Outside 46

[Shadowcaller]

[Galleon Rock]

Phew. Anika breathes out and makes more gestures which causes green energy to wash over her, healing her injuries.
Finally, she turns to the conversation at hand.

...


Yeah, she would be of no help there. The only interaction she did with entities like that these days were mauling and blasting. She never planned to actually talk with the things. Mostly they just babbled on about how everyone's heart would explode and friends betraying you, not that great a conversation.

Instead, she turns to the glow-y pile that Jace is pointing out (she had to ask about that big dragon later...) could that be something she could punch?

[Rebonack]

[Galleon Rock]

"There is a great deal of debate over why flatlanders tug stars. Prevailing consensus suggests parasitism for reproductive cycles," the totally normal lamb replies helpfully. "However! I am left pondering uncertainty. It is hard to fit? in a flatland, but I am a fractal perceptoid? which makes me saucy?"

It takes the completely mundane creature a few moments to properly interpret the meaning of Jace's gesture.

"That is biomass, it is not fingers?. You are also biomass. Have you noticed that your air is very thin? It is uncomfortable to breath it and I think that it does not enjoy my company?" the critter observes as it begins fizzling like a wound with hydrogen peroxide dumped on it. "The biomass is metabolizing power tugged from my star. I believe it is attempting to do a thing."

And then it does a thing!

The heap of corpses suddenly surges upward, melding and warping and cracking and popping until the result isn't terribly dissimilar to a certain awful movie alien that harassed scientists in the Arctic.

"Yes, that is a thing," the lamb confirms.

"You are fools, m'yes!" the corpse-heap booms. "I already told you I have mastered reanimation, m'yes! And now I have a being of unfathomed power summoned from beyond eternity to do my bidding, m'yes! Now my minion, destroy them, m'yes!"

In a display of alien power and incomprehensible eldritch magic, the lamb slips off the top of the bone alter, goes sliding down the side, and collides into the wall with an, "Uuf! Friction has betrayed me!"

[Deathkeeper]

[Galleon Rock]

Jace! Jace! You have to say the line!
"I can't believe you would give me a bigger target!" Jace declares, angrily snapping his fingers. yaaaaaaas "Disintegrate."
Then he shoots a tiny green laser that disintegrates large areas of unliving matter at the monstrosity. While Zebes snickers.

[Shadowcaller]

[Galleon Rock]

Punch- oh.
Eh, screw it. Anika gestures at the pile and fires off a mighty sunbeam as well. Jace could probably finish this alone, but perhaps she could help just a bit.

[Rebonack]

[Galleon Rock]

You know what the best way to deal with horrors cobbled together with necromancy and foul power from beyond eternity?

Magical laser beams, obviously.

The air is filled with an awful sizzling scent as the horror is blasted away! Well, not completely blasted away. It's still sitting there being awful. Giant amalgamations of awfulness and flesh have lots of hit points? Who knew! The amalgam lashes out at our heroes with a tendril of flesh studded with splintered bone, looking to cause them unwelcome physical trauma! They had best not let it do that.

"Go'loch en tag marusheen tagmara no-"

Oh.

And it's starting a guttural invocation that's making Zebe's teeth itch. They might want to stop that, too.

"Ah! Why am I accelerating in an arbitrary direction!" the totally normal lamb laments, apparently unaware of what gravity is. Seems it tried floating up into the air and found it to be impossible.

[Deathkeeper]

[Galleon Rock]

Jace dives aside, landing hard on his left shoulder but avoiding being crushed by a tendril. Teeth gritted through pain, he and Zebes shout a seven-syllable chant and point at the undead monstrosity.
Fwoosh!

A jet of flame washed over the area in its direction. He'd like to see it chant when its bones are ashes.

[Mee]

Little Lake Somewhere

[Closed scene?]

Well, somewhere around Outside there is a lovely little lake. It's in a clearing in a forest, rather away from everything. This lake also happens to be Grace's home away from home, and she is here once again, mostly asleep on a folding beach chair, simply soaking in the sun, and enjoying the warmth of the afternoon.
She's human, of maybe 5'4", and appears to be in her early twenties. She has about shoulder-length, incredibly vibrant red hair, a tan that would imply she's out here snoozing in the sun fairly often, and a picnic basket of snacks nearby.

[Celticbear]

Little Lake Somewhere

[Sure, Closed Scene]

Jonas Sinclair, the once man now machine, stands at a dizzying eight feet tall. His helmet has two shades, white and gray, which create a sort of "ying yang" symbol, and has two beady brown eyes looking out of it. His torso, mostly purple in color, has many interconnected wires running all about it. From his torso are two mechanical black arms, each with four fingers each (more like mini tentacles if you ask some people). Two robotic legs, bent backward at the knee, creak and clank as he walks through the forest.

Really need to oil these things. Annoying, grumbles Jonas in a voice that sounds as if John Cramer and Darth Vader had some deformed love child.

As he gets closer to the little lake, he doesn't notice Grace until he is almost on top of her. When he does notice Grace, he lets out a small grunt, though it is still kind of loud.

[Shadowcaller]

[Galleon Rock]

Anika had never been good at dodging, so instead she turns into something that can take the blow.

In a flurry of feathers, a clawed hand suddenly attempts to grab the tendril as it comes lashing out against the druid and an empowered flare of solar energy so hot that it might set fire to the tendril, a fire which is then directed to go along the length of it, directly back to the base.

It appears Anika have turned into a weird falcon-eyed creature with a beak for a mouth and claws of a bear. It is covered in a mix of feathers and fur with antlers crowning its head.

*Squack*

How... impressive.

[Rebonack]

[Galleon Rock]

Okay.

Yeah.

This is a bit more than the giant flesh heap can handle. Like, seriously. That is a whole bunch of fire. And while our villain is certainly a pretty durable dude, this is just too much for him to hang on. With an awful shriek, the runes covering the corpse pile begin to flicker in time with the pinprick that remains of the void portal. And then in a rather grisly display, the whole undead shambler gets sucked through the pinprick void portal as his hold on the far realm tainted flesh wavers.

Ever seen something the size of an elephant pulled through a rift the width of a hair?

Well.

Now you have!

With Howard the Necromancer well and truly gone, our heroes have completed their quest! And best of all, there were no serious complications to speak of resulting from him ripping at the fabric of reality!

"Bwah! What am I accelerating toward? Your campgrounds? make no contextual sense!"

No complications at all.

[Deathkeeper]

[Galleon Rock]

Jace lays back for a moment, breathing heavily, before he slowly gets up and makes sure he didn't dislocate his arm (he didn't).
After giving himself a moment to catch his breath and get rid of the colors swimming in his eyes, he can take a moment to answer the creature.
"Gravity pulls to the center of a world's core. That's how it works." he explains.

[Shadowcaller]

[Galleon Rock]

Victory!
The creature raises its arms into the air in triumph.
*squawk!*

Then she turns to Jace and... whatever that was. She was pretty sure you weren't supposed to talk to whatever that mage had summoned. Seemed pretty dangerous.

[Rebonack]

[Galleon Rock]

Technically, the necromancer didn't summon this absolutely unremarkable lamb. It came through the rift of its own volition and apparently (mostly) closed the rift on its way through. Had it not done so, the situation would likely be quite a bit worse than it is right now. And why would anyone think a totally mundane lamb would be dangerous? They're near the bottom of the dangerous animal list, ranking between bunnies and kittens.

"World?" the lamb replies in a fashion that suggest confusion. In fact, confusion is radiating from it now. It might be sorta confusing just being near it. "World.... world... Ah! A clot of matter spinning through an infinite expanse of nothing! Yes? You have provided me useful information. I will reciprocate. Feel free to make an inquiry of me and I will do my best to answer it."

The lamb rises to its hooves and beats its wings a few times, lifting slightly off the ground. This results in a feeling of irritation.

"Expression of malcontent! The sea? here is too thin to swim in. Whoever designed your world made it very strange," the critter states as it continues to fizzle like hydrogen peroxide on a wound. "And it still does not approve of my company? I should make a better anchor? so the world stops heckling? me."

Then it trots behind the alter-

-and steps out from behind Zebes,quizzically looking around.

"Most of your world is not living?, which is strange and also unsettling. I require bio-mass to make a new anchor? and wish to know if that mass in unused?" it inquires, gesturing at several of the corpses sitting near the alter. "I inquire because I learned on my last visit that sometimes flatlanders become insentient and I do not wish to cause undo distress."

[Green Elf]

[Mountain Hut]

Thanoc the dwarf leads Gary to his house in the mountains. At the bottom of one mountain which is indistinguishable from others, an arched door about five feet is seen. On the right of this door is a natural spring which is an obvious source of supplies.

The hut seems to have one problem; The door is blocked with solid stone. Gary will notice an oddly shaped indent in the wall. It is the shape of a battle axe but has odd indentations. The dwarf puts his axe in the door and then removes it, causing the stone to slide into the ground.

When inside, Gary will see a fire pit in the center of the room, with a crevice in the ceiling to let smoke escape from a tiny tunnel leading out of the house. He will also see a kitchen in the back and a large table. Monster heads are on plaques on the wall such as werewolves and strange lizardish heads. A door leads out each side of the room. One is Thanoc's room. This contains his personal supplies, weapons, bed, and other miscellaneous things. The other is a guest room with two bunk beds, in total housing four people. Chests are at the bottom of each bed. Various weapons are kept in this room; two longswords, a shortsword, a battle-axe, two hatchets, and a warhammer. Someone clearly does some killing.

[Deathkeeper]

[Galleon Rock]

Jace and Zebes both jump about a foot in the air, whirling around in surprise.
"Ok, uh, do you have something we can call you by?" Jace asks it.
"Only the three of us moving and you are alive, yes. You can...probably use those bodies, I guess. We can just tell the villagers we cremated the bodies..." says Zebes, unsure of that decision.

[Shadowcaller]

[Galleon Rock]

It appeared while they were fighting the warlock, so in Anika's book, it is likely hostile. Not that it seemed to act as such, but they had just defeated its master so it was probably trying to trick them... or something.

*squawk?*

Oh, to the nether with this!

Anika changes back to her humanoid form. "Jace, I'm confused. First, have your familiar been able to talk this entire time? Second, why are you making friends with that... whatever it is?" Important questions, and she had not even asked why his familiar could turn into a dragon.

[Rebonack]

[Galleon Rock]

Yes.

Attempting to trick you.

That's clearly what this perfectly normal lamb is trying to do.

"The elves I met last time used the word 'Derelith' to refer to me. I believe it would translate to 'thing that ought not be' in your language," the lamb replies helpfully. "They called me that because your universe is imaginary? instead of being like a normal universe."

And then?

The lamb trots over to the heap of corpses and...

Well.

Something unspeakable happens.

We're not even going to try to describe it. One of those incomprehensible sorts of things. And since it's incomprehensible to the mortal mind, the mortal mind will likely ignore it the same way the mortal mind ignores perfectly rational dimensions like inways.

The lamb appears to be gone. Instead? There's a red-haired half-elf woman. And also a raven. And no corpses. Neither the woman nor the raven are wearing anything. The former is just standing there like a mannequin while the latter ruffles her feathers.

"Expression of excitement! This anchor? is already preventing your universe from heckling? me! That is desirable, as I do not wish to be dissolved," the perfectly normal bird (no, really) squawks. The 'anchor' continues standing there like an expressionless statue. Made of meat. Except that she happens to be talking in stereo with the bird. It's creepy as hell.

[Deathkeeper]

[Galleon Rock]

Jace looks a little sick, and really doesn't know how to respond to any of this.
"Okay, why did you make two bodies, and why didn't you even dress them? Only one of you needs to talk at once, we can hear you."
"What, of course I can talk. Why did you think I couldn't?" asks Zebes innocently. And Zebes has been a dragon the whole time! He can just turn into a different one.
Sssh! Don't antagonize it! Do you want it to start throwing its crazy mojo around? You saw what that wizard did just stealing power from it. Zebes whispers into her mind.

[8BitNinja]

[Mountain Hut]

Thanoc the dwarf leads Gary to his house in the mountains. At the bottom of one mountain which is indistinguishable from others, an arched door about five feet is seen. On the right of this door is a natural spring which is an obvious source of supplies.

The hut seems to have one problem; The door is blocked with solid stone. Gary will notice an oddly shaped indent in the wall. It is the shape of a battle axe but has odd indentations. The dwarf puts his axe in the door and then removes it, causing the stone to slide into the ground.

When inside, Gary will see a fire pit in the center of the room, with a crevice in the ceiling to let smoke escape from a tiny tunnel leading out of the house. He will also see a kitchen in the back and a large table. Monster heads are on plaques on the wall such as werewolves and strange lizardish heads. A door leads out each side of the room. One is Thanoc's room. This contains his personal supplies, weapons, bed, and other miscellaneous things. The other is a guest room with two bunk beds, in total housing four people. Chests are at the bottom of each bed. Various weapons are kept in this room; two longswords, a shortsword, a battle-axe, two hatchets, and a warhammer. Someone clearly does some killing.

Gary says "Thanks for letting me stay here." Do you know where I can clean myself?"

[Shadowcaller]

[Galleon Rock]

Anika makes a grimace half way between disgust and confusion. She had no idea what was going on anymore. Now she was suddenly talking to a tiny... dragon? A tiny dragon that could turn into a larger dragon. Things made so much sense right now.
He did? So that's some sort of... demigod? In fact, who're you?! She recalled vaguely of a name being used. She hadn't paid much attention though.

[Green Elf]

Gary says "Thanks for letting me stay here." Do you know where I can clean myself?"

The dwarf laughs. "Go use the spring outside. No one's thar. Believe me."

[8BitNinja]

The dwarf laughs. "Go use the spring outside. No one's thar. Believe me."

Gary leaves and cleans himself and his clothes in the spring. After a while, he comes back with him and his uniform clean. He says "Thanks a lot. I hope I'm not being to much of a bother, but do you have any food and ammo? I'm kinda low on both."

[Green Elf]

Gary leaves and cleans himself and his clothes in the spring. After a while, he comes back with him and his uniform clean. He says "Thanks a lot. I hope I'm not being to much of a bother, but do you have any food and ammo? I'm kinda low on both."

The dwarf answers, "Aye, I've got plenty o' food, but I don't have tha ammo of yar's. Believe me, somebody has tha ammo tho."

[8BitNinja]

The dwarf answers, "Aye, I've got plenty o' food, but I don't have tha ammo of yar's. Believe me, somebody has tha ammo tho."

Gary says "I'll deal with being low on ammo. Can you please tell me where I can get some food?"

[Green Elf]

Gary says "I'll deal with being low on ammo. Can you please tell me where I can get some food?"

The dwarf walks back to the kitchen and opens a chest. There are plenty of salted meats in it, almost filling it to the brim. "Go ahead and take what you need."

[Mee]

Little Lake Somewhere

[Sure, Closed Scene]

Jonas Sinclair, the once man now machine, stands at a dizzying eight feet tall. His helmet has two shades, white and gray, which create a sort of "ying yang" symbol, and has two beady brown eyes looking out of it. His torso, mostly purple in color, has many interconnected wires running all about it. From his torso are two mechanical black arms, each with four fingers each (more like mini tentacles if you ask some people). Two robotic legs, bent backward at the knee, creak and clank as he walks through the forest.

Really need to oil these things. Annoying, grumbles Jonas in a voice that sounds as if John Cramer and Darth Vader had some deformed love child.

As he gets closer to the little lake, he doesn't notice Grace until he is almost on top of her. When he does notice Grace, he lets out a small grunt, though it is still kind of loud.

Grace's Li'l Lake

Well, the good news is that since Grace was only mostly dozing, she does eventually hear the clanking and creaking of Jonas' metal legs. Unfortunately, she doesn't really hear it and start to react until he's basically right next to her. Her eyes start to drift open slowly, and then Jonas' quietly loud grunt startles her into action.
Of course, this action is to 'Eep!' loudly, flail her arms a bit, and fall off her chair entirely and in such a way that it rolls over and lands on top of her.

". . . ow."

[Celticbear]

Grace's Li'l Pool

Jonas had instinctively raised on of his arms, releasing a purple energy blade of about four feet in length, but when he notices that the person he tripped over was not a slobbering alien monster, he quickly raises his arm and sheathes the blade. His eyes go distant for awhile, shakes his head, and offers a black, metallic hand to Grace, and says in that creepy robot voice: I didn't see you. Sorry I tripped over you.

[Mee]

Grace's Li'l Pool

Jonas had instinctively raised on of his arms, releasing a purple energy blade of about four feet in length, but when he notices that the person he tripped over was not a slobbering alien monster, he quickly raises his arm and sheathes the blade. His eyes go distant for awhile, shakes his head, and offers a black, metallic hand to Grace, and says in that creepy robot voice: I didn't see you. Sorry I tripped over you.

Grace's Lake

"Nooononono, that's fine! I was-" well. Actually. She really hadn't been in the way at all. And there had been no one here when she set up. "not paying any attention." She finishes, before getting herself up. She nodded a thanks for the offer for the hand up, but she chose not to accept it.

[Celticbear]

Grace's Lake (Don't Know Why I Called It A Pool)


Jonas retracts the hand, there's that creak again. When was the last time he had himself oiled? Getting off topic, Jonas thinks. So, this your spot?

[8BitNinja]

The dwarf walks back to the kitchen and opens a chest. There are plenty of salted meats in it, almost filling it to the brim. "Go ahead and take what you need."

Gary eats some food and then packs some of it in his backpack. He says "Thanks for helping me out. I guess I'll be going now." With that, Gary leaves for the door.