Riverside 16: Turn and face the strain

[Morty]

[Westside Cathedral]

"It's not an easy one, that's for certain," Sophie says. "It's tempting to just start throwing your powers around. But it won't accomplish anything in the long run. You need to find your place. Your niche. Then you need to start working from there. Make that part of the world easier for other people. Then, hopefully, it will spread."

[Cyber Punk]

[Westside Cathedral]

Jinkei looks lost in thought as she thinks about Sophie's words. "How do I find my niche, then? I guess I'll have to ask father, but..." She shakes her head. "No, I should also figure it out myself. I wouldn't know where to start, though."

One of her fluffy tails twitches.

[Morty]

[Westside Cathedral]

"There's not a single answer to this question," Sophie says. "I found my niche in the League, as well as here, in the Cathedral and other places the Order runs. Sometimes we end up with no choice and make the best of it. That's what happened to me long ago, on my homeworld. If we do have a choice, we need to find out what resonates with us. It doesn't have to be a place, or a group of people. But you need to find something that you feel a connection to."

[Cyber Punk]

[Westside Cathedral]

Jinkei smiles. "I've found that something: a community of kitsune, yogitsune and vulpans, down at The Temple of Inari, or Foxside if you prefer. I have a new form, a new name, a new father and a new family. I have a girlfriend who's going through a tough time, and I have centuries to learn how to best use my abilities."

"Maybe I could start there, then gradually increase my sphere of influence." She smiles and puts a hand on Sophie's shoulder. "I'm exceedingly glad I met you, Sophie. I was scared when I first came here, and I was always scared, but now I'm realizing that there are still good, honorable and noble people in The Nexus."

[Earl of Purple]

The Third Circle

Emily nods acquiescence. "When I was freshly turned, I blocked out the memory of how it occurred, but I knew it happened because I knew how to do it. They are immune to most standard vampire weaknesses when they have a fresh skin to wear. They can ignore clerics, walk into temples, wander about at midday and touch holy symbols. They also don't register as undead when they have a skin, but the longer a skin is worn, the more it decays. Regular feeding on fresh blood slows that process, but decaying skin isn't as protective and is liable to rip, and also makes them easier to spot, since the skin is hard, leathery and spotted with mould. I could see divine energies as a glow around whatever it was; holy symbols, temples, clerics, holy water, gods, that sort of thing, but I don't know if all skin-stealers can do that. My sire could turn into this vile skinless worm-thing with two rows of miniature humanoid arms down its length, which I couldn't do. When a skin-stealer doesn't have a skin, they are far more vulnerable to everything. A devout man's prayer could hold me back, or even burn my flesh, and hearing a god's name without a skin burnt. Knowingly saying a god's name burnt my mouth, throat, tongue and teeth regardless of if I had a skin on or not, and when I had no skin the light of the full moon made me start to burn, and that's just reflected sunlight. But a stake through the heart wouldn't have stopped me, regardless of how I was clad, unless it was made from hawthorn; then, it would kill me. Decapitation would also work. All the blood I drank tasted foul and bitter, but it was taken from donors by Gul-Thadar, and our dietary requirements didn't quite match."

"A skin-stealer can be detected by its eyes. My sire's eyes were always green with red flecks, regardless of the eye colour of its skin, and mine were always blue with red flecks. I could manipulate my form slightly, stretching or shrinking to better fit a stolen skin, and my sire could disguise its voice. Don't know if that's something they gained with practice, or something inherent; I only had two skins. My original skin, which eventually rotted into pieces until I held it together with bandages, and a fake rubber skin modelled on my original appearance, so either way my voice wouldn't change if it was an inherent ability. My sire had also forgotten their original name and gender; it had been killing and replacing for at least a hundred years. I was very fast, supernaturally so, faster than my sire I think; they never displayed speed of the type I was capable. But they were stronger; I think speed, strength and endurance are variable, but besides myself I only knew one other, and they were killed shortly after I was turned. A skin-stealer sire first finds somebody to kill- preferably two people. One will be skinned, then drained before they bleed out. That person will become a new skin-stealer vampire. The second person will be drained, and then skinned. They'll provide the old skin-stealer with both a skin for disguise and blood for vitality and healing, and won't reanimate on their own." A few of these things are misconceptions; the worm-like alternate form was due to age. A skin-stealer that survives for a hundred years gains an additional power, and after two hundred, another power. Skin-stealers are hard to track and detect, but in large numbers are more vulnerable than other types since they need more than blood to survive.

[Deathkeeper]

The Third Circle

Tep dutifully writes down her entire speech, with rather astonishing speed, though it's unlikely the young woman will be able to read his language.
"Hmm. I understand. Has someone put down this sire of yours?" he asks, looking up from his glasses with cold yellow eyes.

[Earl of Purple]

The Third Circle

"Yes. The same day I was turned, actually. The local vampires didn't like the skin-stealer because it broke their laws, and it didn't like their laws because to keep them was to die. So all the time it was in Riverside they were hunting it, and they caught it in my house, whilst it was waking for me to acclimatise to my undead state." Emily nods as she speaks.

[Deathkeeper]

The Third Circle

Tep nods.
"Well! I suppose that is that, then. His other victims must be mopped up of course, but such spawn are never quite as much of a threat as the master until they can grow into that level. Can I help you with anything else today or will your purchase be all?"

[Gullara]

Fourth Tower Compound

"Um, installing a computer system," Kate says, still nervous. She's going to report this to someone as soon as she can. No matter the situation behind this, this is unprofessional and confusing.

[Fourth Tower Compound]

"Hm, computer systems? I think I might remember Zhareen mentioning something like that." Vax slowly stands, pushing herself up from the desk. "I take it you have most of your instruction already? I'll take you to the room." The dim stands and leads the way to a mostly empty room. It's obviously not entirely finished, likely due in part to the work Kate needs to do. It'll make running cable a lot easier, that's for sure. "Will you be needing anything else?"

[Queen of Thorns]

Above St. Certainty's

"No!"
And that's when the ducklings appear, running and flying past her.

A tiny fireball comes shooting towards the smokestack, shooting a stream of fire all around it in an attempt to melt the cracks together again, now that it's candy. Dark energy surrounds the chunks more at risk at falling off, holding them in place. Lower down a duckling stretches out around the tower, trying to hold a different section together, and at the bottom, the strong little rock duckling places his head at the bottom of the tower, using what strength he can to help take some of the pressure of the stacks foundations.

In the distance, a loud peep can be heard and a blast of sonic energy comes flying at the candypire with incredible speed, in unison with a blast of electricity also coming towards him.. At the same time, Madame Mallard comes racing up a staircase of barriers towards the top of the tower.

[ThirdEmperor]

[Above St. Certainty's]

The whole of the tower groans in protest, as force and dark magic bind its crumbling remains together. The peppermint foundation bubbles and boils under flame, sloughing away all around the valiant little duck holding it up, a tide of melted candy spilling slowly across the roof with an overwhelmingly minty smell. A few spare shards fall from the upper reaches to rain down, sharp as daggers. And finally, the collapse is stopped as another duckling winds itself around the base, although the whole of the smokestack slowly begins to bend at the center, leaning farther and farther towards the inevitable.

Above, the fight continues. Sound tears at Adel's finery and opens deep tears in the morbid flesh beneath, and lighting blasts his billowing cloak to a charred trail behind him, but neither stops the candypire from rushing to meet Mallard. Caution now ignored, he draws his sword arm back even before they clash, telegraphing a wild downwards slash.

[Morty]

[Westside Cathedral]

Jinkei smiles. "I've found that something: a community of kitsune, yogitsune and vulpans, down at The Temple of Inari, or Foxside if you prefer. I have a new form, a new name, a new father and a new family. I have a girlfriend who's going through a tough time, and I have centuries to learn how to best use my abilities."

"Maybe I could start there, then gradually increase my sphere of influence." She smiles and puts a hand on Sophie's shoulder. "I'm exceedingly glad I met you, Sophie. I was scared when I first came here, and I was always scared, but now I'm realizing that there are still good, honorable and noble people in The Nexus."

"And I'm very glad I could help you, then," Sophie says. "Your idea sounds like a good start. I've never been to the place you mentioned, but if you feel comfortable there, then nothing is stopping you."

[Earl of Purple]

The Third Circle

"Whilst it's hard to be certain, since all I had to go on was its flayed musculature, I think it was female, and from what I was able to learn it was found by Tenebras soon after it arrived. There's probably none others around; certainly in the four years I was a vampire there were no reports of flayed, bloodless corpses being discovered, and that's a good sign that they are present." Their presence is easier to detect than other vampires, but their nature is such that knowing they're around doesn't help hunt them very much. Especially since they don't need invitations to enter buildings, regardless of ownership.

"I think that's it, thank you. Um, how much did you say it was again?" Emily doesn't have much money, so she may need to find an alternate means of payment. Or save up.

[Deathkeeper]

The Third Circle

Tep repeats the number from before, now cut by about fifteen percent. Still expensive for a book, but a very reasonable one given what he paid for it.

[Cyber Punk]

[Westside Cathedral]

If Sophie would allow, Jinkei would hug her. "Thank you, Sophie."

She gets up and climbs on her bike. "I'll come find you and give you more feedback... I might even come and visit in the Good League of Good."

After listening to Sophie's response, she'll wave and start to ride away.

[Earl of Purple]

The Third Circle

"Oh, my. Um, I'm not sure I can afford that at the moment. A Student of the Hand isn't paid very much." That's the first time she'd mentioned her clerical nature; A Student of the Hand is pretty much at the bottom of the Banite hierarchy, but unlike lay-worshippers it actually is part of the formal priesthood.

[Deathkeeper]

The Third Circle

Tep considers this.
"Would you perchance have any books at home that might be additively comparable in value to this one? Otherwise, you would owe me a book at some point to pay for it. I keep a list of ones I'm looking for. I'm open to other suggestions, though." he says slowly.

[Earl of Purple]

The Third Circle

"I will leave this here, then, and see if I can find something that might be worth a similar amount." She has access to some clergy editions of holy books and ritual tomes, but if they go missing it may go badly for Emily. End up naked on an alter-type badly.

[Deathkeeper]

The Third Circle

Tep nods, and takes the book back, placing it under the counter.
"I will keep it here for three weeks with your name on it unless I hear back from you." he says pleasantly.

[Lost_Deep]

[Fourth Tower Compound]

"Hm, computer systems? I think I might remember Zhareen mentioning something like that." Vax slowly stands, pushing herself up from the desk. "I take it you have most of your instruction already? I'll take you to the room." The dim stands and leads the way to a mostly empty room. It's obviously not entirely finished, likely due in part to the work Kate needs to do. It'll make running cable a lot easier, that's for sure. "Will you be needing anything else?"

Fourth Tower Compound

"Actually, can I talk to Zhareen? I need some things clarified," Kate says. She did get most of her instructions, but there's always a few things that non-computer people just never think of.

Especially those coming in from settings without computers. It's understandable, but making computers for people that don't understand computers is very different from making computers for people that have grown up with them.

[Gullara]

[Fourth Tower Compound]

"No. She's not here. That's why I am." Vax leans against the door frame and just stares at her. "She might be back early. It's hard to say."

[Lost_Deep]

Fourth Tower Compound

"Well, if you see her, could you send her in? I would like to talk to her." There is some stuff she can do for now, just...

[Murkus]

[Abandoned Building]

"Of course, you simply have to ask. Everything within Malechenar will be at your disposal, including the fourth tower. I will help you in any way possible, I have promised." Ryhe claims with a nod. "We were exchanging information after all, weren't we? Besides, there is no real hurry now that you have a plan. That being won't be going anywhere. We have all the time in the world to figure it out and beat it. Time is on our side here and we all have private lives too, no?"

"Hah, you grievously overestimate me, sir," Sticks depreciates, glancing aside. Private life. Yes. No. Not really. "But I believe gracious thanks are in order for your counsel and your aid, m'lord. I will set to work learning any weakness the being may be hiding." Sticks extends both his hands to take one of Ryhe's, if the lord so permits it. He'll give it a single, gentle shake as he bows over the extended hand.

[Gullara]

Fourth Tower Compound

"Well, if you see her, could you send her in? I would like to talk to her." There is some stuff she can do for now, just...

[Fourth Tower Compound]

"I'll be sure to." Vax says. She doesn't leave though. No, she just stands there. Watching Kate.

[Darkcomet]

[Westside]

It's a nice day, all things considered. The artificial sun is shining, and a major vulnerability is being removed from the city. The EI installation that has been providing much of the city with power is being decommissioned, replaced with a now-finished system in a smaller facility that links to a reactor complex far away via a portal network, receiving power through beaming technology very similar to that used in the Light here. The residents of Riverside using EI's power won't have noticed a thing, except a brief power flicker as the main plant was disconnected and shut down and the new facility was linked into the power grid.

But with the final construction, and with EvSec in low morale as they shift their security with their old boss dead, someone else has elected to take advantage of this.

[Evolution Industries Power Plant]

It happens very quickly.

Hovering aircraft drop from high altitude and reengage their drives to stop their descents in the air, reemerging within range of their weapons and deactivating their cloaking systems. Laser turrets sweep across the ground in a surprise assault on the facility, as troops in jet-black armor drop from the aircrafts' transport compartments, their descent slowed by microjets. Those that do not die in the initial surprise sweep are swiftly cut down by blue lasfire from the attacking troops, with little heed taken to whether they're EvSec, or here to work on taking the plant down.

The attacking troops advance inside, and sounds of laser and blaster fire echo from within, but it's not long before it falls silent.

The Class 3 MACE system that powered the city until not too long ago, paradoxically, is turned back on.

[Mass Broadcast]

And not long after that, an audio broadcast goes out on all frequencies, sounding utterly artificial and robotic. No grandstanding, no taunting, only a cold threat. A cold promise.

"Bring the fugitive Vyrn Altaran to the Evolution Industries power plant in Riverside, or the city will be destroyed."

[Artemis97]

[Mass Broadcast]

Through contacts and spies word of the crisis striking Riverside filtered back to the ears of House Xar'Cha. Foreward scouts were deployed, quietly and under invisibility spells and special piwafwi cloaks, they observed. From where they could safely sneak, they watched for patterns and weakpoints, numbers and strength.

Meanwhile, back in Delmah Phor, analysts compiled information on Vyrn Altaran and his associates, as well as any information that could be gathered on those who were assaulting Riverside. Lastly, but most importantly, they turned their efforts into locating Vyrn, and if he could be contacted, sending an emissary to speak with him.

[Darkcomet]

[Around the Power Plant]

It is difficult to gauge the true numbers present, as the aircraft have recloaked following the fight, and could be just about anywhere. It's possible to get a general idea from the sound of them patrolling around, but it's much less distinct than being able to count each one, and hard to tell more than that they are simply there.

Likewise, the troops seem to have cloaked as well, which makes this a bit more difficult.

Isn't it annoying when everyone involved is invisible?

[Fenric]

[Approaching the Power Plant]

A small spherical aircraft floats cautiously toward the plant, pausing frequently: A Science Vessel, unarmed but shielded and capable of seeing cloaked units is hoping to get a look at whoever might be here before they blow it up.

[Darkcomet]

[Power Plant Airspace]

It becomes apparent that there are at least eight of the stealth shuttles about. It's harder to get an idea of the ground patrols, as many are inside or obscured by buildings, such as the plant itself.

Then three of them, and inexplicably, one commando flying with jump jets and a thruster pack, approach and decloak in front of the vessel. They don't immediately open fire.

If the ship's shielding is electromagnetism-based at all, and not somehow unable to be sensed by those capable of it, or tech capable of it, the commando holds out his hands toward it, and those shields might find themselves shifting under an unknown power, warping until there's a gap in them. If it can detect power buildups, it'll be evident that the shuttles' weapons are ready to fire. Then there's a transmission to the ship.

"Do you have Altaran?"

Think fast.

[Fenric]

[Power Plant Airspace]

Oh, quite the garden variety shielding: they have no trouble manipulating it at will. They are also quite thoroughly scanned now with divination magic querying who they are, where they are from, et c.

Meanwhile, the best answer the analysts have come up with is...

The fugitive in question is one of the most powerful residents of this area, and will require more time to secure. We request patience while we follow up on your demands.

scanning scanning... let's see how much info we get...