An Open Market.

[Rebonack]

The Town needs some excitement. Something interesting should happen. Something that, though similar things have no doubt taken place before, needs to happen again. It starts off simple enough. It really truly does.

It starts off in a fashion that would allow even some of the most humble heroes of the Town could quell it. In fact, that's precisely what this situation calls for. A hero that doesn't bend the universe to his or her whims, but instead uses simpler, more traditional means.

Like an axe in the skull.

That always seems to solve a problem.

...

Except if the problem was keeping the person who now has an axe in his skull alive. In which case the application of said axe to said skull would probably not be the best of ideas.

Anyway... Simple.

What is this simple beginning you ask?

A lone corpse.

This corpse isn't doing what corpses should do. Which is, of course, sit in the ground and decay. Rather, this corpse is doing what corpses shouldn't do. Feast on the flesh of the living. That's what it's trying to do at least. And it appears at though it's being rather successful with that endeavor.

How successful you ask?

Well, it appears to have just ripped apart a fruit stand, the man behind the fruit stand, and several fruit stand patrons. And now it's devouring them. Both flesh and fruit. The whole fruit eating thing is odd. Normally flesh eating ghouls don't go for produce.

Apparently something is odd about this one.

Its appearance certainly is. The whole thing looks somewhat bloated. Perhaps with decay, though the lack of the sickly sweet smell of death suggests otherwise. The belly is a nasty color reminiscent of raw muscle what the back and flanks are livid purple. A long, forked purple tongue hangs out of a maw permanently stretched into a jagged, malicious grin. The rest of the creature's body looks horrible emaciated, as if any nourishment it could be getting never escapes from its bulbous belly.

And in the thing's forehead is a singe red, rough hew gem. Hmmm... wonder what that's for.

Ah well. Surely someone will figure it out.

So for now the monster feasts on NPCs. Let's see if anyone stops it?

[Atreyu the Masked LLama]

(no fair posting this just as I placed Atreyu in Trog's.)

[Rebonack]

((Life is tough sometimes.))

To keep this post from being all OOC the as yet unopposed creature continues to devour flesh.

[Osnagard]

A horseman, Jomuzi, gallops at a full charge into the market place, halbered lowered and barced. He's heading towards whatever it was that made that horrible flesh eating noise.

[Atreyu the Masked LLama]

*The llama tries to beat the others posters to the market by avoiding the street thread entirely. As he approaches the market place, he immediately makes a fort save to choke down the lunch that rises out of his stomach, threatening to spill on the floor.*

"Zomb.....ZOMBIES!!"

[Vhaidara]

Llamette runs in, and E's image appears.

[Pwenet]

Zabus makes his way into the area, and thanks the designers of the suit for the anti-nausea medication in the system.

Switching his weapon to full automatic, Zabus brings it up to his shoulder, aims at the center of mass of the..... zombie and fires several pulse plasma bolts at the zombie.

[Rebonack]

The bloated creature certainly seems to be far too hungry to be a zombie. Normally zombies don't pull people apart and eat their entrails.

Well... Hollywood zombies seem to like that, but d20 zombies are generally adverse to that type of behavior. Clearly this thing isn't though.

It drops the water melon it was devouring, which hits the hard cobbles and explodes like a severed head.

...

Or maybe that's the other way around.

Anywho... the creature crouches low as the knight approaches, hissing and in general looking unpleasant.

And then someone shoots at it. The 'zombie' responds quickly. Almost unnaturally so.

It leans forward and opens its mouth. And the front of its chest. And a good portion of the belly. It all just splits open into one massive maw and proceeds to allow the ionized gas to plummet into the inky abyss there in.

[Vhaidara]

Llamette gasps, and fients. E's image decides to try having an undead to undead conversation, since his actual body was somewhere else.

[Pwenet]

Zabus ceases fire when it appears that his weapon fire was not having an effect on the zombie. He starts running to the side while switching the Multi-Purpose Assault Rifle from assault to sniper mode. Bringing it back to his shoulder, the rifle feeds the view of the scope into his helmet. Taking aim for any spot that is not part of the giant mouth, he fires before moving again.

[Atreyu the Masked LLama]

*The llama makes a wide circle around the thing, staying back about 40 feet at all times, trying to figure out what it is and how to stop it.*

[Osnagard]

What with the giant mouth and all, Jomuzi decides to rein in the horse. He instead tries to circle around back og the creature. "Over here, beast, come and try me!"
Now would be the time for the Innocent NPC's to try and run, if he indeed does distract the monster, that is.

[Rebonack]

With a rather audible thunk the thing staggers a bit as the high velocity projectile goes sailing right through its noggin and out the other side. It staggers a bit, but otherwise doesn't seem to be too terribly distressed by this development.

After hoisting itself back upright it begins to keep a close eye on the power armor clad soldier person.

The monster, Atreyu will notice, looks a fair bit sturdier than your standard zombie. Probably sturdy to the point of 'it would be a fair fight regardless of who is fighting it'. Just because Rebonack likes interesting battles more than one sided stuff.

That said, a good couple kicks to the side of the head would probably make it unhappy. Just don't let it eat your limbs.

The monster hisses again, still seeming to be loath to take any offensive actions.

Several NPCs flee. Several more just stand there and watch, apparently transfixed by the thing.

[Pwenet]

Seeing that the zombie dosen't really care about the impact of the sniper shot, Zabus grunts slightly and sees several civilians standing still. A quick adjustment to the suit speakers and Zabus screams out:

"If you don't want to fight that thing, MOVE PEOPLE!!!

Taking aim again, Zabus fires again and again at the zombie.

[Vhaidara]

E walks over to it.
Calm down. Let's discuss this, one undead to another.

[Osnagard]

Jomuzi dismounts, he'd rather swing down form the horse, but it just creates too big a target. He lifts the pole arm and slowly advances on the monster, stopping when it's in his weapon's range, if he can get that close.

[Atreyu the Masked LLama]

*Atreyu tries a dangerous tactic, but it could help. He charges the creature from behind , lowering his head, trying the knock its leg out from underneath and make it fall down.*

[Rebonack]

The closer E's image gets to the creature the harder and harder the lich finds it is to maintain it. Almost as if the thing were in an anti-magic field. Though it quite clearly isn't. By the time he's within speaking distance keeping the illusion functioning should be pretty close to impossible.

Since the guy in armor seems to be the only one who is attacking the thing at the moment it suddenly drops to all fours under the projectiles and charges him. It may surprise him that his armor will begin acting wonky as soon as the monster gets close.

And tries to eat his arm.

Now, we're not talking 'shut down' wonky. Just... everything doesn't seem to be working as well as it should. A glitch here. A slight drop in power output there. Enough to render the powered armor less of a high tech death machine and more of a suit of full mail worn by a guy with a wand of scorching ray.

At least it would have tried to eat his arm if Atreyu hadn't tripped it. Now its on the ground and flailing its limbs a whole bunch.

[Vhaidara]

Actually, anti-magic has no effects. Magic and psionics are rather different. E attempts to enclose himself and the creature in a psionic wall of force.

[Atreyu the Masked LLama]

*Atreyu thanks Inari that he's safe, then realizes Inari's probably gone and he needs a new god, but he doesn't dwell on that because he has a downed creature in front of him.

The llama starts kicking at the legs of the beast as hard as he can, hoping to cripple it.

[Pwenet]

Seeing the creature turn and run towards him, Zabus smiles slightly and slings the rifle into it's slow in his shoulder and activates his energy shield and blade.

Or rather, sent the commands, and the shield flickers slightly and partially forms before collapsing. The energy blade barely forms, wavering and fading before it to collapses.

"Oh (CENSORED)"

In addition, readouts start flashing indicating significant power loss, but not enough to render him immobile. Trying to brace himself, he is won a reprieve when the llama trips up the creature and sends it to the ground.

Taking advantage, Zabus pulls out his Flechette Pistol and fires it at the exposed limbs of the creature, while pulling himself back. Hopefully on contact they should shred the flesh of the limbs to the point where it can't support itself and be rendered immobile.

[Osnagard]

Jomuzi swings the axe blade down toward the zombie, attempting to hit the neck. "FOR ..."... he's actually not sure who he's doing this for, who rules this town, or even what the town's called. Doesn't matter, kill the zombie first, ask questions latter.

[Rebonack]

Rebonack face palms. Then he points Bookboy to the rules on magic/psionics transparency. Yes, anti-magic affects psionics and anti-psionics affects magic. Arcane, divine, and psionic are all considered forms of magic. Next, he points to the part of the post where it is stipulated that this is not an anti-magic field. Finally, he delivers a Vulcan Dope Slap to E, sending his image skidding out of the psionic barrier and shattering it in the process.

Between the llama kicks, the pistol shooting all sorts of nasty jagged metal things, and the halberd lopping its head off, the monster doesn't appear to be doing so well.

And then it implodes.

Just *fwoomp!* and the thing is gone with a basket ball sized sphere of utter blackness hovering above the ground where its belly was. Said orb then collapses in on itself, leaving naught but that odd red gem from the monster's forehead behind. Oddly enough, the sci-fi tech and magic dampening effect seem to be coming from the stone.

The transfixed NPCs are still standing around being transfixed.

[Vhaidara]

E's image is still there, as E is incredibly powerful, and has only gotten stronger.

[Atreyu the Masked LLama]

*The llama just kinda stares at the stone, panting heavily* "Thought...I was....gonna....die."

[Pwenet]

After the implosion of the creature, Zabus holster his Flechette Pistol and walks towards the gem. Reaching down with his gauntleted hand, he waves it over, and tries to scan it.

[Osnagard]

Jomuzi.. pleased that the threat is over lowers his weapon and gathers up his horse. "Looks to be defeated, good job everyone." He then bos deeply, "Jandomuchizard at you service, but please, call me Jomuzi."

[Atreyu the Masked LLama]

*He waves a hoof at Jomuzi*

"Hi....I'm Atreyu....nice to...meet you." *he pants*

[Rebonack]

The stone itself appears to be made of pure Incarnum, if Zabus' armor is able to register soul stuff. Other than that it seems to be unremar-

Oh, wait.

No, there appears to be a rough, misty visage of a face screaming inside the gem. And it's moving and stuff. Creepy.

The NPCs who are just standing around and gazing blankly off into space continue to do so. It doesn't appear as though they have any intention of doing otherwise.

[Pwenet]

"And I'm Zabus Nelma, pleased to meet you."

Unable to detect anything special about the gem, Zabus nearly shoots up in shock when he sees the face, and instinctively slams his gauntleted hand down on the gem, as if to try to shatter it.

[Osnagard]

"Greetings."

Jomuzi looks around at the market. "We should probably clean this place up. Some one has to, afterall."

He follows his own suggestion and starts building a pyre to put the bodies on. The pyre is, as you would hope, far enough away from everything as to not bother the towns folk.

[Vhaidara]

E, however, can. And he finds it very interesting.

[Atreyu the Masked LLama]

*The llama starts gathering bodies, stopping every so often to relieve his stomach at the smell and sights.*

[Rebonack]

Most of the corpses are eaten. At least partially. Cleaning it all up is very messy.

Upon smashing the soul stone it shatters quite dramatically.

All the fragments seem to just hang there in mid-air as if time had frozen, contorted, tortured faces moaning inside each shard.

And then they all rocket off, embedding themselves in the foreheads of all those transfixed NPCs. Each of whom slump over lifelessly. Some also dig into the sloppy remains littered around on the ground.

That... was probably bad.

[Atreyu the Masked LLama]

*Atreyu quickly rubs a hoof to his own head, making sure there isn't a shard there.*

[Rebonack]

Considering the fact that Atreyu's soul is still in his body, unlike the NPCs who are currently writhing around on the filth stained cobble stones, it's safe to say he probably didn't get a corrupted Incarnum fragment shoved in his face.

If he did then bad things begin happening to him. Getting really hungry among other less pleasant changes.

Ultimately Rebonack will leave it up to the llama's player.

The spasming NPCs continue to spasm as their flesh begins to discolor and the ruby hued fragment of stone begins to grow.

[Pwenet]

Swearing under his breath, Zabus pulls out his Focused Plasma Pistol and starts firing at the insane NPCs.

Then with a wave of nausea and a splitting headache, Zabus suffers the effects of Deadtime.

((G'Night all))

[Vhaidara]

The unconciuoss Llamette is hit.

[Osnagard]

Jomuzi would probably have something to say about this, but it's suddenly very early in the morning instead of late at night.

This being the case...

Jomuzi turns to see a crystal shard flying straight at him, fortunatly if is stopped by a massive tree with the word "Deadtime" carved into it. Unfortunatly the three continues moving and smashes into the horseman

((night))

[Artemis97]

Attracted by the smoke, Raril walks into the market. Seeing the spasming NPCs, he draws his shortswords and moves towards the others. "What happened here?"

[Atreyu the Masked LLama]

(Tempting, but not yet)

*The llama attempts to bum rush one of the people who has the gem in their heads. He tries to knock them down and try to pry out the gem with a hoof.*

*He looks up at the voice* "Raril!! Help, the gem is making them all zombies and evil!"

[Vhaidara]

Llamette starts whining with pain, having been hit by the gem.

[Rebonack]

Several of the NPCs get shot a whole bunch. Despite this they continue to spasm.

The llama doesn't need to tackle the people so much since they're already on the ground. With all the flailing getting the stone out is a real chore, though he manages in the end. As soon as the tainted soul stone is loose the NPC falls still.

Then the rock begins to creep toward the body again.

((PM about what the rock does. Hang on.))

[Artemis97]

"Aww..I hate the undead." Raril runs for the nearest Zombie and slashes at it with his icy shortswords.

[Vhaidara]

Llamette starts to spasm. She strts crawling towards Atreyu.
He-help.

[Atreyu the Masked LLama]

*Atreyu looks around for something to hold the crawling gem in. He runs over to a pottery seller's remains of a shop and grabs an unbroken pot. He tries to pick up the gem in his teeth and drop it in the pot.*

(not a wise move I know, but he's panicked)

"I'm coming llamette. You're next! Hold on!"

[Vhaidara]

Help!
It should be noted that the gem, which hit her hoof, is now in her chest.

[Rebonack]

The body Raril is stabbing suddenly implodes just like the Famine Spawn that was dispatched did. The gem from the person's forehead falls to the ground and begins to creep toward the drow.

The stone wriggles in Atreyu's mouth but fortunately doesn't try to burrow into him. It plinks into the pot easily enough, though it immediately begins to do its best to dig through the vessel.

[Artemis97]

"Yipes!" Raril shouts as he turns his attacks to the next Zombie.

[Atreyu the Masked LLama]

(That was your chance, Rebonack :P)

*Atreyu goes scurrying over to LLamette and attempts the same procedure with her, all the time, shouting encouragement to her*

[Draken]

The huge shape of Draken soars above the place, the many heads look at arround for the events, finding out what is happening, the bulk of his body and the wings on his back are enought to eclipse the sun /moon.

Just after he flyes to Trogs.

[Vhaidara]

All in all, it probably looks and sounds like Llamette is going into labor. Atreyu gets the gem out, but she is visibly weakened. So weakened that she enters the dreaded llama-shock!

[Rebonack]

Raril ends up stabbing the guy Atreyu had pulled the gem out of, who likewise implodes like the last fellow did. The stone in the pot finally manages to burrow free and hurls itself at the closest living thing.

Which happens to be Atreyu's hind quarters.

[Atreyu the Masked LLama]

The llama yelps, but keeps focusing on trying to free LLamette from the gem's influence, not entirely sure what's happening on his tush.

[Artemis97]

Raril curses and runs towards the Llama. "Atreyu, one of those weird gems is in you." He hopes a remove curse spell would work.

After he casts the spell he deadtimes.

[Atreyu the Masked LLama]

*He bleats in a panic* "Get it off, get it off!" but he keeps trying to remove the gem from llamette, not leaving till she is safe.*

[Rebonack]

Raril gets the Invalid Target message when he attempts to cast on the llama. The gem appears to be disrupting the magic somehow.

The stone may have gotten too deep to pry out. That's up to the llama and whether or not his player wants to torment him again.

Several of the NPCs suddenly stop spasming and sit bolt upright. All the bite marks and missing limbs from being mauled by the monster begin to regenerate rapidly.

And apparently painfully from how much they're screaming.

Each now has a rather sizable red gem set into their foreheads.

[Atreyu the Masked LLama]

(Part of me wants to, but I'm just not feeling up to RPIng that tonight, and if it happened, I'd want to so Raril can save the llama's arse.)

[Vhaidara]

Llamette does likewise, except that she stands up on her hind legs. Were-llamas have strong souls. The gem that was in her should burst open as she bites at Atreyu.

[Atreyu the Masked LLama]

*Atreyu howls in pain and failure as his foreleg is chomped on, its harder to tell which is louder the pain of being bitten or the pain of failing to save llamette. He backs away and looks for a way to stumble out to safety.*

[Vhaidara]

Come on, we have to go!

(Everyone say hello to Atreyu, the world's newest were-llama! This should enable you to resist the gem.)

[Artemis97]

Raril comes out of deadtime and noticing his spell didn't work goes to Plan B. tightening his grip in his shortswords he shouts. "Don't move, Atreyu, this might hurt." He then aims a precision strike to cut out the gem from the Llama's behind.

[Atreyu the Masked LLama]

*Atreyu holds still, gritting his teeth, trusting Raril*

[Rebonack]

The gem fails utterly to explode because windmills don't work that way. Seriously. Ask before declaring what will happen.

However, stabbing the rock out should work just fine. And it will certainly hurt quite a bit. The fact that the rock doesn't want to come out won't help any.

[Vhaidara]

(Not that I said should explode.)

Llamette prepares to help with her hoof-claws.

[Artemis97]

((I thought strike was a vague enough word, oh well))

Raril proceeds to stab and dig out the gem, ignoring any screams from the Llama or the doomed NPCs.

[Atreyu the Masked LLama]

*He grits his teeth, eyes a mask of pain beneath his mask and he repeats *

"Hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts, hurts" as Raril works.

[Rebonack]

((That was aimed at Bookboy and his declaration that the soul stones should burst because Llamette is a were-llama. What Raril is doing is fine.))

The gem wriggles and burrows to escape from the drow's blade, but in the end he manages to pry it out. The nasty little thing is still moving around and stuff in search of something new to lodge itself in.

The screaming NPCs all run off into the shadows.

And stuff.

We'll probably see more of them tomorrow.

[Artemis97]

The drow tries to shove Atreyu away from the wriggling gem, then starts casting a healing spell for the poor bleeding Llama.

[Vhaidara]

Llamette attempts to pick up Atreyu and carry him to Trog's.

(Not just because she was a were-llama, but because she was one seriously pissed were-llama!)

[Atreyu the Masked LLama]

*Atreyu's knees buckle from the agony, but he stumbles back to his feet.*

"Is it out? Can we go? I feel weird and I'm bleeding."

*He allows himself to be carried back by Llamette. Too out of it to really do much.*

[Artemis97]

Raril finishes the spell, which should fix him up ((Assuming it works if we're outside the area of the gem)) "Yeah, it's gone. Let's get out of here."

[Rebonack]

The gem goes skittering off into a dark crack in the side of a nearby building. Like a roach. Apparently it's going to try to find something easier to infest.

And then everything is gone. No more twitchy corpses. No more undead. Just what few messy bits that weren't inhabited are left.

Aaaaaaand cut!

That's a wrap people. See you all tomorrow when the real invasion starts.

[Artemis97]

The bard grins and takes a sweeping bow, as any good actor should after another brilliant performance. Yes, raril arrived late to the set, but isn't that what all the high-paid stars do? And now, with the shooting done, he deadtimes.

[LordVader]

A Town Police Rhino APC comes screeching up. It swerves to a hault, and ten Arbites pour out of its side and rear ramps. They look around.
We head reports of a disturbance, what happened here?

[Rebonack]

Crickets chirp in response.

Even the usual Plot exposition NPCs aren't here.

[Pwenet]

Zabus snaps out of deadtime with a start and wanders away.