[Nexus] Outside XXVII

[Lex-Kat]

{Caravan}

Caroline looks surprised. Maybe we will be recruiting Cornelia to join us at some point. She's a member of NO, also.

[Murkus]

EtherAin Manor

"I am Molodai." The wildfae interjects, likely silencing the fairy if only for a second. She frowns, turns, and bangs on the door. With both hands. Trying to find a weakness, in all likelihood. I suppose that counts as knocking.

River

"I said pretty." Legion says, laughing a little. She slides a hand over his side. "You're plenty handsome." The Lady leans in to give him a brief, proper kiss. She gives a shiver. "You were right about cold though. I keep forgetting it's not summer anymore."

[ZarethG]

[EtherAin Manor]

Quinn looks at Molodai quizzically.

"Are you trying to break in? If so, I think I can help."

[Reinholdt]

[Caravan]

"Maybe." Vincent says with a shrug. He ignores the medkit. It's obviously a background sprite.

Wonder whose cabin/bed he's robbing.

[Lady Serpentine]

[Caravan]

Actually, it's more like a personal physician. But Vincent probably doesn't know that, unless he's familiar with the tech in the Hyperion universe.

As for who he's robbing, it's probably one of the officers, or possible local military.

[bladescape]

[EtherAin Manor]

Quinn looks at Molodai quizzically.

"Are you trying to break in? If so, I think I can help."

Whether or not Molodai was trying to break in turns out to be a moot point. Within a few seconds, the massive oaken doors are opened by the harried looking steward.

Then there's a pause as he takes in the small fairie and the fey creature. It doesn't knock his stride for long though. "Welcome to EtherAin Manor. You are here for the Mercenary contract?"

[happyturtle]

Carl and Sunny's Honeymoon

The first night they didn't go far. It had been a long day after all, and the newlyweds hadn't yet had a chance to be along together for longer than a few minutes. Stheno, the sapient tech/magic hybrid motorcycle, drove them along the coast to a sheltered cove. It wouldn't normally be accessible by motorcycle, but Stheno simply shifted into panther form and leapt down the rocky cliff.

As if the lovers needed any more of an adrenaline rush.

The site had been already prepared with a tent set up and blankets laid out on the sand. Carl and Sunny tumbled off the bike laughing together, and Stheno quickly departed to give the lovers privacy and mark out a defensive perimeter.

There was no thought of taking the time for special lingerie or rose petals or any other of the trappings of romance. Starlight took the place of candles, and the crashing of waves was better than any music. There was love, urgent desire, and deep joy, and it was close to dawn before the couple began to think of sleep.

"I love being your wife," Sunny said sleepily.

"I love being your husband." Carl answered. "I'm glad you asked."

"I'm glad you said yes."

They slept most of the following day, and spent another night at the cove. When they were ready to move on, Stheno returned. They still had more to see together.

[Lady Serpentine]

[FeyClaw Manor]

Apprentice-Pilot lands here, in a not really well defined at all fighter.

Harina appears at around the same time.

[bladescape]

The other is a much darker and more forbidding house. The house itself almost seems like a squat, uglier armoured stronghold. Although the sense of appeal that is inherant in all of the Elves shows through in the artistry that turns the ugly building into something that at least is somewhat pleasing to the eye. The balconies and doors, the walls and gates, however, all show signs of being prepared for battle at any moment. There are innumerable weapon caches, the gardens of the other manor are replaced by solid training fields.

It is a place designed for war. There are cauldrons that sit ready to be filled with Alchemic Fire or some other highly volatile substance. The double row of arrow slits, as well as a double thickness triple lock and barricaded door, are hard defenses.

A third figure joins them, a raggedy human with a sword. They gather at the gates, Armin saying nothing as he looks it over.

Although no-one is likely to respond unless they knock.

[Lady Serpentine]

[FeyClaw Manor]

Apprentice-Pilot heads over and knocks, in that case.

[bladescape]

[FeyClaw Manor]

Apprentice-Pilot heads over and knocks, in that case.

Armin will probably stare at the four-armed girl, in that case.

The Iron doors will creak open after a few seconds. A slightly ugly and squat elf peeking around the doors. "More Mercenaries? Come in! Come in!" Once gaining confirmation of the Merc's intent, he will open the Iron doors wide and gesture for the assorted people to follow him.

[Lady Serpentine]

[FeyClaw Manor]

The D'Lattu returns his stare, and says "And you're staring because...?"

It's probably at about that point that the door opens. When it does, and they're questioned, Harina says "Yes. At least, I am. I don't know about these.

Apprentice-Pilot simply nods.

They'll both follow him.

[bladescape]

[FeyClaw Manor]

"Never mind." The human replies, glancing somewhere else. He also nods at the Elf.

The Aide leads them inside, along corridors with ceremonial weaponry and tokens of valour and prestige, into a room filled with maps.

At the other side of the room is a massive map with several elven generals looking over it as well as a man. Looking up, the solidly built commander-general waves the Mercenaries over. "Looks like we've got some help here." He comments to the human(?) with him.

(And now there's MindFreak's character, after your reaction post we'll probably have to freeze this scene until he can reply.)

[Lady Serpentine]

[FeyClaw Manor]

((I thought it was BladeofOblivion's character? Or did Mindfreak bring someone in too?))

She shrugs, and says "Alright."

They'll both go over when the commander-general waves at them to.

[bladescape]

[FeyClaw Manor]

((I thought it was BladeofOblivion's character? Or did Mindfreak bring someone in too?))

She shrugs, and says "Alright."

They'll both go over when the commander-general waves at them to.

(****. It is. It's just past Midnight here, and I think it's showing.)

[ZarethG]

EtherAin Manor

Quinn nods.

"Yup! Well, I am. I think Molodai is, too. My name's Quinn, by the way."

Quinn will promptly create an average-sized, transparent purple hand with his magic, to be shaken by the steward.

[BladeofObliviom]

(I'm still around, I just didn't really have a good response. Just assume they've been debating the finer points of strategy, or something like that.)

[FeyClaw Manor]

Indeed we do. Additional resources are only rarely something to complain about.

Jacques doesn't even look up. He seems to be mentally arranging the pieces, analyzing the most likely movements of the enemy based on terrain.

[Lady Serpentine]

[FeyClaw Manor]


Apprentice-Pilot looks at the maps, and how FeyClaw's forces are set up to be deployed.

"Do we know what sorts of air defenses they have?"

[ThirdEmperor]

River

"Well, if you're cold, I'd say I can fix that little problem.." Jasper says, Objects and impending insanity completely forgotten by now. Curtains will probably fall shortly.

Really, the odds of Jasper ending up insane and possibly dead due to the Objects would be much lower if he wasn't so easily distracted.

Court of Chaos

The Chaos charge tears the beast's mandibles into sub-atomic pieces. Leaving a wounded S'Kanthos hanging in the air right above the beast's open mouth, which bristles with jagged fangs, the edge of each tooth composed of more, smaller teeth, fractal fangs, multitudes of razors.

I hope for his sake that gravity doesn't function here.

[Lady Serpentine]

[Courts of Chaos]

It can tend to break down in the presence of ancient magical entities, like the one possessing S'Kanthos.

In this case, though, it doesn't. The Logrus prefers to simply push the lines out past the skin, and let itself fall towards the beast.

[Murkus]

EtherAin Manor

Molodai gives a little nod, then leans forward and sniffs the steward to make sure it's him. Once that's confirmed, she grins at him.

River

Legion allows the curtains, but is sorta paranoid while they're down. This still feels really awkward, even with the distance between them and civilization.

Cue interruption in 3, 2, 1...

[bladescape]

[EtherAin Manor]

The Steward blinks once at the hand before shaking it. Molodai doesn't find anything .. unstewardy about the steward. "Come this way then."


[FeyClaw Manor]

(Now they have been. It's Canon now! )

The forces appear to be in a defensive formation, and the other side also appears to have quite a few more troops at it's disposal. "Air Defenses? Little except the soldiers on the wall that have guns." Of course, these guys didn't have ships like I'm assuming Apprentice-Pilot has.

[Lady Serpentine]

[FeyClaw Manor]

Yep, he's got a ship, and a fairly tough one, at that.

He grins, and says "So, they would be mostly helpless against an attack from above by a heavily armed and armored vehicle?"

[ZarethG]

EtherAin Manor

Quinn follows the steward.

[Slii Arhem]

EtherAin Manor (Quarters -> Lord's Room)

Jakob has rested about all he possibly can without going into a coma, and paced even longer than that, but finally his slow, slow, unbelieveably slow brain has come up with a way to contribute to the war effort.

So he marches up to Lord EtherAin confidently, unless any of the servants come across him first. Either way, he'll address whoever he finds, "Jakob requires a large axe. I have idea that will aid us in the coming fight."

[ThirdEmperor]

Hamlet

Grabbing the energy bolt was probably a bad idea. The moment the shadow catches it, the missile explodes in a violent burst of radiation, quite likely dispelling any nearby magic in the process. Which may or may not include the shadow.

"Leave! There are more guarding this village, and they'll be here soon!" The leader shouts, and Fade might notice vines growing out of the ground around his feet, trying to grab him and hold him in place long enough for reinforcements to arrive. The others have stopped firing though, as their bullets are obviously having no effect.

The See-er lets out a yelp as he's pulled through the portal.

Court of Chaos

The lines of Chaos tear into the beast, cutting away at the inside of it's mouth, acidic blood pouring from the wounds as the beast is disintegrated from the inside out by the chaotic magic. With a roar, the centipede-horror slams it's jaws shut, trying to drive it's many, many teeth into S'Kanthos's flesh, caustic drool coating each and every one of the fractal fangs. Really, the battle has boiled down to one simple question; which of the two combatants will die first. Certainly, the beast is all but dead if the Chaos charge does not dissipate soon. By which I mean the next post.

River

Well, I for one can't think of anything particularly amusing that could disrupt Jasper and Legion.

Unless a Necromunatzi kill-bot counts as funny.

[Lady Serpentine]

[Courts of Chaos]

It probably has at least another post before it does; the main reason it took so long was that it was building up a lot of juice.

So, presumably, the lines surrounding him continue destroying it.

[ThirdEmperor]

Courts of Chaos

One of the lines of power slices the creature's brain in two, shredding right through the centipede's thin skull and into it's neural cortex, snuffing out the hunter-beast's life in the blink of an eye. With a scream like a cast iron train driving across an endless field of blackboards, it falls dead, flesh and bone dissolving into viscous, tar-like slime. The hunt is over, the hunter felled.

[Lady Serpentine]

[Courts of Chaos]


The Logrus attempts to shift Shadows, so that Adrin and it are up on the actual floor, before sealing his wounds and relinquishing its grip.

[Murkus]

EtherAin Manor

Molodai follows, studying their surroundings carefully.

River

The curtain likely rises unmolested, then!

Legion likely lies under Jasper for a few minutes, smiling to herself. After a few minutes, she gives him a glance. "Sorta hungry now."