Outside 43: Where the sun hurts your eyes and burns your skin

[Gullara]

This place is just as it sounds. It's Outside!
Want a change of scenery? Go Outside.
Always wanted to visit the beach? Come Outside.
Looking to have a climatic fight on clifftops? Attempt Outside.
Secret meetings being held where there's no cameras? Try Outside.
Want an ambush without nasty base defenses? Yep! Outside.

Any and all are welcome in the wild expanses beyond the reach of civilization. Who's going to keep you out? That's right, no one. You're already out!
Here lie vast expanses, dense forests, towering mountains, dizzying canyons, treacherous dungeons, encroaching jungles, roaring waterfalls, endless wastes, blistering deserts, mossy cliffs, illusionary oases, eldritch moors, flowering bosques, infested hills, cyclopean ruins, weed-tangled gardens, crumbling glaciers, peaceful glades, bubbling tar pits, rumbling volcanoes, teetering hoodoos, honeycombed caverns, dripping grottos, inland seas, grassy knolls, overgrown battlefields, creepy boneyards, guano-covered caves, and so much more!
The sky is truly the limit, and sometimes not even that. If you can imagine it, it's here, and something super cool is probably happening there.


Sometimes, amid the varied and fantastic landscapes, there are very specific places. Places created and maintained by one or two people. These often be visited, but don't forget to give their owner a heads up if you want to explore.

Outside contains various Outside locations! Such as...

Spoiler

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Auxiliary MagCave: Magtok
A relic from the days of the Age of Apocalypse, this abandoned cavern was once used by the infamous cyborg Magtok as a back-up laboratory and underground fortress, should Calublufiok have ever stormed the primary MagCave.

Blind Cat's Bluff
A sheer cliff dropoff that travels straight down into the water, this is a favored point of people who commit suicide, romantics wanting to watch the sunset and anyone looking to get rid of evidence. The drop is pretty far and there are rocks at the bottom that spell almost certain doom, so watch your step.

Brillian's Baneful Bestiary
A secret series of caves where a mad scientist lives. A mad scientist who creates mutant attack creatures. These can be purchased for the right price.

Dead Pine Lake: happyturtle
This lake lies in the middle of the forest. On the eastern shore, woodpeckers feast on the dead pines that give the lake its name. Sometimes one can find Lady Death here, the Aspect of Eve also known as The Grandmother, or Jedwiga.

Frozen Forest & Hermitage
A large forest of tall trees and once very pretty flowers lies here. The entire forest has been completely frozen over, and a blizzard constantly storms and snows over the forest, but doesn't affect even an inch past the forest border. The forest is still very pretty; the flowers and mushrooms glittering under a frozen layer. The place is pretty safe, if you're used to constant snow and cold temperatures.

Gersemi's Island: Lex-Kat
Now more commonly known as Melody's Island, since Gersemi has long ago retired. Where once was a single hut with a few sheep, now stands a single hut, a barn, a few sheep, and a small tented community of orphans. Gersemi's loom still rests in one corner of the single hut. Melody, like Gersemi before her, is a healer for the surrounding islands.

Katz Motel
Located in the middle of Nowhere, our roadside motel is the only decent place for miles near the Taverna that has a bed. Run by a suave anthropomorphic cat, there is a strict No Dogs policy. A bellhop by the name of Bates is always ready to assist in carrying your luggage. Please ignore his constant mutterings about his mother. Other more unsavory employees can occasionally be found. Please try to avoid eye contact with them.

We at the Katz Motel wish to ensure you have a splendid stay. Any inconvenience due to randomly locking doors, giant spiders, secret passages, vampires, creepy paintings, and the occasional possession and subsequent exorcism are incredibly rare. Just look at our complaint cards! Not a single one mentions dying horribly in their sleep or becoming food for the monster in the basement.

And if you get bored, the owner will always be up for a game of sport, old boy.

Spoiler: OoC

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((The Katz Motel is a horror filled place with the highest casualty rate of any motel in the Nexus area. Checking in is usually pretty easy and pleasant. Checking out is rare. Anyone can play the Motel and the NPCs within, free to invent their own horror. The NPCs within that can die usually only suffer death temporarily, the supernatural force causing the disturbances bringing them back to life for its own nefarious purposes. PCs get no benefit from this.))

Norosa, Great City of the Elves
A lawful evil city with an incredibly strong military and a very charismatic leader (Archmage Tyrion Lannister). It has a few resisters, but otherwise it is a city of peace and law despite its evil nature.

North Forest
A magical forest with a mythical spring of beauty. A bit like the Weald, but not nearly as dangerous. For starters, you can find your way back out and the pixies aren't cannibals.

Redbrick Falls
A mountainous, cliffy region with a prominent waterfall. A large quarry once was worked in these cliffs. Now, only a few scattered villages and solitary dwellings remain.

Rabbit Hole
The Rabbit Hole is a portal to another world, located in the forest. It looks like an ordinary rabbit hole, minus it being large enough for whoever stumbles upon it to enter. Some say it originated in a different universe, outside the Nexus, others say it shows up in different universes as a result of the Nexus growing.

If found naturally, it will take you to Underside, a world said to lie beneath the Nexus. But sometimes, you'll see a white rabbit in a waistcoat. He looks at the time on his pocket watch, and mutters the phrase "Oh dear! Oh dear! I mustn't be late!" and runs off. No matter how fast you are, you always seem to be just a bit slower than him, which has to make you wonder how he could ever be late for something.

If you follow the rabbit and find The Rabbit Hole, it will take you to Planeside. Where specifically in Planeside depends on who fell through The Rabbit Hole. Either way, you should always survive the fall, even if it seems like you were falling forever. And a warning, it's a one way trip, so if you want to get back, you'll have to do some traveling.

Troll Cave
A cave in a craggy hill. The undergrowth outside is trampled completely flat, and there's not much wildlife. There's a burned patch where a fire is sometimes there. Inside are a few large caves, linked by surprisingly smooth tunnels that look like something big has been regularly pushing through them.

Unnamed Islands
An island cluster forms an archipelago along the coast. Some of the islands are settled, some not, but most are at least occasionally visited by the fishermen who work these waters.

PM the thread maker if you wish to add locations to Outside.

This wide world is empty, except for what you put there. People and places and animals and monsters! You name it. There are a few exceptions, as there always are, but by and large these places are populated with what you put there.

Spoiler: Inhabitants

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• The Creepy Eyed Squirrel - The creepy eyed squirrel does not interfere with anyone. The creepy eyed squirrel is everywhere outside. The creepy eyed squirrel is always watching. The creepy eyed squirrel never sleeps. The creepy eyed squirrel can not be damaged, manipulated, or killed by anyone. The creepy eyed squirrel will eat anyone's very being who attempts to do so. Anyone can god-mode the creepy eyed squirrel. You may pet the creepy eyed squirrel at your own risk.
• The Menacing Crabs - These intimidating creatures are usually found by the shore. Beware their mighty pincers. Beware!
• The Non-Existent Duck - You'll miss every time you shoot at it, and then your dog laughs at you.

And most importantly, enjoy Outside. That's what this is all about.

---

Rules and Guidelines

Spoiler

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There is very little you can't do Outside. However, like always, please follow the forum rules and general rules of conduct. Respect that a scene may be private or that a plot shouldn't be interrupted. When in doubt, ask someone involved in the OoC thread or by PM.

There are many areas Outside, and people can be in multiple places outside. In order to keep areas Outside separated so there's no confusion, consider bolding your outside location at the start of each of your posts, like so:

[An Epic Cliffside Battle]

The creepy eyed squirrel looks on at the raging battle with contempt! Contempt that only a squirrel with particularly creepy eyes can muster.

[The Beach!]

The menacing craps are not only menacing today, but frustrated. Their every attempt to menace the non-existent duck has met with failure. Some might ask why the crabs are trying to menace nothing, but those people would get viciously pinched.

Note the creepy eyed squirrel and the menacing crabs do not interact because they are in different areas Outside. They could interact, if the squirrel moved to the beach. Of course, various things like telepathy help bypass this.

Archive

Spoiler

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Outside 42
Outside 41: Inside Outside, outside Inside
Outside 40: It's all downhill from here
Outside XXXIX
Outside XXXVIII
Outside XXXVII
Outside XXXVI
Outside XXXV
Outside XXXIV
Outside XXXIII
Outside XXXII
Outside XXXI
Outside XXX
Outside XXIX
Outside XXVIII
Outside XXVII
Outside XXVI
Outside XXV
Outside XXIV
Outside XXIII
Outside XXII
Outside XXI
Outside XX
Outside XIX
Outside XVIII
Outside XVII
Outside XVI
Outside 15: There used to be a silly pun here, but it wouldn't fit
Outside XIV: More animals than you can shake a stick at. Yes the PCs.
Outside XIII: Spores of Corruption Dance in the Wind
Outside XII: We number things correctly.
Outside XI: Bugs are Eating the Landscape
Outside X: The Rotting Corpses are starting to Smell
Outside IX: There are Mosquitoes
Outside VIII: We cater birthday parties
Outside VII: Open longer than a 7-11
Outside VI: Now with Locations!
Outside V: More civilized than Inside
Outside IV: The Creepy Eyed Squirrel's Domain
Outside III: Beware the Non-Existant Duck
Outside II: Now with Menacing Crabs
Outside

[ImpSyndrome]

[PASTURE OF GENESIS]
[LUNAR INFLUENCE: Phase 2/8]

Well, on one hand there's atoms which often are known as such, but those are formed from quarks.
The spirit paladin replies, listening intently to him

Coriolis acknowledges this response with a nod. "In most cases, you'd be right...but not this time. See, we - humanity, that is, not me specifically. I'm nowhere near that smart - managed to define something even smaller than atoms and quarks, something so incredibly small that we couldn't even figure out what to call it for a while. Eventually, the only logical term we could come up with was "data". Imagine that: everyone and everything made up of bits and bytes, ones and zeroes, at the absolute most basic level...but the term stuck regardless."

A small smirk crossed his face as he iterated the analogy; as this explanation concludes, this mote of levity dissolves into a much more grim expression.

"So...now that we've got that out of the way, picture this: about twenty years ago my time, something about humanity - no one really knows if it was a specific event that caused it or if He just finally ran out of patience - caused God to snap. In all of His righteous fury, he began to enact a cycle of metempsychosis as an act of divine punishment...Let that sink in for a second; it'll be easier to process if you can picture it in your head..."

((One quick note: HOLY CRAP THAT NEW THREAD SUBTITLE!!! You'll understand why it's worth all caps soon enough...))

[Earl of Purple]

The Tower- First Floor

The stairs go up to a landing, with more steps further upwards. On the landing is more graffiti, with one symbol repeated far more than previously. The symbol is a vertical line within a circle which is in turn inside a triangle.

On the first floor itself are four apartments arranged around the central staircase, which continues upwards. One apartment has a panel wood door, one a reinforced glass door speckled with bullet holes, one a pair of doors that look taken from a wardrobe, and the final one has a steel shutter. Hotaru can see with her scanning that all the apartments are identical in layout, with a main room, a bedroom and a tiny wash-room with a shower, sink and toilet. They're all furnished differently. There's several people on this floor- one lies on the bottom bunk of a three-tiered bunk bed, not moving much, in the wardrobe-door apartment. Two more are in the steel-shutter apartment, standing against a wall. And there's three in the glass door apartment cleaning and maintaining several firearms.

Hotaru cannot see the second floor from here, nor can she see to the ground floor.

[Gullara]

Sophia winces at being referred to as a giant, but only slightly.
I probably left my canteen at camp anyways. never a good error to make when out on the hunt.
Sophia muses, making a mental note of that fact.
Thanks for breaking my fall back there, by the way. What led you here, if you don't mind me asking?
She takes the time to survey Mimi's appearance and form, trying to deduce what purpose lead her to the forest

[Reisen Jaeger]

Mimi is, of course, a tiny six inches. Despite that, she is fairly muscular and armed with a wicked sharp spear. Around her waist is a small section of some animal's hide and covering her top is a striped green and blue tank top.

"Uh, that." Mimi points at the very obvious trail the now dead giants left in their wake. "It was pretty hard to miss. Didn't expect all this though." Few would. It's still a very strange sight.

[The Woods]

Riss shifted slightly under Lilian's gaze. She at least managed to not turn away but it was rather difficult for her to not pick up the insinuations laced in her speech. "I.. Well, I don't hunt with her, no.. I don't mean that I don't want to but.. I mostly make and keep her equipment so that she stays safe.. And maybe give her some incentive to come home in one piece as well." she said. "Or, well, mostly in one piece. I'm usually the one who fixes her up afterwards as well from whenever she gets in over her head." she added, giving Mimi a particular look that said all she needed it to. She had long since given up trying to keep Mimi from going out and doing something... Rash but at least she could content herself with making sure she went out well equipped... That had to count for something at least, right?

Still, she held her tongue on the whole 'soft' part despite fully wanting to display just what was possible with a cyber-synthetic form when pitted against a merely biological body. Sure, she was certainly smart enough to stay quiet but that wasn't quite the same as agreement. Being too boastful might be a bad thing without showing up anything to back it up.. At least, that was what she gathered from knowing Mimi for so long. She was a boisterous one but not to the point that she overstepped the truth.. Too much.

[The Woods]

"Fixing her up afterward. Sounds like my daughter." Lillian laughs. "You're not worrying the poor girl, are you? Mimi was always too reckless." And that's coming from the tribe that calls themselves Bloodfang.

"Moooom, stop it. I'm just hunting. Nothing different."

"Hunting alone, which is very different." Now her voice takes on a scolding tone. That is dangerous. "At least you have someone to look after you, though it'd be better if you came along." She looks at Riss for the last. "But you can't properly get around, so it would probably be impossible anyway."

[Arkhosia]

Sie Sind Die Jaeger

Sophia grins, chuckling slightly.
Sounds like you followed the footsteps of my prey. I hunt down titans before they can ruin lives, you see, and it just so happens I have the power to fight fire with fire, as it fire.
The woman makes a point of drawing a knife and slicing her palm, the wound healing in a short, steam-seeping few seconds.

[PASTURE OF GENESIS]

So, basically, everyone's sorta had all their data switched about and altered? Or was everything pretty much reset?
Akane does not in the least like either concept

[Terumitsu]

[The Woods]

"...Well, not normally but I don't think that would be all that much of a problem." Riss said, her tone implying that it was something that could pass an afternoon if she was otherwise bored. She realized that might sound haughty, true, but this fell into her area of expertise and she felt confident enough that it wasn't as much of a problem as it seemed. Mimi at least could back her up on this simply with that suit she wore, for one.

Still, it wasn't like Mimi had really pushed for her to come along in the first place so the muse had gathered that she was fine on her own for the most part. Plus, even though she cared deeply for her fey, she did like time to herself for her own pursuits and had simply assumed this was similar.

"I'd maybe need some time to get something set up properly but.. Would you mind if I came with you sometimes, Mimi?" she asked, tail gently tightening for a moment as a stand-in for a hug as was typical when the muse was out in public. It was an odd habit to have picked up but to Riss it now felt as natural as breathing.

[ImpSyndrome]

[PASTURE OF GENESIS]
[LUNAR INFLUENCE: Phase 2/8]

[PASTURE OF GENESIS]

So, basically, everyone's sorta had all their data switched about and altered? Or was everything pretty much reset?
Akane does not in the least like either concept

Coriolis stops for a moment to choose his words before responding.

"...Not so much 'reset' as...for lack of a better term, taken away. Things all over the planet, from flowers to skyscrapers, dissolved into raw data - not *everything*, mind you, but quite a lot of things - and God reclaimed that data, absorbing it into Himself, into the sun...When it finally stopped, the sun had turned black and sinister, and that's where the real trouble started. The intense heat surge in the sun burned away any vegetation and vaporized most bodies of water that weren't protected from UV rays. Don't even ask about what it did to humans; that part was even worse...

"Anyway...there's more to the story, but as far as settings go, that's the bare-bones gist of my world," concludes the gunman with a sullen tone. "I'd explain more, but it's pretty heavy stuff...and not all of it is interesting, to be honest with you. Let's just say, the state of things was bad enough to make me look for an out beyond that dimension..."

Just as Coriolis is finishing his sentence, there's another *CRACK* as another energy strike, very similar to the one that carried him into the Nexus, touches down about 50 meters away. The young man appears to know what this means to himself and Akane, because he grits his teeth and groans before drawing his handgun and turning toward the disturbance.

"Either way, it looks like chit-chat is going to have to wait. Looks like someone followed me here, and I doubt they're going to play nice..."

[Cyber Punk]

The Tower- First Floor

Hotaru wonders if this is the symbol of the tower, or if it's the symbol of the present occupants of the tower.

She relays to Phil what she sees. "Six people here." She ponders whether to use a mute charge, she only has a limited supply of the devices, and not enough batteries for repeat usages. "I say we gas 'em. Wear a gas-mask, Phil."

Assuming said men aren't wearing any gas masks, she'll drop a canister of sleeping gas at the centre of the place. Her implanted rebreather should ensure it doesn't affect her.

If any are wearing gas-masks, well, the smoke is rather hard to see through, ensuring they can easily be snuck up on... at least, relatively easily.

[Nalix]

The Tower - First Floor

((Did Phil bring a gas mask? I don't think he would have. If Hotaru has an extra she can toss it to him, otherwise, he'll take the nearest convenient object or debris and cast "gas mask" at it: [a cheerful gas mask for information gathering]))

"Should I follow and support?" signs Phil. "I can stay here and cover the entrances to the other apartments," he offers. He prepares a low-grade charge in his right hand. This shouldn't make any sound, though if he made a gas mask that might have made some sound.

[Earl of Purple]

The Tower- First Floor

Phil now has a gas mask with plastic mouse ears and a stupid grin painted on it. The goggles section automatically translate any text they are pointed at into something Phil can read. Unless he's illiterate, in which case he also finds he can read whilst wearing them.

The body in the bed does not react. The people near the wall notice the smoke coming in and head to a window, smashing it open and using it to ventilate the area. The people maintaining firearms hastily put on their own gasmasks when they see the gas and grab an assault rifle each. One sprays the door with bullets, punching holes in the glass, chipping the surrounding wall and making the area in front of said door an unpleasant place to be. (The glass was reinforced, not bullet-proof; it has chicken wire inside, but no more.) Another shoots out the window, adding ventilation. The third has upended a box of scopes and is looking through them rather quickly.

None were alerted by sound; they noted the gas as it entered, since sudden fog is suspicious.

[Shadowcaller]

Black Grove

Arty shakes his head slowly after retrieving the ember.
"No, I do believe that I told you everything that was important. I'll gladly accompany you." he says, following behind her.

Black Grove

After some preparation the Sejuani and six other guardians set out towards the centaur village. Arty might note that the bird-creature is following them (or perhaps him?) again, flying high above them. Sejnuani frowns as she sees it but doesn't comment it's presence. The other guardians seems uneasy in it's presence however.

They're soon met by the centaur patrol and after a brief exchange they're allowed to met with Nu outside the cave.

The giant slowly emerges from his cave. His eyes squinting as if this was the first time he had seen sunlight in days. Accompanying him are Eve and a armed band of centaurs that seem to act as his body guard.
"Nu, I am here to settle this conflict that has been driving our tribes apart. I will give you what you desire if you answer me a few questions." The guardian states.

Nu nods tiredly and Eve raises her hand to speak. "He accepts."

"Strange things have happened since our last meeting. Dark omens have appeared and dark creatures have been seen
stalking through our now cursed woods." She points upwards. "That creature being one of them. We know you're behind the curse, but are these things your doing?"

The mammothaur looks up, his old eyes squinting even more to see the creature flying above them. He then mumbles something which even Eve appears to have a hard time hearing judging by her expression.

"It reminds me of my dream." Nu then repeats much louder. "An eagle against the sun..."

Sejuani just looks confused at this statement. "What's going on here?"

Eve looks at Nu who now shakes his head. "He doesn't know. Whatever you described, it isn't our work. So please, just hand the essence over so we can put all this behind us."

Sejuani glances at Arty, it seems like she wants his opinion now.

[Demonic Prison Location]

Astrana arrives at one of the locations where a outsider is said to have been imprisoned. She had been promised no field work at the interview but she couldn't pass up on visiting what's supposed to be her area of expertise. In truth she didn't know that much about 'demons' specifically which was why she had wanted to go here. If only to learn more about them.

By her side is a large hyena that's chewing on a bone that still has some meat on it. Astrana had to take a large bag of meat with her just to satisfy the outsider possessing the large animal. If she didn't give it enough meat it might decide to eat her so it was best to take every precaution.

[Gullara]

Sie Sind Die Jaeger

Sophia grins, chuckling slightly.
Sounds like you followed the footsteps of my prey. I hunt down titans before they can ruin lives, you see, and it just so happens I have the power to fight fire with fire, as it fire.
The woman makes a point of drawing a knife and slicing her palm, the wound healing in a short, steam-seeping few seconds.

[Sie Sind Die Jaeger]

Mimi wrinkles her nose at the woman. Why would she cut herself? Even if she heals that's still a terrible idea. "Uh, yeah. I was just regular hunting. Don't think I'm gonna find anything around here, though. Not if those things were stomping around." She looks at the fading giants. "What're those things anyway?"

[The Woods]

"...Well, not normally but I don't think that would be all that much of a problem." Riss said, her tone implying that it was something that could pass an afternoon if she was otherwise bored. She realized that might sound haughty, true, but this fell into her area of expertise and she felt confident enough that it wasn't as much of a problem as it seemed. Mimi at least could back her up on this simply with that suit she wore, for one.

Still, it wasn't like Mimi had really pushed for her to come along in the first place so the muse had gathered that she was fine on her own for the most part. Plus, even though she cared deeply for her fey, she did like time to herself for her own pursuits and had simply assumed this was similar.

"I'd maybe need some time to get something set up properly but.. Would you mind if I came with you sometimes, Mimi?" she asked, tail gently tightening for a moment as a stand-in for a hug as was typical when the muse was out in public. It was an odd habit to have picked up but to Riss it now felt as natural as breathing.

[The Woods]

Mimi shifts awkwardly against Riss. "Um, yeah sure. If you wanna come you can." She's not sure what she's gonna do with Riss what it comes to that, though. Riss doesn't know the first thing about hunting she's sure. "It's not a big deal, though. Hunting there isn't the same as hunting around here."

"You should welcome having someone to watch your back, even if you think it's different." Lillian waves her hand dismissively, satisfied by Riss' reply. "And maybe you two can visit more often, too. I take it you two will be joined some day soon." The two of them look attached enough for it.

[Deathkeeper]

Black Grove

Arty shakes his head.
"I have little idea of the specifics of these matters. I could not know if these things were anyone's doing purposefully. Did you bring the...essence with you? Might I see it?" he asks. With some effort and an exhale, he opens his senses to the divine energy Chadwick gives him. He cannot act as a magic detector as many mages can, but if the creature above them, or Nu, or the sap (if they brought it) was seeped in demonic or evil energy, perhaps he could spot it before it caused something terrible.

[Arkhosia]

[Sie Sind Die Jaeger]

Mimi wrinkles her nose at the woman. Why would she cut herself? Even if she heals that's still a terrible idea. "Uh, yeah. I was just regular hunting. Don't think I'm gonna find anything around here, though. Not if those things were stomping around." She looks at the fading giants. "What're those things anyway?"

Creatures known as titans. Their only purpose seems to be to devour humanoid creatures, glutting themselves despite not needing to feed and not even possessing digestive systems. They appear instead to be solar powered. They're difficult to defeat due to the fact that to kill one you must remove or obliterate a spot on their nape, and they regenerate injuries, even limbs and heads, if they take damage elsewhere. They don't tire, either.
It's even worse due to the fact that their bodies evaporate after death, so we can't really study them too well.
Sophia explains.

[PASTURE OF GENESIS]
[LUNAR INFLUENCE: Phase 2/8]

Coriolis stops for a moment to choose his words before responding.

"...Not so much 'reset' as...for lack of a better term, taken away. Things all over the planet, from flowers to skyscrapers, dissolved into raw data - not *everything*, mind you, but quite a lot of things - and God reclaimed that data, absorbing it into Himself, into the sun...When it finally stopped, the sun had turned black and sinister, and that's where the real trouble started. The intense heat surge in the sun burned away any vegetation and vaporized most bodies of water that weren't protected from UV rays. Don't even ask about what it did to humans; that part was even worse...

"Anyway...there's more to the story, but as far as settings go, that's the bare-bones gist of my world," concludes the gunman with a sullen tone. "I'd explain more, but it's pretty heavy stuff...and not all of it is interesting, to be honest with you. Let's just say, the state of things was bad enough to make me look for an out beyond that dimension..."

Just as Coriolis is finishing his sentence, there's another *CRACK* as another energy strike, very similar to the one that carried him into the Nexus, touches down about 50 meters away. The young man appears to know what this means to himself and Akane, because he grits his teeth and groans before drawing his handgun and turning toward the disturbance.

"Either way, it looks like chit-chat is going to have to wait. Looks like someone followed me here, and I doubt they're going to play nice..."

akane nods in understanding.
I'm just curious how sentient beings still existed, honestly.
She responds, cut off by the crack that signals another arrival. She nods in understanding, drawing her blade and following.
Don't worry about me getting shot at. Spirit energy shields me pretty well.

[Cyber Punk]

The Tower- First Floor

While all that was happening, Hotaru relocated to the ceiling via a super ninja jump and suction cups via nanotech. A small laser-pointer is used to inform Phil of her position, along with a silly grin matching the one on the mask plastered on her face for a brief moment.

"5 to go. Cover me." She signals, then opens the door of the room with the people leaning on the walls and blasts a crapton of electricity at the occupants.

[ImpSyndrome]

[PASTURE OF GENESIS]
[LUNAR INFLUENCE: Phase 2/8]

akane nods in understanding.
I'm just curious how sentient beings still existed, honestly.
She responds, cut off by the crack that signals another arrival. She nods in understanding, drawing her blade and following.
Don't worry about me getting shot at. Spirit energy shields me pretty well.

((Now Playing: "Boss Appearance" - Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne OST, composed by Shoji Meguro))

"Believe me when I tell you, Akane," Coriolis forewarns his companion as a huddled mass begins to take form from the blast, "that getting shot is not what you need to worry about right now..."

Too right, too, for the creature that emerges is decidedly incapable of carrying a gun. It appears to be a congealed, slouching puddle of sludge, its mass possessed of a sickening lime-green color dotted with mottled black splotches. Two eyes swim lazily near its "head", and a wide, shapeless mouth appears beneath them as it opens slightly. And then it speaks somehow, its voice only vaguely mimicking Basic language...

"f...FounD yOooouuU...! eaT you NoW...! EeeaaAAATTt..!!"

Coriolis twitches a bit and moves to holster his gun. At the same time, he glances to Akane and asks, "I don't suppose you know any spirit *magic*, do you? This particular freak won't even blink at swords or bullets...and that means I'll need a second to get combat-ready..."

[Nalix]

The Tower- First Floor

While all that was happening, Hotaru relocated to the ceiling via a super ninja jump and suction cups via nanotech. A small laser-pointer is used to inform Phil of her position, along with a silly grin matching the one on the mask plastered on her face for a brief moment.

"5 to go. Cover me." She signals, then opens the door of the room with the people leaning on the walls and blasts a crapton of electricity at the occupants.

The Tower - First Floor

Phil was in a corner covering the other rooms when the gunners fired. He pulls tighter into the corner, ready to cast a shield, should the bullets start coming his way. The moment the current burst of shots stops he launches a mid-grade charge towards the sound of the shooting, hoping it will pass through the now thoroughly perforated door. ((It isn't likely to hit one of the shooters, as Phil doesn't have a line of sight with them, nor they with him, I think))
[mid grade charge - creature: small magical raven]

[Earl of Purple]

The Tower- First Floor

Assuming that's the two who were painting graffiti, they're electrocuted in the midst of their attempts to ventilate the room and figure out how to escape what they think is a fire. They go down hard, smoke rising from the one closer to Hotaru adding to the mist. The other may have survived.

The shooter does not, in fact, have any idea where any body is behind that door- he's just trying to keep anybody out there occupied. However, this post his gun jams, so he's trying to unjam it. Phil's charge flies through the door, which is mostly now hole, and lands in the box of scopes somebody was looking through. That person falls over backwards in surprise as the scopes have turned into ten large crow-like birds. One is made of black crystal; one of smouldering charcoal; one of black plastic; one of ice; one of glass; one of dreams; one trails sparks; one is invisible; one is intangible; the last appears normal. The crystal raven flies out the window, perches on a corpse outside and rips at the body with obsidian-sharp beak and claws. The raven of charcoal flares briefly into flame before sitting on the oven, glaring at the ice-raven, which perches on the sink and freezes the water within. The raven of plastic attacks the person looking at scopes; he pulls out a pistol and tries shooting the bird, but keeps missing. The raven of glass flies to an intact window, makes contact with it and disappears. The raven of dreams enters the mind of the remaining person, who falls asleep to the floor, writhing in nightmares. The raven trailing sparks sits upon a radio, which turns on with its contact and starts playing this. The invisible raven... Might not be there. The intangible raven flies through the ceiling, and the one which appears normal teleports away with a blast of feathers and dust.

Demonic Prison- The Cairn of Calamity

According to the Book of Illuminarch Prost, He sealed this demon within a large geode and piled rocks atop said geode. The cairn is a good size, a roughly circular pile of head-sized rocks piled about two and a half metres high, and more that across. Three tents have been set up nearby, rather shabby things with many patches and travel stains. Ten shabbily-dressed people are working on the cairn, pulling rocks off and swinging mattocks. All ten have heavy iron shackles about their ankles. Six more people stand at the bottom, watching the work. The six are much cleaner, a short, pale lady in a fine dress of black silk, slashed on the bodice with yellow and green, a female half-elf in jeans and a pink blouse, with a scimitar at her waist make the ladies. The males are a muscular half-orc wearing a blue kilt and a bandoleer of daggers, with a heavy sabre at his waist. A slender man in bright red pantaloons and a matching baggy shirt appears unarmed. A half-elf in similar clothes to the girl, but carrying a whip and trident in stead of scimitar. Finally, a man in combat fatigues and kevlar armour plates carries a lever-action rifle where he can reach it quickly and has a machete strapped to his thigh.

[Shadowcaller]

Black Grove

Arty shakes his head.
"I have little idea of the specifics of these matters. I could not know if these things were anyone's doing purposefully. Did you bring the...essence with you? Might I see it?" he asks. With some effort and an exhale, he opens his senses to the divine energy Chadwick gives him. He cannot act as a magic detector as many mages can, but if the creature above them, or Nu, or the sap (if they brought it) was seeped in demonic or evil energy, perhaps he could spot it before it caused something terrible.

Black Grove

"The 'essence' as they call it is simply sap from our grove, we don't know what qualities it has as tapping from the tree is strictly forbidden. This is what we have managed to retrieve from the tree without cutting into it." She holds up a small wooden mug which immediately attracts everyone's attention.

Except for Arty's apparently as he attempts to detect dark energies. He should be relieved to know that neither Nu nor the sap seem to be affected by demonic energy. But as he looks up there is basically a storm cloud of it swirl above them like a fanged maw centered around the strange bird-creature. He will get the feeling it detects him just as he detects it. Though it might just be his mind playing tricks on him, it's but a tiny shade against the sun right now.

"Is that sufficient?" Sejuani asks, now everyone is looking at him instead.

[Deathkeeper]

Black Grove

Arty looks from the guardian to the rest of the group and shakes his head.
"No. Did any of you bring bows? That bird up there is either a demon or surrounded by one. And given that the last one that looked like a bird drove my patron mad for millennia and possessed my colleague, I would strongly recommend working with any sort of powerful energies like that essence with such a monster around." he warns gravely.

[Shadowcaller]

Black Grove

The guardians and the centaurs have to shield their eyes with their hands to even have a chance to get a glimpse of the eagle flying above them. "It's too high up, no one could make that shot." Eve states. "I don't see what the big deal is anyway. If it comes down here to grab that sap, it's dead. Whatever it is." She gestures at the other centaurs who are appropriately armed with scary-looking bows.

Demonic Prison- The Cairn of Calamity

Could this be the cultists MERC took the book from? They looked like normal people but who else would try to dig out some ancient imprisoned demon? Hopefully they wouldn't attack on sight as she wasn't really interested in one. She came here to find out more about these prisons, not risk her life. She approaches the group with her hands raised, indicating that she comes in peace, the hyena taking the lead like some huge watchdog.

[Earl of Purple]

Demonic Prison- Cairn of Calamity

First to notice the newcomer and her hyena is the person in fatigues and combat armour. They turn, nudge the unarmed man in red and raise their rifle, pointing the weapon at Astrana. They hold it very still. The man in red, meanwhile, bows elegantly and takes a few steps forward. "Hello, Milady. Art thou here to join our quest, and receive the Blessing of Ashan'Karei?" As he speaks, flames flicker in his mouth. The lady in striped finery turns, too, and she has brown cat's eyes instead of human ones. The others stay focussed on their slave labourers and their task of digging.

[Terumitsu]

[The Woods]

The muse's better judgement decided to keep her from making the first joke that came to mind. It wasn’t even a particularly good one at that, anyway, and she was certain that, at least from what she had gathered from her time in the nexus, the subject of being ‘joined’ was one to be taken with at least a little gravitas. So she simply nodded and looked towards Mimi to see what, if anything, she might have to add.. Other than perhaps an amusing reaction to the same question.

Other than that, Riss didn't feel as if she had much to really add to the matter. This certainly wasn't a situation where she could start babbling on about whatever mechanisms or interactions she found interesting and she was still working on being an 'initiator' in conversations although Lillian's demeanor made that a rather unappealing prospect for the moment... Well that wasn't entirely true... "Um.. I.. Don't mean to change the subject but.. Does that arm give you much trouble? How did that even happen?" It was mostly a leading question of if she could perhaps do a bit of 'fixing' as that red scar didn't look like it was doing her any good but she figured that at the very least she'd get a few stories of how Lillian got some past scars. That at least seemed somewhat interesting and it wouldn't involve this air of scrutiny.. Or at least she wouldn't feel like there was an air of scrutiny.

[Shadowcaller]

Demonic Prison- Cairn of Calamity

First to notice the newcomer and her hyena is the person in fatigues and combat armour. They turn, nudge the unarmed man in red and raise their rifle, pointing the weapon at Astrana. They hold it very still. The man in red, meanwhile, bows elegantly and takes a few steps forward. "Hello, Milady. Art thou here to join our quest, and receive the Blessing of Ashan'Karei?" As he speaks, flames flicker in his mouth. The lady in striped finery turns, too, and she has brown cat's eyes instead of human ones. The others stay focussed on their slave labourers and their task of digging.

Demonic Prison- Cairn of Calamity

Astrana and her hyena companion stops the moment guns are raised at them. The tiefling then returns the mans bow and smiles back at him. She's wearing a loose low-cut green dress without any sleeves that goes down to her knees but no more. Her footwear is a pair of light sandals that let her feet breath. "I was looking for a outsider that was said to be imprisoned here, but I wasn't expecting company. You seem to have me at an advantage though, are you it's followers perhaps? I'm Ebony Tinder, freelance." She hoped she didn't need to add 'warlock' to that. These people had to use some similar terms right?

[Earl of Purple]

Demonic Prison- Cairn of Calamity

"Ah, freelance. Once, that path was also mine. But, inevitably, I found myself drawn inextricably towards a single patron. Perhaps this shall also by thine. Ashan'Karei is most gratuitous with its gifts and blessings. All here, besides only yon labourers, bear signs of its favour." The man smiles, flames glowing behind his teeth. "I am Inleddikus, this is Lady Haeline and I know not that one's name, but he goes by Grunt." Grunt lowers his rifle and turns back to the slaves tossing stones down the cairn. The cat-eyed lady bobs a slight curtsy as her name is mentioned; one suitable to acknowledge a subordinate, but certainly not an equal.

[ThirdEmperor]

[Outside Outside]

On the very edge of things, outside the Nexus proper.
On the storming mountain peaks where the snow roars like television static.

Whum. Whum. The heavy, thumping toll of the bell rolls over the ice-slicked slopes and the barren crags hanging with frozen daggers. It ousts speckled birds into squawking, awkward flight from their homes, as the thunderous sound shakes the snow from the pine needle nests. It rolls and bounces down the howling crevasses, between the high crests, through every inhospitable stone reaching up towards the black sky.

Whum.

It echoes from the highest reach of the highest mount, from past the gray stone walls of the frigid little abbey, alone atop of the world. From the rise of the belltower, so high the starry night falls away and clouds fat with purple lightning scars drift through its belfry. Whum.
Dust pours down the spiraling staircase, and icicles plummet from the edges of the squared roof as he strikes his staff against the great bell. Whum. The bell swings until the whole of the tower is swaying underfoot, the tongue bouncing loud against the filigree'd bronze.

He is skinny and wiry-muscled, the shapeless brownish sackcloth of a monk dripping from his shoulders, with curling wooly-gray hair, the same that covers his backwards bending legs all the way to the hooves below. Nubs of horn are tucked behind his long sharp ears. Teeth and bronze clatter on twine around his neck as he winds back for the next swing. Whum.

The bell tolls through the raging winds and to worlds beyond, and the monk grips the posts of the bellfry to lean out into open sky, drinking cloud with each breath he draws in against the wind. Sparks of lightning and crystal snowflakes fall from between his teeth. His words unfolds in a swirl of mist caught and carried away by the storm. "HEY!" He cups a hand to his mouth, and yells thunderous into the sky, "Hey demons, come demons! Come scaly-butt'd pitchfork tails, and darkwing'd specters, and things of crawling eyes! My soul is bright and cheap and barely-used!"

[Cyber Punk]

Assuming that's the two who were painting graffiti, they're electrocuted in the midst of their attempts to ventilate the room and figure out how to escape what they think is a fire. They go down hard, smoke rising from the one closer to Hotaru adding to the mist. The other may have survived.

The shooter does not, in fact, have any idea where any body is behind that door- he's just trying to keep anybody out there occupied. However, this post his gun jams, so he's trying to unjam it. Phil's charge flies through the door, which is mostly now hole, and lands in the box of scopes somebody was looking through. That person falls over backwards in surprise as the scopes have turned into ten large crow-like birds. One is made of black crystal; one of smouldering charcoal; one of black plastic; one of ice; one of glass; one of dreams; one trails sparks; one is invisible; one is intangible; the last appears normal. The crystal raven flies out the window, perches on a corpse outside and rips at the body with obsidian-sharp beak and claws. The raven of charcoal flares briefly into flame before sitting on the oven, glaring at the ice-raven, which perches on the sink and freezes the water within. The raven of plastic attacks the person looking at scopes; he pulls out a pistol and tries shooting the bird, but keeps missing. The raven of glass flies to an intact window, makes contact with it and disappears. The raven of dreams enters the mind of the remaining person, who falls asleep to the floor, writhing in nightmares. The raven trailing sparks sits upon a radio, which turns on with its contact and starts playing this. The invisible raven... Might not be there. The intangible raven flies through the ceiling, and the one which appears normal teleports away with a blast of feathers and dust.

The Tower- First Floor

Hotaru's eyes go wide as she witnesses all that happens through the wall. "Phil, one of these days, you're going to have to teach me chaos magic!" She whispers, then points to the upper floor. "Let's go."

She'll attempt to contact Zither by radio. "How's it going on your end, Z?"

[Shadowcaller]

Demonic Prison- Cairn of Calamity

"Ah, freelance. Once, that path was also mine. But, inevitably, I found myself drawn inextricably towards a single patron. Perhaps this shall also by thine. Ashan'Karei is most gratuitous with its gifts and blessings. All here, besides only yon labourers, bear signs of its favour." The man smiles, flames glowing behind his teeth. "I am Inleddikus, this is Lady Haeline and I know not that one's name, but he goes by Grunt." Grunt lowers his rifle and turns back to the slaves tossing stones down the cairn. The cat-eyed lady bobs a slight curtsy as her name is mentioned; one suitable to acknowledge a subordinate, but certainly not an equal.

Demonic Prison- Cairn of Calamity

Astrana was used to be seen as lesser by humans, or elves in this case who were pretty much the same thing but with weird ears. So she just plays it cool. "So I see. What does he ask in return? I usually deal with animal entities, far easier to deal with."

[Nalix]

The Tower – First Floor

Phil creeps into the room, low grade charge ready at the sign of sound or movement aside from the ravens. If he attacks [element: electric]. If and when it's all clear he'll respond to Hotaru. "I'd love to, it's useful stuff, we'll talk about it once we clear this place out."

((How do we handle level ups and that sort of thing? In Phil's world he leveled up via training and boss battles. We can wing it here, I suppose.))

[Gullara]

[The Woods]

The muse's better judgement decided to keep her from making the first joke that came to mind. It wasn’t even a particularly good one at that, anyway, and she was certain that, at least from what she had gathered from her time in the nexus, the subject of being ‘joined’ was one to be taken with at least a little gravitas. So she simply nodded and looked towards Mimi to see what, if anything, she might have to add.. Other than perhaps an amusing reaction to the same question.

Other than that, Riss didn't feel as if she had much to really add to the matter. This certainly wasn't a situation where she could start babbling on about whatever mechanisms or interactions she found interesting and she was still working on being an 'initiator' in conversations although Lillian's demeanor made that a rather unappealing prospect for the moment... Well that wasn't entirely true... "Um.. I.. Don't mean to change the subject but.. Does that arm give you much trouble? How did that even happen?" It was mostly a leading question of if she could perhaps do a bit of 'fixing' as that red scar didn't look like it was doing her any good but she figured that at the very least she'd get a few stories of how Lillian got some past scars. That at least seemed somewhat interesting and it wouldn't involve this air of scrutiny.. Or at least she wouldn't feel like there was an air of scrutiny.

[The Woods]

Mimi gives her mom a wide eyed look. "Uhhh..." That's not something she's ever considered. Like, not even once. It's not that common, though. She scratches the back of her head, having no idea what to say about that.

Lillian doesn't pursue the topic, though. She grins at Riss, and in that moment she could not look more like Mimi. "You shoulda seen the teeth on the beast. I saw them a little too close. It managed to sneak up on me and get them around my arm. Big bastard. Some kinda drake that thought I'd make a good meal. I just tore my arm out and put out it's eyes. I still have a few of its teeth around." She moves to a far wall and points out a few teeth, each half as long as her arm. "It's pretty stiff, but I live with it. It healed better than it had any right to anyway."

Creatures known as titans. Their only purpose seems to be to devour humanoid creatures, glutting themselves despite not needing to feed and not even possessing digestive systems. They appear instead to be solar powered. They're difficult to defeat due to the fact that to kill one you must remove or obliterate a spot on their nape, and they regenerate injuries, even limbs and heads, if they take damage elsewhere. They don't tire, either.
It's even worse due to the fact that their bodies evaporate after death, so we can't really study them too well.

[Sie Sind Die Jaeger]

Mimi doesn't seem all that concerned about the atrocities the titans commit. "So you just stab them in the neck and they die? Doesn't seem so hard. I bet I could take them out easy." She says boastfully. She'd just fly around them and stab them good. They're probably super slow and clumsy, with how big they are.