[IC] [M&M 2e] Exalted: The Dawn of a New Era

[Anti-Eagle]

Spoiler: Info Show "Mark Ritter" (Broken Thorn of the Red Nile) | Initiative -1 | | Defence +0 | | Toughness +10 | | Fortitude +10 | | Reflex -1 | | Will +5 | | Damage 0 | | Notice +20 | - Super Senses 8 [Analytical (Taste), Infravision, Microscopic Vision, Rapid (Hearing and Vision), Scent, Ultra-Hearing, Ultravision)]

Broken Thorn smiled and looked at the abyssal. This was good, he'd probably have to smooth this over with Green but this was a good beginning. "Alright, I'm glad to hear that. I am Broken Thorn of the Red Nile, Exaltation of the Anathema." Thorn looked at the others, hoping they would accept a possible arrangement rather than continuing the bloodshed, and jumped off the stage so they were closer to eye level. It was entirely possible Green would use this as an opportunity to drop the Abyssal though and he would have to accept that if it happened.

[Kaworu]

Abyssal smiled, showing her perfect, white teeth.

- Now, that we are friends and you do not wanna fight me, I suppose you will give me the Heartstone? - she asked, eyeing the place where the perpetum mobile vanished - We are good, so you will grant my wish, won't you?

[Rhyvurg]

"We can talk about that, but how about you tell us what you want it for first." Kirnan is still on edge, she's talking peacefully now, but that could change any moment.

[Anti-Eagle]

Spoiler: Info Show "Mark Ritter" (Broken Thorn of the Red Nile) | Initiative -1 | | Defence +0 | | Toughness +10 | | Fortitude +10 | | Reflex -1 | | Will +5 | | Damage 0 | | Notice +20 | - Super Senses 8 [Analytical (Taste), Infravision, Microscopic Vision, Rapid (Hearing and Vision), Scent, Ultra-Hearing, Ultravision)]

Broken Thorn smiled and gesticulated mildly with his hands as he began approaching the Knight. "Yes, let us talk about what you would need it for? I certainly don't have a use for it, so it would be up to Ms. Green here. I certainly assume you would have a use for it if you made a show here." It looked so far that at the very least they could learn what the plan was for it, though Thorn hoped to avoid further bloodshed. This wasn't the first Abyssal he had met, most of them weren't very reasonable, but most of them could in some way be reasoned with. He supposed that if he was... working for the good guys? Not that he considered the sidereals the good guys, that maybe he could reason with the Abyssal and work with her. They all had goals, even if they'd been beaten down by the dead ones, and on some level wanted freedom in some way. The question is did she, or was she company straight through?

[Lord Raziere]

Revelynne:
She keeps herself in a battle ready stance
"The Sidereals know of the Abyssals. Last I checked, You serve the Neverborn and the Death Lords. Such beings only desire the destruction of all that is. I do not think I need to explain to anyone why this is undesirable."
Her eyes narrow
"But go ahead, state your desires why you want it. I make no promises about believing you though."

[Kaworu]

- We need this energy source - stated the Abyssal - As to for what purpose, I can't tell. My partner seemingly believes me to be incompetent - said the lady. There was an easily discernable resentment in her voice.

At the same moment, two new persons appeared in the doors leading to the conference room. Both of them quite famous.

Dorothy, Genki

The traffic was quite heavy today, especially considering the gathering at True Stone Industries. Because of it, you both were late. Hoping that it was not too late to miss the presentation - in case of Dorothy - or to sing - as was the case with Genki - you both left your cars and went into the building.

Something was off.

There were people screaming, running away from the room where the gathering took place. At the same time, there were not as many people as some would expect. Anxious, you rushed forward.

When you entered the conference room, you realized that there was something really, really off. Inside were just a few people - including one Abyssal with a freakish, giant sword - and no bystanders, but a lot of awfully smelling red monkeys and skeletons laying around them.

What the hell did happen there?

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

Dorothy had made a point of being on time for the presentation and saw it through to the point where the the fancy new device was swallowed up into a glowing green rift in spacetime.

Being ostensibly a normal invitee and not knowing enough to act appropriately, she left along with the other guests in the midst of the skeleton fight. One could notice easily enough that the woman in the copper-colored pantsuit was less panicked than the other mere mortals, but she didn't really have the presence to calm and lead the group with that courage. She could only keep watch over them as they evacuated the building.

"Hello," is all she says to Ms. Tojo for introduction as the performer rushes in to help. She runs down the empty hallway alongside her. "It was this conference room down here. They were presenting a new kind of engine when a group of armed monsters burst into the room, presumably to steal it." The Inventor Queen probably has a better idea of the device's significance than that, but those details don't seem to matter except to establish its narrative role as a macguffin.

By the time they get there, Dorothy has missed the part of the conversation where the device was called a Heartstone, but is just in time to hear the phrases, 'Neverborn,' and, 'Death Lords.' She briefly entertains the notion that this whole fiasco was orchestrated by an ambitious confederation of metal bands.

"Um, excuse me," she says from the doorway, "am I to presume that we are past the point of simply returning the device to its owner? Or, indeed, the point where we would wait patiently for it to be replicated and made available for legitimate purchase?"

[Lord Raziere]

Revelynne:
She regards the current situation and the newcomer. This would have to be carefully done.
"Right, because "We need it for reasons I can't say" is a great negotiating position. Your asking for a lot of trust for someone who barged in here with a small army of undead, Abyssal. Pardon me if I'm not inclined to give it to your entropic ends."
She turns to Dorothy.
"Ah yes, your Dorothy right? A Twilight caste? I'd say we are past that. I am Agent Green, Chosen of Secrets. The plan for me and my recent associates was simply to observe the Hearthstone and figure out what to do about it. Such an invention like this could change the world drastically and its probably best we figure out a way for it to change it for the better. There is no denying the numerous benefits it could have- or the pain it could cause if it powers weaponry. This one here-"
She points to the Abyssal
"-Came in here demanding it out of nowhere, the prototype before it could be replicated. My associates and I simply acted in response to keep a violent Exalt associated with entropic beings from forcefully taking it. I myself find little value in objects aside from what end they can serve or result they achieve. As long as the good this invention does outweighs the suffering it causes, it will be worthwhile to see it distributed fairly to the public in my eyes."

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

Ms. Price stares uncomfortably at the mention of her Exalted caste, trying to decide whether it would be better to play dumb, or to ask how Agent Green knew about that, or to introduce herself and ask the names of the other likely exalts, or even to simply nod in acknowledgement. Naturally, she ends up doing none of those things; by the time she's decided to trust the agent, the moment has passed and looping back to introductions would just make things more awkward.

"That sounds right," she says. "Do you need help taking her into custody, then, or with recovering the prototype from wherever it went?"

[Anti-Eagle]

Spoiler: Info Show "Mark Ritter" (Broken Thorn of the Red Nile) | Initiative -1 | | Defence +0 | | Toughness +10 | | Fortitude +10 | | Reflex -1 | | Will +5 | | Damage 0 | | Notice +20 | - Super Senses 8 [Analytical (Taste), Infravision, Microscopic Vision, Rapid (Hearing and Vision), Scent, Ultra-Hearing, Ultravision)]

Broken Thorn focused on the Deathknight before him, talking her down was the priority for the moment. "You certainly don't look incompetent to me, you've been smart enough to listen certainly and brought... How many skeletons? How many graveyards did you need to go through to find that many of enough quality to raise? I remember that was a problem with the Knights I had worked with, solid enough remains were always a problem during the war considering the way we went about that... I wonder. Perhaps your partner undervalues your contribution? Have you considered contract work?" Certainly there were worse ideas than rambling. She wasn't a blood crazed monster as far as he could tell. He continued his approach, this could work.

[Rhyvurg]

The newcomer makes Kirnan's hand tighten on the grip of his sword again, but she doesn't seem to have come here for a fight. "Not to rush anyone, but sooner or later more mundane authorities are bound to arrive, we shouldn't dawdle."

[Kaworu]

- We did not rob any graves – The Dancer explained -Magick was used. My partner is a master when it comes to necromancy and seemingly researched a new spell. Was saying something about quantum physics. To be honest I do not understand any of that.

- If you will go with me, I think he could explain some things to you. But mind me, he’s a buffoon. Sometimes it is just better to ignore him, I have found.

- As to the Hearthstone, it was my job to retrieve it. I am not gonna go back empty-handed. So give me the machine and go with me, if you need to. Talking is good, but the results are expected from me, not having a bunch of new friends. – there was a hint of dangerous gaze in her eyes. Just a hint, though.

[Anti-Eagle]

Spoiler: Info Show "Mark Ritter" (Broken Thorn of the Red Nile) | Initiative -1 | | Defence +0 | | Toughness +10 | | Fortitude +10 | | Reflex -1 | | Will +5 | | Damage 0 | | Notice +20 | - Super Senses 8 [Analytical (Taste), Infravision, Microscopic Vision, Rapid (Hearing and Vision), Scent, Ultra-Hearing, Ultravision)]

Broken Thorn shut out the rest of the room, and focused his energies outward through his voice. "Hrm, I doubt Green here would like that, though perhaps we could reach an agreement with you and the buffoon. I have the artifact nicely kept away in my throne, I could go with you, perhaps the others could join us. We could sit down and work out an agreement of some sort. At the very least you seem a reasonable sort so even if he can't be reasoned with we can work something out. I doubt you'd want to carry it back in your hands anyhow."

[Rhyvurg]

Kirnan nods. "I can agree to that. We can also try to determine what exactly it is."

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

"I would say that the presentation explained that much pretty well," Dorothy says. "At least, well enough for our purposes. It's a perpetual motion machine. I'd question whether they truly discovered a deposit of orichalum and engineered it from there, or whether they're just dressing up some ancient artifact to pass it off as their own work, but I can look into that on my own time."

Dorothy is already wondering if the question is actually relevant here. Perhaps the Deathlord is after it for some property that the presenter was unaware of? She has only a passing awareness of what those, 'entropic beings,' are about, though. Who knows how much they've changed in the thousands of years since her old texts were written, assuming those texts were accurate to begin with.

[Kaworu]

- As long as I will have the machine, you can go with me. I see no reason not to - was all the Dancer said. She looked briefly at agent Green, giving her a kind-of challenging look, but nothing really hostile. Then she went out of the room, not looking back at you.

In the hallway, she went to one of the walls and grabbed something from inside her armor. What she was holding later was a piece of charcoal-black chalk.

- When I will outline a door, it will only last for one minute. After that, it vanishes. I suppose it would be better if you go first and I will follow you at the close. Any questions? - she asked.

[Lord Raziere]

Agent Green:
She shakes her head
"Oh no. I'm not going anywhere with you, Dancer. Explain why I should you trust you, because if I can't, there is no way I'm doing that. Hate to be that person, but I have absolutely zero reason to go along with anything you want and there is a high probability that what you want is something destructive or detrimental. Your trying negotiate without giving your position or what your goal is. Thats a non-starter. Tell us why your doing this or no deal- and even if you tell us, that doesn't itself guarantee a deal goes through."

[Anti-Eagle]

Spoiler: Info Show "Mark Ritter" (Broken Thorn of the Red Nile) | Initiative -1 | | Defence +0 | | Toughness +10 | | Fortitude +10 | | Reflex -1 | | Will +5 | | Damage 0 | | Notice +20 | - Super Senses 8 [Analytical (Taste), Infravision, Microscopic Vision, Rapid (Hearing and Vision), Scent, Ultra-Hearing, Ultravision)]

"Green, Green, Green. We haven't known eachother for very long, but surely the least we can do is hear them out? Of course they would want destruction but the same can be said of all for one reason or another. Golds want to bring destruction to their enemies, Silvers want to bring destruction to their enemies, Bronze want to bring destruction to their enemies. Star and Rust want to bring change to the world, another form of destruction. Bone though, that's always a bit different, they all have their own reasons and their own goals. I'm curious what theirs are. The machine is nice and safe and..." Thorn opened the portal again and urged the civilians within to leave the battlefield and seek the exits. Save the presenter, he was held for the moment. "Surely, we can meet the buffoon, learn why he wants it and come to an agreement at the very least with Miss Dancer here." Thorn began approaching Dancer and looked on at her chalk curious as to her magics. Teleportation was not unknown to him, but the methods always varied a little.

[Rhyvurg]

Kirnan smirks. "Don't worry Green, I'll get you home before curfew." He waits for Dancer to open the door. Never a dull moment after taking the Second Breath.

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

Ms. Price does not seem enthusiastic about the situation. It might just be that she's not enthusiastic about anything, period, but the way she raises her eyebrows at different points in this exchange would seem to suggest that she's on the same page as the green agent.

"For what it's worth, I am also rather uneasy about walking through strange dimensional portals. No offense to either of you," she says to both the dancer and the guy with the pocket throne room. Walking into traps is a viable strategy for secret agents and adventurers, but less so for people with day jobs. She gets out her tablet. "However, I do have a car and a means of concealing its destination, if you would like to conserve your motes and not risk being tracked home by mystical bloodhounds."

If the dancer's response is something along the lines of, 'what bloodhounds,' Dorothy is prepared light up like a Christmas tree and give a disheartening lecture on magical signatures and residual gateways that may or may not completely describe the means Ms. Green's agency uses to keep track of people like her.

[Kaworu]

The Dancer looked at both Agent Green and Dorothy. After a moment of thinking, she broke her chalk into three more-or-less equal pieces. She tossed one of them to Ravelynne, the second to the Solar and she kept the third piece.

- My companion is not in Creation. He is in the Underworld, so your car will not help us. As long as you do not have any means to pierce the plane barrier, you have to use this. Kept it, if I would wanna ambush you or something, you could always escape to this world on your own. I am afraid this is the only safeguard I am able to give you. – she explained.

This was followed by questions - Are we done yet? Or are there more issues?

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

"I see," says Dorothy. Somehow, the destination being on another plane of existence is more convincing to her than the chalk. "I appreciate you humoring me. I look forward to seeing where this goes."

[Anti-Eagle]

Spoiler: Info Show "Mark Ritter" (Broken Thorn of the Red Nile) | Initiative -1 | | Defence +0 | | Toughness +10 | | Fortitude +10 | | Reflex -1 | | Will +5 | | Damage 0 | | Notice +20 | - Super Senses 8 [Analytical (Taste), Infravision, Microscopic Vision, Rapid (Hearing and Vision), Scent, Ultra-Hearing, Ultravision)]

"The underworld? Why I haven't been there in... It's been quite a while. Quite a cold place, but not entirely unpleasant. Hrm. If you would rather Miss Green you could wait out the trip in my Throne, and come out nice and rested once we've settled matters."

[Lord Raziere]

Revelynne:
She crosses her arms.
"Fine. I'll go with you. But if this turns out badly, don't say I didn't warn you."
She will go through the portal. She'd be a fool to not take this opportunity to learn more about they're planning.

[Kaworu]

The Dancer nodded, then came closer to a wall. With the piece of black chalk in her hand, she has outlined there a door – just a square, basically. When it was done, she had made an additional, black point in the center. She had moved her hand towards her mouth and bitten her thumb a little, producing some droplets of blood. Then, she pressed the thumb against the black dot.

Immediately, the black color started to spread from the central point, quickly filling the borders of the square completely. Then, after a short time, the blackness disappeared, showing the Underworld.

From what you could see from the door, it was dark inside. A cold wind blew from the hole in space, unnervingly tearing at your clothes. The building, as shown from the portal, was a ruin of gray, fractured concrete, broken windows, and black, twisted iron – it was recognizable as the exact same building, but a bit different at the same time.

- If you do not have means of transportation. It will take us fifteen minutes of walking to go to my comrade. I hope this is fine with you? - asked the Dancer.

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

The nerd in the copper suit watches the ritual with interest. She'll likely have to replicate it later.

"I have many faults, but not quite that degree of laziness," she says. "We'll be fine, I'm sure."

[Anti-Eagle]

Spoiler: Info Show "Mark Ritter" (Broken Thorn of the Red Nile) | Initiative -1 | | Defence +0 | | Toughness +10 | | Fortitude +10 | | Reflex -1 | | Will +5 | | Damage 0 | | Notice +20 | - Super Senses 8 [Analytical (Taste), Infravision, Microscopic Vision, Rapid (Hearing and Vision), Scent, Ultra-Hearing, Ultravision)]

"I have a bicycle but I doubt that's what you mean, I'm fine with walking."

[Rhyvurg]

Kirnan follows the rest, his hands in his pockets. "Nothing wrong with a little walk."

[Kaworu]

You began the march against the sunless world. When you have left the building you were in – the mirror reflection of the one in the Creation – you have seen a whole new, ruthless reality.

The gray, heavy clouds have hidden the weak light from the surface of Earth. Everywhere were buildings of concrete, broken glass and steel, twisted in impossible shapes, like clawy fingerr reaching for the skies, as if to tear it apart.

There were also people. Not many of them, but the longer you have walked in this world, the more of them you saw. Dressed in rags, with long, sunken, hungry faces and hopelessness in their eyes. They were in various shades of gray and black, never white, never clean. Their half-translucent bodies were hovering slightly above the ground, and their robes were flying behind them, sometimes moved by slight wind, sometimes by a tornado you could not feel.

It was like a disaster had struck this land. No, not struck – like a disaster was always a part of this plane of existence. Forevermore, with no beginning and certainly no end in sight.

It was quite depressing.

The Dancer moved through this sad land, seemingly knowing where you are going and seeming unmoved by the sights.

~*~

After about a quarter of an hour, you have moved to a place that in your world could be a public park, but in this, it was just a plain of dead tress and thorns. In the center of the park, you have seen a peculiar, nauseating view.

There was a big portal made of slightly moving, pulsating muscles and big, purple veins. At the very tom, there was a metal box, injected into the mass of meat. The whole sight was like something from a horror movie – revulsing and wicked to a level of exaggeration.

And, before this whole thing, there was a small figure in once-white doctor’s robes, now tainted with dirt and old blood. He had a little goatee and moustache, black, short hair and pale complexion. When he had heard you moving, he turned your way. He had blue eyes, the only think about him that was truly pretty without the hint of a danger or humorous, twisted parody.

- Ah, Dancer. Took you long, didn’t it? - he asked, not without being slightly mean – And… who are your companions? And the stone, do you have it?- he went straight to business.

[Rhyvurg]

Kirnan keeps a hand on his sword as they pass through this blighted place, his blade and longcoat glimmering with traces of the sunlight used to craft them. He had to remind himself that these were not living beings, but rather dead ones, and beyond any help. The portal however...that made him grip his weapon a little tighter. What abomination was this? What twisted mind would think something so hideous was a good idea?