[Nexus] Outside XVI

[Reinholdt]

This place is just as it sounds. It's outside.
Want a change of scenery? Go outside.
Always wanted to visit the beach? Come outside.
Looking to have a climatic fight on clifftops? Attempt outside.
Secret meetings being held where there's no cameras? Try outside.
Want an ambush without nasty base defenses? Yep. Outside.

Any and all are welcome here. There are no NPCs unless you bring them in. The major exception is the creepy eyed squirrel. The creepy eyed squirrel does not interfere with anyone. The creepy eyed squirrel is everywhere outside. The creepy eyed squirrel is always watching. The creepy eyed squirrel never sleeps. The creepy eyed squirrel can not be damaged, manipulated, or killed by anyone. The creepy eyed squirrel will eat anyone's very being who attempts to do so. Anyone can god-mode the creepy eyed squirrel. You may pet the creepy eyed squirrel at your own risk.

Other NPCs currently include:
The menacing crabs. These intimidating creatures are usually found by the shore.
The non-existant duck. You'll miss every time you shoot at it.

There is very little you can't do outside. However, like always, please follow the forum rules and general rules of conduct. Private conversations can be held outside. If it seems like a private (secret) conversation, please respect that. Those having such a conversation should do their best to indicate it as such. Otherwise, other characters may stumble upon you. Those desiring to spy in on private conversations should first PM those holding the private conversation, more out of courtesy than anything else.

There are many areas outside, and people can be in multiple places outside. In order to keep areas outside separated so there's no confusion, consider bolding your outside location at the start of each of your posts, like so:


The Fields

Reinholdt sets up various targets and practices his sharpshooting. All these events recently has made him a bit rusty. To his left, he notes the creepy eyed squirrel. Giving him the heebie-jeebies, Reinholdt decides to head somewhere else.


The Cliffside

Calublufiok broods over his latest scheme as he flies over the cliffs. The creepy eyed squirrel is watching him again. He finds occasionally landing and telling the creepy eyed squirrel his plans helps him find holes in his plotting.

Note Reinholdt and Calublufiok do not interact because they are in different areas outside. They could interact, if Reinholdt moves to the cliffside. Of course, various things like telepathy help bypass this. Also, please note outside has no major buildings, though minor ones crop up from time to time.

And most importantly, enjoy outside. That's what this is all about. :smallsmile:

Outside now contains various Outside locations! Such as...
[Dead Pine Lake]
This lake lies in the middle of the forest. On the eastern shore, woodpeckers feast on the dead pines that give the lake its name. Sometimes one can find Lady Death here, the Aspect of Eve also known as The Grandmother, or Jedwiga.

(Please PM happyturtle if you wish to interact with Jedwiga.)

http://i431.photobucket.com/albums/qq40/happyturtle-avs/p243360-Delray_Beach_FL-Wetlands_sc.jpg

[The Islands]

An island cluster forms an archipelago along the coast. Some of the islands are settled, some not, but most are at least occasionally visited by the fishermen who work these waters.

[Gersemi's Island]

Gersemi the seighkona lives on a small island in the archipelago with a single hut and a few sheep. Inside the hut, there is a single room, and a fireplace. A loom rests in one corner.

(Please PM happyturtle if you wish to interact with Gersemi.)

[Redbrick Falls]

A mountainous, cliffy region with a prominent waterfall. A large quarry once was worked in these cliffs. Now, only a few scattered villages and solitary dwellings remain.


[Norosa, Great City of the Elves]
A Lawful Evil city with an incredibly strong military and a very charismatic leader (Archmage Tyrion Lannister). It has a few CG resisters, but, otherwise, it is a city of peace and law, despite its evil nature.

[Brillian's Baneful Bestiary]
A secret series of caves where a mad scientist lives. A mad scientist who creates mutant attack creatures. These can be purchased for the right price.

[Auxiliary MagCave]

A relic from the days of the Age of Apocalypse, this abandoned cavern was once used by the infamous cyborg Magtok as a back-up laboratory and underground fortress, should Calublufiok have ever stormed the primary MagCave.


[The Katz Motel]
Located in the middle of Nowhere, our roadside motel is the only decent place for miles near the Taverna that has a bed. Run by a suave anthropomorphic cat, there is a strict No Dogs policy.
http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090705011306/courage/images/b/bc/Katz.png

A bellhop by the name of Bates is always ready to assist in carrying your luggage. Please ignore his constant mutterings about his mother. Other more unsavory employees can occasionally be found. Please try to avoid eye contact with them.

We at the Katz Motel wish to ensure you have a splendid stay. Any inconvenience due to randomly locking doors, giant spiders, secret passages, vampires, creepy paintings, and the occasional possession and subsequent exorcism are incredibly rare. Just look at our complaint cards! Not a single one mentions dying horribly in their sleep or becoming food for the monster in the basement.

And if you get bored, the owner will always be up for a game of sport, old boy.

((The Katz Motel is a horror filled place with the highest casualty rate of any motel in the Nexus area. Checking in is usually pretty easy and pleasant. Checking out is rare. Anyone can play the Motel and the NPCs within, free to invent their own horror. The NPCs within that can die usually only suffer death temporarily, the supernatural force causing the disturbances bringing them back to life for its own nefarious purposes. PCs get no benefit from this.))


PM Whoever's posted the current Outside thread if you wish to add locations to Outside.

[Artemis97]

[Raril's Apartment]

Raril looks the nymph up and down quickly, and a sense of horror comes over him. The only nymph he'd ever known with purple hair... no, he couldn't think about that.

"Yes?" He answers, his mouth suddenly dry. He takes a step back from the doorway, at once putting distance between himself and the girl and putting himself into a more defensive position. One hand says on the edge of the door, ready to slam it shut if he needed to.

[Reinholdt]

[Raril's Apartment]

Ilpholin takes a single step forward with one leg and brings the other leg up to knee Raril in the stomach.

"Hello DADDY." :smallmad:

[The Librarian]

((I think you left out the NEXUS thing Reinholdt))

[Artemis97]

[Raril's Apartment]

Raril tenses as soon as sh starts to move, rolling with the hit so all it does is knock the wind out of him. Still, he falls to the ground, looking more injured than he was. The drow rolls to his side, looking up at Ilpholin. Behind his back, he discreetly slides a dagger into his hand.

"You.. got a lot bigger... since I last saw you." He wheezes.

[Shadow of the Sun]

Raril will hear a voice behind his back, and Ilpholin will see a rather tall fellow stand up in the room. He's got a rather strange looking contraption in his hand, above his head.

"Among my people, I am noted for my skill with the atlatl. I can throw a dart with enough force to go straight through a reindeer at ten-spear lengths. Would you like me to attempt it to you?"

The fellow's eyes are...fiery, to say the least.

[Reinholdt]

[Raril's Apartment]

"You. NEVER. SAW ME!" :smallfurious:

She completely ignores big fellow in the back, instead drawing whip into her hand incredibly fast and having it dart out, to try to wrap around Raril's legs and pull him in closer to her so she can hop on top of him and straddle him to glare him in the face.

"You never wrote, you never called, you sure as hell never visited for the family picnic! I never saw you once."

[happyturtle]

((Yes, title needs [Nexus] tag. We're so close to having the whole first page properly tagged.))

[AuxCave]

Sunny, IZK-alpha, and Butler tumble through the telewarp portal that closes right behind them.

[Artemis97]

[Raril's Apartnemt]

Raril winces when the whip wraps around his ankles, but it was a feeling he was all too familiar with. He doesn't put up much of a fight when Ilpholin drags him towards her, nor does he lash out when she draws close, although he certainly could.

"And there is a very good reason for that." He says, calmly.

[Ashen Lilies]

*was tagging things [Nexus] before it was cool* :smallcool:

Meanwhile, a leaf falls.

[Shadow of the Sun]

"I assume, Raril, that you don't want me to skewer her."

He doesn't, however, move.

"I will keep this pointed at her. As a contingency."

[Artemis97]

[Raril's Apartment]

"Much appreciated, friend." The drow replies, not taking his eyes off his daughter. They might be family, but he was under no illusions that she wouldn't try to kill him given half the chance.

[Recaiden]

[Leaving Trog's, towards Felina]

Goes Ashna, walking with a moderate amount of suspicion. She and the flames roaring about her are too focused on watching Butler to notice the heat or sound of Moff, who I believe is sneaking along behind.

[Reinholdt]

[Raril's Apartment]

"THERE'S NO GOOD REASON!!" Ilpholin screams, her lip trembling.

She sits back up as tears start to fall from her eyes. "Where were you daddy?"

She begins beating at Raril's chest with her fists, much like a kid would in a temper tantrum. Only she's way stronger. Though she's not particularly trying hard, so it is reasonable to assume that Raril could get a hold of her arms and stop her. If she were trying, oh he'd feel it all right. "Where were you when they put spiders in my shampoo? Where were you when I got plastered with rotten eggs for walking down the street? Where were you when they killed Mister Wayne, huh?!"

"WHERE WERE YOU DADDY?!" She's all out sobbing.

[Leaving Trog's, towards Felina]

Butler follows dutifully! *whistling here*

[Artemis97]

[Raril's Apartment]

Raril withstands a few hits without much complaint, but afraid she might crack a rib, he slowly moves to take Ilpholin by the wrists, abandoning the dagger he held in his hand.

"I was here. I had to stay here. I couldn't go back, and you couldn't come here. I'm sorry you had to stay in that place, but my sister could protect you and your brother, when I could not." He tries to explain, guilt written plainly on his face.

[happyturtle]

((Yes, title needs [Nexus] tag. We're so close to having the whole first page properly tagged.))

[AuxCave]

Sunny, IZK-alpha, and Butler tumble through the telewarp portal that closes right behind them.

Butler is also in the AuxCave.

Sunny gets to her feet, and checks that her laptop is okay before stowing it in a compartment inside IZK-alpha. "Mrs Amakirr is this way," she says, and leads Butler to the MagFirmary.

Where he'll see Happy lying on a bed, hooked up to tubes and wires and stuff, and looking like a vaguely melted version of herself. But at least she's not randomly shifting anymore.

[Moff Chumley]

[Leaving Trog's, towards Felina]

The Moff is indeed wandering behind Butler and Ashna, made nearly imperceptible by his luck magic.

[Recaiden]

[Road - Towards Felina]

As a solid month of walking is a bit much, Ashna is whispering into a phone, asking if the weekly supply airship could detour a bit and carry a few passengers.
She tries to keep her voice quiet and not Butler-audible, but he can probably hear with his cat ears and magical lich-senses, if he wants.
As the answer is a 'yes', she'll soon put away the phone.
"Have you been to see Adam since you got back, Butler, sir?"

[Reinholdt]

[Raril's Apartment]

Ilpholin cracks a grin.
"Protect me? She did no such thing. I did. I got through. I didn't need you nor Danube or uncle Sszy or mommy or even Naddy."

She giggles. "How did you and mommy do it, daddy? Did you beg for it?"

[AuxCave]
Oh, thought you were deadtiming.
Butler follows.
:eek:
"Is she alright ma'am?"

[Road to Felina]
Butler does hear, but he's not going to be so rude as to interrupt someone's phone call.
He does shake his head to her question. "No ma'am. I only got back a few days ago ma'am."

[happyturtle]

[AuxCave]

I was, but I suck at deadtiming. :smalltongue:

"She got electrocuted, and that gave her shifter sickness," Sunny says, reading it off the monitor above Happy's bed. "Magtok thinks her uncle can help, but we don't know where he is."

((okay, /now/ I'm deadtiming... hopefully))

[Artemis97]

[Raril's Apartment]

That was a bit too much for Raril. His eyes flash red and he shoves at Ilpholin, trying to change their positions and pin her to the floor. "Don't you ever talk about that night!" He snaps.

The Nymph might be surprised to find he's significantly stronger than he looks.

[Recaiden]

Ashna will nod. Of course Cal wouldn't go back to Felina yet. That would make things too complicated.
"How did you get back, sir?" she asks, to pass the time.

At length, a large, blocky airship-truck, designed vaguely along the lines of a fish, will fly over the road, held up by spinning crystals orbiting the truck. It slowly comes to a stop, and a rope ladder is tossed over the side.
"That will take us to the see-saw." she says, waiting by the ladder for Cal-Butler to board.

Moff will easily be lucky enough to grab the ladder just before it's pulled up, hop onto one of the circling lift crystals, or attempt some other means of boarding the airship, if he wishes to.

[Reinholdt]

[AuxCave]

"Poor Mrs. Amikarr ma'am." :smallfrown:

"Is there anything I can do to help ma'am?"

[Raril's Apartment]

Seems to be a theme with the Xar'Cha family.

Anyways, the position is switched, and though Ilpholin stops laughing and stops crying, her face, wet as it is, is replaced by one thing she inherited from her mother. That accursed, detestable, "I've got you right where I want you" smirk.

:amused:

She doesn't say anything though.

[On the road to Felina]

"A Diet threw me here and told me to balance the see-saw ma'am. I didn't really have any say in it ma'am."

Oooh. A ship. Neat.
Butler boards it and immediately starts looking around curiously. Clearly he's trying to figure out how to hijack it for himself and use it as a platform to attack the multi-verse with.

((deadtime cause Rein has an interview tomorrow and he wants to actually be awake for it.))

[Moff Chumley]

The Moff hops straight on, but attempts to stay out of sight until after the airship is en route. Once the airship is in motion, The Moff walks out into the open. Nice ship you got here.

[Recaiden]

[Airship]

They're on the deck, and a bit further forward there's a locked cabin with the driver. Back a ways is the cargo hold that occupies most of the ship, with a large bomb-shelter type door to enter.
Little bits of glowing crystal feature everywhere, especially on the doors and edges of the ship.
"Well, I know you can do it." This is a really good Butler impression.
"Oh. Hello, Moff. Is there a reason you've stowed away on our ship?"
She glances meaningfully towards the railing.

[Moff Chumley]

The Moff rubs his hands together. Oh, a few reasons. Mostly I was bored. But also, I have a feeling there's something important about our friend here. The Moff jerks his head towards Butler. Seems that AMEN should be represented here, no? The Moff isn't particularly threatening, but he hasn't gotten rid of that submachine gun, and he rests his hand on it.

[Recaiden]

"Show me the representatives from NO and HALO, then." Ashna moves a hand towards the laser-pistol at her waist, to match.
"I suspect our friend may be someone else entirely."

[Moff Chumley]

The Moff rolls his eyes. Well, that's their problem, isn't it? Lack of foresight. Unproffesional.

[Recaiden]

Ashna rolls her eyes, mocking. "You lack as much foresight as they. You were merely lucky."

[Moff Chumley]

The Moff grins. It's a rather manic grin, and he's proud of it. Slouching around with Jack Empty has numerous benefits. Better lucky than good, right?

[Recaiden]

"Wrong. Go enjoy the scenery or something."

[Moff Chumley]

The Moff seems hurt. Aww, how sad. Well, it's sure as hell a lot more fun.

[Recaiden]

"Fun, yes. Even your presence helps with that." Then she deadtimes.

[Moff Chumley]

Glad to hear it. :smallsmile:

[Artemis97]

[Raril's Apartment]

"Don't give me that look." Raril says, his voice a mixture of contempt and pity. "You have no idea what you're talking about. So listen. The last time I saw you, was the first time I saw you. When you and your brother were dropped in my lap while I was being dragged back to Menzoberranzan by my dear sister. I hadn't even known you'd been born, but I thought then, maybe, somehow, I could make an escape with both of you, get you back to the Nexus, have a normal family. Heh, I don't know why I thought that was possible, but I've always been called a fool." The drow sneers.

"My wife happened to be there, when you both arrived. She wasn't your mother. No your... other parent... was an abomination who took the greatest pleasure in torturing me and was absolutely hellbent on destroying the universe and everyone in it. We were close to defeating him, and my wife thought you and your brother were simply vessels for his soul, a contingincy plan for his continued existance. Do you understand how twisted that is? My wife, my beautiful, loving wife was the kindest person I ever knew, and his evil, his corruption, made her consider murdering two innocent young souls. I couldn't let her do it. Years ago, I wouldn't have blinked an eye. Maybe I'd gone soft, maybe, even though I'd known you for less then an hour, I felt some sort of fatherly responsibility towards you and your brother. Even if it meant the end of the world, I wouldn't let you two be killed."

Raril took a deep breath before continuing. "So I made one of the most difficult decisions of my life. I gave you to my sister to raise, knowing exactly what sort of life you would endure. Especially you, with the way you looked. It took a lot just to convince her not to slay you out of hand. I told her to use you as a scout or a liason on the surface. I hoped you would be strong enough to live long enough to see the sunlight. Knew, that if blood had anything to do with it, you would survive. Danube had the strength I didn't have to keep you away from my wife. It was the only way I could think to protect you from her, or anyone else who had the same idea. Deep in the Underdark, inside our family's compound, no one from the Nexus could touch you! I always thought I'd go back, rescue you somehow, but I'm just one Drow. Danube would have killed me before I even got through the front door."

"That day? That couldn't have been more six months ago by my reckoning. I don't know how you aged so quickly, but time moves strangely here. You've probably lived your entire life under my sister's rule, and I wasn't there to shield you from her. For that, I am truely sorry. Believe me when I tell you: I know the horrors she can inflict. I lived in that city for over a century, under her direct rule for forty years. Even now, I fear whet she might do to me. That same fear is making me wonder if I shouldn't just kill you now, because I'm sure you work for her. But I won't." He tells her as he pushes himself to his feet.

"You survived, like I survived, and I can only hope you hate that life like I do. But you're on the Surface now. In the very heart of the Nexus. Things are different here. Better. You don't have to live like that anymore." Raril holds a hand out to help his daughter up. "Not if you don't want to."

[happyturtle]

[AuxCave]

"Poor Mrs. Amikarr ma'am." :smallfrown:

"Is there anything I can do to help ma'am?"


Sunny is about to answer, when Happy opens her eyes. "Butler?"


The golems seem pretty resistant to lasers, though some of their limbs get knocked off. Then again they are sort of just standing there and taking lightning blasts to the face as well, so it's pretty understandable. A few rip earth from the ground and toss it at the planes with unearthly strength.

The mountain itself seems to hold up as well as one would expect a mountain to.

The glass building has disappeared by this point. Maybe they blasted into oblivion?

The lasers continue firing until all visible life (not including magical constructs) within two miles of the cave is scorched and smoking. Even with the assistance of the lightning, this will probably take a while.

Actually, now that I think about it, I'm not sure it's even possible without several refuelling breaks. Two miles radius is a lot of ground. :smallconfused: So before the planes run out of fuel, they dump their acid all over the area where the Citadel was standing. They definitely don't have enough of that to coat 2 miles. I'm going to say the land for 100 meters around the Citadel is both burnt and coated with acid, and the area 1000 meters around is burnt.

Acid golems! Yum!

In any event, the planes (minus losses to golems, which lazy player will leave to Magtok to determine) head out of the area to refuel.

[Emperor Ing]

[Vallasito's Acid Trip]

Sindri is knocked down by the lance as it hits him in the shoulder, but not before he fires a bolt of orange lightning at Oswin, the bolt that is actually a beam of pure Immaterium that would mutate his flesh and vaporize some of his armor on impace.

Conversely, as he is standing up two ice spires immobilize him. Doubtful they can hold him for long though.

[The Librarian]

((LoL at above))

[Vallasito's Mindscape]

Ice pillars would appear to be holding steady, although with a great amount of force, they could be broken in probably another turn.

[Emperor Ing]

His superhuman strength, combined with the motors in the joints of his power armor added to his strength-increasing mutations, it's highly unlikely he'll be held for much longer.

[The Librarian]

((Wait for CMOT to post then break ice pillar))

[Reinholdt]

[Raril's Apartment]

"Don't give me that look." Raril says, his voice a mixture of contempt and pity. "You have no idea what you're talking about. So listen. The last time I saw you, was the first time I saw you. When you and your brother were dropped in my lap while I was being dragged back to Menzoberranzan by my dear sister. I hadn't even known you'd been born, but I thought then, maybe, somehow, I could make an escape with both of you, get you back to the Nexus, have a normal family. Heh, I don't know why I thought that was possible, but I've always been called a fool." The drow sneers.

"My wife happened to be there, when you both arrived. She wasn't your mother. No your... other parent... was an abomination who took the greatest pleasure in torturing me and was absolutely hellbent on destroying the universe and everyone in it. We were close to defeating him, and my wife thought you and your brother were simply vessels for his soul, a contingincy plan for his continued existance. Do you understand how twisted that is? My wife, my beautiful, loving wife was the kindest person I ever knew, and his evil, his corruption, made her consider murdering two innocent young souls. I couldn't let her do it. Years ago, I wouldn't have blinked an eye. Maybe I'd gone soft, maybe, even though I'd known you for less then an hour, I felt some sort of fatherly responsibility towards you and your brother. Even if it meant the end of the world, I wouldn't let you two be killed."

Raril took a deep breath before continuing. "So I made one of the most difficult decisions of my life. I gave you to my sister to raise, knowing exactly what sort of life you would endure. Especially you, with the way you looked. It took a lot just to convince her not to slay you out of hand. I told her to use you as a scout or a liason on the surface. I hoped you would be strong enough to live long enough to see the sunlight. Knew, that if blood had anything to do with it, you would survive. Danube had the strength I didn't have to keep you away from my wife. It was the only way I could think to protect you from her, or anyone else who had the same idea. Deep in the Underdark, inside our family's compound, no one from the Nexus could touch you! I always thought I'd go back, rescue you somehow, but I'm just one Drow. Danube would have killed me before I even got through the front door."

"That day? That couldn't have been more six months ago by my reckoning. I don't know how you aged so quickly, but time moves strangely here. You've probably lived your entire life under my sister's rule, and I wasn't there to shield you from her. For that, I am truely sorry. Believe me when I tell you: I know the horrors she can inflict. I lived in that city for over a century, under her direct rule for forty years. Even now, I fear whet she might do to me. That same fear is making me wonder if I shouldn't just kill you now, because I'm sure you work for her. But I won't." He tells her as he pushes himself to his feet.

"You survived, like I survived, and I can only hope you hate that life like I do. But you're on the Surface now. In the very heart of the Nexus. Things are different here. Better. You don't have to live like that anymore." Raril holds a hand out to help his daughter up. "Not if you don't want to."
Ilpholin goes to slap Raril's hand away as she stands of her own accord.
"Calublufiok. I already know. Naddy may be insufferable at times, but he's still good at finding things out. Mommy made a lot of enemies, didn't she?"

Reaching down she snatches up her whip and starts winding it back up. She nods over to the gentleman who threatened her earlier and whose presence kept her from doing the things she really wanted to do to Raril.

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your boyfriend?"


Sunny is about to answer, when Happy opens her eyes. "Butler?"
Butler kneels down and gives Happy a reassuring smile. "It's me Mrs. Amakirr ma'am. And no I'm not dead ma'am. I was sent back to find the see-saw ma'am. We're doing all we can for you ma'am."
He figures he'll just skip to answering the questions she has so that she doesn't have to speak too much and waste her energy.


The lasers continue firing until all visible life (not including magical constructs) within two miles of the cave is scorched and smoking. Even with the assistance of the lightning, this will probably take a while.

Actually, now that I think about it, I'm not sure it's even possible without several refuelling breaks. Two miles radius is a lot of ground. :smallconfused: So before the planes run out of fuel, they dump their acid all over the area where the Citadel was standing. They definitely don't have enough of that to coat 2 miles. I'm going to say the land for 100 meters around the Citadel is both burnt and coated with acid, and the area 1000 meters around is burnt.

Acid golems! Yum!

In any event, the planes (minus losses to golems, which lazy player will leave to Magtok to determine) head out of the area to refuel.
Only a 1 mile radius. 2 mile diameter. Still a fair bit, mind you, but not nearly as large as I think you were thinking. Perhaps.
...
Dang it! How many meters are in a mile? :smallconfused:
*checks*
1609. Ok.

The golems are a fair bit less resistant to acid deaths. As in not at all. A fair number melt, though it seems you'll need more acid to get to all those in the outer perimeter. We'll say about a third have been eliminated from combination acid and concentrated laser attacks.

As for the mountain cave... well it seems to melt a bit too. Granted the cave is on a slope so has a bunch of mountain over it protecting it, though the entrance is most definitely getting gooey. My knowledge of acid is a bit limited, however. In that I don't have a general idea of how much material such things can melt through before becoming inert. Can't be infinite or we'd have holes in the earth everywhere, leading straight to the center.


[Airship]

They're on the deck, and a bit further forward there's a locked cabin with the driver. Back a ways is the cargo hold that occupies most of the ship, with a large bomb-shelter type door to enter.
Little bits of glowing crystal feature everywhere, especially on the doors and edges of the ship.
"Well, I know you can do it." This is a really good Butler impression.
"Oh. Hello, Moff. Is there a reason you've stowed away on our ship?"
She glances meaningfully towards the railing.

Obviously Butler is so busy looking at the shiny glowing crystals, that Moff and Ashna's conversation gets completely missed.
"Shiiiiiiiiny ma'am." O.O

Hark the destroyer of your universe.

[happyturtle]

[AuxCave]

"You're the best see-saw balancer we could have asked for, Butler." Happy says. :smallsmile:

[Mountains]

Huh. I didn't really expect acid to do much to the golems or the cave at all. I guess there's a lot of lime in the soil. The fumes are pretty bad though. Possibly even deadly.

[Reinholdt]

[AuxCave]

"Thank you ma'am. You should rest ma'am. Is there anything I can get for you ma'am?"

[Mountain]

See? I know less about acid than a base.
Look at all those rising fumes. Whew! What a sight.

[Recaiden]

[Airship]

What better disguise than one that is not only harmless, but helpful?
"You like them, Butler sir?"

Seeing as Felina is what, 1500 kilometers distant?, they'll have a long ride ahead of them. Or is it one of those things where it always takes a certain amount of time, no matter how fast one travels?

[Reinholdt]

[Airship]

"So shiiiiiiiiiiny ma'am...."
DOOM AND DESPAIR!!

It takes X amount of time to get to Felina. Where X is the amount of time for Moff to attempt something, Y, and to reach a resolution Z, or for the Moff to indicate he attempts nothing, -Y, until they reach Felina, F.

[happyturtle]

[Airship]

And T is the amount of time for Reinholdt to decide whether he wants to start fresh with a new thread or hunt for the old one? :smalltongue:

[AuxCave]

Happy smiles. "I'd sure love it if someone could clean up in here." The room, of course, is perfectly clean. By Mainframe's standards.

[Reinholdt]

[AuxCave]

Mainframe standards? MAINFRAME STANDARDS?! The one and the same mainframe who controlled the drones of GLoG?
GAAAAH!!

"I was so hoping you'd ask that ma'am. I'll get to it right away ma'am." Butler dashes out to grab cleaning supplies and start cleaning up Happy's room. It's a wonder how he even managed to contain himself while he was in there.

[Artemis97]

Ilpholin goes to slap Raril's hand away as she stands of her own accord.
"Calublufiok. I already know. Naddy may be insufferable at times, but he's still good at finding things out. Mommy made a lot of enemies, didn't she?"

Reaching down she snatches up her whip and starts winding it back up. She nods over to the gentleman who threatened her earlier and whose presence kept her from doing the things she really wanted to do to Raril.

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your boyfriend?"

[Raril's Apartment]

The drow pulls his hand back, scowling. "I wouldn't know. I never knew her." Raril growls. "And I don't think I will introduce you. It's clear your only reason for being here is to cause me pain, and I really have no reason at all to accept you into my life. So get out. Now." He steps aside, gesturing sharply towards the doorway, his red eyes smouldering.

[Moff Chumley]

The Moff, as per Ashna's advice, is enjoying the view. Once in a while, he'll turn and contemplate Butler, with a look combining fascination and horror.

[Reinholdt]

[Raril's Apartment]

The drow pulls his hand back, scowling. "I wouldn't know. I never knew her." Raril growls. "And I don't think I will introduce you. It's clear your only reason for being here is to cause me pain, and I really have no reason at all to accept you into my life. So get out. Now." He steps aside, gesturing sharply towards the doorway, his red eyes smouldering.
"Nadas is a he. Your son."
Ilpholin looks blankly as Raril motions her out the door, seemingly stunned, before hanging her head and looking at the ground as she steps over the doorway threshold. She pauses just outside it.

"I came for one other thing. I came to hear you're sorry. That you missed me and desperately wanted to be there with me. All I heard was disinterest and excuses." She lingers just a half second longer before turning to run down the hallway towards the stairs to leave.


The Moff, as per Ashna's advice, is enjoying the view. Once in a while, he'll turn and contemplate Butler, with a look combining fascination and horror.
...
Dang it Moff! :smallannoyed:
I guess they make it to Felina then. As soon as I either edit the old thread's OP or make a new one anyways.

Stupid T answer.

[Moff Chumley]

Hey, The Moff just wants to find out what happens. No evil plots yet, he has no idea what's going on.

[Artemis97]

[Raril's Apartment]

"Then you weren't listening well enough." Raril mutters quietly after she'd gone. Although he felt like slamming it, the drow carefully shut the door and put his back to it, before slowly sliding to the floor. He sighs heavily and looks up at his guest. "Sorry about that." He apologizes, while doing his best to cover up how much that encounter had shaken him.

[Shadow of the Sun]

[Raril's Apartment]

His guest is...well, he's got a strange look on his face, at least.

"Something like that would never happen on the Veldt. You left her with your sister? On the Veldt, that means you left her with her mother."

He sighs.

"This world is confusing."

He puts down his atlatl and the dart he's got nocked into it, and goes over to give Raril a hug.

He can tell that Raril is shaken.

[Artemis97]

[Raril's Apartment]

The hug was rather unexpected, and Raril tenses under the gesture. He had only recently gotten used to hugging his own wife, so having another man put his arms around him was a little shocking. Still, the drow understood the sentiment and returned the hug with one arm.

"Oh, you have no idea."

[Shadow of the Sun]

[Raril's Apartment]

"You mentioned your wife. I don't want to be rude, but can you tell me about her?"

Raril will find that his guest has draped his skin-cloak over his shoulders. As a comforter, apparently.

[Artemis97]

[Raril's Apartment]

Subconciously, Raril toyed with the gold and sapphire bangle that hung around his left wrist, the physical symbol of his marriage to Zee.

"I don't think I'm ready to talk about that." The drow admits. "It still hurts to think about her, knowing she's gone." And knowing that, in some strange way she wasn't. Confusing didn't begin to describe it.

[Reinholdt]

Hey, The Moff just wants to find out what happens. No evil plots yet, he has no idea what's going on.
All aboard to Felina! (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=6925865#post6925865)

[Shadow of the Sun]

[Raril's Apartment]

Raril's guest nods; he seems very sympathetic, although his manner changes just slightly.

"I understand."

He keeps his arm around Raril, again, to be comforting.

[Artemis97]

[Raril's Apartment]

"Thanks." The drow says. Looking down, he notices what he was doing with the bracelet and forces himself to stop and turn his thoughts to other things. "You know, I think I may have thought of a name for you?"

[Shadow of the Sun]

[Raril's Apartment]

"Yes?"

He's calm, but Raril can likely tell that it's a forced calm. He's excited. He wants to know what he will be known as from now on.

[Artemis97]

[Raril's Apartment]

"Tal'imar" The drow declares. "It means 'fire maker' in my language." He explains, watching his new friend for what he thought.

[Shadow of the Sun]

"...Talimar."

He mispronounces it, missing the glottal stop. But it's still a nice sounding name.

"Talimar...fire-maker."

He smiles at Raril, a fire of joy is visible in his face. For this moment, Raril is the fire-maker.

"I love it."

[Artemis97]

[Raril's Apartment]

Raril grins broadly. "I'm glad." After a moment's thought, Raril pushes himself to his feet and turns to face his friend, extending a hand. "Well met, Talimar." He says, taking the softer pronunciation Talimar chose. It was his name, Raril figured, he could decide how he wanted it to sound.

[Shadow of the Sun]

The newly christened Talimar beams at Raril.

However, he ignores the hand proffered.

He goes for a hug, instead.

"Thank you. And well met."

He smiles at Raril, and then breaks from the hug, a joyous flush still on his face.

"I'm thirsty; I'd like to make some tea. Could you please boil me some water?"

He grins a little.

"I'd do it myself, but I'm sure you don't want me lighting a fire on the middle of your floor."

[Artemis97]

[Raril's Apartment]

Again, the gesture surprises Raril, but he chuckles through it, knowing then he'd probably have to get used to it quickly.

"Heh, right. Don't need to accidently light the carpet on fire. Mrs. Tarnak wouldn't like that." He explains, going over to the kitchenette and filling a kettle with water, before setting it on the stove. He flips a dial on the stovetop, causing a small ring of blue flames to spring up under the kettle. With the water simmering, he turns around and looks over the apartment. "I'm going to miss this place." the drow says with a sigh.

[Shadow of the Sun]

[Raril's Apartment]

"Don't want any unexpected guests?"

Talimar is rummaging through the bag that holds the necessities for life in the wilds; he's evidently looking for something.

"While you've got the water boiling, would you like some stew? I've got some ingredients here."

[Artemis97]

[Raril's Apartment]

"Exactly. She knows I'm here, then soon, so will my sister, and that is not a good thing in my book." Raril confirms. "Still, it's going to take a bit of time to pack. Something to eat would be nice. Thanks. Feel free to use any spices I've got." He offers, opening a small cabinent near the stove, which was filled with small bottles and boxes.

[Shadow of the Sun]

[Raril's Apartment]

"No love lost between you, then?"

Once the water has boiled, Talimar takes two cups, and a rather large bowl. He pours some of the water into each cup, and then puts in a small measure of powder.

"The stuff is dry, I'm afraid, so it'll have lost some of it's flavour."

Almost immediately, a very pleasant, relaxing smell fills the room, one that might remind Raril of gin, if he's had any.

Talimar pours the rest of the water into the bowl, and then adds some jerky from his pack, as well as a few powders he had in there.

"Nothing too fancy- stewed jerky and dried mushrooms is all."

It shouldn't take long to cook and should smell quite tasty.

[Artemis97]

[Raril's Apartment]

Oh, I'm sure Raril's had gin before, long with many many other spirits. He really did have a problem, there.

"There was never any love. Not in my family. Not in that place. It really is terrible. What was I thinking leaving them to that?" The drow asks, his guilt for abandoning Ilpholin and her brother surfacing. "They weren't the only ones I left behind, either."

The mention of mushrooms as an ingredient put a little hope back onto Raril's face. They were a favorite of his.

[Shadow of the Sun]

[Raril's Apartment]

"It's not like that where I come from. Everyone is your sibling, or your parent, or your child, or your grandparent. We all look out for each other. We all care for each other."

Talimar picks up his tea and has a sip, and gestures to Raril to do the same. When Raril tastes it, he'll find that it's like drinking a pine forest- very pleasant, and not at all bitter.

The stew looks to be done, too.

"Dig in."

It should be quite tasty.

[Artemis97]

[Raril's Apartment]

Raril breathes in the steam wafting from the top of the cup before taking a careful sip. "That sounds like a really nice way to live." He admits, before setting the cup aside and picking up the stew.

[Shadow of the Sun]

[Raril's Apartment]

"I don't know any other way of life. I can't say."

Talimar nods at the stew, and smiles.

"It's good."

The flavour is gamy, but not unpleasant, and the mushrooms add a nutty flavour.

All in all, it's a good meal; filling.

[Artemis97]

[Raril's Apartment]

"It is!" The drow agrees. "I love mushrooms." He eats the stew quickly, having not realized how hungry he was.

[Shadow of the Sun]

[Raril's Apartment]

Talamar watches Raril, smiling, and every now and then taking a sip of his tea, which rather wakes him up.

"Once you're done, shall we grab anything important here and...go?"

[Artemis97]

[Raril's Apartment]

He looks up from his food and glances around the room. "Well, with your help, I think I can get all of it. Well, except the stove and some other things that came with the apartment." Yep, he was planning to take it all with him.

[Lord Magtok]

Mountains

Magtok figures he's done enough to soften up Reinholdt Prime's defenses, at least until the second wave arrives, and a small ball-shaped warp device is deployed.

That is to say, a baseball-sized orb, with one side painted read, and the other side painted white, is fired out of a cannon by some unlucky Magbot who'd been astride the wing of a MagPlane. Though the plane is hit and crashes in a fiery mess, like a few other planes have before it, the orb goes unscathed, should bounce off the ground a few times and roll along a few feet into the cave.

It'll then open up in a flash, to reveal Magtok and a team of Magbots. The former, equipped with a half-facial gas mask that looks pretty unnerving with his hood up, and the latter group wearing miniature umbrella thingies on their heads (http://www.steelheader.net/photopost/data/500/UMBRELLA_HAT.jpg).

Mmrph phray! Phrve phrond nmmd phrnd phr krt!

I'm...sorry, sir?

He said "Okay! Move out and find the cat!"

And you understood all that?

No. Why, did you?

But you just translated...Gods, nevermind. Let's just get this over with. Don't stand too close, though. With the traps, our acid, and all the magic stuff acting up, I'd rather you stand in front and lead us in.

[Reinholdt]

Mountains

Whoa, be careful there MagBots. The ceiling is literally melting on your heads. Acid does that you know. The entire entrance is pretty much collapsing on you. Fortunately there are three paths that lead further into the mountain and downwards. Quick! Unless you want to be crushed in melting death, I suggest picking one and taking it. I don't think your umbrellas will protect you for long.

Left, right, and middle for nomenclature's sake.

[happyturtle]

[Mountains]

Mainframebot was in the pokeball too. It looks for any evidence indicating which path might be more recently used. It has vaguely described techish scanning abilities!

[Kaelaroth]

[AuxCave]

There's a flash of fire, a radiant pink, as reality shivers, walls of worlds briefly tumbling away, as a falling comet comes from nowhere, making the air ripple, just for a second - before said falling comet stops in midair, a flaming blaze of radiant pink light, that sobs with an operatic explosion as it hangs in the air.

Gradually, it blazes less and less, hovering there, above Happy, spinning slightly like a faraway planet drifting away from some slowburning sun, before, eventually, it coalesces into a quiet, weeping, tortured shape, wrapped in an aura of hellfire, pink and pretty, with obsidian eyes filled with pain.


http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm316/RockShade/KaelaPinkMustelid.png

Kaela's in some great deal of sorrow...

[happyturtle]

[AuxCave]

Happy struggles to sit up, emotions whirling between alarm, shock, and sympathy.

Some part of her inside still loves Kaela, despite everything.

"K-kaela?"

[Reinholdt]

[Mountains]
All have been recently used, but the left one seems abnormally free of dust.

[AuxCave]
Butler returns with a broom.
:smalleek:
"Kaela sir! Hi sir!" :smallbiggrin:
It's been so long! He drops the broom to go hug Kaela.

[Kaelaroth]

Kaela, in the air, above her, is like a star, pulsing brightly away - and is yet perfectly easy to see amid his stunning glare - his sorrow a beacon and a shield all at once, as just about manages to look down at Happy, rosewater tears forming in his little, panicked, pained eyes.


Mamma?

Butler's approach, though, prompts a different reaction - the little thing, wrapped in harmless flames, falls pathetically into (or, at least, towards) his arms - a bundle of scratched and broken synthetic flesh, filled with hurt, which cries as he hugs it - cries ever so...

[happyturtle]

[AuxCave]

Happy watches warily as Butler comforts the little apocalypse bringer. Could he corrupt Butler, as he had done to others? But no... the Diet wouldn't have sent Butler to correct the balance if he were that vulnerable.

"What happened, Kaela?"

[Mountains]

All the paths have been recently used, but the left one is unusually free of dust, Mainframebot says, deferring the decision to Magtok.

[Reinholdt]

[AuxCave]

"It's alright sir. You're safe now sir." :smallfrown: Butler gives Kaela comfort pets. Poor thing.

[Kaelaroth]

[AuxCave]


Bubba and... and.. Sissah sen' me 'da 'Ell.

Hurts!

Kaela wails, sorrowful, nuzzling into Butler.

[Lord Magtok]

Mountain

Magtok nervously steps towards the path free of dust, before realizing he doesn't have time to slowly pick a path.

So dust-free one, then. Since it's the only one with any level of detail differentiating it from the others. Mainframe, follow. Magbot duo, you guys take the other two options.

AuxCave

In the Central Command room, a clone sits with a rather silly-looking helmet covering most of his face and wired to the main MagComputer, directing the Reinholdt Prime pre-emptive assault from afar.

Alright, so if I just split the team into two groups, consisting of Magbots as one, me and Mainframebot as the-Ohcrapmonitorfive.

Magtok immediately tears the thing off and runs towards the Infirmary, loading a laser pistol with a positive energy battery on his way there.

[happyturtle]

[AuxCave]

"They're really mean, aren't they?" Happy says.

[Mountains]

I can not envision any reason why the path should be so free of dust. That's because you're about as creative as a pile of circuits, Mainframe. This path may lead to a trap. I should take the lead.

[Reinholdt]

[Mountains]

The Magbot on the right will travel down a winding corridor until the walls attempt to crush him by slamming together.

The Magbot in the middle corridor will travel down a winding corridor that will eventually lead upwards until the hall levels out and straightens. At the end of the hallway seems to be made of metal instead of instead of rock.

The left path leads down, down, down. Granted this up down and straight thing wasn't readily visible from the entrance chamber. All the same it goes down. Guess Magtok and Mainframebot should figure out who is going first.

[Auxcave]

"Shh sir. Butler has you now sir. It's ok sir." Butler begins gently rocking Kaela.

[Kaelaroth]

[AuxCave]

Kaela nods at Happy as he's rocked by Butler, as, before anyone-who-care-to-look's eyes, his wounds gradually sew themselves together, his complex mechanical form repairing itself.

[happyturtle]

[AuxCave]

"What did they want with you? Were they afraid you might stop them?" Happy asks.

[Kaelaroth]

[AuxCave]


Kaela isn't allowed to play with 'herd or 'dess. He.. He.. He has to live below, and people are mean, and it's not.. 'cause he's a 'd'livery and doesn't want to cry or do bad things, and... and...

Kaela wails - his wails created a small gust of wind around Butler, as if to protect the protective catman from tiny attacks.

[Reinholdt]

[AuxCave]

"It's ok Kaela sir. You can play with us now sir. What would you like to play sir?" *pet pet cuddle*

[Lord Magtok]

Mountains-Right Path

Nooo! I should've known better than to be an obvious red-shirt on this mission! Walls are killing me! Aaaaugh!

Central Path

Magbot #2 blinks, and happily continues along, taking it slow and easy, watching for traps.

Wow, I'm not scrap yet. Nifty.

Left Path

Alright, let's get going, then.

Rather than get into an argument with Mainframe's logical assessment, Magtok decides to allow it to lead.

AuxCave

Seeing as nobody's being attacked, Magtok quietly creeps in, putting his gun back into a holster as he slowly approaches Happy.

[Kaelaroth]

[AuxCave]

"It's ok Kaela sir. You can play with us now sir. What would you like to play sir?" *pet pet cuddle*

[AuxCave]

A now exterior-healed Kaela shivers into the form of a striped, speckled, purple and pink cat, long and luxurious, with still-pained, large eyes, and licks Butler's hands.


Ball?

[Reinholdt]

[Central Path]

When he gets about midway down the hallway, the cannon at the end fires it's payload of a really heavy ball at really high speeds that rip up the walls and floor.
POW!

[Left Path]

Hmm... this part is really steep. And then there's that strange silvery sheen that's rapidly advancing up the floor. It's goal is simple.
Make the floor ice. Cause uncontrollable slipping down the steep slope. Holding on to the walls won't really work, but if you were big enough, you could wedge yourself between them to stop the slipping. It's about 8 feet wide.

[AuxCave]

Butler giggles as he's licked. "Sure we could play ball sir. You have a spare ball anywhere Magtok sir?"

((deadtime))

[Kaelaroth]

[AuxCave]

Kaela eagerly agrees to do what Butler wants...

((deadtime))

[happyturtle]

[AuxCave]

Happy gives a worried look to Magtok, but doesn't intervene with Butler and Kaela.

[Mountains]

Mainframebot's player looks over its description and realizes it is only listed as being 'extremely mobile'. So, I'll go with it having little spikes emerging from its feet for traction. Or attempted traction.

[Reinholdt]

[Forest Glade]

Ilpholin knelt on the ground, sobbing loudly in her favorite glade. She doesn't remember why she picked this place once getting to the surface, just that it seemed to be her place. That she came her before once, long ago. It didn't matter.

She hit the ground. "It's not fair! I hurt him mommy. I hurt him and he still didn't accept me." It wasn't supposed to work that way. Take, for instance, after her classmates killed her pet bat Mister Wayne. Sure she kidnapped their pets, starved them, then locked them in with their masters. It helped those pets were of the large angry exotic variety. Anyways, those that survived accepted her from then on. Let her sit with them. Talk to them.

But their eyes. Their eyes were never the same. Ilpholin never could figure out what was in their eyes. Why they cringed every time they'd see her and shook like a leaf. It made no sense. The loathing was still there, she knew. But they let her in. And she learned. She learned that hurting someone was all it took to get them to accept you.

But it took too long! And she had to go one at a time. And there was so many people. Still it should have worked on daddy. Why didn't it work on daddy? "YES mommy, I DID mention that night. Don't give me that." :smallannoyed:

Ilpholin stands and wanders over to a tree, running her hand up and down the bark. There was something different in daddy's eyes. She had seen it before. Defiance. It was that strange man's fault. He stopped her from doing what she needed to get daddy to love her. To remove the defiance forever. Why'd he have to be there? WHY'D HE HAVE TO RUIN EVERYTHING?! Her hand clenches, ripping bark off the tree and letting it drop onto the grass below.

Ilpholin breathes in deep and smiles. "But it's ok, isn't it Mister Squiggly? We don't have to hurt daddy to get him to come back with us. We have something else, don't we?" Ilpholin wanders over to Mister Squiggly who merely chitters, poison dripping from his fangs. Mister Squiggly, for the record, is her pet tarantula. Her giant, dire pet tarantula. Quite literally big enough to ride on, which Ilpholin did frequently. They said no one could tame it, but she did. Being a nymph had it's perks.

But she wasn't a nymph! She was a drow! DROW! Leaning against Mister Squiggly, she gently brushed his hair. "He wanted me to give it all up, you know that Mister Squiggly? Everything I had been working for and he wanted me to just throw it all away!"

Ilpholin had been a busy girl. Slowly seducing the troops into bed, one by one. There she would secretly work her inherent fey magic to make them enamored with her, leaving suggestions in their ears as they slept soundly. Suggestions of a new leader. Of a code word. And she hated herself for it, especially when it was men. But male or female, she continued, toiling long into the night working her one magical ability that mommy left her. Some would be more resistant than others of course. She never attempted anything of this magnitude before, and there's even the possibility it would all wear off before it mattered.

None of them loved her. There was always a look of distaste in their eyes, like they couldn't believe they were doing it with her. Though some only had lust on their minds. There was no connection though. No one who ever left a name or a date to meet again or a number. It didn't matter. She just needed them long enough to work her magic. Who cared how they treated her afterwards? Who cared what they said? She knew they still lusted after her and that made them hate themselves. Let them try to cover it up how they please, they were hers as far as she was concerned.

Nadas found out though. It was the final leverage he needed to escape the pits of the Underdark. Ilpholin couldn't understand why he would want to, but agreed to an exchange. Ilpholin helped him escape in exchange for his silence. She would of course, had helped him for free if he had just asked, foolish though he was being. But her plans needed to continue and removing his incessant prattling about how Illy shouldn't kill people who really irked her was an absolute boon.

And now she had the bait. She needed Danube to extend herself. To send the troops to battle. And there was nothing that could manipulate her more into doing so than her own siblings. Yes, the knowledge of Sszy's castle and his blasphemous gender change and his partner would be too tasty a morsel for Danube to pass up. She would attack, and when things seemed to calm down, Ilpholin would give the order and the troops she would carefully position would turn and the people will scream and the blood will run and there will be pain, so much pain, and both the surface and house Xar'Cha would accept Ilpholin. Her!

"Just think of it mommy. I'll be matron! No... Queen! Queen Illy!" Ilpholin steps away from her pet spider and stands in the middle of the glade, arms raised. "And I will have the most lovely flowing dress. And we'll go to tea parties! Tea parties Mister Squiggly! And dances. Dances, Squiggly. Can you imagine? They'll let me in and say 'Look! It's Queen Illy! The most wonderful Drow Queen in all of history.'" Ilpholin laughs gaily and begins dancing a dance, her eyes closing as she imagined the flowing dress and the party and the hundreds of people smiling at her. It was a practiced dance, the nymph sweeping her arms and twirling as someone who has performed hundreds of dances, alone, with no partner to keep her company, and no audience. An expert dance by an expert dancer with no one to dance with. "And they'll all love me mommy. They'll watch and look and not sneer or insult or throw things. They'll dance and I'll dance and it'll be the most beautiful thing in the world. And Naddy will come and Mister Squiggly and Daddy will be there too. He'll love me and want to spend the rest of his life with me and Naddy and Mister Squiggly and we'll have the most splendid time."

She stops, putting her arms down to rest at her side, lingering slightly.
Before stomping her foot in a huff. "YES HE WILL LOVE ME! If he doesn't... I'll... I'll... I'll beat the crap out of him until he does!" :smallmad:

With a whirl, she goes to the giant tarantula and climbs up. "Come on Mister Squiggly. Let's go tell Auntie Danube what Uncle Sszy's been up to."

The duo leave the glade to head to the Underdark, leaving nothing but broken bark to mark their presence.

[Kaelaroth]

[AuxCave]

A jubilant Kaela (still, though, petrified of loud noises and sudden movements) is playing with Butler - I assume.

[Lord Magtok]

Mountains

Magtok, on the other hand, can hover, and effortlessly does so to avoid falling too far, too fast.

Central Path

Aaaaugh! Nooo, not me too!

Hold on, how does he know if the other Magbot is dead or not? :smallconfused:

And...is that a brown fedora he just plopped on his head? Is he trying to outrun the massive cannonball being fired at him?

That's a silly, stupid idea. Even if you DO have turbo-legs. I mean, even if you can somehow outrun it, you'll have to go all the way downhill, and assuming you still haven't died yet, make a left or right turn, slowing down just enough to quadruple your risk of getting hit. You don't even have an idol or whip, what kind of lame Raiders reference is that?

So, so stupid. >.<

AuxCave

Magtok quietly holds out a small, purple rubber ball towards Butler, shaking uncontrollably, as if expecting a nuke to go off in the Cave at any moment.

[Kaelaroth]

Kaela pads towards Magtok slowly and carefully, tongue lolling and steaming with a slight hint of jasmine fragrance, trying to take the ball in his toothsome, feline jaws, shivering.

[Reinholdt]

Central Path

Obviously the Magbot is... alive. It seems he made it through sheer moxie.
Just in time for the rest of the entrance cavern to collapse in a heap of rock and acid.
Shame that.

[Left Path]

Hovering and spikes work. Continuing down the slippery slope, you'll get to the edge of the pit where a bunch of spikes and bones lie at the bottom. There's more tunnels on the other side of the pit if you can get over there, but it's a fairly large gap.

[Auxcave]

Butler smiles at Magtok as he provides a ball for Kaela. "Thanks sir." :smallsmile:
He'll then sit on the ground and urge Kaela to toss or roll the ball to him.

[happyturtle]

[Left Path]

If the gap is 30 feet or less, Mainframe will attempt to jump it, landing on all fours like a cheetah.

[AuxCave]

While Butler and Kaela play, Happy tries to meet Magtok's gaze and with a motion of the head, indicate that he should come over to her so she can say something to him quietly. She can't go to him without removing all the tubes and wires.

[Kaelaroth]

Kaela'll play with Butler for a time before becoming incredibly tired, incredibly quickly, falling asleep at the catman's feet...

((deadtime -Kaela's moveable while he sleeps, but practically invulnerable right now due to deadtime - do PM me if he ends up somewhere other than here - thanks))

[Lord Magtok]

Left Path

Feeling a tad more curious than he ought to, Magtok floats downwards toward the spike, gesturing for Mainframebot to go ahead without him, as he carefully lowers himself, intent on plucking one of the obligatory bones lying down there before continuing along on the path.

AuxCave

Magtok obediently approaches Happy, keeping an uneasy eye on Butler and Kaela as he does so. The last time these two were together, Reinholdt was only a few weeks away from bonding with the aberration and putting the world in jeopardy.

[happyturtle]

[AuxCave]

"Do you think... maybe Butler was sent back for this? To neutralize his evil?" Happy says quietly to Magtok.

[Left Path]

Do! Not! Clone!

Magtok may feel that command shouted at him from beyond the fourth wall. But not from anywhere else, since Mainframe is not creative enough to think of issuing such a warning.

[Reinholdt]

[Left Path]

Basic stabby killing spikes. Magtok gets a bone.
CLONE IT, the fourth wall doesn't say.
Mainframebot gets across the not quite 30 foot gap.

Anyways, as they continue down the path, they may notice the ceiling getting lower and lower. Now would be a good time to turn back.

[AuxCave]

Butler will scoop Kaela up and gently rock him while going to look for a cat pillow or a crib or a rocking chair. Cause the AuxCave would have rocking chairs just sitting around.

[DoomITP]

Grant, Pesty, and 115 are probably now in Outside.

[Beans]

Pesty and Grand Admiral 115 are with Grant, following him.

[DoomITP]

They will probably need to travel for two hours before they find three people working on a house.

[Beans]

115 observes through macrobinoculars.

[DoomITP]

It looks like Captain Brandt and a couple of other soldiers.

[Beans]

She approaches.
Captain? She calls.

[DoomITP]

Grand Admiral?

Captain Grant says as he walks closer.

[Beans]

She reaches for his hand; public displays of affection don't go much farther than that for them.

Pesty d'awws.

[DoomITP]

115 will be able to take Captain Grant's hand.

[Beans]

She holds his hand tightly, smiling a little.
Good to see you again.

Aww, they're so cute!

[DoomITP]

You too, Grand Admiral.

The Grant from this universe turns towards Pesty.

Should I tell him how to get to HALO?

[Beans]

Maybe bold his text to differentiate.
Sure!

I see your work ethic is as good as ever. She nods at the house in construction.


BRB.

[DoomITP]

Yes, we are getting close to being finished.

How about dark red?

Grant will attempt to walk up to Captain Grant and 115.

[Beans]

Captain Brandt, may I introduce... Mr. and Mrs. Brandt.
Hiya!

[DoomITP]

So that is me?

Who would have thought anyone could get me to talk so properly.

[Beans]

Pesty giggles.

[DoomITP]

He is not very formal.

He is not very funny.

He probably fights like a wild animal.

He probably fights like a machine who had it's soul taken from it.

He seems okay.

He seems cool.

[Beans]

... You've got jackboots and this weird collar on your coat.
Whereas you have strange chained pants.

[DoomITP]

So do you need to know how to get to HALO while the work is being done on this house?

[Beans]

That would be helpful, thank you.
She already knows the path they walked. She's good at that.

[DoomITP]

Will everyone walk back to the pods now?

[Beans]

Yep!
They go.

[Moff Chumley]

[Near Dead Pine Lake]

Ilyena and possibly Warren will enter Outside, their speed magically increased. After searching for a few hours, they'll find a small field in the middle of a forest, maybe the size of a football field, near Dead Pine Lake. Ilyena ends the spell, and sets to work examining the field. Once satisfied, he pulls out his laptop and taps away for a few minutes. While typing, he says to Warren: So, here's the plan. My, ah, assistant, Askepios, is going to be nescessary for this project. Askepios currently resides within WATCHTOWER, so I'm going to cast a few wards and guards to link this field and some of the surrounding forest with Askepios. Then, Askepios will help me acquire in the resources we need for this project. Then, it's a rather simple matter of you dictating to Askepios what needs to be built, in a manner of speaking. Sound good?

[ApeofLight]

[Near Dead Pine Lake]

Warren blinks and nods. " Right, sounds easy enough. "

[Moff Chumley]

[Near Dead Pine Lake]

Ilyena laughs. Glad you think so. Anyhow, you might want to get comfortable. And keep your head down, things are going to get a bit... hectic.

With that, Ilyena, still holding his laptop, steps out into the middle of the field and begins chanting. And chanting, and chanting, and chanting. At first, nothing really seems to be happening. But after fifteen minutes, or so, Warren might start to notice several things: the field is becoming... cleaner, almost. Fallen leaves and twigs seem to be zooming off into the forest as if they were thrown. Then, the field itself begins to move, flattening and straightening, as if it were man-made. Finally, the trees surrounding the clearing begin to change. The leaves seem to be sucked back into the branches, and the branches are sucked back into the trunks. With an almighty SHOOP, the trunks pull in their roots, and are only kept standing my magic. The field is now surrounded by what appears to be several hundred enourmous, floating matchsticks.

Askepios, are you online? A voice seems to come from nowhere. Yes I am, sir. Shall I begin opening the portals? You may.

Several...holes begin to open at the edge of the field. Unlike normal portals, these are simply circles of solid black, completely identical.

The whole proscess takes about an hour. Ilyena turns to Warren and grins: We're ready. Now, exactly what kind of airship are you going to need?

[happyturtle]

[Left Path]

Basic stabby killing spikes. Magtok gets a bone.
CLONE IT, the fourth wall doesn't say.
Mainframebot gets across the not quite 30 foot gap.

Anyways, as they continue down the path, they may notice the ceiling getting lower and lower. Now would be a good time to turn back.


"The clearance appears to be getting lower." Mainframebot says. "Perhaps we should turn back?" Or no, it doesn't say the last part because there isn't exactly anywhere to go. :smalltongue: It uses its High! Tech! Scanners! to search for any secret doors or the like.

[ApeofLight]

[Near Dead Pine Lake]

Warren had taken to sitting down and then eventually lying back not to far away. Almost seems like he was about to fall asleep.

Then he snaps back up when he's addressed. " Well, we need something pretty fast. Though we do need some space for cargo and people. Not to mention some weapons that we can use. But speed and being able to hide somewhere are probably the biggest things. Doesn't need to be too big but shouldn't be small either. A medium sized ship would probably be best. "

[Reinholdt]

[Left Path]

What?! But! You can't... FINE! :smallannoyed:

You find the secret door that clearly allows bypass of the upcoming, low-hanging ceiling, undead alligator room that was obviously a tribute to Frogger, up to and including hopping on and over them.


But scanners give no indication as to how to actually open the secret door.

[happyturtle]

[Left Path]

What?!

Frogger tribute?!

Can I unsee and find the hidden Frog potions instead? :smallfrown:

[Moff Chumley]

[Near Dead Pine Lake]

Fair enough. Alright, Askepios, let's get started...

Over the next nine hours, an airship will slowly come together, with wood coming from the floating "matchsticks", metals coming from the portals, and and some materials congealing from the air itself. The airship is not in fact a zeppelin or similar, but a rather strange, obviously magical construct. It appears to have a rather conventional hull, like on you might find on a small ship, but there's no sail. Rather, attached to the sides of the hull, towards the back, are a pair of hoops. The hoops are Ilyena's favorite part of the airship: they're buffered portals to the Elemental Plane of Air, allowing the pilot to control exactly how much air is flowing through at any point. The hoops are built onto flexible joints, allowing the pilot to direct the airflow and steer the ship. There are four similar, but much smaller, buffered portals to the Elemental Plane of Fire, serving as weapons. Two on the front end, and two on the sides. The hull itself is completely smooth, as if it were carved out of one enourmous tree.

The strange ship gently drops into the middle of the field, but somehow stays upright. Ilyena walks towards it, and Warren may notice a small sigil on the hull. Ilyena touches the sigil, and a portion of the hull slides outwards, allowing entrance.

The interior of the ship is rather spartan: towards the front end are six sparse bunks and a meeting room, and the back is one enourmous cargo area. In between is a modest kitchen and restroom. Above decks is equally spartan: no ropes, no beams, nothing you might find on a conventional ship.

It's not completely flat, however: like on a normal ship, there's a raised front and back area. Unusually, however, these seem to be made of super-hard glass. The back room is ten feet square, and contains a comfortable-looking seat. If Warren and Ilyena enter, they'll sudenly feel as if they've grown six extra limbs: the portals that serve as the ship's propulsion and weapons. The ship is controlled psionically. Which makes it very fast and responsive, but it takes a long while to become used to. So, what do you think?

Ilyena looks quite proud of himself. And, of course, exausted.

[Lord Magtok]

Left Path

Magtok nods, and takes a few steps back so Mainframe can lead on from farther away. He remains entire oblivious to undead alligators.

Oh, by the way, if it's at all possible, I'd like the target unconscious, incapacitated via ropes or cables or something, blindfolded, tossed into a burlap sack, sent through multiple telewarp portals with no idea of where they've been or where he's gone, and then shoved into an anti-magic cell and continuously administered recreational drugs so as to keep his mind occupied.

Killing works fine too, though.

[happyturtle]

[Left Path]

"Instructions noted. Please advise location of this anti-magic cell, as I do not seem to have a record of it. Also, there appears to be a secret door nearby, but I can discern no method of opening it."
Mainframe says.

[ApeofLight]

[Near Dead Pine Lake]

Fair enough. Alright, Askepios, let's get started...

*Ship Snip*

It's not completely flat, however: like on a normal ship, there's a raised front and back area. Unusually, however, these seem to be made of super-hard glass. The back room is ten feet square, and contains a comfortable-looking seat. If Warren and Ilyena enter, they'll sudenly feel as if they've grown six extra limbs: the portals that serve as the ship's propulsion and weapons. The ship is controlled psionically. Which makes it very fast and responsive, but it takes a long while to become used to. So, what do you think?

Ilyena looks quite proud of himself. And, of course, exausted.

Warren follows her around and into the ship and then up onto the deck but not into the box. " Hmm... pretty interesting but there does seem to be just a few problems. Would it be possible to make a few changes to it or no? " He says looking around and then walks over to the edge of the ship.

[Moff Chumley]

Absolutely. Ilyena looks a tad taken aback.

((I apologize: Ilyena's a guy. I was so eager to name a character after the song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5WuwaYFONk), I completely missed the potential for confusion. XD))

[ApeofLight]

((O.o Arggh! I know it's a guy and that was a mistake*. On both our parts Also, the top deck is wood excepts for those front and back parts, ya? "))

" Well first, could you make that meeting room slightly larger and into the captain's quarters? Then use a small part of that hold for some more space for the crew. Then... " Warren jumps down onto the main deck and spins around. " There's nothing here. Nothing to grab onto, nothing to tie things down to, nothing to put ready and available weapons on and no possession for a look out. And I'd also like to know how this thing will be able to fly and fight too. " Warren says with a nod. Once all that is done he will then probably praise how magnificent this whole ship is.

[Moff Chumley]

Hmm... I'll see what I can do. Askepios, do you think you can make those adjustments? Warren, you can direct further corrections to my AI. As for controlling it, there's a primitive AI that forms as a link between the pilot's mind and the ship's controls. The ship is essentially an extension of the pilot.

[ApeofLight]

Warren nods and then stops. " Well, yeah, okay. But how does it work? How does it fly, how does it attack and stuff like that? "

[Moff Chumley]

Ilyena takes a deep breath, organizing his thoughts. It's quite complicated. But in a nutshell, the ship is propelled by two portals connecting to the Elemental Plane of Air. The pilot controls the direction of the portals, and the amount of air coming through. The portals push a huge amount of air, so this thing should move quite fast. Weapons work similarly: there are four portals to the Elemental Plane of Fire, and the pilot controls their direction and output. Each portal is connected to a magical joint, which is controlled by the AI, which is controlled by the pilot. Make sense?

[ApeofLight]

Warren pauses for a second and then nods. " Yeah, I get it. It uses magical air jets and flamethrowers and is controlled by psionics or telepathy or whatever. Hmm, flamethrowers should be nice but might be problematic if we run into flying forts or airships made of stone or metal... but they should work. " Warren says with a nod.

[Moff Chumley]

The adjustements should be done. Alright, shall we seek your captain's approval?

[ApeofLight]

" If that's possible. Though I do have to say that this ship is fairly impressive all in all. Fast building too. " Warren says and then heads to go off the ship.

[Moff Chumley]

Any idea where your boss can be contacted?

[ApeofLight]

Warren shrugs. " I guess she's just back at Trog's. " He says.

[Moff Chumley]

I suppose we'll leave the ship here then, and find her? Ilyena casts a couple of spells that should make the ship invisible to passersby.

[Lord Magtok]

[Left Path]

"Instructions noted. Please advise location of this anti-magic cell, as I do not seem to have a record of it. Also, there appears to be a secret door nearby, but I can discern no method of opening it."
Mainframe says.

Magtok nods, and nervously pats a hand against the wall, searching for some sort of button built into it. He's just as likely to walk right into the area where the undead alligators appear, though.

We'll call up Watchtower and ask if they can loan us a cell or a spellcaster. Failing that, just take one of the two right out from under their noses.

[ApeofLight]

[By Dead Pine Lake]

Warren nods. " Yeah, that sounds like the best plan. "

[happyturtle]

[Left Path]

Mainframe attempts to blast through the sekrit door. *pew pew*

[Reinholdt]

Magtok nods, and nervously pats a hand against the wall, searching for some sort of button built into it. He's just as likely to walk right into the area where the undead alligators appear, though.

We'll call up Watchtower and ask if they can loan us a cell or a spellcaster. Failing that, just take one of the two right out from under their noses.

If was as simple as a button, scans would have revealed it. :smalltongue:
There's no physical indication of any way to open it. Probably needs a special code word password like you did back at the beginning of this mess.

Or you could continue to the undead alligator swamp area. Which is pretty much how it sounds. The ceiling's too low to just fly over and expect to get away with it.

The alligators themselves seem to open and shut their mouths are various timed, almost synchronized intervals. I say almost because it seems they like to switch things up on occasion. Just to keep you on your toes.

Silly skeleton reptiles which are just giant teeth things now.

... Or you could wait until right after I finish writing this post to blast the sekrit door open. That works too. :smallannoyed:

Presuming Mainframebot can blast rocks, it'll get them in the passage and let them bypass all that.

[CMOTDibbler]

[Vallasito's ShroomVision™]


((Wait for CMOT to post then break ice pillar))

((Sorry, guys...))
Oswin steps to the side, avoiding the energy, and retracts his lance. He throws it again, this time straight for Sindri's head.

[The Librarian]

((God I hope Nintendo doesn't sue:smalltongue:))

[Vallasito's Mindscape AKA: All the other nicknames Rand & CMOT have been making up.]


Vallasito, now standing a few feet away from Oswin. Wielding his Greatsword.
Those pillars won't last much longer. Lets hope this attack hits him before he breaks those pillars.

[Emperor Ing]

[Mindscape's Vallasito]

((Nintendo's touchy about their material, the best you can hope to do is fly under their suprisingly low quality radar. Thanks to them, we're not getting Metroid: SR388. :smallfrown: ))

Somehow, somewhere, somewhy, there is enough time between Oswin throwing the lance the second time and just before it hits or is blocked for Vallasito to say that. :smalltongue:

The pillars shatter, but the lance strikes Sindri in the head just as planned, sending the metal helmet to the ground. Both Vallasito and Oswin are able to see Sindri's face. A distinctly human head and face shape, except for multiple major differences.
His face has an unnaturally light grey color and a completely flawless complexion. The only exception of this is a black 8-pointed star (http://wiki.urbandead.com/images/e/ec/Chaosstar.jpg) around one of his eyes. Furthermore, there is no sign of any hair on his head at all in addition to his eyes being a solid colorless black within black eyes (not unsimilar to this. (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__RuP2uZFqD0/SQisFVbYUEI/AAAAAAAAAcI/HJB8ABFQ0aQ/s320/dark_willow_2.jpg)) Fortunately though, it's safe to look into Sindri's eyes. It seems the stun eyes only work with his helmet on.

He then unleashes a powerful telekinetic wave targeted to Oswin.

[Morty]

[Moor, somewhere]

Wenomir leads Dar through the moor, sniffing the air from time to time. We're getting close. There's a large bunch of demons ahead.

[Murkus]

Moors

Dar primes his weapon, the green pods that provide a power supply glowing brighter. A quiet whirring noise, much like the Hunter's own humming, fills the air. He's surprisingly quiet for such a large creature.

If he had a mouth, it sounds like Dar would be smiling. "Willll they be able to detect uuus as well? Or mighhht we take advantage of thhhe element of surprise?"

[Morty]

Moors

They'll probably notice us. Rank and file demons aren't too bright, but they're not blind.
In the distance, they can see a large group of horribly misshapen creatures surrounded by red light and brimstone clouds.

[Murkus]

The Hunter's flesh ripples with revulsion. He raises his weapon, a pulse locked in the chamber, glowing bright. "Though I cannn't say this wiiith experience, I don't think these thinnngs will be missed."

"Shall I open fire?" He inquires, slowing.

[Morty]

Wenomir draws his sword. Yeah. Fire.
((I'll be playing the demons.))

[happyturtle]

[Left Path]

Mainframebot leads the way into the Sekrit Passage.

[Murkus]

The Hunter falls silent as his weapon's whirring turns to a roar, and a large globule of bright green energy hurtles towards the demons. This is followed by a pair more, arcing over the moors and crackling with radioactive power.

Dar gives a bellowing war cry and charges down the slope, loping towards his foes as they take notice of him and his companion.

He fires all the way.

[Morty]

The assorted demons screech, roar and howl as three of them are torn to pieces. The charge, splitting themselves in two groups, one attacking Dar and the other attacking Wenomir. The demonhunter doesn't charge head-on but instead runs sideways so as not to get into Dar's line of fire.
Meanwhile, a dozen or so demons are approaching Dar. Two of them are clearly faster than others - they're disfigured heads with wings, spitting acid. Three lean, wiry, pitch-black roughly humanoid mosters with hooves, claws and horns are right behind them.

[Murkus]

Dar suddenly puts on an astounding burst of speed, stomping forward and firing his weapon with controlled accuracy.

He aims, in particular, for the flying heads, concentrating fire to put them down before he closes for melee with the others.

If they're exploded, he'll probably have closed distance with the other demons by then.

[Morty]

One of the flying heads is destroyed, exploding in a shower of bile. The other one, however, swerves and dodges the shots with astounding speed and lunges at Dar. The missiles tear the head off one of the hooved demons instead and blast through the chest of the other one. Another one of them is injured in the leg and now has to limp instead - but he's surprisingly quick all the same. The other demons are catching up too, but it'll be a while before they reach Dar.
Meanwhile, screeches, howls and roars can be heard as Wenomir dispatches the demons that attacked him.

[Murkus]

Dar raises his shield and crouches as the acid hits, and with the liquid still sizzling, he lunges towards the flying head. If he can get in reach, he'll give the creature a good, lethal crack with his shield.

Whether he downs it or not, the Hunter turns and roars as he puts another hail of nuclear fire towards the hooved demons.

[Morty]

The flying head is cracked and falls on the ground, flailing. The limping hooved demon is torn to pieces, as are two of the advancing ones - a burly, carapace-covered beast and a small, raptor-like creature with razor-sharp, long blades on it's arms. Seven remaining demons charge Dar. Three small, bladed creatures like the one he just killed take the lead - they're fast and only stayed in the rear because they were away when the battle started. Behind them are two more burly, carapaced beasts and two long, many-legged monsters with huge, acid-dripping pincers.
Wenomir is still fighting his demons. He seems to be doing well.

[Murkus]

Dar chuckles 'throatily' as he raises a boot and attempts to squash the flying head.

At the same time, his weapon's barrel spins a bit and switches to it's alternate firing mode.

A jet stream of radioactive, incendiary green liquid spews forth, shooting towards the demons as the Hunter tries to sweep it over the lot of them. It's not a perpetual stream, but it fires for a few seconds at least.

"Theeese things are nnnot so tough." The Hunter remarks loudly.

[Morty]

Yeah! Wenomir shouts back, skewering a zergling-like demon. But there's a lot of them!
One bladed creature is melted, but two others leap at Dar, dodging the liquid and begin to attack him quickly with their razor-sharp blades. The carapaced beasts and the centipede-like monsters approach more quickly now, the former having taken the brunt of the radioactive attack but survived it due to the thick plates on their bodies.

[Murkus]

Seeing the stream relatively ineffective in such a small dose, Dar switches back to the more explosive main firing mode. The Hunter would be grinning if he had teeth. He seems to prefer melee combat.

Some of his worms are slashed by the raptor-demons at the neck, but their blades otherwise bounce harmlessly off the Forerunner alloy.

He releases a roar of pain as orange blood spills forth. And then he lunge-charges.

The juggernaut tears forward, kicking up grass and trying to club demons aside left and right with both arms. Any who stand in his way might simply be run over by the spiny beast.

His gun opens up at the slower demons, the explosive globules of death streaking forth.

[Morty]

One of the little, bladed demons is batted aside and cut in half by Wenomir. The other one clings viciously to Dar's armor but is too busy doing that to actually attack. One of the centipede-like monsters lunges forwards and is crushed under the Hunter's foot. The other one moves to flank him while one of the burly beasts tries to ram into him with its massive, horned head. The other one lies in several pieces after being hit with an explosive globule.

[Murkus]

The Hunter picks up momentum, carrying on and thrusting his razor-spiked shoulder forward. Looks like he's simply going to collide with, and try to smash, the other burly demon. If that raptor's still clinging to him, well, he might just get squished between the two charging creatures.

[Morty]

The burly demon's skull is hard and thick, but not enough. The Hunter's blade pierces it and bile streams forth as the demon dies. The raptor is knocked aside by the impact and the centipede beastie is trying to hit a gap in Dar's armor with its pincers.
Wenomir seems to have almost finished his own demons.

[ThePhantom]

[Forest]

After leaving GLoG, Gordon planned to head for AMEN, but with his sense of direction, its going to be a while.

"You should try and cheer up, being angry at me won't change your situation."

[Murkus]

Dar barks with pain and whirls on the centipede, grinding shallow paths in the grassy dirt. That burnt plastic smell returns as the Hunter bleeds in two places, but he's still going strong.

He aims the assault cannon point blank and will attempt to simply blow the centipede demon away. His other arm raises it's shield, hoping to ward off any further attacks in case the raptor is still alive.

[Reinholdt]

[Left Path]

After bypassing the undead nasties and continuing down the path that goes further down into the earth they eventually come to...

[The Chamber]

Which is a large open thing. Obviously a place for a final boss fights or something. Except all around the place is a bunch of C4 wired together. More than enough to bring the place crashing down.

Directly across from the entrance to the chamber way over on the far end is a recently dug tunnel. I say recently dug because even further than that is, well... a drill. A glass drill mind you. And don't you dare go into glass drill arguments. It was a flying robot once that ripped the roof off a mountain cave, it can drill rock. Anyways, the point is way down the tunnel is a drill drilling a path. At the back of the drill closest to Magtok and Mainframebot is a cubed part which the drill is connected to. Inside, is Reinholdt Prime. Sitting on a glass lawn chair, sipping lemonade from his glass... glass and getting shade from his... glass umbrella? Ok, I don't know why there's an umbrella inside the drill, but there is.

Normal people wouldn't be able to see this of course, what with distance, but I'm jumping to conclusions that Magtok and Mainframebot both have the classic standard zoom vision.

As does Reinholdt Prime, what with abusing his glass drill to be looking out through a semi-telescopic-esque wall. Which explains why Reinholdt Prime is smiling and waving to the duo. I'd say you have about 1, maybe 2 seconds before he reaches down and presses the button on the remote that's in his lap to blow the C4.

[FireFox]

[Forest]

After leaving GLoG, Gordon planned to head for AMEN, but with his sense of direction, its going to be a while.

"You should try and cheer up, being angry at me won't change your situation."

Oh, I know that. Toby says, assuming Gordon leaves him control above the neck. But I find it hard to be amiable with you when you're pulling me along like a floating balloon.

[Lord Magtok]

Chamber

Oh fudge. Well desperate times call for desperate measures, and since it'd take too long to set up a telewarp portal large enough to swallow up most of the explosion...

DAMN IT REIN, YOU WERE RIGHT! I CAME HERE BECAUSE YOU WERE RIGHT ABOUT HER, STOP TRYING TO ****ING KILL US!

...Wow, you're trying to talk it out? With Rein Prime of all people? You are desperate.

[happyturtle]

[Chamber]

Mainframebot uses the 1-2 seconds allotted it to do a full backup of itself into the MagBrainNetwork and set orders for construction of a new chassis.

[Reinholdt]

[Chamber]

It can do a full back-up of itself in 2 seconds?! :eek:
I want that processing speed and internet connection speed. :smallfrown:

Reinholdt Prime pauses, his finger quite literally on top of the button. It's a wonder he heard Magtok, but what can you do? Perhaps he warped the glass so he could better listen to his screams as the explosion happened.

But it doesn't happen. The drill slows down to a crawl and he doesn't blow them up. Yet. Nor does he take his finger off the button.

He does, however, warp the glass so it's like a megaphone and he can talk back.

"I warned them. I warned them all. I try to save the universe and they think me mad? ME?! MAD! HAH! Oh... and a single move and you die anyways, understand? I just got back and I'm not too keen on my vacation ending too early, I hope you understand. You can talk while standing perfectly still." Perfectly. Still. I wouldn't be surprised if he has an itchy trigger finger.

[happyturtle]

[Chamber]

*wonders why I typed 'full backup' when I meant 'backup of events since pokeballing into the cave'*

*blames being up past bedtime*

Mainframebot is perfect in its stillness, as only a machine can be.

[Lord Magtok]

Chamber

Magtok bites his lip, takes a deep breath, and tries to continue, taking this slowly, carefully watching every word for anything that might set Prime off.

I've no idea how she dead, I don't remember anything killing her, but regardless, I was contacted in Maggy Land by a image from the afterlife, taunted and given indisputable evidence that she's also out to get us all. Their base of operations seems to be Hell, she and her brother are trying to invade and such again.

Anyways, we're only wasting both of our resources and putting the whole world at jeopardy by throwing weapons at each other, which is why I'd like to put aside this grudge for now, just until we can be sure that Cynthia and Shepherd are gone for good.

Magtok winces, half-expecting that mentioning Shepherd by name is going to have him instantly killed.

[Reinholdt]

[Chamber]

After a long time of thinking up a response, Reinholdt Prime replies.
"Beg."

"Beg for my forgiveness and my help." He wants the world not to end, but he's not going to lose face by just giving in to a request to "work together" with his most despised and loathed arch-enemy regardless of what's on the line.

[Morty]

Dar barks with pain and whirls on the centipede, grinding shallow paths in the grassy dirt. That burnt plastic smell returns as the Hunter bleeds in two places, but he's still going strong.

He aims the assault cannon point blank and will attempt to simply blow the centipede demon away. His other arm raises it's shield, hoping to ward off any further attacks in case the raptor is still alive.

Half of the centipede demon is blown to pieces and the lower half falls on the ground. Meanwhile, the raptor is writhing on the ground after being cut by Wenomir. The demonhunter is surrounded by other corpses of demons.
That's the last one. Nice work.

[Murkus]

Dar roars enthusiastically in triumph, the undulating noise echoing out over the moors. He doesn't seem to be thinking about his wounds as he raises both arms high.

When they fall, he hums loudly, satisfied. "Niiiice work. Yeees. You too. Many dead." The Hunter dabs at his neck injury, a cut along several worms. Looks like he needs more metal to eat.

"Mmm. How attaaached are you to that weapooon of yours, Wennnomir?" He says jokingly.

[Morty]

Very attached. It's an artifact crafted personally for myself. He sounds serious. The sword doesn't look like it's iron anyway - it's made of some bronze metal with goldish veins. That's one group that won't harass the locals. Let's head to the base.

[Murkus]

"Mm. Yes." The Hunter walks quietly after him, tromping along through the moors from the scene of slaughter.

The previously battle-raged Hunter suddenly seems to think about what he's just done. "I've just fought demonnns. Fleshhh of myth. This is... strange."

The creature turns it's helmet to watch Wenomir. "Yeeet I have the feeling this is only the beginninnng."

[Morty]

Wenomir cleans his sword from the black bile and seathes it. And rightfully so. You're definetly going to face something much stranger than demons during your stay here.
He will lead Dar back to the WATCHTOWER base.

[Murkus]

Dar will follow. He stares down at his own blood-soaked armor, wondering how he'll clean it.

[ThePhantom]

Oh, I know that. Toby says, assuming Gordon leaves him control above the neck. But I find it hard to be amiable with you when you're pulling me along like a floating balloon.

"You would find it hard to be amiable with me as long as you refuse to see that being an AMENite isn't that bad."

Toby might spot that they have gone around the same clearing three times now.

[Lord Magtok]

Chamber

Magtok rolls his eyes, turns around, and heads back the way he came, intent on pulling a telewarp portal up for he and Mainframebot to leave through, but just as okay with being blown to pieces by Reinholdt Prime.

Do I look like WATCHTOWER to you? If you're not willing to see reason, I'll just shoot your kid in the face all by myself.

[Reinholdt]

Chamber

"And so your pride will be your downfall." Said the pot to the kettle as Reinholdt presses the button and the C4 ignites, blowing up the Main Chamber. Blown to pieces it is.

[happyturtle]

[Chamber]

Mainframebot is asploded.

x.x

[FireFox]

"You would find it hard to be amiable with me as long as you refuse to see that being an AMENite isn't that bad."

Toby might spot that they have gone around the same clearing three times now.

You are literally kidnapping me and taking away any control I have over the situation. At this point, you've got the tiger by the tail, and the second you let go it's going to maul you to death. The Druid sighs, bobbing along.

[ThePhantom]

[Forest]

Gordon keeps on going, its what, six times now through this clearing.

"And the tiger better hope I don't get someone to shoot him in the head."

Looks like Gordon's starting to get annoyed that he can't figure out where to go.

"Are you making the trees move around?"

[FireFox]

Oh yes, by all means, please, shoot me in the head. He laughs.

Storm clouds are starting to gather overhead.

[ThePhantom]

Gordon stops.

"Okay, enough of this."

A flash of redish light, and in place of Gordon stands a huge deep blue dragon, big enough to tear houses up in one clawed hand.

"There we go."

[FireFox]

Toby opens his mouth and just sort of gapes at the dragon. Needless to say, this is quite the surprise for him.

Meanwhile, the dark sky overhead starts rumbling in displeasure. Or just plain thundering. Hard to tell.

[ThePhantom]

Gordon tries to grab Toby in one huge hand, forming a cage of claw and scale.

"I think its time for getting above the trees."

And with that, Gordon takes off.

[FireFox]

Toby puts up no resistance.

As Gordon becomes airborne, he may be hit by a streak of lightning, as it starts to downpour.

[ThePhantom]

Well, that would bad for Toby, since lighting doesn't hurt Gordon anymore. In fact, he can breathe it. The rain spashes off Gordon's hide.

"Ah, now this is better. We'll be at the castle soon."

[FireFox]

Toby, who isn't controlling the storm, just follows along.

[ThePhantom]

"Don't worry, you'll likely prove no one there should mess with you."

(To Black Wounds?)

[FireFox]

Toby is apparently taking a nap.

Sure.

[happyturtle]

[A pasture, somewhere]

A farm boy is repairing some fence when he sees something glittery suddenly *POP* into place near one of the cows. It looks like... a little person? With wings? But they're nowhere near the Weald!

He is torn between curiosity and fear, and watches as the little person seems to talk to the cow a moment. And then she takes hold of the cow's ear.

*POP*

Both cow and pixie are gone!

The farm boy curses. Evil fae!

[Artemis97]

[At The Edge Of The Nexus]

There is a cave, carved into the mountainside by hundreds of years of erosion, a gaping mouth of darkness ringed in teeth of limestone stalagmites. It opens into a small forest clearing, filled with tall grasses and brightly colored wildflowers. Dappled sunlight filtered down through te leaves of the tall trees of the forest. The air was fresh, filled with the earthy scent of slowly decaying underbrush and the sound of birds singing.

This spot was a place of transition, a boundary between worlds. Not only was it a path from the treacherous and lightless caverns of the Underdark into the bright and vibrant Surface, but it also connected one realm amongst thousands to the patwhork world of the Nexus.

Here, a small group of Drow will disembark, with orders from their Matron to observe, learn, and report back on any weaknesses and opportunities this world might hold.

It is here that the invasion begins.

[ApeofLight]

[Edge of the Nexus]

And the first to emerge from the Underdark is Tebtranlyn, with his Piwafwi cloak up covering his head. Along with this he has a black cloth covering his eyes. Even with that he shades his eyes as with his hands as he emerges into the sunlight.

" Geh, this light... how does anyone stand it. " Tebtranlyn says with annoyance even as his house symbol sparkles in the sunlight.

[VampireRot]

Merrak is the second one to step into the light of day. The red-eyed drow squints.

"Arg... The light always surprises me. How the fools up here manage with it is beyond me."

Taking a moment to adjust his heat-vision to the normal spectrum, Merrak pauses. Still noticeably wincing, he turns to his companions still in the cave.

"Come on then, get it over with quickly and give your eyes time to adjust. We have work to do."

Merrak surveys the forest with a grimace. He didn't like the surface. At all. Hand on his trusty mace, the drow steps forward and into the cover of the trees to scout for anything living that might pose a threat.

[Shadow of the Sun]

[Edge of the Nexus]

The third to emerge gives the first a glare of significant contempt. The one glaring is short, even by dark-elf standards, and is carrying, at his side, a case that rattles slightly as he moves. His eyes are covered with glass lenses, evidently to improve his sight.

"Such whining is unbecoming. Don't make me educate you on unpleasantness."

There is a sense that this threat is not an idle one.

[ApeofLight]

[Edge of the Nexus]

The first glances back to the third to emerge and scowls just a bit. Then he just turns around and starts heading into the forest in the general direction of Town and Inside.

[Beans]

[The Navy House]
Seems like a good name for Grand Admiral 115 and Captain Brandt's house.
I suppose the aforementioned officers arrive here.

[DoomITP]

Yes they shall arrive.

Not bad.

[Beans]

She smiles slightly and walks inside...
Actually, might as well move this to the ACRO Home thread.

[billtodamax]

[Edge of the Nexus]

Balayne'da emerges fourth, looking on what she sees with obvious displeasure.

Come on, move. She spits at the others. The sooner we get this done, the sooner the real fun starts. She says, obviously looking forward to it. Let's find a local. We'll need to move towards the main population bases.

[ApeofLight]

[Edge of Nexus]

Tebtranlyn looks back at Balayne'da and grits his teeth a bit. " From the sounds and looks of it there are a few sparse settlements between here and the major... cities it seems like. In... that direction. " He says and points towards where he was walking which is towards Inside and Town.

Then Tebtranlyn sniffs the air a bit. " Hmm... might be a small farm no more than an hour away. "

[Reinholdt]

[Edge of Nexus]

Ilpholin, nymph of purple hair and semi-earned standing, rises out of the cave, riding on Mister Squiggles, whip on her back. It's a good thing she was sent to give some direction to this motley group.

"There is indeed a small farm nearby of no consequence. The main settlement I located is indeed in that direction." She points towards Inside.

"There are also organizations whose goals are rather specific and membership is rather free despite this. Good League of Good, Neutralist Organization, Heroic Anti-evil and Lawbreaking Organization, the Association of the Malicious Evil and Nefarious, and the Watchtower, who lacks an acronym." She points in the directions one would need to investigate said locales. "They are pretty much how they sound in terms of what they do from my understanding." Though she didn't have the chance to investigate any personally beyond learning their general purpose and location.

"There are also plenty of free operatives about and taverns so keep your eyes and ears open for them. Any questions?"

[Ashen Lilies]

[Edge of Nexus]

The seeming last Drow out of the tunnel is Keld (character page to come soon!).
Riding his lizard mount, he blinks slightly as he comes into the sun, but makes no comment. He's been on enough raiding parties to be somewhat used to the sunlight, though the sudden from dark to light still irritates his eyes. He shifts the long bladed spear that serves as his weapon while riding and while on foot to a more comfortable position, easing the his companion into the surface world.

[Shadow of the Sun]

[The Edge of the Nexus]

The third drow to leave the underground turns, and asks one question, in a soft voice that is excessively blunt.

"I joined this operation because I was told that my, ah, special skills would be of use. I hope you understand that if the objective is not achieved, I will be using them anyway?"

He gently rattles the case at his side, looking at Ilphorin over his glasses.

"The wares of Anath do not come cheap."

[Reinholdt]

[The Edge of the Nexus]

"How you go about your mission or which places you choose to investigate are of no concern to me. Use your 'skills' at your leisure. The only thing the Matron cares about is results. If you end up having no useful information to report then it would probably be best if you didn't return at all." She gives Anath a sickly sweet smile. "I recommend completing the objective. Understood?"

[Shadow of the Sun]

[The Edge of the Nexus]

"Information? That was not why I was sent."

His smile widens, and his eyes narrow- so it more or less equals out.

"There are many ways to get information. I do not practice any of them. I am an artist. This is a commission.

I wish my time to be productive. And so it will be. One way or another."

[Reinholdt]

[The Edge of the Nexus]

"Yes. You do that. I'm sure the Matron will be pleased to learn how you chose to flit away your hours while here. Be that productive little bee I know you are. Create a masterpiece." She turns away from the fool to look at the rest of the group.

"The rest of you that are actually serious about the mission should consider splitting up to cover more ground."

She rides Mister Squiggles forward a bit to step next to Tebtranlyn. "I know of a place in the city that is filled with the strange and seedy sorts. We're certain to learn something there. Join me if you wish." The nymph gives him an inviting smile before continuing towards Trog's, with or without him.

((deadtime))

[Shadow of the Sun]

[The Edge of the Nexus]

"I will do the job I was paid to do. Rest assured."

He smiles again.

"Of anyone here, I fit in the best. I've the most training and competence."

He tosses his head back, moving his hair behind and holding it in a loose ponytail. The other drow will notice that he is rather lacking in the ear department.

He shuffles around in his pack for a bit, turning his back, and putting on two prosthetics and applying some unknown humours.

When he turns back around, he should look human. Not completely, of course- he's still got to apply more of his skills- but enough that at a glance you'd simply think of him as human.

[Ashen Lilies]

[Edge of Nexus]

A really short, lightly built human. Keld (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=9140304&postcount=146) watches the Torturer disguise himself as a human impassively, heretically wondering if it would be easier to disguise one's self as a surface elf.

[billtodamax]

Excellent. A display of force will be required. Balayne'da says, before pointing to Keld. You. We're going to investigate this farm and gather some more information. You two, head towards the organisations. Infiltrate them, learn about as many as you can, and see how they communicate with the other organisations. She says the last part looking at Anath and Merrak. She turns to Keld. Come.

[Ashen Lilies]

[Edge of Nexus]

Keld nods, and follows after Balayne'da.
To the farm!

[billtodamax]

Balayne'da will head off towards the farms, relying on the others to follow her orders.

Eventually, they'll probably reach it, but I don't know if Reinholdt's playing it, or what.

[Kaelaroth]

You aren't talking to any mere 'pixie', you foolish... guy. For I am Darth Cuddlepie! Scourge of worlds, destroyer of... worlds... He strikes what he assumes to be a fiendish pose and glares at the halfling.


[Duskmeadow Farm's West Entrance]

"Of course we can! He's Darth Cuddlepie!"
And she's a fangirl who is totally helping. Yes.

How.. Intriguing. Well, here's the deal, creature-features. In this farm, a secret band of, well, bandits, were attempting to activate the magickal items they had stolen from one of my family's trading caravans. My sister and brother were unconscious nearby at the time, having been kidnapped. The devices, incorrectly used, detonated, raising all the spirits that had ever died in the area into foul living things once more, while also blighting the land and calling up this unnatural foglike mist, and, most importantly, creating a portal into Dromespace - where my siblings - and some bandits, I think, were teleported. I need you to venture there, and fetch them out. The halfling says, seemingly trusting the somewhat odd little members of NO, tapping his foot impatiently as he speaks. Don't destroy any worlds on your way.

[VampireRot]

[Edge of Nexus]

Merrak looks on passively as the other drow argue. It could almost makes him laugh. If he ever laughed. When the females finally get around to ordering them around, he simply gives Balayne'da a light bow.

"All glory to the Spider Queen."

The warrior turns to the torturer. He eyes the disguise with composed eyes, excellently hiding his contempt.

"Organizations using acronyms for names? Seems rather silly. You should infiltrate one of the "good" ones, I'll try my luck at the WATCHTOWER one."

Merrak walks off in the general direction of town to get further directions to WATCHTOWER. Silly drow never seem to bring a road map.

[Reinholdt]

Balayne'da will head off towards the farms, relying on the others to follow her orders.

Eventually, they'll probably reach it, but I don't know if Reinholdt's playing it, or what.
Nope. I just said it was of no consequence.
Perhaps it's actually the farm below though? :smalleek:


How.. Intriguing. Well, here's the deal, creature-features. In this farm, a secret band of, well, bandits, were attempting to activate the magickal items they had stolen from one of my family's trading caravans. My sister and brother were unconscious nearby at the time, having been kidnapped. The devices, incorrectly used, detonated, raising all the spirits that had ever died in the area into foul living things once more, while also blighting the land and calling up this unnatural foglike mist, and, most importantly, creating a portal into Dromespace - where my siblings - and some bandits, I think, were teleported. I need you to venture there, and fetch them out. The halfling says, seemingly trusting the somewhat odd little members of NO, tapping his foot impatiently as he speaks. Don't destroy any worlds on your way.

"What's Dromespace?" Annie flits around like... well... a pixie.

[AuxCave]
Butler is still here holding Kaela and sleeping in a rocking chair.
Cause Butler gets tired too.

[Kaelaroth]

"What's Dromespace?" Annie flits around like... well... a pixie.

Small creatures called dromes live in an alternate dimension, flitting about in a tiny space of dreams and false memories, constructed from minds of those they occasionally consume - they've grown weak, recently, since someone took some of their power... Not sure what's going on there. It'll be nightmarish - and beware of anything completely original - or anyone unable to rhyme - there may be bigger fae there, now... There might be more things lurking there, now... The halfling points at the farmhouses. What're you waiting for?


[AuxCave]
Butler is still here holding Kaela and sleeping in a rocking chair.
Cause Butler gets tired too.

Kaela awakens, and nips Butler's ear, licking his face.

[Reinholdt]

[Farm]

Having been born in the Weald, Annie isn't particularly as afraid as she probably should be.

"Fine fine." She goes to snatch Cuddlepie's arm and drag him towards the farmhouses.

[Auxcave]
Eep! :smalleek:
Butler wakes up giggling. Cause it tickles.
"Hi sir." :smallsmile:
*pet pet pet*

[Ashen Lilies]

[Edge of Nexus]

Well, Keld's not much for decision making, at least not when there's a female around. He'll wait for Balanay... person to make a judgment on whether they should continue on to the farm.
Kris is starting to dislike Drow names. Probably why he chose such an insanely short one.

[Kaelaroth]

[Farm]

Having been born in the Weald, Annie isn't particularly as afraid as she probably should be.

"Fine fine." She goes to snatch Cuddlepie's arm and drag him towards the farmhouses.
The halfling waves!


[Auxcave]
Eep! :smalleek:
Butler wakes up giggling. Cause it tickles.
"Hi sir." :smallsmile:
*pet pet pet*

Kaela smiles, but is clearly scared of being apart from Butler, and, rather than move or reply, continues his action, nuzzling the catboy lovingly.

[Reinholdt]

[Auxcave]

"You haven't eaten much since you got here sir. Are you hungry sir? Can I get you something to eat sir?" If so Butler will stand while holding Kaela and carry him to get him something to eat.

[Kaelaroth]

[Auxcave]

"You haven't eaten much since you got here sir. Are you hungry sir? Can I get you something to eat sir?" If so Butler will stand while holding Kaela and carry him to get him something to eat.

Kaela nods, slightly, a big worried smile on his pink, furry, feline face. He doesn't want to be fed his own organs anymore. Please?

[Reinholdt]

[AuxCave]

Of course not. Presuming the AuxCave has some sort of easily found kitchen for when guests like Happy and Sunny are around, Butler will head there and make him a grilled cheese sandwich and get him some milk.

[Kaelaroth]

[AuxCave]

Of course not. Presuming the AuxCave has some sort of easily found kitchen for when guests like Happy and Sunny are around, Butler will head there and make him a grilled cheese sandwich and get him some milk.

Kaela eats and drinks with great speed and panic - before dissolving any crumbs and remaining drops of milk into nothingness, as if scared to leave any evidence of him helping himself. Once done, he tries to hide in Butler's arms again...

[happyturtle]

[AuxCave]

And speaking of Happy, she's been here the whole time. Now well enough to walk slowly after the pair, pushing her IV pole, and watching worriedly. *worry worry worry*

[Reinholdt]

Kaela eats and drinks with great speed and panic - before dissolving any crumbs and remaining drops of milk into nothingness, as if scared to leave any evidence of him helping himself. Once done, he tries to hide in Butler's arms again...
Butler holds him close.
"It's alright sir." :smallfrown:
Poor guy seems scared, but he can't for the life of him figure out why.

[AuxCave]

And speaking of Happy, she's been here the whole time. Now well enough to walk slowly after the pair, pushing her IV pole, and watching worriedly. *worry worry worry*

"Hi Mrs. Amakirr ma'am. Would you like something to eat too ma'am?"

[Kaelaroth]

Kaela blinks out at Happy from within Butler's arms, shivering - making the air around him chill in his panic, so as to justify his shivers. He doesn't want people worrying about him, after all! That'd be demanding. And prideful! And pride's a sin.

A sin. :smalleek:

Kaela bursts into tears, little rosewater droplets spurting from his smokey eyes...

[happyturtle]

[AuxCave]

"What are you afraid of, Kaela?" Happy asks softly.

[Kaelaroth]

Kaela doesn't mean to be bad! The little thing says, shrinking in Butler's arms. Literally.

[Reinholdt]

[AuxCave]

"Aww, you're not bad sir. I know you're good sir."
Butler rocks the Kaela and pats it's back thinking it might need to burp or something.

[happyturtle]

[AuxCave]

"If you don't want to be bad, then don't do bad things, Kaela," Happy says gently. She remembers a conversation before, long ago, when she told him he couldn't stay at GLoG unless he tried to be good, and he had left rather than do that.

[Kaelaroth]

But being good is not in my programming! But being evil makes Kaela hurt.. hurt... all... Having his back patted proves Kaela's point - the catlike creature, coughs out a stream of vomit, mostly composed of sharp little shards of glass, which hiss with smoke, as if incredibly hot - it's like someone forced them down his throat.

[happyturtle]

"Being good isn't in human programming either. We have to just decide to do it," Happy says.

[Kaelaroth]

Daddy built me to get rid of you all, though! There're words and rhythms and rhymes and numbers in between all of them, all green and white and gold! Kaela squeals, panicking - looking more and more insubstantial as he panics.