[ACRO] Outside IX: There are Mosquitoes

[Lex-Kat]

I could try to sneak in and elminate them. I can see the shadows from here, so I know where to go to get close to them. Bianca offers.

[Osnagard]

A grin splits his face.

I could put everyone to sleep, it's power-level based though so it would depend on how strong they are. Once I start it'll cue them in that we're here and I'll have to finnish. Anyone on our side weaker than their strongest one is going to be asleep too.

Os conciders his other options.

Other than that I can only help indirectly, send spirts to scout around and such.

[Morty]

Hmmm. I think one of us should scout ahead first before we take any action.

[Lex-Kat]

Bianca looks to Os. That's you, spirit boy.

[Earl of Purple]

Woods

Eko the lizardperson with brownie-green scales and eyes climbs down from the tree where she sheltered from GLoG's explosion. She is wearing a belt with an obsidian-studded club hanging from it and a bandoleer, from which is a quiver of javalins tipped with obsidian and nothing else. Her reptilian anatomy does make it difficult for some to guess her gender, however, as it lacks all the common mammalian reference points.

[Osnagard]

[Near NO HQ]

Os takes that as a cue.

Alright, watch my body for me.

He doesn't give them much choice in the matter, lest they decide to abandon him.

He closes his eyes and puts himself into a trance. Frost forms over his face, icicles appearing on his nose and crystals in his hair. The cold spreads down his body and to a small circle of ground under his feet. Os has turned, for all intents and puroses, into an ice statue generating it's own cold.

[The Plains of Death]

Nothing strong... doesn't have to be... smaller the better... obedient... something that they won't notice... has to talk though... to me at least... something like that... Oh... there's two!

[Morty]

[Near NO HQ]

Gee. I've always heard necromancers were creepy. Guess it's true.

[Lex-Kat]

{Near NO HQ}

Bianca takes a position near Os, intending to guard him to the best of her ability.

[Morty]

[Near NO HQ]

Dipsnig deadtimes.

[Osnagard]

[Near NO HQ]

Os' body thaws, and out from under it rush a pair of shadows. Or not-quite shadows perhaps. They're smaller than Os, by quite a bit, and sort of float there in the air. If touched... well... they can't be. They're not strong enough to exert a corperal form of any kind.

A roll of the shoulders, cracking the ice off them. Maybe Os has a bit of a flare for the dramatic. That's always Hell. A chuckle.

The two spirts head off in opposite directions, scouting the area. They'll be fairly difficult to notice as they try to stick to real shadows (within which they're invisible).

((Just as a point of curiosity, I don't know what exactly I'm looking for so it'd be best if someone else describes what they see - unless that was the plan all along, in which case huzzah))

[Recaiden]

[Only if made into syrup - I mean forest]

The wolf stares back. It doesn't think Brendan should be there. But it eventually walks away to rest.

Even more eventually, the moon went down, and Ashna returned to normal and awake.

[Reinholdt]

[Near NO HQ]

It's probably best if the two shadows head towards that catpeople army that's in front of NO's door. Or the shield in front of that.

However, being forced to stand there, most of the catpeople are just on guard, watching the surrounding area for attacks from the air or behind or sides.

So the question is, how visible are the spirits, aside from being small? And how close do they want to get to scout it out?

[Osnagard]

[Near NO HQ]

The spirits themselves are somewhere around the size of large housecats. As to visability, they are a nice translucent grey-black. Just like a typical shadow and adujst appropriatly to sunlight (i.e. The brighter the day, the darker the spirits, in an overcast half-drizzle they're practically invisable). And they tend to stick to pre-existing shadows anyway, so unless they're seen moving from position to position (was it a bird? Maybe just a rabbit?) they shouldn't be seen very easily.

Unless the catpeople have a way of detecting magic/the undead that is. In that case they're quite visable.

Now how close? That would depend on what the catpeople have to distingusih rank. If there is some sort of clearly visable mark of rank (arm torcs, badges, chevrons, the guy with the biggest hat) then not so close at all. If not, they'll have to get within hearing range, picking out the movers. Anyone seeming to walk around inspecting things, communicating with troops or into a communication device of any kind, basically anyone that *doesn't* scream "I'm grunt #212, please kill me while I stand here holding my weapon, bored".

One such spirit will scout through the troops at NO's door, looking for officers. Secifically those which could be easily attacked. Preferably in a discreet manner by the other NO members.

The other spirit, in the sense of looking the other direction, scouts away from the troops, trying to find any scouts that the catpeople sent out. Those need to be eliminated too, so the NO members arn't discovered too soon.

Os himself will wait for them to return and report what they see, perhaps planning with Dipsnig and Bianca whilst waiting.

So when we find them, what's the battle plan?

[Lex-Kat]

Well, if you can, you find me the general, or commander, or whatever he calls himself, of thsi army. I slip into a shadow. She points to one close by. Make my way through the shadow-realm to get close to him, pop up behind him, slit his cat-throat. Maybe take his whole head as a trophy, and return here as the catpeople look on in fear.

Then, when I return, you use your very loud noise-banger to crearte even more confusion.

Well, that's my plan. We'll see how Dipsnig likes it later, when he comes out of DEADTIME.

[Osnagard]

Sounds alright, save for a few adjustments perhaps. The first is, I'd like the bodies. A wink.

Otherwise, I think we should try for as many of them as we can get. Officers of all ranks if possible, top down preferably of course. That way, instead of me giving away our position, I'll have their "Zombie Commanders" re-enter the ranks. They'll either follow them as usual or that will cause a suitable stir.

Os puts some thought into what to do once there's hysteria. Maybe then would be the time to reveil ourselves. Just to let them know that NO is something to be afraid of.

[Gnrlshrimp]

[Hive Korinth]

"Hmm, I sense massive amounts of pointless destruction. Hey, as much fun as it's been talking to you, weird bug-person thing, I really want to see what's happening." Ba'al grins and starts to leave...

Starts to, because he doesn't get very far. "Oh, hey, say hi to your big boss man for me! And warn him that, come hell of high water or whatever, there's no chance of this place going down with me around. Not before I want it to, anyway. Seriously, try sharing for once." And with that, Ba'al explodes and is gone.

[Lex-Kat]

{Near NO HQ}

Maybe. I'm not the one in charge here. And we have to wait for your scouts to return.

[Osnagard]

A nod. And we need the leader to wake up.

He looks at Bianca, thinking of other ways to pass the time.

I don't think we've met before, I'm Osngard Valhoulfnic, Profesional Necromancer, by-the-by.

Not that that wasn't already abundantly clear. I just occured to me, there isn't some sort of ancient burrial ground around here is there? Old NO members perhaps? Hehe.

[Lex-Kat]

{Near NO HQ}

Um, sorry but, eww. And I wouldn't know. I just joined the day before. My source didn't even mention they had tunnels there.

[Reinholdt]

[Near NO HQ]

The one looking for scouts sees about three which may become troublesome if they come too close.

The one who is looking for the leadership is having more difficulty. There are no visible signs of leadership. How do they pick their officers anyways?

There are a number of them with walkie-talkies. Not the whole army of course, but enough to keep the entire thing in communication. It's hard to tell who's in charge of the whole operation since the orders have already been given and now they're just waiting and scouting and double checking equipment. Repeatedly. However, some of the lower officers on the chain are clear to pick out due to this fact.

[Osnagard]

[Near NO HQ]

And thus the info is relayed back to Os, who shares it aloud.

We have some company coming, that's the first thing I think we should deal with. Past that They've only found the lower level officers. The higher-ups are probably not even on location, enough to assign orders early on and deploy, or to leave for more pressing fronts. Means there'll be chaos if anhything goes wrong.

Well no, technically no one said there was no leadership present, but it's just interperating information gathered and playing the odds. How serious would they take a single group anyway?

The Spirit which infiltarted the ranks continues searching, maybe something better will come up, or if not then at least easy-to-reach targets.

The other keeps a close guard on the catperson scouts, and will maintain contact with Os, keeping him as aware of their position as it can.

[Lex-Kat]

{Near NO HQ}

And my name's Bianca, by the way. She doesn't offer to shake his hand or anything, because that would mean lowering her guard.

And with that....
((DEADTIME))

[Draken]

[Hive Korinth]

As Ba'al leaves, a bloated thing crawls to the overseer of Korinth in her sanctum.

[Translated from alien language]: "Overseer. We have analizzed the intruder and determined it to be a non-divine entity that feedzz on dezztruction. Pending further classification, it shall be considered an Abomination. Bzz. We conjecture that rezztorative magic could have nocive effectzz on it."

[Translated]: "Very well."

[Reinholdt]

[Near NO HQ]

Until something happens with the shield, or an attack occurs, they probably won't be revealing themselves. More out of there's nothing to order than anything.

There are a few easy to reach targets though. Three in particular. 1 near a grenade launcher team, 2 near the mortars.

The spirit alerts Os that a scout is turning and heading in their direction.

[Draken]

[Hive Azzar]

Hive Azzar stands tall on the fields. A true cathedral formed of tall and inumerable spires of earth and resin, massive like a city, the air around it darkened by a cloud of flying karish.

A flight of karish assailants hovers into one of the spires.and from there into the bowels of the Hive, to a special area, where they drop their cargo, nineteen Felinians, uncerimoniously thrown to the floor, most likely they will wake up from that.

If they don't, they will wake up from the foul smog that washes over them, produced by a pair of creatures standing next to a large being of vaguely humanoid shape, wearing rather intricate vests.

The smog will reduce their metalic belongings to dust everything metal rusts down to useless scrap.

The room they are in is large, and somewhat lit by a number of spots on the walls and ceiling, inspection will prove that these spots are giant fireflies.

[Neon Knight]

[Greensbrook]

The Nazi sniper rises up and takes a rapid shot, trusting in fortune and valor.

The surviving nazi trooped tries to finish digging his comrade out of the rubble.

[Atronach]

[Near NO, I guess]

Arkonon, easily keeping up with a clockwork penguin, arrives, and approaches Dipsnig. "Do you have a battle plan?".

[Recaiden]

[Catfree maple forest]

The now human Ashna waves to Brendan.
Come on. Let's get my things and head home. she whispers.
Is it funny that they have no idea it's been destroyed, or just sad?

[The Bushranger]

[Only if made into syrup - I mean forest]

The wolf stares back. It doesn't think Brendan should be there. But it eventually walks away to rest.

Even more eventually, the moon went down, and Ashna returned to normal and awake.

[Planet Canada, eh!]

Brendan doesn't make any further comment to the wolf, just carefully mainitaining a neutral, I'm-meant-to-be-here-but-I-respect-your-authority pose.

By the time the moon has gone down, he actually seems to have dozed off. :smalltongue:


Ahh, ninjas!

He wakes up at hearing Ashna, and blinks blearily.
"Oh. Er, g'morning, love. What was that?



And can it be both?

[Recaiden]

[Canadial Forest]

Good morning. I said wake up, come on. I need to get my clothes and hammer so we can get back home. Ashna offers a hand to help him up.

((Yes, it can be both.))

[The Bushranger]

[Forest, not Frozen Tundra]

Brendan accepts the hand, and can't help but blush slightly at the view. :smallwink:
"You're beautiful, you know that love? That's probably a good idea, yeah." He stands and dusts himself off. "Thanks for letting me come along, by the way."

[Recaiden]

[With real trees!]

Ashna chuckles slightly at his blushing. Maybe a little bit, thanks. She tries to give him a kiss, and then start walking back to where they entered the woods.
You're welcome. I won't be coming back here much longer though. They say now that I'm used to what I am, I should 'act my age' and stop following them now that I have you. She shrugs.
I don't think they understand people too well.

[The Bushranger]

[But are they 100% Real trees?]

Brendan returns the kiss happily, and follows Ashna with a smile on his face. :smallwink:
...and blushes a little more at her words. "I guess they think I'm part of your own pack or something, then? That one looked a little disconcerted I was here. It was certainly a pretty cool experience, though." He pauses. "I'm not, like, making it so you can't do something you like, am I?"

[Recaiden]

[99.9% real forest]

Ashna leads him back, smiling herself.
Ashna nods at the first question, and then shakes her head at the second. I guess you could say that, but that's not how it is. I chose being with you over being with this particular pack. I'll probably run with the pack of one of the children once they split off.

[Gimliggamer]

[HALO Beach]
A burnt Sider rises from a crater. And he already used his epic spell slot! He gets up and walks towards the forest.

[The Bushranger]

[0.1% polyester]

Brendan's smile grows bigger at hearing her words. "You have no idea how much that means to me," he says quietly, and honestly.


BR has only one more post tonight, alas. :(

[Recaiden]

Not [I]exactly how much, but I can guess. Ashna says happily. Brendan, I 'd chose you over just about anything. she says, going to put an arm around him.

((I only have time for 2 more posts including this one, so it's no problem. Goodnight!))

[The Bushranger]

[Polyester = Evil! :smalltongue:]

"And I'd choose you over anything." Brendan's smile threatens to split his face, even as he blushes a little more, and chuckles softly as he goes to return the move and slip his arm around her. "I guess they'd look at you funny if we only found your hammer, huh?" He winks and aims a quick peck at her cheek. "...I hope you know where your stuff is, by the way, because I wasn't paying too much attention to where we were going last night..."

(('night!))

[Recaiden]

[But not all evil = polyester]

And it's to Ashna to start to blush and smile wider. I bet they would. she says, tightening her arm around him for a moment. . . . You haven't arranged for me to not find my clothes, have you? They should be just over here.

[Neon Knight]

[Walking a lonely road]

Oh, here's where Misaki is. Guess she got scared of the fighting and ran away before she realized who was attacking. Now she's just wandering about the wilderness, going down old, almost overgrown roads.

[Morty]

[Near NO, I guess]

Arkonon, easily keeping up with a clockwork penguin, arrives, and approaches Dipsnig. "Do you have a battle plan?".

Dipsnig undeadtimes.

We're going to pick out single targets such as officers, messengers and the like. Os' plan to zombiefy the deceased and have our moles in their ranks sounds good too. And now a scout is heading there, so let\s get ready and kill him or capture him before he reports us.

[The Bushranger]

[But not all evil = polyester]

And it's to Ashna to start to blush and smile wider. I bet they would. she says, tightening her arm around him for a moment. . . . You haven't arranged for me to not find my clothes, have you? They should be just over here.

[True. More like spandex]

"Hm? No, I haven't." Brendan shakes his head emphatically - and honestly. "Thanks for giving me the idea for next time though," he teases. "But, um, no. I just followed you when you changed..."

-------

Misaki, depending on her link with Quinn, might also sense a second, weaker yet stronger at the same time, presence on that link. Or not.

[Lex-Kat]

{Near NO HQ}

Bianca wakes up.

On it. Bianca steps into a weak shadow on the ground and sinks into it.

She canonly go to those shadows she knows and has seen, so periodically she has to slip her head out enough to survey the landscape.

Going by what Os' spirits told them, Bianca will hopefully find the scout and will be able to find a suitable place to set an ambush for him/her.

[Osnagard]

Os himself nods in greeting to Arkonon, Just happy to help.

He hoists his spear up over his shoulder, ready to cast at a moment's notice, just in case the scout slips past Bianca and finds them.

Hey Boss (that would be Dipsnig *grin*)glad you like the plan.

[Morty]

Dipsnig adresses Os. Say, to what extent can your zombies pass as living people? When Bianca kills that scout, you might raise him and then use him somehow.

[Reinholdt]

[Greensbrook]

Accursed fortune and valor! They take out the other sniper. Lucky interference.

The remaining catpeople do recover however, having lost a good ten men in that ambush altogether, one group going to flush out that sniper, the other group closing in to shoot at the Nazi and his buddy.

{Near NO HQ}

The spirit gives Os warning that the scouts check in regularly with their command with those walkie-talkies. Once one is taken out, they may have about five minutes before check-ins should occur.

Bianca can find the scout and will be able to set up an ambush for him.

[Hive Azzar]

Draken can godmode them. I got too much to play as is.

[Osnagard]

Depends on how much effort I put into it, and if I can use the bells or not. Assuming we stay want to stay quiet the best I could do is put one of our scouting spirits into it and that'll give it something of a mind of its own. Not a very good one though, I just grabbed the weakest things I could find. Without anything at all it's just an extra pair of hands that does exactly what I tell it, no more, no less.

A shake of his head.

So to answer the question... not very well for not very long. Should be fine until someone tries to talk to it though.

He's just a little limited by the current surroundings. Can't make noise, no abundance of bodies, not evough time for an elaborate ritual. And certainly no key ingredients... besides, people don't usually appreciate that sort of thing either.

Then the next report comes in. Os immediatly sends the spirit to warn Bianca of the development. Think we should take them out anyway, or try to slip away unseen and concentate of officers?

[Lex-Kat]

(Near NO HQ)

Bianca, seeing that the scouts have radios, waits until the scout checks in before appearing behind her/him, placing one hand tightly over her/his mouth, and attempting to drag him/her quickly into the nearest shadow.

[Morty]

Hm. Alerting them too early could be dangerous. I think we should focus on officers.

[Reinholdt]

(Near NO HQ)

A catboy scout is captured. Five minutes will equal five posts by me.

[Lex-Kat]

{Near NO HQ}

Bianca quickly takes the catboy scout to Dipsnig. I got one! She says proudly.

I don't know how long they go between reporting in, so I figure we got about ten minutes. That's normal S O P.

[Morty]

Let's hurry. It might be ten minutes, or it might be more, or less. Os, if we kill him, can you have his corpse report back so that they don't suspect anything?

[Osnagard]

[Near NO HQ]

Os lowers his spear.

Alright, let's see what we've got.

He walks over to inspect the captured catperson. He's looking for anatomy, what's the most likely way for it to walk, where are it's vitals, how fast is it's metabolism. He won't probe for that of course, he can't... not yet.

I'd like to disarm it, take what weapons and armor it has. See what we're up against.

A glace to the catperson

Don't worry, you can keep your actual arms, for now

A wink. He's not entirely kidding. Not if he gets to raise it that is.

Os turns back to look at Dipsnig. I could, in it's voice. Wouldn't know what to say though.

A-ha! A use for it while still alive.

Tell you what. We're going to kill you. That's not up for discussion, but it you're a good little kitty I'll let you go to whatever afterlife you were promised. Misbehave and I'll hunt you down and enslave you. Deal? Now if she lets go of your mouth, I want you to tell me what you would say when reporting in. Got it? No screaming for help now.

He'll leave the decision to release his mouth up to Dipsnig and Bianca of course.

[Morty]

I suppose we could get away with it if Os told him to simply say "Reporting in, all's well" or something like that. Guards and scouts say the same thing all over the world, Dipsnig says to Bianca.

[Lex-Kat]

Bianca, not entirely convinced this is a good idea, releases the catboy's mouth. Yell out, and I'll make you beg me to kill you. She whispers into his ear.

[Reinholdt]

[Near NO HQ]

The catboy glares.

"Alpha Charlie Tango, everything is peachy sir."

*glaaaaaaaare*

Deadtime.

[Morty]

[Near NO HQ]

Y'know, now we could actually say it ourselves. Dipsnig sighs. I wish I had my old comrades from Dragonbone Covert Operations with me. Those officers would be dead before they'd blink.

[Lex-Kat]

{Near NO HQ}

I want to keep him alive until after the battle. I can place him in a Shadow Cell where he'll never escape without me.

If I die, he starves to death. If he's lying, and I survive this, then he'll wish he'd just been a smart kitty and told the truth.

Bianca glares back.

[Osnagard]

[Near NO HQ]

So they speak common. Good. More than anything else that was the purpose here, no sense replying in a language they don't understand. Now to get those officers.

Alpha - Charlie - Tango. "A" - "C" - "T". "ACT". I don't know how much I trust you kitty.

Os looks over to Dipsnig, for his opinion.

The other concern is, do we need it's voice, or will one of ours do?

A pace, back and forth.

I agree, it's now time to go for those officers. Bianca, can you sneak up on another of them, isolate one out. I think Dipsnig and I should follow on foot. Or maybe go after a seperate officer?

That last bit a question. It would be far more time efficent to go after several at once. Bianca seems capable of handling herself, souldn't be too hard for Os and Dipsnig to sneak up by more conventional means.

If only we had a wizard that could cast some type of veil or silence spell!

[Morty]

I'm not sure. I'm a goblin and Bianca's a woman, so our voices won't work, even through a radio. And now that you mention it, this might have been some sort of code... Dipsnig glares at the catboy. In either case, we ought to split up and go after two officers at once. Time is important.
Once more, plans are disrupted by deadtime oozes.

[Lex-Kat]

{Near NO HQ}

Looks like you lied to us, kitty. Bianca begins to sink into the shadow she's standing on, covering the kitty's mouth again.

I'll kill anyone you command me to, Dipsnig. And she disappears for a bit.

If she does get the kitty into the shadow, she'll reappear soon after without him.

[Reinholdt]

[Near NO HQ]

*blink*
*blink*
The scout's player completely missed that. Making it either an incredible coincidence or an incredibly clever subconscious decision. :smalleek:

Kitty goes into the shadow.

[Neon Knight]

[Greensbrook]

Accursed fortune and valor! They take out the other sniper. Lucky interference.

The remaining catpeople do recover however, having lost a good ten men in that ambush altogether, one group going to flush out that sniper, the other group closing in to shoot at the Nazi and his buddy.




[Greensbrook]

The nazi sniper goes to try and reach the other sniper's body, to see if he has any grenades on his corpse. A flame grenade might be nice.

The unwounded nazi manages to finally dig his companion free, and shoves him off in the direction of freedom, then goes back, rifle in hand, bayonet mounted, to try and buy some time for his friend to escape.

___

[Alone in the Wild]



Misaki, depending on her link with Quinn, might also sense a second, weaker yet stronger at the same time, presence on that link. Or not.


If she does, she doesn't care.

[Reinholdt]

[Greensbrook]

There are indeed flame grenades on the catsniper. Three of them. Four Teams continue trying to flush the Nazi sniper out, knowing he's here somewhere.

A fifth team probably kills the unwounded Nazi in a firefight, however his friend does escape. If he so chooses.

There are only five teams. And a tank, which is mostly sitting back.

[Neon Knight]

[Greensbrook]

Wounded nazi escapes. Unwounded nazi goes out fighting.

Sniper nazi tries to set up a booby trap using the grenades before moving to a position where he can try and ambuh any team that sets off the trap. He knows he isn't getting out of here alive, but he's going to make these cat bastards pay.

[Reinholdt]

[Greensbrook]

Accursed trap! It kills most of the team and any ambush will kill the rest of it. They're only about twelve strong per.

The other four teams try to encircle the sniper based on where the ambush occurred.

[Recaiden]

"Hm? No, I haven't." Brendan shakes his head emphatically - and honestly. "Thanks for giving me the idea for next time though," he teases. "But, um, no. I just followed you when you changed..."


[Spandex is evil? Forest]

You could still go ahead and get them this time. Ashna says, keeping her voice totally serious. But alright then. Back to GLoG, yes?

[Neon Knight]

[Greensbrook]

The sniper's position in the rubble is quickly surrounded.

He checks his ammo. 1 round left.

He remembers how the Sergeant died. So he decides to use the bullet on himself.

With the death of the sniper, no more Nazis remain in Greensbrook.

[Reinholdt]

[Greensbrook]

The surviving catpeople, under half their starting value, and tank, sweep the village one last time to ensure there are no survivors before moving on to join the others for the attack on Whitemount.

[horngeek]

[Area around GLoG]

Daisuke starts looking around for tracks, anything. Specifically, Misaki's tracks.

He's... fair. He's also using his spiritual senses to help, so if she's near, he'll sense her.

[Neon Knight]

[Area Around GLoG]

Oh, hey, look! There are some prints in the mud there that might belong to a little girl.

[horngeek]

Daisuke follows the mud prints.

[Neon Knight]

[Road]

The prints eventually lead to a road, which unfortunately doesn't hold tracks as well. Assuming that she hasn't left the road, Daisuke has a 50/50 chance of picking the right direction.

[horngeek]

Daisuke... sends a Hell butterfly one way, and goes the other way himself.

Kido is a wonderful thing...

Let's say he goes right, and the butterfly goes left.

{{Deadtime for a bit. I have to go and have my hair cut}}

[The Bushranger]

[Spandex is evil? Forest]

You could still go ahead and get them this time. Ashna says, keeping her voice totally serious. But alright then. Back to GLoG, yes?

[Only if it's yellow Spandex. :smalltongue:
...anyway, Somewhere in the Forest!]

"I suppose that's the best idea. If you're sure you can't find them?"
Brendan isn't sure he wants everyone else seeing his fiancée in her current state.

[Neon Knight]

[Left Road]

The butterfly will find that the path seems to head into a swamp or wetland of some kind.

Hey, is that a little bare foot print visible in the path as the soil of the road gets more soft, like the ones Daisuke was following earlier?

[Right Road]

Daisuke gets road, road and more dusty road.

[horngeek]

The butterfly contacts Daisuke, who arrives at the swamp.

He tries to see if there's any more of a track, and tries to follow it.

[Draken]

Hive Azzar, Prisoner Chambers

Azzari Overmind teleports into the chambers, dropping a last catgirl in the floor, Elle, just as they appear, the rusting gases wash over her and her gear, turning metal to useless scrap.

The creature then skitters off to the side of the large entity that is the Kyorl'zuraj Overseer of Azzar. Who then screeches horribly, waking up the Felinian catboys and catgirls, and Elle probably.

"Wak'k'k'ke up. Godspawned wret't't'tches."

[EleventhHour]

[Hive Prisoner Chamber]

"Oh, come on..." She claps her hands to her ears quickly, rolling onto her back, and sitting up in one smooth motion. "When does a girl get a break in this world..." She sighs, thoughtfully rubbing at the bullethole in her leg, purposefully ignoring the oversized insect.

[Recaiden]

[Yellow's not that bad! Forest]

Ashna rolls her eyes and shrugs. Then picks up and puts on her cloak, pants, shirt, pendent, symbol, hammer, etc.
Nevermind. This way, love.
And she starts walking back to (the ruins of) GLoG.

[Draken]

Hive Azzar, Prisoner Chambers

The catpeople do as Elle, and focus on each other, talking about... Catpeople stuff and ignoring their captors.

This goes on for a while, in this time, the watchful eyes of the overseer have determined many things about these creatures, and with preliminar comportamental analisys complete, the Azzari Overmind turns to them, focusing a powerful psionic effect on the catpeoples (Elle included).

"You will pay your proper respects, wretched. To Grand Mastermaker Torrashh, Overseer of Azzar."

The catpeople are forced to face the massive kyorl'zuraj, and to bend on their knees before him.

"T'k'k'k'k... What odd creatures we have here. From what I see, all are nothing but devolved humans. Quite the achievment, making such pathetic beings even less fit to exist. T'k'k'k'k..."

[EleventhHour]

"At least I don't have to worry about bug spray..." She whispers with a smile, admiring the... rather boring floor, while being forced to kneel. [I]I'll show them devolved... She thinks to herself, laying her ears flat to her head.

[Reinholdt]

[Hive Prisoner Chamber]

Don't be silly. Said catpeople were talking about if they could find some way to use the radioactive core that didn't rust away from their Nuke-grenades to escape. That's far more interesting than catpeople talk.

Of course, they're all probably getting radioactive poisoning just holding on to those things. As are probably all the bugs nearby.

But hey. You're the one who breached the core.

Not that this stops them from being forced onto their knees and stuff.

[Draken]

[Hive Azzar]

Radiation poisoning? Can't lose the prisoners in such a way.

The karish are expendable, the ones who aren't, and the kyorl'zuraj himself, can resist such a thing for more than enough to receive proper magical healing if necessary.

Overseer Torrashh glares at the catpeople with a single larger, scarlet, apparently artificial eye, focusing on then for a moment, before the karish appear from the floor, and begin to remove all belongings they had. Surely only destroying the metal does not suffice.

This fate also awaits Elle, but even then, for her stronger willed words she receives extra attention. This extra attention proves a negative point when the mouth of the overseer opens, and a long, cartilaginous segmented tube extends out, stabbing Elle's arm and causing some numbness while he drains some blood. A process that is repeated on nearby Felinian.

"Reanalisys concluded. You are not of the same species as the rest, but rabble you still are, even if superior rabble. Tk'k'k'k'k..."

Overseer Torrashh turns around, issuing orders to the Overmind.

Send a male and a female to Hatotake and another pair to Saturno. Send the different one to the inner sanctum along with another couple. Deliver the rest to the egg chambers. Your brothers and sisters could use some extra protein."

He then walks out, just as numerous legionnaires enter and begin herding the catpeople around to their final fates.

[Rebonack]

[Totally not inside the nasty bug lair]

Avatar trots out of the manse, talking about some of the unique life down in the catacombs when suddenly!

Continuity snap!

He's a human.

With blue fox ears.

And some odd sunset-orange tattoos. He doesn't seem to notice at all.

"-just be sure not to wriggling like a dieing animal if you see any skrawl toads around. They'll swarm you and strip you of your flesh."

[EleventhHour]

[Herding Along]

Seeing no real reason to bother resisting at this point, she plays along and lets the bugs push her in the direction they want her to go. She pauses only for a moment on the way out of the room, to spit out her gum and gets a new piece to chew on. "Nice place you've got here." She remarks lightly to one of the guards, looking around the hive whenever they aren't in a boring, contained, corridor.

:ENTERING DEADTIME: Feel free to continue other catpeople fluff, I'll read it later, and keep walking with them to whereever.

[The Bushranger]

[The Forest, Where If You're Not Careful, You Get A Yellow Streak Down Your Back]


[Yellow's not that bad! Forest]

Ashna rolls her eyes and shrugs. Then picks up and puts on her cloak, pants, shirt, pendent, symbol, hammer, etc.
Nevermind. This way, love.
And she starts walking back to (the ruins of) GLoG.

Brendan will assist if neded, then offers Ashna his arm as they start back torwards GLoG...


...blissfully unaware. :smalleek:

[Lord Iames Osari]

[Totally not inside the nasty bug lair]

Avatar trots out of the manse, talking about some of the unique life down in the catacombs when suddenly!

Continuity snap!

He's a human.

With blue fox ears.

And some odd sunset-orange tattoos. He doesn't seem to notice at all.

"-just be sure not to wriggling like a dieing animal if you see any skrawl toads around. They'll swarm you and strip you of your flesh."

Nimai blinks. How did you do that?

[Rebonack]

[Near the hydro-thermal fields]

"How did I do what?" Avatar echos.

To be honest he looks like he could be a Lunar or something. Except for the fact that he isn't covered in moonsilver tatoos. Sort of gives him away.

Avatar glances down at himself.

"Oh... OH! Right. It's a continuity jump. Not all parts of the story run on precisely the same time-line. When I finally get this body from Yaza it will probably be explained away as a flash-back or something."

He's more confusing than normal!

[horngeek]

Meidani looks at the young girl. Don't worry, it'll make sense... well, it won't, but you'll get used to it.

[Lord Iames Osari]

[Near the hydro-thermal fields]

((He could be Casteless.))

AVATAR uses CONFUSING EXPLANATION!

It's SUPER-EFFECTIVE!

NIMAI is CONFUSED!

So will that make it easier for me to get back home?

[Rebonack]

[Near the hydro-thermal fields]

"Umm... Maybe? With a corporeal body it'll make it much easier for me to interact with things. I'll actually be of some use in the library and down in the catacombs."

Previously he would have just been able to smush something every now and again. Now he can actually step things up a notch!

BAM!

A nearby vent starts gurgling moments before spewing thousands of gallons of steaming water into the air. It's loud. Might be startling. And generally looks pretty.

The trio may also get damp.

[Lord Iames Osari]

Nimai squeals in surprise and delight. How far till we get to the catacombs?

[horngeek]

Meidani deadtimes. She'll follow Avatar and Nimai.

[Rebonack]

[Just Outside the Catacombs]

"Here's an entrance!" Avatar announces proudly.



A rather sizable boulder. How could that possibly be an entrance to anything?

The fox-eared fellow begins feeling around the the surface. "They all have this hidden switch that disguises them. You can't get in unless you- AH! Here it is!"

There comes a click and then a deep grinding sound as the stone rolls away to reveal-!

Oh geeze...

You've got to be kidding?

It looks like a huge, leering, demonic head. Mouth agape and stairs descending off into the darkness. Just looking at it screams of death. Probably horribly painful death.

"They made them look unpleasant to warn everyone that it's dangerious down there," Avatar explains as he holds up his right hand. Said hand ignites with a eerie, almost fluid flame of sun-set orange and bright electric blue.

It does a pretty good job of illuminating the entrance.

[Lord Iames Osari]

It's creepy, Nimai agrees. There's a flash of golden light, and music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PobSiTCZ4Es) as Nimai transforms. I'm not afraid, though, Kirana declares.

[horngeek]

Meidani chuckles at Nimai's transformation.

She, on the other hand, simply unsheathes a golden sword from her side.

I really should use this more often... what's the use of having a Daiklave attuned if you don't use it, huh?

[Neon Knight]

The butterfly contacts Daisuke, who arrives at the swamp.

He tries to see if there's any more of a track, and tries to follow it.

Every once in a while along the road, he'll come across a footprint.

The reeds start to grow tall and thick on either side of him.

[Morty]

[Near NO HQ]

Right. Let's get going. Bianca, you take one officer, Os and I go for another one.

[Draken]

[Hive Azzar]

No answer from the legionnaires. They are giant termites, they don't speak.

Some of the trip is through contained corridors. But much of it is in large, open spaces. Vast chambers illuminated by innumerable fireflies, massive open areas with chasms that go into the dark depths.

All the while, all twenty of the prisoners are herded together, in a path that always went down. Only once were four of the felinians separated from the group and sent off in a different direction.

And finally the final stop, for a few, the Hatchery, chamber of the Karish Queen. A gigantic monster much like a termite queen, attended by thousands of laborers, feeding her and gathering her eggs, mostly. But of course, for Elle and two of the Felinians, this is not the last stop. Doesn't mean they are spared from seeing what the Queen does to the thirteen poor souls that end here. Descriptions will be left out, because Draken doesn't want to be banned from GitP, but by the end of it all, thirteen bloated catpersons hang from the walls of the room, wrapped in webbings and resin.

Elle and the last two are left in a large chamber, visibly different from the rest of the hive, much more civilized, one might say, more polished, but still strangely organic. They are dropped in a single cell by the legionnaires before being abandoned in the room.

[EleventhHour]

[Strange Room #II]

Elizabeth, while watching the whole [censored] process does the only thing that comes naturally to her. She vomits all over the nearest guard's feet. Mostly bile, a bit of what must've been oatmeal at one point, a few small black ball berings, and a set of keys. She picks the keys out, and wipes them on the sleeve of Happy's borrowed jacket before slipping them into her pocket. "Well. It's nice to get those back." She comments blandly, trying to forget what she'd just seen.

Upon being stuffed into a cell, she sticks her tongue out childishly at the leaving guards, before turning to the other catfolk. "Please tell me you managed to hide at least something."

[Reinholdt]

[The Waiting Room]

"Just these ma'am."

The pair dig into their clothes, no doubt in censored areas best not repeated, and pull out... plastic straws. Like the ones that connected to their soda cans. Only there is no soda cans around nor liquid in them.

[Lord Iames Osari]

Meidani chuckles at Nimai's transformation.

She, on the other hand, simply unsheathes a golden sword from her side.

I really should use this more often... what's the use of having a Daiklave attuned if you don't use it, huh?

I dunno, Kirana answers, stepping through the demonic mouth with her orichalcum sceptre held out in front of her.

[happyturtle]

((Do you mind if Hannah spots you and follows through the catacombs?))

Hannah Snow arrives from the KNAVES castle, creeping carefully across the countryside, and trusting in her stealth to keep her from the notice of marauding catpersons.

[EleventhHour]

[Waiting Room]
(*10d12 facepalm damage*)

Elly sighs, and shakes her head, looking around the waiting room, "What do you think, any way out of this hole?" She wanders about the room in the meantime, playing with anything that isn't bolted down or wieghing a ridiculous amount.

[Draken]

[Cage]

There isn't much to see in the cage Elle and the Felinians are. There are the walls, the floor, the ceiling, the bars, six hindrances on the walls that serve as sleeping places, most likely, and a pair of holes on the sides of the back wall, most likely for biologic needs.

Overseer Torrashh appears again, accompanied by a group of beings similar to himself, speaking in their own language and seemingly not paying attention to the catpersons.

[Rebonack]

((Feel free, Happy. Best get close to the others. Poking around in places like this alone is dangerious.))

[Catacombs]

And so our intrepid band of explorers descend into the darkness.

The stares are narrow and slick from drizzling ground water and the air stale from luminescent yellow molds thriving on the walls. By no means bright enough to see particularly well, just enough illumination to look spooky.

Thankfully Avatar's hand-torch sheds enough light to help everyone avoid stumbling into a pit or some such.

Though it may attract some lest than wholesome natives...

"Everyone stick close. The worst thing that can happen down here is getting separated," Avatar cautions.

[horngeek]

All right.

Meidani, closing her eyes, activates her anima, casting enough light around her for... say, reading.

A golden disk appears on her forehead.

And she opens her eyes again.

[happyturtle]

[The Catacombs]

Looking for cover to hide from a passing kitteh patrol, Hannah spies the party entering the catacombs and sneaks in behind them.

((She's fairly sneaky, but not supernaturally so. So she can be spotted.))

[horngeek]

Daisuke plo-clone is tracking Misaki into the swamps, for when NK gets back on.

----

Meidani thinks she might have seen something. Hello?

[Rebonack]

[Catacombs]

The chances of Avatar noticing someone who happens to be sneaking is pretty much nil. But once someone else starts calling attention to people skulking about in the shadows then it becomes rather hard to miss.

The Fox-eared Fellow glances at Meidani, then back up the flight of stairs. "Eerr... If there's someone else down here with us, it would be a good idea to make yourself known. Getting surprised by you later would be bad."

[happyturtle]

[Catacombs]

Hannah steps out of the shadows, hands showing. "I was just trying to keep from becoming catfood."

[horngeek]

That's all right. And at least we know now, instead of you suprising us when we're on edge. That would have been... slightly unpleasent.

Understatement.

[Rebonack]

[Catacombs]

"Or getting eaten by something. That's always a possibility down here," Avatar adds. "We're dodging the army as well. These tunnels will take us right under their lines."

Hopefully they won't run into any alien bugs down here in addition tot he usual monsters...

Eventually our band of explorers reaches the bottom of the stairs, the chamber widening up into a limestone tunnel. Water drips from the ceiling here and there, stalactites glittering with moisture and minute calcium crystals. All along the walls little shelves have been hewn into the stone. And upon those shelves the corpses of many a commoner, long since forgotten and moldered away into bleached bones. More than a few are encased limestone crust from the constant dripping of the cave.

"Cheerful place, huh?"

[happyturtle]

[Catacombs]

"Where does it go?" Hannah asks.

[horngeek]

Why do I get the feeling there's some sort of tentacle monster or something?

:smalltongue:

[EleventhHour]

[Cell]

Hushing the other catfolk behind her, she backs toward the beds staring at the bugpeople. "On the plus side... I guess we're not going to be waiting very long." She mutters disencouragingly, "There's no way we're getting out by fighting, just stay behind me, and don't do anything... stupid." She brushes her hair behind her shoulders and adjusts her jacket, jingling the keys in the palm of her other hand.

[Rebonack]

[Catacombs]

"They branch all over the place. There's a whole under-city of sorts spread all over, extending under Town and into the country-side a pretty reasonable distance," Avatar explains as he takes off, boots plashing in the shallow pools of mineral-rich water so common deep underground.

"It's pretty easy for me to sneak a peak above the surface to see where we're headed. Make sure we're taking the right tunnel. Without a clear notion of where you need to go getting lost down here is really easy," the Fox-Eared Fellow adds. "So! Who are you, anyway? From one of those villages that got razed?"

[happyturtle]

[Catacombs]

"My name's Hannah." she says. "I used to live here. I just returned to find... this."

[horngeek]

[Secret Base]

Erin is teleported here!

The nanites injected knock her out, if they haven't suceeded already.

[The Bushranger]

[Secret Base]

Erin is unconsious! Her black-and-white hair draped over her face.

She's holding tightly to the staff of her, well, staff, though.

It's wood, with a crescent of silvery metal at the top...

[horngeek]

The woman works quickly.

Firstly, she removes the staff from Erin's grip, and sets it aside, intending to come back to it later.

Next, she gets out a device, and puts it on Erin. It's essentially a covering which covers Erin from her neck down, and stops her moving her arms from her side or her legs, either.

She then puts Erin on a table, and straps her down to it at her lower and upper legs, her waist, and her chest.

Then, she gets the nanites to wake Erin up. She's still got her powers suppressed, though.

Hello. You're going to be my guest for a while.

[Draken]

[Azzari Inner Sanctum]

Torrashh heads over to the cage, after the four other kyorl'zuraj have left the room, and drives his hand through the barrs, catching Elly between his claws.

"Heavier than you should be. Metalic parts, perhaps? We will find out shortly enough."

Overseer Torrashh heads towards a bloodied table surrounded by machinery.

[The Bushranger]

[Secret Base]

She'll have to break Erin's fingers to get the staff out of her grip.
<_<
>_>

Erin's eyes flicker open, and they go wide for a minute...
...then narrow.

She says nothing.
No-ting!

-------

[Somewhere completely else, perhaps still in the hot spring...]

...is where Alex and Alexis are.

[horngeek]

Or, through careful study of her system, she can apply shocks to her nervous system to get her muscles to release it.

Which is what she did. SCIENCE!

Not talkative? That's all right, I've got plenty of time.

The woman sits down to watch Erin.

[EleventhHour]

[Being carried]

With few other choices, she's carried along, kicking at the Overseer angrily as she flails in the air. "No! Screw you! Those are my legs! Mine! Mineminemine..." She squirms wildly, panic overriding anything she'd learnt over her lifetime and bringing her right back to the tribal roots, "No hurt! Legs mine! No!"

[The Bushranger]

[Secret Base]

Erin just closes her eyes and remains perfectly quiet.

She would say something about how her dragon girlfriend would bust her out...but she knows that's not happening this time.

:smallfrown:

[horngeek]

The woman looks at the staff.

How about this. You tell me your name, and I give you something to eat and drink.

[The Bushranger]

[Secret Base]

"Erin Patricia O'Connell. I'd give you my rank and serial number but I don't have them anymore."

[happyturtle]

[Catacombs]

Hannah is on auto-follow for now. ((deadtime))

[horngeek]

The woman smiles. And you can call me Julia.

Now, let's see about that food, all right, Erin?

She gets some food and water, and adjusts the table so it's tilting. Makes this easier.

She then proceeds to feed and give the water to Erin. The food's actually quite tasty.

[The Bushranger]

[Secret Base]

Erin remains completely quiet, accepting the offered nourishment, then closing her eyes and pretending to go to sleep...

[horngeek]

Julia takes the oppitunity to scan the staff for any magical, chemical or biological properties.

This does not involve damaging it. And she is in the same room all the time.

[The Bushranger]

...

Hmm. The way BR recalls it, the staff was a focus more than anything else...

Unless Amber chimes in to describe it otherwise, perhaps Julia gets the equiviliant of a '404 Not Found' error on the staff. :smalltongue:

[horngeek]

Julia shrugs, and goes to rest. She's currently sitting in a chair, and it looks like her eyes are closed.

{{Deadtime in 10 minutes, for about an hour or so}}

[The Bushranger]

Erin pretends to be asleep, and remains so.

((Dinner soon here too...))

[horngeek]

So, they both pretend to be asleep!

Or appear to be.

{{Okay. Deadtime now, then}}

[The Bushranger]

And Erin will remain so. Feeling...helpless.

[Draken]

[Azzar]

"So it is in your legs. A sure way of making my inspection easier."

Torrashh holds Elle against the table, using a second hand to place her limbs on the proper spots and a third one to activate the locks. The fourth arm activates a device which raises a pair of azure stones to the sides of her head.

"Can't have you die in the table, can we? Koorr'shk'k'tei."

The table produces a white flash, with proves to be an X-ray once an image of Elly's skeleton appears on a screen.

"Metallic compartments in the femurs, the skin protected them from the degradators earlier. Bone structure appears normal for a primate, in spite of what the feline traits would indicate. There is a difference in the skull, for the ears, and the coccix is developed into an actual tail. Tersh'k'k'k'k..."

Torrashh fiddles with a blade in one of his hands while examining the X-ray.

[EleventhHour]

[Table]

"Rather die..." She mutters darkly, staring up at him. She decides to take the chance, wether he's going to kill her or not, to spit at him while he's standing so close. "Come on. Let me loose. Where's the fun in a table? It's because your a freaking insect isn't it? Afraid?" She continue a banter of tirades until the Overseer decides to do something, or in a minute or two when she runs out of things to say.

[Draken]

[Hive Azzar]

Torrashh eyes the spit, which begins to sizzle on his carapace as an electric current courses through it.

With that dealt with, he drives tha blade beneath Elle's ribcage, and performs an horizontal slash at that line. Followed by a vertical slash through her midriff.

"Try not to be much of a hindrance, it will make the procedure end faster."

[EleventhHour]

[Drowning in blood, sometime soon]

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" The shriek is earpiercing, as she tries to squirm away helplessly against the restraints, "AHH, AHHH, AHHHHHH!" She sobs, between yells, "FFFUUUU-"

[Lord Iames Osari]

[Catacombs]

"They branch all over the place. There's a whole under-city of sorts spread all over, extending under Town and into the country-side a pretty reasonable distance," Avatar explains as he takes off, boots plashing in the shallow pools of mineral-rich water so common deep underground.

"It's pretty easy for me to sneak a peak above the surface to see where we're headed. Make sure we're taking the right tunnel. Without a clear notion of where you need to go getting lost down here is really easy," the Fox-Eared Fellow adds. "So! Who are you, anyway? From one of those villages that got razed?"

Nimai splashes along behind him, looking around in the light shed by Avatar's hand and Meidani's anima. Do you know any prayers to the Sun? she asks the Zenith.

[Rebonack]

[Catacombs]

Avatar just nods in reply to Hannah. There are plenty of people who leave the Nexus, though it doesn't seem like they're every really gone for long. Just the nature of the place, really.

"Not the nicest thing to return to. Sorry you have to see this mess," the Fox-eared fellow comments. "Keep your eyes peeled on those skeletons. It's isn't all that uncommon for one of them to be-GAH!"

A skeleton just leapt on Avatar, busying itself with trying to choke the life out of him with those bony fingers.

The next word was probably going to be 'undead'.

[horngeek]

Meidani tries to slash the undead in half.

Since the sword is Orichalcum, that may help. Also, she's a Zenith. They have a 'extra damage against undead' thing that she activates.

[Neon Knight]

Daisuke plo-clone is tracking Misaki into the swamps, for when NK gets back on.


Indeed! And as I said earlier, Daisuke will find that the road leads him into the reeds. Tall, thin stalks rise up on either side of the road, growing unusually thick and tall, well above Daisuke's shoulders.

Huh. Did he just hear a snicker-snack?

[horngeek]

Daisuke pauses, and listens for it to happen again.

----

Julia waits for Erin to drop the pretense of sleeping.

[Neon Knight]

It doesn't. The reeds all fall down around him though, cut down, spreading out on the ground with a faint rustling.

Hidden in a rock among the reeds, now exposed is a man, a rogue looking fellow in a sky blue robe. One sleeve hangs empty; the other is torn off, leaving that shoulder and arm bare. A sword is belted to his side, being swiftly slid back into its sheath. Muddy boots leave smears on the rock as he turns to face Daisuke. His hair is long, knotted into dreadlocks, matted and filthy. His eyes are sunken, his lower face stubbled, and his thin pale lips upturned in a sneer.

"Hello, wanderer."

[horngeek]

Actually, I'm not wandering. I'm looking for a girl. Her name's Misaki. Cat ears and tail. The trail came this way. You wouldn't have seen her somewhere, would you?

[Neon Knight]

The man hmms a pulls out a gourd from within the folds of his robe. "Now why," he takes a long drink, spilling some one himself, liquid dribbling down his chin, "would you be looking for something like that?"

[horngeek]

Someone like that?

Because she's missing, and I'm worried about her. Especially since the last time I saw her, her mind was under the influence of another, making her murderous, and I'm worried about what she might do or what might happen to her.

[Neon Knight]

"I'm just saying, the trees don't mourn for the leaves that part with them, nor does the sky mourn the rain when it falls to the earth. Why can't you just relax, and be cool about it?"

[Lex-Kat]

[Near NO HQ]

Right. Let's get going. Bianca, you take one officer, Os and I go for another one.
Right. Bianca slips back into her shadow, waves hi to the imprisoned kitty, and follows the path she took earlier to get close to one of the officers.

She will get as close as she can, then come out of the shadow nearest the backside of the officer.

Her plan is, since most likely he'll be surrounded by mooks, is to tackle the officer into the next shadow and deal with him in her world.

[horngeek]

Because she may still be alive.

Daisuke frowns. Have you seen her, or not?

[Neon Knight]

The man chuckles. "Should've known you weren't a philosopher by the look of you. Or, rather, maybe I'm just too drunk for philosophy right now." He looks inside his gourd, which seems empty, and sighs. "Yeah, I saw her."

[Draken]

[Drowning in blood, sometime soon]

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" The shriek is earpiercing, as she tries to squirm away helplessly against the restraints, "AHH, AHHH, AHHHHHH!" She sobs, between yells, "FFFUUUU-"

[Azzar]

Music for his... Auditive apparatus.

Elle will notice that, in spite of her abdomen being open, and her entrails staring at her, she is still alive.

Spoilered for graphic gore.

She will notice she remains alive while Torrashh rummages through her innards, pushing the intestines aside to check on her reproductive organs.

"The womb appears slightly larger than that of an average human female. But it could be just a particularity of the subject. Koren'nakai... Removing for further analisys."

Another slash, and the organ is cautiously removed and put aside.

Torrashh creates an energy blade from one of his palms, and proceeds to use it to saw off Elle's left tight, intent on checking the hollows that were created there, the right one is removed as well. Blood loss is large, but still, no death, no matter what.

"Looks like he caugh a particularly fit specimen, very well developed musculature. Tkch'ch'ch'ch..."

Let us leave it at that for now. Draken has no real desire to write further into this subject, and we can all be left with the certainty that Elle will be reduced to the minimal vital needs by the end of the procedure.

The pair of felinians is forced to watch and hear the entire thing happen, dreading that they might be next.

[horngeek]

Where did you see her?

[Lord Iames Osari]

[Catacombs]

Avatar just nods in reply to Hannah. There are plenty of people who leave the Nexus, though it doesn't seem like they're every really gone for long. Just the nature of the place, really.

"Not the nicest thing to return to. Sorry you have to see this mess," the Fox-eared fellow comments. "Keep your eyes peeled on those skeletons. It's isn't all that uncommon for one of them to be-GAH!"

A skeleton just leapt on Avatar, busying itself with trying to choke the life out of him with those bony fingers.

The next word was probably going to be 'undead'.

The walking dead! Kirana swings her princess sceptre like a mace, bringing the deceptively decorative head down on the skeleton's skull.

[Neon Knight]

"Along this path, headed deeper into the swamp."

[horngeek]

Thank you. Can I please ask what condition she seemed to be in?

[EleventhHour]

[Torture Table]


Ohmigodmorescreaming.
(...*lack of other things to say*)


>.>

[Rebonack]

[Catacombs]

((Just a suggestion GH? I really don't know all that much about the Exalt setting. Try to be more descriptive with your posts and less mechanical. It'll really help me know how to react.))

Yeah.

Walking dead works.

Just be careful of Avatar, he probably doesn't want to be clobbered all that much.

The skeleton gets sliced in half easily enough, though it still clings to Avatar tenaciously. The mace-bashing, however, works quite a bit better. Ancient, brittle bones are shattered from skull to sternum.

The rest of the undead's remains clatter to the floor.

Avatar decides to kick them.

"Yeah. Look out for that kind of thing. Though they're probably one of the least threatening things down here."

[Neon Knight]

The man shrugs. "Angry. Threw a rock at me. No shoes."

[horngeek]

Well, that was interesting.

----

Daisuke sighs. Seems she's still under the mental influence... basically, it seems to be a 'hate all non-catpeople' thing. Thank you for your help.

Daisuke will keep on following the tracks.

[Neon Knight]

Daisuke will hear a slight noise behind him. If he looks back, he'll see the man following him.

[happyturtle]

[The Catacombs]

"So... you are you all?" Hannah asks. "And where are we going?" She's keeping up rear guard, so the skellie was managed before she got there. She holds a dagger in each hand. Not the best anti-skellie weapon, but presumably better than bare hands.

[horngeek]

He looks back. You're coming along?

[Neon Knight]

The man shrugs. "Might as well. I've got no more liquor and nothing else to do."

[horngeek]

All right.

Daisuke continues following the tracks.

[Neon Knight]

The man falls in stride with him. "Got a name, or are we keeping this real professional?"

The tracks divert from the road and appear to head towards a clear stream.

[horngeek]

Daisuke Hayashi. And you?

...

Daisuke follows the tracks towards the stream.

[Neon Knight]

"Hm. Call me... 30 Year Reed. Just Reed for short." The tracks end at the side of the stream.

[horngeek]

Oh, great.

Daisuke turns to Reed (who I already think is an Exalted due to the name, and am therefore probably wrong). Can you track along a stream?

[Neon Knight]

Reed shrugs. "Nah. Can't, not at all. Doesn't matter, though."

[horngeek]

Why not?

Daisuke looks more closely at the stream.

[Neon Knight]

"Because these waters have a master, and if she tried to enter without paying tribute, she's not going to be anywhere you could find her."

[horngeek]

...oh, great. What master?...

[Lord Iames Osari]

[Catacombs]

((Just a suggestion GH? I really don't know all that much about the Exalt setting. Try to be more descriptive with your posts and less mechanical. It'll really help me know how to react.))

((Translation: Stunt moar))

We're going into the city so we can go to a library, Kirana explains. What did you mean, we are we all?

[Reinholdt]

[Azzar]

Music for his... Auditive apparatus.

Elle will notice that, in spite of her abdomen being open, and her entrails staring at her, she is still alive.

Spoilered for graphic gore.

She will notice she remains alive while Torrashh rummages through her innards, pushing the intestines aside to check on her reproductive organs.

"The womb appears slightly larger than that of an average human female. But it could be just a particularity of the subject. Koren'nakai... Removing for further analisys."

Another slash, and the organ is cautiously removed and put aside.

Torrashh creates an energy blade from one of his palms, and proceeds to use it to saw off Elle's left tight, intent on checking the hollows that were created there, the right one is removed as well. Blood loss is large, but still, no death, no matter what.

"Looks like he caugh a particularly fit specimen, very well developed musculature. Tkch'ch'ch'ch..."

Let us leave it at that for now. Draken has no real desire to write further into this subject, and we can all be left with the certainty that Elle will be reduced to the minimal vital needs by the end of the procedure.

The pair of felinians is forced to watch and hear the entire thing happen, dreading that they might be next.

Indeed. Sorta. They take those straws and suck on them, despite there being nothing on the other end. Though the white liquid goes through the straw anyways, seeming to appear when they suck. Gaining super strength and speed, they decide nows the time to bend the bars and make a break for it while the overseer is busy torturing Elle. They woulda clued her in and passed her a straw but she seemed... reluctant and full of bravado.

Yeah, making a break for it may end up with them dead, but they know staying there will be the worst thing they could do.

@ Trio of NOers - Bianca captures her officer! Will Dipsnig and Os be just as successful? Find out... after they tell me what they're doing.

[Neon Knight]

...oh, great. What master?...

A big wave rises up, trying to splash Daisuke and Reed.

Reed will get soaked. He appears rather nonchalant about it, though.

"A river spirit. Ner-... Ner-... Nersometihng. I forget."

[Rebonack]

[Catacombs]

"Where are you all from, I suspect," Avatar offers, using his ability to translate typos to some degree. "I'm from Elsewhere. At least that's where I was born. Or... Created? Came into being? I dunno. Those times are pretty fuzzy in my memory. But right now I'm living in Town."

The party continues on, soon coming to a three-way split in the path. They all look more or less the same. Unpleasant, wet, and smelling of mildew.

"Hold up, I'll be right back."

And with that he's gone!

[horngeek]

Daisuke disappears, and reappears a bit of a distance above, avoiding getting splashed.

Right. Can you give more details on what would have happened to Misaki?

[Neon Knight]

"Kidnapped. Abducted. Probably in stasis. They tend to drown adults and keep kids."

[horngeek]

Oh?

And can you think of a way to get her back?

[happyturtle]

[Catacombs]

"Who you are, I meant," Hannah said. "These lead into the city? That's good. If I can get back out again." Of course hoarding and price gouging is probably a problem already, but Hannah wasn't planning on paying with her own money. She'll have to rob someone on the way.

[Neon Knight]

Oh?

And can you think of a way to get her back?

Reed shrugs. "We could try to appease the river spirit."

[horngeek]

And how do we do that?

[Neon Knight]

Reed thinks for a second. "Now, let me think for a moment. I hear that another god or spirit lives near here. Raises cattle. And the rive spirit likes the cattle. But the god never lets his cattle drink from the spirit's waters. So, I think if we kidnap one of his cattle and drown it as a sacrifice, that might appease it."

[horngeek]

Daisuke has an idea. Alternatively, we convince the cattle spirit to let the cattle drink here.

Or do you mean he likes drowning them?

[Neon Knight]

"Well, duh." Reed shrugs. "Hey, I don't get the appeal either."

[horngeek]

Great.
So, where are these cattle?

Also, how do you know so much about this stuff?

[Draken]

Indeed. Sorta. They take those straws and suck on them, despite there being nothing on the other end. Though the white liquid goes through the straw anyways, seeming to appear when they suck. Gaining super strength and speed, they decide nows the time to bend the bars and make a break for it while the overseer is busy torturing Elle. They woulda clued her in and passed her a straw but she seemed... reluctant and full of bravado.

Yeah, making a break for it may end up with them dead, but they know staying there will be the worst thing they could do.

@ Trio of NOers - Bianca captures her officer! Will Dipsnig and Os be just as successful? Find out... after they tell me what they're doing.

The bars break, instead of bending, which draws Torrashh's attention.

"What? A fugue? Ten'murak Sharrakh, sthiith shnak'kt rek!"

The four guards from before suddenly teleport in front of the escaping catpeople, and a fifth kyorl'zuraj, wearing heavy silvered armor appears behind them.

"Great news everyone! These two might have some interesting artifacts left with then."

The mechanical voice sounds synthesized.

[Neon Knight]

Great.
So, where are these cattle?

Also, how do you know so much about this stuff?

"I have experience in these matters."

Reed shrugs. "They should be close by."

[Reinholdt]

They don't waste time.

"FALCON PUNCH!!"

Only not spoken. About the same strength. And performed by a catpeople couple.

[horngeek]

{{I maintain he's probably Exalted.}}

Daisuke follows him.

[Neon Knight]

((You really think so? What type, then?

Note that I'm neither confirming nor denying.))

Reed leads away across the muddy marsh, careful not to cross the stream. They soon leave the stream, and begin to head towards open, dry ground.

Daisuke can hear the lowing of cattle, only it sounds more like it has the volume normally reserved for elephants.

[Draken]

The kyorl'zuraj soldiers slip out of the way of the attack at great speed.

"Not very smart are you?"

The armored kyorl'zuraj throws an object at the floor between the two catpeople. Said object then enits a stunning electrical charge.

[horngeek]

Why.. do I get the feeling these aren't normal cattle?

{{Knowledge about spirits suggests Zenith Caste}}

[Neon Knight]

"Because gods have to be crazy."

((Oh, so you would automatically presume a Solar, huh? Interesting.

*scribbles notes down*

Maybe this is all part of a sinister plan to delve into your psychology by throwing pseudo-Exalts at you. Or maybe it is what it appears to be.))

[Reinholdt]

The kyorl'zuraj soldiers slip out of the way of the attack at great speed.

"Not very smart are you?"

The armored kyorl'zuraj throws an object at the floor between the two catpeople. Said object then enits a stunning electrical charge.

Considering the other option was to wait around to get tortured like Elly? Hah!

The catpeople show their own great speed as they actually get out of the way in time. Imagine that. And make a run for it, going to punch anything that teleports in their way.

[horngeek]

{{You described no Tell. Although I suppose if he's a Lunar he'd be No Moon. Sidereal... well, one of them wouldn't be here.

Dragon-blood is possible, but Infernal and Abyssal are right out, and I think an Alchemical would be kinda obvious.}}

Oh, dear...

Daisuke continues on.

[Neon Knight]

((And, of course, it is entirely possible that he isn't an Exalt at all. you'll just have to wait and see.))

The cattle come in to view.

The smallest is much larger than an ordinary cow, dwarfing most man-made vehicles.

The largest, the bull? He's about as big as an elephant.

[horngeek]

Oh, great. This is going to be harder than I thought.

[Neon Knight]

"Yup. Especially since we have to drown them for it to count. We're going to need more water..."

[horngeek]

Hmmm...

Daisuke's thinking.

There are water-based Zanpaktou in Soul Society, but his is not one of them.

[Gnrlshrimp]

Two winged creations fly away from the KNAVES castle.

Elsewhere, a shapeshifting creation disguised as a rhino starts its trek towards an entirely different location. Hopefully rhinos are somewhat common outside, otherwise it's a bit of a stupid choice of disguise...

[happyturtle]

At least it's raining really hard out here. Might be something Daisuke can do with that.

[Neon Knight]

The disguised rhino creation may find itself in shoulder to shoulder rhino traffic on a rhino highway.

___

Reed appears to be waiting for Daisuke to come up with an answer. After all, it isn't much fun if NK solves his own plots.

[horngeek]

Firstly, we need to get one of them in the river. If the spirit can't take care of the rest, we need to get more water in there...

if this rain doesn't flood the river and do it for us.

In any case, we want to get one of the smaller ones.

[Neon Knight]

Reed nods. "But the bull might make that difficult."

((NK deadtimes for the night.))

[horngeek]

{{Okay}}

Daisuke frowns. I could hold off the bull, if it's only him.

[Lord Iames Osari]

[Catacombs]

"Who you are, I meant," Hannah said. "These lead into the city? That's good. If I can get back out again." Of course hoarding and price gouging is probably a problem already, but Hannah wasn't planning on paying with her own money. She'll have to rob someone on the way.

I am the champion of beauty and justice, the light that burns away the darkness, Magical Princess Kirana.

[horngeek]

Meidani, also known as Wandering Swan. Solar Exalted, Zenith Caste.

[Draken]

Considering the other option was to wait around to get tortured like Elly? Hah!

The catpeople show their own great speed as they actually get out of the way in time. Imagine that. And make a run for it, going to punch anything that teleports in their way.

Kan'torak'k. Terrible news everyone. We have escapees."

The mechanical voice of the silver-plated individual echoes through the entirety of the hive, or so it will probably seen to the two fugitives.

Soon, they will find themselves in a corridor with the floor made of unhardened resin, very sticky. They will most likely not notice until it is too late because all lights in Hive Azzar go out.

[happyturtle]

[Catacombs]

"Nice to meet you," Hannah says. If you were really all that, you wouldn't be walking along next to me, child.

[Reinholdt]

Kan'torak'k. Terrible news everyone. We have escapees."

The mechanical voice of the silver-plated individual echoes through the entirety of the hive, or so it will probably seen to the two fugitives.

Soon, they will find themselves in a corridor with the floor made of unhardened resin, very sticky. They will most likely not notice until it is too late because all lights in Hive Azzar go out.
The one in front gets caught, but manages to warn his partner in time. She turns around to flee and head a different direction, her eyes adjusting much faster than a human's would. Cats are nocturnal after all.

[horngeek]

Julia is still asleep while watching to see if Erin tries to escape.

[Rebonack]

[Catacombs]

Suddenly!

Avatar is back. "Right his way, ladies," and with that he motions to the right. "The other two routes head off further into the mountains. If we went that way we would probably run into vile things from the dark parts of the earth awakened due to dwaves delving too greedily and too deep. Or something."

A shrug.

"I'm Avatar. That isn't my actual name, mind. More of a nick-name. My actual name is a real bugger to pronounce."

[happyturtle]

Silly Rebo. They were delving in the dark PANTS of the earth.

Hannah continues to follow, hoping these light and justice types don't learn she's a murderer, torturer, and drug addict.

[horngeek]

...if Meidani finds out, she'll be really, really angry.

She follows Avatar.

[Draken]

[Hive Azzar]

She will find herslef in another narrow corridor, when suddenly the passage behind her is blocked when something titanic apparently busts from a wall, interposing its large body on the way.

And in front of her, comes a skitter, and a buzz, of numerous beings in fact, tiny, fly-like creatures that cover the way before her, and then sudenly, they wall flash with an intense bright light. Most likely stunning her.

Either way, both felinians will find poisoned needles darts stingers shot at their legs and arms, a paralizing toxin coating them.

[The Bushranger]

[Secret Base]

Erin's straightjacketed and strapped to a table with her magic neutralised.
Escape? What escape?

...
She's also genuinely asleep as her player only has another 30 minutes left tonight.

[Reinholdt]

[Hive Azzar]

She will find herslef in another narrow corridor, when suddenly the passage behind her is blocked when something titanic apparently busts from a wall, interposing its large body on the way.

And in front of her, comes a skitter, and a buzz, of numerous beings in fact, tiny, fly-like creatures that cover the way before her, and then sudenly, they wall flash with an intense bright light. Most likely stunning her.

Either way, both felinians will find poisoned needles darts stingers shot at their legs and arms, a paralizing toxin coating them.
Oh. Well if there wasn't that intense bright light right before hand she may have been able to avoid the stingers.

The two are paralyzed.

[Draken]

"Great news everyone. The escapees have been recaptured. Everyone can go back to their duties."

The corridors are alight again, and the soldiers from before teleport to the two paralized catpeople, locking their hands and feet with resin and teleporting with them to a new cage.

A cage in the Queen's chamber.

[Rebonack]

[Catacombs]

Takes all sorts to make the Nexus go 'round.

As the explorers continue down the damp halls they will soon come to a massive, cathedral-like chamber. Exquisite cave formations hang from the ceiling and jut up from the floor. Pools of still water ripple every now and again from a single drop fallen from high above.

And a massive crystalline sword is thrust into the solid rock, a mass of ropes lashed about its handle and bound to various pillars and stalagmites. From the ropes hang dozens of little rectangular silver strips.

[horngeek]

Oh, wow...

[Reinholdt]

"Great news everyone. The escapees have been recaptured. Everyone can go back to their duties."

The corridors are alight again, and the soldiers from before teleport to the two paralized catpeople, locking their hands and feet with resin and teleporting with them to a new cage.

A cage in the Queen's chamber.
The two.... sorta just stay there. Paralyzed. What'd you expect them to do? They can't even use the straws right now.

[Lord Iames Osari]

[Catacombs]

Suddenly!

Avatar is back. "Right this way, ladies," and with that he motions to the right. "The other two routes head off further into the mountains. If we went that way we would probably run into vile things from the dark parts of the earth awakened due to dwarves delving too greedily and too deep. Or something."

A shrug.

"I'm Avatar. That isn't my actual name, mind. More of a nick-name. My actual name is a real bugger to pronounce."

Kirana follows after Avatar, gripping her sceptre tightly.

[Rebonack]

[Catacombs]

So no one finds the giant sword lashed to the ground at all unusual?

Nobody at all?

Ah well.

Guess the DM PC is going to have to get out the hint bat.

"Huh... Wonder what this thing is doing down here..." Avatar wonders aloud before walking over to the compensatingly large sword and begins to fiddle with one of the silver tags hanging off its bindings.

[horngeek]

Meidani wanders down and looks at the sword.

She pokes it.

... and this is probably when the ropes wrap around her or something. That's how I'd do this, anyway.

[happyturtle]

[Catacombs]

Hannah prefers daggers. Though she'd probably wonder something if she didn't just get glomped by deadtime.

[Lord Iames Osari]

[Catacombs]

So no one finds the giant sword lashed to the ground at all unusual?

Nobody at all?

Ah well.

Guess the DM PC is going to have to get out the hint bat.

"Huh... Wonder what this thing is doing down here..." Avatar wonders aloud before walking over to the compensatingly large sword and begins to fiddle with one of the silver tags hanging off its bindings.

((I missed that it was there in the first place))

It is weird. Who do you think it belonged to?

[Morty]

@ Trio of NOers - Bianca captures her officer! Will Dipsnig and Os be just as successful? Find out... after they tell me what they're doing.

Dipsnig is still waiting for Os to undeadtime, but it can be assumed he tries to sneak up on the nearest officer, probably one close to a mortar team.

[Neon Knight]

{{Okay}}

Daisuke frowns. I could hold off the bull, if it's only him.

Reed nods. "While you do that, I'll try to split one of the smaller ones off form the herd and drive it towards the river."

[Rebonack]

[Catacombs]

The crystalline blade shimmers with an unearthly internal light, illuminating the walls of the cavern with a dull green glow. Every now and again a pulse of power ripples forth from the sword, sending pebbles rolling away.

Obvious we're talking about a weapon of some power here.

Would be useful if someone manage to wield it. Though it looks like it's sized for an ogre.

Just perfect for a pointy-haired protagonist, really.

Avatar pokes at one of the tags again. "I dunno. Either someone really big or really good at swinging around weapons the size of small countries."

[Reinholdt]

*gasps at Rebo*
Vincent is a pointy haired protagonist who wields such weapons with ease it makes me sick!

...
But he's not in the catacombs. He's...

[Near NO]

Unconscious and being dragged by the clockwork penguins with Caroline. Those penguins are the best drones/mooks of all the organizations. For srs.

He'll start to stir eventually. In the meantime...

[Outside NO]

Dipsnig manages to take down another officer in addition to Bianca's. Os fails at his attempt. Bad luck Os.

Of course it isn't long before the army figures out something's up and since they can't get through the shield, they about face and start looking for their opponents, with tanks, snipers, machine guns and troops, the AAs and mortars being left behind. No shots are being fired yet and the grenade launcher teams are confused because their officers just got taken out and no one's telling them what to do. But it may not turn out as badly for NO as it might for...

[WhiteMount]

An raiding party roughly three times the size of the one that attacked the Nazi town arrive here. No mortars, but more tanks and some AAs. This place won't burn like the rest. Well... it will, but the catpeople have been ordered to steal their food stores before burning it so they've got to be a bit more cautious as to their approach and not bomb everything.

[Morty]

[Somewhere outside NO]

Dipsnig hides and tries to sneak back to the tunnels. Hoefully everyone else will be sensible enough to do this as well. The equipment left behind by the catpeople might come in handy if they manage to get to it.

[Lord Iames Osari]

[Catacombs]

The crystalline blade shimmers with an unearthly internal light, illuminating the walls of the cavern with a dull green glow. Every now and again a pulse of power ripples forth from the sword, sending pebbles rolling away.

Obvious we're talking about a weapon of some power here.

Would be useful if someone manage to wield it. Though it looks like it's sized for an ogre.

Just perfect for a pointy-haired protagonist, really.

Avatar pokes at one of the tags again. "I dunno. Either someone really big or really good at swinging around weapons the size of small countries."

Like Exalted, Kirana says. I wonder what material it's made of, it doesn't look like any of the ones I know.

[Rebonack]

[Catacombs]

Avatar runs one finger along the flat of the blade.

Then sticks said finger in his mouth and sucks thoughtfully.

"It's a fine-grained quartzite. Really dense, hard, and resilient to damage. Stronger and lighter than steel. Could probably cleave clean through conventional steel plate without an issue. Imbued with elemental earth energy to maintain its sharpness I'll bet."

He takes a step or two back.

Then twangs one of the ropes.

"I suppose we could take it with us. Really no sense in leaving the thing down here."

[billtodamax]

[Near NO]

Rebecca is rested on the ground here, so she can recover her breath. Oliver's probably following. She's still unconscious.

[Reinholdt]

[Somewhere outside NO]

Dipsnig hides and tries to sneak back to the tunnels. Hoefully everyone else will be sensible enough to do this as well. The equipment left behind by the catpeople might come in handy if they manage to get to it.

I maybe should have specified a bit better. There are still catpeople manning the mortars and AAs, they just aren't doing anything nor going with the search parties.

Dipsnig can sneak back to the tunnels. But what's he going to do about the unconscious Vincent and Caroline and Rebecca and Terrance lying outside the tunnels? I believe a more conscious Oliver is right behind as well.

[Morty]

[Near tunnel entrance]

Guys, we- oh, crap. Dipsnig's plan was to use the tunnels to retreat somwhere where there are hopefully no catpeople, but now there're three unconscious people here.

[Earl of Purple]

In a Wood, Possibly near NO

There's rustling of branches and leaves in the trees. Almost like a humanoid gecko jumping from tree to tree. Which is what happening, as Eko the Gekko, with her greeny-brown scales and wearing a belt and a bandoleer, armed with a club and a quiver of javalins gets away from GLoG. Since Eko hasn't been to NO and isn't trying to go there, it is entirely possible she is nowhere near NO.

[Shades of Gray]

[Near NO]

Rebecca is rested on the ground here, so she can recover her breath. Oliver's probably following. She's still unconscious.

Oliver sits down next to her, and watches to make sure that she is okay. He also has a rebreather on, unless there's oxygen now.

[Morty]

[Near NO]

Outside, oxygen level is normal - lack of it in NO was caused by the barrier blocking everything, including air.
Oliver, we have to get out of here. The catpeople are looking for us. Dipsnig's ears perk up as he hears the rustling of branches.

[Reinholdt]

[Near NO]

Indeed. The threat out here is not the lack of air.

Decisions need to be made. One can estimate by what Dipsnig saw and how they're moving that they have a minute, maybe less, before they're found.

And subsequently shot at.

[billtodamax]

Rebecca seems to be recovering from lack of oxygen, starting to moan. I give it one, maybe two posts till she wakes up.

[Shades of Gray]

Oliver will carry Rebecca as he follows Sniggy. Keeping an eye out.

[Morty]

[Near NO HQ]

Dipsnig rushes into the tunnel, desperately clinging onto Vincent and Caroline, trying to drag them in - though it seems as if he did the latter as an afterthought and his first reaction was simply to run like hell and leave the others to fend for themselves.

[Neon Knight]

[Whitemount]

An raiding party roughly three times the size of the one that attacked the Nazi town arrive here. No mortars, but more tanks and some AAs. This place won't burn like the rest. Well... it will, but the catpeople have been ordered to steal their food stores before burning it so they've got to be a bit more cautious as to their approach and not bomb everything.

They're fresh out of onions, but should have plenty of food.

The Duke is facing a nightmare situation. His soldiers and guards cannot hope to defeat or delay the catpeople for long in an open fight. Warriors move about the main keep arming themselves, while others head out to disperse throughout the city.