[Nexus] Outside XXVII

[C'nor]

[Flats]

"Then follow me."

With that, Talnissa tries to lead Pass off to her house.

((Would you prefer to use the Nest thread or Home, if she follows?))

[Beans]

[Flats]
Home, I guess, as she follows.

[Murkus]

Hermitage of Dalechrech - Percival

Some humans. Not necessarily our dear Percival.

Although he does seem genuinely pleased at her reaction. The demonazi realizes that she isn't used to being treated so well. Heck, she can't be used to having any fun at all.

Percival dives toward the ocean, the wind roaring in their ears as they descend. Then the rushing air is lost in favor of a gentle sea breeze, a breeze which Percival uses to glide further down. No longer having to shout, he says, "Have you ever seen the ocean, Eericka?"

Skirmish

What a cruel and underhanded thing to do! That human must not care about his comrades much. The blade travels straight through the elf, and is suddenly lodged in Molodai's side. Her pale skin, however, is remarkably thick. Mr. Swordsman might have trouble driving it further.

Unfortunately, she does not give him that chance. Molodai retreats with a yelp, holding her side, wound gushing dark red blood.

[DoomITP]

Originally Posted by The Alexandrian

[Hermitage of Dalachrech - Elezibethele]

This room is even nicer than the triplets' private chamber! Wow! That's great! The slaves aren't very excited about it, though. It still contains far too many sets of manacles. That's a very discomforting sign. The slaves will refrain from vocally expressing their true feelings on this matter, for fear of upsetting their mistress.

-----
[Hermitage of Dalachrech - Azurelle]

Yes. It is most certainly more than merely a traumatizing experience. The girl really doesn't enjoy it at all.

-----
[Library of Alexandria]

Perfect! There are three identical doors on the other side of the chamber! They appear to be the same in every single way, apart from their positioning.

Library of Alexandria

Since the doors seem to be the same Zero will try to open the door on the right first.

[Earl of Purple]

Hermitage of Dalachrech- Elezibethele

Spoiler

"At the rate humanity is going, non-humans will be extinct by the time they're ready for co-existence." I suppose that explains why there's no elves around today, hmm?

Hermitage of Dalachrech- Azurelle

Spoiler

When Azurelle awakes, she smiles and gently moves her arm away from Toy. She'll wake Toy by leaning over and giving her a surprisingly gentle kiss.

[ThirdEmperor]

Riv's Hamlet

The poor watchmen never stands a chance, remaining oblivious until the moment he finds a blade run through his heart and dying of shock a half-blink later. At least he died too quickly to feel pain, for what that's worth.

As for the drunk, he turns and runs the moment he sees the comedy mask learing over the dead man's shoulder, heading straight for the tavern, the only building in town with it's lights still on. It's a short dash, perhaps a little less than ten feet, but considering that Javert is an assassin while the drunk is, well, a drunk, I figure it's probably safe to say the chase likely ends with the drunk screaming in pain as his guts spill onto the dirt road.

Across the lane, light begins to pour from the windows as lanterns are hastily lid, windows swinging open as people lean out to try and see what's going on in the dark streets below.

The Rusty Wheel

"Well, th- The barkeep is cut off midstream as a blood-curdling scream rends the air, causing him to drop the now light brown hunk of meat he was just then pulling off the fire. "I- I'm awfully sorry bout this, but you'd better go hide in the storm cellar while we sort this thing out. By the sounds of it, those ******* are back, and it's bout time we stop 'em from coming back again." He says, waddling over to the bar and grabbing an antique lever from beneath it. Fumblingly, the barkeep sets to work loading the device, muttering all the while. "Whaddaver those ******* *****-***** want with this town they've gotta nother thing ******* coming if they think they can get away with this ***** and whatever poor soul that is is gonna be ******** avenged, and thoroughly."

[Wolfbane]

Riv's Hamlet

Javert does indeed attack the drunk, and stays still when the sound of his screaming reverberates through the night air. He smirks slightly to himself behind his mask when the lights begin to turn on. Perfection...

When the people look out of their windows, they'll see the white Comedy mask in the air above a blurred shadow standing next to the disemboweled and likely still living man. With a snort of contempt, Javert draws the saber from his back and activates the powerfield, making it glow a blood red.

In a single motion from draw to strike, the assassin swings his blade down to the Drunk's neck, likely severing the head completely for everyone to see. "Fall to your knees and repent!" He shouts. "I am Judgement, and you have been found guilty." He states loud enough for everyone to hear before sprinting back towards the charred ruins.

[The Alexandrian]

[The Rusty Wheel]

OPERATIVE!!!

Grr! Augh! Roar! The Warsh is going to have a few choice words with The Operative if/when he returns to the base of MURDER! Gee whiz! Good golly, Miss Molly! These soldiers are not precision weapons! This isn't the James Bond go loud and leave no witnesses to tell the tale brand of infiltration! This is a covert operation! Covert! Not...uh...something that isn't covert, yeah?

Civilians are not the target! Eliminating civilians is neither efficient nor professional! Taking the lives of innocents is choosing to stoop to the level of the target!

At least something good might come of this distraction. It'd be much easier to pose as one of Riv's own horde in the midst of this chaos. All Warsh needs to do is get his hands on a uniform. If he can do that much, everything else will fall into place.

For now, Warsh merely nods and jogs over to wherever the storm cellar is, checking behind him only once in order to determine whether or not he is still being tailed. If so, this would be the perfect opportunity to obtain that uniform I wrote of earlier.

-------
[Hermitage of Dalechrech - Percival]

Eericka yips in joy and surprise as she spies the sea for the first time in her life. She isn't sure of what it is. Looks like nothing more than a massive puddle to her. But there's something different about it. The way the light bounces off of it. The little figurines bobbing up and down within it. The way it seems to extend in one direction infinitely. Beautiful. Nature at its finest. Such power and grace in such a simple thing. In every simple thing, in fact.

A gleam crackles to life within the core of her eyes. Her long locks trail behind her in a flowing river of air (resistance ). She lives for the first time. She breathes in the fresh of the outside. The outside! And the trees! This world is bright and new to Eericka. That concept only now strikes her, leaving a titanic dent where it hit.

"The ocean? I've only seen pictures!"

Whee!
...
You know what's funny?
I think that Percival is Eericka's first and only real friend.

-------
[Hermitage of Dalachrech - Elezibethele]

Spoiler

Extinct? Why, that doesn't make any sense at all! Not one quark of sense! Mine is entirely dumbfounded! This requires much more inquiry, methinks!

"Why would we ever go extinct, Mistress? If we are the superior of humans in every way, should we not live as long as they do if not outlast them completely?"

-------
[Hermitage of Dalachrech - Azurelle]

Spoiler

What? Are we talking about the same Azurelle here? Seriously? Fascinating!

Toy is quickly roused by Azurelle's kiss! She cringes when she first feels the warmth brush against her skin, but then smiles grandly a fraction of a second later. She must be dreaming. There's no other logical explanation for it. It felt so real, but it cannot be! Azurelle isn't like that at all! Never once has she been kind to Toy or any of her sisters. Not up until now, anyway.

"Good morning, sunshine."

Toy mutters, not realizing that she is, in fact, awake.

-------
[Library of Alexandria]

Hmm... I can't quite recall what is behind this door... Let's go with a monster or shade, shall we.

This room is circular and empty. It is expansive, about twenty feet wide radius-wise. It isn't lit at all, but Zero might be able to make out the vague shape of a door stuck into the wall of the room opposite that which he just entered.

[ThirdEmperor]

The Rusty Wheel

Warsh will find the storm cellar easily enough, an unconcealed trapdoor beneath the stairs, but no such luck with the guard following him. The moment Warsh is safely hidden in the cellar, the clone turns and runs out the door towards the source of the disturbance.

The storm cellar is a small, cramped little stone room that appears to have been used primarily as a pantry, dried vegetables and salted jerky hanging from the ceiling, almost half the room taken up by dusty casks of ale. There's no illumination, only what little light filters through the trapdoor, and not much that would really keep someone from storming in and killing everybody inside except the vain hope that any would-be invaders will simply fail to find the door.

Riv's Hamlet

As Javert speeds off into the ruins people are already beginning to leave the safety of their homes, armed with old fashioned firearms, torches, even the occassional pitchfork. Most of them gather around the dead cop and even deader drunk, staring at the corpses with the sort of horrified, dumbstruck fascination only found when large numbers of people wander onto a crime scene, but four particularly intrepid souls chase after Javert, heading into the ruins after him. One of these foolhardy souls, a red-headed man with a truly impressive beard, is actually moving fast enough that he might actually stand a chance of catching the assassin, each stride seeming to cover more ground than should be actually possible as his innate magic warps space just the tiniest bit.

Meanwhile, a clone bursts out of the tavern, while a second one comes charging through the gate, both of them moving towards the crowd of people congregating around the corpses.

[The Alexandrian]

[The Rusty Wheel]

Well, shoot! Warsh waits in the storm cellar for several minutes, hoping that the soldier will show his face again, but once it is crystal clear that that isn't ever going to happen, he attempts to exit the storm cellar, locate a nearby window pointing away from all of the commotion, and jump out of it into the chilly (?) night air!

Operation: Assess the Situation Initiate!

[Earl of Purple]

Hermitage of Dalachrech- Elezibethele

Spoiler

"The elven race as a whole seems unable to see the threat humans pose. We could easily wipe them out if we concentrated on it, but because they live for such a short period of time elvish leaders don't see the problem. The same is true of the dwarfs, gnomes and halflings." Elezibethele, though, sees the problem! But she's not an elvish leader, and is instead a cleric in the small cult of an evil deity. Although she is a high-ranking cleric, most of her fellow clerics are human so she can't really bad mouth them.

Hermitage of Dalachrech- Azurelle

Spoiler

"Good morning, Toy. Did you sleep well?" I think this might be psychological torture now, but I'm not sure.

[The Alexandrian]

[Hermitage of Dalachrech - Azurelle]

Spoiler

Psychological torture sounds about right. This is Azurelle we're talking about here, after all.

"I couldn't tell you. I'm still dreaming, and I don't want to wake up."

Pinch yourself, Toy! Pinch yourself and realize that you are awake before Azurelle murders you!

-------
[Hermitage of Dalachrech- Elezibethele]

Spoiler

There's only one question bounding about in Mine's brain right now. He must ask it. He feels compelled to do so, even though it may very much upset his Mistress.

"What are you doing to change that?"

A phrase of words strung together sometimes validates a life. Other times, they dismiss it in its entirety.

[Earl of Purple]

Hermitage of Dalachrech- Elezibethele

Spoiler

"I am the second most powerful individual in the Cult of Dalachrech. I am encouraging elves and other non-humans to join the Cult, and when the human leader dies, I and my allies will drive out the humans and start killing them where ever we can. I won't have to wait long; he's only got maybe another sixty years." Elezibethele knows the truth of Terrowin's age; he's twenty five, though tells potential converts he's forty nine to claim Dalachrech has granted him eternal youth.

Hermitage of Dalachrech- Azurelle

Spoiler

"Oh? And what, in this dream, are you going to do now?" Azurelle's smiling with amusement. She finds this very funny.

[Wolfbane]

Originally Posted by ThirdEmperor

Riv's Hamlet

As Javert speeds off into the ruins people are already beginning to leave the safety of their homes, armed with old fashioned firearms, torches, even the occassional pitchfork. Most of them gather around the dead cop and even deader drunk, staring at the corpses with the sort of horrified, dumbstruck fascination only found when large numbers of people wander onto a crime scene, but four particularly intrepid souls chase after Javert, heading into the ruins after him. One of these foolhardy souls, a red-headed man with a truly impressive beard, is actually moving fast enough that he might actually stand a chance of catching the assassin, each stride seeming to cover more ground than should be actually possible as his innate magic warps space just the tiniest bit.

Meanwhile, a clone bursts out of the tavern, while a second one comes charging through the gate, both of them moving towards the crowd of people congregating around the corpses.

Riv's Hamlet

As he runs, Javert deactivates the sword, and that should make it harder for the man behind him to keep track of his movements since he can't view the white mask. That won't matter though, as Javert slows just slightly, allowing the man to catch up easier. After a certain point, he skids to a stop and flexes his knees, left hand flicking on the silencer field as he spins slightly. He'll turn his head to face the would-be hero and leaps back the way he came, low to the ground as he flicks Pride in front of himself, trying to slice through the person's knees and continuing towards the rest that decided to follow him.

[Tychris1]

Riv's Hamlet

Walkig outside into the light Rick shields his eyes as he looks around, he tots a well crafted double barrel shotgun; the ammo and gunpowder rushed into the compartments. Finally, after a quick sweep he lays his sights on the cop and the drunk. He grumbles, rubbing his eyes and looking down at his feet, and seeing his claws rip through his flip flops and forcing him to walk barefoot "Great" he mumbles under his breathe as he tries to keep his stress down. Situations already begin to form in Rick's mind as to how this could've happened. "Bar fight gone awry? But then they both wouldn't be dead.... Murder setup with someone trying to pin the evidence on the drunk?" but as Rick processed the information a light tap came on his shoulder and he turned around. A stranger was pointing at something urgently. Deciding to give the stranger the benefit of the doubt he looks at the pointed out area. Low and behold two twins of some sort burst out of the tavern and run towards the swarm of people.

It would generally be unfair to say that someone runs hostiley, running is a very general concept and you can't really pin a action onto it unless clearly noted. But in this situation as far as Rick could tell the twins were running with intent. Raising his shotgun to be in a firing position he points it at the twins and says "The hell are you two in a rush to go?"

[Eruantion]

Originally Posted by Murkus

Forest

Molodai crawls around to look Brythaern in the eye from above. She grins sharply. "I'm Molodai."

"Then we are acquainted, little one. I suppose we should move these cattle before the farmer sees." Bry gestures lazily to the carcasses.

[Artemis97]

Spoiler

Originally Posted by Reinholdt

[Blind Cat's Bluff]

"Wait... wait, what? Me?!"

Reinholdt turns his rifle towards the currently most threatening elf. The Ice Elf. "I didn't do anything. I mean... I did. You were both unconscious and bleeding and stuff when I found you. Hell if I know why. I fixed you as best I could." Reinholdt slowly goes to conjure a notepad and pen from thin air and toss it towards the other elf. That might help. This Ice Elf seemed confused. Hopefully the woman could clear things up!

Originally Posted by Moon_Called

Blind Cat's Bluff - Cave

The brown-haired woman manages to catch the book in her left hand, but her right arm still hurts so much and the other implement slips through her fingers and clatters to the floor. She blinks at the notepad, holding it almost as though she had never seen it before, but every few moments her gaze flicks up to the wizard and the Ice Elf. A book. With paper and everything! She had seen High Elves carrying and reading from them when she and her friends had gone to Greenglen to trade, but never had any High Elf let a Wood Elf touch one, let alone read from one. Seeing the book confirmed that the wizard was indeed a High Elf. A very odd High Elf, but they were all odd. But now that she held the book in her hands, she wondered how she was supposed to read from it at all. None of the pages had any writing on them.

Wait. The wizard had tossed her something else as well. Looking down she spots the cylindrical item and leans down to pick it up. How odd. Is it a wand of some kind? If so it was an unusual wand, made of some sort of metal. Maybe it went with the book and would make the writing appear? Worth a try.
The woman holds the wand awkwardly, directing the pointy end towards the paper. She presses it onto the paper and swipes it across. No words are revealed, but the wand leaves behind a thin trail of black. It was like writing on bark with charcoal. Quickly, the woman understands what the wizard wants of her.

The text she writes in is similar to the Elvish common to the Nexus, but the grammar is quite different and some characters are replaced with others. Was with my frends. We wer ataked by orcs. She writes, fraught with spelling errors. Thy took my frends away. Hurt me. Took my tong and my ers. Going to hurt my frends to. Ned to find them! She writes the last sentence pushing so hard that the wand rips through the paper.

[Blind Cat's Bluff]

"Orcs?" The Ice Elf was surprised, and angry. That those beasts would dare to do this to an elf. "We'll find them." He promises, finally standing down, but now clearly agitated. "Where are my things? My weapons?" He asks Reinholdt.

[Reinholdt]

[Blind Cat's Bluff]

Reinholdt takes a moment to read it. His elvish is rusty and the spelling errors don't help. Fortunately, the ice elf does help.

"All right, all right. We'll do what we can to save them, ok?" Reinholdt says, heading towards the cave door. "I have no idea where your things or weapons are. I found you totally naked. I might be able to get you replacements, depending what you prefer to use..."

As he reaches the entrance, he says a command word and the rock slides away, revealing a vast ocean. Steps form in the side of the cliff, leading up to the main land from the cave.

[ZarethG]

Originally Posted by ZarethG

At this point, Quinn is fully an elf, not a faerie anymore. He simply smiles.

"Sure."

Then, Jacques is attacked psionically. He hears in his mind,

"You will holster your weapon. Now."

Unless he is experienced with fighting psionics, he feels like if he doesn't holster his gun, he will suffer and be sad for eternity, then die.

Second repost for BladeofObliviom.

((Is there some polite way to ask someone to make a post? I'm new at this.))

[C'nor]

((*Has no clue where Will is, or Harina, or Apprentice Pilot, and thus waits for Bladescape.*

You poke them. Like this: *Pokes ZarethG to Underside* ))

[ThirdEmperor]

Riv's Hamlet

As a resident of Hamlet Rick probably knows what everyone knows about the guards; They just appeared out of nowhere one day, sent here by Riv to guard the town with no explanation other than that "They're here to protect you, don't **** with 'em". They don't speak, are never seen to eat, don't leave their posts at the wall until others arrive to take their place, and never bother any of the locals. Everything else is a mystery, no-one's even seen any of their faces. In fact, this is only the third time they've even entered town.

Now seeing as the twins are running towards the crime scene from completely opposite directions; one rushing out of the tavern, the other running into town from it's patrol around the walls, it's unlikely Rick manages to aim his shotgun at both of them. Not that it matters much, as whichever one he does attempt to waylay simply ignores him, clumsily dashing on past towards the people gathered around the grisly murder scene. Unless of course he does something to stop it. Considering the ungainly way in which they move, probably wouldn't be hard to step in the way or simply trip one.

Just Outside the Rusty Wheel

Warsh can't sneak out through the windows, because there aren't any! "Window" generally implies a flat plane of glass set over an opening, giving a nice view of the great outdoors without letting any of those annoying insects in. What the Rusty Wheel has are holes in the wall to let the air in during the summer, covered by heavy wooden shutters, which are currently latched shut. Fortunately the latches are on the inside, so despite the lack of windows Warsh should have no problems escaping from the tavern via the vents.

Outside it is indeed quite cold, the mountain clime only a few degrees above freezing, the hot air that rushes out of the tavern as the shutter is opened visible even in the darkness. Also quite visible are the scene between Rick and the guard, the two rather grisly corpses and the four villagers dissappearing into the night as they chase after Javert.

Riv's Hamlet- Ruined Side of Town

The space-warping fellow who was unfortunate enough to nearly catch Javert flinches as the assassin spins round, caught completely off guard as Javert slashes at his knees. By all accounts the move should have cleanly removed the pursuer's knee just below the joint, and yet as Javert shoots past there's a distinct lack of blade meeting flesh, merely the slightest of impacts as the edge of blade grazes the space-warper's leg.

If Javert has particularly keen vision as I suspect he might, the assassin may even spot the faint, nigh instaneous blur as his target instinctively warps sideways to avoid the killing blow. Whether this actually saves his life depends on whether the neurotoxin is deadly enough to kill from a minor wound that didn't hit any major veins. Or, for that matter, whether there's still enough poison on the blade to be lethal at all, considering Javert has already murdered three people with the daemonsword since applying the poison. Either way, the space-warped collapses, winded from exerting his powers to such an extent.

The other three, spotting Javert incoming, do their best to defend themselves. The two with guns, a lady with a single-barrel shotgun and a young man with a much more modern pistol, open fire, having the good sense to lead their target by a fair bit, while the one with the pitchfork lowers it to meet Jabert's charge. They may just be normal folks, but living in a wild magic zone tends to teach people at least little bit about how to hold one's own. Not that it's too likely to help the poor devils.

[Rebonack]

Originally Posted by Lost_Deep

Iriel will see Karaglen.

"A freind of hers? I would recommend that that out here, it may get messy. Or just weird."

Iriel will step into the disaster zone. Wow. Every once in a while, it's nice to be reminded of how much damage mortals can actually DO. Being all eldrtich and stuff can tint one's perspective in such a way as to underestimate the things. And then? Sup-rise, we loaded and airship with fuel-air bombs. Have fun not dying from that while we chant the summoning backwards.

What was she doing? Right. She was gonna start fixing K'rax.

Fixing K'rax would be nice, yeah.

And the state of the place certainly doesn't lend itself to the idea that this would be at all simple. Or... maybe it would be? Really depends on what Iriel is capable of.

Regardless the eldritch critter will probably be able to tell that K'rax knows she's there. Opened the way forward after all. And should Iriel try to make things worse there will no doubt be rather dire consequences.

Like that smushing that was mentioned before.

[Tychris1]

Riv's Hamlet

As the two guards rapidly, if you could call it that, ran forward As Rick swapped his sights between the two. Constantly going from one to the other. He sighed, lowering his shotgun and stepping to the side to face the Tavern clone from the side as it would run past Rick. He couldn't do anything to the guards to harm them, that would be a death sentence. Bit he could atleast burden or annoy them. He never liked the gangly freaks, they were a disgusting reminder of the state that the village was in. And though he couldn't do anything directly, holding his shotgun out in the path of the clone as it got near in order to trip it was his act of rebellion.

[Wolfbane]

Riv's Hamlet - Ruined Side

Javert does indeed notice the shift and writes it down mentally. He's killed two people with this blade, and injured two more including the speed freak. The drunk was killed with a different blade. That said, there's just enough toxin on the tip of the blade to numb the person's leg for several hours and potentially cause quite a bit of nerve damage further along the road.


Seeing the trio that have turned to face him, Javert heads right for them, not bothering to try and dodge the bullets headed his way. Suddenly, the red powerblade shimmers into life and flicks across in front of him, deflecting the bullet from the pistol before his step stutters just slightly from the shotgun blast. His grunt of pain is silenced by the field around him, but he continues his charge with supernatural speed, running right through the hailstorm of pistol rounds assuming that the man is firing multiple shots. His body twists and bends, making it difficult for anything to really hit him, but every so often, there's another stuttered step.

And then he's on them.

The powerblade flicks out first to try and sever the pitchfork's head before the daemonblade spins in the assassin's hand with a blur in an attempt to cut off the hands of those with the guns before suddenly being slashed sideways towards the pitch-fork wielder's neck.

In the dark, a small trail of rather human like blood leads to him.

[bladescape]

Originally Posted by Slii Arhem

Skirmish

Arrows? He stands before them with fire in his blood and War on his lips and they dare mock him with such gentle fare? He shall show them how Men make war.

Or rather he would, if not for the arrow lodged in his eye.

The ones peppering his chest are easily ignored. Likewise for those that nicked his throat and opened weeping gashes on his brow before deflecting off his skull.

But the last one... Jakob raises his barely functioning, smouldering hand to shaft dangling loosely from his eye socket. Now is no time for a last stand. He is past that. Beyond it all. The battle is lost on this front due to his hubris. There is only one thing left to do.

From all around the battlefield, the lingering souls of those already slain in this battle should be inexorably drawn to the swaying behemoth, formed into chain links that drape themselves over his shoulders and arms. With his dying act he'll deny all the soldiers of this battle their final rest.

"HAIL to the Gods of War!"

Jakob throws himself from the battlements, landing facedown in a heap on the ground below. The arrows in him drive up through, most of them snapping under his weight.

And for now Jakob Gregorovich Fiske lies dead. Between now and what is going on Inside he has been resurrected, but this form begins to disolve and rejoin continuity.

((He'd taken too much damage to continue at this point Bladescape, so I decided to cut him down gracefully while I still had the chance.))

Jakob's dropping fall is far more effective than most would expect, having managed to land on the teeming Flanking Forces and crushed not a few soldiers as well as create an obstruction...

(Sure, 'tis your character after all. I sort of noticed you trying to get him killed, but didn't have any of the heavy hitting enemies nearby. >.>)

Originally Posted by Murkus

Skirmish

What a cruel and underhanded thing to do! That human must not care about his comrades much. The blade travels straight through the elf, and is suddenly lodged in Molodai's side. Her pale skin, however, is remarkably thick. Mr. Swordsman might have trouble driving it further.

Unfortunately, she does not give him that chance. Molodai retreats with a yelp, holding her side, wound gushing dark red blood.

He's not that strong, so it does indeed go not that far. And he indeed has very little care for his allies, as is seen as he casually loosens the sword with a decisive calmness, dropping the body of his former ally to the ground next to him before holding the blade in front of him again. Armin smiled as his sword pointed at the Fey.

Originally Posted by C'nor

((*Has no clue where Will is, or Harina, or Apprentice Pilot, and thus waits for Bladescape.*

You poke them. Like this: *Pokes ZarethG to Underside* ))

(Uh, sorry if it wasn't clear. AP is imprisoned, and I thought I already mentioned that we'll leave him that way for just a bit. Will is attacking the retreating skirmish party that is being backed up by the main force in which the commander appears to be fighting. Harina is being protected behind that barrier. Right nearby those two is Quinn and Jacques. I think I had a post for Will somewhere, and had an opponent for him, but I can't find it right now and I'm in a hurry. >.<)

[Murkus]

Originally Posted by Eruantion

"Then we are acquainted, little one. I suppose we should move these cattle before the farmer sees." Bry gestures lazily to the carcasses.

"Why? Let's just leave." Molodai suggests perkily. It seems the big meal, despite bloating her stomach, hasn't quite curbed her enthusiasm.

Originally Posted by The Alexandrian

[Hermitage of Dalechrech - Percival]

Eericka yips in joy and surprise as she spies the sea for the first time in her life. She isn't sure of what it is. Looks like nothing more than a massive puddle to her. But there's something different about it. The way the light bounces off of it. The little figurines bobbing up and down within it. The way it seems to extend in one direction infinitely. Beautiful. Nature at its finest. Such power and grace in such a simple thing. In every simple thing, in fact.

A gleam crackles to life within the core of her eyes. Her long locks trail behind her in a flowing river of air (resistance ). She lives for the first time. She breathes in the fresh of the outside. The outside! And the trees! This world is bright and new to Eericka. That concept only now strikes her, leaving a titanic dent where it hit.

"The ocean? I've only seen pictures!"

Whee!
...
You know what's funny?
I think that Percival is Eericka's first and only real friend.

Percival laughs heartily at her enthusiasm and dives for the beach. He flaps hard a few times and hits the ground in a tornado of sand. When it clears, only the blue-green horizon remains. "My parents took me to the coast once. The only time I've seen the ocean." By the dreamy look in his eyes, Percy's enjoying the sight as well. His family was rather well-to-do, and they took vacations often. The Mediterranean sea was nicer (not to mention warmer), but he always loved the ocean.

Oddly enough, that may well be true. Even if he wants to use her soul to further his own power, Percy rather likes his indentured servant. This bodes well for Eericka, I think.

Skirmish

Like most animals, when faced with a strong opponent, Molodai goes for the flight response. She scampers across the battlements amidst the scattered soldiers, inadvertantly heading for a more isolated portion. One without a way down, for that matter.

[Eruantion]

Originally Posted by Murkus

"Why? Let's just leave." Molodai suggests perkily. It seems the big meal, despite bloating her stomach, hasn't quite curbed her enthusiasm.

Bry gazes at the cattle. "We may get hungry again. It would be nice to bring a few with us."

[Terumitsu]

[Seeking The Flying KNAVES Castle]

The strange humming chug of a vehicle that appeared to be rather high up on the scale of technology filled the air as a snub nosed craft rushed along at subsonic speeds to where the KNAVES castle had last been seen. If forced to give it an approximation, it looked like a combination between a motorcycle and a single prop aircraft sans the actual propeller and greatly reduced airfoils. It quite nearly lacked a tail and had numerous vents on the side that seemed to be providing the necessary thrust to change course. Most noticeably, it was painted a rowdy shade of red, marking it either as a sport craft or an open challenge to someone who wanted to try shooting it down. Given the owner of the craft, this latter option was probably the most likely. What appeared to be a pair of large, side-mounted guns served as a healthy deterrent as well.

As for the actual search, Ghoul would go about this in a methodical way. The first order of business would be to find the location last indicated by the reports. Using that as a starting point, she would move outward in a spiral using radar to hopefully identify a flying fortress of stone and mortar. It was more or less a brute force method but it was possibly the best option that she had, given her current information.

[Chaotic Bob]

[Off Towards KNAVES]

Alternatively to complicated radar shenanigans, the pilot of the craft could simply look straight ahead, above the forest the reports indicated.

The fortress technically isn't where it was last time, but it's pretty close.
And sort of hard to miss.

Big, dark, menacing. In the sky.
Little things like that.

Not a lot of outward activity coming from the building though.

[Terumitsu]

[KNAVES Castle]

Complicated radar shenanigans would only be necessary if the thing hadn't been where the reports had indicated, a possibility that Ghoul made sure not to discount given the potential for temporal discrepancies between locations.

This result made things much easier, however.

Ghoul didn't particularly care for the ostentatious design, however. It might just be that she wasn't quite used to the 'extremely rustic' look that many places in the Nexus had but something that intentionally screamed 'Looky here! The people here have a total complex over looking like they're evil' was just so tacky as to be ugly and tasteless.

The muse would make a sweep around the floating fortifications, checking for any signs of residents, guards, defenses, and any place large enough to part an airbike both visually and via on-board instruments. That last one was probably the easiest of the bunch..