hsi robot the whole time until they go, she may think he is gone since the robot won't move after a while.

[happyturtle]

Ruined Temple - Later

I said the god of machines had no power over Hope, and you told me I was wrong. But it doesn't matter, if the god isn't going to try and do anything.

Hope will keep vigil with Aequitus, sharing stories with him as long as he chooses.

[Arkhosia]

"The dove looks like a machine; a real complex wind-up toy. Is it?"
Leah sets herself to shaping a dove out of darkness. This one is Excitement. Lyrina's creations area bit different, right? Made out of solid light and having color and detail.
"How real are they, the wolves?"

Yep! I didn't make it, obviously.
The wolves are similar to constructs. They don't have to eat or breathe or sleep. They do have personalities, feelings, and intelligence. They're kinda like warforged.

[Beans]

Riki zip-zops off the wall and out of the fire's path. How rude; her little stone shield is starting to scorch and melt. She zoobity-zooms over towards the Queen and tries to bop her with an extended chameleon-like tongue.

[House of Bill Cosby Noises]
Kusu replies by trying to grab the tongue; should she succeed, she'll try to yank Riki toward her and kick her in her lizardy face.

[Recaiden]

Yep! I didn't make it, obviously.
The wolves are similar to constructs. They don't have to eat or breathe or sleep. They do have personalities, feelings, and intelligence. They're kinda like warforged.

That's so much responsibility. Creating an intelligent robo-animal-form like that. Leah doesn't seem to mind it though.
"Haven't heard of warforged, but okay. I'll look them up. May I see it?" She's looking up at the dove, here.

[House of Bill Cosby Noises]
Kusu replies by trying to grab the tongue; should she succeed, she'll try to yank Riki toward her and kick her in her lizardy face.

Grabbity-yank. An expression of surprise crosses the lizard's ridiculous grab-tongued face, and the expression is wiped away by a punch. Ow. She spends a while disoriented from the pain, but if Kusu is slow or melodramatic enough, will turn into a large crocodilian thing and endeavour to chomp down on the tongue-grabbing hand.

[Beans]

Grabbity-yank. An expression of surprise crosses the lizard's ridiculous grab-tongued face, and the expression is wiped away by a punch. Ow. She spends a while disoriented from the pain, but if Kusu is slow or melodramatic enough, will turn into a large crocodilian thing and endeavour to chomp down on the tongue-grabbing hand.

[House of Petals]
She manages to be smart right now, letting go of the tongue and trying to hit Riki again.

Seiner struggles to stand, a barely-conscious Bishop trying to lend some small aid.

[Recaiden]

[House of Petals]
She manages to be smart right now, letting go of the tongue and trying to hit Riki again.

Seiner struggles to stand, a barely-conscious Bishop trying to lend some small aid.

Riki manages to slip and wriggle out of the way of the hit, and steps around Kusu. Laughing.

Meanwhile, an invisiwoozle is trying to help Seiner to her feet.

[Arkhosia]

That's so much responsibility. Creating an intelligent robo-animal-form like that. Leah doesn't seem to mind it though.
"Haven't heard of warforged, but okay. I'll look them up. May I see it?" She's looking up at the dove, here.



Grabbity-yank. An expression of surprise crosses the lizard's ridiculous grab-tongued face, and the expression is wiped away by a punch. Ow. She spends a while disoriented from the pain, but if Kusu is slow or melodramatic enough, will turn into a large crocodilian thing and endeavour to chomp down on the tongue-grabbing hand.

Hence why they're as smart as an average dog.
Sure!
The dove flies over and lands on Leah's shoulder

[Beans]

Riki manages to slip and wriggle out of the way of the hit, and steps around Kusu. Laughing.

Meanwhile, an invisiwoozle is trying to help Seiner to her feet.

[House of Petals]
Kusu's foot hits the floor... and out of it, all around her, vinespears burst from the stone.

Seiner is sort of helped, but it sure is taking a while.

[Recaiden]

[Domain of Twilight]

Leah turns to look at the dove. Is it really just a machine? Does it have a heart and mind? She idly wonders how long she would have to work at just learning how to make something like that.

[House of Petals]

Riki springs up into the air, scales falling away to reveal a slithering draconic form, all red and orange and having less of a cross-sectional area but still getting stabbed through with a vinespear and careening wildly about the hall.

Well, you really can't rush a proper rescue.

[Gullara]

"Oh, good. No fresh material for Dipsnig to go chatting with the press about, then." Magtok seems sufficiently convinced for now, and lets his shoulders drop as he puts on a fake smile and pretends he was joking all along.

[Movie Madness]

"He'll have to try hard if he wants to find any of there." Harry laughs and claps Magtok on the back with force that is still surprising from one so small. "Alright, Sakura, why don't you get to costumes with Cindy so we can get your measurements."

"Alright. It was nice meeting you, Magtok. I'll see you later." The dryad gives Magtok a smile and a nod and heads off toward the woman she'd been talking to earlier.

"Okay, now where was that scri-" And just int he nick of time, the young man from earlier puts the script into Harry's hand. "Oh, thank you. Right then, the script. Can't have you going into this blind, now can we? So basically, it starts..." And the rest will be given off screen, so as to not spoiler it for anyone following this scene.

[Lord Magtok]

Movie Madness

Magtok nods. Okay, so it doesn't seem to be a porno, thank goodness. That's most of his fears alleviated. I mean, unless there's a hell of a lot of stunt doubles and extra scenes involved that they're not telling him about, but even then, that sounds pretty unlikely. Looks like he won't have to burn this whole place down after all.

"So...Lady Belladonna is Sakura, then? And in the second act she...wow, that's a pretty dramatic entrance. Doesn't look like I'm in that scene, either. Can I watch that part?"

It's obviously just pretend villainy, but one so focused on the art of proper nefariousness as Magtok couldn't possibly pass up an opportunity like that. I dunno, I'd keep him away, though. Don't want him criticizing every little thing Sakura does wrong and trying to force the crew to run through the scene a million times until it's more dramatic and nefarious than a real, entirely non-fictional Lady Belladonna would be.

[Gullara]

[Movie Madness]

"Of course, of course! I'm glad you approve. The writers really have outdone themselves, don't you think?" Harry says. He's very pleased by how this is all going. He gestures for Maggy to follow him again and he starts walking at the rapid pace of his again. "With that done, we just have some details to go over, papers to sign. We'll need you over in costumes too sometime before you leave." Harry goes on about a number of other details as they walk. The rest of this scene can probably drift off screen as they handle the little stuff, however.

[Ashen Lilies]

[The First Circle of Hell -> The Clockwork Fortress]

The imps will escort Decker from General Ethuriel's study to the airship hangers, leading her through a twisting maze of corridors and several flights of stairs. From the number of turns they take, Decker may get the feeling that they are taking a slightly more complicated route than strictly necessary, walking a wide circle around Castle Ashmedai. Eventually, however, they reach a spire that opens up onto a narrow gantry; a teetering spindle structure that stretches out at a dizzying height into the howling desert winds of the First Circle. At the end of the gantry is an elegant wooden sailing yacht, with sleek lines and broad, white sails. The entire rear of the yacht is taken up by a spinning bronze cage holding a swirling dimensional distortion, which hums slightly as it keeps the yacht airborne.

Two incubi, dressed in slim, elegant robes wait at the ramp up onto the yacht, and if Decker walks on, will escort her into a richly furnished lounge. There is tea, biscuits, and cake. Once Decker is on-board and settled, the yacht will depart, swiftly sailing away from castle and into the skies above the First Circle. Several minutes into the flight, Decker may feel a slight tingling sensation, and if she looks out of the window, she will see that the desert of the First Circle seems oddly faded out, as if seen through a fine sheet of rice paper, and quickly slips away from her vision entirely, like watercolors doused with a bucket, replaced instead with a dark black lake, dotted with jagged islands of red stone. The Second Circle of Hell. And floating above the endless black lake, is Decker's destination. The Clockwork Fortress.

The same dimensional cage technology that powers the yacht Decker is sitting in is clearly in evidence in the fortress, but on a hideously inflated scale. While the vortex to the rear of Decker's yacht could roughly squeeze into a small family living room, the vast engine at the heart of the Clockwork Fortress could comfortably swallow several apartment buildings without needing antacids of any sort. Massive arcs of solid bronze, each the size of a skyscraper, circle around the rolling dimensional vortex, the magically charged metal keeping its boundless infernal energies contained. Suspended around the central cage are twelve vast, gear-shaped rings of successively larger size, all at oblique angles to each other, slowly spinning around the central cage in graceful orbits. At a closer look, Decker will be able to see that each ring is actually a building of some description: balconies, outcroppings, and gantries of every sort emerge from the surface of each ring. Outside the twelve rings, there are six additional structures: six tall, pointed spires which hover over the center at right angles to each other. These spires, oddly enough, do not seem to orbit or even move at all, maintaining strict, cardinal positions from the center of the fortress, as if rooted in place by invisible bars.

As the yacht passes by the outer spires and into the inner revolving mechanism of the fortress, Decker will note an odd, weightless sensation as the yacht slowly rotates in space. Upon fully passing through the threshold between the spires, Decker might notice that the yacht seems to be hanging sideways compared to the Second Circle, the horizon between black lake and reddish sky forming a vertical slash in Decker's vision. However, her sense of perception of 'up' and 'down' will have changed - traveling upwards will bring her to the center of the fortress, towards the spinning bronze cage with its spiraling maelstrom of infernal power, and going downwards will bring her away from the center. The yacht flies upwards, passing through the outer rings of the fortress until it reaches the fifth ring from the top and docks at a jutting gantry.

The two robed incubi will get up and lead Decker back onto the deck of the yacht, extending the ramp out so that she can step out onto the ground. In front of her is the stone wall that marks the side of the massive ring she's standing on. Above, below, to her left, to her right, she'll see windows, balconies, more landings, all jutting out of the side of the ring. Far above her, the dimensional engine burns with a harsh red light, glowing like a second sun. And all around her, the other eleven rings, four smaller, seven larger, all orbiting in oblique paths.

One incubus climbs back up the ramp, pulling it back onto the yacht, which quickly prepares to depart. The other will lead her off the landing and into the ring itself. The corridors inside are long, and richly decorated, with hanging lights and elaborate pillars and hangings. Though the effect is subtle, dampened by the sheer size of the ring, the corridors definitely seem to slope slowly upwards in both directions, taking Decker in a circular path around the ring. The incubus leads her on, much more swiftly and efficiently than the imps at Castle Ashmedai, bringing her through a few side doors and a single wide set of steps before they reach a wide set of solid gold double doors, each door forming half of a massive diabolical sigil. For now, however, the double doors have been flung wide open, allowing Decker a clear view of the room beyond, which the robed incubus will lead Decker into.

Through the double doors is a huge, rectangular hall with high vaulted ceilings. On the walls, the spaces in between each pillar are occupied by giant painted panels, each panel a mural depicting scenes of various lusts, from wild, Boschesque fantasies, to more intimate couplings and concepts. At the foot of each pillar stands a tall, lean figure, exactly three meters tall, swathed entirely in hooded robes of deep crimson. They stand unnaturally still, featureless and weaponless, though it's clear that they are guards of some description.

The floor of the room is bisected by a long red carpet, which leads to a colossal raised dais at the end of hall, constructed from stacked semi-circular terraces which stretch up halfway the height of the hall, with stairs leading up to the top. On either side of the carpet, the hall is littered with rugs and couches and cushions, occupied by scores of undressed or half-dressed people. Most are devils, of course, but there many mortals among them too: humans, elves, and other races, both male and female, but all highly attractive. Some merely lie, either sleeping or simply basking in the beauty and lustful atmosphere of the hall, but most seem too consumed by lust to rest, kissing or groping each other with wild abandon.

The terraces of the dais too, are occupied with rugs and cushions and couches bearing more of the mortal and diabolical courtiers, engulfed in a passion that seems to intensify as they approach the top of the dais. At the top, set against the far wall of the room, is a curling sculpture, carved from stone and gilt and covered with ivory and opal and amethysts to resemble the mouth of a giant, glittering orchid, facing the rest of the room. Flanking the sculpture are two giant, obsidian-skinned devils, each over four meters tall, broad and muscular, wearing only a narrow white cloth that drapes from a cord tied around their waist to brush the floor by their feet. Between them, nestled in the mouth of the orchid itself, is Morgana herself, draped in a sheet of gold cloth and lounging against the cushioned surface of the bottom petal, which serves as her throne.

And on the second terrace down from the top, in an ornate, but otherwise ordinary chair, looking as unhappy as anyone has ever been sitting in the middle of a giant diabolical harem, is Kal. He's slouching sideways in his chair, wearing black trousers and a shirt open to the waist, ignoring the naked elf woman trying to unbutton it with her teeth, or the drow man stubbornly tugging at his boot, and looking upon the endless frolicking and debauchery with an expression of abject boredom.

As Decker reaches the halfway point of the hall Morgana will smile magnanimously, rising from the orchid throne and extending her arms in greeting.
"Welcome, Lady Dekaros." Says Morgana, her voice rich, sultry, and soft, yet somehow carrying down the length of the hall, over the sounds of her court. Though those, thankfully, seem to be dying down, as her attendants cease in their activities to look upon her in rapture, now that she's speaking. "I'm so glad you could visit." She says, beaming.

At the mention of Decker's name, Kal sits up in surprise, accidentally kicking the drow at his boot in the nose through his haste, and staring at Decker with a confused look on his face.

Spoiler

Show

The Clockwork Fortress

[Lady Serpentine]

((*stares at above post* *hides in a corner and wonders why I'm here*))

[Inside - Undeath]

On the streets in the Blue Zone, a girl of perhaps fifteen is looking for... Anyone, really. She could go to Remnant, maybe. But they scare her. And she doesn't even know what's going on. What if it's something that could get them all in trouble?

And, so, she wanders. Determining why she wanders, of course, will probably take talking to her.

[Arkhosia]

((*stares at above post* *hides in a corner and wonders why I'm here*))

[Inside - Undeath]

On the streets in the Blue Zone, a girl of perhaps fifteen is looking for... Anyone, really. She could go to Remnant, maybe. But they scare her. And she doesn't even know what's going on. What if it's something that could get them all in trouble?

And, so, she wanders. Determining why she wanders, of course, will probably take talking to her.

Celica happens to walk by!
Hello miss, is something wrong?

[Lady Serpentine]

Celica happens to walk by!
Hello miss, is something wrong?

The nervous-looking girl nods, glancing around and generally being highly twitchy.
"It's my sister... I dunno what happened to her, she was fine one night and then just... Started to shrivel up the next day, like she'd been starving for weeks... Can you help?"

[Arkhosia]

The nervous-looking girl nods, glancing around and generally being highly twitchy.
"It's my sister... I dunno what happened to her, she was fine one night and then just... Started to shrivel up the next day, like she'd been starving for weeks... Can you help?"

No, but I know who can! Wait a few minutes while I go get her!

Celica darts off, and 5 minutes later, Luxia walks up to her!
My friend said you need help?

[Lady Serpentine]

No, but I know who can! Wait a few minutes while I go get her!

Celica darts off, and 5 minutes later, Luxia walks up to her!
My friend said you need help?

"Yeah... Come on, my house is this way..."

Should the pair follow, she'l lead them to what seems to be a pretty standard modern house; it's in nice shape, fresh paint, even got a garden out front, and a pair of cats are sitting in the window.

Mind, if either of them can sense ambient energy, they'll probably notice something... Off about the place. But it's probably just the worry from the family. After all, nothing bad could be going on here, right?

[Arkhosia]

"Yeah... Come on, my house is this way..."

Should the pair follow, she'l lead them to what seems to be a pretty standard modern house; it's in nice shape, fresh paint, even got a garden out front, and a pair of cats are sitting in the window.

Mind, if either of them can sense ambient energy, they'll probably notice something... Off about the place. But it's probably just the worry from the family. After all, nothing bad could be going on here, right?

Actually, it's only one person: Celica left... at least from the girl's perspective.
May I see your sister?

[Lady Serpentine]

Actually, it's only one person: Celica left... at least from the girl's perspective.
May I see your sister?

"Sure, yeah... Hard to miss her, actually."
The girl nods, and presumably they both step inside; her sister is indeed quite hard to miss, given she's laying on the couch in plain view, highly emaciated, though it's plain everyone's been doing her best to keep her from starving - despite their best efforts, she almost seems to be getting visibly thinner as Luxia watches, and a thin layer of dust covers her.

[Arkhosia]

"Sure, yeah... Hard to miss her, actually."
The girl nods, and presumably they both step inside; her sister is indeed quite hard to miss, given she's laying on the couch in plain view, highly emaciated, though it's plain everyone's been doing her best to keep her from starving - despite their best efforts, she almost seems to be getting visibly thinner as Luxia watches, and a thin layer of dust covers her.

Yeah, definitely something supernatural going on here.
Lucia riles, horrified