[Nexus] The Outside XXXIX

[Slii Arhem]

Spoiler

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Western Ghost Town

"Well, I guess the big thing is about anyone who might have a better idea about how this place works, and then whether there are any places or people in town we should avoid," she says. She takes another sip before continuing, "We're going to need to know that whether we're going to escape or not."

Western Ghost Town

Krayger is still smiling and takes a hearty pull from the bottle.
"You're lucking I'm not a betting man, Risa, because I know that smile. You don't think I'll get anywhere. But just you wait, I'll get something. Won't be vain enough to say it'll be soon, but I'll be damned before I drink myself fat in a tavern when I could be trying something.
I'm going to try another call, Denise. If you'd like you can grab some intel."
He can be skipped for a bit while that gets concluded.



Wintry Palace

Well, as long as it's because of him and not because the setup I pieced together last minute pressures you to pick one option, it's fine.
Tep snorts at the do-gooder sentiment, but does not comment. He will, however, firmly plant himself on Romeo's shoulder so he can start writing as he's walking.
"Take his clothes, kid. Once all those feathers are gone and he gets his lame human feet back he'll start freezing and needing his boots to walk. All the materials we need are in the store room you found me in save for a few ones that I think I saw when you walked past that supply closet. I'll send this fellow to gather those regular ones while you move the tables in the Lab to the walls so we have room for the ritual. You'll need to get some of the magic soaps and scrub the alchemist's lich-dust off the floor, because that'll screw with the magic. The ice, too, can't have water on the runes."
Says the imp, formulating a plan along with the document. There are no more undead minions around, and that part will go smoothly.
I can't write up the contract on my phone though, so saving that for next round.

Western Ghost Town

"Feel free to try asking anyone at the card tables. We've got a real simple system around here so that people don't get rusty on the whole civilization thing and start going crazy. People provide a service like dawn salvage or shopkeeping or just recreation, and we shuffle our little pool of money around between ourselves for fun. Doesn't mean all that much, but it keeps us occupied. If you've got some money, you can give me a tally of it and I'll keep a note of how much you came here with in my ledger. That way if we actually do get out, it won't matter if you've spent it, you'll get what you came in with." Fishing up a small leatherbound notebook and a pencil from behind the bar that she uses for bar tabs, Risa waits to see if Denise wants to comply with it or not while Krayger makes his call.

[TechnoScrabble]

Sylvia reluctantly gets up, yawning and getting dressed.

Leo looks at how messy his low profile armour is and grimaces. After wiping himself clean with some field wipes, he nicks a nice trouser/T-shirt/leather jacket combo from the wardrobe and stuffs the armour and his scarf into his messenger bag.

"So...where to? Should we be trying to find anyone else who fell?"

[Duck999]

Middle of nowhere

Filii goes back to listening. Finally, some talking.

[Arkhosia]

Leo looks at how messy his low profile armour is and grimaces. After wiping himself clean with some field wipes, he nicks a nice trouser/T-shirt/leather jacket combo from the wardrobe and stuffs the armour and his scarf into his messenger bag.

"So...where to? Should we be trying to find anyone else who fell?"

Sylvia is about to reply when another sylph crashes through the roof!
It's a male in chainmail with a large axe on his back.
Sylvia screams and hastily covers her chest with her green tunic.
Uh... hi?

[TechnoScrabble]

Sylvia is about to reply when another sylph crashes through the roof!
It's a male in chainmail with a large axe on his back.
Sylvia screams and hastily covers her chest with her green tunic.
Uh... hi?

Leo's first reaction is to grab his collapsible plasma projector. His second is to lunge at the man with all the force of a tire geal's legs and attempt to hold him down, the pistol-like weapon held to his head.

"You have about three seconds to ditch the axe and give me one good reason not to pull this trigger."

Leo's pheremones go from lust inducing to increasing flight or fight response.

[Arkhosia]

Leo's first reaction is to grab his collapsible plasma projector. His second is to lunge at the man with all the force of a tire geal's legs and attempt to hold him down, the pistol-like weapon held to his head.

"You have about three seconds to ditch the axe and give me one good reason not to pull this trigger."

The sylph takes the axe and puts it on the ground.
Jeez, calm down!
Sylvia inches back, still holding her tunic up with one arm, and drawing a dagger with her other.

[Hattish Thing]

Adder's Mouth Bandit Camp

Around the area where Outside meets Seaside, a large group of tunnels and natural caves are built into the rock side facing the ocean. Lying on the cliffs is a very large bandit fort, built about a year ago by some bandit that frequently terrorized the smaller villages about. The bandit camp was one of the largest in the Nexus, composed of about one hundred and sixty bandits all in all. Lots of skilled fighters... It is for this reason that the camp is attacked. The bandit fort had never once been breached, despite the occasional adventuring parties attempts. However, they had never expected an aerial attack... It's nighttime, about one o clock in the morning, and the fort was lit up by torchlight. Suddenly, it started raining overhead. The bandits weren't particularly concerned over something as harmless as rain. Five minutes later, lightning fills the sky and thunder loud enough to wake giants woke up many of the men.

One of the men on watch, keeping look out from the West wall watchtower struggles to keep his hat on as he speaks to his partner. WOt in th' 'ell's goin' on up there? The flags blow in the wind, the powerful storm making any sort of sound difficult to hear....

Meanwhile in the torchlit cave system below, the restless dead skulk silently. Roughly one hundred silent skeletons, zombies, and ghouls stride in from the darkest of caverns below, snuffing out torches as they pass, sure to not use any of their pistols. They come across rooms, searching in packs of five, slicing the throats of any bandits sleeping, and then delivering their terrible bite.... infecting the corpse with their filth. Building their ranks. But for what? The packs loot all they can find, filling their pockets and sacks with gems, gold, and extra weapons. Any gunpowder the bandits keep is also transported. Any living and awake members are quickly slaughtered, overwhelmed in packs, their friends on topside unable to hear their comrades scream...

As the monstrous undead add to their ranks and loot the area, the many men topside begin to think it'd be best to try and speak to the druids they'd picked up weeks ago. Bandit druids were always useful in raids into the forest. Maybe they could stop this storm.... It just so happens that one particularly young bandit moves to open the hatch to the ladder which leads underground, at the same time the attacking undead had reached the bottom of the landing. The boy makes eye contact with the wight at the bottom and screams at the top of his lungs.... We're under attack!!!! Then, the boy's brains are removed from his head, as a bullet explodes out of his skull. Now the men are grabbing their weapons and moving about randomly, unable to organize themselves due to the not being able to hear their group leaders.

It is at this moment that Captain Clegg orders the ship to materialize on the physical plane, the massive ghost ship illuminated by the bright light of the moon and stars. Under the expert maneuvering of Chuckles the first mate, the ship is quickly into place and ready. The Captain of Rot shouts out the command to fire... The battle for the Fort lasted only a minuscule twenty minutes. The structural damage to the fort was nearly absolute. Only six men under Clegg's command were lost, but one hundred and thirty seven were recovered. The rest of the bandits were either blown apart by the cannons or shrapnel, too mangled to be reborn.... or eaten alive by the crew.

In another thirty minutes, the undead crew regroup and board The Crone's Claw, carrying with them an incredible amount of gold and gems, along with extra men to be used in the upcoming conflict Clegg had planned for....

[OrchestraHc]

Wintry Palace:

"Well, you could define your needs for me. I found you in a circle after 30 years, presumably without food or water, after all. I don't know what maddening idleness is. The fifth condition under my section seems a bit small to result in a breach of contract. Also these terms for breach of contract." He gets to punish Tep if Tep breaks contact, but becomes Tep's servant for a day if he breaks contract. "No," he says plainly. A demon can get a lot done in twenty-four hours. "Absolutely not. I gain nothing from the freedom to punish you, you gain a me as your servant. It should be the immediate annulment of the contract for both sides. There should also be an understandable declaration that it has been annulled."

[TechnoScrabble]

The sylph takes the axe and puts it on the ground.
Jeez, calm down!
Sylvia inches back, still holding her tunic up with one arm, and drawing a dagger with her other.

Leo watches the sylph carefully, then notices that he is, in fact, a sylph, and relaxes, and his pheremones go back to normal.

"Sorry, man, thought you were attacking us. It's another sylph, Sylvia!"

[Arkhosia]

Leo watches the sylph carefully, then notices that he is, in fact, a sylph, and relaxes, and his pheremones go back to normal.

"Sorry, man, thought you were attacking us. It's another sylph, Sylvia!"

Oh. Uh, hi!
Sylvia says awkwardly.

[TechnoScrabble]

Oh. Uh, hi!
Sylvia says awkwardly.

Leo climbs off the other sylph and gives him a hand in standing up.

"You've got some hella choice timing, man," Leo chuckles.

[Arkhosia]

Leo climbs off the other sylph and gives him a hand in standing up.

"You've got some hella choice timing, man," Leo chuckles.

The sylph gets up.
Next time I see the court mage, i'm going to kill him.
What, did I interrupt something?
He asks.

[Deathkeeper]

Wintry Palace

Tep turns the book back and frowns.
"Yeah, you're right, that's stupid. Sorry, it was just the first thing I thought of, and if I didn't put anything down it defaults to demon standards, and trust me when I say that I couldn't possibly want your soul any less, and I'd prefer not to spontaneously cease to exist on my part. Although honestly, in my head I just imagined having you do something demeaning. Maybe that's my problem. No ambition.
But sadly, that doesn't cut it. According to this contract, the ritual is my end of the bargain; the restrictions on me are a package deal of the servitude. I can't rip knowledge out of your head, so if it's annulled, then you get out scott-free from the obligations with what you payed for still intact. There has to be some consequence for you if you break it, even if it's something as simple as 'I get to make you keep me for longer.'
Five was just one that's so vague it'd never come into play, I just hate when I can't get a word in edgewise. Gone.
Trust me when I say that the only things I need are living space larger than what's allotted to the average pet parrot and something to do that isn't shoveling feces. Sure, breaks are appreciated, but if I don't have any work for a few weeks I get really fidgety and uncomfortable. I enjoy being able to eat every once and a while, but I don't need to. And I don't need to drink, either, although the one time anyone's ever let me try it I did think wine tastes rather nice. Fairly sure I can't get drunk, though." Tep says, occasionally stopping to wipe out lines with his thumb as if they were chalk on a board and not ink. He seems even more cheery than usual, although right now it's because he's found proof that he's not binding himself to an utter moron. But then he gives Romeo a more serious look as he makes eye contact over his glasses.
"Listen kid, I'll be honest, I don't really care what's in this. I just want to keep out of that pit as long as possible, and have some guarantees I'm going to have something soft to sleep on and not get punted across the room for making a spelling error. Most of this is just to get you the magic you want and to put stuff in writing so your friends don't take one look at me and slap banishments in my face. If I had my way it wouldn't even have a duration, but unless it does you can just fire me whenever you want and kick me back down, and I'm just trying to make it as fair a number as possible. I want you to want to keep me, and if that means I have to demean myself to a bunch of priests or whoever else your friends are, I don't care. I really just don't want to have to deal with any of that again. And I know you're not immortal, so at best this just delays it by a century, but if I have that chance I'm going to take it."

[TechnoScrabble]

The sylph gets up.
Next time I see the court mage, i'm going to kill him.
What, did I interrupt something?
He asks.

Leo turns to Sylvia, eyebrow raised questioningly, and shrugs, leaving it for her to answer.

[Arkhosia]

Leo turns to Sylvia, eyebrow raised questioningly, and shrugs, leaving it for her to answer.

We were discussing about whether or not to search for other sylphs.
Sylvia replies, turning to Leo while still holding her tunic up.
It's up to you, hon.

[Morcleon]

[Walking to Inside]

"It's a magical construct that I carry around in my body." She holds out her hand in front of her summoning up a sword made entirely of a golden light. She spins it around in her hands and summons up a second one as well. She might be showing off her sword skills just a little bit. Then she lets both swords flicker away. "It basically allows me to create solid constructs out of light."

[Walking to Inside]

"...impressive." Yuki raises an eyebrow and smiles in awe. "You're probably a really skilled fighter, yeah?"

[TechnoScrabble]

We were discussing about whether or not to search for other sylphs.
Sylvia replies, turning to Leo while still holding her tunic up.
It's up to you, hon.

"Sounds like a plan. If there's more they've probably headed for one of the cities when they landed...most likely Inside. Maybe if we start our search at the docks and head out from there?"

Leo turns to the other sylph.

"You've probably got a mild noggin' cloggin' like she did when she came down. Want me to take care of it?"

[Arkhosia]

"Sounds like a plan. If there's more they've probably headed for one of the cities when they landed...most likely Inside. Maybe if we start our search at the docks and head out from there?"

Leo turns to the other sylph.

"You've probably got a mild noggin' cloggin' like she did when she came down. Want me to take care of it?"

Sure.
The sylph replies, standing up and brushing off wood splinters.
Sounds like a plan.
Sylvia replies.

[TechnoScrabble]

Sure.
The sylph replies, standing up and brushing off wood splinters.
Sounds like a plan.
Sylvia replies.

"I am touching you in a nonagressive, nonsexual manner. I hope this is acceptable," Leo repeats the earlier process with the eye stare and the healing membrane.

After that, he'll wait until Sylvia is dressed, helping her if need be.

[Arkhosia]

"I am touching you in a nonagressive, nonsexual manner. I hope this is acceptable," Leo repeats the earlier process with the eye stare and the healing membrane.

After that, he'll wait until Sylvia is dressed, helping her if need be.

He succeeds!
This sylph isn't addicted to the pheromones.
Sylvia gets dressed quickly.
I forgot to mention that she has a scar on her right side.
When do we start?

[TechnoScrabble]

He succeeds!
This sylph isn't addicted to the pheromones.
Sylvia gets dressed quickly.
I forgot to mention that she has a scar on her right side.
When do we start?

Leo notes the scar, but doesn't bring it up for now.

"Might as well start now. No use in wasting time."

[Arkhosia]

Leo notes the scar, but doesn't bring it up for now.

"Might as well start now. No use in wasting time."

i'll help. Name's Tyrion.
The sylph comments, grabbing his axe.
Let's go.

[TechnoScrabble]

i'll help. Name's Tyrion.
The sylph comments, grabbing his axe.
Let's go.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Leo, this is Sylvia. Let's get moving."

And Leo heads to inside!

[Arkhosia]

"Nice to meet you. I'm Leo, this is Sylvia. Let's get moving."

And Leo heads to inside!

You post first!

[OrchestraHc]

Wintry Palace:

"I understand you. I didn't even question the duration and I do believe you bear me no ill will, but my master has taught me it's best to avoid possibilities for abuse altogether, especially in documentation. With the revisions made, if we can think up something a bit less potentially horrifying than the twenty-four hour swap, I think we can go from there. Maybe something quick, inane, or even slightly painful as a be-nice reminder, like getting to slam my hand in your book?"

"For the record, informally, well intentioned advice is always welcome."

[Deathkeeper]

Wintry Palace

Tep snorts and twirls his pen in his fingers.
"Geez kid, it was mostly a joke punishment; it's not like you'd turn into me or anything. Although you seem to me like the kind of fellow who'd enjoy having wings. But anyway, it has to be something you would actually want to avoid, no matter how much of a formality it actually is. Now, I can put down that the response is a shock of pain, but just because I'd like to keep this in your favor doesn't mean I can redefine what those words mean. If I put that down, it will be painful. Now, you're a nice kid who probably won't decide to beat me so I doubt it'll ever matter, but I warn you nonetheless. The penalties must be severe, kid. If they're not, then mortals wouldn't bother even to consider a deal with any of the big name demons, because there would be nothing keeping them from just killing the mortal when they got bored.
Like, losing your sight or speech for a few hours is a good one. Or paralysis in your legs for a minute or two. Or messing with your appearance for a while; even kids know that nose-growing gag, although personally I'd be more partial to the ears or tail, if you had one. You'd be surprised how good an incentive potentially growing bat ears would be.
And honestly if you'd like to be specific you can pick mine. It's only fair that you do, and I'd really like it if I could take off the destruction thing."

[Lost_Deep]

Western Ghost Town

"Feel free to try asking anyone at the card tables. We've got a real simple system around here so that people don't get rusty on the whole civilization thing and start going crazy. People provide a service like dawn salvage or shopkeeping or just recreation, and we shuffle our little pool of money around between ourselves for fun. Doesn't mean all that much, but it keeps us occupied. If you've got some money, you can give me a tally of it and I'll keep a note of how much you came here with in my ledger. That way if we actually do get out, it won't matter if you've spent it, you'll get what you came in with." Fishing up a small leatherbound notebook and a pencil from behind the bar that she uses for bar tabs, Risa waits to see if Denise wants to comply with it or not while Krayger makes his call.

"Mm... I'll keep that in mind for if it looks like I'll be here for a while. For now, I really just want some sleep. And maybe some food,now that I think about it." She examines the drink. "Or maybe alcohol gives me the munchies. I'm not super clear on that."

[OrchestraHc]

Wintry Palace:

"Ick," is all Romeo can say to the idea of that shock of pain.

"Sight might work. So might a cosmetic change. I can't believe I'm saying this to a demon, but you can pick. As for you, how about your wings becoming too floppy for you to fly or something to that effect. Certainly better than handing over your rights to existence."

[McBish]

[Walking to Inside]

"...impressive." Yuki raises an eyebrow and smiles in awe. "You're probably a really skilled fighter, yeah?"

Amelia nods. "I have always worked on staying in shape. After the incident is when I started training to fight. I really threw myself into it and have kept up training ever since then. So yeah I would say I am pretty good."

[Deathkeeper]

Wintry Palace

Tep thinks for a moment.
"Alright, kid, how about this: if either party violates any of the normal rules, the injured party can force one change to the other's person, which can be whatever they think is appropriate as long as it ranges from 'mildly inconvenient' to 'demeaning.' The change only lasts a few hours unless their behavior continues. The Contract is a powerful thing, so it'll supply that power even though neither of us can normally do that to people.
Still, I don't really know the people you deal with. I mean, I'll tell you right now, I really just want to be around books and write and all that stuff. That's what's fun to me. Well, screwing with people is pretty fun, too. But still, I don't have any goals to drag anyone back to Hell when my time finally comes. I only mentioned it in here so like I said, you can prove that I don't if anyone accuses you of harboring me for nefarious purposes. So, if you don't think that's an issue, I can take that part out, but if you think I should keep it that part at least should really have some serious consequences. No one's going to believe that we're not evil when we make the punishment for damning a soul being turned hot pink."
he says, chuckling at the thought. He turns to a page near the inside cover where a dimly glowing image of a clock is.
"still got time, still got time."